A/N: I DO NOT own the Harry Potter series. That honour belongs to J.K. Rowling. I only own the plot and original characters. Some of the characters will be OOC (Nice Dursleys [Wizard (and not Obese) Dudley]), Free Sirius, non-Supremacist Malfoys, Lestranges, and most of the death-eater families, Good Voldemort).
Warning: Incestual Pillow talk in first part of the story Don't like, skip it!
Let's Settle This?
Lying in her father's arms and body entirely limp, Katelyn Snape let out an exhausted laugh while looking him in the eyes with a smile plastered on her face.
"Wow!" she rasped, tracing his torso with her fingers. "Just…wow!"
The equally nude potions master turned to her with a smirk on his face, "I take it you enjoyed our little rendezvous?" he sang, gently stroking her cheek.
"More…than you…think," panted Kate as she sat up and faced him with wide eyes. "That was the best, especially when you hummed while eating me!"
Severus chuckled to himself as he sat up himself, "And all without a stupid tongue ring," he crooned. "Why did you even get that, daughter?"
"I was trying to get rid of my 'innocent girl' look," she leaned into his embrace laughing. "It backfired. I'm now deemed adorable."
Smiling to himself, Snape shook his head. "Katelyn, you're thirteen years old, not twenty," he ran his fingers through her hair. "You don't have to look mature."
"I know, but I was in university and wanted to fit in a little bit."
With a quick kiss to Snape's lips, the brunette was about to get up when she was pulled back to her bed.
"What's your hurry?" he slowly asked, wrapping her in his arms.
"Shouldn't we be getting back to Aunt Trixie's? They might be worried about us."
"Not really. They're coming over for dinner. Your grandmother and aunts wanted us to have some alone time, so they came up with us hosting dinner."
"Oh, that's cool."
Not able to stay awake any longer, both of them fell asleep entangled in each other's arms.
Harry, Paige, and Dudley were brought to Lestrange Manor by Sirius after the latter's conversation with Annie. Unlike Severus and Lucius, Sirius was just now finding out about his daughter and godson's fortunes and career prospects. When Annie told him she had bought out Madam Malkin's Robes in Diagon Alley to open her own clothing store with Izzy, he was at a loss while Gemma cheered her on. Despite her graduating from university, Sirius was wanting her to attend Hogwarts so she could make new friends outside of the Dahlia group. He also wanted the same for Harry and Dudley. Tight-lipped on what to do and knowing Harry's dilemma, the dog Animagus decided to bring Harry and Dudley with him to Snape's to clear everything up.
Now, he was staring at a blonde who arrived with the trio. She was like thin and snow skinned like Katelyn but a few inches taller. Her eyes were also a fierce blue compared to his cousin's soft ones, and she was seventeen. That's not what captivated him, however. He knew the girl from somewhere before but couldn't pinpoint it.
After introducing the girl to everyone, Harry led the girl by the hand and stopped in front of Sirius.
"Professor Black?" she asked, grinning. "Are you still feeding your students chocolate trifle to cheer them up for Snape's insults?"
His jaw dropped and eyes widened at her question. "I haven't done that since …Rainey? Rainey Granger?"
"Yes, sir. It's me."
Tears falling down his face, the black-haired man kneeled down and pulled her into a hug.
"You were in second year when you left," he sobbed. "your sister in first year and was in my house. What happened to you two?"
She was about to say something when Haley cleared her throat. "If Rainey is willing to divulge, then she'll tell you later," she forced him to his feet by his ear and dragged him towards the fireplace. Right now, I want to check on my fiancé and other baby."
Waking up and using Snape's chest as a pillow, Katelyn kissed his forehead and rose out of bed. As she wobbled to her walk-in-closet, the thirteen-year-old was happily humming a song that Dahlia hummed to her as a child whenever she was sick or just down. Sorting through her outfits, the brunette allowed herself to be taken back to one of those times
It was her first year at Wellesley, and Katelyn and the girls returned home for Thanksgiving break. With her hair free of the braids (think Ila [Emma Watson] from Noah) and goodies for everyone, the nine-year-old ran to Dahlia's house and made a beeline for the dark-haired mentor, jumping into her arms.
"I'm glad you're all home," she chuckled, setting Katelyn down before turning to the other girls. "Take the goodies to the mead hall. We'll have them after supper."
