A/N: This is posted not as soon as I'd planned due to writer's block on a different story. I hate writer's block.
The College of Merlin was, as a matter of course, hidden from muggle eyes. Its outside entrance was inside a tool shed, which worked quite well to keep unsuspecting students from finding themselves in the wrong place. Professor Shattuck was standing next to his friend and fellow Professor, Theodora Oddsbody, when a beautiful young witch glided passed him, surrounded by four dour looking wizards. He blinked in surprise at the picture of the five of them made as they moved down the hall. The witch was serene, almost regal looking, and the four wizards gave off an aura of carefully leashed power and authority. He turned to Professor Oddsbody.
"What was that?" He asked dryly. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Don't you ever pay attention to anything outside the library?" Oddsbody replied in exasperation. He grinned.
"No, not really," he admitted. Oddsbody sighed heavily.
"That was a group of new students," she said sweetly. "Now I've got to run, I need to prep for my next class."
The strange group of five was in his last class of the day: History of the Wizengamot. Professor Shattuck watched two of the wizards enter the room, do a security sweep, and then allow the other two to escort the young witch into the room. His eyebrows crept up his forehead and stayed there while the four wizards seemed to have a brief argument before they picked the most secure, easily defensible area of the room to sit; all four wizards sat between the witch and the rest of the class room. He stood at the lectern, and the room quieted down immediately. He introduced himself, had a student pass out syllabi and briefly went over the course outline before launching into his first lecture. He did note that when the student who was passing out syllabi approached the four wizards, they immediately rose to their feet, further blocking the young witch behind them. They took the proffered syllabi politely, and as soon as the student moved away, sat down as a unit. Professor Shattuck shook his head slightly and continued his lecture. When class ended, it was almost a reverse of the beginning of class. All four men rose, surrounded the witch and escorted her out of the room. Professor Shattuck loped to the teacher's lounge for a shepherd's pie and some ale, and then he would be off to the library and his beloved books.
"So, Aloysius, how was your last class of the day?" Theodora Oddsbody asked him with a smirk. The other professors were looking at him with interest. Shattuck shrugged.
"Like any other first class of the term. Not a lot of spirited debate on the first day, Theodora," Shattuck replied dryly. She smirked a little wider and turned to her other good friend, Professor Nigel Grimsby.
"He has no idea you realize," Oddsbody confided. Professor Grimsby almost choked on his curry.
"No idea?" He managed to gasp out as he turned red. Oddsbody nodded.
"Now, see here, Shattuck, is that true?" Professor Bagshot asked in appalled fascination.
"Is what true?" Aloysius Shattuck snapped in irritation. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he'd bet they were trying to put one over on him again.
"You did know there was a war on, not that long ago?" One of the professors asked sarcastically.
"Well, yes, they increased security on the library," Shattuck grumbled irritably. Several of the professors chuckled at that.
"That little witch, the one they guard so much? She's the one that stopped it," Theodora Oddsbody told him smugly.
"How did she do that?" Shattuck asked in surprise. She seemed awfully young for stopping an entire war.
"She killed You-know-who," Oddsbody said firmly. "My brother is an Auror, and he says that her bodyguard is made up of wizards who were part of the rebellion against the Death Eaters."
"Why on earth does she need a bodyguard?" Shattuck asked in surprise. Oddsbody looked at him as though he were daft.
"Just because You-know-who is dead doesn't mean all his Death Eaters are. Most of them, yes, but there are a few out there, and they all hate her with a passion," Grimsby explained.
"The Aurors are stretched too thin to assign any sort of guard detail to her, and I guess her rebels said something snotty to the DMLE to the equivalent that she was theirs to guard anyway," Oddsbody offered.
"My word," Shattuck said finally. The other professors chuckled again and left Shattuck to his shepherd's pie.
Over the next few weeks, Professor Shattuck spotted the witch who'd supposedly saved the world in the college library, and every time he saw her she was sitting at a table, surrounded by open books, taking careful notes on parchment. He noticed that her ever present guard was seated in seemingly casual relevance to her position, but that each wizard was strategically placed. She was quiet in his class, listening carefully to everything he said and taking careful notes. Her papers were well thought out, intelligent and carefully built on mountains of supporting documentation. Shattuck found himself respecting and liking Hermione Black as an intellectual equal. He still found her constant honor guard perplexing, but he ignored it for the most part. Truthfully, if it wasn't bound parchment and at least 400 years old, Shattuck hadn't much interest for it. So it was that the professor noted when his student invaded the college library and appreciated her papers, but for the most part he ignored her as a periphery being to his world.
