Home | Members | Help | Submission Rules | Log In |
Recently Added | Categories | Titles | Completed Fics | Random Fic | Search | Top Fictions
Romance

Teacher, Death Eater, Soldier, Spy by dionde [Reviews - 4]

<< >>

Would you like to submit a review?

Chapter 5
 
Hermione didn't need to seek Severus out; he came to her office as she was still going through her post, separating missives from anxious parents and letters from complete strangers concerned with her private life. She watched the letter she’d just finished evaporate in a cloud of smoke with pleasure – just because she had been headline fodder since she was a teenager didn't mean anyone and their Hippogriff had the right to dissect her love life. 
 
“I usually just respond to dunderheaded questions with a strongly-worded letter – I didn't think a member of the Parent Outreach committee would resort to fire charms.” Suddenly Severus was leaning against the doorframe – Hermione hadn't even noticed him coming in. So much for battle-hardened reflexes. Then again, Hogwarts would often open locked doors for its previous Headmaster of its own accord. 
 
“This one is from Ron's Great Aunt Muriel. I haven't kept in touch, but she's unlikely to have young children.” Hermione scanned the contents. “She's calling me a Jezebel, and a scarlet woman. Very biblical.” 
 
“She's the fire and brimstones type, if I recall correctly. Allow me.” Severus flicked his wand, and the letter ignited, fading as quickly as it started. “She will be pleased to hear that you can look forward to a future as Mrs Malfoy, rendering your position entirely respectable. Even pure-bloods enjoy courting before marriage.” His voice sounded brittle, but Hermione was too shocked to really notice. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears and she felt lightheaded. 
 
“Bollocks,” she managed to squeeze out.   
 
“No, they do. I was in Slytherin during the late Seventies, I know everything there is to know about pure-blood courting etiquette.” Snape reached for the next letter in her pile, scanning it quickly. “Mrs Longbottom thinks you should be careful, but no doubt you know your own business. Why bother writing, then?” 
 
Hermione concentrated on breathing in, then on breathing out. “If I'd had any idea this was how it was going to pan out, I would have returned the bloody brooch unopened.” 
 
“Surely you cannot have been naïve enough not to appreciate how the wizarding world would react to seeing their precious war heroine associating with Malfoy the Elder?” She didn't like it when he sneered at her; it brought back the wrong sort of memories. 
 
“It's not that,” Hermione said, irritated with both Severus and herself. She recognised what he was doing now – he was always like this when he had got himself all wound up about something and refused to admit it, even to himself. Being used as a go-between couldn't have been that bad, so it had to be something else. Whatever was ailing Severus would have to wait, though – she needed to find out about Lucius first. “I don't give a fig what anyone thinks, Rita Skeeter saw to that a long time ago. It's Lucius I'm concerned about.” 
 
“I'm quite certain Lucius has been on the receiving end of enough bad publicity to see this storm in a teacup for what it is.” He Incendio'd another letter; this time the flames almost hit the ceiling. 
 
“Would you stop being wilfully obtuse? I'm trying to have a serious discussion here.” Hermione snatched the next letter up for incineration from him before he burnt the castle down. 
 
“So am I – didn't you read the Prophet when Lucius was released after the war? They published a colour supplement with his supposed misdeeds. Most of which were actually perpetrated by Macnair, if I recall correctly. Lucius never got his hands dirty if he could avoid it.” Severus inched closer to the pile of unsorted mail on her desk, but Hermione put her hand over it to protect it.

There might be something she actually wanted to read in there.

Possibly. 
 
“That makes it worse, then.” She sucked on her lips, trying to figure out how she'd ended up in this mess. “The last thing I ever thought I'd have to worry about is hurting Lucius Malfoy's feelings. Only goes to show, doesn't it?” 
 
“You what?” Two red spots burned bright on Severus' cheeks, and Hermione studied them with interest. What in the world had gotten him so agitated? 
 
“I suppose it's good, in the greater scheme of things. Dumbledore would have approved.”   
 
That name took Severus by surprise; usually she maintained a diplomatic silence on the subject. “Believe me,” he said bitterly, “there is nothing in this affair that he would have approved of, except possibly my part.” 
 
“What part would that be? I can't recall you saying anything.” Which definitely wasn't like him, come to think of it. 
 
“It's coming up now, so pay attention. Can I take your dimwitted comment to mean that you're intending to turn Lucius down?” 
 
“Well, yes.” Hermione stared at him; surely that had been fairly obvious from the outset, especially for someone used to spying? She knew she wasn't very good at subtlety – Severus made sure to remind her whenever an occasion presented itself. 
 
