Daddy Dearest - (No Update, Edit)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
*******************************

Chapter 3 ~ Worse Case Scenario

Spells Mistress Hermione Granger was seated at the breakfast table drinking coffee when she heard the tapping on her kitchen window. The witch turned and saw an owl standing on the sill, looking in at her, its head cocking from side to side. A parchment was tied to its leg.

Hermione pushed away from the table, stood up and walked over to the window, opening it. The owl flew in and settled on the table, holding out its leg, blinking up at the witch. Hermione untied the parchment then walked to the cooler and retrieved a piece of ham for the bird, who wolfed it down gratefully, then hooted at her and exited out the window, flying back to Hogwarts.

Hermione turned the parchment over in her hands for a moment. Her amber eyes had a bit of a worried look in them. She knew this was the letter that would tell her what house her son was sorted into.

"Gods, let it be Gryffindor…or even Ravenclaw," she breathed, opening the parchment and scanning it.

The witch's eyes widened, and she groaned. Dear gods. Mathias had been sorted into Slytherin. He was with his father.

Hermione let the parchment fall to the table. This was terrible. It was the worst-case scenario she had dreaded. The witch did her best to bring out the good in her son, tried to lean him towards Gryffindor house by telling him stories to impress him and make him want to be a Gryffindor. Obviously, it hadn't been enough. Now the lies she had told him about his father were bound to come out.

Hermione took a deep breath. It had been tough raising Mathias on her own, though her parents, Harry and Ron helped her greatly. She did manage to get her Spells Mistress degree, and after eleven years working at the Ministry, she was Assistant Spells Department Head. Soon the Head of the Department would be retiring and Hermione would take that spot. She was well paid and her position was quite secure. She hadn't done badly for herself. Plus she had developed several patented spells that brought in good residuals. She was not lacking for money in any case.

Hermione dropped her face into her hands in despair, knowing the day was approaching that her son would learn the truth of his parentage. That Professor Severus Snape was his father.

Hermione should have told Mathias the truth long ago, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her child he was the result of a drunken tryst with a wizard who wanted nothing to do with him. She didn't want him to know she had been so weak and foolish. She also didn't want Mathias to know his father didn't care a whit about him, and never had. It was too terrible to reveal. So she said his father was dead, and left it at that…knowing all the while one day the truth would have to be revealed.

Both Ron and Harry tried to talk her out of the deception when she told them what she planned to do. Mathias was still an infant at the time.

"It's horrible that greasy bastard is his dad, Hermione, but the boy has a right to know," Ron had told her, scowling.

Harry nodded.

"Ron's right, Hermione. Telling Mathias his father is dead isn't the answer. The truth is going to come out sooner or later, and he may end up hating you for not telling him," Harry said to the witch, who shook her head stubbornly.

"I don't want him coming up thinking his mum is a trollop and his dad a deadbeat. What will that do to him psychologically? He'll be beaten down before he got a leg up. I won't do it. I won't tell him that Ron…Harry. I can't! Promise me, both of you, that you won't tell him either. A wizard's oath!" she exclaimed, distraught and crying.

"I don't want to do this, Hermione," Harry said, his green eyes looking at her worriedly.

"Me either," Ron added.

Hermione looked at both wizards with narrowed eyes.

"If you won't do it, then I guess we can say good-bye here and now," the witch said evenly, "because neither of you will be around me or my son. I won't have you telling him what I won't tell him myself."

Ron and Harry looked at each other disbelievingly before turning their eyes back on Hermione, who had on that stubborn face she wore when she truly meant what she said.

"You'd cut us off, Hermione?" Harry asked her quietly.

"You would cut me off," she responded, "by not respecting my wishes concerning my son. It is your choice, Harry. Ron."

The wizards each took the oath, there was no other way for it. Hermione needed them and they wanted to be there for her. Harry had just had his own son, James and even with Ginny, it could be tough sometimes. For a single mother in school it had to be a hundred times more challenging.

Still, Harry had the feeling Hermione would regret her choice later on. He remembered how he felt when Dumbledore revealed all he had kept hidden from him in his fifth year. He had practically destroyed the wizard's office, and to this day, although he respected the old wizard, he still had resentment toward him.

Harry was sure Mathias wouldn't take this well. The boy had a rather dark nature. He was very much like his father, and Snape could hold a grudge even against the dead. He still hated Harry's father and Sirius Black, though they had departed the land of the living years ago. Mathias would feel betrayed by all of them. He wouldn't know whom to trust anymore. He could end up hating Hermione as much as his father.

