AN: Hi you guys, please I'm dying for a couple of more reviews. It's hard to keep writing anyway, because my muse seem to have abandon me and I've got a lot of work at the moment, so if you are abandoning me with your reviews it's even harder.
Anyway here comes a bit of family fluff. Hope you like it!?
As always don't own anything, don't make any money with it.
It was a Sunday morning the end of October, when Hermione woke up by the unusual bright light in the room. It happened to be a bright autumn day, when normally it would be foggy and rainy. A smile spread across her face and she snuggled back into her duvet, knowing it was Sunday and she had all day to enjoy this fine day. The young witch looked over to the two dark haired people lying next to her. The older one was lightly snoring and the younger one had rosy chubby cheeks and a slightly opened mouth. Hermione had to grin, Severus always said he couldn't stand having a child in his bed and how he only wanted to spend time with her in this bed, but in the end at the slightest mewling of Elena he jumped up and brought her into the big bed. She thought it was cute how he tried to defend a space for them as a couple, but how his father instinct always got the better of him. Hermione didn't mind having Elena in the bed, since she remembered how quite often she would wake up in her parents' bed in the morning and back then she was already older than Elena was now.
"What's so funny?" came his, from sleep, still husky voice.
"Nothing, I'm just happy."
"This grin was far too cheeky for just being happy."
"How do you know about my grin, you were sleeping a second ago."
"No I wasn't."
"Yes, you were, I heard you snore," she protested.
Now it was Severus' time to grin, "No I wasn't. I was fake snoring."
"What? Are you crazy?"
Her voice was a tad louder than she intended too, prompting Elena to stir.
"I have been a spy for half my life, so I invented fake snoring, it was really useful," he explained somewhat apologetically, when Elena rubbed her eyes, opened them looked at Hermione, smiled at her and said, "Mummy!"
Hermione's eyes filled with tears, which Elena didn't see since she cuddled her face in Hermione's crook of the neck.
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm your mummy!"
By now Severus had tears in his eyes and through his clouded vision he took in the golden lights that suddenly encircled his fiancée and his daughter. With wide eyes Hermione followed the light now encircling Severus and then all three of them, before it vanished.
"What was that?"
"I'm not exactly sure?"
"Venture a guess?" Hermione said, still cuddling the little girl, who was totally oblivious to what just had happened.
"I'm guessing it's some kind of ancient magic and the three of us are now a family… maybe it has something to do with adoption… it certainly has something to do with love," Severus smiled.
"You sound like Dumbledore," Hermione said.
"Professor Dumbledore," Severus corrected automatically.
"Now you really sound like him," Hermione grinned.
"Hermione may I say something?"
"Go on."
"I want to thank you for doing this for me," he said casting down his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked a bit confused.
"I mean, thank you for be willing to adopt Elena, thank you for wanting to marry me…"
"Will you stop that right now! We've been through this a million times, I love you, I'm not doing this because I pity you or because I want to be with a hero or some other ridiculous reason. I love you. It's a simple as that. And I love Elena too. I would give my life for her. She is my daughter, maybe not by blood, but by everything else," she said.
"It may be as simple as that for you, but it is not as simple as that for me to comprehend it all. I need time to process it all. Elena was the first good thing, that happened to me in a long time. And then you came into my life, this young gorgeous woman, who falls in love with me … with me, the old lonesome ugly git…"
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her by raising his hand.
"No don't say it, I know you see me differently and I still don't get why, but you do. But please give me the time I need to accept it and please know, I'm not doing it to annoy you. I'm just still gobsmacked by how my life changed, when I thought I would suffer a long painful lonely death."
"I promise you, I will give you all the time you need my love," she replied and softly kissed him.
It was a couple of hours later. They were sitting having lunch at the Great Hall, when four large eagle owls swooped in through an open window, making everybody in the hall look up and follow them with their eyes, curious to find out, who they were headed for. The four birds landed gracefully in front of Hermione and Severus, two of them having a message for her and two for him.
"I guess this might solve our mystery from this morning," she whispered breaking the seal on a Ministry of magic parchment.
Dear Miss Granger,
It came to our knowledge that of 8.05 a.m. today you adopted Elena Lily Snape. Since this is illegal we have to ask you to join us at the ministry on Monday October 26th at 9 a.m. for an interrogation. If this adoption proofs invalid, which it will from our momentarily level of information, you will be fined severely.
