Disclaimer:- I neither own nor own anything from this story. My plot is my own but the world of Harry Potter is the intellectual property of JK Rowling and associates.

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A/N:- Thank you to everyone who left alerts and reviews on the last chapter, please know that I appreciate every one of them. I am currently posting without a beta because I wanted to strike while I had the opportunity, so any mistakes you may find are all mine. Thank you all for your patience for my extended absence from posting, and for the messages of support I've received over that time.

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Chapter Six – Working Out the Future

The Snape family had just finished their breakfast on their first morning in their new home when several things happened at one. Luna's patronus hare hopped through the open back door, a Hogwarts owl sailed in the same back door and perched on the back of a kitchen chair, and the Floo chimed in the kitchen fireplace.

Toby watched on in wonder as Hermione and Severus scrambled to take it all in. They both heard Luna's voice say, "Sorry, I'm unable to come again today. Rolf is back, and we'll be heading off on an adventure. I'll see you all sooner or later."

Hermione snorted. "Typical, she's here and then she's gone again," she commented as she drew her wand to answer. Watching her little otter gambolling off through the door, she shook her head as she added to Severus, "Look, I love her dearly, but poor Neville," and she got up to answer the Floo as Severus—who'd given her a raised eyebrow at her sentence—approached the owl.

Reading the missive that had been attached to the owl's leg, Severus heard Hermione speaking to Ginny Potter via the Floo, listening as she told her friend, "I'm sorry, Gin, but the three of us have to head back to Hogwarts this morning. Perhaps we could get together another time? We'll have more time once we're settled in properly," and she placed an arm around Toby who'd come to kneel beside her and who made a disappointed noise at this news. Hermione knew that she was being a little selfish in wanting to keep him close, but she wasn't ready to allow him to go anywhere she wasn't yet, even though she knew that their little boy would be very bored with what thy had to do this morning. However, there was a petty part of her that wanted Minerva to actually see that she had both Severus and Toby, after being told that she was delusional for hoping for it. "Besides," she went on to Ginny as she thought about things. "I want to catch up with you too, because I want to ask you to be my maid of honour."

A deafening squeal came through the Floo as Ginny accepted excitedly. "Yes!" she cried, and then gushed, "Oh, I can't wait."

"Then I'll let you know once we're settled and then Albus and Toby can have their play date while we start planning. Okay?"

"Sure, I'll see you soon," Ginny answered, as the connection closed rather quickly with her redheaded friend presumably racing off to tell Harry.

"Well, you've made her happy," Severus commented, watching on, a smile twisting his lips.

"Apparently," Hermione laughed. "She almost deafened me," and she turned to Toby. "I'm sorry, Toby, but we have a couple of things to do today that will require all three of us to be present, but we'll see Albus soon though, I promise," she told him, noting as she rose from her kneeling position that her sore internal muscles complained a fair bit. She presumed that it was after her very enjoyable romp with Severus last night. This also made her smile as her eyes found him watching, and she asked, "So, I assume," and she nodded towards the missive in his hand, "that is from Minerva?"

He smirked. "It is, and surprisingly it's an apology for yesterday. It is also a request for a meeting this morning."

"Is it indeed," Hermione laughed, her arms crossed over Toby affectionately from behind, holding him to her front. She glanced down at him as he wriggled, and she released him saying, "You may go and play, love, as long as you stay where I can still see you," she warned.

"Okay," he cried as he pulled the two little metal cars he'd found upstairs in his room and brought down to breakfast with him from his pants pockets and careered off out onto the porch.

Hermione smiled after him, and when she turned to Severus. She saw him putting his wand away after setting boundary wards for their son, and he was wearing the same expression as her.

Still watching his younger self, Severus said, "My father had a pile of sand in the backyard and when I was Toby's age I used to love to play in it with those same two little cars."

Coming over to him, Hermione laced her arms around his waist as they watched Toby running with his cars up and down the back porch. "Oh?" she questioned.

"Mum told me years later that apparently he'd been planning to extend the back porch," Severus explained. "The pile of sand spread all over the backyard with time, and it was still there untouched when I sold the dump," and a sneer twitched onto his face but disappeared quickly again.

