Chapter 131: The True Meaning Of Paternal Instinct
{A/N: Here's Another Update...late post...still reeling from Stefano DiMera/Joe Mascolo's recent death...}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S
{"Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?...Say yes, say yes 'cause I need to know...You say I'll never get your blessing 'til the day I die...Tough luck, my friend, but the answer is 'No'...Why you gotta be so rude?...Don't you know I'm human too?...Why you gotta be so rude?...I'm gonna marry her anyway...I hate to do this, you leave no choice...Can't live without her...Love me or hate me we will be boys...Standing at that altar...Or we will run away...To another galaxy, you know...You know she's in love with me...She will go anywhere I go..."} Rude, Magic!
The Granger Residence, Muggle World...
The crisp chill of the early morning air lingered as both Hermione and Snape stood on her parents front porch. Mrs. Granger had been the one to answer when Hermione knocked, her brown eyes took in the sight of her daughter's Potions Master husband. She had never actually seen the often busy wizard in person but had known of what he looked like due to his resemblance to Phaeron and Shiloh as well as the various family photos. She had been an average looking muggle woman with lengthy brown hair and a nose not quite so unlike her daughter's. Snape had been rather surprised to see that much of Hermione's looks had been like that of her mother as the older woman ushered them inside the house. It had a homely feel to it, something Snape had only seen when at Hogwarts due to McGonagall's influence.
"The children are in Hermione's old bedroom and of course little Shiloh has been quite fussy as of late." said Mrs. Granger.
Snape smirked. He had expected nothing less of his little girl.
"I suppose I shall have to go and see her." he said as casually as he could manage.
Hermione shook her head. Shiloh was definitely, "Daddy's little girl". She watched her husband instinctively find his way to Hermione's childhood bedroom without instruction from whom had a stunned expression on her face.
"You'd think he's been here before." she said causing her daughter to unknowingly turn red at the memory of Snape's last visit to her parents house during the war.
Hermione tried her best to dodge the evident question in her mother's eyes.
"He's been here before hasn't he?" she asked noting her daughter's reluctance.
The bushy haired witch nodded.
Mrs. Granger shook her head.
"When you were growing up, I've heard stories from women who have had daughters in their teens sneaking their boyfriends in their parents house but you've gone and brought home a husband." she said in an amused tone.
Apparently, there were no half measures with Hermione in terms of life as well as academics.
Hermione's childhood bedroom...
Snape held his daughter in his arms knowing all too well how close he had come to never again having this chance. He had been enjoying their little reunion recalling when he held Isabella in his arms, Shiloh's tiny hand had been wrapped around his finger and she didn't seem all that eager to let it go. He treated her to a rare smile noting just how concerned she had been about him despite not being old enough to accurately voice those evident fears.
He had not known how long it had been just him and Shiloh in the mutual quiet of his wife's childhood bedroom. He vaguely recalled being in this place during the war, of course he had been good and drunk during that time.
"You're pretty good with her." said a voice that had gotten Snape's attention.
He had been more than a little shocked to see Mrs. Granger standing at the door.
"Yes..." said Snape feeling a bit self conscious beneath her gaze. "I...uh had a good deal of practice."
Mrs. Granger nodded and watched as he placed a reluctant but asleep Shiloh into a crib. Snape had taken a moment to ponder wither the Granger's used Hermione's old one or bought one just for his fussy little witch.
"And what did you mean by you've had a good deal of practice?" asked Mrs. Granger.
Snape had not expected to be in "the hot seat" so soon. Still, he had been willing to give his in-laws a try this time around. Of course it was all in the name of making Hermione happy.
"I have a god son that I've cared for for many years before Phaeron was born and of course there's Sidney." he replied rather smoothly.
Mrs. Granger nodded. She took a moment appearing to size him up.
"You know...someone like you might have been my first choice for Hermione." she admitted. "You certainly have academics on your side, I can only imagine the debates you and Hermione must get into."
