Disclaimer: Not mine.

Hermione's Son

Chapter 4

Two weeks after the untimely death of her auto, Hermione dragged Hugh to the train for another trip north. She had a list of three more places within walking distance of where she was soon to start work and hoped that one of these would be sufficient.

The first she refused to walk into. Clutching the paper and rereading the advert, she had snorted at the description of the neighbourhood as quaint. Quaint, she seethed, seeing the adult book shop and massage parlour across the street. The thought of Hugh going for a walk or playing outside brought her to the edge of anger. She saw the smirk on his face and slapped the back of his head before dragging him back up the pavement to find the next on the list.

The second place she had taken him looked more promising. There was a park not far and it was only a short walk to shops and a cinema. They walked through the empty apartment while the landlady recited a list of rules, ending with the fact that whereas children were permitted she did not plan to hear them. She handed Hermione a list of things that she would not tolerate. Most were not a concern to her but the items such as what colour curtains to hang and visitors were to use the bell and not knock were too much.

"I'll be in school," Hugh had said meekly only to receive a cold look from the old lady. "Boarding school. Really…I don't make noise."

"Three's the charm," Hermione had said, pulling him along to number three. "I won't have you tiptoeing around during the hols and summer."

"I can take my shoes off in the house and won't turn up the radio. I really don't make noise. I told her that."

"Of course not," she muttered, comparing the address in the paper with the one on the old brick façade in front of her. "Was that the neighbour's telle I heard last night? No? I see…it must have been from outside because you don't make noise."

"It wasn't loud." Hugh pouted, lowering his head.

"It's a basement apartment and I don't see any windows." Hermione said staring at the building.

"You said it was a…"

"I know, I lived in one once, but it had widows…they were so high you couldn't see out…but at least there was light."

"It may not…"

"No," she sighed, shoving the paper in her handbag. "I'll keep looking, that or look for a new job."

"Sorry," Hugh said, toeing the ground.

"Hey, kid," she squatted down in front of him, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. I told you I'd take care of you."

"When Dad died Mum said Mary…"

"Yeah, well you got me." She stood up and started back to the train station.

"But she said you were busy and…"

"She never signed the papers and even if she had I would have fought it." She said firmly, watching him from the corner of her eye. "We're family."

She saw his grin and felt his hand take hers as they walked along. Knowing not to make a show of his sudden affection because like all boys that age he would pull away, she just gave his hand a gentle squeeze as they walked along. An hour later they were (at) home sitting in the kitchen. Hugh was eating a sandwich as Hermione crossed off more listings in the paper, when a small barn owl tapped on the window.

"My letter!" Hugh rushed to open the sash. "What do I do now?"

Hermione chuckled as she showed him how to untie the missive and told him that it was traditional that he now give the bird a treat. Holding the letter as he ran off to the pantry she examined the envelope seeing her name and not his.

"Sorry kid," she said, ripping open the letter. "It's from the guy that wrecked Betsy. It says he's stopping in later to pay for her."

"You said I could sleep over at Nick's house."

"You can still go," she said absently, still reading the letter. "What time? He won't be here until…seven it says. He's going to be one of your professors. It would be nice if you could meet him."

"Mrs. Nelson said six. She promised to take us to the cinema."

"Which one?" Hermione looked at him scowling. "I don't want you seeing any of those awful chop and slash things. And I don't think…"

"With Mrs. Nelson taking us?" He rolled his eyes. "She's worse than you. She even asks her parson before Nick can see one."

"Yeah, well…I don't think that's something to brag about. If she has to be told what her own …" she stopped seeing the look of confusion on his face. "I guess it'll be okay. You just…just don't go if it's something you know you shouldn't see."

Even as she warned him, she knew how foolish she sounded. She would no more have refused the chance to see something her parents forbade than she knew he would. Hoping that Mrs. Nelson's parson had more sense than she did, Hermione relented and handed him enough spending money to keep him quiet for two hours. Using the time after Hugh left to throw in a load of laundry and start packing the kitchen, she sorted what she needed to keep into a crate while making a pile that she would give to St. Paul's charity cupboard. Hearing a knock on the door, she opened it and waved Snape inside.

"Mind if we do this in the kitchen?" She called back over her shoulder as she walked to the back of the house.

"It will only take a moment," he mumbled as she disappeared from his sight. "I was hoping to…"

"Did you drive here?" she called out to him.

"No, you have a yard that is conducive to quiet apparation. Miss Granger, this will only take a moment." He strode to the kitchen intending to demand she pay attention only to hear her voice chatter on.

"Good. That you didn't drive I mean. So there are no dead bodies at the curb?" she yelled out to him. "Sorry to run off. I was in the middle of making a pot of tea and you know what happens if the water over heats. Have a cuppa? I have an ulterior motive though. I can't reach the top shelf. Even on the chair I can't get the stuff in the back."

