"And?" Hermione coaxed him after a moment. "You said you had three conditions?"

Taking a deep breath , Severus met her eyes and his words shook her to the core.

"My third condition is that you, Hermione, will be my son...Alexander's...Godmother."

oOo

It took a moment for her mind, and mouth, to catch up with the wild beat that her heart was pounding inside her chest. She was vaguely aware of the fact that her mouth was hanging open and she was also in the back of her mind relieved she'd already put the babies down as she was pretty sure she'd have dropped them otherwise.

After a long moment, her brain reminded her with a jolt that she'd been quiet for a very long time and Severus was still looking at her with nervous apprehension.

Words Hermione, use your words.

"What?... I mean, what?"

Good show Hermione.

He was embarrassed then, and couldn't hide it as he turned away with his face flaming and she realised he must have taken her inelegant ramblings as a refusal so before he could retreat any further, she quite literally pounced.

Bouncing ungainly into the seat beside him, she threw her arm around his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

"Of course I will Severus, I'd be honoured! And Alexander, what a beautiful name for this little warrior" She grabbed the boys chubby fists as she spoke and he gurgled happily.

Severus smiled then, though ducked his eyes and couldn't look at her as he thanked her.

"Do you need any help moving? When would you like to start?"

She couldn't contain her eagerness , both to have him out of the situation he was living in and to have him here with her.

After all, she wasn't lying when she said she enjoyed his company, nor when she said she would be jealous of sharing him. She also wasn't lying about his position. Though they definitely had it in the funds to buy whatever potions were needed for the people they were helping, it would be a big coup for them to have their own Potion's Master on board, and it would be more cost effective in the long run. So the way Hermione saw it, she was killing a whole flock of birds with one very well aimed stone.

"No...no I can manage" He was quick to intervene, and she didn't push. It was clear he didn't want her to see where he was living.

"No problem, I'm still clumsy with hormones, I'd probably break something anyway. Well at least let me watch our little Xander while you get yourself sorted out?"

She went over to the drawer and pulled out her Gringotts cheque book, quickly writing it out and tearing the piece off to hand to him.

"Here's your incentive payment from the foundation, so you can get the ball rolling with your Landlord."

He swallowed his tongue at the amount on the cheque. It didn't compare to what he'd earned as a teacher, but after the destitution he'd faced over the last year… It was a lot of money to hold in his hand at once. He'd be able to pay off his back debted rent and with any luck he may be able to retrieve a couple of his much loved tomes he'd had to pawn off at Borgin and Burkes when he was struggling with his rent, There was a couple of them that were more sentimental than valuable but they'd been his mothers and he would like to get them back to give to Alexander one day.

Hermione was sitting beside him now and wriggling in her chair in a way that almost reminded him of Sacha. If the girl had a tail she'd certainly be wagging it right now, it was as if she was about to burst from what she was withholding.

"Out with it" He grumbled good naturedly and she let loose a breath she'd been holding and a stream of words that refused to be contained any longer.

"So when can you move in? I don't want to rush you but Xander is already getting tired and if you put him down here now and leave him with me while you pack, I mean there's almost no point to taking him back at all to just bring him back in the morning when you could just let him sleep"

She was looking at him expectantly and he raised an eyebrow in response, almost giddy with the excitement of not having to spend another night in the mouldy bedsit and he was struggling greatly to hold it in.

"Bleeding hell woman, you want me to move in tonight? Give a bloke a chance why don't you"

Having the good grace to look ashamed she went to apologise and he bumped his shoulder to hers, his good mood elevating him so much that he was unable to keep the ruse up for long.

"I would love to move in tonight. There are no emotional attachments to my current abode, quite the opposite in fact and once I have settled my finances, I'll be glad to be shot of the place and the memories therein"

It was strange to see that she seemed honestly as excited as he was at the thought of his imminent move, but then again if she was half as starved for intelligent company as he'd been over the years, he could understand it. Though he didn't consider himself much of a catch in terms of a friendly companion, he was intelligent and could certainly hold his own in their frequent intellectual debates, something of which he was certain was a new thing for her, as her previous companions knew little in the way of academia.

So with a kiss to the brow of his son, which made Hermione smile in delight.

