What are we shopping for?" Harry asked as they crept out of the Leaky and onto the bustling London street, eyeing the crowds of muggles warily, all of a sudden feeling overwhelmed and jumpy at being surrounded by so many people.

"I need clothes," Hermione replied, similarly tense, her eyes moving constantly checking for threats. "Severus needs clothes." She looked Harry over, "You need clothes. We'll all need something for the funerals."

Harry grimaced, glancing down at the worn t-shirt he was wearing. "I know." he sighed.

"I also need some toys, books and things for him," Hermione continued, clearly thinking out loud. "I don't know how long he'll be this size."

"It's absurd how cute he is at this age," Harry muttered without thought before flushing as he realised he'd said it out loud, Severus' dark eyes watching him with wary curiosity.

"That's what I thought!" Sirius agreed with none of the same embarrassment.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Right, let's get this over with."

"What about somewhere like Debenhams?" Harry sighed, desperate to get this over with "Everything'll be all in one place."

"Good shout," Hermione agreed, ignoring Sirius' confusion. "It's about a twenty-minute walk from here."

"Then let's go." Remus commanded, "Do you want me to take him? You look dead on your feet."

Hermione looked at Severus. "Will you let Remus carry you for a little bit?"

He looked nervously between them. "Yous arms fall off?" he asked softly.

She laughed slightly, impulsively rubbing her nose against his making him giggle, "Possibly," she agreed. "I'll be right here though."

He nodded slowly, "Right here," he murmured softly as if reassuring himself before reaching for Remus who settled him on his hip, an unreadable expression on his face.

Deciding to just get basics thankfully meant shopping was not as horrific as Hermione feared, clothes were bought quickly before she ransacked both Waterstones and Hamleys ending up with both a miniature children's library and several toys that Sirius had been eyeing covetously as she purchased them.

Severus, though, only requested a teddy, clutching the bear to him tightly as he wandered around the shop holding Hermione's hand with a look of awestruck wonder on his tiny face. She got the impression he was just utterly overwhelmed.

"Madam Malkins for funeral things?" Sirius queried as he discreetly shrunk down their purchases after they'd finally convinced Hermione to leave the toy shop.

"Both Harry and Hermione grimaced, "I suppose."

"Right, last stop then. You both look shattered."

"Are you coming up, young man?" Remus queried, looking down at Severus. He looked momentarily unsure, his eyes darting to Hermione before he nodded, his bear still clutched in his hands.

Diagon Alley was still being rebuilt and therefore was filled with more volunteers than customers. As a result, Madam Malkins was thankfully empty when they crept in, the witch's eyes going wide at the sight of them. "We need funeral robes." Sirius interjected before she could ask questions "Three lined in the colours of House Black, one in the colours of House Potter." he silenced Hermione with a glare when she went to object.

"We'll need some little ones too just in case" she murmured instead. "I don't know whether he'll stay with Winky."

Sirius nodded "And a children's set." he agreed.

"With House colours?" Madam Malkin probed with interest.

"Ah..not yet."

The witch nodded in response, desperately wanting to ask about the child now back in Hermione Granger's arms, looking at her like she hung the moon.

They escaped just as a group of witches walked in, promising to send an elf to collect their robes the next day.

"Hungry, my Mya." Severus murmured, looking at her hopefully once they were back on the street, "We eat now?"

Harry stared at him in confusion, "How the hell is he so bloody cute?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "Ignore Harry he's a prat," she advised the small boy. "Of course, we can get lunch now."

Sirius snorted, making a decision as he spotted people beginning to take notice of them "Let's go home then Kitten, I'm sure Kreacher will be over the moon to provide lunch. It'll give us time to rearrange a bedroom too. Merlin knows I don't think any of them are suitable for him."

"Alright," Hermione agreed, beginning to tense at the people staring before turning and disappearing with a sharp crack.


They settled around the table, Severus silently attacking the sandwiches with a single-minded determination that made Harry laugh.

"I think I prefer him like this." he mused.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, running a hand over his head, smiling slightly when he glanced up at her curiously. "I think I might miss him."

Sirius and Remus shared a look over her head. "Would you keep him Cub?"

Hermione stilled, mulling that over, "It would be silly," she murmured, "I need to do my NEWTs and get a job and…."

