Title: Hermione's Helping Hand

Christmas

Hermione and Severus left Hogwarts with the rest of the students. However, they didn't take the Hogwarts Express, as Hermione thought they would, he took one of the carriages, this one had a driver and actual horses.

" Prince Manor!" Severus called.

The driver nodded and they went off. Hermione couldn't see much through the snow, but she told Severus about Ron dating Luna. Severus thought this was a bad idea, but Hermione figured that it had something to do with the fact that Luna had attacked him while she was in her Animagi form.

" Now I've got to warn you that Prince Manor will probably leave a lot to be desired," he told her. " Like I said, twenty odd years is a long time for infestation to grow."

When they finally reached the manor, both of them were surprised to see that all the lights were burning in the windows. Hermione at once feared that something had happened during the time that his mother had been away.

" I thought you said that no one lived here."

" I though so too!" Severus said.

He walked up to the front and knocked three times. The door opened and a very odd-looking wizard answered it. He looked a bit like Dumbledore, but he was somewhat younger. Severus was just about to open his mouth, when the man hugged him right around the middle. Hermione giggled, but this seem to make Severus go red.

" Severus, my boy!" he roared. " You might not remember me."

Severus looked at him.

" John Prince, your Uncle!"

Severus eyes widened, then he turned and looked at Hermione.

" And you must be Hermione Snape," John commented. " Remus wrote and informed me you were coming."

They both stared at each other.

" Wait a minute!" said Severus. " Are you telling me that someone has been living here, all these years?"

John nodded.

" Eileen wanted to make sure that her home didn't decay, so she had me take over it until you returned," he explained. " Well, why don't you two come in and tell me all the news that has been happening."

And picking up their trunks and bags, they stepped inside. Upon entering, a house elf appeared and took her things up to a large room that John explained had once belonged to Eileen. It was a very nice room, covered in red oak, and had a large bed in the middle. There was a place that she could put her makeup, and a grand bathroom that had a tub big enough for both her and Severus to bath in. It was made of white marble and had gold everywhere.

" Oh wow!" Hermione said, her eyes widened in surprise and delight.

" Mum was fancy!" Severus stated. " But it's nice!"

" Nice, nephew, it's the best!" John said, slapping him on the back. " I'll have dinner ready in ten minutes."

And he hurried and left.

Dinner did arrive ten minutes later, and they ate it in the huge dinning room. Hermione had to listen to John telling them all about some of the relations that had died during the war. Hermione figured they either worked for Voldemort or turned against him.

" So I heard that your going to be a father."

Severus nodded.

" Well that's nice!" he said. " So have you decided what your going to name them?"

Both Severus and Hermione shook their heads.

" What about godfathers?"

Again they shook their heads.

" Well you better get started," John told them. " If you don't, then the Ministry won't know what to call them. So what's been keeping you?"

Severus at once told him what had happened and when he heard that Draco's wife hadn't given birth to a magical child, he laughed.

" Well that figures!" he stated. " The pureblood families have been intermarrying for centuries, and it was bound to happen. So did you hear that Malfoy is asking Muggleborn witches to bare his children?"

Severus shook his head, but Hermione nodded.

" When did this happen?" Severus asked.

" Just a few weeks ago," Hermione answered. " At least that's what I've been told. So why is he doing that if he believes that he's only good for a pureblood?"

John shrugged his shoulder.

" He probably figures that if he's going to have a Malfoy that can go to Hogwarts, then he's going to have to either get a half-blood or a Muggleborn witch pregnant, but I'm sure no stupid fool is going to fall for his offer of money."

Hermione had a bad feeling that someone would.

After dinner both her and Severus retired for the night. But Severus at once fell asleep, his snoring keeping Hermione up and thinking. Draco was looking for someone to continue is bloodline even though he had a son. Hermione turned over, thinking even more. Why would anyone want to have Malfoy's child? She figured that it had something to do with the money that he was offering. As she finally fell asleep, she figured that whatever he had planned wouldn't come back to haunt them.

