"Hello, Hello!" Saul called out cheerily from the floo. Severus groaned, dropping his head to the back of the sofa, Amelia laughed from beside him.

"You like him really, you know," she chided gently.

"Do I?" he asked wryly.

"Of course you do." Saul cut in, "Now, as I'll be back tomorrow to see my darling little protege," he paused at Severus' barely concealed laugh. "What?"
"She's not overly happy with you."

"What? Why not?"
"Did she not write?"

"I haven't had an owl." Saul frowned.

"The rubik's cube?"

"Oh! Her little puzzle. All new recruits get them. Very few can solve them, but it's tradition now. I don't know who started it to be honest, it might have been Collins that suggested it in the eighties, I can't remember."
"Sweet Salazar, I warned her it wasn't a joke." Secerus muttered.

"Why would it be a joke?"

"They're a muggle children's toy."

"Are they?" Saul paused, "That explains some of the amusement when they're handed out now you mention it. Mostly from muggleborns and a few half bloods. Damn. I really must get you to take me out into the muggle world at some point. My education is severely lacking and I must confess to having no idea where to start."

Amelia snorted, "Don't worry, Severus is running a sort of outreach programme for Purebloods. I'm sure you can tag along on the next outing."
Severus scowled at her, "Do you hate me?"

"Of course not darling," she cooed exaggeratedly, making him roll his eyes. "Consider it payback for forgetting to tell me what Albus was up to."

He scowled. "I don't think I like you any more." he muttered petulantly.

Amelia patted him on the arm and laughed, "Of course, Severus, of course."

Ignoring her he turned to Saul, "Is there a reason you're here?"
"Ah…yes. I need your permission to allow Bill Weasley through and if someone could possibly summon Minerva, it'd be most appreciated."

"Why?"

"Because we have some things to discuss?"

Severus sighed, knowing he'd get nowhere with Saul in this mood, he gave his permission and sent a patronus off to Minerva, still slightly startled when it wasn't a doe.

Half an hour later they were all sat in his livingroom looking at Saul expectantly.

"I discussed our little treasure hunt with Bill." Saul said eventually. "He had a rather startling idea. If Voldemort did indeed trust one of his followers with a Horcrux, then there is a chance he trusted more. And if that was the case then perhaps a scan of Gringotts was in order. It is the safest place in our world, after all."

"That's….surprisingly well considered." Severus admitted reluctantly. "What are the chances of being allowed to check?"

Bill fidgeted, "Well…..to be honest I don't know. We might be able to get round it because it violates the terms of the vaults to hold something living in them. And although not technically living, it's also not not living."

Amelia looked at him consideringly, "Then I suggest you me and Saul make an appointment with the goblins then Mr Weasley."

Bill nodded, "I'll speak to my boss."

"Wonderful. Now on a slightly more personal level, I think I'd like Hermione's first real project to be linked."

"Linked to the horcruxes?" Amelia asked, horrified before Severus had even processed what Saul had said.

"Yes. We have no idea how to get rid of them without destroying the vessel. Fiendfyre and Basilisk venom are the only known ways. I want her to look into another one. I gather you have venom to play with? We will of course pay you for any used."

Severus blinked. "I….I don't like it." he stated his brain catching up with Saul's plan.

"No. I didn't imagine you would." Saul sighed. "But if she wants to experiment with the venom I imagine it'll be in potion form and therefore you will be there. Think of it as part of her Potions Mastery if that helps."

"It does not! You know as well as I do what basilisk venom is capable of!"

"Of course I do, which is why I don't imagine that will be what she looks at first. Look Severus, I don't actually imagine she'll solve this, she's thirteen. I want to see how she approaches problem solving and research. I will be having actual Unspeakables look into this too, and on that note I do need to request a price for some of that venom. I also intend to see how she works with a team. I'm going to put her in touch with the people looking into other options to see how well she collaborates. I also imagine she's used to being the cleverest person in the room with her peers. It will be interesting to see how well she takes criticism and challenge."

Severus closed his eyes, "Fucking wonderful."

"She'll be fine. She is absurdly intelligent. However she is also only thirteen. I don't actually foresee any issues, the Unspeakables are a resource she can use and from what I've seen she loves learning something new." Saul dismissed.

Minerva outright laughed, "If you think that girl is not going to start with basilisk venom neither of you know her as well as you think you do."

"What?" Saul frowned.

