A/N:
Bri892 - Thanks for editing!
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Chapter 40: Loopholes and Tricks
"Mummy, Look! Jamie is trying to crawl." Sabrina shouted as she prodded Jaime's tush to propel him forward.
Hermione and Ginny watched, smiling at children on the floor. Sabrina threw a toy across the room and baby Potter tried to scoot forward on his tummy to reach it.
"Go get it, Jaime. You can can do it." Sabrina told the six month old.
"She treats him like a dog. Fetch your toy!" Hermione snickered.
Ginny laughed, "Anyway, you were saying things were going well."
"Yes, well, they are. Remember I wanted to feel young and in love and important? It's like that Ginny. He's an older man, yet acts like a young man. He's fun and energetic. He makes me feel like I am cherished. It's very different than anything I have ever experienced. He's the one I want to spend my life with," She sighed, "I feel like I am being idealistic but it's real."
The women hugged and Ginny rubbed Hermione's back. "Tell me more about him."
"Severus is complicated and set in his ways. He can be a serious grump."
"Daddy gets frowny sometimes." Sabrina interrupted.
"He sure is but frowny is not a word. He is sweet and tender. His dry wit cracks me up."
"And Daddy is silly and fun."
"Yes, Sabrina is quite right. He is very fun," Hermione winked at Ginny.
Ginny swallowed her laugh as Harry entered the room and announced lunch was ready.
"Miss Sabrina, can you ask Jamie if he wants smushed carrots or smushed peas." Harry asked the four year old as they settled the boy into his high chair.
Sabrina chattered about to the baby as the adults served lunch.
Harry handed Jamie a teething biscuit and asked, "How is courting going?"
"Severus thinks he is quite clever by sneaking in the rituals. He believes I didn't know about the lineage papers as he said they were for Sabrina's inheritance. And he had dinner with my parents so we broke bread together."
The group laughed and passed food around the table. They enjoyed their relaxed lunch.
"I am going to talk to my parents about the lace. I think we have some of my great grandmother's stuff in the attic."
Harry wiped Jaime's sticky hands and helped Sabrina feed him with the baby spoon. "Good job. He likes the carrots, doesn't he?"
"Open up, Jamie. Here is another bite." Sabrina wielded a spoonful of orange goo towards the boy. Harry's hand covered hers, slowing her down.
Ginny turned to Hermione, "The lace? You are ready for a proposal? It's not even been three months?"
"I am ready. I know him, I live with him, I am raising a child with him and I love him. What more do I need to know?"
Harry and Ginny had both turned in their seats, staring at her. Finally, Harry broke the silence, uttering "Wow."
Ginny gave Hermione a fierce hug.
"Uncle Harry, why are Mummy and Ginny crying?"
~~~~O-O~~~~
Hermione decided to leave Sabrina with Harry and Ginny as she headed to her parent's home.
She took a deep breath and flooed into her parents' living room. They were on the couch, drinking tea.
"Hermione, good morning dear. What brings you by?" Anna asked her daughter, "Here, I'll pour you a cuppa."
"Mum, Dad, I am ready to present lace to Severus and move forward in the courting process."
Mark stood up and crossed the room, pulling Hermione into a hug, "My baby girl is getting married."
Anna joined them in a Granger family hug. There were tears mixed in the hugging and kissing before Mark stepped back.
"You ladies will cry at anything. We knew this was going to happen when Severus approached us at the Weasley's. Remember how the whole 'I want to court your daughter' talk went? This is going to be even better."
Hermione looked up at her father's face; he was smiling with his eyes glistening. She exchanged a look with her mother.
"Alright, let's head up to the attic and looking through Nana Granger's things." Anna led the way to the upstairs.
~~~~O-O~~~~
A few days later, Severus entered the kitchen and announced, "Hermione, I think it's time you moved into my bedroom."
She looked up from stirring the porridge for their breakfast, "Sorry, the courting rituals do not allow cohabitation prior to the binding."
He huffed at her, "We have broken all the other courting rules!"
"And yet you insist on formal courting," she retorted.
The conversation ended when Sabrina burst into the room, chattering about France.
"Do you think we will see Madeline's house? Can we have pain au chocolat? Can I climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower?"
Severus was pleased to turn his business trip to Beauxbatons into a family vacation. Now he just had to get everything else in order. He was still in disbelief over what had transpired the past few months. He had courted Hermione despite her objections to the "being treated like chattel."
When he approached her father about courting, the man actually choked back his laughter before tears leaked from his eyes. He could barely catch his breath as he wished Severus luck with Anna and Hermione.
Using loopholes, he had met the courting rituals from presenting her with a love card (invitation to dinner - which she accepted unknowingly participating in the ritual by returning her answer via written note) to presenting her with flowers and his intentions to her father. They had broken bread several times. And his shining moment, he had presented her with his lineage papers under the guise of Sabrina's inheritance test.
Severus was ready to ask for Hermione's hand in marriage. He knew that Hermione would need to present him with a piece of fabric (traditionally lace) from her family in order for him to ask her to marry him. He wondered if he could convince Mark and Anna Granger to prod Hermione along. He wanted to include Sabrina in his proposal and a romantic dinner in Paris seemed to be the perfect setting
Severus wondered what type of reaction would he get out of Mark this time around. Probably more laughter; he would happily accept that if it meant Anna wouldn't smack him again.
Huffing again, he pushed away those thoughts and concentrated on getting Sabrina fed and dressed for school.
~~~~O-O~~~~