Love and Parenthood

Love and Parenthood

Disclaimer: All canon characters are the property of JK Rowling and those with whom she has agreed contracts. This story was written for practice not profit.


Difficult Choices


“Madam Minton, a few days ago we were intending to go through your list of potential adoptive parents. Would now be a convenient time?” asked Severus.

“Certainly. It’s in my room. Do you want me to bring it to breakfast with me?”

“Yes, I could do with some coffee before my classes start. I’ll see you in there.”

The refectory was half empty. Three girls had gone into labour during the previous night and so most of the women attendants were occupied over in the stables and the students in residence had already flown off to Hogwarts. Severus helped himself to some items from the buffet table and a large mug of coffee and sat down at the far end of the dining table. After a few minutes Madam Minton came into the room and thrust a piece of parchment in front of him. He picked it up and read it. There were six names on it and he recognised none of them. Madam Minton came back carrying her plate and sat down.

“I understood that Mr Ollivander had petitioned your department to be considered as a potential adoptive parent,” he said carefully.

“The wandmaker?”

“Yes.”

“He may have put himself forward. We did have rather a lot of enquiries and I took the liberty of selecting a shortlist.”

“What criteria did you use for your selection? It strikes me that Mr Ollivander has a very strong case for being allowed to continue his line.”

“That was not one of my considerations. I felt that it was best to place the children with married parents who have unblemished reputations.”

“These people seem to have no kind of reputation of any sort. I’ve never heard of any of them.”

“The wizarding world is small but it’s not small enough for you to know everyone in it. Not everyone moves in your circles.”

“I’m a pureblood Madam Minton. I am aware of most families particularly in view of my long association with Hogwarts. I will need to meet any prospective parents myself.”

“Isn’t that rather outside your authority? My department handles legal matters relating to adoption and I can assure you I’ve never had any complaints.”

“The three young women who need to put their offspring up for adoption are my wards. It is my duty to ensure that they make good decisions regarding the placement of their children.”

“Well I suppose if you put it like that I can hardly say no. I merely hoped to get things well organised for you.”

“I appreciate your efforts and indeed we may find that I make the same recommendations as you when I am in possession of all the information. I am particularly anxious that Diana will be able to feel that her child will be valued.”

“You favour Diana, do you not?”

“I regret that a child who has had to go without so much in life should have to give up the one thing she should have been able to love without reservation. The other two girls show traits of their parents’ unnatural inclinations and I have little doubt that they are too far-gone down that road not to continue. Diana loves her child as any mother would but our society is such that she cannot keep it. The best way to help her come to terms with the loss is to help her make a good choice about her baby’s future.”

I’ll Owl my office for a full list….” She was interrupted by a loud cry from halfway up the table.

“Another one,” said Severus. “I hope the ladies can cope with one more. I’ll take her over to the stables.”

“And no doubt sneak in another visit with your wife.”

“No doubt.”


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Severus and Hermione sat at either end of her bed in the stable block. The babies lay nestled together on the quilt between them.

“You’re very quiet Severus,” said Hermione. “Has something happened?”

“No. No progress at all,” he answered. “I’m doing the Polyjuice base still. I was speaking with Madam Minton before I brought Amber over. We were talking about arranging the adoptions. This is going to be so hard for Diana… I shouldn’t be bringing outside matters in here with me.”

“I don’t mind. I wish we could find another way to help her. I couldn’t part with one of these little fellows. I never realised how strongly I was going to feel about them but as soon as Mrs Patil gave me Number one to hold for a moment while we were waiting on Number two… I was just hit by it. I was laughing and crying all at once. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I’d love them but I never knew it would be like this.”

“I suppose it’s something a man can’t fully grasp. I too am overcome by my emotions when I look at you or them but I didn’t give birth to them. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have done so.”

“I’d do it again,” she said softly. “I can’t promise but I think I would like to have this experiencre tre than once. Perhaps in a couple of years I’d be ready to have another. Hopefully then it wouldn’t be in a houseful of pregnant schoolgirls.”

