Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.
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A/N:- Thank you to LadyWinterlight, for her beta work on this chapter, and to everyone for their reviews and alerts, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. We are getting very close to the end of our tale now, after this there will likely be one more chapter and then possibly an epilogue.
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Chapter Nineteen – One of Life's Unexpected Turns
It seemed to take an age to rearrange their travel plans, even though in reality it was only an hour, but finally after sending their apologies to the Friar they'd been going to visit at the monastery that afternoon, and Flooing from the ministry annex in Perugia to Paris, and then from Paris to London, they finally Floo'd home and walked out into Severus' study.
"Mummy, Daddy," came the cry from Alice as soon as she saw them; she broke free of Poppy's hand and launched herself at them.
Severus easily caught her and scooped her up. "Hello, my girl," he said, as her little arms tightened around his neck in a sort of toddler bear hug.
"Daddy," she repeated snuggling into his neck.
Severus had never been greeted like this by anyone, especially someone calling him 'Daddy' and it just added to the cocktail of emotions currently coursing through him. He hugged her back, but then heard Hermione's gentle voice.
"Do you have one of those hugs for me too?" she asked in a shaky voice, but she shouldn't have worried.
Alice's arms went to her mother in an instant. "I missed you, Mummy," she cried. "Nanny Nerva felt bad, and I hads to play with chickens while…" but then her lip quivered and fat tears started to cascade from her eyes.
"I know sweetheart, but Nanny Nerva is in the best place to make her feel better now," Hermione said, sitting down on the closest lounge as she comforted her daughter.
Moments later Hermione also had a cup of tea, while she still held Alice in a tight hug. "Thank you, Shotsie," she said as the elf continued to hand out tea and Poppy explained to them both what had happened. She listened to Poppy, feeling guilty for leaving Alice and Minerva alone in the first place. Even though she'd known her baby was safe and happy with her grandmother, it had never dawned on her that Minerva was not well enough to cope with the responsibility of looking after Alice.
"No, it was not an actual heart attack, Hermione," Poppy said, "merely her heart warning her that she was overdoing it."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, but then looked up to Severus who was standing beside her pinching the bridge of his nose as though he was getting a nasty headache, and she slipped her hand into his. "Oh dear, we shouldn't have…" but she didn't finish her sentence before she looked back at Poppy as the matron explained further.
"Minnie was lucky to recover as well as she did after that stunning incident, and she should have been taking life easier than she was." There was no blaming or accusation in her words, they were just said with knowledge of her friend's inclination to do too much. "She's a very stubborn witch," Poppy added as if to confirm this.
"It never even dawned on me that…" Hermione started, as she nodded. "I suppose it's only logical, really, after what happened to her that time… that something like that would seriously weaken her heart. I mean three stunners… I wish she'd told us… I wish I'd thought," and she sighed, but then she seemed to gather her thoughts and she looked back to Poppy. "Is she allowed visitors?"
Poppy smiled. "Of course she is. Her healer recommends a week of bed rest under their care while they conduct some tests to make certain that there is nothing more sinister going on, but I'm certain that she'd love to see you," Poppy told them.
"Thank you for your quick action, Poppy," Hermione said, her voice cracking as she spoke, and she buried her head in Alice's hair and inhaled the sweet smell of her daughter to try and calm herself.
"Yes, we appreciate it," Severus continued, seeing Hermione starting to give in to the stress a bit. He squeezed his wife's hand and then escorted the matron to the main hallway. "We will visit Minerva presently, and then we'll work out what needs to be done," he told Poppy.
"Right you are, Severus," she said, as she started to walk back towards the gate house.
Severus watched her going up the path to the small cottage at the gates and he wondered if she might be going to want to retire soon. It was blatantly obvious to him that things were already changing, that his respite from the headmastership had just come to an abrupt end, and much earlier than they'd planned. However, he was also very aware that Minerva was not going to give up lightly, even though Hogwarts was already pressing him to accept the entire responsibility of the school once more.
He'd forgotten how demanding the bloody castle was, and he dearly needed some time to acclimatize to the familiar stream of consciousness blooming fully in his head. Of course, it had always been there, ever since he'd been the war headmaster, but he'd managed to shut it out almost entirely afterwards. Apparently he'd allowed his guard down a bit much, because at this moment—now they were back in England—Hogwarts was being very pushy with him, and it begged the question, how were they going to proceed?