Hermione loved when he opened up about little things like this, it must be cathartic to tell someone finally, but she held him tighter knowing that all he felt from the time spent with his parents was pain. "We should get Toby some sand then," she suggested. "Because I agree. When I was a kid, the little boys who lived across the road from me had a sand pit and it was great fun to play in when I visited them with my mother," she said. "And I think that we could fit a sand pit on the other end of the porch, we'd just need to construct something there to contain the sand."

Severus leant down and kissed her head. "We will visit the hardware store on our way home from Hogwarts," he told her.

She smiled at him, and turned in his arms to kiss him properly, as she thought about more things those two little boys across the road from her childhood home had played with in their backyard. They'd also had a wading pool for the hot weather, and a mini bike track through their back garden that their father had built, and she decided that Toby could have all those things too, but then her higher order thoughts started to close down as Severus continued to kiss her. "I love you," she murmured, hugging him as their kiss ended.

"And I you," he replied, but then he sighed. "I suppose the sooner we get this morning started, the sooner ww'll be free to return to our summer," he commented.

"Mm," she replied. "I'm going to owl Septima," she told him, looking up into his eyes. "I don't want to blindside her with Minerva's offer for her to teach again out of nowhere."

"That's probably a good idea," Severus agreed. "I will owl Draco to see if he himself would like to teach, or if his father's firm has anyone who might be suitable as a Potions teacher."

"Good plan, and we must seek Kingsley's advice too," Hermione said, nodding her understanding of what Severus had just told her. "In fact, it might be best to schedule an after lunch appointment with Minerva to give people time to get back to us."

"Mm, that may be prudent," Severus agreed, taking a step back from Hermione to glance outside at Toby.

Hermione smiled watching him, and she inhaled as she glanced over at the missive from Minerva laying innocently on the kitchen table, and she said, "I suppose Minerva's worked out that she might have just put her foot in things." In truth, Hermione had been expecting the headmistress to demand their return, whilst telling them not to be so dramatic.

"Mm," Severus commented thoughtfully, as he summoned the letter and handed it Hermione the note to read.

Hermione's eyebrow rose as she read. It was a genuine apology, and as she took it in, she realised that perhaps she'd been a little hard on the wily old Scottish witch. She glanced up from the note as Severus inhaled.

"I believe that I will Floo-call her in reply, and also Kingsley too. We're friends so perhaps that might hold some weight for him taking our call personally. Otherwise, it might take some time to facilitate a meeting with him."

"Agreed, and Floo-calling is a good plan, as we need to seek advice about making certain our son is a lawful member of society as soon as possible," Hermione replied, looking around to make certain that Toby was currently still engrossed in his cars. She found that he had changed his game to one of crashing one car into the other, but was still completely absorbed by it she leant in closer to Severus she murmured, "I've been thinking about it too, I don't want to rush you, but it would probably be in our best interest to marry as soon as possible."

Leaning forward he kissed her. "I agree with you. That would definitely be the best course of action."

She smiled at him, but as she stretched up to reciprocate his kiss she had a sudden dull pain in her lower stomach. She swallowed, but still thought that it was probably last night that was to blame because it had been years since she'd engaged in actual sex, but still it hurt, and she sighed and fell against him. "I wish we could arrange for Minerva to come here for our meeting. I'm afraid poor Toby is going to get bored."

"That could become very awkward with what we've got to say, love," Severus replied.

Exhaling a long breath, Hermione nodded. "Yes, you're right."

"However," Severus added, his hands running over her curves. "We can make the effort one more time and then we might be finished with the whole place."

She nodded, and craned her neck—making her stomach twinge painfully again—as she made certain if Toby was listening or not before she said, "Yes, you're correct, and under the circumstances, this happening in the summer is a blessing."

Their decision now was totally academic and completely for Toby's benefit, because regardless of whether the Weasleys and the Potters understood what had happened to facilitate the arrival of their son. They were well aware that the general wizarding public would be less inclined to believe anything they told them.

Therefore, they would not tell them anything. For Toby's future they needed to become as obscure as possible so as not to bring attention to themselves, because they knew that over time people would forget about specific circumstances, and by the time Toby went to Hogwarts he would just be a little boy in his first year at Hogwarts.

It was just like the war, and they were very pleased that most people had forgotten their part in it all now. It was really only Harry whom people remembered now, and thankfully that was only on special occasions, such as the 2nd of May each year.

