As Hermione promised, she and Draco had the house to themselves the day following the big party. When Draco first arrived at the house, the pair spent the morning just hanging out, before they moved their activities to the bedroom, where they spent most of the afternoon taking their relationship to the next level.
Afterwards, Hermione lay snuggled up at Draco's side, thinking about what they'd just done. The experience had been even more special than Hermione had expected. She'd always imagined her first time with Draco would be special, but she hadn't expected to feel such a strong connection with the blond wizard who'd been her best friend for years. Maybe it was because it was his first time as well, so she knew everything they experienced they were experiencing together.
"You're quiet," Draco said, running his fingers through Hermione's hair.
Hermione looked up at the blond and gave him a reassuring smile as she could hear the worry in his voice. "I'm just thinking."
"About what we've just done?" Draco asked with a slight frown. "You did enjoy it, didn't you?"
"Of course I did," Hermione replied, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at Draco's question. "I enjoyed every second."
"Even when we started laughing and couldn't do anything for almost five minutes?" Draco checked with a cheeky grin.
"Even that bit," Hermione replied, smiling at the memory.
They hadn't even been fully undressed when they'd looked at each other, and for some inexplicable reason they'd both burst out laughing. Eventually they'd calmed down, and carried on with what they were doing. But Hermione was hoping it was just a signal of the relaxed and loving relationship she and Draco had. She would rather be with someone she could laugh with, then be with someone who was serious during sex.
"So what exactly are you thinking about?" Draco asked again.
"I'm just thinking that things are going to change now," Hermione said, her fingernails absent-mindedly tracing patterns on Draco's bare chest.
"Between us?" Draco frowned.
"Yeah," Hermione replied with a nod. "But in a good way," She added, spotted Draco's confusion. "Do you not think this will change things between us?"
"I guess so," Draco admitted. "But I suppose it's only natural that things are getting more serious now we're growing up."
"And we have just done a very grown up thing," Hermione said with a chuckle.
"Very," Draco agreed as the hand not teasing Hermione's hair slid down her still naked body.
"I don't think we've got time for more," Hermione said reluctantly, even as she leant forward and pressed her lips against Draco's.
"I guess not," Draco said with a sigh as they slowly parted their lips. "We don't want to be caught."
"Definitely not," Hermione laughed. "I think we're lucky as it as that Mum hasn't remembered about her promise to give us the talk. Or at least, she's forgotten to give it to me."
"And she hasn't mentioned it to Lucius," Draco said. "If Beth had talked to Father, he would have sat me down and made the talk as embarrassing as possible, just like the last time he attempted to give me the talk and ended up just talking about him and Mother."
"Well, since Mum's forgotten, I don't think we should push our luck," Hermione said.
"No, we don't," Draco said slowly as he suddenly remembered who Hermione's father was, and the subtle threats he'd issued when the pair first started dating.
If he was worried about Beth catching them, he was even more concerned about Voldemort finding them in bed together. Draco had known Voldemort all his life, and he wasn't at all scared of The Dark Lord, but he hadn't been sleeping with his daughter before. Now, Draco was very aware that Voldemort was a dark wizard, and he didn't want him angry at him. Not to mention the rest of the family weren't exactly opposed to dark magic.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as she spotted the horrified look that had suddenly crept over her boyfriend's face.
"The Dark Lord is your father," Draco whispered.
"I know," Hermione said, giving her boyfriend a strange look. "Why are you so fixated on my father all of a sudden? You've known him forever."
"Yes, but now I'm sleeping with his daughter," Draco pointed out.
Hermione laughed as she realised what her boyfriend's problem was. "Don't worry, I'll protect you," She vowed, giving Draco a quick kiss. "But right now, I really think we need to get dressed."
"It's a shame, I like you naked," Draco teased as Hermione sat up, taking the covers with her.
Hermione looked back over her shoulder and gave Draco a smile as she swung her legs off the bed. "You'll just have to wait until next time."
"So there will be a next time?" Draco checked as he also sat up.
"Most definitely," Hermione said with a firm nod. She'd just spent a magical afternoon with her boyfriend, and she planned on many more in the future.
