oO 10 Years Later Oo

"Do you think Mum will be mad?"

"Probably."

"What do you think Dad will say?"

"I have no idea."

"Do you think we should do it anyway?"

"Better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission," Amura smirked softly as she made her way up the entrance steps, her long curly black hair bouncing in the sunlight. She'd grown tall in the passing years, nearly the same height as her mother and only a few centimeters shorter than her brother. Her skin was just a pale as her father's but her eyes had taken on the color of her mother's. More like her father in temperament, she still carried her mother's heart for bringing kindness into the world around her.

"Why is it, whenever I listen to you, we always get in trouble." Firas sighed softly adjusting the small wiggling bundle held in his arms. His hair was more a muted brown with a light curl at the end. He'd grown it long like his father's but had chosen to keep the top half pulled back out of his face. His angled features and sharp cheeks gave him a rather handsome look and his mother's soft nose balanced out the sharpness of his deep brown eyes. More withdrawn than his sister, he was much more cautious and overly observant but exceptionally brilliant like his mother. He was generally more outspoken about his gathered knowledge to all those who would listen but when it came to his sister he found himself more often than not just going on with whatever her ideas were even if they made very little sense to him.

The both of them had received their birth given gifts upon their first birthday and had been officially placed into the family registry that year with their subsequent magical abilities listed therein. Amura had been gifted with the seers' sight, something Hermione had been both equally delighted and dreadfully worried about before Galia and she had found a suppression amulet within the castle that Amura would be able to wear until she could gain control of her gift.

Likewise, Firas had not been left out of receiving an extra magical gift and had also received an amulet to curb his natural abilities. Being a natural legilimens at even age one rivaled that of his father's. It wasn't until Hermione had noticed that he hadn't started to babble did she start to wonder if he might have been communicating his needs in another manner. So subtle was his gift that she hadn't realized that her 'instincts' on what he needed were, in fact, him communicating to her exactly what he wanted.

It had only been through Severus that the boy had even learned to speak at all. It had been a trying period in their relationship but it had made Severus more confident in his ability to become the father he had never had and Hermione had never been more proud of him. Though neither twin had many memories of their lives before four years old, their parents combined strengths and almost impassible wall of parenting, had created a rather creative if strict environment for growing up in.

Their playground had become the enormous library on most days. Each child having countless adventures inside the many books therein. To Hermione's great surprise, Severus had taken over the role as a teacher once more to help their children learn the basic skills, and even some not so basic skills, that they would need to join the wizarding world in the future. He, alongside Galia, had balanced out their education in ways Hermione could never have even imagined. Though she had at times thought about quitting her job at the ministry to stay home with the children she had decided that turning part of the castle into a small magical primary school had been much more satisfying.

The west wing with its various estate rooms had easily been transformed into classrooms suited for the growing children's needs. As word spread of the newly created school, magical children from all around had sought admittance to the historical castle but only a select few had been given admittance.

As the school grew, Severus relieved himself of his role of teacher, choosing instead to take on his formally despised position as headmaster. While the primary school kept only 10 children at a time it was still a daunting task to manage. Galia and a few others from the village had stepped in to fill the various roles the children therein would need to be filled as their growing magical bodies came into their powers.

The school had only been made open to the public two years ago but it already had garnered a massive reputation as being one of the best preparatory schools the magical community had ever seen. Hermione's involvement in its creation had even set her on the block to be voted as for Minister for Magic but she wasn't so sure that was where her heart lied. While she was still making waves in the magical community where she was; she knew when the time came she was destined for more.

Amura turned the corner cautiously, peeking into the modest living room of their comfortable manor home. It had grown warmer over the years, with pictures, toys, and other homely additions. One of which was a large blue sofa that their mother often took naps on while she was reading some work file or another. Though normally she wouldn't bring work home with her, she would on occasion bring one file to busy herself with on the weekend when the kids were outside playing.

Amura motioned for Firas to come closer, keeping her steps light as she tried to sneak past the doorway and up to the stairs leading to their rooms. She was almost certain her plan would work so long as they were able to get upstairs unnoticed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Amura squeaked and jumped back from the stairs as her mother's calm but accusing voice filled the room from under the arm that covered her eyes. The young girl would have sworn she was a mind reader just like her brother even though she'd been told differently on numerous occasions.

"Uh, well...that is..." Amura seemed to lose confidence in her 'clever' plan and turned to her brother for help.

"Can we keep them?" Firas believed honesty was the best policy when being caught in the act and tried to look as innocent as possible when his mother shifted on the couch to look at the both of them. Her eyes narrowed slightly when a long fluffy ear popped out from the wriggling blanket in his arms.

"Keep what?" Hermione raised her brow in a rather Severus-like manner, hiding the grin that threatened her face knowing that she'd caught the two of them in the act.

Firas glanced at Amura for a second before slowly pulling the blanket from over top one of the kneazle kittens in his arms. He looked at his mother's reaction from under his eyelashes keeping his rather effective pout, that his sister had yet to fully master, in place.

Hermione clicked her tongue softly and raised a hand to beckon them closer, "What did you do to poor Renatus?"

The teen had been home for the summer holiday and had actively offered to watch after the two of them while he was home. Galia had been so proud the day he had been accepted into not only Hogwarts but two other prestigious schools as well. Though she herself had never gotten the chance to have a proper education and despite knowing the history of Hermione and Severus alma mater, she had chosen to allow her son to attend Hogwarts. He had been sorted into Ravenclaw a house both Severus and Hermione had commended him for and thanks to their own castle's library—and Severus' additional tutoring on his holidays; he had broken nearly every academic record therein.

Though Renatus hadn't received as strong of a divining gift as his mother's, he was still able to see future events through the way of dreams and guided meditation. It was by far the easiest and kindest way to manage the otherwise powerful gift. With Parvapro still at his side, even at Hogwarts, the boy had made numerous friends from all houses and the town would often play host to a number of them around his birthday; keeping the normally sleepy town alive and flourishing.

"He's fine, uh...there was a girl and he uh..."

"Amura tricked him into talking to a girl he liked down at the inn." Firas jumped slightly when Amura elbowed him lightly in the side but merely retaliated with a small kick to her shin.

"Alright enough. Where did you find these?" Hermione had come to her feet now coming closer to gently run her fingers down one of the kittens' heads eliciting a deep purr.

"Mrs. Gradon was giving them away. She said she found a litter of them in the orchard but no Mum. There were too many for her to care for on her own so we asked if we could take these two. We did the work for them, honest!" Amura fell into her brother's line of thinking, choosing to speak the truth rather than trying to play word games. Though she was very skilled even for her age, she could barely hold a candle to the woman who married the master of the art.

"You did the work huh?" Hermione glanced between the two of them searching their faces for any hidden truths before looking back down at the adorable cat-like creature. A deep sigh passed her lips as she pulled her hand back. This wasn't the first 'wayward' creature her children had stumbled upon, though it was the first they actually seemed capable of keeping. She had to also admit that she had missed the company of a feline roaming the house.

"Go ask your father. If he says yes as well, you can keep them. If not, we'll discuss it at dinner."

"Yes!" Amura jumped excitedly before pushing Firas towards the front door. The light outside the gates had been lit so she had already known where their father could be found.

Hermione chuckled softly shaking her head before ruffling her hair. The two of them were surely going to be the end of her. At the very least she'd go out with a smile and a warm heart. A soft smile turned her back into the living room where she pulled over the file she'd been reading before she had decided to take a light nap.

She hadn't yet discussed her future plans for the castle with Severus but eventually, she wanted to make it a proper school for all those exceptionally gifted in the magical arts. A sort of magical University for those expressing interest in furthering the advancement of wizarding technology and medicinal potions. She knew a lot of the magic within the castle had been lost over the time it had been hidden but believed it was time for the wizarding world to see what it could truly become. Money wasn't the issue, convincing Severus that the world wasn't a harsh cruel place filled with dunderheads incapable of understanding the power therein, was.

oOo

Severus sighed heavily wiping his brow with his sleeve. Summer holiday was now the only time he could find peace within the castle herb garden. With his children now old enough to fend for themselves without constant supervision and Hermione's small school closed; he found himself free to continue his preferred work. While he didn't jump for joy over the entire primary school idea, he had come around to its usefulness as he hadn't wanted to send his children away to attend some other magical school or worse, a muggle one. Though he rarely verbally expressed his thoughts his heart and soul was now laid firmly in the hands of his family. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to ensure that all of them lived the lives they most definitely deserved.

Even though he'd never wanted to become a teacher at all in his life, he'd found the sort of lacking patience that had been missing during his Hogwarts tenure when it came to his own children. He hadn't felt confident that his newfound ability would carry over to other's children and had thus stepped back from his hands-on role to being more of an overseer. He would still take time out to ensure that his children were meeting their potential but left the others under his care in the hands of his more than capable cousin.

"The Prince and Princess have entered the castle, your Highness. Shall I guide them here?" Libros bowed his head slightly as Severus came to his full height to wipe the dirt off his hands.

"Do they seek my presence?" Severus had long since given up on trying to get the free elf to address him more commonly.

"It would appear that way."

"Then if you please." Severus watched the elf pop out before tossing the towel over his shoulder and made his way towards the small greenhouse that connected with the rest of the castle. It was nearing dinner time anyway and his herbs had done just fine under the care of the house elves that had taken to caring for them when he was too busy to do so. He still after all these years refused to let Hermione anywhere near the kitchen and even the children had quickly learned exactly what cupboards they were allowed into for snacks and which ones they were not. Though he'd never raised a hand to either of them, one look from his sharp eyes, thinned disapproving lips and raised brow would deter them from further disobedience.

As soon as he stepped into the small room he could already hear their voices echoing down the hall, unaware just how well voices carried along the stone.

"He likes you more, you should do the talking."

"Me? What do you mean, Dad's always like their daughter's more. It's like some protective biological thingy."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Read it, in a book."

"Well, that book must have been written centuries ago because everyone knows that Dad's and their sons are like super buddies. That fight beside each other in wars and battles and get all the cool hand me down stuff."

"And where did you hear that?"

"Same as you, but I bet my book was spot on."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

Severus could actually hear his son rolling his eyes and had to hide his grin behind his hand. He was almost certain that had he grown up with Hermione instead of Lily that would have been an almost exact copy of a conversation they would have held at one point. Though neither of them was correct in their logic as he loved both of them equally and made a point of being exceptionally fair whenever possible.

The smirk cleared his face as he pretended to busy himself when he heard their voices drop to hushed whispers just outside of the partially open door. He did look up to see which one had lost their round of rock paper scissors to prove which one of their theories was possibly correct.

"Yes, Firas?"

"Dad, uh...I have a question."

"Mhm?" Severus leaned back against the table he'd been pretending to straighten crossing his arms to give his son his full attention.

"Well, you know our uh birthday is coming up and I was wondering if..." Firas made a small face glancing back at the door having missed whatever line he was supposed to deliver next.

"Amura, would you care to join us?" Severus' lip quirked as he felt the small jolt of startled fear run through his daughter's mind before she came into the room keeping her eyes down to the small blanket she held in her arms. Both children had learned that they could avoid their father's all-seeing eye if they avoided looking directly at him, of course, that only led to them being found out quicker.

"Mum said we could keep them if you said yes..." Amura, choosing the path her brother had previously, pulled the blanket from overtop of the kneazles' heads causing the kittens to mewl and stretch themselves out further in her hold.

Severus raised a brow, he didn't much care for pets of any kind. Animal hair had a nasty habit of contaminating potions if one was careless. He'd seen a wide number of potions go array during his time at Hogwarts because a careless student would forget to cast a hair repelling charm on their robes before coming to class.

"We already did the work for them, and Mrs. Gradon said she'd have to ship them off if no one could take them." Firas tried his best to stand tall and strong like his father but he hadn't yet mastered the stone-like look to his soft features.

Severus raised his hand silencing any more feeble attempts to convince him. Instead, he looked between the two of them for a long moment before finally pushing himself off of the table, "They are your responsibility and yours alone. If I catch your mother caring for them at all they shall be taken to the keep. Am I understood?"

Both children lit up brighter than Christmas time fairy lights and bounded from the room to go tell their mother. Severus just shook his head and rolled his eyes wondering just what he'd gotten himself into. He wasn't a magic-zoologist but he was certain the cats hadn't looked like the normal run of the mill strays. Either way, it was a good test of the responsibility his children had learned over the years as soon both of them would be out of the house and having to fend for themselves in one magical school or another.

oOOo

Hermione smiled softly as she closed Firas' bedroom door. He was out like a light. His new familiar, Firy curled up under his chin. She had been surprised when Severus hadn't put up much of an argument to the new additions to the family but his motives had been fully discussed over dinner as well as all the expectations therein with both of them fully accepting their new responsibilities.

Hermione moved to Amura's room next, noting that her night table lamp was still on. Though when she pushed the door open further it was revealed that she had fallen asleep with a book in hand, her own kitten, Nips curled up over its pages. Hermione smiled even more, calling the light from the lamp with her wand from the doorway before silently closing the door.

As she turned she caught Severus' eye as he made his way towards their room and instantly felt a smile growing on her face. How far this man had come. It was impossible to even remember what he had been like before. As now, all she could see was a caring, kind father, a role model, and brilliant inventor. It was just proof that no matter how far you've gone in life, there was always time to make a change.

Hermione cast a one-way silencing charm over the kid's doors that would allow them to hear if they were in distress but would prevent the children from hearing them. It was a spell so well mastered by now Hermione hadn't even needed her wand to cast it anymore.

She made her way into the bedroom, closing the door behind herself as she made her way behind Severus who was presently unbuttoning his shirt to change for the evening. She felt him pause when she rested her chin against his back and wrapped her hands around his waist, slipping her fingers into the waistband of his belted slacks.

"Let's make another." Her voice dipped low and a slow grin spread across her face.

"Not a chance."

"Mmm, can we practice then?" Hermione slipped her thumb expertly through the latch on his belt before pressing herself as much as she could against his backside.

"I think I can live with that." Severus knew her game, but he also had no objections to what her mind was currently cycling through. Though they had never seriously considered having more children, it was something Hermione would often use to hint that she was in the mood. Their love life had been dampened in the first few years following the twins birth, not for lack of trying but from lack of energy. As the twins had continued to grow so had their energy levels and there was rarely a time where they would be able to pass up the opportunity to reaffirm their love for each other.

Hermione smiled into his back letting her hands run up his chest before he slowly turned to face her. As soon as he had, she reached up onto her toes, carding her fingers through the graying hair at his temples before pressing her lips tightly to his. His hair was light, almost unnoticeable when it was combed down but she didn't mind the change at all, knowing that she had probably put a few of those hairs there herself. To her, he was still the most handsome man in the world and her heart wanted no other.

Hermione let out a deep breathy moan when his lips parted to her silent bid for entrance. Capturing her in a world of sensations she never wanted to forget. His hands ran up the small of her back just under her blouse, running along the sensitive dip in her waist before dipping just below the hem of her skirt. A soft sigh passed between them when his hands returned to her waist to guide her towards the bed.

Her hands lifted up as she went back. Running beneath the open seam of his shirt before pushing it off of his shoulders. Another tilt of her head brought their kiss even deeper and she could already feel her body starting to hum like a finely tuned guitar. Breaking the kiss for much-needed air, she let her head fall back against the mattress as his lips ran down the vein thumping in her throat.

Severus let his hands run down the buttons on her blouse silently calling them from their catch so that his hands could fan out against her ribs teasing the bound flesh on her chest. A whimper was his reward for his slow-paced hands and he couldn't help but smile against her skin as he dipped down the V hiding her most sensitive area from his searching lips.

His fingers ran under her arms as she raised them up to lightly toy with the back of his hair guiding him to where she wanted him most. His fingers slipped beneath her arched back with practiced ease releasing the hook that had barred his way from his previous endeavor. His task done his lips dipped lower, pushing away the defending fabric with the tip of his nose as he placed the softest of kisses against her rounded flesh; knowing exactly how much it drove her mad.

Hermione let out a deep whine letting her nails rake down his back, despite his age, he'd still maintained a rather lithe form. Aside from a few more wrinkles around his eyes, his skin had retained almost all of its youthful vigor. His scars were nothing but faint lines only to be seen in the perfect light. A small curl of her shoulders released what he had been after and her legs lifted up to wrap around his waist to pull him closer.

Severus let out a deep moan when her core pressed tightly against his from her shift. His head lifted slowly to catch a glimpse of her flushed face before he shifted onto his forearms to capture her in another breath stealing kiss. His hands took over where his mouth had been and it wasn't long before the offending clothing was removed completely. Though both of them were more than capable of removing their clothes magically, they found it much more enjoyable to do it without magic. The sort of thrill that came with revealing each bit of flesh had yet to lose its appeal.