“The only reason you wanted me to have an excruciatingly awkward conversation about his motives was so that you wouldn't hurt his feelings?” 
 
“Yes.” Hermione refused to let him bully her into thinking she had been unreasonable. Being friends with the Head of Slytherin should come with some perks – she would do the same for him. The fact that she knew it never would happen didn't matter. 
 
“You are not, in fact, going to continue the courtship?” He looked acutely uncomfortable – it was probably being forced to ask a direct question. Still, he seemed curiously wrong-footed – like he had been screwing himself up for something it hadn't materialised. Severus must really have believed she was picturing herself as the next Mrs Malfoy.
 
“I wouldn't call it that, seeing as I don't live in a bad romance novel. But no, I'm not.” It would be a wrench – flirting with Lucius Malfoy had been surprisingly enjoyable, and now it was back to being a single woman heading towards her forties on her tod again. 
 
“Are you mad?” 
 
That brought her up short. “Not the last time I checked.” 
 
“Then why would the fact that his affections are engaged,” – There he went with the archaic language again. Was it a Slytherin thing? – “mean that you put an end to the whole thing? Even Longbottom has noticed you've been less glum lately.” Apparently, Severus did speak to Neville – providing it was about her. 
 
Something hot and angry was threatening to burst in Hermione's chest, and it certainly wasn't affection for the meddling tosspot in front of her. “There's one thing I'd like you to explain to me,” she said with her sweetest smile. 
 
“That could be arranged.” He looked down his long nose at her, and her wand arm itched. 
 
“What makes you think that my decisions are any of your business?” Hermione realised her mistake as soon as she had said it. “Thanks for your help, obviously.” It took all her composure to grind it out graciously through gritted teeth. “But I really think my affairs will be better conducted by myself alone.” 
 
“Clearly not, if the quality of your decision-making is anything to go by.” Through the mist of rage descending upon her – no one could rile her up like Snape, not even Ron – she noticed an odd look in his eyes.

In another man she would have assumed it was despair, but what could Severus Snape be so despondent about? By his own admission, he was quite happy pursuing his own research while teaching Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts to the older students. Hermione Granger's poor excuse for a love life certainly didn't keep him awake at night. 
 
“Well, guess what? Your opinion is neither sought nor required, so you can sod off.” Hermione stood up abruptly, covering the floor with a flood of yet to be unincinerated letters. “Good day, Deputy Headmaster.” 
 
He rose and bowed to her, leaving a fuming Hermione in his wake. She had never seen a supercilious bow before, but there was no mistaking it. How dare he poke his big nose in her business, without so much as a by-your-leave? 
 
If she hadn't already felt like a complete failure over the whole business, having Severus adding his two Knut's worth ensured Hermione was left contemplating simply getting another twenty cats, a remote cottage and just get it over with. Her ultimate destiny was now a question of when, rather than if, and while there wasn't anything wrong with being a crazy cat lady, she had been dreaming about something rather different. 
 
Well, hadn't that been silly of her. 
 
It was a lot easier to be angry with Severus than lamenting her own propensity for hopeless dreams, so anger it was. She set another letter on fire without even opening it – fortunately, there was an endless supply. Owls were still delivering more.  
 

 
 
Nightfall failed signally to bring wiser counsel, and it was a righteously infuriated Hermione who descended to breakfast. Her hair was impossible, as it always was when she was upset. It was useful, in that her colleagues knew to keep their distance, but she didn't especially like telegraphing her state of mind to anyone who looked at her. 
 
In this instance she needn't have worried, as Severus was absent from his place at the high table. It was tempting to interpret it as an admission that he had been in the wrong. Unfortunately, she was well aware he would have made sure to turn up and appear convinced of his own righteousness if that were the case. Nothing about Severus Snape was uncomplicated. 
 
When he didn't show up for lunch either, Hermione's anger ran out of fumes. It was stupid, but she needed to see him, to make sure they were still friends. 
 
Severus probably had an appointment outside Hogwarts, and she'd end up looking like a right tit barging in looking for him as if she hadn’t seen him for weeks rather than only a day, but suddenly Hermione didn't care. She needed an eyeful of glowering resentment tightly wrapped up in black robes. If she had to put up with another lecture on her poor decision-making, that was a price she was willing to pay.   
 


Teacher, Death Eater, Soldier, Spy by dionde [Reviews - 4]

<< >>

Disclaimers
Terms of Use
Credits

Ashwinder
A Severus Snape/Hermione Granger archive in the Harry Potter universe

Copyright © 2003-2019 Sycophant Hex
All rights reserved