*Found this in some old files I didn't know I had. I think I wrote this a couple years ago to be honest.*
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Near You
Three years after the final battle at Hogwarts, he still stood alone. There was nothing left for him to do but teach and try to carry on with what most people would call a 'normal life'. It was something he never believed he would have. He had survived when he wasn't supposed to. He was supposed to die, to end this pain. His love for Lily remained in his heart, but it did not rule his world anymore.
Before the war had ended, he had enjoyed tormenting people and ingraining fear into them by his mere presence. Now, it was different. He had no one and as time went on he became more and more reclusive. Strangely, the only times he felt a stir in his chest were on Christmas, his birthday, and Valentine's Day. He had never liked those days. Ever. However, someone seemed to think something of him for on those days, every year for the past three years he received a gift. It was always something fitting for him, something useful, but a name was never left from the giver.
Severus Snape stood in his sitting room and looked at the rare books that he had received from his mystery person and wondered if it was out of pity that they were sent or if it was truly because someone cared about him. It was at least something that brought a little bit of light into his life.
The wards to his classroom indicated that someone had entered and he quickly left his private quarters with a scowl on his face. He suspected that it was some idiotic student of his wanting more time on the five foot essay he had just assigned.
When he entered his classroom he was not expecting to see a young woman standing next to his desk as if waiting for him. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, looking her over. The woman was beautiful. She stood in black muggle pencil skirt, a crisp white blouse with a nicely fashioned black suit jacket, and elegant black heels. Her hair hung down to her mid back and the ends were lovely loose ringlets, but it was her eyes that caught his attention. They were large, open, and a soft cinnamon color. Where had he seen her eyes before?
"What can I do for you, Miss…" he trailed off and waited for her answer. She gave him a small, yet warm smile.
"You don't remember me, Professor?" she asked softly. He tilted his head slightly and eyed her.
"No, I do not believe I do," he replied somewhat coldly.
"It's me, Hermione Granger," she said and noticed his eyes widen slightly. Professor Snape quickly recovered and masked his face again into indifference.
"Well, you certainly have…changed…in appearance, anyway," he conceded.
"I was wondering if I may speak with you…privately," she said.
"No one else is here," he replied curtly.
"Professor, surely there is some place a bit more comfortable," she said, looking around the dark and dreary room. There was silence between them for a moment before he sighed and motioned for her to follow him.
Hermione walked in silence behind him as he led her to his personal chambers. When she walked in, she noticed that his rooms were tastefully decorated in rich mahoganies and ebony's. There was a sense of loneliness though.
"Would you care for a drink, Miss Granger?" he asked.
"Yes, please."
"Tea or wine?"
"Wine, thank you," she replied politely as she gazed over at his book shelf.
As he poured them both a glass of wine, she walked over to the shelf and touched the spine of some very rare texts. They were obviously handled with great care by looking at their condition.
"Still have an obsession with books I see," he said a bit stiffly as she touched his most prized possessions. She turned and smiled again before coming to sit next to him on the sofa.
"You seem to have the same obsession," she replied as she took the glass and sipped.
"Yes, I suppose I do," he replied, still wary of why she had come to see him.
"Tell me, what is it you wanted to speak with me about," he said.
"I don't know. Perhaps, just friendly conversation," she replied idly. Now he looked truly suspicious.
"I do not do friendly conversation," he said, his voice suddenly cold. She looked at him with what could be considered a sad expression.
"I know…I just thought…maybe…you would make an exception," she said softly and looked down at her wine.
"Why would I do that?" he asked snidely. There was silence as Hermione stared into the glass before she put it down.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm obviously intruding. Thank you for the wine," she said softly, but there was a slight quiver in her voice that would have gone unnoticed to anyone but him. She stood to leave and he reached out and grabbed her wrist before he had a chance to think about it.
"Forgive me, Miss Granger," he said and noticed as she tried to hide the dampness under her long lashes. "I am not used to having company." It took a moment before she sat back down, but this time she didn't look at him.
