I own no part of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah...

Sorry the last chapter was short, but as I said real life got in the way and I've been dreading where this chapter was headed.  This was the most difficult chapter for me to write and that is why it took so long. I stayed true to my original plot, no matter how difficult it was for me. I hope you've all enjoyed the story and I really appreciate all of the reviews-thanks all-Mac

The Secret Life of Professor Snape

The Letter

Ron and Hermione shrank under the scrutiny of the older Weasley boys. Strangely enough, it was Percy who regained his composure first. The Ministry worker remembered his duty and went about his business as the rest of the group reeled in discomfort, shock, and mirth. He walked over to Ron and sat down on the couch across from him opening a scroll and reading it aloud.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger," he began to read, "in accordance of proclamation number six-hundred and seventy-three of the Parental Wizard's code you are hereby granted the custodial rights to Angus Percival and Tallulah Lillian Minerva Snape on this day the 21st of January." Hermione's face twisted in sorrow and Ron wrapped his arms around her protectively as they both began to cry. Percy's eyes widened as he read the Ministry letter and the twins let out audible gasps. Percy continued. "Yours truly, The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge."

Fred and George sank to the couch next to Percy. "What in God's name are you talking about?" Fred asked Percy with strain.

Percy shrugged. "The Minister handed me this parchment and instructed me to read it aloud to Ron and Hermione. He didn't tell me… I had no idea… I… I…" Percy stammered.

"Blimey!" George sighed, "I didn't know Snape had kids, did you?"

Ron nodded as he wiped a tear from his cheek. "His wife gave birth to them yesterday…" he said in a daze. "Faustine and Severus are dead…" he continued, "How?"

Percy went back to inspecting the letter. "I don't know, it doesn't say."

"Maybe we should fire call Dumbledore," Fred suggested.

"Yeah, the old man's gotta know what happened," George agreed.

Hermione attempted to muffle a sob, but failed. "Poor Professor Dumbledore!" she wailed. "His niece and Professor Snape! Oh how horrible this must be for him!"

The gathering of Weasley boys looked at Hermione questioningly. "What are you on about?" Fred asked nervously.

Ron heaved a long sigh. "Professor Snape was married to Professor Dumbledore's niece, Faustine. Gus and Tally are his distant niece and nephew."

"Blimey," George whistled.

"Ron, you're off your trolley, you are," Fred scoffed.

Hermione continued to cry, but began to speak softly. "No Fred, he's not. We stayed with Professor Snape and his wife after Harry… and then your mum helped Madame Pomfrey when Faustine had the twins…"

"That's it!" Ron cried out. "If you don't believe me, just ask Mum. She met Faustine and can tell you all about it."

No sooner had Ron said this, Molly and Arthur appeared at the top of the stairs. "What's going on?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. "Ronald? Hermione? Why are you crying?" she asked with abundant concern.

The two teenagers were unable to speak, shock and sadness had overwhelmed them. Percy was, in fact, the only person who could speak. "Hermione and Ron just became parents," he said with bewilderment.

Molly's eyes flashed with rage and she glared at Hermione's flat stomach and ran across the room and grabbed Ron by the arm. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, what have you done?"
she sobbed.

Ron stared at his mother with genuine confusion. "I didn't do anything…" he mumbled as he tightened his hand hold on Hermione.

"Didn't do anything!" Molly shouted. "Your brother said Hermione's pregnant!"

This statement awakened the Weasley clan from their comatose like state.

"What?" Bill asked with disbelief.

"He said nothing of that," Fred bellowed.

"All he said was that Hermione and Ronald are parents," George clarified.

"Exactly!" Molly shouted between the sobs that wracked her body.

Arthur put his arm around his wife's shaking shoulders. "No love, I think that Percy meant that Ron and Hermione have been given custody of the Snape twins, as they are their god parents."

If possible, Molly and Hermione's sobs increased. "That means… that means that the treatment didn't work…" Hermione cried.

"What treatments?" Bill asked his mother with wide eyed concern. "Can somebody please explain what is going on?"

