Sunday Morning

Chapter 6: Sunday Morning

The eagle owl on the perch near the ceiling swooped down and transformed into a naked, tall, stocky wizard with coarse silver hair.

Everywhere.

Crookshanks meowed loudly and the man reached out to scratch his head. Crookshanks purred deeply.

Hermione tried not to stare at the Animagus. She knew a lot of older wizards preferred transforming in the buff.

"You would have thought you would have at least invited us to the wedding." The older man sniffed as he drew a wand from the small tube that had been clipped to him in owl form and Transfigured a throw pillow into a black robe. "See what lengths I have to go to, just to give my daughter-in-law her wedding present." He pulled the robe on and tied it casually.

Hermione studied the similarities between the men.

They had the same nose, but where Severus had a finely boned face, his father had a wide expanse of brow and cheek.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked in a disbelieving tone as she reached out to caress a volume. Crookshanks had plopped down near the books and was laying on his back purring.

"I followed you around the bookstore," said Severus' father simply. "You didn't want to put those down."

"Do you have any sense of decency?" Severus asked in an appalled tone. "Stalking a poor girl around a book store. What is wrong with you?"

"My daughter-in-law, I might add," said Severus' father, ignoring the jibe and pulling himself up to his full height, about an inch taller than Severus. "Whom I have never gotten to meet, although we share the same name."

"Aren't you being a little dramatic?" asked Severus with an annoyed look as he crossed his arms.

A small house-elf appeared in the doorway, balancing a tray of breakfast in one hand.

"Oh!" squeaked Dobby, surprised. "I will get breakfast for company. Pardons sirs and miss." He scrambled backwards out of the room before anyone else could say another word.

"No, I don't think so," said Severus' father, ignoring the elf, as he also crossed his arms and glared at Severus.

"Thank you so much," said Hermione softly, interrupting them. "This is an incredible gift." She was stroking the heavy leather cover of Merlin's Biography lovingly.

"Well, at least one of you has manners," snorted Severus' father stubbornly as he took one of the seats at Hermione's little table.

Breakfast plates began appearing on the table, and Hermione took a seat near her father-in-law, trying to sit primly in her white night gown.

"I am Jacob Snape, head of the Snape family, and father to this pain in the arse," said Jacob Snape as he reached out for a piece of toast and some marmalade to spread on it.

Hermione tried to stifle a giggle.

"And you are Hermione Snape, formerly Granger. A top student at this school with promise to go far. An incident with a Time Turner made you above the age of consent before graduation, which allowed my son to marry you legally, if not ethically." Jacob quirked an eyebrow at his son as he took a bite of his toast.

"Dear Lord," Severus snorted as he took a seat across from his father.

Jacob narrowed his eyes, but ignored his son's outburst. "My son petitioned for your custody as soon as you were available. Out of three candidates, you chose my son, although I'm bewildered as to why."

"He was the best choice," said Hermione simply, and before another sound could leave Severus, she shoved a small muffin in his open mouth.

He glared at her, but said nothing as he chewed. To her credit, they were very good muffins. Did that damn elf make special ones just for her?

"Obviously," Jacob chuckled, patting Hermione's hand with a slightly sticky hand.

Severus lowered his eyebrows at them, but there was nothing he could do with a mouthful of food.

"It isn't that you finally got married," sighed Jacob, turning his eyes to his son. "Obviously this young lady was the intelligent choice, and it's obvious to all you fancy each other. Especially after that gallant defense of her tender sensibilities with that rather rude fellow in the bookstore."

Severus choked on his muffin. Hermione pounded him on the back.

"But did you have to petition for her?" Jacob reached out for a piece of sausage and inspected it before popping it into his mouth. "Your mother is having fits! Couldn't you have eloped like a normal person?"

Severus only coughed harder, and Hermione reached out for a white ceramic teapot and poured him a cup. She fought back the mad urge to giggle.