"It works. We know it works, albeit not the way we want it to. She'll start there because it makes the most logical sense." She replied smugly.

"Fuck" Severus whsipered. "For fucks sake shes right."

"Are you telling me you're giving a thirteen year old witch carte banche to play with fucking basalisk venom?" Bill asked horrified.

"That's exactly what they're telling you, Mr Weasley" Minerva confirmed "Because both of them appear to have forgotten who they're dealing with. Honestly!"

Severus groaned, "Can you not give her something….anything else?"

Saul looked contemplative. "No. I don't think so. I think if I don't give her something linked to the horcruxes she and Mr Potter will get….restless and we all know what happens when they do that."

Severus slumped. "You're paying for her protective clothing." he bit out.

Saul laughed, "Of have these delightful robes that are practically impervious!"

"For fucks sake." Severus groaned as Amelia gripped his arm tightly, clearly not any happier with this plan than he was.

He sat in Gryfindor common room very early the next morning, enjoying startling the few unsuspecting lions who had wandered sleepily downstairs. He had made more than one of them squeak as they jumped. It really was quite amusing. He should do this more often.

"Ah….are you alright, Sir?" Neville asked tentatively. Severus wondered if someone had woken him given that the boy still looked half asleep.

"Absolutely fine, Longbottom."

"Right….are you here for Hermione?"

"Eventually."

"Eventually?"

"Indeed." Neville frowned, clearly having no idea what the hell this conversation was.

"I…ah….I think I'll go back to bed, if you're sure you're alright," he said finally, stumbling back up the stairs, shooting a concerned look at Severus as he went.

"Severus? What are you doing here?" Harry wandered downstairs ten minutes later, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, the few brave lions who had remained in the common room after discovering his presence startled at the informal address.

"Did Longbottom wake you?"

"Yes. he was….concerned."

Severus snorted. "Of course he was. It's all very….red." Severus commented idly. "And warm. Why do you need the fire on in September?"

"I…ah I don't know?" Harry looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. Severus hummed in response. "Are you here for Hermione?"

"Can't I just be enjoying the ambience?"

The look the boy levelled at him made him laugh. Apparently they had spent too much time with each other, that look was all him. It made his chest feel a little tight. He hadn't expected to see himself in the boy. "What are you up to?"

"It's your sister's birthday." he offered in lieu of an actual explanation.

"I know."

"I've never gotten to celebrate her birthday," Severus responded quietly.

"Oh…..I…I suppose you haven't." Harry looked like he wanted to say something else but clearly decided against it. "What have you planned?"
"Breakfast." he replied succinctly, making Harry laugh. "And dinner, Minerva has given consent to take you both out this evening. I suspect your sister will want to see Mr Nott at some point today and I have no urge to catch them in an abandoned corridor again so she can see him in the afternoon."

Harry laughed, "I can imagine. She was so bloody angry when she came back that night."

"I can imagine." he echoed with a smirk.

"Father?" Hermione yawned, stumbling down the staircase. "Why are you here?"

He waited until she slumped onto the sofa beside him before pulling her close. "Happy birthday, my girl."

Hermimone hummed, snuggling closer. "Tired." she murmured, "Scared the firsties….woke me up…."

Neither he nor Harry were able to contain their laughter as she promptly went back to sleep. Gently, he brushed the hair off of her face, not caring that there were students who were probably wondering if they were in a particularly strange nightmare. Once he was sure she was genuinely asleep, he lifted her up, thanking all the gods that he lifted multiple cauldrons daily and climbed the stairs to her dormitory. He deposited her back in her bed, huffing out a laugh when she immediately burrowed into the duvet and curled into a ball.

"Still asleep then?" Harry laughed, when he returned.

"Yes. Shouldn't you go back to bed?"

Harry shook his head. "Nah I'm up now. Why were you here so early?"
Severus shrugged, "I was up, Hermione often rises early, although clearly not today." he replied blandly, not wanting to admit that he couldn't bear the thought of missing a moment of today. He'd never been allowed this. First birthdays should not come at fourteen, yet for him it was and he was damned if he was missing any of it. He'd missed enough, hadn't he? And if that meant he had to sit for several hours in this Gryffindor nightmare then he would.

"To be fair, No one sane wakes up this early by choice, it's Sunday!" Harry laughed. "Other than the first years who are still stupidly excited to be here." he added looking around the common room.

Severus laughed, "Are you implying I'm not sane Mr Potter?"