With all of this still running around her head the pair of them started their day, Hermione sat down to write her missive to her former mentor, as Severus made his calls.

xox

When Severus found Hermione to report back to her about what he'd learned from his Floo-calls, he found that she'd extended his wards and she was sitting in the shade on the bench watching Toby zooming around in a circuit, chasing his cars which Hermione had presumably animated for him. The Potions Master also noted as she watched Toby she was rubbing her stomach and that her brow was creased with worry, even as she had a smile while looking at Toby. She glanced at Severus as he approached her. "He's going to sleep well tonight," she commented.

"Yes, he is," Severus replied, but he was more concerned about her. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting next to her.

She looked across at him. "What do you mean?"

"You're rubbing your stomach, and you have a look of concern on your face," he quantified.

"Oh, that, I'm sure it's nothing, but I have a pain in my stomach that has steadily been getting worse throughout the morning," she told him, and then added, "At first I thought I was sore because," and she laughed softly… "Well, it's quite some time since I've had sex, I've only had my toys and such," and she blushed.

However, Severus leered at that thought, and whispered, "Such a pretty blush, and we'll have to explore that statement more," he said, but he leant forward and gave her a kiss, and then reassured her. "I'm sure your first thought is the most logical, I am also feeling a little sore in places I'd forgotten I could be sore in," and his chuckle became more of a rumble as he kissed her again. "We did have quite a workout last night, and you've been carrying on as you would normally today, you've probably strained something, and that's why the pain is getting worse as the day wears on. Would you like me to get you a pain potion?"

"Yes, that's probably it, and I think I'll be fine, but thank you, love," she answered, snuggling in close as he slung an arm around her shoulders. "So, how did you get on with your calls?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Of course Minerva still wants us to come at the time she's prescribed."

Hermione huffed a laugh. "Of course she does."

"The old biddy can be very intractable sometimes," Severus replied.

Curling her arms around his middle, Hermione nodded as an owl landed beside her.

"Oh," she gasped. "Hello, Henrietta." Henrietta was Septima's brown barn owl. "Do you have a message for me?" she asked, straightening and reaching forward. She undid the missive and called, "Thank you," as the owl took to the sky and wheeled around to leave as soon as her delivery was complete.

Opening the letter, Hermione read it aloud.

Dear Hermione,

It is so good to hear from you, and your news is wonderful. Please congratulate Severus for me too, it is about time that you two discovered more than friendship. I am so happy for you.

I always knew that you'd move on, but I hope that you have enjoyed your time as a teacher. I will happily await Minerva's letter of offer, but I will send my latest apprentice in my stead. Whilst the girl is nowhere near as brilliant as you are, she will make a wonderful teacher for Hogwarts, perhaps you might consider guiding her in my place.

All the best to you both, and I will anticipate my wedding invitation.
Septima

"The presumptuous old cow, she's going to do with this newest apprentice what she did with you," Severus stated.

"Mm, it does look that way, but worse still, it sounds like the girl is not yet fully trained," Hermione replied seriously. "I think I better acquaint myself with this apprentice, so I can save her from the baptism by fire that I had."

"That would mean teaching part time," Severus told her.

Hermione smiled. "Going there to possibly teach the advanced classes only and leaving again, love. That is very different to being there twenty-four seven."

"Yes, I suppose it would be," Severus conceded. "Would you be satisfied with that?"

"Well, Toby will be starting school in September, so as long as I'm able to drop him off at school and pick him up, and you're happy with me working at Hogwarts one, maybe two days a week. Then I'm okay with it, because I'll have the rest of my time to work with you, and to write that book I've been thinking about starting."

However, it was at this point that Toby finished his game, and stopped in front of them. "I'm hungry," he declared.

"I see," Severus replied, and then called. "Twizzle!"

"Master is calling for Twizzle?" the little elf stated as he arrived.

"Yes, could you take Master Toby inside for a snack, he is hungry?" Severus stated.

Twizzle nodded. "Yes, very good. Master, sir," and he turned to Toby. "Please be coming with Twizzle, Master Toby," and he held out his hand to Toby.

Toby happily linked hands with the elf and was heard chattering to him animatedly as they left up the garden path.

