Wahala

by dannigranger

Summary:

Wahala - Trouble

Hermione wasn't prepared for her professor to be so good-looking. In fact, he was hot. That was the best way to describe him. She also didn't anticipate him being interesting, kind, funny, and compassionate. However, what truly shocked her was discovering that while he was indeed appealing, he was engaged—to her childhood best friend who had just moved back to town.

After a challenging year and a breakup, Hermione seeks peace, but all she can think about is him— and he is trouble.

Notes:

• For GizemE.

Chapter 1: Drama is Inclusive

---

“Hello, everyone. Hello.”

Hermione put her phone down reluctantly. The group chat was just getting good. She, her sister, and their three female cousins were close and shared nearly everything with each other. Today’s big news: Angelina’s relationship everlasting fling with this guy she met clubbing over a year ago was finally ending. Why? The future mother of his child showed up at Angelina’s office, accusing her of being a ‘nasty bitch’ and promising to ‘fuck her ass up.’

Not wanting to be blatantly disrespectful or disengaged, Hermione put the phone deep in her bag, to be extracted when there was a break. She wanted to pay attention in any case. This was her first class in a long, long doctoral program, and she didn’t want to make a bad first impression with the professor. He might end up teaching more than one of her courses. 

She was dreading having to drive all the way to the university’s nearest campus after an eight-hour workday. They decided against having virtual classes, claiming that students were not engaged. A five o’clock class also meant eating in your car or starving until seven-thirty. But, she chose to grin and bear it. This was the best university in the region and it had the program she wanted. A doctorate in maternal and child health was her goal and if there was anything Hermione was, it was goal-oriented… at least when it came to academics and her career. As soon as she focused on the person making their way to the front of the small classroom, Hermione knew she would have absolutely no issue with attention.

“Welcome. If you are not here for a course on qualitative methods in health and family research, you are a very lucky person. You are in the wrong room and you can go home. If you are, we’ll be spending a lot of time together over the next sixteen weeks. I will be supporting you through your dissertations too if all goes well.”

Hermione sat up straight and smiled at him politely and he returned it kindly. 

“I should introduce myself. I do not have a PowerPoint or Google Slides. I imagine some of you are just going to look me up on social media if you haven’t already.”

There were a few chuckles from the other dozen or so students in the classroom. They were in a strange horseshoe shape so everyone could see everyone else’s face. Hermione tried to hide how much she wanted to stare at the man.

“Let me help you with your research. This is what I am here for after all. My mother, for some reason named me, Severus Snape. I am originally from Cokeworth but we moved to the South when I was seven. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s in public health from Peverell University. Last year, by the grace of God, I finished my doctorate in maternal and child health with a focus on vulnerable populations. I like to read and I hate long walks on the beach. I despise sand. I know the syllabus says Dr. Snape. Please call me Sev.”

“If I worked so hard on my Ph.D, I’d never have people call me anything else but ‘Doctor,’” a man next to Hermione commented good-humoredly.

“Here’s the problem with that,” Sev started. “People hear ‘doctor’ and they think you can diagnose their disgusting skin conditions--for free, mind you--or deliver a baby in the middle of Harrods or an Asda. Call me Sev.”

Everyone laughed at that and the man turned their attention to the screen. “Before we jump into the syllabus, are there any questions?”

An older woman with bright blue frames raised her hand. “Will we really end at seven-thirty?”

“God no!” Sev said, shaking his head. “I had to write that so they would pay me for the whole time. I would like to end around six-thirty. We’re all working adults. Some of you have kids and dogs to get home to. How does that sound?”

A beautiful East Asian woman who introduced herself earlier as Mee Na, turned to Hermione with a gentle smile. They were both dreading having a boring teacher as they waited for him to arrive earlier before class. “I think we’re going to be just fine. He’s great.”

Hermione agreed. She not only agreed, but she also opened her laptop to ‘research’ as he put it. It was just a fancy, academic word for stalking and she was unashamed. He practically gave them permission to and soon she knew why. All she could find on him was his nearly blank LinkedIn profile. It didn’t matter. Her most pressing question could be answered with one glance at his left hand. As he passed out another paper, she learned what she wanted to know. He was not married.

---

At precisely 6:38, already on her way back to her car, Hermione was invited to a group video call.

“Bitch, where were you?” Angelina exclaimed. “I needed you! Your sister is no help.”

“I was in class," Hermione laughed. “So, what happened?”

Angelina laughed too. “Oh! I forgot you started your class today. Another Dr. Granger in the making. Aria is trying to convince me to fight this little girl.”

“Little? How old is she?”

“Nineteen!” Aria exclaimed. “But if she wants to act all big and bad, come on then.”

“She’s pregnant,” Hermione reminded them both.

“Whatever,” Aria said with an eye roll.

Hermione settled into her car and prepared for the insanity of this story. It was one way to get through rush-hour traffic.

“Where are the twins? What did they say?” Hermione inquired.

Angelina groaned. “Padma says I should ignore them both. Parvati is on Aria’s side. No help. What do you say?”

“What did he say about all this?”

“He’s not responding to me. I think he blocked me.”

“Cousin, block him too and call the police if she shows up again,” Hermione suggested.

“I hate that she’s getting away with embarrassing me. I was with a client when she burst into the office, Hermione. I mean what does that look like? I’m the only black woman in the firm and this fuckery happens?”

“Fuck her up,” Aria repeated her declaration three more times.

“She's practically a child,” Hermione said. “And she’s pregnant. She must be scared and he’s not doing the right thing. Just remove yourself from the equation. When was the last time you were with him?”

“Saturday.”

“Oh…” Hermione trailed off. “Block them. We’re in our thirties now. It is not cute to go back and forth like this. Leave that to the teenagers… which she is. Isn’t he like thirty-something?”

“Thirty-two,” Angelina confirmed.

“Gross,” Aria commented.

“It is,” Hermione agreed.

“Why is it so hard to find a good dick attached to a good man?” Angelina lamented. “It’s like you get one or the other.”

“I don’t have that problem.”

“We know, Ariadne,” Hermione said dryly.

“We just buy good dick,” she continued. “Vibrators attached.”

“We know!” Angelina laughed. “Being with women isn’t perfect either so stop.”

“You’re right. You’re right. Drama is inclusive. How was class, sis?”

“Really, really good,” Hermione said.

“Uh… Okay. What’s that about?” Aria questioned. “Did you see something you liked?”

“The professor is gorgeous. He’s funny too.”

“Name now. I want to look him up,” Angelina said. “This is a great distraction.”

“Dr. Severus Snape.”

“Interesting name…” Aria commented. 

“Right. The two of you are named Ariadne and Hermione. You really cannot comment. There’s nothing here… He does look very nice in this professional pic though. What do you think? Thirties or forties?”

“Maybe late thirties,” Hermione offered. “No wedding ring.”

“Would you really try to talk to him? I am here for it!” Aria said brightly. “It’s been like a year.”

“Thanks, Aria…”

“It’s not like Ange doesn’t know.”

A notification flashed on the screen of the dashboard display of her car. Since she was at a stoplight, she opened it.

LILY: I AM HERE! Come over.

“Lily texted me that she’s here and she’s dropped a pin.”

“It’s almost seven,” Aria pointed out. “Doesn’t she know you’ve been working all day?”

“You know how she is,” Hermione replied.

“I made you dinner. Come home and eat.”

“Her new place is like ten minutes away from our place.”

“I can’t believe you’re still friends with her,” Aria groaned. “I hate her with a burning passion.”

“Wait,” Angelina interrupted them. “Didn’t she invite you to her engagement party and aren’t you going?”

“Yeah. So what?”

“You’re so fake!” Angelina exclaimed. “I love you both but I have to go. My mum’s calling me.”

Hermione said, “Tell Auntie Mary we said hi.”

“Will do.”

Once Angelina dropped the call, Aria asked, “You’re going over there now?”

“Yeah.”

“Fine. Have fun.”

“I’ll be home soon.”

“Whatever. Don’t tell her I said hi.”

---

“Aria says hi,” Hermione said, hugging her old childhood friend. “This place is gorgeous!”

The house was a two-story terrace home in the city. It had a white exterior and black window and door frames, making it appear clean and modern. Lily texted her the gate code so she was able to park in their driveway rather than on the street.

“Isn’t it? A client was selling it, I wanted it and my wonderful fiance bought it just like that. He’s rich, you know.”

“I saw the new Tesla. I figured.”

“That’s mine actually. He leased the Mercedes.”

A minute surge of envy went through Hermione’s mind. She and Lily grew up in upper-middle-class homes. Her parents were dentists while Lily’s family owned a successful organic market and nursery. There was a reason why Lily and her sisters (Petunia, Daisy, and Iris) were named after plants. Even with their very comfortable childhoods, Hermione and her sister set about to make their way in the world with as little monetary help as possible. They both chose altruistic fields. Ariadne became a special educator while Hermione went into public health. They would never be rich and Hermione accepted that a long time ago. Still, having nice things was… nice. Everything in this house was nice . 

Lily, on the other hand, attended business school and met the right people. Looking around as Lily gave her a tour of the downstairs, Hermione wondered if she could meet the right person. She pushed the thought away knowing deep down, she would never be with anyone simply because they had a significant amount in the bank.

“So when did you get in?”

“About an hour ago,” Lily said, leading her into the Chef’s kitchen. The stainless steel could have blinded her under the bright lights. That was hyperbole but everything was very shiny. “Toby picked me up from the station. We shipped my car down here. Moving back took three weeks!”

“When can I meet him?”

Lily continued talking without acknowledging Hermione’s question. “Want something to drink? The fridge is practically empty. We can order something like--”

“Chinese, I hope.” A deep and decidedly male voice interrupted her. It was also very familiar. Hermione turned to face the man approaching them from down the hallway. “Dr. Snape? Uh… Sev?”

“You were in my class tonight. Do you know Lily?”

Lily smiled and gave Hermione a side hug. “We grew up together. Hermione, you met Toby already?”

“Toby?” Hermione questioned.

“She is the only one who calls me that,” Sev explained. “It’s my middle name. So, how do you think the class went tonight? I need a review.”

“Great. People are looking forward to it.”

“No talking about work,” Lily complained. “He can go on for hours, Hermione. Please don’t encourage him.”

“This is a new job,” Severus countered light-heartedly. “I do not have enough material for hours.”

Lily’s phone rang loudly and she said, “That’s the work phone. I have to take it. Big deal in the works.” With a wink, she went into the next room.

“This is your first year as a professor?”

“An associate professor,” he elaborated. “I’ve taught for a long time in different capacities. This is a bit formal for me.”

“What are you used to teaching?”

“Community health classes. My favorite classes to teach were the healthy family cooking classes for obvious reasons. I never had to bring lunch those days. I want to see if I can volunteer in this city. The CMC has a branch here too.”

“On the west side,” Hermione told him. “I work there. We could always use volunteers.”

“What do you do there?”

“I am a caseworker for about twenty families right now. One of my mothers went into labor this morning. No news yet.”

“Boy or girl?”

“Their fifth girl in a row.”

“Five?” he asked in amazement. “I loved working with families directly.”

“We’d be glad to have you. You probably know my direct--”

“I am good! The best in the world!” Lily announced gleefully reentering the room and going into Sev’s embrace. He looked so happy for her. “Just sealed the deal. I just made fifteen thousand pounds!”

“Congrats!” he said, kissing her temple. “We should go out to eat if you’re up for it.”

“You read my mind,” Lily told him. “Hermione, do you want to come?”

She was still recovering from the very idea of making £15,000 in one phone call. No one employed at the Center for Mothers and Children could ever boast such a thing. “Actually, it’s getting late and I have to be at work early tomorrow.”

“Oh no,” Lily pouted. “Okay. Well, we have to meet up soon. Next weekend, I’m free. Bring Aria too. It’ll be a girls’ day out.”

“I’ll have to see. She’s usually busy on the weekends.” Hermione lied through her teeth to keep the peace. Aria spent her weekends playing video games and having the occasional hookup since she was in between girlfriends at the moment. “We have family Sunday dinners.”

Lily’s phone rang once again. “I have to take this one too. Um, Toby, can you walk her out?”

“Sure,” the man said with a kind smile, gesturing for her to follow him out to the garage. Lily waved goodbye and her smile dropped as she argued with someone on the phone.

“Is she always this busy?” Hermione asked him when they reached her car.

“This is nothing. This is her after-hours,” Sev joked. “You’ve had a long day. Working at the CMC and class? When do you find time to eat?”

“My sister, Aria, cooks on Mondays.”

“That’s great. Get home safe. See you next week.”

“Huh?”

“In class.”

“Oh. Right,” she smiled awkwardly. How did she forget? The thought made her smile even though, all things considered, it shouldn’t. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“Good.”

---

Aria gasped. “Oh babe, that sucks. I told you I hated her.”

Hermione was thankful for her sister. They had been together since conception and ever since then, Aria had always been on her side. Out of the two of them, Aria was quick to react while Hermione was more methodical. They were both academically gifted, friendly, and compassionate. No one could get Aria riled up more than Hermione-- specifically people upsetting Hermione.

“I bet she just showed off her perfect house and her perfect car.”

Hermione sighed. “It was fine. My heart dropped when I saw him. Ari, I didn’t even know he was rich when I fell in love with him.”

Laughing, Aria asked, “You met him four hours ago and you’re already in love with him?”

“Yes. I didn’t tell you the best or the worst part. He used to work at CMC.”

“Wow. He was really working with the people. So, he’s nice? Educated? Wealthy? Hot? There has to be something wrong with him,” Aria declared. “I know what it is!”

“What?”

“He’s marrying that witch, Lily Evans. Negative points for that.”

Rolling her eyes, Hermione sat back on the sofa. “Maybe he’s bad in bed.”

Aria grinned and nodded. “Now, that’s thinking positively.”

Chapter 2: That Man is Nothing but Trouble

Sundays were her absolute favorite day of the week. There might be a time in the future when this was no longer possible. Hermione relished the time they all set aside to come together. It was her mother who hosted these weekly feasts so Hermione and Ariadne drove to their childhood home for some good times and good food. Because of their family’s multi-ethnic makeup, their meals were a mixture of Nigerian, Indian, and Caribbean cuisine. Angelina’s father was from the Bahamas and loved to grill. Padma and Parvati’s father owned a restaurant that served South Indian food. 

Her father, Robert, was an only child and their paternal grandparents lived hours away in Oxfordshire. Helen Granger, on the other hand, had two sisters and all three women were mothers. Assuming the aunties, their husbands, and every cousin appeared, there could be nearly twenty people crowding into the house on any given Sunday. Everyone still lived close enough to make the drive and they did so happily with empty bellies and tupperware.

There were only a few little ones in the family so far. Hermione and Ariadne were the youngest of their generation at thirty-one. Angelina was a few months older. Her brothers, already in their forties, both had infant girls. Parvati and Padma, who joined their family when Aunt Anna married their father after a messy divorce that ended in him getting full custody of his twin daughters, were only a few months older than Angelina.

“So many young women in this kitchen,” Aunt Mary noted. “And only two babies.”

Hermione paid her no mind. As long as she was in school, no one could guilt her into marrying the first man who asked. Her cousins and sister all pretended that their phones and plates of food were fascinating.

“Speaking of babies,” Helen began. “Hermione, guess who showed up on Friday? It slipped my mind.”

Her mother pulled her long single braids into a low ponytail. She winced since they were done the day before and her scalp was still tender. It took ten hours from start to finish but Helen bore the pain. Hermione and her sister’s hair texture made it nearly impossible to maintain a style like that one. They took after their father in that regard. Aria even had his blonde streaks, hazel eyes, and face shape. Hermione had a lighter skin tone than her sister’s more coffee-and-cream complexion. They were both tall like him though but had their mother’s wide hips and sizable behind. It was not uncommon for people to question whether or not they were actually sisters, much less twins. When they were children, a few people asked Helen if she was happy working for their family. Since the girls were so well-behaved, they wanted to know if she was willing to be their nanny or housekeeper if interested. Looks of embarrassment soon followed when their mother made it clear that they were not only hers but she was also a doctor. Neither assumption would have been made if she was white but she always handled it well. She was proud of all she accomplished and proud of her girls.

“Who?” Hermione asked.

“Cormac. He asked about you.”

Aria and the cousins all stopped what they were doing to turn toward her. That was not a name she was prepared to hear again. None of them were. Clearing her throat, Hermione asked, “What did he say exactly?”

“He brought the little ones for their check-ups. He asked how you were doing.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That you were doing fine. Was that okay?”

“You should have kicked him out,” Aria said. “He has a lot of nerve bringing his kids to your clinic. Like there’s not hundreds of dentists in this city.”

Helen said, “You all never told me what happened so I had no reason to treat him or the children differently than any other patient. You just told me it didn’t work out and the relationship was over. The oldest one remembered me.”

“Malia?” Hermione asked. She wanted to know more but caught herself.

“Yes. Pretty girl. I remember how much she liked pulling off Robert’s glasses when they came over,” Helen said fondly.

Hermione's heart ached for those kids. She wasn’t their mother and she had to let them go. 

After taking a deep breath, Hermione told the room, “He cheated on me.”

“Why didn’t you just say that?” their mother asked. “I would have sent him on his way or at least given him a dirty look.”

Aria said, “Mum, just let it go. Change the subject.”

Hermione loved her sister. 

They continued their conversation and ate until they were stuffed. Everyone always took home enough leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day. As was customary, the people who did not cook would clean up the kitchen. Helen, Uncle Andre, and Uncle Vikram were always excused from cleaning up.

Robert returned to the kitchen to help and gave his wife a quick smooch. He turned to his daughter and said, “Mi, did your mum tell you that Cormac showed up on Friday?”

Their mother brought her finger to her lips telling him to shut up. 

“What?” he asked. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, my love. You’re just late to the party.”

“Oh. That’s not new. The kids are getting so big. When they’re that young, they grow so quickly.”

Hermione fought back tears as she remembered the relationship and all she’d lost when she ended it. 

She and Aria were only sharing a flat because she had nowhere to go after living with her boyfriend for a year or so. Cormac shared custody with two ex-girlfriends. Over the course of their relationship, Hermione got to know the children and fell in love with both toddlers.

“I need the loo. Excuse me.”

Making a hasty exit, Hermione could hear her mother say her father’s name in admonishment and the man asked again, “Did I say something wrong?”

Upstairs in her old bedroom, Hermione sat on her bed and let the tears fall. Aria took less than thirty seconds to find her and pull her into her arms.

“You still love him?”

“No. It’s not that. I don’t love him. I hate him.”

“You miss the kids?”

“Yeah, but that’s not why I can’t stop crying. Sis, I tell you everything.”

“I know.”

“I have to tell you something. I was so embarrassed and ashamed I kept it to myself.”

“What is it?”

“Remember how I told you I found out he cheated on me because I saw pictures on his phone?”

“Yeah? That’s not how you found out?”

Hermione shook her head. “He gave me something and that’s how I knew. I went to the doctor and they ran a full panel and I had Gonorrhea. I confronted him about it. We were done. I felt so dirty and he acted like I should get over it because it was curable. I was being dramatic.”

“I’m sorry,” Aria expressed softly. “They cured it right?”

“Yeah, but that’s not the only thing I was positive for.”

“Are you okay? He didn’t give you anything incurable, did he?”

Hermione started crying again, harder this time. “I was pregnant.”

“Huh? Hermione, what?”

“I had an abortion. The tests caught it early. I was barely four weeks. I couldn’t do it. I-I couldn’t have a baby with him. I couldn’t trust him. I just wanted to get away from him. He could have given me anything, Ari!”

“Oh my god. I can’t believe you were dealing with this all alone. And I’ve been teasing you about dating again. I’m so, so sorry.”

“You didn’t know,” Hermione pointed out. “We always tease each other. Mum and Dad talking about the kids reminded me of what I did.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Mi. I think you did the right thing. It was the right thing for you and I support you. Besides, that man is nothing but trouble. You would have been baby mama number three. Is there anything else I should know before I go over there and murder him?”

“Aria… Don’t do anything but he’s been texting me again.”

“It’s been like a year. What is he saying?”

“He misses me and he loves me.”

“When did he start texting you?”

“Last week.”

“Did he know about the baby?”

“No,” Hermione whispered.

Aria let out a breath and said, “Did you text him back?”

Hermione raised her head from her sister’s shoulder. “Hell no!”

“Good. If he says any mad shit, you have to tell me. Him showing up at Mum and Dad’s practice is fucking wild. Tell me, Hermione. Promise.”

“I promise.”

Aria then engulfed her in a tight embrace and rubbed Hermione’s back. “Thank you for telling me.”

Chapter 3: Look But Don’t Touch

Monday came softly like a light breeze. Hermione made two home visits. One was for a mother who needed a few groceries. She went into early labor and had nothing in the house to eat for herself or her two older children. Hermione was happy to do it. The other visit was for a mother suffering from postpartum depression. As a case manager, Hermione connected her to a new psychiatrist and therapist. She often thought that working with mothers, children, and infants should have triggered her. Instead, Hermione felt empowered by empowering them. She didn't have her own child, but she could make things a little easier for a few by supporting their mothers as best as possible.

At five o’clock, Hermione was finding her seat in the weird horseshoe shape of tables. On the car ride over to the campus, Hermione checked in with herself and found that she felt lighter since telling Aria about her secret. Feeling stupid that she never told her sister, her confidant, Hermione considered how much easier her life could have been for the past year. Hindsight as they say…

“Hello, Hermione,” Sev greeted her.

She smiled and said, “Hi, Sev. So, I told my director about my new professor. Minerva says hi.”

He looked shocked. “I cannot believe she is still working. She was running things when I was still a volunteer after school. Can we talk after class? I have to get started.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Research methods could be a dry subject. The readings were boring at times and frankly, the jargon made what could be simple concepts difficult to discern. Even so, Hermione enjoyed the way Sev taught his class. He used real-world examples from his own research or that of his colleagues to make it interesting. After an hour and a half, class was over. Hermione waited patiently for one of her classmates to ask a question about one of the online assignments. Once the other man was gone, Sev gave her a kind smile. “So, Minerva is still there?”

“They say she built the place with her own two hands.”

“Just about,” Severus chuckled. “She opened that place. She was a case manager at first. Please tell her I said hello.”

“No, no. Now you have to come in for a visit,” Hermione told him.

“You’re right. Okay. So how was class tonight?”

“Really good.”

“You’re not just saying that?” he asked, grabbing his things and leading her out of the classroom.

“I am not a good liar. Lily will tell you. It was really interesting.”

“I don’t think Dennis would agree with you. He was nodding off.”

“Don’t take that personally,” Hermione said, following him down the wide staircase leading to the modern atrium. “He told me that his wife just had a baby. He’s exhausted.”

“That will do it.” As they approached the glass door, Sev asked, “Where did you park?”

“In Section E.”

“I’ll walk you there. It’s not safe walking around by yourself.”

“It’s alright.”

“Come on,” he said gently.

Readjusting her computer bag on her shoulder, Hermione pushed the door open. Section E was the free car park and thus was the farthest one from the building. They chatted about the weather as they marched onward. Her car was the only one left.

“Thank you,” Hermione said as she opened her door.

“It’s no problem.”

“Where’s your car? The garage for faculty is a trek from here.”

“I’ll get there,” he told her. There under the streetlamps, Hermione felt pulled to him and she felt safe with him. His insistence on escorting her to her car solidified that sentiment. The last man she felt anything for, didn’t give a damn about her or her safety. The more she learned about Sev, the more and more she liked him.

“I can ride you-- I mean I can give you a ride--I can give you a lift to your car .”

He laughed heartily. “I got it. Thank you but I need the walk. Lily says I’m gaining weight. Please get home safely.”

She wanted to tell him he looked great the way he was but settled for: “I will.”

Hermione facepalmed and groaned once she was in her car. “I can ride you? Am I mental? I am talking to myself. Maybe, I am.”

---

“You’re mental and I love you!” Aria exclaimed.

“He’s Lily’s fiance!” Hermione groaned. “I can’t believe I said that.”

“You have a crush on him, Mi. You can’t help it. It’s not like you’re actually going to ride him. It’s not in your character,” Aria added. “Look but don’t touch, baby sister.”

Hermione sighed. “We’re three minutes apart.”

“And I’m older. From what you told me, something doesn’t make sense.”

“What?”

“How the fuck did he get with Lily Evans? He sounds great. How and why did this happen? She’s evil.”

“No, she’s not.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “You’re so weird. If someone treated me the way Lily treated you, you’d formulate a way to destroy them. Remember when Sofia Zabini told everyone that I had a crush on Laura Lovegood?”

“You did have a crush on her,” Hermione added.

“Yeah, but I was only twelve and I was still figuring things out and she made me cry. I only told you my secret but she must have figured it out. But, what did you do?”

“I stole her diary and published a particularly spicy section about how she was in love with her own cousin. What she said about you was just gossip. She had no proof. I did. The thing about her cousin was in her own words. She told your secret so I told hers. Also, why the hell would you bring your diary to school?”

“She changed schools, remember? Did she ever find out you did it?”

“No.”

Aria just shook her head. “You have no remorse at all, do you?”

“Not when it comes to you.”

Aria blinked. “We’re lucky you’re using your powers for good and not evil. You get it though. I feel the same way about Lily.”

