Also note, this fic is not beta read, as such, I will probably occasionally upload revised versions of chapters. If I do, I'll make note of it in the next chapter uploaded. If you're interested in beta reading for me, please send me an email. Serious inquiries only.
I : Construction
Severus Snape urged his broom faster. He could feel the wind whistling by his ears, tearing at his hair. His target was just within reach, a few more seconds and he'd be there… he stretched his arm out in front of him, straining to reach. Just as his fingertips brushed the feathers of a beating wing, he slammed into an invisible wall. The Wizarding Shield Wall had been activated. Colliding with it was like flying headfirst into the side of Hogwarts castle at full speed and left Snape clutching his broomstick, trying to keep his balance. He shook his head, trying to clear it. In front of him, Buckbeak flared, barely avoiding a painful collision with the shield. On his back, Hermione Granger reached out to him.
"Severus!" she cried. Thankfully, the wall allowed sound to pass through, if a little distorted.
He adjusted his grip on the broom. "I'm alright, Hermione. Just a little stunned."
"Oh I knew I should have left the conference yesterday. I just didn't think they'd be ready to activate it so soon."
"It's all right Hermione." He looked into her worried brown eyes and tried to be reassuring. "Go back to France and go to the Ministry there. I'll go back to London and try to see the Minister. I'll get you home, I promise. You're Harry bloody Potter's best friend for Merlin's sake!"
She gave him a shaky smile, obviously trying not to cry. "I believe you, Severus. I'll wait for you. I promise."
He watched as she nudged Buckbeak with her knees. The intelligent hippogriff turned around and began the flight back across the English Channel. She turned to him over her shoulder. She pressed her fingers to her lips and blew him a kiss.
As her figure shrank into the distance, he called out to her.
"I love you, Hermione!"
18 years later…
The candle sputtered and died but
Snape made no move to replace it. The fireplace was still lit and he
didn't really need the light anyway. He leaned back in his chair and
glanced at the clock. Six months before the anniversary of the
Wizarding Shield Wall's activation, the Wizengamot had finally ordered
it dismantled and communication with the rest of the magical world
resumed. Snape snorted, it was about time, stupid, paranoid fools. Two
days later, the wall had come down and there had been a flood of people
crossing the border. He had been at the apparating and portkey point,
hoping that Hermione would be among the crowd of witches and wizards.
But she hadn't been there. Snape returned to Hogwarts at the end of the
day, crushed. Now, as dawn approached, he sat contemplating the embers
of the fire and waited for the day to begin.
He was startled awake by the fire springing to life in the grate. Even now, so long after the fall of Voldemort, he had his wand out and pointed at the fireplace where Minerva McGonagall's head sat among the flames.
"Severus?" She noticed his wand "Oh put that away. You know I'm the only one who fire calls you."
He relaxed. Really, he was turning into Moody. "What do you want, Minerva?"
"There are some people here to see you. Could you come through?" she paused and pursed her lips. "Perhaps after you've had a chance to freshen up a bit."
Snape realized he had spent the night in a chair and felt distinctly rumpled. He scowled. "I'll see you in an hour, Headmistress."
A shower and a slice of toast later found him climbing the stairs to the Headmistress's office. As he climbed, he tried to think of who could possibly want to see him. None of his friends were in the country, having left the second the shield had come down. It couldn't be the Ministry, he had given up trying to sneak out of the country after they'd put him under house arrest in Hogwarts two years ago. He hoped it was Hermione.
He knocked on the door and entered. A man and a woman were
seated in the armchairs in front of the desk where Minerva was sitting.
A tea service was set on the desk between them. At his entrance, the
two in the armchairs turned, moving to stand, and he saw
"Hermione?"
He caught himself against the doorjamb. It was Hermione…and yet, it was not. This version of Hermione looked to be eighteen years old and that was impossible. She had a large amount of ebony black hair that fell in frothy waves down her back, if it weren't so shiny, Snape would bet it would be just as bushy as Hermione's. She was also taller, nearly at eye level with Snape. But it was Hermione's warm honey brown eyes that met his gaze.
"Professor." It was the young man who spoke. He was about the same age as the not-Hermione but looked like a younger version of himself, only with sleek, silky hair instead of stringy grease and a less hooked nose.
"Perhaps you'd like to sit down, Severus." McGonagall had magic-ed him into a chair and a cup of tea into his hand while he could only blink in bewilderment.
"I know this is probably a shock to you, professor. Mum said it was unlikely you would know. I'm Sevilen Snape and this is my twin sister Speranza."
"What?" he gaped. Twins? Hermione had been pregnant?
"She was about three weeks pregnant when the shield went up." said Speranza. They fell silent while Snape absorbed the information. So many things were flying through his mind that he didn't even consider the fact that the children might not be his. Hermione had been pregnant. He had children, something he hadn't even dared to dream of. He had children and they were nearly adults. He'd missed all the important events in their lives, hearing their first words, watching them take their first steps, teaching them to read their first book, seeing them off for their first ride on the Hogwarts Express, threatening his daughter's first date with crucio. But one thought cut through the rest like a lumos through fog.
"Where is Hermione? Why isn't she here?" he demanded. He had waited so long to see his wife again and she hadn't come to see him and he wanted to know why. They glanced at each other. "Why didn't she come?"
"Professor, there's something you should know. She's not here because she can't be here."
Snape nearly choked on his tea. It had never occurred to him that Hermione might not have been able to come. "What do you mean?"
"She's sick."
"Sick?"
Two dark heads nodded. "She wanted so much to come with us, back to England. She had a huge row over it with Uncle Victor. But he won when she tried to walk down the stairs by herself and nearly fell down them instead."
That sounded like Hermione alright. But who was "Uncle Victor?"
"You know, Victor Krum? The Quidditch star?" The last was said with more than a little cynicism. Apparently Krum was still as big a star as he had been eighteen years ago.
"Oh, him."
The twins nodded in unison.
"So where is Hermione now?"
"She's living in Uncle Victor's house in Bulgaria since we refused to let her live alone and she wouldn't have a house elf. We were hoping you would come back with us to see her. We don't know how much longer she can hold out and we were hoping you could come right away."
Speranza smiled nervously "We understand if you don't want to. It's been so long and… well… it would make her so happy."
Snape glanced at Minerva, who nodded. Snape took that as permission to go. He turned back to the twins, who were fidgeting in their chairs.
"When can we leave?"