"And you know you have to do none of that," Sirius interrupted. "You can take your NEWTs at the Ministry. If you never want to work, if you want to set up several charities to run, if you want to launch a campaign for Minister, you can do what you please. You can't tell me honestly you want to work for the Ministry though."

"No Hermione admitted, "But I can't take your money."

Sirius scoffed, "It'll be your money too after this ritual. And we have enough that you couldn't spend it even if we lived ten lifetimes."

"Sirius this isn't…"

"Up for discussion?" he finished. "You're right it's not, I'm so glad you agree."

"Pads!" she whined.

"What did we discuss?"

She sighed, "That if you could you'd make me a Black and keep me here."

"Exactly, and you were hesitant out of respect for your parents, despite how things were." he gentled his tone, "They're not here now, Kitten. Let us look after you."

She let out a sigh as Harry nudged her, "You know you want to. And then we'll officially be family."

"Fine." she relented reluctantly

"Great," Sirius beamed, "After lunch then, Kitten. Gives you less time to overthink. However, don't think I didn't notice you avoid the question. Do you want to keep him?"

"Don't you think he should have a say?" she replied softly, looking over at Severus who was now having a conversation with his teddy. "We have no idea what he was attempting but I'm sure it wasn't this. Whatever he is currently, he is a grown man. I don't have the right to make that decision for him."

Sirius hummed," He had a shit life you know." he replied thoughtfully. "Maybe a whole new childhood wouldn't be the worst thing for him. One where he could start over, be someone else."

Hermione hummed, "Let's see what we find when we get to his house," she murmured.

"My Mya you read to me?" Severus asked softly, interrupting them, his eyes pleading even as he yawned.

With an indulgent smile, Hermione nodded, gesturing to the bags, "Go and pick a book." she instructed, "and we'll take it to the living room.

Following her through, they watched as she settled the small boy against her side, his eyes closing as she read Green Eggs and Ham as requested.

"She's going to be devastated when he returns to himself isn't she?" Harry muttered.

Sirius and Remus sighed, not able to contradict him.


"Right kitten, seven drops of blood in here," Sirius gestured to the chalice, "Seven of mine, seven of Remus', we mix in this potion," he waggled the vial, "I say some pretty words and then we split it and drink."

She nodded, silently. It felt right and part of her hated herself for thinking it, but Sirius and Remus had been more like parents than her own since fourth year. And that was hard because it wasn't their fault, and while it was more difficult to accept, it also wasn't hers. Her world had not been set up for her parents, and while that could have been overcome if she'd had normal school years, she hadn't and so the gulf had grown. She had known that they loved her but there was no escaping their distance. And while they had been reluctant, they had eventually understood the need to send them away for their safety, accepting Remus' arguments that they couldn't protect her, however much they wanted to with ill grace. It still stung though. Her magic was the reason they were dead.

It made her feel like an awful person as she drank the metallic-tasting potion, feeling something click into place. She missed them, she imagined she always would, but she missed the parents she'd had before they'd known about Hogwarts and Magic. She missed the mum who would read to her and tuck her in, the dad who debated with her, who took her out on bike rides and snuck her sweets. And she'd lost them the day Minerva McGonagall had appeared at her front door and changed into a cat on their sofa. There had been a wariness. A fear of what they couldn't possibly understand, of what she couldn't explain for fear of their reaction. And so as she hugged Sirius tightly, the magic surged through her, filling in some of the wounds she'd long since learned to live with. Part of her might hate herself for it, but a bigger part of her revelled in finally belonging somewhere.

"Welcome to the family Kitten," Sirius whispers, squeezing her tight, "Now go reassure a nervous werewolf that you still oboe him too."

Hermione snorted, releasing him to wind her arms around Remus, feeling him relax into the hug.

7th May 1998

Hermione woke to the sound of an angry little voice, shouting at someone on one of the floors below. Allowing herself a moment of relief that she appeared to have slept a reasonable amount again, she forced herself out of bed and in the direction of an increasingly irate-sounding Severus.

She found them in the kitchen, Severus standing with his tiny hands curled into fists on his hips glaring at Harry.

"No!" he shouted, stamping his feet.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Mya needs to sleep." he replied calmly with the air of someone who had already said it a hundred times before.

"No! I want her! Now! You get me my Mya!"