"It seemed to be our best choice to do things through the proper channels," Hermione said to Jacob as she handed the tea to Severus and patted him firmly on the back.

"Well, you must come visit us in our French estate during the summer," said Jacob aside to Hermione. "Anastasia would love to see the both of you!"

"I was planning on the Russian estate," said Severus hoarsely as he finally cleared his throat. "Hermione's never been to Russia."

"Well," said Jacob stiffly, his smile frozen on his face. "We'll have to visit you, then."

"We'll be looking forward to it," said Hermione quickly before Severus could say anything. There was something going on here, and she didn't want to deal with it without being prepared.

"Now about your family, dear," Jacob said turning to Hermione. "I tried to look your family up, but they don't seem to be local. Where are they from?"

Hermione's cheeks flamed red and she looked at Severus.

"She's Muggle-born," said Severus flatly.

"Oh," said Jacob, sitting back in his chair. He seemed to be a bit taken aback. "I see. Well. You're still top in your class?"

Hermione nodded silently, thinking it best to keep quiet. She wanted to defend her intelligence and ability to learn, but she couldn't afford to make any mistakes that could cost the Order.

"Well, can't blame a person for their parentage," said Jacob, glancing at Severus with an unreadable look. "Your Great-Great-Great Uncle Johan was Muggle-born, and his line turned out just fine."

He smiled at Hermione, but looked her up and down, as if he were sizing up a prize cow.

Hermione tried to look cordial as she nibbled at a muffin. Inside she was fighting down a biting retort.

Severus looked at her quickly and then glared at his father.

"Well, at the very least," Jacob said, rising to his feet, "owl your mother. She's driving me mad."

"I will," Severus said glumly.

"You're not staying for breakfast?" Hermione asked as she stood.

"If I stay much longer, your new mother-in-law will come looking for me. I will not do that to Severus this early in the morning." Jacob's eyes twinkled.

"Oh, thank God," Severus mumbled under his breath.

Jacob put his wand back in the tube and snapped it around his wrist. His form seemed to bunch up as he transformed back into a large eagle owl, and the robe slumped to the ground as he glided towards Hermione's window.

-+-+-

Jacob Snape, in his eagle owl form, soared in the window of the den in his Oxford estate, and he transformed mid air, his bare feet stumbling slightly on the thick Oriental rug.

Flaming red silk robes lay on a polished mahogany chair near the window.

He took his own dark, blue brocade robes off the polished brass bird perch where they had been hanging and pulled them on. He slipped on black carpet slippers before padding over to a gold rope in one corner of his den and pulling it. A bell sounded in the distance.

He went over to his desk and saw his reflection in the polished ebony and smiled. The newest generation of house-elves were excellent this year.

He sat in his ancient chair behind the desk and heard the black leather crinkle as it adjusted to his weight. He pulled a scroll out of one of the drawers of the desk and began reading.

After he had read a few lines, a raven swooped in the open window. Jacob watched as the raven transformed into a beautiful, nude witch with long black hair and creamy pale skin. Jacob's gaze swept over her as she reached for the red robes.

"Well?" she barked impatiently in a thick Russian accent. She pulled the robes on and slid into red slippers that had been under the chair.

"You look as beautiful as the day I married you, Anastasia. Bravo!" Jacob smiled as he went back to his scroll. It was almost too easy to get a rise out of her.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She stormed over to the desk and snatched the scroll out of his hands. "And no work on the weekends."

Jacob sighed resignedly as she pouted at him, and he folded his hands on the desk.

"They seem to be happy," Jacob said as he watched her fumble with a few decorative hair baubles that had been lying on a small table tucked between bookshelves. "They have separate bedrooms for now. I think he is keeping it as professional as possible until she graduates."

"How chivalrous!" Anastasia beamed proudly, coiling and pinning her hair around the crown of her head. "He always was a little gentleman."