Laughing, Harry shook his head. "Oh no. I'm not falling for that, you were the one who said it not me!"

"Coward."

"I prefer to think of it as self preservation." Harry responded cheekily. "Now I'm going to get dressed and go and see if I can get breakfast."

"You're not joining us?"

"Oh." Harry looked momentarily startled, "I….I just sort of assumed you'd want the time with just Hermione."

Severus rolled his eyes, "If you want to join us, do. And you two said I was stupid sometimes."

Harry laughed, "She said it too? Fine. I'll join you, I'm still going to get dressed though. It feels weird sitting in my pyjamas with you in a complete Professor Snape costume."

"It can hardly be called a costume if these are my clothes." he replied drily.

"Nah, I saw what you wore over the summer. That's a costume. I really hope you wear jeans to dinner one night. Can you imagine how freaked out everyone would be?"

Severus laughed, making a shooing motion as Harry disappeared giggling up the stairs. The first years lounging in the common room startled so badly that they left for the safety of their dormitories making Severus laugh harder. He definitely had to do this more often.

Hermione appeared an hour later, still in her pyjamas to find Harry and Severus playing exploding snap and several Gryffindors staring at them in dumbfounded silence. Rolling her eyes she slid into the seat next to Severus, dropping her head onto his shoulder. He turned and kissed the top of her head. Behind them, more than one student's jaw dropped in blatant disbelief.

"How good of you to join us awake this time my girl."

Hermione let out a huff of laughter "I didn't imagine seeing you earlier then?"

"No. Although I'm impressed you remember, you were asleep again within seconds."

"How long have you been here?"

"Hours, it's been…..amusing."

Laughing properly, she shook her head. "Ridiculous. You have an audience, you know."

"I do." he grinned as Harry ducked his head to hide his laughter.

"You enjoy this far too much Father mine," she sighed, attempting to smother a smile.

He snorted slightly, pulling her in for a hug, "Happy birthday, my girl. If you go and get dressed, I may consider arranging pancakes."

Hermione's eyes lit up briefly before she nudged him with her elbow. "Blatant bribery? You're slipping, Father. I thought all Slytherins were meant to be subtle."

He smiled down at her, not denying her accusation. "Your brother has been up for over an hour, perhaps I'll just feed him."

She pouted slightly, "Fine, I'm going, I'm going!"

Half an hour later, Hermione appeared back down the stairs, all of the Gryffindors breathing out a sigh of relief when Severus left, sweeping Harry and Hermione out of the portrait hole dramatically.

"Hermione's right, you really do enjoy that too much." Harry commented lightly, making Hermione laugh. Severus grinned in response but didn't answer as he ushered them down the corridors towards his rooms.

"Is that….cake?" Harry asked with a frown his eyes landing on the small, rich looking chocolate cake sitting in pride of place on his coffee table. Someone had stuck a neon pink candle in its centre. That someone had not been him. For fucks sake couldn't the elves had picked a less offensive colour?

"Breakfast cake." Severus clarified like it made all the difference, charming the candle a much more appropriate forest green.

"Breakfast cake?"

"If you do not stop this inane questioning I will refuse to give you any!" he sighed. Harry immediately shut his mouth, mining zipping it. Lighting the candle, Severus remembered his mother doing similarly on his birthday, the morning being the only safe time to celebrate, as his father slept off his latest binge. Breakfast cake on his birthday was one of the few happy memories of his childhood and while he had no intention of explaining it to the children, he wanted those memories with his daughter.

Hermione grinned as he prodded Harry to sing, blowing out the candle on the tiny cake once she was sure he was finished. They ate in silence, his eyes almost rolling as he tasted the chocolate cake Lori had insisted she, rather than the school elves, made. Next time she was making a bigger one. And he wasn't sharing. Pancakes appeared shortly after as they fell into discussions of the previous week and plans for the upcoming one, reminding Severus forcefully of the summer and how much he had missed this. He was going to have to convince them to do this at least once a week. He'd need to make them run more to compensate but he wasn't adverse to bribing them with pancakes. Or cake. Or ice cream. Whatever it took.

"Gods I don't think I can move." Hermione groaned, slumping onto the sofa making Harry snicker.

"Maybe pancakes were a bad plan?"

She half heartedly swatted at him, curling into herself and closing her eyes. "Going to sleep already, my girl? And here I thought you'd want presents."
"Presents?" she asked, lifting her head.

