Chapter Text
Three months later, Snape lay in bed holding Hermione close to him. She yawned, "Morning, Severus."
He kissed her forehead. "Morning, sweet Persephone."
She looked up with a serene smile. "We missed breakfast again, didn't we?"
He nodded.
"In theory, I should go upstairs in case one of my students needs me."
"Why? They all know to come down here if they cannot find you up there."
"That poor Smith girl almost walked in on us last month. I think she was traumatized."
"My smile tends to do that to people."
Hermione smirked and kissed him on the lips. "Your smile is lovely. I still wish I could see it more when we're around others."
He moaned, then resumed kissing her. Before they could continue, they heard a pounding on the door.
"Stupid dunderheads," Severus growled.
"Severus, what have I told you about being nicer to the students?" she teased.
"What have I told you about students needing more discipline?" He grumbled.
"Hermione!" a voice called.
"Shit," she groaned.
"Please tell me that…"
"No, she only knows I have a new boyfriend. I never told her it was you."
"Shit," Snape moaned.
"Hermione Granger open this door!"
She sighed, put on her robes, and gave Severus one last lingering glance before leaving his chambers. With a sigh, she opened the door. "Hello, Molly."
"Oh 'Mione! It's been so long! I was worried sick about you! You must be devastated over Ron!" Molly began.
"Actually, I've been more than fine," Hermione answered with a frown. "No offense, but breaking up with your son has really been the best thing to happen to me."
Molly cocked her head. "I'm not talking about the break up. I'm talking about his latest Quidditch accident!"
"Oh," she answered. "I hadn't heard."
"It was horrible 'Mione! He's broken both his legs and his collar bone! He's asking for you in the hospital! He says that he's really sorry he treated you so poorly! He needs to see you!"
"Molly, that's terribly upsetting, but I'm afraid that I can't see him right now. We're in the middle of a school year and the lycanthropy potion still needs perfecting."
"Please 'Mione! Seeing you will help him feel so much better!" Molly begged.
"I'm afraid that will not be possible," a deep voice growled behind them.
Hermione's eyes filled with amusement as her lover appeared behind her.
"Severus?" Molly gasped.
"Hermione has made her decision. She has no intention of seeing your ill-mannered son," Severus put his arm around Hermione.
"It's you?" Molly sputtered, for once at a loss for words.
"Thank you for stopping by. We'll try to send Ron a card, though I fear my writing isn't half as eloquent as his." Severus deadpanned as he shut the door.
***
A year later, Severus lay on his bed staring at the ring around his finger, remembering the previous few months. Never had he imagined he'd be married, or that so many people would be supportive of the union. He and Hermione had been wed in a small ceremony on the Hogwarts grounds. All the teachers, Harry, and his new fiancée Parvati had been in attendance.
Soon after their wedding, they had finally obtained the patent for the lycanthropy potion. Now it was being used all over the world. His heart swelled with vicarious pride for the witch who had created it.
His thoughts were interrupted by the opening door. Hermione strutted in, wearing one of his shirts and a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Severus?"
"Hmm?"
She crawled onto their bed and grasped his hand. "Remember when I told you that I wanted something special for our three month anniversary?"
"I remember something to that extent."
Her head dipped close to his ear. "I want a baby."
His stomach dropped. "What?"
"I want a baby," She broke away from him. "Maybe two because I don't want our baby to be lonely."
"A baby?" Snape repeated, still recovering from the shock of her announcement.
"I've had dreams about us as parents."
"Parents?" Severus' head was spinning.
"Yes, I think that we'd be wonderful parents. You'd be so gentle with our children, and I know that living at Hogwarts, they'd have lots of love surrounding them."
"Hermione, I cannot say the idea isn't enticing, but most of my experiences with children have been… well… less than positive for both sides. I mean, I would do anything to make you happy… but… a child?"
"If I didn't think you'd be a good father I wouldn't have asked."
Sweat was forming on his brow.
"I know you're nervous, but our child wouldn't see the grumpy potions master that everyone else sees. He'd see the loving man that I do! He'd adore you Severus, and if he fell out of line, I'm sure you'd rein him right back in," Hermione replied.
"Well," Severus related. "I suppose creating a baby would be enjoyable enough."
"Then," She captured his lips. "Let's start trying to create one now."
***
A year later, Hermione gave birth to a boy, Orion Severus Snape. A year and a half after that they had a daughter they named Perdita Minerva Snape, followed by another, Selene Eileen Snape.
