Otter-ly Content

Hermione looked out over the Hogwarts grounds from the balcony that Hogwarts had provided for the Headmaster's quarters. The summer day was sunny and warm and all students had left for their holidays just two days prior. Some of the Professors had already left but many were staying another week or so to wrap up their work.

She'd lasted half a year at her old job at the Ministry after Severus' return to England, before she quit and moved all her belongings up to Hogwarts. Filius and later Septima had taken her on as an apprentice in Charms and Arithmancy, but she had stayed away from teaching and had instead taken over the Deputy Headmistress post from Minerva. She worked as an independent consultant on wards and charms, occasionally travelling to various sites when her clients requested it, and she also took on commissions to perform advanced Arithmancy calculations if the problem was interesting enough.

Her husband was lazing about on the lawn, soaking up the sun like the big cat he was. It had taken him a year after she moved in to make the shift, under Minerva's tutelage. He'd practiced in secret, not telling her about it until he actually managed the transformation, and had scared her half to death when her otter suddenly found herself nose-to-nose with a huge white tiger. He was marvellous, she thought proudly, as strong and graceful in that form as he was as a wizard.

She shifted into her otter form and squeaked at the Castle which happily complied and opened up a waterslide in the wall. Over the years Hogwarts and Hermione had most definitely reached an understanding which now included magical waterslides in the walls or along the banisters of the moving staircases, new fountains in the courtyards and a few waterfalls in select spots. The students were happy to see her surf past them in her otter form, on her way somewhere or other, be it up or down the stairs. A quick and spatially defying ride later, connecting parts of the Castle that shouldn't have been connected logically speaking, she came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase outside the main entrance doors. The white tiger lifted his head and gave her a deep rumble in greeting when she bounded across the lawn, pouncing on him before she shifted forms.

"Husband," she said and kissed his tiger nose, snuggling into his soft fur. He still made her heart sing. They'd married two years after he proposed, on the lawn of Hogwarts a week after all the students had left for their summer break. It had been a lovely ceremony attended by her parents, most of the Hogwarts staff, Harry and a few other friends of hers, and Melia together with some of the other Cretan villagers. They'd started sending their children to Hogwarts rather than Beauxbatons now and Severus had managed to hire two new Professors from there, one for Care of Magical Creatures after Hagrid had taken off for France, and one for Classical Languages and World Magic, a new elective course that taught both Greek and Latin as well as magical systems from other parts of the world. Severus had bought the Cretan cottage off Melia who had in turn bought another building in the village and set about turning it into a perfect bed-and-breakfast for visiting magical folk. The whole village prospered, especially after news got out that Harry Potter himself had spent a week there with his new wife Ginny and the tourist stream from Britain increased tenfold. The Snapes went to stay in their cottage for a couple of weeks every summer, and for a few weekends during the year as well whenever they could.

Their own two children were out playing somewhere with Minerva who spoiled them worse than any grandmother ever had. Richard Arcturus Snape was seven, a quiet boy with the same black eyes and hair as his father, and Eleanor Rose Snape would soon turn five which everyone she talked to quickly learned, and she had been planning her birthday party for the past three months, with details changing every week. Luckily the house-elves were happy to comply, and both students and staff were happy to spend time with the children.

Richard was also an accidental Animagus, which Hermione had discovered one night when she went to check on him in his bed and saw a tiny arctic fox pup instead of her son, his fur a fuzzy dark grey bordering on black. She'd merely smiled and asked the Castle to look out for its fox as it had for its otter, letting him sleep curled up on himself in the bed, his nose on his tail. Eleanor had so far not changed into anything but enjoyed being with her otter mother and tiger father immensely.

A few of the newer Professors had also started families, either moving to Hogsmeade or expanding their living quarters in the Castle. Speaking of which…

"Husband, it seems we might need to expand our quarters again," she said, a blush rising on her cheeks.

He immediately changed back to his human form and pulled her down to him for a kiss, still lying on the grass with his teaching robes spread under him as a blanket. He looked just the same as ten years ago, his hair still raven black and his style of dress still rather monochrome. Laughter lines could be seen at the corner of his eyes however as a counterpoint to the crease on his forehead from scowling, a testament to the change that the end of the war and his new family had brought into his life.

"Are you sure? Yes, of course you are. I suspect Poppy will be most pleased as I heard whispers of a bet between her and Minerva. I shall brew you the proper prenatal potions right away. How far along do you think you are?"

"Not very, five or six weeks at most," she answered. "I figured something was up when I couldn't stomach the anchovies at breakfast. And what do you mean, are they betting on us?"

He chuckled and smiled at her, one of those lovely smiles that transformed his whole face, making him look completely irresistible.

"Of course they are, whatever else would they do with their time and spare change?"

Still, she had to make sure. "Are you happy with this?" she asked somewhat anxiously.

"Always, my love," he told her, pulling her tight to him.

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A/N: That's it for this little story! Thanks to everyone that has commented and followed along! It's been a fun story to write and do research for… any excuse to look up otter videos is good, right?