As he was thinking, Hermione, who was still holding Alice, came to stand beside him. Their poor little girl had been so distraught when she'd first seen them, it was like she crumbled as soon as they walked in and sobbed against Hermione's shoulder. As he was thinking this, Alice reached for him and despite his discomfort he willingly took her. He balanced her on one hip and slipped his other arm around Hermione.
"Things are about to change a great deal, aren't they?" Hermione whispered. "And before our boys are born."
Severus leant across and kissed her head. "Yes, I believe they are, little witch."
She nodded, only a slight movement of her head. "I thought so," but then she looked up at him. "We'll be ready. We'll manage."
"Yes we will. It will mean moving to Hogwarts for a great deal of our time though."
"Do you really think that she'll give up the headmistress' position because of this?" Hermione asked.
"Hogwarts is currently trying to cast full responsibility onto me, it knows that she's too weak to continue," Severus told her.
"Oh… but I can't see Minerva giving up without a fight," Hermione added.
"Mmm, that's going to be the trick, isn't it?" Severus chuckled. "However, I can sense that the wards of the castle are already uneasy, hence the pressing in on me, and it would be best for her in her condition to simply hand the remaining ones over to me. Let's go and see her. Are you feeling well again after our rushed trip?"
Worry about her mother made Hermione answer affirmatively, even though she was still feeling sick. She could rest when they returned. "I'm fine," she replied, taking Alice back from Severus. She craved her daughter in her arms, Merlin she'd missed her.
"Nanny Nerva?" Alice said, her little voice uncertain. She placed her head on her mother's shoulder, clinging to her.
"Nanny Nerva is going to be fine, sweetheart. Did it frighten you when she didn't feel well?" Hermione asked, rugging Alice's back to comfort her.
Alice nodded and lifted her head, fat tears starting over her cheeks again.
Hermione enclosed her tighter in her arms, hugging her to her. "She'll be just fine… Really, sweetheart."
"Yes, Alice, we'll make certain that she is," Severus added, rubbing the little girl's back gently and turning his family back into the house. "How about we go and see for ourselves, ay?"
xox
The Snape family Floo'd into St. Mungos, and as soon as they stepped out of the public Floo, Hermione heard a gasp and her head turned on hearing a name she'd hoped never to hear again.
"'Mione?" Ron Weasley said.
"Oh yes, it is," Molly Weasley added, as Hermione turned in the direction of the voices. Molly was carrying a little boy with a sling on his arm and a black eye. The child must have been five or six, and Ron was standing beside her.
"Hello," Hermione said, as Severus placed a possessive arm around her, Alice was still on his hip from travelling here. Hermione instinctively stepped closer to Severus, noting Molly's eyes hone in on her swollen stomach.
"Hello, Severus," Molly continued, and then she saw Alice. "And this must be your daughter. I heard that you'd married. Hello," she said, coming forward and tickling the suddenly shy Alice under the chin.
"Yes, this is our daughter Alice," Hermione told them, feeling extremely uneasy in their presence, and placing one protective hand on Alice and the other on her stomach.
Molly looked very drawn and pale and really just plain exhausted. There were a significant amount of silver in her once deep auburn hair, but she supposed that with all the trouble with Harry and Ginny…
God, I haven't thought about them for months, Hermione thought to herself, slightly surprised that the trouble with them had slipped into the background, finally. It made her uneasy, and she took the most obvious choice of topic to break the silence that had descended. "Has your little chap had an accident?" she asked Ron, trying to deflect the questions away from them.
"Oh he's not my… well, I guess he is," and he gave them a practiced rakish smile aimed to endear.
The problem was it didn't impress Hermione, and it most certainly did nothing to endear him to Severus.
Of course, Molly started smoothing things over, even as her mouth noticeably pinched in displeasure at her son's words. "Yes, Hugo here was trying to keep up with the older kids and it all got a bit too rough and tumble. He's going to be fine though," he said, ruffling the lad's hair.
"That's good," Hermione replied. "Well, we best be getting on our way, hadn't we, Severus?"
