A/N - This was intended to be a bit of fun fluff that simply explored the next generation but it seems to have taken a direction of its own almost immediately. Don't you hate that?

Addendum One

"Behold, children are a heritage" Psalm 127:3

"I can't believe it's been over a year since Voldemort escaped from Azkaban and nothing has happened since," Padma remarked to Hermione as they watched everyone's kids wreck one of the Snape sitting rooms.

"Charlotte! Don't peg things at your brother," Hermione said firmly but Snape, standing across the room talking to Draco could tell she was trying not to laugh. Hermione definitely favoured little Severus over his sister but treated them both equally and was always fair. He knew that secretly she thought Charlotte's propensity to throw things when thwarted was funny. Snape, who had been the recipient of Hermione's own missiles on more than one occasion, did not exactly agree. Baby Severus looked mildly at his mother, not overly perturbed by his sister's antics and smiled gently at her. Hermione's eyes softened as she looked back at him. Snape hurriedly looked away before an emotion that had suddenly gripped him threatened to overwhelm him.

"Hmmm. I think that Voldemort is probably gaining strength again for his next attack. He's probably recruiting new Death Eaters too, now that his former ranks have been completely decimated," Hermione replied to Padma, her grey eyes serious once more.

"He wasn't in Azkaban very long," Ginny observed from where she was nursing her new born boy, James Arthur. "Barely 6 months."

"Everyone knew that was going to happen," Padma replied flatly.

"After all, the dementors defected from Azkaban and went back to Voldemort while we were still at Hogwarts, remember? They were never going to allow Voldemort to stay imprisoned for long," Hermione added grimly.

"He's just been given the chance to rise again too many times," Ron said seriously, his freckled face furrowed with anger.

"That's because no-one really knows how to destroy him for good," Ginny replied, smoothing James' dark hair and smiling into his autumn brown eyes.

"I don't know why he would need time to gain strength again. Last time, Snape used the Avada Kedevra on him and the time before that it was Harry as a baby. Last time Lily only held him captive until Dumbledore could get there. He wasn't really harmed," Ron argued.

Snape and Draco had wandered over by this time and were listening to the debate.

Hermione reflected that she knew exactly how to destroy Voldemort and had the power to do so. The last time she had confronted him inside the skin of the Black Unicorn, she could have destroyed him forever. Then however, she had been carrying Charlotte and little Severus and to sacrifice herself at that point would have been to sacrifice them too. Her skin went cold at the thought and her sharp grey eyes darted to the small two-year olds playing on one of the priceless Persian rugs.

Snape, who had been watching her profile, knew exactly what she was thinking. As though she felt his eyes on her, Hermione turned and glanced up at him. A look of understanding flashed between them and Snape's eyes held a clear warning not to mention the special powers of the Black Unicorn to anyone there. All of them now knew that Hermione's animagus was the Black Unicorn but only one or two knew about its ability to destroy Voldemort.

Harry tossed the now six-year-old Lily into the air for the joy of hearing her crow in delight. There was no-one she loved as much as her daddy although Dumbledore came a close second. "We don't know what affect this little witch had on Voldemort, do we darling?" he added to Lily affectionately.

"Bad man!" Lily said emphatically then went back to laughing in glee as her daddy tickled her as though Voldemort, whilst being bad, could not be as important as playing with daddy.

"That's true," Draco drawled. "Goodness only knows what spell Lily used and what effect that wand could have."

"Special magic," Lily confided, as her father hung her upside down from her ankles and she squealed with joy. Ginny watched them anxiously.

"How is Luna?" Ginny asked Draco, as an aside.

Draco smiled slightly. "She's fine. We've got a full-time mid-witch looking after her in these final stages. She just hates feeling fat," he added with one of his rare grins.

"Fat?" Ginny snorted. "All she ever gets is a little bump! She never loses her figure."

"Yes, I think she's very careful about that. Luna is rather vain," Draco said with amusement.

"And don't you just love the fact that she is," Hermione teased, looking amused.

Draco merely grinned again. "She was feeling very tired today and she's having a nap," was all he said.

