The Burning Pen

TWICE BITTEN
by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 47

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
*******************************

Chapter 47 ~ Epilogue

“HE’S YOUR WHAT?” John Granger roared at his daughter, nearly blowing her hair back as her mother grabbed one burly arm in an attempt to hold him back.

”My husband, dad,” Hermione said in a small voice, holding on to Snape’s arm for protection.

Snape looked at Mr. Granger coolly, sizing him up. If he went for him, the wizard intended to fight hand to hand. They had come to tell Hermione’s parents that they were married.

Snape had suggested they inform her parents of their intentions beforehand, but Hermione refused saying her father would lock her away someplace if he found out. Judging by his reaction, that might have been entirely possible.

John Granger was a big man, brown-eyed, brown-haired over six-feet tall. He had about an inch on Snape as well as maybe thirty pounds. Those brown eyes were rather blood-shot as he looked at the dour, pale wizard before him. He had to be twice his daughter’s age. Not that it should matter, considering he had twenty years on his wife himself. He was in his sixties, but in good shape.

“What kind of spell did you put on my daughter?” he demanded of the wizard.

”I’m afraid that it was your daughter who bound herself to me,” Snape purred at him. “She would have pined for me for the rest of her life if I hadn’t married her, Mr. Granger.”

John looked at his daughter.

”What the hell is he talking about? Why would you bind yourself to . . . to this?” he asked her, waving his hand at Snape as if he were a piece of trash.

Snape’s eyes narrowed at the gesture.

”John, Mr. Snape, why don’t we all sit down?” Jean Granger suggested.

Warily, the two men took seats, John on the sofa and Snape in an armchair, facing each other. The two women took up positions beside them.

”Now Hermione, explain this to us,” Jean said in a calm voice, although she didn’t feel very calm. Severus Snape was one of the most unattractive men she had ever laid eyes on, though he did have a beautiful voice. But a beautiful voice was no reason to get married.

Hermione drew in a deep breath as her father scowled at her.

”This had better be on the up and up,” he growled.

Hermione explained to them what happened with the demon. She said nothing about the Vampire episode. Although her parents believed in witches and wizards, vampires would be pushing it. Besides, her father would really want to kill Severus if he knew what he’d done to her before they were married.

They listened closely to the story, then Jean studied Snape for a moment before saying, “So you bound yourself to her as well?”

Snape nodded.

”And only two people in love can Bind?” she asked him.

”Yes,” Snape said, his face contorting somewhat at confessing that in front of others. He was still very private. But these were Hermione’s parents. Some allowances had to be made no matter how uncomfortable for him.

Jean looked at her husband, who was still scowling and red-faced.

”Well John, it seems they are in it for the long run,” his wife said resignedly.

John sighed.

”It seems so, but you’d better treat my daughter right, or you’re going to have to answer to me, wizard or no wizard,” he said to Snape, his eyes glinting.

”I assure you she will be well taken care of, Mr. Granger. Even now we have plans to open an Apothecary shop. I have reason to believe it will be quite profitable. I am also quite well off. Hermione will lack for nothing,” Snape said smoothly.

“She’d better not,” John Granger growled.

The couple stayed for a few hours longer, Hermione and Jean fixing something for the men to eat while they had a couple of brandies and talked. As Snape explained his plans for their future, John began to warm up to him a bit. Obviously he had put a lot of thought into how he would take care of Hermione.

In the meantime, Hermione told her mother how she felt about her husband, and Jean soon saw that her daughter truly loved the man.

”He’s not very attractive though,” Jean said as she fixed finger sandwiches.

”He has his points,” Hermione replied, smirking a little. “And he’s brilliant. I can talk to him about potions, charms and anything for hours. He’s wonderful, mum. Believe me.”

“He must be if you can see past that scowl,” Jean snorted, carrying the tray of sandwiches into the living room, Hermione shaking her head as she followed.

Snape and John shook hands firmly before the couple left.

”Maybe it will work out,” John said thoughtfully as he watched them walk down the street, Snape’s robes billowing. “But he’s not the son-in-law I thought he’d be.”

Jean gave him a smile.

”They never are, dear.”

