Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own it — I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and not to me; I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Author's Notes:

» Hermione changes her name during the story. However, to make it easier to understand, I'll continue to refer to Hermione by the name we all know. The only times her new name will be used is when she introduces herself to new people, or when someone is speaking to her and addresses her by name.

» This story is has been written in full and new chapters will be posted approximately twice a week.

» Thank you to atokkota for her support and feedback.

.o.O.o.

CHAPTER 13

As they walked down to the dungeons, Aimée holding tightly onto Hermione's hand, Hermione glanced impishly at Severus. "So, am I allowed in the Slytherin common room?"

"Well, normally I wouldn't permit a Gryffindor access but given that Poppy will hex us both if we allow your daughter to do her own packing, I guess I'll have to this time, lest you set me on fire again," Severus drawled and Hermione blushed, while Aimée looked from one to the other in confusion.

"During Harry's first Quidditch match, someone was jinxing his broom. We later found out that another professor had been possessed by Voldemort and was responsible, but at the time, we thought it was Professor Snape. I snuck around behind and set his robes on fire. Admittedly, he wasn't the culprit but I unknowingly knocked over the real culprit on my way to Professor Snape. He had to have Harry's broom in sight all the time and continually reinforce the jinx for it to keep hold and when I knocked him over, the connection broke. By the time he was upright again, Harry had caught the snitch and landed."

"Why did you think it was Professor Snape?" asked Aimée. She liked her snarky professor and couldn't understand why her mother would think badly of him.

"We could see that he was chanting something and assumed it was the curse, not the counter-curse. Professor Snape was a spy and, even though it was between the wars, he had to maintain his cover. He played the villain very well. He couldn't be seen to treat Gryffindors well and he had issues with Harry in particular. We were young enough to take things at face value and easily believed he was the villain," Hermione explained.

By this time, they had arrived at the common room. As Head of House, Severus did not need a password. He tapped the entrance with his wand and the hidden entrance in the wall opened for him. Hermione looked around curiously. She had never seen any common room apart from Gryffindor's and her mind was busy cataloguing the differences between the two. Severus observed her in amusement. "Yes, it's very different to the Gryffindor common room, isn't it?"

Recalled to her senses, Hermione looked at her daughter. "Why don't we go and pack and then you can say goodbye to your friends. There's no rush, you can take as long as you want, Aimée," Hermione said, running her hand through her daughter's hair.

"Thanks, Mum," Aimée whispered, giving Hermione a quick hug. Taking her mother's hand again, she pulled her along to the girls' dorms.

"Madam Gale," Severus called and Hermione turned round, one eyebrow raised in a silent query. "Aimée and her friends are welcome to use my classroom for their farewells. Perhaps you would care to join me in my office for tea while they talk? There's something I'd like to discuss with you before you leave."

"Of course, Professor Snape. Will you be in your office when we finish here?" she graciously agreed.

"I will," he said, before turning and sweeping out of the common room, robes billowing behind him, much to Hermione's amusement. She could not count the number of times she had seen that sight in the past and it brought back many memories, both good and bad. With a sigh, she turned to follow her daughter.

Suddenly tired, Aimée sat down on the bed and watched as her mother packed for her. It did not take long and with a few quick swishes of her wand, everything was neatly packed into Aimée's trunk.

"Wow!" whispered Zephyr, who was also watching.

Hermione smiled at her. "Don't worry, you'll be just as good in time, I'm sure. It just takes practice… usually, anyway." Hermione sat down next to Aimée. "I didn't tell you that I knew the parents of your friend, Teddy Lupin, did I? Well, his mother, who was a Metamorphmagus — that's where Teddy gets it from — was one of the clumsiest people I've ever met. I think it might be because being a Metamorphmagus affected her centre of balance. Anyway, she was as an Auror and very scary with a wand. I duelled her once or twice. Of course, I wasn't supposed to as I was underage at the time, but we were in a house where underage magic couldn't be detected, so she decided to give me some training. She never could manage to get the hang of household spells, though. Anything defensive or offensive and she was utterly brilliant, but household spells and she just didn't get on with each other." Hermione looked at the girls. "I'm sure you'll all do fine but don't worry if you get a block with one type of spell. The worst thing you can do is pressure yourself. Just relax and keep practising and either you'll work through it or you'll find something else you excel at instead."

