Sorry guys, I had a bit of writer's block for some time. So I thought I'd scratch together some interlude chapters for your enjoyment.
Chapter 26: Play-dates and wing man:
"Draco put that down. Honestly, Severus thank you so much for bringing Hermione around. The two have been playing so well together" She smiled as the two sat on the outside tables drinking tea and eating a few high tea sandwiches.
"Can't take all the credit. Hermione's been begging to me to bring her to see Draco" Narcissa couldn't help but smile happily at her only sons new friend. She couldn't be more happier to see it was an intelligent pure-blooded, young witch.
"Draco's been the same. I think they are getting a long splendidly" She smiled widely as she watched Draco run over to the small girl and passed her a sandwich as she sat down on the grass next to a couple of Draco's toys, which included a child's broom stick which floated only a few feet off the floor.
"They are so cute together"
Severus flicked his eyes over to the mother looking at the two children. Like any pureblood mother she was likely already attempting to plan Draco's wedding. Severus gulped and scratched his neck, hoping she wouldn't start looking at Hermione like a future daughter-in-law.
"Do you think Hermione can come around more often? She barely comes around once a fortnight at most"
"I suppose. I shall speak to Minerva and Albus about it" He sipped his coffee as he saw his god daughter and god son sharing toys. He couldn't help but smile as he watched Draco poise and help Hermione onto the children's broom.
"Ah, he's such a little gentleman, my little Draco!" She smirked as he helped her walk around guiding her with the broom stick.
"I can't believe your mommy and father don't let you ride on a broom"
"My um...pawents just like to app..le..wait. I think"
"App-er-ate" Draco informed her. Hermione looked up at him as he helped guide her around on the hovering broom.
"Aren't you scared of app-er-ating?"
She looked up at him as her shaking hands held onto the broom.
"Father said that if you don't focus your mind when you do it you could fall into a thousand pieces"
Hermione's eyes lit up in shock. She had very little knowledge of this new world she lived in to say the least and had been growing more curious and curiouser about it and now Draco had just sent her over the edge.
"A-Are you kidding me?" Her yelp pitched a new height making Narcissa and Severus turn to the two.
"Children, what is going on?" Narcissa called to her son.
"Nothing mother!" He immediately shouted back.
Narcissa turned back to her long time friend.
"So, I suppose Geraldine wasn't a very good match for you in the end, Severus?"
"That date ruined my week"
She scoffed, "everything ruins you week. You realise you had Geraldine in tears. She came over here crying her eyes"
"Good!" He sipped his drink earning an maddening glare from Narcissa.
"Her father attempted to marry me off to that wench"
"Severus!"
"And she kept calling me a god awful pet name. I'm the bad guy? What a joke!"
Narcissa quirked her lips, "do tell!"
"I refuse to acknowledge"
"Oh Severus, please! It's awfully boring around here sometimes"
He rolled his eyes before he stiffled a cough, "Sevy..."
"Sevy what?"
"Sevvy poo" He growled under his teeth. She couldn't but smile.
She sighed, upset that she could not get one of her best friends to marry, let alone a pureblood. "How about Jan?"
"That forty year old woman with the cracked front tooth and-"
"Enough, Sev. Honestly, you have too high standards"
"If you would perhaps have someone more subst-"
"Sev, I mean it do not finish off that sentence. There is nothing wrong with my friends, they are high society, pure blood witches"
He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, perhaps that was the problem in the first place. Narcissa glanced across at him and instantly felt terrible about her , "I didn't mean it that way"
"I know" He scratched his chin as he watched his god daughter and god son playing together. Hermione seemed, somewhat shocked and yet extremely interested in what Draco was saying as he helped her off the broom and extended his hand out. Just like his mother had showed him how to be a gentleman. He couldn't help but stare at his god-daughter. He had only had her less than maybe four or five short months and she had made such a lasting impact. He couldn't imagine his life without her. He thought in some way that he was his daughter as much as Minerva's and Albus'. He couldn't feel a hint of anger at a boy touching her. Even holding her hand as she got off the broom. He stiffened as he thought of how protective he was becoming with her. Wanting to protect her as much from the world as he could, as he was never able to with his mother, let alone himself. He scratched his adams apple not looking forward to the discussion later he was going to have with her perhaps in the future about boys.
Well it shouldn't be important now. He was his little girl and he was going to make sure she stayed that way.
She smirked at them, "They're going to make such a cute couple"
He scoffed, "and you really believe Albus and Lucius will agree?"
She shrugged, "perhaps if I asked nicely" she smiled at him as he watched the two getting along swimmingly.
