"Rose, if you don't hurry we'll be late darling," Minerva called from the kitchen where she was doling out breakfast.

"I'm coming," Rose said indignantly. "Gosh!"

"I just want to make sure you're fuelled and ready for the day," Minerva said with a hint of defensiveness.

"I know, I'm just teasing," Rose said. "Sorry Min."

"Quite alright, now eat." She motioned towards Rose's favourite breakfast. "Are you packed?"

"Yeah," Rose mumbled, around a mouthful.

Minerva raised her wand and Rose's trunk came sailing from her room and to the front door.

"It's still cool," Rose said quietly.

"Why thank you."

The first time Minerva had done something around the house with magic, the children had been wide-eyed. Hermione realised that being raised as a Muggle had taught her to do things with her hands that other witches did with their wands. It still amazed Rose and Hugo when Minerva did the dishes with magic or folded laundry without having to stand and do it with her hands, even though they had seen Molly had done the same at the Burrow.

"Min!"

"Hugo?" Minerva said, spinning around.

"I can't find my sneakoscope!"

"I know you can't because do you remember where I told you that you should put it?"

"In my trunk?"

"And where did you put it, darling?"

"Not in my trunk."

Hermione snorted from the sofa where she was working on some last minute changes to a paper she had written over the weekend. She had already turned it in, but the publishers had queried some points, much to Hermione's distaste, although Minerva had agreed that it was better to address them than to argue.

"Does Mum have it?" he whined.

"No, she does not," Minerva said, and Hermione heard a little Professor McGonagall in her voice. "I have it, because it was in your pocket when you put your jeans in the wash."

"Oh," Hugo frowned. "Is it ruined?"

"No, I saved it. But there are two lessons here, aren't there?"

"Yeah," Hugo said with a sigh. "Do as you're told and check your pockets before putting your jeans in the wash."

"I love how intelligent you are my boy," Minerva smiled, producing the sneakoscope from mid-air into her hand.

"I love you, Min," Hugo said absently, hugging her middle and running back to his room. "I'll be two minutes."

Hermione turned to Minerva and smiled at the look on her face. Hugo had been the slowest to accept Minerva's presence in their lives, despite him loving Minerva in principal. Hermione wondered how much of that was what Ron had started saying now and then once he'd heard about their relationship. Rose had put him in his place, shocking them all, but what he had said had been hurtful to the both of them, and it had put their already rocky relationship under more strain. They rarely talked, except to exchange the children now and then.

"We do, you know," Rose said quietly, looking between them. "We love you, Min. I'm glad you moved in."

"I am too, Rosie," Minerva whispered, kissing the girl's forehead.

"Right," Minerva said, packaging up Hugo's breakfast, knowing he wouldn't have time to eat it. "Let's get your trunk in the car, then Hermione can turf your brother out post haste."

The ride home from the station was quiet, but it wasn't awkward. Hermione concentrated on steering the car, rather than Minerva's warm palm on her knee.

"I think that went rather well, didn't it," Hermione chuckled as they walked in the door.

Minerva shut and locked it behind her and turned to Hermione, whose back was against the wall before she could blink.

"I love you," Minerva said. "I cannot keep it in any longer."

"Excellent," Hermione smiled, wrapping a leg around Minerva's hip. "I love you too Min, truly. Now take me back to bed."

"It would be my utmost pleasure."