But Hermione made her choice. There was nothing more he could say to her about it. All Harry and Ron could do was show Mathias love and hope that bond would survive the coming firestorm.

Hermione sat at the table staring into space before summoning her owl, Fedwig. He was a descendant of Harry's owl Hedwig who had passed on years before. The snowy owl fluttered into the kitchen, landing on the witch's shoulder and preening her hair before hopping to the table and looking at her expectantly as she stood up, walked over to a cabinet draw, opened it an took out a piece of parchment and quill. She sat down at the table, scribbled out a quick note then tied it securely to Fedwig's leg.

"Take this to the Ministry, to Spell Department Head Agnes Tuttleberry," Hermione said to the bird, who bobbed its head and flew out of the open kitchen window.

Hermione watched him go, then walked back into her room to change into nicer dress robes. She hadn't seen Professor Snape in years and wanted to reflect how successful her life turned out without his help. How despite being left to raise her son alone, she managed to make it. Mathias was a fine, bright boy as well, and skilled beyond his years in spells and potions. Hermione had done the best she could with Mathias and she believed he would go far with the right tutelage.

She sighed. Her son was a Slytherin and for the next seven years would be submerged in Slytherin philosophy. Mathias already had the Slytherin traits, otherwise he would not have been sorted into that house. He would also be under the influence of Severus, who was no one to idolize. True, he did courageous work for the Order, but as a man he was sadly lacking in character as far as Hermione was concerned. She didn't want him influencing Mathias.

Maybe she could talk to Albus first…see if she could get Mathias moved out of Slytherin house…maybe into Ravenclaw if not Gryffindor. Yes, first she would talk to the Headmaster. Maybe she would not have to see Severus at all.

Standing in front of the mirror, Hermione brushed her hair out until it fell in shining, soft curls down her back. She didn't wear makeup unless she was going to a function of some sort. She really didn't need it. Hermione wasn't a beautiful witch, but she was handsome enough and could still turn heads on occasion. Her love life was all right. She had been dating the same wizard for the past five years, an Auror named Justice Forall. His name was what got him noticed by Hermione. She had cracked up uncontrollably when Harry introduced her to the tall, blonde, brown-eyed wizard.

"Justice Forall?" Hermione grinned at the wizard, whose brown eyes twinkled back at the witch.

"Yes," he replied, "My father is John Forall. He's American and has quite a warped sense of humor. He gave me the kind of name that forces me to be rather fair-minded."

Hermione discovered this was very true about the wizard. He didn't blink an eye when over dinner on their first date she informed him she had a six-year old son out of wedlock, and his father wasn't in his life.

"Sounds to me," Justice said to the witch, "that the boy's father is a fool. You and a son? What wizard in his right mind would walk away from that combination? Whoever he is, he's crazy and doesn't deserve either of you."

Justice became Hermione's lover soon after that. He was rather surprised and delighted at the witch's inexperience. She explained the conditions under which she lost her virginity. Justice growled.

"What an utter bastard," he fumed. "You sure you don't want to give me his name? He's got something coming to him for that."

Hermione shook her head.

"No, I've got you Justice. I don't want you getting in any trouble. It's over," she said softly.

Justice looked down at the witch, and kissed her gently.

"Well, I consider myself your first, Hermione. Maybe I will be your last," he said in a low voice, his brown eyes meeting her amber ones. He was already lost to the witch.

Hermione didn't answer him. She didn't want to marry, not yet…if ever. She was used to running her own life, sharing it only with her son. A man in the picture would change that. So, although Justice wanted to marry the witch, she held him off.

Mathias didn't take to Justice well. The boy didn't like the Auror because he took part of his mother's attention away. It was bad enough Hermione had to work, then in the evenings spent most of her time home-schooling him. There was little time for real mother/son connection. Mathias would seethe anytime Justice kissed Hermione. Once he even cast a tripping spell on the wizard as he exited the house, causing him to fall on his face on the hard wooden porch. Mathias ran into his bedroom and eluded detection.

But the spell backfired on the young wizard, with Hermione bringing Justice back inside to treat his busted nose. One thing led to another and the Auror didn't leave until the next morning, having spent the night in his mother's bed, something else Mathias hated. Even he didn't get to sleep with his mother anymore. She told him he was getting too big.

Well, Justice was much bigger than he was, and he got to sleep with her sometimes. Quite often in fact. This disturbed Mathias so much that he confronted Hermione about it.