The Wing-man
Severus sighed as he walked around the shops. Over the coming days, Hermione was beginning to read a lot more after her play-date with Draco and seemed a lot more interested in learning. Minerva and Albus had suggested of potentially sending Hermione to school for a few hours a day, granted they had been apprehensive at first but had not wanted to keep Hermione from being left behind. The had debated about it for over a fortnight, consulted the psychiatrist, spoken about possible options on where to send her but no where compared to her previous school. A school for the exceedingly gifted; a school suitable for Hermione until such a time as they could find a better solution.
Seeing as Minerva and Albus had decided on having a meeting with the school principal to discuss the terms and conditions that Hermione would be back at school, Severus had practically been ordered to take the girl shopping for 'muggle stationary', seeing as how Severus knew more about it then Poppy and Hermione's grandmother.
"Peter Rabbits Painting Book, by Beatrix Potter..." He growled, reminding himself of the bastard of a man who not only stole the love of his life but to whom he had also owed a deceitful life debt too. "Potter," He spat shoving the book back into it's spot before he moved along, bored as he assisted in collecting the required reading material and stationary.
"Hermione!" He called ignoring the other people in the store as he pulled another book off the shelf looking for something more appropriate to read to her at night, a story book or something
"Hermione!" He called again not bothering to look up as his eyes down casted on another book, A series of unforunate events He smiled, flicking over to the back and reading the blurb.
He smirked before grabbing the series and tossing it into the red basket he was carrying before looking around. She still wasn't there! She never disobeyed. He scratched his chin before walking around the school uniforms and walking over to the shelves of stationary hoping the small girl was somewhere around here. "Hermione get out here now!" He growled.
"Coming god-daddy" He heard her voice call from a few metres behind him and relaxed a little before feeling a pull on his trousers.
"Honestly, child how long does it take you too..." He glared in disgust at a black haired, green eyed small boy maybe a year under Hermione sobbing and pulling at his black jeans. His nose was dripping with snot which made Severus take a step back.
"Excuse me, I've lost my mommy!" He sobbed towards the Potions Master. He rolled his eyes before flicking them up to see Hermione who was carrying a small bundle of writing books and coloured pencils looking at them with both sympathy and curiosity.
"Come on Hermione!" He growled at her, knocking her out of her stupour and pushing the red basket towards her to put her items in. She did as she was prompted to but she was unable to take her eyes off the sobbing child whose whimpers and cries were reaching a new level. Hermione placed her hands up to her ears hating the high pitched sound before begging her god-father to do something.
He rolled his eyes, wanting to leave immediately if not for the small girl who would not like the fact that he would abandon a helpless child in their time of need.
"Fine," He spat angrily towards the girl before grabbing the scruff of the boys collar and hauling him to his feet.
"What's your mother's name?"
"I-I don't know"
"WHAT?" He growled in anger before shoving the basket to the floor as the cries turned into screams. Hermione curled into a ball as she held her ears and curled into a ball.
Of for Merlin sake! He forced the boy out of the stationary isles and towards a store person, "this child's missing his mother. Go find her!" He pushed the small boy towards the 19 or so year old pimple faced teenager who looked just as unpleased as he did. He walked back over to the isle's where he had left the brown haired girl next to their basket and pulled her arms away from her ears to stop her panicked state. Hermione gulped before looking up at him. Her large doe eyes bore into him.
He sighed, as she stood and hugged him tightly wanting to be held, "shh girl. It's fine" He cooed to her trying to reassure her that everything was alright.
"How about we go home and we can make some calming drought potions. We really do need to stock up on some more" He coaxed her. She smiled tiredly to him before he pulled her up and into his arms.
"Excuse me!" he sighed fed up of this store.
"What?" He spat in anger before turning round to find a young woman holding the hand of that brat.
He took a gulp of air ready for the infurated yelling of a mother, however it never happened. Instead, the long red haired woman with green eyes just smiled at him.
"The store man over there," she pointed behind him, "said that you helped my son. I just wanted to say thank you" she smiled happily before her eyes flicked towards Hermione and his left hand.
She breathed out before blushing slightly, her cheeks going a tinge red, "I'm sure you know what it's like raising a child on your own"
Oh!
He now knew why he had been looking at the arm that held Hermione. He chanced a glance at his innocent god-daughter's large innocent eyes.
"She's actually my god-daughter," he sighed now wanting to be called a father, "but she is quite a handful to raise, as you can imagine having a six year old yourself" He took a step forward to the woman.
