New Beginning

Chapter 20


Lucius escorted Severus, Hermione, and Darien into his office off the main hall. There was a look of panic on Hermione’s face, that Lucius noticed. Severus did not seem panicked at all, quite the opposite, Lucius’s friend was reserved. Lucius was aware that Severus would wait and watch before he reacted. Severus took a seat in front of Lucius’s desk, Hermione took one beside him. Lucius pulled a book off one of the bookshelves in the room and handed it to Darien, Darien flopped on the floor, looking more at ease than any of the adults in the room.

Sitting behind his desk, Lucius steepled his fingers together and tapped them on his mouth, this was his more thinking position. “Anyone care to go first?” Lucius asked.

Hermione fidgeted in her seat, Lucius narrowed his eyes at her for a brief moment then his gaze fell to Severus. His friend sat still, their eyes locked, Lucius would wait. He had learned how to wait out people, including one of his best friends.

Time continued on in silence, the only sounds came from Darien flipping the pages in the book Lucius had handed him. Hermione fidgeted a little more.

“This is ridiculous.” Hermione said.

Lucius turned to Hermione, “Care to start first then, Miss Granger?”

She gulped her response.

“Thought not.” Lucius turned back to Severus. As curious as Lucius was about how Miss Granger ended up with her best friend as a child, he was more curious how his best friend, ended up being the parent of Harry Potter. It was a stroke of luck he found out, or was it? Lucius looked over at Darien, the boy had done magic, there was no other explanation for him seeing that memory from Harry’s point of view, and feeling the things he did. It would explain a lot, at least from Harry’s perspective of why he was now in the child state he was in. But it didn’t explain the parents. Lucius looked back at Severus.

Severus cleared his throat. “Before, I begin. How did you know Darien used to be Harry?”

Lucius smiled at Severus. He had a feeling this might come about before he would get his answers. “When Darien, as you insist on calling him, touched my hand, magic flowed from him into me. I saw a memory, felt it even, everything about that memory, it could have only had been Harry in that memory and no other.”

Severus seemed to relax somewhat. “Where would you like us to start?”

“The beginning is always the best place.”

Severus turned to Hermione, “You better start talking, and this started with you.”

Hermione shook her head no, and kept her head looking down. She wasn’t about to tell them anything. She knew Severus knew, but she didn’t want to say everything, why she had done this.

“Leave her out of this for right now, tell me about you, from when you started in this, Severus.”

Severus laid out everything to Lucius, not holding anything back. Told him how he was to offer Hermione a position at Hogwarts, how he saw Weasley outside Potter’s and Hermione’s apartment. What he found, when he returned. What possessed him to brew the paternity potion, which was quite simple, with Harry being who he was now he needed more protecting than he ever did. Lucius nodded at intervals in Severus’s story. When Severus had finished Lucius sat back in his chair.

“Well, that was quite a tell. If I haven’t seen the memory I would have said you would be in need of a stay at St. Mugo’s.” Lucius turned to Hermione, the young woman was too quiet for him. He’d never seen her so subdued before.

Hermione sat lost in her own mind, this was the Minister of Magic they were sitting in front of. With him being Lucius Malfoy only made it worse for her. His family had hated her, she was mudblood, and they were pure blood. Her mind raced wthouthoughts of them taking Darien away, that she wouldn’t allow the right to be his mother anymore, that she was causing a scandal upon the wizarding world, and that Darien would be taken away for the deception she was causing.

She never saw Lucius stand, nor him picking up Darien for that matter. She wasn’t aware that Severus was now in front of her. She hadn’t heard a word that either man had said for the last ten minutes trying to get her to come back to them. When feltfelt the small hand on her shoulder, she was brought back.

“Hermione,” Severus said softly. “Are you okay?”

Severus could see the fear in her eyes, he wasn’t alone in this. Lucius saw it too. “Hermione,” Lucius began, and then he sat Darien in her lap and knelt by the chair. “What are you afraid of?”

Hermione was shocked that the man would even want to know anything like this, she was despised in the pure blood world. She pulled Darien to her. Darien wrappes ars arms around her neck, he was looking at Lucius. “Mama scared, make it go away.”

Lucius frowned at the boy, even this boy was attuned to her feelings. “I can’t make it go away, neither can your Daddy if we don’t know what it is.”

“Hermione,” Severus reached out for cheek and caressed it. “Talk to us.”

“I won’t give him up.” Hermione said softly.

“You said you would have too?” Lucius asked. “What are you thinking? You think that I would take him away? Even though I probably could, I won’t. Darien has already bonded with both of you. I won’t sever that, it wouldn’t be in Darien’s best interest.”

Something deep down in Hermione snapped, she had memory was over her, one not from her perspective:

She was sitting across the room in the apartment, Ron had left that night, and they had a rather big fight. Harry was there and looking right at her.

“He’s not going to change, Hermione.” Harry said. She felt the sadness that was in Harry, and the protectiveness he exuberated when it came to her, she also felt the longing in him, to be loved, loved only for who he was.

“I think he has a point about the Malfoys, Harry.” She had snapped at him.

