Ms Hermione Granger

This is an official summons for your (Mandatory) appearance at the Wizegamot Hearing

Dated 30th June this year.

For the case of

Hermione Jean Granger versus Molly Weasley (nee Prewett)

For the sole custody of Rose Granger...

Despite Severus's assurances that they had another month to sort this whole mess out before the court date, Hermione had panicked so much on receipt of the summons, that Severus had to send her to bed with a calming draught. He'd managed to explain to Rose that Hermione was feeling poorly, and had tasked her with the extremely important job of drawing a picture to make her feel better. Rose was attacking this task with the single minded determination that her mother was famous for, and Severus couldn't help but smile at her small form laid out on the rug with her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth, so focused was she on her important work.

Severus made a few important floo calls and sent a number of owls, and it was well into the afternoon before Hermione re-appeared, still looking sick but less like she was about to have a heart attack. Rose had immediately jumped onto the sofa when Hermione sat down, presenting her the picture which made her smile a watery smile. "Miss Rose has done me the great favour of providing some artwork for you, upon my request, for I assured her it would make you feel much better."

"Thank you baby, this has definitely cheered me up" She whispered and placed a kiss on her forehead, Rose smiled at her and hugged her back and Severus watched her with a pain in his chest as she held tightly to the young girl, and buried her face in the wild mane of curls so alike her own.

He brought Hermione a cup of tea, and some juice for Rose, who took it and began to drink. They'd both been so pleased with her progress. Rose was sleeping better, eating more and being more and more open to interacting with them. It pained them both to even consider what would happen should Molly prevail. Rose had put on weight and Hermione swore she'd grown half an inch in the past month as well, though was still small for her age.

Severus knew that if Hermione chose to leave with Rose, it would break his heart, but he would accept it as her decision.

Though without a doubt one thing was certain.

He would not allow anyone to take either of them from him.

oOo

Rose was drawing on the rug as Severus and Hermione spoke softly behind a muffliato to conceal their words.

"Kingsley is Furious" Severus said with a sneer. "The whole point was to keep everything quiet so they could lay the net and try and grab the cretin when he became too complacent, Kingsley's keeping a lid on it for now but if this hearing goes ahead it will be allover the prophet" He took an angry sip of his tea, before vanishing the cup back to the kitchen with a grimace when he discovered it had gone cold. "He's a trained auror, he knows how to go to ground but he's a fool and a cocky one at that. Enough time goes by and he starts to think he's going to get away with it, he gets too complacent and then he gets caught." His nostrils flared as he breathed out angrily. "The second he gets wind of this court hearing, he'll vanish for good."

"Severus...what if Molly doesn't know?" She asked quietly, and he turned askance to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

She turned to regard him quietly.

"I certainly haven't spoke to any of them, other than to let them know we were safe, and Kingsley's been making sure everything was kept private for our sakes... They know that we fought, and that he attacked the aurors...but what if she doesn't know exactly what Ronald has done? I don't think this would've happened if she did"

"Because of course from what you've told me, she's always been so rational about Rose's care before?" Was his sneered answer.

Hermione winced, conceding the point. There had been little success in persuading Molly before that the bustling atmosphere of the Burrow was not he best place for Rose to visit, the Weasley matriarch always insisting on frequent visits to the homestead, despite Hermione's protests that it upset Rose.

"Fair point, but Arthur...I don't think he'd let her do this if he knew. Rose is terrified of him, and that's always hurt him I know, but he's always done whatever I asked. Always been so careful of her needs, He wouldn't push for this If he knew everything".

Severus ran his finger over his lips as he contemplated her words, when a thought struck him.

"And the other Weasleys?" He asked.

"What of them?" She responded with a puzzled glance.

"Would they respect your wishes, if they knew the truth?"

For a moment Hermione contemplated his words.

"Well Ginny would side with her mother for sure if she was here, but it's very doubtful she would leave America to do so. Her and Harry are settled over there, especially now he's made Chief Auror at Macusa. Pluse she's got one young boy and another on the way"

"And the men?"

"George would believe me, without a doubt, He's like a brother to me. Percy I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw him, and Charlie I can't be sure as I've only seen him a handful of times and he's still in Romania, though I doubt he'd stand against his mother with me, I don't think he'd stand against me either, He's the most likely to play Switzerland, and Bill..."

"Bill?"

"Bill's a father twice over"

Severus nodded carefully, there was no doubt the man would know what was best for the child.

"Another bastion of red headed Weasley boys to grace Hogwarts in a few years no doubt, Gryffindor shall be overrun." He said with a grimace.

She snorted a little in laughter.

"Hardly. Victoire is probably the first blonde haired Weasley to ever exist, though that's likely the Veela from Fleur's side of the family, and I'd peg her as a Ravenclaw."

"William has a daughter?" Severus asked.

"Two, Victoire is a couple of years older than Rose and Dominique is coming up 2"

Severus's thoughts were interrupted, and the wind knocked out of him, by an exuberant 3 year old climbing over his lap, knee precariously close to rather delicate parts of his anatomy, to reach her mother and show them the pictures she'd drawn, as Hermione smiled at the pair of them in amusement.

oOo

Later that night, Hermione was still quiet and withdrawn. Severus had gone to his lab to make a few private floo calls, and for the most part of the day Hermione had sat upon the sofa, watching Rose fondly, whilst attempting at least to read.

After dinner she was sat upon the sofa, whilst Rose played and Severus took his usual seat in his chair. After the first night it had become their routine, that when it came for "Story time" Rose would always retrieve Severus from his chair, and the three of them would sit upon the sofa together whilst Hermione read the story. Then they would kiss each other on the cheek, give the sign for goodnight and Hermione would take Rose to bed.
She wasn't sure she was ready to read a cheerful children's story about happy families, be they ducklings or not, and quite frankly she was that emotionally exhausted that she could just go to bed and sleep for a week.

Something of it must have shown in her expression, for Unbeknown to her, Rose had watched her mother, seen that she was tired and upset and when she went to retrieve her book for story time, instead of seating herself next to her mother on the sofa as was their custom, she hugged her and kissed her cheek, giving her the sign for goodnight, Then to the surprise of all of them, pulled herself onto Severus's lap.

There was no-one more surprised than Severus. As his wide eyes quickly met hers. Though Rose allowed Severus to pick her up once in the supermarket, and would sit between them on the sofa. This was the first time she'd initiated anything with him, and had taken herself to him of her own accord and sat in his lap. Something she'd never done with Ronald, or any man for that matter. Ronald often held Rose on his knee, but she had always disliked it. She would squirm to get down when she was younger, but as she got older she just sat there stoically. Hermione watched as Rose passed the book to Severus and he took it from her almost reverently, as he gazed in wonder at the 3 year old purchased on his knee.

Hermione wanted to watch them, wanted to see this interaction between her daughter and the man that was quickly becoming more than just a friend. But there was something special about this, something sacred, and it made her not want to intrude. This was their time. She kissed her daughter goodnight, and followed with a kiss to Severus's cheek that lingered longer than it had any right to do, and she left them to their story.

For his part, Severus struggled to hold himself together, and he felt the burning of his eyes as tears threatened to fall. A nudge from the girl in his lap had his attention focused once more.

"Apologies Miss Rose" He cleared his throat and began to read, not doing anything to stop the few tears that slipped from his eyes.

He would not allow anyone to take either of them from him.