I apologize to everyone who has so many questions regarding this story. So many of you were angry with the way I left things and I wanted to explain a few things. I know I missed a crucial moment where she could've told him, but you got to remember that she is still young! She is 22 years old and the Professor she had for seven years that hated her was back in her life again. She still see's him as her Professor and she was unsure of herself. She has been alone for years and she doesn't know if she can trust him. There are so many other factors, but I hope you understand why she didn't tell him then. I hope I didn't lose a lot of you with the last chapter, but there is a plan in place. This chapter should hopefully answer a lot of questions, but there is still more to come. I decided to post this one really early because of the reviews I have received. If you missed the one that was posted earlier this morning please go back.
Hermione, Severus, and Sabrina all sat in a booth together looking over the menu. Hermione realized how bad she messed up with not telling him the truth. She panicked and said the wrong thing. She knew she had to make amends immediately with him and tell him the truth. With Sabrina sitting right next to her, she decided to wait until they were alone to tell him the truth. It was time he finally knew. It wasn't fair to keep it to herself any longer.
Severus sat there studying the menu with a slight scowl on his face. The only reason he offered lunch with them was because of the child. He was angry by her behavior. He didn't know what she was hiding from him, but he was going to find out. He was starting to regret offering her the job, but he didn't say anything because she desperately needed it. He didn't know if he can work with someone who continued to lie to him and make up a story. He was going to let her know that when the child wasn't in front of him.
Sabrina sat there coloring the coloring page that she had in front of her. She was unaware of Severus's anger.
The waiter approached them with a friendly smile on his face. "Hello welcome to our café. What can I get you all to drink?"
Severus looked up from the menu. "Water," he said with a barely polite tone.
"And you ma'am?"
"Water for me and apple juice for the little girl," she said quietly. The waiter nodded and walked away from the table. After the waiter left, Hermione decided to say something to Severus to hopefully lessen his anger. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth."
He glared at her, letting her know how angry he actually was. "Not here. We are in a restaurant and your child is present." He quickly dismissed her by getting up and heading to the restroom.
Hermione sighed and stared back down at the menu with tears swimming in her eyes. Where did it all go wrong? Why did I lie to him? Why wouldn't I tell him the truth? She felt awful for lying to him and she started to panic again. What if she couldn't make amends? She didn't want Severus to be mad at her forever. Sabrina deserved both parents to be happy. What have I done? She put her head in her hands and almost began to cry, but she remembered that her child was sitting next to her scribbling all over a picture of a grizzly bear with a brown crayon.
Severus stared at the mirror in the bathroom, trying to gain his composure back. He didn't want to go out there and snap at her but it was difficult for him. What is she hiding from me? Can she really not trust me with that information? All I ever done since showing up on her doorstep was help her out. Why did I even bother? I don't know if I can work with her if she can easily look at me and lie like that. When we return to the shop I am going to confront her. This is getting ridiculous and I'm tired of being in the dark. He nodded at himself and left the bathroom, returning to their table.
The waiter returned to their table with two waters and a child's cup full of apple juice. "Now are we ready to order?"
Severus nodded and said, "Yes we are. I will have the club sandwich with tomato bisque." He closed the menu and handed it to the waiter, pleased that he kept his anger in check, mostly.
"I will have the buffalo chicken panini and my daughter will have the spaghetti and meatballs." She closed the menu and handed both hers and the child's menu to the waiter.
Again it was awkwardly quiet as they waited for their food to come. Hermione didn't attempt to even speak to him again knowing how he reacted the last time. This time Severus broke the silence.
"When we get back to the store, we are going to have a talk regarding this. I don't know if I can entirely trust you Hermione and that is a problem. We will be working together and if you can easily look at me and lie then I don't know if I should have even offered it to you."
She looked down at the table again feeling bad for her behavior. He was right. If she wanted to work with him she had to be truthful. "Alright Severus you're right. We will talk back at the store."
Sabrina looked up from her coloring page sensing the tone at the table changing immediately. "Mommy what's wrong? Are you mad? Is he mad?" She was confused by both of their behaviors. She saw the way the two of them were looking at one another and that made her upset.
"No love everything is fine."
"Then why are you two talking like that? You sound mad." Tears started to fill the young child's eyes as she looked at both of them worriedly. She didn't want to lose her new friend. She liked him a lot. "I like him a lot mommy. He's my friend."
Severus didn't like seeing the child was upset. He should've waited to bring it up when she wasn't sitting there. He didn't think she would sense both of them were angry. "I am sorry Sabrina. I am just a little tired." He made up an excuse, hoping that would stop her tears.