She finished making the tea as he emptied the last of the top cupboard, washing his hands in the sink when he was done.

"Sorry about that. I should have warned you. Mum always shoved holiday plates up there and then forgot about them. Every year she bought more." She laughed nodding to the stack of Christmas candy dishes on the counter.

"I spoke to Minerva. She was equally surprised to hear of your loss."

"I would have thought she would be at her cottage all happy and retired by now. She had one…didn't she? I seem to remember her speaking of one…perhaps not. Anyway, I remember her saying when she retired she would live in a cottage by the sea. It always stuck me as sort of a storybook dream."

"Miss Granger, if I could have a moment of your time…"

"I didn't have time to notify anyone with Dad. I wasn't home, and by the time I got home, it was over. We didn't even have a service, just at the crematorium. Dad didn't want one and when Mum went…I just…I did the same for her. Please explain it to Minerva? I don't want her to think I slighted her."

"Understandable," he muttered, remembering her penchant to talk uncontrollably until she had her say.

"I have something I want to show you. I just can't remember where it is now." She looked around the kitchen, biting her lip. "Drink some tea while I find it."

"I have something that may make your search easier," Snape said, taking her wand out of his pocket and holding it out to her. "Minerva has held it in her safe keeping."

Hermione stared at her wand. Lifting her eyes to Snape's she shook her head and took a step back. "I don't need it anymore."

"Pack it away. Perhaps in the future you will…"

"Where did she get it?" Hermione snapped. "No one said anything about it being found. They should have told me. It was mine. They had no right to hide the fact that they found it."

Snape laid the wand on the table, sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. "I never understood how your wand managed to get under Mr. Weasley unless you dropped it in a battle."

"Who told you that? If I dropped it in battle I wouldn't be standing here."

"It is the…"

"I had lost it before, when I fell. He must have found it and…he had it with him. I am surprised you of all people listen to gossip and rumours as to what happened to him."

Severus studied her face and found he could no longer discern her mood, as he had been able to when she had been a student. Whereas once her endless talking was an irritation and designed to impress her knowledge on him, now she was clearly avoiding the topic and being elusive. That and overly nervous in his presence. Her nervousness only fuelled his curiosity. Stretching out his long legs in an attempt to look at ease and casual, he smirked at her.

"It seems to be one of Potter's great-unanswered mysteries. On each anniversary of the battle he brings it up again and convinces the Prophet to run another story in hopes of finding a witness."

"I…I don't know." She sat down heavily in the chair opposite him. "I don't remember it…not really. I remember talking to Harry about losing my wand. I remember that everything was…it sounds strange…but everything was red. The Healers said it was the pain…that and the candle light…and the fires in all the hallways. I just know that everything was hazy…like…looking though a thick piece of smoky red glass. I couldn't see…couldn't think…I still can't remember what happened."

"So you ran."

"I don't know." She whispered. "Next thing I was in St. Mungo's. Everything before that is…disjointed. Wrong…like in a dream that runs backwards. I remember Lavender…and Greyback then nothing makes sense. Like you. I remember you being dead and coming into my mind. I remember sleeping outside and being hungry but not where or when."

"Nothing more?"

"No," she said, sighing deeply. "Nothing. Oh, of course I remember the noise. The falling stones, the rumble as a wall fell or…I remember the smell but not what caused it all. I think the smells are the worst…and the sounds. The rest…I can sort of control…but not them. Not them."

"I am surprised you do not seek answers to the questions you must have." Snape looked at her quizzically over the rim of his cup.

"I spent a long time in counselling looking for those answers. By the time I was ready to leave the hospital for good, Hugh was almost three. Oh, I had an apartment for a while but things got bad and I went back…that happened twice. When I was finally done with it, I went to school. I didn't have any Muggle education…not enough to get into the uni or get a job. Between the hospital and that, I didn't have time to worry about what had happened. I was too worried about the future."

"And Hugo?" He watched her closely and noticed how she held her cup as if she was afraid it was slipping away, the way she met his eyes as if trying to convince him of her honesty and the way she hunched her shoulders forward as if trying to disappear into the chair.

"The Healer was quite adamant that I understood who he was," she said stiffly. "We spent a lot of time talking about the war and what had happened. Like you being alive and being the one to bring me in. You mucked up my healing I'll have you know."

"I …"

"I thought you were dead… I had…or thought I had a vision of you in my mind…that I had died and you came to show me the way. I just remember I wanted to go with you…to be dead and have it all over. Then I find out you were alive. I thought the Healers were lying to me for a long time. You know, making things up just to see my reaction. After all, I had seen what happened in the Shrieking Shack," She laughed at the look on his face. "It sounds kind of paranoid when I look back on it, but at the time I believed it and blamed you."

