—————S—————

Severus debated for at least thirty minutes if he should check if Hermione was awake. Yes, it was five-thirty in the morning and yes, he might miss waking up next to her and seeing her dreadful hair and her open mouth. But regardless, he was bored, and he missed her, and while he would never enter her room to watch her sleep, he was nearly to the point of going in and waking her up.

So he got dressed and headed downstairs. Maybe he could run around the property or see if Mr. McGonagall was already up and ready to start the day. He may have put in enough physical labor to cover the Herbology part of his potions ingredients, a new set of robes, textbooks, and still have more spending money than he had ever had at any other time in his life, but he wasn't about to stop if he didn't have to. He wanted the experience, knowing that working with a Master Herbologist would count towards part of a Potions Mastery. He wanted the reference for when the time to apply came.

And damn it, he wanted to actually stand a chance with Hermione.

He knew heading into his fourth year that he and Lily were drifting apart. She was such a Gryffindor, righteous and bold. She had allowed her housemates to convince her that any knowledge of the Dark Arts instantly meant a Dark wizard, that the lure of it was only strong for someone already down that path. And Slytherins were the worst. Never mind that the house stood for creativity and cunning, its defining trait of ambition twisted into power-hungry.

It didn't help that she was growing more beautiful, while he was merely growing into his nose and hoping puberty would pass soon so his hair and skin wouldn't be quite so oily. She made friends as easily as breathing, while even within his house he was considered nothing more than an acquaintance or a tutor. He was a survivor and he was doing what he could to survive.

But he would have given it all up, risked his neck every day, had Lily Evans said she wanted to be with him.

Going into their fourth year, she was everything.

And then they'd met Hermione.

When she had collapsed on Valentine's Day, he didn't want to admit he was scared. When she went to the McGonagalls' for the Easter hols, he didn't want to admit he missed her desperately. The invitation to join her during the summer felt too good to be true. He was absolutely sure he'd lose her when she showed up unannounced at Spinner's End. But she had stayed and didn't say a damn thing about the way he lived. There was no pity, no disgust, no ... anything. She was just there, talking to his mother, sleeping in a bed next to his, allowing him to lead the way up and down the disgusting river without a word of complaint.

He knew then that she was different in more ways than he had expected. He was infatuated with her. Maybe more than that: he was pretty sure he was being a complete idiot and falling in love with her. And while she may not have been much to look at on the train the year before, he'd have to be blind not to see she was becoming a beauty in her own right. She'd never be a Lily, but that just made her better in his eyes. And puberty wasn't becoming his friend any time soon. Severus feared Hermione would not give him a second look, that she'd fall for Lupin or some Ravenclaw. Maybe even one of the more attractive Slytherins.

He made sure to never intentionally introduce her to any of them.

He doubted affluence mattered to her, but he couldn't argue that money to buy things to woo her with couldn't hurt, even if it was only quills and parchment. Or flowers that doubled as potions ingredients.

Severus stopped short as he made it to the kitchen, seeing Cordelia McGonagall standing in front of a cauldron, ingredients laid out to her left and a book to her right.

"What are you brewing?" he asked, startling her so much she jumped off the ground.

Eyes wide, hand over her heart, Cordelia's lips twitched in a grin. "Scared me there, Severus. Bit early for you ta be up, innit?"

He shrugged. "Early riser."

"I'm brewing Bob some pain relief. Not as young as he used to be, and bendin' over all day gets his back in a right twist. Takes more of it than he should, I say, but he's too young to retire still."

Severus smiled to himself as he came over and inspected what she had out. Cordelia was following the book to the letter and he resisted the urge to sneer. "I know a better way to brew it," he said as he picked up a vial of flobberworm mucus. "Faster, more potent, lasts longer, and I don't think one would build up a tolerance to it quite so fast."

Cordelia frowned before her expression softened. "Hermione said you were a bit of a whiz with potions. She also said you blew up a cauldron brewing something like that."

"Only the first time. I was quite successful the second time, as well as the third. And I've tested the results personally."

"When?"