.
.
HG/HP/HB
.
.
December, 1980
Happiness was not a requirement of life, Orion Black admitted to himself, but he felt that perhaps it made life go more smoothly. His sons had taken care of their House during the recent situation, which was what every father hoped for, but few received. His eldest had married a beautiful pureblood girl with excellent connections and enough ambition and cunning to bring the family even more prestige in the coming years. Orion Black thought that such phrases as 'blood-traitor' were idiotic. There was the survival of the House and its continued wealth and prestige: nothing else really mattered or was important. Therefore he was pleased with his eldest son's choice of wife, and hoped that his youngest would soon choose a wife as well. It didn't do to put all of one's eggs in one basket, so to speak. Regulus had developed a backbone in the time that he'd been…unreachable, and while on the one hand he was pleased that both sons were strong men, on the other he was slightly put out that his house didn't have any grandchildren yet. His cousin Cygnus was a bit intense, but he was boastfully proud of his grandson, Draco. Orion scowled at the wall of his library and sipped at his firewhiskey. His daughter-in-law had invited him to Christmas dinner, and the little minx had had a particular gleam in her eye that made him slightly wary. Still, it would not be well-done of him to arrive late. He sighed and stood up reluctantly, just as Regulus entered the room, straightening his tie.
"Ah, father," Regulus said smoothly, his face giving away nothing. Orion eyed his son impassively. "Are you ready?"
"I suppose," he said sourly. "There will be muggleborns and half-breeds there, yes?"
"Yes, father, there will," Regulus said mildly, his face still completely impassive.
"Are they influential? Do they have money and power?" Orion asked curiously. Regulus grey eyes gleamed for a moment.
"Let us say that they are the power behind the power," he said thoughtfully. Orion considered that. Hidden power that could be used by those with the knowledge and the desire was the sort of thing that appealed to the Slytherin within.
"I wonder if we might marry you off to any of them," Orion murmured to himself.
"Father!" Regulus managed to sound like an outraged maiden and Orion sighed heavily. At times, his burden was a great one.
"What? I cannot hope that my son will attempt to continue the family line? I am not allowed to contemplate the future of my own House?" Orion snapped irritably. Regulus rolled his eyes heavenward and muttered something under his breath. Orion glared at him.
"Come along, father," Regulus said finally. "Sirius and Hermione will be expecting us."
The Black townhouse had been decorated by someone with far more enthusiasm than taste. Orion frowned slightly looking around the foyer uncertainly. Hermione moved out into the foyer to greet them and gave a shocked gasp of horror. She glanced about the room in distaste and flicked her hand. The foyer became tastefully, elegantly decorated and Orion felt himself relaxing slightly. Dark Families didn't really buy into the whole concept of the Yuletide season, although they nominally celebrated it. Their decorations tended to be darker, fewer and slightly more restrained. This was rather more boisterous than he was used to, but it was much better than the holiday riot that had been spattered across their walls. Hermione moved toward them and kissed each of them on the cheek.
"Orion, Regulus, it's wonderful to see you," Hermione said graciously. She turned and led them into the parlor where Sirius and their extended family were gathered about.
"Orion," Alphard said with a nod. Orion moved to speak with his cousin and Charlus Potter joined them.
The gentlemen talked amongst themselves, and Orion noted his cousin Dorea, Charlus' wife, speaking to his niece Andromeda and his son's sister-in-law, Lily Potter. There was another woman who bore a resemblance to Mrs. James Potter, and he could only assume that she was the young lady's mother. There were several other people in the room with whom he was not acquainted and he was uncertain of their individual affiliations. He shot a jealous glance at young James Potter, holding his infant son and standing next to Lucius Malfoy who was holding his own son. Sirius had gone to stand next to his pretty wife, and he was currently whispering something into her small ears. Orion's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew his son, and he knew that something was afoot.