"No." Harry countered, "Come and have some breakfast and then we can look at some of those toys you've got. Let her wake up on her own."

Severus' bottom lip wobbling was all it took for her to make her presence known, "Do I even want to ask how long this has been going on?"

"My Mya!" Severus sobbed, throwing himself at her, "You were gone!"

Hermione's eyes closed as she silently berated herself for her own stupidity, cuddling him close. "I wasn't gone," she murmured, "I was just in my room."

"I couldn't find you," he whispered in a broken little voice that tore at her heart.

"I'm sorry," she soothed, "After breakfast, I'll show you where it is, ok?"

She felt him nod, but he didn't lift his head. When she looked up, Harry was watching her with a look of astonishment.

"He doesn't feel safe," she murmured.

"Oh gods,'' Harry groaned, understanding flooding his face. "And when he couldn't find you…and then I stopped him looking. Gods I'm an idiot."

"I didn't think of it either," she sighed. "And I should have before we put him to bed last night."

"Not a mistake we'll make again," Harry muttered, approaching gingerly. "I'm sorry, little man." Severus turned his head so he could see him while keeping it anchored firmly to Hermione's shoulder. "Mya's been so tired that I just wanted her to be able to sleep, I wasn't trying to keep you away. I won't do it again."

"Promise?" he whispered.

"Promise." Harry agreed, "Now I gather that sausages are on the menu this morning, do you want to pick a juice."

He shook his head, "Stay here. Safe."

"Alright," Harry agreed, with a pained grimace. "I'll bring you some apple juice?"

"Thank you," Hermione mouthed, carrying Severus over to the table. "Do you think you can sit next to me?"

"No!" he replied frantically, his legs locking around her waist.

"It's alright," she soothed, rocking him gently, "It was just a question."

"Here's your juice," Harry announced looking more than a little apologetic. Severus ignored him, trying to burrow deeper into Hermione's skin.

"Alright," Hermione murmured, stroking a hand over his head, "Why don't you turn around and face the table so you can have breakfast. You can stay on my knee but you need to eat."

"Winky?" he asked hopefully, turning sideways on her lap, his head still fused to her shoulder. Harry frowned at the question, jumping when Winky appeared next to them

"Yes, Young Master."

Hermione groaned, her head landing on his shoulder making him giggle as his face lost some of its wariness and he visibly relaxed. "Breakfast?" he asked hopefully, eyeing the elf.

"Kreacher's in the kitchen, Winky," Hermione sighed, "Maybe see if he needs help?

"You bonded with Winky." Harry breathed.

"Ah yes." Hermione nodded sheepishly, her voice turning pleading as she tried to explain, "She was drunk and almost incoherent the day after the battle and I couldn't stand it anymore. I asked what I needed to do to stop it. It was Kreacher who recommended bonding and talked me through it. I'm not…entirely happy but it's not like you couldn't see the difference."

Harry has a choked-sounding laugh., "Sweet mother of Merlin, Hermione Granger-Black has a house elf!"

Her nose scrunched, whether at the teasing or the new name he wasn't sure, but deciding that pushing her further wasn't wise this morning he headed back into the kitchen still laughing softly to himself. He was promptly shooed back out by an impatient Winky brandishing a spatula like a weapon.

"Back so soon?" Hermione smirked.

"Your elf is terrifying," he muttered, sitting across from her, noticing that Severus now appeared to be absorbed in a colouring book, still on Hermione's knee, one of his hands clutching her fingers tightly where she was holding the book open.

"Good," she nodded, "She should be able to express herself however she wants."

"You're creating a monster," Harry groaned.

"Not a monster," Severus corrected, looking up from his picture.

"No, sweetheart, not a monster," Hermione agreed. "Winkys a House-elf, like Moxie."

"Moxie took me home," he nodded.

"Yes, she did."

Harry's eyebrow arched in silent question. "Severus was at his house. Alone." Hermione began, searching for the words, "Moxie was his elf, before, she heard him ask to go home."

"Oh," Harry replied softly, not quite sure what to do about the feelings that left him with. He didn't like feeling sorry for his hated professor, even if that hated professor was currently three and slowly wrapping them around his little finger. "I see. When will you be able to get in do you think?"

