Unwanted

"We have to go get my kitty." Hermione heard the little voice say near her left ear. She opened her eyes, trying to focus on the little face staring back at her.

"What, sweetie?"

"Ms. Molly has my kitty and I wanna go get him, Mummy. Rover might get out and the garden gnomes don't like him much."

"Maybe they'll chase the little furball instead of the other way around. Would serve the damn thing right." Severus said behind Hermione. Under the blanket, she could feel his fingers gliding over her stomach, making her body tingle, her nipples tighten. She was glad for the covering the blanket afforded. She'd hate to have to tell her daughter about the birds and the bees after having known her less than 24 hours. "Go upstairs to Uncle Albus and have breakfast, poppet. Mummy and I have to talk some more, then we'll go to the Burrow. Gods know, we'll be summoned there soon enough." He leaned on one elbow and bent over Hermione for his morning kiss. Shyly, Tristyn gave her mother a peck on the cheek too, then turned and ran out of the room. Severus stayed where he was until he heard the outer door open and close. Then, with passion black eyes he pressed himself against her back, rubbing his morning erection against her ass.

"Good morning, Severus. Sleep well?"

"Well enough. Think you'd like to help wake me up now?" He whispered huskily in her ear before biting it lightly. She gasped, nodded her head and started to turn around to face him. He restrained her gently, lifted her upper leg and slid inside her easily from behind.

"Good morning, Hermione." He laughed against her ear as he thrust into her slowly.


An hour and a half later, the two of them entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Severus held the door open for his wife, and he followed her in. The few students and the teachers looked up. Tristyn smiled and waved to her parents, then returned to her conversation with Flitwick.

"Alright, Hermione?"

"Not entirely, but I have to see everyone again sometime. I can't hide myself away in the dungeon. I think the five years I spent hiding in my own mind was enough time, hmm?" She quipped while they walked the length of the Hall until they stood before the Headmaster. She sniffled, trying not to cry. Albus stood and held his arms out for the former student. Hermione rounded the table and fell into his arms.


"That hadn't been so bad, right?" Severus walked his wife and daughter through Diagon Alley. He'd discovered that Hermione didn't have any clothes, wizard or muggle, except what she wore and an extra virtually identical outfit. Promising their daughter they would indeed find their way to the Burrow, he gathered them and escorted them to Madame Malkins, first, then Ollivanders where Tristyn watched her mother wistfully as she tried new wands until being chosen by an eight inch willow with a dragonstring heart.

"I want a wand, Daddy." Tristyn's eyes widened as she looked around the wand shop.

"You'll get one in six years when you enter Hogwarts." He told her firmly. She pouted at him, then turned to her mother. "Don't bother, Tristyn. I already told you no, and you know I won't change my mind."

"The kids in my school get to use magic."

"They don't live at Hogwarts where you can get into more trouble. Besides, you're my daughter and that is my rule." Severus frowned at the girl. He could tell now that she would try and get her mother to take her side in arguments against him. At least she was finally showing her Slytherin side more.

Tristyn folded her arms over her chest and huffed as she held Hermione's hand when they left. He started to say something more, but the look on Hermione's face stopped him. She looked so happy, unshed tears glistening on her eyelashes.

"Are we finished, my ladies?"

"Yes, Severus. Thank you. I was wondering something, though."

"What?"

"I...I would like to visit my mum and dad's grave. I never did, remember. I need that closure." Hermione said close to his ear so Tristyn wouldn't hear it all. He nodded and held her hand a little tighter.

"We'll stop off before going to the Burrow. Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want to start our new life together, but I need to see them before."

"We have to go get Rover." Tristyn complained stubbornly. Severus recognized his daughter's tiredness.

"Tristyn, would you like me to carry you? We are going to the Burrow, but your Mummy hasn't been around here in a long time and she wants to go somewhere special to her." Severus stopped in the middle of the alley and held his arms out for the little girl. She hesitated for a moment then allowed him to lift her into his arms. At least she knew her own limitations. He looked down at Hermione, who rested one of her hands on his arm.