Sitting at the breakfast table one morning after Justice kissed his mother and ruffled Mathias' hair (which he hated) and left, the young wizard asked his mother, "How come Mr. Forall gets to sleep in your bed, mum? You said I was too big to sleep with you anymore, and Mr. Forall is much bigger than I am, but you let him in. Why is that?"

Hermione, standing at the sink turned and looked at her son. She turned rather red. Mathias' black eyes were leveled at her. His mum only turned that shade of red when really embarrassed about something.

"Why mum?" he pressed, wanting an answer. Did she like Mr. Forall more than him?

Hermione sat down across from her son, nervously rubbing her hands over each other. He was seven now. That seemed a bit young to tell him about sex.

"Mathias, you are my son and a big boy now. Big boys have their own rooms and beds," she began.

"Well, Mr. Forall has his own room and bed where he lives, but you let him sleep in yours," the little wizard argued.

"Mr. Forall doesn't sleep with me like you do, Mathias. We are adults. Adults sleep differently than children do," Hermione said reddening again. "He…he keeps me company."

"I can keep you company as good as he can," Mathias said, scowling and looking very much like Severus in this instance.

Hermione shook her head.

"No. I'm afraid you can't Mathias," Hermione said uncomfortably. "Sons don't keep mothers company that way. It's very complicated. I will have to tell you more about it when you're older. It has to do with sex."

Mathias radar went up. Sex? She had never mentioned anything about sex to him. Not even when home-schooling him. He thought she'd covered everything.

"Why when I'm older? You are teaching me spells and brews early. Why not sex?" he asked her, looking very suspicious.

"Because sex is different. You don't need to be thinking about things like that at only seven years old. Trust my judgment, Mathias," Hermione said evenly.

Mathias looked skeptical. She was hiding things from him. He didn't like that.

"Once I tell you, then you'll understand. But Mr. Forall sleeping in my bed doesn't mean I love him more than you. I love you more than anyone in this world," the witch said, "I just love Mr. Forall differently. That's why he stays in my bed sometimes."

"Because of sex?" the wizard asked, wanting to be certain.

"Yes," Hermione said, reddening again.

Mathias looked at her thoughtfully.

"Ok mum, I'll wait for you to tell me," he said dismissively, returning to his cereal.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief.

Of course, Mathias didn't wait. His mum had a big library, and he searched through it until he found a book of biology that explained what sex was.

"Yuck!" was his only comment when he read the mechanics of it.

He thought a penis was something convenient to pee with. This revelation that it was used in another way was a bit disorienting. Well, at least that explained why every now and then his organ got uncomfortably hard. If sex was what his mum and Mr. Forall did, then they were welcome to the bed. Yuck.

But the idea of Mr. Forall putting his penis inside his mother disturbed Mathias, though he didn't understand why. It made him dislike the wizard even more. But he never brought up the bed issue with Hermione again.

Hermione took one more look at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath and apparated to the main gates of Hogwarts. She tried to unward the gates, but couldn't. There were new wards on it. She stared at the gates for a while, then got an idea and sent up sparks into the sky. Sparks were a universal call for help in the wizarding world.

Presently a gnarled, bent form walked slowly and painfully over a rise heading for the gates.

"Oh my gods, it's Filch," Hermione thought, amazed the old caretaker was still alive, much less working at Hogwarts. He seemed ancient when she was there.

The scraggly-haired, bad-tempered squib looked at her through the gates. His rheumy eyes widened in recognition.

"I know you," he said accusingly, "You're one of Potter's troublemaking bunch. You were out of here years ago. What do you want?"

Filch was not a very pleasant gatekeeper.

"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger, Mr. Filch. I'm here to speak to the Headmaster about my son," she said to the squib evenly.

Argus clapped his hand over his face.

"A son? You've got a son here. Oh Thanatos' gelded steeds. Another generation to deal with," he groaned, opening the gate. "Go on in then. Maybe you'll withdraw him."

Hermione couldn't help but grin at the squib's mortified reaction as she walked through the gate. Some things never changed.

"Thank you," she said to Argus, who grumbled back something unintelligible. Hermione was sure it wasn't "Your welcome."

Hermione started across the grounds.

She hoped Albus could help her.

**********************************
A/N: Sorry about the length of time it took to post this. Ok, so we know a little bit about Hermione's life. We know she did well for herself, and is involved with someone who is good to her. She is also worried about Mathias in Slytherin with Severus. She's going to try and get his house changed. Good luck, girl. Anyway, please review.