Hermione shrugged, "I honestly don't know. Kings is seeing us in a couple of weeks, but Malfoy is the only one who can get in and allow the rest of us in too. The last I heard his trial date hadn't been set yet."

"Christ" Harry swore. "Malfoy? Do we even know where he is?"

"House arrest," Hermione supplied, "I have to wonder if he'd prefer Azkaban after the things he must have seen in that house."

Harry shuddered. "For all he was an unmitigated arse, I don't really want to imagine."

"No," she agreed before straightening her shoulders, "Which is why I intend to speak at his trial."

"You want to what now?" Harry barked, making Severus flinch. "Shit, sorry!" he apologised immediately, looking contrite.

"Language!" Hermione hissed before turning to the boy on her knee, "It's alright, I just surprised Harry, he didn't mean to scare you."

Wary dark eyes stared back at her assessing the truth of her words before darting to Harry who rearranged his face into something suitably apologetic looking. "I didn't mean to shout. I'll try and not do it again."

Severus nodded, "OK," he whispered, slowly picking his crayon back up.

Keeping his mouth firmly shut, Harry arched a brow at Hermione, waiting for an explanation. "You saw him in the manor, he didn't want to be there, he didn't fight back and he didn't identify us when he could. It brought us time. He was a horrible little boy and I'm not excusing any of that but he was marked at sixteen. Sixteen Harry. It's just…he was just a child."

"So were we!" Harry hissed.

"Yes," she agreed, "And none of us should have been in the position we were in. Even Malfoy."

He groaned, hating that she was unfortunately right. "Your breakfast," Winky announced, thankfully preventing him from having to come up with a response.

"Can you say thank you to Winky?" Hermione prompted, catching Severus' attention.

"Thank you Winky," he whispered shyly.

Winky beamed, "You're welcome, little Master."


"What are your plans today?" Harry queried after they'd been scolded for daring to attempt to take their own plates to the kitchen.

"I don't know,'' Hermione admitted. "Nothing? The first funeral is tomorrow. I think I want a day to just…breathe. I needed to go and see Lavender, Seamus and Fred but I didn't want to intrude while it was all so fresh. I know Dean said Seamus' mum is reluctant to let too many people in, and Lavender is apparently wary because of her scars and obviously, Fred has a large family to accommodate and…"

"And you're doing it again." Harry cut her off, "Why is it too hard for you to believe that people might want you there? That Fred sees you as family? That Seamus considers you a friend, that Lavender might want a non-judgmental face? Parvati apparently cries every time she sees her."

Hermione slumped, causing Severus to look at her in alarm. "I just…Fred might see me as family, but Mrs Weasley does not. Seamus has a hard enough time getting his mum to agree to let Dean in, and Lavender…we both know it's been difficult. We were better fifth and sixth year but that doesn't mean it's me she wants to see."

Harry let out a slow breath, "Fuck Mrs Weasely," he muttered under his breath, his eyes darting nervously to a still-watching Severus. He frowned, clearly reading something in Harry's tone even if he didn't understand exactly what he was saying.

"Language!'' Hermione hissed exasperatedly. "And she's entitled not to see me as family, I'm her son's friend from school, that's all."

"It's still bull…ah nonsense," Harry muttered, his eyes on Severus who was very obviously taking everything in.

Hermione shrugged, "It's not," she contradicted.

"It is when she makes you uncomfortable," he muttered.

Hermione sighed, "She doesn't like me. It's fine. It happens."

"It's not fine, Hermione!" Harry contradicted. "Not when she makes you feel like you can't visit!"

"Right, what are you doing today?" she redirected.

He rolled his eyes and huffed, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he wasn't fooled. Still, he allowed the change in topic, vowing to revisit it when Severus wasn't listening to their every word. "I have my eye on some of that Lego," he smirked, looking at Severus. "Want to help me, little man?"

Severus frowned. "No."

Hermione hid her smile as Harry's face fell. "What if I helped?" she offered.

"Yes!" Severus beamed back at her.

"That's creepy you know," Harry muttered petulantly. "The way he looks at you."

Hermione's eyebrow arched in a manner so reminiscent of the elder Snape that Harry shuddered, "Oh?"

"Oh come on!" he whined, "There's no way Snape ever looked that happy to see one of us!"