"I know that you're all wondering why we've asked all of you here tonight," Sirius began earnestly, his arm firmly around his wife's waist. Narcissa Malfoy and Dorea Black both squealed in excitement and attacked Sirius, separating him from his wife so that they could hug and kiss her. Lucius frowned darkly and turned to Regulus.
"You knew," Lucius said flatly. "That's why you doubled her guard. The damn college had nothing to do with it."
"Of course I knew," Regulus snapped in irritation.
"And you decided not to tell us," Severus observed coolly in his silkiest, most dangerous voice.
"It wasn't my decision," Regulus bit out between clenched teeth. He glanced toward Hermione who was now surrounded by her mother, Andromeda, Lily and Narcissa.
"Look here, what the hell is going on?" James growled at Sirius who blinked at him helplessly and turned to Charlus Potter.
"Well, son, I believe my princess is going to become a mother," Charlus said in a suspiciously thick voice.
"I'm going to be a grandfather," Orion added, a pleased smile on his face. Sirius grinned at his father.
"Actually, sir, you'll be a step or two ahead of the others. My kitten does nothing by halves," Sirius informed his father smugly. Orion frowned in confusion, but Dorea gasped in delight.
"Twins? Oh, Hermione!" She hugged her daughter again, tears in her eyes.
"Twins?" Orion echoed, his own smile becoming somewhat smug. The Black family had never had twins, but he heartily approved. That meant that he would have two grandchildren. Take that, Cygnus!
"We're going to talk later, Regulus," Lucius informed him coolly, a hard gleam in his silver eyes.
"It was her wish," Regulus said softly. "Just in case."
That stopped the milites from taking out their frustrations on Regulus' person. Lucius and Severus remembered their domina's fragile state when she'd lost her baby. Lucius knew that Narcissa had been petrified that Hermione's encouraging words were merely that. She had worried almost every second of her pregnancy that something would happen to either her or the baby. It stood to reason that Hermione had shared similar fears and had waited until she was sure that the baby…or babies, rather, would take. They both sighed irritably.
"Perhaps we should increase her guard?" Severus suggested thoughtfully, frowning darkly.
"She would throw a fit," Lucius pointed out drily.
"Do you really feel that she's in that much danger?" Charlus asked them quietly, glancing briefly toward his wife and then focusing his attention on the three young men who were sworn to protect his daughter. All three young men's faces were calm and betrayed no emotion.
"We do sir," Severus said softly. "There are several Death Eaters that have so far evaded capture. We feel that they would take an opportunity if it were presented. Hence, our guard."
"You don't guard her when she's with family," Charlus observed with a worried frown. Regulus snorted. "What?"
"Sir, the Death Eater who can make it passed yourself and your wife, or your son and his wife, or my brother to get to Hermione doesn't exist. Sirius would die before he let anyone touch Hermione," Regulus said flatly. Charlus frowned, but nodded.
"You are right about that," Charlus agreed reluctantly. He knew that his wife would deal death with a happy smile if it kept harm from her daughter, not to mention James & Lily or Sirius.
"We have taken every precaution to ensure her safety," Severus said solemnly. Charlus nodded.
"I only hope that it is enough," he murmured under his breath. "Hermione would be devastated if anything were to happen."
"I promise you, sir, we will let nothing harm our domina," Lucius swore as he held his son against his chest.
Young Draco tugged on his father's hair and tried to stuff some of it in his mouth. Severus expertly took the boy from his father's arms and bounced him gently so that his squeals could be heard from across the room where young Harry looked curiously toward the happy sounding baby. The two boys were placed on a blanket together and soon they were happily chewing on various toys and poking at one another curiously. Hermione seemed particularly bemused by the sight, and her brother came to stand by her and wrap one arm around her waist.
"Even if you and Lucius weren't…tolerant…of one another, Harry and Draco would have known one another, wouldn't they?" Hermione asked softly. James shrugged next to her.
"I imagine so, My Own. As you are well aware, pureblood society is excruciatingly small. You ladies have your teas, we gentlemen have various pursuits at which we often see one another. Quidditch, certainly. I expect we would have run into one another, and the dictates of society being what they are, we would have been scrupulously polite to one another," James said drily.
"They will be friends," Hermione said in a wondering sort of tone, staring at the two boys on the blanket in fascination.