Snape treated her to a small smile. She had no idea.
"There also a bit of respect to consider, you do not seem to be the type that would run off and chase unworthy skirts...your looks not withstanding...and it seems that you are appealing enough to incite my daughter to sneak you into our home like the teenager she use to be." said Mrs. Granger letting Snape know that she knew about his previous visit to her home.
The Potions Master nodded.
"Well I can assure you Mrs. Granger, your daughter and I were married for nearly a year when that happened." he said attempting to smooth things over.
"And charming." she continued as if he had said nothing. "You are quite capable of a good deal of charm despite your obvious preference for solitude...it's a good girl's package deal with you isn't it?"
Snape arched an eyebrow at this not sure he understood her meaning.
"Good girl's package deal?" he asked with his arms folded across his ebony clad chest.
Mrs. Granger smirked.
"You know every good girl wants that one bad boy with a heart of gold." she said. "Sadly, I never found mine...but Hermione seems to have developed my sensibilities...after a while I simply settled for what any young woman would want: security, stability, and love without heartache...but all wager my daughter wanted the exact opposite."
Snape shook his head.
"I suppose what I am trying to say in my own, way Mr. Snape..." she began.
"Severus." he said effectively giving her permission to use his given name.
"What I am trying to say, Severus...is that I am rather pleased with my daughter's choice in a husband...and I can tell that you care a great deal for my little girl." said Mrs. Granger. "But you'd better tread carefully, we Granger women do not like getting our hearts broken."
Snape nodded.
"There is no danger of that Mrs. Granger." he said. "I love your daughter and hurting her is the last thing I wish to do."
Mrs. Granger nodded.
"That's good to hear Severus." she said pleasantly. "And call me Jean...I am after all... your mother in-law."
Snape smiled politely.
"Thank you Jean and I shall take your words into consideration." he replied.
Jean Granger smiled back and made her way back into the sitting room.
Snape followed after a minute or two ensuring that Shiloh had been asleep.
The Sitting Room, The Granger Residence, Muggle World...
Hermione had been finishing up with the dishes when Snape entered the kitchen. He noted the contented look on her face when she realized that they had at least scored a few points with her mother in terms of their relationship. Still, she had been dreading when her father came home. He had been the one to cause the most problems given his feelings about Severus, and he had never even met the man. The children had resembled Snape a great deal but it wasn't the same as meeting him in person.
Mrs. Granger understood all that had transpired between Snape and Hermione given the lengthy explanations and the looks into her daughter's pensive here and there. Not to mention the three beautiful children that resulted from their union, her grandchildren. Mr. Granger had been rather late getting home as he often was on days he went out drinking with his buddies.
The women had prepared a very inviting feast for everyone, working quite hard to ensure that the family dinner would be well received. Snape noted how nervous his wife had been about the inevitable meeting between her father and him. He took her for the sort to be daddy's little girl, she carried so much of Mr. Granger's attitude about life as well as her mother's open minded nature.
He had truly lucked out in terms of a bride that would keep him on his toes.
At around nine o' clock, Mr. Granger entered the house. He reeked of booze and seemed to have been in quite a jolly mood until he caught sight of his daughter standing in the center of the living room with her arms folded across her chest and a snarl of an expression on her face. There was no mistaking the rage behind her amber eyes as she glared at her drunken father.
"Well hey Herms." he said with a smile that made her roll her eyes. "When did you get in?"
"Where have you been Daddy?" asked Hermione a bit testy.
"Well sugar I've been out." replied Mr. Granger still with that smile that only served to infuriate his daughter all the more.
"You missed dinner." said Hermione. "We waited all day for you."
Mr. Granger had been about to say something more when he caught sight of Snape as he made his way into the sitting room after cleaning the dishes following supper.
"You." said Mr. Granger not even stopping for a second before he attacked the unsuspecting Potions Master before the poor man could even see whom it was that had assaulted him.
