23. Epilogue

23. Epilogue

The sound of clinking bottles could be heard from inside the potions store. Severus walked into the lab and over to his workbench, peered into the cauldron and looked down at the hastily scribbled note on the pad beside it.

'Shit,' a mumbled voice came from the store.

Severus folded his arms and waited. After a short moment, a tall, slim girl of fourteen walked from the potions store and stopped in her tracks as she looked at him.

'Dad.' She gave him a lopsided smile and tucked her long black hair behind her ears.

'Elizabeth,' he said flatly, and the girl groaned. She knew she was in trouble if he called her by her full name.

'Well, I was almost finished; I did exactly what you said. Then I realised I had forgotten the wormwood, and I went to get some,' Lizzie's voice got quieter, 'and we haven't got any.'

'Lizzie, remind me why I gave you this Saturday job?' Severus said softly.

Lizzie closed her eyes. Here we go, she thought to herself.

'So Mum can have the day with Marco, and I can do the stock take and make the healing potion for St Mungo's.' She repeated the terms of her employment.

'And have you fulfilled the terms of your job description recently?' Severus murmured and walked towards where Lizzie was standing.

'No.' She looked down at her feet and knew she had been rumbled.

'You didn't finish your work last week, did you, Lizzie?' Severus murmured, looking down at the top of his daughter's bowed head. 'Was there something more important, perhaps, that caused you to leave without finishing the stock take?'

Lizzie felt sick. Her father was intimidating at times, definitely frustrating and had a temper that could raise the roof, but this was the worst. His disappointment. And the fact he could see right through her.

'I was meeting someone,' she mumbled, not raising her eyes.

'Speak up, Lizzie, I cannot hear you when you mumble.' Severus smirked a little.

He knew exactly what she had done last week, but he loved to watch her try and squirm her way out of things. She may be Slytherin, but she wasn't a well-practiced one. In fact, Severus wondered if she would have been better placed in Ravenclaw.

Lizzie raised her eyes defiantly to her father, and he raised his eyebrow at her.

'I was meeting someone last week, okay?' she shouted, 'and don't ask me who, because I won't tell you. It's none of your business!'

Lizzie crossed her arms and glared at him, and Severus fought hard to force down the laughter bubbling in his throat. She really could be as stubborn as her mother.

Severus sighed deeply and shook his head.

'Ah, Lizzie. You've grown up so much, you really have, and that was why I gave you this job. I thought you were ready, but perhaps your mother was right.' He turned to walk out of the lab.

'What? What do you mean? Dad...?' Lizzie had to stride after Severus as he walked into the front of the shop and started to lock up.

'Okay, tell me. What did Mum say?' Lizzie glared at him again.

Severus felt a little spark of glee. Lizzie had an inner need to prove Hermione wrong and had done, ever since she was a little girl. He cast his mind back to a sunny day in the back garden, when at the age of five Lizzie had started to climb the apple tree. Hermione had admonished her and told her that she would fall and break her leg and that taking Skele-gro was disgusting. Lizzie had pouted at her, and as soon as her back was turned, she had shimmied to the top branches and been unable to climb down.

Hermione had ranted at her for ages afterwards, but Lizzie hadn't cared. She hadn't fallen out of the tree, and she hadn't broken her leg.

'Your mother felt that you would be too interested in meeting with your friends to be committed to this job each Saturday,' Severus replied smoothly and saw the light in Lizzie's eyes fade a little.

'That's not true. I love working here with you, Dad.' Lizzie's eyes pricked with tears.

Hermione had been right, at least about last Saturday, but that was different. She had been waiting for ages for Damien Longbottom to ask her out, and when he finally had, she hadn't been able to think of anything else. And when he had suggested meeting for an ice cream on Saturday, Lizzie had forgotten about her job and rushed through it so she could dash out and meet with him. But she hadn't finished the stock take, and now, she couldn't finish the healing potion for St Mungo's. The guilt crashed over her, and her pale cheeks flushed pink as she looked up into her father's eyes.

'I'm sorry, Dad. I promise it won't happen again.' Lizzie looked at him, her dark brown eyes watering and her pale pink lips being chewed to bits as she waited for him to respond.