"Oh, yes Joe's actually seven. He's been quiet clingy since my husband and I split up about five months ago"
"Sorry to hear that," his words rolled off his tongue as he surveyed the woman's face, she had a small trace of freckles along her cheeks and nose, her bright green eyes bore into his as if asking him a question.
"And yourself?" she asked quite forward.
His eyes lit up in a bit of shock, "Oh, not married, not interested in that" he bit back thinking of his dysfunctional parents marriage.
Smooth!
Her cheeks flushed again, before looking down nervously at her son and back up at the small girl.
"Listen, I'm new in town. Joe's struggling to make friends at his new school. I was wondering if you might consider getting together for a play-date some time?"
Severus tried to stop his mouth from dropping. This woman, this young pretty, seemingly intelligent woman wasn't avoiding him like the plague. She wanted to meet. Well meet up for her sons sake but nevertheless meet.
"Y-yes" He coughed, "I'm sure Hermione would be delighted to have another friend. Right Hermione?" He glanced towards her knowing she was about to retort but she nodded as his arm curled up tighter around her.
He smirked, as the woman bent down to withdraw a pen and paper from her pocket and wrote something down before passing it to him.
"Here's my number!"
He scanned the small note in his hand and muttered her name on the tip of her lips, "Janet"
He looked up at her before moving forward and extending his right hand, "Severus" She smiled, blushing and shaking his hand.
"Well, see you round Severus"
She took Joe's hand before walking off to finish her shopping.
"Hmmm..." He took one more glance at the note before pocketing it and looking at his god-daughter with a sly smile on his face, "aren't you the little wing-man, well wing-girl I shall say"
She giggled happily at his smile, "What's a wing-man," she asked curiously. He rolled his eyes before checking his watch; five to ten. It had been less than twenty minutes at the shopping centre and he was ready to leave. Adjusting her on his hip, he moved, basket in hand, towards the check-out. "I'm sure you will find out when you are older know doubt. Until then, we have a bunch of red-headed Weasleys to see" He glowered, earning a giggle from his god-daughter who seemed to think his sulken mood changes were funny to say the least.
It didn't particularly take long to be over to the red headed families house considering the fact that Hermione had absolutely refused to go anywhere near a floo ever again after Severus had practically stuck his head in one when everyone believed her to be a tiger. As they walked through the paddock towards the quad-tripled story house, Hermione had continued to reminisce on about the interesting books her 'papa' had showed her on wizards. He wondered how long it had taken her to adjust to this world. It had taken him only really a few weeks to get over the initial shock before believing that he truly had a greater purpose other than being his father's punching bag.
For the girl, on the other hand, it had taken her a bit longer considering how often she had pinched herself in the past. Even now he could sometimes see small bruises on the pit of her elbows. However, it had become increasingly harder to tell as of late considering how often they had placed rather strong glamours on the girl to keep her scars hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world.
'Ding, Dong!' Severus pressed the bell before flicking open his pocket watch again, ten fifteen. He still had another three hours to go before he could be rid of the girl and return back to his rooms for the afternoon and begin potions making for Poppy's stores. He scratched his chin as he glanced down at his 'little potions assistant' and smirked. He couldn't wait until she was big enough to take over, perhaps he could start her off early. He could supervise whilst he did his research and she could make the tedious potions.
Immediately, the door swung wide open revealing the coddling woman whose eyes looked to Severus before going straight to Hermione, "Ooh, there you are my sweet, sweet girl. Ginny and Ron have been absolutely dying to have you over. GINNY!" She called loudly as she held Hermione in a rib crushing hug, "Hermione's hear. Oh and please Severus come in, come in. No need to let in the cold draft, honestly it's almost Summer" He closed the door behind him as Molly bounced the girl on her hip and coddled her.
"I'm so glad you're finally putting some weight on my dear" She kissed the girl's cheek before pausing feeling the heat of the glamour. Molly sighed, she wasn't dumb. She hugged her one last time before placing her on the ground and looking down at her in sympathy. "You're still feeling unwell, Hermione?" Molly asked almost heart broke. Hermione could only look back at her godfather in reassurance. He subtly nodded to her before she turned back to Molly and nodded. Molly sniffed before squeezing her into a tight hug again.
"You poor, poor girl. I know Ginny and Ron will make you feel better and I'll put on some lunch. You both must be starving"
"That's not nec-" Severus began wanting to try and leave as soon as possible but was immediately interrupted.
"Oh hush, you are staying for lunch and that is final. I'll make us some nice sandwiches. Hermione, is there anything you are allergic too?"
Hermione shook her head before looking over to her godfather who squeezed her small shoulder and told her to be good as he chatted with Arthur and Molly for a while.
