***Chapter Twenty-Two***

July 1998

An owl arrived.

And flew right past him.

He was outside as were the others. They (including Hermione) were playing quidditch. Severus was working on various projects on the property he had. A downside of being busy ten months out of the year at Hogwarts. Well, that meant he was busy a good portion of his two months off, too.

One of the things he was busy doing? Getting an apothecary set up in their thriving little village of shops with a few residents on their property. Now that both were certain Voldemort was not returning, that their efforts to remove the horcrux from Harry's scar worked, and that the younger Hermione had completed her time at Hogwarts.

Well, it was time for him to move on. Did he enjoy teaching more than he thought he would? Yes, he could admit that. He had no doubt, based on the memories Hermione shared with him, that any enjoyment or positive influence he had on students were due to his wife's presence and influence in his life.

He'd prepared Albus for the eventuality, but was probably a year or two away from leaving. Everett seemed more upset about his father not working with him on his NEWT for potions than Catherine did. In fact, Severus and Hermione had both wondered if Everett might become a potioner himself.

Another reason for the apothecary. He'd never taken an apprentice, never had any interest. He would happily teach his son if he wanted to go down that path.

Severus arched a brow at the unfamiliar owl as it flew up, and down, avoiding the quidditch players, but clearly wanting to go to one of them. Hermione apparently recognized the owl, because neither Harry, Everett, nor Catherine gave it much of a look. That and she stopped flying to meet the owl.

"Thank you," she said. The owl flew away and Hermione sat on a bench they had outside.

Severus had to admit, the way she'd taken to flying the past couple of years surprised even him. He presumed, like his wife, that she'd be able to do it, but wouldn't have any interest in it. She wasn't going to go out and become a professional quidditch player, but like today, she'd play with others. And she had fun. Was she ready to be finished long before the others who loved the game? Yes, usually, but she did join in.

Something his wife had never been able to do.

Of course, she'd been a little busy.

He'd done that, though. He helped her get … joy out of something that was a natural ability as a witch. And free, other than the broom. His wife was not interested in learning to actually fly (though she had enjoyed the time or two over the years he'd done so with her), and he thought it inappropriate to teach the younger Hermione. One day, maybe. He imagined she'd be curious how it worked. (His wife was very curious, but not enough to learn to do it herself. Again, maybe one day.)

He eyed her curiously. This was a … different … look for her. Not serious, so he took it that the owl had not delivered any troubling news.

She'd finished with top marks. Earning the best NEWT scores in a couple of decades. He was not put out in the slightest that she had outdone him. She was, when it got down to it, a better student than he had been. She was far less distracted than he or his wife had been during their schooling as well.

He tilted his head, trying to … determine the look on her face. He presumed it was a job interview offer. One of several coming her way, no doubt. His wife didn't seem to be jealous in the least that this Hermione had such a future available to her. She was grateful what they'd done worked.

The blush that crept to her face told him otherwise, though. Interesting. She had dated a few wizards while at Hogwarts, but none seriously. His wife had wondered during their third year if, with things different this go around, Harry might be of interest to Hermione Granger. That didn't seem to be the case, though. For either of them.

Like Harry and Ginevra Weasley, they'd more or less grown up together, even if their joint park excursions weren't as frequent as Harry's visits to the Weasley home over the years. So, there still seemed to be a sibling-like affection between them, and Hermione seemed to relish being included in their family.

So much so that Leandra and Severus decided not to tell their children about Leandra's true identity and her past prior to meeting who they knew as Severus Snape. One day, Severus and Leandra had no doubt, Harry or Everett would notice that Hermione Granger looked like Leandra Snape nee Rossi. Catherine probably would, too, but she hadn't seen Leandra when she was nineteen and twenty like Harry, Everett, and Hermione had. If the time came they were approached about it, they'd decide then.

They'd joined the Grangers last summer on a week-long excursion to Costa Rica. Severus used the excuse to obtain some ingredients native to the area. A trip that his wife never took with her parents, because she'd removed their memories and sent them away last summer during her original time.

That was when they both knew they'd done it. Enacted change. He hadn't realized until that week that she'd been holding her breath, in a way, that despite everything changing her parents would still be taken away.

Hermione must have felt him watching her. She did that often enough he wondered, visible mark or not, if there wasn't a connection between them no matter which version of him or her was involved in the equation. Her blush deepened, and she slid the letter back into the envelope it had come in.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. She glanced at Harry, Everett, and Catherine who weren't really paying her any attention. "Um," she said, tucking that unruly hair behind her ear. It was eerie sometimes how similar their gestures were.

"Do you remember Norbert?"

