A/N: Glad to hear you all enjoyed the last chapter. We are definitely getting there. About where we would be in the books (I'm sure you guessed but for people who need a reminder) They are at shell cottage. Haven't quite yet broke into Gringotts, but that's basically going to be happening while the rest of this chapter is going on. Also, I'm a very bad person…you might have noticed my mention of "I have an idea for another Severus/Hermione pairing" welp…I started writing that idea….prologue and 3 pages into chapter 1. And have a good title I think. Anyway…I'll work on that later…depending on how far I get with it…I might post that after this chapter…but two fanfics at once? My brain might implode, but how can I deny the muse when it's flowing through me. Anyway, enough here, here's the chapter.

Chapter 44

It turns out, Ginny and Hannah had been staying with several students in the Room of Requirement. When she arrived two days later, she found that Hannah had already worked with Severus and transferred everything from the nursery moved into a private room with it's own private bathroom. Severus had added names to each crib, and Hermione placed her daughters in their bed. He should have been there, watching over them with her.

Rose started to fuss, missing the warmth of being held, and Hermione reached down to gently rub her chest.

"I wandered alone to the forest one night, led by a music strange to hear, and followed the glow of a shimmering light, that seemed to grow distant as I grew near," Hermione sang softly, skipping the idea of traditional lullabies for her daughters, "The woods were alive with the fragrance of spring, but winter was everywhere clear to see. The moon shone bright and a bat on the wing, beckoned me closer and said to m-"

"You have a beautiful voice."

Hermione looked around to see Severus standing in a door way she hadn't noticed, she jumped and wrapped her arms around him as she screamed in joy, "Severus!"

He kissed her softly before speaking, "Shh, you don't want to wake them."

She hugged him close, happy to be in his presence, "But how, how are you here right now?"

"I guess the Room of Requirement sensed that we needed to be with each other, I walked into the closet nursery and saw this door and heard your angelic voice. I opened it to see you singing our lovely daughters to sleep."

She kissed him right then and there, passionately as she weaved her fingers through his hair. And he returned her passion, pulling her close. They lived in that moment for just what it was, a moment. He pulled away and looked into her now pouting eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes, which were trying to tell him how much she missed him and loved him.

"Hermione, I have to tell him tonight, I've put off taking you in, saying you just had the babies and that you needed rest. But he'll be expecting you today, I'm going to say that you disappeared with a couple of students sometime in the night while I was gone last night."

"He'll punish you." It was a statement, a fact, and one that scared them both, though Severus refused to show it.

Severus kissed her cheek softly, "Without a doubt, but it's the only way to protect you three. I will do everything in my power to protect you."

Hermione nodded and pulled him to sit next to her as she sat on the bed. She leaned her head against his shoulder, watching their little girls sleep.

"I have some things for you, Hermione."

She looked at him, puzzled, as he reached into his robes pocket to pull out a small box and two letters.

The first letter was from the ministry of magic. She hated them, but opened it first:

Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape,

It has come to our attention that on April 1st you gave birth to twin girls. We would like to congratulate you on your new additions to the family and say that the previous statement issued by the Ministry Null and Void as you have made up for the lost live. We do of course encourage that you have more children should you so desire.

Sincerely,

Mathilda Smith, Head of Magical Healthcare

The second letter was short, and posted only the day before. Inside was a picture of a baby, whose hair changed color and a short letter.

Hermione,

Severus sent us a picture of your little family. He was actually smiling in the picture; I think it nearly gave Remus a heart attack. And when he noticed that you had twins, he was in even more shock. You look like a very happy little family, and I can only hope the best for you. You also picked such lovely names.

I can't wait to meet your daughters and I can't wait for you to meet our son, Theodore. Teddy for short, after my father. Remus was so proud that I think he forgot about his worries for a moment. They'll return soon enough, but I'm going to enjoy seeing him happy.

And Hermione, we want you to be his Godmother. Harry is going to be his godfather, if we can find him and ask. Anyway, congratulations, Hermione. I know you'll be an excellent mother, and I'm sure Severus can be a good father. And stay safe in these troubling times.

Love,

Tonks, Remus, and Baby Teddy

Hermione smiled, She of course had to convince Severus to send a response for her.

Then she opened the box, inside lay a charm, identical to the one already on her bracelet with the name Dahlia engraved on it. She looked down and noticed that Rose's name had been spelled to arrive upon her birth. Severus picked the charm out of the box and took Hermione's wrist, carefully attaching the charm next to the original one.

"Thank you, Severus."

Dahlia had just closed her eyes and joined her sister in a deep slumber when Hermione heard a collection of gasps outside her door. This was far outside the routine she had become used to the past two days. She grabbed some robes to cover her disheveled look and walked out.

Neville stepped out of the portrait shortly followed by a mop of hair Hermione would recognize anywhere.

"Harry!" She ran forward and embraced her friend in a warm hug.

"Hey, 'Mione."

They pulled away and Hermione hugged Luna, who had followed very closely behind Harry. When she saw Ron, her instinct was to run and hide.

"Bloody 'Mione, you got fat," the redhead blurted out after a moment of awkward silence.

Hermione fumed at his rash comment for a moment and then calmly responded, "Yeah, well having twins does that to you."

Luna stepped in, in her sing-songy voice, "Oh, Hermione, you never mentioned that. Congrats!"

"Yeah, been a little busy, we didn't actually find out until I was in labor."

"I'd love to catch up, but we don't have long, he'll know I'm here shortly. And Luna explained that the next horcrux might be some diadem. We have to speak to Helena Ravenclaw."

"Of course, just please be careful, because the Carrows are on patrol tonight. They're cruel. Almost as cruel as Bellatrix," Hermione warned, as she grabbed for her arm. But she failed to notice her friend do the same or the look of fear in her eyes.

Harry nodded and they left the Room of Requirement as they pulled out his cloak of invisibility.

Hermione immediately turned around and ran to her room and through the closet to Severus. When he saw her he rushed to her immediately, worried.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

"Harry's here, he's here in the castle. You know what that means, He'll be coming soon. We have to protect our girls. I don't know how we can protect them."

A/N: I'm sorry about the short chapter, this just felt like a good stopping point. I'm going to try to write more for the next one. I promise to TRY, sadly who knows, I might not succeed.