Severus noticed that she was no longer the little girl she was years ago. It wasn't just her outward appearance, it was her demeanor. Her eyes used to be so bright and full of life, but now they were heavy with burdens that she didn't need to carry. Something was bothering her and he wondered why it was he that she came to.
"Miss Granger, you seem deeply distressed," he said carefully.
"It's nothing," she said waving it off.
"Apparently it is something," he replied. "Tell me, why of all people, did you choose to visit me?"
"Um…I don't know…maybe…I just wanted to…see you," she said, a slight blushing creeping into her cheeks as she turned and looked to the other side of the room as if there was something truly fascinating there.
Severus couldn't help but feel the small flutter in his stomach when he had heard her answer. It seemed ridiculous really that she should come to the one person who had tormented her in class almost as much as Draco Malfoy. He cleared his throat and took a long swig of his wine before setting the glass town and looking at her again.
"Aren't Potter and Weasley going to miss you? What would they say if they knew you were here with a known Death Eater?" he asked casually. This time, pain was evident in her eyes.
"Um…they don't know where I'm at…nor do they care," she replied quietly. This caught his attention.
"What do you mean 'they do not care'?" he asked. She sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped somewhat.
"They are not talking to me. They haven't been for four months already," she answered, finishing her wine.
"Why is that? If you don't mind me asking of course."
Hermione turned and looked at her Professor. He looked almost the same as he had years ago when she had last seen him. If anything, he looked a bit paler and definitely thinner, but he still had those fathomless black eyes.
"After the battle of Hogwarts, Ron and I became engaged. After the first year, I found out that he was having an affair with his x girlfriend, Lavender. After several fights, we reconciled and I acted as if nothing happened…" she said and looked away from him. "Another year past and he did it again, claiming that he loved her more than me because there was a special connection that he and I didn't have."
"I'm sure the connection was with their hips," he remarked distastefully. She nodded and looked down at her delicate hands.
"Well, when I said I was leaving this time…he told me not to go. He said he loved me and that he would never do this again. I believed him…" she trailed off and sniffed softly.
"Miss Granger, I have always found you to be remarkably talented and smart, however, I must admit that was a stupid move on your part," he said and wondered if she would get angry or offended. To his surprise, she nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, it was. Four months ago, he did it again. This time, I got angry and we got into a huge row. Of course, Harry sided with him on this, saying that I am obsessive and that I was also having an affair with someone because he had found receipts of purchases I had made. Ronald told me that I wasn't good enough," she said and swallowed thickly. "I didn't think that someone who had committed adultery and left him for someone else would mean more to him than the person who stayed and remained faithful."
"Miss Granger, surely you know the fault does not lie with you," he said, shaking his head. "Mr. Weasley is a complete moron for letting someone like you go." She gave him a small watery smile before looking back at her glass which he quickly refilled.
"It's just that I believed him for so long that he would change. I thought that I really meant something to him," she said softly.
"He'll regret his choice. There is such a thing as Karma and it will come back to get him. Believe me, I know," he mumbled and took another drink.
"I just can't believe that they pegged me as someone who would have an affair because of some stupid receipts," she said with a little edge to her voice.
"What were the receipts for?" he asked.
"Just books," she replied without thinking. There was something nagging at Severus and he couldn't help but glance at the gifts that he had received over the last three years.
"Were they rare?" he asked.
"Yes, why?"
"Merely curious. I assume that you paid a good amount for them. Enough perhaps to anger those to idiots," he said smoothly, trying to be casual. He was a Slytherin after all.
"I did, but it didn't matter. I never once had an affair," she said, sipping her drink again.
"Why did you just tell them to look on your bookshelf for the books? Prove to them that they were not gifts," he said.
"They were…" she stopped before she said anything else and took another sip of her drink. He noticed the faint blush, the widening of her eyes, and the look of distraught.
"They were not on your shelf, were they?" he asked, genuinely interested now. Could she have possibly been the one to get him such expensive gifts all this time?
"Um…well no…but that didn't mean that I was having an affair," she said quietly.
"Indeed. Of course it didn't. I believe that if you had engaged in an affair, I dare say that I might have been aware of it."