"Thank you, Madam Gale," said Zephyr. "That's probably the best advice we've been given since starting Hogwarts."

Hermione began to laugh. "Of course, sometimes people do actually learn better under pressure. Have you heard stories about Professor Potter and the Tri-wizard Tournament?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," said Aimée, even as Zephyr nodded.

"It's a magical tournament that was held every five years between Europe's three largest schools. A champion was selected for each school and they had to compete in three dangerous tasks. It was cancelled after the 1792 Tri-wizard Tournament, when the death count was too high." The girls looked at her, wide-eyed, and she nodded solemnly. "There were several unsuccessful attempts to resurrect it over the years but there was no revival until I was in my fourth year at Hogwarts. At that time, a teacher who later turned out to be a Death Eater, manipulated the Goblet of Fire, which chose the champions, into thinking four schools were competing and entered the name of Harry Potter under the name of whatever false school he chose. So, of course, Harry got selected, since he was the only entry for that school. A new rule had been introduced that year so that only students who were of age could try and enter the competition. Harry, however, was only fourteen and didn't have nearly as much knowledge as the other champions. There are traditionally three tasks in the tournament and the first one involved the champions having to get past nesting dragons to steal a golden egg. Harry, who was a superb flyer, decided to use his broomstick and fly around the dragon. It was a good plan apart from one minor detail: he wasn't allowed to take his broom with him into the arena, he could only take his wand. We had only just been taught the Summoning Charm and Harry had been having problems with it. The night before the first task, I spent most of the night helping him to learn the charm. Once he had finally got it, he joked that perhaps when he was having trouble learning a spell in the future, we should threaten him with a dragon!¹³"

The two girls laughed at that story. Hermione was pleased to see a smile on Aimée's face, as the encounter with Ron and Romilda had been traumatic for her daughter and, upon returning to the common room, she had looked very pale and wan. With the laughter, colour was returning to her cheeks.

"Will you introduce us, Aimée?" Hermione asked.

"Oops! Sorry, Mum! This is my friend, Zephyr Sykes. Zephyr, as I think you worked out for yourself, this is my Mum," said Aimée, making the introductions.

"You do look rather like her, Aimée. It wasn't hard to work out," Zephyr joked. "It's nice to meet you Ma'am."

Hermione smiled at the young girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Zephyr. Aimée has told me a lot about you. You've been a good friend to her."

"Thank you. She's been a good friend to me, too," said Zephyr with a smile.

"Zephyr, you've probably worked out that Aimée is leaving Hogwarts. I hope you'll write to her and maybe your parents will let you come and visit during the summer holidays," suggested Hermione.

Zephyr, who had been looking sad as she watched Hermione pack Aimée's trunk cheered up at that. "Of course I'll write to her! And I'd love to come and visit if my parents will let me."

"Perhaps they could come too," suggested Hermione. "Have a holiday in Canada."

Zephyr nodded solemnly. "I'll ask them," she promised.

Good," said Hermione. "Now, could you do us a favour, please? Could you round up Aimée's friends and bring them all down to Professor Snape's office to say goodbye to her? That includes her friends from other Houses, like Victoire Weasley and Teddy Lupin."

"Of course!" exclaimed Zephyr, bounding off her bed and running out.

With another flick of her wand, Hermione shrunk Aimée's trunk and tucked it in her pocket. "Come on, beloved Aimée," she said, holding out her hand to her daughter.

Aimée gladly took Hermione's hand and walked out with her. When they reached the Potions Master's office, Hermione knocked on the door. When he barked "Enter!" they pushed the door open.

