My Parent's Mistake
Chapter 3
In the Kitchen at Grimmauld Place, Ginny Potter now 34 was making breakfast for her family. She had invited Ron to breakfast as she needed to discuss something with both her husband and brother. At the table sat a tired Harry who had hardly got any sleep last night, a hung over Ron who drunk through his pain and Ginny's two children, Sirius Lily. Ginny gave the children breakfast and then rushed them off to her mother's as Molly was taking them to school this morning.
Once the children were out of the way, Ginny approached the subject of Aubrey's father. She needed to approach the subject sensitively; she knew Ron would hate the idea of Aubrey getting to know Severus Snape. He hated he man, ever after everything he did for the Order; he still couldn't like the man. She knew both men would take offence with Aubrey wanting to have another male role model in her life. They both thought they were enough for her, they had been good fathers to her but she just needed more; she needed to know her biological father, her only family member left.
'What do you mean she wants to know her father?' Ron said as sat at the Potter's kitchen table.
'She wants to get to know him. She wants a connection with the one person she has left who is her family.' Ginny said as she put some coffee on the table. 'He's her father as much as we wish he wasn't, he is.'
'She has us; she doesn't need that greasy git.' Ron spat.
'You can't stop her Ron and Hermione; she wouldn't have wanted us to forbid her.' Ginny said. 'Harry, I want you to speak with Severus, break the news.'
'Break the news? You want me to tell him he has a sixteen year old daughter? He'll kill me.' Harry said as he drunk his coffee in nearly one go.
'He won't kill you.' Ginny said. 'He needs to know and Aubrey needs her father.' Ginny said.
'I don't understand why she needs him. Weren't we good enough father's for her?' Ron said.
'Of course you both were but she wants a chance to know her real father, the one who made her, she wants him and we are not to stand in the way.' She said.
'Fine.' Ron said.
'Ron it doesn't mean that she loves you any less.' Ginny said as she touched her brother's shoulder. 'She loves you and Harry so much, you have helped raised her to be the girl she is today and she knows that. Even if she got to know Severus and decided she wanted him permenantly in her life she will still want both of you there too. She has enough love to have all of you in her life.'
'I suppose.' Ron said.
'We need to let her do this.' Ginny said as she looked at her brother and husband.
'I'll go this evening.' Harry said as he stood up and kissed Ginny goodbye and pulled Ron up from the table to drag him to the floo.
That evening, Harry made his way to Hogwarts. He hadn't set foot in the place in years. This place brought back memories he wished he never had but also memories of precious times he had with Hermione. Hermione loved Hogwarts and to be here without her killed him. He missed her so much and being back here brought it home how much she would miss out on.
Harry made his way towards the castle and was met my Hagrid who was still living on the grounds although not teaching. Hagrid had been affected by Hermione's death and couldn't even face coming to the funeral because he was so upset. Once Harry saw Hagrid into his hut he walked into the school and down to the Dungeons where he found his old Potions teacher sat at his desk marking papers, just like old times he thought.
He knocked on the door and opened it when he heard the Professor grunt.
'Mr Potter, what are you doing here? I believe you graduated many years ago?' He said.
'I'm here to see you. I need to...'Harry started to stutter.
'My daughter?' Severus said.
'Exactly.' Harry said as he dropped in the chair in front of Severus's desk. 'How did you know?'
'She has my eyes Potter and the timing, it fits.' He said as he put his quill down.
'She wants to get to know you.' Harry said. 'Hermione wrote her a letter and told her finally after sixteen years who her father was.'
'She didn't know?' Severus said.
'She knew nothing until last night.' Harry said. 'She asked Hermione lots of times when she was a child but Hermione always skipped around the questions. We only found out when Aubrey was born. She looked like you as a baby.'
'Poor child.' He mumbled as he looked at Harry. 'What does she want from me?'
'I'm not sure but she told Ginny she wanted to get to know you.' He replied. 'She has lost the only family member she had and now she knows who her father is I suppose she feels the need to get to know you.'
'I'm not the...fatherly kind Potter, you know that.' He said.
'You cared for Draco.' Harry replied. 'You protected him, you cared and you did everything you could for him and me. She just wants to get to know you that's all.'