“Lily’s not that bad.”

“Okay, so Sofia tried to out me. But, what about all the times Lily put you down? You think I didn’t catch her but I did. When she went away to uni, I thought we were free of her.”

“When did she put me down?”

“All the time, Mi. She’d say things about your hair. It was frizzy or messy. Her hair is gorgeous. They can’t bottle that shade of red. Even I can admit that so I never understood why she came after us. If it wasn’t your hair, it was how you were too curvy and shouldn’t wear certain things. Our braces came off and she said something about how we were lucky our parents were dentists because that kind of work must have cost a fortune. I should have knocked her teeth out. Her parents could afford to fix them.”

“Ari… that was like thirteen years ago. Let it go.”

“That was just the appearance stuff. She liked to make you look stupid too. No one fell for it but it’s the principle. Sofia thought my crush on Laura was funny and something to talk about for that moment. We weren’t even teenagers yet. Lily likes to put you down and she’s been doing it since we met her. Even when we were in college, she would do it. We were adults by then and she was still doing this childish shit. She’s a bitch, Hermione.”

“She’s my friend, Aria.”

“I don’t need friends like her.” Aria said sagely, “My enemies are nicer.”

Hermione turned her attention back to the television that was playing a movie Aria started before she got home. She had no clue what was going on. They both went quiet, sharing the sofa comfortably. About five minutes later, Hermione heard Aria’s giggles. 

“What are you laughing at? Something on your phone?

“No. I--I can’t stop laughing because… ‘I can ride you.’ That’s bloody brilliant. I love you.”

Hermione playfully kicked her sister’s hip as the woman laughed at her expense. 

She loved her too.

---

The Center for Mothers and Children was located on the west side, easily accessible by car, bus, and train. It was located inside an older generic office building, taking up three levels. Hermione could see when Sev stepped out of the lift and waved when he spotted her through the large glass doors. She just so happened to be in the lobby at the right time. They had seen each other at least five times since the ‘I can ride you’ incident but he didn’t mention coming in for a visit.

“You came!”

“I did,” he said with a friendly tone. “It looks the same.”

“Really?” she asked. “You came at the right time. Minerva should be in her office. We just finished a staff meeting.”

“Lead the way.”

After taking two lefts and walking to the end of the hall, Hermione announced herself. “I have a visitor who says they must speak with you right this second.”

“Sounds import--”

Sev had inched his way into the door frame, surprising the woman and rendering her speechless. Stepping into the office, Sev said, “Hello.”

“Come here! Oh my god! Hello? Is that all you have to say?” Minerva moved around her desk to embrace him tightly. “You look good. So handsome. I hear you are Dr. Snape now. I am so proud of you.”

“Thank you,” he responded happily. Hermione watched from the doorway, glad that she was there to witness this reunion. Mentors were special people.

“I also hear you’re getting married. I demand an invitation.”

“You’ll get one as soon as a date is set. Hermione’s been talking about me?”

Minerva declared, “I interrogated her.”

“She did,” Hermione chuckled. “She wanted to know all about you.”

“I also heard you want to come back to our lovely family,” Minerva added cheerfully.

“Just as an occasional volunteer,” he elaborated. “I am a full-time teacher now. I have only two sections and a long break today. Oh! I should invite you to the engagement party. Lily is going all out.”

Hermione thought that was an understatement. The other woman was spending like crazy and taking her stress out on her and Sev. No one else would put up with it.

“When is it?” Minerva inquired.

“This Saturday.”

“Oh no. I have plans. My husband and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary.”

“What anniversary is it?” Sev asked.

“We have been married for fifty years this Friday. The kids wanted to throw a party so we’re having one on Saturday. I would invite you to mine but you’re busy.”

“Fifty years…” Hermione said to herself. She thought her own parents making it to thirty-three was a feat. Would she ever reach a milestone like that? Who knew?

“Incredible,” Severus added. “What is the secret to a happy marriage?”

Minerva said, “Don’t ask me.”

Hermione asked, “Why not? Fifty years is unheard of these days. You hold the secret.”

“Honestly,” Minerva started. “We were lucky to find one another. How lucky is it to find the person who you can always trust to love you, respect you, support you, work with you, and grow with you. I suppose I’ll say we put the work in. Anyway, he says that he’s the lucky one.”

“He is,” Sev agreed, moving in for another embrace. “You’re an amazing woman.”

Minerva blushed, opening her arms again.”

Sev told her, “I have to get back now.”

Minerva patted him on the back before releasing him. “I know you are busy with wedding plans but do come back.”

“I will. See you soon.”

With a bright expression, Minerva said, “Goodbye, Severus.”

Hermione led him back to the lobby. As they walked, Sev said, “To make it to fifty years of marriage, I would have to live to be eighty-nine.”

“You can do it,” Hermione told him jokingly.

“What about you?”

“Eighty-one. But I’m not seeing anyone right now so I won’t be getting married any time soon.”

“Never say never,” Severus remarked right as they reached the glass doors in the lobby. “See you on Saturday.”

“See you then.”

She watched as he got on the lift and thought about his comment. Never say never. 

Maybe… perhaps… he could possibly be right.

 Nah.

Chapter 4: She is Beyond Words

Lily and Sev's engagement party was packed. The only people Hermione recognized immediately were her own cousins. Parvati was the only one to come with a date, her fiance. His name was David and he was a doctor in specialty training at Parvati’s hospital. They met when Parvati covered a shift for another nurse on a different floor. Hermione liked him for Parvati since he made her laugh. The handsome young man was only an inch or two taller than her cousin and wore dark frames over his bright green eyes which complimented his dark hair. Hermione thought their future children would be gorgeous.

She, Aria, Padma, and Angelina were dateless but that was no problem. They could keep each other entertained quite well. 

“Where is he?” Aria prodded. “I want to see him in real life.”

“Who? Her professor?” Angelina inquired. “Me too!”

“Can you all calm your tits?” Hermione said through gritted teeth.

“My tits are always calm,” Aria retorted, which made David laugh out loud.

“I love this family,” he chortled, taking a sip of his drink. 

Parvati said, “Lily’s coming over,” gesturing with her chin. 

In a gorgeous knee-length strapless sheath royal blue dress, Lily parted the crowd easily as she glided across the floor. Her waist-length red hair was styled into bouncing beach waves and she looked like a model. 

“Hi everyone! Thanks for coming,” Lily said with a big smile. “Aria, you look so nice. I love your hair.”

Barely mustering a smile of her own, Aria said, “You too.”

“Let’s see the ring,” Parvati said excitedly. Lily took no time to show off the massive rock, surrounded by smaller ones.

“Wow,” all the women voiced.  David whistled.

“Parvati, you’re engaged, right?” Lily asked her. “I want to see yours.”

Parvati proudly showed off her own ring, which had smaller stones but infinitely more charm in Hermione’s opinion.

“That’s so sma--sweet. It’s lovely, really. I have to go. I think the caterer is going to be fired in the next ten seconds.”

“What’s wrong?” Angelina asked. “The food is great.”

“Darling, when you’ve had world-star chefs prepare you lobster and foie gras or dined with millionaires, you’ll know the difference.”

She was gone before Angelina could even respond.

“Did--Did she just call me broke?” Angelina asked the table. They all nodded. “She’s the one who hired a budget caterer!”

David cackled that time. Parvati never could resist falling into a fit of giggles. His laughter typically started her off. Padma was then triggered and soon they were all laughing. 

“This table is having the most fun.”

Hermione turned to see Sev looking down at her. “Sev! Hi!”

“Hi,” he replied. “Hello everyone.”

“Hi,” came a chorus of voices. Hermione cringed inwardly because it sounded like they were swooning. To be fair, she couldn’t blame them. He looked incredible in his black tailored suit with a black shirt. He had a royal blue pocket square to complement his wife-to-be. 

“I’m Sev,” he told them.

“This is my sister, Ariadne,” Hermione gestured to the woman next to her.

He shook Aria’s hand. “I have heard so much about you. You’re the best sister in the world.”

“Damn right. I have heard about you too.”

Hermione braced herself for something completely inappropriate or embarrassing to leave her sister’s mouth. 

“She says you’re a great teacher.”

“Thank you,” Sev said with an earnest smile. 

Hermione continued to introduce everyone else at the table. When she was done, Sev told them, “You have a beautiful family. It was nice meeting everyone.”

One of the waitstaff came over and tapped him on the shoulder. The look on the poor woman’s face told Hermione that something terrible had happened and Lily was most likely calling Sev to manage it.

He excused himself and as soon as he was out of earshot, Aria announced, “Damn, sis. You should jump him just for the experience. I know it’s wrong but in a hundred years we’ll all be dead. Get some.”

“Agreed,” Angelina added, taking a sip of her drink.

“He’s so nice,” Padma commented. “And he likes you.”

“Yeah,” Parvati said.

“Even I saw that,” David agreed.

Hermione looked at him with surprise. “You know what’s going on? Parvati!”

Parvati protested. “We share a bed, Hermione! I have to tell him the juicy stuff. It’s all just hospital talk otherwise. He won’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” David promised, crossing his fingers to show his seriousness. Hermione was not convinced in the slightest.

“Hey,” Angelina said, getting everyone’s attention. “Who is that next to him?”

In the center of the room, Sev spoke to a young woman with bluish-black waist-length hair. When she turned in the opposite direction, she revealed an undercut, shaved to look like stars. She wore a little black dress on her tall and svelte frame. 

“I don’t know but she’s gorgeous,” Hermione said. “I love seeing that style but I could never take that risk.”

“Same,” Padma said.

Hermione turned to Aria who was suspiciously quiet. “Alright?” she asked her sister.

Aria lifted her head from her phone. “Yeah. I was just texting someone I might meet up with after this.”

“Is she pretty? She better be pretty.”

Aria said, “Um… That’s not the right word for what she is. She’s beyond words. Unbelievable. Unreal.”

Hermione raised a brow. “Damn. Have enough fun for the both of us.”

Aria winked and then said, “Sev, you’re back? You like our table don’t you?”

He was back like Aria said. This time he brought someone with him-- the beautiful woman they had spotted with him.

“You’re the nicest people in the room,” Severus explained. “I wanted to introduce you all to my sister. This is Fifi.”

“My name is Fidelia,” the woman said pointedly. “Severus knows that I hate that stupid nickname. It’s like I’m a pet or something.”

“It’s really cute,” Hermione told her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Hermione. This is my sister and my cousins. Do you want to sit with us for a little while?”

“See? I told you they were nice,” Severus said, pulling out a chair for Fidelia.

Hermione gave him a curious look as Fidelia took the empty seat next to David and he responded, “We don’t know anyone here. These are mostly Lily’s clients.”

“No friends? Your mum?” asked Hermione.

“No,” Severus said softly.

“The more the merrier!” Angelina said. “Fidelia, your hair is gorgeous. I’m jealous.”

“Thank you! I never did anything like this before. I was so scared. It was either this or a tattoo for my thirtieth.”

As the women complimented their new tablemate, Hermione tapped Sev on his forearm. “Sit with me,” she said, moving her purse from the chair.

At first, he looked reluctant but eventually agreed. “I don’t really like parties.”

“I don’t either,” Hermione said. “Lily seems like a natural.”

The redhead was across the room holding court with half a dozen people forming a circle around her. When they were younger, this was who she wanted to be. Hermione recalled her obsession with being popular and dating the right guys. This was more towards the end of secondary school and it seemed to Hermione that she finally met her goal. She was popular and rich. Lily had it all.

He chuckled lightly. “That’s Lily. She’s in the right career. She’ll probably score a deal tonight. Maybe two.”

“I could never do real estate or business,” Hermione said. “I guess I could but I wouldn’t enjoy it. I love the work I do now.”

“I can tell,” Severus said. “Money is nice.”

“But it isn’t everything.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… You’re pretty well off.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, the new Mercedes? The house? This party?”

Sev shook his head. “This is all Lily. She’s pretty successful. I make a good living but not enough to drop that much on a car right now. I wasn’t making that much while I got my degree. I’ll admit, my dad is very rich but we don’t speak.”

“She said-- I’m sorry. I was being judgemental.”

“I have my privileges but this is too much for me. Don’t worry about it. Let’s talk about something else.”

They talked about work and research and all the goals they wanted to reach. Hermione wanted to run a branch of the CMC one day while Sev wanted to possibly work with lawmakers to change public policy. Hermione was impressed when he spoke passionately about the laws that keep families from thriving. Their conversation was so captivating and stimulating that when Lily came over to grab him, Hermione didn’t realize that Aria was gone. Checking her phone, Hermione didn’t see any messages. 

“Come with me,” Lily told her fiance. “Someone wants to say hi.”

Sev let Lily lead him out into the mostly empty hallway. Hermione asked everyone at the table if they saw where Aria ran off.

“Maybe the bathroom,” Parvati suggested. “That’s where Fidelia went.”

“Thanks,” Hermione recalled that the bathroom was just outside one of the doors but couldn’t remember which. Choosing the same one Lily and Sev used just a moment earlier, Hermione placed her hand on the door but didn’t push. There was music playing but she could hear the sound of an argument. Gently, she pushed the door open so she could hear more.

Lily said, “This is ridiculous.”

“He destroyed our family!”

“It’s been ten years,” Lily argued. “He’s apologized.”

“I told you so many times how much I hate this man.”

“Toby, he’s your father.”

“I want nothing to do with him. Stop calling me that.”

There was a short pause. “Let me go,” Sev demanded.

A deeper voice, one of an older man, spoke next. “You tried, love. He’s still angry.”

The volume of the music inside the event hall went down and Hermione had an easier time hearing everything.

Lily’s voice was sweet. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I thought I could fix this.”

“Don’t get upset, love. Stop your tears. This is your night.”

“You’re not angry with me?”

“Of course not,” the older man said. “Let’s head back in. You shouldn’t be missing the party.”

Hermione quickly hurried away from the door, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. Back at the table, Aria looked at her curiously. Everyone else had gotten up for one reason or another. Hermione could see Angelina talking to someone at the bar.

“Where’d you go?” Aria asked.

“Where did you go? I was looking for you.”

“I went to the bathroom and got some fresh air.”

Hermione gave her sister an identical look. “It’s freezing outside.”

“I meant into the lobby. It’s pretty warm in here, you know.”

“Fine. You’ll tell me eventually. Am I driving us home or are you going straight to your date ?”

“You can go without me,” Aria said. “I’ll probably be out all night so you have the whole flat to yourself.”

“Wonderful,” Hermione said despondently.

 Standing up, Aria gathered her coat and purse. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Go enjoy your night.”

“Alright,” she said, giving Hermione a kiss on the cheek. “Text me when you get home. I might not reply but I want to know you’re alright.”

“I will,” Hermione promised.

“I’ll be at the address I sent you. See you tomorrow.”

Aria left her sitting at the lonely table. Feeling slightly down now, Hermione thought back to the conversation she overheard. She hadn’t seen Sev at all since Lily came for him earlier. She did spot Lily at a table with an older man who must have been his father. Sev was his spitting image. Fidelia must have taken after their mother. If he hadn’t introduced her, Hermione would have never figured they were related at all.

The older man had a smile on his face as Lily told him something funny. Surprised to see that Lily hadn’t gone after Sev, Hermione wondered if he was overreacting to something and if Lily was simply giving him space to calm down. His comments about his father destroying their family could not be ignored. He mentioned earlier in the evening that he didn’t speak to the man. Lily told her the elder Snape was a lieutenant in the Air Force a long time ago but not much else. From what Hermione heard, the tone and hurt in his voice, whatever Tobias Snape did was still fresh years later.

She also thought Lily should have gone after him. She would have. She wanted to.

But, this wasn't her business.

Chapter 5: Say Something

The Monday after his engagement party Hermione stayed after class and walked out with Sev like she always did. He made it very clear that he had to make sure she got to her car unharmed. She let him. Tonight, she was thankful for it. Not less than three meters from her was Cormac. He wore full black and a strange expression on his face. It was a cross between happy and annoyed.

“Mi? Who is this? I’ve been texting you. Didn’t you see my messages, babe?”

This man was losing his mind. Babe? 

Hermione said, “Why are you here? Go away.”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Hermione retorted. “Go away.”

He stepped forward and Sev stepped in front of her slightly, using his body to block her. Looking back at her, Sev asked, “Who is he?”

“My ex. I don’t want to see him anymore.”

Her professor and friend turned back and said firmly, “You heard her. Leave.”

“But, Hermione, Malia saw a picture on my phone and asked about you. She misses you. I miss you. When I saw your parents they were happy to see me.”

Hermione said, “Go away. That is the third time. I’ll call campus security. You have no reason to be here. Leave me alone.”

“We love each other.”

“I hate you and you know why!”

Cormac took another step. Sev blocked her body completely. “Leave. Now. I am calling the police . This is harassment.” Holding down the volume and power button of his phone, Severus activated the SOS option on his screen. 

“This is my last warning to you,” he told Cormac.

Her ex-boyfriend started to speak but closed his mouth. Frustrated, Cormac huffed and made a quick exit, out of the building, leaving them behind.

“Thanks,” Hermione voiced, shaking slightly. “He’s scaring me. He knows my car. I don’t want him to follow me home. He never went to my sister’s place before.”

“I’ll drive you home. He won’t know my car. We can go out the back. You have to have a faculty badge to get into that garage.”

As Sev led her through the building to a staircase she didn’t know existed, Hermione kept looking back over her shoulder. Cormac was not a violent person in the slightest but something was different about him and it frightened her.

In the well-lit garage, Severus opened the passenger side door of his black Mercedes sedan using the blade key rather than the remote. 

“Quieter this way,” he told her. Hermione already felt safer as soon as she sat down in the vehicle. A few other cars were leaving at the same time so Hermione hid, crouching down.

“The windows are tinted,” he told her. “You’ll be alright.”

“Oh,” she breathed. Relaxing a bit as he got onto the main road, Hermione said, “I hate leaving my car here.”

“We can wait a little,” he said. The car was slowing down and turning into the car park for a Caribbean market. Stopping, he asked, “Do you think he’ll wait all night?”

“I have no clue. I have never seen him like this. He was a slut but he wasn’t a stalker.”

The man next to her tried to stifle his laughter but couldn’t manage it.

She asked, “What?”

“I never heard anyone use that term for a male before.”

“If it looks like a slut and acts like a slut…”

“Got it. How are you doing right now?”

“I’m a little scared. Aria warned me about this a while ago. He was texting me again after a year but I blocked him so I don’t know if he kept trying and got frustrated. Maybe he did. He brought his kids to my parents’ dental practice.”

“It’s been a year? And he brought his kids to his ex-girlfriend's parents’ clinic? That’s odd. I thought a normal person would try to cut all ties and avoid their ex at all costs. Was it a bad breakup?”

She leaned back in the superior, soft-as-a-baby’s-bottom leather seats. Nice things were nice. “Very bad. He cheated. I threw a toaster at him.”

“Did you hit him?”

“I did,” she said proudly, with a little smile. “I moved out when he was at work and that was that.”

“That’s pretty bad. I’m sorry he did that to you. My father did that to my mother all the time. He broke her heart. It’s so destructive. If you don’t want to be with someone anymore, leave.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I almost married that fucker. It would have been so much harder to leave.”

“You were engaged?”

“No, but getting there. He met my parents and the rest of my family. They all met him and his kids. I took care of them more than he did when he got them from their mothers. He was such an important part of my life and then…”

“You couldn’t trust him anymore.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “It’s all for the best I guess.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t want to get divorced. If I had stayed with him and he continued to cheat on me, I would have still left him inevitably. I want the person I marry to be it, you know? Like Minerva or like my parents. They’re disgustingly happy more than thirty years later. I want that.”

“Me too,” Sev shared. “I mean I think most people get married and hope that it’s successful. They want it to be good and long-lasting.”

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. “How did you know you wanted to marry Lily? Like what made you get the ring and ask?”

“She proposed actually,” Sev revealed. “We went ring shopping together. Don’t tell anyone. The story is that I took her to France and proposed in a vineyard at sunset. The ring was in the champagne.”
“That is romantic. She came up with that?”

“No. That was all me,” he said proudly. “One day, we’ll go. Not us. Not me and you. I meant Lily and I will go.”

“I got it,” Hermione laughed. “So what made you say yes then?”

He hummed before saying, “She’s funny and loyal. She’s been there for me. That last year of my doctoral program was not easy. My mental health was on the verge and she stuck by me. She’s beautiful.”

“She is.”

“And we have so much chemistry. Have you ever met someone and you just couldn’t stop touch--Never mind. I’ll keep that part to myself.”

Thank god. It was her own fault for asking him. As much as she’d been thinking about him and knew that he was Lily’s romantic and sexual partner, Hermione never imagined it before. She didn’t usually imagine what her friends were like in bed. She got strangely jealous.

“I love her,” Sev said. “How could I say no?”

Hermione hid her annoyance well. With a light tone, she said, “I think I want to get my car now.”

“Are you sure? It’s only been twenty minutes.”

“I’m sure. I just want to go home. I’ll take the long way with the really bad traffic. If he’s following me, he’ll probably give up.”

Accepting her choice, Sev took her back to Section E. Like always, her car was the only one left.

---

There were no more Cormac sightings in weeks and Hermione was glad. The term was wrapping up which meant that Sev would no longer be her professor. Her next course was taught by Dr. Binns. It was statistics and while she loved the subject, his ratings online were awful. She was dreading it.

On the last Monday of the term, Hermione told Sev that her car was in the shop getting some repairs.

“Something about the engine? I don’t know but it’s going to be expensive. Next term's tuition is due too.”

Sev said sympathetically, “I know the feeling. I have been a college student for the past twenty years. Tuition is always due and it’s always at the worst time. How did you get here?”

“I took an Uber.”
“That must have been a fortune!”

“No one else was going in this direction and I would have been late if I took public transportation.”

“I’m taking you home, right?”

She smiled. “If you’re offering.”

“Let’s go.”

Once on the road, Hermione questioned his music taste which led to questioning his taste in movies and then his taste in women.

“Celestina is beautiful, Hermione. Admit it.”

“She’s not my type.”

“I didn’t say she was my type. I can recognize a beautiful person when I see them. Your sister is beautiful but I don’t think she’s my type based on what you tell me.”

“Why is that?”

“For one thing she only likes women.”

“Other than that.”

“She’s impulsive and that gives me anxiety.”

Hermione nodded, “You’re right! Why didn’t I see it before? She’s impulsive as hell.”

“She’s a great person and I’m glad I know her. She’s hilarious but I wouldn’t be a good partner for someone like her. We would be incompatible.”

“That’s a good reason,” Hermione said. “So what is your type? Don’t say Lily. What traits do you go for? Tell me everything.”

“Why should I?”

“We’re best friends now.”

“Are we? Alright. My type? Okay. She’s brilliant. It doesn’t matter what it is but she knows what she’s talking about. Compassionate. Passionate in all things. Confident. Ambitious.”

She was all of those things and so was Lily (according to him). Compassionate was a stretch for Lily. 

“Makes sense. What about physically?”

“No preference. I like everything. Race, ethnicity, body type, hair type, eye color, height… not important. I like it all. Personality means more.”

He was pulling up to the curb in front of her building. It was probably the last time she would see him in a while.

“Good answer. Well, thanks for the lift.”

“No. No,” he said. “You tell me what your type is. It’s only fair.”

“Like you, I like them smart. Cormac has a master’s in computer science for example. I like when a guy is good, even when no one is looking. Doing things like helping a neighbor or giving his time for a good cause.”

Severus leaned back in his seat and listened with a smirk. He knew what she was doing. Was he going to stop her? Did he believe her?

“I like a guy who can protect me and be there when I need him. I like confidence too but he shouldn't be cocky. Also, he has to know where my clit is.”

Sev sputtered, caught off guard. Laughing, he said, “Not fair. I was being serious and you’re not.”

“I am dead serious. I want good sex. Don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

Hermione gave him a wide grin. “Are you blushing, bestie?”

He turned away and looked out the window. “Text me when you get inside, Hermione.”

“But I wasn’t done.”

He shook his head but put his car in park. “Alright. Finish then.”

“Thank you. Where was I? Oh yeah! Good at sex.”

“What does he look like?”

“I like dark eyes and dark hair.”

“So most of humanity?”

“Let me finish,” she admonished him. “Tall. He has to be tall, at least six feet. Broad shoulders.” Her voice was getting quieter as she continued. “ I like a strong nose too. He’d have a smile like yours.”

The silence that fell over them lasted for an eternity. In reality, it was about five seconds. He was searching her face for truth. She decided he wouldn’t find it, losing her nerve.

“I was just kidding, Sev,” she laughed convincingly. “Look at your face.”

Jovially, Sev said, “You’re-- That was mad. I believed you.”

“You did? You’re too easy.” Giggling, she asked, “Alright?”

“Yeah.” He coughed, cleared his throat, shifted in his seat, and put the car back in drive.

“Thanks for the lift. I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”

“Maybe at the family market at the CMC. I’m helping out on Saturday.”

“I’ll be there,” Hermione said, opening the door. “I’ll text you when I get inside.”

Once in the flat, Hermione could sense that something was off. Aria usually had something prepared by the time she got home but there was nothing in the kitchen. After putting all her things down and shooting off a quick text to Sev, Hermione went in search of her sister, thinking that Aria maybe wasn’t feeling well.