Biting back a laugh, Hermione conceded the point. He unfortunately wasn't wrong. Deciding to ignore him in favour of looking down at Severus, she missed his knowing smirk. "Right then, sweetheart, go and see what Lego you want."

He clambered off her knee, taking off at a run to hunt through the bags.

"Why are we all so perky this morning?" Sirius groaned as he met them in the hall, moving out of the way of the tiny cannonball that almost barreled into his knees.

Harry shrugged, "We're going to play with Lego. I've always wanted to."

With a roll of her eyes, Hermione pointed through the door Severus had just disappeared into one of the larger bags, "That one's yours."

Harry's eyes lit up in a way that made her heart break, he'd really never had a proper childhood. "Go on then," she shooed, "Severus' and I will be fine with the Duplo and small sets."

Harry bolted in a manner so reminiscent of Severus two minutes previously that Sirius laughed before turning to look at her, "Thank you for that."

She nodded, "He deserves good memories." she murmured, allowing him to wrap her in a hug.

"He does. I still get to say thank you," he mumbled into her hair.

She allowed it, squeezing him tightly before releasing him, and heading in the direction of the Duplo at a much more sedate pace,

"Do you think he'll want a hand?" Sirius called after her, making her laugh.

"You can try," she called back, sitting down beside Severus who was squinting at the box in his hand. "Dinosaurs?" he asked hopefully.

"Dinosaurs it is," she agreed, opening the box for him.

They passed the day quietly, Sirius and Harry working their way through Harry's bag at a slightly alarming rate. Hermione made a mental note to pick up some more the next time she was near a shop. Severus had been engrossed with the tiny Duplo house and dinosaurs, building various structures he insisted were cars and houses and towers out of his box of miscellaneous bricks, before moving on to cars and a ramp, giggling happily when they shot off the end and one of them made the cars fly for him.

Remus had watched it all with a slightly indulgent smile as if he was still unsure that what he was seeing was real. It had been calming, filling in some of the wounds of the last few years, giving her a glimpse of what her future could really look like, with children, a little brother ready to throw himself into games, and fathers, one still partly a child himself, the other much more adult but indulgently loving, leaving her in no doubt that her place was here. It was soothing and heartbreaking in equal measure. In some ways, this was an illusion. She'd have Harry, Sirius and Remus at the end of it but one day soon the childish laughter would be replaced with silence as Severus once again became Professor Snape and as much as she knew it was wrong, the thought of it hurt acutely.

The overriding fear of that day coming was the reason Remus found her, standing over Severus' bed, watching him sleep, trying to memorise this version of his face. It had been such an absurdly little amount of time, but there was no denying that she'd fallen utterly in love with the toddler in her care.

"I rather like him like this." Remus mused, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Me too," she whispered, unable to stop the tears as they fell.

"Oh Hermione," he murmured, pulling her into a proper hug.

"It's wrong to hope we get to keep him," she whispered once she was calm. "I know it is but I…"

"Love him," Remus finished for her."

"Yes. It's absurd, isn't it? It's been all of two and a half days."

"It's not absurd. You loved Harry fiercely from the moment you were friends. You loved Sirius the moment you realised what he really was to Harry, and Merlin help us all, you loved me, even after I almost killed you. You…you have a knack with broken people Hermione."

"None of you are broken!" she snarled, making him smile.

"We were. Neville, the boy who never felt good enough, Harry the boy who couldn't remember anyone ever loving him. You are the first person he can remember caring about him at all, you know? Sirius, who was a disappointment to his name, considered mad and…fractured from Azkaban to the point he wasn't sure that he could trust himself around people. And me. Who has been told he's a monster his entire life."

"I never saw any of you like that," Hermione replied in a small voice.

"Which is what makes you remarkable. And proves my point. Severus was a closed-off, bitter man, who as a toddler thinks you're the second coming of Merlin because you make him feel safe. From what little I know, I don't think he has ever had that."

She sighed, slumping into him, "How am I supposed to pretend that I don't love him when he's back to being Professor Snape?"

Squeezing her tighter, Remus carefully considered the question, "I don't know." he admitted finally, "I'd like to think he'd let you in eventually, but that might be blind optimism."

She gave a choked, sob-like laugh. "It's going to hurt so bloody much, Remus."

"I know love, but we're here to pick up the pieces, you just have to let us."