Frankly, I think I believed it right up to the time you…I wrecked the car. If you were alive, I couldn't understand why you had come to find me. I couldn't understand that you wanted to help me I guess…but you being dead…it made it seem…better somehow. Not that you were dead…but that if I could go with you I would at least know someone and not be so all alone anymore."

"You finished your education?" Snape asked politely, glancing at the clock over the sink as he guided the conversation off his plight.

"Yes. I was finishing my internship when I had to come home and take of Hugh. Not that I mind, I don't, but…well…here I am. It is rather a boring story. The short of it is I was ill, now I am doing fine."

"Your son's name is on the incoming list for this year. He should be receiving his letter soon. Perhaps you will have enough free time to finish your studies."

"He is my brother. Hugo, I hate that name," she leaned back in her chair and looked at him evenly. "My parents adopted him and named him after my father. Please, don't slip up. He doesn't know."

"His father?"

"I'll make you a deal," she said with a smirk. "I won't ask about your sex life and you don't ask me about mine."

"Agreed," he said, feeling his lip twitch as he noticed her visibly relax.

"So, let's do this so you can get out of here. I am sure you have better things to do then listening to me ramble on. I must say however, it is nice to have an adult to talk to. It's been months."

"I have taken the liberty of paying you in galleons. The exchange rate is abysmal. However, since you will need them for Diagon I thought it prudent." He set a small bag on the table, seeing her look away.

"I've been thinking…it was only worth two hundred, so you can take most of that back."

"It only has the equivalency of two hundred pounds. Miss Granger, I have been away for this world for a long time. However, I do know the value of that thing you drove. I must say I am pleased with your honesty."

"Yeah," she grinned, pushing the bag back toward him. "I checked the insurance policy. It expired. So…take it all back."

"You have let me waste my time?" he said flatly.

"No…yes?" She laughed and refilled his cup. "Sorry, I wanted to talk about Hugh. He needs to purchase his supplies."

Snape watched her drink her tea, waiting for her to finish her statement.

"Yes?"

"It's up stairs." She stood and started out of the room, calling over her shoulder, suddenly changing the topic. "I remember now, I was packing some books and put it in there so I wouldn't forget it."

She returned and shoved a folder in his hand. "I still have problems with my memory. Only the short term…it seems better every day. It is only when I am tired I seem to forget things and to be honest I only talk like a jabbering idiot when I'm nervous. So you make me nervous…go figure."

"I see." He opened the file and looked at her incredulously. "You wanted to give me directions for melting chocolate?"

"No, git…under that. I hid it in one of the cook books," she giggled. "That's what gave me the idea. In third year, we made a healing potion, for allergies. A simple potion that didn't even use magic. One that everyone should have received an Outstanding for brewing. You even said …"

"That any dunderhead could do it."

"Well…they can't and I know why. It's in the cooling. When the flame is turned off…it cools too quickly. If the flame is turned down…it keeps simmering. If you put it in a hot water bath, like it shows to melt chocolate it will slow down the cooling just enough."

Snape flipped the pages over, scanning her work and reading the results of her experiments. He quickly ran his fingers down a chart showing the temperature of the hot water bath and the time it would take to cool a hot cauldron.

"The only reason some of the class had acceptable potions was due to the thickness of the cauldron walls. All of them were just a little different. Perhaps bought from different suppliers," she said, leaning over the table to read the charts upside down. "What do you think? It's simple really."

"You have been brewing?"

"I did. Hugh had a horrible allergy to something in his room. He woke up every morning with all the classic symptoms. "

"I would like to take this with me," Snape muttered, still reading her work, impressed with the detailed calculations she had included to account for the difference in cauldrons.

"There is more."

"No doubt," he smirked.

"Have you ever tempered eggs? No? Well, to add an egg to a hot mixture will only cook the egg. So, you add a little of the hot mixture to the egg, bringing up its temperature before adding it. See?"

He lifted his head to hers, finding her face inches from his own. "No."

She sat back in her chair, flushing slightly. "I think it would help when adding liquid ingredients. I think if you…temper them…before pouring them in…it may…in some cases help. Not all, but any liquid that has protein…such as blood that you don't want to congeal like the eggs."

"I see." He snapped the file closed . "An interesting idea. However, many of the ingredients must be added at precise temperatures."

"But not all. Anyway, you may have wondered at the cooking references." She laughed at the look on his face as he tried to politely say he had not. "It was the Healer's idea really. He thought it would help me get back into the Muggle life style while relearning how to retain information. Mum enrolled me in a coking class. It worked for all of a month, and then I started to get ideas like this. But it was easy, and within walking distance of the hospital. That was the first apartment I tried. I must say, after a year of that I can cook a decent meal…as well as brew the non-magical concoctions."

