"Dad called a family meeting," George said, pausing to drink his whiskey. "I dont think I've ever seen him so angry."

Severus arched a brow, trying and failing to imagine the usually placid Weasley patriarch angry. That was the domain of his wife.

"Do we even want to ask?" Hermione asked softly, swirling the gin in her glass, her posture stiff.

"Actually, it was bloody awesome." George grinned, "Wasn't it Ange? Even mum couldn't argue with Dad, I've never seen her so quiet."

Angelina laughed. "It was definitely an experience."

"Go on then, seeing as you're dying to tell us.'' Hermione groaned, leaning into Severus for comfort as she braced herself for what was coming, nothing that made George look that gleeful could be good.

George grinned back at her. "Like I said he called a family meeting, even Charlie came. He had us all sit around the kitchen table like we were kids again and then he asked us all what we knew about the situation with you and Ron. Bill and Charlie obviously said they knew nothing concrete but didn't actually believe Ron's accusations. Percy said you'd spoken about it briefly but that anyone with half a brain cell could see Ron was talking rubbish. Mum got a bit annoyed at that actually. Turned a wonderful shade of red. I obviously told them that I knew everything because I'm not an arse and kept in touch." Angelina snorted, clearly remembering how that had gone down. "Gin said that she'd never believed it but you were gone before she could do anything and then Harry….Harry told them what he'd overheard Lavender and Ron saying a few weeks after you left. I thought Mum was going to explode. She rounded on Ron and asked…well screeched might be more accurate, if it was true. Not that she gave him room to answer as she ranted at him. Something about having felt sorry for him and something about my wedding? Care to explain?"

Hermione shrugged, "She might have told me that Ron wasn't at your wedding because of me and asked if I wanted to be responsible for you losing another brother."

George looked momentarily livid. "You should have said something!"

"On your wedding day?"

"Yes! Godric, 'Mione, surely you've put up with enough shit from my family?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It was fine, Severus shut her down."

George hummed. "I still don't like it. Anyway, Dad looked a bit lost after Mums rant to be honest and then he asked Ron and Lavender if they had anything to say for themselves. Ron was….well he was Ron. He said he had nothing to say, he'd made the right choice with Lavender, so Dad asked him why he'd lied. He said everyone was pushing him to marry you and the only way they'd ever stop was if he convinced them you were awful…or well words to that effect."

"Jesus." Hermione muttered.

"Oh it gets better. Mum and Dad have banned Ron and Lavender from the Burrow. Dad told him he was absolutely ashamed of them both. He pointed out that even when they didn't agree with their choices he and mum had always supported us…..Dad more than Mum to be fair but you get the point. He also pointed out that you had done nothing wrong but had left the wizarding world entirely because they had lied. He told them that he couldn't stand the sight of either of them and that while they'd still see their kids, he wasn't ready to be anywhere near them. It's the worst punishment that he could have come up with because Lavender is a horrendous cook and they go to Mum more often than not and you know how Ron is with his food."
Severus snorted, remembering Weasley inhaling food at school. "Well at least it's done now."

"Oh but it isn't!" George said with unholy glee, "Dad told Ron and Lavender that he wouldn't even discuss a timescale for them being allowed back at the Burrow until Ron gives an interview telling the whole truth to make up for the ones he gave when Hermione left."

Both Hermione and Severus gaped at him. "Seriously?"

"Oh yes. I meant it when I said Dad was livid. Even Mum couldn't get him to change his mind. He's also supposed to find a way to apologise to you, although Dad told him not to bother until he actually meant it."

"Wow."

Severus looked at her, worry creasing his face. "How do you feel about that?"

Hermione shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure I want to have my life splashed over the papers again but I understand why Arthur ordered it. And after last night, the papers are going to comment regardless, at least this way they might actually contain some semblance of the truth. As for the apology, I'll believe it when I see it, we all know admitting he's wrong is not Ron's strongest suit."

Severus hummed, "Very well. Now, what is this nonsense about you developing another damn product to help students escape class?"

George grinned, allowing the unsubtle subject change and began explaining his newest idea.