"Indeed," Severus replied, starting to steer his family away.
"It was nice to see you," Hermione told them. "Please give my regards to everyone else," she added awkwardly, realising that she would never feel comfortable with these people again. In fact, she'd felt more at ease with Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy; now wasn't that a turn up for the books.
Then of course the inevitable invitation was offered. "Oh, you must come to a Sunday lunch soon," Molly insisted, seeming to gloss over how uneasy Hermione looked. "I'm certain that your girl would enjoy playing with children her own age."
"Perhaps?" Hermione replied uncertainly, as she glanced up at Severus.
"Our daughter already has many friends her own age," Severus stated, seeing his wife's lip slipping between her teeth, and then looking back at the redheads and eyeing the sling on the boy's arm once more. "Excuse us, please, there is someone we must visit," and he adjusted Alice on his hip, and he swept his witches up the hallway and away.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Hermione said, "How can Ronald say that poor child is not his, and is his all at the same time?" she questioned.
"Loose morals," Severus answered softly.
"Yes, I could see that Molly was not happy about it," Hermione replied.
"Yes, a sibling of that unfortunate boy is in the first year intake for this year coming. They're calling them war babies," he stated with a sneer, "but the fact of the matter is that most of them do not have married parents."
"The Potters were married, I attended their wedding," Hermione stated, and she suddenly remembered the happy couple who had married on that day. She pushed it to the back of her mind. Ginny had already been four months pregnant when they'd married, but they'd married nevertheless. Neville and Hannah fell into the same category, but she'd known that Ron had never married. "So I wonder who that little lad's mother is?" and she thought a moment. "I wonder if it is the same witch as the older child's mother?"
"It will be on the Hogwarts cradle roll if you really wish to know, but I wouldn't have thought you'd care," Severus told her.
"I don't, I suppose… I guess I'm just curious… After all, we know that Ron is fancy-free, remember Draco told us what finally ended his marriage," Hermione said.
"Ah yes, his wife sleeping with Weasley… You are correct, I had forgotten that," Severus answered, his expression tightening.
Hermione snickered. "Well, I suppose it's not that important in the scheme of things, but it did cause quite a scandal at his divorce hearing."
"Mmm, that it did," Severus intoned thoughtfully.
"I didn't like them," Alice whispered to her mother, as they stopped at the nurse's station to ask directions.
"Didn't you?" Hermione soothed. "Well, never mind, it's likely that you won't have much to do with them," she added as Severus guided them towards the room containing Minerva.
They'd been directed by a nurse to a private room, and they approached the door; to their surprise, Pomona and Filius were there.
"Ah, Severus," Pomona stated jovially, but then her words turned serious. "Tell this stubborn old witch that you're willing to unburden her, man."
"Unburden her?" Severus asked as he steered Hermione into the room and sat her beside Minerva's bed.
"Yes," Filius added. "She needs to pass the remaining wards to you; the castle wards are about to collapse. They're closing in on themselves as they did when Albus died."
"Severus," the weak voice of Minerva McGonagall said. "We didn't plan it this way."
"Nanny Nerva!" Alice cried, alarmed by her grandmother's frailness, and fighting Severus to reach out of his arms and get to her.
Hermione stepped in and took Alice from Severus. "It's okay, love, Nanny Nerva is just tired. Here, we'll sit beside her like this while Daddy talks to her," and she sat them in the chair she'd just risen from and picked up Minerva's hand, which Alice grasped and held with both of her own. They listened as Severus answered.
"We may not have planned it this way, but Minerva, the castle has worked through you on my behalf for long enough. It is sensing that it is too much of a burden for you at present and it is trying to cast the wards over to me, but whilst you resist…" and he inhaled a deep breath and tried another tack. "Minerva, I'd rather that Hermione has her mother and Alice her grandmother than have a few more years of freedom from what is essentially my responsibility. The castle has looked after Hermione and I, therefore it is now my time to look after it; as bloody demanding as it is. Let go of the final wards and rest, my friend. Allow yourself time to recover, and then simply be the mother and grandmother you've never been able to properly be. Leave Hogwarts to me, I'm ready to take the mantle of responsibility," and as he said it he realised that he indeed was ready to settle down and stop running from his responsibility. He was ready and willing to be the Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At his pronouncement, Hermione stood with Alice still on her hip and she wound her arm around him in response to his passionate declaration. Without a thought for the two totally stunned heads of house looking on, she reached up and kissed his cheek. "You're an amazing man," she told him quietly.