Snape's blood had been trickling from his nose as he noted the pain from being decked via his father in-law. Hermione's eyes widened and she had instinctively drew her wand. Snape shook his head waving her off as the drunken man continued to come after him.
"You son of a bitch!" shouted Mr. Granger enraged. "HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE AFTER EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO MY LITTLE GIRL!"
Snape took the repeated blows to his body rather well not once mounting a defense or moving to return the favor.
Mrs. Granger heard the commotion and immediately came to see what all the shouting was about.
"JOHN WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" she shouted.
"This son of a bitch has the audacity to be here in my house after everything he's done to Hermione." said Mr. Granger glaring at the downed Potions Master.
"John leave him alone." said Mrs. Granger with rage behind her own tone. "I invited Severus here...I think it's high time we got to know the man that sired our grandchildren."
"He's..." began Mr. Granger.
"He's Ronnie, Sidney, and Shiloh's father." said Mrs. Granger narrowing her icy brown eyes at her drunken husband. "Are you going to keep acting like a child or are you going to at least try and understand the reason for them being together."
"He took advantage of our little girl." said Mr. Granger. "He was suppose to be protecting her."
"And he did." replied Hermione. "Daddy, I would not be here if it were not for my husband...and he's been through quite enough so I would appreciate it if you'd stop hitting him."
Mr. Granger glared down at Snape.
The pale man looked almost identical to his eldest grandson except he moved a bit slower than him and seemed to carry the familiar muggle termed thousand yard stare as he got to his feet. Hermione had told him that Snape was also a war hero, and that he was often tortured at the hands of his enemies for their amusement. Mr. Granger recalled that stare from his own father growing up, the haunting nature of his father's eyes kept him in college and out of the war.
Hermione made her way over to Snape and helped him to his feet despite the attempts on his behalf to insist that he had been alright. She checked him over physically and then again with her wand before applying healing magic to him.
"Daddy what is wrong with you." she said turning to her father.
Mr. Granger had no words to explain his actions.
"Severus has been through enough people beating on him." said Hermione getting going via her rage.
Snape held up his hand.
"Hermione." he said softly. "Leave him be."
Hermione whirled on her husband. Stunned that he was allowing her father to get away with this.
"He's was simply looking after his daughter." he continued noting her shocked expression. "I might not be so understanding in his position were it Shiloh and she saw fit to bring home a...Merlin forbid...Potter."
"He had no right to attack you." she said her inner Gryffindor getting the better of her.
"No." he replied. "Perhaps not physically...but he does have a right to his opinion."
"Not if it's based off conjecture and presented no facts." she replied.
Snape shook his head. She would forever be his greatest defender.
"Mr. Granger...if you would permit...I would like to speak with you...in private." said the Potions Master.
Hermione narrowed her eyes at both her father and her husband. She had not liked the idea of them being alone, especially given her father's recent attack on her husband.
"Fine." said Mr. Granger eager to get this out of the way.
He didn't like Snape, he made up his mind that he had been a scum bag preying on his innocent young daughter. The sooner they got this talk out of the way the better.
Snape nodded.
"If you would follow me." he said gesturing toward the front door.
Both men made their way out of the house and Mr. Granger narrowed his eyes at the Potions Professor. The man had been half his own age and not at all a savory character. His children had been blessed with a variation of their mother's looks given that some of this man's traits had manifested in them but he himself had been far from a looker. He didn't understand what made him so appealing to Hermione to begin with. While he understood the marriage law business within the wizarding world...they had elected to stay married despite the repulsion act.
Outside, The Granger Residence, Muggle World...
Mr. Granger glared at Snape as he took in the sight of him once more. He had been incredibly thin and looked for all intents and purposes a bit sickly. His over-sized nose and sharp features regarding his face left much to be desired in terms of looks but then there was his build, he had been tall and lean with a lack-luster outlook when it came to life as well as deep dark obsidian eyes that hid a good deal of emotion if he had truly been capable of it.
"You called me out here for any reason other than getting your arse kicked?" he asked in a gruff tone.