"None of the potions you have identified use oils," Snape said slowly, drumming his fingers on the tabletop; already back to what she had proposed.

They sat and began discussing potions, Hermione making a list of which potions she thought he should try, he making a list of the common liquid ingredients in each. Neither paid attention to the time and it was not until Hermione stood to make yet another pot of tea that she noticed the sky turning light.

"Do you want breakfast?"

"No, why…" His head snapped up and he saw her looking out of the window.

"It would only take a…"

"Miss Ganger," he said, standing stiffly and smoothed his trousers. "I have sorely over stayed my welcome. I had no idea it had grown so late."

"Not at all and it's not late…not anymore, it is rather early," she said laughing at his obvious discomfort. "As I said, it's not often I have an adult to talk to. I've…I have rather enjoyed it."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," he said, starting for the door with six of her notebooks tucked under his arm. "You may tell young Mr. Granger that I shall take him to Diagon."

"Thank you, Sn…may I call you Severus?" She saw his stiff nod and choked back her laughter. "Thank you, Severus. I'll explain to him to be on his best behaviour."

"If you move after the letter comes you will need to advise me. Until that time we will be magically advised as to Mr. Granger's whereabouts."

"Oh, that." She glanced at the half packed boxes stacked in the sitting room. "I am having problems finding a place so I should be here for the next…two weeks."

"You do not mean to find a place and move within two weeks?"

"I had thirty days from the day I signed the papers…so yeah, thirteen days to go."

.

.

Once back at Hogwarts Snape sought out Minerva. He found her in the Greenhouses with Professor Longbottom, sitting at a small folding table that had been set up in the midst of the greenery.

"Severus." She waved him over and transfigured a third chair. "I was just going over the new student list with Neville."

"Is this Granger a relative of Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Her brother," Severus said, looking at Minerva pointedly. "His parents have recently passed, a fact his new head of house should be made aware of as soon as the sorting is complete."

"Poor Hermione." Neville resumed eating breakfast, stopping to pour himself a fresh cup of tea. "Harry only said she had decided to stay in the Muggle world and didn't want any contact with us until she was ready. I guess it's time."

"It appears so," Snape quipped, remembering her chagrin at seeing her old wand and then her insistence that they should have returned it to her at once. "I do, however, believe she is still unsure as to her participation in this world."

"She could have at least notified us of her parent's demise," Minerva said tersely. "After all…"

Snape cleared his throat and reached for the teapot. "She is reluctant to enter Diagon. I have offered to take the lad for his robes."

Minerva raised an eyebrow in surprise as Neville stopped eating, his fork halfway between his mouth and his plate.

"She has accepted a job at the Harrington Institute," Snape said evenly, levelling Neville with a cold look. "If I remember correctly it is a research and development company that specializes in developing new vaccines."

"She should be good at that and it will put her closer to the school. If she insists on not using magic it will make it easier for her to travel here."

"She has also recently lost her transportation," Snape almost whined as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "She is looking for a new place within walking distance to the train so it may be a while before you see her."

"Harrington you said?" Minerva mused. "I am surprised you did not think to offer her Spinner's end."

"You were just complaining about the upkeep." Neville grinned, seeing Snapes pained expression. "With someone in it the pipes won't freeze again."

"They did not before," Snape said defensively. "It was the…water pressure."

"The pressure of this great fool beating on them when the water was shut off all the time," Minerva told Neville.

"She's right." Neville tried not to grin but lost the battle until Snape turned to him. "How bad could it be? Hermione would at least have the heat on and do the general upkeep. If I know her at all she will have the place in better condition than it is now."

"No." Snape stood and looked down at the pair. "Not only is the house not set up for Muggle life, she refuses to use magic."

"You lived there," Neville said, glad to see Snape wince. "It just needs some updates. Hermione could do that for you. She'll use her magic when she has a need."

"I am sure your mother did not live with magic," Minerva chimed in. "By your own admission your father did not allow it. Don't try to convince me the house is not up to Muggle standards. You are convincing only yourself. A little paint and a few patches and it will be just fine."

Snape stood and scowled and them both before leaving the greenhouse, hearing Minerva's laughter and Neville's chuckles.

Spinner's End indeed, he thought. What he didn't need was more restrictions on his time and one more thing to check up on and worry about. The roof leaks, he remembered suddenly, as does the window in the sitting room and the cellar floods during heavy rains. The electricity had been shut off for so long he did not know if the wiring was sound and the neighbours would be curious and come pounding on her door expecting introductions and welcoming the new tenant.

.