Once they'd cleaned themselves up in Hermione's bathroom and re-dressed, the couple decided to go back downstairs to avoid temptation. However, that didn't stop them from snuggling up together on the sofa, and that was where they still were when Severus and Harry arrived home, each wearing identical grins.
"How did it go?" Hermione asked as her brother and nephew shrugged off their coats.
"Quite good," Severus said with a nod.
"What he means, is we've found the perfect place," Harry said. "It's not far from here, and it's perfect. It got a big garden, perfect for playing quidditch, plenty of rooms, and best of all the attic is massive, with huge windows, and it even has a private bathroom. Rosmerta said we can transform it into a place for me. It'll be like having my own personal flat."
"Cool," Hermione replied with a smile. "Did you make an offer?"
"We've expressed our interest," Severus explained. "I'm having dinner with Rosmerta tonight and we'll talk about our options. If we decide to go for it, we can have an offer in by the end of the week."
"That's excellent news," Hermione said. "Although I will miss you both."
"You don't get rid of us that easily," Severus chuckled. "Even if we get the house, we'll still be around. We're family, and we stick together."
"You were right," Harry whispered to Hermione as Severus left the room to hang the coats up
"About what?" Hermione whispered back.
"The baby," Harry replied. "Rosmerta was gushing about how brilliant one of the rooms would be for a nursery."
"Rosmerta's pregnant?" Draco asked in a loud voice.
"Excuse me?" Severus questioned from the doorway, and the three teenagers turned to find him looking at them with wide eyes. "Who told you that?"
"Bloody hell, is it true?" Harry gasped. "Is she pregnant?"
"No, she's not," Severus replied. "But who told you she was?"
"No-one," Hermione answered. "Draco just got the wrong end of the stick. When Harry and I were talking yesterday, I said that you and Rosmerta would likely be starting a family of your own one day. Harry was just telling me that I was right, and Rosmerta was already planning the nursery."
"It is something we've been discussing lately," Severus admitted. "But I can guarantee that there'll be no children just yet. Maybe in a year or two."
Once Severus had set the record straight about future children, he headed off to get ready for his meeting at the Ministry in a few days' time, leaving an excited Harry to tell Hermione and Draco all about the house they'd found.
C.O.T.D.
Minerva McGonagall strode through the corridors of the Ministry of Magic, heading to the meeting she'd been called to in regards to Hogwarts. The Minister of Magic had set up the meeting, and he was using one of the large conference rooms on the top floor of the Ministry. A secretary in the Minister's department had greeted McGonagall as she alighted from the lifts, and had told her exactly where to go. When she reached the room in question, McGonagall took a deep breath before she pushed open the doors and entered the room.
"Minerva, how nice to see you?" Bernard Nott greeted her as she entered the room.
"Minister," McGonagall replied shortly, her eyes darting around the room to see who was present.
As it turned out, she was almost the last to arrive. The majority of the staff were already seated at the table. Although McGonagall did note that Severus was sitting quite by himself in the chair right next to the one the Minister himself had risen from. Either, it was because he had the job of headmaster, or it was because the other staff didn't want to sit next to him. As McGonagall took her seat, she gave Severus a brief nod which he returned.
Five minutes later, the last two members of staff had arrived. Once Horace Slughorn and Sybill Trelawney had taken their places, Bernard got to his feet and thanked everyone for coming to the meeting.
"I see no point in beating around the bush," Bernard announced. "I have appointed Severus Snape as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. From this moment on, he is responsible for the staff situation."
"You mean we have to answer to him in order to keep our jobs?" Irma Pince, the school librarian, asked.
"No," Severus answered as he rose to his feet to address his colleagues. "I am going to give everyone here the exact same offer. You are all free to keep your jobs, in fact there's nothing I'd like more than to keep the same staff in place, bar a couple of vital changes."
"You're letting us keep out jobs, no questions asked?" Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor, checked.
"They're there if you want them," Severus replied. "And Filius, Minerva and Pomona, I'd like you all to stay on as head of your respective houses."
"And my position as Deputy Headmistress?" McGonagall questioned. She'd arrived at the Ministry bracing herself for a fight, but it would seem she'd worked herself up over nothing.
"I'd very much like you to keep the role," Severus said. "I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, Minerva, and I think you're vital to the successful running of this school."
