Giving Hostages to Fortune ch. 4
By tearsofphoenix
Standard disclaimer applies – it's all JKR's
Many thanks to my kind previewer Lady Memory and to my wonderful editor Whitehound, who suggested this continuation by giving me some ideas for the plot and corrected it with special care, as ever.
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"You should go and speak to the Minister, Hermione," the old witch declared.
The previous days had brought vital news, and the young woman had come back to her mentor, seeking advice about how to act on that information swiftly and effectively.
"I haven't spoken to Kingsley since the first Anniversary of the end of the war, Madam Griselda," Hermione answered, doubtful and a bit amused by the fact that the old witch was actually suggesting a direct attack, rather than giving advice on procedures.
"Well, so it isn't as if you have pestered him with too many visits or pleas for old time's sake, is it?" the other woman insisted. "And you can't possibly leave this task to your fiancé: he is already doing his fair share of all this, don't you think?"
Of course she couldn't leave this to Severus, Hermione silently agreed, remembering how exhausting the last weeks had been for both of them but especially for him, whose time had been filled by experiments, improvements, failures, heated discussions, further researches and all that had started after that fateful day…
…After the last visit made by Severus to Hogwarts he and Hermione had met every day after her work, dedicating their effort and time to evaluating the possible ways, the options they had at their disposal to improve the administration of Wolfsbane.
That day too, after her arrival, she had asked him if there was any news regarding their project, starting as always their usual discussion, but he had abruptly changed the topic of their debate.
"I've met your father," he announced.
Surprised, she looked at him with widened eyes.
"How? When? Where?" she blurted out.
"Well, he came here a couple of hours ago, looking for you," he said, cocking his head to stare at her with his typical, ironical expression. "It was mid-afternoon, and surely he knows that you are at work during that time… so I suppose that this was a subtle way to have a look at your mysterious 'boyfriend', as he defined me," Snape answered, skipping the explanation about the way in which, lowering his wards in acknowledgement, he had greeted the man who had presented himself at his door as Dr. William Granger.
Waiting to hear the rest of the story she kept silent, puzzled by the fact that she couldn't detect the slightest hint of mockery in Severus' tone.
"He's right, you know. We should have done this earlier, after you ended your studies and after having decided to set up this house… I felt quite ashamed for having delayed this meeting for so long."
Hermione blushed.
"I'm sorry I didn't think to warn you, Severus: I should have known something like this would happen, but we were so wrapped up in our project that I wasn't paying attention… how did it go?" she ended, very curious now, and a bit anxious.
"He started talking about the house in a very noncommittal way… and ended asking about me and my intentions," Snape replied, crossing his arms. "He was quite kind, I must say, though he could have been anything but. I know how I would feel if a daughter of mine were in love with someone like me!" he ended seriously, until he was betrayed by a light twitching at the corner of his mouth as he awaited her reaction.
She huffed and, coming closer to him, commented in false exasperation, "One of those man to man moments, I see…"
Then, smirking, she continued with a mischievous spark in her eyes, "Wait and see. My mother's enquiries won't be so easy to endure, you have been warned."
Suddenly they both felt that their teasing could no longer mask how much things could change for them soon; and it couldn't come soon enough, given the way in which their gazes and their breaths and their whole beings melted into an embrace, searching for each other.
Later, relaxing in their closeness, she let her mind wander… it was true. These last weeks, they had given little thought to their plans for their future together, involved as they were in the fulfilment of their mission, and now she realised how much she had missed those moments with him.
And while she rested her head under his chin, enfolded by Severus's arms, her mind travelled even more, remembering her mother's magazines: the photos displaying wedding dresses, gorgeous hairstyles, fabulous ceremonies… and the articles about furniture, suggested honeymoon destinations, advice to young brides, even the latest contraceptive or cure for infertility…
"Severus!" she exclaimed, startling him and making him almost jump. "We must do it the Muggle way!" she declared, excited.
"Right, well, as you wish… There's no need to make a fuss! We'll marry in whatever way you prefer, Hermione," he replied, a bit confused.
"I wasn't talking about that!" she blurted out, following her train of thought. "I've found the solution for how to administer the cure!"
Silence fell for a moment, then they both spoke simultaneously, filled by two different emotions.
"Wait - erm, you were saying?"
"What? What do you mean?"
They stared at each other, without answering. Then…
"Do tell me," Snape said, after the longest of kisses had reassured him that his proposal had been welcomed and that he hadn't just made a fool of himself.
And she explained, blaming herself for not having thought of such a solution earlier: in the Muggle world, there were ways to release medicines, contraceptives and so on gradually over a long period of time, by putting a small, perfectly bearable and compatible implant under the skin.
So, in the following days they had worked on it, trying to identify the right dosage and release-speed, while asking the experts of both the magical and the Muggle world for collaboration. Finally a doctor, a friend of her parents, had been able to give them enough knowledge on the matter, without asking why they needed it…
…Everything was ready to start administering the potion to all the werewolves through the implants, now, but at this point it was no longer something that they could do without the help and regulation of the Authorities.
Smiling in gratitude, Hermione nodded at Griselda Marchbanks' words, promising to keep her informed of every further development.
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"This Year's Victory Celebration - A Historic Day!" announced the headline of the Daily Prophet in bold, screaming letters.
"Be ready for a memorable date! Next month, during the annual ceremony to celebrate the end of the war, the war heroes Severus Snape and Hermione Granger will be presented with an award by the Minister for their innovative discovery.