"Maybe you need a nap," she giggled as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"You are right. I do need a nap," he said with a smile, pleased to her tears had went away.
The food came to their table and Hermione started to cup up Sabrina's food knowing the noodles were way too large for her child to eat. Once she was satisfied with the pieces of food on her plate she began to eat her own food. To reassure her child she smiled at Severus and said, "Their food is great. Thank you for suggesting it Severus."
Severus gave her a weak smile back and continued to eat his own food. He hated that they had to pretend to be happy in front of the child, but he didn't want to upset her anymore. He was getting impatient sitting there eating his food, but for now he enjoyed their surroundings. He knew later on they will be arguing later and he was hoping that it wouldn't come to that, but they both were head strong and angry.
When the three of them finished their food Severus ended up paying for all of their food. Hermione opened her mouth in protest, but he gave her a scathing look, shutting her up immediately. The three of them left the café and headed back to the shop, again in complete silence. Sabrina skipped in front of them, jumping over every crack. Hermione watched her child skip all the way down the sidewalk and skip all the way back with a big grin on her face. The more she watched her, the worse she felt.
They returned to the potion's store far too quickly in Hermione's mind. Hermione took out her wand and flicked it at the adjoining room. The new room was transformed into a play room having all sorts of kid toy's available for Sabrina. She turned towards her child who continued to skip around the store. "Dear, how about you go check out the new room I made for you while I talk to our new friend here."
Sabrina was too distracted to hear a word her mother said. She ran into the room and began to play with all the new toys she saw. Hermione quickly casted a muffliato around the room and she turned to Severus, ready to tell him the truth. "I am sorry Severus for my behavior today. You were right. I haven't been telling the truth and I am ready to tell you it."
"Alright then. Let's have it. Who is Sabrina's father?" Severus said, still angry by her lying to him.
She took a deep breath and began to speak. "She is yours Severus. I didn't know how to tell you earlier and I'm so sorry."
"She's mine? How is she mine?" He asked his voice abnormally quiet. It almost came out in a whisper. He was confused by her admittance and his mind started reeling as she continued to talk to him.
She recoiled slightly, surprised by his confusion. "Do the math Severus. We slept together during the war before you died. It adds up perfectly to when Sabrina was conceived and you can't deny she looks just like you."
His mind started working overtime even more, trying to remember the time they ever slept together. His mind slowly formed the image of them fucking against the desk. His anger quickly mounted up again, now realizing she lied to him. "You thought I wouldn't want to know this? How selfish can you be Hermione? What about her? Don't you think your daughter deserves to know who her father is?"
She looked down at the floor in shame, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I am sorry Severus. I didn't think I was ready to tell you. I just saw you only a few hours ago and I didn't know how to explain it to you. I thought you wouldn't want to be a part of her life." The words came out and she saw pure rage cross his face. She instantly regretted saying that knowing she was wrong.
"I am not like my father Hermione. I would have been there. You heard me saying how sorry I was that the person you slept with didn't do right by you. Why would you think I would run away now?"
"I didn't know Severus. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong. I am so so sorry. I should've told you the truth and not assumed. I made a mistake." She tried in vain to defend herself but the harder she tried the angrier he got.
You don't know me at all do you? I am disgusted by you. After I showed you kindness and offered my shop to you this is how you treat me? You were never going to tell me the truth were you? Sabrina deserved to know. I deserved to know."
"I was going to tell you I just wasn't ready. I should have though and I can't take that back." Tears streamed down her face and she began to sob. She hated that she hurt him, but she couldn't take that back.
He couldn't believe how immature she was being. "Apparently, 3 years later you are still the immature student you always were."
His words hurt her instantly. She didn't even have a rebuttal for him. Without saying a word she walked over to the room her child was in, picked her up, and apparated away from the store.
Severus leaned against the wall not believing what just happen. I knew there was a connection between the child and me I just didn't know what it was. How can she do this to me? She had the perfect opportunity to tell me the truth, but she failed to do so. Now that she was gone, along with his child, his anger melted off of him. His back slid down the wall and he sat on the floor trying to get his mind right. He knew he couldn't take the job away from her. He was bonded to her now. He couldn't push her away now knowing the child is his. He was honestly happy that the child was his. He never wanted a child, but now that he did he was so happy that it was Sabrina. He was planning on seeing her again, but for now he decided not to approach her again until tomorrow. They both needed to sort out their issues before approaching each other again. He stood up off the floor and reopened his shop again, needing work to keep his mind off of what he just learned.