Note A huge thank you to Quixotic Hope for being my wonderful, wise beta! I am reposting this chapter with her help. Hopefully, I will be able to finish

Chapter 4: A Most Dire Situation

In the days following Harry's arrival, the boy soon lost most of his fear. He no longer shied away from the servants—though he was still wary of a few of the rougher looking stable hands—and he soon wandered freely throughout the house and grounds without a care. Harry now wore a constant look of awe and contentment. Severus, Lupin, and the house staff did not fare as well. The boy somehow managed to find his way into more trouble than Severus had ever dreamed possible. Mrs. Figg had begun to take precautions with anything that was even remotely breakable. An antique vase had been Harry's latest victim. And that wasn't the half of it! The boy was a bloody magician it seemed. He could disappear under even the most watchful eyes. Severus was quite certain that Harry would be the death of them all.

Unfortunately, the search for a proper nursemaid had been less than fruitful. Only two applicants found their way to Spinner's End. The first was a woman who had passed ancient by a century. She was terribly forgetful and kept calling Mrs. Figg "Mrs. Plum." Severus was wont to believe that she wouldn't be able to find Harry within an hour. The second was a sour spinster. "Spare the rod, spoil the child," she had quoted sternly. Under other circumstances, Severus would not be so abhorred by the idea of a sound swat on the arse if earned, but he could not subject Harry to any more abuse. No, neither woman would do.

Lupin set his teacup down and sighed as the second candidate left. "You know I can't stay here forever, my lord. Harry is no longer in need of medical attention, and I do need to see to my other patients."

Severus nodded. He knew he could ask no more of the physician. "I never imagined finding a competent nurse would be so hard."

"Nor did I," Lupin agreed. "If Harry were a young child, perhaps it would have been easier. Has there been any word from the magistrate?"

"No," Severus replied through gritted teeth. Mr. Fudge had been absent for well over a week, and Severus' patience was wearing thin. If he did not hear from the man soon, he was bound to take matters into his own hands.

Smiling, Lupin examined the flowers in the tiny vase on the table. "Yours?" he asked. The lilies had, indeed, come from Severus' own greenhouse. He'd been raising them more for hobby than actual study. "You know, Severus, I always admired your passion for your work."

An old sting hit Severus as he watched the doctor examine the bloom. In truth, he had never forgiven Lupin, and he most likely never would. Severus took a sip of tea and looked away. Dredging up the past would do no good. Still, Severus felt the ever-present desire to make Lupin pay for his betrayal. He had always been one to repay his debts in kind, yet now, he lacked the will to strike at the physician. The man had simply done too much for Harry.

"When will you leave?" Severus asked simply.

Lupin shrugged. "Perhaps the day after tomorrow, if Harry continues on like he has. The boy truly is a wonder."

"He doesn't know enough to realize that he shouldn't be so blasted content," Severus replied darkly. "For him, this is happiness…a place where isn't beaten or starved."

"A place where is cared for," Lupin amended.

"Yes, but you're leaving. Don't become too idealistic."

Lupin's hand found its way on top of Severus', and kind amber eyes locked on to him with a sincere gaze. "Severus, why do you doubt your own ability to love? It seems that you are the only one who doubts that you can care for Harry. You have an amazingly loyal soul, and I know that you will do all in your power for the boy. Harry knows it, as well. Have you not seen how he looks at you?"

"I have seen only the looks of adoration from one who doesn't understand more than his own name." Severus drew back from the physician. The intimacy of the moment was too much to bear. Lupin was a fool to believe that they could be friends after what had passed between them

The two men sat in strained silence. Anything said could break that fragile barrier that kept them civil.

In the evening, Severus disappeared into his conservatory. The plants there were so much easier for him to deal with than people were. His work gave him a much needed escape. He could lose himself so easily as he studied each leaf and bud. With a piece of charcoal and sketchbook in hand, Severus set to work capturing even the most minute details. Concentrating on the bloom before him, he pushed all thoughts of the day from his mind. Suddenly, a crash jarred Severus from his thoughts.

He closed his eyes and hoped he wouldn't find what he knew he would when he opened them. Turning, he locked eyes with an oblivious and inquisitive Harry. The boy didn't even seem to notice the terracotta pot at his feet.

Severus was seething, but he did his best to maintain his composure. "I don't suppose you have any idea how much work you could cost me with something like that?"

Instead of answering, Harry closed the gap between them and began examining Severus' sketchpad. The boy had no sense of personal space. He pushed his way against Severus as he tried to get a better look at the specimen on the page. His slim body felt warm and inviting where it pressed onto Severus' thighs. Immediately, Severus felt an unwelcome tightening in his loins. He pushed the boy away and glared at him uselessly. Harry was completely engrossed in the sketches.

Harry turned to Severus and held out the book.

Fighting irritation, Severus snatched the volume from the boy's grasp. "So kind of you to return what is rightfully mine," he snarked.

The smile on Harry's lips only proved that he didn't understand a word that Severus said. How could the child go on looking at him like that? Didn't he know that such unabashed trust could only lead him down a heartbreaking path? No, Harry didn't understand and never would. Such physical beauty was wasted on a feeble mind. Those perfect green eyes lied when they shone with intelligence that was not truly there. For that, Severus both pitied and despised the boy.

Severus offered his hand to the child hesitantly. "Come along." Without a second's pause, Harry's hand was snugly wrapped inside Severus' own. He followed eagerly as the lord led the way to the green room and a waiting Mrs. Figg.

