Ensnaring The Senses

They entered the Forbidden Forest around noon, the sun peeking through the overhanging branches. A light wind blew through making leaves fall gently to cover the dirt path. The adults watched as Cissa, Jamie and Davy ran ahead on the path as the neared the clearing.

“She seems to have adjusted well to having you as a father, Dad.” Draco said when the entered the chosen picnic spot. Ginger and Hermione began setting up, pulling blankets and other things out of their pockets, unshrinking them.

“Least she no longer fears the Dungeons Bat.” Severus smirked, pulling Hermione down next to him. “I still owe Weasley and Potter some words over that.”

“Dad! Draco! Catch!” Cissa yelled as a bludger flew towards them, Severus reached up an arm to grab it; nearly missing it. He tossed it back and forth in his hands reflectively as Draco and Remus nodded.

“Oh so that's how we play!” He said, the wizards jumped up and the game began. “Joining us, ladies?” He looked at Tonks, Hermione, and Ginger with an arched eyebrow and a joking sneer.

“Sure,” All three replied, looking back at him with smirking grins. He obviously hadn't been at the Burrow yet for a game, so he didn't know how well they played.

“We need brooms and a snitch to complete this.” Ginger smiled as she caught the ball and aimed it at Draco. He ducked, and it flew into a tree with a thunk before landing on the ground.

“I'm in!” Draco laughed, scooping up the ball. Three teams formed, wizards, witches and the children. Remus muttered a protego spell around Tonks, who gave him a look of reproach before nodding. He grinned at her as he held the bludger.

“You ladies are going down!” Remus laughed as he threw it towards Hermione. The bludger smacked her hard in the chest, and she landed with a whoosh to the ground. She sat there for a second, catching her breath before standing up and launching it Severus. He caught it before it smacked his nose and laughed.

The game went on for awhile, none of the teams winning in the end. They all settled around the picnic blanket, hungry after the game.

“I have never had so much fun.” Severus announced as Cissa settled into his lap and kissed his cheek. He felt a small start of surprise before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight. Maybe this dad thing isn't going to be so hard, he thought.

“Dad, when are you and mum getting married so I can have that baby brother you promised me?” She whispered in his ear.

“When your mother decides, young lady.” He whispered back, looking seriously down at his daughter before winking at Hermione.

“Secrets?” Hermione laughed, watching the two of them bond.

“Not really Mum.” Cissa answered. “Just wondering about my baby brother.” Hermione groaned before dramatically throwing a hand to her forehead.

“You both need to learn patience. That feat takes nine months to produce and it could always be another girl.” She laughed again at their expressions. “I'm going to nap, the game and the food has wore me out.” She said, conjuring up a pillow. “You both can go gather while I sleep.” She winked at Severus.

“You happy, Hermione?” Tonks asked as she sat by Hermione on the blanket and they watched as the others poked through the bushes by the clearing; Severus showing them what potions ingredients to pick.

“Very happy. He's so used to being on his own, not letting others in. He feels so guilty about how much he's missed, and we can never get that back. I don't honestly think he was ready for us after the War. He'd had so much to work out and get over.” Hermione said, watching her lover as he showed their daughter how to carefully extract a tuber from the ground without ruining it.

“Remus said he used to have nightmares.” Tonks said.

“Nightmares of?” Hermione questioned.

“Killing you by accident or your getting killed by a stray Death Eater hunting him down. Voldemort's influences were too deeply ingrained in him for years, and that's one of the reasons Remus never pushed him to come back.” Tonks answered.

“I never knew that.” Hermione frowned.

“Did you ever ask him what he did as a spy?”

“Not really, I always thought he'd never talk about it. Knowing he killed Professor Dumbledore and others seemed horrific enough in my mind.” Hermione's fingers ran restlessly through the grass as she remembered.

“Remus spied on the Fenrir Greyback towards the end, before the Final Battle. He would come home and practically scrub the skin off his body to remove the memories. He only spied for a few months, try imagining twenty years of it.”

“I think Severus needs to tell me one day.” Hermione rolled over, gazing up at the clouds. “He was so cold and mean when we were students, but he protected us all. Part of the reason I kept my trust in him, even when Harry argued so hard against it. I admit, when he killed Professor Dumbledore, I only had Remus's word to keep trust in him.”

“And he was punished by Voldemort each time Hermione. You were too young then to realize or see him when he returned. He almost died the night Albus did, for interfering. Took Remus and me days to pull him through. It didn't help that he wanted to die either.” Tonks looked at her younger friend and saw the tears forming in Hermione's eyes.

“Narcissa Malfoy died that night also?” Hermione asked.

“Yes, my aunt was also murdered that night. She was a wonderful witch, I never got a chance to know her but through Draco and Severus's memories.” Tonks said sadly.

“Some days I feel I feel like I am competing with her for his love. Last night I watched his face as he talked to her portrait, how can I measure up to that?” Hermione could still see the vision of the beautiful witch. She had spent hours talking with her in the sitting room, but last night's visit had shown just how much Severus had lost.

“He loves you, Hermione. Narcissa will always be in his past, but you are his future. Between you and Draco, you both gave him a reason to live. He changed so much that last year before Voldemort's downfall. He was resigned to his fate and welcomed it. He still did everything to protect Harry, but he had a self-preservation that he didn't have before. Remus laughed when he told me he knew about Severus's feelings for you before he even knew himself, but he was pleased. It took them years to work out a friendship, uneasy as it was back then.” Tonks looked over at Snape and her husband. “It's the strangest thing to see them laugh and work together. Sirius and James Potter weren't the best of friends for Remus. Severus may have had a different life if those two hadn't been around.”