"I have you and Alice to thank for it," he murmured in reply, kissing both their foreheads softly before looking back to Minerva. "Well, Minerva?"
Hermione turned pleading eyes to Minerva. "Please," she whispered. "Severus is right, we want you in our lives. You're part of our family."
"But soon you'll have two babies and Alice to look after, you'll need Severus…" Minerva started, but Hermione cut in.
"I'll need everyone," and she took a deep breath. "Minerva, I know I've never called you mother, and as much as I cared for and loved Jean and Henry Granger, they are gone," and her voice cracked as she said it. "But you've always been there when you could, and you've been… are my mother, and I love you. Please don't slip away from us by continuing to do something that's turning out to be too stressful for you." The tears that had been gathering in her eyes started to spill over.
Minerva lifted a shaking hand to grasp Hermione's more firmly. "You, Alice, and yes you too, Severus. You all mean the world to me, and it would be my honour to stay with you," and as she said it the beleaguered headmistress looked to Severus and nodded once before releasing the last tethers to him and sighing softly as the encumbrance left her.
"Now she can truly be at peace and rest," Pomona said as she wiped her eyes. She looked to Hermione. "That was beautiful what you said," she told her. "Both of you," she enthused, turning her eyes to Severus too.
"Well, it's the truth," Hermione replied, suddenly aware that Severus was dealing with something very powerful. "Excuse us, I think Severus may need to go to Hogwarts," she told them, and leaning forward with Alice still on her hip she kissed Minerva, saying, "We'll leave you with your visitors, and we'll be back tomorrow," and lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, "Take care of yourself, Mum, I love you…" She paused to rein in her emotions, but then added, "And get them to contact me if you need anything… anything," she emphasised.
Hearing what Hermione said, Minerva grasped her and pulled her into a tight—but somewhat shaky—hug. "I love you too, sweetheart," she whispered. "Both of you," she told them, kissing Alice on the cheek.
Severus watched on, but his knees were almost buckling under the sudden mental strain of the wards. It had happened after Albus had died too, but on that occasion he'd thought that it had been his overwhelming grief at doing what he'd been ordered to do that had overcome him so completely. It was interesting to know that Hogwarts had attached itself to him even before he'd been declared headmaster, and he instinctively knew that he needed to be in front of the keystone of the castle. "I will call a staff meeting tomorrow morning at nine; can I rely on the pair of you, Pomona and Filius to arrange for as many staff members to attend as possible, please?"
"Yes, Severus," Filius stated.
"Excellent, now I must attend to the castle," Severus replied and, gathering Hermione's hand in his, they left. He took his family directly to the bank of Floos they'd used to arrive here, and as they walked he conversed softly with her. "You've just expended a lot of emotion, little witch, it has been a stressful morning. Would you rather me escort you home, or would you both like to come with me?"
Hermione glanced at Alice, and she doubted that their now animated little daughter would want to settle down for her usual nap, she was far too stimulated now for that. She smiled. "I doubt I'm destined to get any rest at home. I'll be fine, Severus, and there is no sense in putting off the inevitable, I think we should come with you," she answered.
He smiled softly at her. "And I will be pleased to have you. I should imagine this will take most of the remainder of the morning, and I'm sorry about that," he said, as he took them both into his arms and swept them through the Floo.
xox
By the time Severus and Hermione had reached Hogwarts, the castle had already started providing them with new quarters off the headmaster's office.
"Oh, you are an accommodating castle, aren't you?" Hermione said, laughing merrily and touching the closest wall gently in thanks as she walked into their new Hogwarts family sitting room.
Severus cleared his throat softly and said, "Yes, it is very resourceful, but then we already know that. Now, there should be a second entrance that does not depend on access through my office." As he spoke the walls creaked and he added, "Yes, here," and he opened the door revealing a sort of antechamber entranceway. "This will no doubt connect with a hidden passage along the Serpentine Corridor," and he walked to the other side. "Yes," he said, poking his head out into the hallway. "It is opposite the arched windows and has the tapestry of Sir Gideon and the Gryphon in front of it," he told them escorting them out to see.