"I believe those are customary on one's birthday, no?"

"Fine." she grinned, making grabby motions with her hands.

"From me." Harry supplied dumping a large parcel into her hands, she let out a delighted laugh when she opened it.

"Planning a fight, Potter?" she grinned.

"Absolutely. I'm sure Severus will transfigure the rest of us some." he laughed, eyeing up her new giant water gun with undisguised interest. "Although you missed the envelope."

She looked at him quizzically, rooting around in the paper and unearthing an envelope that contained a flourish and Blotts gift voucher.

"Thanks Harry," she smiled, reaching over to hug him. "Although I'm absolutely beating you with this." she taunted, waving the water gun at him.

He laughed at her, "Not a change, Sister mine, not a chance!"

Rolling his eyes, Severus handed her his gift, "This is from me."

Hermione smiled slightly as she opened it, revealing eagle feathers that Narcissa had insisted he purchase to go with a ridiculously ornate silver quill tip and the journal he'd seen Hermione eye up the last time they went shopping. The small box hidden inside made her frown slightly before she opened it. "Oh my goodness. These are gorgeous,"

Peering over her shoulder Harry looked momentarily bemused, "I forget you're a girl sometimes."
Hermione's head whipped round to glare at him; Harry's eyes widened as his brain caught up with his mouth and he moved to quickly hold up his hands in supplication. Rolling her eyes she stood to hug him. "Thank you, Father." she murmured

"You are welcome, my girl. I thought you might like some jewellery of your own, even if it will make your Uncle Lucius pout."

Hermione laughed, reaching for the box to put the earrings in before looking in the mirror. They were simple, diamond studs she'd be able to wear daily and given Lucius' need to drape her in the more ostentatious pieces in his vaults for balls, their understatedness meant they'd go with whatever he came up with.

"So sparkly" she sighed, making him smirk.

"Sparkly? How old are you? Five?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Like you'd have any idea what to do with me at five, Father! Can you imagine all that pink and glitter?"

He gave an exaggerated shudder, "Perish the thought."

She grinned, "Do….do you think you'll have more?"

"More what?" he asked, utterly confused. They'd been talking about glitter. He didnt want any fucking glitter. Evil substance. A brief but startling image of Albus being drowned in it flitted through his mind. The infuriating man would probably bloody love that. He'd then choose to walk around covered in it. Sparkling. Shedding the fucking stuff like little peices of sparkly dandruff. It made him shudder. Albus' dress sense was bad enough without the eccentric arsehole sparkling.

"Children." Hermione replied patiently, watching him with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"What?" he gaped at her. Fuck. No. Absolutely fucking not. He had his hands full with the two he fucking had, why would he want more? If he had more they'd be small….and sticky and it would be just his luck to have another girl. He adored Hermione, he did and he'd give just about anything to go back and have her as a baby, a toddler….sticky, pink glitteriness and all but to willingly have another one? To go through that knowing he hadn't got to with his eldest? No. Absolutely not. It might just break him. It might break her. "No." he croaked. "No, absolutely not."

"Why?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"What? Don't I have my hands full with you two?"

Hermione shrugged, her face giving nothing away. "Susan said she thought Amelia might like one."

"Not with me." he replied resolutely. Fuck was he going to have to have this conversation with the witch? He couldn't. He really wasn't sure he wanted to. He'd never imagined having children and now he had two. If things worked out with Amelia….three, sort of. He couldn't imagine having more. "I'll have adopted grandchildren in fifteen or so years, that will do."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him but inexplicably moved to hug him tight. "Don't put it off because you're scared of how we'll react." she murmured softly into his buttons. "You deserve to be happy too."

"And I am," he replied, hugging her back tightly. "Come on, my girl, can you imagine me with a baby? Or Merlin forbid a toddler?"

She smiled but it was Harry who answered as he watched him hug Hermione. "I dont think it's as absurd an idea as you seem to think it is."

He scoffed, redirecting the conversation, knowing that they knew what he was doing and beyond grateful when they allowed it. Thinking about children was unsettling. Considering more on the first birthday with his fourteen year old daughter he had been allowed to celebrate was painful. He didn't want more. He didn't want to experience a new baby. He wanted the ones he had, and seeing as he couldn't go back, he'd have to settle for teenage years and grandchildren. Because time travel with the express intention of changing the past was illegal, it would have to be enough.

