Here is the new chapter. I hope you'll like it. Pardon me for any mistakes you find, I'm not an English native speaker.

Thank you for the few reviews I got.

Chapter 5 – The Greenhouse

Hermione woke up the next morning. It was still rather early and everyone in the house was still sleeping. Or were they?

When she entered the kitchen she found a vial of pain reliever with her name labelled on it on the table. She sat down and drank the full content of the vial.

The window of the kitchen offered a nice view of Twelve Grimmauld Place's little garden. The sun was not high in the sky yet and it gave a nice colour to this little piece of nature.

Hermione made herself a cup of tea. And while the water boiled, she contemplated the garden reflecting on her life and the events of the night before. Maybe the book had made her overreact and poor Snape had unfortunately been at the receiving end of her anger and frustration. It had triggered some emotions that she had buried deep inside but which were finally better out. She had needed to cry and to let out all of her fears and anger. It was consuming to keep all these tensions inside. And suddenly it had been too hard to keep them all in.

Since she had left Hogwarts things had escalated. Being a Muggleborn was no longer safe. Sometimes Hermione thought that she would have been better in the Muggle world not knowing about magic. And at the same time the Wizarding world had offered her things she didn't have before. Friends for a start, Harry and Ron were the best and she couldn't imagine her life without them. And whereas she had been a weirdo at school before, she had then found her place in Hogwarts.

She did know how long she spent musing on her life but it must have been longer than she intended to because she started to hear people moving around in the house. And a few minutes later, a not fully awake Harry Potter entered the kitchen.

"Hello" she said.

"Hi" he answered without even looking at her.

Harry was not a morning person and it was better not to speak to him before his first coffee. Hermione watched him and thought again about how lucky she was to have such friends. Once his first coffee drank he seemed to notice her and smiled.

"Hello Hermione. Did you have a great time yesterday? I didn't see you much."

His smile was so genuine and he seemed to have spent one of the best days of his life. Hermione did not want to bother him with her unhappiness.

"Yes, great. I went to bed early though. You know the dizziness and all."

"Oh, are you alright?" He asked, concern written all over his face.

"Yes. Don't worry. The healers said it will disappear with time. Let's hope that it won't take too long."

Harry smiled. He loved Hermione as a sister.

The two of them remained silent for a while before Hermione noticed a kind of distortion in the garden. A kind of shimmer at the far end of it. The kind of those you can see during summer on a road when the tarmac is too hot and the landscape seems to dance. It was really curious, as if there were some kind of spell. Something must have been hidden in the garden. Harry never mentioned anything.

"Harry?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"What's this in the garden?" She said pointing towards where the thing was supposedly concealed.

He rose from his seat and went next to her to see what she meant.

"Oh, this. Nothing. It's just the greenhouse we hid with an invisibility spell."

"The greenhouse? Since when do you have a greenhouse at Grimmauld? I did not know you had a thing for plants."

"I don't. Snape has."

"Professor Snape Harry!"

"Yes. Professor Snape. Well, he was kind of bored last summer and wanted to brew some potions. We thought that it would not be bad to have some of them at home and so we transformed one of the rooms into a lab. And Snape built the greenhouse in the garden."

"Why is it concealed? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, it's just a greenhouse. I didn't know it'd interest you. And it's hidden because Snape is Snape. Always paranoid!"

"Harry" She admonished.

"Sorry. You can go if you want. From what he said, if you come close enough and you know what you're looking for, it will appear to you. I never tried. I don't need anything in it. Ginny went once. She said it was nice."

And with this last sentence, he left the room probably to go back to his beloved fiancé.

She remained looking at the garden for a moment before succumbing to the temptation of exploring the greenhouse. Grimmauld was full of surprise. A few days ago, it was just the plain house where Harry and Ginny lived and now it had become a place full of people and full of secret rooms she yearned to explore.

Hermione went out and approached the place where the invisibility spell was "visible". Suddenly, the whole glasshouse appeared. It seemed really big but Hermione could not exactly see what was inside. She pushed the door open and what she saw inside left her flabbergasted. It was so much bigger on the inside!