**************************************

True to his plans, Snape resigned from Hogwarts at the end of term. The day after Hermione graduated, they went down to the Ministry and had a civil wedding with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Harry standing in as witnesses. Harry was less than thrilled with Hermione’s choice of husband, but that was his problem.

The couple had a “working” honeymoon which suited both of them. They scouted locations for their shop, placed orders for ingredients and immediately got down to business once a site was selected.

The only thing was, Severus would get randy for Hermione at the oddest moments, such as when she was busily unpacking ingredients, or working on display cases or doing any number of unsexy things. They had to keep the windows of the shop blacked out until the day they opened.

The truth was Snape found Hermione’s focus on their future quite sexy, and she was never more alluring than when she was actively working toward it, which ended up with her being roundly shagged on boxes, countertops, against walls or whatever was available at the moment.

Not that she complained.

They were very happy together and as Snape predicted, their shop did well from day one. Who didn’t want to buy ingredients from the wizarding world’s foremost Potions master? Even the other shops dropping their prices didn’t detract from business. And Hermione was wonderful and patient with customers, her love of sharing knowledge proving quite useful.

And as Severus promised, they would leave the country several times a year to acquire the more expensive ingredients directly. It was a good life. Hermione had her first child after they had been together seven years. A little boy, black-haired, pale, with his mother’s features and his father’s eyes. They named him Hugo John Snape.

Hermione had always liked the name Hugo.

Then two years later she had a little girl, named Rose Jean Snape. She had brown hair and brown eyes like Hermione. Her nose was a bit aquiline like her father’s, but mercifully much smaller.

They were both chips off the old cauldron, except Hugo was the know-it-all and Rose was the brooding, snarky one.

They had quite the good life together, Severus Snape finally finding the happiness that eluded him for much of his life. For a man who had been twice bitten by death, and twice bitten by love, he was very, very satisfied with how everything turned out.

Love had found a way.

***********************************

Time passed quickly. Harry married Ginny Weasley and Ron, he just played the field, dating and shagging witches at his leisure. He was Keeper for the Chudley Canons and had his pick of willing witches. Now he was glad he hadn’t stayed with Hermione. He would have been married and tied down by now, having to pass on all the delicious women that swung his way. Life was good.

The red-headed wizard lay snoring face down in his bed, dressed only in his pajama bottoms when suddenly he was ripped from beneath the covers.

”Hey!” he yelled as his throat was tightly and strongly clenched, nearly cutting off his air supply. The room was dark and he couldn’t see who had him. He struggled fruitlessly for a bit until he was exhausted. Whoever had him, had him good. The hand around his neck relaxed, then the small lamp by his bed was lit.

Ron went white as he stared into the red eyes of Victor, who snarled at him, showing his fangs. Adam appeared from behind him.

”Ronald Weasley. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you. Put him down, Victor,” Adam said softly.

Victor dropped Ron on the bed, the wizard rubbing his throat and glancing about for his wand. It was on his nightstand but there was no way he could reach it before Victor tore his throat out.

”Ah, Adam. Yeah. About that . . .” he began apologetically.

Adam waved his hand at him, but the vampire’s eyes were hard as he gazed down on the young man.

”It’s been twelve years since you deflowered my blood cows. Victor and I had to subsist on less that prime blood for about a week because of your randy little tool,” Adam said to him. “But I’m not here about that.”

Ron blinked at him.

”Why are you here then?” he asked.

”To inform you we’ve relocated and now live in Wizarding England,” Adam replied, showing a bit of fang. “It was necessary.”

”Why?” Ron asked him, “and why would I care where you lived?”

Adam drew closer and sat down on the bed next to the wizard.

”Why would you care?” the vampire suddenly snarled, displaying his fangs at full length. Ron drew back, terrified as Victor moved closer. Adam made an effort to calm himself.

“The only reason I don’t rip your fucking throat out is because I promised Aden I wouldn’t,” the Queen said, frowning at Ron distastefully.

”Aden? How is she?” Ron asked, remembering the lovely Arab girl.

”She’s fine. She’s moved here too, along with her daughter, Nadina,” Adam hissed at him.