Mrs. Figg smiled at the pair. "Ah, my lord, you and the lady should have had children," she chortled. "You are so very kind to the child!"

Severus sneered. He considered Victoria's barrenness to be the only kindness that god had shown him, but he would not say so. "I only held his hand so that the boy didn't wander off."

"Of course, of course," Mrs. Figg said as she turned her attentions to Harry. "I daresay it's time that you were off to bed, young man."

Harry seemed reluctant to let go of Severus' hand, and the older man was forced to disentangle his fingers from the boy's grasp. Harry stared at his now freed digits with a saddened look upon his face. It was almost as if he enjoyed holding onto the lord.

If only you knew that you should not like me, Severus thought as he turned away. Still, he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of happiness that the boy seemed to prefer him to everyone else. His mind drifted back to how perfectly Harry's body had felt pressed against his own. Surely he would burn in hell for it.

"God, I must be going mad!" Severus hissed when he was safely in his own chamber. White-hot anger coursed through his veins, surpassed only by raging lust. This was absolute perversion! The boy was a third his age and mentally deficient to boot. Certainly, Severus' reaction must have been caused by his infrequent visits to a certain young actor. Yes, that was it. Severus was in dire need of release…and of a nursemaid, so that he could be free of the boy.

Fate works in mysterious ways, or so Severus would find the very next evening. During the day, he had managed to avoid both Harry and Dr. Lupin by escaping on a bruising ride in the afternoon and by cloistering himself in his conservatory for the rest of the time. Severus was quite pleased by this. He sipped his tea in his den, blissfully unaware of the upheaval at his very doorstep... or at least he was until a shaking footman appeared uninvited.

"Mi'lord?" he began shyly.

Severus' mood darkened considerably. "What mess has Harry made now?" he demanded.

"None…well, none that I know of, mi'lord. I was sent to find Dr. Lupin," the footman explained. "He's not in his room or the boy's."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the lord sighed. "Is someone injured?"

"No, mi'lord."

"Then why the sudden interest in Lupin?"

The footman obviously wanted to flee but did not. "There's a girl in the parlor who refuses to leave until she sees the doctor."

Severus glanced at the clock on his mantle. It was well past the suitable hour for visitors. Probably, the girl was nothing more than one of the maids who had caught something foul. He was not the least bit happy that Lupin's charity cases were finding their way to Spinner's End, but it couldn't be avoided really.

"Where is she now?" Severus asked irritably.

"Mrs. Figg has her waiting in the blue parlor," the footman replied.

The blue parlor? Mrs. Figg usually spirited servants out of view and to the back of the house before he had a chance to see them. Severus pushed by the footman and stormed down the hall. He would get to the bottom of this directly.

To his surprise, the young woman sitting in the parlor did not look like a maid. She was twenty—or thereabout—with thick, brown curls escaping her cap and a rather plain face. He noted the valise and heavy carpetbag that were sitting by her feet, and the dirt on the hem of her tailored brown riding habit. Also, the girl was nodding off with a cup of tea still in her grasp. Severus cleared his throat and watched as she scrambled to avoid spilling her drink. Her eyes darted to him. "Oh," she exclaimed as she stood. "I am terribly sorry for nodding off. You must be Lord Snape." She curtseyed. "I am Hermione Granger."

With a slight nod, Severus motioned for her to return to her seat. "Might I inquire as to why you are here at such an hour?"

A light blush tinged Miss Granger's cheeks. "Well, I had hoped to find Dr. Lupin at home, but his housekeeper told me that he was staying with you indefinitely, and it is a matter of importance."

"You don't say," he commented. "Are you ill, Miss Granger?"

"No, my lord. It is a personal matter that brings me here. I…" Miss Granger did not get a chance to finish as Dr. Lupin chose that moment to sweep through the door. "Remus!"

"Oh, dear. Hermione, what mess are you in now?" the doctor asked as he embraced the young woman

Miss Granger laughed bitterly. "You know me too well. Though this time, I couldn't help it!"

Severus was not prone to eavesdropping…not in the least. It simply wasn't his fault that he was trapped in his own parlor as the pair chatted in the doorway. There was no way he could have avoided hearing the long pathetic tale of how Miss. Granger's feminist bent had gotten her promptly fired from the library. He was not to be spared a single detail on how unfair it was that women were trapped with so few options to make an academic career. Unlike Lupin, Severus did not want to hear any of this. On the contrary, he was trapped!

"Miss Granger," Severus began, "I am sure that you will require my carriage to make it to the local inn, and it is getting quite late."

Lupin shot the lord a stern look but said nothing. Miss Granger's cheeks were a bright scarlet. "I…I was hoping that it would be possible for me to stay with you, Remus."

"With me?" Lupin gasped.

"Well, you see, I was planning on asking if I could become your assistant. I haven't any money, and I spent all that I had on the carriage ride to your home…."

Severus rolled his eyes as he saw Lupin piecing it all together. "Hermione, don't tell me that you walked the entire way from my home to Spinner's End!"

"I had nowhere else to turn and nothing else to do."

With a sneer, Severus decided to at least feign generosity. "If you two will excuse me, I will have my housekeeper prepare a room."

"Thank you, my lord," Miss Granger said wearily.

Severus wanted nothing more than to find Mrs. Figg and then disappear into his solitude once more. To his dismay, when he located Mrs. Figg, the old housekeeper informed him that she had already prepared a room for Miss Granger. From bossy housekeepers to former lovers and child-like wards, Severus' world had been turned on its ear, and he no longer had the patience for any more. The lord found that the whole past week had been a misadventure, and it had all begun with just one boy.