The Serpentine Corridor was lined with tapestries of famous deeds by famous wizards and witches throughout history, and Sir Gideon had been a famous friend of Godric Gryffindor who'd befriended a Gryphon, a most dangerous deed. Severus shut the door again and turned at the sound of more creaking of masonry and mortar. "I suspect that Minerva's quarters are now connected through this entranceway as well," and he chuckled as a second door appeared in the antechamber. "A very accommodating castle indeed. Now, Little Witch, I will leave you to yourself to make Alice comfortable as there are many things I must see to. Call Shotsie to get you anything you need from home."
"Yes, Severus," Hermione replied tiredly. The day really was starting to catch up with her.
Severus lifted her chin with his finger under it and kissed her. "You rest too, as soon as Alice tires enough for her nap." He'd noticed this last couple of weeks that Hermione was tiring very quickly, even though she was only a little under half way through her pregnancy. He was told it was normal, but it still concerned him.
"I'll try," she replied, and offered him a small smile.
Severus' lips twitched. "Do, don't try, dearest," and he kissed her and left them to look around the place that would be their home for most of the year now.
xox
Severus had just finished settling the wards when Kingsley—who had been alerted to a change in the circumstance of Hogwarts by the wards themselves—walked through the Floo.
Turning as he heard the Floo, Severus smirked. "I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," he stated by way of greeting.
"What's happened?" Kingsley asked. "Last I knew, you and Hermione were touring Italy, and you'd come up with a grand plan to take over from Minerva in five years' time."
Severus indicated that his friend should sit, and he took a deep breath and walked around the desk. He knew that the moment he sat in the thrice damned chair that everything was a done deal, there was no going back. He sat carefully and exhaled the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
"Minerva has taken ill and our plans have been accelerated," Severus stated evenly.
"I see," Kingsley replied, watching his friend carefully.
"Minerva is in St. Mungos after taking a turn this morning. Thankfully Poppy Pomfrey was visiting and whisked her off to the healers."
"And you're ready to do this?" Kingsley asked.
"Yes," Severus answered evenly. "It is my duty… my place."
"And Hermione, she agrees?"
"Yes, she is the reason that I'm able to, that I feel capable of facing this responsibility once more." He pulled his cigarettes from his coat pocket, but suddenly realised that it was only a habit for when he was stressed, and that he hadn't actually smoked one for some time, that he didn't actually need them now. Therefore, instead of taking one from the packet he vanished it completely. "She is the reason that I'm capable of many things, Kings."
"Then we had best start to look forward. I'll call a Board of Governors meeting for this afternoon, and we'll announce it to the public afterwards." He rose as he said it, but then turned. "Luna and I are planning to announce our engagement in today's Prophet too; that will be somewhat overshadowed now, won't it?"
Severus rose regally from his desk and extended his hand to Kingsley. "Congratulations, my friend. I'm sure that there will be room for both announcements in the same paper," he assured him. "Hermione will be thrilled to hear your announcement, she's been literally giddy with excitement for you both since you met at Alice's birthday party."
"She was right to be, and I realise it is very rapid, but we simply fit together perfectly," Kingsley told him in a moment of candid revelation.
Severus nodded, not judging the man for his candour, instead he replied, "Yes, I know exactly what you mean, even though Hermione and I had a good deal of meddling from a pushy castle, it would still have happened just as rapidly for us too. Magic can be a very positive thing."
If Kingsley was somewhat surprised to hear something of this ilk from Severus he did not say, instead he nodded and smiled. "Look at us, two besotted wizards," and he turned towards the Floo, partially with the need to go, but mostly to hide the grin on his face. "I will owl you after lunch."
"Very good," Severus replied, and as he watched Kingsley stride back through the Floo he wondered if this wasn't an opportunity to not return to his rigid 'bat of the dungeons' regalia. He still preferred his black suit, but perhaps he could employ a more ornate outer robe, he would ask Hermione he decided as he walked from his office to see what his girls were up to.