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Unexpected Obsessions	By : jillianw Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 2626 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Chapter 17
Turn Your World Upside Down

Hermione and Severus stood in front of the stylish tudor, before she found enough courage to knock. She was frightened of seeing her parents and the rejection they felt for her. But still, she had to try one last time to make amends with them. She pulled on the knocker a few times, and then waited.

Severus placed an arm around her waist, and for once, he prayed that whomever opened that door did not shut it in their face. He knew Hermione missed her family. He also knew the way they had treated her, and he was not going to let them degrade her in his presence. His other hand was in his coat pocket, firmly wrapped around his wand.

"I don't think they're home Severus. Let's go. We can come back later." Hardly half a minute had gone by since she knocked.

"Hermione, give them time. We'll wait a few more moments." She smiled at him, apprehensively. She wasn't sure she really thought through what she was doing by coming here. She was drudging up the past. Bringing back all the memories she had been forced to forget when they shut her out of their lives. She reached for the knocker one last time, and the door was opened. A middle-aged woman with slightly graying hair, opened the door. Severus had never seen a picture of her, but by the way Hermione tensed when she opened the door, he knew it was her mother.

"Mum, may we come in?"

Mrs. Granger stood at the door, contemplating on letting them in, or slamming the door in their face. She had promised herself that she wouldn't shut her out if she came to visit. However, she didn't know if she had the strength to tell her the truth about why they had treated her so bad since she left. When Hermione told them she wanted to live in Hogsmeade, her mother promised she would let her go on living the life she was born. She didn't want to remind her of the heritage that had been forced upon her. Her father had been reluctant at first, but realized that they had 18 years of happiness with her as their own. And they agreed that if Hermione was to return, they would let her know the secret they had kept hidden about her life.

"Mrs. Granger, we only want to get Hermione's things. If we may trouble you for a few moments, we'll be gone before you know it." Severus' husky voice interrupted her musings.

"Your father is not here. He's at work. I've been ill with a cold and have been home for a few days."

Hermione looked at Severus like her mum had lost her mind, then opened the door and stormed on in. "There's that damned Gryffindor courage again," Severus mumbled beneath his breath. "If I may Madam?" She gestured for him to come in.

"By all means."

Hermione made her way into the living room, up the stairs, and into what must have been her room. Severus followed after her, and they began packing the things Hermione had wanted to get. Half an hour later, they were finished, and ready to leave the Granger's home forever. However, her mother had retrieved a wooden box from the mantle, and handed it to her when she returned from upstairs. "There are a few things I'd like to discuss and clarify with you if you have a few moments."

"Severus, can we spare a moment of our precious time to stay where we're not wanted?" He winced at the malice in her voice. His Hermione didn't sound that way, and her abrupt actions were starting to worry him.

"Hermione, this is obviously of some importance, or she wouldn't bother with asking us to stay." He gestured for her to sit on the sofa, and he joined her. "We're ready Mrs. Granger."

"Hermione, there are things I swore to myself I'd never tell you, but I cannot lie to you any longer. Not when it could mean your life as well as your baby's."

Hermione scoffed at her words, and Severus placed a hand to her knee to silence her.

"No matter what this box contains, nor where its contents lead you, remember that we have always loved you, and you'll always be our little girl." Her eyes welled up with tears at that acknowledgment.

"I'm listening." Severus thought she sounded like a ten year old brat. Hermione was very hurt by the way they had treated her, and was not so willing to forgive and forget. With trembling hands, she reached for the box. As she opened it, the smell of aged parchment wafted through the air, and they knew that this box had been kept closed for many years.

"Hermione, would you care for some tea?" When she didn't respond, Severus replied that they both would like some tea, and her mother left for the kitchen to make some.

"Hermione, you don't have to open this here. We can wait until we get home. Obviously this box contains information about very important matters involving your life."

"No, I'm not leaving here until I know what she's been hiding. What they both have been hiding."

"Very well then. I just hope you're prepared for what this box may contain." He had learned that he shouldn't argue with a determined woman. Or a pregnant, determined Hermione at that.

She scooted closer to Severus, and pulled out the first envelope. It contained her Birth Certificate. It had the date of birth and the time just the same as she had always been told, but her mother's name was listed as Madeline Elsworth. "Unknown" was typed beneath her mother's name where her father's should have been. "Severus, I'm adopted."

She handed him the document, and he read through it's contents. "I had assumed by the way your mother was acting." He recognized Hermione's birth mother's name as a Ravenclaw that had been two years ahead of him at Hogwarts. He also knew that if Madeline had been her mother, he was fairly certain that he knew who was her father. The couple had been inseparable after they left Hogwarts. He tried to remember what he could about her, and realized that her family had been one of Voldemort's victims. It was believed that she died with her entire family. No remains were ever found. But as Severus did the arithmetic in his head, he realised that she must have went into hiding before her family was attacked. Thus living through the ambush on her family, and giving birth to Hermione. "She must have fled to the muggle world to save you and herself from Voldemort."

"You knew my mother?"

"Yes I did Hermione. She was two years ahead of me at Hogwarts. She was in Ravenclaw. No wonder you're so intelligent." He bit his tongue to keep from telling her why he thought she had been sorted into Gryffindor. That was an entirely different conversation, and definitely one to be discussed in privacy. Preferably with a bottle of Scotch, he thought.

"So I'm not a muggleborn after all, am I?"

"No, it appears not. Your mother was a very talented witch."

"Now, I just have to find out if I am a half and half, as Seamus puts it." Again, he kept his mouth shut, knowing that if he were to tell her that she was a full-blooded witch, they would be here far longer than he hoped. She reached for the next envelope, and it included a Death Certificate. Madeline had died giving birth to Hermione. The cause of death was blood loss. "She's dead Severus. She died giving birth to me."

"Let me see that." Severus read through the certificate, and immediately knew why she had died. "Hermione, they were trying to replace her blood with that of muggles. It had no magical elements in it at all. It couldn't coagulate, and she eventually bled to death. I'm so sorry my love."

At that moment, Hermione's mother returned and poured them both a cup of hot tea. "Hermione, before you continue, please let me explain how we became your parents." She looked at her mother and glared.

"Well? What else is there to tell? You adopted me when my mother died and have lied to me for over 23 years. I have no idea who my father is, or if he is still even alive. End of story."

"It's not that simple. We had tried for sometime to conceive a child. For three years we were unsuccessful. One afternoon during another failed attempt at the hospital, we walked by the nursery and I saw you in your crib. You were the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. I questioned the nurse about you, and she told us of what happened to your mother. I was heartbroken to learn that your father was unknown and that you would be going to the orphanage. John and I felt that it was fate that brought us to you that day. We left and went to our attorney's office. A week later you came home with us. It was very fast. The hospital and caseworkers gave us all of your mother's belongings that she had brought with her to the hospital. The nurse told us later at your checkup that your mother had left a box with a few memento's and a request for us to leave your name as Hermione. She had told the nurse that it held an importance and that when you grew up, you would know what it meant. The box contained your mother's picture, and a charm bracelet. We put all of our papers from your adoption and her Death Certificate into the box, and have left it unopened until now."

"But why didn't you tell me before now?"

"I had never intended on telling you, but when we received the owl to your wedding and you announced that you were pregnant, we became scared that something may happen to you and your baby. We didn't want the same outcome as your birth. If you knew this, then maybe you could take precautions and be better prepared so that you and the baby are both safe."

"I can assure you Mrs. Granger, Hermione will be taken care of better than any witch before her. I would gladly give her my last drop of blood, if it meant that she would go on living."

"I can tell that Mr. Snape. You seem to care for her dearly."

"He does. End of conversation."

"Well, it seems that you have tried to do your best raising Hermione, and she is a remarkable young woman. You should be very proud. However, she has deserved to know the truth. There are many things in our world that you may not know about. This information about Hermione's heritage could have caused her harm if the wrong people were to have found out. It could have ended very badly for her."

"I know Mr. Snape. But we understood that the threats that she once has were gone, and that she is safe now. I wouldn't have told her this otherwise."

Hermione put the contents back into the box, and stood. Severus, taking her cue, followed suit. "We must be getting back home. I can say that I will never forget all that you did for me, and all that you mean to me. But, I have a past that I know nothing about, and I intend to learn all that I can. I only hope that we can remain in touch. I have missed our talks and our shopping trips."

Her mother stood, and hugged her tightly to her chest. Hermione had been holding back her tears, but her emotions won the better of her and she began to cry. "I missed you mum. Do you know how hard it was to get married knowing that you didn't want anything to do with me?"

"You thought that we didn't want anything to do with you. We were only trying to preserve the happiness you have found. This wasn't pleasant for you to find out. But, I hope that it will help you, if it needs to."

