Hermione watched them disappear through the floor before she took a deep breath, turned on her heel and marched into the living room. She had Severus in her arms within two seconds, missing the alarmed looks of everyone else in the room as she hugged him close and sobbed.
"That bad?" Harry hissed, looking at Sirius.
"No," he smiled slightly, reaching for Hermione. "Come on Kitten, let him breathe." He pried a visibly worried Severus out of her arms, handing him to Charlie before wrapping her in a hug.
"What's wrong with mummy?" Severus' small voice demanded.
"I don't know mate. Grandpa's got her." Charlie soothed, "She'll be fine."
"Sirius? Mya? "What's going on," Harry demanded, watching them both with alarm.
Hermione attempted to slow her breathing down, desperately trying to get a hold of herself. "It's alright, Kitten." Sirius crooned, "Just breathe.'' He kept her anchored to him, one hand cupping her head, the other rubbing soothing patterns down her back. When he finally felt like she was calm enough, he loosened his hold.
"Mummy?" Severus asked softly, his eyes still on her.
Letting go of Sirius she took him back from Charlie, "I'm sorry for scaring you, darling."
"You sad, Mummy?" he asked quietly, his eyes scanning her face.
She bit her lip, shaking her head, "No, I'm not sad."
He scrunched up his nose, "You're not?"
"Not even a little bit," she whispered, "Do you want to know why?" He nodded slowly as if not sure what was going on. "Minister Shaklebolt was here to talk about you."
"Mr. Very Important Minister?" he checked, "What he say?"
"He said that if we wanted you could stay here. Do you want that, darling?"
"With you Mummy?" he whispered.
"With me." she agreed.
"Yes!" he squealed, "I stay with you." he paused, "I'll still visit Uncle Charlie"
,"Of course, you can,." she agreed, still sounding choked as his arms wound around her neck.
"We're keeping him?" Remus asked, sounding bewildered.
"Yes." Sirius agreed, "We'll discuss the particulars later but we're keeping him. Now I'm going to floo our Healer and then we can start talking bedroom decorations." he turned to Severus, "Dinosaurs and dragons?"
"Yes!" he squealed, "More dinosaurs!"
Remus snorted, "Severus Snape is Sirius Black's grandson," he mused with something close to awe, "Sweet Merlin, I wish I could go back and tell our teenage selves that. Your head would explode."
Sirius threw him a rude gesture before heading to the floo but he couldn't hide the slightly conflicted look on his face as the words sunk in.
"I can't believe you're a mum, My,'' Harry murmured, looking startled at Ron's laugh.
"She's been mothering us since she was twelve, mate. At least he's only three and she can pick him up when he's being a brat."
Harry's jaw dropped before he began to laugh. "Point to you. "
Ron looked smugly pleased with himself before turning to Severus. "Now, very important question young Sir." Severus watched him with wide eyes, "Who are you choosing to teach you to fly? Your favourite uncle or your boring Uncle Harry?"
"Uncle Charlie!" he shouted as Charlie grinned back at his brother's pout.
"Absolutely! Can't have you unable to keep up with the dragons!"
"Yes!" Severus shouted at the same time Hermione groaned.
"Do we have to do this? Can't he stay on the ground?"
"But then the dragons would eat me, Mummy," Severus informed her seriously pleading eyes out in full force, "You wouldn't want that, would you?"
I think we've created a monster," she muttered before ticking him to make him giggle so she didn't need to think about him on a bloody broomstick.
"Healer will be here in about an hour and a half," Sirius informed her. "So shall we have lunch?"
"Sure," she nodded suddenly hungry after her inability to eat breakfast.
"We have pancakes Grandpa?" Severus smiled winningly up at Sirius who froze.
"I'm going to be grandpa for the rest of my life," he muttered, utterly horrified.
Hermione snorted, "So it would seem."
He whined, "I'm too pretty to have a name that sounds that old."
"Well we were both rather young when we had children, Dad," she teased, "You must have been, what? All of nineteen when I was born? Eighteen?"
"At least I was of age," he shot back with a smirk, "Fifteen my daughter! I'm sure I was responsible for teaching you the contraceptive charm. What a terrible job I did."
She snorted, "Madam Pomfrey taught me it in third year." she corrected, "You taught me the male one at fifteen."
