Hermione frowned at the otter patronus bounding into her classroom.

"Please come to the Headmaster's office as soon as you are able," it said.

"Tell Headmaster Snape I'll be there as soon as class is finished," she said.

The first year Transfiguration students giggled as the otter trotted off.

"Are you in trouble, Madam Snape?"

That question was posed by young Hilary Long of Hufflepuff.

"I don't think so," she said.

"That means you might be?"

"Maybe!"

The class giggled again as she glanced at her watch.

"I think we're done for today anyway. Enjoy your Easter holidays, everyone!"

"Thank you, Madam Snape," a few said as they gathered their things and left.

She watched them leave, frowning slightly as she organized the papers and items on her desk before heading to Severus' office. She had no idea what he could want with her that he'd send his patronus for her.

She gave the gargoyle her password and went in, finding him seated at his desk.

"How lovely to see you, Madam Snape," Professor Dumbledore's portrait said from behind Severus.

"Professor," she said with a polite nod.

She was still somewhat bitter with the older wizard. As powerful as he was, she felt he had done a lot of game playing that could have been avoided. Severus had nearly died and likely would have if he hadn't taught her more than the common healing methods.

"My first years want to know if I'm in trouble," she said, taking a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk.

"No, but I had something of a rather pressing matter in order to get it done before the Ministry goes on holiday."

"Oh," she frowned, nibbling her lower lip.

"It's somewhat of a surprise for you. You can say no, of course, no one would be the wiser except Kingsley and myself."

"Okay," she said, growing more concerned.

He stood then, picking up some papers and taking the seat next to her before handing her the papers.

"What is this?" she asked.

"I know you know how to read, Hermione."

"Yes, but…" these seemed to be adoption papers. "You're, we're, adopting her?"

"If you'd like to. I know you've expressed concern for what she'll do once the school year ends. With what happened with her cousin, Kingsley and I agreed she may be unwilling to trust anyone. She trusts you and, seemingly, me. She already knows us, about our soul marks and as far as I know she hasn't told anyone so she seems to understand we're private people."

"You really want to adopt her?"

"I know you want to ensure she has a proper place in life. This will do that."

"She doesn't know?"

"No. I will call her into the office once we're done if you want to sign the papers."

"Of course I do. You know I do, but Severus," she whispered.

"What?" he asked with a frown.

"The timing may be bad," she said.

"How?"

"Well, Poppy confirmed for me this morning…"

"That you're with child. I'm aware."

"You are?"

He smirked.

"Yes. Before you get upset with her she didn't tell me, but I suspected and may have done the test while you were sleeping earlier this week."

"You did not!"

"I did," he said.

"And you said nothing?"

"I thought maybe you just weren't telling me yet."

"How did you know?"

"I live with you, Hermione. We've been able to be intimate with no obstacles or endless rounds of shower sex for weeks now. I may not be an expert, but that should've been in there somewhere since the last time."

"Oh," she said, not having thought he'd notice. Then again, of course Mr. Spy would notice such things.

"About eight weeks?"

"Yes," she said with a nod.

"That was what my results told me as well. However, I'm not seeing what this has to do with Miss Milward."

"Well, she's an only child like we are."

"Okay?"

"She may not want to be adopted by us knowing a baby is coming in a few months"

"Well, let's ask her, give her the opportunity to make her own decision on the matter. I think she's mature enough to be honest with us, and we're newlyweds even if you weren't pregnant now she'd have to realize the probability of at least one child would be there."

"Yes, of course," she said, reading through the papers more carefully now. "Would she have to call us Mum and Dad?"

"Again, up to her. I would not force the issue as she's twelve not two. I think I would prefer not as that might lead to odd questions, especially in the muggle world."

"Yes, that was my thought, too."

"So, that's a yes? I can summon her then?"

"How long have you been working on this?"

"Since Christmas but New Year's Day is when I actually got serious about it. I saw how much you like one another, the trust you both have in one another, and I thought why should we risk that going away. Or her being put into a worse home than her cousin's."

She stood then, throwing her arms around him.

"You are an amazing man, Severus Snape."

"Let's keep that under wraps, okay?"

She rolled her eyes and sat again, reading the papers once more as she was certain this was a dream.

He cast his patronus, sending it to Odette with a message to follow it. She would be getting ready to go to lunch soon.

"Might I offer my congratulations," Professor Dumbledore's portrait said.

"Thank you, Albus," Severus said.

"And I think Miss Milward should be very lucky to call you her parents."

Hermione blushed and shifted in her seat as she reviewed the paperwork for the third time as they waited for Odette to arrive.

The otter had been instructed to give Odette the password once she got to the gargoyle, so he wasn't surprised when she and his otter came into the room.

"He's so cute," she said as the otter in question rubbed up against her playfully.

Hermione couldn't resist. She cast her own patronus, the female version to his otter and after both rubbed against Odette playfully they bound off through the walls to do whatever patronuses did once they were done with their message.