'And how does she feel that her father was once a Death Eater.' He asked.
'Fine.' He replied. 'Hermione told her your story in her letter she left her and like Hermione, she's a bookworm and looked you up in Hogwarts a History. She knows the story, she knows a bit about you.'
'Where is she living?' He asked.
'At the moment at the house she and Hermione shared but the house is going on sale in two weeks, Aubrey isn't too happy about that but there's not enough money to keep that house running. Aubrey will be living with Ginny and I.' He said.
'You have room for Aubrey?' He asked.
'Of course. Grimmauld has tonnes of rooms; she already has a room there.' He said. 'She'll be fine with us.'
'And her schooling?' he asked.
'Well, that's what we're trying to sort out right now. She can either go back to France but I'm not too happy about that or come here which I would like.' Harry argued. 'We can sort this out later on, the first thing we need to do is sort you and Aubrey out.'
'And how do you think you'll do that Potter?' Severus asked.
'Ginny has invited you to dinner tomorrow.' He said smiling. 'It will be a good chance for us all to talk and for you to properly meet Aubrey.'
'Fine. I'll be there for six thirty.' He said.
'Great.' Harry said as he stood up. 'Thank you for seeing me.'
Severus only nodded and picked up his quill. Harry walked out of the classroom and made his way out of the school to apperate home to his family. Tomorrow evening would be an eventful dinner, he could feel it.
Once Harry had left his office, Severus found it hard to continue with his marking. He knew Aubrey was his daughter since the moment he saw that picture of her yesterday at the funeral but now to actually know proof made it more real. He, Severus Snape had fathered a daughter with Hermione Granger.
Severus pushed himself away from his desk and made his way up to his rooms; the same rooms where his daughter was conceived. He walked into his bedroom and on his bed laid a white envelope. He walked towards the bed and lifted up the envelope. He sat on the end of the bed and opened it and started to read the letter.
Hello Severus,
I bet you weren't expecting to hear from me ever again but there are a few things we need to talk about, or rather you need to hear.
If you have this letter now you will know that Aubrey is your daughter. Aubrey Serena was born on the 1st January 1999 at midnight, she was my new start, my light after so much darkness and everything to me and she always will be. She is a beautiful, intelligent and a mix of both of us. She may look more like me but her eyes, there yours. Aubrey's grades are amazing, much like our own; she is top in practically every subject. Her teachers cannot praise her enough and while I was ill, she taught herself.
Until recently (I'm not sure how long you've know now) Aubrey has known nothing about you. She started asking questions are you when she was just five. She realised when she went to school that most children had to parents and wondered why she only had me. I never told her, I couldn't. I was scared she resent me for never telling you. I know she would have loved a father but I thought at that time that Harry and Ron would be enough. She had male role models in her life and that would be enough but now I know she wants to get to know you.
I wanted to tell you Severus, always. I tried many times. I wrote so many letters but never sent them, for one I don't know where you went when you left and then when you returned it was too late, I was already dying.
I knew I was pregnant when you left. I was six weeks pregnant with Aubrey at the time. I tried to tell you but I couldn't get a word in edge ways when you said you were leaving without me. I wish now I had stopped you, went after you, did something so that knew I was pregnant with your baby but I can't change that now as much as I would like to, I can't. However I can ask you one thing now, and that is to look after my baby, our baby. She needs you know and I know you Severus, now you know you will want to get to know her.
She is an amazing child Severus, well she's not really a child anymore but she still needs a father and you are that. Please Severus, this is my dying wish, look after our daughter for me. I'm sorry for the way things happened between us, I wish it hadn't. I used to believe that if you had never left we would have been a family, you, me and Aubrey, now you have a chance to be a family, you and Aubrey. She needs that.
I love you Severus, I always have. There's never been another man in my life who could replace you and what we had. Please look after her for me, I know Harry and Ginny will do a good job but she needs her father, she needs you.
I love you Severus
Yours
Hermione xxx
AU: Another Chapter for you all. Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad you are liking the story. I am loving writing this story and can't wait for more to come. Please leave a review with your thoughts and feelings, it means a lot for me. Thanks xx