Paige and Becky curtsied to their mentor and exited the house.
The mentor then turned to a tall redhead and handed her a book, "A birthday gift for your daughter," she smiled.
"Thank you, Dahlia!" she replied, pulling her into a hug. "Callisto will love it."
"But of course. I will appreciate it if you both return for dinner, Sinead."
"We'll be here, Auntie," she smiled before hugging Katelyn. "I look forward to hearing stories of university from you, my niece."
"Yes, Auntie."
Later that evening, everyone was in the mead hall engaging in conversation while enjoying some hearty beef stew complimented with some sourdough bread. The younger girls were excited that Kate and the other two returned that they spent the afternoon cooking large batches of food. Ginny and Peri picked out the best chuck roasts and freshest veggies for the stew, while Luna and Astoria made the bread.
Harry had made some of their favourite desserts, like white chocolate strawberry cheesecake, chocolate trifles, strawberry shortcake trifles, and other cakes and assortments.
The younger girls were practically bombarding Katelyn and Paige with questions about my classes, living in a dorm, my roommate, restaurants, etc. Becky didn't get hounded as bad since she started school the year before, but they wanted to know how her year was and were there any changes.
Despite enjoying the dinner, however, Kate could feel Harry's eyes narrowing at her. She knew he was still upset about not getting into Harvard, but hoped he would've gotten over it by now. Times when they had dinners like this, Harry would've happily sat next to her and enjoyed the conversations, but now he's sitting away from her and conversating with Annie.
"Hey," a girl sat next to her. "don't worry about Harry. He's just jealous you got into your dream school and he didn't."
She turned to look at the ravenette, whose wavy hair was past her butt and eyes were electric blue, smiling at her as she kissed her cheek.
"Hi, Callisto!" Katelyn said. "Are you enjoying school?"
She nodded with a smile, "Dartmouth is awesome," she cheered. "Anthropology and Psychology were the best majors to extend my knowledge on the human psyche and different cultures. Also, the politics and law classes are a big help."
"Way to be the next Minister for Magic," Ginny joined in. "You'll have my vote."
"Thanks, Ginevra!"
Looking at Harry, her heart sank at his coldness. Feeling the oncoming tears, she rose from her seat and headed towards the door when she was pulled into loving arms. Looking up, she saw Dahlia and allowed herself to be pulled to her bosom, quietly sobbing as her mentor ran her fingers through her hair and humming the soothing song.
As her mind returned to the present, Katelyn was still humming the tune when she found herself wrapped in sturdy arms and her head stroked. Looking up, she saw her father and his eyes were widened.
Potter made my daughter cry? He thought as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.
Her jaw dropped, "You saw that?!"
"Your holiday visit where Potter's jealousy left you in tears?"
Nodding, Kate crossed her arms and sighed. "I don't know why my humming made me jump back at that moment," she huffed. "Harry and I made up during Easter. He apologised profusely and gave me a humongous white chocolate bunny filled with peanut butter as a gift, along with him singing '18 Days' from Saving Abel."
"It came to your head because your father needed to know," Draco walked in and pulled the brunette into a hug. "and so did I."
"You saw that too, Draco?"
He nodded while planting a kiss on her forehead, "You told me he was just a little jealous. Not treating you like a leper."
Sandwiched between her favourite men, a sad smile formed across Katelyn's lips. "I didn't want you to kill him. Despite being mad at him, myself."
With a kiss on her forehead, Severus sent Kate to take a shower before going off to take one himself. Draco decided to wait for his fiancée to finish and picked out some clothes for her to wear since everyone was arriving in fifteen minutes.
Twenty minutes later, Katelyn arrived downstairs with Draco and her father to join the others. Sev wore his signature attire while Katelyn sported a blue dress tea length with a white collar, black nylons, and black flats. Her hair was also pulled back in a French braid ponytail, and her face was devoid of makeup courtesy of Draco.
Her mother hugged her as she walked into the sitting room. "Are you okay, my love?" she looked her in the eyes, to which Kate happily nodded.
"I'm ecstatic, mom."
Haley just grinned and hugged her again. "We'll talk more later."
Katelyn just nodded as she let Draco lead her outside to where the other kids were. Dudley and Paige was talking to a blonde girl while the others were playing Horseshoe and Cornhole.