"I can assure you, it will. Please let dad know I love him. Even though you didn't conceive me, I still consider you my parents and I always will. No matter if I were to find my father tomorrow. I still love you." Severus winced at her statement.
"You already know your father, Hermione," he thought to himself.

"And we love you. You take care of her Mr. Snape. She means the world to us."

"Almost as much as she means to me. I will take great care of her. I promised I would when we married, and I never ever break my promises."

Hermione chuckled a bit. "No, he doesn't."

They said good-bye, and with a promise to owl when the child was born, they left. They arrived home just before dinner, and proceeded to eat in the parlor. After a very fulfilling meal, Hermione wanted time to think, and Severus began battling within himself. He didn't know if he should tell her about whom he thought her father was, but he was going to show her an old yearbook, and see if she could make the connection. No matter how he felt about the man, it was Hermione's given right to know her father. And he had a right to know that he had a beautiful, talented, intelligent daughter out there.

"You just sit down here, and I'll be right back." Severus poured that glass of Scotch he had promised himself, and browsed a bookshelf for his fifth year Hogwarts' yearbook. "Here, take a look through this. I am certain there are a few pictures of your mother in there."

The book was covered in emerald leather, and had the Slytherin crest on the cover. She had seven similar books, although her books were maroon, and had the Gryffindor crest on them. Each book contained a single picture of your house members, and a group picture of the three rival houses. There were also pictures of the house Quidditch teams, and each of the special groups within Hogwarts. "Browse through there, I'm sure she's in there."

She opened the book and wasted no time going to the Fifth Year Slytherin's page. She wanted to see what her husband looked like at the age of sixteen. "Where are you?" He took a large drink of his Scotch, and wrapped his arms around her as she looked. She ran her fingertips across Lucius Malfoy's picture and shuddered at the feeling of it. He would always be a useless bastard in her eyes. "Ah, here you are." Sixteen year old Severus had been peering down at his feet, but when Hermione brushed her fingers across his picture, he smiled up at her and his cheeks blushed. "My, my Severus. Were you once shy?"

"Hermione, I have always been shy and I will always remain that way. It just seems that my sixteen year old self knows how much you mean to me." He kissed the back of her head, and watched as she turned to the other house pictures. She scanned the Gryffindor picture, and watched the various activities going on. She immediately recognized James and Lily, holding hands and smiling affectionately at one another.

"Sickening, aren't they?" She chuckled at her husband, and began searching once again for the Ravenclaw photo. "I believe she's over there, by Oliver Wood's father. You met him at the Quidditch World Cup, did you not?" She nodded in response, and brought the book up to her face for a closer look. "She was a very beautiful woman. No wonder you're so gorgeous." Hermione watched as she stood there sternly, barely moving. She could already see the same mannerisms as her own.

"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Severus felt a tear hit his arm, and he pulled her closer to him.

"Yes she was. I have told you that Voldemort was after her family. They were very brilliant alchemists. The used to own the Apothecary in Diagon Alley when I was a student. What I heard from speculation, he approached your grandfather and asked him to make several highly illegal potions. He was a very upstanding citizen, and denied him immediately. Voldemort went after the entire family, but it seems that your mother managed to escape before they died."

Hermione browsed through other pages, and when she came upon one of Severus in his quidditch gear, he pulled his robes open, and flashed her a bit of his bare stomach. "My god, you were a pervert at school." She snickered and he watched as the picture repeated the gesture several more times.

"I can assure you, I was nothing like that. See how you effect me? Even my photo cannot behave in your presence."

She noticed the prefects and the head boy and girl pages. Her mother was a prefect, and that made Hermione proud. She turned to the last section which she knew was filled with miscellaneous pictures taken at quidditch matches and other various activities at Hogwarts. There was only one picture with her mother in it, and she happened to be snogging someone. They were standing beneath the mistletoe that hung in the doorway of the Great Hall. Whomever she was kissing had his back turned towards the camera and Hermione couldn't see his face. She could tell he was a Gryffindor, because of his necktie, and her stomach dropped when she noticed the neat, long ponytail that hung halfway down his back.

"Severus, it can't be. He can't be. Can he?" Her voice was squeaky and Severus knew in that instant that she had solved the mystery about her father.

"I am afraid that it appears to be true. I am married to Sirius Black's daughter."
- 16
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- 18
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Unexpected Obsessions