---

Aria was feeling very well. 

“You’re so good at that, baby. Keep going. So close.” Her moans morphed into a scream when her eyes fell on Hermione in the doorway. “Jesus Christ, Hermione! Say something!”

This was not the first time she’d caught her sister in a compromising position. Aria caught her a few times too.

Chuckling with a smirk, Hermione said, “It’s nice to see you again, Fidelia.”

Chapter 6: Quick Warning

Notes:

be nice. don't be like lily.

“How did this happen?” 

Hermione gestured to the women who were now cleaned up, dressed, and sitting very politely on the sofa. Fidelia was resting her head on Aria’s shoulder.

“Did you get together at the party?”

Aria said, “Not for the first time.”

Hermione looked at the other woman. She just smiled and played with her long hair.

“How long have you two known each other?”

Fidelia shrugged and looked at Aria. “Maybe a few years.”

“Years?!” Hermione gasped.

“Yeah,” Aria told her. “It’s on and off. Before the party, it had been maybe five months since the last time I saw her.” 

Hermione glanced at the two of them. They were so pretty and cute together, it was sickening. “Do you like each other?”

“Yeah,” they answered simultaneously.

“So why not make it official?” Hermione asked. If it was anyone else, she’d let them figure it out but this was Aria. Aria was different-- the exception to the rule. 

Aria answered with a giggle, “We just did. You interrupted us. Thank you by the way. We’ve both been dealing with a lot. You know with work and…”

“Family issues…” Fidelia finished for her. “We really couldn’t commit to a long-term thing. Things have changed. Right, babe?”

“Well congratulations,” Hermione said earnestly as her sister nodded in response to Fidelia. “Wait just a damn minute. Did you know she was Sev’s sister?”

“I had no clue until the party.”

Hermione said to Fidelia, “What is your surname?”

“Legally, it’s Snape like him. I use the name Prince on my socials though. It is our mum’s name.”

“I thought her name was Fidelia Prince for the past two years. I would have told you if I knew,” Aria said to Hermione.

“What’s the big deal?” Fidelia asked them both.

“It’s nothing. I’m just shocked. This evening has been shocking ,” Hermione explained. “I’m starving.”

“I texted you. Didn’t you see,” Aria said. “We went out to eat so I told you to pick up something on the way home since I wasn’t going to make anything.”

Hermione groaned. “I didn’t see it. I couldn’t stop anyway. I took my car to the mechanic this morning.”

“How’d you get home?” her sister inquired. 

“Sev dropped me off.”

Fidelia arched her brow. “My brother dropped you off?”

“Yeah. He drove me home after class. He’s my professor.”

“He didn’t mention that you were his student,” Fidelia shared. “Just Lily’s friend. Ari never said a thing either.”

The woman in question pretended not to hear her girlfriend’s comment. Aria tried to change the subject by saying, “I never ate my Sunday dinner leftovers for lunch. You can have it.”

Hermione could not have been happier to hear that. Her smile didn’t last long.

“You like my brother?”

Both Granger women looked at Fidelia like she was crazy. 

“Yes or no?” Fidelia said with a lighthearted tone. “It’s alright.”

“Why do you think she likes your brother?” Aria questioned.

“A few things,” Fidelia started, turning towards Hermione who was already in the kitchen area. First, the way you looked at him at the party. Second, the way you looked when we started talking about him. Third? Aria was keeping your connection to him a secret.”

“Not a secret.”

“You were omitting that information, darling. I asked you what your sister was studying. You could have told me that he was teaching her. I’m not upset or anything. I get it. I would do the same for Sev. If he didn’t want the world to know something, I wouldn’t share it… unless it was for his own good. So, do you like him?”

The microwave beeped behind her but Hermione didn’t move. She made eye contact with Aria, silently communicating. Could she trust this woman?

“Interesting. You must be in love with him,” Fidelia declared. “Someone else might have just laughed it off and said he was alright but you look so serious. It’s okay. You can like him. You’re allowed to.”

“He’s getting married,” Hermione pointed out, bringing her food into the living room.

Fidelia gave her a triumphant smile. “Oh, please! There’s no date set. He’s an idiot if he marries her. Oops. Sorry. I know she’s your friend.”

Hermione told her, “Say what you want to say.”

Aria added, “Yeah. I hate her.”

“Alright,” Fidelia straightened up. “I think she’s a liar, a racist, and a homophobe.”

Both Hermione’s and Aria’s eyebrows shot up.

“And you say I omit information!” Aria said incredulously. “Well, I already knew about the lying.”

“She does have a way of twisting words,” Hermione agreed. “One thing at a time. What did she say that was racist?”

“It was about you actually,” Fidelia said gently. “She said something about women like you going for men who barely take care of their kids. She finished off with an anecdote about your last boyfriend. She said it was so sad that not even having a white parent could have saved you.”

The Grangers were rendered speechless.

Fidelia continued. “Right. And she says you all are her best friends.”

“Women like me?” Hermione repeated. “Black women? What the fuck? She just said that to you?”

Fidelia confirmed with a nod. “She also thinks you only got into your uni because you’re half-black. Positive Action helped you. They wanted to give more of your kind a chance.”

“My kind?” Hermione repeated. “Aria and I both did really well in school. We didn’t need help.”

“Lily thinks that she had to work twice as hard to get where she is because she didn’t get a step up like you and Aria did for being black.”

“What the fuck?” Aria groaned. “Is being black a privilege now? Since when? They didn’t tell us or our family. The shit our mum had to deal with in the past and still has to deal with to this day… Racist fuckers have explicitly and loudly said they didn’t want her touching them at her practice. They’re in terrible pain but still the ‘black bitch’ should go back to Africa. They talk to her like she’s nothing. She cried about it more than once. Lily knows about it. It came up during a sixth-form class. Remember, Mi?”

She nodded. Hermione mostly remembered three separate occasions in which both parents came home incredibly upset. Her mother was crying and their father was livid about something that happened that day with a patient. Helen didn’t tell them the specific details about those incidents until they were leaving for uni. They had to know what was out there. There were other moments like that throughout her childhood-- moments that left her mother crying and angry, feeling helpless. 

Hermione added, “I remember when some kids would call us dirty and mudbloods when we were little. We’re pretty fair-skinned and Aria is blonde but they knew we weren’t just white. The kids with darker skin tones got it a million times worse. Even our teachers treated them more severely.  Lily saw all of this. We went to school together. But, she had to work harder. Harder than our mum who is also an immigrant? Seriously? Our cousin, Angie, has dealt with things that we never have. She’s a solicitor and she earned that.”

Aria asked, “Is she well? She can’t be. Hermione and I earned our degrees-- all four of them and she bloody well knows that. We always did better than her in school.”

“I know you did. I never would have doubted you even if I didn’t know you. Listen, I know I am privileged,” Fidelia told them. “In more ways than one. My whole family is. I think she only said it because she thought I’d agree with her. This was very recent, like right after they moved back here. It was weird that she only talked about you two. She didn’t use any other examples. There’s some jealousy and anger there. What’d you do to her?”

“Exist,” Aria answered. “What else did she say? You said she was homophobic too.”

“She’s said things around me,” Fidelia said. “Here’s an example. She mentioned once that gay people were all molested as children and that’s why we are the way we are. We’re more likely to molest children too.”

“That bitch! What did you say?” Aria asked angrily.

“We were in public and I could not make a scene. It was a fundraiser Sev helped put on and I didn’t want to ruin such a lovely event. Believe me, I wanted to throw my drink in her face and then punch it. She didn’t know I was a lesbian at the time. Does it matter? Don’t say that shit at all to anyone.”

“That’s so sick. Did you tell Sev about it?” Hermione said next.

“She claimed that she was just repeating something she heard on a podcast and he believed her.  She apologized for the ‘misunderstanding.’My brother is so smart but his IQ drops when he’s around her. It’s sick. I hate her. I hate her so much.”

“Isn’t she perfect, Mi?” Aria said, lightening the mood and taking her girlfriend’s hand. 

“If you say so,” Hermione replied. “You’re bonding over your mutual hatred of Lily? So sweet.”

“So you like Sev, huh?” Fidelia asked with a sly grin, more than willing to move on from the topic of Lily Evans. “He’s not like her at all, just so you know. She’s just starting to become more comfortable with that ring on her finger. She’s not hiding anymore.”

“Good to know that he’s not a bigot too,” Hermione muttered. She already knew this but after all that was said about Lily, she had to wonder how much he could be hiding. If Lily could put on a show, why couldn’t he?

“I like you better than her,” Fidelia said easily. “He likes you too by the way.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Hermione denied.

“Yes. I have known him my entire life. I have met many, many girlfriends. He likes you. Who did he spend most of his time with at his engagement party? His fiancee? No. You.”

“She’s right, Hermione,” Aria agreed in singsong.

“He purposefully omitted the fact that you were also his student and apparently a friend before I met you. He tried to put distance between you and him, using Lily as the middle man so to speak.”

“Are you a therapist or something?” Hermione asked the woman. “A psychologist?”

“I’m a software developer,” Fidelia said matter-of-factly.

“She’s so smart,” Aria said with a sappy voice.

Hermione groaned. “Aria, calm down. Anyway, I still don’t think he likes me.” 

She didn’t want to explain what happened in the car and how he was so relieved when she said she was joking after a failed attempt at flirting. “I’m not getting in between them. It’s just a crush. I’ll get over it.”

Fidelia sighed. “I just wish she would go away. She popped up at my dad’s place yesterday.”

“Your dad? You talk to him? Sev says he doesn’t,” Hermione said.

“My brother loathes him,” the woman announced. “I was there yesterday because he wanted me to sign something. Right before I was about to leave, she showed up.”

“Without Sev?”

“Yes. It was so weird. I was looking for my dad and there she was in our living room. She said she was there to ‘mend the family rift.’” Fidelia made air quotes and rolled her eyes. “My dad isn’t angry. He got the better deal out of it. He cheated on my mother and left her with nothing. If she wants to help, why doesn’t she talk to my mother? She never has. God, I hate her. Mum raised us. My brother actually spends time with her. Like, what a slap in the face. It’s so disrespectful.”

“Disrespectful doesn’t begin to describe Lily Evans,” Aria said. “Can we stop being ‘friends’ with her now ?”

“Definitely,” Hermione agreed.

“By the way,” Fidelia started. “Your food smells fantastic. What is it? Is it spicy? I love spicy food.”

“Yup! It’s a mix of Nigerian and Indian food,” answered Hermione. “Just some rice, vegetables, and meat. Our uncle made samosas too.”

“From your Sunday dinners, you told me about?” Fidelia asked Aria. “I wanna go. Can I?”

Aria chuckled. “You sure? It’s our entire family.”

“Will your family be alright with me?” Fidelia asked.

“Mum might have an issue.”

“Oh…” Fidelia said with a low-energy acceptance. 

“You don’t understand!” Aria said with a breathy laugh. “She won’t like your hair--the undercut. It’s too modern for her. I think it’s sexy as hell. But, she’s a little conservative when it comes to things like that. She’s cool with the ‘LGBT lot.’ So is Dad. My aunties will tolerate us.”

“So, I can come?”

“Yeah. Quick warning,” Aria said, getting serious. “Uh… My mum will want to know everything about you.”

“It’s true,” Hermione confirmed. “Imagine you’re going to a catered job interview with a bunch of people, including babies and our old black labrador. His name is Fang.”

Fidelia gasped. “I’m gonna bring something for him! I love dogs. Can I bring something for your parents?”

“For Dad, pick up his favorite beer on the way over,” Hermione suggested. “He’ll love you.”

“Easy. And your mom?”

Without a beat, both women said, “Chocolate.”

Chapter 7: A Hero

Throughout the week, Lily called twice.

She sent seven texts, four directly to Hermione and three to the silent group chat. 

She left a ‘friendly’ voicemail demanding to see Hermione that weekend because Sev was busy and she would be bored out of her mind. Since Aria happily got Angie, Padma, and Pavarti up to speed, no one replied to her. The really crazy thing, Hermione thought, was that already her life felt calmer and her mood was lighter since cutting Lily out of her life. It had only been a few days.

This new term's class which started on Wednesday was not as interesting as Sev’s but she gave thanks when Dr. Binns suddenly decided to retire and was replaced by someone significantly more… awake. This was a welcome change especially since this program had barely any breaks between their terms. It was the only way they could boast that their doctorate program was only three years. With a more competent professor, Hermione felt confident she could do well, which also calmed her. 

With her personal and academic life (mostly) sorted out, Hermione could focus on her career. Her favorite moment came on Friday when she visited a family with a set of fraternal twin girls named Genesis and Heaven. They were just ten months old and already trying to walk. They both seemed to be trying to establish who was in charge by pulling on the other girl’s clothes each time she got herself up onto a piece of furniture. They appeared to be worried about each other taking such a big risk. These girls reminded Hermione of her relationship with Aria so much that it was uncanny.

All of the mothers Hermione saw daily were part of her research, giving her the data she needed, and she was enjoying every part of it. Hermione was interested in the increased incidence of newly diagnosed mental health disorders after childbirth other than post-partum depression. Focusing on the overall impact on mother, child or children, and public health  Hermione wanted to discern how to best support them long-term through community programs and outreach. This was who she was; someone who loved to study and learn while helping others as much as she could. 

Ever since Lily returned to town, there had been more than a few moments when she considered striving towards different goals like money and material things. Her parents did very well for themselves but lived very simply. Her mother’s biggest expense was her yearly trip to Lagos to see their grandmother and the extended family.  Her father’s was the old car he liked to work on in his free time. They lived in a normal house, drove normal cars, and still thought eating out was a waste of money when, according to Helen, “I can make it better at home and it will be healthier.” That was all Hermione ever wanted-- to be comfortable. She wanted no stress, no problems, no wahala as her mother would say.

Lily’s snide comments and posturing almost changed Hermione’s view of what she wanted. Thanks to Aria and Fidelia, Hermione was brought back down to Earth, neither of them trying to cushion the blow. Finishing up with Genesis and Heaven’s mother, Hermione thanked their family for their time and made her way to the car. Her good mood matched the weather, a rare bright and sunny day without a single cloud in sight.

Saturday morning dawned a little cloudy but Hermione was looking forward to spending the afternoon with a few colleagues and especially Severus. He was still engaged to that woman but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends. Right? Right. She just wouldn’t flirt with him (accidentally or otherwise) anymore because she felt that was a step too far. Hermione was devastated when she learned of Cormac’s infidelity. She would not take part in it. 

Speaking of Cormac, he sent her a text from an unknown number. Hermione didn’t want to read it. She wanted to delete it but her curiosity had a hold on her. Making sure to knock first, Hermione asked Aria if she was awake. 

“Come in,” her sister said sleepily. 

Fidelia was there but fully dressed and digging through a bag on the floor. Aria was wrapped up in her blankets, her light brown and blonde curls obscuring her face. Fidelia looked at Hermione and said, “She’s not a morning person, right?”

“No,” Hermione said. “You didn’t know?”

“She was usually up and out by this time,” Fidelia smirked, looking back at the bed and the woman on it.

“Oi! Don’t talk about me like I’m not here. Hermione, what do you want?”

Making her way across the carpet of her sister’s bedroom, Hermione showed her the screen. “Cormac.”

“What the hell is wrong with him? Did you cast a spell on him or something?” Aria groaned. “Use your powers for good, Mi.”

“Just read it so I know if I need to call the police or something.”

Aria was silent for a few seconds and giggled. 

“What?” a confused Hermione asked.

She just giggled again, this time covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Read it.”

This is cor. i just wanted to tell you that i will not contact you again after this. i get it. we’re over.  i just missed you. that’s all. we could have been a family and i ruined that. we can stop this here. tell your bf i said i’m sorry for scaring you. tell him to calm down pls

“My BF?” Hermione said to herself. “Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”

Aria was cackling now and Fidelia was looking over Hermione’s shoulder. 

“Why is she laughing like that?”

“Your brother is dating my sister apparently,” Aria said, finally calming down. “He picked up on it from seeing you two together for thirty seconds? Were you making out or something?”

Hermione said, “No!”

Fidelia asked, “Then what caused this? He’s the creepy ex, right? Do you have another guy in your life other than Sev?”

“She does not,” Aria answered. “He must have said something to him.”

“No way,” Hermione denied. “He wouldn’t do that.”

Fidelia made a cheeky face and said, “He’s always been a knight in shining armor kind of guy.”

“A hero!” Aria giggled and pushed her fist into the air.

Fidelia continued. “He would do something about this Cormac guy if he had the opportunity. But, don’t take my word for it. Ask him.”

---

The Family Market was a monthly community event wherein families could pick up fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables free of cost. Each volunteer (not handling crowd control) was in charge of distributing the food equitably by making sure each family got the same amount. 

Hermione and Severus were tasked with the oranges.

“Three right?” he asked.

“Right,” Hermione replied.

As families started entering the repurposed cafeteria, Severus asked her, “How is your new class going? Binns is gone.”

“The first day wasn’t so bad. The professor is Dr. Vector. She seems to know what she’s talking about.”

“That bodes well,” he said. 

The line was long and it was important to move quickly. The more people they saw, the more could be served. Hermione thought about Cormac’s text but needed a moment of peace to ask Sev about it. They talked about other topics like their sisters. While Aria’s personality was too impulsive for him, she was perfect for Fidelia, who enjoyed a bit of adventure and wanted to try new things, even things that scared her. 

It was an hour and a half before there was a lull in the traffic. The market was ending soon so there were only a few latecomers Nearly everything was gone by then anyway. It was time to pack up. 

A few older teenagers took over the cleanup for their station so they were free to go. Outside, it was still a little warm and breezy. The sun was still up. Going to the car park together, Sev asked her, “Do you have big plans tonight?”

“What? Like a date?” Hermione responded. “No. I might order a pizza or something and watch a movie. You?”

“Lily has plans. She’s always seeing clients. I was going to get pizza too actually.”

Was it flirting if they ate a meal together? It was just pizza. Was pizza sexy or romantic?

“Do you want to get some?” he said and interrupted her train of thought.

“Together?”

He looked at her strangely. “Yes?”

“We’ll be eating pizza together?”

“In the same room I think,” he replied, pressing the remote to open his car door. Hermione stayed on his side of the car, not having decided to go with him yet.“If you don’t want to, it’s okay. It was just a thought.”

“I want to! I mean I want to get something to eat… with you.”

“Okay… Why are you talking like that? Alright?”

Hermione felt blindsided by his offer to go out. Friends went out to eat all the time. They were friends. She had teased him that they were best friends… before she teased him about wanting him or a man like him. She also declared she wanted a man who could find her clit. She had been ‘kidding.’ They were friends so this was fine.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Do you have a place in mind?”

Her favorite pizza place was actually a small family-run business. Cormac’s mother and grandparents owned it. Cormac!

“Wait. Before we do anything, I need you to be honest with me about something.”

Sev looked intrigued and said, “I will be.”

“Did you talk to my ex?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, Sev. Why would you do that? He sent me a text.”

A flash of anger that fled as quickly as it came changed his expression for a brief moment. “What did he say?”

“To tell my boyfriend that he apologized and to calm down.”

“I’m not your boyfriend,” Sev pointed out.

She knew that! Hermione crossed her arms and waited. He smirked. 

“What did you do? Tell the truth and look me in the eyes.”

Still smirking, he said, “I caught him hanging out by your car when you were in class.”

“And?”

“I might have pushed him up against his car and told him I’d hurt him if he didn’t leave you alone. I told him if he didn’t stop, I would start following him around and wait for the right moment.”

“To do what?”

“Hurt him.”

“Be specific. What did you say?”

“All I said was that I’d make it look like an accident… or an overdose.”

“Severus Snape!” Hermione exclaimed. “You threatened to kill him?”

“I didn’t mean it. You looked so scared that night. I had to deal with it.”

“Why does he think you're my boyfriend?”

Sev shrugged. “I told him I was. You moved on and we’re in love. I told him you were happy and to leave us alone or else. I don’t know. I just said what I thought would make him stop.”

“Sev…” Hermione wrapped her arms around him before she knew what she was doing. “Thank you.”

His arms encircled her and he said, “I’ll be your boyfriend anytime.”

He was warmth and safety. That’s what he felt like. He was trust, protection, and tenderness. His arms held her close and she breathed in sandalwood, cedarwood, and lavender. The fragrance would forever be associated with this wonderful person in her arms and Hermione didn’t want to let go.

She knew he was joking and laughed. “Dangerous words,” Hermione warned him, pulling away. “What if Lily heard you?”

“She’d understand,” he said unconvincingly. “Oh… Speaking of… I forgot to tell you.”

“What?”

“She set the date for the wedding. 19th of September.”

Chapter 8: Good for Her

How could there be no oxygen to breathe? She was outside! Hermione couldn’t even hide her devastation. It was real now. The ring meant nothing. Lily bought it for herself. The engagement party was a networking event. A date meant that things would be ordered, invitations sent out, a man and woman joined in holy matrimony, and all that shit. 

“Oh.”

“You alright?” he asked for the second time that day. 

“It’s my birthday.”

“Today?”

“No,” she breathed, finally getting her lungs to do what they did best. “Your w-wedding day.”

“Really? I hope you’ll still come. Ready to eat? I’m dying of hunger and that orange I stole was not enough.”

“Actually, my head is starting to hurt. It might be a migraine. I think it’s better if I just go home.”

“I’m sorry.” Severus looked genuinely disappointed. “Get home safe. Text me.”

“I will,” Hermione promised, with a tight smile. “See you.”

---

Aria and Fidelia drove to Sunday dinner from her place so Hermione still hadn’t told anyone about her eventful Saturday afternoon. After a round of hugs and kisses from her parents and her aunties, Hermione went in search of her sister and their cousins. The food was almost ready but not quite.

“What took you so long?” Aria questioned her as everyone else greeted her warmly.

“Does it matter?” Hermione replied. “I’m here.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Aria said, giving her a put-out look.

Hermione ignored her. The bad mood was hard to shake off but she would try. “Hello, Fidelia. David, I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“I finally got a Sunday off! I have been dreaming of your mum’s rice! Your uncle’s cooking too. I should have brought my friend, Arjun.”

“You should have!” Parvati told him. “Padma could have met him.”

“Who?” Padma asked. “Who are you talking about? Is he cute? Does he have a job? Does he have kids?”

David laughed. “We’re talking about my friend, Arjun.”

“He is very, very cute,” Parvati added.

“That’s enough,” David said with a faux seriousness.

“You know I love you,” Parvati teased. “He’s for my sister. His name is Dr. Arjun Sharma and he’s in training to be a surgeon.”

“A doctor?” asked Padma, looking impressed.

“A surgeon,” David said, nodding. “Never been married. No kids. He was born in Australia. Uh--- He loves football and playing guitar. Oh! His family owns a hotel chain.”

“Are you two matchmakers or something?” Angelina questioned lightheartedly. “If so, I’m next.”

Parvati was busy on her phone and then showed Padma a photo of the man in question. 

“He’s beautiful!” Padma gushed. “David, bring him next Sunday.”

“I don’t know if he’ll want to come with your parents here,” David said. “It’s a lot.”

“Then don’t tell him,” Parvati and Padma said in unison.

“So, David? Do you have any more single doctor friends?” Angelina asked.

“No. They’re all engaged or married. Sorry,” the man said sympathetically.

“Not fair!” Angelina groaned. “Aria gets a tech genius and everyone else gets doctors.”

“I do not have a doctor,” Hermione groused.

“Professional doctorates count,” Angelina enlightened her.

“Even so,” Hermione replied, sitting next to Padma in the loveseat. 

“You look down,” her cousin said. “What’s wrong? You didn’t text us.”

“I think I know what it is,” Fidelia said. “He just texted me.”

“Who? What?” Aria and Angelina chorused. 

“Sev and Lily set the date. September 19th,” Fidelia announced, holding up her phone.

“Oh no!” Parvati and Padma both said sympathetically.

"Our birthday?" Aria groaned. "Bitch. She's doing that shit on purpose."

“Does he know you like him?” David asked.

Hermione groaned and said, “No. Not really. I’ve said things but taken them back.”

Aria gasped. “Like what?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hermione replied, cringing inward. “It wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t done that thing with Cormac. That did it for me. I am completely in love with him and he’s marrying that racist, homophobic cunt!”

Everyone’s jaw dropped. Hermione was the one least likely to drop a word that vulgar after Padma.

“What did he do with Cormac?” Parvati asked.

Hermione explained, “He threatened him and told him he’d hurt him, well kill him, if he came near me again. That is why Cormac texted me that apology. Sev scared him. Sev told him he was my boyfriend and we were in love and I was happy.”

“Aw,” they all said in unison.

"Yeah, I know," Hermione whined. “Then he told me they set the date. I just went home. I’ve been depressed ever since.”

“I’m sorry, sis,” Aria told her sweetly. 

A call from the kitchen alerted them all to the feast that awaited them. Being around her family helped Hermione feel a bit better. Her mother did, in fact, question Fidelia about her entire life. The woman told them that she was very close to her mother.

Helen hummed and said, “Does she like what you’ve done to your hair?”

Aria groaned and everyone else waited for Fidelia’s response.

“She hates it,” she said with a laugh. “You don’t like it?”

