Disclaimer:
I do not own the characters of Harry Potter, these belong to that wonderful author JK Rowling and the various publishing companies used to publish her works. I am however borrowing them, no not to make money but for fun and fun only.
Summary:
The Second War with Voldemort is over, Voldemort and all his faithful death eaters are dead. When Hermione gets an offer to work at a prestigious company with Severus Snape things get a bit interesting. Will they become colleges, friends or more?
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Prologue: Riddle Graveyard, August 1997:
Severus knew he was dead, he knew it deep inside, yet that did not scare him, not any more. He longed for death, he had failed after all and soon he would be killed by Voldemort for his betrayal. He did not believe he had not betrayed Voldemort, it was the other way around, he had given his all to the bastard and asked but for one thing and Voldemort had lied to him, had told him he would spare Lily and then he had turned and planned to kill her, had killed her. Severus knew he would not live to watch Voldemort die but he had not expected to live anyway. He was on his knees hands bound behind him with Voldemort over him amusement on his face while Rabastan was holding Hermione Granger in a vice like grip.
"So you care more for the mudblood than our noble cause?" Voldemort said.
"I care more for the preservation of our kind, your way leads us to discovery by the muggles and death of our world!" Severus shot back, he was not Slytherin for nothing, he would plant as much seeds of doubt he could before he died. "You are not Lord Voldemort, he died, you are an imposter!"
"How dare you Severus you will pay for that!" Voldemort snarled, "Crucio!"
Severus normally would have cried out in pain but he refused to, he would not give this monster that benefit. He just wished Granger was not here to see this or end up dead by the hands of these death eaters. That was what had got him found out, he could not let them take her and as such he was exposed as the spy. His trying to Apparate away with her had failed and now he would be forced to watch as Hermione Granger was tortured raped and killed. Finally the curse was lifted off him and he felt blood dripping down his face from where he had bit his lip so hard to keep from crying out.
"Bring them, I think a bit of fun is in order." Voldemort said.
"Why don't you sod off?" Hermione snarled lashing out to get Rabastan hard in his groin causing him to let go of her, "damn Harry was right, you really are ugly!"
"How dare you, get her!" Voldemort said just as Hermione took out a handgun, (she was muggleborn after all and did know how to use it) and managed to take down three death eaters before Voldemort summoned the weapon from her. "So you dare play with fire sticks do you?" Voldemort said raising his wand, "let's see how you like this."
"Go to hell." Hermione said getting to Severus grabbing him by his robes, "you balls-less undead bastard!"
Severus felt a jerk by his navel and the scream of rage from Voldemort before he was whisked away to safety. He wanted to laugh at the intelligence of one very bright witch but he bit back a groan as he landed in the hall of Grimmauld place on his knees. At once he felt someone unbinding his hands and he rubbed his wrists getting slowly to his feet. He realized where he was and his black eyes widened in fear for a second but he managed to turn his features so he showed anger as Sirius Black came up from the kitchens to see Severus and Hermione here.
He was a taller man than Severus and that was saying something as Severus stood at six feet tall, and was around a hundred and seventy five pounds, most of that good lean muscle from his years of potions making and boxing that he used instead of alcohol to ease his frustrations as a professor of young witches and wizards. Where Sirius had wavy near black hair, a neatly trimmed goatee and gray eyes in a lightly tanned face Severus was different. His hair was lank, greasy and raven black, his eyes black too and both this and his large hooked nose dominated his sallow sinned face. His thin lips thinned even more as he saw Sirius was armed and he was not, but Hermione was with a second wand and she stepped between the men.
"Don't you dare hurt him Padfoot." Hermione snarled, "or I will make what I did to you in the shack look painless in comparison."
"Ah right," Sirius actually paled and Severus saw him give a quick look at his manhood before he glared at Severus, "what happened?"
"Professor Snape saved my life and honor." Hermione said, "instead of letting the death eaters have their way with me he fought for me."
"I seem to recall you had the portkey and you kicked Rabastan." Severus said looking a bit sulky.
"Oh yes well but you distracted them with your words, very smart sir." Hermione said, "I believe little Tommy Riddle was too upset to think clear. Harry was right about him on that regard, when he gets really mad he just cannot think clear."
"Neither can Harry." Severus snapped.
"Well that was true at one time, before Ginny started to work with him." Hermione said.
It was only too true, when Harry came to Grimmauld place just before the start of his fifth year he had not been in the best of moods. Ginny had heard him yelling at his friends and she saw red, she had thrown everyone out of the room, set up privacy charms and let him have it. No-one but Harry and Ginny knew what Ginny had fully said but two hours later a red-eyed Harry had come out of the room with an equally red-eyed Ginny and Harry had apologized to his friends. Something had changed that day for him too, even when he went back to school and had to face Umbridge in school he had done so calmly and no matter how she tried she could not get Harry in detention and oh how she had tried!
Ginny had even spoke to her friend Luna and let Hermione speak to Rita and every rule, decree and even detention Umbridge pulled the Quibbler printed. That had led to Sirius hiding Xeno Lovegood in his house along with his printing machines in the large unused part of the basement and he was still here safe and secure able to print the truth with Rita actually having more fun cutting down the corrupt ministry than harming Harry. Getting to know the young man had not hurt either and she saw the boy behind the fame. Even so Harry still had problems keeping Voldemort out and not from lack of trying. When Severus was asked to teach him Occulumency he found the teen boy was already meditating and when he told him to clear his mind Harry had understood what he meant and had some impressive shields by the time Severus was done with him.
