After the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, as Hermione's sarcastic voice referred to it, things between the Snapes had gone back to the same status as the fall. There was slightly less animosity between them and maybe just a little more mutual respect.
Hermione had become increasingly less tolerant of people bad mouthing Snape; she was still formulating her opinion as to why. After the incident with Victor she had begun to understand that the respect or disrespect for one's 'family' member reflected on the other family members. Of course she felt this way about her mother and father, but being an only child, she had not been tested on a regular basis with regard to its truth.
Out of fear of Hermione's newfound dogma in this area, Ron and Harry had stopped referring to Snape as the "Bat of the Dungeons" or "Greasy Git." Due to this same fear, the boys found themselves very tense on one late evening in April at Grimmauld Place.
"That greasy bat flies in here like he owns the world and he's the only one that's doing anything." Sirius had begun his monthly tirade regarding Snape; many times brought on by the Order debating and weighing information that Snape had brought them and/or by a taunt from Snape about Sirius being helpless and a prisoner in his own house..
"Sirius-" McGonagall said trying to get his attention.
"No Minerva, I don't trust him," Sirius was pacing up and down the kitchen, while Harry and Ron fixed their eyes on Hermione. "How do we even know which side he's on? He is probably playing both sides against the middle." He paused searching for more ammunition. "Snivelus was always into the dark arts at school, remember Lupin, always skulking around. I don't trust Snape the snake as far as I can throw him," pointing his finger around the room, "and neither should any of you."
"ENOUGH!" Hermione stood up and pounded the table with the palm of her hand.
Everyone looked at her, but she still had her eyes fixed on Sirius. "Stop talking about Professor Snape like that!"
"Oh Hermione come on, I meant no offense to you … You can't be held accountable for having to marry the greasy git."
"Stop it Sirius, stop! You are insulting me, my name is Hermione Snape and you are disrespecting my husband."
"Oh Hermione he isn't really your husband." Sirius said trying to bring her back to reality.
"He most certainly is … I bare the name of Snape." She lifted her chin.
"Has he confunded you? Hermione as he touched … I'll kill him" Sirius pulled a chair back angrily pounding it to the floor.
"Sirius" McGonagall said shocked.
Hermione stood up a little straighter. "Sirius you once called me the 'brightest witch of my age', now only three years later you're insulting my intelligence. This is not about anything but pride in one's name. What would you expect to happen if you called any of the Weasleys a weasel, even estranged Percy? You know what would happen, you'd have a fight on your hands." The Wheasley's looked at each other with nods of agreement. "Yes of course, one of the reasons would be that they loved each other, but another would be because they are a part of that name, a part of that family. Sirius, I am a part of this name. I am now a Snape so to insult the name or a person it belongs in turn insults me. … Now I am leaving, and sincerely hope that none of you will disrespect my name again."
"Well, then you are going to have to go into hiding."
Hermione looked at Sirius and then away dismissively as if he didn't exist, her eyes swept over the rest of the Order and said, "Goodnight." She turned and left.
"What's has gotten into her." Sirius rolled his eyes
"I think its called maturity." Minerva said pointedly.
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Snape's call to the Dark Lord that night was uneventful, but nevertheless, he was on his second glass of Oldgen's.
"Severus," Albus' voice called through the fire. "Can I come through?"
"Could I stop you?" Snape said taking a swig.
Albus came through ignoring his comment, "Any news?"
"No none, just rhetoric and posturing … Sometimes I think he calls meetings because he's board." Severus downed the last drop.
Dumbledore gave a chuckled grunt. "Well then I will leave you to it." Dumbledore turned towards the fire and said, " Oh I almost forgot." he pulled a vial out of his pocket. "Here take a look at this, it's from the meeting tonight, I think you will find it quite interesting."
He gave Snape the vial and left.
Severus tipped the vial up and down, watching the silver liquid as it was backlit by the fire.
His curiosity was peeked, so he got up and went to his bookshelves, removed a set of three books, reached back, pulled out a small pensieve and put it on his desk. He poured the memory out and dived in.
Just a few minutes later, he was back in his rooms.
He plopped down in his desk's chair getting his bearings. He didn't know what to think. Even he wasn't that loyal in his heart to the name of Snape, but she wasn't talking about loyalty, she was talking about self-respect … 'maybe that's my problem he thought.' He replaced the pensieve, shut down his mind and went to bed.
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"Snape's –" Harry caught himself, "Professor Snape's been decent these last weeks."
"Yeah he has, he's actually given us a total of 5 points, it's a bloody record." Ron chimed in in agreement.
Both boys looked to Hermione for a comment. "Don't look at me, I haven't spoken to him at all. I actually can't remember the last time, which is weird isn't it." She paused then said, " I guess I should probably say goodbye before I go for the summer, huh. I don't know what to say though."
"Oh, I could think of a lot of things to say to him." Ron smirked at Harry.
"Ron Weasley!" Hermione gasped in false irritation making to swat him.
Talking over her Ron called, "Come on with me Harry, I'll go through each delightful phrase one by one."
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked on; looking back and smiling as she heard the boys laugh.
"Mrs. Snape, you should watch where you're going we almost had a collision." He said with a slight smirk.
"Oh, sorry Professor." Hermione thought she saw a smirk, but in a split second it was gone.
Snape was expressionless, "Well, disaster avoided. Keep your eyes on the road Madam. Good day." He started to sweep past her.
Hermione was waiting for the true rebuke, but it didn't come. She could almost swear he was teasing her. All of a sudden, Hermione remembered what she was going to do and her lips started moving without a plan; thankfully, the hall was empty. " Professor Snape I wanted to talk to you before I left for the summer."
Whipping around, looking back and forth, and approaching her quickly, Snape said, "Do you never think before you speak Mrs. Snape."
Hermione was speechless as he grabbed her none to gently by the back of the arm and led her over to a small remote alcove. He quickly placed a Do Not Notice spell on them and a Muffliato. Hermione looked up at him chastised.
"People do not need to know the Snapes are spending their summer apart. Are you this careless all the time."
"No" Hermione said looking down at the floor feeling stupid.
Severus straighted and let go of her arm. "Well, no one was around, but never forget the walls have ears. What was so important that you had to take care of it now?"
Hermione was trying to formulate what she was going to say.
"NOW, you think before you speak. Well let me know when it comes to you." Snape made to turn and Hermione grabbed his forearm lightly. He stopped immediately and looked down where her hand was; she withdrew it in an instant..
"Um sorry, I just wanted to say … have a good summer."
There was the very very tiniest movement around his mouth and eyes, then they went impassive.
"May I suggest a missive next time Madam? Good day and … good summer." Pointedly dismissing her, he left the alcove flicking his wand backward undoing the spells."
Standing there, mouth open, watching his flowing hemline moving in the breeze, the thought came to her in a flash, 'It sure will be nice to get out of here for the summer.'