Several weeks later Severus stood, his arms around Hermione's waist as he surveyed her new domain. She'd updated the dusty old shop, creating light where there hadn't been before. Gone were the teetering stacks of books on tables littering the middle of the floor and the overflowing mismatched bookcases haphazardly filled with whatever books had taken the owners fancy, instead she had wall to ceiling bookcases filled with every genre imaginable, Hogwarts curriculum texts, niche specialities and an entire section of muggle literature, all ordered alphabetically within their subject matter. She'd separated off a small corner for children's books, mixing muggle and magical and throwing in small beanbags for them to use, presumably while their parents shopped. He wondered fleetingly if Kingsley had approved an undetectable extension charm as his eyes wandered over to her small cafe, comfy looking chairs in a rainbow of colours clustered around tables, more filled bookcases lining the walls combined with what looked like board games, with a sign inviting people to use them on the lower shelves. It looked entirely different from the Tomes and Scrolls it had been.

"It looks wonderful." he said finally into the silence. "Are you keeping the name?"

"Oh. Yes, I think so. It's been Tomes and Scrolls forever, it seems a shame to change it now."

"How did you persuade Kingsley to sign off on the undetectable extension charm?"

Turning in his arms she grinned impishly up at him, "Why Professor Snape, I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about!"

He arched a brow as he looked down at her. "Really?" he asked with a sardonic edge to his voice.

"Of course, I would never ask the Minister to bend the rules slightly to allow me to expand the space, that would be a major violation of our relationship. Now if he had, say….offered without me having to ask and happened to make the usual several months of checks disappear, it would, of course, be incredibly ungrateful of me to turn that down but I would never attempt to persuade him!"

He huffed out a laugh, "Of course," he replied drily. "Have you settled on an opening day?"
"Last Hogsmede weekend before the end of term I think, so in two weeks? It means the students will know I'm here and it's different but it'll also give the locals a chance over the summer to come in and have a look. I'm hoping the cafe helps. I've spoken to Madam Rosemerta and agreed on a deal with her; she'll supply some of her wonderful honey mead and butterbeers and I'll stick to snacky food and cakes rather than actual meals"

"That seems fair, you didn't extend the courtesy to Madam Puddifoot?"

Hermione shuddered slightly, "Ethel Collins you mean? She's the one responsible for that monstrosity. She was….we'll go with put out that I was considering a cafe at all. I did attempt to speak to her but honestly, five minutes in that cafe and I was desperate to leave. Is there a need for that level of frills?"

Severus gaped for a moment before he laughed at her outraged expression. "I would not know, having had the sense to never set foot in the place."
"Not even to chase out students?" she asked curiously.

"Not even for that. I send in prefects. The outside is bad enough."
"The outside is positively tame in comparison to the inside."

"Then my assessment of my want to set foot over the threshold was correct."

"I almost want to see it." she mused with a grin.

"No."

"Severus?"

"Yes?"

"You know Lia will want to go the moment she sets eyes on the place?"

"Then we will ensure she never sees it."
Hermione laughed at him. "Of course, love. You'll forgive me when I get the resulting photograph framed though, won't you? No one will believe me without one."

He sighed as he glowered down at her. "Sometimes I am convinced that you do not love me at all, you just enjoy particularly unusual forms of torture, you know?"

Laughing, she stretched up and kissed him. "Can't it be both? I happen to love you rather a lot, however apparently I also enjoy particularly unusual forms of torture."
"Careful, witch. Skeeter gets wind of that sentiment and I can only imagine the headlines."

Hermione laughed "Oh yes. Harlot exposed as Dark witch! Granger admits to enjoying torture!"

"Accurate." He snorted, dodging when she hit him.

"Mumma?"

"Yes sweetheart?" Hermione looked down to see her daughter scrunching up her tiny face, clearly unsure how to voice whatever it was she wanted to say. Crouching down, Hermione reached for her, her hands soothing up and down her arms. "Lia?"

"Is my Sev'us my daddy?" she asked in a small voice before continuing, "Jamie's daddy lives with Jamie. And Callums and Lyla and baby Jasper. And Mylo has two daddies! Where's my Daddy?"

