A Dreadful Year
Chapter Two: Interesting Conversations
"It is bad enough with an idiotic Gryffindor from that dreadful generation doing an apprenticeship… now I will be forced to endure the insufferable Know-it-all for at least a year and Merlin knows how much more? What's next? The bloody boy-who-would-not-die as Headmaster?" Severus almost whined – as much as his low baritone voice would permit - to the back of said 'idiotic Gryffindor' as he waited for his drink. Turning with a grin, Neville handed him his Firewhiskey and sat down in front of him.
"You know Severus, she's not as bad as she used to be." Neville delivered the comment nonchalantly while sipping his own scotch.
"How many times do I have to remind you, Longbottom, that I never gave you permission to use my given name?" Snape interrupted him with hostility. To this, Neville only stuck out his tongue and carried on as if nothing.
"As I was saying, Severus, she has matured a lot. And stop scowling already! You know that thanks to Voldie's pet I grew a backbone a long time ago and your glares don't scare me anymore. Frankly, I don't understand how they ever did, they just make you look like a Disney villain."
"And I should believe your assessment on maturity because?" Severus drawled conceding, as he always did, the use of his first name. At Neville's good natured chuckle, Snape felt the corner of his lips turning upwards despite himself. With his best bored tone he continued the conversation. "I can see that she seems a bit more subdued than when she sat in my class whispering instructions to a certain dunderhead, but I have no doubt she will start pestering us with inane projects soon. Perhaps this time she will try to campaign for the freedom of the giant squid or worse, probably she will try her best to drag the staff into funding the U.D.M.R. - Union for the Defense of Mermaid's Rights - or something equally bizarre." Snape mused while staring at the fire with an indifferent look.
Neville regarded him thoughtfully wondering about Snape's mood. While he had expected him to protest to his friend's presence, he wasn't expecting this sort of remarks. Even though he really appreciated the slow-building friendship with this man, Snape was just as bitter and vitriolic as he had been during his school days. So, Neville had prepared to defend Hermione from his sure-to-be cruel demeanor and comments about her personality, her appearance, or anything. Unexpectedly, he was going too easy with his friend. Not even a single sentence about her hair…
"Is she still seeing that twad?" Snape's voice took him by surprise as he had been immersed in his musings.
"Who?" Neville answered distractedly causing Snape's lips curl in annoyance.
"The youngest Mr. Weasley of course. I wonder how Pomona manages to work with that air-filled head of yours Longbottom." Ignoring his insult, Neville got up to take out a board game from a cabinet while pondering the reason behind that question.
"They broke up about three years ago but they still live together in the house they bought with Harry after the war." Sitting again in front of him, Neville only saw Snape's nod of acknowledgement as if he didn't really care for the answer to his question.
"Now Longbottom, are we going to play the damn game or are you going to continue babbling about the Golden Trio all night?" Snape spat suddenly as he sat straighter in his chair looking at the game board between them.
"What? You were the one who brought up the subject!" Neville gasped shocked. At Snape's prompt grunt of dismissal, Neville risked one more comment while setting the game up. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd tell you are a little bit too interested in Hermione..." At Snape's sharp look, Neville hastily threw the dice knowing too well his friend's temper. "Highest number has the right to choose the first construction site…"
Snape quickly immersed himself in the game, effectively putting all thoughts of the new Gryffindor menace aside. As they continued playing, he marveled at the easy-going interaction he currently had with his worst former student. He had to admit that Neville Longbottom, a young man that had grown a backbone throughout years of fighting the Dark Lord indirectly – regardless of what he had said earlier -, was a good… acquaintance. No, that won't do. Companion perhaps? Soon to be colleague? Snape sneered to himself, who was he kidding? The boy was his friend. As much as he would loathe to admit it, Snape had started to respect and care for him since that conversation almost 2 years ago…
Snape had been doing his night rounds through the greenhouses when he had seen hovering lights on the one to his left. Sneaking in, he was preparing to scare the student breaking curfew – and in such a dangerous place at that – out of his skin when he realised it was the new Herbology apprentice tending peacefully to a rather moody Carnivorous Mandrake. Cursing slightly to himself, he decided to make the idiot pay for the waste of his time and approached silently to startle him as soon as he got the plant to the ground safely. To his surprise, the boy had turned slightly to where he was hiding and had started talking.
"Good night Professor. Came to see how your Nightshade's are doing?" He carefully lowered the plant in his hands to a new whole in the ground he had made with a quick flick of his wand and started whipping his dirt covered hands in a cloth. Snape stepped out from his hiding place realizing he had been caught and offered Longbottom a sneer.
"Let's not waste time with hollow niceties Longbottom. You have been careless with your work. What would have happened if it had been a student who had seen your hovering lights? Don't you know how dangerous a place this can be for a child in the middle of the night? Did the thought even cross your mind you fool?" Snape had all but barked at Neville, who had just stared at him impassively.
