Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to JKR.

A/N: I can't believe you guys! This is what, the 7th chapter? You should know by now that my awesome beta, Cough Southern_Witch_69 Cough, has to remain anonymous until after voting!

Hermione sat on the stool behind the counter, looking around at the displays. She still couldn't believe that she'd bought Flourish and Blotts when she'd been home for Christmas! But when she'd walked by the store and had seen the for sale sign in the window, it had seemed like fate to her. Now, she could only be glad that she'd done it.

It had been five months since she'd come home for good. Her kids had come home from Hogwarts yesterday, and tomorrow they were going with Molly, Arthur, and their Potter cousins to spend a week with Charlie in Romania. Then from there, they were going on to Ron's to spend half of the summer. They'd all decided it would be easier for them to spend the first part of the summer with Ron and Lavender and the latter part with her so that they'd be home when it was time to get ready for Hogwarts in September.

The flat above the bookstore was crowded with all three of them there, but Hermione hadn't had time to look for a new home while implementing the changes she wanted done for the store, so she'd decided to wait until after Rose and Hugo went back to school.

The bookstore had kept her busy, giving her little or no time to think about him while she worked, except at night when she lay in bed and closed her eyes. That last night they'd spent together, he'd seemed like he wanted to make things up to her. But when she'd awakened alone, Hermione knew that it must have been wishful thinking on her part.

No matter...she wouldn't let it matter...she had her children and, now, a business doing something that she absolutely loved.

She'd added a small tea parlor, getting the idea from a Muggle bookstore she'd gone into once. She served several different teas, scones and the like. At first, Hermione had had a few doubts, but now she saw that she'd made the right decision. Business was booming, and it was only June.

Right now, she was putting together packages for back to school. Years one through five would be standard for all students, so she'd asked Minerva, the Headmistress of Hogwarts, to give her a list of the books that the teachers would be using this year as soon as she had it so that Hermione could purchase the books and put them all together. After thinking long and hard and remembering school shopping with the Weasleys, Hermione decided she would also put together a few used book packages as well.

Rose and Hugo were both there, helping her clean and move some things around. Rose also, Hermione had discovered, enjoyed working the counter behind the new tea parlor. There was a new girl starting there tomorrow after Rose left, but for now, her daughter was in heaven, trying out her flirting skills on what looked to be a young Seamus Finnegan.

Hermione started to rise when the bell over the door sounded. Turning her attention to the door, she smiled when Harry, Ginny, and their three children walked into the store. "Hello! What brings you here?"

"We've come to see how you're doing," Harry told her.

Hermione sighed. "Stop fussing over me, Harry. I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Hermione! I wish you'd at least tell me who..."

"Harry James Potter," his wife warned, "stop badgering Hermione this instant. You promised if we stopped by that you'd behave!"

"Um, Aunt Hermione?" James interrupted, always uneasy when his mum used that particular voice. "Is Hugo here?"

Hermione smiled down at her nephew. "Yes, he's in the back sorting through some books for me. Why don't you three go on back for a visit, or if you like, you can go see Rose and have some tea and scones."

"Thanks!" they said in unison, James running back to see Hugo and the other two running off to see Rose.

When Hermione turned back, she noticed Harry eyeing her critically. "Really, Harry. You've no need to keep checking on me like this."

"So you say," he told her. "You were a complete mess when you got back! And then when you'd found out that..."

"Stop it!" Hermione said. "Must we go into it every single time?"

"No, not if you'd tell me who it is!"

Hermione laughed. "Always the hero." She leaned over and patted his cheek. "I love that about you, honestly, but I'm big enough to fight my own battles now."

"And we will respect that," Ginny added for her husband's benefit. "Why don't you come over for supper tomorrow evening when the kids leave?"

"Thank you, but I think I'll have a soak once they go and I finish up here. Perhaps Saturday?"

Harry threw his hands in the air and growled in frustration. "Damn it, you two! How can you stand there having a chat when so much is going on? Hermione, your problem is a serious one."

Folding her arms over her chest and sitting back down on the stool she kept behind the counter, Hermione said, "I'm fully aware of my problem and the seriousness of it. When the kids leave tomorrow, I plan to take care of a few things. Until I have, Harry, I don't want to talk about it. I mean it!" she said when he'd started to speak.

Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. I'm sorry. I can't help but worrying about you, though."

Hermione smiled. "And I love you for it."

Just then the bell sounded, and Hermione smiled and started to rise to greet the new customer. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened, the smile quickly left her face, and she slowly sat back down on the stool and pulled it as close to the counter as she could. Severus Snape had just walked into her bookstore.

