Grown up
“Daddy, that's enough!”
Severus looked down at his only child, her curls sparking in her indignation, her face furious and her fists clenched at her side. It was the hurt in her eyes that bothered him the most though. She was twenty now, and Merlin she was so fucking beautiful. And all he wanted was for her to be tiny again when he was the centre of her world and boys were still icky.
“Severus,” Dorcas warned.
“I forbid it!” he hissed, unable to stop himself as fear overtook him.
“You forbid it?” Hermione screeched. “I am twenty goddamned years old, Father.”
He flinched at her address, he was never father, but he had a point to prove. His little girl was not wasting her life on some boy. She was not!
“You are still a child!” he insisted.
He watched with horror as her face shut down and the mask that reminded him so much of himself slid into place. “I’ll see you for dinner on Wednesday, Mum,” she muttered before she turned on the spot and disappeared.
“What in the name of Merlin was that!” Dorcas demanded the moment she left, watching as he sunk down onto the sofa, clutching his head in his hands.
“She can't,” he pleaded, “she's not old enough!”
“Severus, she is a twenty year old woman. They've been together since they were fifteen.”
“It was just meant to be a phase,” Severus begged.
“And anyone with eyes could see it was not,” Dorcas retorted.
“But why him Cassie!”
“Because she loves him,” Cassie replied gently.
“I really fucked that up, didn't I?” he muttered, shame rushing through him as he remembered the hurt on his daughter's face. She had been so happy, positively glowing as she arrived to tell them her news. And he had lashed out because he was terrified of losing her.
“Yes,” his wife replied, not bothering to sugarcoat it.
Severus sighed, “What are the chances of her letting me in?”
Cassie snorted, “Without a hex? Slim to nil, you were the one to teach her after all.”
Steeling himself, Severus stood, “Best get it over with then.” he muttered, twisting on the spot until he was standing on his daughter's front doorstep.
The door opened before he knocked, almost as if he’d been expected. The boy in front of him inclined his head, “She's in the living room.”
“Thank you,” Severus mumbled, as he moved to allow him entry.
“I’ll leave you to it. Plausible deniability and all.”
Severus bit back a shudder, well able to imagine what his daughter could do to him when properly motivated, she'd had a host of terrifying teachers after all. His heart sunk as he inched towards the livingroom, hovering in the doorway feeling sick at the sight of his daughter curled on the sofa, tear tracks visible on her face. Beside her, Susan Bones was making soothing noises as she stroked her hair. “Why can't he just be happy for me, Susie?”
“He will be. Your Dad thinks you hung the moon and you know it, he's just…scared of losing his baby,” Susan murmured.
“She's not wrong,” Severus agreed quietly, startling them both.
“I’ll just…floo me if you need me Mya.” she turned to look at Severus shrewdly, “Good luck, Sir.”
“I imagine I’ll need it,” he replied making her laugh. He stood awkwardly in the silence her departure left.
“What do you want, Father?” Hermione asked, sounding exhausted. It made him hate himself a little bit more. He had done that, turned a night where she should have been happy into this.
Severus closed his eyes, wondering where to start. “I had no idea what to do with you, you know, when I returned home to find you on the sofa, dressed in the most obnoxiously pink thing I'd ever seen.” he paused; Hermione watching him carefully, “You were…everything I never knew I needed. Merlin, do you remember when your Uncle Sirius took you for a pet?”
In spite of herself, Hermione snorted, “Angus,” she murmured, “I miss him.”
“He was a holy terror.” Severus retorted. “Nothing was bloody safe. Do you remember when he stole your Uncle Luc’s heirloom cufflinks?”
“Yes,” she smiled, “He blamed you for not keeping a proper eye on him and bought me the unicorn he’d been threatening to for years.”
“I know. I still have the scar where the infernal thing nicked me with its horn.”
“Is there a point to this?” Hermione probed.
Severus sighed, moving to sit next to her, “I have loved you more than anyone else on this earth from the moment you appeared in our lives. I…you used to be this tiny little thing, all curls and sparkles with a black overrobe that matched mine. You spent hours perfecting my billow and practising scowling just like me. And now…Gods Hermione, I’m not ready for this. You're all grown up and… it's illogical and I hate being illogical but that boy…that boy's taking you away. How long until you don't need me anymore?”
“Oh Daddy,” she sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder. “I’ll always need you.”
“Promise?” he asked hating himself.
She laughed, sounding slightly choked, “Do you know what you taught me?” she asked quietly.
“Potions I hope?”
“Daddy!” she chided. “You taught me not to settle. You taught me how I should expect to be treated…and Uncle Sirius taught me what to avoid.” Severus laughed against his will, remembering Hermione's disgust at Sirius’ stories. “You taught me to recognise what I wanted in a partner and you made sure that I was strong enough to not back down from expecting the very best. I will never not need you, you'll just need to learn to share.”
Severus sighed, wrapping his arms around her, “I love you more than life, my girl.”
“I love you too, Daddy… can't you just be happy for me?”
Severus froze, taking a deep breath, “I am happy for you.” he murmured into her curls. “I might not be ready for you to grow up, Hermione, but I want you to be happy and if this boy…if he truly is it, I’ll behave.”
“So you’ll give me away at the wedding?” Hermione checked needing to be sure.
“No,” he rasped, “Not ever. I will never give you away, for as long as I live, my girl, you are mine. But I’ll walk you down that aisle, and welcome that boy of yours into the family.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Hermione?”
“Hmmm?”
“Please just…no grandchildren just yet.”
Severus felt her stiffen against him. “Hermione?" his eyes met her wide, fearful ones, "Oh for the love of Merlin!” Visibly gathering himself as he heard the telltale pop of apparition followed by his soon-to-be son-in-law's head peeking around the doorway.
“Everyone still alive?” he checked.
“Yes Mr Longbottom, however, I warn you now, if you have cursed my grandchild with your appalling potions skills I will end you!”
Still in his arms, his daughter laughed, “Oh Daddy, as if you won't have them in a lab identifying ingredients before they can stand by themselves.”
“Well someone has to counteract its father's genes. It's Longbottom, Hermione!” he whined.
She laughed, standing up to reach for Neville. “Yes,” she smiled kissing the irritating boy, “It's Longbottom.” she mocked his tone, “I didn't pick him for his potions skills Daddy.”
“I do not want to know!” Severus insisted, standing from the sofa, forcing himself to behave like a grown-up, “Welcome to the family Mr Longbottom. Hurt her and I can still use you for potions ingredients.”
Neville laughed, “I wouldn't expect anything less.” he agreed, holding out his hand.
Severus shook it. It was worth it to see the way Hermione beamed at him, the previous glow back on her face.