"Do you See something, My Own?" James whispered urgently, glancing around the room worriedly. Not everyone present knew about Hermione. She began to shiver in his arms and her breathing became slightly erratic. James didn't even think. He merely swung his sister up into his arms and bolted out of the large parlor. Sirius followed hard on his heels and Lily and the three milites managed to defuse the situation without everyone trailing after Hermione in an effort to 'help'.
.
.
HG/HP/HB
.
.
Hermione was standing at King's Cross station and she could see herself, a slightly older version of her, speaking quietly to her parents. Well, not her parents from this time, but the Grangers. Standing next to them was an eleven year-old Sebastian Granger who was looking around uncertainly. Then that older version of her smiled gently at Sebastian and helped him push his trolley onto platform 9 ¾. The Grangers followed, blinking in surprise as they passed through the barrier. Once they passed through there was loud whooping and Hermione was immediately assaulted by a couple boys about Sebastian's age.
"Aunt Hermione! Aunt Hermione!" Two handsome boys were chanting before they hugged her exuberantly. Harry with his messy black hair and green eyes, and Draco with his perfectly coiffed platinum blonde hair and his silver eyes danced about their aunt, their excitement over finally attending Hogwarts making them a little overwhelming.
"And who are these charming gentlemen?" Mrs. Granger asked politely. Hermione smiled affectionately at the two boys who stood side-by-side next to her.
"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, may I introduce my nephew, Harry Potter, and my godson, Draco Malfoy," Hermione explained politely. Each boy performed a proper bow. "Boys, allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They are the parents of Sebastian Granger who shall be attending Hogwarts with you this year."
"What's your favorite Quidditch team?" Harry demanded once all of the proper introductions were completed. Sebastian looked up at Hermione uncertainly, but she smiled and nodded at him.
"Well," Sebastian said thoughtfully. "I've only been to two games, but in both of those the Pride of Portree did quite well."
"They're a good team," Harry allowed with a shrug. "I'm for Puddlemere, myself, but that's because my dad's a huge fan."
"Father likes the Appleby Arrows," Draco informed Sebastian, "but I like Puddlemere."
"You just like going to matches with my dad," Harry teased his friend. "He lets us eat the food and jump up and down and yell."
"Maybe," Draco allowed with a smirk. Harry chuckled and clouted Draco on the shoulder.
"Hey, Aunt Hermione, Uncle Sirius says that you have to help him. The twins have disappeared and he's convinced they're trying to stow aboard the train," Harry told his Aunt with a wicked grin directed toward Draco who snickered appreciatively.
"Harry James Potter! Those should have been the first words out of your mouth! Where's your uncle? And your father?" Hermione demanded anxiously. Harry pointed towards the other end of the train, and Hermione picked up her skirts and ran.
When Hermione came back to herself, she was sitting in James' arms in a small parlor. Sirius was holding her hand in his, his grey eyes on her face. She flushed slightly. Sirius' hand tightened on hers, and he brushed her hair out of her face.
"That one seemed like a pleasant vision," James offered, his arms tightening around Hermione. She nodded and relaxed slightly.
"Your Harry and Draco were…quite close," she said with a slight smile. "You took the boys to Quidditch matches."
"Does this mean we have to be nice to Lucy?" Sirius demanded, a scowl on his handsome face.
"I have already asked you to be nice to Lucius…repeatedly," Hermione reminded him gently. Sirius snorted incredulously.
"My love, the most you can really hope for is that Lucius and I won't actively kill one another," Sirius told her firmly.
"That's true, My Own," James pointed out. Hermione shook her head and sighed.
"For the sake of the children, I hope that you try," Hermione muttered finally. Sirius lifted her up and placed her gently on his lap. He tilted her chin up and looked deeply into her hazel eyes.
"For the sake of the children: ours, James' and even Lucy's—I would do almost anything," Sirius said softly and kissed her on the nose.
He would, too. Sirius is very loyal and he loves children.
I know.
It's quite odd, you know, to see Harry and Draco as friends.
Draco will be a very different little boy and so will Harry.
So my sort of brother will be a wizard, and you are apparently going to make sure that he's prepared for Hogwarts. Thank you.