"Aimée, sweetheart, sit down, please. Professor, would you mind looking her over — I think she might need a Pepperup Potion — or would Madam Pomfrey prefer to check over Aimée herself?" asked Hermione.

"I have no doubt that our beloved Mediwitch would prefer to check over Miss Gale herself but let me see if it's necessary before you drag her down here," he drawled, waving his wand. Turning, he headed towards his store room. "Drink this, Miss Gale," he ordered as he returned with a small vial in his hand. The Pepperup did much to refresh her but Severus warned Hermione. "Don't give her any more. When Miss Gale has finished saying goodbye to her friends, Poppy will come and check on her, and will probably advocate lots of rest rather than lots of Pepperup."

Hermione nodded. "That's fine. Aimée can rest when we get back home and then when Poppy thinks she's recovered enough to travel, she can go back to Canada. I'm sure she'll be much happier at home and Penny will look after her very well."

"That would be Penelope Clearwater, would it not?" asked Severus.

"Yes, it is. Aimée and I share a home with her and her daughter," Hermione explained.

'Ah! That explains why Aimée calls her Aunt. Because she lives with her,' he realised in satisfaction at having solved that mystery. For all his acuity, Severus did not realise the other reason. He had not paid attention to the romance between Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater.

A knock came at the door and three Slytherin first year girls, plus Victoire Weasley and Teddy Lupin all filed in. Hermione smiled when she saw Victoire and Teddy. Victoire looked so much like her mother that it was immediately obvious who she was and Teddy, whose hair was in his favourite shade of blue, looked very much a mix of both his parents. She had a pang of regret for all the years she had missed but banished it from her mind. 'I had different priorities,' she admitted, albeit with a touch of sadness. 'Aimée needed me to leave Britain far more than Teddy needed me to stay. He had his grandmother, the Potters and the Weasleys. Aimée only had me.'

Severus indicated to the children that they should go through to his classroom. Closing the connecting door behind him, he waved his wand, erecting a ward that Hermione was unfamiliar with. She raised her eyebrows at him and he explained. "It allows us to hear them but keeps our conversation private."

Hermione looked excited to hear about that. "Would you teach it to me, please?" she asked enthusiastically and Severus burst out laughing.

"You haven't changed at all, have you, Madam Gale? Still a little know-it-all!" This last was said with amused affection rather than the biting sarcasm of her childhood and she grinned at him.

"Nope," she agreed cheerfully. "In that respect, I'm still the same."

"That's good to know," he said warmly and Hermione blushed.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Severus shifted in his chair. "Would you like some tea, Madam Gale?" he asked politely.

"I'd love some, please," she answered. "And call me Nonie."

"Severus," he replied.

He summoned an elf and requested tea. Two minutes later, a tea tray appeared in front of them with a pop. Severus poured two cups and then sat back in his chair. Cup in his hands, he eyed Hermione appraisingly. "Are you ever going to tell her that her father is that witless oaf she met earlier today?"

Fortunately, Hermione was not drinking at the time or she would undoubtedly have sprayed tea all over Severus' desk. After the rather harrowing confrontation with Ronald, she had completely forgotten that Severus had indicated previously that he had worked out Aimée's parentage. Startled, she looked up at him, only to see him smirk back in response.

"As her Head of House, I have access to her records. I checked her date of birth. It seemed fairly obvious," he explained.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose it must be. I'm grateful no one else seems to be aware when her birthday is."

"I'm surprised no one thought to ask me!" he retorted. "I believe they all assumed that Gale is your married name and so it didn't occur to them that the Ginger Menace might be her father. She really is you through and through, isn't she? I can't tell you how grateful I was when I realised who her father is that she clearly has your brains."

Hermione grinned. "I know! I give thanks for that every day, too! Severus, I don't suppose you know if magic could affect something like that? A child taking completely after one parent and not at all after the other?"

"I'm afraid I don't. Why?"

"I kept wishing during my pregnancy that she would be like me and not Ronald and, well, you said yourself there's nothing of Ronald in her. I wondered if magic might have responded to that wish somehow."