"Told you you didn't need makeup," Draco laughed, to Kate's amusement.
"Hey, Katelyn," Paige waved her over. "Come join the party!"
As they did, Kate nose wrinkled at the blonde who looked eerily familiar.
"Kate!" Paige jumped up and down before gesturing to the blonde. "Meet Rainey Granger. Our favourite YouTuber and indie author of Ariana Carter's Post-it Notes and Transition!" she exclaimed.
When Rainey held out her hand for the brunette to shake, she immediately squealed upon realising who Kate was.
"Carina Rose?" the blonde slowly asked with her jaw dropped.
Katelyn just nodded in response, "Hi, Rainey! Long time, no chat."
Now it was Paige's turn to drop her jaw. "You two know already know each other?"
"We do," Rainey chirped as she and Kate hugged. "She used to co-host videos with Janey51 before she started her own when she turned thirteen. She jumped from one to 2 million subscribers in one night."
"Still counting," Paige laughed, before gasping in realisation. "Oh, yeah! Kate sometimes hosted livestream or did videos alone whenever Jane couldn't do so. She even interviewed you when Jane had an emergency."
Taking a seat at the table, Katelyn shrugged. "I can't believe you forgot about that. Some of the works I advertised on her channel you co-authored."
"Okay," Draco sat next to Kate. " I've heard of YouTube and seen some videos thanks to a few muggleborns at school. I've also read Katelyn's books," he then turned to Rainey. "and your first book, but your main character, Ariana, was no longer the same in Transition."
Rainey stared into the distance plastering a sad smile. "That's because I wasn't the same girl anymore," she sighed as she rose from the table. "I'll be back. I need a drink."
I guess I'll have to tell them my story, her thoughts sang as she walked towards the drink table.
Feeling her mouth drying-up, Kate went to get a drink herself when her table expanded and some drinks and snacks popped up, along with cups and plates.
"Looks like someone doesn't want us leaving the table," Paige said.
Katelyn looked and saw her dad sheathed his wand and gave her a knowing glare, to which she nodded.
Rainey was pouring herself some pumpkin juice when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She turned to see her old Hogwarts Potions professor standing in front of her.
"Hello, Professor Snape," she took a deep breath. "It's been a while!"
He nodded in response. "Approximately five years to be exact," he crooned softly. "May I speak with you privately, Miss Granger?"
"Of course, sir," she breathed before following him into the house.
Entering his office, the pair sat opposite each other. Snape sat his desk while Rainey sat in the chair across from him.
As he looked at the teen in front of him, he couldn't believe that this was the same girl who he ran out of Hogwarts. What used to be straight bangs with pigtails was now loose blonde locks that fell to her waist and her bangs had grown out. Of course, being a teenager, she had reached a growth spurt and was now slender as his daughter, except Rainey was a few inches taller.
"Well," he cleared his throat. "You've come a long way since you were twelve, Miss Granger."
She chuckled to herself, "Well," she said. "Things changed after I withdrew from Hogwarts. I returned to the Manchester School for one."
"You mean after I chased you out of Hogwarts?" he spat. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret my horrendous behaviour towards my students, especially you."
Rainey sighed into a smile, "Professor, I forgave you five years ago," she took his hand. "I just hope you'll forgive my attacking you the way I did.
Severus nodded. "You're forgiven, Rainey," he stated, rubbing his face. "Oh, by the way. The girl you were talking too? The one with the really long curly hair and blue-collar dress?"
"Yes. She's Katelyn Sertori," the blonde smiled before whispering. "She's also known as Carina Rose, bestselling indie author in both muggle and wizarding worlds."
Snape gleefully shook his head. "It was Katelyn Sertori," he sang. "It's now Katelyn Snape."
This caused Rainey's face to stretch out, "The rumours are true?" she asked. "You're a father?"
"A father of three girls and a grandfather," he stood up and helped the blonde to her feet. "Imagine my surprise when I found out."
Exiting the house a minute later, Snape and Rainey parted ways, the latter returning to the table she was sitting at.
Katelyn spoke first, "Did you and my dad bury the hatchet?"
Rainey just nodded, and Kate just smiled before rising to take a walk.
Wanting some time to herself, the brunette slithered around the front of the house and was about to head for the road when she was roughly turned around.