“I do,” Helen said, surprising everyone in the kitchen. “What? It fits her. Not everyone can work that style.”

“Thank you!” Fidelia gushed.

“I can see you take pride in your appearance. You’re a very beautiful young woman and your hair is your crowning glory. You know that?”

“Yes,” Fidelia said. “My mum says the same thing.”

“Ariadne never does her hair. She just puts it in a ponytail,” Helen continued.

“Mum!” Aria complained. “Hermione doesn’t either!”

Helen turned to Fidelia with praying hands. “Help them both.”

---

On the car ride home, Fidelia couldn’t stop commenting on each and every food item she had eaten.

“You see why we’re not tiny people,” Aria chuckled. She made the turn onto their quiet street. Hermione was glad to come home with company. Her thoughts still lingered on Sev and the nineteenth of September.

“Being skinny is overrated. It was incredible,” Fidelia said. “This happens every Sunday?”

“Unless there’s some sort of emergency or other family event like a wedding,” Hermione explained. “It’s a tradition.”

“I can see why David was so excited.”

“If Padma’s guy shows up, we’ll get another one!” Aria declared jovially. 

Hermione felt her phone vibrate in her hand. There were eight texts from Lily. 

Can we talk?

Did I do something?

Hermione?

I need to talk to you

Something is wrong

I don’t know who else to talk to

Can I call

Call me pls?

“Mi?” Aria said. “What is it?”

“Lily is texting me.”

“You didn’t block her?” asked her sister, turning the engine off.

“No. I thought that Sev might need to talk to me and if he lost his phone then… I didn’t block her.”

“What is she saying?” Fidelia asked next.

Hermione said, “Something is wrong and she needs to talk to me.”

Another text came.

I’m having a panic attack. Come over please.

Hermione?

“She says she's having a panic attack. She used to have them when we were younger.”

“Good for her,” Aria grumbled. “Do not tell me you’re going over there.”

“I’ll drive this car,” Hermione said, mind made up. “Move please.”

“She’s serious?” Fidelia asked, surprised to see Aria getting out of the driver’s seat so Hermione could get in.

“If someone calls me in a crisis, I have to go.”

“I know,” Aria sighed. “I know. Drive safe. Text me when you get there.”

---

Lily was a mess. 

“Where’s Sev?” asked Hermione, pushing the door shut behind her.

“I don’t know and I don’t care.”

“Did you fight?”

Leaving her in the foyer, Lily led Hermione into the posh sitting room. Everything in the house was in its place. Everything was ideal, flawless, and marvelous. Something must have shattered the picture-perfect life Lily built for herself.

The woman hugged herself and began to sob. “Something is wrong and I don’t know what to do.”

“What is wrong? What do you mean?” asked Hermione compassionately, sitting next to her. 

“Hermione, I need you to keep this a secret.”

“I will.”

“I mean it!”

Startled, Hermione got up. “Listen, I am here for you. I will leave if you’re going to treat me like shit.”

“I think I got something. It’s not a UTI. It’s not a yeast infection. It’s something else. I’m scared of what it could be.”

Sitting down again, Hermione calmly asked, “What are your symptoms?”

Lily looked uncomfortable so Hermione reminded her, “I work in public health. There’s nothing you can tell me that I haven’t heard before.”

“There’s weird white, like, discharge I guess.”

“Anything else?”

“Sores.”

Three possible STIs came to mind. Hermione had been here before and remembered how terrifying it was to not know if this was going to change her life forever. Many were curable but they also came together. One might have one that shows symptoms and another that does not. There was only one way to deal with this.

“Do you want to go to your GP?”

“No! Somewhere else. I can’t believe it. How could this happen? Huh? Am I gonna die?”

“We’ll go get tested tomorrow. I’m leaving work tomorrow at two. Do you want to meet me there?”

Lily nodded. “You’re a really, really good friend. I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”

Chapter 9: The Truth Hurts

“Syphilis.” Lily was sitting on Hermione’s sofa staring at her phone. She didn’t want to go home so Hermione brought her to the flat. “Is that curable?” asked the redhead.

“Yes,” Hermione said. “You’ll be okay.”

“I’m not gonna die.” Lily flopped onto the sofa, looking relieved.

“You're not pregnant either.”

"I wouldn't have minded being pregnant," Lily told her.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Hermione said, ignoring her statement. “So, what are you going to do?”

Lily sat up to face her. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him, bring him back to life, and kill him again.”

She got up and grabbed the small purse she brought. Lily never took off the thin jacket, too distracted by her impending news. Now that she knew she would be okay, her normal hubris returned. 

“Thanks for everything, darling,” Lily told her, heading to the door. “Let’s be sure to keep this between us, alright? Of course, you will, won’t you?”

“Wait. That’s it? You’re fine?”

Hermione couldn’t believe it. She had something like an existential crisis when this happened to her. She contemplated how one moment with someone she trusted could have changed her life forever. While HIV was no longer a death sentence in developed nations, it would still be something to manage mentally and physically. There was still stigma. Herpes was forever. HPV could lead to cancer but luckily she was a part of the generation who got that vaccine. 

Next came the realization that she couldn’t trust him or any other partner ever again. There was no sign that anything was off. She didn’t know he was sleeping with a coworker on his lunch break. He’d come home and kiss her with the same lips that touched another woman’s-- the thought was too vile to think about. He put her body at risk and did it so easily, without a thought. She was changed by the experience.

How could Lily recover so easily? Hermione knew people who did but the way she was behaving before her results were published suggested that this was incredibly traumatic. Maybe this is how Lily dealt with her trauma now.

“Yes. I’m just going to kill him and move on with my life. He wasn’t worth it.” She paused. “Maybe."

Before Lily could turn the knob, Hermione heard the whir of the keyless entry lock. Aria was home.

“Lily?” Aria said, surprised.

Lily smiled. “Hi, Aria. How is it going? I like those shoes!”

“What the fuck are you doing in my flat?”

With a gasp, Lily looked back at Hermione for help.

“I asked you a question,” Aria said, demanding an answer. “Hermione, why is she here?”

“She didn’t want to go home yet. The crisis is over and now she wants to leave so let her.”

“Fuck that! I know what you said to Fidelia this morning!” Aria used her height to intimidate Lily who stepped back. “I’m only with her for her money? How dare you!”

“Well, aren’t you?” Lily retorted. “You’ve been shagging her for years but as soon as you find out who her family is, you’re suddenly official.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about! You know what? I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”

“And that is?”

“You’re so sad. You always have been. You’re sad and angry at the world but you hide behind this mask. We can all see you, Lily. We’ve been putting up with you out of charity. My sister is an angel for even helping you through whatever this 'crisis' was.”

“Hermione is my friend and she was here for me. What’s the problem?”

“You have no respect for other people. You treat us like we're beneath you like we owe you something.”

Lily just smiled arrogantly.

“I mean, who do you think you are? You’re not better than us and I think you know that better than anyone else. What do you know about friends? You got your fancy job, made all this money and bought new ones. But, when you needed someone you still called one of us. You have the nerve to call me a gold digger and then turn around and call my sister for help? Hermione and I are family! We're twins! If you insult one, you insult the other. You're ungrateful and expect us to just let you get away with it. You do this all the time. It's like you don't know how normal relationships work. You’re sad and fucking pathetic."

“Aria, I don’t have time for this temper tantrum.”

Hermione jumped in. “But you have time to talk about my sister’s relationships. Why do you take nice, beautiful things and make them dirty? You don’t have time for this but you have time to talk about Black people and queer people. We know all about that but I helped you anyway. Never again. Didn’t you wonder why no one was responding to your texts anymore? Why don’t you talk about yourself? And make sure you tell the truth. I should have told you this years ago. You’re jealous and it’s made you a disgusting person to be around.”

“Jealous? Of you two?”

“Yes,” Hermione replied. “Aria and I are close. Our cousins are like our sisters too. Your own sisters hate you. You think I didn’t notice? I always felt so sorry for you. Your parents were like ours. Our mum and dad were busy too but they were always there for us. Yours ignored you and when they remembered you, they bullied you. That's who you learned it from, I guess. I think it is so messed up that our mum used to invite you on our days out and you have so much negativity against Black people. She took care of you.”

Lily crossed her arms, glaring. “I didn’t come over here for this.”

“You came over here to take advantage of my sister,” Aria said.  "She's too damn nice sometimes."

“Just admit it, Lily. You have to own up to the things you do and say eventually. We’re not in sixth form anymore,” Hermione told her.

“And you’re so perfect? Both of you live in this shit hole! You have nothing! I don’t even want you near me,” Lily snarled at Aria. “God knows where your nasty mouth has been.”

“Same to you, bitch!”

Ignoring the last barb and turning to Hermione, Lily said, “I’m not jealous. Why would I want to be a broke nobody with no life? No one even wants you. If anyone is jealous, it’s you. Sev is mine, okay? He loves me and not you. He’s going to be my husband, not yours.”

Hermione's heart skipped. “What? I don’t--”

“I know you want him,” Lily said viciously. “He’s mine. Got it.”

Hermione was so confused. “I thought you were going to kill him.” Had she forgiven him that quickly?

“You don’t deny it?” Lily smirked. "Sad."

Aria groaned and pulled open her door. “Get out. Get out of my shit hole flat.”

Without another word, Lily stepped over the threshold and Aria slammed the door behind her. 

“That was good!” Aria beamed. “Finally got it out of my system! You were great. I forgot about all that stuff with her family. You could see how angry she was getting. The truth hurts.”

“It does.”

“It’s okay that she knows about the way you feel about Sev. Fifi said Sev isn’t happy. She can tell.”

“Fifi? I thought she hated that name.”

“It’s fine if I say it,” Aria gloated. “Um, what was that thing about her wanting to kill him?”

Hermione could keep a secret, especially one related to health. “He gave her syphilis.” Aria was the exception to the rule.

Aria’s jaw dropped. “She makes no sense. She was just here standing by her man and he gave her an STI? She put on a good show. But, Mi? Do you still feel the same about him?”

“No,” she admitted. “I don’t.”

How often was her heart going to break this week?

---

Dr. Vector was more than fifteen minutes late for Wednesday’s class. Mee Na announced to the students gathered outside the classroom that the teacher sent an email. She had an emergency and couldn’t make the lecture. Hermione, who was actually exhausted, was grateful for a break.

Returning to her car, Hermione heard someone calling her name. Turning around she saw Severus jogging towards her. 

“You move fast,” he said light-heartedly.

“Yeah,” she responded, opening her door.

“I texted you a few times. There’s this show happening on Friday. It’s Shakespeare. I thought you would like it.”

“Bad idea,” Hermione said quietly.

“Why? It’s The Winter’s Tale. You’re in it, you know,” he reminded her light-heartedly.

“Your future wife wouldn’t like it.”

“Lily? She doesn’t care. She knows we're friends.”

Hermione stopped and turned to face him. “Is this what you do? Shakespeare, huh? Does that usually work for you?”

He looked confused and furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Never mind. Listen, Lily isn’t my friend anymore. She’s said some awful things-- racist things. She’s said nasty things about my sister and me that are unforgivable. I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.”

“What’d she say?”

“It really doesn’t matter, Sev. I’m really tired and I want to go home.”

“No. I want to talk about this. You’re angry with me but I didn’t do anything.”

Hermione was angry. That was true. She was angry with him for getting her hopes up that there could be a decent and honest man in the world other than her own father. 

“You didn’t do anything to me and I can’t forgive that kind of thing.”

“What did I do? Who did I do something to?”

“To Lily.”

With a look of confusion, Sev stuttered, “I--I did something to her? She hasn’t said anything. I haven’t really seen her these past few days. She’s been rather busy.”

She hated this. Cormac had the same nonchalant manner and she hated it. “Get tested. You should know better. You have a doctorate in public health for heaven’s sake!”

“What the hell is going on? What are you on about?”

“You should wear a condom if you’re going to cheat,” she said glowering. Hermione moved to enter the car but couldn’t pull the door shut. He had his hand holding it open.

Sev said, “I never cheated on her!”

“Then why does she have syphilis?!” Hermione shouted, anger rising.

“Why does she--What? Lily has--What?”

Chapter 10: Call Me Tomorrow

Hermione watched as Sev ran through the stages of grief in record time. 

First was denial. “No. She can’t. I don’t… I didn’t cheat… I wouldn’t.” 

Anger came next. “She would… She did! She cheated on me!” He skipped bargaining completely. 

“Hermione?”

“Yeah?”

“She cheated on me,” he said with a small voice. His eyes were watery but no tears fell. Hermione knew that this was a major trigger for him. Infidelity tore their family apart. He still had no relationship with his father. She knew deep down that he was telling the truth. Hermione had had that same look on her face a year and a half ago. 

Depression settled in.

“I need to get tested.”

“Want me to come with you?” 

He nodded.

“I’ll drive,” she said. “Get in.”

---

Hermione knew which clinic would be open and they waited their turn. The fastest test only took thirty minutes.

“Negative. No syphilis. Nothing,” Hermione read to him. They were sitting alone on a bench outside. His results were sent to his email but he couldn’t look. “You’re fine, Sev.”

He didn’t look relieved at all. Looking up at the ceiling, Sev said, “We stopped having sex months ago. I just thought it was the stress of the job and living in this city again. Her mum’s been harassing her. She’s the only daughter left in town. Their dad is living in a care home now. I didn’t think it was someone else. I’m an idiot. There were so many signs and I ignored all of them. Her mum probably hasn’t even called her.”

“Then I’m an idiot too, for not noticing the signs. Worse, I’m a dunderhead.” That made him crack a smile. It was one of his favorite words. She liked making him smile. “This isn’t your fault. You said it. If you don’t want to be with someone anymore, leave.”

He turned to her and took his phone back. “I guess I’m leaving.”

“It’ll be okay, Sev. I promise. It’ll hurt like hell but it will fade eventually.”

He said, “You know something? It doesn’t hurt that much.”

“Really?”

“Really. I think I was feeling sad about the lies and the feelings it brought up from my parents’ divorce. I’m not sad about the relationship.”

“You’re not?”

“Remember when you asked me why I wanted to marry her? In my car near campus?”

She nodded. 

He said, “Everything I said used to apply to her. She’s been changing. I guess I was too. I don’t know the last time I told her I loved her.”

“Do you love her?”

Silently, he shook his head. “I was surprised when she set the date. I thought we weren’t doing well. I don’t love her and she doesn’t love me. Now, I'm certain. What does that say about me?”

“You were trying to figure things out. It’s not an easy thing to dissolve a relationship like yours. Your life is wrapped up in hers.”

With a sigh, Sev told her, “I don’t want to go home. I’ll go stay with Fidelia.”

Hermione said, “You’ll have the flat to yourself. She’s at mine a lot.”

“They’re disgustingly happy, aren’t they? Our sisters belong together.”

“They’re annoying is what they are… but very happy. Ready to go back?”

He stood as a response to her question. In the car, Sev asked her, “Did you really think I could do something like that?”

Hermione shrugged. “She let me think it was you. It’s really hard for me to trust people, especially men, after what Cormac did. It is easier to think the worst. He did this to me but I didn't know until the nurse told me I had something. I'm okay now but I have a little trauma from that incident. I told my sister a year later.”

“A year?”

“I was ashamed. There was so much I was dealing with. She’s the only one who knows.”

“You’re telling me?”

“I trust you,” Hermione told him. "I guess. I trust her too but I don't know... I trust you."

“I’m honored,” he said earnestly. Sev sighed again and buckled himself in.

“I’m sorry," Hermione said with a small voice. "Can you accept my apology?”

“Accepted.”

---

Sev followed her back to the flat. He didn’t want to be alone or see Lily at all. Aria and Fidelia were there when they walked in.

“Sev? What are you doing here?” his sister asked.

She sat in the lounge with Aria, who was scrolling through an app on her phone.

“Same reason you’re here,” Sev responded. “A Granger girl invited me over.”

“What happened to class tonight?” Aria asked Hermione.

“Cancelled,” Hermione said, going into the kitchen. The flat smelled amazing. “This looks delicious.”

“Thanks!” Aria beamed. “Sev, do you want anything to eat?”

The man shook his head and settled into a chair by the window. 

“You alright?” Fidelia asked him. “You haven’t made fun of my haircut today.”

“I told him,” Hermione said to Aria as she gently handed Severus a bowl of pepper soup. It was sure to comfort him. 

“About Lily’s problem?” her sister clarified quietly. 

“Mhmm,” Hermione hummed. 

Fidelia looked at her brother sympathetically. “Eat. It’s really good.”

As everyone ate, the conversation was kept light. They talked about other recipes to try and next Sunday’s menu. Aria, tired of the chit-chat, finally said, “So Sev didn’t give it to her, or else he wouldn’t be sitting in our lounge right now. Right, sis?”

“No, I didn’t,” he said softly.

“Someone else did,” Fidelia said. “Sev, I’m sorry but I think it was Dad.”

The other three looked at her horrified. Hermione knew Tobias was in his late sixties but was still a player if Fidelia was to be believed. She spoke about women coming and going throughout their childhoods and it was still happening to this day. The man liked female company, especially if was young and perky. Lily was both.

“Explain,” Severus said.

“I’ve seen her there for no real reason. She claimed to be there to bring you and Dad back together. I called Dad one day and I heard a woman in the background. Nothing new. She said ‘Toby’ and I thought it was her. It sounded like Lily. I asked him who was there and all I heard was giggles and shushing. I was thoroughly disgusted and hung up.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sev asked, looking hurt.

“There was nothing to tell. What would I have told you? That Dad answered the phone when he was clearly preoccupied? She might have been your fiancee. You’ve been making excuses for her behavior since I met her. I didn’t have proof.”

Sev sat there seething. Fidelia said, “They’ve been hiding it really well. You know Thelma would have told me. She’s been keeping me updated for years.” 

“Who is that?” Aria asked. 

Fidelia answered, “Dad’s housekeeper. She’s been with us since I was fifteen. She’s smart, always trying to stay on my good side.”

Severus nodded. “She wants money. You’ll inherit everything.”

“Exactly. She would have told me. Sev, I just don’t want you to sit here and think you should have known. No one knew. I had a suspicion but I’m a suspicious person by nature. I can thank Dad for that too.”

“But why didn’t I suspect her?” Severus retorted. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Again, this is all conjecture. I only think it’s him,” Fidelia reminded them all.

“Why do you say you think it’s him?” asked Hermione. “It sounds pretty obvious.”

“I don’t know how many other people she’s shagging,” Fidelia said. “I can’t be certain that it’s just him. He does sleep around a lot, even at his age. So, he could have this thing and not even know it.”

“Good point,” Hermione replied. “Sev?”

“He can have her. I’m alright.”

---

“It’s getting late,” Aria announced around nine, stretching and yawning. “We’re going to head over.”

“Huh?” Hermione asked. “Where? At this time of night?”

Fidelia stood to put on her jacket while Aria slid on her Nikes. 

“It’s Wednesday,” Aria said as an explanation.

Since they started dating, to make it fair and equitable, Aria and Fidelia split time between each other’s places. The commute was, luckily, about equal to either job. They spent Wednesday evenings through Sunday mornings at Fidelia’s and the rest of the week at Aria’s. Sunday dinners with the family would remain intact.

Aria looked at her phone and said, “We better get going. Early morning. There’s a staff meeting. I hate staff meetings.” 

Fidelia gave her brother a hug and a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”

Sev gave her a slight smile. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”

Hermione told them to wait so she could walk them out. Once they were outside, Hermione grabbed her sister’s wrist, pulling her back to her. 

“Do you mind if we talk in private?” Hermione asked Fidelia. 

The other woman said, “Sure. I’ll be in the car.”

Aria pulled her wrist back and said, “That hurt, you know!”

“You cannot leave me with him?”

“Who? Sev? Why not? Aren’t you friends ?”

“Shut up,” Hermione said through gritted teeth. “What am I supposed to do?”

Aria thought and said, “Tell him how you feel maybe? He’s not going back to that woman.”

“They’re not broken up yet,” Hermione said. “People change their minds all the time.”

“Jesus… Do you have to make everything so complicated? He clearly likes you. You love him as you told everyone at dinner. Go in there and tell him too.”

Hermione was grinning and biting her lip to hide it. “Okay so what if he likes me too…What if he wants to… you know…”

“Do you want to?” Aria asked, almost serious. Almost. “It’s been a while but are you ready for that? You don’t have to do anything. It’s been an eventful day and I know you’re ‘Miss Thinks-a-lot.’”

“I’m so tired but I… I want to,” Hermione admitted shyly. “What should I do?”

“Have fun, little sister,” Aria sang, childishly. “By the way, there are condoms in the top drawer of my nightstand.”

“Why do you have… never mind,” Hermione said. “I’m just gonna go to bed. Bye, Aria.”

“Love you,” she giggled, turning away to head down the hall towards the stairs. “Call me tomorrow. Don't be boring.”

Hermione took a deep breath before pushing the door to go back inside and walking straight into Sev’s chest.

“You lied.”

The words were accusatory but his tone was soft like his hands. She stumbled back when she crashed into him and he caught her.

“You were listening?” she asked.

“Struggling to listen actually,” he said with a charming smile. “You rushed after her and I knew it was about me.”

“How could you be so sure?”

“You looked terrified to be left here alone with me.”

“Not terrified. Just uncertain. I didn’t think--I didn’t know if I should.”

“Be alone with me? We were alone before. What's changed?”

She didn’t bother to answer that rhetorical question. “What did I lie about? You said I lied.”

“That night in the car when we were talking about our types. Do you remember? You said you were just kidding.”

Hermione shook her head, looking down at her feet. She then left his space in favor of being busy. Aria was the impulsive, spontaneous one. She said whatever was on her mind, no matter what. Hermione was the thinker, ever contemplative and reflective. She thought about him all the time so why was this so hard? Aria was right. Why did she have to make things complicated?

“Were you just kidding? Aria just said you love me.”

Hermione reached for the tap and let the water run so she could start cleaning up. Sev shut the water off. 

“You don’t want to talk to me. Should I just go home? I think I made this awkward.”

“You didn’t,” she said, dropping the sponge. “Don’t go. I feel a little guilty if I’m honest.”

“About what?”

“My feelings for you and the fact that you’re still engaged and we’re alone and all I want to do is touch you and I want you to touch me too,” Hermione rambled, turning red. “She’s broken your heart and I feel like I’m taking advantage of that. It’s been four hours since I yelled at you in a car park, revealed her secret, and destroyed your relationship.”

“Are you all done?”

“No. Anything we do is cheating and I won’t do it. Also, I hate that she set the date on my birthday. I’m done.”

“A few things. We'll deal with her first. She did not break my heart. I don’t think she had it anymore. I’m relieved. I was having doubts, cold feet-- whatever you call it. You know why?”

She shook her head and he leaned on the counter next to her. “I met you. It was the first day of class. You just looked so beautiful. You smiled and did that thing where you twirl your curls with your finger.”

“What thing?”

“You do it when you’re thinking. Then class started and you were the only one with your hand up and everything you had to say was so thoughtful. As I got to know you, I saw that you were so different and I loved being with you. We can talk for hours and not get bored. When I told your ex we were happy together, I wasn’t lying. We are. I’m always happy when I’m with you. I have feelings for you too.”

Instinctively, Hermione began to twirl a tendril that had been resting on her collarbone as she contemplated everything she had just learned.

“See? Look. You’re doing it. What are you thinking about?” he asked, pointing at her hand.

“The condoms in the top drawer of Aria’s nightstand.”

Chapter 11: Evil Witch

“See? Look. You’re doing it. What are you thinking about?” he asked, pointing at her hand.

“The condoms in the top drawer of Aria’s nightstand.”

---

His brow raised in surprise, Sev left her in the kitchen. 

“Where are you going?” she called after him, wondering if she said the wrong thing.

She could see him pick up something from the coffee table in the center of their lounge area. The man held up his phone triumphantly. “Call Lily.”

The phone’s virtual personal assistant responded, “Calling Lily Evans, mobile.”

“Hey babe!” she answered. Her voice was bright and cheery. Hermione thought she must have done something evil to be so happy. Stole money from starving children? Hit pedestrians with her Tesla just because she could? Eco-friendly vehicular manslaughter? Anything was possible.

“Hey, can we talk really fast?”

“Toby, where are you? I thought you didn’t have late classes this term.”

“I’m out. Listen, this isn’t working out. I think it’s best if we break it off now. Like right now.”

“What the… Why?” She didn’t sound surprised. Lily sounded disappointed which was weird. If Hermione didn’t know better, Lily was more than prepared for this eventuality. When Cormac cheated, he still wanted her. He wanted to have his cake and eat her out too.

“Does it matter? You don’t want to be with me. It’s been months and I know you’ve moved on.”

“Are you saying I cheated on you?” Her tone was flat as if bored.

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying,” replied Severus, pacing the floor as he spoke.

Lily huffed. “Well, I know you’re cheating on me too. We’re even.”

Hermione watched his reaction curiously with her head tilted. 

“Who?” Sev asked quizzically. “We’re even? You did this to get back at me?”

Laughing, she said, “No, it just worked out nicely. I know you’ve been fucking Hermione. Your class ended at six-thirty but you didn't get home until eight or nine. That slag let you shag her in the car park? Or was it your office?”