Yours sincerely,
Aurelia Crombie, Head of Department of family affairs, Ministry of Magic
Hermione's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't do anything, why would they take that away from us. Did I really adopt Elena, it looked more like she adopted me," she said quietly, wiping away her tears.
"Look at the other letter, it might cheer you up a bit," he said gently stroking over her cheek and handed her a letter from Gringotts. She broke the seal and scanned the letter and a small smile spread across her face.
Dear Miss Granger,
Congratulations on adopting Elena Lily Snape, daughter of Professor Severus Tobias Snape. We would like to get together with you and Professor Snape and your daughter on Monday October 26th at 11 a.m. for a meeting to arrange all the financial aspects that come with an adoption. Please bring all the adoption papers with you.
Yours sincerely
Bognok, Gringotts Wizarding Bank
"Now that's interesting, why would Gringotts think this adoption is totally normal, when the ministry is freaking out about it," Hermione mused.
"First of all the ministry is and always will be a freak show, except for a few exceptions like Arthur Weasley and fortunately Kingsley and second of all the goblins are far more familiar with the ancient wizarding magic than the Ministry," he smiled.
"That's a bit sad and actually preposterous really. But where will we get adoption papers from?"
"Time will tell," he winked at her, "and now let's take a nice long walk around the premises, there are not gonna be many more fine days like this one this year."
It was nine o' clock the following day, when Severus, Hermione and Elena in their nicest clothes were standing in front of Aurelia Crombie's office.
"Calm and breathe. She is our daughter and not theirs. It's all gonna be fine," Severus gently laid his hand on Hermione's back, who was holding Elena and fiercely knocked on the door. After being invited to come in, he opened the door and they stepped into an office, that couldn't have been a bleaker place. Behind an old wooden desk sat a strict looking elderly lady in purple robes, with her grey hair pulled back into a firm bun.
The only thing Hermione could think about was, "Purple, colour of frustrated women. Purple, colour of frustrated women. Purple, …"
"Professor Snape! Miss Granger…"
"It's professor, actually. Professor Granger if you please," Severus cut across the older witch, who merely raised an eyebrow.
"Professor Granger then. I'm Miss Crombie and I will handle this adoption," she said underlining the word adoption with air quotes.
Severus mimicked her gesture replying, "It's not just an adoption. What we witnessed yesterday morning was an actual adoption. My daughter called my fiancée 'mummy' and suddenly they were encircled by a golden light, which in the end encircled all three of us. I believe it is something to do, with the fact that I asked Professor Granger if she would be willing to adopt Elena and since she loves her dearly and said yes and due to my daughter loving her as well otherwise she wouldn't have called her mummy, this activated some kind of ancient magic and they are bonded as mother and daughter now."
"Well that's not how it works, you are not even married yet," Miss Crombie said disapprovingly.
"Miss Crombie, love is a bit bigger than law," Severus replied smoothly.
"Enough of that now. I'm going to examine the child now," she said getting up behind her desk.
"The child has got a name. It's Elena," Hermione said in a dangerously low voice.
"And she doesn't need being examined. Elena is a perfectly happy and healthy child."
"That's for me to decide. Come here child," she said and tried to pick up Elena from Hermione's lap, but realised she couldn't.
"That's not funny Miss Granger, let go of her," the ministry employee growled.
"I'm not doing anything, I'm not even holding onto her," Hermione said astonished.
"What's happening?" Miss Crombie asked confused.
Severus contentedly leaned back in his chair, watching the - in concentration - crunched up face of his daughter and said, "I guess she doesn't want to be examined by you."
"Don't be ridiculous she is one year old, she is way too young for accidental magic."
"Say, weren't you one and half years old, when you dyed your aunts facial hair green, when she wanted to kiss you," Hermione asked Severus innocently.
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS," the old witch roared and tore open the door.
"Get me the minister for magic," she barked at her secretary. Severus and Hermione grinned at each other, knowing they had won the game.
The minutes until the minister arrived passed in deadly silence. Kingsley entered the room thundering, "What's the meaning of this. I was in the middle of a meeting with the muggle prime minister. This rather be important."
He raised an eyebrow when he recognised his fellow order members.
...
