The Wrong Time

What’s Going On Here?

“Blimey, Mione, you never dressed like that when we were together,” Ron said, his eyes sweeping over her suggestively.


Hermione wrapped her arms around her body reflexively, waiting for Lavender to scold him. It was only then that she noticed Lavender’s mouth was agape. Realization dawned on her.


“You? I thought you were dead,” Molly squeaked.


Severus’ face blazed a deep shade of scarlet.


“Things are not always as they seem,” Severus replied snarkily.


Hermione inhaled sharply. Boy this was awkward.


She turned around to look at Severus, and then turned back, noticing that Lavender was glaring at Ron, whose eyes were planted firmly on her breasts. She reached up and buttoned another button. It was when she looked up again that she noticed the welt on Lavender’s lip.


“Wh-what’s going on? What are you all doing here?” Hermione asked, as little Josiah threw his small arms around her legs, burying his face into her thigh.


“Well, Dear, it seems we are going to have to reorganize Josie’s living arrangements,” Molly said, looking harried.


“Mum! Don’t call him that!”


“Be quiet, Ronald, there are more important things going on than your worries of me emasculating your son,” Molly said, clearly annoyed.


Severus snorted.


“Just what are you laughing at, anyway?” Ron snapped. “Are you dressed this way for him, Hermione? You been shagging him, then?”


“What does that matter to you?” Lavender snapped at Ron, glaring daggers.


“Nothing, it’s just if I realized she looked like that under all those robes, I might have shagged her a few more times before I--”

Ron didn’t even get to finish that sentence. He was interrupted by a large fist colliding with the side of his face.


All three women cried out.


“Severus! What are you doing?” Hermione shrieked, picking up her son and holding him close.


“I’m sorry Hermione, but this is my home, and I will not have this filth coming into my home unannounced and uninvited to insult you! And you,” he continued, his eyes narrowed on Ron, who was nursing a purple bruise on his cheek. “Let’s just make one thing clear: if you ever disrespect her again, I will kill you.”


Hermione blushed. She had never had anyone stick up for her that way before. It felt good.


Ron nodded dumbly.


“How did you survive?”


“What’s going on here?”


“What are you doing here?”


Hermione felt her head would explode from the barrage of questions.


“One thing at a time!” she shouted, quieting the room.


“Severus?”


He nodded in response.


“When Voldemort left me for dead, I was saved by Dumbledore’s Phoenix. I chose to go into hiding because I just wanted to start over, yet somehow all that I left behind has now found me again, and, incidentally, is standing in my kitchen,” he said snarkily.


“What is ‘going on here,’ is really nobody’s business but ours. Suffice it to say that my staying here is no longer for work,” Hermione said, turning red.


Ron opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it, closing it again.


Hermione was unable to read the expression on Molly’s face, but it didn’t matter, because Severus spoke.


“I think, the most pressing question would be what you are doing here, in my kitchen, in Tuscany,” Severus said coolly.


“I dropped Josiah off with Ron and Lavender this morning, but I don’t think that living arrangement is going to work out,” Molly said tentatively.


“Why?” Hermione asked, looking at her son, who was still teary.


“Well, Lavender tried to kiss him, and he bit her,” Ron said.


Hermione looked at Lavender, who looked away, her fingers pressed to her swollen and bruised lip.


“So, don’t kiss him anymore, then,” Hermione said, as if Ron had just said the dumbest thing she had ever heard.


“Well, he also kicked her in the stomach. Now, she’s been checked by her healer, but I’m worried that if he does it again, it might hurt the baby,” Ron continued.


Hermione’s face fell. Ron had never shown that much concern for her well-being when she was pregnant with his children. Severus did not miss her change in mood.


“Well, you’ll just have to keep a better eye on him, then,” Hermione said coolly.


“Well, when I tried to pick him up, to comfort him, he kicked me too,” Ron said, looking a little crestfallen.


“It seems that Josiah has become uncomfortable with the idea of Ron and Lavender, and has decided to lash out at them both,” Molly said softly. “It seems that seeing you two with other people is disturbing to him.”


“Want Sev,” Josiah said, reaching for Severus.


Ron’s mouth dropped open. His own son preferred that greasy git over him?


“I can’t believe any son of mine would ever choose you over me!” he said accusingly.


“I told you he probably isn’t yours,” Lavender said, smirking.


Hermione’s face reddened. Well, now was as good a time as any.


“I know I said there was no way that he couldn’t be, but you should know that there is a slight possibility that he isn’t,” Hermione said softly.


“I knew it!” Lavender shrieked. “And you were so upset for betraying her! She was the pot calling the kettle black!”


Hermione looked wounded.


“How can you say that? You have no idea! I have no idea! One night, you didn’t come home, and I knew by then that you were with her. I told Molly I wasn’t feeling well, and left Rose and Hugo with her. I put a glamour on so no one would recognize me, and went out for a drink.


