Chapter 2

"Thanks for watching her." Hermione as she took hold of the toddlers hand. "Come on Janet we have to go home, to a place that is cold and nasty cos the headmaster is mean." She cooed condescendingly at the child.

"Hermione dear don't talk to her like that. She is so impressionable."

"Mother I know but the man infuriates me. He does it out of spite."

"Well I know its tough dear but it's also tough to give up 25000 galleons a year. You know how much money you need to look after her, especially seeing as you can't get financial help from her father." Her mother looked at her pointedly.

Every time Hermione came to see her mother she was asked 101 questions and usually her mother would slip one in about the child's paternity, hoping to slip her up.

"Don't start mother, you will not know who it is until I feel ready to tell you."

"Fine dear fine. Have a good journey. Bye bye Janet love, come and see nanny soon" Hermione mother said waving them off as Hermione bundled Janet into the car with several large bags full to bursting with her clothes.

"Want biccys!" Janet shouted as Hermione got into the driving seat of the car.

"Oh dear has nanny been spoiling you again?" Hermione asked turning the key in the ignition.

"Janet want biscuit!" she shouted more forcefully.

"Janet dear I am driving." Hermione said half-heartedly.

Eventually Hermione gave into Janet's demands and conjured biscuits for the wailing child. She knew this job and raising her daughter was going to prove very hard indeed.

Severus paced round his new office.

"What am I meant to do about this? I mean she has a child Albus."

"I know she has." The portrait replied. "But she could have managed the job too if she were able to stay outside of the castle."

"That's ridiculous the girl is not getting anymore special treatment."

"Severus my dear I don't know whether you have noticed but she isn't a girl anymore, she is a woman. And a mother too I might add. She has proved herself far and above the maturity levels expected from her age. In truth Severus I feel she is as much if not more, mature than you."

"Don't insult me you doddery old fool!" Severus spat.

Albus merely laughed at this.

"Well Severus I can see you have made your decision. I shall let you find out whether it is right or wrong on your own. Goodbye."

Severus scowled and carried on looking at the empty portrait.

"As mature as me? Maybe even more so. Ha!" he said indignantly to himself.

"Well right now to sound like a petulant child." Observed one of the portraits hang on the circular walls.

In anger he left the office, eager to get away from condescending looks and tones from the portraits that hung there. He let his feet guide him, where they were going he wasn't altogether sure but they hadn't failed him in his 41 years of being alive. 

He stared at his feet the whole time he marched and when he finally looked up he found himself staring at the clock in the entrance hall. 9.10pm. He saw the doors open and a figure struggle in with various bags and bundles.

"Excuse but… oh Miss Granger it's only you."

"Yes oh great one it is only I, a humble servant." she said sarcastically as she tried to keep hold of all the things she was carried including a sleeping child on one hip.

"Could you help me please Severus instead of being your usual useless self? It's your fault I have had to do this, and I can't very well carry Janet and all our things down to the dungeons alone can I?" she asked, but it was a rhetorical question.

Severus walked down the steps and was stood before mother and child almost instantly. Both were soaking from the rain outside and the toddler had become a dead weight in its peaceful deep sleep. About 10 suitcases were sat dripping on the marble floor, accompanied by toys, a pram and a cot.

"So much for such a small person?" Severus asked.

"It's so obvious you have had children." Hermione said condescendingly.

The tone grated on him, but then she had reason to talk like that to him. He had given her a raw deal and a rough time. Because of that he now had to deal with a toddler in the castle.

Quickly he disapperated all their belongings to Hermione's rooms and sent and order to the house elves that they had 20 minutes to get everything set up. 

"So how old is she?" Severus asked as they walked down to the dungeons at a leisurely pace, Hermione occasionally having to stop and hoist Janet back on to her hip every time she slipped.

"She's two and a half"

"Oh and do you know who the father is?" Severus asked.

This remark only served to cause Hermione to glare at him for about the 20th time since she had arrived yesterday.

"Yes I know very well who the father is and I do not like the insinuation that it should be otherwise." Hermione stated.

Severus shut his mouth. He wasn't very good at this helpful benevolent headmaster act.

"So what about you? Not married? No lady friend? No desire for the joys of parenthood?" Hermione asked in a genuinely friendly manner.

"No, no and defiantly not. Teaching removes any broody fantasies that might be stuck in your subconscious."

Hermione stopped again to adjust the child as she was slipping again. "Actually Severus can you carry her? I know it's a strange request but if I am to be stuck down in these awful dungeons the least you can do is carry my luggage." Hermione handed the toddler to him who didn't stir once.

Severus looked awkward as he took her, stiffening, scared of waking her. He held her as across his chest so that she was lying down in his arms. She seemed to shrink next to him. She snuffled a bit and snuggled into his clothes as she relaxed.

Hermione watched how he relaxed as he got used to her. She thought this might help him a bit, finding that children are sweet and lovely and not the foul beasts he believed them to be.

Severus could feel the warm weight of Janet and it felt good. It was years since he had wanted children of his own. He thought he had become dead to feelings of wanting to make someone of his own, someone to belong to him. He could smell the rusk and talc smell of the tiny girl and the lovely hint of the baby smell that all tiny children have.

"Your not getting broody is you Severus?" Hermione asked as she watched him smile at the sleeping bundle in his arms.

"No of course not." He replied still looking at the toddler. "Its just I thought I was past… forgive I forgot myself for a moment." The smile left his face and he looked up and around instead of at the girl.

Hermione knew that she had awoken a want inside him again. A want to be loved unconditionally, this had been replaced long ago by sarcasm and feigned hatred.

They finally reached Hermione's rooms and as she opened the door she found that all the things were unpacked and set out nicely it looked almost homely now. All their belongings were set out and the fire was lit also it was warm.

"How is it warm in here? Hermione said looking round.

"Well we couldn't have the baby getting a cold now could we?" Severus said. "I cast a thermostat spell on the room, just think about what temperature you want it to be and it should acclimatise itself. Also softer bedding."

"You know headmaster, I think your softening in your old age." Hermione said as she took her daughter from his arms and laid her in her cot. "But I still want a house outside the castle." She said ruining the moment.

"You are to reside in the castle at my will." Severus stated trying to sound as patient and friendly as Albus always had.

Hermione decided not to push it any further tonight; it would undo all the good work she had done getting him to involuntarily show an emotion.