Severus had an evil grin on his face carrying Elena on his arm, "Well done sweetheart, I'm so proud of you," he whispered in her ear.
"I can't believe she called for Kingsley, how in competent can one be," Hermione huffed.
"I won't complain, it was the best thing that could have happened to us," he replied and nuzzled his face in Elena's neck, blowing raspberries, making the little girl giggle.
"I can't believe you once were one of the most feared teachers of Hogwarts," Hermione shook her head amused.
"Rumour has it you are my legitimate successor," Severus chuckled.
"WHAT? That's not true."
"It is apparently. I overheard some first years talking. They said you are scary as hell."
Hermione slightly blushed and her expression turned somewhat abashed.
"That's not what I wanted. I just thought after the incident last term, I should make it very clear that I'm not a teacher they can mess with."
"And I think you are really proving your point."
"Am I too strict?"
"No. I'm glad you are showing them that you are strong and self-confident. Merlin knows what clever ideas they'll come up with otherwise. Anyway we have one hour to spare, before we have to be at Gringotts. Flourish and Blotts or celebrating with a cup of coffee?"
"Coffee," she answered with a smile.
"You do surprise me?"
"Well one hour is hardly enough for a bookshop, plus we've got Elena with us. She'll be bored and that we don't want, do we?" Hermione said turning to Elena and taking her out of her father's arms, she kissed her nose.
"Mummy," Elena squealed and in her enthusiasm smacked both of Hermione's cheeks with her chubby hands.
"Ouch that hurt, little monkey. You are a fighter, aren't you? Well it doesn't come as a surprise I have to say, considering you have the bravest man I know as your father."
"You are making me blush," Severus mumbled.
"I'm only telling the truth."
Severus kissed her temple and whispered, "Thanks," against her skin, while Elena reached out and grabbed her dad by his neck at the same time holding out to Hermione whispering, "Daddy … Mummy."
An hour later they were welcomed at Gringotts by a goblin that shot Hermione grumpy glances, while leading them to a private room at the back of the lobby.
"Bognok will be with you in a couple of moments," the grumpy goblin said and left them.
"Ah the famous Hermione Granger," came the happy voice of a tiny goblin entering the room.
"You have to know I'm your biggest fan. Unfortunately the day you broke into Gringotts I was working somewhere in the back and only saw you in the end riding the dragon. You have to tell me everything. I'm Bognok by the way. Oh and don't let the other goblins know that I said I'm your biggest fan, you are not the most liked witch among the other goblins," Bognok smiled and held out a hand to an astonished Hermione and an amused Severus.
"Ah Professor Snape master spy, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," Severus replied, slightly bowing his head.
"And this must be little Elena, the reason why you all came here today. Miss Elena I have to say you are very lucky to have such brilliant parents. But please take a seat and before we start, you have to tell me the story how you, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley broke into Gringotts."
"Are you sure," Hermione asked somewhat insecure.
The goblin nodded eagerly and so Hermione started telling the adventure of how they broke into Gringotts. Bognok and Severus were listening intently, while Severus was more and more fascinated by his fiancée, who together with her friends had risked everything to end that war.
After Hermione had finished there was a couple of minutes silence in which all three of them were lost in their thoughts until Bognok said, "You are a very fascinating young witch Miss Granger."
"I second that," Severus mumbled.
"Now, I've prepared all the papers for you. An adoption always has influence on the inheritance law. As I noticed your adoption is a very old and nearly forgotten form of adoption. It's not an adoption in one direction. With this form of adoption Elena has accepted you as her mum. You could even say she adopted you."
"I knew it," Hermione whispered triumphantly.
"With this adoption Elena and Professor Snape are automatically your heirs in case something happens to you."
"No I don't want that," Severus said immediately, knowing that Hermione had so much more money, than himself and feeling a little bit humiliated by that fact.
"Severus please don't do it. I'm absolutely fine with it. If I die I want you and Elena to get everything I own. You are my family now. If you don't want my money just give it all to Elena, but please don't be embarrassed that I've got more money than you."
"Do you want me to give you a minute?" The goblin asked.
"Yes please," Severus replied.
"No, it's fine Bognok." Hermione turned to Severus took his face in her hands and said, "You are my family Severus. What's mine is yours and always will be. Please don't let money stand in between us."
