***Chapter Sixteen***

January 7, 1984

Regulus and Sirius were on their way to becoming as thick as thieves. Neither could quite believe the other was truly real, and forgiving the other for the past. It was certainly a step in the right direction. Severus and Hermione were both happy that they had a hand in that.

That accomplished and taken care of, they finally set up a time to have dinner at the Burrow. It was a little more difficult than it seemed at first glance because of the Christmas holidays. However, the Saturday before Severus' birthday everyone was open.

So, Severus, Hermione, Arthur, and Molly sat at a table Hermione remembered well while Harry Potter and Everett Snape played with the Weasley children.

It was surreal, and Severus seemed to understand this because he kept his hand on or in hers almost the entire time they were at the table. As if realizing she needed that hand of his around hers to keep her grounded. Or from getting emotional for no apparent reason (to the Weasleys at any rate).

"Would you like to see some of my collection?" Arthur offered about an hour after dinner. She was surprised they hadn't fallen into uncomfortable silences. The four of them each had something to offer, and Arthur in particular seemed to enjoy asking her about this or that excuse she'd come up with at work. She'd half expected a lecture from Molly about working while she had two boys to take care of.

Honestly, if Severus' mum wasn't in the picture, she'd likely give a lot of consideration to staying home with the boys until they went to Hogwarts. For that matter, she still might. She needed to work, though, and Severus seemed to understand that. She needed to figure out for herself what she wanted to do.

"I'd love to," Hermione said sincerely.

She'd always enjoyed seeing Arthur's collection of muggle items and what he thought they did. Of course this time she would not be able to offer him as much insight as she used to be able to. She was curious to see what he'd show her now as compared to the nineties when she'd met him originally.

"Severus?"

"If Molly doesn't mind being left alone with the children?"

"Of course not, you go on. Leandra, dear, I know Arthur has been looking forward to showing you some things for months." Well, that made her feel a bit guilty. She hadn't meant to take so long to respond to his invitation. Life just happened. "He's been singing your praises about your excuses being so successful. I think he's hoping you'll be able to tell him what some of them do."

Hermione smiled. "I will try. I really don't have that much knowledge."

The three walked outside to Arthur's workshop then. Severus had his arm around her and she took comfort and strength from that gesture. Arthur was clearly in his element here, very proud of himself, as he told the story of where he found this or that. It was the type of pride that wasn't offensive. It's not that he thought better of himself. He was just truly fascinated by muggles and enjoyed having some of their items in his possession.

"This," Arthur said, pulling out an old-fashioned perfume bottle about fifteen minutes into his show and tell session. It was one from the Victorian era that had a squeezable atomizer. "What do you suppose this is for?" he asked.

Hermione smiled at Severus and his eyes were glimmering with mirth as well. Honestly, she was sort of surprised that Arthur didn't know, with as old fashioned as the wizarding world was. She was kind of shocked Arthur's mother or Molly Weasley hadn't had one.

"The only thing I can assume is that it's something to assist in the feeding of children? I've tried filling it with water, but it seems to squirt too much for a small child to swallow safely, yet too little to make it worth anything."

"And this," he said, holding up a motorcycle's license plate. It was obviously quite old, which Hermione was intrigued by. Where did Arthur find this stuff?

Hermione glanced in a box and let out a gasp.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked as he noticed the tears in Hermione's eyes.

Severus was frowning at her, obviously unsure what the issue was.

"I think I got dust in my eyes, that's all," she said.

Severus gave an almost wordless scoff. One she heard, but Arthur likely wouldn't think anything of.

I'm fine. She didn't invade his mind very often. She knew he found it off-putting that she could, even if he understood why she could. She wanted to assure him that there was nothing actually wrong.

Just her emotions getting the better of her.

She thought she'd done pretty well not getting emotional at every turn. Stopping to see her parents was a whim (a planned whim, since she had to schedule the teeth cleaning appointment). She didn't let herself stop to think about what her younger self might be doing here or there. It wasn't that she didn't think she could handle it. It was just so … surreal.

She pulled a set of seasonal Ronald McDonald plates out of a box of various items. They were identical to some that her parents had gotten on a trip to America before Hermione had even been born. Before she'd even been a thought, she was pretty sure. She'd gotten so mad that they never used the plates to eat off of! She wanted to eat while looking at the clown and other characters on the plates.

Now she knew what McDonald's and who Ronald McDonald was, but she hadn't as a child. She had no idea why they'd bought them. Her mum said they thought they were cute and they'd been unsure when they'd seen them if they'd be available in Britain. The plates were plastic and were rather lightweight, so transporting them home from the States wasn't problematic unlike some souvenirs.

She also understood now why they hadn't used them. They were a collection item, not something to be used. She was certain her parents probably had tried to explain that to her then, but her three and four year old mind hadn't grasped such a concept.

Obviously, not important. She was in a hurry, too, once she'd changed their memories, so hadn't had a huge amount of time to look high and low for things like this set of plates.

"He must be somebody's mascot?" Arthur said, gesturing to the clown pictured on each of the plates.

"I think he must be," Hermione agreed, taking Severus' offered handkerchief with a slight nod of her head so she could blot her eyes and nose.

Ridiculous getting teary over plates, but she'd completely forgotten about them. Seeing them tonight made her think of being five years old again and throwing a tantrum because the plates were kept out of her reach. That wouldn't happen for a year or so yet she thought. She knew she was at least five because she was in school when it had happened.