“That never happened!”

But don’t think Hermione hadn’t thought about doing just that. Shagging in his office while begging him so nicely for an A? Swallowing every last drop of him because she couldn't waste it? That’s what she imagined anyway. It was just that time got away from them as they talked after class.

“You know what? I don’t really care. I was glad because it meant you weren’t bothering me anymore.”

“Do not call her that. You’ve been sleeping with other men but she’s the slag?”

“Whatever, I was going to leave you anyway and that’s what I’m going to tell people. You cheated on me , Severus Snape, and I left you. He can actually take care of me the way I deserve.”

“Who, Lily?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she cackled. Hermione looked at him and he looked back, shaking his head.

“Who gave you syphilis?”

She groaned. “Of course, she told you. Severus, if we’re done, I want the car back. Return it tomorrow or I'll report it stolen. You have until noon.”

“So that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“You’re forgetting something.”

“What’s that?”

“The house is in my name,” Sev informed her with a smirk. “You can move out next weekend.”

“Where am I supposed to go in a week, you bastard?!” she shouted.

“Your boyfriend’s. By the way, Dad has this kind of problem all the time and never learns. It’s how my mum found out he was cheating for your information. So, I suggest you always use a condom after you get treatment. The bastard is patient zero and it's a matter of public health. That’s just my professional opinion. See you tomorrow, Lils.”

“Fuck you!”

“Not without protection,” he said with a smirk. Sev ended the call and dropped his phone onto the sofa, letting out a sigh of relief. Hermione was speechless and impressed. 

“She hates that nickname. So, I'm single now,” he said, walking towards her. “What did you say earlier? You wanted to touch me and wanted me to touch you?”

She let him take her hand and just smiled. This was real.

“You’ll have to show me where Aria’s room is.”

“Why?” she grinned. “We’re good.”

He raised his brow and chuckled. “Are you on birth control?”

---

Hermione liked the gentle way he moved her hair behind her ear. She liked how he held her in place with both hands when he pressed his lips to hers for the first time. There was no battle for dominance. It was a dance and she already knew every step, every beat. She liked how he led her to the bed, the back of her knees hitting the mattress. Her top came off first.

She undid every button of his dress shirt and he unhooked her bra like a professional. Hermione felt the weight of her breasts pull on her chest as she heard his breath hitch. When her trousers fell, revealing the tiny black thong sitting between her arse cheeks, his breath hitched again.

“Perfect,” he murmured.

Her hands went for his flies and his lips were on hers again. Pulling away after a moment, Sev said, “You never answered me.”

“Huh?” she asked, completely distracted. Her body was crying for him and squeezing around nothing. She caressed the sizable bulge and bit her lip, moaning slightly. It was going to feel so good .

“Birth control?” he asked lightheartedly. “Hello?”

“Oh. I get a jab every three months. No babies for me. Aria says she's too young to be an aunt," she rambled.

Sev chuckled and asked, “When was the last time?”

She blushed and said, “Like a year… and a half.”

“I’ll go slow if you want me to.”

Hermione nodded and since he was so close, she tried to kiss him again but she couldn’t stop smiling. She felt his warm hands grab her arse and squeeze, causing her to moan into the kiss. 

“Now, Sev. Want it now.”

---

Hermione reached behind her to line him up with her dripping entrance. His hands were on her waist and he was looking at her like she hung the moon and stars just for him--like she was magical.

She struggled to take him at first. Her body was just too tight or maybe he was just too damn big. When the head of his cock finally pushed in, Hermione gasped, “Oh my god!”

Looking down at him, Hermione whimpered as he split her in half.

“You’re taking it so well, love.”

She let out a breathy laugh as more of him filled more of her. Bottoming out, Hermione felt when he tightened his grip around her and began fucking up into her slowly. He must have noticed her biting her lip.

“You like to talk?” Sev asked.

She nodded and moved her hips to meet his. He was so fucking deep, so thick that all she could think about was him inside her, hitting every spot just right.

“Talk to me. Let me hear you.”

She shook her head no, wanting to tease him after seeing how eager he was.

“Come on,” he encouraged. 

“You’re stretching me with that big cock. It’s so much.”

“Yeah?”

She rode him hard, the sound of skin slapping and sloppy wetness like music when mixed with her moans. “Make--this pussy--yours,”she breathed. 

Hermione moved faster, loving the feeling of fullness . Her mouth opened to speak again but nothing came. It was just moans of his name as he drove his cock upwards into her dripping, pulsing pussy. Then he smacked her arse, sending a jolt of electricity through her body and straight to her clit. “Again! Gonna cum!” she warned him.

With another smack, he said, “Lemme see.”

---

Hermione liked the way he looked down at her when she was on her back. This was what she dreamt about. He was above her now, holding her legs apart and his thickness was easing into her as he watched her take inch after amazing inch. And when she told him to go faster, he kissed her to shut her up. He was in charge and he said, “Just let me take care of you now.”

One orgasm down and he decided it was time to take it slow. She liked the way he looked her in the eyes when he hit her right fucking there . Her nails found his back and he’d remember this for days. He’d feel her on his skin until the scratches healed.

One good thrust and she screamed, “Ahhh!”

“Good?”

She nodded. “Good. Really good. I--I--I’m close.”

Hermione liked the way he moved her hair out of her face before he kissed her deeply--deep enough to steal her already wavering breath. When his hands found hers and he laced his fingers with hers, Hermione liked how he told her, “You’re too much for me,” because he didn’t want to end this moment just yet. So often she felt she wasn’t enough.

She was too much for him and he was just right for her. Sev found her button (like she’d told him in the car!) slick with her arousal. Like an expert, the man rubbed her clit the way she would when she was alone-- focusing on the more sensitive side, causing her eyes to cross and her body to shake. 

“Sev!” Hermione cried out as she fell apart again and again and again.

She milked him and begged him to take her and fill her up because she wanted to feel him dripping out of her. She wanted him to give himself to her. 

---

Hermione woke around three o’clock in the morning. Nearly every light in the flat was still on. It had been years since sex put her to sleep. Her body was a little achy and she was somehow refreshed and exhausted at the same time.

From the other side of the bed, Hermione heard the sound of soft snoring and smiled. She wore him out too. Carefully, she left the bed and headed out of the room. After she’d completed a few of the quieter chores, Hermione returned to see Sev blindly patting the empty space she’d left behind. Getting back into her spot, she heard him sigh in contentment as he pulled her closer to his body and covered them both with the duvet. 

She was wanted and that was nice. Nice things were nice.

---

“I was wondering if you were ever going to pick up,” Aria griped when Hermione answered the phone. “I texted you!”

“Sorry! This morning was hectic and… I barely got any sleep,” Hermione said with a boastful tone.

Aria gasped, squealed, and clapped. “I am so proud!” Aria said loudly “How was it?”

“Incredible. He’s so--I don’t know--passionate. He took care of me.”

“Aw,” her sister cooed. “How big is it?”

“Ariadne Granger!” Hermione gasped. “I’m not telling you that. I’m at work. There are little babies here.”

“That big, huh? I work at a school and I don’t see the problem. You’re in your office and I’m hiding in my car. No one can hear us. That's how little babies are made. Did you make any babies or did you use condoms?”

“We didn’t, you weirdo. We know our statuses and I’m on birth control.”

“You were covered--so to speak,” Aria said. “Ugh! I have to go back to work now. We will talk about this later. Answer your phone! Wait! Hold on. Is he still with Lily?” 

“I’ll tell you the whole story later. Go back to work.”

“Hermione Granger!”

“Bye, Sis.”

“Evil witch.”

“Love you too.”

Chapter 12: Good for Him

Hermione wasn’t in her car for thirty seconds before Aria called. Of course, everyone else except Parvati was on the call as well. She was probably at the hospital. Padma would have to catch her up because her shift ended at seven.

“Hey, Hermione!” the other women sang teasingly.

“Hi,” Hermione laughed lightly. “So you all know?”

“Aria got us all caught up,” Padma explained. “You got your doctor!”

“I did!” Hermione grinned. “Ari, is Fidelia with you?”

“She’s at the gym. Why?”

“I’m not going to talk about having sex with her brother if she’s in the room.”

“Fair point,” Aria accepted. 

Angelina jumped in. “So we know it was great. Your smile says enough. What happened? Is he still engaged? Aria says you were acting cute earlier and wouldn’t tell her.”

Hermione cheekily said, “I’m always cute.”

“Hermione…” Aria whined. “I’m kicking you out!”

Hermione laughed and said, “Alright. My class was cancelled so I went back to the car. On my way, he found me. He was trying to see why I wasn’t responding to him. I thought he was a cheater and gave Lily the STI so I was done. Plus, Lily was a total bitch on Monday.”

“Come on! Get to the good part. How did you go from not talking to him to fucking him all night?” Aria pushed.

Ignoring her sister’s outburst, Hermione continued. “We started arguing. I accused him of cheating, but he denied it, so I shouted in his face that Lily had syphilis. He was so shocked that I believed him. I took him to get tested. We get back to mine and Aria’s flat. Aria and Fidelia leave.”

“I know this part!” Aria complained.

“Aria, I swear to god, let her tell the story!” Angelina said.

“What are you eating, Angie?” Padma asked, “Do you literally have popcorn right now?”

They all laughed as she replied, “I got ready for this. Go on.”

Still giggling, Hermione said, “We’re alone now, right? So, Sev overheard my conversation--well, he eavesdropped on my conversation with Aria. He let me know that he knows how I feel about him and I told him again.”

“Ahhh! Yes, you did!” Aria cheered on.

“But…” Hermione murmured.

“But what?” the other three women chorused.

“I reminded him that he was still engaged. He knows how I feel about that. So, he grabs his phone and calls her right then and there.”

“Oh my god!” Padma gasped. “This is so good. Then what?”

“He puts her on speakerphone and immediately breaks up with her. He’s like ‘It’s not working out’ and ‘We should end it right now. Right now .’”

The three women cackled. 

“Right now! I love that. It’s beautiful,” Angelina said. “What did she say?”

Hermione said, “She says he’s been cheating with me so they’re even.”

“Nasty slag…They're even? So she just admitted it?” Aria asked. 

“She’s proud of it,” Hermione said. “She told Sev that the other guy can take care of her better and she was going to end things with him anyway. Then, she demands to have the car back since she bought it. I’m actually on my way to pick him up at school. He dropped it off this morning.”

“You’re gonna ride him right?” Aria teased. “Oh no! Oops! I meant, ‘Give him a ride!’”

“Shut up, Ariadne!” Hermione groaned playfully. “Whatever, I got a ride last night. A long one.”

“I love this!” Angelina grinned. “Get it, sis!”

“But, there’s more,” Hermione primed them. “This was brilliant. She demands the car and he kicks her out. The house is in his name.”

All of them gasped.

“Bitch, what?” Aria said. “Good for him! Proud of him! How are you going to take the car but not have anywhere to live? Is she going to live in it?”

Hermione said, “She was upset when he told her to get out by the weekend.”

“I imagine she was,” Padma said. “Parvati is going to love this. So, where is she going?”

“Sev told her to go back to her boyfriend’s place,” Hermione told them. 

“He’s a little spicy!” Angelina declared. “The sass is real.”

“He also told her that his dad is always dealing with this kind of problem and she should always use a condom with him. That’s his professional opinion. He called him patient zero.”

Aria actually screamed. “That’s incredible. My brother-in-law is cheeky as hell. I love it!”

Hermione giggled and said, “Brother-in-law? Slow down.”

“What did she say?” Padma asked excitedly. “Is she really shagging his dad?”

“She did not deny it,” Hermione answered. “She said ‘fuck you’ and he said ‘not without protection.’ Then, we fucked for hours, fell asleep, woke up, and fucked again. He made love to me for a little while actually. It was great.”

“Wow,” Padma breathed.

“How are you even walking?” asked Ariadne.

“I need a boyfriend. Not dick. Not a hookup. A boyfriend,” Angelina said with a sigh. “You made love? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, he likes to kiss a lot. He went slow and he said how he wants to take care of me. He did that thing where they hold your hands down by your head so you can’t move and you’re looking into each other's eyes. Everything was great. The best part?”

“Yeah?” they all responded in anticipation. 

“He knows where my clit is and knows just what to do with it,” Hermione told them, smiling wide at the thought of her night and morning with him.

“Congratulations!” Angelina said, clapping. “Well done.”

Padma added, “World-class performance. We love to see a master at work.”

Hermione giggled at their silliness. “I have one question for my sister regarding condoms.”

“Yes, you may proceed.”

“Why do you have condoms?”

“My toys. I take no risks,” Aria said matter-of-factly. “I was hooking up with different women before.”

“Oh,” the other three replied.

“Hermione, invite him to dinner. Padma’s guy is coming too, so he won’t be the only new face,” Aria pointed out.

“He’s not mine yet,” Padma corrected her. 

“Yet,” Angelina emphasized. “Ask Sev to come.”

“We’ll see,” Hermione said. “I see him now. I don’t trust Aria to not say anything stupid with him in the car. Talk to you later.”

“Laters!” they all said before she disconnected. 

---

The car ride over to the beautiful white terrace home was the calm before the storm. Outside, blocking the street was a moving truck. 

“What is she taking?” Hermione asked.

“Everything,” Sev said, parking Hermione’s car on the street. “My dad is here.”

“Where?”

He pointed at a green Range Rover in front of them. “We were right and he’s here for her.”

“Do you want to wait or go?” asked Hermione.

“No,” Sev said. “I don’t know about you but I am exhausted. I want to get some clothes, get something to eat, and go home with you. My clothes are in there so I have to go.”

“I’m coming too.”

Hermione should not have been surprised to see how much Sev resembled his father. Tobias Snape was Sev, with thick white hair instead of black. He stood tall like him and even had the same smile. He wore an expensive gray suit and a silver watch which he was checking when they crossed the threshold. Hermione could smell his cologne from the front door. He reeked of wealth and the scent filled the room. Tobias Snape would not be ignored.

“Severus, how are you?” the old lieutenant said nonchalantly. Lily was elsewhere, probably ordering around the movers and being impossible.

“Do not speak to me,” Sev said firmly.

“Why the animosity? Lily said you broke it off.”

“After she tested positive for syphilis. She’s not innocent.”

Tobias chuckled. “She never could be, that one. She said you also moved on. Who is this, son?”

“Do not speak to her either,” Sev said harshly.

“Afraid I will take her too?” Tobias asked playfully. “I didn’t take Lily from you. She came to me. What is your name, sweetheart?”

Blinking twice at the strangeness of the conversation, Hermione lost her ability to speak for a moment. He held his hand out to her and she stepped back. “I’m Hermione.”

The older man smiled at her and she could see why women flocked to him. He was handsome, charming, and wealthy. “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

“What did I just say?” Sev glared. “Where is Lily anyway?”

“I’m here.” In a white skirt suit, her red hair like a waterfall down her back, Lily descended the opulent staircase with a small purse. “Hermione? Why am I not surprised? It’s good to see you, love.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Hermione watched as Lily went to Tobias’ side and said, “They’re almost done, Daddy.”

Thinking she must have slipped into an alternate universe where this shit made sense, Hermione tried not to react. Sev could not. 

“How can you-- I’m not going to even ask a stupid question. Dad, she wants your money and I think you know that.”

“Worried about your inheritance?” Tobias started. “Listen, you're my son so I am willing to make an offer.”

Sev regarded him through distrustful eyes. “What offer?”

Tobias said, “We’ll move on from this whole mess and I’ll pay off this house and the car. Let’s be friends. You’re my only son. I’m the only father you’ll ever have.”

“You want to buy my forgiveness?”

“No,” Lily said, annoyed. “He’s trying to be nice!”

“Nice? What kind of father has an affair with his son’s fiancee?” Sev said incredulously. “I never want to see you again. I mean it! I don’t want or need your money!”

Chuckling, the older man said, “I don’t know what the fuss is about. We shouldn’t be fighting, son. We both have tight, young pussy to fuck. She looks like a screamer. Are you loud, sweetheart?”

Before she could react to the disgusting comment, Hermione heard Lily scream and saw Tobias stumble backward. The man next to her still had his fist clenched tight. 

Severus Snape punched his father for her honor. They wouldn’t go slow tonight, Hermione thought. No way. She would get loud.

“I told you not to speak to her,” Sev growled. “Get the fuck out of my house!”

Chapter 13: You'll Never Be Alone

“Is it really that good, son?” Tobias chuckled, getting a firm footing after Sev’s punch sent him tipping over.

Sev tried to swing at him again and Lily stopped him.

“Sev, stop it!”

“Don’t you hear the way he’s talking about Hermione?”

“That’s just the way he is,” Lily explained. “You know that. I love that he always says what’s on his dirty mind.”

“She does,” Tobias laughed again, still rubbing his jaw. “That really hurt. Sweetheart?”

Hermione raised her brow, bracing herself for the next weird thing to come out of his mouth, and remained silent.

Tobias said sagely, “He must really love you, you know. He didn’t hit me over losing Lily.”

The redhead folded her arms and let out a small gasp. The man kept comparing Lily to Hermione; while that was delicious, it made Hermione wonder how desperate Lily was to be with him. Yes, he was very attractive but he was emotionally abusive and had no regard for other people including Lily.

He continued. “You women are dangerous. If I was another man, I’d have you arrested, Sevy. All this for what’s between her legs? There are nearly four billion females in the world. They come and go. No need to fight for any of them.”

Sev simply turned to Lily and said, “Give me your key.”

---

Everything was gone. Hermione went into every room and found them empty save for the odd Apple-related charger or trinket. She even emptied the fridge and cupboards. If Sev didn’t buy it himself, it was gone.

Severus grabbed a few things from the bedroom. His folded clothes had been dumped onto the floor since Lily brought the dresser and chest of drawers.

“Take enough for more than a few days, Sev. You can stay at mine until Monday at least.”

He smiled and said, “Thanks but won’t it get crowded? Fidelia is there too, isn’t she?”

“Not until Sunday night. We have the place to ourselves until then.”

“Thanks for understanding. I can’t stay here.”

“I don’t want you to. Let’s go home.”

Later in the evening, as they lay together in her bed, Sev finally said something about what happened that afternoon. He’d been quiet and contemplative. Hermione could tell he was processing and gave him the time he needed.

“Can you believe she called him ‘Daddy?’”

Hermione giggled. “Is that what you’ve been thinking about?”

“Yeah. You know I don’t mind being called Daddy sometimes. I like it. She almost ruined it for me.”

“Almost?” Hermione said.

Sev shifted his gaze to meet hers. “Almost.”

“Good to know,” she said simply. “What else is on your mind?”

“I hit him. I haven’t hit anyone in years.”

“Who?”

“You can’t tell anybody.”

“I won’t. Who?”

“Fidelia’s last boyfriend. She was nineteen and hadn’t come out yet. She broke up with him and he started following her. I found him and asked him to stop.”

“With your fists?”

“He wouldn’t respond to anything else. She was scared, Hermione. I had to protect her just like I had to protect you.”

“You’ve been doing that a lot lately,” she said. “I can’t believe you hit your father. I know you hate him but I didn’t think you would do something like that.”

“He was disrespecting you.”

“He said I had a young tight pussy. I take that as a compliment… from the right person.”

“Oh really?”

“Mhmm,” she nodded, biting her lip. The whole incident was awakening something in her. “And he said that you fought for me but not for Lily.”

“What did you think about that?”

“I think you should take what’s yours.”

“Which is?”

Coyly she said, “My young tight pussy.”

---

He liked how she stroked his cock and played with his balls. He told her so. Hermione pressed little kisses up and down the shaft.

“You like when I talk?” she asked him before licking a long stripe up the underside of his dick. She spat on it and moved her fist around him, wet and tight. On her knees for him and smiling, Hermione wanted to worship him since he made her feel priceless, cherished, and adored with his words and actions.

He hummed in agreement, placing his hand on the back of her head. Looking up at him through her lashes, Hermione said, “I love sucking cock, Daddy.”

His breath hitched. “Yeah, baby?”

“Yeah,” she replied, stroking him slowly now. Sev liked the way she took the tip and sucked it gently like a lollipop from the sweet shop. 

She swirled her tongue around it, causing him to moan, “More.”

“Take me,” she said, kissing the tip again. “I want you to.”

“Really?”

“I’ll pinch you if it’s too much, okay?”

She liked how his grip on her ponytail pulled her back gently. Sev stroked his length for a moment and then tapped her lips with the head. Hermione smiled and opened her mouth wide, sticking out her tongue. 

She liked how he fed her his cock slowly letting her adjust to the incredible thickness. Her eyes began to water and her jaw ached. He liked how she took him so well, almost down to the root. She felt his grip tightened again before he said, “Breathe, baby.”

When Hermione told him to take her, she meant it and he knew it. He was fucking her face the way he fucked her pussy, sloppy and fast. She heard the sounds of wetness from her own mouth and felt her body gush with arousal.  She liked it when he held her close to his body, making her take most of him, her nose meeting his groin. Gagging and choking, she was two seconds away from pinching him but he pulled out, letting her breathe again.

She wiped her mouth and grinned proudly. “Good, Daddy?”

---

Sev knew where her clit was and settled there like he bought real estate. He loved the pool forming outside her pussy. “Do you want me to talk?” he asked her, rubbing it just right. 

“I’m gonna come.”

“That’s not what I asked you,” he said mischievously, his finger still making those perfect movements. No circles, no flicks. Just simple swipes. Her eyes crossed, barrelling towards orgasm. “Hold yourself open or you won’t come.”

“Sev!” she whined.

Her pussy clenched just from the tone in his voice. 

“You liked that. God, you’re perfect,” he breathed, lying down next to her. His lips kissed her cheek and temple. “Good girl. You know you almost killed me.”

“When?” she whimpered. He slowed down so she bucked up, chasing his fingers and catching them with a gasp.

“Strangling my cock with that pussy.  Pinch me to stop, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Sore, baby?” he asked, kissing her neck.

“A little. Go faster,” she pleaded. “Can you suck my tits, please?”

She liked how he listened to her. He sucked her dark brown nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue the way she had done on his cock earlier. Hermione also liked how his finger didn’t stop even after she shrieked, “Sev!”

“Take it,” he told her. “Feel good, baby.”

Shaking her head, Hermione screamed, “Ahhhh! No more!” His fingers waded through the pool of arousal, diving in, and making her drip onto the sheets.

---

“Oh my god!” Hermione screamed. He wasn’t slow this time. In one smooth thrust, he was inside her, bottoming out and stretching her cunt. It didn’t seem to matter how wet she was.

“Big. So fucking thick!” 

In this position, he was deeper than ever before and it was incredible.

Sev smacked her arse, waiting for her to adjust to the girth inside her. He rubbed her skin and did it again.

“Why were you so quiet the first time?” he asked her, sliding his hand down her back, pushing her down. The angle shifted just a little so he was somehow deeper than before. She couldn’t think or speak so he smacked her again.

“Answer me, baby.”

“Shy.”

He chuckled. “Not shy anymore.”

“No,” she grinned, looking back at him. 

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

---

Sev liked how tight she was, how wet she was, and how loud she was. She hadn’t lied when she said she was sore but Hermione couldn’t get enough of his praise or his dick. This man drove into her and hit her spot, making her grab hold of the pillow below her to muffle her cries of pleasure.

He smacked her ass then. “No, no! Let me hear you!”

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” she chanted, each word cut off by his nonstop harsh thrusts. “Come inside me, please? Please, Daddy? Want your cum inside.”

He liked the way she fluttered around him and squeezed his cock and she liked how he filled her up which led to his cum leaking from her red, swollen cunt.

“You’re nothing but trouble,” he told her tiredly, lying down beside her. “I told you I like being called Daddy sometimes .”

Giggling, Hermione said, “I like it sometimes too. I want to be in trouble so Daddy can punish me.”

The man groaned. “Hey, give me your hand.”

She did and he placed it on his rapidly hardening dick. “You did that,” he told her.

Moving quickly, she straddled him. “I guess I did.”

---

Both needed a day off to recover from all that had happened that week. Hermione looked around the flat as she drank her tea. It was not as bad as Lily said but it was nowhere as nice as Sev's house. It needed to be repainted and the appliances were old. The tap didn’t get as hot as they would like and they could hear their neighbors moving around all the time. 

“Oh!”

“What?” he asked. 

“I just remembered something. Um… I can hear the neighbor walking around upstairs.”

“So?”

“They can hear us when we are… you know,” Hermione explained, cringing. “We’ll meet up in the lift and he’ll know.”

“Know what? That you’re having sex?”

“No, that I’m a screamer,” Hermione said with a groan.

“It’s okay,” Sev said. “Aria lives here too.”

With a grin, Hermione said, “I’ll blame her. Thanks!”

“No problem,” he smiled.

As Sev flipped through the available titles on the screen, Hermione heard him sigh and give up. He put the remote down and leaned into her.

“Can I ask you something?” Sev asked her. “We’re officially together, right?”

“Yes, I would say so,” Hermione told him.

“Good. Just checking."

Reaching for his hand and squeezing it, Hermione could tell he was thinking through all that had happened. “How are you?”

“Fine,” he said. “No, I’m not. My life is a mess.”

“It will be okay,” she said. “You have a career, family, and friends. You have me.”

