Ivy, Jasmin, Forrest, and Aster were helping him with his brewing. Why they wanted to work on the last weekend before classes started up again (Jasmin and Forrest would return to their dorms Sunday before the rest of the students who left for the holiday break returned) he did not know. They liked being around him even to this day.

Baffling. One day perhaps he'd get accustomed to that being true.

Not that he was complaining. He most certainly was not. He deeply enjoyed the fact that all of his children enjoyed spending time with and assisting him. He suspected young Aster might actually follow in his footsteps. None of the other three showed as much potential as she did. She had the imagination to go with a specialty like potions. None of the others had that, and it wasn't something he could teach. One either had that vision or they did not. He didn't care as none of them ever got below an Outstanding in their potions classes.

Ivy would be returning to Oxford tomorrow where she was studying law. Her husband, Lucas Dubois, was on his way ahead of her. She wanted one more night with them. Just the six of them. (He'd rolled his eyes at the idea of his daughter marrying someone with a name at all similar to Lucius Malfoy's but Lucas was not a bad man as it turned out and had gradually won Severus over.)

Aster had to wait another year to be a Hogwarts' student, but she still enjoyed doing what she could in the controlled and supervised environment of Severus' lab. Under his watchful eye. None of the children were allowed in here without supervision by him or their mother. And she showed such potential in all aspects of her magic. She, he imagined, was going to be the strongest of their four children. He looked forward to seeing whether he was right.

"All right, Aster, you and Ivy can work on Pepper Up and Cough. Jasmin and Forrest, you are Headache and Burn Paste."

"Yes, Sir," they all said, getting to work.

It was rather eerie, being here tonight with all four of his children on the anniversary of Ivy and Jasmin being brought to him. A date he knew he would never forget. A date that had changed, literally, everything for him. He suspected it was the reason Ivy wanted to stay the night. She knew the significance of this date.

An anniversary they couldn't explain to anyone else.

All was quiet as the five of them worked on their respective potions. It was familiar and not bothersome at all. Hermione was. Well, he wasn't sure where she was. Somewhere in the castle tending to her headmistress duties. Their mother was supposed to be in their quarters taking holiday decorations down. It was a good task for her, and one he knew to stay out of the way of her process. She'd been called away, though. She'd stopped in briefly to tell him. Obviously nothing emergent or she would have said so. He had gotten quite a bit of grief the year his wife became his boss. The Daily Prophet tried to stir up trouble, insinuating that she had been chosen over him.

Not so.

He had no desire to ever return to the position.

None.

It was admittedly very odd to reside in the headmaster's quarters again without having the position.

"Hey, Dad," Forrest said, bringing him out of his curiosity as to what Hermione had been called away to tend to.

"Yes, Son?"

"What's that?" he asked.

Severus glanced in the direction his son was pointing and closed his eyes, certain he was seeing things. It could not possibly be happening again. A light that could only be one thing was emanating from the same spot the other Hermione had opened a portal.

Aster ran toward the light and Severus quickly cast a spell, stopping her from going further immediately. It hurt his heart that he had to take such an action even if he knew she wasn't hurt in any fashion from his spell.

"Have your mother and I taught you nothing, Aster? You do not go running toward something you don't know what it is!"

"But Daddy, look, there's a letter," she said, pointing at the envelope currently on the floor. He knew for a fact it had not been there before. As she made him notice the letter the light from the portal disappeared.

"Do not," he said as all four children gathered around the envelope.

He joined them. It didn't move. His name was on it. Well, his and Hermione's names were on it. He recognized the handwriting, too.

"Back up. All of you."

They did as instructed, though he could tell none of them were pleased about doing so. At least he didn't make them leave the room entirely!

He cast a few diagnostic spells on it. No traps, curses, hexes, or portkeys were detected. He opened the envelope and as with the envelope recognized the handwriting immediately. In this universe, the handwriting belonged to the Minister for Magic.

Hello,

Your information worked. It is now April 2018 and the Dark Lord has finally been defeated. Some of the items were not where they were rumoured to have been. We got them all, though, and he is gone for good.

The assistance was much appreciated. If Hermione and Ivy Snape are not reading this, please relay to them that their bravery is very much appreciated. They took a risk going to Minerva.

If I never have to hear one of those cursed items screech again for the rest of my days I will die a happy man.

Be well.

KS

He showed the letter to Ivy who showed it to Jasmin. His two daughters hugged tightly and he saw tears in both of their eyes. Ivy had helped. Their trip to the universe she and Jasmin were born was not wasted. She had known a thing like a time turner existed and could be used. Yet, she made the very adult decision to assist the Order at that time rather than risk altering things. Even if it meant she couldn't bring their parents back. She had aided that universe in defeating the Dark Lord and ending a war that had gone on for over two decades.