"I think you have a selective memory, my dear," said Jacob, pointing his chin down and looking at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes, yes," she said dismissively, waving a hand at him. "What is the girl like?"

"Polite," said Jacob. He thought for a moment. "Pretty. Has hair like your cousin Lillith."

Anastasia snorted.

"She loved the books. Acted like I bestowed jewels on her."

"Jewels of knowledge are more precious than jewels from the earth," Anastasia said simply as she gave her hair a final pat and reached for a silver belt slung over the back of a chair.

"Indeed," Jacob said, smiling slightly at her. "She can head him off before his mouth goes into light speed. It's a miracle if I've ever seen one."

"Intelligent," said Anastasia, impressed. "And quick, I can imagine. When do I get to meet the girl? What of her family?"

Jacob rubbed his forehead and waved his wand at a silver tea service on a cart across the room. It clattered over, and the pot started steaming.

"Should I sit down for this?" Anastasia asked, reaching for two cups.

"I don't think it's that serious in today's age," said Jacob unsteadily. "She's a Mudblood."

"That's not polite talk nowadays, my dear," Anastasia chided as she poured tea in both cups. "What of her parents? Are they living? How do they feel about this? What is their social position in the Muggle world?"

"I forgot to ask," Jacob said, taking the cup of black tea from his wife. "I was a bit shocked."

"I can imagine," said Anastasia, putting sugar and milk in her tea. "Considering Severus' past."

"Well, pure blood or not, they seem to have raised a clever, intelligent daughter," said Jacob, sighing. "It's not like we can change it now. Perhaps they'll be tolerable people."

"My great-great-grandmother always said she enjoyed spending time with Johan's mother," said Anastasia, shrugging and making a face.

"Perhaps it won't be that bad," said Jacob, nodding firmly.

-+-+-

"I apologize for my father," Severus said stiffly as he reached for a plate of sausage. "He forgets his manners frequently."

"It should have been expected," said Hermione as she tossed a small piece of bacon to Crookshanks.

"It was still rude," said Severus, shaking his head. "What if you slept in the altogether?"

"I've spent the last seven years sharing a room," Hermione scoffed at him. "What are the chances?"

Severus gave her a quizzical look and suddenly she knew more about Slytherin modesty than she ever wanted to.

"I can't believe your father did this," Hermione said, changing the subject and wiping her fingers on a cloth napkin. She reached out for one of the more common books sitting on her bed.

She opened Percival's Examination of Titanium and a bookmark fell out. It clinked lightly as it hit the stone floor and shimmered like a rainbow in the morning light. The tassel seemed to be woven from miniscule strands of silver. Sapphire chips set in the titanium shaped a decorative 'H.'

"Good lord," Hermione exclaimed and her fingers fluttered to her mouth.

"He tends to overdo things," Severus said, embarrassed.

"I'll owl your mother later and thank her," said Hermione. "The card did say it was from the... estate?"

"That would be appropriate," said Severus quickly. "If we are being watched, it looks as if we're leading a normal life. Also, my mother enjoys being coddled."

"I imagine most mothers-in-law do," mused Hermione as she picked up the bookmark and examined it.

Severus suddenly decided he should send flowers to Hermione's mother. Perhaps it would make her father less hostile.

Perhaps it would make him more hostile. Severus frowned.

Hermione tucked the light piece of metal back into the book and turned back to the table.

She looked mournful as she began eating. Her eyes kept straying towards the books.

"Do you really want to read them that badly?" Severus asked.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione, blushing. "Normally I'd be opening them, but I'm afraid of getting anything on them."

Severus shook his head at her and gave her an admonishing look. He pulled his wand out and waved it at the pile of books.

The one on titanium rose in the air and came to a gentle stop in front of Hermione. With a flick of Severus' wrist, the book opened to page one.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione murmured to herself as she began reading.

Severus sighed. At least he wouldn't have to worry about keeping her out of trouble for now.