"Ah so it's Poppy I've to blame for this predicament!" he exclaimed dramatically.
Remus sighed, taking Severus' hand, "Our family is ridiculous. I'm so sorry."
"For what, Grandad?" he frowned.
"You're stuck with us," Remus smirked, "forever and ever and ever."
"That's a long time," he replied solemnly. "You'll be old skellingtons then!"
Hearing him, Harry laughed, "For that, you're definitely getting pancakes."
"I won't be old!" Sirius protested, "I've got decades left before I'm old!"
"Sure Grandpa." Hermione teased, patting his arm.
"Remus…Moony, love of my life…husband. Our daughter is evil!"
Remus sighed, "Your grandpa is ridiculous. Please don't be like him."
Severus shook his head, "I be like Uncle Charlie!"
Hearing him Hermione groaned, "Please no. Mummy's stress levels couldn't handle it."
"But dragons Mummy!"
Hermione's head thunked onto Sirius's shoulder and she whined. "Charlie is banned from the house."
He snorted at Charlie's momentarily offended look but was wise enough not to contradict her.
Severus eyed the door warily when the floo roared following lunch, his hands stilling where he had been playing with his cars with Ron.
"It's alright," Hermione murmured, "It'll just be the healer. They just want to check that everything is fine so you grow up big and strong."
"Like Uncle Charlie!" he shouted.
She sighed but nodded, "Like Uncle Charlie." she replied in resignation as Charlie smiled smugly at her from his perch on the sofa.
Healer Melrose was not what Hermione had been expecting. She was clearly over 100 but with bright eyes and more than a hint of mischief about her. She understood immediately why Sirius liked her.
"Am I to assume this is the young man who I've to see.?"
Severus nodded slowly. "Well then come closer, if I sit down on that floor I'll be stuck."
With wide eyes, he reached for |Hermione. "It's alright, come on, let's go and see Healer.."
"Oh Melrose." the witch smiled. "And you must be Severus? I've known your grandpa since he was your age, you know."
"No!" he breathed.
"Oh, I have! Did you know that I have a very special box of treats for good little boys to pick from? And that your Grandpa only ever got to choose something twice.
"He was naughty?"
"Yes, he was! He turned my hair pink once. So I turned him green."
"Slytherin green," Sirius muttered. "Evil witch."
"I'll be good!" Severus exclaimed with an edge of panic
"I'm sure you will." the witch agreed. "Now stay very still." she raised her wand, running several diagnostics Hermione didn't understand. "Well done! Now. you can have a treat. Your grandpa on the other hand…."
Sirius pouted, "I didn't do anything!"
"Do you think I missed the fact you were planning on sending a ticking jinx my way as I left Sirius Black?"
He paled, "How did you know!"
"I know everything!" she retorted, letting Severus hunt through the box. He pulled out a chocolate frog with a look of unholy glee.
"Catch it, Mummy!"
She laughed, watching as he carefully opened the box, catching the frog before it escaped.
"Go on then," she shooed him back towards his toys, "Mummy just needs to talk to the healer."
"Everything is normal," the healer began once he was absorbed back in his game, something that required a lot of roaring with Charlie and Ron. Noticing Hermione's surprise, she laughed, "Sirius explained the circumstances. There is nothing to indicate any adverse effects, nothing to indicate it's temporary. "
Hermione let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. "Thank you."
"Now I'll see it in a year unless you've any concerns."
She hummed, "I assume Sirius knows where to get you?"
"Indeed he does." Healer Melrose agreed, sending a singing jinx at Sirius's backside, "Do not even consider it Sirius Black"
Sirius yelped before he pointed, "How do you always know!"
"Because I am much wiser than you, hooligan!"
Hermione hid her smile behind her hand, "It was lovely to meet you, Healer Montrose."
"And you Miss Black," she smirked as she headed for the floo, sending one last stinging jinx at Sirius before disappearing.
"Well then," Sirius muttered, still looking put out, "what type of permanent are you thinking?"
"I don't know what you mean?"
He gestured to the sofa, settling himself beside her. "There's a paper adoption, filed through the ministry," he explained, "Standard magical adoption that involves a ritual and no blood. Black adoption which involves blood and a ritual."
"What…what exactly is the difference?"
"Well, paper adoption is a bit like a muggle one. Magical one binds him to your family. Black adoption will change both his features and his magic."
