Chapter 114: The Perks Of Winning

{A/N: Here's Another Update...Alas Dear Readers, we have reached the end of this grand venture...}

My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviews...Enjoy-S.S

Five Years And Six Months Later...

Master Bedroom, Lake House, Uncharted Canadian Territory, Unknown World...

Amber eyes opened to find that a new day was dawning. The chirping of the birds and the sound of the rushing river not far from the comfortable yet reasonably stylish structure known as the lake house, had been quite calming as Hermione Jean Snape began her day as she had for the past five years and six months. The crisp cool fresh air had done wonders for her health as well as her mood and it contributed famously to the well-being of the notorious grouch lying in bed beside her. A smile spread across her still youthful face despite the passing of time as she marveled at having yet another wonderful morning greet her in such a beautiful and peaceful place.

She had not been alone of course as she eyed the grouch resting comfortably with the covers pulled over his head in a bid to block out the brightness of the sun's rays. It amused the witch that he had still been weary of natural light after spending much of his time living in the dark confines of the Slytherin dungeons of Hogwarts Castle. Hermione did her best to stifle a giggle as she moved about the room careful in her movements so as not to disturb her sleeping husband nor the tiny lump that had curled up beside him in the form of their six month old daughter Amelia.

She had been every bit a grouchy as her father and had his raven hair and pale skin. Her eyes were like her mother's of course amber in color and her nose had been as cute as a button a mercy being that it was more like her mother's as well. Snape had been quite thankful for that despite his daughter getting many of his other features.

Amelia was quite a surprise given that Hermione had forgotten the contraceptive charm after a celebratory night of passionate love-making and before either one of them knew it, she'd been pregnant for a second time despite the rocky and trying first pregnancy they endured. Hermione smiled looking over her daughter more thankful than anything that she had been absent minded that night.

As Hermione moved about the bedroom still careful not to disturb her slumbering husband and daughter, she had timed her movement's just right as she opened the door to find a rather rambunctious boy of five with unruly brown hair and obsidian eyes racing about the halls in a bid to reach her. He had been clad in dark blue cloud pajamas and wore an enormous smile in the wake of his happiness for the new day's beginning.

"Mummy!" he shouted just as Hermione closed the bedroom door behind her ensuring her husband and daughter continued their slumber undisturbed as she caught her first born child and only son in her arms.

He was getting to be quite a big lad for a five year old, healthy in all respects and growing still. The boy had taken after her in more ways than he had his father whom had been convinced his only son would definitely be housed in Gryffindor if they ever allowed him to attend Hogwarts.

"What do you say we go make breakfast before Daddy and Amelia awaken?" whispered Hermione looking down at her little boy.

Another big smile filed across his little pale face as his obsidian eyes lit up with excitement.

"Mummy, can we go to the stream later?" he asked wishing to know more about the world around him, Hermione had been explaining quite a bit to him about their home and the creatures that share it which only seemed to fascinate him all the more. "I want to see the fish."

"We'll see, perhaps when your father is awake." said Hermione tussling the boy's unruly brown hair and accompanying him toward the kitchen.

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Master Bedroom, Lake House, Uncharted Canadian Territory, Unknown World...

Awakening with a full on yawn, Severus Sebastian Snape turned his attention to the bright glare of the sun's rays and the lack of his wife's warmth being in bed beside him. Despite wanting to remain in bed for a while longer, he couldn't bring himself to linger while Hermione had been out and about. It was a strange side effect of having chosen to spend his life with someone, namely a formerly bushy haired insufferable know it all, but Snape could never sleep without Hermione being beside him. His slumber only lasted for several moments whenever she chose to start her day and he'd awaken to find her missing. She had on occasion remarked that it was most likely a result of the three months they'd been apart since their relationship began and he had been inclined to agree.

Ever since then, he had been unable to be without her for very long.

Another yawn triggered more blood flow and oxygen getting to the much needed cells in his body as he began to fully awaken with his mind already on his young wife and the small bundled lump that had rolled against his exposed pale chest. Something of a smile crept across his sallow pale face as he scooped the ball of pale skin and raven hair into his arms.

Amelia was growing quite rapidly and the fondness he felt for his only daughter had only intensified as much as his protectiveness. While he had not been fond of another pregnancy in the beginning, he had come to appreciate the wonders of human error in the form of the baby his wife's momentary carelessness had ensured came into the world.

From the moment she was born he had deemed her as perfect, so much like her mother despite having a good deal of his features, Amelia had him wrapped around her tiny little finger the moment the healers placed her in his arms. Thinking back, Snape supposed the same could be said about Hermione given what he'd do to please her, even when she'd been given to throwing a fit just to get her way.

Snape had been especially proud of his first born child and only son. He'd been a breath of fresh air from the moment he'd been born, so full of life and boundless energy. He brought forth new challenges and both learned and taught with each passing day. Hermione had been over the moon when their son Seth was born. She had taken to him almost immediately and they had quite a bit in common.

