- 14 -
"Sign here...here...and here," Fudge said, pointing out each line as he talked. Severus put his signature on each one, the quill scratching against the parchment. "When these go through, you will be the guardian of Hermione Granger."
"Thank you," Severus replied, standing up, stretching his arms. He looked around for Remus and Sirius, who had disappeared about half an hour before with Harry and Ron.
"I will contact you in a week about it, Severus," Fudge muttered, shuffling the paperwork on the desk. Severus nodded, and took Hermione's hand. They walked out, and shut the door.
Hermione whimpered, the chaos of the office they had entered scaring her. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Its OK, Hermione. We'll be out of here soon," Severus cooed.
"Run-a-way baby!" Sirius yelled, tripping in front of them. Harry scrambled over to Severus, trembling. Ron and Remus walked over, pushing past the ministry employees.
"Sirius, you idiot!" Remus sighed, "You have to keep a hold on Harry's hand when in publ-erm, crowded places!"
"Sorry! Harry just, like, slipped away," Sirius said, looking at Harry. Severus glared at him, the two toddlers attached to his legs.
"I would like to leave for the manor. I have that dinner party I have to be at, inevitably," Severus sighed. Remus and Sirius nodded. They held onto Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as they Apparated to Snape Manor.
"Severus looks pretty!" Hermione squealed, clapping her hands, as Severus walked around his room, trying to brush his hair. He was dressed in black and green dress robes.
"Hermione, it's 'handsome,' not 'pretty'!" Severus corrected, smiling. She looked up at him.
"Handsome!" she said, "Severus looks handsome!"
"I do, don't I?" he laughed, tucking his wand into the folds of his robes, "You going to have fun while I'm gone?"
"Fun? Gone?" Hermione asked.
"I'm going to see some, um, 'friends,'" he replied, "while Remus and Sirius watch you. Will you have fun?"
"I want to go!" she squeaked, bouncing on her heels. Severus shook his head, and sat down.
"You can't, Hermione." Severus said, "There aren't going to be any kids there for you to play with. Why would you want to go there?"
"Be with you and friends," Hermione cooed, snuggling against him, grinning. Severus shook his head again.
"Well, it is only for two hours..." Severus mused, "If you will behave, I'll let you go."
"OK!" Hermione replied. Severus nodded, and stood up. He walked over to the dresser, and pulled some dress robes out for her-purple. She wiggled into it when Severus held it for her.
"We'll see you later!" Severus called, Apparating with Hermione to Hogwarts. He headed up to Dumbledore's office, Hermione skipping beside him. "Kit kats."
The gargoyle moved over, allowing Severus and Hermione to enter. Climbing the long staircase, Hermione hummed, annoying Severus to no end. He opened the door, and they walked in.
Dumbledore's office was decorated, and had one of the long tabled in the middle, plates, glasses, and silverware covering it. Multiple professors roamed the room, talking and laughing.
"Ah, Severus! I heard of what you did! Congratulations!" Professor Flitwick said, bounding across the room to him. Severus frowned.
"What ever are you taking about?" he asked. Flitwick smiled.
"Hermione!" he replied, "The papers are done?"
"Yes..." Severus said lazily, "Is this what this thing is about?"
"Of course, dear Severus!" Flitwick laughed, "Come join us!"
Severus followed him, with Hermione, to the groups of adults. A hush filled the room. Minerva McGonagall cleared her throat. "I say, we all agree that this has surprised us all?" she inquired.
Many of them nodded, smiling. Severus sighed, Hermione smiling up at him. Cursing Dumbledore for making such a big deal of it, he joined in on the feast, taking to them all in spite of his normal icy quietness at Hogwarts.
Looking at Dumbledore, Severus frowned, clutching his left forearm, which started hurting more then before. Hermione squealed, when she started the growing process again-yell, glow, then grow to be five years old.
Weary, Severus and Hermione left at 10 that night, barely Apparating to the manor.
