Summary: She wondered briefly if she could call it a mistake if she did not regret it one bit. Falling back into love with her school sweetheart, a man that used to bring excitement to her boring life, a man she had used to imagine a future with, it was not a mistake – but maybe betraying their spouses for one night of regrets were? Either way, the baby would be their child. Born of rash decisions and hopeful regret, perhaps, but still theirs.
House of Prince
Chapter 2.
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Hermione had, like her older brother, been quite the easy baby to care for. Doing her early years, she hardly ever cried or threw any tantrums, even doing her teething all Eileen and Tobias had to hear from her was the occasional displeased gurgle's she made at everything.
Severus hadn't been pleased at the new baby's arrival for a while, he had quickly realized that another baby meant 'sharing,' something he wasn't quite used to – he had quickly realized he had nothing to worry about, for it seemed Hermione loved Severus more than she did even Tobias and Eileen, something the proud parents found oddly endearing.
Her children were hardly babies anymore though, and as she watched the two of them play together on the carpet in the living room, Eileen realized how fast time had passed. The toddlers were every mothers dream, well behaved, quiet, yet joy filled like only kids could be. She loved them to pieces, and she couldn't help the mirthful laugh that escaped her lips when she saw the two sit together over a children's book.
Severus and Hermione were exceptionally brilliant, despite being the tender age of four, Hermione could read as fluently as her brother – which was saying a lot. Their skills progressed every day, and she wasn't entirely sure where they had gotten their intellect, she had always been smart, but never to the point her children might one day reach. She liked to imagine that it had been from her husband's side of the family, but she knew very well that only Severus would show such outstanding intellect if that was the fact.
Despite her children being so alike in mindset and growth, Hermione and Severus were two very different children, and there was nothing wrong with that, except for how it reminded Eileen of her little misdeed years ago.
Personality wise Severus had always been a stoic and introverted child, while it seemed Hermione were more outgoing and much more expressive in general, and while Severus and Hermione both seemed to display intelligence beyond their ages, Severus was a sly and at times cunning child. A true Slytherin in the making, he reminded her so very much of her father.
Appearance was something she hardly ever wanted to think about, looking at her children. Severus had most of her facial features, but his father's chin and coloring, his hair and eyes were both deep black, and as she watched him she couldn't help but feel that he might need another hair cut soon. Severus disliked those immensely though, and thus his hair was almost passed chin-length.
If Severus was winter and ice, Hermione was summer and sun – she hardly looked anything like her brother. Soft features adorned her heart shaped face, unlike Eileen's and Tobias' harsher ones, and her skin was a much warmer tone than Severus' would probably ever hope to be. Her eyes were a honey golden brown and held such warmth, and despite them being nothing like Eileen's own blue eyes or Tobias' black ones, it wasn't what stood out most on the child.
Hermione's hair was a light brown colour, and even as short as it was now (just a tad longer than Severus' really,) her curls were everywhere, wild and untameable. Bot Eileen and Tobias had straight, smooth hair – and so did Lauren. As no one in their family had ever had curls it had been quite the confusion for Tobias, but as he had never seen her father nor mother Eileen would often excuse Hermione's oddities away with 'She looks just like my mother,' or 'She has my father's eyes,' both which were far from the truth.
Manipulating the truth was the only way Eileen knew to keep her family together, Tobias lived happily with her and the children. Ignorance was bliss and –
A loud wail caused Eileen to drop the plate she had been scrubbing back in the sink, "What's going on in here?" she asked as she entered the living room, drying her hands off in the homemade apron she had been given by her mother in law. On the floor sad an upset Hermione, wailing all her lungs could handle, and next to her sat Severus, comforting his sister.
Hermione tried to explain through tears to her mother, but Eileen could hardly comprehend a word of the wobbly words, "Severus?" She asked instead, lifting the girl into her arms, caressing her back gently.
"She hurt herself," he answered eyes resting on the book on the floor, it was meters from where it had been moments before, "there was a spider – Hermione blew it away, and the book hit her in the face."
Eileen raised an elegant brow, "Blew?" she asked chuckling.
Severus nodded, collecting their book, inspecting the damage his sister might have caused it, "Yeah, with wind. It was weird."
Eileen's smile was wiped off her face, Severus hadn't yet had his first bout of accidental magic, so she hadn't expected Hermione to get hers for years. She turned to her daughter, who had quieted down now, her face resting on Eileen's shoulder.