"What?" Hermione looked slightly lost.
"He'll look like your child," Sirius continued gently, "It stops once the child is of age, which is why you still look like you."
She frowned, "So he'll look nothing like himself?"
"No, he will just…with you added in. I'm not explaining it well. Remus is better at this…." he trailed off, "He'll still be him, he'll look enough like him that he'll remind you of Snape as you knew him, but he'll have pieces of you, the way a biological child would."
"Oh." she murmured "What would you choose?"
"You know what I chose," he pointed out.
"And you think I should too?" she asked, desperately wanting him to give her the answer.
"I think it's up to you." he contradicted.
"Is one better than the others?"
"No one could dispute he's yours with a blood adoption. He'd be your heir and have equal standing to any biological children you have. He'd be exactly like a biological child. It's…most people prefer a blood adoption in your position. It leaves no room for ambiguity. No room for dispute."
"I see." she hummed, "Will you help?"
"I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but yes. Let's go and look at the ritual. And tomorrow, we can make Severus Snape a Black."
"Ok," she blew out a breath, "Let's go and do that."
21st May 1998
"What's going on with you and Mya?" Neville asked idly, working his way along a destroyed corridor with Dean, Blaise and Percy.
"Nothing," Blaise muttered.
"Because you're too much of a coward to suggest anything." Dean retorted. "We've all seen the way you look at her."
"It wasn't…safe before."
"And now it is?" Neville asked archly.
He shrugged, "I don't know, I'm less likely to be murdered over it but the witch she's…slightly intimidating."
The other three smirked, "That she is."
"Is this you warning me off?"
"Maybe," Neville admitted, "she owled this morning. Severus is staying three. She's keeping him."
Blaise's jaw dropped, "Pardon?"
"She's going to have a kid, Zabini," Dean replied bluntly, "They're doing a full Black adoption ritual today. You can't…it can't be a game."
"It was never a game," he hissed looking offended.
"Maybe not," Dean sighed, "But she's just become a single parent to a three-year-old. That's real grown-up shit. And if you can't be an adult you need to walk away."
"We are adults!" he protested, jabbing his wand with more force than was warranted as he slotted a brick back into place. It fell with a thud in response to his rough treatment.
"Are we though?" Neville muttered, "I can't decide whether I feel ancient or like I know nothing."
"She's doing it." Blaise changed tact. "The real grown-up shit with a kid and...and..."
"Actual adulting?" Dean suggested with a laugh.
"She's mothered several of us for years," Neville laughed, "And it's different obviously but it's also sort of my point. For her to consider anyone they're going to have to parent too. She'll need someone who will listen to shite that's going to come, because I'm told parenting isn't easy, but parenting Snape has to be ten times harder. She'll need someone to step in when she's doing too much because Merlin knows the witch doesn't have an off switch, someone who she can trust enough to allow them to help because she's not good at it. She needs a real grown-up too."
"And you don't think I am." Blaise sighed.
"I don't think I am." he corrected, "I wouldn't be able to even consider it if I was interested in Mya. Which I'm not before you think I'm trying to step on toes. But my point is, I'm not ready. I know I'm not."
"Me either," Dean shrugged, "We survived a war, I'd like to have some fun before I'm forced to be a real adult. I fully intend to be fun Uncle Dean, Mya is one of my best friends. But I know I'm not ready to be a parent. So we need you to think about it. Really, really think. Because it's not just her now."
Blaise let out a slow breath, "Ok." he muttered, knowing they were right before he turned to Percy. "Nothing to add?"
He shrugged, "If you hurt her she has seven brothers, a vicious harpy of a sister, and an escaped convict and a werewolf as parents. They will never find your body."
"I didn't know you had it in you Percy," Neville grinned.
Percy rolled his eyes. "Did you know that she was the only one to reach out to me when the shit hit the fan?"
"What?"
"When I fell out with my parents she wrote. Berated me for three-quarters of a letter and then reminded me that whatever happened I was family. We wrote back and forth over the next two years. She and Penny were the only ones who knew that the letter to Ron telling him to support Umbridge wasn't real. They were watching my post, so we wrote in code and sent them via an intermediary. They thought Penny was my girlfriend so didn't question it and I got to keep up appearances."
"Seriously mate?" Dean gaped.
