Hermione had been in rare form during potions. She assumed all along that Professor Snape's kindness would be short lived, but did he really think her so incompetent that he wouldn't let her do this assignment? She forcefully closed her text book and stuffed her things in her bag.
"Miss Granger, would you and your potions partner stay after class, please?"
Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes, sir." She finished packing up her things and tossed her things on the desk in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the other students to leave as Pansy glanced at her nervously.
When the three were alone, Hermione put her hands on the desk and pushed her self to her feet. "Sir, I'm going to do something extremely undignified."
Severus raised a questioning brow.
"Please let me do the assignment!" She whined. "I can handle it, I promise, you have to let me get the answers I need!"
Severus sighed and shook his head. "This isn't about the assignment."
"What, then? Sir, I really don't understand."
"Hermione," Pansy started.
"Do you know what's going on? Pansy please, I can not take much more confusion, my head is starting to hurt."
"I know, Hermione, I just... please listen."
Hermione huffed and turned her attention back to Severus.
"Your family crest. I felt that it would be best to tell you myself, where it came from."
"Oh- okay?"
"The hound is a symbol of Lucifer. It's not a wolf hound, it's a Hell hound. This crest is a symbol of a warrior of Lucifer's army."
"How...how did you-"
Pansy took a journal from her bag and opened it to a page marked with a black silk ribbon.
My daughter, Carina, is gone now. My husband has left with her to take her to safety. Carina's father is in despair as well. He has distanced himself from us. His hurt runs so deep that he made a dark pact. He summoned what he said was a devil. He traded what I understand is his essence in exchange for Carina's safety. I don't quite understand it, but he promises that she will be safe.
"Oh..oh my.." Hermione felt her throat clench with unshed tears. "It's you.." She looked up at Pansy with wide eyes. "I.. had a vision the first time I went to the hospital wing this year. I saw Lucifer and he said that my father made a pact with him. That means I'm the half sister that was taken from your mother doesn't it? That's what this is about.."
"Yes." Pansy nodded. "I wanted to tell you so badly, but I didn't think you would believe me. I thought you would hate me. We tried to give you clues. We wanted you to find the answers on your own terms. We thought you might appreciate that." Pansy gave a sad smile.
"I don't understand." Hermione said to Severus. "What do you have to do with this?"
Severus took a square of parchment from his robe pocket and placed it in Hermione's hand. It was from the class when she tested her potion. The hound with the 'S' still glowed. She looked closer and studied the 'S'. She gasped and threw the parchment down as though it burned her. "You!"
Severus nodded slowly.
"Did you know?" She yelled.
"Not until I saw you this year. Not until my master told me what to look for. It was part of the deal. I wish you could have stayed with me, though." He half sobbed as his knees hit the floor in front of his daughter and he took her hands in his. "I wanted so badly to find you!"
"Were you disappointed that it was me?" Hermione whispered.
"No!"
"Neither was I." Pansy said, putting her hand on her little sister's back.
"You used to annoy me so badly because I didn't think it was fair that muggles had the pleasure of having a daughter as proud and and strong and utterly brilliant as you and they barely even understood her. I was bitter and resentful. I should never have taken that out on you. Thinking back and remembering you in my classes... how could I not have known? I am so sorry."
Hermione was crying now. "What is my real name? Who am I?"
"I named you Carina." Severus whispered. "But you are who ever you want to be. You've known Hermione your entire life so if that's who you want to remain, that's what you should do."
"How long have you known, Pansy? How long have you known it was me?"
"I found out the same time Severus did. The first night here when you were in the astronomy tower."
"How did you know? What did he tell you to look for?" She asked Severus.
"He said to look for his sign. Fire and ash. He sent me a vision just hours before... I'm so sorry you've had to feel such pain and loss. I can't imagine..."
"A child should outlive their parents. My mum said it was the natural order and that when the day comes that I would have to bury them I shouldn't be sad because things happened as they should have." Hermione whispered.
"It doesn't make it right, what happened."
"Pansy?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
"Is this why you've been so nice to me? Because I'm your sister? Because I'm not really muggle born?"
Pansy thought for a moment. "I can honestly say, no. Even if you were a true muggle born and you were not my sister, I would still have been your friend. Once I learned the truth about my parents, my attitude toward everything changed. I told you this.. I wanted to be someone my- our mother would have been proud of and I want to be someone my sister is proud of."
Hermione gasped. "Really?"
Pansy nodded. "I meant it then and I mean it now."
Hermione threw her arms around her sister. They sniffled through their tears as Severus looked down and stood back, not wanting to interrupt the sisters' reunion. He half turned toward his desk, heart breaking and feeling unaccepted.
"You won't get away from me that easily!" Hermione shouted as she threw her arms around Severus. "You sold your soul for my safety?" She whispered.
Shocked, Severus put one arm around her shoulders and a hand on her head and he held her close. "Yes. I'd do it a thousand times over." He whispered back.
"That's extremely foolish, you know. I'd have been just fine." She fussed.
Severus laughed and held her tighter. It was a deep beautiful sound, his laughter. It was something Hermione thought she could get very used too. After a moment he held her at arm's length.
"Let me get a proper look at you." He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. He titled his head and admitted, "You look like me now."
Hermione laughed. "I never knew how much I'd enjoy looking like a Snape."
"Consider me relieved that you do!" They shared a laugh and Pansy conjured a sign outside the classroom informing all students that Professor Snape's classes were canceled for the day.
"Who else knows?" Hermione asked.
"The pack knows." Pansy answered. "That's it."
"I'd like to inform Minerva, if that's alright with you, Hermione? She's been quite anxious to find out who my daughter is."
"Really? Professor McGonagall knows you have a daughter? You two talk?" Hermione asked, shocked.
"That's news to me too!" Pansy said.
"Oh, yes, well.. We're very close. She's actually your Godmother, Hermione. She ah.. helped to.. deliver you when you were born.."
"Oh my God, really?!" Hermione gasped. "Can I tell her?"
Severus laughed. "Yes, you can. Don't give her a heart attack though, please?"
"Wait, does that mean she's a part of the pack?"
"No," Pansy answered. "I don't know anything about her, really."
"I asked her to be there. She's been the only person I could talk to about any of this." Severus said.
Hermione looked at her hands and frowned for a moment.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Severus asked, concerned.
"It's just.. I don't know how I'm supposed to act, or what I'm supposed to do now. I'm so confused about what ever comes next."
"Don't worry. There's things that have to be done but you can take your time. We don't want to overwhelm you." Pansy said. "But, there is a long list of people waiting to see you again. Our uncle being the first."
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I suppose I'd like to meet them. But, what do I call you?" She asked Severus.
"You can call me anything you like. I imagine word will spread like fiendfyre about you and I. I can't imagine it will be necessary for you to call me 'Professor' anymore. What ever you're comfortable with."
"Alright, father." She grinned.
Severus coughed and sputtered. "I never thought I'd hear that word said to me! I quite like it." He admitted and Pansy laughed.
"She's still in just as much danger as she was before though isn't she?" Pansy asked.
"No." Father and daughter answered together.
"Lucifer said I would always be safe, but I wouldn't like how he kept his promise to my father."
"Yes I had a similar conversation with him."
"So..what do you want to do, Hermione? Shall we come right out to the world then?"
Hermione gave a short laugh. "I suppose so."
