Reginald
Severus sat at the top table, occluding for dear life. This year was the one he had been dreading. This year Harry Potter would come to Hogwarts and the reminder of his first best friend would be walking the halls, invading his classroom, forcing him to remember. He prayed to whatever deity was listening that the boy was nothing like his father, it would be bad enough to have a walking reminder of his abysmal childhood without adding that into it too. However worse than the thought of Potter walking the halls was the thought of the girl who wouldn't be. This was the year his girl should have started. The pain of Helena, Regulus and Hermione's deaths was still ever present. He mourned each year, tortured himself with each milestone he watched Draco hit, wishing he could have seen his goddaughter do the same. Some days, the pain that accompanied thoughts of them threatened to swallow him whole.
As the gaggle of first years entered the hall, looking around in awe, something visceral punched him in the gut, only his years as an occlumens stopped him from crying out in surprise as the bond he’d previously thought broken roared back into life. His eyes frantically scanned the waiting children until they landed on a tiny girl who was half hair. She looked nothing like Regulus or Helena, barring Helena’s atrocious hair but fuck it all he knew it was her as the bond hummed. He listened to the sorting hat in a daze, barely focusing as the list of first years began to be called until he heard Minerva shout “Hermione Granger” and the girl stepped forward.
Fucking hell they hadn't even changed her name. Where had she been? Were Regulus and Helena with her? Did she know who he was? Did she know who she was? Gods he needed to find out. He almost groaned when the hat finally called out “Gryffindor.” Of fucking course. In the very back of his mind he was quietly grateful it wasn't Hufflepuff. Silently he began plotting how to get the girl alone, how best to determine what she knew and where she had bloody been. It was harder seeing as she wasn't one of his. He found himself wishing for the first time in his life for classes to resume. He’d have an excuse to speak with her then. He vaguely registered that Draco had been instantly sorted into Slytherin, not that it was a surprise, Lucius would have had a kneazle if the boy had gone anywhere else. Harry Potter, also unsurprisingly went to Gryfindor. He sent up a futile prayer that his goddaughter would have enough damn sense to stay away from the boy.
After what had felt like a month-long weekend, Severus found himself pacing as he waited on the Gryffindor/Slytherin first years to arrive. He hadn't felt this unsettled in years. He delivered his speech on autopilot, barely registering what he said as he barked at Potter not paying attention. He set them the task of preparing their first ingredients, sweeping through the room as he kept an eye on them all. His Slytherins were mostly competent, Finegan was mutilating his flobberworm, he’d need watching, the rest appeared not to have done too badly. Not that he could tell them that.
“Miss Granger, a word.” he barked as he watched them all clear their stations. The girl froze before sitting back down.
He studied her for a moment, wondering how the fuck to go about this. If she knew nothing, he would be opening a horrendous can of worms that maybe he should have left well alone.
“Miss Granger, do you know why I’ve kept you behind?”
The girl sighed before raising her eyes to meet his, tugging a necklace off her neck. Her hair instantly changed to the black of Regulus’ keeping Helena’s wildness and her eyes morphed from brown to grey. “I imagine it has something to do with this…..Uncle Severus. Papa said I wouldn't get past my first potions lesson.”
Without thinking Severus took two long strides and swept her into his arms, barely suppressing the sob that threatened as he finally accepted she was real. She was here, she wasn't dead. In the back of his mind, he registered what she had said. Regulus wasn't dead. He pulled back slightly, reluctant to let her go lest she vanish and this all turn out to be a cruel nightmare.
“Your father is alive?”
“Yes. He'd very much like to see you. He’s missed you, you know? But he was worried it wasn't safe, he was worried if he told you it meant you had another secret to keep and he said you already had so many he couldn't bring himself to give you another one.”
Severus stilled, “And your mother?”
“Mum’s alive too. I…I don't really understand most of it but Papa said he found something that scared him so badly that it was best for everyone to think he was dead, that we were all dead. So we hid, we’ve been in the muggle world ever since and obviously, they took one of mums names. Once everything happened with the Potters Papa said he wanted to write but he wasn't sure you’d want him to and….” she scrunched up her nose in a manner so reminiscent of her mother that Severus couldn't keep the grin from his face. “He said he didn't think it was over. But I don't really understand what he meant and he wouldn't explain it.”
Severus outright laughed at the pout on her face, Regulus pouting at something or other when he was in a snit as scrawny first year swimming through his brain.
“Where might I write to them?”
“Oh! Papa said if you address the owl to Mr Reginald Granger it’ll find him.”
“Reginald?”
“Awful, isn't it? But apparently Mum struggled to call him anything but Reg and it was the first name they came up with.”
Severus snorted at her candour. “Indeed, and what does your mother go by?”
“Helen. For people who were hiding, they changed very little.” she looked at him thoughtfully, “Did people just not look or are wizards really too prejudiced to not think of the muggle world? It's not like they made it difficult.”
Severus blinked at her slightly before he laughed, fucking hell no wonder the girl was a lion, she had no bloody filter at all, his snakes would have eaten her alive.”Probably a bit of both my girl. Now, you are late for your next class and I imagine mine is waiting outside those doors. Hermione?”
“Yes?”
“You will come back?”
The girl grinned at him impishly, “Of course, Uncle Severus. I believe I'm overdue extra potions and defence lessons.”
Severus laughed, “Away with you imp. Give this note to your next teacher.”
Hermione stood, clasping her necklace back around her neck, morphing back into her earlier form as she waved at him and bounced out the door.