"You apparate us, please. I don't remember where very well and I wouldn't want to splinch us."

"Of course, my dear." Thinking hard, he apparated the three of them to the graveyard where he'd had his in-laws buried, after his former brethren had finished with their bodies. He'd snuck in the next day and gathered their remains away. Silently, he guided her to the single large headstone, then stepped back as she dropped to her knees on the grass before it and finally let the tears flow.

"Mum, Dad, I'm back. It took awhile, but I'm here and alive. And I have a daughter. Severus is a wonderful daddy, he's been doing it by himself for so long while I've been ill. But, I can deal with everything now." She brushed her fingers across the names etched in the granite, the rough stone cold under her skin. "Her name's Tristyn, and she's just like me when I was her age, but she looks like her Daddy. I'm sorry that you can't be here for her, but I promise I won't leave her again." She whispered and pressed a kiss to her fingertips, transferring it to the headstone.

Hermione wiped the tears from her cheeks and bowed her head, saying a silent prayer to them before standing and turning to her small family. Severus had Tristyn cradled in his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. Their dark hair blending together perfectly in the early afternoon sun as she advanced on him. She smiled up at him before lifting on tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips and turning to brush her lips across her daughter's sleeping cheek.

"Her normal nap time?"

"One she begrudgingly takes, yes. Are you well?"

"Yes, Severus. I'm fine. I feel better than I have in a long time. The Burrow?"

"If that's where you want to be. I'm sure your friends will be anxious to see you after all this time. Besides, your daughter is not light." He held her hand, apparating them to the front door of the house instantly. It opened a second later and a pregnant Ginny pulled Hermione into a binding hug.

"Hermione! I didn't believe Mum when she first told us! We thought she was going mad or something."

"Thanks, Ginny! See if I watch your babies, now." Molly called from the kitchen, her ears picking up the remark. Severus slid past the two women and entered the livingroom. Harry sat by the fireplace, on one side of a wizarding chess set, with Ron on the other. He could tell that they were trying not to make her return a big deal, and Severus almost smiled at the two pains in his ass. He bent and placed Tristyn on the couch, covering her with the quilt over the back. He felt a brush of cloth against his leg and felt her cat climbing up his robes to get to its mistress.

"Bloody white dustrag." He mumbled as it curled up in his daughter's hair and fell asleep, her black curls a dark contrast to the cat's blinding white fur. It popped one eye open, yawned at him and curled up even more, purring loudly. He turned as the two young women entered behind him. Ginny led her over to the boys, now young men, who stood and waited awkwardly for some sign.

"What are you waiting for? It's been five years." Hermione rushed into their arms, a three person embrace. All three started crying and laughing at the same time.

"I couldn't believe Mum until I saw you here with my own two eyes." Ron wiped his dry. Hermione reached up and traced his scar with her left hand, sorrow evident in her gaze. "Hey, don't worry about that. I got it at the final battle. I helped Snape there stop Wormtail." No one wanted to tell her that her daughter had been in danger at the time." He blushed when Hermione leaned forward and kissed his scar.

"Hey! I had one a lot longer!" Harry mock pouted, laughed when she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cursed scar, cursed no more.

Severus moved into the kitchen silently to find Molly chatting with Albus and Ginny.

"You sent Welson's brother to her last year, didn't you?" He looked at the Headmaster pointedly, speaking quietly.

"Yes. His brother came to me, told me what Connor had seen while touring the hospital she was in, and added two and two. He felt, and I concurred, that she needed a third party to help her, something I admit now you were right about five years ago."

"Thank you, Albus." He sat next to Ginny Potter and smiled at Molly, who placed a cup of tea in front of him. "She's healed."

Severus turned his head a bit as the three friends headed out the door to chat outside, letting Tristyn sleep. Yes, his life was complete.

a/n~~sigh.........epilogue next......keep reviewing everyone, i love em. they really do make me feel like what i'm doing is worthwhile to some extent. well, off to the final chapter *sniff*...then gonna work on the polyjuice prequel and typing hermione's little secret...later


marti