Arthur nodded and lead Molly to the sofa indicating that everyone should take a seat. "I'm afraid that you've been kept quite out of the loop as regards to your youngest brother," Arthur began. "He and Hermione stayed with Professor Snape and his wife after Harry died. The group became close and when Severus's wife, Faustine, gave birth to the twins, they asked Ron and Hermione to act as godparents to their children."

"Okay, so what happened to the Snapes?" George asked impatiently.

Ron took a deep breath. "Faustine comes from a long line of witches that die after childbirth. She was weak after the delivery and Severus took her to St. Mungo's for some special treatments to keep her alive, but if we've gained custody, then both of them must have… died…" he explained with a pained voice.

The room went silent. Hermione tucked her head into Ron's shoulder, refusing to face the many Weasley's in the room. Bill, Fred, Percy, and George all sat in various chairs, stunned and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hung their heads in grief. It was this quiet state that Albus interrupted when he apperated into the Burrow with the wailing twins in his arms.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Ron exclaimed with surprise when the old man appeared.

"Ronald," Albus acknowledged him, handing him the crying Gus. Hermione lifted her head from Ron's shoulder and stared with red rimed eyes at her professor. Albus nodded in silent recognition and handed her Tally. The twins quieted and Albus turned towards the sofa.

The elderly wizard seemed to have aged twenty years overnight. His bright and twinkling eyes were dark, dull, and cradled by large dark circles. His smile was lost and his lips were pursed. Grief poured off of him instead of the familiar love. He was a changed man.

Arthur stood and shook the Headmaster's hand. "Professor Dumbledore, I am so sorry for your loss," he said meakly.

"Thank you Arthur, thank you," Albus sighed as he sat next to Molly. "I'm afraid that the combination of Pepper Up Potion and Restorative draught we tried were ineffective and lacked the luster to increase Faustine's magical stores, in fact, it further depleted them." Albus paused and took a deep breath, steadying himself. "The further courses of spells and charms also failed. So Severus attempted to use his marriage bond to lend his wife some of his magic. The Healers were skeptical of this course of action, but we all knew that Faustine would die if we didn't try something. So they tried, and tried and tried." Albus paused again and wiped away a stray tear that fell down his cheek. "The next thing we knew Severus and Faustine were slipping away and there was nothing we could do to save either of them. They died just after midnight. They're gone…" he said with a whisper. Molly wrapped her arms around the old wizard and he clung to her desperately, a shell of the man he had always been.

The Weasley's and Hermione stared at the most powerful wizard they had ever known. All harbored some form of tears in their eyes and tried frantically to hold them in.

A long period of time passed before anyone said anything, but Hermione's ever busy mind would not quiet. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, why were Ron and I given the twins instead of you?"

Albus released Molly and turned to face his star pupil. "You agreed to be the godparents of the children, therefore you gained custody of them upon their parents deaths."

"But how are Ron and I going to care for them, we're not even out of school yet?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Don't worry my dear, we'll think of something," Albus said mysteriously with a small twinkle in his eyes.

That twinkle gave Ron hope, the hope he needed to rise above his own grief and become a parent. He and Hermione could do this, they had to. Severus and Faustine were depending on them.

The next few months consisted of balancing school with caring for Tally and Gus. Ron and Hermione moved into the Headmaster's quarters and lived with him while they finished school. Molly babysat when Albus was working and Hermione and Ron were in class. Ginny and Neville took to the roles of honorary aunt and uncle quickly and were constantly helping care for the ever growing twins.

This arrangement held until Ron and Hermione finished with Hogwarts and went on to University. The duo flooed to classes every morning and flooed back every night. It was a busy five years, but before anyone knew it, Hermione and Ron had graduated and held degrees in Potions and Defense of the Dark Arts, respectively. They stayed on at Hogwarts and became the most revered professors in school history.

At twenty-two, the couple married and took up residence in their own rooms in the castle. Gus and Tally stayed with them and were six when the first of the Granger-Weasley children were born.

It was an unexpected life for Ron, but he was well pleased. He had a good job, a loving wife, and a family to call his own. Every day he prayed that Severus and Faustine were pleased with how he and Hermione had raised their children and hoped that he could pass on the love and friendship that was bestowed upon him when he lived within the secret life of Professor Snape.