"Is that your doing?" Remus asked, peering out the window at the giggling teens.

"Technically Harry's."

"Ah….that's why Hermione's is different?"

"Indeed."

He watched as the eclectic group of teens ran, squealing and laughing, all of them holding water guns, many of them slightly confused as to what was going on but happy enough to join in anyway. He'd need to watch the Weasley twins, they looked far too amused, inspecting their weapons thoroughly before throwing themselves into the game. It might just be the first time in Severus' memory that all four houses had come together without there being hexes cast.

"I don't think I've seen such a blatant showing of House unity….well ever." Remus commented, unconsciously mirroring his thoughts.

"No." he agreed slowly, "Apparently all we needed were some muggle children's toys."

Remus hummed, "Or you know….Harry, Hermione and Draco paving the way for it to be acceptable."

Severus frowned, "Pardon?"

"Come on! Hermione's relationship with you and Draco is the catalyst. Her inclusion at the Balls and events helps bridge some gaps with the more unforgiving of Slytherins. Add in Harry who brings the Gryffindors who maybe weren't as accepting of Hermione's academic achievements but were willing to trust him, and then Susuan I suppose, who's brought the Hufflepuff contingent."
Severus hummed, "And the Ravenclaws?"

"Not sure." Remus admitted. "There's not so many of them, although Miss Lovegood is an interesting addition."

Severus snorted watching the diminutive second year charming her water gun to release a fine mist, spinning in circles underneath it. "I can't quite see her and Hermione being….close." he said eventually.

"I don't know." Remus mused, "your daughter has a soft spot for the underdog and Miss Lovegood has a difficult time in her own House."

"Gods no" he groaned, "I put up with Longbottom, surely that's enough?"

Remus laughed, patting his shoulder, "You're a surprisingly good dad." he replied softly, "Hermione clearly adores the boy."

Severus nodded, wondering if he should be offended by that statement, before deciding he really couldn't be bothered, "It's mutual." he admitted, "I hadn't realised until the balls over the summer, I had always assumed he was Harry's friend. Apparently though, they were friends first. I don't think I'm getting rid of him any time soon."

"He makes Mr Nott jealous."

"Yes. Although I believe he's been told to get over that."

Remus laughed, "I can only imagine how well that went down."

Severus shrugged, "She'll walk away if he doesn't."
Arching a brow Remus smirked, "And then you can have Neville as a son-in-law?"

Severus scowled "Absolutely not! He's dating Susan, I believe."
"Ah, two shots at having Neville as a son-in-law?" Severus growled, as Remus laughed, "Gods you'll have him there at Christmas if it works out. Holidays with Neville…..and Augusta! And children…You'll be…..Uncle? Grandad? Gods I don't even know, to Longbottom babies!" Remus was giggling like a child by this point, lost in his own mirth. Conjuring a tiny water gun, Severus aimed for his face with a satisfied smirk before resuming watching the children as the wolf spluttered beside him.

He smiled as Harry and Hermione turned up at his door several hours later, almost bouncing, despite the amount of time they'd spent running around the grounds. Both of them were dressed well enough to pass an inspection by Narcissa, as per instructions.

"Why did we have to get dressed up?"

"We're going out."

"What? Where?" Hermione asked bewildered.

"For dinner, I wasn't aware it was such a strange concept, my girl. Your aunt Cissa would be so disappointed that we've neglected your education so badly that this baffling." Hermione glared, rolling her eyes at him as Harry sniggered. He sighed, "Come on, you two, we need to walk to the apparition point"

"How did you get Professor McGonagall to allow this?" Hermione asked quietly as they walked down to the main gates.

"I may have pointed out that I have never been able to celebrate your birthday," he replied quietly, smiling slightly when her hand tightened on his arm.

"Oh Father." she whispered as he shut the gates behind them.

"None of that, my girl. Now, both of you, hold on tight, we're apperating." At that he twisted them out of sight.

Under the shadow of a lamppost, a large black dog froze. Its mind imploding as it watched a Death Eater, Snivellus, apparate away with his pup and the unknown girl he'd called his sister. His pup that should have been safe in the school. None of it made any fucking sense. What the hell was Harry doing in the presence of Severus fucking Snape? Repeatedly. Looking fucking comfortable with the man. Resolving to stand sentry, it settled in to wait, silently vowing to find someone, anyone, if they didn't reappear within the next couple of hours because surely nothing that involved Snivellus could be good?