From where she stood, she could not see the end of it. It really was spectacular. It started with a kind of tropical forest. It was the kind of forest you could see in a zoo where they recreate the habitat of tropical species. There were enormous trees, giant plants, roots coming out everywhere and very beautiful flowers which released marvellous smells. She could even hear some birds and see butterflies here and there. A bit further on her left she distinguished what seemed to be working tables, probably a place to tend to the different plant or prepare them. Further on her right was a traditional garden with vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Hermione started to walk in this tropical forest mesmerized by all the plants and the soothing feeling of the greenhouse. She was entranced by the colours and the harmony which emerged from this organised chaos. She continued straight forward and at one point arrived in a part of the greenhouse she could not see from the entrance.

It was an orchard. Several trees – not really big mind you – were aligned and the ground was covered with one of the greenest and most inviting grass Hermione had ever seen. This place was perfect. It was so peaceful. The temperature was nice, not too cold and not too hot just perfect.

It was exactly the place Hermione was looking for to forget about the world outside. She spent a few moments to explore the orchard and then chose a tree against which she sat. She closed her eyes and a few seconds later she drifted off.


Severus had spent the morning in his lab. The events of the night before still in his mind. And he was not really sure to have understood everything.

He had always been a very private man due to his status of spy. And even before. But he was growing tired of it. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone. And so he had first been annoyed at being disturbed in "his" library. But then when he had seen Miss Granger, he had been relieved. She was not the most annoying person he could find in household. True, she had been a pain when she was a student but this time seemed far away now.

He had observed her from his dark corner while she was moving through the different shelves. Severus had been entranced by her delicate moves and the way she carefully picked the books. She had been dangerously close to him at some point and he had felt obliged to make her aware of his presence.

He had thought she would leave after that. But the bushy haired woman wouldn't go. Severus was a contradictory man. He wished he could escape his solitude. But at the same time he loathed being disturbed while reading a good book.

She had remained in the library. And he had then had plenty of time to study her. Severus had not really kept in touch with his former students and they had not either – who would? He had only met them briefly during some meetings but that was all.

There with the light of the fireplace he had been able to notice all the changes in her. She had grown into a nice woman. He was fascinated by her hands and the way she turned the pages. From where he had been, he had been able to see the nape of her neck for she had put her hair in a bun. It was delicate and her skin had seemed so smooth.

She had been so engrossed in her book that Severus had almost felt jealous for not having found the book before her. And so when Miss Granger had fallen asleep, he had taken this opportunity to study it by himself. Little did he know that she was a light sleeper and she had woken up not long after Severus had sat in the armchair next to the sofa.

Once the book reluctantly returned to her, he had come back to his dark corner. He had then tried to focus on his reading but had pathetically failed. Her presence had been so mesmerising. What had been happening to him? For a moment, he had thought he would leave the place without a word. But then the idea of engaging the conversation had been too tempting and he had seized the opportunity of offering her a pain reliever.

At first, he had not really thought she would follow him but then she had. He had been a little afraid of showing her the lab for he was sure that a flock of questions would follow. But there was none and he had found her entranced by his own library.

He had tried some kind of humour. But Severus was not really good at it. And she had fled the room. He had imagined that she would react like that. It had comforted him in the idea that he was not meant to have any friends. And so he had spent part of the night reading alone in his lab. Feeling somewhat disturbed by the girl's reaction, he had prepared a new vial of pain reliever for her.

And now, here he was, in "his" greenhouse. The place was soothing and whenever he felt the need to change his mind he came there to tend to the different plants or just walk. And today was one of these moments where he needed peace. He entered the greenhouse and went directly to the garden where he picked up some herbs that he needed for his potions. He then went to the working tables to chop them. The temperature was nice enough for a walk but once you started working it became a little bit too hot. And so Severus rolled up his sleeves.

Most people saw that kind of work as tiresome and uninteresting. But he liked it. Working with the plants and preparing them for his potions were moments when he could allow himself to think of anything he wanted.

The trees were starting to blossom in the orchard. After a while, he decided to take a walk amongst the trees. That was when he saw her. She was sitting against a tree, her eyes closed. He took a moment to observe her. Even if it was obvious from the dark under her eyes that she had not slept well or enough, she was still beautiful. Even more beautiful now that he could observe her in broad day light.

Severus shook his head to get rid of this idea. Yes, he felt lonely and wished sometimes for some "friends". But no more than that. Beautiful or not was not relevant at the moment.


Hermione felt really comfortable against her cherry tree but after some times she felt a presence. At first, she thought it was only her imagination. But then the feeling of someone watching her remained.

