Disclaimer: I own nothing in the HP stories. Even these OC's were created by someone else.

A/N: This story was originally begun by Samira Granger. Unfortunately, she was unable to continue it, so I have adopted it with her permission. It has also been adopted with permission by BreadQueen42 under the original title: Flowers and Warriors. Check her story out, it's gotten going nicely. I have combined what Samira Granger has already submitted into this one chapter for ease of reading. Everything starting with Chapter 2 is my own work and impressions on her fabulous beginning to this story.

The Secrets We Share

Prologue

Running out of the school, Hermione passed a group of fourth year Ravenclaws on her way to the school gates.

Got to get away from here, she thought as she heard faint yelling from behind her.

Holding out her hand, the gates opened in front of her as she got closer. When a flash of red hit the ground next to her, she picked up her pace and drew closer to the gates.

"Hermione!!" Harry yelled to her as she dodged another stunner.

She placed her hand protectively on her extended stomach. Passing the gates, she barely heard them slam shut as she stuck her wand hand out in front of her. Seeing the Knight Bus appear suddenly, she quickly got on before a startled Stan Shunpike saw Potter closing in behind her. The bus disappeared in the wink of an eye, taking a tearful Hermione Granger with it.

oooOOOooo

A few weeks later, Hermione found herself on her back. She screamed so loudly she thought her eardrums would burst.

"Just a few more times, cousin" a man with spiky black hair said as he held Hermione's hand.

Suddenly, a loud cry echoed through the room. "That's it! You feel alright, Mia?" the man said as he looked at her with his ice blue eyes.

"No!" Hermione yelled as she pushed down again. "It feels like there are two watermelons trying to get out of my body!"

"No wonder you feel that way," the midwife at the end of Hermione's bed said as she cleaned up the baby in her arms. "You have two other babies that are making their way into the world."

Hearing this, Hermione pushed again and again as she finished giving birth to the two babies with her cousin's verbal support. After the babies were cleaned up, Hermione looked at her children as she held two boys in her arms while her cousin held a little girl.

"So…" the midwife said as she looked at Hermione, "what are their names?"

Looking down into the faces of her children, Hermione softly said, "Lucian, Sebastian, and Anthea."

Watching as her two little boys cuddled up to her, Hermione smiled softly as she realized that she now had to get a job to care for her children. The problem, though, was who would hire a barely-out-of-school, single mother? With that thought on her mind, she let herself be led into the realm of dreams.

(Chapter One)

"Lucian, get your six-year-old bum down here right now, young man!" Hermione Granger yelled up the stairs of her Cousin Darius' two-story house. "Your brother and sister are waiting down here with me to leave for our new home! You don't want to make us late for our ride there, do you?"

"Here I am, Mummy!" a little voice said from behind her.

Turning around, Hermione looked down into her son's dark eyes which looked so much like his father's.

"You thought we were going to be late again, didn't you, Mummy?" the child questioned.

Watching as her son snickered, Hermione sighed as she saw how much like his father Lucian acted.

"Okay, Lucian," she said as she held out her hand to the young boy. "It's time to go to Kings Cross Station with your brother and sister."

Walking out the door, Hermione sighed as she saw her daughter and her other son talking with Darius. She was nervous about the future that awaited them. Going over to the car, Hermione smiled as she realized how blessed she was to have three great children. No matter what the future held, she would always be blessed with these three adorable, little children. That thought gave her great hope.

"Sebastian, Anthea! Time to go to Hogwarts!" she called to her children.

"Have a good time teaching Arithmancy to the school dunderheads," Darius said as Hermione hugged him goodbye. "And before you say it, I know that he says that a lot. You have told me tons of times that I only break your heart doing that, but you know me. I give credit where it's due."

Giving Hermione a kiss on the cheek, Darius bent down and hugged his niece and nephews before herding them into the car. He closed the car door after helping his cousin buckle the kids in.

Darius gave Hermione a stern look. "Are you sure that you are going to be alright with this? I mean, it's been six years since you were at that school. You know that he's there."