Hmm, that doesn't seem quite fair though, does it? Perhaps I ought to do something for all of the muggleborn. Some sort of 'Introduction to Magical Society' for the incoming students? Perhaps invite the young ladies to a tea and the boys to some Quidditch matches?
You are such a pureblood. What about the girls that like Quidditch? There are plenty of sporty girls about.
Very well. I shall have to think on it. You are right, I must find a way that will allow all the children a fair and balanced introduction to magical society. I wonder how early I would need to contact the parents? Perhaps instead of obliviation for accidental magic, we could do a crash educational course for parents and the children, too. We need some sort of magical day school.
That sounds like a wonderful plan. I think I would have loved going to a magical day school. I would probably have had a lot more friends than I had at regular school.
Then I shall make it happen.
.
.
HG/HP/HB
.
.
Spring, 1981
"Domina, do you really feel that you should go out, in your condition?" Rabastan Lestrange asked nervously. Hermione glared at him.
"I really feel that if I do not go outside and get some fresh air and exercise that I shall scream," Hermione snapped irritably.
"But, Regulus said-," began Albemarle Wilkes and Hermione's glare leveled upon him so that he paled and swallowed convulsively.
"I am going outside," Hermione bit out through clenched teeth. She waddled to the door, her body a little less graceful than it used to be, but Sirius never complained. In fact, Hermione thought he took perverse pleasure in the fact that she was swollen with his children. He certainly kissed her belly often enough. There were four heavy sighs behind her, but all four of her milites trooped outside with her.
"Domina," said Hannibal Selwyn hesitantly, "it is raining. Perhaps an umbrella?"
"This is not rain," Hermione said disdainfully. "Mist perhaps. Or heavy dew, maybe, but certainly not rain."
"As you say, domina," he murmured. That meant that he believed that she was completely wrong. Hermione rolled her eyes irritably. Did they think that she didn't know their little codes? Stupid men with their stupid pigheaded ideas about what women should and shouldn't do.
Out into the steady drizzle, Hermione stalked down the street, followed by four miserable milites. She knew that they were merely worried about her, that her three lieutenants were wound very tightly with her impending confinement, and that Sirius was practically impossible with his overwhelming overprotective tendencies at the moment. To her milites, it was only right and proper that the men in her life should be protective of her, at this time more than any other. She held life within her, magical life at that, and the protection of the family's future—of the House's future—came before everything else. That she responded to their care and concern with indifference and anger upset them all. Hermione usually tried to stay calm, to allow them their little eccentricities, but it was all becoming very trying.
There was a lovely park near the Black townhouse that Hermione liked to walk through. As her time drew near, she had begun to daydream about bringing her children to this park to play. It wasn't anything as solid as a vision, but it was a pleasant enough idea. The milites relaxed almost imperceptibly. They were familiar with this park and used to Hermione taking a turn through it almost every day. If all she wanted was to walk through the park and then return to the townhouse, they were fine with that. Hermione took several deep breaths and felt herself relax slightly. None of them saw the threat until it was too late.
"Stupefy!"
It sounded as though several voices had bellowed at the same time, and Hermione whirled in surprise, her wand out. She looked around in horror at her milites laying on the ground, each one of them knocked out momentarily. She barely had time to register that she was in horrible danger when she felt a spell coming toward her. Fear crawled along her skin and rose in her throat. Fear for her unborn children tantamount in her thoughts. NO! Her mind screamed in panic, and there was a white, glowing shield around her; the same shield that protected her that day on the battlefield. She looked around and saw that there were at least six Death Eaters here—perhaps more. She needed to escape, but apparition might not be the safest for her at the moment. Without even thinking, she shifted to her lioness form and bounded out of the park.
All over magical Great Britain, wizards and one witch clutched at their chests when they felt a burning, tingling sensation. Each person realized quickly what that meant, and shoved their individual robes to the side to determine whether or not the paw prints on their collarbones were black. Every one of them breathed a quick sigh of relief and then began to try and contact their fellow milites. The message was the same from all parts of the country: domina pericula est. Sirius was frantic. Well, actually he had left frantic behind some time ago. James and Remus were restraining him from tearing London apart with his bare hands to search for Hermione. Lucius was disturbingly calm, until one looked into his eyes. He was the one who had come up with the idea of using Sirius to track Hermione.