"Hmm, it is something to consider, I suppose. Who knows what magic can do? However, if you wish to pursue that line of thought then I would suggest you wait until you have returned to Canada. It would not be advisable to ask questions like that here," he advised. "Britain would be horrified that a mother can wish for the father to play no part in the formation of a child in the womb. It could even cause fathers to disown their children."

Hermione shook her head. "I certainly won't ask! It's something I've been wondering about ever since she was born. Penny and I have speculated about it many times but I've never wanted to know the answer. She's my daughter and I love her and that's good enough for me."

Severus nodded. "So will you tell her?" he asked.

"I told her a long time ago that her father and I didn't part on good terms but that if she ever wanted to know about him or to meet him, I'd arrange it. I told her not to judge him just because he and I were no longer friends."

Severus snorted. "Well, he's hardly likely to have endeared himself to her today! I suspect that if ever you were to mention his name to her, that would end any desire for her to get to know him," he drawled dryly.

Hermione giggled. "I imagine you're right. Thank you, Severus. For taking care of Aimée and for keeping my secrets."

"It's a pleasure, Nonie. It was always a regret of mine that I wasn't in a position to be able to encourage you when you attended Hogwarts. With you being a Gryffindor, a Muggleborn and Potter's best friend, it would have been far too dangerous for us both. It's been a delight to teach Aimée. I completely understand why you're withdrawing her from Hogwarts and agree with your decision. I'm just sorry I won't be able to see her progress as a potioneer. She has real talent."

Hermione glowed at this praise of her beloved daughter. "I wonder, Severus, if you would be open to receiving letters from Aimée? Her letters to me have been full of how you've been mentoring her. She appreciated it so much. I'm sure she'd love to keep in touch."

"I'd be honoured," he said, deeply touched. "In fact, I'd like to write a letter to the Potions Mistress at Sauveterre about Aimée, if I may?"

"I'm sure Aimée would be honoured," Hermione replied, echoing his words.

"Then I shall do so," smiled Severus.

Hermione smiled back warmly. 'He's a good man,' she thought. 'Far more so than Ronald, Harry or those dratted Marauders who drove him into the arms of Voldemort. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better.'

"Severus?" she asked. "Would you mind if I wrote to you as well? I'd like to stay in touch with you, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," he replied warmly. "In fact, I'd like that very much."

They smiled at each other again and then began to talk of other matters: potions theory, book preservation, articles and books they had both read, and much else. Eventually, the teapot was empty and when Severus offered to get a refill, Hermione regretfully demurred.

"I would love to stay and talk more but I'm afraid I can't. I think it's time to take Aimée home. She needs to rest," Hermione replied.

"Of course," he said, standing up and ushering her towards his classroom. "It was good to see you again, Nonie."

"You too, Severus."

Hermione collected Aimée, who insisted on introducing them all to Hermione before leaving. "Hyacinth Higgs and Anthea Pucey? Are your fathers Terrence and Adrian? I remember them," she said when the two girls nodded. "I was in a different year so we didn't really know each other but I knew who they were. It's nice to meet you both."

Hermione turned to Teddy and Victoire with a warm smile. "And there's no mistaking who you two are. I knew your parents quite well. My name is Nonie Gale but they would have known me as Hermione Granger. You may have heard of me?" The gasps of surprise told Hermione that they had all heard of her, not only the two Gryffindors. "Your parents were very special people, Teddy, and I still miss them. Your parents were always very good to me as well, Victoire. Please give them my regards but I would ask you to wait a few weeks until you do so. When she writes to you, Aimée will let you know when it will be all right to mention me."

Victoire nodded, not understanding but acceding to Hermione's request. Hermione chatted with Aimée's friends for a few more minutes and then, after encouraging them to write to Aimée and issuing invitations to them all to visit, she and Aimée left. Hermione took Aimée back to the infirmary for Madam Pomfrey to check her over again. She also collected a list of care instructions from the Mediwitch. "I don't care if she travels by Muggle means or by international portkey, she's not to travel at all for another week, do you hear me, Miss Gale?"