Looking up into her cousin's ice blue eyes, Hermione let a sigh escape her lips.

"To tell you the truth," she said, "I'm not sure if I should do this or not."

Seeing the concerned look on Darius' face, Hermione smiled ruefully at him. "I might not like it, but I am going to bear this, if not for myself, then for my children. We've been intruding in your home for too long. I need to do this so that I know that I can take care of my children when on our own."

At the downcast expression on Darius' face, she hugged him again before getting in the driver's seat. "Don't worry," she said as she started the car. "We'll be fine. If anything happens, or even if I just need some help, I'll send an owl or Floo you."

oooOOOooo

Holding each of her sons' hands, Hermione tried to stay balanced as she felt Anthea holding on to her neck tightly.

"Anthea, sweetie," Hermione said as she got closer to the gates of the school, "would you mind getting off Mummy's back for awhile?"

Stopping so Anthea could get off her back, Hermione heard some bickering begin between her two sons.

Looking down into the brown and black eyes of her sons, she said, "Sebastian, quit fighting with your brother over who gets the top bunk."

Gazing into Sebastian's deep brown eyes, Hermione thought to herself, Knowing Dumbledore, he would probably give them their own beds.

"Mummy, what's that?" Anthea said as she pointed to a tree in the distance that had its branches moving, even though there was no wind.

"That, sweetie, is the Whomping Willow," Hermione said as they finally stopped before the Hogwarts gates.

"Open up, please," she told the gates as she kept Lucian from falling over onto the ground. His excitement had propelled his feet faster than his body could handle, causing him to stumble.

As the gates opened to admit them onto the grounds, Hermione sucked in a breath as she saw a man in all black walk out of the Forbidden Forest. Oh, no, she thought as she stopped in her tracks. As memories from her last year at the school dashed through her mind, she didn't hear her children calling up to her. Only after the man disappeared into the castle through a side entrance did she look back down at her children.

"Mummy, who was that man?" Lucian asked as he looked up at her with his big black eyes. As Hermione looked down at Lucian, she couldn't help but realize that he was the spitting image of his father, only with a straight nose.

"That was one of the teachers here, honey," Hermione said as she started walking towards the castle again.

Guiding her children down the path to the Entrance Hall, Hermione couldn't help but look at her children's hair. He'll definitely take notice of them with their black hair, she thought as she sighed.

Watching as Anthea's frizzy black curls bounced up and down with each of her little steps, she let her gaze drift over to Lucian and Sebastian's hair. Seeing the straight, lanky black hair that was part of their father's trademark, Hermione held back a curse as she ushered the three into the Entrance Hall.

"Miss Granger, welcome back, my dear," Dumbledore said.

Hermione looked up at him, feeling like she was back in her first year at the school again.

"It feels a little weird to be back, professor," Hermione said as she looked up into the old wizard's twinkling eyes. "Allow me to introduce my children…"

"All in good time, my dear," Dumbledore said as he held up his hand to stop her words. "Right now, I think you and your children should join us for dinner. You can introduce these adorable children to us while we're eating."

When Dumbledore motioned with his hand for Hermione and her children to precede him into the Great Hall, Hermione quickly yet quietly ushered the children into the room in front of her.

All noise stopped as she stepped into the Great Hall once again. Looking up at the large table that dominated the room, she tried not to notice all eyes on her as she walked slowly over to a side table that had appeared about three meters away from the staff. These were the only tables in the room, as the students had yet to arrive. Placing her children in their chairs, Hermione sat in between Sebastian and Lucian and across from Anthea. As food appeared on the table before them, she served the food out to her children before they could bring up any embarrassing topics.

"Mummy?" Sebastian said as Hermione poked at her food. "Are you okay?"

Looking up from her plate, Hermione just nodded her head to indicate that she was fine.

They ate in silence for a while, which puzzled Hermione. The only cause she could fathom was that her children were incredibly tired from their long day of travel. She couldn't remember the last meal she had eaten in peace like this.

