"He said WHAT?!" Ron's voice cracked on the final word.
"That. He's. Getting. Married."
"Who'd want to marry him!?"
"Ron..." Harry's patience was wearing thin.
"Alright. Alright. But I don't see why you're worried about this, Harry."
"What if she's a spy? Or works for the ministry? What if her family was killed by Deatheaters and she wants revenge? Maybe she's part of one these new groups that I'm not supposed to know you're investigating?"
"Or maybe she's just a normal witch with very bad eyesight?"
"RON!" rang out in stereo as Hermione and Harry shouted. Harry could barely make out the image of Hermione balancing a baby on her hip as she paced behind her husband.
"Look Harry, I can't just go running names all the time because you think people are up to something. The war is over, it's been over."
"Don't you think I know that better than anyone else? I just have a feeling, Ron. Please, I just want to make sure he's safe before it's too late? You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you?"
"I guess you have a point."
"Has he even met her?" whispered Hermione loud enough for Harry to hear.
Harry answered before Ron had a chance to relay the question. "Eh, well, not yet, but I will later today. I just didn't want to walk into a situation."
Hermione's head appeared in the fire, "Harry Potter, go meet this woman first. Severus wants to marry her. Remember she had to get past his defenses first. I can't imagine he was an easy nut to crack."
The clock behind Harry chimed, the hand pointed to 'late for tea'
"Hermione, Ron, I've got to go. I'm late."
"Bye, Harry" rang out as the floo went out.
Harry grabbed another handful of floo powder and tossed it into the flames, "Snape Manor"
With all the grace of a drunken ballerina Harry fell out of Snape's fire place covered in soot. "Honestly, just once I'd like to get that right."
"Elegant as always, Potter"
"It's good to see you too, Snape."
"I don't have to tell you to be on your best behavior do I?"
"When haven't I been?" Harry coyly asked. He knew exactly what times Snape was talking about. They usually involved a few bottles of fire whiskey and getting thrown out of the Gorgon's Head, a hard thing to do. They'd had some pretty drunken verbal sparring matches that had turned vicious. Since then, neither one took each others insults very seriously.
While leading Harry to the library he paused before the door and turned to face his guest. "I am, as you know, Harry, a very private man. This woman does mean a great deal to me. And while I am hardly one that cares what others think, it...it would please me to see you two get along. I'm afraid Charlotte doesn't have many friends here and I doubt I make the best company."
Harry had rarely ever seen Snape so open. And as quickly as the moment had happened it was over. Snape's stone mask was back in place as he turned the handle to the door.
Seated and reading by the window was Charlotte. Hardly the most beautiful witch in the world but that seemed to suit Snape just enough, he was far from being the most handsome wizard. She had long black curls in some kind of "up do" as he had heard Hermione call it once. A soft kind face with eyes as green as summer grass. She was older than Harry, in her mid-thirties, at least, and without the shadow of war behind her eyes, something few adult wizards in England had; the final battle had almost touched all.
She looked up and smiled at the two men. "You must be Mr. Potter, you may not believe this but Severus speaks about you a lot, I feel like we've already met." She stood and shook Harry's hand. They seated themselves for tea.
The ensuing silence was a bit awkward until Harry broke it with a question, "So, tell me how you and Severus met."
She blushed and began her story, "Well, it was at a potions conference in London. He was giving a lecture on his improved Wolfsbane potion. I had many questions that we discussed at length over dinner." Charlotte took a sip of her tea.
Snape smiled. Actually, genuinely smiled, well, more of just an upturn in the corners of his mouth. But it was something Harry rarely saw.
Harry continued to make small chit chat with her for the rest of the hour and he found himself growing angrier and angrier on the inside while becoming more and more cordial on the outside. There was something about Charlotte that rubbed him the wrong way and he was going to find out what.
As they exchanged their goodbyes Charlotte graced Harry with a kiss on the cheek and gave him and invitation to stop by anytime. She was after all new to this area and has so little friends to call on.
Harry was fuming as he stepped through the floo, though he had no idea why.