"Why did you have a portkey?" Severus asked.
"Neville's idea sir." Harry said walking down the stairs and up to Hermione giving her a hug," we were going spare when you disappeared in Diagon Alley Hermione!"
"I am fine, professor Snape saved me, he got Tommy to see red and I was able to make my move and get us out of there." Hermione replied. "He was really brave, he did not even cry out when Voldemort tortured him."
"Stop acting like a bloody fan girl Miss Granger I did what I had to!" Severus snapped.
"Oh you might want to step back." Hermione said, "I had a timed portkey on my handgun."
"Miss Granger!" Severus said in shock, "the dark lord could be coming here!"
"Oh bugger." Hermione said just as Harry had his wand in one hand and something heavy in the other.
Everyone pointed their wand to where a figure landed with a thump on the floor and breathed a sigh of relief when a figure that was not Voldemort surfaced and several wards went up that bound him in place securely. Hermione walked up carefully and took the mask and hood off the death eater and glared at the long sliver blond haired pale faced of the head Malfoy family, one Lucius Malfoy. He glared at her with his cold gray eyes but she just walked up to him and slapped him across the face. She disarmed him and spoke in the ancient tongue of the Celts and Lucius was freed from the very powerful wards she had created with runes. Severus saw flaming red hair and saw Ginny Weasley storm up to Lucius Malfoy and in a move that made every male wince she kicked him in the groin, extremely hard. Lucius gave out a pained squeak and went down like a ton of bricks, even the once insane portrait of Mrs. Black was impressed.
"Well you do know how to handle the men, I am impressed." She said (a threat of paint remover had got her to behave) "he did something to deserve that?"
"Yes, he tried to kill me when I was twelve." Ginny said.
"Ginny that was evil." Harry said backing up as she walked by him, "I mean he did deserve to be hit but not like that!"
"Sure he did." Hermione said looking down at Lucius, "I would have done worse if I were Ginny."
Severus believed that, he was not at all kind when he drug Lucius to his feet who looked as if he would get sick and with a few threats he drug him down the stairs to the kitchen. Once there he slammed the pureblood into a chair making sure to hit him a few times as he bound him securely. Once done he let Sirius force Veritaserum down him and the questioning began, he was not surprised that Lucius was anything but loyal to Voldemort.
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Hogwarts, July 1998:
Severus sat in the headmaster's office relaxed and relieved the war was finally over. Voldemort was dead by the hand of Harry Potter and all the loyal followers of Voldemort were dead too. Three quarters of the world population of werewolves who had made the mistake of following Grayback were dead with their leader. Six clans of vampires, all the Dementors, ten giants and all but two Lethifold as Voldemort had unwisely recruited them and they had died before they could even fight as the climate was too cold for them. He was considered a war hero now, a clever Slytherin who had managed to get out of his service to Voldemort on a technicality and helped Harry Potter in winning the war.
A wizard sat next to him, he ten years older than Severus and like Severus he still looked young and in the peak of health. His unruly brown hair hung to his shoulders and he was a stocky man and was shorter than Severus by quite a few inches. He had been an Auror just like his famous father Alastor "mad-eye" Moody but he was looking for something much more peaceful now the war was over and as Severus did not wish to teach anymore Alexander Moody was going to take over as head of Slytherin and the defense teacher. The Moody family came from a long line of Slytherins and they were known for being just along with being cunning and crafty. Alex Moody was just what Slytherin needed at this time. Percy Weasley happily was going to be the potions master and Remus Lupin would be working his dream job that of History professor.
"Well my boy I will miss you." Dumbledore said, "you sure you wish to leave us?"
"Yes, I am not cut out being a professor all my days." Severus replied, "Alex will do good, he has made such an impression on Minerva already."
"Aye that I have!" Moody said grinning, "she loves me and I have to keep the Slytherin tradition up after all, the greatest house here after all, if not for Severus and Lucius who knows where we would be and both were Slytherin!"
"So what will you do?" Dumbledore asked Severus.
"I am going to travel a bit and then go to college, you are aware I have my muggle Os and have worked on my muggle degrees, I have a bachelors in chemistry as you know."
"Yes my boy I do."
"I need more, if I am to compete with the younger generation, I start this fall at Yale in America in my masters program."
"Wonderful my boy!" Dumbledore said, "I am happy for you."
Dumbledore really was, Severus was a very talented boy and he really had been stifled in the school. Dumbledore had done all he could to help his boy go to conferences and such in the summers he taught and he helped him with his many connections as well. Many people he gave a second chance do did not use it as wonderfully as his boy did and Dumbledore knew his boy was the most loyal of all. He was glad that Severus was finally going to living his life and that things had worked out so well for him. Severus had a bit of money set aside from his teaching and from the sale of his house, as the area he had grown up in was undergoing a renovation he had sold his house for far more than what it was worth and would use it on his travels and studies.
He would miss the school, but not so much as to want to stay and teach, he was done with that. He left the office and knew that his new life awaited him and he was going to enjoy this summer very much. He traveled through Europe first then North Africa and then to Asia and Australia and finally to America. His trip took him a full year and he learned so much of both the magical and mundane of the world. The storage area of his trunk was full of books and he had even made money on a few conferences he was asked to speak at to say nothing about the monies he still got from his improvements on the Wolfsbane and the Vampire vaccine he had perfected. He did go back to school and got his muggle doctorate and finally he found a job in England that suited him very well. He was sure it would change his life, he was just not expecting the changes that followed.
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So that is the prologue, the real story of course starts in chapter one.