Eventually, they "put the plates away", no doubt so Hermione would stop having fits about them. Merlin, she'd forgotten all about them. Where were they now? Did her parents still have them? Well, obviously they did currently. In 1984. This was about the time she'd been having fits about wanting to use them. Did they keep them, though? Of all the things she took with her after having to alter the memories of her parents, these plates weren't among those things. She knew they weren't because she wouldn't be so shocked to see them tonight. Where had her parents put them?

"Is McDonald's a team of some sort, do you think?" Arthur asked, pointing to one of the plates that showed the word McDonald's plainly.

"I'm really not sure, Arthur. I'm sorry. I barely have enough patience to keep up with quidditch let alone muggle sports."

"Of course," he said with a soft sigh.

They looked through tons of items. Some like the McDonald's plates brought Hermione right back to her childhood. That made sense since it was only 1984, and she would currently be four. Some were new to her, though she knew what the items were.

She offered tidbits, enough to satisfy some of his curiosity, without making it seem suspect that Severus Snape's wife knew a whole bunch about muggle things.

Eventually, they made their way back into the house where Molly had dessert for them. The kids had already had theirs and were playing. Everett and Harry seemed naturally drawn to Ginny and Ronald. It made sense since Ronald and Harry were only about five months apart and Ginny and Everett were only a year younger and three months apart. Fred and George were the next closest, but it was clear even at the age of five that they were inseparable, and constantly up to no good.

Bill was, of course, absent as he was at Hogwarts. Hermione and Severus both thought he did not mind missing out on dinner with his potions professor.

He was missed, though. Hermione had to admit she liked Bill, and it would have been fun to see him interacting with all of his younger siblings at this age.

Percy, even at the age of seven, was kind of a prat. A prat, though, that wouldn't be estranged from his family in a few years because of what she and Severus had accomplished.

Bill wouldn't be scarred.

Fred wouldn't die because of a war.

Molly's brothers were still alive to have families of their own. There were recent pictures of nieces and nephews that Hermione knew hadn't existed before.

They'd also managed to circumvent the Longbottom's being incapacitated, so Neville had his parents. (That had been tricky. They'd actually used Sirius to "report" that he'd overheard his cousin talk of doing something. No one, seemingly anyway, suspected anything.)

There were those tears in her eyes again.

Would Bill still meet Fleur she wondered? Would the TriWizard Tournament still happen? That would be interesting to see.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said. "I don't know what's gotten into me tonight. It started with that dust in my eyes, and I just can't seem to shake it."

"Oh, well, thankfully you have Severus as your husband. No doubt he has the cure for you at Hogwarts, if not at home," Arthur said.

"Indeed," Severus said. "I think, though, that means we should take our leave, so I can see to it sooner rather than later."

They stood, gathered their two children who didn't seem to want to leave. Hermione smiled at that. How strange to think of all of them being friends from the beginning.

"Thank you, Arthur and Molly, for inviting us to your home. It was nice to meet your children, and see some of the items Arthur has spoken about."

"Our pleasure, Dear. It was the least we could do for Severus. We are afraid, like so many others, we had the wrong idea about him and wanted to apologize. Meeting his wife, seeing young master Potter, and your handsome son was just a bonus."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Bye everyone," she said then, waving to all the children.

"What was that about, Leandra?" he asked. Now that Harry was learning to talk and repeat more and more he was doubly careful to use this name.

"I," she sighed softly. "It's silly."

"Obviously not."

"Those plates. We had those plates! My mum and dad bought them when they were on a trip in America before I was even born. Mum had them in a cupboard. I couldn't use them, but I wanted to use the plates with the clown on them!"

"Ah," he said.

"I just wasn't expecting to see something that would … mean something!"

"Of course. And just now?"

"Percy and the rest of the Weasleys were estranged during the war. Percy wouldn't believe You Know Who had returned. I started realizing it wasn't just lives we saved. It was a family, probably more than just the Weasleys, Sirius and Regulus, and Neville having his parents. Maybe they'll become estranged anyway, but I doubt it. They were fine until then. Then I wondered if Bill would meet and marry his wife anyway. The wife I knew."

"Do I know her?"

"I'm not telling," she said, bumping against his hip as they walked.

"Tease," he said with a low chuckle.

"Fred won't die. Bill won't get scratched by a werewolf. Molly's brothers are alive. Neville. After he gets to Hogwarts, remind me to show you some of my memories of him from our first year. I am so hoping he'll be different. We did that, Severus, and it was just all so overwhelming. They were such fixtures in my Hogwarts years. I just never stopped to think how much I truly valued them. It was easy to get caught up in you, helping your mum, Regulus, the items. I didn't forget about them, of course, but until tonight it just didn't dawn on me what a difference we have made for that family."

"You made."

"You did it, too."

"I helped execute your plan."

They were in their living room now.

"Want to put the children to bed and practice for a sibling for Everett?"

"I do," she said, smiling widely. "I'm feeling particularly amorous tonight, in fact."

"Is that so?"

"It is so, Husband. So let's get them to bed fast."

He chuckled.

"And it is just practice, right?" she asked, clarifying.

"Mm, another couple of years I'd say, yes?"

"I can agree to that."

"That is good to know."

"Thank you for going tonight, Severus. I know that isn't how you'd prefer spending your Saturday night."

"It was actually … not bad."

"I'm glad."

"They are nice. I admit I haven't spoken to him much. Molly, a few times, as the school year approached and is now in session. She's not too hands-on, though. Then again, Bill is a pretty model student."

"Just wait until George and Fred get there."

"Something tells me if you're warning me, it's going to be interesting."

"That's one way of putting it."

NOTE: Happy Sunday! Have a great start to your week, and thank you for reading along. ~Susan