"She really is beautiful," Hermione whispered as she positioned Selene to nurse.
Severus crept onto the bed beside Hermione and kissed her on the cheek. "She's beautiful because you're beautiful."
Hermione grinned. "She has your hair, and your smirk, you know. She'll be just as snarky as you someday I'm sure."
Snape smiled. "Imagine having four snarky Slytherins in your house."
"I keep telling you that Orion is either going into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Perdita, well I'm not sure about her."
"Wherever she goes, I'll be proud of her. I'm already so proud of them all."
"Speaking of your darling children," she began. "Isn't it their bedtime?"
"I'll take care of them."
"Thank you."
He got up and shuffled towards Orion's room.
"No Perdita! You can't put the baking soda in yet!" Orion scolded. "You have to let me put the vinegar in first!"
"Why? It's still gonna explode," she replied.
"Because I like it that way," he replied as he poured some vinegar into a toy vial that his father had given him for Christmas.
Severus smiled as he watched his children play, happy that sibling rivalries were not yet an issue. While he was still unsure how they'd react when Selene was older, for now there was peace.
"Now, but don't pour in too much," Orion began.
She hummed and added the baking soda. They watched in amazement as the concoction bubbled out of the vial onto the floor. When it was over, Severus began, "What did your mother say about doing messy experiments in your room?"
Orion swallowed while Perdita blushed.
"We were gonna ask you to help us clean it up," Orion answered.
He exhaled. "The moment you get your wand I will teach you every cleaning spell I know so you can clean all the rooms in the house and make up for the times your mother and I have done it for you."
"Wasn't it a good potion though?" Orion asked.
Severus' expression lightened. "Of course it was, and I'm very impressed with the consistency. Still, I wouldn't be a good dad if I didn't at least scold you for making a mess.
Snape cast a few spells to clean the area. Then he looked at Perdita. "You're getting better at adding just the right amount of baking soda. I didn't see much left over when I cleaned up."
She glowed at the compliment. He smiled back at her. Of all his children, he could relate to Perdita the best. At her age, he'd been just as reserved as she was, always lost in thought over something or another.
"Thanks Daddy," she replied.
She went over and hugged him.
Orion began setting up a new potion. "Can we make one more before bedtime?"
"Please?" Perdita folded her hands and begged.
"Well, I thought you two wanted to hear the rest of the Odyssey, but if you'd rather make a potion…"
"No!" they both exclaimed.
"Then you need to crawl in bed."
"Can we at least say goodnight to Mum?" Orion asked.
"Yes if you can be calm and careful around her. She's feeding Selene right now," Severus answered.
Orion and Perdita ran off to their parents' bedroom. Hermione glanced up as her children scrambled onto her bed. Both of them looked just as they had in her dreams, and were just as delightful to be around.
"Goodnight Mummy," Orion whispered.
"Goodnight my little moonbeam," Hermione answered.
"Night Mummy," Perdita whispered.
"Goodnight my darling," she replied as Selene clucked. "If you two are gentle, you can give Mummy a kiss on the cheek and she'll try to give you one."
They nodded and approached her, Orion to her right and Perdita to her left. They kissed her, then she turned and kissed Orion first, then Perdita. Satisfied, the children left her bed and returned to Orion's bedroom. Orion climbed into his bed while Perdita sat on Snape's lap.
"Okay," Snape began. "Which part were we on?"
"The Sirens!" Orion exclaimed, now bouncing in excitement. "They were singing!"
"There was a Scy, Sicilian," Perdita answered equally as excited.
"Scylla," Snape replied. "They've landed on Helios' island haven't they?"
They both nodded. He began telling them the story of Odysseus landing on the island where his men ate the sacred cows…
They fell asleep just as he reached the part about Calypso. He kissed them both and carried Perdita to her room. When he came back, he saw Hermione standing in the doorway to their bedroom. "I wish I could tuck them in. I miss doing that."
"You will soon enough," Snape promised. "Just give me a moment to say goodnight to Selene."
He went into his younger daughter's room and paused to watch her sleep in the moonlight. Like her siblings, she had Hermione's nose and Snape's eyes. Selene also had his smile, something which made her all the more endearing. He kissed her on the cheek and left her room.
"What are you thinking?" Hermione whispered as Severis walked into their bedroom.
"How wonderful everything is," he answered.
She put her head on his shoulder. "I was thinking that too."
They looked at each other. Snape captured Hermione's lips in his, and she returned his affection. He then swept her in his arms and into their bedroom, where he wordlessly showed her just how deep his love ran.