"I used it after I had to pop my own shoulder back in place," he said nonchalantly, remembering the tripping jinx that made him fall down the dungeon stairs not long after the Easter hols. He remembered the echo of Potter and Black's laughter, Pettigrew's cackling, and the searing pain that ripped through him. Had he not been meant to meet Hermione and Lily, he may have had the time to have it set properly. But as it was, knowing they would worry and eventually find him in the hospital wing, he opted to just bite the bullet and get it over with. He'd popped it back into place against the dungeon wall, swallowed the potion, and gone off to study.

Cordelia considered it for only a brief moment before she stepped aside and gestured to the cauldron. "Tell me what you need. Can't believe I'm lettin' a fifteen-year-old boy show me how to brew something, but I'm the one still using a book."

Severus quirked his lips at that, not daring to laugh in case he offended her.

They worked quietly, Cordelia acting as an assistant and fetching Severus what he needed as he played Master. Brewing his own variation was exciting and nerve-wracking. He was terrified he'd mess up, prove himself just a stupid kid, but he knew in his gut that he could do this.

As the final stages approached and the sun began to rise, Cordelia cleared her throat. "You're good at this, altering potions?"

"I've been doing it since my third year. Not to this degree, mind. This was my first experiment gone right."

"But you know how to ... change things? Make them better?"

Severus frowned as he watched the color shift to the slate blue hue it was meant to. "Yes. I started with methods of preparation and now I look at the recipe. I want to become a Master in the field, and it's difficult to do so without having a knack or will to experiment."

He heard her step away, open and close a cupboard, and then return to his side. She handed him a slip of paper. "Do you see any way of making this better?" she asked softly.

Severus read it over and his gut twisted. A Fertility Potion. He noticed during the Sunday dinners he'd gone to with the McGonagalls that there were many young adults there. He hadn't realized until that moment that none of them were Bob and Cordelia's. He'd assumed they had children who'd grown and left. He'd noticed they all called Professor McGonagall "Aunt Min," but ...

"Fennel is frequently used in ... contraceptive potions," he said, pointing to the ingredient. "Change it for thistle, and perhaps add fluxweed as well." He shrugged, bowing his head to hide his blush behind his hair. "I could look into it more, but only if you ..."

"Thank you, Severus," she breathed with absolute sincerity. "That simple suggestion alone—"

"Think nothing of it," Severus cut in, gesturing that no more needed to be said on the subject as the sound of light footsteps came tromping down the stairs.

"Does potion-making count as magic outside of school?" Hermione asked as she stopped in the kitchen doorway.

"There's no wand-waving in potion-making," he replied, and he watched her eyes widen comically, her focus shifting as though she were seeing someone else.

"No silly wand-waving," she murmured. "Well," -her eyes came back into focus and a smile played on her lips- "I suppose you have a point there. And how exactly would they know for sure? Delia is right there."

He smiled, holding eye contact with her and watching the spread of the blush that started at her cheeks and traveled down her neck. Merlin, he hoped it meant something more than embarrassment.

"Hermione," Delia said, breaking their eye contact. "Think you and Severus could pop out to Hogsmeade for me later? I'll make a list of what I need from the apothecary, and you can Floo into Minerva's cottage to get there."

"I don't think Bob needs us today," she said, glancing at Severus in confirmation.

He shrugged, torn between wanting to work and wanting to spend a few hours away from the McGonagalls to be alone with Hermione.

"Excellent," Delia beamed. "I'll get started on breakfast, and then you two can head off. And I wouldn't rush back. You're so used to exploring the village with your classmates all around ya, you should experience it without all the noise and hustle." She looked at Severus and there was a slight twitch to Cordelia's eye that very well might have been a wink.

Hogsmeade suddenly sounded like a much more appealing option.

—————A—————

Compared to the start of the year, when Ginny entered Aurora's compartment on the Hogwarts Express and made extremely awkward small talk, this was perfect: practicing disarming charms with the four youngest Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry. There were also the fireworks of Exploding Snap, which she wasn't very good at but was getting better at with each round. And then, just as they were nearing the station, Harry's eyes widened, and he hastily searched for a quill and some parchment.