"Yes. She was my only link to my family because she's never been able to leave things alone and worked out what what I was doing. I wasn't stupid I knew the promotion was a farce but it allowed me to keep a closer eye on what was going on. I sent tips to the Order anonymously based on things I overheard."
"But if they were tracking your owls…."
"I met Penny regularly. She passed it on."
"Sweet merlin. Who knows?"
"Now? Most people, my parents included. Remus and Kingsley found out during your sixth year." he shrugged.
Blaise remained silent and thoughtful as he listened. Could he be a parent? He was only eighteen. Did he want to be?
Percy nudged him, "Get to know her as a friend." he advised, "Nothing else. And you'll end up around Severus. You can't make a decision until you know what her life really looks like."
It was sound advice, he had to admit. "How do I do that?"
"Talk to her. She's just a witch." Percy urged him, clearly amused.
"A terrifying one," he muttered.
Percy laughed, "Sometimes. Still just a witch. And she's…far more soft on the inside than she'd like you to believe. Be careful. She's fragile."
"She's not fragile!" Blaise scoffed.
"She is,'' Percy replied calmly, Dean and Neville nodding their agreement. "She spent the days after the battle here because she didn't think she had family left. Silly witch. Sirius and Remus won't let her wallow anymore but we won't let her be broken because you've not given being with her enough thought."
"I don't think not giving being with her enough thought will be the problem," he muttered wryly before colour flooded his cheeks as he realised he'd said it out loud.
Percy snorted. "I don't imagine those thoughts included a three-year-old son who used to be your potions professor."
No." Blaise admitted with a grimace, "They did not."
"Then perhaps it's time they did," he replied pointedly.
"Ready Kitten?"
Hermione stepped up beside Sirius. "Yes."
"Good. Seven of yours, seven of his. One of mine is Head of House. And one vial of this delightful potion. You know the words."
"Severus, can you come here, darling?"
He looked warily back at her, "What you doing mummy?"
"We're going to make me really your Mummy. Can you help me?"
He frowned clearly not understanding but nodded. "I can help!"
"Good boy. Mummy needs you to let Grandpa make a little cut on your finger and you're going to put seven drops in this fancy cup. Then Mummy's going to do the same, ok?"
"It'll be alright Pup, over in a minute." Sirius soothed, reading the uncertainty on his face as he put his hand in Sirius' hissing when he made a cut in his finger. "'Almost there," Sirius murmured before healing the wound.
"That hurt!" Severus shouted.
"I know Pup but look, Mummy's doing it now?" Severus watched with confusion as Hermione dropped her blood in before Sirius took over and began chanting over the cup.
"I'll decant it into smaller ones," Sirius murmured, halving the mixture.
"Severus," Hermione caught his attention, "I know this doesn't taste nice but I need you to drink this darling. Mummy's going to drink this one." She held up the second glass of silver potion.
"I don't want to!" he whined.
"I know, darling. But big gulps then we'll see if Grandad got a frog for you."
Still looking unconvinced but wanting the frog he drank the potion quickly. "It's yucky Mummy," he whined, his face screwed up in disgust.
"It's not the nicest," Hermione agreed, finishing hers, trying not to screw up her face lest she trigger him into a stronger reaction.
"I feel funny Mummy," he replied faintly once his glass was empty. Hermione caught him seconds before he fell, hoisting him up into her arms.
"He'll sleep for a bit." Sirius explained in response to her startled look, "There are more changes in children."
"Is it done?"
It's done, Kitten. Congratulations. It's a boy!"
She rolled her eyes but looked down at Severus with a faint smile. Her son. Merlin hoped she was up to this.
23rd May 1998
"I come with you, Mummy!" Severus demanded, stamping his foot.
"No,'' Hermione replied sharply. "Not today. I..Severus, I need you to stay with Winky. Mummy…Mummy can take you today."
"Why not?" he cried petulantly.
"Because…because…" Hermione blew out a frustrated breath, already feeling the tears gathering.
Mummy?" he queried softly, looking alarmed.
"Remember when you came with us to say goodbye to Penny?"
"Uhuh."
"Well, today we're going to say goodbye to someone called Colin. And it..it makes Mummy's heart hurt so I need you to stay with Winky because for all it hurts Mummy, it hurts Uncle Harry more. I can't look after you both today."