”She has a daughter? That’s great,” Ron said with a smile.

Victor’s eyes shifted to Adam, then back to Ron, a small smirk on his face.

”Yes, and she’s eleven years old,” Victor said.

”Wow. Eleven, huh? Aden must have met someone right after she met me,” Ron said, frowning a bit.

Both Adam and Victor stared at him.

Ron swallowed. He wasn’t brilliant . . . but he could count.

”She did meet someone else, didn’t she?” he asked the vampires.

”What the fuck do you think?” Adam snapped at him.

Ron paled again.

”She’s . . . she’s MY daughter?” he asked Adam, paling again.

”Unfortunately, yes, which is why you’re still alive. She wants to meet her father. The great Ronald Weasley,” Adam said, his nose wrinkled with distaste. “She’ll be starting Hogwarts next term, and we’re here to tell you . . . you are not going to break that little girl’s heart or you can be sure yours will be ripped out by the roots. You are going to be a father to her in every sense of the word. You’re going to do right by Aden too. Do we understand each other? Your days of hunting free-range pussy are over. Over. Consider yourself ‘engaged’ and off the market.”

Ron swallowed again.

Victor leaned closer, hoping Ron would protest. If he married Aden, that would mean Victor could no longer engage her and he was used to the woman now. If Ron refused, Adam promised Victor he could kill him. The vampire waited with anticipation.

Ron wasn’t stupid though. He could see death in Victor’s eyes. He knew if he refused, there would be no second chances.

“All right,” he said.

Victor leaned back, looking very disappointed.

”Smart wizard,” Adam said, his eyes narrowed. “Now, you will meet Aden and Nadina tomorrow at . . . “

************************************

Ronald Weasley showed up at the Three Broomsticks at precisely three o’clock. He made sure to be on time because Adam promised if he stood them up, he and Victor would be back.

“If you hurt our princess, you will be crowned by this Queen, Mister,” Adam threatened, “and I mean your skull peeled up in points!”

So, here he was, in his best dress robes, carrying a bouquet of roses in one hand and a stuffed dragon in the other. He saw Aden immediately.

If fact, a number of wizards were noticing her. How couldn’t they. She was dressed in a yellow sari, her long black hair cascading down her back, gathered at the tip with gold ringlets, gold sandals on her small, pretty feet. Her brown skin was soft, nearly luminous, and her big brown eyes beautiful. She was definitely turning heads, two wizards bumping into each other as they passed her. Next to her was an equally lovely little girl, who wore more traditional dress, also yellow but paler, her reddish brown hair in a ponytail topped with a pale yellow bow. She was a lighter brown than her mother and had big blue eyes. They both watched Ron approach, a lovely smile appearing on Aden’s face.

”Ronald Weasley,” she said softly as he stopped, staring at her. She was even more beautiful now she had reached maturity. That sari did nothing to hide her curves.

“Aden,” he said thickly as the woman kissed his cheek, then smiled down at her daughter.

“And this is Nadina Adamia Weasley,” she said by way of introduction.

Nadina curtsied, and looked up at Ron.

”You are my father?” she asked him softly. “The Great Ron Weasley?”

Ron blinked at her, then looked at Aden, who gave him another soft smile.

”Yes, he is, Nadina. He is the one who battled the evil Voldemort,” she told her daughter.

Nadina looked up at him with admiration in her blue eyes.

”Will you tell me about it, father?” she asked him hopefully, clearly smitten with him.

Ron smiled, and handed the girl the stuffed dragon. She clutched it to her, though she was a bit big for stuffed animals.

”Yes, Nadina. I’ll tell you all about it over our meal,” he said with a grin.

”Thank you!” she said, catching hold of his hand. “Let’s eat now!”

Aden smiled as Nadina pulled the Great Ronald Weasley through the doors of the Three Broomsticks. He still hadn’t given her the roses.

But that was fine.

There would be time for roses now that she’d found him again. All the time in the world.

THE END

*********************************************

A/N: And that is the end of Twice Bitten. Whew! Happy endings all around. See ya'll next story. ***

PLEASE REVIEW "TWICE BITTEN."

INDEX

Number of Visits: