The entity that made up the grounds and buildings of Hogwarts was too complicated for mortals to understand. Those among them who perceived the truth of the castle most clearly only intuited the whole of it yet could not articulate their thoughts. It was a bit like viewing an object in low lighting more clearly by not peering directly at it. Few could truly grasp the profundity of this place - unique amongst all the buildings in the world. Imbued by the spirits of the four founders as well as a bit of each creature to ever live under its rubric, it was always growing and transforming while maintaining a permanence unparalleled. Ancient magics and the input of those who existed before time began set the castle apart from any other structure in existence.
Many discerned this but few were allowed a kinship and partnership with Hogwarts. Headmasters and Headmistresses were some of the lucky few. These relationships were not all equal. They were not always easy. The castle and its head did not need to like one another to work together. Sometimes harmony was brought about by discord and chaos. Sometimes by a common goal or a fluid melding of their magics. Sometimes, it was a need to just get it over with so they could both move on with their lives independent of one another. No, each relationship was unique and specific to the time and the needs of its denizens. But all contained a purpose.
The castle did have preferences though. These too ebbed and flowed and morphed with time but it had nursed a particularly strong liking for Severus Snape since he had entered the school as a child. It had known then he would eventually be its Headmaster, not once, but twice. The exact details of how and when were inconsequential and the path would be arduous and dangerous at times but Hogwarts knew patience. It may have invented the concept, it really couldn't be bothered to remember that far back. What was important was that this man was unique, unlike any before him. He carried within him equal parts of each founding house (though he would have fervently denied that assertion). Bravery and cunning, genius and loyalty. And also the faults that lay behind each of these perceived strengths: bravado and slyness, aloofness and stubbornness. The soul of the castle knew that strengths were not strengths at all without faults and weaknesses to sharpen and hone themselves upon. That complexity and heartbreak could provide simplicity and joy. Mortals always seemed to strive towards one or the other, good or evil, happiness or morbidity, frivolity or bitterness. How very limiting.
This man contained within him the full scope and range of human emotions, unimaginable magical abilities and yet fought to maintain control of that most natural instinct - to conquer and control those around him by force of will. He could easily surpass the likes of Grindelwald or Voldemort and succeed where they had failed. This was a simple fact, he was now beyond their capabilities and limitations yet he strove to be a force of balance and justice. Not the easiest path but the necessary one. The castle thought, quite smugly at times, that Headmaster Severus Snape was Hogwarts personified. The closest earthly representation of its basic essence and vast complexity that had yet been created in corporeal form.
But, to keep him here, a man in his prime, power barely leashed within him, it seemed almost cruel. The Headmaster was still a man after all and those human urges would need to be met, both physically and emotionally. He could not be allowed to grow restless and wretched. Boredom and loneliness could compel even the most disciplined to act recklessly and destructively. So, the castle ruminated and probed, meditated and pondered, spied and schemed. Simply put, a mate was what he needed. A woman that was equal to his power, his intelligence, his drive, his perfection and his passion. He had a lot of passion, the castle knew this, though others would not or could not recognize this within him. Or if they did, they attempted to twist his motivations into something dark and frightening. The shortsightedness of mortals, they could not SEE.
Hogwarts remembered her. Remembered knowing she was the ONE when she first set foot on its grounds. It had forgotten over time - there had been a lot going on and it was eons old, thank you very much - but it remembered now. And so her return was orchestrated so that they could begin again. Some might consider this meddling, an unnecessary manipulation of human lives and cry foul. But this was not any logic that Hogwarts recognized. The outline of history was known to this place - what had been, what was, and what would be. More importantly, what should be. Aligning the players in their rightful positions was its duty and a thankless one at that. Ungrateful mortals and their ignorant attempts to understand what they were not capable of comprehending and yet still pass righteous judgment. (Yes, Hogwarts was aware it had become somewhat crotchety and graceless in its dotage but couldn't be bothered to care.)
And what an unexpected joy to have her here again within these walls. Her magic and curiosity always soothed the entity and pleased it well. Her thoughtfulness towards the castle and astounding mind were refreshing and invigorating. Would the Headmaster feel the same? He seemed to exhibit no particular interest in his newest teacher yet outward appearances were unimportant. The castle felt his magic sing as she entered his office that first time. It sensed a confused excitement, an awakening that perplexed the man. Had he thought himself somehow above carnal pleasures now? Immune to the human need for love and companionship? Did he not see himself the way others did? Hermione Granger would fix those erroneous notions soon enough. But first, she would have to overcome her own trepidations and second guessing. Humans could be so tedious. Eventually though, they would come together. The castle knew what they did in the privacy of their rooms, their beds, their showers, their desks even, when thinking of one another. The present situation was not sustainable.
It had amused Hogwarts - and secretly pleased it - when the Headmaster began to fly again. It began as a way of relieving the tension that built when he was around her. A way to redirect his nervous energy. He thought it immoral to engage in broomless flight because a madman had taught him the spell. Ridiculous. Finally, he had abandoned that pointless notion and fully embraced this singular skill and many nights he leapt off the astronomy tower or a parapet to sweep over the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade. Sometimes, he just jumped out the nearest window, his need to touch her too strong. He flew until he returned too exhausted to pursue her. Though apparently not exhausted enough to stop ruthlessly pleasuring himself while imagining her in all manner of positions and situations. Concocting more elaborate fantasies that soothed his need for her in the moment but only served to pour fuel upon his already smoldering passion. Poor, dense boy. Why did it take them so long to accept reality and what must be?
The ancient entity did enjoy the flaring of his magic when he thought of her. And he thought of her often. He was enthralled by her hair. That it still crackled and sparked when she was angry. He could feel each spark within himself building upon an already overwhelming need to possess her, terrifying him with its intensity. The man had truly not thought himself capable of this depth of emotion. When would he learn not to underestimate himself? He was endlessly fascinated by her. Her lips and eyes. Everything about her with no aspect going unnoticed. He was a boy in love's full first flush and it pleased the castle to feel his joy and fear through their shared connection. In an adolescent, these same thoughts would have been tuned out by the castle, it had experienced a variant of them countless times before. Unimportant, crass and repetitive. But, when it was your favored human...well, it was different. Hogwarts was invested in this man's welfare, after all. Did it matter if it enjoyed the man's newfound emotions? Pulses of sensual power now routinely raced through the walls and filled the air with a smell reminiscent of a field just before a lightning storm. When you were as old as the castle, you had to enjoy the little things.
But it dismayed the entity to feel the Headmaster's reluctance to open up to her. To allow himself to be vulnerable. His fear that she thought him corrupted because of his former associations. That she perceived him as weak due to certain choices he had made in his past or because she had saved his life (the pitfalls of testosterone.). That somehow his admiration would soil her. Why did a man of such boundless wisdom and vision not realize the stupidity and waste of such thoughts? Mortals...they were so self-unaware most of the time, even the greatest amongst them.
The time was coming when the dance would have to end between Severus and Hermione. Hogwarts was growing tired of their hesitations and insecurities. They could barely keep their hands off their own bodies to assuage their growing need for one another. Did they truly enjoy the unbearable tension or were they just being obstinate? Enough. One did not exist untold years without knowing when the time was right. And when the time was past. No, it ended tonight. The castle had lost its patience, it was time to move on to the next phase of this relationship. Now was the time for action.
The Headmaster was currently in his office trying to read a student disciplinary report but all he thought about was the woman. Touching her, being touched by her, fantasies of abducting her and lavishing her with pleasure until she succumbed to the rightness of their bond, to the truth of their love. Love? Was he in love with her? If Hogwarts had eyes it would have rolled them. It did have the ability to swat the back of his head in disgust at his ignorance and did so immediately with the nearest object, a sneak-o-scope. This propelled him from his seat and he made immediately for the open window, about to take flight, no doubt. Let him fly, the castle thought. And so he did, right down to a third floor balcony conveniently located close to her rooms. In a fugue state, he ended up knocking on her door, part of his mind screaming to run away. But as she opened the door and looked upon him with no surprise, only warmth and welcome, he found himself asking to speak with her on an important subject . As she bid him to enter, he could feel the spirit of the castle urging him along while chuckling at his continued doubts. There was nothing to doubt, only a vast future laid out before them and the joys of becoming one.
The inner monologue of the castle was relieved, 'Finally, we're getting somewhere.' About bloody time. Even the best amongst them still acted in an exasperating manner when it came to matters of the heart...and other necessary organs.
What mortals routinely failed to grasp was that the castle did not always get what it wanted. For it didn't "want" at all. It only required what should be and what was meant to be. And these two were meant to be together. They had a greater purpose awaiting them as one. And now, a new era of harmony and unparalleled productivity could begin at Hogwarts. What lay before them would be exciting and momentous...and the inhabitants of the castle were suddenly shocked and terrified to feel the massive structure shake as it literally vibrated in anticipation. Yes, there was life left yet in this ageless being. Life and love.