5 months, 2 weeks:
A Romance Born of Books: Hermione Granger on Her Son, His Father, and Her Life as a Mother.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Prophet reporter Darren Rivers, Hermione Granger, famous friend of Harry Potter, comes clean about the recent revelations about her private life and puts to rest some of the rumours that have flown around Britain since her pregnancy was discovered. I was able to meet Miss Granger, along with her infant son Sebastian Snape and the child's father, former Potions Professor and ex-Death Eater Severus Snape.
DR: Miss Granger, it's a pleasure to actually meet you, I've heard plenty about you, especially in recent times.
HG: Yes, I've heard plenty about myself as well Mr. Rivers. Nonetheless, it's a pleasure to meet you as well.
DR: Why don't we get right in? Can you tell us how this relationship between you and Mr. Snape came about?
HG: Simple, really. We've known each other for years but after the culmination of the war we went our separate ways. It wasn't until just over a year and a half ago that we ran into each other again and decided to see more of each other.
DR: See more of each other? What do you mean by that? Romantically?
HG: Not at first, no. We have common interests, Severus and I, and our meetings tended to revolve around those.
DR: What are some of those common interests?
HG [turns to smile at SS who stands behind her]: Mostly the academics [laughs]. If you ask any of my friends they'll tell you that he's the only person I don't drive mental with my talk of research.
DR: That's what you do for the Ministry now, correct?
HG: For the time being, yes. I am an Auror but once I discovered my pregnancy I was put on desk duty and became the bona fide bookworm for the department. Previously Aurors are required to do their own research when it is required with cases. Now they turn over the more in depth work to me while they maintain the field.
DR: And is that something you plan to continue, or would you like to return to active duty?
HG: I'm not sure to be honest. We haven't really talked about it much since I am under no obligation to do so for several more months. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
DR: You say 'we', does that mean that you and Mr. Snape are in a committed relationship?
HG: We are, yes.
DR: And is there a wedding on the horizon for the two of you?
HG: That's another thing that we haven't really talked about. I understand that many people expect it of us but I'd rather get married because we both want to, not because it's expected of us.
DR: And how are you holding up under the scrutiny and scorn of the Wizarding world?
HG: It's more than I anticipated, I admit. I understand that there is a severe cultural difference here and that as a Muggle-born my decisions might not be understood by the Wizarding world but they are still my decisions and this is still my life. I find myself disappointed in the press' lack of respect for boundaries, especially when my mother, a Muggle, was harassed shortly after Sebastian was born.
DR: We are certainly known for our tenacity, Ms. Granger, I'll give you that. How has the reaction from the Wizarding world as a whole been?
HG: Disgustingly inappropriate, Mr. Rivers. I understand that through my role in the war and being Harry's friend there is a certain image of me in the public's eye but that doesn't give anyone the right to berate me for my personal choices that have nothing to do with them.
DR: I see your point but surely you can also see the public concern? A lot of people frown on the age difference between you and Mr. Snape, there have even been suggestions that this relationship dates back to when you were in school. What do you have to say about that?
HG: That's absolutely ridiculous. Severus is an honourable man and never, ever, would he have approached me or any student in such a manner. Our relationship in Hogwarts was that of teacher and student with all proper boundaries maintained.
DR: Forgive me for saying so, but not everyone in the Wizarding world sees Mr. Snape as an honourable man. How do you feel about that?
HG: I feel that it's unfair for people who do not know what they are talking about to cast their opinion around as if it matters but that's not the point of our interview today, is it Mr. Rivers?
DR: Indeed it is not. Where do you see yourself and Mr. Snape in the future?
HG: Raising our son, of course. I am no Seer Mr. Rivers, and it's a well known fact that I hold very little faith in Divination, so I cannot tell you what will become of Severus and I in the future. All I know is that so long as we're both alive, we will be active parents in our son's life.
"Lavender, please stop reading it out loud," Hermione groaned, tucking her wand into her bun as she gave Sebastian a bath.
"I love how snooty you got with him when he brought up Snape's reputation," Lavender laughed from her perch atop the bathroom sink, paper in her hands. "I can just picture your face, all that righteous indignation."