"I understand, Madam Pomfrey. Don't worry, I won't do anything to jeopardise Aimée's health," she assured the Mediwitch.

Madam Pomfrey smiled at her. "No, I didn't think you would. You always were the sensible one of the Trio."

Hermione gave the Mediwitch a small smile, not really wanting to be reminded of Ronald, or even Harry. Thanking Madam Pomfrey, they made their way out of the castle. Halfway down to the school gates, Aimée turned and looked back at the castle. "Hogwarts is beautiful but she houses some really ugly-natured people," she commented.

"Unfortunately so," Hermione agreed. "Not that everything at Sauveterre will be all sweetness and light. Real life doesn't work that way," she warned Aimée.

"I know. But at least Reuben Weasley won't be there. Plus, I'll be with Phoebe. I miss her," Aimée protested.

Once they had passed the wards, Hermione side-along apparated Aimée back to their temporary home in Stratford. Once there, Hermione quickly made them a late lunch, after which she unpacked for Aimée and then sent the by now exhausted girl to bed for a nap. All that done, she sat down on the sofa with a badly needed cup of tea and looked at her watch. Seeing that it was too early to phone, she picked up her laptop from the coffee table in front of her and emailed a long missive to Penny, updating her almost sister-in-law as to what had happened.

After a long telephone conversation with Penny the next day, Hermione emailed her month's notice to her current employer and to her landlord, citing family issues in Canada as her reason. Her landlord sent back a straightforward acknowledgement, not really caring one way or the other, but her employer asked to meet with her the next day.

Early on Monday morning, Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade, where there was less chance of her running into someone she knew than in Diagon Alley. Entering the owl post office, she sent off an international post owl to Directrice Leclair, the Headmistress of Sauveterre Academy of Magical Studies, to enrol Aimée for the coming term. That job done, she went to work and her meeting with her employer.

"I'll be very sorry to see you go, Nonie," he said. "You've been the driving force behind this project."

"I'm sorry to be leaving. I would have liked to have seen it through to the end. Circumstances beyond my control, I'm afraid," she apologised.

"Nothing serious, I hope?" he asked concernedly.

"Not serious but it does require my attention and I can't put it off until after this project ends at the end of February." Truth be told, Hermione was sorry to be leaving before the end of the project. She did not like not seeing something through that she had committed to, nor did she like letting people down. She could have stayed in Britain until the end of the project, knowing that Penny would take good care of Aimée in the meantime, however, she had been very tense and jittery ever since she arrived back in Britain and her gut instinct was telling her to leave again. For the sake of her nerves, she would be glad when she was home in Canada. A weight that she was not even aware she had been carrying had lifted from her shoulders when she had decided to hand in her notice and return home. She felt that the only good thing about her stay in Britain was the burgeoning friendship with Severus Snape.

Her employer sighed and gave in graciously. "Can you recommend someone who could take over? I'm not sure anyone in your team is ready for leadership yet," he asked.

Hermione thought for a moment. Digging out her mobile phone, she searched through the address book for a couple of names, scribbling down their telephone numbers and email addresses. "I don't know if either of them is available but they'd both be a good fit for this project," she said. Hermione's employer nodded and pocketed the slip of paper, bidding Hermione a good day as he left her office. With that, she knuckled down to work, wanting to do as much as she could before withdrawing from the project next month.

A week later, Aimée was ready to take her portkey to Canada. Minerva had kindly arranged it for her because Hermione did not want to have to make contact with the Ministry. Aimée's trunk was packed, shrunk and in her pocket. Aimée gave Hermione one last hug.

"Don't worry, Mum. I'll be fine until you get back," she reassured her tearful mother.

"I know, beloved Aimée," Hermione replied, kissing Aimée's head. "Now remember, to call me and let me know you got there safely."

