A Child For Snape

The Following Week

Hello, back at this story. I'm not sure where this story is going, but maybe a couple more chapters. It really was just supposed to be a short story. 

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Hermione had shown up that weekend like they normally did. Severus and Hermione would stay close to the bookshop since not many students liked to spend time there. They could be alone there. Reporters were now stationed in Hogsmeade to try to catch them and gather information about their relationship, however the only thing they ever got was hand holding. 

Elieena was doing well in Severus' private potions classes. In fact, he wasn't really teaching her anything, simply making sure she didn't blow anything up like Finniagen did years ago. That boy could blow up anything. Elieena was starting to seperate herself from Severus certain days out of the week. Mostly on Fridays she would spend elsewhere with her friends and he wouldn't see much of her until dinnertime. Then the weekend she would stay for half the day on Saturdays then disappear again until Monday when she would show up after dinner to do homework and relax with Severus. 

While Severus didn't mind her spending time with him, he was slightly worried that other students or teachers would think he was favoring her. While he sort of was, he was also getting used to being a father to her. They'd talk and read. Every now and then she would say something that Severus would scold her for, then they would go back to studying and reading. 

"Severus," Hermione started one afternoon while they walked up the path to the entrance to Hogsmeade, "we've been doing this weekly get together for a while now, and I wonder what you think this is."

Severus, who had been holding Hermione's hand, froze as she kept walking for a moment. She stopped once his hand had pulled her back and looked at him. He knew she could tell he was both worried and happy she asked. He didn't want her to think he was a creep for wanting to go further with her. "Uh, I'd like to think this is a...partnership."

Hermione narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Partnership?"

Severus nodded, starting to walk again. "Yes, I am too old to have a 'girlfriend' in my opinion, but I would to be able to wake up and know that you are mine."

"So, you want us too?" Hermione confirmed with a side grin. 

"Very much so, Hermione," Severus whispered to Hermione as they stopped at the entrance to the town. Severus brushed a loose strand of hair away from Hermione's face and cupped her cheek. He leaned down to brush his lips against hers lightly. 

After a moment, Hermione stepped back a bit and exhaled with a slight laugh. "When do we tell Elieena?"

Severus gave a small smirk that Hermione recognized to be a smile. "If she comes by tonight, I'll tell her then."

Hermione nodded and groaned. "Oh, no, I've got to leave. I've got a meeting with the Minister in a few moments." She gave him one last kiss before rushing off to the three broomsticks where she would be able to floo away. She had apparated so much during the war that she was taking a break from it. Plus having a ten year old that couldn't apparate with her made it a better choice to use floo. 

Severus watched her go with a happy smirk on his face. He finally had someone. It took him several years of torture and embarrassment, but he found someone that loved him for him. He walked back to the castle with a lighter step than when he left. He had feared since the reporters were still lingering around to try to catch them kissing, which they probably caught just now, that Hermione would want to step back. 

He was glad that she was brave enough to want to have a relationship with him. To be seen with him. Elieena didn't come to him that night, which Severus was fine with. He wanted some time to think about what his future could possibly be now that he not only had a child, but he had Hermione. Before he found out Elieena was his, his future was lonely and dark. Tortured with students who didn't know how to write a decent essay on moonstone. 

Now, though, with Elieena and Hermione, could it be possible that he could have a normal life like he had thought he'd have with Lily? All those years ago he thought that his chance at a normal life had died with her, but it seemed he still had a chance. What would she think? Lily. Would she be proud of him for finally moving on? Yes, he decided. Yes, she would have been proud of him for moving on from her. 

Monday rolled around and Severus sat at the table looking through the Daily Prophet. No pictures of him or Hermione had popped up in the last couple days, which was fine with him. Maybe the reporters had moved totally onto someone new and would leave them alone for good. Probably not, but Severus had hope. Elieena was at the Slytherin table smiling and joking with her friends. Severus had thought all weekend how he would tell her about him and Hermione. 

Nothing really came to mind. He didn't want to just blurt out during their lesson. What if she got bothered by it and destroyed a potion? She'd be upset not only with him but herself for ruining a potion. Those potions shes been making have gone either to the hospital wing or St. Mungos for their stores also. Rarely she's made potions that he couldn't use. There was one certain potion, a cure for boils that she had tried something new in it and caused the potion to turn a black color and thicken like tar. Severus, while both interested in the ruined potion and overly cautious of it, did not let her handle the cauldron. 

Severus sat through two of his classes thinking of when he should tell her. He had been so distracted that a fourth year had asked a question and he had to have her repeat it twice before he grasped the question in full. Next was his free period and Elieena's potion study time. He walked into his chambers to take a breath while waiting for her. 

"Hiya," she greeted with a beaming smile as she stepped into his chambers. Severus had been reading and waiting for her to show up. He knew it would be a few moments since she had to walk all the way from the Herbology greenhouse to him. 

He turned to her and raised an eyebrown. "What have you done?" He asked. 

She dropped her books and laughed, unphased by her father's accusations. "Nothing, just had a good lesson in Herbology," she explained, going to the bookcase and picking out a potion book to search for a potion to work on. 

Severus set his own book about Dark Magic Reverse Curses down and watched her closely. "What happened at Herbology?" 

Elieena started giggling viciously. "Franny Willard from Ravenclaw, she had teased me up and down at how bad I am at Herbology, but so good at potions. Well, Professor Longbottom said that she's been gathering shrivilfig wrong her entire life. She got so embarrassed she oversqueezed her dragon dung and it squirted all over her face."

"You're bad at Herbology?" Severus asked. 

She shrugged. "Not terrible, but not the best. I'm average in every class other than potions I suppose." 

"Well, Herbology is a necessity for a potion's mistress," he reminded her. 

Elieena nodded and set up her station at the desk Severus sat up for her in his chambers. "I'll be trying to make a Wolfsbane potion with boom berry added for restorative properties." 

Severus nodded and watched as she went to his private stores in his chambers to find the ingredients she needed with her head held high. She was so determined to make the potion that Severus didn't have the heart to interrupt her. He decided she didn't need to know just yet. Anyway, its only been a couple of days. 

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Hello again. How's the book coming so far. I'm betting that I'll call this short book done in a few chapters. I'm not sure.