Hermione wrapped her arms tighter around his neck using her hips to urge him to switch places. As he did, she smiled and dipped her head down to his throat before taking hold of the sensitive junction between his neck and shoulder. The skin that had been ripped away by Nagini had regrown to be more sensitive than any other part of his body and she frequently made a point to lavish attention on the healed area. Never forgetting how close they were that day to losing all that their lives had become.

It was a small ritual both of them sought to perform, never wanting to forget where they'd come from even though they had long since forgotten the pain that day had brought with. When Hermione settled over his waist, she stretched her arms up over her head, tangling her hands in her own hair to arch her back into his waiting hands. His head dipped down to her rib where he placed his own reverent kiss upon the war-torn flesh. Though the mark had long since faded away the sensitivity of the area was still present.

Severus relished in the soft moan that vibrated beneath his lips and raised his head up to look at the goddess stretched out before him. A sight more beautiful could never be described than in the moment that her eyes shined down from above into his own. When her hands came down to gently run the back of her fingers along his cheek he felt as though he'd found nirvana in a world that could never know the peace he felt in that moment.

Hermione smiled softly, rocking her hips in a well-practiced manner, forcing a groan from the normally silent man. He wasn't as vocal as she, so she always relished in the sounds she was able to pull from him. She'd made a point of learning every point on his body that would give her such an unadulterated sound of pleasure. It was a battle long fought, and often won.

Her hands left her hair to gently push him onto his back before she slipped her legs down to the floor. She ran her hands up his clothed thighs, making sure to rake her nails along his inner thigh before leaning down to press her lips over the V of muscle at the bottom of his stomach. Though less defined than in past years, she didn't need the visual to know just exactly where she needed to place her lips. As her hands ran under her chin to release the button on his slacks she couldn't help but grin when his knees pressed into her shoulders.

A small nip right below his bellybutton released his knees from her shoulders and a low moan filled the room when her hand pressed against him. A small shift and another moan rattled through his chest before her fingers had found what she was after. Severus could only grit his teeth when an enveloping warmth wrapped around his senses, turning off all other thoughts.

Hermione relished in the sight before her as she lifted herself up just a bit higher to watch his reaction to her ministrations. She closed her eyes for only a moment, letting out her own soft moan eliciting a deeper groan from the man beneath her.

"Hermione..."

A slow grin formed on her face as she slowly released her hold. Raising herself up over his stomach. Her hair hid her crime as her fingers returned to their previous task of removing his slacks. Her name ringing both as a question and as adoration. She lowered her head down once more when he lifted his hips to allow the rest of his layers to be pulled away, a small nip around his hip to tell him exactly what she wanted.

Severus needed no other direction and found his strength through the haze of pleasure. A shift and a pull had Hermione letting out a soft noise of surprise as he pulled her from the floor and promptly onto her back over the center of the bed. His hands found hers and he pressed them firmly yet generally into the pillow over her head. A small struggle for power that neither one of them truly wanted to control ensued before Hermione relented to his wandering lips.

Still held in place by one of his hands she raised her hips as the last of the fabric between them was pulled away. A small bit of magic helped the process before his free hand sought her core arching her back beautifully. Hermione curled her hands into the pillow above as the hand that had held her in place retreated further down. It was only a half a breath before a fire was ignited in her core.

Her hands left the pillow to card through the dark locks centered between her legs. Her back arching as a deep moaning sigh left her parted lips. She pressed up against the hands holding her hips in place, whining softly at the restriction they provided. They held fast despite her plea but she was not disappointed in the outcome of their endeavor.

A spark ran up her spine as she could feel herself winding tight like a clock spring. Just as she felt as though she could handle no more the devilish tongue relented and she found herself floating somewhere near the precipice that was sure to turn her world completely upside down.

Her hands left their post, guiding and pulling until dark eyes met her own, sending her further into the dark chasm of love that lay hidden inside. A whispered plea, a soft word of affirmation and they had finally become one once more. Their bodies moved in time, climbing higher and higher towards the light. Lips and hands joined together keeping their bodies tied to earth while their souls soured higher and higher. One final shift found them careening headfirst into worldly bliss each one calling out to the other as they fell unheeded into the beyond.