"No one else would have been able to see my charm work, I was hoping I could talk with you" he had stated simply turning around and walking towards a bench while inviting Snape to follow him with his hand.
"What are you playing at Longbottom?" Snape had asked curiously after following him but refusing to take a seat. "Do you think I don't know how utterly you despise me?" He had lowered his tone of voice and was staring at the calm face of this boy – man – that was looking at the rows of plants ahead of them. "I can assure you, the feeling is entirely mutual."
"That isn't true. I don't despise you, you know? Not anymore. And I'm almost as sure that you don't despise me either." At this point, Neville had turned his head around to see the shocked expression in Snape's face. "Is it that difficult to let the past go? I know we have more things in common that you'd think. I like strategy board games and a good scotch too you know? We could be friends… Severus." Even though he had almost whispered the last part, Neville had valiantly stood his ground without lowering his gaze.
Snape had been so shocked that he had turned to leave and almost ran out of the door before he had followed an unknown impulse and said over his shoulder. "Tomorrow at 8, my quarters". He hadn't seen the pleased look on Neville's face, busy cursing himself as he made his way back to the castle leaving his rounds unfinished. What had possessed him to trust in the boy's words? He had not known, but at the next night, there was a knock at his door at 8 o'clock sharp.
"You may like this game all you want Longbottom, but you are almost as terrible at it as you were at potions" Snape offered after beating him, for the third time in a row, ending with their week's game session.
"You don't help either by playing like a robot with your mind elsewhere!" Neville answered laughing.
"I cannot help it if you are so bad at this that I have to occupy my obviously superior mind elsewhere to avoid being bored to death" Snape replied smugly while packing back the game board.
"Say what you want Severus but you know as well as I that this just means a tie in this month's scoreboard" Neville remarked as he crossed with his wand the game's name from a colorful parchment recently conjured. The names crossed in a deep forest green were the ones Snape had won that month, the red ones were for him. "So" Neville started again after sending the parchment back to wherever he kept it, "how is the next batch of fifth years coming?"
They had talked after that, downing between them a quarter of the bottle, as always, before Snape stood up and bid his goodbye leaving a very curious Neville staring after him. Feeling sedated enough to sleep peacefully until the next morning, Snape stripped off his clothes as soon as he got to his quarters and took a quick shower before climbing into bed. He dozed off immediately, dreaming all night of bushy hair and warm brown eyes.
The next week went by with preparations for the student's arrival on Sunday. Snape barely had time to devote to his research and he was looking forward to the evening out in Hogsmeade with his colleagues. Contrary to popular belief, Severus Snape was well loved amongst the staff, caustic personality and all. After the war, he always made the effort to attend the social outings even though he only threw an acid remark here and there (which amused everyone) and rarely engaged with anyone in lengthy conversations with the notorious exception of Filius Flitwick and Neville Longbottom. Thus, when Saturday finally arrived and almost all of his duties for the start of term had been taken care of, Snape felt almost content at the night's prospects. Which was probably the only reason he didn't bite Hermione's head off when she stumbled into him outside of the Great Hall, successfully making him lose balance to land in an undignified manner amidst a handful of heavy books.
"I'm so sorry sir! I didn't see you! I was trying to take these upstairs and I couldn't very well just charm them because they are magical you know and according to Sebastien's Theory magical books..." Hermione lunched into an explanation frantically while she collected the books hoping to make herself scarce before he reacted. Unfortunately, she wasn't that quick.
"Cease your jabbering at once Miss Granger! I assure you I'm perfectly aware of Sebastien's Theory!" Snape thundered as he got up from the floor. However, just as he was about to start insulting her equilibrium – or lack thereof – he noticed her trembling form and her eyes going backwards. Quickly launching forward, he caught her in his arms before she hit the ground as she fainted. Snape kneeled on the ground taking care to maintain her head elevated and took out his wand to cast a series of diagnostic charms until the fifth one created a glowing halo around her head. Yellow?! How can the silly girl have lost her magic control? Hasn't she been eating or sleeping? A rattle at his toes made him take a look at the books for the first time and he cursed inwardly. Of course. After sending a quick patronus for Minerva and Poppy Pomfrey, he conjured a trunk and locked the books in it before cancelling the containment charm sustained by Hermione, who quickly started regaining color.
As loud roaring and violent thuds came from the trunk, Snape decided to cast a Muffliato on it as well and waited in the floor with Hermione's head in his lap. Not two minutes have passed when Hermione's eyelids started fluttering open and, with a disorientated murmur, she asked "what happened?" her hand going instantly to her aching forehead.
"You lost your magic control Miss Granger" Snape answered quietly while keeping her steadily in his lap. "It is better if you don't move much, Poppy is on her way."