Severus smiled and walked over to her, leant against the counter, and held his arms open.

Smiling softly, she snuggled against his robes as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He knew there would be a time very soon when his hugs would be unwanted, and he rested his chin on her head gently, musing at how fast his children had grown.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Severus began to laugh at the screwed up face puckered up against the glass of the front door.

'We'd better let them in.' He laughed again, and Lizzie's face split into a grin at the sight of her little brother making faces at her through the glass.

Severus flicked his wand, and the door opened so fast that Marco tumbled into the shop and landed on the floor. He looked up and caught Severus's eye and laughed loudly before jumping to his feet.

'Where's your mother?' Severus asked, puzzled not to see Hermione following Marco into the shop.

'Just coming. Can I stir something, Dad?' he said to him quickly, his dark eyes bright and his sandy hair falling into his eyes lightly.

'Lizzie has a potion she is making; I'm sure it needs stirring. What do you think, Lizzie?' Severus winked at her, knowing that her ruined potion would be the ideal distraction for an inquisitive five year old.

'Definitely. I was looking for someone to help me. Come on, Marco.' She grinned at him, and he took her hand as they walked towards the lab.

Severus watched them with a lump in his throat and wondered if they would have been as close if Hermione hadn't lost her third pregnancy. The age gap between them meant that Lizzie had taken on a lot of responsibility as Marco's big sister, especially since Zach had gone on to University last month. Severus smiled as he heard Lizzie giving Marco careful instructions.

Hermione pushed the shop door open with her bottom, her hands full of shopping bags that she dumped with a sigh.

'Thank goodness that's over with. You wouldn't believe how busy it is out there today.' Hermione put her hands on her hips and tipped her head to Severus for a kiss.

He was happy to oblige and ran his hands along her body as he kissed her sensuously.

It wasn't what Hermione had been expecting, and she lost her balance a little. He caught her, and they laughed together, their eyes meeting and the familiar spark between them ignited something between her thighs. Severus raised his eyes at her and smirked slightly.

'Wait here,' he murmured to her.

Hermione smiled to herself and waited impatiently for him to come back.

'Lizzie is keeping Marco occupied. I warded the lab so they can't come out yet, and there is a double Silencing Spell over the whole shop.' He smiled at her sexily and took his wand out of his robes. With a flick, black blinds covered the doorway and the windows, leaving the front of the shop in a dim light but ensuring no one would be able to see in.

'You have the best ideas, Severus. Now hurry up before the kids get suspicious and try and get your wards down like the last time.' Hermione walked towards him and pulled her blouse over her head, unfastened her bra, and moved her hands to the top of her jeans quickly.

Severus watched her intently. He knew she only undressed this way to tease him, and with a flick of his wand, they were both naked.

Hermione walked up to him and ran a finger down his chest until she reached his erect cock, licking her lips a little. In moments, their lips were locked, and Severus lifted Hermione onto the shop counter. They knew from previous experience it was at the perfect height, and after a little caressing, stroking, licking and sucking, Hermione lay herself back as Severus pulled her hips forward and entered her firmly.

'Gods,' he hissed. 'After three children, you are still so tight, witch'

'Mmm, and you still know how to fuck me, Severus, now shut up and get on with it.'

Hermione squirmed as he started to thrust, and in a matter of minutes, they were both crying out their orgasms and holding on to each other, trembling and kissing each other softly.

'I love you,' Hermione murmured into his neck as he caught his breath.

'I love you too.' Severus kissed her cheek and climbed off her quickly, aware that the children were effectively locked in his lab.

They dressed, and Severus flicked his wand, removing all of the charms and wards and letting light back into the shop. He turned to Hermione and winked at her, and she brushed her hair back from her flushed face.

Hermione grinned at him and smiled as he went to fetch the children.

The End

A/N: Hi everyone. Just wanted to say a huge thanks to Kizzy, who has worked so hard on this and been a wonderful friend into the bargain. Also, thank you to you, readers. Your reviews have made me giggle and smile, and that's always a good thing. And to RobisonRocket here at The Petulant Poetess, for doing such a sterling job sifting out the errors Kizzy and I both missed!