"How are you today, Miss Milward?"

"Fine, Headmaster, Sir."

"Madam Snape and I have something we'd like to discuss with you."

"Okay," she said, glancing at Hermione. She already had permission to remain here until summer so her staying over the Easter holidays wasn't news.

"I've been talking with Minister Shacklebolt about your placement once you've finished your second year with us."

"Oh. Right," she said. The look on her face was utterly frightened and Hermione's heart broke for the young Slytherin. "Yes, Sir," she said, seeming to expect the worst.

"Madam Snape, Hermione, and I actually have an option for you that we hope you might find agreeable," he continued.

Hermione couldn't help but watch Professor Dumbledore. The wizard actually looked proud, if that emotion could be portrayed by a painting.

"We would like to offer you permanent residence, a home and family, with us. Formally we'd adopt you, but I would not expect you to change your name unless you wished to nor would we expect you to address us as Mother and Father."

"You want to adopt me?" she asked, sounding incredulous.

"Hermione mentioned to me this morning, being that you're an only child, that we should address one issue before you make a decision. We are expecting a child. We have not told anyone else as Hermione has already lost one pregnancy. But, perhaps being adopted into a family where there would be at least one baby and you would be so much older than the next oldest of any children we do have would be an issue for you."

"I," she said, glancing from Severus to Hermione and then down to her hands. Hermione settled her hand over hers. "I don't know what to say, Sir. You're too kind. I never expected. You've been so nice to me. I'd secretly hoped, wanted to be part of your family especially since I know you're soul bonded to one another. You trusted me enough to let me see your marks."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she sniffled. Severus offered her a handkerchief, and Hermione thought she saw tears in Professor Dumbledore's eyes as well.

"Hermione and I will sign the paperwork, Minister Shacklebolt may come have a few words with you but I'm not sure he'll even need to and by the end of today it will be turned in."

"I'd like to change my name," she said softly.

"I'm sorry?" Severus said, sounding very surprised.

"I don't have any other family but my cousin, not really. I mean, obviously there are some but none I'm close to or anything. No one else came to take me in after Mom and Dad died."

"In that case," he said, pulling out another document. "You can sign this one and we'll turn them in together."

She signed her paper, changing her name as Hermione and Severus signed their paper binding them to her in adoption. How surreal this was. They had a daughter. Okay, she was twelve and they hadn't created her, Hermione hadn't given birth to her. Severus and Hermione were now responsible for another human being together.

"As far as your housing. You can stay in Slytherin house until summer. If you'd prefer to reside with us during the school years, which I wouldn't suggest truthfully not because I don't want you there but because part of the Hogwarts experience is the dorms you can."

"I'd like to stay in Slytherin house," she said with a nod.

"Very well. And the baby news, that's between the three of us for now."

"Yes, Sir," she said.

"I think you can call me Severus in private, Odette."

She smiled shyly then, blushing. "Thank you, Severus."

The paperwork signed and secured, Severus sent them off to the Ministry with his owl. Of course it was raven black.

"Can I stay with you over the holidays?"

His lips twitched in a smile.

"I think that can be arranged, yes."

"Can we go to Hermione's house again?"

"Maybe we can and watch some movies," Hermione offered. "Severus liked my popcorn when I made it for him."

"I did," he admitted. "Alright, to lunch with you then, Odette. We'll see you tomorrow at breakfast and then you can bring to our quarters what you want for the holidays."

"Thank you." She stood then, hugging Hermoine tightly before walking to Severus where he sat behind his desk and hugging him, too.

"I suppose these are things I should get used to," he said, hugging her back cautiously. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at them so please be patient with me."

"Yes, Sir," she said. She left the room then and Hermione didn't miss the huge smile on the young Slytherin's face.

"Well, we just made her day."

"I think so. She seems to have an attachment to your home."

"I know. I should sell it," she admitted.

"Well, I was thinking maybe that could be our home."

"What about Spinner's End?"

"What about it? I held onto it because I had nowhere else to go. Other than my memories of you there I have no fond memories of the place. It was a prison and a reminder that my entire life was built on lies and deception. Besides, in truth, I like having a place no one but you knows about. Fewer and fewer followers and employees of the Dark Lord remain free but I realize there will always be a threat. The child of someone I testified against may threaten us one day. I like knowing we have somewhere safe to hide if need be so I won't be getting rid of it."

"I'd love to make that our home then," she said.

"We also have the Prince estate, which we should go take a look at. There are house elves there, of course, so I'm not worried about the upkeep."

"We also had a vacation property in Nice," she said, blushing. She hadn't mentioned it before, but now was the perfect opportunity to bring it up as a possibility to spend part of their summer there.

"Really?"

"Yes. I mean, I don't know what to do with it. I know they're dead, but reading an obituary in a muggle newspaper is not the same thing. And it's Monica and Wendell who died officially, Severus, but they no longer exist and I don't know what to do."

