A Suitable Arrangement

Twenty: Eleven Years Later

A new year has come once again to the wizarding world, and as the parents and their children hurried to get on to Platform 9 3/4 to board the Hogwarts Express on time, a very well dressed brunette witch leads her four children through the portal and on to the Platform where the Hogwarts Express awaits them.

No longer does Hermione Prince, Potions Mistress of Hogwarts wear Victorian widow's weeds, but stylish witch's robes to showcase her new affluent lifestyle. Her two oldest children, twin boys by the names of Sebastian and Phareon, will be attending Hogwarts for the first time. Her two younger children, two girls, Jane, and Rose, were born two years apart, and so they sit envious of their brothers going to see Hogwarts, and their father, Headmaster Severus Prince, in action while at school.

"But mum!" Jane whined. "Why can't me and Rosey go with Bastian and Phar? Dad's there, and you'll be there, so why not?"

Hermione paused in her stride to hug her younger daughter. "Janey, when you receive your Hogwarts letter, then you may go to school, but until then, you have to stay at Malfoy Manor with Uncle Lucius and be tutored by him. Do you understand?"

Jane nodded. "Good. Now, I have to say goodbye to your brothers. Rose, watch your sister, and make sure she doesn't run off again, do you hear?"

Rose said, "Yes, mother. I promise."

Hermione went to her eleven year old twins, and they hugged her. "Mom, Phar was just saying that he hopes that he gets into Ravenclaw. Won't you or dad be mad though, if we don't get into Slytherin?" Sebastian asked.

The way Sebastian lifted his eyebrow made her miss her husband dearly, because her sons looked so much like Severus, even down to their eyes. Her daughters took after her looks more, although Rose's eyes were a dark chocolate brown, rather than black.

Hermione laughed. "Bastian, dear. Goodness me, no. Why on Earth would me or your father look down on you for not being in His school House? I was almost sorted into Ravenclaw myself before the sorting hat took into account my desire to be in Gryffindor."

Sebastian's eyes went wide with surprise at that revelation. "But what if I'm not sorted into Slytherin?"

"Then any of the other Houses will have gained two very talented, and smart young wizards, and be the better for it," Hermione answered, hugging her eldest son by ten minutes. "But if it means that much to you, then the sorting hat does take your personal preference into account before sorting you."

Sebastian kissed his mother's cheek. "Thanks, mom. I feel better now."

"Good. Phareon, dear," She called to her other son, and he came to her. He was more like Severus, more sullen, less willing to show his emotions in public.

"I know I'm going to be like dad," Phareon said matter of factly. "So, you don't have to worry about me."

He hugged his mother and whispered, "Did you tell dad about why you couldn't apparated?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not yet, and how did you know anyway?"

Phareon shrugged his shoulders. "You never eat apples unless you're pregnant. It's a simple assumption for a careful observer to make, mom."

Hermione sighed. "Fine. Yes, I am, but I'm only a month along, so don't get too excited, son. And besides, I want it to be a surprise for your father. Do you understand?"

Phareon nodded his head. "Yes. But really, you shouldn't keep it a secret. You two are sickeningly like newlyweds still, it's weird."

Hermione laughed, tousling her son's black hair, which she knew that he hated. "Yes, well, when you find the right witch, you may just act the same way around her."

Phareon flashed her a rare smile. "I hope so, mom. I hope so."

The two twin wizards boarded the train with their mother, just as Jane and Rose used an old purse as a port key to travel back to Malfoy Manor where they would be privately tutored by the best muggle and wizarding teachers money could buy. Meanwhile, the twin sons and Madame Prince, traveled to Hogwarts where both brothers became Slytherins, and Madame Prince informed her husband of their new addition to their family.

When it was time for Jane and Rose to come to Hogwarts, Jane became a Gryffindor, and Rose a Ravenclaw. Madame Prince produced another son for her family, and was named Matthias, after Severus's grandfather. He became a Slytherin in his school days.

All in all, the Prince line produced twenty three grandchildren in total, and forty great grandchildren. All of them, save Jane, married well in wizarding society. Jane, on the other hand, wed a Weasley, a grandson of Fleur and Bill Weasley, which was seen as a great disappointment by the whole family.

Now, we shall leave this prosperous, well to do wizarding family and wish them all good health and happiness for many years to come, for nowhere could it be said that in the marriage of Hermione Granger to Severus Snape--Prince, that their union was in any way an unwelcome arrangement by any means, for although they faced many arguments and their own struggles in life, their love for one another remained steadfast and pure until the end of their days...

The End