“I do, don’t I?” said Sev, with a weak smile. “You were right. My life is wrapped up in hers. Hermione, I have to sell that house. The mortgage is astronomical. I need a car. I need furniture for the new place I get. I know it could be much, much worse. But, right now, I have no clue what to do. She took the bloody bed! I bet I’m looking very sexy right now.”

“Sev, I can barely walk. You are sex,” she laughed. “You’re not alone. I’m sure Fidelia will let you stay with her or something until you get somewhere new. You two are so close. Aria did it for me. She said two things that night: ‘You’ll never be alone’ and ‘I’ll kill him for hurting you.’ I was a mess after my last relationship too. I’ve been here for over a year now though. You’ll figure things out sooner than that.”

“Why are you still here?” he asked. “I’m just curious.”

“I have no reason to leave,” Hermione told him honestly. “I’m curious about something myself.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you buy that house?”

“She said that since it was my job that made us move back, I should buy it and when we get married, we can get another better place together later. She moved in after me, remember?”

“I guess that makes sense. You know what I think?” Hermione proposed. “I think she was planning this whole thing for months. She was going to leave you with the house and make a clean break. If she had to run, she could. She’s always been a bitch, especially when you listen to Aria. Now though, Lily is something worse. She’s calculating and manipulative. She’s got bigger secrets I think.”

“I think you’re right,” Sev agreed. “She didn’t like to talk about her past in serious conversations. I eventually put it together that her childhood was not the best. She’s secretive. Thank god, we’re done with her.”

“Do you really think she’s gone for good?”

“For us? Yes. But for my family? Maybe. You heard my father. There are nearly four billion females in the world. She’s just one of them. He’ll probably move on. Just give him time. He was hitting on you while she was hanging off him.”

“Daddy…” Hermione said mockingly. “Her sugar daddy gave her an STI.”

“Or she gave it to him,” Sev suggested. “Either way, I’m glad it wasn't a baby.”

She lifted her tea cup. “Cheers.”

Chapter 14: This is Great

Fidelia and Aria were heading to the front door of the Granger family home when Sev honked the horn at them to get their attention. He drove because Hermione asked him to. Deep down, she was a passenger princess and she missed that life. He parked behind her sister’s sensible gray sedan which had a small bumper sticker that read: If you’re close enough to read this, fuck off. 

Taking a deep breath, Sev waved to the other women.

“Alright, Sev?”

“I’m meeting your parents.”

“They don’t eat people. Uncle Andre said he was making jerk chicken in the family group chat. No humans on the menu.”

“Ha ha,” he intoned, sarcastically.

“It’s time. Let’s go.”

As soon as they were out, Fidelia called out to her brother. “Hi, Sevy!”

Groaning softly, Sev turned to Hermione and said, “I hate that nickname too.”

“Because of him?” She recalled that Tobias called him that as well.

“No. I just hate it. It’s so childish,” he answered. 

Hermione gasped when she approached her sister. “You straightened your hair!”

“Yeah and…” Aria turned around, showing off that her hair was just past her shoulders. “I cut off like six inches.”

“What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me?” Hermione demanded to know. “I love it!”

“She did it this morning,” Fidelia said. “She cut it herself and when she realized it was a mess, I took her to my friend, Justin. Spontaneous does not begin to describe you, darling.”

“You love it.”

“God help me, I do.” Sighing, Fidelia faced her older brother. “Ready?”

"My hair might distract them," Aria offered with a supportive smile. Everyone could see how nervous Sev was.

As always, the house smelled like spices, herbs, and home. Hermione and Sev were the last to show up so when they entered the foyer, five pairs of eyes were on them. Angelina’s brother, Kenny, and his wife, Hye-sun simply waved to them both. Their daughter, Isabella, was just starting to toddle around. Angelina’s other brother, Trevor, sat with his wife too. Emma held their three-month-old daughter, Danielle, who was chewing on her fist. 

“Mum!” Aria shouted, making Sev turn towards her. 

“What? Get it over with,” she grinned with mischief. “Mum! Come meet Hermione’s boyfriend!”

Hermione gently smacked her sister’s arm to get her to stop. Helen turned the corner, wiping her hand on the apron she donned.

“Why are you shouting in my house-- Your hair!”

Aria said, “Hi, Mum.”

Helen was quiet and mesmerized, circling Aria as if she were a fine sculpture. 

“Do you like it?” Fidelia asked. 

Hermione watched on with mirth. Sev was delighted at Helen's behavior. Her mother was a character. 

“Who told you to cut it?” Helen asked her eldest daughter.

“I did,” Aria answered. “This morning.”

“Why?” the older woman questioned, touching the hair that sat on her shoulders.

“I was bored,” the younger woman responded. “I like it. Fifi’s friend did it for me at his salon.”

“It’s beautiful, Ariadne!” Helen said. “Come into the light so I can send a picture to your grandmother.”

“Mum,” Aria whined. “Later. We have a new guest.”

Helen turned to Hermione and the man who holding her daughter's hand. “Good evening,” she said, putting out her hand.

Sev took it and said, “Good evening, Dr. Granger. It is lovely to meet you.”

“What is your name?” she asked pleasantly. 

“Officially, my name is Dr. Severus Snape. You can call me ‘Sev.’”

“A doctor?” Helen repeated. “MD?”

“DrPH,” he informed her. “Public Health.”

“Very nice,” Helen said, raising her brow. “Welcome to our home. It is crowded and loud but that’s the way we like it.”

“It’s nice-- Having so much family. It is nice.”

“It is. Did you say 'Snape?' Are you related to Fidelia?”

“We’re siblings,” Fidelia told her.

“Oh! Is that how you met Hermione?”

Hermione shook her head. “I met him at uni. He’s a professor.”

“A professor as well?” Helen said, again impressed. “You must be a brilliant man.”

“He is,” Hermione answered for him with a proud grin. 

“Is that what we look like?” Aria interjected. “If so, I apologize. It’s sickening.”

Helen, apparently giving her blessing, guided Sev through the house with a gentle hand on his back. “Come with me. Come.”

The women looked at each other and giggled. 

“Mum just stole your boyfriend,” Aria snickered, linking arms with her twin who rolled her eyes at her.

“Shut up or I’ll wet your hair.”

“No!” Aria exclaimed, bringing her hands to her head. Water was her sworn enemy for as long as her hair was like this. “Save me, Fifi!”

Hermione laughed at her. “Idiot.”

In the kitchen, Aunt Mary and Aunt Anna greeted Sev kindly, waving to him from the seats at the nearby kitchen table. 

Helen announced, “This is Dr. Snape, Hermione’s new boyfriend.”

“A doctor?” the aunts chorused happily. 

Anna clapped her hands. “This is what I prayed for. A good man for her!”

“How does she know he’s a good man?” Fidelia whispered.

Aria and Hermione shrugged. Hermione said, “We’ll take her word for it.”

“Angelina is next!” Mary told them all. “You all need to be married in the next two years. Parvati is first.”

“Who is getting married?” Robert entered the kitchen and kissed both daughters on the cheek. Uncle Andre and Uncle Vikram were right behind him. “Oh. Who is this?”

Putting out his hand, Sev said, “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Granger. My name is Dr . Severus Snape.”

Hermione could hear the emphasis on his title. Her father wasn’t impressed in the slightest.

“And why are you here?” Robert said plainly.

Hermione put her hand on Sev’s back and leaned into him. “He’s my boyfriend, Dad. We’re here for a nice dinner. The key word is nice .”

Andre’s voice, deep and resonant, asked, “How old are you?”

“Thirty-eight,” Sev answered, clearing his throat. 

Vikram was next. “What do you do precisely?”

“I’m an associate professor at Peverell University.”

Robert asked, “Ever been married?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Why not?” Andre asked.

“I have been waiting for the right one,” Sev responded honestly.

“Do you have your own home?” Vikram questioned.

“Yes, I do. I own a terrace house in Emerald Heights.”

All three men hummed, sounding impressed. Most of the homes in that region were worth over a million pounds. 

“What do you drive?” Robert asked.

“A Mercedes S-Class but it’s a lease. I’ll get something else soon.”

That was technically the truth, Hermione thought. She hadn’t anticipated all three fathers in the family interrogating him. He could handle himself pretty well.

Andre asked, “Do you have children?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Do you want children?” Helen interjected from the stove.

Sev looked over and smiled at her. “Yes. I would love to have a few children.”

“You need to get married,” Mary insisted. “Soon. You’re old.”

Aria and Fidelia tried to stifle their giggles but failed. 

“You too,” Mary said to her giggling niece. “Your clock is ticking. Loud.”

Aria bit her lip and stopped talking.

Robert cleared his throat, redirecting the conversation back to Sev. “What do your parents do?”

“Mum teaches sixth-form--English Literature. Dad retired from the Air Force. Now, he  does stock trading.”

“Ever been arrested?” Vikram asked next.

“Never,” Sev answered. 

“Are you lot done now or do you need to know what his blood type is too?” Hermione complained. 

“It’s O positive,” Sev said with a smile.

“What do you think?” Robert asked the other fathers.

Vikram and Andre nodded sagely.

Robert reached out his hand with a warm expression. “Welcome, Sev. Hope you like spicy food. Andre’s jerk chicken is deadly.”

Andre nodded and said,  “By the way, if you’re looking for another luxury car, I own a dealership. Anything you want, I can find.”

“Don’t mind him,” Mary said, glaring at her husband. “Now is not the time. It is Sunday!”

“Actually,” Sev said. “If you don’t mind, which day can I come by?”

“Any day. I’ll get you a good deal-- the family discount,” Andre smiled.

With that, Sev officially achieved acceptance into the family.

---

Poor Arjun went through the same interrogation but passed with flying colors. Padma apologized profusely but the young man told her, “Good we got it out of the way now.”

“What makes you say that?”

“If your family likes me, then I might have a chance with you.”

“You have more than a chance.”

---

Sev stayed close to Hermione, afraid to leave her side for fear of questioning. Hermione repeatedly told him that he was doing fine. “They both seem to think you’re a good choice. Mum likes that you're well-educated and Dad likes that you’re level-headed, wealthy, and drama-free. They think you can take care of me.”

“But, I’m only level-headed,” Sev whispered. “Most of the time.”

“He doesn’t need to know that,” Hermione whispered back with a cheeky smile.

David was the one to lead the interview amongst the younger people. 

“Alright, I will go first,” David announced. “What happened to that woman you were engaged to?”

Parvati covered his mouth. “My love, be quiet. The whole family doesn’t need to know about that.”

Once he was freed, David said, “You all know?”

The women nodded. 

“Not fair! I don’t get to be in the group chat,” David pouted.

“Why do you love mess so much?” Parvati laughed. “I’ll get you all caught up later. I promise. Me next. If you're thirty-eight, how old is your dad?”

“Sixty-nine,” Sev answered.

“Alright…The man is nearly seventy.” Angelina started. “So, how much is your father worth then?”

“It’s a high amount but I don’t know,” Sev told them. 

“I do,” Fidelia said. “Last time I saw his accounts, it was over one hundred twenty million.”

Eyes went wide and people gasped. “Pounds?!” Aria exclaimed. 

“No, sis. One hundred twenty million chicken nuggets. Of course, it’s pounds!” Hermione scoffed. 

“It could be Euros,” Aria argued. “Or dollars. I don’t know.”

“It’s pounds,” Fidelia laughed.

“So you guys went to fancy schools and stuff?” David asked Fidelia and Sev.

“No,” Sev said. “I didn’t. Fidelia went to a posh boarding school for fifth and sixth form.”

“Why didn’t you?” Angelina asked.

“We didn’t have that money until I graduated from uni. Dad switched to investing about fifteen years ago. Fidelia was still a teenager.”

Hermione was making a few connections. That was the same time his parents divorced. Money changes people. Was Tobias always like this?

“You don’t act like someone who has that kind of money,” David said. “You know what I mean. You’re alright. Guys like that look down on normal people like us.”

“It will shock you to know,” Sev began. “We have no access to that money.”

“Shit. Are you serious?” David asked. “Why not?”

“That’s personal ,” Parvati told her fiance pointedly. 

“Sorry!” David told them. “Ignore me.”

“It’s okay,” Fidelia said magnanimously. “Let’s talk about something else.”

---

When it was time to go, Helen gave Sev a tight hug.

“She looks very happy.” Looking him in the eye, she said, “I have not seen her smile like this in a long time.”

“I will do my best to keep her smiling,” her boyfriend vowed.

“Good boy,” she grinned. “Are you coming back next week?”

“Will you make Puff Puffs again?” he asked conspiratorially. Hermione watched him inhale at least six of the sweet dough balls. “I will make them just for you,” she promised. 

He was now an addict and her mother would be his dealer.

Once Hermione, Aria, and their partners were outside by their cars, Aria asked, “How are things going to work now? I love you both but there’s only one bathroom in that flat.”

“Are you keeping the house, Sev?” Fidelia asked, looking thoughtful.

“I can’t. It’s too expensive to maintain. I have to sell it and get something more manageable. It’s too big anyway. I can’t even stay there. Lily took everything but the sink as it goes.”

“Literally,” Hermione added.

“What a bitch…” Fidelia said, shaking her head. “Can I buy it? How much was it?”

“Two million.”

Hermione asked, with wide eyes, “How did you manage that?”

“Lily probably did something ‘not good’ with someone, maybe made a deal of some sort, and it all worked out. But, I’m stuck with an eight thousand pound mortgage.”

Fidelia nodded and said, “I want it. The bitch has good taste, I have to admit. I love it. You can have my flat. I’m going to pay it off. It’s near the university so it’ll be perfect for you.”

Aria asked, “What the hell is going on? Where are you getting all this money?”

“I developed an app years ago. I told you about it when we first met.”

“The one for monitoring postpartum issues?”

“And linking mothers to resources in the NHS,” Fidelia said. “Sev inspired me. The popularity has been growing steadily over the past three years. More doctors and nurses are recommending it. I’m not like Dad or anything. But, I can buy that house.”

“You would live in that big house by yourself?” Sev asked his sister.

She looked at Aria and smiled. “I don’t think I’ll be alone. Are you taking my flat?”

He looked at Hermione and she nodded, giving her input. “I’ll take it.”

“This is great,” Aria started. “But, what are we doing tonight?”

Fidelia said, “We’re going to yours to get clothes and we’ll go to my place. What do you think?”

Kissing her cheek, Aria said, “You know I’ll follow you anywhere.”

“Ew,” Hermione teased. 

Sev pretended to gag. 

Aria gave them the finger and Fidelia kissed her back.

Chapter 15: Congratulations

“Oldest gets the first slice!” Sev declared.

A groan followed by complaints erupted from the small crowd gathered in Fidelia and Aria’s house.

“It’s our birthday!” Hermione told her boyfriend. Aria stuck her tongue out at him, displaying a relatively new piercing. Hermione had not changed much physically in the past year and a half since she and Sev started their relationship. She still wore her long curls out and free for the most part, annoying her mother who wanted her to do something-- anything to it. Her weight went up a bit because Sev was an even better cook than Aria which was a huge compliment. Recently, he began studying at her mother’s feet to learn some dishes from Nigeria. He already mastered puff puffs, his favorite treat. Whenever Hermione brought up her changing body, Severus took that as a signal to show her how much he appreciated her “beautiful, incredible, gorgeous” curves.

They both grew over the past year. Hermione learned how to live alone for the first time ever and Sev was able to rebuild his life and his self-confidence after the unfortunate incident with Lily Evans. Having someone cheat and leave you for your elderly father wasn’t the best ego booster even though it was clearly all about money. Sev could have kissed his father’s ass and lived like a prince. He told Hermione that, at the end of the day, he knew he was a good person and that’s all that mattered in the long run. 

Of course, after about eight months of spending one week at Hermione’s and switching to Sev’s place the next week, Hermione decided it was time to give up the flat she once shared with Aria. The rent had gone up even though the building and its grounds were no longer being maintained to a high standard. It was time to go when she saw a mouse in her spotless kitchen. For the past ten months, she and Sev lived together in unwedded bliss. The walls were also significantly thicker which was good. Their neighbors didn’t need to know how much she loved him and loved his cock. Hermione could make as much noise as she wanted and there were no awkward glances in the lift. As it was her birthday, Hermione was excited about their private after-party at their flat.

Fidelia cut the cake and handed the first slices to the birthday girls. David took a slice to his pregnant wife. Padma sat with her sister and took the slice Arjun brought her. 

“This is the life,” Parvati smiled.

“It really is,” Padma said, taking a bite. 

Angelina had to agree when her boyfriend did the same for her. She didn’t get a doctor like she’d hoped for. George was an engineer and inventor as well as a former client of hers. According to Angelina, one minute they were looking over contracts for his new business after hours because of a fast-approaching deadline, and the next they were on top of each other. They didn’t have sex but came close. Two dates later, they were together and Aunt Mary was thanking god. All five women were in serious relationships. With Parvati’s impending motherhood, Helen and her sisters were wondering (loudly) who would be next to go down the aisle and end up in labor and delivery. Aria made it clear that out of the two of them, Fidelia wanted to carry their child if they ever got that far. That seemed to appease the aunties. It was all coming from a place of love. The three older women truly believed that children could only enrich their lives. They all knew the truth though. Children are hard work and motherhood takes no vacations. It would take a lot of consideration before embarking on that special journey.

Even now, Aria was on the phone with their mother who was checking up on them. She was in Nigeria for the funeral of a beloved uncle. She had to not only wish them a happy birthday but see if her thirty-three-year-old daughters were alright. She asked for Fidelia and Sev who also had to check in. 

“Your mother is the sweetest,” Fidelia said, handing the phone back to Aria.

“I thought I was,” Aria pouted. 

“Ugh!” the group responded. Aria’s need to constantly flirt with Fidelia was a running joke.

“You're spicy,” Fidelia winked. 

Sev took another bite of his slice of chocolate cake, clearly trying to ignore their sisters. Hermione beckoned him over to ask him, “Do you think I’m sweet?” with wide innocent eyes.

Voice low and seductive, he said, “When I get you home tonight, I’ll show you what I think.”

“Good,” she whispered back. “Want to know what I wished for?”

“What?”

“No lovemaking. Nothing slow. I want a good, long fuck. Please, Daddy?”

He swallowed and then suggested, “We better go home then.”

“But, the party’s not over.”

Turning away from her, Sev said, “I think it’s time for presents.”

Laughing at his reaction, Hermione followed him into the lounge area with everyone else. Fidelia, the party planner, passed the women their gifts one at a time. The cousins gave great presents, having known them the longest, and asking them explicitly what they wanted. Fidelia revealed a round trip to Tokyo, her girlfriend’s dream vacation. Aria screamed and hugged her tight, excitedly chattering and asking questions.

“I don’t think anyone could beat that,” David laughed.

After Fidelia got Aria to calm down, she handed Hermione the last tiny gift bag left on the table.

“That’s mine,” Sev said.

Smiling, Hermione looked inside the bag and screamed “No!” gleefully. “Sev, really? You’re not serious! Are you serious? Oh my god!”

“What is it?” Angelina asked. 

“Come on! Show us,” Padma insisted.

Starting to tear up already, Hermione pulled out a small ring box and opened it to reveal a brilliant princess-cut diamond. When she pulled it out, Hermione realized it was a set of three bands: two with smaller diamonds all around the band and one that was simple platinum.

“Ask her, Sev!” Aria pushed. 

“Oh yeah,” he said, excitedly sliding the ring onto her finger. “Will you marry me, Hermione?”

Launching herself at him for an embrace, Hermione tearfully said, “Yes! I love you!”

“I love you too. Why are you crying?” he asked her, after kissing her. 

“I don’t know,” she cried joyfully. “I’m happy. Hey… Aria, you don’t look surprised.”

“How could I be? I helped him pick out the ring,” her sister replied sassily. Hermione wiped her eyes as she walked over to her sister and hugged her. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Hermione sniffled.

Angelina pulled out her phone and said, “Why do you think we insisted on taking you to get your nails done this morning?”

“You all knew?!” Hermione exclaimed.

“Stay still,” Angelina told her, snapping a picture and sending it to the family group chat. “Aunt Helen is going to lose it. Uncle Rob knows too.”

“At least it’s a surprise for someone,” Hermione smiled. “Why does Dad know?”

Aria said, “Sev is old fashioned and asked him for your manicured hand in marriage.”

For the rest of the party, Hermione was dying to go home and celebrate in private with her now fiance. When it came time to leave, everyone said, “Happy Birthday, Mrs. Snape!”

---

Hermione said no lovemaking but she was going to be his wife and he wanted to show his appreciation of her presence in his life. Hermione gave in and let him go slow. They had the rest of their lives to be together.

“Let me see that ring,” he told her from his space between her thighs. “You know what this means?”

“I’ll be your wife,” she smiled.

“My wife,” he repeated, bringing her hand to his lips. “What else?”

“You're going to be my husband,” she said, grinning even wider.

“A good husband,” he said. “I’m gonna treat you like a queen.”

“You already do, Sev,” she said as he started laying a trail of kisses from her chest to her navel.

“Love you so much…” he continued, bringing his fingers to her center. His kisses followed his fingers and Hermione gasped when the tip of his tongue swirled a circle around her button. Her ring hand went to his hair and he gently grabbed her wrist. 

“Be a good girl. I’ll give you what you want.”

She nodded, licked her lips, and met his dark eyes. Her heart sang. He was hers and he wanted no one else. She could trust him. Hermione thought she’d never love or trust anyone again but here he was. His strong hands held her open and exposed. Sev licked and sucked her clit. Her body was leaking around his fingers as she whined for more. A third finger slipped in and soon he was rubbing that spot deep inside with his long fingers. He was slow, torturing her the way she liked. Her fingers flew back to his hair the closer she got to coming. She wasn’t a good girl tonight and he let her get away with it. She was his girl and that’s all that mattered.

Bruises were forming on the inside of her thighs but all she could feel were his soft lips, his determined tongue, his expert fingers, and his sweet attention to her.

“I’m gonna cum,” she whimpered.

Body shaking and a low moan growing into a scream, Hermione came and drenched Sev with her juices.

“I love when you do that. You have the sweetest pussy.”

She laughed breathily. “Fuck me like I wanted.”

“Do you want Sev to fuck you or Daddy?” he asked, hovering above her.

“I want my husband to fuck me,” Hermione said with a coy look.

“What else?” he asked, understanding there was more she wanted to say. 

She placed a hand on her middle, just below her navel. “Give me a baby, Sev.”

“A baby?”

She nodded and soon felt his lips on hers, letting her taste all that she’d given him earlier. Her breasts were tender and sensitive so when he sucked hard at her dark brown nipple, Hermione cried out and whimpered, “Easy, Sev.”

His brow furrowed. “Sorry. Are you already?” he asked, expectantly.

She shook her head. “Not yet. I’m just tender now. You know I'm still on birth control too. We can pretend.” She was happy to see him excited at the thought. Very excited. His cock hung heavy and dripping, leaving a trail of precum on her stomach.

“Come on, Sev,” she said, coaxing him. “Give me a baby for my birthday.”

One quick thrust and he was inside her. She gasped when he hit her G-spot head-on in one go.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, slightly concerned. Always careful and never wanted to hurt her. She loved him.

“Nothing, Sev. It’s so good. Go. Go.”

Moving onto his knees, Sev pulled her body flush against him, this way he’d never pull out completely.

“I’m going to give you a baby,” he promised her, moving his hips slowly. “Gonna make you squirt again. Play with your tits.”

“Yes, Daddy.” Bringing her fingers to her nipples, Hermione squeezed them as hard as she could stand, catching her lip between her teeth.

“That’s right,” he said, moving even faster, really starting to thrust and pound her pussy. Every thrust was quick and hard. Sev’s massive cock fucked her relentlessly, all the way to the hilt. 

“Oh god! Oh god!” she cried out, in time with his thrusts. 

“Still so tight. You’re gonna come?”

“Yes, Daddy!” Hermione yelled, pushing him away by lifting her hips. His cock fell from her pulsating cunt, releasing more wetness onto the unprotected sheets below.

“No, no,” he said, positioning himself at her entrance and returning to the pace he set before. “Not done. “

She was even more sensitive but wanted his cum. She didn’t want it on her stomach, her back, on her face, or down her throat. She wanted it fucked hard and deep into her. Hermione wanted him to drown her cervix with his seed.

“Fill my pussy, Daddy,” she told him. “Like that. So good.”

With a few hard thrusts, Sev emptied himself into her cunt  and pulled out. “Don’t let it come out,” Hermione said softly. He gathered as much as he could and pushed it back inside her battered pussy. When she mindlessly brought her ring hand to her middle again, Sev put his hand on top of hers. The dominance was gone and all that was left was fondness. 

“I love you,” he said. “Happy birthday.”

“It was a very good birthday,” she said with a sleepy smile. “I love you too.”

---

In the morning, Hermione’s phone kept vibrating. Sev was snoring softly next to her so it couldn’t have been very late at all. He was always up before nine since his body never let him sleep in. What the hell could have happened between last night and now? Maybe Parvati went into labor. With excitement, Hermione opened her phone and was soon to be both disappointed and disgusted. Aria sent a link to a video on Instagram. It was a party with blue and pink decor, a gender reveal. Confused, Hermione kept watching wondering who the mother-to-be was and why her sister even cared. Aria hated the concept of gender reveal parties.