Severus watched the pair heading towards the house, and then he said, "Good, that gives us a chance to discuss what Kingsley had to say without little ears listening."

"Oh, is it bad then?" Hermione asked urgently.

"No, just a bit invasive, that's all," Severus answered. "Kingsley has said that he'll arrange an appointment with the head healer in the Aurory infirmary for some medical tests, and that he will require testimony from all those who witnessed what happened in front of himself, Amelia Bones, the head of the Unspeakables, representatives from the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages and from the Wizengamot, and the healer from the infirmary."

"And does Toby need to be there for all of this?" Hermione asked, slightly horrified at the prospect.

"No, only the medical tests I believe, perhaps he could have a play date with the Potter boy the day of the hearing," Severus suggest.

"Perhaps," she replied, but then Toby was returning from having his snack, and an eagle owl that could only belong to a Malfoy landed beside Severus, so the subject was put on hold as Hermione caught Toby and lifted him up onto her lap without thinking. She inhaled sharply as it hurt her to do it, but she didn't let on, although, she knew that Severus had noticed because his eyes lifted from opening his missive to look at her.

"Still sore?" he asked, unfolding the letter.

"Mm, I'm sure I will be all right again tomorrow," she assured him. "What does Draco say?"

"He's informing me that Millicent Bulstrode has just returned to England to be closer to her ailing mother, after teaching Potions at Beauxbatons for the last three years, and that she is still looking for a position in England."

"Then we can refer Minerva to her then," Hermione said happily. "That would leave you completely free to pursue whatever you liked."

He chuckled softly. "I know exactly who I'd like to pursue," he whispered, his fingers seeking her side to tickle her.

"Severus!" she gasped, gently cupping her hands over Toby's ears.

"After her shriek of laughter at his tickling, he looked at her seriously and added, "And Draco also informs me that he and Astoria wish us to come to Sunday lunch at the end of the week."

"I see," Hermione stated. However, as she said it yet another owl arrived and perched beside Severus.

He chuckled as he turned to it on seeing her eyes narrowing. "You are going to have to accept my friends too, you know," and read the missive.

"I know that, and I do, but I still have this thing in my head from when I was twelve and belittled by Lord Malfoy."

"He is a different man these days, love."

She sighed. "Yes, I know, and we are all adults."

"Agreed," and then he handed her Kingsley's note. "Kingsley says we should come to the Aurory Infirmary after we've been to see Minerva."

"Oh, okay, then we better get organised," she told him.

xox

They were now at Hogwarts, and closing in on the Serpentine Hallway, and therefore the gargoyle guards that led to the headmistress' office.

Both Hermione and Severus were hoping that Minerva would be reasonable and agree with their reasons and also accept their proposed replacements. She watched Severus lift Toby up and place him on the step above the one he'd just stepped onto as she entered the stone stairway beside him.

She'd taken some paracetamol for her stomach, and she'd finally placed the feeling in her tummy. It was like period cramps, and that was something that she hadn't felt for a long time, but she still thought she'd simply over-stretched something. However, she was drawn out of her thoughts by Toby.

"Wee!" the little dark-haired boy cried, holding out his arms from the security of Severus' guiding hands as they wound their way up the steps.

This made Hermione laugh joyfully. "Now, that has never been my reaction to ascending to this office."

"Mm, mine either," Severus responded, glancing at her beside him. "However, I suppose we were never able to do this as a five-year-old."

"True," she agreed, giving Toby a reassuring smile. However, then they were at the top, and she slipped her hand into Severus' as he guided Toby with his other hand.

Once they were inside her office Minerva ushered them to the comfortable seating as greetings were exchanged, and as soon as they were settled and she poured tea, and said, "Well, you did get to keep them both. I'm very pleased for you," she admitted, as she handed out the tea. "However, if I may… How will this work?"

It was Severus who answered. "Hermione and I have discussed what to do at length, and we both agree that we need to become private citizens… Well, as much as possible, for the sake of our son."

"I see," Minerva replied. "And are you planning to continue teaching? Either of you?"

Hermione and Severus glanced at one another, and Severus spoke again. "We are both in the position to assure you that you will have professors of Potions and Arithmancy at the start of the next school year. I have a name to put forward to you of a Potions Mistress who has newly returned from teaching at Beauxbatons."