“Eh, it's best not to play the what if game. Never know how good or bad the outcome would have been. Somehow I believe that Severus being a spy was fated by the Gods. The same with Remus's bite, I could never see him without his werewolf side. It's what makes Remus well, Remus.” Hermione smiled.

“I agree.” Tonks smiled up as her husband dropped down beside her, hot from the game. Remus gulped back a glass of pumpkin juice with a smile.

“You girls have fun gossiping about us?” He kissed his wife's cheek and laid back, his head in her lap. “I'm getting to old for bludger tag.” He groaned, his back cracking as he settled down.

“Always dear, and neither you or Severus look a day over thirty.” Tonks ran her fingers through his mussed up hair, the love for her wizard shining in her eyes.

“Thirty my arse.” He laughed, letting his eyes close. “At least with the new Wolfsbane potion, I don't have that after wolfy feeling for days.”

“Then my time was well spent,” Severus said, sitting down Indian-style in the blankets beside them. “I've left Draco and Ginger to helping the kids harvest, I'll have a full supply cabinet by the time those young ones are done.”

“Greedy Potions master.” Hermione's hand touched his to soften her comment, snuggling close to him on the blanket.

“No, I'd be greedy wishing Christmas wasn't so far away.” He leered at her, and the others laughed. “I'd personally rather elope, but she won't allow it.”

“It's a once in a lifetime event, Severus. My Mum and Dad would kill me. In fact, with all that's been going I haven't even told them you are back.” Hermione groaned, laying her forehead on his shoulder. “I supposed we should visit them next weekend.”

“We, madam? If your father was a wizard he'd hex me for the past twelve years. I certainly would if anyone treated Cissa like I treated you.” He looked at Cissa, still so young in his eyes but realized soon that boys-- Slytherin boys-- would soon be noticing her. That thought didn't please him.

Suddenly the sound of stampeding hooves could be heard through the forest and a small herd of pure white unicorns entered the clearing. The lead unicorn stopped and dug his hoof into the ground, neighing as he looked at them.

Severus stood up, and the others did slowly after him; wands clutched in their hands. “Get over here!” He shouted as Draco and Ginger stood between the unicorns and the children. He watched in agony as they backed up to stand on the blanket. All but Cissa. “Dammit,” Severus hissed out. “Where is that girl?” How could one small witch disappear so quick?

“She had to well, pee sir.” Jamie mumbled. “She went that way.” He pointed to a spot behind the animals.

Severus shouted out a shielding spell as the lead unicorn had finally had enough and ran horn first at them. With a pained neigh it hit the protective shield and bounced back. That's when a surprised Cissa walked back into the clearing and screamed. The unicorn turned to her, pawing his hoof deep into the ground before walking over to her.

“No more picnics ever, if we get out of this alive.” Severus mumbled as he watched the unicorn advance towards Cissa, his wand hand shaking.

They watched in amazement as the unicorns surrounded Cissa and the lead bowed his head to the scared young witch and butted his nose gently into her shoulder. Cissa reached up and softly caressed it.

Firenze the centaur entered the clearing then. “Put your wands away, they mean no harm.” He told the scared company. “They only came to see the ones who defeated Voldemort. The wands scared them, thinking you were going to attack them. That one there,” He pointed to the lead unicorn, “Lost his parents to Voldemort back when he was attached to Quirrell, so he wanted to thank you all for avenging his parents.”

Their wands lowered and pocketed, they watched as the unicorn and Cissa seemed to talk to each other. Hermione gasped as Cissa grabbed hold of the unicorn's mane and he bowed low enough to climb upon his back.

“Amazing,” Severus said in shock. “You think we could have our daughter back now?”

“In good time,” Firenze said, walking over to the young witch and the unicorn. Some words passed between them before they saw Cissa switch from the back of the unicorn to Firenze's with a pouty look on her face. The unicorns left the clearing with a bow their way and Firenze and Cissa came close to them.

Severus reached up and picked the young witch of the centaur's back and set her down gently.

“That was fun! I was afraid at first, but the unicorn was so nice.” Cissa smiled up happily.

“We'll discuss this later,” Hermione said as they folded blankets and shrunk everything as quickly as possible.

“But Mum, these are for Dad.” Cissa held up her fist, clutched in them six long unicorn hairs. Severus knelt before his child and gathered her up in his arms.

“You are worth more to me then any unicorn hair on this planet.” He brushed her curly black hair from her face.

“But Dad, he said you'd want them!” Cissa exclaimed.

“Very true.” He conceded, drawing a small sample bag from his pocket. “But never scare us like that again!”

“I'm sorry, Dad. But it was fun! Can I go walk with Jamie and Davy?” She barely waited for Hermione's nod before running off.

“She's a very special young witch,” Firenze said. “Not many can walk up to a unicorn and live. Best take care of her.” The centaur warned before trotting off into the deeper forest. He turned back and gave Severus a long look before finally disappearing.

“That was strange,” Hermione said looking questioningly into Severus's eyes.

“She's our daughter, how else could she be but special?” He asked her, taking her hand in his; still troubled by Firenze's warning.

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