"What's going on, Katelyn," her aunt said, taking a hold on her shoulders.
"Aunt Andi," her heart raced upon seeing her. "You scared me."
The tall brunette cupped Kate's face while shaking her head. "You're about to scare me, sweetheart," she stated. "Where did you think you were going?"
"I wanted to get some air," she answered softly. "Maybe see if the teen spots are still open."
Andi blinked upon hearing this. "You've interacted with the local muggles?"
"I was encouraged to do so, Aunt Andi. Muggle university, remember. Also, don't we have to interact with them anyway?"
The woman just laughed. "Point taken," she nodded. "but it's hard to maintain friendships with muggles, Katelyn."
"Especially since we live differently than them."
They turned to see Severus and Lucius standing right behind them, their arms crossed.
"Dad," Kate shivered at the men. "Uncle Luce."
Lucius just chuckled slightly while Snape lifted his daughter off the ground, "Dinner's ready," the latter sang. "Let's go inside."
Everyone sat down to meal of Shepherd's pie (Rainey had the vegan version), garlic roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted eggplant, and rolls. Annabeth had her house elves cook the meal and to clean up after since this was last minute. Otherwise, Snape or the girls would be responsible for cooking since Haley was a terrible cook (except for microwaves, air fryers, frozen meals and foods, and salads.
While Haley would welcome an elf to help her with household tasks, she's barely home due to work and travel. Of course, she was promoted to editor when transferred to London's office; thus, traveling was eliminated from her job duties.
"So, Katelyn," Harry asked, swallowing a piece of meat pie. "Have you decided on what you wanted to do yet with the OWLs and NEWTs?"
The brunette shook her head at this. She wanted to talk to her parents first and get their input before deciding on this.
"I'm at a loss myself," he sighed. "Take the exams in one fell swoop or stretch them out."
Chloe was breastfeeding Carly while listening to this, "With the exception of Becky, my team took the exams all at once." she said. "We did it before graduating university, so we can live our lives. I worked at Twilight, Izzy's opened a clothing store in Diagon Alley with Annie, and Amanda's received some masteries in a lot of subjects while still increasing her vaults with being an independent Curse-Breaker."
"And treasure hunter," laughed Becky. "I mean, we've all done it recently, but she's our biggest rival."
Rainey then held up a finger amongst the subsequent laughter. "My middle sister, Amy, had to take hers in one fell swoop last year," she added, looking down at her plate."
Snape raised an eyebrow at this. "Wasn't she a year below you when you both left?" he asked, to which she nodded.
"What happened, sweetheart?" Muriel soothed, taking her hand.
"She has a two-year-old son now," she got out her wallet and showed the picture of a child with messy brown hair and wearing a dinosaur onesie.
Draco looked at the picture first, "He's cute. What's his name?"
"Ryder Jace Kramer. Ryan wanted him to have a name he could be proud of."
"I'm taking Ryan is the father," Sirius asked to which Rainey nodded. "what's Amy doing now?"
Rainey placed her wallet back into her skirt pocket. "She starts her last year at Trinity College in the Fall," she smiled. "she's studying music."
"She was one of the brightest witch in Gryffindor," he chuckled before turning to Rainey. "But you were also the smartest and bravest in Ravenclaw."
Lucius then cleared his throat, "Enough with the praises, Sirius," he drawled. "It seems we've got a serious situation on our hands which can no longer be ignored."
Becky's ears burned at that comment, "What do you mean, daddy?"
Lucius, Severus, and Sirius were darting eyes at each other for less than five minutes before the blonde cleared his throat again. "Miss Granger, were you aware of the events occurring after your departure from Hogwarts?"
"I heard Professor Snape was suspended for two weeks," she replied. "Of course, I know some parents opted to keep their kids at Manchester for fear they'd be treated unfairly at Hogwarts."
Now it was Sev's turn to take a deep breath, "I was then fired after two weeks," he said. "Students started coming forward about my bullying and parents demanded my termination. Dumbledore caved and let me go."
"Wow," Mia spoke as she turned to her twin. "You weren't exaggerating when you told me all this."
This caused Snape to yank his head at Katelyn, silently asking her how she knew about this.
It was time for Kate to let out a breath. "I looked into your past when I was with Dahlia," she stared at the empty plate in front of her. "I wanted to know more about you and Dahlia encouraged me to use the Window of Time to do that."