"Professor Granger," she heard Dumbledore say from behind her, "why are you not sitting with the rest of the staff? We prepared for you to join us, and now that you have, we will try to welcome you properly back into the Hogwarts family."

"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said as she stood up. "I appreciate the table you have set up for the children. It is quite thoughtful, however, they need me to sit with them also, as they are young and need supervision." Hermione measured her next words. "The children need some rest from the long day they have had. If you could give me the map that you said you would have in the letter, I will take my children to our quarters so that we could unpack, rest, and get settled in. If that interferes with your or any other of the staff's plans for the evening, I am sorry, but the children really do need to rest."

Waiting for her children to stand next to her, Hermione accepted the map of Hogwarts that would lead her to her quarters and her classroom. Grabbing hold of her sons' hands once again, she advised Anthea to take hold of Sebastian's empty hand. She nodded to the professors at the table, who were all watching her curiously, and then made her way swiftly out of the Great Hall. Walking up the staircase, she did not notice the black eyes that were following her movements from the dungeon corridor.

(Chapter Two)

The next morning, Hermione woke up with the start of a headache as she heard all her children bickering with each other at the foot of her bed.

Holding her hand to her head, she scowled as she yelled, "Okay! I am up, and it is now time for you three to go get dressed and ready to meet the staff properly!" Seeing the shocked looks on the faces of the six-year-olds, she whispered, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mummy," the three answered as one.

As they walked out of Hermione's room in a line, Hermione watched as Sebastian stopped in his tracks. "Mummy?" he said in trepidation. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Sebastian, I'm alright," Hermione said as she stood up from the bed. Groaning, she went over to the wardrobe and pulled out a muggle outfit that would give her more room to move. "Would you be mummy's life-saver this morning and fetch me a headache-relief potion from the kitchen cabinet?"

While Sebastian hurried to get the potion, Hermione chuckled lightly as she thought about the reactions the staff would have at her children's interest in potions work. Their father would be proud, she thought as she slowly made her way to the bathroom to clean up for the day.

After cleaning herself up and getting dressed, Hermione accepted the light blue potion vial from her brown-eyed son.

"Thank you, Sebastian," she said after she downed the potion.

Following her son into the living room that was set up to lead to each room through its own door, Hermione picked up her wand from a side table and put it in her sleeve. Taking in the all-black color scheme on her children, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. They proceeded out the door and into the hall.

Perking up slightly as she saw how excited her daughter was to see the Great Hall again, Hermione said, "Okay, time to go down to the Hall to eat breakfast."

While they passed the different portraits on their way to the Great Hall, Hermione had to keep herself under control as she heard a familiar voice yelling in the corridor below her.

"You don't know where she is?" the male voice yelled as Hermione and her children got closer. "Great! Absolutely, bloody great!"

Turning into the corridor, Hermione sucked in a breath as she saw the burning green eyes of her ex-best friend, who had turned when he heard a commotion behind him.

"Well, well," Hermione said as she gathered her children around her. "It's the Boy-Who-Lived-Again."

Looking past Harry, Hermione smirked as she saw Dumbledore with his twinkling blue eyes.

"You just had to be here, didn't you?" Hermione asked caustically as she redirected her gaze to Harry. "You should be proud of yourself for causing me to be gone from the Wizarding world for six years."

Seeing the fight that was in his eyes, Hermione frowned as she walked past him with her children.

"Just leave me alone, and I will give you the same courtesy," she called over her shoulder.

Looking up into Professor Dumbledore's face, Hermione calmly said, "Good morning, Professor. Would you mind terribly if my children and I accompanied you down to the Great Hall for breakfast?"

"It would be my pleasure, Professor Granger," Dumbledore said as he picked up Anthea and looked into her black eyes. "Well, I say!" Dumbledore exclaimed as his eyes widened. "My dear child, you have the same dark eyes as your father! I bet he would be proud to see you and your brothers."