At the present moment, Snape had pulled back the covers and attempted to climb out of bed when a tiny warm hand clasped his face and raven hair, the former Potions Professor knew of only one brave enough to infringe upon his awakening and she had been gazing back at him with wide open amber colored eyes.

Unlike with typical visitor fool enough to place themselves in his presence in the morning before he'd had even on cup of coffee, she'd been on of the few welcomed to such a privilege.

"Amelia." said Snape scooping his newly awakened baby girl into his arms with a fatherly smile filled across his sallow pale face.

She returned his smile, delighted as always to see him when she'd first opened her eyes. Hermione had often remarked on how their daughter had only been six months into her young life and already had him wrapped around her little pale finger.

Snape often denied it, but he knew nothing of how to combat one so tiny, and quite formidable when it came to how she wielded the ability to withhold sleep from her exhausted parents when he had not gotten her way.

"Why don't we go see what your mother and brother are up to?"asked Snape turning his attention to getting out of bed. He continued to hold his daughter in his arms as he carried her toward the door.

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The Kitchen, Lake House, Uncharted Canadian Territory, Unknown World...

To say that Hermione and Sethivas made a mess of the kitchen had been a mere understatement, they had utterly destroyed it leaving flour and sugar all over the counter-tops, chocolate, and strawberry syrup on the floor and there was coffee on the sink. It had not taken Snape and Amelia to reach the kitchen in time to see the colossal mess the two of them had managed to cook up in their absence.

"I'd say you two have finally made progress, but I'd be lying."said Snape standing at the door way as his six month old daughter clung to him.

She had not seemed to be much of a fan of all the powdered sugar flying about in the air, which prompted the wizard to quickly cast the appropriate cleansing charms. It was a charming scene, with Sethivas sporting a chocolate mustache and Hermione having strawberries tangled in her already notoriously unruly hair.

"Not one word." she said in annoyance.

Snape simply grinned.

"You insist on doing things the hard way." he said with his obsidian eyes smoldering at the implication in his tone.

She'd been a glutton for punishment ever since she had taken to allowing Sethivas to "help" in the kitchen and Snape had been quite amused by the results of the chaos. Of course, she had not known that he had made a deal with the boy to cause such mischief just to get the chance to see her in the midst of the chaos. He found it quite stimulating to say the least.

Hermione rolled her eyes as the cleansing spells made short work of the chaos, resulting in a new and sparkling kitchen with what remained of their intended breakfast neatly placed onto the proper dining dishes and flown off toward the newly set table.

"Show off." grumbled Hermione. "I'd bet you wouldn't last a day if you couldn't do all that with magic."

She approached Snape once more rolling her eyes at his rather smug expression and took her daughter in her arms. Amelia narrowed her eyes and had been about to put up a fuss when Hermione placed her in her high-chair with her meal presented to her. She turned her attention to digging in as her brother made his way toward his place setting.

Hermione had been about to join them when Snape grabbed her by the hand and pulled her close to him.

"Not so quick witch, where is my greeting this morning?" he asked with an arched brow.

"Like you deserve one, smug git." muttered Hermione before she found herself pulled closer as his pale lips crashed into her soft pink ones.

Snape let out a seemingly satisfied purr in the wake of them parting.

"You've outdone yourself, Mrs. Snape." he said still holding her close despite no longer kissing her. "There is not a moment that goes by that I am not grateful to you and all of your rather stubborn efforts to make this vision a reality."

Hermione sighed resting her head against his chest pleased to hear the sound of his beating heart. The strange events of the past had never been far behind as she stood grateful for such a welcome sound, he had nearly been lost to her and the implication that he might not never have known his own child, let alone been around to sire a second one were quite frightening conclusions.

"I love you, Hermione Snape." he said kissing her once more.

"And I love you, Severus Snape." she replied her amber eyes meeting his dark obsidian gaze like so many times before as she returned his kiss.

Snape took her by the hand and lead her toward the table with their children eagerly awaiting them to join them for breakfast.

Hermione smiled, shaking off the implication of this moment never happening had Severus gotten his way and destroyed himself when Dumbledore had been restored back into his own body.

"Come along witch, I'm starving." growled Snape in annoyance about her slow paced movement before nearly carrying her toward the table as he sat down himself.

Their son burst into laughter as he tried to hide his amusement at his father's grouchiness via his small hands. Amelia laughed as well amused by her older brother's amusement.

Hermione's smile had not faded as she reached to breakfast table to sit down with her family. Annoyed or not, she could listen to her stubborn git of a husband rant and rave about anything for the rest of her life so long as he was there to do it. When she looked upon their shared children and the beautiful home that had only seemed to be her's in her dreams, she knew that they had finally won and they had the remainder of their future together to erase the echoes of their distant and painful past.

THE END