"Hermione! What brings you to Hogwarts?" Minerva McGonagall asked with a pleased smile as she watched her former student climb out of the fireplace.
Hermione stood up, brushing bits of ash and dust from her clothes before answering.
"I've actually come to see Professor Snape." She replied, pretending not to notice the strange look that passed over McGonagall's face.
"Of course. Severus does not have a first period class in the morning. You can probably catch him in his office."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione turned to leave and then stopped. "How is Rose doing? From her letters, it seems as if she's fine, but I just wanted to be sure.."
McGonagall peered at Hermione over the tops of her square glasses before answering.
"She's fine. Perfectly delightful, actually. The teachers report that she is an engaging child, polite and eager to learn. In other words…just like her mother."
Hermione smiled and nodded her thanks before leaving the Headmistresses' office.
As she quickly walked towards Severus's classrooms, she wondered how much longer Rose would remain fine. She would learn, sooner rather than later, of her mother's unfaithfulness and Hugo's true paternity. She could only hope that Rose wouldn't blame Hugo or herself for the problems between Hermione and Ron. It wasn't the children's fault and it certainly wasn't Ron's. No, the blame for these problems lay directly on Hermione's shoulders…if she'd just been honest with Ron…she couldn't wish she'd never been with Severus because then she wouldn't have Hugo, yet nor could she wish away her time with Ron because that would mean a life without Rose. And she couldn't imagine life without either of her children.
Hermione came to the door Severus's classroom and, not bothering to knock, she opened the door and walked in to find Severus sitting at his desk, head bent, grading papers.
"Hello Severus." She said, shutting the door softly behind her.
He raised his head and eyed her with suspicion. "Miss Granger."
She didn't bother to correct him because she no longer felt she had a right to call herself Hermione Weasely. And it wasn't as if he'd pay attention anyway. He'd call her Miss Granger simply out of spite.
"I hope you're here with news of my son, otherwise I have nothing to say to you." Severus said, leaning back in his chair.
Hermione felt her face contort in a grimace and couldn't stop the rush of words that came from her mouth. "Your son? I love how suddenly he's your son. He's eight years old and all of a sudden you want to claim him as your son."
Severus narrowed his eyes at her. "What an impassioned little speech, Granger. However, you forget that I didn't know he even existed because you decided you had the right to keep the knowledge of my son's birth from me."
"Did you actually expect me to tell you I was carrying your child after what happened between us?" Hermione's mouth gaped open. Was he really self-righteous enough to believe he was the wronged party in this situation? How could he even begin to think she should have told him Hugo was his after what happened between them? He'd thrown her out of his rooms and out of his life. He'd told her that he didn't want her. How could she have expected him to react when she told him Hugo was on the way? She'd though about it, of course, in the early days of her pregnancy. She knew the baby was more likely Severus's, the timing was just too perfect for it to be Ron's. She'd had visions of coming to tell Severus she was carrying his child and him being delighted by the news, sweeping her into his arms and telling her that nothing was more important to him than her and their baby.
Of course, she'd known it would never happen.
She started to sputter out all her thoughts to Severus when he suddenly stood from behind his desk and held up a hand.
"Stop, Miss Granger. We will not be rehashing our past, from this point on we will only be dealing with issues concerning our son. I don't want to hear another word about what happened years ago."
He sat back down behind his desk and crossed his arms over his chest and then looked at Hermione with distant eyes.
"So, Miss Granger. About our son?"
Hermione gritted her teeth and counted to ten before answering Snape.
"I've talked to Ron and explained things to him. He is…very angry. I didn't discuss telling Hugo the truth with him. But I suppose he expects it."
Severus said nothing, simply raised his eyebrow at Hermione.
"I want to make this as easy as possible on Hugo. Ron has…indicated that he intends to file for divorce, so that will be one more thing Hugo has to deal with. His whole life is going to be turned upside down and I want things to be as easy as possible for him. So however we do this, we need to make sure we do it in the easiest way possible. We can't make this any harder on him than it already will be."
She leaned back again the row of student desks and took in a deep breath as she waited for Severus to respond.
"Just make sure you tell him soon, Granger. I won't wait much longer.
Hermione started to roll her eyes and stopped, thinking better of it. If Severus really intended to be a father and be involved in Hugo's life, then he would also, by extension, be involved in her life. And for the sake of their son, they needed to be civil with each other.
"I will tell him. And then we can…introduce you to him and go from there," she looked at Severus, needing him to see understand. "But this will take time. I hope you know that. Ron is the only father Hugo has ever known. It will take him time."
Severus nodded. "I understand."
"Good. Well. I'll be going then. I'll owl you as soon as I've talked to him." She said as she left and softly closed the door behind her.