Harry stormed off at this point, leaving Hermione, her three six-year-olds, and Dumbledore standing together in the hallway.

Hearing the tone of Dumbledore's voice, Hermione smiled as she softly said, "You would be surprised how much like her father she is at times, sir. And sometimes it is like I am looking into a younger version of his face when I look at Lucian."

"Mummy, look out!" Lucian said as Hermione turned around and nearly tripped into Sebastian. Grinning at the slight mishap, Hermione laughed as she grabbed both of her sons' hands.

"Look, little ones," Hermione said as she looked in front of her. "We are nearing the Great Hall."

Sebastian and Lucian looked around the Hall in amazement again. Hermione took Anthea from Dumbledore. "Thanks for holding her, Professor. She usually just hangs on my back, nearly choking me."

"It was my pleasure, Hermione," Dumbledore said as he strode over to the table where the rest of the staff was already eating.

Quickly settling her children in their seats at the small table set apart from the staff again, Hermione sat down next to Sebastian and across from Lucian and Anthea. Passing out the food to her children, aware of their likes and dislikes, Hermione made sure that all three of the triplets were eating before filling her own plate.

"Mummy, tell us again about your adventures here," Anthea said as she poked a piece of ham with her fork.

"Okay, sweetheart," Hermione said as she leaned forward in her chair. "Now, remember, these stories are our little secrets, okay, loves?"

As all three of her children nodded their heads in understanding, Hermione began the tale of her first year at Hogwarts.

"Now, you see that platform on the other side of the Hall?" Three sets of eyes shot over to the platform. "That is where I sat on a stool in front of the whole school and put on an old, well-worn hat. That hat was the Sorting Hat. It looked into my thoughts and memories, trying to decide which of the four Hogwarts houses to put me in. I remember it telling me that I was as loyal as a Hufflepuff, as smart as a Ravenclaw, and as cunning as a Slytherin. The one thing that was set apart from the others, though, was when it said I had as much courage as Godric Gryffindor himself."

"I hope I'm in Gryffindor when I start school here," Anthea said as she looked at Hermione in awe.

"Gryffindor sounds cool, but I would rather be in Slytherin, myself," Lucian said as he looked over at his sister.

"I like both of those houses, but I think I would probably end up in Ravenclaw," Sebastian said as he hid his face behind his hair.

"Sebastian, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be in Ravenclaw," Hermione said as she put her hand on her son's shoulder. "It just shows how much you value your future education."

Smiling as Sebastian lifted his head to smile at her, Hermione stilled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Stiffening, Hermione looked up and found she was looking into the endless black eyes of one, Severus Snape.

"Hermione, it is good to see you again," Snape said as he pulled up a chair to sit with Hermione and her children. "I have missed you very much."

"Severus, it is very good to see you again after so long."

Hermione looked at Snape for a few more moments as she tried to tame the desire that flared up inside her.

Finally looking away, Hermione said, "Let me introduce my children to you. Better yet, how about I let them introduce themselves?"

Seeing the nodding heads that were enthusiastic to meet the Potions master, Hermione waved her hand to her children to tell them to go ahead.

"Hi, I'm Anthea. I'm the oldest by four minutes," Anthea said as she looked up at Snape with her huge, doe-like black eyes.

"I'm Sebastian—middle child and older than my brother by five minutes," Sebastian explained as he hid his eyes behind his hair again.

"That means I am the youngest. My name is Lucian, and I'm seriously considering pulling a prank on that old man over there," Lucian said as he jerked his thumb at the rest of the staff.

Hearing what Lucian said, Snape burst out laughing. As he laughed, he looked over at Hermione and said, "That is absolutely the sanest thing I have heard this morning!"

"Well, Lucian takes after his father almost as much as Sebastian. Anthea, on the other hand..." Letting the sentence hang, Hermione sobered suddenly and said, "Severus, I need to tell you something about my children."

Seeing the curious look on his face, Hermione went on.

"Severus, allow me to introduce you to your children."

A/N: Next up: Severus' reaction