"They share a natural bond, yes? Their magic is completely meshed. We should be able to use him to track her," Lucius had explained to Regulus and Severus who were almost giddy with relief at the idea. The three of them clipped magical tags on him that were similar in concept to a leash. If he apparated, or got ahead of them in his eagerness to get to Hermione, they would still be able to find him.
Where could Hermione go that would be safe? Where could she go that would be impervious to attack by Death Eaters? Or at the least, where could she go that they would not think to look? Hermione had bounded free of the park, frightened several muggles with a lion on the loose in London, run down an alley, shifted back to her human form, and cast heavy disillusion spells on herself so that the Death Eaters would not see her, or notice her. Fear was still racing along her nerves, and she wasn't thinking as clearly as she might normally. She picked up a dirty piece of string and made her own portkey—damn the consequences!
No one noticed the heavily pregnant woman who hurried along the campus of Oxford University and slipped into a small, nondescript shed. She squeaked in fear to see a pair of Death Eaters milling about the halls of Merlin College. Her wand was in her hand and both Death Eaters were bound on the floor before they might credit it. The students, who had hung back in fear, stared at her in awe. The professors were looking at her oddly, too. Then Hermione realized the professors weren't looking at her, they were looking over her shoulder. She risked a glance and saw four more Death Eaters. She squeaked again and ran in a zig-zag pattern toward the library. For whatever reason, in Hermione's mind the library always meant security. Despite her very best efforts she was struck in the shoulder with a slicing hex. She gasped in pain and shot a reducto over her shoulder. The cry of pain as her hex hit its mark made her smile grimly. Hermione slid into the library and barricaded the doors with a variety of protective spells and wards.
"Look here," said a furious voice. "You can't just bleed all over the place! What if you get it on the books! That's why we have an infirmary!"
"I'm terribly sorry," Hermione said in her refined tones just before her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped to the floor.
Pain woke Hermione some time later. Her shoulder was a dull ache, but that wasn't what had woken Hermione. It was rather, an altogether different sort of pain. It was sharp and insistent. She had tried to ignore it, but the pain wasn't having any of it. Neither was Old Hermione.
Come along, love, you're needed.
Make it stop.
Sorry, can't. I have no experience whatsoever with this sort of thing. I leave it entirely in your hands.
What sort of thing? Ooooh, it hurts.
Yes, I imagine it does. I've been told breathing helps. Try panting.
Excuse me?
You know, that noise you make when Sirius is ready for round three and you're trying to catch your breath?
Merlin's toes! A polite lady doesn't discuss such things in public.
We're not in public. Now, can you pant?
I, I suppose I could.
Good. Now, let Professor Shattuck help you up so that you can walk around a bit. I'm told that helps, too.
Professor Shattuck! Oh sweet Merlin in a rowan tree with a host of virgins! He can't see me like this!
How would Merlin and a host of virgins even fit into a rowan tree? How many is a host?
It's an indeterminate number…a multitude.
Fascinating. Regardless, Professor Shattuck is currently seeing you 'like this', and while he isn't my first choice he will have to do, especially as we're under siege by Death Eater.
"Er, Mrs. Black? I think it was Black," Professor Shattuck was muttering half to himself, half to her and ineffectually patting her hands. "Er, someone appears to be pounding on the door, but judging from the way you warded the door I am going to guess that they are not the sort we want in here. At least, I don't think so."
"Oh," Hermione groaned in pain, trying to lean over and protect her belly.
"Er, can I do anything? I mean, er, I could perhaps heal your shoulder? It's mostly stopped bleeding, but—OH Merlin!" Professor Shattuck shrieked at the top of his lungs when Hermione's water broke on the library floor. "You can't just do that in here! Really, madam!"
"Professor Shattuck," Hermione managed to grit out between clenched teeth as she gripped the arm of the sofa. "I have no control over circumstances at the current time. Believe me, I would much rather be elsewhere at the moment."
"What…what do I do?" Professor Shattuck demanded, wringing his hands. Hermione issued a low, keening noise that didn't sound all together human, and he paled.
