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Chapter #1- News
Hermione Jean Granger lay in the cool grass, gazing lazily up at the setting sun. As a warm breeze carrying the scent of dandelions and fresh cut grass swept past, she studied the pink, purple and orange swirls above. Since Harry had brought the downfall of Voldemort four months previous, a quiet calm had settled over the Wizarding community, enveloping one and all in a long awaited sense of serenity.
A blue bird sped past, chirping happily as it went. "Finally" sighed the young woman, "Peace." She closed her eyes and lay there for awhile, just listening to the calming breeze and faint sounds of the ending summer, until eventually the breeze turned cool, the sky grew dark, and she decided to go home.
ShShShShShShsHSshHsHsHsHsshshHsHSs.
The next day Severus Snape was just getting ready to brew an anti-stress potion for the New Year when he received an urgent message from Dumbledore, via Patronus.
Severus sighed and put down the ladle he had been holding. Knowing Dumbledore, it probably wasn't urgent at all; He slowly began to trek up towards the statue of the stone Gargoyle. "Stupid man probably wants me to test one of his stupid new candies, or talk about 'new teaching strategies', he knows I don't like anything but pure chocolate when it comes to sweets, so I don't know why he even bothers."
Severus stopped in front of the stone Gargoyle, and spoke the password "Gummiebears." The stone Gargoyle sprung aside, and Severus stepped onto one of the moving stairs. Hopefully he doesn't get dizzy again; he cannot afford to lose face. Though the war was over, he had a hard time changing his impeccably cool demeanor.
When the infernal swirling motion stopped, he knocked on the door several times until the old man answered in a cheery sing-song voice "come in!"
"What would you like, Headmaster???" the dark looking man asked, leaning in a suave-like fashion against the doorjamb "ah, Severus, take a seat, m'boy. Tea? No? right then, we'll just get to the point. Severus, I need you to do something for me; something very important."
What could it be now? "And what, may I ask, would that be?" he drawled, clearly not happy with yet another task when he was under the impression that since the dark lord was defeated he could go back to living his life in contempt for all around him in relative peace.
"As you know Miss. Granger will be returning to resume her studies without misters Potter and Weasley." Across the desk Dumbledore chuckled "no need to look so menacing, Severus. It's not a horrible thing, really. You've read today's prophet, I take it?" at his nod, he went on "Well then you can certainly see that Miss. Granger may or may not be in a bit of a dangerous situation this year, what with some of the deatheaters children returning to Hogwarts, and some jealous females as well." He curled his lip and rolled his eyes- "And Severus, I need you to look out for her. It's very important." Dumbledore examined his nails as though he'd never seen them before, then shot the horrified looking teacher with a sideways glance "you see- she's my niece."
Severus openly gaped for a full minute before he realized what he was doing and closed his mouth "H-How?!" he stammered. Dumbledore eyes fairly shone with light with all their twinkling "Have I ever told you about Aberforths little escapades out in the muggle world"? Severus shook his head "Well, turns out about nineteen years ago he went to a muggle bar and became acquaintanced with Miss. Grangers mother." Dumbledore said with a smile "I had wondered about Hermione's Parentage when her mother came to me after they had received her acceptance letter when she was eleven. Apparently Mr. Granger is infertile. She was wondering if she might have accidentally conceived with a wizard, making her non muggle born, but half-blood instead. I told het that it was likely and that I would keep my eyes and ears open. Then, last year, when the students were going through the "Hogs Head" to enter the room of requirement, Aberforth recognized her immediately. She looks very much like her mother, but has some of his features as well- her hair for example." His grin grew wider "And my brains."
"You did a parentage test, I presume?" Severus asked when he finally found his voice "Of course. It wasn't hard to get a strand of either of their hair, and then I performed the paternus invenio charm. It was a match. Severus, I need you to do this. Please? She's the only family we have left." Albus pleaded. Severus sighed. "Alright. I'll do it." Albus practically exuded light "But Albus?" He asked as he turned towards the door "Yes, Severus?" "Have you told her this little tidbit of information about herself?" And just as he thought, the old man's face turned grave "No. I think I shall wait just a little bit longer, until the shock of the coming back to the new school year and having a few of the students hate her wears off. I believe she will understand."
With that Severus gave a curt nod, turned, and left.
SHSHSHSHSHSSHhshshshshhsHSHhSHHSHSSSshs.
As soon as Severus was back in his rooms, he sat at his dining room table, put his head in his arms, and gave a huge sigh. How was he to get through this? There was no point in asking Albus to find someone else- he would have just asked him why not, and knowing that he doesn't really have anything else to occupy his time other than his teaching duties, The senile old man would have required an answer. HAH! There was no way he was going to confess to his friend and superior that he fantasized about the mans niece. The task was not that horrible. He hoped. Now all he had to do was maintain a respectable distance away from Hermione at all times. Just to make sure. He sighed again as he decided that it really wasn't going to be that bad. Over time he had probably just started remembering her as someone different from what she really was. Yes that was it, he thought decidedly. She was probably the same buck-toothed, bushy-haired, no-curves know-it-all.
Happy with his reasoning, he got up and headed to the washroom to take a shower. As he closed the door behind himself, he remembered that he was going to have to protect her from those snot-nosed brats out there as well.
Damnation! He was going to need more Potion…
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