Forrest and Aster were aware of Ivy and Jasmin's background so they understood what the letter meant.

"Let's put our potions under a stasis, shall we, and go show your mother this most excellent news." He folded the letter, sliding it back into the envelope. He glanced at his children, all heading to the door without question. Of course they'd want to inform their mother of the news.

"Ivy, a word. You three go on ahead. You, no doubt, know the way to your mother's office by now."

Ivy waited until it was just the two of them.

"I am incredibly proud of you, Ivy. Even knowing it wouldn't bring back your Mum and Dad you wanted to help, and you did. You should be incredibly proud of yourself too."

"Mum said using the time turner could have altered too much," she said. He wondered how deeply she'd thought on using it. She hadn't told either of them and they hadn't pushed.

"Yes, she's right. You never know, and especially when doing something so event altering. What you did was the right thing. A difficult thing I realize. I'm sure it didn't seem as if it was right at the time."

"Thank you," she said, hugging him.

"Thank you," he said, returning her hug. It was much easier to hug her now than it had been seventeen years ago tonight when she'd been brought to him. "I admit I like the changes in me you being brought to me caused. Without you here, I would never have contemplated Hermione. Hell, I wouldn't have seen her in a situation such as her being here to investigate your arrival to where I would have thought of contemplating her."

"I know. And, Father," she said.

"Yes, sweetheart? This isn't where you tell me that you're expecting, is it? I'm not ready for that." He hadn't been ready for her to get married either, but the wedding had gone on anyway. He expected a grandchild would happen much the same way.

"No! I just wanted to tell you that you and Mum are our real mum and dad. I didn't want that Hermione at my graduation because I thought she was anymore my mum than this Hermione. She's not. I just thought she deserved to at least know that what she'd done worked. That I was finishing my schooling. It was important to her and my father. She didn't get to finish hers and I know Father regretted that."

"Understood. Truly, I do, and I thank you. I am humbled you think so, especially given how things started."

"You are. And you were fine. Mum told me to be patient with you. She told me you'd be different, wouldn't know me, and we didn't know what your life was up to that point. Seventeen years of our lives. Jasmin doesn't even remember anyone but you."

"I know." He'd thought on that fact often, and wondered if there was something he should do to ensure she didn't think she couldn't mention the other Hermione and Severus.

"I'm glad you're not mad at me," she whispered.

"Mad at you. About what?"

"That I wanted Hermione to go with me," she said, pointing at the letter he held.

"Oh. I am not upset now nor was I then."

"I wanted you to."

He nodded, kissing the top of her head.

"I know that, sweetheart, but we knew he was dead. We did not know for sure she was. Your mother and I, perhaps burying our heads in the proverbial sand, did not want to run the diagnostic on either of you to discover her fate for certain. I think we both liked holding onto the idealistic hope that she was still out there, doing something. So it made sense. I could not be seen." He reached down, smoothing his hand over the spot he'd just kissed before running his hand over the curls, so familiar to him by now.

"But you stayed at Hogwarts years longer in case she came back."

Oh. Did she really think that bothered him? Was it what he endeavoured to do over twenty years ago when the war ended and he'd survived? No, of course not, but he wasn't unhappy or dissatisfied. His boss allowed him to have a bit of a potions side business, though she could be a bit of a shrew about him accounting for monies spent on various ingredients that could be used for both scholastic and personal pursuits. Fortunately, he knew exactly how to distract her from thinking of knuts and galleons.

"You're right, we both did. It was no real hardship. Interesting how different my life here seems with you in it than when she brought you and Jasmin to me. I could have left after you and your mum returned and we knew without a doubt that she had perished. Yet, I am still here. You did nothing wrong. If you've learned nothing about me by now, I am a logical man."

She leaned in, hugging him. Without hesitation he hugged her back. This daughter of his who had to grow up far too fast and soon, but she'd done it with grace. He'd never once heard her complain about any of it and he knew those first few months especially he'd relied on her a lot. Way more than an adult should have on a five year old child.

"I would have gone. If you absolutely wanted me to, I would have. You know I would do anything for you, Ivy."

She sniffled then and he sighed against the top of her head.

"There might be news about a baby next Christmas," she whispered into his chest.

"I look forward to it, though Hermione will tell you she's too young to be a grandmother."

Ivy laughed, shaking her head.

"Daddy," she whispered.

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Happy New Year."

He glanced at the letter in his hand, even though it was from another universe, it was good news nonetheless. He took that as an excellent sign for the year to come.

"You, too. Now, let's go tell your mother the news."

"Can I hold it?" she asked.

He handed it to her. "You should be the one to show it to her, I think."

She ran the tip of her index finger over Kingsley's familiar script on the envelope before sliding her left arm through his offered right one. This was one errand he suspected she was glad to be tasked with doing.

~The End~

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com