Chance Encounters
Summary: Basically, Dumbledore makes Snape take a vacation because he's getting obsessed with his work. He sends Snape to a houseboat in a marina in Canada, and takes his wand, casting a spell on him so that he can't apparate. He's supposed to have 10 days off, until school starts. What Dumbledore knows, but Snape doesn't, is that the Grangers have a boat at the same marina, and stay there every summer.
Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. I do not own the HP characters or backstory, etc, I do not own the Sanity Saver (it's my uncles), I do not own the setting, it actually exists and Canada owns it, I do not own Hermione's family (they are based on real people and own themselves). The only thing I own is the Granger's boat. I feel like a hobo.
Chapter One: Coboconk
"Albus, where are we?" Severus Snape asked wearily, gazing around the small and quaint room. He looked out the window. And saw water.
"Why, Severus, I'd think that'd be quite obvious. You're on a houseboat." Professor Dumbledore announced, pocketing the other man's wand. Then he muttered a spell and flicked his own wand. Severus felt a strange sensation flood through his body and he cursed.
"An anti-apparation spell? Honestly, I don't need a vacation. I need to go back to Hogwarts and finish getting ready for classes."
"Nonsense. It's all taken care of. You are going to live on this houseboat for ten days before the new term starts. You'll have plenty of time to get back in the swing of things." Severus could see the amusement glittering in the older man's vivid blue eyes. He sighed exasperatedly.
"A houseboat? In a muggle village? Really, Albus."
"You will live as a muggle. No magic, no apparating."
He flicked his wand again and Severus was no longer dressed in billowy black robes, but Levi's that had been cut off just above the knee and a baggy gray t-shirt. His lank black hair was not hanging in his eyes, but pulled back into a lazy ponytail.
"There is a good deal of muggle money in the top portion of that large white thing. It's called a refrigerator. The money is in the freezer."
"But I don't know anything about muggles. I don't have any muggle food or drink. I can't possibly live in an abandoned houseboat."
"I'm sure the muggles will be happy to help you. And it's not abandoned. Sold to me. Buy a nice man in his fifties. His wife just died and he didn't need the boat anymore. Once I saw the name of the boat, I knew it was perfect for you." Severus groaned exasperatedly.
"What's the name?" he asked, almost certain he didn't want to know the answer.
"Sanity Saver."
* * *
"Crookshanks, no!" Hermione attempted to command her rogue cat to stay away from the houseboat, but the orange feline ignored her, latching on to the screen door that lead to the inside of the Sanity Saver.
She followed Crookshanks aboard and, sighing, attempted to pry the cat off the door.
"I'm sorry, sir. Crookshanks just isn't used to not being allowed to go on this boat. See, it used to belong to my uncle." With a final great yank, she was able to rip the cat from the door.
"I am well aware of the unpredictability of your rather insane feline, Miss Granger. Now kindly tell me what you are doing in my vicinity during summer vacation."
Hermione hadn't looked at the boat's new owner yet, but once she heard the silky, cold voice she didn't have to. Her eyes widened considerably as she raised her chocolaty gaze to meet her Potions Master's deep black eyes.
"Professor Snape. How . What . How?" She stuttered. He glared at her from his place at the kitchen table.
"Three very excellent questions. I assure you, I remain just as clueless as you are."
She put Crookshanks down and he bounded off the boat and down the dock to the land. Then she slid the door open and stepped inside, causing Severus to roll his eyes.
"What happened?" He sighed, realizing she had no intention of just going away.
"Professor Dumbledore said I needed a vacation, so he brought me here. I have to live as a muggle for ten days in this boat in . where are we?" he asked, frowning.
"Coboconk," she said. "A very small town in Ontario, Canada. We're on Balsam Lake right now."
"Great," he muttered sarcastically. "And I suppose I'm stuck here with you?" She pretended not to her the disdain in his voice.
"That's my boat," she said, pointing out the window to the one directly across the dock.
It wasn't a houseboat, that was for sure.
It was a 27.5 foot long Bayliner. It had a blue canvas top and the door leading to the living quarters was open, allowing him to glimpse an unmade bed.
"The one called 'Chance Encounters'?" She nodded.
"My parents and I stay on the boat every summer. We fly over here from England and live here until I have to go to Hogsmeade. My family holds it's annual reunion here every August since most of them have cottages around here." Severus groaned.
"You mean I'm technically surrounded by more of you? Joy, oh, bliss." Hermione frowned.
"For your information, I'm not exactly beaming, either, Professor. I could make a list of people I'd enjoy spending part of my holiday with, and you would be at the bottom." Severus was taken aback. He'd just been told off by a student. That he hated. And he couldn't do anything about it. He sighed.
"As much as I despise my predicament, Miss Granger," he said through ground teeth. "I have no idea how to live as a muggle. I need ." Hermione almost smirked. She knew he needed her help, but she was determined to make him ask for it. It was killing him. And it was, oh, so funny.
"You need ."
"Dammit, Granger, I need your help," he said helplessly. She grinned.
"Why didn't you just say so? I'd be tickled to help you, Professor. Just tickled." He glared at her. "Now, where to start ."
She went to the fridge and opened the door. Nothing but a whoosh of cold air. Then she opened the cupboard and was greeted by a whole lot of nothing. She shook her head.
"Professor, we really have to get started. Aren't you hungry?" As if taking a cue, his stomach growled and he rolled his eyes. Hermione looked amused. She knew that, should they come to blows, she had the advantage. They were on her turf. "Did Dumbledore leave you any money?"
"The freezer." She swung the door to the freezer open and smirked when she picked up a large chunk of bills. She flipped through it, eyes glinting.
"Well, well, Professor. We do have to go shopping. Now. Come with me."