"Very sensible," Snape said meaningfully, glancing at Hermione who had worked right up until the final 2 weeks of her last pregnancy. "I couldn't get Hermione to rest at all with Elliot and Elizabeth."

"More twins," Hermione sighed. "And I got HUGE both times," she complained grumpily.

Padma laughed. "You didn't really, not considering it was twins. I felt like an elephant when I had Albert and Edward," she said, shooting the two red-haired boys an affectionate glance as they sat quietly in a corner sharing a book on rare magical creatures from the Snape library.

"Well, you've certainly got your figure back now. It didn't take long," Draco said dispassionately, examining Hermione with his pale eyes. "After all, they were only born a short time ago."

"Yes," Snape agreed moving slightly closer to Hermione, not really liking anyone eyeing his wife even just to pay her a compliment or make an casual observation. He placed one hand on the back of her neck rather possessively and Hermione leaned slightly against it with a small smile.

Harry had put Lily down at a frown from Ginny and she had trotted off to play with Molly who looked adorable in a red gingham pinafore with her dark curls tied up in matching red ribbon. "Can Molly and I go outside and play on our brooms?" Lily asked her mother in her chirping voice.

"As long as you're careful, dear," Ginny said with a slight frown.

"Go on," Padma said with a smile at her daughter, Molly.

The two little girls ran out of the room hand in hand. "So cute!" Hermione murmured, watching them. "I don't think any of our brood will have much talent at Quidditch," she observed with a smile.

"No but they'll all be brainiacs," Harry said unequivocally.

"And ruthless duelers," Ron added with a laugh.

"Talking of which," Snape said smoothly, "perhaps it's time for Dumbledore to try and find out exactly what Lily did to Voldemort that night."

Ginny and Harry looked up sharply, a slight frown on both their faces. "Lily already knows she's special," Harry said cautiously. "I'm not sure it's good for her at only 6 to be getting quite that much attention."

"I don't get the impression that she's conceited though," Padma said thoughtfully. "Self-confident of her abilities, yes but not conceited."

Harry and Ginny looked pleased at that assessment.

"No, she wouldn't be so loveable if she was conceited," Hermione agreed. "I think it might be okay to let Dumbledore work with her a bit. After all, Dumbledore is not likely to spoil her much as he loves her," she suggested.

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other and seemed to reach a mutual agreement. "We'll see. I'll talk to Dumbledore about it this week at any rate," Harry conceded.

"Can I see Elizabeth and Elliot?" Padma asked in order to change the subject.

"Of course, they're in the new nursery with their nannies," Hermione said, getting up.

Ginny followed, leaving the men to watch the other children and discuss the latest Chudley Canons game and the new Quidditch teams at Hogwarts.

Padma looked around the large, airy nursery with approval. It was stuffed with toys and equipment that Snape had insisted on buying brand new for the second set of twins. A team of six House Elf nannies was with them around the clock, taking turns to look after them on shift. The six chosen were very proud of their new status and bustled happily around the nursery at all hours.

Hermione picked up Elizabeth and cuddled her and then handed her to Padma. Padma looked at her closely. "She's got your eyes this time Hermione," she commented, as both Charlotte and little Severus had their father's black eyes. Elizabeth blinked her long-lashed, grey eyes at Padma very solemnly.
Ginny was leaning over Elliot and cooing. "Elliot's got your eyes too," she said. "Unfortunately, I think he's going to have your husband's nose." Elliot simply looked at Ginny coolly. "And his father's temperament," she added with a grin.

"Elliot is certainly the most reserved of the four. I haven't caught him smiling yet," Hermione admitted with amusement, stroking the baby's dark, fine hair so like his father's and brother's.

"Elizabeth is going to be the spitting image of you," Padma commented critically. "She has your colour hair too."

"And the curls," Ginny added.

"She better not have my teeth otherwise I'm getting them fixed very young," Hermione laughed, throwing back her own thick locks. "I can't believe how much James looks like his grandfather. It's eerie, little Lily and James being the spitting image of their grandparents," she added to Ginny.