"Shut it you"

She made a zipping motion across her lips and he chuckled wryly , before he had to repeat his parting kiss to the dog who damn near headbutted him, along with a promise he was returning at the whine he received when he left for the door.

oOo

The incentive he'd received from the foundation had been enough to pay off what he owed to the landlord, though he'd made sure to file it properly through Gringotts as he always had done, rather than giving the man galleons in his hand, as Severus didn't trust him not to lie about receiving the payment owned and attempt to drag him and his name through the mud for the sake of more Galleons.

He'd also stopped by the bedsit and packed everything into boxes and shrank them until they could fit into the pockets of his robes and the old bag which he pulled from under his bed.

His next stop was to make a quick trip to the brothel and told them he would continue to brew potions for them at cost price. He also informed them of the Foundation that Hermione and Harry were setting up and he told them that once he was more secure in his position, he would also see what he could do about getting some of the fallen Witches and Wizards places there, which was received with many effusive thanks from the staff there, which he waved off. He did not need their gratitude and they owed him nothing, they were the ones who kept a roof over his son's head when he was at his most desperate and he would not abandon them now things seemed to be looking up for him at least.

Borgin and Burkes had been the last stop, and though most of his academic tomes had been sold, the time for him to repay the pawned amount running out many weeks past, the latest and last books he'd brought in were still there and he was able to recover the most sentimental ones and pay a little off on the others, thereby extending the time in which they held them for him, so he could return to pay off more at a later date.

He could've paid more off, but the inner Slytherin was shrewd and he wanted to have a few Galleons left over in his pocket in case it all went south. Especially as the agreement he had with Hermione was only a verbal one, and though he didn't believe Hermione was the type to throw him and especially his son out in the cold, years of paranoia meant that he just couldn't help the ingrained behaviour to squirrel things away and prepare for the worst..

As it turned out though, he soon found his fear was unfounded as when he returned to Hermione's home, their home he supposed it was now, none other than Harry Potter was sat in the living room signing a pile of parchments with Hermoine.

"Good Evening Severus" He spoke as he signed a parchment with a flourish. The war and the loss of his friends had matured him, and he had become quiet, contemplative and a formidable auror. Hermione spoke as Harry continued with the paperwork in front of him.

"As you have a personal history with both of us, we wanted to make sure that you had an official contract of employment for your own peace of mind, so you didn't fear for your job or your accommodation should we have any personal disagreements between us. Just know that despite the fact the law requires you to be considered our employee, we believe it's a great boon to have you on board and we consider you an equal partner in this and have granted you as much control as we're able to within the current restraints of the law. There's also a stipulation in here that should anything happen which means you're uncomfortable staying in your current lodgings with me, that we will find you replacement lodgings under the same agreement of free room and board"

Harry stood, and handed over the parchments to him which he took carefully.

"I don't expect you to sign anything without reading it first, but Hermione has researched the law thoroughly and we've given you as much flexibility as we're able to. And once the stupid thing is repealled, even if you don't continue brewing for us, we'd like to officially bring you on to the board of directors, if you're willing to stick with us once you're freedom is returned to you."

"Thank You...Harry" He spoke quietly, unsure if he was welcome to use the boy's first name. It seemed it had been the right thing to do though, because the boy's face lit up in a smile that was so much like Lily's it made something in his chest ache. Though since the war he found that any thoughts of her, no longer physically hurt him, but instead he'd often feel that sad ache of childhood nostalgia, in the same way he did when he saw the only cleansweep broom he'd had in school, or stroked the cover of one of his old school books. A part of him missed the all encompassing feelings that had guided his life for so long, but a much bigger part of him recognised that this was more healthy. He missed her, like he missed his books and his broom and this was normal. He was no longer obsessed with a ghost, but he missed his lost friend and it was ok to feel that way.

"Oh and congratulations on your Son. I'm sorry about his mother, and the circumstances around his rather abrupt arrival in your life, Hermione hasn't told me anything other than the two of you had a complicated relationship, but a baby is a blessing, no matter the circumstances and I wish you both the best"

The boy reached his hand out , and seeing the sincerity in the boy's face, he really couldn't occlude for shite. After a moment's hesitation he took the hand and shook it.

"Thank You"

"The aurors responsible for collecting the body have been punished, and I hope you don't mind the presumption , but I took the liberty of approaching Kingsley, and I received a special dispensation from the department of magical law enforcement to have his records sealed and put under Fidelius for his own safety. Now within the ministry, only Kingsley and myself are aware of the existence of your son , and no-one else at the ministry can now stumble upon his records accidentally either. Which means only those you choose to , know of his existence. We thought it prudent, until your Ministry mandated restrictions are lifted"

That caused a huge weight to lift from his shoulders, as he exhaled deeply and clasped the man's arm in thanks. He could see him as a boy no longer.

