I know, I know. I'm a bad egg! Leaving you hanging on such a cliff hanger! But I have to thank you all for your reviews and simply reading my little story. Made me ever so happy that you liked the last chapter.

Keep in touch. I'm more than willing to hear any ideas you might have for me to include in the story.

disclaimer: Not mine.

Hermione looked blankly towards Severus, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the right words. Her mind a blank canvas as all thought seemed to come to a halt as it stuttered over his announcement.

At that moment in time, she would be happy with any word to break the silence. However, she was sure if she did manage to speak, no words would escape but only an undignified squeak. Of all the things to be announced, she didn't expect that little bomb shell. The silence seemed to stretch out, causing both parties to shift subconsciously as it became unbearable.

"Hermione?" He whispered from his position on the floor. His expression blank but his eyes showed his fear and heartbreak. He looked so vulnerable as he looked up to her, it was as though he was awaiting his judgement. The axe to finally come down, to end his life as he knew it.

She pushed her hand through her hair, growling as her fingers snagged on her thick curls and closed her eyes as she tried to think through the situation. This was too big. She wasn't ready for this; she wasn't expecting him to blurt out something so monumental. Something that would change her entire life.

Her life had been made of lies. The man she had grew up being her father, being there for her, making her laugh, kissing her scraped knees and giving her tight, squeezing hugs wasn't her real dad. Did he even know? Did he know that his best friend had betrayed him, slept with his wife? She thought she knew her mother but since the summer it seemed that she had only kept secrets.

She opened her eyes, looking down at her godfather- her mind stuttered once more as a small voice whispered in her mind 'father actually'. A flash of betrayal flared through her, forcing her to take a step back.

She couldn't bear to look at him, he had ripped her loving family apart and her Dad didn't even know it.

She stepped away, turning around and walked towards the window to look down into the small concrete yard that served as Headquarters back garden. She missed the wave of agony that passed over Severus's face as she turned away from him.

He remained kneeling on the floor, dropping his head to gaze at the worn floor beneath him. His raven black hair fell forward to cover his face. He couldn't look at Hermione anymore. His own daughter had looked at him with pure disgust before turning away from him, she hadn't spoken but had just turned herself away from him.

His only light in the darkness had left him.

He hadn't realised how much her pure goodness had been his guiding light in the shadows until it was gone.

He felt numb. He felt alone. God, he felt like his heart was breaking.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm not the best father there is but I do love you so much Hermione. I'm so proud of you, you need to know that. I never meant to hurt you." He whispered, his gaze never moving. I'm not my father, I'm not my father!

"You never meant to hurt me!" She hissed, causing him to flinch at the coldness and venom directed at him. "What of my dad? You are- were- his best friend and you slept with his wife and got her pregnant. He doesn't even know!"

He finally looked up, his eyebrows pushed down and his lips pursed as stared at her with confusion. "Have you jumped to conclusions so quickly? Created a little story in your mind and now its treachery and defamation from all corners?" He sneered as he finally picked himself up from the floor and walked towards her. "You seem so quick to denounce your mother. I didn't know you thought her to be a whore!"

"She had a child with another man while married, at the moment I feel like I don't know my own mother." She growled towards the overbearing man, unable to look him in the eyes.

He had betrayed her. She had trusted him, she had defended him for years by maintaining he was a good man and he does something like this to his best friend. If he believed this to be morally okay, what other things did he believe to be acceptable?

"Just sit on the bed girl, its time you heard the truth." He sneered at her for a moment before he rubbed his face with his palms. "Please Hermione. You can be angry with me all you like but wait until you hear how you were conceived first."

She looked at him, considering whether to let him talk or to run out of the door, to the safety of another room. Her eyes flickered to the door then to the bed. She sighed heavily, she could pretend all she liked, she would never leave the room with such a big mystery in front of her. She needed to know what had caused her mother to betray her father so deeply, she could never move on if she didn't know the complete truth. She wearily sat down upon her bed and looked up to the closed off man above her.

She watched as he paced in front of her in the little space between her and Ginny's bed. She didn't expect the girl to come to bed for a few hours, enjoying the family Christmas downstairs but she didn't know how her and Russ would explain their agitated state if she did.