On Christmas morning Hermione raced down to see what she had gotten. Harry and Ron both had sent her something. She opened the one from Ron and saw that it was a standard Dict-o-quill, the kind that Rita had used. Harry had gotten her a warm sweater, which she figured was really from Mrs. Weasley. She got another sweater from Mrs. Weasley, a pair of socks from Mr. Weasley, a book on Werewolves from Remus, a pair of booties from Tonks, a hawk quill from Ginny, and a pair of bottle cap earrings from Luna.

" I wonder what I got," Severus asked, setting next to her.

He picked up the first one, which looked as though someone had put inside a box. The writing looked like it was from Harry. He pulled it open and saw a card. He opened it and read:

To Severus

From: Harry

Dear Severus,

I know how much you love to spy on students and see what their doing. This will enable you to do just that. Happy Christmas.

He opened the box and saw a ragged piece of parchment.

" Well it looks like he gave you the Marauder's Map," Hermione pointed out.

" But why?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

The rest of his presents were from family members that Hermione had never heard of before. He got candy from Ron, which surprised Hermione, the most. He got a spider sweater from Ginny, which actually fitted him.

" The note says that the spiders actually move," Hermione said, reading the note from Ginny. " To scary Ron."

" Oh great!" Severus muttered. " What I need, Mr. Weasley to run from me."

Hermione laughed.

" Don't they already."

Severus didn't grin back.

" Hay!" John said, popping his head in. " I forgot to put this under the tree."

He gave Hermione a large box, which she unwrapped at once. It was a Bluebottle, which Hermione knew was a family broom. Hermione looked at it as though it was going to sprout horns. She wasn't a fan of flying and Madam Hooch hadn't given her any more lessons past the first one. Severus took it from her and put it down.

" Thanks!" Severus said.

" No problem, and Happy Christmas."

And he was gone.

Severus turned to Hermione, looking worried. Hermione felt so ashamed at how she had acted when she had seen the gift, which she almost wanted to kick herself. A witch was supposed to like flying, not scared of it. She wasn't a witch, she was an accident.

" Hermione, are you okay?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head.

" Want to talk about it?"

Hermione sighed, and then explained what had happened during her first flying lesson. When she was finished, Severus patted her shoulder.

" I could teach you how to fly," he said.

Hermione looked at him, shocked and surprised.

" Really!"

Severus nodded.

" We have all Christmas break," Severus pointed out. " Before long, you'll be as good as Potter."

Hermione smiled and then decided to give it a go.

After breakfast, Severus led Hermione out onto the chilly grounds, the Bluebottle broom in his hand. Hermione was a bit afraid of this, but Severus had told her that he would make sure that he didn't let her fall. She appreciated it and told him so.

" Now I want you to mount it and I'll go along the back."

Hermione put her leg over the broom, feeling the charm that was placed on it, activate. Severus stepped in the back and then after warning her to hold on, he kicked off the ground, and soon they were up in the air. Hermione held on for dear life, but Severus made sure that she didn't fall. For the next several hours John watched as Severus taught her how to dive, turn, twist, and do all sorts of things. By the time they landed, Hermione felt much more confident about flying then she had in her life.

" Well I must admit that I've never met a witch that didn't know how to fly," he told them.

" I'm not exactly a big fan of it!" Hermione stated. " I flew only once, but it wasn't that high."

John grinned.

" Well I'm glad that he still knows a few things," he told her, which made Severus go a little pink.

Hermione wrote to Harry, telling him about what had happened, and that Severus taught her how to fly. When the owl left, she went right back on continuing her flying lessons. Hermione was bound and determined to prove that she was a witch that could fly and not a witch that couldn't. On the last day of the holiday, they both packed their bags and trunks, Hermione gave John a hug, and then they left.

" So how did you like Prince Manor?" Severus asked, as the manor disappeared from sight.

" It was wonderful!" Hermione stated. " And thanks for everything that you did for me."

" It was nothing!"

Hermione shook her head, and then said, " No, it was everything!"