“And perhaps the wizarding world will not need my attention so often and I can devote more time to my family.”

“It would be nice. Are you sure there’s no other option for Diana?”

“I can’t think of one. Fifteen years old is very young to be an outcast. Mr Ollivander is prepared to offer her the means to make an honest living, which at least means she should be able to steer clear of prostitution. It’s difficult to be illegitimate in this world. Some would regard her as the equivalent of a Squib. She has no name to pass on.”

“She has a name.”

“She didn’t inherit it. Her father’s name is Skullion and her mother was a disowned Parkinson Squib. The name is an invention. Only the fact that her father kept her and Athena confined to Knockturn Alley kept her origins secret.”

“But the legal proceedings changed all that.”

“Yes, but the man had to be taken care of. There was no option once we knew.”

“She’d be better off as a Muggle,” said Hermione, leaning over to pick up Number two who was beginning to grizzle. “If she were, the state would support her, or oblige Blaise to, and she could keep the baby.”

“Are you suggesting that she should try to integrate?”

“I don’t know. Could it be done?”

“I have no idea. I’ve never tried to pass for more than an hour or two and I doubt if she’s ever seen more of Muggle London than the train station.”

“Added to which she’s never had a Muggle identity. I’ve got a Birth Certificate and a Passport. I’ve got medical records and a National Insurance number.”

“Could we copy them?”

“We could make copies of the items themselves but they’re only really a physical symbol of the fact that I’m registered on the Government’s computer systems. Diana wouldn’t be and I don’t know how we could fix that.”

“Would your father know?”

Hermione smiled at this.

“I don’t think so. He might have some kind of idea how to get round it though. Why don’t you ask him?”

“I’ll speak to Diana first. If she can’t stomach the idea then there’s no point in us researching it.”

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Severus found Diana and her child in the imitation temple by the rose garden. As she had no husband to be separated from she had been given permission to return to the main house and was free to use the gardens as the others did.

“Good morning sir,” she said politely.

“Good morning Diana. I was hoping I might run into you. There are things we need to discuss.”

“Yes sir.”

“We need to think about your future and your baby’s future.”

“Yes sir.”

“I couldn’t help but notice that you have developed an attachment to your child.”

“Yes sir.”

“And we need to think about what’s going to be best for her in the future. Please don’t say ‘yes sir’ again. I am trying to speak to you as though you were an adult.”

“I know you’re going to make me give her up to strangers. I shall die if you do,” she said flatly.

Severus froze up inside. He didn’t need Legilimency to know that she was serious.

“Whilst it is true that adoption is a traditional option for an unmarried witch it may not be the only one in your case. Do you have any thoughts on the matter at all?”

“I’m going to love my baby all I can and then when you take her away I’m going to die.”

“Why will you die Diana?”

“Because I’ll never have a life. Everyone knows about me. They know what my father did and they know what I did. I won’t do those things again.”

“I cannot do anything to change the things that happened to you. I wish I could. It makes me sick to think that you were right under my nose and I didn’t know what he was going to do. ve sve spoken to Mr Ollivander and he is willing to offer you work when you leave Hogwarts so you won’t have to go back to that way of living. He is offering to adopt your child. There is also the possibility that we might be able to blend you into the Muggle world and you could keep your baby there.”

“So he thinks he can buy my baby for the offer of a job?” she said incredulously.

“No. The offer of the job does not depend on you giving the child to him. Mr Ollivander has wanted a child all his life and he is horrified that your father could treat his own children so badly.”

“How long do I have to make up my mind?” she asked with a glint in her eye.

Severus was reminded that the child had been sorted into Slytherin.

“As long as you need,” he found himself saying. “You have a home here until you leave Hogwarts, with or without your child.”

“Can I speak to Mr Ollivander?”

“I’m sure he’d come to see you. I will Owl him for you. I must go and find my pupil now. Will yo all all right here?”

“We’ll be fine.”

Severus got up from the bench and walked away from the mother and daughter with a feeling of unease.