"About 15 months before you were born, your mother and I started dating. Before you continue on a rant about infidelity and all things dark, Dawn and Rob weren't together then. They started dating, 6 months after you were born and were married when you were 2 and half. It seems to me, your parents told you a few white lies to cover up their past." He paused to rub his face with his palms once more, ignoring the unbecoming expression of Hermione's wide eyes and mouth looking at him with astonishment.

"We only dated for a couple of months. We soon realised that even though we loved each other, it was more love of friendship or that of siblings. However, life likes to throw a few spanners in the works and Dawn soon discovered she was pregnant with you. After many discussions, we decided that we would remain apart but we would still bring you up together. I tried not to show how excited I was, however when it came to you I showed my emotions like a Gryffindor. I truly was pathetic when you were involved. We were both young but with me teaching and your mum about to qualify as a dentist it was okay, we coped."

"Rob was excited as you can imagine, buying presents for you, talking to the bump and generally being annoying. He is actually your named Godfather." Severus said with a sigh as he walked over to the window to look into the distance. "It was okay for the first couple of years. Dawn and Rob finally got together when you were 6 months, their will they/ won't be relationship was really beginning to grate on me but I wasn't jealous. I was happy as I had you. Someone who loved me and didn't judge me, a little girl who I could spoil."

"When you called me Daddy for the first time, I couldn't remember a time when I was so happy. Rob used to bring it up - saying I looked so happy, I looked constipated. He is such an idiot sometimes...All the time when I actually think about it."

"Dumbledore and the Dark lord thought you were only my Goddaughter so my little family were left alone. All of us were happy, you were the little light in our worlds."

He paused once more to look back to Hermione, his eyes bleak as he recounted one of his lowest moments.

"It all changed in the October of 1981. The war was reaching its peak, there was more death and destruction. I was heavily involved with the Death Eaters, spying for Dumbledore and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Suddenly the war ended and I finally believed that I would have my life back, back to spend my time with you. I was devastated about the deaths of Halloween but I hoped I could move on in life. Alas it was not meant to be. Albus decided it would be safer if I didn't see you. Rogue death eaters and the like made it unsafe for you and at the time I thought he was looking out for you, for me, so I wouldn't have to deal with more loss."

"By the time I realised I was being manipulated it was too late." He said with a whisper, his shoulders drooped and his head bowed as though the weight was too heavy for him finally.

Hermione had watched him, her anger slowly residing as she listened to the story. She couldn't believe the amount of lies she had been brought up with, it seemed that most of her life had been a lie but she couldn't blame the man in front of her. It seemed he was a man the victim of manipulation and deceit. He had been punished enough by having to teach his daughter for the last 5 years, with her having no clue of their true relationship.

She coughed slightly, clearing her voice as she said in a small voice, "Why don't I have any siblings then if I'm not dad's true daughter?"

"It was discovered that Rob was infertile." Severus said matter of factly. "Rob used to joke that being hit in the crotch during cricket does have its consequences...Also Rob wasn't to bothered by the results. He was happy with you; he see's you as much as his daughter as I do. He was never upset he never had his own biological children as he raised you."

Hermione nodded numbly, it was too much information. She couldn't think with everything rushing around her head, seemingly stinging her to get attention. "I can't do this Russ..." She said shaking her head to clear it, though it didn't work. "I need time to think. There's too much information, I can't deal with it. I'm sorry Russ, I need space. Please?" She said looking up to him, frowning as she saw his sadden expression as he nodded.

"I will be here when you need me Feathers. Good night little one." He said with a small smile before sweeping out of the room.

Hermione stared at the door he had just swept through before lying down on the bed. She curled up, clutched her sides as sobs erupted from deep in her chest.

That night, Hermione Snape fell asleep sobbing in confusion and pain at the lies she had lived over the last 15 years.

I'm sorry they didn't talk more but its alot to take in. I know I wouldn't want to talk much if I had been hit with that bombshell. Reviews please? let me know what you think.

P.S...At least its not a cliff hanger?