***

Severus was not in the best of moods. He and Liam had discussed things thoroughly and decided that he'd attend Hogwarts. Liam wanted to attend the same school as Scorpius. Even though they were not the same age, Liam told his father that at least there would be someone that he knew.

So, he'd sold his condo in Italy and came back home two months ago. There had been so much to do. He had to get a business license to sell his products here, find a house with a room or a basement suitable for a laboratory, and most importantly, purchase a wand for his son.

He'd been staying with Lucius and Narcissa, and the woman was going to drive him insane. She wouldn't stop talking about Hermione Granger. He'd finally told her that if she didn't stop, he and Liam were going to go to the Leaky Cauldron until he found a home for them.

He couldn't get Hermione out of his mind, and Narcissa constantly mentioning her didn't help matters. He cringed every time he thought of their time together and the way he'd treated her. But not that last night. Then, he'd opened himself completely to her. Well, he adjusted his thinking, not so much with words, per se, but with actions.

It was like a fist to his heart when he'd gone back to find that she'd gone. He'd spent the first month brooding and blaming her and then the second trying to forget her. It wasn't working, so he went to Ireland to pick up his son. He wanted to make some decisions and get on with things, but mostly, he'd missed Liam terribly. It was a few months early, but he couldn't help it. Besides, Liam wanted to come back home.

The O'Learys were not pleased, but they didn't argue. They could tell that the boy was not happy there. With promises to keep in touch, Liam had gone back home with his father.

When he'd finally found the home he wanted to purchase in England, he'd been relieved. It was quite a bit larger than what he'd originally wanted or even needed, but the price was too good to pass up. The family that had lived there had been killed by Death Eaters in the living room, and for that reason, nobody wanted to purchase the mansion. It had stood empty for years, so Severus had been able to purchase it for a song.

Besides the master bedroom, there were four others: three baths, a large kitchen and living area, a formal dining room that Severus doubted would ever be put to use, and a basement big enough to make and store his products.

Today, he'd wanted to take Liam with him to purchase furniture, but Narcissa had caught him right before he'd left. When she'd found out where he was going, she'd asked if he wouldn't mind stopping by the bookstore and picking up a book she'd ordered that had just come in.

Of course he'd told her that he would. It would only take a few moments of his time, and despite her constant nagging, the Malfoys had been good to him and Liam.

He was surprised when he walked into the store. It had certainly changed over the years. He took a moment to walk around a bit and noticed that an area that served tea had been added. Shaking his head, he started toward the counter to ask after the book and stopped dead in his tracks. There sat Hermione.

For a moment, it was if time had stood still. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. Then suddenly, Liam grabbed his robe sleeve and tugged. "Dad! May I go to the counter for some tea and scones?"

"Yes," Severus replied automatically, still never taking his eyes off of Hermione. He hadn't prepared himself to see her so soon. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

"Professor! How are you? What brings you and Liam here?"

Severus watched as Hermione cut her gaze from him to Harry.

"You're not surprised? You knew he was alive...all these years...and never said one single word to me? You know his son?"

"Um..." Harry started, seemingly confused. Then his eyes focused as if a light suddenly turned on inside his head. "Hold on! When did you find out? You never said anything before, and it's only been a few months since you got back from... Italy! Where Professor Snape has been living!"

Annoyed, Severus began to clap very slowly. "Very good, Potter. Tell me, what else can you deduce from this little scene?"

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the back that caused Hermione to automatically jump up from her stool and turn her attention to the noise.

"We're alright!" Hugo yelled from the back. "A box of books just toppled over, Mum. We'll pick them up."

Letting out a loud breath, Hermione said, "Fine, Hugo, but please be more careful with my stock!" As she rested her hand on her stomach, she realized her mistake. Very carefully, she turned her gaze back to Severus to find him staring at her belly, horrified. Then suddenly, he whipped his eyes back to hers.

"Something you need to tell me, Hermione?"

She shook her head, not knowing what to say or where to begin. "It's not what it looks like."

"Oh? Then you're not pregnant? Put on a few stones, have you?"

"Hold on!" Harry yelled. "It's you! You're the one that's done this to her!"

"Merlin, Harry! Surely you've figured that much out!" Ginny said as she shook her head. "Come on, we've got to finish packing for the kids' trip."

"No, I don't want to go just yet. I want a word with the professor here."

"Harry," Hermione said patiently. "Please go. I need to speak with Severus.

"We're going, and if it's okay, since it's so close to closing, we'll just take Rose and Hugo with us to eat supper and play Quidditch for a few hours."