"Help me up," Hermione managed to pant, and Professor Shattuck assisted her gingerly. She began to pace in the library, clinging to the Professor's arm and pausing every so often to cut off all of the circulation in said arm. He managed not to complain every time she did so and the both of them ignored the pounding and the sound of hexes and curses being thrown at the door.
"Will they be able to get in, d'you suppose?" Professor Shattuck asked uncertainly, glancing toward the door. Hermione smiled grimly at him.
"Not likely, Professor," she panted. "I was…most careful."
"I'm sure," he muttered as soothingly as he could and patted her hand absently.
No one seemed overly surprised when a host of milites burst into Merlin College led by a man in Auror's robes who looked almost wild with fear and panic. Sirius went unerringly toward Hermione, following their meshed magic. The three Death Eaters who were trying to break into the library didn't stand a chance. The milites were furious that their domina had been attacked and they took out all of their frustration on the three who were still ambulatory enough to cause problems. A number of them called out a variety of hexes all at once with less than pleasant results. All three Death Eaters ended up exploding from magical pressure and the more fastidious amongst them quickly scourgified the halls. Sirius was trying to break down the door by himself.
"HERMIONE!" His voice was so anguished that it hurt Lucius to hear it. He held out a restraining arm.
"Sirius, calm yourself," Lucius said firmly. "It looks as though she warded it for protection, and all of the wards are ours. See look, that's a Black ward there. You know how to pick those apart. I'll do the Malfoy wards and Severus will do the Prince wards. We'll be in in a matter of moments."
The wards fell quickly since they had all of the families present that had taught Hermione their wards for her protection. Sirius flung the doors to the library open so that he could run in, but he paused uncertainly in the doorway, one foot raised as though he were a clockwork toy that had stopped at a most inopportune time. There was some sort of viscous fluid on the floor in front of them, smeared with blood which made all of them anxious. A low keening noise, almost animal sounding in its pain could be heard and they all turned toward it to see their beloved domina rather the worse for wear. Her shoulder was hurt and bleeding sluggishly, but she was also very obviously in labor. She was clutching at the arm of a gentleman that most of them recognized as a professor at the college, and panting through her pain. Some of the milites, being very young men after all, turned slightly green.
"Hermione!" Sirius grabbed Professor Shattuck and almost flung him violently away from his wife. Regulus and Severus scourgified the floor, and transfigured a screen and a birthing stool.
"Sirius," Hermione gasped, clutching at his arm. "I'm feeling an incredible urge to hit you. Isn't that odd?"
"Not at all, domina," Severus offered cheerfully from the other side of the screen. "I feel the urge to hit Sirius quite often, and Regulus has shared with me that he has as well. I believe you should give in to this feeling. It might be good for you and the babies."
"Are you all right, kitten?" Sirius asked worriedly, his eyes scanning her, hoping that she wasn't too badly hurt.
"Aside from the fact that I've been attacked by Death Eaters, my shoulder's bleeding and I'm going into what I believe is called hard labor? Oh yes, I'm just peachy, darling," Hermione managed to snarl right before she made another one of those low, keening noises.
"What do you need me to do?" Sirius asked plaintively. Hermione turned white and clutched his arm even tighter.
It took several hours, and much complaining from Professor Shattuck that libraries were certainly not where one should be giving birth, but eventually Cepheus Alphard Black and his twin sister Cassiopeia Dorea Black were brought forth into the world. The entire contingent of milites were present for the miraculous event and all of them privately swore to themselves that these two children would be safe, no matter what. Swaddling was quickly procured and the two precious bundles were passed from man to man (several of whom may have had suspiciously wet eyes, but we're not going to make them feel bad about it). Sirius couldn't stop touching Hermione and kissing her forehead, trying to assure himself that she was fine, that she'd taken no lasting injuries.
Cepheus and Cassiopeia became a come sight on the campus of the College of Merlin, being carefully toted about by dour, glowering wizards who looked as though they might kill as soon as look at you. They would glare at anyone who dared approach the blanket spread upon the grass where the two babies spent their allotted 'tummy time' to strengthen their muscles. They also glared suspiciously at anyone who looked as though they might attempt to jiggle their prams or their bouncy seats. As their mother progressed toward her degree, and the infants became toddlers, it was quite easy to see that the dainty little girl with her clear grey eyes and her little black curls had all of them, including her twin brother, securely wrapped around her little finger. It was nothing to see the dangerous-looking men playing 'pony' so that their favorite princess could ride about on their shoulders. When Hermione Black received her degree in Magical Law, many of the staff were sad to see the small figures of Cepheus and Cassiopeia Black leave their hallowed halls for the last time. Cassiopeia proudly perched on her Daddy's shoulders and young Cepheus held securely in his Uncle Regulus' arms.