Hermione felt her heart stop, fuck she thought she had had more time before this conversation. Trust her child to be more aware than she should have been. All those years of her being too damn clever for her own good coming back to bite her on the arse in the form of this tiny girl. She felt a momentary pang of sympathy for her own mother.

"Come with me." she said finally, standing and reaching for Lia's hand. She settled her daughter next to her on the sofa, frantically wondering what she should say.

"Your daddy gave Mumma you." she said finally. "And Mumma will always be very glad that he did."
"Where he go?"
"Sometimes mummies and daddies don't stay. Sometimes they just help make the babies or keep the babies in their tummies but they don't stay to help look after the baby after they're born."
"Why?"
"Lots of reasons, sweetheart. Your daddy couldn't stay but he left you with me and he knew that you'd be ok because I loved you so very much."

"Why he no stay?"

"Because he had a special job to do far away."

Lia looked at her and frowned, "My Sev'us not daddy?"

Hermione froze for a moment, wondering if she'd read Severus all wrong and this was going to come back to bite her, "Sometimes we get really lucky and get more than one mummy or daddy." she said finally, "Sometimes that can be a mummy or a daddy who didn't help make you but loves you all the same."

"So my Sev'us is daddy?"

"If you want him to be." Hermione whispered, pulling her close.

Lia was engrossed in her kitchen, humming something Hermione vaguely recognised as being Disney as she clattered her miniature pots and pans about. She hoped that Severus remained caught at the school until after she got Lia to bed so she could at least warn him of the conversation they'd had. Of course, that was not how things were meant to be. She heard the tell-tale roar of the floo as he appeared, unfortunately so did Lia, her small head snapping up as she registered the footfalls coming down the stairs. Her face split into a grin as her favourite person walked into the room.

"Daddy!" she screeched. Severus' jaw dropped, his hands catching her on instinct as she barrelled into him. He could feel his heart pounding as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. "Daddy? You come pway?" Lia frowned, pulling back from him slightly "Daddy, why you crying?"

He wasn't entirely sure how he made it to the chair, clutching her tiny body to him as he attempted not to sob. Where had that come from? What the fuck was he meant to do with this? He met Hermione's eyes over the top of Lia's head, watching her move towards them before she perched on the arm of his chair.

"Lia sweetheart, why don't you go and pick your story for tonight while Mumma speaks to…Daddy for a moment."

Lia frowned minutely, her eyes darting between her parents before she slid off Severus' knee to comply.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked softly, slipping down off the arm to take Lia's place, wrapping her arms around him.

"I…..I don't understand? Where did that come from?"

"We had a….conversation earlier about where her Daddy is." Hermione sighed, "It was…well it was not something I was in any way prepared for this early to be honest, she asked if you could be her Daddy. If it's an issue, I'll come up with something, it's partly my fault, I told her not all parents are the ones responsible for their children's creation. I had hoped to speak to you before you saw her but well, you saw how well that worked out."

"Hermione," he said softly, still looking shell shocked. "I….it is not an issue for me but….are you sure? I…..I need you to be sure."

Hermione tilted so she could see him better. "Why on Earth would I be the one that isn't sure?"

"I….my past, my decisions. We're going to have to explain them some day. I don't think I could handle it if she hated me, if she regretted you allowing her to choose me."

"And we will. Someday." Hermione replied softly, choosing her words carefully. "When her memories will be of the man who put on the tacky plastic jewellery and played tea parties with her, the man who read her bedtime stories and tucked her in at night, who danced to those ridiculous Disney songs and took her to the park, the zoo, to playdates with Harry bloody Potter. When we finally tell her, Severus, she'll have all these memories of the man who loved her. We might need to help her to understand but sweetheart, she'll never hate you, she loves you too much to ever regret you."

Severus buried his face into the crook of her neck, unwilling to let her see him cry again as her words sunk in. That little girl was his and he had no real idea what to do with all these feelings. Vaguely he registered Hermione stroking a hand down his head as she hugged him close, exactly the same way she did with Lia when she was upset, moments later her hand was joined by a small one and accompanied by a voice singing something in questionable tune in his ear, a tiny body wriggling itself against his chest until it was comfy. They stayed like that until Severus got himself under control, raising his head to see Lia looking at him curiously.