"This is called a telephone number," Harry explained to Ron. "I taught your dad how to use one last summer. Er," -he looked at Aurora, a slight blush coloring his cheeks- "does Sna—er, your dad know how to, ah—"

"I went to Muggle school, Harry. Remember?" she teased, and his blush deepened.

"Right, yes. Sorta forgot since we, uh ... anyway. This is how you can reach me at the Dursleys'," he said as he jotted down his number three times, ripping the paper and handing one to Hermione, Ron, and Aurora. "I don't think I could stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to."

"Won't they be proud after hearing of all the heroic things you've done?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"Proud? All those times I could have died and didn't? They'll be furious," Harry answered, and Aurora was the only one to snort in response. Hermione gave her an incredulous look and Ron glowered, but Aurora simply shrugged.

When the train came to a complete stop, they all filed out and headed to get their trunks. Eagerness welled in Aurora, and it had her giggling with Ginny every time they glanced at one another as they remembered that they would be spending the next few weeks together reconnecting. Aurora's mother had let her know that she should follow Ginny off the train.

Trunks loaded onto carts, the girls headed for the queue forming for students to leave.

"Rory," Harry called, causing both girls to stop. Ginny looked confused, but there was no hint of jealousy. Harry looked shy, shifting from one foot to the other. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. When we were in school together before, you were one of the few people that didn't care what Dudley and his gang thought, and you spent time with me. And well, I should have done the same for you when you arrived. I guess, I didn't think at first. And then all the other stuff happened, and ..."

"It's okay." She shrugged. "Fresh start next year, yeah?" He nodded and turned around and went to fetch his trunk.

Aurora glanced at Ginny nervously, trying to look for signs that she'd screwed up their friendship already.

"Are you sure you don't—?" Aurora started to ask as they pushed the cart together.

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "It's ... he's ... I just ... I really liked him more when he was a celebrity I built up in my mind. Like Ron with Gwenog Jones. He refuses to admit he fancies her because she's not a Chudley Cannons player, but he does. But if he were to meet her, to see her in real life, I think the shine would wear off."

"I don't know how he can like that team. They're terrible."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Ginny snickered.

The two approached the wall and the guard had them wait a moment before letting them pass through.

On the other side, a woman with curly red hair and a warm smile greeted them. Aurora wasn't quite sure what to think of her, though by the way Ginny headed right for her, she knew this was Mrs. Weasley. She'd heard of her from both her parents, of course. But for some reason, this was not at all how Aurora had pictured her.

Her own mother dressed mostly in trousers and modern-cut robes that wrapped around her torso and stopped at the knee. Her hair was always in a braid or a bun, only down on special occasions. She wore boots like her father and looked every bit the scholar she was and the young pure-blood witch she pretended to be. Lady Malfoy was always put-together, every detail from her hair, to her robes, to the day's accessories planned just so. And her grandmother dressed like a wealthy Muggle woman.

Aurora had never seen a witch who looked so comfortable and casual before, nor had she ever seen one so much the poster woman for motherhood.

And she loved it.

"Aurora Snape." Molly Weasley smiled, reaching out and cupping Aurora's cheeks and looking her over. "I haven't seen you since you were a baby; look at how lovely you've grown. I'm so glad you and Ginny are friends. I'd hoped it would be you and Ron, but I suppose the age difference—"

"Mum," Ginny groaned, and Mrs. Weasley gave her a grin before she turned back to Aurora.

"You're just like your father: a bit thin. Then again, your mother was a little lean herself, best I can remember." She frowned, but then shook her head, smiling warmly again as she looked over Aurora's shoulder to the wall behind them. "About time you boys came through."

"Bye, Harry," Ron called, and Harry waved and went off to where a very fat, very strange-looking man was standing, glaring.

Ron stopped short upon seeing Aurora. "What're you doing here?"

"Now, Ronald, that's no way to talk to our guest," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Guest!" Ron gasped.

"Rory's spending the first few weeks of summer with us." Ginny smiled.

Ron groaned. "But that means Snape! I don't want to see the great greasy git on my summer vacation. I don't even want to see him during the school year."

"Ronald," Mrs. Weasley warned. "You will show respect to your teachers. And I already got a letter from Mrs. Snape, she'll come by the Burrow to collect Aurora when the time comes."

"She will?" Aurora frowned.

It was odd even without the cover of her mother's research. She'd noticed her mother would wander outside the dungeons less and less as Aurora's start at Hogwarts grew closer. She understood now it was to not use her disguise often, and to not draw attention to herself. So, it was strange that she was willing to come to a place where so many people would recognize her.

Mrs. Weasley gave her a warm smile. "Your little brother has been feeling left out and your father has agreed to spend the few weeks you're with us with him. Father-son bonding."

"You have a brother," Ron gaped as the twins and Percy came up behind him.

"You have three," Aurora pointed out.

"There are more Snapes? Bloody hell."

"Ronald Bilius Weasley," Mrs. Weasley said through her teeth. "One more word."

"And actually, I have six brothers," Ginny butted in. "Charlie and Bill live abroad."

"Ah," Aurora replied, giving a nod. "I'll remember never to complain when Leo crowds my space and never leaves me alone."

"Probably for the best," Ginny agreed as Molly began to lead them all out of the station.

They were all quiet until they were nearly out the front doors when Ron mumbled, "There are more of them."

Mrs. Weasley didn't have to do anything, one of the twins smacked him for her.

Aurora adored the Weasleys. She loved Arthur, who upon hearing she knew Harry through Muggle primary school, started asking all kinds of questions about the Muggle world. She loved Molly, who cooked the best meals Aurora had ever eaten. She could do without Ron, but the twins made up for his bad attitude, and while Percy was a prat, he kept to himself. And there was Ginny, of course, who she learned shared a lot of the same interests as her.

And one of the things they both loved was Quidditch.

"My mother never lets me play," Aurora said as she and Ginny walked to a clearing past the trees surrounding the Burrow. Each had a broomstick slung over their shoulder; Aurora had her own Cleansweep Seven her father had sent not long after her arrival at the Weasleys', and Ginny had Charlie's old Nimbus 1700. "She's terrified of flying and had a fit when Dad taught me how to fly when I was four."

"Terrified of flying? Like Hermione scared?" Ginny asked.

Aurora snickered. "Exactly."

"So, your dad, Professor Snape, is actually the ... cool parent?" Ginny asked with a frown. "Like, he sent you your broom, but that's probably because your mother wouldn't. And it was sorta like he was, I dunno, teasing her?"

"Dad has always thought her fear is silly and teases her relentlessly about it. He made it perfectly clear to her that no child of his was going to go to Hogwarts without knowing how to fly. And growing up around Draco, well, Quidditch came naturally."

"I think you grew up in a parallel universe," Ginny said as they jumped over a particularly thick root. "Professor Snape is this cheeky bloke who likes a bit of fun, and you make Draco out to be a decent human being."

"Since starting at Hogwarts, it's felt like I left another world."

They entered the clearing, the morning dew still clinging to the grass. They'd come out early, having rolled out of bed long before the boys even stirred. The balls they'd been using the last few mornings were damp from being left outside, which would make it harder to grip for the first little while. The two goal posts they'd made with a couple hula-hoops attached to branches on opposite sides of the clearing were still secure.

Both girls mounted their brooms and kicked off, going as high as the top of the trees before stopping. They made laps in the blinding sunlight, getting a feel for being in the air again.

"Think he'd let you try out for Quidditch?" Ginny asked. "I mean, not this year. There won't be any openings. But there should be in the next couple years."

"Dad?" Aurora asked as they came to a stop. "Only reason he wouldn't would be because I might be better than the Slytherin players, but I doubt that'll be the case. And either way, Aunt Min would just tell him to fob off."

"Your life is so weird," Ginny laughed. Then Gin frowned, her gaze shifting in the direction of the Burrow. "Company coming."

"What?" She turned in time to see two heads of red hair come hurtling toward them.

"So, this is what you two have been up to," Fred said as he and George came to a stop just past them.