Snape sighed.
"You muggle types never cease to amaze me." he replied. "Just because I do not appear to be a challenge to you...does not mean that I am to be underestimated...if it's any consolation Mr. Granger you'd definitely be a Gryffindor had you gone to Hogwarts."
"Get to the point Snape or whatever your name is." muttered the irate muggle man.
"The Point no matter how unfortunate you find it Mr. Granger, is that Hermione is my wife, and the mother of my children." said Snape looking the man in the eyes. "Your feelings however misguided about our relationship our your own to have of course and I make no move to dispel them...all that I want from you is a mutual assurance that you will respect my wife's wishes and show some civility if and when we have to deal with each other."
Mr. Granger had bristled at the words "wife" and "mother of this man's children" when he referred to his little girl.
"Your feelings about how this all came about are noted Mr. Granger but you are only hurting Hermione with your antics...and your grandchildren are caught in the crossfire of your brash comments as well..." said Snape. "My wife loves you very much and you mean more to her than you could possibly imagine but fighting her on this is only driving a wedge between the two of you...accepting me and being civil are two different things."
"How can you say that it's two different things when you're asking me to act as if I accept you?" said Mr. Granger annoyed.
"Hermione doesn't need to be reminded of how much you hate me...and the children don't need to know at all." said Snape with a serious expression on his face. "As I've said you are entitled to your opinion Mr. Granger, but your going to have to accept that your daughter and I have been married for 16 years...protest at this point is just ...how do you muggle's put it "sour grapes" as opposed to true concern."
Mr. Granger considered Snape's words for a moment.
He could hate Snape in his own mind and still keep his daughter and grandchildren in his life if he just accepted the Potions Master's way of thinking and if he persisted he could drive his only daughter away for the rest of his life.
"Alright Snape." he said knowing he had little choice if he wanted Hermione to stay apart of his life. "I will be civil in front of my daughter or the children...but I want to make it perfectly clear...I will never accept you as apart of my family."
Snape nodded knowing that was as far as they would ever get.
"You are entitled to your opinion Mr. Granger, and you are not the first to hate me..." he said extending his hand. "I've been hated for far less things...sometimes simply because I exist."
Mr. Granger glared at him at first taken aback by his sudden chum like nature. Then he noted Snape gesturing with his eyes to Hermione and Jean standing at the door watching them. He shook Snape's hand.
"Don't expect any father-son bonding." muttered John.
"I'm not the bonding type." replied Snape.
The two men made their way back into the house given to relative peace. After a few drinks and some old stories as well as apologies. Snape and Hermione took the children home.
The Snape Residence, Muggle London, England...
Hermione kissed her husband a final time as they tucked into bed. Snape held his wife in his arms pleased to have as much time as his natural life span would allow with the bushy haired wonder. There in the silence, he thought back to their early moment in their marriage. His less than savory attitude toward cuddling and her unending need to be close to him. He relished those moments now recalling just how close he had been to not experiencing them again.
"What did you and my father talk about?" asked the bushy haired witch breaking the silence.
"We called a truce for the sake of you and the children." replied Snape with his eyes half closed.
"I-I'm sorry he hit you." said Hermione sitting up.
Snape opened his eyes, obsidian meeting amber.
"Don't worry about it." he said softly stroking the wayward tears from her supple cheeks.
"It's not okay." said Hermione. "I'm so tired of everyone trying to hurt you."
"I'm use to it." replied Snape with a small smile.
"You shouldn't be." she replied. "It's not right."
Snape sighed.
His greatest defender indeed.
"Everything will work itself out Mrs. Snape." he said. "We are together, your father's agreed to be civil, and our children are in one peace."
Hermione sighed this time stroking her husband's bare chest.
"I love you." she said softly.
"I love you too." he replied. "And how ever many years we have together I intend to prove it to you."
The bushy haired witch and dour Potions Master shared a series of passionate kisses that led to a bit more than weighted discussion.