It was Harry who'd discovered her parents' death. He'd gone to a muggle library a couple of months ago and did an Internet search for them, hoping to at least get a lead for Hermione on where in Australia they were. He'd found them, victims of a robbery at their dental practice of all things. Drugs were thought to be involved. Not that her parents' had been dealing or using drugs, but whoever broke in not realizing they were still there was after the novocaine and whatever drugs they evidently thought a dentist's office would have. Hermione hadn't even known how to react. She still wasn't sure. They'd died about a month after she'd sent them to Australia so there was nothing she could do to claim them or anything else by the time she'd found out.

"They'd likely think I was evil anyway."

There was also the possibility that if anyone but the handful that knew what she'd done to her parents found out she herself could end up in Azkaban. So, she said nothing and hoped one day to find out where they'd been buried so she could visit and talk to them.

"I doubt they'd think you're evil, but yes, I could see where they may not have liked the idea of you altering their memories. We can work at declaring them deceased so that their properties are actually in your name instead of theirs. We can visit the summer home during the summer holidays and I can ensure proper wards are set to keep it secure."

"I know," she said. "I felt so guilty taking some money out of their bank account before going with Harry and Ron."

"You shouldn't. They would've given it to you, I know this without having met them because they raised you and I'd expect no different from you. My solicitor as I have mentioned is friends with and employs a squib as an investigator when he has needs in the magical world, so is familiar with magical things. We can work on that with him and hopefully keep it out of the muggle newspapers that your parents are deceased. He will likely need the information Mr. Potter found, but that may be enough."

Severus' floo started connecting then.

"Headmaster," Kingsley's voice came through. "Can I come through?"

"Yes, Minister," he said.

"I received your paperwork as well as Miss Milward's requested name change. Everything is in order."

He signed the respective documents and they flashed gold before turning back to regular pieces of parchment again.

"You are officially the proud parents of one Odette Millicent Snape. Congratulations. Should I go find her to let her know she can start using her new name if she'd like?"

"She's in the Great Hall."

"Oh, she'll love me for interrupting lunch," he said with a chuckle before heading in that direction with Hermione and Severus joining him.

Silence fell immediately in the Great Hall once the Minister of Magic entered. Everyone was staring at him, which wasn't unexpected. He didn't make random appearances here often.

"Miss Milward," he said, meeting the young Slytherin's eyes with what Hermione knew first-hand was a comforting smile. He had that way about him. "If I can have a moment, please."

She left her house table, hundreds of eyes watching her as she left the Great Hall with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"It's a pleasure to meet you officially, Miss Snape."

"You, too, Minister, Sir."

"I wanted to let you know in person that your paperwork has been officially filed with the Ministry and signed off by me. Hermione and Severus Snape are now legally your parents and you can go by Odette Snape. You can certainly finish off the year using Milward, but your grades and everything official will all be changed by the time holiday break is over."

"Thank you, Sir," she said.

"I'm glad that we could find an agreeable home for you after all you've been through. And your cooperation with your cousin's case has been admirable. I know it hasn't been easy, but Mr. Potter assures me you can be proud. And with that, I'm off to put out some last minute fires before the holiday weekend," he said.

Hermione found it funny that the wizarding community shut down for Easter holidays, but it was one of the many things about her two worlds that kept her researching.

"Oh," Kingsley said. "And Miss Snape," he said.

"Yes?" Odette's questioning response came after a moment's pause where it took her a moment to realize he was talking to her.

"One hundred points to Slytherin for your bravery and willingness to trust in someone outside of your house and what you knew to be safe."

She blushed profusely then. "Thank you, Sir."

The Minister, of course, did have the power to assign and take away house points but as far as Hermione knew it was very rarely, if ever, done. She thought this was an acceptable assignment of points, though. Odette truly had been brave and gone out on a limb to expose herself, her secrets, to a Gryffindor that she wasn't truly sure she could trust.

"Shall we go to lunch then," Severus offered once Kingsley had taken his leave.

"Yes," Hermione said.

They let Odette go before them, giving her a moment to return to her table before they entered the Great Hall and took their seats at the head table.

They watched Odette discreetly as those sitting near her asked what the Minister of Magic wanted with her personally. Kingsley Shacklebolt did not make house calls to Hogwarts. Dozens of eyes turned to stare at Severus and Hermione after she seemed to explain to those nearby.

"How does it feel to be a hero without having succumbed to any bodily harm, Headmaster?"

"Truthfully, it feels pretty good," he admitted.

He tried to scowl at those who were staring at them, but it wasn't as effective as it usually was, it seemed, because no one stopped staring. And in fact, as gossip was wont to do, word spread fast and soon just about everyone was staring at the head table.

"Should I be aware of something?" Minerva leaned in and asked Hermione.

"Severus and I adopted Odette Milward," she said softly.

"Oh," Minerva said. "Oh my," she said, glancing from Hermione to Severus. "Well, congratulations."

"Not quite how I imagined coming by a daughter, but she'll do," Severus said with a wink at Hermione.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com