"You all better, Daddy?"

"Yes." He croaked, the name still making him feel raw. "Did you get your story?"

"Yes! I gots The Hairy!"

"You got the what?"

"The Hairy!" she replied brandishing a small book in Severus' bemused face.

He nodded slowly, not having a clue what she was talking about. "Of course you did. Can you get your pyjamas from the sofa?"

Lia nodded quickly, scrambling down to get them, "I do it myself, Mumma!" she shouted when Hermione made to move.

Severus laughed, pulling Hermione back, "Stubborn little witch," he murmured into her ear, "I cannot imagine where she gets it from."

"I do not think I like what you are implying, " she responded archly, hiding a smile, "if either of us is stubborn, it's you!"

Severus outright laughed, "Do not pretend that you do not match me, my witch."

"I have no idea what youre talking about." Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes just as Lia came bounding back over, her top on back to front.

"I did it myself!" she stated proudly.

"So you did, good job!" Hermione laughed, "You're such a big girl now! Are you ready for your story?"

"Yes. Daddy read it."

Hermione rolled her eyes but laughed, "Of course, who else?"

Lia beamed, scrambling up onto the chair and handing Severus the book.

"Ah…..Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy McLary from Donaldson's Dairy and Hercules Morse as big as a horse…"

"Hermione?" Severus ventured into the dark.

"Hmmm?" she hummed, snuggling closer to his chest already sounding half asleep.

"Will you tell me what happened with Lia's biological father?"

"Oh." He felt her push up, all traces of sleepiness gone from her voice. "I….it's not much of a story to be honest."

He nodded, before realising she couldn't see him. Reaching for his wand he flicked on the light, seeing Hermione sat on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. He frowned slightly at the sight before sitting up and reaching for her.

"You do not have to if it is difficult," he murmured softly.

"It's not difficult, not really. I…..wasn't in the best place after I left our world. I drank too much, went out too often, made some questionable choices. I think I was trying to make up for the childhood I didn't have, trying to be anyone other than boring bookish Hermione Granger. All of it was painful, I was alone, I had no family, and other than sporadic visits from Kings and George, no friends. I enrolled in a course at a local college, bookkeeping of all things and made some friends. Lia's father was a random man that I'd decided that night I was going to go home with, nothing more. He was utterly horrified that I was pregnant as it turned out he was due to be bloody married at the end of the month I found out. He all but demanded I abort. Last I heard he was heading up his wife's family's company in America. He isn't on her birth certificate and he has no idea I kept her."

"What an utter arsehole." Severus spat, his anger rising at the thought of Lia not existing.

"Well my judgement wasn't the best to be honest. After I found out I was pregnant I stopped going out, I stopped drinking and I finished the course and started the bookshop. Lia probably saved my life, I was absolutely out of control, at the very least she saved my liver."

"Thank you for telling me." he said softly.

Hermione hummed in response. "Severus?"

"Yes?"

"Do you….I mean….." Severus arched an eyebrow at her uncharacteristic stuttering, noticing Hermione paused, taking a deep breath. "Lia has no father listed on her birth certificate. Decisions are mine and mine alone, do you…..would you ever want to make things official?"

Severus stilled "Official how?"

Clearly feeling him tensing, Hermione moved to pull away, "I…never mind, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Hermione, official how?" he repeated, pulling her back to him firmly.

"Adoption."
"Yes." he whispered., "Gods witch you shouldn't have even needed to ask."

"Truly?"

"Yes!"

Hermione nodded against his chest. "I love you. I have no idea what the process is but I'll find out."

Sleep didn't come for many hours that night as Severus tried to process the avalanche of emotions that were battering around inside him. He had a daughter. A little girl that very, very shortly would be legally his, no one would be able to take away from him. Beside him, Hermione stirred in her sleep, drawing him from his thoughts. He moved to pull her to his chest, wrapping his arm around her, tucking her mass of hair under his chin. She calmed instantly, burrowing back into his warmth in her sleep. He smiled slightly, allowing himself to sink into the sensation of her unrelenting heat and the still unfathomable feeling of being loved. Images of Hermione in something white floated through his head as sleep finally claimed him, the smile still on his face.