For minutes she just watched her daughter, saying nothing. She didn't know what to say, how to explain it yet, she hadn't anticipated this conversation for at least another year, and at that time it would have been Severus' she would give it to first.
"Mother?" Her son looked at her concerned.
Eileen took a deep breath and situated herself on the couch, "come sit with us Severus, I have something to share with you both."
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Three years flew by with no incident, and both Severus and Hermione had since begun muggle primary school, excelling faster than kids from much higher classes – and had therefore advanced to high school years before they were originally supposed to. Eileen worried a lot for her children's welfare, as making friends with children four years your senior would prove to be hard. Surprisingly, Severus thrived in the new environment, he took to it like a fish did water, and though it was refreshing seeing her usually socially impaired boy, she knew Hermione felt outside in the class. She never once voiced a complain to Eileen or Tobias for agreeing to advance her studies, though.
Eileen felt incredibly guilty, and took to spoiling Hermione, anything the girl wanted she got. Books, clothes, toys, anything. Hermione didn't care much for clothes or toys anymore though, so the spoiling mostly consisted of books, though the girl had begged for a cat once, which might have been the only time Eileen had said no to her. Tobias was allergic to most animals. Hermione had pouted, but not begged further after that.
"Mum?" Hermione came sprinting into the kitchen, book under arm as usual, this one about herbology. Her kids were only allowed magical reading once she knew her husband wouldn't be home until late.
Eileen looked up from her knitting work, she had been listening to a program on the radio half-heartedly, "What is it sweetie?" She asked, giving her daughter her full attention.
The girl blossomed and threw herself into the couch next to her mother, who gave her a small reprimand for her unladylike behaviour, (she hadn't grown up as the Prince heiress to have her kids act like monkeys.) Knees tucked under her legs, sitting sideways, her daughter stared at her excitedly. Eileen gave an amused laugh, "What is it?"
Hermione opened her book and shoved it into her mother's lab, ("Mind my knitwork sweetie!") Eileen skimmed the flyer that previously had been hidden away inside the book, "'Pink Floyd'?" She asked confused, as her daughter nodded extatically.
"Can I please please please go see them? They'll be performing in London in a month, please mum."
Eileen gave a disapproving look, "Hermione, you're seven years old –"
" – Eight in four days."
Eileen rolled her eyes, "Honey, these concerts aren't for children."
Hermione pouted, "They're my favourite band, mum, please."
Eileen sighed resignedly, "If you can get your father to come along, then fine," the cheering and the pure glee in her daughter face was almost worth the argument she would have to have with Tobias over this later.
She would later come to wish she had ever agreed.
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The concert had been a Saturday evening, and thank the small mercies for that, else Hermione would never have been allowed to go. Her father and mother were very school oriented, and nothing that could hinder her education would be as much as considered.
The concert hadn't ended when they had left, but Tobias had decided that eleven o' clock was late enough for Hermione, especially with the drive home and dinner before bed time. When they arrived home both Eileen and Severus would already be asleep, and Tobias himself were rather tired. The music had given him a slight headache – both he and Eileen preferred classical, and Severus took after them there as well.
It had been worth the drive, the headache, and the long wait for the look on his daughter's face as she told him all about the concert she liked, which was everything. He chuckled at her excited antics, surprised she wasn't the least bit tired yet, it was the adrenaline, he supposed.
Hermione stopped her never-ending stream of sentences to watch the road worriedly – something he only knew because the sudden silence had made him curious. "Sweetheart?" He asked, assuming she had finally tired out.
"Let's not take the left lane home daddy," she said suddenly.
Tobias frowned at her weird request, "What? It's the fastest way home, Hermione,"
He practically jumped when she turned to look at him. Big black orbs, soul reading, staring at him – he couldn't see the white in her eyes. "Let's not take the left lane home daddy," she repeated, voice shaking, and despite knowing it was just the lack of lighting in the car playing a trick on him, he couldn't keep his eyes from hers.
He wouldn't admit to it, but he took a detour home, and when he the next morning woke and read the morning paper – reading about a huge fatal crash on the road on the left lane, he wouldn't admit looking across the table into his daughter's eyes. He told himself he wasn't searching for that black nothingness from the evening before, he wasn't confirming that they were in fact the same honey-topaz they always had been.