Hermione felt her hands trembling and swallowed hard. She hadn't meant to say so much, but she needed to let it out. Ginny had stopped talking to her when Ron had told her that he suspected she was sleeping around behind his back and now Hermione really didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Her eyes betrayed her as she glanced up at the rare books. Severus had seen it.
"It was you! You sent those books to me!" he said with narrowed eyes, becoming suspicious again.
"I should go now," she said and quickly stood to leave again, but he wasn't about to let her off so easily. Severus quickly got up and stepped in front of her.
"You're not leaving until you explain yourself! Why did you send me those books? Was it pity, Granger?" he snarled becoming defensive.
"No, I never pitied you."
"Then why?"
"Because I respect you. Maybe it was a way for me to make up for the hell me and my friends caused you. Maybe it was to say thank you for the many times you've saved us. I don't know, but it was not pity," she replied, daring to look into his eyes.
"Why have you come to see me?" he asked, crossing his arms. Hermione did look away this time.
"To talk…"
"You have more you want to say, so out with it," he said in a commanding tone.
"I…I wanted to…ask you if you would…take me as your apprentice," she said nervously.
"I was under the impression you worked at the Ministry," he replied, lifting a brow.
"I did. However, Ron and Harry also work at the Ministry and started causing problems for me after I left Ron. I decided to quit. Ron took most of money and left me with practically nothing except for what I had stashed in case of an emergency. I just recently lost my home because I could no longer afford it," she said with a touch of shame.
"So you have decided to come back to Hogwarts to become an apprentice so you could get free room and board," he sneered, cursing himself for thinking that she had been genuinely coming to see him.
"Not exactly…look…you don't want to know anymore than this. Just give me an answer," she said dejectedly, looking suddenly tired.
"Tell me the rest," he insisted. She tried to walk around him, but he grabbed her arms and held her in front of him. "Tell. Me. Right. Now." He watched her lip quiver slightly and saw the tears finally slip down her cheeks.
"I want to…be here…with you," she said softly.
"To what? Wallow with me in misery? To find satisfaction in knowing that someone has a life more desolate than yours?" he asked harshly.
"To be near you…" It was a mere whisper but he heard it. He looked at her strangely.
"Why?"
"It should be obvious by now…" she said.
His mind was reeling. She wanted to be here to be near him. How was that even possible? He had never gotten any inclination from her that she even had an interest in him and now here she stood, practically confessing to him that she held some kind of affection for him.
"Miss Gra-Hermione…I am not sure what to say," he admitted. She looked down and he saw the tears slide silently down her face.
"I'm sorry. I should have known better. I will leave," she said and went to get up and walk past him, but he reached out and gently grabbed her wrist.
"Hermione…please stay," he said quietly. She glanced up at him as he turned her to face him. "I am surprised because I had no idea that you had any kind of…feelings for me."
"I never knew how to approach you," she admitted softly. "I've wanted to for so long." His eyes softened and he found himself flattered and intrigued. Hermione Granger was one of the most intelligent women he had ever met and he had to admit that she was gorgeous. He'd be an idiot not to take this opportunity.
"Hermione, I have been alone for a long time and had given up ever trying to find anyone who understood me. I am still a cold and callous man and that will not change, but you know as much," he said and saw her nod, looking up at him shyly. "However, if with me is really where you wish to be, I admit that I am curious and for once willing to chance this."
"Really?" she breathed in surprise, her cheeks a pretty pink with a light blush.
"Yes, and I will make an effort to make you happy," he said softly.
Hermione felt her heart jump and couldn't believe that the man she had wanted for so long was actually going to give her a chance. She smiled at him through her tears and was touched when he used the pad of his thumb to brush them away.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Why don't we sit down and enjoy some wine, while we discuss your apprenticeship?" he suggested. She nodded and felt her heart jump when he leaned forward and placed a soft and gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. He gave her a small smile that warmed her whole body. "We have a lot to talk about."
For the first time in a long time, they both felt that things might actually go their way for once and they looked forward to having some happiness in their lives. Sitting down together, things became comfortable almost instantly and the two begin to talk as if they had been close for years.
Fin