Sirius then scratched his cheek, "Window of Time?"
"A room where you can look into the past to find out answers," Snape gasped, placing his hands on his throat. "Until now, I thought it a myth."
Harry gulped down his drink, "It's a lot clearer than the pensieve."
"And you can move more freely," added Annie.
As everyone else switched topics, Harry took a deep breath and locked eyes with his godfather before moving his eyes outside. Getting the hint, the Marauder stood up and motioned for the teen to follow him.
"Whatever you need to talk about can be done in the study, Black!" Severus stated, seeing them head for the door.
Sirius took Harry by the wrist and led him to the said room. Lucius then turned to the Potions Master in shock.
"I only offered because I didn't want Harry teleporting out if he got too upset."
Sirius and Harry entered Snape's study in silence, with the former setting silencing charms to keep the others from listening in.
As they sat down, though, the thirty-three-year-old was concerned. Why did Harry felt the need to talk to him now? He looked at his pup and saw his emerald irises flare up like Lily's when he and James were in trouble.
"Pup," he asked, placing his hand on his godson's knees. "What is it?"
Harry was taking deep breaths with his eyes closed; this went on for a few minutes until he found his next and faced his concerned godfather.
"Padfoot, why did you and my dad bully Snape when you were kids?" Harry went for the jugular.
The dog Animagus looked down at his hands upon hearing that. "Pup," he sighed. "I'm not even sure why we did that. We were just stupid kids."
"I know, but didn't one of you think 'Hey, this is wrong' or 'We need to stop before it got out of hand?' Which it did. You could've killed him luring him to the Shrieking Shack!"
Sirius just shook his head, "I know that, Harry!" he choked as the tears ran down his face. "I regretted that every day, especially since your dad and Moony chewed me out on it! They wouldn't talk to me for a month!"
Not sure on what to say, the twelve-year-old just nodded. He of all people knew what it was like to regret a mistake, and he made plenty of those. He still hated himself for pushing Kate away despite having recently made up, so how can he be mad at his godfather? It'd be calling the kettle black.
"Pup?" Sirius whispered kneeling in front of him. "I couldn't live if you hated me! One month of shunning nearly killed me. Lily had to smack James and Remus on the back of their heads to get them to forgive me. Your mother didn't condone my actions, but she still talked to me."
The younger ravenet took the sobbing Marauder's head and placed it on his lap, stroking his long hair while humming Dahlia's tune. This calmed the dog Animagus, causing him to nearly fall asleep when the door opened. This caused them both to jump up to see Chloe and Rainey walking in with the latter carrying Carly.
"We need to be in the sitting room in five minutes," Rainey said, happily bouncing the baby in her arms. "Snape and Lucius want to have a conversation about future plans and so forth."
Sirius nodded in response, "I wanted to talk to Snape about this also."
"You'll get your chance, Sirius!" Chloe laughed taking her baby back. "Now, get some ice cream before it's time."
When the time passed, everyone was in the sitting room awaiting the adults to take the floor. Well, Chloe and Mia were excused and had retreated upstairs with the baby after helping Haley clean the kitchen.
Katelyn was sitting on Draco's lap in the armchair, face buried into his neck while he stroked her now loose hair. Annie and Harry was conversing with Violet about the history of the Black family, while Paige and Dudley were talking about the Manchester school. Jenna and KC snuggled into the armchair across from Kate and Draco. This went on for a few more minutes until Haley returned with Vernon and Petunia, Lydia, and Lisa.
"Must be serious," Harry whispered to Annie, to which she nodded.
With the exception of Severus, Lucius, and Sirius, the adults sat with their respective kids. Well, Haley and Andromeda sat with Rainey since she didn't have anyone here for her. Muriel and Annabeth conjured up chairs next to the couples and sat. Dolph and Trixie sat on the couch with Violet, so they'd know what was going on.
Placing his wand to his neck, Lucius cast the Sonorous charm before speaking, "As I have mentioned earlier," he boomed before returning to his normal tone of voice. "We have a serious situation on our hands."
"First thing first," Severus took over. "Who here doesn't have a university degree?"
Jenna, KC, Violet, and Dudley slowly raised their hands. Of course, Harry not raising his caused the Dursleys' jaws to drop.