“One drink became two, then three, then god knows how many. I don’t remember anything else about that night other than that I was put in a cab the next morning by a hooded stranger. Two nights later you and I made love, and nine months later Josiah was born. I don’t even know who he was. I can’t even say for sure that it was a ‘he’. I don’t’ know what happened that night. For all I know I was too drunk to come home, so a kind stranger let me sleep on his couch. April 16th, 2007. I never forgot the date,” Hermione finished, her face a deep scarlet.


“What bar did you go to?” Severus asked her.


“Why does that matter?” Hermione asked him, looking confused.


“Just tell me,” he said insistently.


“I don’t even remember the name of it, some bar in London. Hawk’s Claw, or Hawk’s Eye, or something to that effect,” Hermione trailed off.


“Talon of the Hawk?” Severus offered.


“Yes! But how did you---”


“This glamour you were wearing, you weren’t by any chance posing as a blonde haired woman with striking blue eyes?”


Hermione nodded.


“I was in London from the thirteenth to the sixteenth of April in 2007,” Severus said. “I came for a potions conference, as Silvano of course. It was a long weekend, and the sixteenth was my last day in town before I returned here. I went to Talon of the Hawk, because they serve a mean Firewhisky, and I didn’t want to risk being recognized by Rosmerta or Aberforth.”


“I met a charming blonde who had already had a little too much to drink. I bought her another round, and before I knew it, we were in my hotel room, stumbling around, shagging like rabbits,” he finished, looking at Josiah as if seeing him for the first time.


“So you just took advantage of a drunken married woman,” Ron spat.


“She didn’t mention anything about a husband, and there was no ring on her finger,” Severus said coolly. “Besides, I hardly think it is appropriate for you to be judging her, considering where you were at the time.”


Ron’s eyes narrowed.


Hermione felt weak, and began fumbling around for something to brace herself on. She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her.


“It’s going to be ok,” he whispered into her ear.


“So, you mean Josiah isn’t really my grandson?” Molly asked, her eyes brimming with tears.


“He might still be,” Hermione said, coming back to her senses. “And even if biologically he isn’t ,that won’t change anything as far as I am concerned. There is nothing that will take him away from you.”


Molly looked visibly calmer, although she still looked rather unsettled.


“Well, how do we find out?” Ron asked.


“There is a simple, painless test. I will perform the charm on the boy, and within ten minutes, his mother will glow pink and his father, blue.” Severus said simply.


“How can I know to trust you?” Ron said angrily.


“Ron, it’s a real test,” Hermione said. “Severus is not plotting to steal Josiah away.”


“How do I know you two didn’t cook up this whole story to get us out of the picture?” Ron demanded.


Hermione walked to the study and grabbed a book from the shelf. She flipped through the pages until she found it.


“There,” she said, pointing at a page entitled ‘The Bloodline Charm.’


Ron studied the page for a moment, and then looked up at Severus.


“You be careful with him,” he warned.


Severus glared at him murderously.


He held his wand to Josiah’s arm and muttered the incantation.


Josiah rubbed his eyes.


“Molly, would you like to see his room?” Hermione asked the older woman. “I think he is about ready for a nap anyway.”


“Molly nodded absently, and carried Josiah down the hall, following Hermione until they came to the dragon studded nursery.


“Oh this is just perfect for him,” Molly breathed, gently placing the child on his bed.


“Night night, Josie. Grandma loves you,” she said, kissing him on the forehead.


She followed Hermione out of the bedroom and closed the door softly. It was then that she allowed the tears to fall.


Hermione wrapped her arms around the other woman.


“It’s going to be ok,” she said. “No matter what that test shows, you will still be his grandma. He will still get to come see you as much as you want him to. I’m so sorry I lied to you,” Hermione finished softly.


“Oh, Dear, I don’t blame you at all,” Molly said. “I blame my son for this. If he had been there for you, you wouldn’t have needed that drink. If he had respected his marriage vows none of this would be happening.”


“I am happy for the first time in years,” Hermione said. “If my marriage to Ron was the price for this feeling, then I would not change it.”


Molly looked at her.


“You love him, don’t you?” she asked. “I mean you really, really love him.”


Hermione nodded.


“I do. I can’t explain it, but I really do,” she said.


“Oh, Dear, you’re pink,” Molly said.


They jogged back into the kitchen. Everyone looked at her pink glowing frame for a few seconds before Severus glowed blue.


A/N: Well, that was fun to write….and you should know that that was a plot twist I had not actually planned on. L’Vanna gave me the idea for Josiah to act out, as a means to give Severus and Hermione more time with Josiah, but then I thought about it. I really had it set up so that Josiah could have a different father. I unintentionally wrote Ron out of Josiah’s genes….then I figured, let’s see if I can somehow make Severus the father in a believable way. I think I achieved that. It is possible, albeit highly unlikely and coincidental, but let me know what you think. The reviews have been wonderful, and please, keep them coming!