“It’s a boy!” a woman shouted happily. “Congratulations!”

The mother-to-be turned towards the camera, with long red hair up in a stylish high ponytail and an obvious baby bump. 

Lily Evans was pregnant.

Chapter 16: Together

“It can’t be his.”

That was the first thing out of Sev’s mouth when Fidelia picked up his phone call. Hermione could hear everything from the kitchen since he put the phone on speaker.

“Good morning to you too, brother.”

Sev chuckled wryly. “We’re getting another brother by the looks of it.”

“I thought you just said it can’t be Dad’s.”

“I meant that it shouldn’t be his. He doesn’t need another kid to disappoint. I’m forty years old, Fi. What the hell is he thinking? A newborn?”

“Something is off about this,” Fidelia said. “I haven’t spoken to him in like six months. He always calls for my birthday and drops a couple thousand into my account. ‘Buy a purse or something, Princess.’ You know him. That’s it.”

“Princess as always…”

Hermione knew she was flipping her hair over her shoulder. She had known Fidelia long enough to surmise her nonverbal expressions. Sev was frustrating her because he was judging her. Fidelia was an interesting piece of the Snape family puzzle. She never cut off her father completely but never held back when sharing her opinions on his choices. Tobias tried to hide his bad behavior in front of her. 

Of all the women in his life, Fidelia was one of the few who Tobias seemed to have any respect for. She was his daughter and that made all the difference. Most other women in his life were stupid, money-hungry whores who were only suitable for sex and showing off as a trophy until he got bored of them. Fidelia was an angel. She was his little princess so while he could ignore Sev’s anger towards him, Tobias could not stand it if Fidelia cut him off completely. The man gave her space but when he did call, she answered. When he sent her a monetary gift, Fidelia did not give it back. Refusing to take his money for herself, Fidelia figured it would be better to put it to some use.

“You know I don’t keep it, Sev! I take all the money he gives me and donate it to the women’s shelter on Diagon Road, okay? He’s funded their updated kitchen facilities actually.”

Taking the money of an unapologetic misogynist and using it to uplift and give hope to the most vulnerable women in society felt like poetic justice. Tobias should try to buy his daughter’s love at least once a week. Fidelia could rebuild that shelter.

“Don’t get stroppy with me. I didn’t get her pregnant. Why are you upset?”

Sev took a moment to think. “I’m not sure why. I don’t care what Dad does with his life. I always imagined we have dozens of half-brothers and sisters out there.”

“So it’s Lily?” Fidelia suggested.

Hermione wondered the same thing. She had his ring on her finger, but so had Lily. Well, Lily bought her own ring, but still.

“Yes,” Sev said. “This is what she wanted and I hate that she’s getting rewarded for her disgusting behavior. That baby will link her to our family and Dad’s money forever. She won’t even raise it. I’m sure she’s already hiring nannies.”

“Speaking of hired help, I’m going to give Thelma a ring later. She’ll update me on everything.”

“Why didn’t she tell you before this? Lily’s due in four months.”

“I’ll ask her that,” his sister said. “See you both at dinner tonight, right? We’ll talk then.”

“Right. See you later.”

Sev threw his phone onto the couch and made a noise of frustration. Hermione turned to see him heading towards her with his arms open. She embraced him and smiled. When he was like this, a big baby, Hermione couldn’t help but smile. When she was upset, he became a bodyguard. He was gallant and had his fists primed to take care of whoever ruined her day. When he was upset, he just wanted her to hold him.

“Are you really upset about Lily?” Hermione questioned, rubbing his back. “Is this about you? Hmm?”

“He’s replacing me,” Sev admitted. “That’s what it feels like.”

“Oh darling… Why do you say that?”

“I ignored him. I cursed at him. I hit him and he’s replacing me. I know I hate him and I don’t want to be anywhere near him. I know it doesn’t make sense.”

“He’s your dad. He wasn’t like this your whole life. You used to get along. You’ve missed him, that version of him, all this time?”

Hermione pulled back to look him in the eyes. The lack of responses was a response. This man missed his father and he was being replaced.

“It doesn’t matter how I feel,” Sev told her. “It never has.”

---

Sunday dinner was different these days. In the past two years, Angelina’s brothers both moved to pursue new job opportunities. Trevor was in Germany working for a pharmaceutical company while Kenny moved to London, taking a more senior position in the media company that hired him ten years prior. Vikram began splitting his time between India and the UK, caring for his aging parents. He was sometimes gone for two months at a time. He was due to return next week for Parvati’s official due date. He didn’t want to miss the birth of his first grandchild.

On this particular Sunday, the twins and Aunt Anna were in hospital because while Lily’s announcement was breaking news, Parvati did go into labor around one in the afternoon. According to Padma, her sister’s labor was progressing rather quickly and the baby might be born before the end of the day. David was at his wife’s side and Arjun was working. Hermione and Fidelia managed to arrive at the same time to witness an astounding sight.

“Pizza?”Aria said, blinking. “You ordered pizza, Dad?” 

Fidelia giggled at Aria’s indignation. 

The man shrugged and grabbed a slice from the coffee table. He was laid up on the couch watching an action movie Hermione didn’t recognize, nor did she want to. Sev handed Robert a six-pack of his favorite beer as he did every Sunday. “Thank you, son. Listen, your mum’s away, Vikram’s away, and Andre hurt himself cleaning their garage yesterday so they’re not coming. Didn’t Angie tell you?”

“No, she didn’t. You should have said something. I could have cooked something!” Aria said. “You know Mum doesn’t like seeing you eat that stuff.”

“She’s not here to see it, darling,” Robert responded, taking another bite of his pizza slice.

Aria opened a can of beer for him. “Enjoy.”

Grinning, he said, “How are you girls? Did you enjoy your birthday? I hear someone might be getting married.”

“Yes, and I heard that you’ve known for a while,” Hermione said to her father, kissing him on the cheek too. “We haven’t even heard from Mum today.”

“Believe me that was the hardest secret I have ever had to keep. I tell that woman everything. She might be traveling. She was going to leave Lagos to visit some cousins. We will know when she knows,” Robert promised them with an all-knowing smirk. “You said yes, then.”

Hermione laughed and showed him her ring. “Yes, I did.”

“Good. The poor man was so nervous to ask me.”

“Dad…” Hermione whined. “Did you make him nervous?”

Sev and Robert made eye contact, silently communicating. 

“It was fine,” Severus told his fiancee. “Aria made me nervous picking out the ring.”

“Who? Me?” Aria asked. “You sure?”

“Yes,” Severus chuckled. “Nothing was good enough. We went to five different stores and eventually ordered something online. I didn’t think we would have found anything by your birthday or if it would arrive on time.”

“She loves it,” Aria pointed out. “That’s all that matters. Don’t you, sis?”

“Yes, I do.” Hermione grabbed a paper plate from a stack near the pizza boxes. “Thank you for your help. Let’s eat.”

The only thing Robert Granger knew about the Snapes’ father was that he was incredibly rich. Everyone but Robert wanted to keep it that way. Robert hated mess and trouble and avoided it as much as he could. He liked a simple life and his girls didn’t want to disrupt that. He retired first and his age was starting to show. Hermione tried to imagine him with an infant on the way. The thought was ludicrous. For some men in his age group, they were welcoming great-grandchildren.

Her father must have sensed that they were keeping the conversation pleasant and polite for his sake because suddenly he announced he wanted to relax upstairs.

“You don’t have to go, Rob,” Sev told him.

“I can’t hear the film because of you all,” he said good-naturedly. “I’m going to try to ring your mother again.”

“Miss her, Dad?” Aria asked.

“Of course. She’s my wife,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Who wouldn’t miss their wife?

That sentiment made them all smile as he left the room and headed to the stairs. Hermione imagined that her father was silently counting down the days for Helen to return from her impromptu trip. In the past, he would sometimes make the trip to Nigeria with her but since this trip was unplanned, he covered her patients at the practice as a substitute. Helen and Hermione were very similar in that the successful dentist worried incessantly about everything she could not control. The perfectionist trait was passed down to Hermione who could rarely take a day off. It was a nice thing, Hermione recognized, that Sev was a lot like her father--loving her for who she was and knowing when to step in, even without being asked. Looking at the ring on her finger, Hermione wondered if they’d make it to thirty-five years like the Grangers. They would give it a good try.

“He’s adorable. I love your parents,” Fidelia stated with a soft smile. Once she was sure he was gone, she said, “Alright, I told Aria a little but I wanted us all together. I spoke to Thelma and she is confused.”

“Confused about what?” Hermione asked. 

“This pregnancy,” Fidelia replied. “Sev, this morning you said something about us having half siblings all over. Thelma said it would be true except Dad had a vasectomy right after divorcing Mum. As far as anyone knows, we’re his only children.”

“So, that means Lily’s baby is not his?” Hermione asked, confused herself. “He’s in the video, clapping and kissing her like it is. What is going on? How did Thelma know about the vasectomy?”

“She helped him with the recovery,” Fidelia said, cringing. “I’m sure it was just cooking for him and waiting on him but still… When I asked her why she never told me about this, she said they had been sailing around the world and just came home. They haven’t even been back to the main house. They were staying at some place in London. Thelma hasn’t seen them in nearly six months. The baby was a huge surprise to her too.”

Sev asked, “Does she think the vasectomy was reversed?”

“She says it must have been if it’s supposed to be Lily’s. Dad’s acting like the baby is his. He’s excited. She’s also shocked that Lily is still with him.”

“Why? Your dad’s still a multi-millionaire,” Aria commented.

“They fight a lot . Before they left six months ago, Lily and Dad were fighting about all the women in his life. This is nothing new but Lily was always upset about it and Dad would just laugh at her. When Thelma tried to calm her down, she spat in her face.”

“Are you serious?” Hermione asked, disgusted. “The woman was trying to help-- You know what? That’s how she is. I should know better.”

“Right,” Aria nodded.

“Thelma told me that Lily wanted our dad to marry her and kept suggesting it. She told me that Lily was an idiot because Dad would never marry again. He’s told Thelma that a million times.”

“What exactly is the relationship between your dad and Thelma?” Aria asked, intrigued.

“She’s his maid,” Fidelia said. “But they’re friendly. He trusts her a lot. Anyway, Dad told Thelma that he would never marry a woman like Lily. She cheated on Sev to be with him. She has no loyalty to anyone, just money. She’s just a gold digger.”

“That explains how she’s this far along without an engagement announcement,” Sev thought aloud.

“How did she get away with fighting with him?” Hermione asked. “He seems to move on so easily.”

“She has a strange hold on him,” Fidelia remarked. “He treats her like she’s nothing in front of everyone else but spoils her rotten. He told her off during the fight. She was spending like crazy and making demands of him. One night, she started throwing things at him. Thelma stepped in. This was right before their trip. Lily might have told him about the baby.”

“Now, they’re planning a baby shower but no wedding,” Sev added. “That baby is a better anchor to his money than a ring ever could be. Dad would never marry her without a prenup and he’d never leave her money in his will either. It’s all going to Fidelia.”

“I think she knows that,” Hermione agreed. “That poor child. I don’t think she’s capable of loving anyone but herself and we know she hates herself.”

“We’ll have to look after him,” Sev stated. All three women turned to him. “What? He’s my brother and his mother’s an evil demon summoned from hell to destroy us all. He’ll need us. He’s just a little boy.”

After everything he revealed about his relationship and feelings towards his father, Sev was still willing to see this child for who he was-- an innocent baby. His little brother would be born into the home of a raging narcissist and an immoral, womanizing self-important bastard. He was just a little boy.

“You’re wonderful,” Hermione said leaning into him. “We will look after him.”

“We all will,” Aria said resolutely. “Together.”

Chapter 17: A Matter of Time

“Be good and drink water,” Hermione said, leaving a bottle on the nightstand. “There’s soup in the fridge.”

“No kiss?” he said with a pout.

“My big baby…” Hermione smiled and kissed his forehead. “Feel better, okay. We’ll be back this afternoon.”

Since Sev wasn’t feeling well, Fidelia took Hermione to visit their mother on her own. Aria had plans with a friend from work so she wouldn't join them. Their mother lived over two hours away but Fidelia tried her best to visit her every few weeks. Hermione met her for the first time shortly after moving in with Sev. 

Every time Hermione had visited, the woman embraced her warmly and demanded that she eat a few biscuits she baked in anticipation of their visit. It seemed that for both families, food was their love language. 

Eileen was friendly, funny, and kind like Fidelia. When Hermione pointed out the striking resemblance between mother and child, Eileen looked so proud. With an endearing smile, Eileen had an elegant beauty. She wore her white hair in a low chignon and a full face of makeup. Hermione could tell that she took pride in herself, just as her own mother had pointed out about Fidelia all those years ago.

“She’s more beautiful,” Eileen Prince gushed. “My sweet, little miracle. I named her faithful though. Severus would be strong and disciplined. He would be powerful. My Fidelia would be faithful. She is.”

Hermione nodded in agreement. Fidelia was very faithful and loyal to the people she loved, even her father. She could be trusted to do the right thing and she was honest. It made Hermione wonder if her name helped shape her. Was she loyal too, like Hermione in The Winter's Tale? Was she compassionate, strong, or resilient? Maybe. Ariadne in Greek myth had the same traits. They certainly applied to her sister. Perhaps Robert was onto something when he named them.

“Why do you call her a miracle?” asked Hermione.

“She came so early,” Eileen said. “Sev was a little boy, only eight years old and he used to help me a lot.”

“You’re who inspired him to study maternal health,” Hermione noted.

Eileen nodded. “That’s what he’s told me. It was just us for a good while. His father was occupied elsewhere. We got through it though,” Eileen said with a smile. “And look, she’s grown up and doing so well. Sev and I did a fine job.”

“Yes, you did,” Fidelia grinned. 

Now, Hermione almost always went with her soon-to-be sister-in-law to visit the older woman. Since the engagement, Eileen has been hinting at offering any support for when their family grew. Sev and Hermione were not planning on a long engagement at all. They didn’t even want an engagement party.--just the wedding and subsequent honeymoon. Sev told everyone that he’d waited long enough to marry the love of his life. Hermione would smirk because she knew the truth.

“I know this is rather rude, dear, but are you pregnant?” Eileen asked upon seeing Hermione.

Fidelia gasped and turned back towards her. “Mum, you can’t just ask her that!”

“What makes you say that?” asked Hermione.

“I have a gift,” the woman said, chuckling. “Not really, dear. You’re glowing.”

“Really?” Hermione added. “I thought my face looked swollen.” 

“Another sign,” Eileen said knowingly.

Hermione sighed and smiled. “Yes, I’m pregnant. We were trying to keep it a secret until after the wedding. I only had three weeks left to go.”

Fidelia squealed and hugged her. “Does Aria know?”

“No,” Hermione said. “Not yet. Let me tell her. I know she’ll say, ‘It was only a matter of time. You can’t keep your hands off each other.’”

“You’re right! Got it. No problem. This is so exciting! I’m going to be an aunt!”

The three women sat around and discussed upcoming life-changing events. Sev and Hermione were getting married in less than a month, in a small garden wedding in the country. Sometime in the future, they would travel to Nigeria to meet her other family members. If Hermione was honest, she didn’t think they would make it to Nigeria any time soon. She was still attending classes and would soon be a new wife and mother.

“Are you hoping for one sex over the other?” Eileen asked.

“Not at all.”

After all that had happened with Cormac and the guilt she lived with after terminating her first pregnancy, Hermione only wanted a healthy child to love and care for. Gender meant nothing.

“Sev wants a little girl, I bet,” Fidelia smiled.

“He does,” Hermione confirmed happily. “He says he wants twin girls.”

“Do you want twins?” Eileen asked.

“I’m a twin and it was nice to always have a friend. I don’t know if I can handle it. Twins are often born early too, so I don’t know. Two would be a lot to handle.”

“I’ll help out as much as I can,” Eileen offered again. “One or two, I will be there for you.”

“You live so far away,” Hermione pointed out. “Are you moving close to us?”

“I’m buying her a flat,” Fidelia said. “In Emerald Heights. Since Mum spoiled your secret, I’ll spoil mine. We planned to announce it after your wedding.”

“Oh my god!” Hermione exclaimed with glee when she’d figured it out. “You’re engaged?!”

“Yeah,” Fidelia nodded, beaming. “I can’t show you a ring yet. It’s at home. With Mum moving nearby, it’ll be nice to have the family all together, won’t it?”

“Oh congratulations, sweetheart!” Eileen said, tearing up. “She’s lovely. You’re both lovely,” she said, turning to Hermione. “Your mum has raised two wonderful people.”

“You did too,” Hermione told her. “Sev will be so happy to know you’re moving closer. Between you and my mum, this little one will always have someone to hold them.”

“Not to mention the aunts,” Fidelia pointed out.

“Are you two planning a family too?” Eileen inquired.

“Maybe in a few years. We’re going to travel around for a bit at first. Then, maybe have one baby and take him all over the world with us. We’ll see.”

“Sounds like you’ve been thinking about it a lot,” Hermione said.

“Aria’s a teacher and she loves kids. We’ve always talked about it. For now, we have two babies to welcome into the world.”

“Two? Who else is pregnant?” asked Eileen.

Fidelia grimaced. Hermione knew they were avoiding the subject of Tobias and Lily. While Eileen was a mature person who never talked negatively about her ex-husband in front of his child, it was clear that she would not speak of him at all. At the end of their marriage, he caused her so much stress that her blood pressure spiked. She ended up in hospital with a headache, chest pains, and shortness of breath. She even had a seizure. While there, she complained of sores and discharge down below and was given another blood test. Tobias gave her a sexually transmitted infection and nearly gave her a stroke but he never cared. He had told her that if she hadn’t been their children’s mother, he would have left her as soon as he retired. 

Fidelia did not know about the STI transmission until she had that problem with an abusive boyfriend turned stalker. She said the experience and the subsequent conversation changed her views on relationships. There were only a few people she could trust in this world. It took her two years to trust Aria who now, she couldn’t live without.

When the money came in, Tobias was done with Eileen. She ended up living with her own parents for a few months after he kicked her out. He hired an expensive lawyer who made sure she got nothing from their marriage. Hermione asked Severus how Eileen could ever marry him and he said that Tobias thought Eileen was stunning and had to have her before anyone else. Women were just playthings and toys to own and throw away when he was done with them. A younger Eileen saw this behavior and mistook it for love.

“Who?” Eileen asked again.

“Someone we know,” Fidelia said to answer her mother. “An old classmate of Aria and Hermione’s. She’s due soon.”

“I thought you were talking about that girl who left Sevy for Tobias.”

“You know about that?” Hermione asked in shock.

“Yes. My friend saw something about him online and has been keeping me updated.”

“I thought you wouldn’t want to know about any of this, Mum.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t but you have to admit, it’s very interesting. Something isn’t right. Tobias is no one to latch onto. He doesn’t want to be attached to anyone. I understand that he’s older and it would be lucrative to marry a man like him but people are living to a hundred these days. It could be another thirty years before he’s gone. In that time, he’ll continue to be Tobias unless his mind starts to go. When was the last time you spoke to him, love?”

“Last week,” Fidelia said. “He’s still Dad. His mind is there.”

“And the child is his?” Eileen questioned, making a face of disbelief. “Really? I always thought he was smarter than that.”

“That’s what they’re saying,” Hermione added. 

“How is your brother taking this?” Eileen asked her daughter.

Fidelia said. “You know Sev. He’s a softie for babies. He says he’ll be our brother so we have to be there for him.”

“You raised a good man,” Hermione said to Eileen. “I don’t know if I would say the same thing if it were me in this situation. Lily tries to destroy him and he still wants to look out for her child. I can’t wait for him to meet our baby.”

“I can’t wait either,” Eileen smiled. “I can’t wait to see what happens to Tobias. I try not to wish misfortune on anyone but, my goodness, will this be something.” She faced her daughter and said, “Sorry, dear.”

“It’s alright, Mum. He did this to himself. He dug his own grave.”

---

Hermione was mid-shampoo at Fidelia’s friend’s salon when her phone vibrated in her sweatshirt pocket. Justin, who normally never did shampoos, told her to ignore it. “It’s your day of relaxation, love.”

“It could be my mum or my sister or my cousins. They’re all planning the wedding for me.”

“Alright. At least wait for me to rinse out the conditioner.”

Hermione sat back and let the warm water flow over her hair. She loved getting her hair washed. It was heavy and left her exhausted when she washed it in the shower. Justin was skilled at how to manage it. A day of relaxation before the wedding was just what Dr. Snape ordered. Her caseload increased at the CMC due to budget cuts and another term for her doctoral program just ended. The next one was starting in a week. They wouldn’t even get to have a honeymoon for a few months. She was willing to wait all the same. If they wait, Hermione could enjoy the trip instead of thinking about assignments and her dissertation.

Her phone rang again, just in time for the man to wrap her head in a soft, warm towel. “Alright. Shatter your peace and calm,” he said light-heartedly. 

“Thanks,” Hermione told him, pulling out her phone.

Answering, she said, “Hey, love.”

“Hi. Uh… Where are you?”

“At Justin’s. Remember? You sent me here this morning,” she said with a laugh.

“Oh. I forgot,” he replied, sounding far away.

“Sev, you sound different. Are you alright?”

“Uh… No. Dad’s gone.”

“Gone? As in ‘passed away?’”

“Yeah. He--uh-- His plane went down. They’re still investigating what happened. They said he was dead at the scene. I forgot that he even had those little planes. Hermione, he’s dead and I don’t…” He sounded so small.

“Oh… my love. Sev, where are you now?”

“Home.”

“I’m coming now,” Hermione said, standing up to get Justin’s attention. “Give me thirty minutes, okay? Where is Fidelia?”

“Hospital.”

“Hospital? I thought you said he--”

“No. It’s not for him. She’s--Lily’s having the baby.”

Chapter 18: Cute

Aria met them on the fifth floor, by the elevator, of St. Matthew’s Medical Center. Her face was stoic, a rarity for the ever-exuberant woman. Hermione could only imagine the state Fidelia was in. The Snapes were complicated and messy but they were still human. Fidelia was probably distraught while Sev, the big brother, wouldn’t break down yet. He’d have to make sure his sister was alright.

“Sev,” Aria started, reaching out for him with open arms. “Come here.”

Her sister gave him a warm embrace, steeped in friendship and empathy. She’d come to love him like a brother over the years, just as Hermione saw Fidelia as another sister.

Leading them to the waiting room outside labor and delivery, Aria explained what happened according to the housekeeper who was at the house when Lily got the news.

“Someone at the hangar called Thelma first since she was his emergency contact. Thelma said that irritated Lily.”

“She was irritated that they called Thelma? Did she know what the call was about?”

Speaking quickly, Aria said, “Thelma got the impression that she knew because she snatched the mobile out of her hand and left the room with it. She followed Lily and listened. All she heard was a short silence and ‘good.’ Then, Lily lets out this loud sobbing noise and tells her that Tobias died in a crash. She could barely squeeze out a few tears. Thelma has already told the investigators about this.”

Hermione asked, “What do they think caused it?”

“Engine failure. It looks like the fuel was contaminated. But, Sev, we can talk about this later,” Aria said.

“She killed my father?” Sev asked Aria, sounding lost. “She had something to do with it. I know it. He’s been flying for over fifty years. He wouldn’t fly without inspecting his plane. I don’t think so.”

He stopped talking when he saw Fidelia’s distressed face. The young woman was weeping as she fell into his standing embrace. Hermione rubbed her back in calming support.

Sev guided his sister to sit while Hermione pulled Aria over to the side where the siblings could not see them.

“Where is she now?”

“Getting a C-section,” Aria answered. “I was here when they checked her in. She’s positive for something and they don’t want the baby to get it. The baby was in distress too. She was throwing a fit, saying she didn’t want them to cut her open. It would leave a scar. That was maybe three hours ago.”

Hermione’s jaw dropped. “Your partner just died and you’re in active labor and you're worried about scars?”

“I know,” Aria said. “But, we can’t keep acting surprised when she does these things. Killing someone though… I never expected that.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” asked Hermione.

“Thelma is and she lives with them. Fidelia believes her, so I do too. Lily hasn’t left the house in about a week and he flew his plane yesterday without a problem.”

“So, she’s not been near the hangar?”

“No, but other people have been,” Aria commented. “Right now, I want to focus on Fidelia.”

“I feel the same about Sev. Let the police handle that.”

“Your wedding?”

“Will happen later,” Hermione said.

An older nurse wearing blue scrubs came and asked for Lily Evans’ family. Fidelia stood and tearfully asked, “How are they?”

“They’re both fine. There were no complications but it might be a few hours before you can see her or the baby. She’s recovering.”

“Thank you,” Fidelia told her before returning to her seat beside her brother. “I wonder who he looks like.”

“We’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see.”

As they waited, Aria and Hermione avoided the subject of a possible murder investigation. Fidelia was too distraught and Sev was trying hard to be strong for her. For the most part, they remained quiet and watched the travel show on the telly in the waiting room. Time seemed to move both quickly and slowly at the same time.

“Want anything from the cafe downstairs?” Hermione asked her group.

“Crisps. You know the ones I like,” Aria said. “Something chocolate for Fifi.”

Hermione nodded and asked “Sev?” when he didn’t respond.