"You graduated from university?" they both jumped out of their seats, to which he nodded.
"I just didn't know how to tell you," he blushed. "The graduation ceremony's July 25th if you'd like to come."
"Of course we're going!" stated Petunia. "Why wouldn't we?"
Harry just smiled at them and pulled them into a hug. Snape smiled at this briefly before continuing, "The ones who raised their hands may leave the room."
When they departed into the kitchen, Lucius was about to say something to his son, but Draco insisted on staying. Thus, Lucius conceded.
"Katelyn, sweetheart," Snape drawled. "Tell us the school you graduated from and the degree you have."
The brunette simply nodded. "Wellesley College with a Bachelor's in English and Creative Writing. I'm a bestselling indie author."
"Rebecca," Lucius sang.
"Wellesley College with a Bachelor's in Neuroscience followed by a Master's in Neuroscience and Behaviour from the University of Massachusetts. I want to bring mental healthcare to the Wizarding world."
Sirius spoke next, "Annie?"
"Bath Spa University with an Honours Bachelor in Fashion Design. I've made outfits for individuals independently and was paid handsomely. I also bought out Madam Malkin's with my friend to open our own store. We have plans for Hogwarts' robes and uniforms."
Her dad gave Snape a horrified look, but the latter brushed it off, "Harry?"
"Bath Spa University with an Honours Bachelor in Fine Art. I sold my artwork online and clients and made a lucrative income in both worlds."
Vernon turned his attention to Harry, "I want to see your finances, son."
Snape spoke again, "Rainey?"
"University of Exeter with a Bachelor's in English and Creative Writing. I've written two books and finished a rough draft of the third. I made a lucrative income from my book sales and academic planners."
Lucius then turned to Paige. "Go ahead, sweetheart."
"Smith College with a Bachelor's in Dance. I've danced in a few numbers and co-authored a few books with Kate. I've even received offers from top ballet companies."
Lydia gave the men a look that said "Help me," and Snape immediately nodded before sharing a look with the other men. Severus looked at the clock and saw the time.
"I know we were hoping to settle this matter tonight," Snape sang. "but we can reconvene tomorrow afternoon."
The other parents agreed to meet at Sirius' for lunch and dinner before flooing to their respective homes.
Later that night, Katelyn was awakened by a kiss on her forehead. Her heart lifted when she saw her dad in his silk pyjamas climbing in beside her.
"Hi, dad," she whispered. "everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, daughter," he pulled her into his embrace. "but I need to talk to you about something."
"Okay."
He then took a deep breath, "I'm guessing you know I was rehired at Hogwarts last year, correct?"
Kate nodded at this as he cupped her face. "You want Mia and me to attend Hogwarts."
Severus choked at this while Kate giggled, "I can read minds, remember?"
"I need to remember that," he droned before continuing, "but you are correct. You will attend Hogwarts in the fall."
"But why?"
"Katelyn," Snape firmly stated. "You're thirteen years old and lived away from your family and most kids your age for eight years. You spent more time with adults than anything. Also, you have a university degree and a blossoming career already? That's scaring me because you barely had a normal childhood.
"Furthermore, you're still growing up and may want another career besides writing. I also want you to have a chance at a stable childhood and make some more friends your age besides your little wolf pack."
It was now Katelyn's turn to breathe. Despite enjoying her life, she sometimes wished she had the chance to be an actual child without the countless responsibilities bestowed upon her when she was younger. She also wanted more friends her own age, not that she didn't appreciate the ones she already had. Kate knew she could still resume her writing career as a Hogwarts student and could study independently once the lessons turned boring. Okay, then.
Looking up at her dad, she simply grinned. "So, despite me graduating from Wellesley College and building my writing career from the ground up, you still want me to attend the worst wizarding school on the planet despite the fact I can take the OWLs and NEWTs within a few weeks?"
"That is correct, daughter," he kissed her forehead. "You were forced to grow up in the past eight years. I will not allow you to continue speeding up your life!"
Sighing, she cupped Severus' cheek before lying on his chest with a yawn. "Sounds like fun!"
With exhaustion overtaking both of them, father and daughter instantly succumbed to the realm of dreams.
A/N: I'm proud to present you with another chapter. Also, how do you like Rainey? Please like and review.