"Yes, Mum," Aimée said, rolling her eyes. Every time Aimée did that, Hermione was reminded of just how much like herself Aimée was. With one last kiss and a hug, Hermione spoke the activation word and Aimée was whisked away to the Ministry of Magic in Ottawa, where Penny would be waiting for her. They would floo home together from there.

The next few weeks passed quickly for Hermione, as she focused her energies on her job, working long hours as she tried to compensate for quitting before the project was finished. Her feelings of guilt were not enough to make her change her mind and decide to stay and see the project through. Hermione was counting the days until she could leave Britain, which she had developed a strong aversion to, a feeling that increased with every letter from Harry. He wrote to her once a week and she actually had to force herself to open his letters and read them. Deep down, she admitted to herself that it would be nice to regain her friendship with Harry but, in reality, she knew that ship had sailed long ago.

She arrived back in Canada a week before Christmas, two days earlier than Aimée expected, having arranged with Penny to surprise Aimée. Apparating outside the apartment, Hermione opened the door and went in. "Hello?" she called. "Anybody home?"

"Mum!" cried Aimée, who came barrelling out of her room, where she had been reading over her new course books for Sauveterre and catching up on assignments. Although she would only begin studying at Sauveterre after the holidays, the Headmistress had sent Aimée all the assignments her year group had received during the first term, so that she would not fall behind her classmates. Penny had helped her with the practical work in the evenings. Most of the first term's curriculum was fairly similar to that of Hogwarts but there were still the weeks of schooling that she had missed to be taken into account. Between Penny and Directrice Leclair, they had ensured she would be at the same stage as the rest of her year when she joined Sauveterre.

"Hello, beloved Aimée," whispered Hermione, as she caught her daughter in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"I thought you weren't coming for two more days?" asked Aimée with an enormous smile.

"I wanted to surprise you," answered Hermione with a smile of her won.

"You did! It's the best surprise!" said Aimée, happily cuddling her mother.

By the time Hermione had unpacked and settled back into the familiar apartment, it was as though she had never been away. She was extremely grateful to be home again. "Remind me never to accept another job offer in Britain," she said to Penny, as they sat chatting over a glass of wine that evening.

"That bad?" asked Penny sympathetically.

Hermione shuddered. "That bad," she confirmed with a nod. "Different to how it was when we were children but just as bad in it's own way. I feel a bit of a traitor for abandoning Britain to its problems but Severus says that's the behaviour of a fool. He says I can't fix everything and that I shouldn't feel guilty about doing what's right for myself for a change."

"Severus, huh?" asked Penny with a smirk. Hermione had shown no interest in dating in all the years they had been sharing a flat but there seemed to be a definite frisson of attraction here. Penny was pleased to see it. She had worried about Hermione's almost nun-like existence. She knew why Hermione found it so hard to trust people but living a half life was not good for her. 'Sometimes, we have to take a chance and risk getting hurt,' Penny thought, not for the first time.

Hermione blushed, to Penny's great pleasure. Like the good friend she was, she refrained from teasing Hermione. "I'm not sure I can imagine ever calling Professor Snape by his first name," Penny shivered. "I'm still too scared of him!"

Hermione chuckled. "He's not quite so scary now that he doesn't have to play a role all the time. He was very good to both me and Aimée. He's developed a bit of a fondness for her. He mentored her in potions, in addition to the regularly scheduled classes, and he promised to write to the Potions Mistress at Sauveterre about Aimée."

"Mistress Betony Green? She's good but she's no Professor Snape," said Penny. "Phoebe and Felix like her but I'm not sure Aimée will be too impressed, not if she's been receiving private tutoring from Professor Snape."

Hermione sighed. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she said. "Worse come to worst, I'll ask Severus for a recommendation for a private Potions tutor, to help Aimée along on home weekends and during the holidays. That'll have to satisfy her for now."

.o.O.o.

¹³ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 20 by JK Rowling

.o.O.o.

A/N: Don't worry - we're not finished with Britain, Severus or the Weasleys yet!