"Mione!" Ron and Ginny ran into the room before immediately grabbing the girl, practically scarring her out of her socks. "Ah, kids be nice, Percy!" She called to her older son before the trio ran off to play. Immediately, Percy entered the room before looking up at his mother and the other man. "Professor Snape, it's nice to see you again I was just reading Mr Mundain's Journal on arthri-"
"Percy, can you please take care of Ginny, Ron and Hermione for a few hours"
Percy turned his head to the trio and rolled his eyes, "mother all they do is play childish games. I hate playing hide and seek with them and I utterly refuse to play dress-up"
"Percy!" Molly growled as he finally sighed and walked into the lounge room after the three that had been tugging at the small girl's cuffs to change into her animagus already. Severus couldn't help but glance his eyes over the worried mother before turning back to the dark haired man, "she's looking a lot better" Molly guided him out to the back yard where Arthur was sitting reading the daily profit. "Poppy's been doing as much as she can although she had informed us of some permanent internal damage. I'm afraid the girl might be on medication for the rest of her life"
"The poor dear, to think someone had poisoned such a small child to get back the headmaster and professor McGonagall" Severus swallowed the lump in his throat as he sat down at the table. Yes, Severus had ended up lying to them the last time he was here. He couldn't really think of anything kinder to say to the girl other than a possible birth defect. But then he figured, what if Molly had seen the scars that riddled her skin. He could at least make up the excuse that the girl was attacked, poisoned and left for dead. As a result, Minerva and Albus had sent her to live with her grandmother for a few years before taking her back once the DeathEater's were found and sent to Azkaban.
"She still wearing a glamour?" Arther asked gently as he poured Severus a cup of coffee. He nodded before accepting the cup, "indeed, won't leave her rooms without it. She's becoming extremely self-conscious of her appearance for such a young age"
"She should never have to worry about that, especially at her age"
Severus couldn't help but agree his thoughts leading back to the teenagers he taught. They had enough trouble as it is. And though Hermione wasn't the most 'cutest' of children even without the scaring, she was still beautiful and she was good. Genuine good and innocent. He hoped she stayed that way and her attributes never be traded for another's benefit.
"Sugar Severus?"
He shook his head as the two began to rattle on about the latest ministry news.
"Come on Hermione, a little higher"
"Why am I in the middle?"
"Would you too shut up and grab the bloody jar, my legs are hurtin'"
"Shush, they'll hear us"
"No, they'll here you" Ron retorted angrily to Hermione as she held Hermione on her shoulders and sat on Ron's.
Ginny groaned as she reached up to the jar of cookies on the top shelf. It was just out of reach, "just a little higher" The redheaded girl extended her body forward forcing the other two to move along and bash into the wooden cabinet.
CRASH!
The white cookie jaw broke open and the trio fell to the ground.
"Ow!" Ginny winced as she held her forehead as Ron rubbed his bottom but paused when he heard the sound of several people's feet hitting the floor boards.
"Oh, no hide!" Ginny whispered frantically to the two as the brown haired girl finally sat up. The trio instantly nodded and sprinted in opposite directions, Ron into the lounge room, Ginny under the kitchen table and Hermione behind the cabinet.
Molly came bounding into the room shortly followed by her husband and Severus who did not look pleased.
"Oh Merlin, honestly I cannot leave these kids alone for two seconds" Molly tsked as she waved her wand and cleaned up the mess before she turned to her husband who was now returning from lounge room with Ron's sleeve clutched in his hand.
"Honestly, Ronald why would you even bother hiding" Arthur scolded his son crossly as the young redhead swiped his arm back.
"Percy did it!"
"Do not lie to me, where is your sister?"
He shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms definantly towards his mother. If there's one thing Ron believed in it was loyalty even from a young age.
Severus didn't have to look far to find his dependent, a small bat was sitting on the top of the wooden cabinet silently nibbling at half a chocolate chipped cookie. Ooh she was going to be in trouble for this. Although, she rarely stepped a foot out of line, he could only think that the young boy may have convinced her this was a good idea.
"Ginny! Percy!" Molly called out disgruntled at the children's antics.
She heard a whimper from under the table and the red haired man sighed, "Ginny your already in trouble, don't make this worse!" Arthur called to her. She sighed before coming out with a slight blush over her face.
"Now, what happened?"
"I told you, Percy did it"
"PERCY!" Molly screeched towards the second floor. Severus could feel a headache coming to the forefront of his afternoon and slowly paced towards the wooden cabinet and glared upwards at the bat finishing up the cookie.