"I know. It is odd but I suppose with my colouring being what it is, it was inevitable," Ginny replied matter-of-factly.

"And Edward and Albert look so much like the twins that it's scary," Hermione laughed again. "They look more like them every day."

"I don't know how Molly escaped her father's freckles with that fine white skin but she has. Other than that, she looks just like you Padma," Ginny remarked, "even more so now that she's older."

"What about little Miranda?" Padma said, shaking her head. "Isn't it weird how she looks exactly how everyone had been speculating? All that fine white hair, pale skin and her mother's dark green eyes."

"I wonder what the second one will look like?" Hermione said vaguely, still stroking Elliot's hair while he looked up at her gravely.

"The same, I imagine. Although, Luna's dark hair with Draco's pale eyes would look just as disconcerting," Ginny mused.

"Gives me chills just to think of it," Padma admitted as she gave Elizabeth back to a nanny and they left the nursery.

* * *

Luna had her baby a short time later and Hermione went to visit her with a huge bunch of roses from the Snape Estate which Snape himself had ordered the House Elves to pick that morning. She also had toys for the baby.

Luna was looking perfectly relaxed and groomed lying in a bed that had been specially prepared for the labour. "You look great!" Hermione said with a grin, as she handed over the roses and wrapped gifts.

"Thanks," Luna grinned back. "Oh, I love these roses! You can only get these black roses* in the Balkans. I love their smell. So you think Severus would agree to let us have some shoots to plant in our gardens?"

"I don't see why not," Hermione shrugged. "I'll ask him for you."

"Then it's as good as done," Luna winked at her. "He's still wrapped around your little finger," she teased.

Hermione snorted inelegantly. "Severus is not the type to be wrapped around anyone's finger," she said flatly, believing every word. Luna merely smiled knowingly to herself. "Where is he?" Hermione demanded, looking around the room for a cot.

"One of the nannies will be bringing him shortly. I told them to as soon as you arrived," Luna replied.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked, thinking that she looked pretty good. Then again, Luna generally did. Her hair was brushed and shiny, and her skin glowed. She was wearing a rich red, Chinese patterned night gown with magnificent silver dragons crawling all over it which was a perfect foil for her colouring.

"Oh fine. With all that help from Severus with potions, it was very easy. I must say, it's handy having a master potions maker around about the place," Luna said with a laugh.

"Yes, the potions work very well. I wish he had laid off a bit with all the strengthening ones in the lead up with me however," Hermione said rolling her eyes and looking disgruntled.

Luna laughed at her and then held out her slender arms as the nanny House Elf arrived with the baby.

"What's his name?" Hermione asked, peering into the little face. "Oh, my goodness! He's the spitting image of Draco!"

"Isn't he?" Luna said with some satisfaction. "His name is Morgan."

"Miranda and Morgan," Hermione said. "Nice symmetry. How is little Miranda?"

An odd expression flitted over Luna's face. There was amusement there but worry and confusion too. "She's very. er. robust," Luna said carefully.

"She's tiny!" Hermione said, not understanding.

"Oh yes, she's very delicately built," Luna agreed. Hermione reflected that it was unlikely she'd be anything else with the parents she had. "But she has a very. robust personality," Luna clarified.

"She's willful?" Hermione asked with amusement.

"Er. yes. That's one way of putting it," Luna said dubiously.

Hermione laughed out loud. "It's what you both deserve!" she crowed. "She's exactly like her parents!"

"She'll certainly get what she wants in life," Luna ruminated aloud, ignoring Hermione's obvious glee.

"Just like her parents," Hermione gasped with laughter.

"Imagine if she joins forces with Lily one day," Luna speculated as the thought occurred to her for the first time.

Hermione stopped laughing abruptly and stared at Luna in mild horror. "Oh no!" she groaned.

"Exactly!" Luna said flatly.

* * *

* In case anyone is interested, there are such things as black roses. They are such a deep red that they look black. They have a very strong, beautiful scent and are picked at midnight when their scent is at its strongest and used for perfumes.