Snape saw surreptitiously the myriad of emotions passing through Hermione's face. Embarrassed are we? You very well should, being as intelligent as you are and not asking for help to transport this sort of books. Then there's anger and… pain… oh, I remember very well how painful it can be to feel all your magic slipping away. And how problematic it is, her room will be a chaos.
"Are there many charms you will have to redo in your chambers Miss Granger?" Snape asked curiously trying to make their waiting less awkward.
"Not as many as one would think Professor. Thankfully these were the only books who needed any containment and the containment bookcase in my room has its magical properties from the wood not from me so…"
"No magical mirror telling you who's the fairest of all then?" Snape smirked.
"Not even a magical brush" she quipped.
"Obviously" he replied with no venom. As if her words had somehow acted as an impulse, his right hand combed through the messy curls in her head, his left still on her shoulder to keep her steady. Her breath hitched and Snape looked at her, his hand freezing as if he had just realised what he was doing. Her eyes have green in them. Not a Potter green, but rather a bluish one, buried in that muddy brown. Quick steps down the hallway broke the trance they seemed to have fallen in and he quickly withdrew his hand from her hair. Realising how compromising their positions must appear, he sighed when he noticed more people than he had expected. I specifically called for Minerva and Poppy. What are these nosey men doing in here? They won't let me live this down.
"What happened? Are you alright Hermione?" Minerva asked worriedly as Poppy kneeled casting her own diagnostic spells quickly.
"I was just carrying-"
"Miss Granger was careless–"
A silence followed as Snape and Hermione started speaking at the same time. Looking at each other, Snape nodded for her to continue. "I haven't been eating very well lately and I didn't realise how much it would take to contain by myself the Athénaïs Sorcellerie Compendium" gasps at the name of the books interrupted her and she smiled ruefully before continuing, "I stumbled with Professor Snape here and after a few seconds I lost consciousness."
"You lost your magic control dear" Poppy revealed after a few instants. "With a couple of days rest and zero use of magic you should be as good as new. Did you hit your head hard when you fell?"
"I… I don't know…" Hermione stammered turning to see Snape.
"She didn't fall" Snape said cautiously hating every second of it as everybody's head snapped to him. Great, that smirk Longbottom is wearing has the subtlety of a hippogriff… and know Filius knows something's up and will undoubtedly corner him as soon as this is over. Just what I bloody needed. "I managed to catch her before she reached the ground" he finished explaining at the inquisitive stares he was receiving.
"How lucky you were here to take care of her" Neville commented blandly giving him a knowing look.
"Very well then, if that is all I think someone should help Miss Granger back to her room along with her... I assume the books are in that vibrating trunk then? Your work Severus?" Poppy asked Snape looking at him critically as Neville approached giving his hand to Hermione.
"They are, the trunk is made with magical wood so don't start fussing all over me woman!" Snape answered eyeing warily the way the mediwitch was brandishing her wand.
"Okay Severus, if you say so" Poppy conceded getting up as well and turning to regard the rest. Neville was supporting Hermione and Minerva and Filius had started talking about the day's agenda again as they saw everything was alright. "So, who's helping Miss Granger? I'm afraid I have to go back to the infirmary to finish the health reports".
"We will!" Neville replied quickly earning himself a warning look from Snape, who had stood up as well. "Severus and me, I mean. Headmistress I know you are very busy with the student's arriving tomorrow and you must be too Filius. We can take care of her" Neville answered amicably while Snape waited silently.
"Are you sure? Is it okay Hermione, dear?" Minerva asked with a mixture of concern and relief – she did have a lot of work to do -. At Hermione's reassurances, the other three departed leaving Neville, Hermione and Snape alone.
"To your quarters then" Neville firmly declared still supporting Hermione. "They are in the third floor right?"
"Yes, right next to the DADA classroom Neville. You were there just yesterday! How could you have forgotten?" Hermione answered with a smile while trying to stand up without putting too much pressure on Neville's shoulders.
"You know me 'Mione, I don't have much of a head for anything that is not green" Neville answered with a shrug.
Snape felt a very familiar feeling constricting at his gut as he watched the scene and, furious with himself – jealousness? I can't be jealous of Longbottom! He is gay for Merlin's sake! AND, it's the bloody Granger girl we are talking about! – he stalked forcefully to the trunk casting a levitating charm on it. "If you two don't mind, I'd rather carry on with this unwanted task as I have better things to do".
Neville's and Hermione's eyebrows shot up at this sudden outburst and, sharing a shrug of their shoulders, they followed Snape upstairs to the third floor. When they arrived, Hermione looked pale again and Neville hurriedly took her to bed. Not having to wait long before she fell asleep, he came out to the living room to berate Snape for his behaviour but he found himself alone. The magic bookcase in the corner caught his eyes and he realised that it was now filled with half a dozen books in impeccable order. Interesting…