She opened slowly her eyes and saw him. Professor Snape was standing a few feet away from her. He was wearing only black trousers and a white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up which allowed her to see his bare forearms. Hermione could distinguish the faint shadow of what had to be the Dark Mark. People were often repelled by this sight, but Hermione was not. She knew the man and what he was doing for the Order and the Wizarding world.

Snape would never allow anyone to see that much of him. He seemed defenceless. And therefore she first thought that she was still dreaming. But then he started talking.

"I see that you've found another way to spy on me" He said with something that looked vaguely like a smile in his eyes but which could not be since it was Professor Snape talking.

She stood up quickly.

"I'm sorry." She said with resignation.

This place was too good to be true. Hermione had finally found a place where she had felt at peace but had forgotten that it was Snape's. She would have to find somewhere else to go.

As Hermione passed the professor, he grabbed her elbow lightly. But as soon as she turned around to face him, he let it go quickly as if he had been burnt.

"You can stay. There's enough place for the two of us."

And with that he went back to whatever he had been doing before. As she watched his back, she wondered if she had heard him correctly. Was it some kind of way for Snape to offer a truce? And then she thought that he had no truce to offer. There was no real animosity between the two of them. And she had been the one shouting at him the night before.


Severus fulminated against himself. He was not good at making friends. And once again someone had misunderstood him. How pathetic he was.

He should better go back to his herbs and go pluck this African orchid he needed for his potions. He did not notice that Miss Granger had followed him until she spoke.

"I'm sorry" She said in a whisper.

He turned around to face her. He rose a questioning eyebrow and said:

"What for?"

"I'm a bit hyper-sensitive at the moment with the explosion and all and I didn't mean to shout at you yesterday." She said looking at her shoes.

"Alright."

And that was the only answer Severus could manage. He did not know how to deal with people. Maybe he should apologise for his tone, or whatever he should apologise for but he didn't know how. Yet, his answer seemed to be enough for Hermione because she took a seat and watched him work.

He did not really like being watched. And so to distract her from focusing too much on him, Severus said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Did you find something interesting in the book?"

Hermione was surprised to hear him starting a light conversation. But her surprise lasted a few seconds. After all, Snape would be the best person to discuss with about her research. And the spell and potion she had found the day before were complicated. She would gladly receive some of his advice. And so she went on to explain to him the details of her findings while he kept on chopping the different herbs on the working table.

"Do you think you could help me with the potion then?" She said to conclude her short report.

A few seconds passed before Snape decided to answer. The seconds seemed hours to Hermione.

Severus Snape was not known to act instinctively. And so he took some times to think about her proposal. What may seem to be a very insignificant question for Hermione was much more complex for Snape. If he answered yes, he would have another thing to hide to Voldemort when the monster would look inside his mind. The more he knew the more risks there were for the Order if the unthinkable happened. But if he answered no, he would get very frustrated. Granger's mission was something which arose his curiosity. The same dilemma that he had faced his whole life was here again: should he think of the interest of the Wizarding world or should he satisfy his own interest for once?

"If you have some questions and I am available, you can come to me." Snape answered. Here was the perfect answer. It did not seem too forward and at the same time he did not answer no.

Hermione seemed happy with his answer as she smiled lightly to his answer. But of course, Snape did not notice as he had his head lowered towards his herbs.

After a few minutes watching her former professor work, Hermione decided to let the man on his own. She knew he valued his solitude and did not want to impose on him.


During the following days, Hermione went regularly to the greenhouse. Sometimes it was just to walk in the orchard or the tropical forest. But most of the time it was to study or read a book. She would sit against a tree – she had found a very nice one which had a comfortable hole in the tropical part not far from the working tables – and read in silence, sometimes taking notes.

Snape was often there when he was not out on some mission or purchasing some errands. He would work at the working tables or would be attending to the different plants in the garden or the vegetable patch.

At first, both had thought that sharing the same space would be a bit awkward. But in the end, when they happened to be in the greenhouse at the same time they were so engrossed in their own activity that neither of them minded the presence of the other.

They even had started to like sharing these moments. The house was not what one could call as crowded but the people living there or passing by were not very keen on respecting either Snape's or Hermione's solitude or need of silence. So the greenhouse was a very much appreciated place to be and to study.