Severus said nothing, simply watched her walk out the door before he rose from his desk and walked over to the window, staring out over the grounds of Hogwarts.
In spite of what Hermione seemed to think, he was not at all confident about his introduction into his son's life. All his life, Hugo had been surrounded by the Weasley family. He had grown up with the comfort of knowing he had a big extended family to rely on. And Severus had no one but himself. It had been years since he'd had any sort of family. Was it fair to ask Hugo to go from having a large, supportive family to having a an unknown father? And he also worried about what people would say to his son once they found out that his father was Severus Snape, murderer of Albus Dumbledore, ex Death Eater, snarky, greasy bat of the dungeons. He would be judged and maybe even shunned for his association with him. Maybe it would be better to let Hugo grow up with the Weasleys and watch him from afar.
But then Severus remembered how'd he'd felt when he'd realized his time with Hermione Granger had produced a son. The emotion that he'd felt build in the pit of his stomach when he'd realized his son was a mirror image of himself, when'd he seen him smile in the bookstore and he knew, even without ever having spoken to him, that he could not give his son up.
Severus Snape had no idea how to be a father. But he'd be damned if he let the chance pass him by without even trying.
Normally, Hermione would have Flooed to the Burrow. But she knew that Ron had spent the night there, that he might even be there now for all she knew, and that he'd informed Molly and Arthur of the situation. She felt uncomfortable even going to their house, but she wanted her son and she knew that if she wanted him, she'd have to go to the Burrow to get him.
After sending her Patronus to work and letting them know that she wouldn't be in that day, she apparated to the Burrow and took a deep breath before knocking on the front door.
"Hermione." Molly's look said it all as she stood in the doorway, not showing any intention of letting Hermione into the house.
". I've come for Hugo. Is he still here?" Hermione asked, determined not to discuss Severus's connection to Hugo. Not now.
Molly's face contorted and she put both hands on her hips as she glared at Hermione. "I think you have a lot of nerve showing up here after what you've done to Ron. Not to mention poor Hugo. Snape? How could you! For Merlin's sake Hermione, do you have any idea what having Severus Snape for a father will do to that poor little boy? Of all the-"
Hermione cut her off abruptly. "Molly. Please. I need to see my son. Is he here?"
Molly opened her mouth to respond but was stopped when Arthur suddenly appeared at her shoulder.
"Hermione. You've come for Hugo. Ron said you would. Please, come in." Arthur gently took hold of Molly's arm and pulled her away from the door, allowing Hermione to step inside.
"Hugo's upstairs, Molly, why don't you fetch him?" Molly started to protest but was silenced when Arthur looked at her. As she walked away, Arthur shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to look at Hermione.
"I won't pretend to understand what's going on here, Hermione," Arthur said honestly. "But what I do understand is that Molly and I love Hugo and Rose and for their sakes, we should all try to act like adults here. They're going to need us."
Hermione had always loved the Weasleys and she had never appreciate Arthur's gentle nature than now.
"Mr. Weasley, just please understand. I love you all. Things were so just complicated…" she shrugged, not knowing what else to say. How could she try to condone her affair with Severus to her husband's father? Things were so difficult and how could she being to explain when she didn't even really understand?
Arthur only nodded.
"Mummy!" Hermione heard Hugo's squeal before she saw him and her mood automatically lifted.
"Mum, I played with the gnomes and I saw the ghoul and Uncle Charlie and Aunt Angelina came by and they brought me presents!" Hugo exclaimed, launching himself at Hermione, practically tripping over himself in his rush to tell his mother everything, as if he was afraid he'd forget.
Hermione smiled and took Hugo by the hand. "I'm glad you had fun, buddy. You think you're ready to come home?
Hugo smiled and nodded. "Can we play chess when we get home, Mum?"
Hermione stifled a groan. Where Hugo had picked up his love of chess, she had no idea, although she suspected it had come straight from Severus, as so many of his attributes seemed to. He was extremely good at it and it was almost impossible to play with him, simply because he was so good.
"Sure, why not? Tell Grandma and Grandpa goodbye." Hermione watched as Hugo kissed his grandparents goodbye, then led him into the yard as Molly and Arthur stood in the doorway and watched.
"Ready? Hold tight." Hugo grabbed her arm and with a wave to his grandparents and a loud POP, they were gone.
Author's Note: I just really want to thank all the people who've left comments and reviews, added my story to alerts, favorite story lists, favorite authors,etc. You all have no idea how much this means to me! Please review and leave your thoughts on this chapter, so that I know what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong, what you all would like to see happen in the story, etc. I hope to have the next chapter up soon! :-)