Severus frowned, "Uncle Harry's sad?"
"So very sad," Hermione agreed, sounding choked.
He nodded warily, "You come back?"
"Of course, I will, darling. I'll come back before it's time for dinner."
He hummed. "OK, mummy."
She breathed out a sigh of relief when he scampered off, only pausing when she heard an oof that sounded like Harry. Walking quickly, her heels clacking on the floor, she found Harry with Severus' arms around him. "Mummy said you were sad. Hugs make it better"
Harry gave a choked-sounding laugh, "Thank you." he whispered, picking the boy up and burying his face in his newly curly hair.
The funeral was brutal. The muggle church was overwhelmed by almost every Gryffindor who had come into contact with Colin. Dotted around were Hufflepuffs and the odd Ravenclaw along with every Hogwarts professor alive. They spoke of a boy who loved life, loved people who saw the best in everyone, and when the time came, stood up for what was right. Beside her, clutching both her hand and Ginny's, Harry was wrecked. All of them knew that none of it was fair. He shouldn't even have been there, he was too young. Too young to have been there, far too young to be dead.
In the front row of the church, Mrs Creevy looked stupefied, seeming oblivious to her husband's sobs as she stared almost unseeingly at the coffin that rested in front of them. Denis had mentioned in an emotionless voice that she hadn't moved from her bed since she'd been told, that it had taken four of his Aunts to get her ready and to the church that morning. Hermione would be lying if she said that she wasn't worried about the boy. He was all of fifteen and had seen more than he ever should have. She made a mental note to ask Sirius to reach out to him. It wasn't the same but he'd lost a brother too, perhaps he'd help.
After the service, they sat in awkward groups at the wake, none of them sure what they could say. Sorry for your loss didn't feel like it cut it. She was ashamed to admit it, but she colluded with Ginny to ensure they escaped as soon as was polite. She wasn't sure Mr and Mrs Creevy even really noticed.
"Mummy!" Severus called at the sound of the floo, stopping dead at the look on their faces. "Mummy?" he asked again, sounding unsure.
"It's alright darling," she murmured, reaching for him, needing the grounding comfort of his small body as he wound his arms around her neck. "It's…just been a very hard day. Come and say hello to Auntie Ginny."
He clung to her, eyeing Ginny cautiously. "You're Uncle Charlie's little sister!"
Ginny sighed exaggeratedly, "Yes," she agreed "But I'm much cooler than Uncle Charlie."
"Do you look after dragons too?" he squealed drawing a reluctant smile from Harry.
"No," she pouted,
"Oh." he looked disappointed. "Uncle Charlie's the coolest."
Ginny sighed again, this time sounding genuine, "We'll work on that," she muttered, guiding Harry into a seat.
Hermione eyed Ron over the top of Severus' head, he made pointed eye movements back at her. "For fucks sake," she muttered, handing Severus to him before walking over to Harry. "It is not your fault."
His head shot up to look at her. "If it wasn't for me…"
"Harry James you stop this at once!" she demanded as Severus eyed her warily from Ron's knee. "We have had this conversation before so for Merlin's sake get that ego under control."
"Ego?" he hissed, rearing back from her as if she'd slapped him.
"Ego!" she shot back. "Colin fought for many reasons. He was hunted, he was a muggleborn and they wanted him dead. He didn't give a fuck by that point that Voldemort wanted to kill you, he fought because they wanted to kill him too. Do not dare demean his sacrifice by making this about you."
He looked stupified as silence fell around the room. "You're right," he croaked suddenly. "Fuck" he hissed swiping at his eyes, "He was just…he was so young My!"
"I know," she agreed softly, sitting down next to him, vaguely registering Ron putting down Severus when he wriggled, "Too young. We all were."
She blinked back tears when Severus appeared holding out Ted to Harry. "Cuddles make it better."
With an audible swallow, Harry took the bear, "Of course they do." he agreed, "So how about one from my favourite nephew?" He settled the boy on his knee, deciding not to overthink when scrawny arms wound around his neck and he felt better, the comforting weight of him grounding him.
"I didn't quite believe them when they said he was sweet," Ginny murmured, looking at Harry and Severus as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing before something else passed over her face. "Sweet Merlin Mya. You're someone's Mum!"
"Yes, " she agreed dryly, all at once feeling exhausted. "I noticed."