Occasionally, Hermione would ask a precision to the dark man about a problem of translation for the formula or the potion or about the characteristics of a particular ingredient. Severus would always answer but in a concise manner. The man remained true to himself even outside Hogwarts or far from the looks of others, there was no need to talk more than necessary. Hermione had been a bit disappointed at first for she was not at all like that. But then she had come to appreciate the simple fact that he accepted her in here and answered her questions.

As for Severus, these moments shared with the young woman had first sent him on edges. He had not really been sure she would accept his offer to come to the greenhouse as often as she liked. But she did. And she came often. So he had resigned himself to share his private place with Granger. Deep inside – and even if he would never acknowledge that – he was glad to have such company. Even if she was a bit talkative, she would never ask dumb questions. And that was a big change comparing to the rest of the year when he was teaching in Hogwarts.


Today, Hermione had risen early and was in a rather good mood. She went to the greenhouse and started by taking a little walk in the orchard. The trees were beautiful with all the different shades of green in the leaves. At the foot of the trees, she noticed very nice flowers. She went to pick some in order to put them after in a vase in her room.

After this little walk, she directed herself to the working tables to read a bit more and work on the spell and potion she had found.

When she arrived at the tables, Severus Snape was already there. He had brought a cauldron and the material that went with it and was working on a potion. She settled on a working table not far from his and started reading.

After a few minutes, Hermione was startled by her former professor addressing her.

"Could you stop doing that?" he said with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

She looked up at him. Hermione did not understand what he meant. He had his back to her and was stirring his potion.

"Sorry?" She said and he turned around to face her.

"The flowers, their pollen might compromise my potion. You should be more careful." He said pointing at something above Hermione's head. And with that he went back to his potion.

Hermione looked above her head and saw the flowers dancing in the air. As soon as she saw them, the flowers fell back on the table near the book.

"Sorry."

"Are you often prone to that kind of action?" He asked after a few seconds but still not looking at her.

"When I'm in a good mood and reading something interesting apparently. Harry and Ron have often asked me to stop making quills or other objects dance above me." She said with a blush.

Hermione had developed this capacity towards the end of her time at Hogwarts. She did not know what to do with that but had not really had the time to work on this new ability.

"While it's very impressive and a rare ability, could you refrain from doing that in here from now on or learn how to control yourself?"

"I'll try." Hermione answered feeling like an eleven-year old school girl again. It was very much like Severus Snape to make a disguised compliment and at the same time belittling the receiving end of his remarks.

After that, Hermione tried to control herself while reading. But she was concentrating too much and was not really focused on the content of the book so she decided to take a break. She went to sit in the hole of the tropical tree just next to the working tables.

From there she could observe the dark man working. He had rolled up his sleeves again. The fact that he did not mind her seeing his forearms made her wonder if he trusted her somehow.

She had never properly observed the man and she now took the time to do so. He had put down his coat on one of the high stools and was wearing only black trousers and shoes, a black waistcoat and a pristine white shirt. He was tall and lean. A bit too thin to Hermione's taste, but years of spying and stress might have done that. She noticed his long hands. They were gorgeous Hermione thought. She shook her head at that thought – where did this idea come from? He was her – former – professor for heaven's sake.

Yet, she continued her study of his person. After a few minutes of observing him she noticed a kind of tension in his shoulders and back. Every now and then he would straighten his back as if it hurt him and she saw his hands gripping more tightly from time to time the stirring rod or whatever he was holding. It was as if he continuously experienced some kind of pain. It aroused Hermione's curiosity. She may be bold but not enough as to ask him about his spasms. It was too private.

She closed her eyes for a few moments. But as she was drifting to sleep, she heard a hiss coming from the man.

Severus was grasping his left arm as if he was in pain. Hermione immediately thought that he had burned himself with something he had been working on. But it was very unlike Snape to be so clumsy. She rose on her feet and started to approach him.

He looked up at her.

"Don't" he hissed.

Severus hated to have been caught in such a moment. But Hermione was no child and not naïve. Spending time together as they were, she was bond to witness a summon at one point.

"Could you put the potion under a stasis charm? And tell Dumbledore that I have been called?"

And with that he swiftly left. Hermione's eyes opened wide when she understood what had just happened. And almost as suddenly a feeling of angst settled in her chest.

N/A: Did you enjoy?