"So, this witch is English?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, and attended this school in Slytherin house," Severus clarified.

"I see, and why did she leave France?"

"She was needed here in England, but that is for her to tell you if you choose to offer her the position," he told her.

"And her name?" Minerva inquired.

"Millicent Bulstrode," Severus informed her.

"And your estimation, Severus?"

"Competent… I would consider her for the position."

"Excellent, then I shall write to her," Minerva stated, and then looked at Hermione. "And you, my dear?"

Hermione had been sitting quietly with Toby as she'd listened to Minerva and Severus speaking. She was starting to feel quite unwell, but she put on a brave face. "I have spoken to Septima this morning, and she has recommended her current apprentice for the position. I do not know any more details than that at present, but in the missive she sent me this morning, she is recommending that she sign this apprentice over to me, and I complete her education. If this girl is amenable to a swap then I would install her to teach years three, four and five, and I would remain teaching the advanced course until she was fully trained. Is that something that you would consider?"

Minerva put her tea down and inhaled. "I can't see why I would object. I will invite Septima and her apprentice here for a meeting. A meeting that you may wish to attend," and she looked to Severus. "Perhaps you may wish to attend when Bulstrode comes too, lad," she told him.

Severus exhaled a long breath. "Perhaps, but it is not like the witch is not fully trained for the position, so I can't see that I fall into the same category as Hermione."

"I see," Minerva replied. "Well, I should get back to work."

They both saw this as their dismissal, and they rose, but Severus said, "You may well receive a summons from Kingsley in the next day or so as the circumstances surrounding our son's arrival are discussed. Kingsley has indicated to me that he wishes to hear from everyone involved in the process."

"I see," Minerva replied, her mouth tight.

Severus just knew he was going to have to capitulate and come to the bloody meeting with Bulstrode, as he could hear her thoughts loud and clear. "Very well, Minerva, let me know when your interview with your new potion's mistress is and I will attend if I'm available," he stated in a put-upon tone.

"Excellent, lad. Shall do," the headmistress answered. "I will see you both soon."

"Good day, Minerva," Hermione said.

"Yes, good day," Severus stated, a little more forcefully than perhaps he should have, but he'd really wanted to leave now and not come back. Hogwarts at one point had been his home, but the wars had seen to it that he never felt that way about it again. For a great deal of time he'd really had no home, he'd finally found his home now, and it was with the witch leaving with him now. He couldn't be happier that this accident had provided him with almost everything that he could have wished for, and as they walked out of the office and back onto the stairs a thought occurred to him. He was actually indebted to Ronald Weasley for screwing up so badly; now wasn't that a disturbing idea.

This time, when they got to the bottom of the stone steps and had gone by the gargoyles, Severus picked Toby up and gathered Hermione close, and he Apparated them away from the school in a huff. They landed in the entranceway of their home, and he placed Toby on the floor as he tried to control his temper.

Their little boy scurried off to find his cars, and the Potions Master watched his smaller self being so happy and carefree and it moved him almost to tears to know that Toby would never experience what had been his lot as soon as he'd shown signs of magic not too far in the future. This knowledge did much to calm his disgruntled thoughts about McGonagall's blackmail and Ron Weasley's unintentional legacy to them. However, this was when he noticed that something significant was wrong with Hermione, and she seemed to be in a great deal of pain. "Hermione?" he questioned urgently.

She exhaled before speaking, but what she said did nothing to calm his concern. "Severus, I think I might need to go and see my healer."

"Why, what's wrong?" he demanded.

She looked a little sheepish, but she said, "I think I'm having a period," and she looked at him with so much hope in her eyes that it floored him completely.

"But you… you've got… How?" he stuttered in a most uncharacteristic way.

"Well, that's what it feels like, it took me a while to think of what the pain felt like, but it's menstrual cramping, I'm almost certain of it."

"Have you checked…" and he paused and looked around for Toby before continuing, "Do you have any bleeding?"

"I'll go and see now," she told him, fairly certain that she knew that she would. The pain which had started in the pit of her stomach had bloomed suddenly while they'd been at Hogwarts. That had been when she'd taken the paracetamol, and then it had extended around to her back, so she was pretty sure of what it was, but she wanted to be certain, and also she wanted to know how and why.