A Snape

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just that... Well, I didn't know Professor Snape had a daughter," Hermione explained to the strange little girl.

Justine looked down at her muddy shoes and shrugged. "It's all right." She glanced up at Hermione, curiosity evident in her shrewd, grey eyes. "What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger. It would appear that we are neighbours."

Justine's pale face lit up. "Really? It's been so long since I've seen other people around here!" She blushed and looked quite shy all of a sudden. "Do you have any children my age living with you?"

Hermione laughed quite suddenly at Justine's inquiry. "Well, no... I'm not old as all that you know."

Justine's face turned a deeper shade of crimson. "Oh, I didn't mean..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked away, seemingly mortified at having been laughed at. Hermione immediately felt guilty; it was obvious that Justine was quite sensitive.

"Don't be embarrassed, Justine. I did not laugh to be cruel. Your question just caught me off guard. That is all." She gave the younger girl a reassuring smile, which Justine reluctantly returned.

"You don't think me silly?" Justine asked suspiciously.

"Not at all. If anything, you are far too serious for your age."

Justine rolled her eyes. "You don't even know how old I am!"

Hermione sighed. "You're right, I don't. If I had to guess, though, I think I would say... Ten?"

Justine appeared to be quite pleased with Hermione's guess, but shook her head. "You would be wrong then. I'm eight."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "That's awfully young to be wandering the woods by yourself. Where are your parents?"

"My mother is dead, and my father is at home," Justine answered plainly.

"You poor dear!" Hermione gasped.

Justine opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a voice in the distance calling out her name.

"My father is coming," she groaned. She looked down at her ruined clothes and dirty hands. "I don't expect he will be very happy with me. I've sort of wandered off without telling him, you see."

Hermione gave her a pitying look. "Oh, dear..." His voice grew louder as he neared his approach. Thinking quickly, Hermione performed a quick Scourgify on Justine. The girl gave her a grateful yet nervous smile. The tongue-lashing would be considerably less severe now that she was not caked in mud.

Severus Snape approached the two of them, and Hermione noticed that he looked almost wild with concern. When he spotted his daughter, though, he schooled his features into a stony glare.

"So, you've decided that Miss Temple has nothing to teach you again, I see." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his prodigal offspring.

"I think she decided that when she fell asleep in the middle of my lesson again," Justine replied, averting her eyes from Severus's glare. Hermione suddenly felt very uncomfortable, finding herself in the middle of an argument between father and daughter.

Severus looked as if he was ready to give a scathing reply, but then looked up as if just taking notice of Hermione's presence.

"You again? I might have known it wouldn't be long before you started inciting rebellion in my daughter." He smirked.

Hermione gasped in indignation. "How can you pin this on me? I've only just met her!" She blushed when she realized that he had been joking. "I daresay she wandered off for a reason."

Severus's expression grew dark. "What exactly are you implying?"

"Nothing on your part--I'm sure--but if her teacher keeps nodding off in the middle of a lesson--"

"I hear tell you passed 'History of Magic' with flying colors under the same circumstances," Severus interrupted.

"I wasn't eight years old when I took 'History of Magic', and I think that's a pretty unfair comparison!"

"Of course, no one can hold a candle to your brilliance in the classroom," he retorted sarcastically.

Hermione gave a frustrated groan and threw her hands in the air. "I give up. I was merely trying to help her case--"

"Do not. You've no right to interfere in this matter, Miss Granger." He looked down at Justine, who had been observing this exchange with rapt fascination. "Where is Miss Temple's cane?"

Justine smirked, and Hermione was struck with how much the child resembled her father when she did so. "It might be in the duck pond," she replied. Hermione noticed a muscle in Severus's cheek twitch, but he betrayed no emotion.

"I see. Why would Miss Temple's cane be in the duck pond?"

"Because I put it there... Is she going to quit?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "She is not. I managed to convince her to stay, despite your untoward behavior." He held out his hand. "Come, we will discuss the terms of your punishment on the way home. I expect you to apologize to Miss Temple and Kitty the moment we arrive. Your silly house-elf has been beside herself for hours." He turned to Hermione and bowed his head slightly. "I thank you for apprehending my daughter; I will also thank you not to put your advice where it is not wanted. Good day."

Hermione returned the bow and waved to Justine with a sympathetic smile. The girl looked positively miserable as she waved back. As Severus and Justine walked away, Hermione found herself glaring at Severus's back.

"Insufferable man," she muttered before heading back to her own complicated situation.