.
.
HG/HP/HB
.
.
Summer, 1985
Hermione Black was sitting on the lawn of Potter Manor with her mother, her sister-in-law, her cousins-in-law Andromeda Tonka and Narcissa Malfoy, and her friend Augusta Longbottom watching their children and grandchildren playing together when she felt a strange tingling sensation. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh! Oh, mother, I'm being called," Hermione exclaimed. She glanced toward the children, and then looked to her mother. "Will you watch the twins?"
"Of course, dear," Dorea Potter soothed. "Just make sure you take one of your boys with you, or Sirius and James will never let me hear the end of it."
"Yes, mother," Hermione said with a resigned sigh. She walked into the house and knocked on her father's study door.
"Princess! Are you leaving already? I haven't even got to spend time with Cepheus and Cassiopeia yet," Charlus said with a dark frown.
"No, Daddy, I've been called, and I need to take one of my miles. Rabastan, will you come with me? Barnabas, I would like you to stay with the children," Hermione commanded smoothly. Both men nodded and rose. Barnabas took her literally and headed out toward the lawn to keep an eye on his small charges.
"You've been called, domina?" Rabastan enquired politely. Hermione nodded.
"Yes, I put in the charm years ago, I was starting to think that my vis-er, that I'd been mistaken," Hermione was almost babbling. Rabastan blinked. Usually, their domina was calm, cool and collected. She was unflappable.
The house they arrived at was nice, but modest. Rabastan looked about curiously. He knew it must be a muggle habitation and he'd never seen one up close. He was fascinated. The door almost flew open at Hermione's hesitant knock and the muggle woman almost flung herself at Hermione, crying and clinging to her at the same time.
"Oh, thank God you've come," the woman was saying. "I wasn't sure what to do, but I remembered what you said, and what will the neighbors think?"
"Hello, Sebastian," Hermione said calmly, a smile playing about her mouth. Rabastan stared at the stuffed animals, which were dancing energetically about the room, then stared at the solemn little boy with his short hair and wide brown eyes. "Trying to have a bit of fun with your toys?"
"Yes, ma'am," the small boy said politely, glancing at his mother who was still visibly distraught. Hermione tried to exude calm. "Mummy didn't like it, though."
"I imagine you startled her," Hermione continued calmly. "She simply wasn't expecting any of this to happen."
"I wasn't either," Sebastian confessed artlessly. "I just wanted someone to play with."
"I see," Hermione said thoughtfully. She cocked her head to the side. "What if I told you that I knew a group of children all about your age who would love to play with you?"
"Can they do this too?" Sebastian asked curiously. Hermione's smile grew slightly wider.
"They can indeed. My own Cassiopeia loves to make her dollies dance before bed," Hermione said gently.
"Mummy? Can I go and play with the other children like me?" Sebastian asked, his brown eyes wide. Mrs. Granger looked at the strange young woman in her silk gown and the young gentleman who stood respectfully behind her dressed as though they'd both stepped out of some ridiculous history book. The young woman's face was kind, and her eyes were understanding.
"May I come as well? To see…well…to see?" Mrs. Granger didn't want to flat out say 'to see that it's safe' because that seemed vaguely rude.
"Of course," Hermione said soothingly. "Why don't we set up something for two days from now? I can speak to the other mothers and we could arrange a play date. You'll get the chance to meet all of us. I can ask the fathers to attend as well, if you wish?"
"I would like that," Mrs. Granger said faintly. By the time the young woman left Mrs. Granger was quite certain that her life was never going to be the same again. Sebastian seemed excited, though, so that was something. If they could help with…well, the floating toys and what not, she wouldn't mind if they wore silk. They could wear whatever they wanted.
"I liked her, Mummy, she seemed nice," Sebastian observed before he went off to his bedroom.
A/N: One more chapter. I had to figure out how to squish everything in.