He scowled for a moment, searching his mind for someone he might have met named Norbert.

And then it dawned on him.

The Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that Hagrid tried to hide from everyone and raise. That hadn't lasted long. His wife told him the dragon had bitten Ronald Weasley originally, too.

The three of them: Harry, Ronald, and Hermione had been virtually inseparable their first two years. However, midway through their third year, they had a falling out that while they made up from, the trio was never quite the same after that. Harry and Ronald's friendship hadn't changed. Severus doubted anything would after knowing one another practically their whole lives. Hermione and Ron, though, didn't do much just the two of them anymore.

Leandra indicated that she wasn't surprised. The three of them did have some tumultuous moments, and without Voldemort and war in the picture. Well, she wasn't surprised that this version of Hermione and Ronald Weasley couldn't completely make up.

"I do," he said, finally, not sure where this was going.

"Well, I've kept in contact with Charles Weasley. Just asking how … It's Norberta, by the way … is doing and such."

He laughed at that, rolling his eyes, at the fact Hagrid hadn't even gotten that right. And he was very lucky. Severus was aware of the rumors that the females of that species were pretty vicious. While his wife was quite fond of the half giant, Severus … tolerated him. He meant well. He was, overall, good with the students. Severus just kept waiting for the day he took possession of something like Norbert - Norberta - and no one found out until it was far too late. Hagrid would never intentionally hurt anyone. Unintentionally, though, there was a very distinct possibility.

"Right," he said. It wasn't … unnatural for this witch to be curious about the dragon's well being.

"She just turned six."

Merlin. Was it six years already? He nodded simply. He wasn't understanding how a dragon was blush-worthy.

"It sounds she's like she's about to have her first baby. Two of them."

"Congratulations to her," he said. What more was there to say?

She stood then, walking up to him, and he panicked for a moment, unsure what she wanted.

"He thought I might like to come see it," she said.

He had no idea how to respond. Was she looking for advice? From him? Was she looking for him to say she had no business traipsing off to Romania?

"The babies being born, I mean."

He nodded, smirking a bit at her thinking she needed to explain herself.

"That would be an opportunity. Does that interest you?" An opportunity that he knew Charles Weasley wouldn't offer her if he couldn't ensure her safety.

"It does!"

Interesting. He had no idea. Did his wife like dragons? Or was that a … new thing given the differences they'd created?

"I'm not sure …"

"Is it okay if I go?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"He's Ronald's brother."

"Is Ronald going to be there?"

"No," she said, frowning. Whether that was at the question or not, he wasn't quite sure. Did his question not make sense? He thought it did.

"Then why should whose brother he is matter?"

And then it dawned on him. The blushing. Her concern that Ronald might get … jealous.

She liked the wizard's older brother.

And evidently the wizard's older brother reciprocated.

He had never, in the fourteen years he'd known Charles Weasley (longer, because he had, in fact, seen him prior to when he started attending Hogwarts many times), known the wizard to show any witch attention. He saw some similarities between himself and Charles Weasley actually. He just didn't have the time for witches. If his witch hadn't shown up at his doorstep days before Easter 1981, he would likely still be single himself. (His previous past prior to her coming to him told him that was, in fact, true.)

So, the fact that Charles Weasley was inviting this witch to come see Norberta's babies meant something.

"Will they just give me a portkey?"

"Well, you have to apply for one, but personal, non-business visits and trips are allowed. Certainly." He supposed she'd never had reason up until now to obtain her own portkey.

She looked from him to the letter still in her hand.

"You know him?"

"Charles? I do. My wife and his father both work at the Ministry. We have had reason to socialize with them over the years. Harry, Ron, Everett, and Ginny have been friends since they were little more than toddlers. The other boys as well, obviously, but they were closer in age to Ginny and Ronald."

"He's, um, nice?"

He stifled a smile at that. "You're contemplating going to visit him yet asking me if he's nice."

"I only really know him from letters. I've seen him a few times at his parents' house," she shrugged. She was obviously embarrassed and uncertain.

He slid a finger to her chin, tilting her head up a bit to look at him.

"I know you quite well by now, Hermione. Through your friendship with Harry and observation of you in my classes. You've been a guest in my home many times now. You are intelligent."

"Yes, but not when it comes to wizards."

He chuckled softly. She wasn't the only witch he heard make such a complaint. "Do you want to go to Romania, Hermione?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Severus. You are no longer my student. So, then go. Did he say in his letter that there are any … expectations placed on you with his offer or your acceptance?"

"No," she said.

"Then, go to Romania, witness dragons entering the world, and figure out if you wish to see him again. You don't have to decide anything more than that here and now."