"Oh, shut up," Hermione laughed, tickling Sebastian with a soapy flannel. He slapped the water with his hands from the safety of his bath seat, making the bath toys bobble on the water's surface. He was particularly entertained by the toy mermaids that dived under the water to grab at his toes and the miniature sea creatures that swam around him happily.
"What?" Lavender asked innocently. "It's cute when you get all defensive of your wizard, Hermione."
"I wasn't getting all defensive!"
"You so were," Lavender said, shaking out the paper behind Hermione. "Severus is an honourable man," she quoted. "That's getting defensive."
"It's simply the truth!" Hermione huffed, turning around to glare at her friend from her seat on the side of the bath. "Severus would rather have Crucio'd himself than have a relationship with a student and we all know it."
"Well yes," Lavender said. "Besides, he hated us all, anyway."
"He didn't—okay, maybe," Hermione admitted as Sebastian splashed her, leaving dark wet spots on her Muggle jeans. "Look at the mess you're making, Sebastian!" she smiled indulgently at her son and his obvious joy at being in the water. His usually curly hair was plastered to his head in an imitation of his father's straight locks. She sighed inwardly, already sorry for the poor kid if his hair became anything like hers.
"He's not making a mess," Lavender said. "He's swimming. There's a difference. Isn't there, little man?"
"You are corrupting my son, Miss Brown," a voice spoke up from the doorway. They all looked up to see Severus standing there in his black robes. Sebastian let out a happy cry, flinging his hands up and spraying Hermione with water again.
"Please, that's Harry's job," Lavender grinned at Severus' glower but it lacked any heat and Hermione smiled to see her friend and her lover interacting so...cordially. "Besides, every boy needs to make a mess once in a while, right Sebastian?"
He grinned at her and began to babble as if telling her exactly how much he agreed. Hermione saw Severus smile gently before he excused himself and slipped down the hall towards their bedroom to change out of his daytime clothes.
"Merlin, lose the sappy look on your face," Lavender teased, eyeing Hermione. "I'm about to vomit in my mouth over here."
"Shut up," Hermione said again. "I'm just happy, that's all."
"Yeah," Lavender's voice became soft as she smiled at her friend. "You really are, aren't you?"
"I am. He... I like having him here," Hermione admitted. "We get on a lot better than I originally thought we would, and I love watching him with Sebastian." She sighed and shook her head. "I sound like a total sap but...every time I see him smile at his son, I want to kiss him."
Lavender's eyebrows rose and she grinned. "Kiss him eh? Not shag him rotten?"
"Well, there's that too," Hermione chuckled. "And I'm certainly not complaining about it."
Lavender's laughter rang through the small bathroom and Sebastian joined in, which only made her laugh harder. "Well, at least one of us is getting some," the blonde witch teased. "Can I live vicariously through you?"
"Not if it means telling you what we do in the bedroom," Hermione said, Summoning a towel to drape over her lap and picking up a wet and wiggling Sebastian.
"Oh, c'mon! Whatever happened to sharing is caring?" Lavender asked, watching Hermione wrap her son up in a big, fluffy blue towel.
"I am caring," Hermione grinned. "Because he'd Stun and Obliviate you by force if I told you."
"I could take him," Lavender promised with false bravado.
"I highly doubt that Miss Brown," Severus called, walking past the bathroom in a pair of Muggle jeans and a black t-shirt.
Lavender turned back towards Hermione with a gasp as Severus continued down the hall. "Did he hear all of that?" she asked, her mouth agape.
"Probably," Hermione laughed, standing up with Sebastian in her arms as he made 'grabby hands' at the toys that still swam in the water of the tub. "Now he knows what a pervert you are and that, secretly, you think about what he might be like in bed."
"Hey now," Lavender said, following Hermione out of the bathroom and down to the nursery. "I never said that I pictured you guys or anything but...well, now I kind of am," Lavender admitted with a grin. "You know what they say about men with long fingers?" She wiggled hers at Hermione.
"Lavender?" Hermione placed Sebastian on his changing table and turned to her friend.
"Yes?" the other witch asked sweetly.
"You want defensive?" Hermione smiled back, just as sweet. "Stop thinking about my wizard naked before I hex you."
Lavender threw her head back and laughed.
"How do you know I'm not picturing you naked?"