Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter, but since I don't, don't sue me :)
Rating: PG-13 (in later chapters)
This is my first HG/SS fanfic.
Summary: Hermione is returning to Hogwarts with a secret in tow. How will this effect her and Snape's relationship? And what about that one stolen night?
First Grace - Compassion
Hermione wasn't one normally given to fainting, but she made an exception this time. Dumbledore had managed to grab Grace from her lap as she slid bonelessly to the floor. She wasn't aware of how much time passed, but she saw it as a welcome reprieve.
Grace was cooing mama in her ear and Dumbledore was holding her hand when she came to. Only Severus had remained rooted in his spot and seemed impatient upon the fact that she had fainted. He was almost tapping his foot. "Now that your theatrics are over, could you bring yourself to answer my question?"
Hermione shot him a glare as she rose, lightly dusting herself off. As she picked Grace up, she leveled him with a glare and said, "Take a look at her Severus. She's you without the nose."
Severus took three steps and grabbed Hermione's arm. "That is not the answer I want."
Hermione pulled her arm away and said, "Tough cookies. Just because we created something together, doesn't mean I've given you permission to touch me." Turning toward Dumbledore, she said, "I'm going to be cleaning my room today and see what I have ahead of me. If it's about noon and you haven't seen Grace or I emerge from the room, please give me a flew." Spinning on her heel, Hermione exited the room.
"Was that my papa?"
Hermione snuggled her daughter's ear and answered, "Yes, poppet. That was your papa."
As she snuggled higher on her mother's chest, Grace asked, "Does he like me?"
Hermione kissed her daughter's forehead. "I don't know." As they reached the room, Hermione set Grace on her feet. Stroking her daughter's black hair from her face, she asked, "Are you ready to see what's in for us?"
Grace stuck her tongue out behind Hermione's back. She didn't like cleaning as much as her mama, but she would behave. Her grandma had seen to that. Before they left her Grandma Maia's house for Hogwarts, her grandma made her pinky-promise swear that she would be a good girl. If she was, she would get an extra special treat at Christmas.
Hermione watched the emotions flicker over her daughter's face. Softly laughing to herself, she began pulling sheets off the tables. They weren't in bad shape; and that was saying a lot, especially if one remembered the abuse they went through. She used her wand to shift the tables into a sort of semi-circle; she was going to need plenty of space. She began shifting chairs next and finally set up the area Grace was going to be when she was teaching. The spot looked a little isolated, so Hermione added a little lightmagical of courseand moved it a little closer. Maybe now that Severus knew... Hermione shook her head; she wouldn't foist Grace on some unexpecting adult. Although, she might have to on her first day...
Hermione went back to work. She went to the closet and smiled when she saw that Dumbledore had provided well for her. The first thing she dragged out was the safety box. It was a box that looked as if it was made of bulletproof glass. What it was really made out of was magically enchanted glass that kept hexes gone wrong from effecting other students in the room. Then, she brought out a dummy and placed it in the box. It was always betterin Hermione's opinionto have a test subject.
The soft tap on the doorframe echoed throughout the room. Hermione glanced where Grace had been coloring on the floor (she was now asleep, facedown in her muggle coloring-book) before looking at the intruder. Snape looked severely uncomfortable in the room; he kept grabbing his collar as if it were choking him. Smiling, Hermione asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, Severus?"
Severus almost sneered, but he held it back. Instead, he said, "It's a little after noon. I figured she would be dragging you down to the great hall."
Wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead, Hermione said, "She will in a moment. She's like clockwork." Grabbing the bundle of sheets, she turned to Severus. He hadn't aged much since she was a student, but she knew she had. He was seeing a different side of her that few people had seen. Smiling at him again, she said, "I have a favor to ask you."
Watching the little form stir on the floor, Severus said, "Go ahead."
"Well, I was wondering if you would take Grace for a few hours a day, and if you could take her for the first few hours of the first day of class." Noticing he was watching Grace stir, Hermione quieted. This was the first time he had really had a chance to look at his child.
"You're right." Severus turned his gaze from Grace and looked at Hermione. Amused by her confusion, he clarified, "She really is me without the nose." His gaze returned to Grace and he answered Hermione's request, "I'd be delighted to take her." Severus seemed to struggle with something, but just then, Grace sat up and said, "Mama?"
Hermione dropped the sheets on a nearby table and went to pick Grace up. However, Severus beat her there. Hermione smiled at Severus' attempt to pick up the toddler. "Grace, it's okay. This is your papa."
Grace felt reassured by her mother's voice and let Severus pick her up. The first thing she went for was the nose. She crossed her eyes to see it better, then asked Severus, "Why is your nose so big?"
Hermione felt mortified at her daughter's bluntness. Severus, however, threw back his head and laughed. Looking at Grace, he said, "You're right, it is very big, but I have to blame that on your Grandpa Snape. His nose was big too."
Grace felt her stomach rumble and said, "I'm hungry."
Severus carried Grace out of the door and said, "Well, then. Let's go see if the other professors have decided to eat yet." He walked out of the door and realizeda few paces laterthat Hermione still stood in the classroom. He smiled at the puzzled look on her face and said, "Follow if you want, Professor Granger. My daughter and I are going to take luncheon."
As she watched their retreating backs, Hermione felt a small quaver of something in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't completely sure if it was fear or hope, but she wanted desperately to find out. She followed Severus and Grace to the dining hall, waiting to see what would happen next.
A few mornings later, Severus slowly learned Grace's schedule. She would terrorize her mother while Hermione was trying to make both herself and Grace presentable, with Hermione generally resorting to magic. He found this little tidbit out when one particular morning, Hermione had brought a smiling Grace to the dining hall. This in and of itself wasn't out of place; it was the fact that Grace was still in her pajamas. Calmly sipping his tea, Severus asked, "Are you running late this morning?"
Hermione shot him a glance that would have made a lesser man tremble in its wake, and snapped at him, "Your daughter hid my wand and I've yet to find it!" Being now on the dais, she grabbed Severus' teacup from his hand, slammed it on the table, and practically threw Grace into his lap. Storming out of the room, Hermione called back as she reached the door, "Make sure she eats everything on her plate and keep her busy until I find my wand." She exited the room, muttering several curses in different languages.
Severus slowly turned Grace around in his lap and looked at her sternly. He had only been in her life for a few days, but he knew how to make her behave. He asked very quietly, "Grace, why did you hide your mother's wand?"
The tot looked up at him with big blue eyes and answered, "Because the magic makes my skin itchy."
Severus grabbed Grace up and went to Hermione's chambers. Watching a frenzied Hermione tearing apart her room was almost comical. "Madam?"
Hermione stopped in mid-toss. The scarf clutched in her hand slowly wafted behind her. She realized who was talking to her and flushed a deep scarlet. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eye a tiny bit and sighed when she realized that this wasn't a bad dream. Stiffening her shoulders, she asked, "Yes, Severus?"
Somehow Grace's breath on his neck kept him in the here and now. He set Grace down and knelt in front of Hermione. He slightly smiled as her flush deepened. It took him back to that one night, years ago, when they were no longer teacher and student. Grace playing with his hair snapped him out of his reverie. He gazed intently into Hermione's eyes and said, "Grace has strong magic."
Hermione slightly paled and swallowed the lump in her throat. That wasn't what she had expected him to say. She nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I know." Rising, she put a hand on Grace's head and continued, "She has special charms around her bed so she won't act out her dreams. Dumbledore gave them to me the moment after she was born."
"Act out her dreams? You mean she can...?"
"Perform magical spells she's never learned in her sleep? Yes." Hermione hung her head. This had been her burden for so long, it felt good to share. "She hides my wand in different places every time," Hermione said as she dropped to her knees.
Severus pulled Grace into his arms and asked, "Where is the wand, Grace?" When Grace shrugged her shoulders, Severus sighed and asked again. Instead of shrugging, Grace asked, "Why can't Momma call it?"
There was a decided smack as Hermione slapped herself in the forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Before a smart remark could come out of Severus' mouth, Hermione's wand came flying out of nowhere, landing neatly beside her. She turned to Severus and asked, "Would you mind taking her today? Think of it as practice for when we share her when there are classes going on."
Severus shrugged his shoulders, "Why not. Grace can help me while I'm brewing antidotes for potions gone awry this year."
Hermione gave a slight smile. "I heard that Neville is becoming on of the better Potions masters these days."
Severus grabbed Grace and swung her onto his hip. He gave a slight snort and said, "Only because Neville is accidentally finding cures to some of the most dangerous maladies. At least he is taking meticulous notes." Searching for another door, Severus asked, "Where is Grace's room?"
Hermione blushed lightly and said, "She shares a room with me."
Severus set Grace back down and said, "Go find an outfit, Grace. I need to talk to your mother."
Grace looked up at her father with the same dark blue eyes as his and tried to pout, but Hermione caught her and said, "Listen to your papa, Grace. Then you can go help him."
Severus watched as Grace exited the room and turned to stick her tongue out at her mother. He laughed to himself and turned his gaze to Hermione. She was still haphazardly disheveled, but it was in her usual charming way. "Hermione, I have an extra set of rooms. If you and Grace wanted more room, I wouldn't feel put out."
Hermione's breath caught as he reached toward her. She couldn't believe that she could still feel the pull of desire so strongly after all of these years. She turned her face away and said, "I don't know if I can, Severus. It would take a while to get moved and I..."
Severus grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "Hermione, I'm doing this for Grace's benefit as well as yours. Please let me take care of you." He licked his lips and couldn't seem to take his gaze from her lips.
"I'm ready!"
Hermione inwardly groaned at her daughter's innate sense of timing. If Grace had managed to stay away a few seconds longer...
Severus pulled slowly away and went to gather Grace. He turned to Hermione and said, "Think about it. It might be...pleasant." In that instant, Hermione knew he wasn't talking of a totally platonic relationship.
She smiled up at him and said, "I'll give it some thought." She watched as Severus' eyes darkened to a deeper shade of blue than normal and she knew what he was thinking. Grabbing her wand, she left Severus and Grace and went into her bathroom. She looked a mess, but a thoroughly happy one. She grabbed a brush and began brushing her hair, thinking hard about Severus' offer.
In the other room, Severus grabbed Grace's hand and led her to the dungeons. Once or twice he smiled because Grace leaned closer to him for protection. Opening the door to his laboratory, he pulled Grace inside and pulled the wand out of his pocket. Waving it around a few times, he opened the drapes, and set up a work area in the middle of the room. His laboratory had been shut off for most of the summer, as it had been most summers after Hermione graduated. He would once or twice let her come in and practice making healing potions. He knew that they would be needing them soon, and he didn't mind watching her work. There were several times her final year that he had secretly watched her and had felt almost relieved that she would be leaving soon, but at the same time terrified for her. She was one of the brightest students to pass through these halls ever and she could have died.
The night Grace was created, she had left his side and had come here. He had followed her and watched as she crafted a potion that would have worked as a contraceptive, but he didn't realize that then. All he cared about was not being lonely for the rest of the night. He was surprised to find that she was wearing a dress shirt of his. He had lifted her up and placed her on the tabletop...
"Papa?"
Severus pulled himself from his reverie. Grace was looking up at him with the eyes so much like his own. He lifted her up and sat her on a stool in front of the tabletop. He grabbed two cauldrons and an assortment of other ingredients. "Grace I want you to follow what I do exactly, okay?" Grace nodded her head and began copying her father. Severus got caught up for a moment before he realized that Grace was skipping ahead of him in certain spots or staying step-for-step with him. "Grace, have you done this before?"
Grace nodded and added some arrowroot to her concoction. "Mama used to have me help her make potions. Madame Pomfrey would pay her for helping. I also helped make the potion that can be used for all sorts of things." Thinking of the other different things she had to take in order to figure out how she did things in her sleep, "Mama made some icky ones first."
Severus took both potions and began pouring them into airtight containers. Setting them in a cabinet, he grabbed the cauldrons and began undoing some of the magic that would be left over from the concoction. He looked to the left and saw the table his little girl was probably conceived on. Shaking his head, he finished up and walked over to Grace. Picking her off the stool, he asked, "Are you hungry?"
Grace nodded her head and took her father's hand. Her papa had been acting funny all morning. Maybe Mama would know why.
Severus stopped short in the entrance to the dining hall. Hermione was sitting there, picking at something on her plate. She didn't seem too enthusiastic to be talking to the other occupant in the room. She was sitting rather haphazardly in her chair, but she seemed to be better put together than she was this morning. She must have heard them enter, for her smile became a genuine one when she saw the two of them enter the door. She straightened in her chair and stood when Grace reached her. Swinging her daughter around, she stopped and watched Severus. Severus walked toward her and when he reached her on the dais, he planted a small kiss on her cheek.
Hermione smiled at him and tried to return the gesture, but when she went for his cheek, he moved at the last minute and she kissed him full on the mouth. It was tender and sweet, but too short for Hermione. Severus pulled away and smiled. He pulled her chair out and waited until she sat. When she did, he scooted her chair in and sat in the one next to hers.
Hermione returned her gaze to her visitor and asked, "Where were we?"
Alex had to close her mouth because the laughter would have come bubbling out otherwise. The corners mouth twitched and she cleared her throat before saying, "We were talking about Malfoy."
Hermione snickered and said, "That's right, the little ferret."
Alex let out a small sigh and felt her ears turn red. "Hermione, I can't have you call him that anymore."
Hermione laughed, "Why not? It's not as if..." She stopped abruptly and studied Alex for a moment. "What did you do Alexandrea Elizabeth Jamieson?"
Alex dropped her gaze to her plate and said, "He knows about Rhona now." Wiping a stray tear away, she said, "My father found out and he ran straight to Draco. I have to worry about Rhona being taken away from me now."
Hermione held Grace tighter to her chest. Things had been different when Grace was born because she had been born to a father who was in a lowly, but important profession. However, Rhona was born the heir of her father's estates and her father was subject to being thrown into Azkaban. "Well, the damned ferret can rot. She can't be taken away from you now. He didn't get thrown into Azkaban and he can have plenty more heirs."
Severus cleared his throat and said, "That may be true, but since Rhona is his first child, he gets to say whether she lives with him or her mother."
Alex rose and let her chair clatter to the floor. Grabbing her hat and smashing it to her head, she said, "Well, I'm not going to let what happened to me happen to Rhona." Grabbing her teacup and drinking the rest of it, she said, "Good luck, Hermione. If you don't see me in the paper, I'll send you an owl"
Watching Alex dash from the room, Severus asked, "What did Miss Jamieson mean?"
Hermione stalled for a moment fixing Grace's plate. She looked at Severus and watched the vexation bloom on his face. Glancing away, she said, "The first time I met Alex was when the first plot against Lucius Malfoy failed. I met her while she was reading the story in the Daily Prophet in the Griffindor common room. She was a sixth year and I was seventh; I was surprised that I had never met her before. She looked up at me, smiled, and said, 'I'm only sorry that they spelled my name wrong.'" Hermione laughed and added, "Dumbledore pulled me aside later that day and asked me to keep an eye on her before Draco decided to do anything drastic. I didn't know that Draco planned to do anything, but I kept an eye on her anyway and I'm not to happy to say that I've saved that girl from Malfoy so many times, but she keeps finding her way back to him."
Severus smiled into his lunch and murmured, "Just like you and me."
Hermione thoughtfully pondered his words, but decided not to dwell on it too much. Poking Grace in the stomach, she asked, "Do you want to see your new room?" She stole a look at Severus and smiled. The look on his face was nearly priceless. Hermione set Grace down and took her hand. She gave a small smile and led Grace to a set of rooms that opened just underneath the stone staircase. When Hermione came in here earlier, she had to cover a canvas that was sitting in the middle of the fairly large living room. There was something painted for the world to see amidst the maroon, gold, green, and silver splashed in the background, and Hermione didn't want Grace to see the birthmark she had in a rather delicate place. Pulling Grace into one of three additional rooms, Hermione smiled as Grace ran to grab her stuffed phoenix. Hermione gave a small start when she felt familiar hands grip her shoulders. Turning around, Hermione simply gazed into Severus' eyes.
Severus smiled and pulled her closer, watching Grace out of the corner of his eye. He tilted her face up and asked, "Did you like the painting?" He beamed at her blush and said, "I thought you would." He grabbed her chin and held it steady as he slowly kissed her, never letting an eye stray from Grace. Outside, Severus could hear the unmistakable sounds of students beginning to arrive. Tonight would be the sorting.
Pulling away from Hermione, he looked her in the eye and said, "Never doubt my desire for you." He then pushed her away and went to put on his robes, not eager for the night ahead of them.
Ta-da! This is the first chapter of my first Harry Potter fan-fic. I've already decided that this story will be in a set of three stories. Since this story is an HG/SS-centered story, a majority of it will be in Hogwarts.
NEXT TIME: Hermione is going to have her first day of class as will Grace. What will the trio's living arrangement do to strengthen their bonds?