In an instant he turned up at his mother's heel, "yes mother?" Percy asked questionably.
"Ron has informed that you had broken the cookie jar" Molly placed her hands on her hips as everyone turned and faced her. In that time, Severus pinched the bat of the bat's neck, plucking it from the top of the cupboard and placing her in his deep pocket.
"No mother, I was upstairs reading"
"Percy, you promised to watch your brother and sister"
Percy shot an angry look towards the two of them, " I shouldn't have to watch babies. I always have to watch them" He crossed his arms.
Molly sighed, rubbing her forehead, "All three of you are grounded. Go to time-out. Ron your on six minutes, Ginny your on five. Severus I'm so sorry about this!"
Severus merely blinked and nodded his head as he placed his arms behind his back. Percy followed the action.
"I should go and find Hermione and take her home, she needs to take her medication"
Molly nodded her head as Severus walked towards the next room away from the angry mother.
He then pulled out the small bat from his pocket and held her, "Change back now, Hermione"
The bat blinked and whimpered at him before doing as she was told and changing in his arms. He leaned forward slightly adjusting to the weight of the small girl instead of the bat before resting her on his hip and tucking the loose locks of hair behind her ear.
"Honestly, girl. What were you thinking?" He muttered lowly.
She licked her lips nervously, before muttering her answer.
"Again?" He whispered.
She gulped, "Ron said that he wanted cookies that it would be a good idea. Am I in twuble I didn't mean it and the crash wewwy scared me and I-"
He placed his hand up silencing her, "Firstly, you are in trouble, you have broken something which is not yours"
She shook in utter terror before Severus continued on, "you will apologies to Mrs Weasley and recieve a time-out for your mis-behaviour"
She took a deep wheezing breath in, "Lastly, you will spend the rest of the afternoon practicing your pronounciation. I doubt your mother and father will be happy with you pronoucing your r's as w's and it is growing tiring. A pure-blooded which should not be pronouncing them in such a state. You have even left Narcissa shocked to say the least"
She stared at him wide eyed in disbelief, "I-I don't. You aren't gow- go-ing to t-tell mummy?"
"Not if you do as you are told. Understand?" She gulped but nodded nevertheless before he placed her on the ground and allowed her to waddle in the next room where Mrs Weasley continued to scold her three children. Hermione gulped, wanting to run away but Severus placed a gentle hand on her back and pushed her forward almost wanting her to face her fears.
"M-Mrs Weasley?" Hermione called to the woman who immediately crossed her arms at the young girl. "Hermione, dear where did you run off too?"
"I..." She gulped, "the next woo, r-oom" she licked her lips before Severus squeezed her shoulder signalling her to continue speaking. "I'm...I'm sowwy, S-o-rr-yy. It was my fault, I wanted the cookie, J-j-inny and w, ron wanted to m-make me feel better" She explained before Molly bent down.
"Feel better? Oh Hermione what's wrong"
"I had a bwood nose, I felt we- rea-ll-y tired" Molly looked up at Severus to see the concern in his eyes. He gulped before spinning her around and pushing her nose up to see traces of dried blood in her left nostril.
"Why didn't you three say anything?" Molly scolded her sons and daughter. "Mione said it was normal, mummy. She said that happens when she changes too many times"
Severus groaned at the girl before checking her pockets and find two scrunched up tissues with blood on them. He sighed, realising how desperate the girl had gotten needing something to give her energy. "you know you are suppose to ask for things if you so require them"
She nodded solemnly, not wanting to upset her god-father, "we'll be having a talk about this when we get home" He scolded her before standing up and pushing her forward once more.
"Say thank you Hermione"
She walked over to Molly and Arthur and thanked them for having her around before saying good bye to Ron and Ginny as well as politely saying her farewells to Percy. Molly couldn't help but give the small girl an exhausted smile before bending down to her level, "no harm done Hermione" She pulled the small girl into a hug before kissing her cheek. Hermione, initially shocked at the woman's forgiveness relaxed into the hug and tightened her small arms around the woman.
"Ooh, she's so sweet Severus" Molly whispered to Severus as the trio of children said there goodbyes and the older boy sniffed his nose up at them.
Severus lip quirked as Hermione toddled back over to him and grabbed his pants leg signalling that she was ready to go home. He rolled his eyes before picking her up and walking towards the door. "Have a lovely evening, Severus. You too Hermione" Arthur smiled at the two of them as they walked back towards the apparition spot.
Please review.
Next chapter will be about Hermione going to school and seeing her new home at the McGonagall residence.