"Sign here...here...and here," Fudge said, pointing out each line as he talked. Severus put his signature on each one, the quill scratching against the parchment. "When these go through, you will be the guardian of Hermione Granger."
"Thank you," Severus replied, standing up, stretching his arms. He looked around for Remus and Sirius, who had disappeared about half an hour before with Harry and Ron.
"I will contact you in a week about it, Severus," Fudge muttered, shuffling the paperwork on the desk. Severus nodded, and took Hermione's hand. They walked out, and shut the door.
Hermione whimpered, the chaos of the office they had entered scaring her. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Its OK, Hermione. We'll be out of here soon," Severus cooed.
"Run-a-way baby!" Sirius yelled, tripping in front of them. Harry scrambled over to Severus, trembling. Ron and Remus walked over, pushing past the ministry employees.
"Sirius, you idiot!" Remus sighed, "You have to keep a hold on Harry's hand when in publ-erm, crowded places!"
"Sorry! Harry just, like, slipped away," Sirius said, looking at Harry. Severus glared at him, the two toddlers attached to his legs.
"I would like to leave for the manor. I have that dinner party I have to be at, inevitably," Severus sighed. Remus and Sirius nodded. They held onto Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as they Apparated to Snape Manor.
"Severus looks pretty!" Hermione squealed, clapping her hands, as Severus walked around his room, trying to brush his hair. He was dressed in black and green dress robes.
"Hermione, it's 'handsome,' not 'pretty'!" Severus corrected, smiling. She looked up at him.
"Handsome!" she said, "Severus looks handsome!"
"I do, don't I?" he laughed, tucking his wand into the folds of his robes, "You going to have fun while I'm gone?"
"Fun? Gone?" Hermione asked.
"I'm going to see some, um, 'friends,'" he replied, "while Remus and Sirius watch you. Will you have fun?"
"I want to go!" she squeaked, bouncing on her heels. Severus shook his head, and sat down.
"You can't, Hermione." Severus said, "There aren't going to be any kids there for you to play with. Why would you want to go there?"
"Be with you and friends," Hermione cooed, snuggling against him, grinning. Severus shook his head again.
"Well, it is only for two hours..." Severus mused, "If you will behave, I'll let you go."
"OK!" Hermione replied. Severus nodded, and stood up. He walked over to the dresser, and pulled some dress robes out for her-purple. She wiggled into it when Severus held it for her.
"We'll see you later!" Severus called, Apparating with Hermione to Hogwarts. He headed up to Dumbledore's office, Hermione skipping beside him. "Kit kats."
The gargoyle moved over, allowing Severus and Hermione to enter. Climbing the long staircase, Hermione hummed, annoying Severus to no end. He opened the door, and they walked in.
Dumbledore's office was decorated, and had one of the long tabled in the middle, plates, glasses, and silverware covering it. Multiple professors roamed the room, talking and laughing.
"Ah, Severus! I heard of what you did! Congratulations!" Professor Flitwick said, bounding across the room to him. Severus frowned.
"What ever are you taking about?" he asked. Flitwick smiled.
"Hermione!" he replied, "The papers are done?"
"Yes..." Severus said lazily, "Is this what this thing is about?"
"Of course, dear Severus!" Flitwick laughed, "Come join us!"
Severus followed him, with Hermione, to the groups of adults. A hush filled the room. Minerva McGonagall cleared her throat. "I say, we all agree that this has surprised us all?" she inquired.
Many of them nodded, smiling. Severus sighed, Hermione smiling up at him. Cursing Dumbledore for making such a big deal of it, he joined in on the feast, taking to them all in spite of his normal icy quietness at Hogwarts.
Looking at Dumbledore, Severus frowned, clutching his left forearm, which started hurting more then before. Hermione squealed, when she started the growing process again-yell, glow, then grow to be five years old.
Weary, Severus and Hermione left at 10 that night, barely Apparating to the manor.