When she met his gaze with a big smile he looked away, shivering.
Coincidences, yes that was it.
It had to be it.
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He had never paid it any notice before now. But Tobias soon came to know that his daughter held knowledge she shouldn't have or couldn't have acquired. He said nothing – but it irked him. He had half a mind to confront her about, and he had several times thought of sharing his discoveries with Eileen. He didn't though, he would rather keep it to himself than appear insane – if Eileen noticed any change in his attitude towards Hermione, she didn't mention or show it.
For a year, Tobias kept his thoughts to himself, said nothing when he noticed something amiss about his daughter. He could hardly admit that either, that he, a grown man, was afraid of his nine-year-old daughter.
It wasn't until that day in February, Hermione had mentioned she was worried for her grandmother, that Tobias finally snapped. It hadn't been an hour between Hermione mentioning that, and his mother's hospitalization. Pneumonia, they'd said when he arrived distraughtly with Eileen and their kids in tow.
"This is all your fault!" He had turned and snared at her, after the doctor had informed him that his mother more than likely wouldn't make it passed the night – she was too weak they'd said.
"Tobias!" Eileen had exclaimed as she watched him distraughtly, "calm yourself!"
He turned on her sharply, "No, I will not!" His breathing was heavy, he was frustrated, mourning, confused, and unstable, "Stop whatever you're doing to my mum, and stop it now, your little monster."
Hermione was in tears, "I don't know what you're talking about daddy –"
"Don't," his voice was on edge, "don't call me that."
Severus was taken aback, he had noticed their father distancing himself from Hermione, he hadn't realized it was this bad however, "Father…" he whispered, the man turned towards him a hurt look on his face, before turning back to his sister.
Hermione took a step towards him, and in turn Tobias took a step back, "The other two might not have noticed, but I have. I don't know what sort of monster you are, but stay away from my family, you… you… you bringer of unlock."
Eileen was torn between being furious and confused, "Tobias! What in the world is going on! How can you just stand there and treat our daughter like that!"
Tobias gritted his teeth, "That thing," he was pointing towards the sniffling Hermione, "is not our daughter."
Eileen was almost afraid he'd discovered Hermione's heritage, "What are you talking about, Tobias?"
Tobias backed further away from the little girl, real fear evident in his eyes, "That's a monster, Eileen, a real monster. She brings bad luck where ever she goes. Whatever she says, whatever she wants, it happens."
Eileen looked towards Hermione, furrowed brows, "Tobias, you're being ridicul–"
Hermine interrupted, head hanging low, "Are you mad at me because grandmother won't make it passed this hour?"
Tobias froze and Eileen snapped her head towards her daughter, "I.. What was that Hermione?" A nervous tone in her voice.
When the girl looked up, eyes dark as charcoal Tobias recoiled, "I TOLD YOU! SHE'S A MONSTER! SHE'S BEEN DOING THAT FOR A YEAR!"
Severus watching worriedly, "Hermione…" he breathed.
Eileen turned around ignoring her husband, "Sweetie… is this… is this true?"
"Daddy's upset with me," was all she said, staring at her father with the black sad eyes, walking towards him – cornering Tobias between herself and his mother's hospital bed. "Daddy?" she tried out gently.
"Back off!"
Hermione ignored the warning and reached out towards him, but the retaliation was violence like never seen before in her home. He pushed her backwards, and the little girl landed on her backside, head hitting the floor with a crack.
"HERMIONE!" came the shrill cry of his wife as both she and his son hurried towards her, "Tobias, what have you done?"
Tobias realized what he had done when the little girl sat up, blood trilling down her forehead from the top of her scalp, "Hermione… Sweetie… daddy is so so very sorry."
Hermione shook her head at him, "Why do you hate me?" She cried, when he didn't deny nor respond she raised her voice, "WHY DO YOU HATE ME?"
With that sentence followed a storm of accidental magic.
The peaceful family that had been perfect for so many years fell apart, and Eileen watched it happen.
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Soooo despite not having updated any of my stories in an eternity, I hope for your forgiveness. This chapter was written on a whim, with no immidiate plan of where it should be going, and I haven't read it through at all. I just wanted to post it now. I did like how it turned out though - and I AM working on the next chapter of the future isn't set in stone. It'll probably be out some time this month or next month. I'm so sorry for the long wait.