"It's just a shame you didn't have the same respect for Albus," Horace Slughorn said as he got to his feet. "I'm sorry to say, I won't be taking up your offer. I came out of retirement as a personal favour for Albus, and with him gone, I see no reason for me to stay on at the school."
"That is your prerogative," Severus said with a brief nod as Slughorn left the room. "I won't stop anyone from walking away if they feel they can't work for me. Is there anyone else that shares Horace's standpoint?"
Several whispered conversations were held at the far end of the table, but it soon became clear that no-one else was leaving. For one reason or another, they were all content to remain on the teaching staff at Hogwarts.
"That's it Severus," Bernard remarked. "It looks like you've got three new staff members to find before school re-starts."
"Three?" McGonagall questioned with a frown. "Horace leaves one vacancy, and I'm assuming Severus will no longer be teaching, so that makes two. Who's the third?"
"I'm replacing Cuthbert Binns as the History of Magic Professor," Severus announced. "It's ridiculous that we have a ghost teaching one of our subjects, and what makes it worse is that he's a terrible teacher. The students hate History of Magic, and I want to change that."
McGonagall nodded, actually agreeing with Severus in regards to Binns. It was a topic she'd raised constantly with Dumbledore, but the late headmaster had been adamant that he wasn't going to be replacing Binns.
"He won't like it," Flitwick warned. "Cuthbert is a creature of habit, he won't vacate his classroom. He didn't move when he died, so he won't move now."
"Then we move the class to another part of the castle," Severus replied with a shrug. "But either way, we're getting a new History of Magic Professor."
"And idea who?" Sprout asked.
"Actually, I can help there," Bernard offered. "And old friend of mine, Jackson Roth, happens to be an expert historian. I can get in touch with him and see if he's interested in the post. I guarantee, he can make history interesting."
"Thank you Bernard, that would be good," Severus replied with a nod. In actual fact, he knew Bernard had already spoken to his friend and he'd already accepted the offer. "And I also have people in mind for Potions and Dark Arts."
"Don't you mean, Defence against the Dark Arts?" McGonagall asked with a disapproving tut.
"We're dropping Defence from the name of the class," Severus explained. "Defence will still be a big part of the lesson, but the Ministry feels the students need to know more about the actual Dark Arts themselves. After all, how can you defend yourself from something you don't really know about?"
"I don't want anyone to worry, the students will not learn anything they could use to hurt other people, and every lesson will be age appropriate," Bernard explained. "And of course, the unforgivable curses will still not be taught at Hogwarts."
"So who do you have in mind to teach these Dark Arts?" McGonagall asked.
"Lucius Malfoy," Severus answered, causing several of the staff to gasp in shock. "Lucius has agreed to take the position for a couple of years. It give us time to get the structure for these new lessons in place, before we bring in someone willing to devote years to the job. As for Potions, Beth Granger will be taking that position."
"Granger?" McGonagall spat. "Your step-mother?"
"I can assure you that Beth is an expert at Potions making," Severus answered. "Like Lucius she's agreed to take the position for a couple of years. However, unlike Lucius, I do feel I can persuade her to carry on with the post. But for now, all she'll commit to is two years."
"Until her daughter has finished school," McGonagall said, pointing out the obvious.
"I won't deny it, Beth and Lucius are coming into the school in part because of Hermione and Harry," Severus confessed. "We're worried about the treatment they might receive now the truth is out, and we want to make sure they're safe."
"And what about the other students? Will they be safe from your son and sister?" McGonagall questioned.
"Hermione and Harry have no wish to hurt anyone," Severus said firmly. "Hate me and my father all you want, we really don't care. But Harry and Hermione are still children. Any victimisation of the pair of them, or any student for that matter, will be treated very seriously. I want to run a peaceful school, and that starts with having the backing of my staff. So if anyone has a problem with anything we've discussed here, I suggest you leave now."
Severus swept his gaze around at the staff, before focusing on McGonagall, as he thought she was the one most likely to walk. However, she remained seated and promised him that he would have no problems from her, providing the rest of the school had no problems from him and his family.
"You have my word, Minerva," Severus promised. "We're not out to cause trouble. All we want is a peaceful life. If there's any trouble brewing, it's not us stirring the pot."