"And Alice Avery?" He asked almost reluctantly, after an almost ashamed, look at Hermione, feeling guilty for even asking. "She was no saint, and there was no love lost between us, but she still bore my son, even if she was not a mother to him"

Harry's face softened slightly, and he ran his hands through his hair.

"Officially, she will receive no ceremony or burial honours due to her associations with the Dark, and she was cremated at Azkaban where the ashes will be spread the same as any other criminal." Here he paused for a moment, before running a guilty hand through his hair.

"Unofficially… her parents have collected her ashes, they're in an unmarked urn but they will be interred in the family crypt. So she will be laid to rest with her family, even if no-one else knows it"

"That was good of you Harry" Hermione assured him with a hand on his arm, but the man just shrugged. "It Just didn't feel right to do otherwise, you know?" he said sheepishly and Severus, with eyes unclouded by hate for his father, finally saw the man for who he was.

"I am in your debt Harry, thank you" His words were formal, but his tone soft.

"I'll not hear of it" Harry waved him off. "If we start talking of debt, will be here for hours. I'd've died in my first year at Hogwarts, and every one thereafter, if it wasn't for you"

Looking wistfully up the stairs, he turned to Severus with a smile.

"I'd love to meet him some time, I could bring Teddy for a playdate" Then there was a roguish grin that reminded him so much of Lily he couldn't help but be amused.

"Besides … someday someone's got to teach those two that there's more to life than books and cleverness...and how to play quidditch"

Both he and Hermione chuckled at that and they parted with another handshake, or in the case of Hermione with a warm hug.

He stood wrongfooted as Hermione let Sacha out and locked and warded the door for the evening, having never been privy to this nighttime routine and unsure of where he stood in it.

She however didn't seem to mind his presence disrupting her routine as once the door was locked, she reached into the drawer and handed him a key.

"There are wards and charms that do all the unlocking of course, so I'm afraid it's a rather symbolic gesture but I wanted you to have a key, so that you could start to think of it as your home too"

The gesture warmed him, and put him at ease. His worries seemed to lessen at her smile. This was Hermione. He could be happy here.

"Thank You"

Gesturing for him to follow, she turned the lights off downstairs and they headed on up for the night, Hermione turned the light on in the spare room...his room now he supposed.

"This will have to do for tonight, but tomorrow we'll swap rooms with the study as it's a bigger room and luckily enough it shares a wall with the en-suite, so we can move the door with a simple charm"

Aghast , he turned to her. "You don't need to give up your study Hermione, you already have made too many sacrifices for me"

"I won't be giving up my study, Severus just moving it. The study is nearly twice the size of this room and most of it is just empty space which is wasted. Plus, I want to extend the ensuite enough to allow room for a bath of your own, rather than just a shower"

"You do too much for me, witch" He said simply, but she slung a friendly hand around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's nothing Severus, besides I always relish the challenge and look forward to planning the charms for the changes, good night"

She finished with a squeeze of his hip and a kiss on his cheek , leaving him standing in the doorway and watching her form retreat across the hall, a warm and strange feeling settling in his chest.

He sat upon the edge of the bed , absentmindedly rubbing his chest. Thinking perhaps it was simply the adrenaline from the day that caused his chest to ache so, refusing to acknowledge any other potential causes, like the one sleeping in the room across the hall.

Carefully he unshrank the boxes , making a neat pile in the corner but not unpacking them as Hermione had insisted, instead he fished about until he found one of the books he had recovered from Borgin and Burkes, opening the page he gently traced a finger over the faded childish cursive proclaiming

This book belongs to

Eileen Prince,

aged 11.

Prince Manor, Wiltshire.

And below it another no less childish but more spiky script that proclaimed

This book now belongs to

Severus Snape, Age 7.

Spinners End,

Manchester

Lancashire

England

United Kingdom

Earth

The Milky Way

The Universe

Holding the treasured tome to his chest lightly he chuckled in fond memory at the childish address , before moving to the desk in the room.

Taking out a quill he wrote carefully, upon a piece of parchment and slotted it into the page. Before turning off the lights and settling into bed.

This book is now the property of Alexander Snape.