“Nothing,” he answered.

The same nurse from earlier returned to say that Lily did not want any visitors yet but the baby was in the nursery. “I’ll show you.”

All four of them made their way down the hall and through a secured doorway. A large glass pane displayed the newborns, some wiggling, some crying, and others sleeping peacefully. Hermione witnessed this all the time because of her work. They each had their whole lives ahead of them. She thought of her own child, growing safely inside her. She would be back here in less than six months. 

Sev’s voice caught her attention. “Which one is he?”

The nurse said, “Second from the left in the front. See his label. Baby Boy Evans.”

“Are you sure?” Aria asked, regarding the child carefully.

“Yes, that’s him. Handsome, isn’t he?” the nurse said.

“Cute,” Aria nodded.

The woman left them to meet the little one for the first time. No one spoke for a moment. Fidelia shook her head and Sev blinked. Hermione and Aria kept looking at the baby and then at each other.

“Hermione?” Sev said.

“Yeah?”

“He’s black, isn’t he?” he asked, tilting his head, still looking at the sleeping infant.

“I think so,” Hermione said. All things considered, Parvati’s baby had a similar skin tone. There was one thing Hermione knew for certain. This sweet little boy was not the child of Tobias Snape and Lily Evans.

“He’s very cute,” Fidelia commented. “So, this is why she didn’t want to have any visitors. We’d know.”

“What do you want to do?” Aria asked the Snapes.

“We should go,” Fidelia responded. “I don’t even want to see her. I can’t take anymore today.”
Hermione knew the same was true for Sev. It was like they lost a brother too. Both of them had been looking forward to meeting him, despite his parents.

Leaving the maternity wing, going through labor and delivery, Hermione made the turn towards the elevator when a man dressed in an expensive wool suit bumped into her.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I wasn’t looking either.”

Behind her, Fidelia said, “Kings? Why are you here? Isn’t it a bit too soon for this? He died just this morning.”

“Who is this?” Aria asked.

Fidelia said, “Dad’s estate solicitor. This is Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kings, this is Severus, my brother.”

Putting out his hand, Sev greeted Kingsley with a handshake. The solicitor was a large man with dark brown skin that reminded Hermione of her mother’s.

“It’s a shame to meet under these circumstances,” Kingsley said earnestly. “The housekeeper called me and told me that Lily was having the baby.”

“Yes, we just saw him,” Fidelia said. “He’s not Dad’s.”

“I know,” Kingsley said. “He’s mine.”

“Yours?” Fidelia gasped. “How--How do you--Huh?”

Everyone else said, “Oh…”

Looking desperate, the solicitor asked, “Where is he? Can I see him?”

---

Because Fidelia and Sev did not want to have anything more to do with this situation, Hermione offered the man her help. He looked like he was in crisis and if you knew Hermione… The others waited for her in the waiting room as she flagged down the same nurse to open the doors for them. 

Mr. Shacklebolt stared at the child through the glass with amazement.

“He’s big,” Kingsley said. “Ten pounds and two ounces. That’s big, right?”

“Yes,” Hermione agreed. “I take it you do not have any other children.”

“No,” the man said softly. “He’s my first.”

“Do you have a name for him?”

“Kristopher, maybe? With a K. It’s a strong name.”

“It is. I like it.”

“My mum is going to be so happy to meet him.”

“Uh…Kingsley?”

“Yeah?”

“What the hell is going on here? Why was Lily acting like she was having Tobias’ baby, knowing she was shagging you. She couldn’t have been thinking she would pass your son off as a Snape. You look nothing alike,” she pointed out. “What was her end goal?”

“Money,” the man said easily. “It always is with Lily. Let’s go talk to the new mother.”

“She doesn’t want any visitors.”

“She’ll talk to me. Trust me. Lead the way.”

Leaving baby Kristopher in the nursery, Hermione went to the nurse’s station to ask for Lily’s room number. “Tell her that Kings is here to see her,” the handsome solicitor told the nurses with a charming smile. Just like Tobias, the wealth just dripped off him. Lily had a type and it was any man that had private islands, private jets and yachts, or at least a membership into a private country club.

“She’s ready to see you,” a nurse named Olivia told them. “Room nineteen.”

“You should get everyone else,” he said to Hermione. “Severus and Fidelia should hear this first hand. If you give her too much time, the lies build. I want witnesses too.”

“Witnesses to what?” asked Hermione, a little scared. This was easily one of the most surreal days of her life.

“I’ll be with her. Meet me there,” he said imperiously. While she didn’t appreciate his assertive attitude, he was the keeper of secrets it seemed, and therefore had the upper hand.

In the waiting room, Sev was first on his feet when Hermione came into view. “Lily’s taking visitors.”

“So?” Aria asked.

“Kings says we need to hear something first hand and he needs witnesses?”

Fidelia looked confused. “What’s he going to do to her?”

“Whatever it is,” Aria started, “I think it’s going to hurt.”

“The better question is,” Sev began, “What is Lily going to do to him when he says what he needs to say?”

---

“Get out!”

Lily’s green eyes were sharp--so sharp she could have killed them all with her gaze alone. Hermione would have been first.

“No, no. They’re here for a reason. Stop all the noise. You have stitches. Doesn’t it hurt to carry on like that?"

Kingsley was holding his son in his arms. Lily quieted quickly but glared at them all. The 'mourning' mother said, “Daddy's dead,” with a grin.

“Hey, we’re not doing that,” Kingsley said in reprimand.

Fidelia gritted out, “And you killed him, didn’t you? That’s why you’re sitting there with that big smile on your face. What did you do? You never married him and that poor baby is not our brother. How does his death benefit you?”

Looking towards Kingsley, Lily said, “Toby loved me, Princess. He even rewrote his will, leaving everything to his heir, my unborn child. Kings was so helpful.”

“I bet he was,” Sev muttered to himself. He was watching the other man very carefully with skeptical eyes. Hermione did the same. This man was not on Lily’s side. She knew that for a fact. But, whose side was he on?

“That’s right,” Kingsley said, looking down at his son’s face. “My son is perfect, isn’t he?”

“Of course he is,” Lily said, smiling proudly. “He’s mine.”

“No. He’s mine,” he replied. “Not yours. I already submitted an emergency petition to remove him from your custody.”

“Huh? What? How?”

Lily’s voice wavered. It was clear that she hadn’t planned for this. Whatever clever little game she’d been playing was almost over and she wasn’t winning. “You can’t do--”

He chuckled and said, “Remember Harry?”

Green eyes went wide and nostrils flared. “Shut up!” she demanded and quickly cringed at the pain she was causing herself.

“That’s what you kept telling him in that video James submitted to the courts. You liked to shout at him and watch him starve all day. You liked to make him cry.”

“Shut up! Shut the fuck up! It was all lies!”

Kingsley’s voice got so low that Hermione strained to hear him. “Do we need to watch the video together?”

“I hate you,” she growled back.

“Same to you,” Kingsley said. “I had a great conversation with James two days ago. I’ll make sure these boys know each other. They’re brothers. Having family is important. You don’t know anything about that, do you? We know your parents wouldn’t speak to you after.”

She tried to swing for him but Kingsley moved back smoothly, out of her reach.

“Do you see why I needed witnesses?” he directed to the quiet assembly in the maternity suite. “I did not threaten her. I did not touch her. Correct?”

“Yes, but who the hell are Harry and James?” Aria asked.

Kingsley said, “You don’t know? James is her ex-husband. Harry is her son.”
“A son?!” said the group together.

Kingsley nodded, “He’s four and lives with his father, James, in Godric’s Hollow. Lily used to abuse and neglect him so she lost custody. He was only six months at the time.”

“That's what you were doing after uni?” Sev said. “Abusing your son? You never mentioned him. It’s like he doesn’t exist. Now, I see why you and my father could get along.”

“Fuck off, Sev. Useless piece of shit. I’m glad I never got pregnant for you. You have nothing to offer. You and your father must have that in common.”

“Shut up, you bitch!” Fidelia spoke for the first time since accusing Lily of murder. “Don’t you dare talk about my brother that way! Kingsley, she’s using you. She got pregnant to trick my father into changing his will. She killed him!”

“Miss Snape, she didn’t kill him,” Kingsley said calmly as he placed Kristopher back in the bassinet. “He isn’t dead.”

“What?!” Lily screeched, causing Kristopher to start wailing.

Shushing his son, Kingsley said sweetly, “He wanted me to tell you, ‘Checkmate.’”

Chapter 19: Who Killed You

What do you do when a demon latches on to one of your children? According to Tobias Snape, you lure it away and, if so inclined, have your fun until you get bored. After that, you can rid yourself of it and its evil essence. Tobias was growing bored until his solicitor’s eyes lingered on Lily’s arse for just a second too long. He even grew intrigued when Lily offered to get Kingsley something to drink, never having offered anyone anything while living in his home.

“I kept quiet, of course. I knew who she was when she invited me to your engagement party. It took no less than ten seconds after you stomped off for her to start flirting with me.”

Tobias Snape was alive and well, and having the time of his life. He’d won some game he’d been playing with Lily Evans, formerly Potter. The man sipped from a martini glass in his grand mansion which still belonged to him and no one else.

“I knew then that I had to destroy that relationship.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Sev asked.

Everyone in the room, including the sleepy hound by Tobias’ feet, knew why. 

“You’d never believe me. You would have thought I was trying to steal her away.”

“But you did steal her away,” Sev shot back.

“For your own good. Really, she left. I have no need to steal women, as you know. I know you hate me and that’s fine. You are entitled to feel the way you do. But remember this: I will always be your father. I had to get her away from you.”

“While you were sleeping with her, you gave her something and she could have given it to me!” Sev told him loudly. There was no reason to speak softly about this. Everyone knew.

“I did not give her anything besides my credit card and that new red Porsche she loves so much. We didn’t start anything like that until after you punched me for teasing and making eyes at that delightful creature you’re sitting with right now. I knew you were done with Lily. I decided later that I was tired of her and her grating personality. She’s bloody annoying. Sevy, I do not know how you put up with it.”

“Then who did she get the infection from?” Hermione thought aloud. 

“Who knows,” Aria said with a yawn. It had been a long day. “Mr. Snape, why go through all this?”

He sat up a little straighter. Hermione could tell he was enjoying having an audience. “I was looking for a bit of fun and found it. She thought she had me wrapped around her little finger. I’ll admit, I spent more than a few pounds on her but it was entertaining watching her think she’d finally hit the jackpot. You pay to play as they say.”

“Dad, you hurt me today,” Fidelia told him. “I don’t think I could ever forgive you. You could have told me what you were planning. I thought you were gone!”

“I know, Princess, but this plan necessitated that only a few people knew the truth. She knows how you feel about me and if you weren’t able to behave as you did today, she might have figured it out and made plans to get away, even while in labor. She’s one determined woman.”

“You already knew she was planning to murder you, though,” Hermione pointed out. “You have evidence, correct?”

“Yes. Kings was her co-conspirator and he would do all the dirty work. He has everything recorded for me. That part was not fun, I must say. When he told me that she came to him with a proposition to kill me, I was quite put off.”

“Then none of this was necessary!” Fidelia concluded.

“And the pregnancy?” Aria asked. “Why? Why bring another life into this?”

“Two things,” Tobias began. “If I suddenly ended up dead and she was the beneficiary to this grand fortune, it would be suspicious. Most people know that Fidelia and Sev are my heirs. Fidelia especially. So, getting pregnant was the best way for Lily to get into my will as I would update my estate to ensure this child was in it in the event of my death. I was going to die before I ever saw the child or determined paternity. She would make sure of it. Furthermore, she was already pregnant with Kings’ baby when she finalized this little project of hers. I had nothing to do with that. Poor man had no idea with whom he was dealing.”

“Hold on,” Aria said. “She’s a racist. Why would she have a baby with him? Why would she even be with him?”

“That simply didn’t matter,” Tobias said. “She’s said things to me and to Fidelia. I am not a pillar of morality whatsoever but even that disgusts me. Being with Kings and having his child was a means to an end. He is in charge of my estate papers, making him a perfect target. He says they used condoms but she eventually admitted to tampering with them so he would know it was his. She blackmailed him saying she would accuse him of assaulting her or, at best, tell me how he stole her away from his biggest client so I would destroy him professionally.”

Tobias took another sip of his drink. “She knew that even if it didn't work out with me, she could drain Kings for the next eighteen years. She was set either way. Thelma can tell you. Lily Evans is an evil, covetous, conniving witch. She was just securing her future I suppose, hopping from one millionaire to the next. Even after she knew she was pregnant, she kept going to other men, keeping them interested. I wouldn't touch her anymore. She started getting anxious when I refused to marry her. She formulated her plan and continued to blackmail Kingsley, who told me everything. He would rather be fired than sent to prison over something like this. She isn’t worth it but she thinks she is. Lily always thinks the world revolves around her and now it’s crumbling. It is so sweet.”

For a man she spent a great deal of time hating, Hermione was starting to like him. There was something about his style that just pulled her in. He was in it for the long game. That kind of dedication could not be ignored. If this was what he did when he was bored, what could he do when he put his mind to something? Become a multimillionaire, she supposed.

“You started all this to get her away from me?” Sev asked for clarification.

“Yes.”

Thelma raised her hand. “Sir, how did you know for certain the child wasn’t yours?”

“You know I had a vasectomy years ago. I kept that to myself.”

“But you seemed to genuinely believe the baby was yours,” Thelma argued. “I was confused. I thought maybe you reversed it.”

“Just another trick, you see. I wanted her to think she’d won. She planned my death and thought that I was none the wiser. I had to be overjoyed. Kingsley even drafted a false will that states that her children--not mine--will be the sole beneficiaries of my estate. Ridiculous woman. She told him that it would look like I was madly in love with her and wanted to make sure our children lived well after my unfortunate demise. Ha! So much fun. As if I would sign such a thing.”

“Okay so, who killed you?” Aria asked. “I mean, pretended to kill you. How could she know you'd be flying the day she went into labor?”

“Well, this was one of many plans. I like to fly my planes if the weather is good. I like to play a bit of golf and go to the racetrack. Sometimes, I stayed home or went into the city to do some business. She made plans. In one plan, someone cut my brake lines. In another, someone contaminated the fuel in my plane. She even had a contingency where I’m robbed in the hospital parking lot and stabbed so badly, that they couldn't save me. Either way, I was not going to see this child. I fancied the plane crash idea. It’s very dramatic like her. The weather was agreeable so that’s what we went with that morning. I wanted to make it easy for her, you see. She was having a baby after all. The plan was that Kings would ‘hire’ someone to tamper with my fuel tanks. It would be a tragic but spectacular way to go. There was no way I would survive. He had someone at his office call Thelma’s phone so that it seemed real. Lily knows that I have Thelma and Fidelia as my main contacts. Fidelia doesn’t live here so we didn’t call her.”

“How could you know that she wasn’t going to investigate or wonder why the police hadn’t contacted her?” Sev asked next.

“Lily thought giving birth would be the perfect alibi. How could she pull off something like this while in labor? I was going to die the day she went into labor according to the plan. That was the trigger. She called Kings to put it all in motion and he called me. I reported the whole thing to the authorities. She thought she had it all figured out and she would come off looking innocent, the grieving mother. She was going to get money from Kings as well for child maintenance. Evil woman.” He paused and said with a brighter tone, “Now, she is handcuffed to her hospital bed, I’m safe at home and enjoying a martini, and Kings has a son. When I spoke to him earlier, he was over the moon. It wrapped up quite nicely, I think.”

“This is insane!” Fidelia exclaimed and stood. “I’m leaving. I can’t stand to be around you! You did this for fun! Are we just toys to play with? I mourned you! Dad, you’re a lying bastard and I hate you.”

As Fidelia fled the room, Aria followed behind her. Hermione could see when she mouthed ‘Call me’ before turning the corner. The front door opened and slammed shut.

“She’ll calm down,” Tobias sighed. “It’s probably the hundredth time she’s said that.”

Hermione wasn’t sure if Fidelia would forgive him this time. Maybe it would take months or even years for her to speak to him again. Fidelia was loyal but her father pushed her to the limit today. 

Looking at Sev, Hermione wished she could read his mind. He was clearly processing since he was glaring a hole into the beautiful Turkish rug beneath their feet.

“What’s this about her having a child?” asked Hermione.

“Oh, yes! When Kings realized he was now stuck with this woman for the rest of his life, he did some checking. She was not only divorced but a convicted criminal as well. She was Lily Potter in her former life. The Potters come from old money. Old money is often old-fashioned. She got pregnant quickly, of course , and they had to marry. James told Kings that Lily wanted to be a stay-at-home mother. She was looking forward to it. But then he got suspicious about his son’s health. The boy was losing weight. The diaper rash couldn’t heal. Finally, he installed cameras and saw everything she was doing. She let him cry and cry. When she thought he was coming home, she’d change his diaper and feed him for the first time that day. Then, she’d act as if she was exhausted and give the child to him. She was torturing him, starving him like that. Lily didn’t have to even take care of him but she refused to hire a nanny. James said it was like she enjoyed having that control over a defenseless infant. Eventually, she was arrested and spent only a few months in prison. It was the best they could get. James requested a restraining order when she said she would retaliate.”

“Get back at him? James or the baby?”

“The baby. She made some threats,” Tobias said and cleared his throat.

“That poor baby,” Hermione said, distressed. “How could she do that to her own child? My sister said that she was upset about the C-section because it would leave a scar. Once, she told me she wouldn’t mind being pregnant but I didn’t think she meant it to this extent. Do you think she planned on repeating this?”

“Perhaps.”

Hermione spoke, “To bring children into the world, just to use them is sick.”

“As I said before, the world revolves around her. That’s no longer true with an infant, as you will soon discover.” He smirked knowingly.

Hermione gasped. “How do you know? Does it say I’m pregnant on my forehead or something?” 

Tobias chuckled. “I like her.”

“Dad…”

“Not like that. You know what I mean. She’s good for you, Sev. Fidelia loves her so I know she is good. Have you told your mother that you’ll be a father soon?”

“She figured it out,” Hermione answered.

Tobias smiled. “She’s a good woman too. She put up with a lot but never tried to kill me.”

“You deserved it,” Sev muttered. 

“You’re right. I regret what happened with Eileen and I’ve tried to make amends with you about the past.”

“I remember too much. I can’t forgive you.”

“I understand,” Tobias said, clearing his throat. “Now that all this mess with Lily is over for the most part, may I ask you for two things? Thelma,  can we have some privacy? Thank you.”

The older woman departed quickly. When Sev didn’t answer his father, Hermione chose to speak up. “What is it?”

“First, I know I am not invited to the wedding but I would like to cover the costs and the honeymoon. Go anywhere you like. You wouldn’t take the house or the car when I offered them. Take this.  Please? I hate to beg but there it is.”

“Hermione, do you want to take it?” Sev asked.

“Me? He’s your dad.”

“And you’re my wife. What do you think?” That was nice to hear and that made Hermione smile after such a long and strange day.

She said, “We will need a bigger place sooner than we thought. This would help us save faster.”

“Alright,” Sev agreed. “You can pay for the wedding and honeymoon. What was the other thing?”

“I want to set up trust funds for my grandchild or children. Now, I can do this without your input but I think you ought to be involved. No one will know about this except Kingsley who I trust with my life at this point. Nothing in your life would change.”

Sev turned to Hermione who nodded profusely. 

“You sure? Money changes people sometimes.”

“But, we could give them the best education and opportunities. You never know what they’ll need.” 

“Mhmm… Will we create the conditions for disbursement?” Sev asked his father.

“Of course,” Tobias smiled. “One more thing?”

“What is it now?” Sev said with a long-suffering sigh.

Tobias held up his glass. “Enjoy your day, son. I wish you both the very best--a lifetime of joy, laughter, and love. Cheers.”

Chapter 20: No Wahala

Seven Years Later

“Hermione, are you in labor?”

She had to wait for the contraction to end before she could answer her husband. “No.”

A few moments passed and she groaned again.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am graduating today, damn it! It’s taken me nine years and I am getting that degree.”

“You’ll get it in the post, love. You’re already Dr. Granger to the rest of the world, okay? How long have you been--”

He was cut off by her loud groan. He looked at the alarm clock on their nightstand and let her squeeze his hand.

“Your contractions are less than five minutes apart. We’re going to hospital.”

“Sev, I thought I could make it,” she whined. “I don’t want to.”

“You want to have the babies here with our mothers hovering over you? In the hospital, only one person is allowed with you in the delivery room.”

She pretended to consider it but said, “Fine. You win. Someone needs to stay home with the girls. You can’t call Aria or Fidelia because Ethan is sick. They’re not allowed inside this house until they’re fever-free for forty-eight hours without a fever reducer.”

“Yes, darling. Are you going to get dressed?”

She released a long breath before saying, “This fucking hurts. I don’t remember it being this bad.”

“Let me help you,” he said, giving his wife the support she needed to get up.

“Who are you going to call?”

“Both our mums. They can fight over who stays here. I’m surprised Serena isn’t in here. It’s seven-thirty already. She’s usually here by now.”

“Oh no. She cannot be sick too,” Hermione replied. “She’ll give it to Irena. I’m getting a hotel room after I have these two.”

Sev just smiled at her before grabbing his phone. As he called Helen first, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Mummy? Daddy? Can I come in?”

“Yes, Serena.”

“I’m Irena,” the little girl giggled and pushed the door open.

“No, you’re not,” Hermione chuckled. Serena giggled again and asked, “How do you always know? We trick Daddy all the time.”

“I’m a mummy. Mummies know everything.” Sev also liked to indulge them and since it made them laugh, he pretended to mix them up.

Both sets of Granger-Snape twins were fraternal just like her and Aria. However, Serena and Irena appeared identical to people who didn’t know them. Sev’s genes were strong so they were very fair and had his black hair. They looked more like him in bone structure and general features. The most obvious traits they had from Hermione were their curls and sweet honey-brown eyes.

Hermione winced again and breathed through the pain.

“Mummy, are you alright?” Serena asked sweetly.

“I’m alright, darling,” Hermione said, brushing her daughter’s wild curls out of her face and giving her a forehead kiss. “Dad and I are going to hospital soon so Grandma Eileen or Nana Helen is coming to stay with you two.”

“Are the babies coming?” the little girl asked enthusiastically.

“Yes,” Hermione. “Are you excited?”

“Yes! One baby for me and one for Irena. I want to name mine, Mummy.”

“Daddy and I already picked out their names. We’re keeping them a secret though. And the babies are all of ours. They’re people, not toys.”

“I’m good at keeping secrets,” Serena grinned, knowing she was lying.

Hermione gave her girls carefully chosen names hoping that they would somehow have an impact on their personalities as Eileen had once suggested. Serena, Latin for calm, shot that theory out of the water. She was loud, giggly, impulsive, and nosey. She was Aria as a child, Hermione often commented. She should have known it might not work. Tobias meant ‘God is Good’ and he was nowhere near godly. 

Irena, Greek for peace, kept up with her sister but her words were deliberate, even at eight years old. So were her actions. If she felt disrespected or underappreciated, Irena made it known. She was a fighter, not a peacekeeper if pushed. 

Robert was the one who pointed out that her daughters were strikingly similar to her and Aria in behaviors, temperaments, and attitudes. They were loving and fiercely loyal to each other which was wonderful. But, neither of them was peaceful or calm. Hermione’s appreciation for her parents’ patience only grew over the past eight years. Aria said the same when her son was born. For the next pair, Hermione would try again but with a different virtue and different target.

“I’ll tell you since they’ll be born today. Valentina and Valeria. They both mean strong,” Hermione explained. She and Severus would need strength with four children. They would be outnumbered.

“They’re pretty names,” Serena said. “So, no graduation today?”

“No, sweetheart,” Sev answered. “Nana Helen and Grandpa are meeting Mum and me at the hospital.”

He grabbed their hospital bag from a chair in the corner as Irena quietly entered the room. Hermione gave her the same treatment as Serena. She brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. Irena kissed her back.

“So… Gran is coming?” Serena asked with glee. “We can make biscuits!”

“No biscuits,” Hermione told her. “No biscuits or ice cream. Serena, you and your sister are not allowed any sweets. Do you understand me? Both of you?”

“Yes, Mummy.”

Hermione caught them smirking at each other and decided to give up on that battle… for now. She moved to get dressed, thankful she showered before going to bed. Labor was progressing fast this time.

It took no less than ten minutes for Eileen to let herself in. She watched the girls every day after school. She spent most of her time at their house and her sister’s, helping with the kids.

“Gran is here!” she called into the large but cozy home. “Where are my granddaughters?”

Putting on their coats, Hermione patted her stomach. “These granddaughters are right here but Serena and Irena are somewhere, conspiring to get you to make biscuits for them. I’ve told them no biscuits, no ice cream, no sweets.”

“Alright. Got it,” Eileen said, obviously lying too.

Sev scoffed and laughed. “Hermione, let it go. Mum is going to spoil them. We have other things to focus on.”

Hermione squeezed his forearm hard, making him wince this time.“Right.”

“Girls! Mum and I are leaving now!” Sev called out, through his pain.

Still in their pajamas, they raced into the foyer to hug their mother goodbye. Before Eileen could close the door behind them, Hermione turned back and said, “Be good for Gran, girls. No wahala.”