"I would appreciate it, thank you."

After everyone had left and Severus had gotten Liam settled on a sofa with a book, he purposefully walked back to the counter. "I have to assume that the baby you're carrying is mine. Please, correct me if I'm mistaken."

"You're not mistaken."

"I see. And just when were you planning on letting me in on the fact that I'm to be a father again?"

"Dad? Can we get Aunt Cissy's book and go? My stomach hurts," Liam said.

Hermione reached under the counter and lifted a book wrapped in brown paper. "Here is the book Mrs. Malfoy ordered. It's paid for."

Severus pointed between himself and Hermione. "We're not finished. Not by a long shot."

He walked over to his son, took his hand, and very calmly left the store.

***

Hermione had not been in her flat thirty minutes when she heard an angry pounding on her door. Thinking it was Harry, she yelled, "Hold your Thestrals! I'm coming!"

When she got to the door and threw it open, she was very surprised to see Severus. "What are you doing here? Where's your son?"

"My son is with the Malfoys, and I've come to discuss things with you. How dare you keep this from me?"

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "I was going to tell you! Rose and Hugo are leaving tomorrow with the Weasleys to visit Charlie, and I was going to owl you that letter!" she yelled, pointing to the letter that lay on the table.

He snarled. "Right. And how do I know that you didn't rush up here and write that?"

Hermione shrugged. "You don't. And frankly, Severus, I don't care if you believe me or not."

"You would dare speak to me like this after keeping the fact that you're going to have my baby from me? Let me tell you this, you will not keep my child from me!"

"I have no intentions of keeping this child from you. But I want to make this perfectly clear to you, Severus. You will not come here, into my home, and try to take things over. I'll be more than happy to set up some sort of visitation..."

"Visitation? I think not. I will have a very active roll in the raising of this child."

"I will be the primary parent, not you! Do you think after I've gotten to know you the way I have I would trust you to have a large influence over this baby? If that's what you think, you're sadly mistaken."

"Are you saying that I've not done a good job raising my son?" he asked in a deceptively low voice.

Hermione snorted. "How the hell would I know that? You've never spoken of your son...or anything else remotely personal...to me before. All I have to go by is the way that you've treated me, and let me tell you, on that respect, you've fallen very short."

Severus took a deep breath as if trying to get some sort of control. "I will admit I have not behaved admirably towards you as of late, Hermione, but that has nothing to do with this. On this, let me be perfectly clear. I plan on taking my responsibility very seriously and having a significant part of this child's life."

"Well, let me make something perfectly clear to you! I won't have my baby going back and forth from here to Italy!"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I see Rose and Hugo have no problems going back and forth from here to America."

"That's true, but you have to consider their ages and the fact that they've been with Ron since they were born. He knows them and has helped raise them. So, their situations are entirely different."

"Well then, let me ease your mind. I no longer live in Italy. I've come home. Liam will begin Hogwarts in the fall. And have no doubts, I will be there when this child is born and have a very active part of his life there after."

"You surprise me. I would think that you would want to spend as little time as possible with this baby."

"Then you don't know me very well."

Hermione threw her hands up. "Exactly! I don't know you well at all, and what I do know does not impress me. So, until I do know you a little better, you will not be alone with this child."

"You think you can speak it and it will be? This child is as much mine as yours, and I will not be forced out of his life. That's something that you'd better learn, Hermione."

"Don't you dare threaten me, Severus Snape!" Hermione walked up to him and poked him in the chest with her finger. "I will not allow you to bully your way into my life or my child's life!"

"Our child. And I think it only fair to tell you that I won't be bullied out of this child's life!"

She pointed to the door. "Get out! Get out of here! I cannot reason with you!"

"Oh, I'll go," he told her. "But know this: I am going to see my barrister the first thing in the morning and will establish my parental rights now. You won't keep me from my child, Hermione."

"I don't want to keep you from this baby, Severus."

"Yes, you do. You want to punish me for the way I've treated you. And I will admit that I've treated you badly. But you will not use this child to punish me, Hermione. It's not fair. Neither to me nor the child."

She had gone pale. "You actually think that I'd use this baby in such a way? How horrid do you think I am?"

"I would say vindictive."

"You can go to hell! Leave!" She couldn't help it; the tears began to flow.

He nodded once and walked to the door. "Expect the papers, Hermione."

"GO!"

Once he'd left, she slammed the door. She would not have that man take over her life that way. Not hers and not her child's!

A/N: Well, well. The tables have turned now, eh?