"Sir, to be honest I don't think you stand a chance against your fiancée's determination. It seems you are defeated," Bognok said quietly.
Severus merely raised an eyebrow at the goblin's interference.
"I guess so," he grumbled.
When they came back after having lunch at the Leaky Cauldron Elena was already quite grumpy, since it was past her nap time. So Severus put her down for her nap, while Hermione just sat down to read a book. Coming back ten minutes later Severus found Hermione tears pouring down her face.
"What happened? What's wrong?" Severus voice was filled with concern.
"I'm scared. I'm not sure if I can do it," she sobbed.
"Do what?" Severus asked confused.
"Be a mum."
He hurried over to the settee and gathered her in his arms, "You are the best mum I could wish for Elena. You love her like she is your own daughter."
"But I don't know anything about raising a child," Hermione sniffled, "I miss my mum."
"Hermione my girl, I'm so sorry." Severus held her tight, until she calmed down.
"Why don't you make yourself a cup of tea. I'm back in a minute," he said ushering her to the kitchenette.
"I promise I'll be back in a minute," he smiled mysteriously and left.
Hermione made herself a cup of tea and was rummaging through the cabinets on the look for some chocolates or at least some biscuits, when she heard the floo activate behind her. Turning around she saw Severus stepping out of the fire brushing off some of the ashes on his robes.
"I know it's not the same, but I thought she might be able to help," Severus said pointing a little bit helpless to Molly who had just stepped out of the fireplace behind him. Seeing Molly who nowadays was as close as a mother would be to her, tears were starting anew cascading down Hermione's face. Hermione stood in the middle of the room with slumped shoulders crying, causing Molly's heart to break over this young girl seeming so lost. She quickly ushered her to the big grey sofa and sat down next to her.
"What happened? Severus just told me that you might need me," Molly said wondering.
"I somehow adopted Elena or … or she … adopted me … I don't …. I don't know, but it's official … the ministry knows and Gringotts," Hermione chocked out between sobs.
"But that's wonderful isn't it?" Molly said.
"Yes … no… I don't know. Molly I'm so scared and I really miss my mum. I've no idea how to raise a child, it's way too early."
"But why did you say 'yes' to adopting Elena in the first place."
"Because I really want to, but I thought I would have at least another year, that I wouldn't sign the papers until after we were married. I love Elena but most of the time I haven't got a clue what I'm doing. What If I make a mistake and Severus doesn't want me anymore…"
"Don't be ridiculous," Severus who was watching the scene from the door said and hurried over to her kneeled down in front of her and took her hands into his, "By the way, most of the times I haven't got a clue what I'm doing either. But I really have to go, I'm already late for my classes. I told Minerva you don't feel well and won't be able to teach in the afternoon. Thanks Molly, for taking care of her," he said giving Molly a small smile and quickly left the room.
Molly was staring at the door through which he just left and mumbled, "Wow he's changed so much."
"Well war changes everybody, doesn't it?" Hermione replied quietly.
"I guess so, but in this case it seems more the work of a bright young witch," Molly said with a wink.
"But I didn't do anything," the said witch answered.
"He is just very loving and caring to me."
"Aww … love," Molly smiled.
"Now tell me why you are so scared about being a mum?"
"I don't know how to raise a child. I'm afraid I will mess it all up. What if she will reproach me of not being her real mum and she won't listen to me."
"I guess that could happen, but not until she is a teenager and by then you will know her well enough to know how to handle the situation. And I'm sure you won't mess it all up. I saw you with Elena, you're doing great. And let me tell you something, with Bill I felt the same. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I guess all young parents feel the same. My advice is talk to Severus about how to raise Elena. Hearing him talk today, I would guess he isn't as confident as he looks. You could come up with some ground rules or basic ideas how to raise her. You will still do things differently, but that's okay as long as you act in concert. With Arthur and me that's what we do, although we do things differently. He is the more relaxed and easy-going of the two of us and I guess more fun. And I'm … I'm … I don't know."
"You are the caring one, the one that fusses around them in a nice way. Their safe haven."
"Thanks Hermione. You know I can be your safe haven too, if you'd like that. You can come to me whenever you need to."
"Thanks Molly, I really appreciate that," Hermione replied and snuggled herself into Molly's side, who put an arm around the younger witch's side.
AN: Please, please review! I would really appreciate it. Thanks!