She bit her lower lip, nodding. "You're right. Yes. I mean, I don't need to see her babies…"

"You want to. You've had an interest in dragons since you encountered her."

"Yes."

"So, go. You are an adult."

"I have to decide about a job."

"Are your parents kicking you out of the house?"

"No," she said, sounding aghast at the very idea he'd suggest that they might even do such a thing.

"You do not have to make an immediate decision. You will no doubt get numerous offers. Enjoy being sought after and take your time." He dropped his hand then. "That goes for a potential wizard as well as a job. Besides, I thought you were going to university as Harry is."

"I am, I know, but if the right offer came along."

"Yes," he said with a nod. He understood the thought process, but knew his wife wanted her to get her degree. (She had, in fact, gotten hers in Psychology, just with a bit of a delay given her circumstances. It aided her in her endeavors in the Brain Room.) She didn't want her swayed by the idea of just a good sounding job. She wanted her to be able to get the perfect job.

"Harry's lucky to have you."

"On the contrary, Hermione. I am lucky to have Harry in my life. Twenty years ago, if someone had tried to tell me I'd be guardian to my friend's son, I would have laughed at them. For a number of reasons. I thank you for saying so, though. True father or not, one always wonders how we do raising our children."

She smiled a bit, drawing away from him. She slid the letter up, taking it out of the envelope again.

"Here's a current picture of Norberta," she said.

He took the magical picture from her, regarding the dragon. Grateful it was just a picture. He had no desire to be up close and personal with one.

"Is there one of Charles in there, too?" he asked.

"Um, yeah," she said.

He'd been joking, but he took the second offered picture. It was obviously a picture the wizard had taken for this witch. How did he know that? Years of being a professor, he knew the … primping and rituals that went into impressing (or at least hoping to) someone. It was a professional picture of him at work, but he looked too nice. Too clean. Too stylish. As if he was wanting to make an impression.

He handed both pictures back to her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask to see the letter." She blushed then, and he wondered briefly just what the wizard had written that caused her to blush so much from reading it. "I do have to ask…"

"Yes?"

"Do you actually think that you like him? Or do you just think that you should like someone?"

"Well, he writes compelling letters, and he seems to like mine." Were they writing that frequently? Interesting. "He says he likes the questions I ask about his work and dragons in general."

Oh the irony there.

"Don't rush into anything, is my only advice. Not that you're asking for such a thing specifically, but you are clearly uncertainly. You are almost nineteen. You have time."

"He's older."

"Only by a handful or so of years." He couldn't recall exactly how much older Charles Weasley was. Six or seven years? It seemed as if he was gone by the time she and Harry started at Hogwarts. So, he must be seven years older then.

"You're right, of course. My statement stands. You have so much potential, Hermione. I know I'm not the only one that hopes to see you achieve all that you can."

"Thank you."

"Now, I think the others are wondering what's happened to you," he said, gesturing to his three children who were clearly wondering if something was wrong or if they needed to come in. She pressed her wand against the envelope to shrink it before sliding it into her pocket. She darted off then to where the others were.

XvXvXv

"She's going to Romania?" Hermione asked him later that night.

"I think that she is."

"I never saw that coming."

"Neither did I." He regarded her as they were both silent. "Does that meet with your approval?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Yes. Charlie was always a good person."

"He is."

She laughed then.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, that she might end up a Weasley anyway."

He snorted softly. "Yes, well. I think he's more capable of handling her appropriately than Ronald."

"Me, too."

"I'm glad that you don't take offense to that."

"I don't. I'm quite positive it wouldn't have worked between us even without my mark."

He grazed over said mark with his finger, smiling fondly as their left hands glowed with the contact. It still, seventeen years later, seemed a bit surreal that this witch was his. Was marked for him. That the fates, or whoever was in charge of such things, knew before she was born (presumably anyway, no one knew for sure when a soul mark even appeared since the only one who saw them until the bond was accepted was the bearer of it) that she would be his other half.

"For the second time today, I find myself thinking I'm a lucky man."

~The End~

NOTE: Happy Sunday!

Thank you for reading this spin-off of A Solitary Man. It took me a long time to finish this particular story because I kept going back to the soul marks and younger Hermione not getting her soul mate. I struggled with how to handle it, and thought it was important that I did address younger Hermione's situation. I purposely left it ambiguous enough that while it's clear that there's still something "there", his mark does not respond to hers (if she has one). I hope you have a great start to your week.

I do have another fic finished, and should begin posting it on Wednesday. I say should because work has been kicking my butt lately, and I can admit I'm currently in a "delete everything and hide under the rocks" state of mind. So, we'll see.

I appreciate you! Thanks ~Susan