888

Hermione returned to find her home quite silent. It was apparent that the suitors had followed her orders and were sheltering themselves from her wrath. She spotted Harry and Ron whispering together in one corner of the entrance hall. She cleared her throat, and they turned to her, both faces holding sober expressions.

"Hello, Hermione. We were just discussing the situation at hand," Harry explained as she approached.

"Oh?"

Ron nodded. "We've decided to put wards up on the property. No one but immediate family allowed on the premises, that sort of thing."

Hermione smiled. "Your immediate family? Are you sure that Fred and George wouldn't think it a great joke to propose to me?"

Ron shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I've owled my mum, and I am sure she's threatening dismemberment to any of my brothers who decide that proposing to you would be a good idea." Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared at Ron. He gulped and shook his head. "I mean... Well, you know what I mean... Don't look at me like that!"

"How was your walk?" Harry asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Ron's foot-in-mouth remark.

Hermione turned to Harry, looking very much at a loss for words. Would it be prudent to tell the boys about Professor Snape's secret life outside of Hogwarts? She wasn't altogether sure if he would appreciate her divulging that fact that he had a daughter; he was such a private person. Best to let them find out for themselves, if such a thing would happen.

"It was very therapeutic, thank you," was all she said. Harry nodded with a strange expression on his face. It seemed that he sensed that something was wrong, but did not want to pry.

"What do you think about the warding idea?" Ron asked, apparently not sensing that anything was amiss in her statement.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, definitely. I've had enough of suitors for one lifetime."

The three of them spent the next hour protecting the house from intruders. Hermione even discovered a charm that made certain words impossible to utter on the premises. The word 'Marry' would magically become 'Martyr' once uttered, and the word 'Wife' would become 'Wig-maker'.

It was late in the day when the suitors decided to emerge from their respective rooms. Hermione decided that although they were intruding upon her home against her will, it would be bad manners to not offer them a bit of hospitality. The five unwanted guests were therefore treated to sitting at the dinner table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Draco and Blaise stared down at the hastily prepared food with disdain appropriate to their class; Peter spent his time leering at Hermione's bosom, enjoying his meal with far more enthusiasm than was needed; Neville refused to look anywhere but at his dinner plate, and Viktor gallantly complimented Hermione's novice effort.

"So, how long are you going to keep us on tenderhooks, Granger?" Draco inquired with a sneer.

Hermione glared back at him. "As long as it takes, and you're not doing much to gain my favor, Malfoy. With that attitude, my decision could take months."

"You should be flattered I even proposed in the first place," Draco replied.

"Why did you propose, Malfoy? What need do you have for my modest inheritance? I am a mudblood after all." Ron, Harry and Neville gave a start at her use of the word 'mudblood'.

"Come on, Hermione, you shouldn't use a word like--" Ron pleaded before Hermione cut him off with a scathing glance.

Peter cleared his throat, bringing attention to himself. "Actually, after the war the Ministry decided to freeze the assets of all known Death-Eaters, with the exception of those who decided to oppose Voldemort at the last minute. The Malfoy clan is desolate, as is the Zabini clan."

Hermione shot a look at Blaise, who seemed to wish that he was somewhere else that moment. "Your mother?"

Blaise shook his head. "No, my mum was never a Death-Eater. All of her husbands, however..."

"All of them?" Hermione squeaked.

"Yeah, the Ministry decided the fact that they were dead was no excuse. She told me to regain our former glory or not come home at all." He shrugged. "She also told me that if I martyr you, I should kill you whenever I get the chance."

Hermione's eyes widened at this. "Well, I guess that leaves you out."

"I assure you if we martyr, I will not kill you."

"A likely story," Ron replied, rolling his eyes.

"Why would I tell you all that if I were really going to kill her?" Blaise quizzed.

"To make us think you wouldn't, perhaps?" Harry offered, popping a bit of baked chicken into his mouth.

Blaise gave another shrug and continued to eat his food in silence.

The meal continued in awkward silence until Bilson entered the dining-room and announced that Hermione had a visitor. Everyone at the table followed her into the entrance hall, curious to see if another suitor had arrived. It wasn't another suitor.

"Justine!" Hermione exclaimed. The little girl smiled at her and then appraised the curious onlookers, giving Ron a shy little smile.

"Who is Justine?" Harry asked.

"And how did she get past our wards?" Ron inquired.

Justine sighed. "I'm Justine." She turned to Ron, greedily taking him in with her eyes. "I'm ten, by the way."

End of Chapter