Summary: Basically, Dumbledore makes Snape take a vacation because he's getting obsessed with his work. He sends Snape to a houseboat in a marina in Canada, and takes his wand, casting a spell on him so that he can't apparate. He's supposed to have 10 days off, until school starts. What Dumbledore knows, but Snape doesn't, is that the Grangers have a boat at the same marina, and stay there every summer.
Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. I do not own the HP characters or backstory, etc, I do not own the Sanity Saver (it's my uncles), I do not own the setting, it actually exists and Canada owns it, I do not own Hermione's family (they are based on real people and own themselves). The only thing I own is the Granger's boat. I feel like a hobo.
Chapter One: Coboconk
"Albus, where are we?" Severus Snape asked wearily, gazing around the small and quaint room. He looked out the window. And saw water.
"Why, Severus, I'd think that'd be quite obvious. You're on a houseboat." Professor Dumbledore announced, pocketing the other man's wand. Then he muttered a spell and flicked his own wand. Severus felt a strange sensation flood through his body and he cursed.
"An anti-apparation spell? Honestly, I don't need a vacation. I need to go back to Hogwarts and finish getting ready for classes."
"Nonsense. It's all taken care of. You are going to live on this houseboat for ten days before the new term starts. You'll have plenty of time to get back in the swing of things." Severus could see the amusement glittering in the older man's vivid blue eyes. He sighed exasperatedly.
"A houseboat? In a muggle village? Really, Albus."
"You will live as a muggle. No magic, no apparating."
He flicked his wand again and Severus was no longer dressed in billowy black robes, but Levi's that had been cut off just above the knee and a baggy gray t-shirt. His lank black hair was not hanging in his eyes, but pulled back into a lazy ponytail.
"There is a good deal of muggle money in the top portion of that large white thing. It's called a refrigerator. The money is in the freezer."
"But I don't know anything about muggles. I don't have any muggle food or drink. I can't possibly live in an abandoned houseboat."
"I'm sure the muggles will be happy to help you. And it's not abandoned. Sold to me. Buy a nice man in his fifties. His wife just died and he didn't need the boat anymore. Once I saw the name of the boat, I knew it was perfect for you." Severus groaned exasperatedly.
"What's the name?" he asked, almost certain he didn't want to know the answer.
"Sanity Saver."
* * *
"Crookshanks, no!" Hermione attempted to command her rogue cat to stay away from the houseboat, but the orange feline ignored her, latching on to the screen door that lead to the inside of the Sanity Saver.
She followed Crookshanks aboard and, sighing, attempted to pry the cat off the door.
"I'm sorry, sir. Crookshanks just isn't used to not being allowed to go on this boat. See, it used to belong to my uncle." With a final great yank, she was able to rip the cat from the door.
"I am well aware of the unpredictability of your rather insane feline, Miss Granger. Now kindly tell me what you are doing in my vicinity during summer vacation."
Hermione hadn't looked at the boat's new owner yet, but once she heard the silky, cold voice she didn't have to. Her eyes widened considerably as she raised her chocolaty gaze to meet her Potions Master's deep black eyes.
"Professor Snape. How . What . How?" She stuttered. He glared at her from his place at the kitchen table.
"Three very excellent questions. I assure you, I remain just as clueless as you are."
She put Crookshanks down and he bounded off the boat and down the dock to the land. Then she slid the door open and stepped inside, causing Severus to roll his eyes.
"What happened?" He sighed, realizing she had no intention of just going away.
"Professor Dumbledore said I needed a vacation, so he brought me here. I have to live as a muggle for ten days in this boat in . where are we?" he asked, frowning.
"Coboconk," she said. "A very small town in Ontario, Canada. We're on Balsam Lake right now."
"Great," he muttered sarcastically. "And I suppose I'm stuck here with you?" She pretended not to her the disdain in his voice.
"That's my boat," she said, pointing out the window to the one directly across the dock.
It wasn't a houseboat, that was for sure.
It was a 27.5 foot long Bayliner. It had a blue canvas top and the door leading to the living quarters was open, allowing him to glimpse an unmade bed.
"The one called 'Chance Encounters'?" She nodded.
"My parents and I stay on the boat every summer. We fly over here from England and live here until I have to go to Hogsmeade. My family holds it's annual reunion here every August since most of them have cottages around here." Severus groaned.
"You mean I'm technically surrounded by more of you? Joy, oh, bliss." Hermione frowned.
"For your information, I'm not exactly beaming, either, Professor. I could make a list of people I'd enjoy spending part of my holiday with, and you would be at the bottom." Severus was taken aback. He'd just been told off by a student. That he hated. And he couldn't do anything about it. He sighed.
"As much as I despise my predicament, Miss Granger," he said through ground teeth. "I have no idea how to live as a muggle. I need ." Hermione almost smirked. She knew he needed her help, but she was determined to make him ask for it. It was killing him. And it was, oh, so funny.
"You need ."
"Dammit, Granger, I need your help," he said helplessly. She grinned.
"Why didn't you just say so? I'd be tickled to help you, Professor. Just tickled." He glared at her. "Now, where to start ."
She went to the fridge and opened the door. Nothing but a whoosh of cold air. Then she opened the cupboard and was greeted by a whole lot of nothing. She shook her head.
"Professor, we really have to get started. Aren't you hungry?" As if taking a cue, his stomach growled and he rolled his eyes. Hermione looked amused. She knew that, should they come to blows, she had the advantage. They were on her turf. "Did Dumbledore leave you any money?"
"The freezer." She swung the door to the freezer open and smirked when she picked up a large chunk of bills. She flipped through it, eyes glinting.
"Well, well, Professor. We do have to go shopping. Now. Come with me."