She felt the sad awareness that had been in Harry. “He’s wrong, I know he’s wrong. He’s mad that Dumbledore overlooked his father for the position. Truthfully, I don’t think his father would be able to handle being Minister of Magic.”

“Are yarpearped, Harry? Mr. Weasley would make an excellent Minister. He would be fairer to wizards and witches being born from Muggles than Lucius Malfoy. Why are you defending him? It’s not like he ever did anything for you, cared for you.”

She felt the anger was over her from the memory, anger that was directed at her, and then she felt the relief when Harry had thought of Lucius Malfoy. ‘You’re wrong, Hermione’ the thought riveted in her mind that was so strong in Harry’s in the memory. ‘One day you’ll find out just the extent of how much Lucius Malfoy does care, I just hope you won’t deny what will be in front of your eyes.’

The memory faded, Hermione had tears rolling down her cheeks. She pulled Darien away from her and looked at him. “You were right you know.”

Darien gave her smile that was filled with hope.

Hermione looked over at Lucius, she hadn’t been the only one to have seen the memory, and even Severus had seen it. Severus let go of Hermione’s hand he had been touching and sat back on the floor leaning his back to the desk. Lucius looked at her, “If you don’t trust me, trust what Darien just showed you. I assure you, I only have his best interest at heart, even more so since he is Severus’s son.”

“Why does him being Severus’s son have anything to do with it?” She asked.

“Everything,” Severus said. “Lucius and I have a wizarding bond, I am Draco’s godfather, and that makes Lucius Darien’s godfather. This bond can’t be broken, we made it before Lucius ever graduated from Hogwarts.”

Hermione couldn’t believe what was she was hearing, she looked at Darien, “Does anything ever come easy in your life?” She asked him.

To everyone’s amazement, Darien just cackled with laughter and then flung himself towards Lucius. Hermione crossed her arms. “Okay little man, not only did I not pick your father, now I can’t even pick your godfather. And just who is the adult here?”

Severus sat up gripping the arms of her chair. “What do you mean? You gave him the potion did you not? I told you this was your choice.”

Hermione went red with embarrassment then proceeded to tell him what happen after he left, and how Darien had decided for himself who his father was going to be. Not only that, she even told them both about how Harry had planned her to choose after she got married and everything that she was aware of in documents she had signed. Lucius was curious about how something so important could have gone on in the Ministry like this un-noticed for so long. Lucius went to his fireplace and in a few minutes, Brian Trenton was in his home along with the documents after he saw that Hermione was there he brought them with him. Hermione said the incantations that opened the sealed documents.

The first thing that appeared was a gold string that appeared in front of Hermione, Severus and Lucius. Hermione voiced her questioned quickly, “What is this?”

Brian laughed at the curious looks on all three of them. “That is called a ‘Delayed Family Tie’, Harry had asked me about such things, I told you Hermione, Harry had a letter for his father in there. I think he added more than just one, so it seems. Pull the string.”

Each one pulled the strings before them, each of them had a letter. Sitting down the three started reading.


Dear Father,

As you are aware, I am Harry Potter, please what ever you do, do not call me that. I despise that name, it has brought nothing but grief in my life. And you Severus Snape, should be full aware of this.

Severus stopped reading and looked over at Darien now playing with Brian. How the hell did he know? He went back to the letter.

There is also something I need to tell you, the dreams that I had when Voldemort was still alive came true. They were visions, Dumbledore was aware of this as well as you, but I never told anyone about the ones that I had that revealed the future to me. I know we haven’t gotten along well in the past, but I know what it will be like in the future. I saw the man that you were in that future, I liked it, really, and I loved it. The dreams started right after Voldemort was killed, I saw myself young again, innocent, something that I longed for and that I was denied. At first, I couldn’t believe what I saw, I was thinking anyone but Snape, but the more I saw, the more I wanted that, the more I wanted you, you to be my father. So as soon I was able, I brewed the best damn potion that could make it happen, it wasn’t easy, the damn unicorn blood gave me fits. Took me weeks to figure out how to get it out of the horn, but I figured it out. (10 points to Gryffindor) I also knew about the side effects, I didn’t show them to Hermione, she would have freaked at knowing I would have my memories and my emotions, what’s the use of being young again, if I can’t experience it. Even in the visions and dreams I knew it was me, I could feel it, even heard the name, Darien, I rather like that name. It’s amazing what sheer determination can get you if you have enough courage to make it happen. I also know this won’t be easy, it’s a lot to ask of you, but I promise, if you do this, you won’t regret it, I won’t allow it. I chose you, I could have picked anyone, I had several different visions of different fathers, I wanted you, and you always protected me when I needed it in spite of myself. I chose you, because you never treated me famous, you never let my fame interfere with your feelings towards me, even if you did hate me times. There were a few times I hated you, but I saw something in you. Your loyalty holds no bounds, you let nothing stand in your way, and your honor is the same. I love those traits about you, and I would honored if you allow me to stay your son.

Forever,
Darien Michael Snape

PS. Please sign the papers, I want to know I’m protected. I love you Dad.

Severus’s hand trembled by the time he got through with the letter. Darien was standing before him, looking up at him hopefully. Severus reached out and pulled him up. “I’ll sign them.”