Thanks to their invention, our Ministry is promoting a project that will greatly reduce the continuing, imminent threat of werewolf attack. The new treatment will be administered at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, 'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn Ward for Serious Bites. Our readers will surely remember the many troublesome werewolf-related incidents since the end of the war; we are therefore certain that the importance of such a cure… Cont'd on pg 3
(for more on this topic see Scientific Experiments and Discoveries, pg 11)
(for more on the life and deeds of the two heroes see Magical Lives, pg 5)
"Thank Merlin they didn't announce today's ceremony too," Hermione commented, after a quick check on the newspaper just arrived by owl. As ever that newspaper was embellishing everything with excess, she thought shaking her head, knowing that the menace wasn't completely vanished, since some of those werewolves persisted in choosing isolation… but she wouldn't worry about that, not today, of all days.
Now, given the interest raised by their invention, she was very happy that she and Severus had opted for a private ceremony – their license had been obtained immediately thanks to her mentor's good offices, allowing them the advantage of not divulging the date – so she discarded the paper without further worries.
Then she sighed, throwing away with her breath all the trepidation and emotions that were starting to overwhelm her heart; eagerly, she picked up her bouquet of white roses, smiled a joyous and hopeful smile and put her hand on her father's arm, looking fondly at her old house before definitely leaving it.
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Being almost ready and dressed for the ceremony, Severus Snape gave the rings to the boy.
"You look very handsome, Sir," Malcolm said, smiling.
The dark grey robes fitted him indeed, and the words of the young man in front of him weren't just flattery.
"Thank you, Mr. Baddock; I think that you can leave now. Please take care of those until the right moment comes," Snape answered, while smoothing his cuffs.
The boy, who looked totally changed, healthy and self-confident as he had become, nodded with a smile and bade his farewell, while Snape, despite the formal way in which he had spoken to conceal his emotion, looked at him with pride and affection. A strong link had been forged since the first day in which Malcolm Baddock had come to Snape's home, and the important role given to the boy during the imminent ceremony testified to the significance of the connection: both wizards had lived through their respective ordeals and, impossible as the fact sometimes seemed, both had done more than merely survive the threatening experiences… and they had shared more and more feelings of hope and safety, mirroring each other in their efforts.
Snape savoured the moment, alone.
It had the quality of momentous times.
After having spent so many years wearing the mask of death, he was now looking at the mirror in front of him and seeing a totally different display…
All through his life he had searched for a way to make sense of that life, and for the fulfilments that initially had seemed to be waiting for him in the years to come, but which in the event had been hidden from and denied to him for so long. He had hoped to find what had to await him in the fabulous world that his mother had revealed to him, during his childhood, vainly seeking for it among his schoolmates, but even the girl he had chosen and adored had refused him. And then, after his wrong, irreparable choice, afterwards when he was atoning for his sins, he had done everything in his power in a vain attempt to feel once more worthy of a life that he had to go on living, by giving all his devotion to the memory of his first unreciprocated love.
In the end, he had been so tired of all those failures that, when death had approached, he had almost welcomed it.
And then, unexpectedly, the challenge of living had started again.
He had slowly allowed the birth of new hopes, restraining himself just a little, for his old habit's sake, before ceding them victory: his soul so craved the embrace of such feelings that he hadn't persisted with the usual doubts or incredulities and, sooner than he expected, his attempts to defy happiness and love had failed, and he had abandoned himself to those sweet emotions. He had thus found answers and reasons to go on, Hermione's presence in his life becoming like the demarcation line for the end of his quest…
… until, lately, he had come to understand how his feelings were even greater than that shared love. His care for those former students had eventually revealed a dedication that had always been a part of him, and that had just needed the freedom to come out completely…
"Thank you, Professor," had been the boy's grateful words when he couldn't deny his renewed health anymore. "I knew that I was right in seeking your help and advice".
The sensation of warmth in his chest, the proud look with which Severus had acknowledged Malcolm's praise and thanks… well, those had been the emotions that had made him aware of the full extent of his expectations and prospects as he suddenly imagined, for the first time in his whole life, that one day perhaps he might see a similar gaze and feel an even greater warmth while looking at a son of his…
And, thus, he continued his reminiscences, dedicating a last thought to the day that had carried him to the current one.
On that occasion - not long before they had had definitive evidence that the implants were functioning correctly - at the end of a day that had turned out to be more tiring than usual and after a stupid quarrel regarding the flaws in their research, followed by a long, awkward silence, Hermione had whispered:
"It's not easy, you know, to be even more stubborn than I usually am... "
He had smiled, once again acknowledging her honesty, suddenly forgetting the academic side of their discussion and the recent failures of their experiments.
"Of course I know" he had commented, and even if a little sarcasm was still present in his tone, he knew that she would understand that his reply wasn't referring only to her.
But, before he could openly share this awareness, she had looked into his tired eyes and continued, softly.
"This has always been my worst side… I wonder… are you really sure that I'm quite right for you?" she had ended, blushing, and since her eyes were lowered she hadn't caught the surprised reaction that he had been able to conceal only after a few moments.
"Hermione, what on earth…" he had started answering, still stunned. He had never even begun to suppose that she could feel… inadequate? Compared to him?
A few reassuring words, some caresses and several kisses later they had felt ready to start again. If they could survive not just the great challenges of life, but silly disagreements like this, well, then perhaps everything really would be all right, as they were murmuring to each other before resuming their task.
"I'm sure that we are very close to the definitive solution for the implants and the potion" she had said after a while, giving voice to their shared reaffirmed will.
"And after that it will be about time to put an end to all other uncertainties" he had concluded, toying with the ring on her finger and looking intensely into her eyes.
"You don't have to make vows about that, not to me, Severus," Hermione had answered, now able again to put her trust into words.
"That's what will make the promises worth the commitment, then," he had declared, sealing the moment and the date.
He still couldn't know how long what he had won would last, not after everything he had lived through, but it was about time to give hostages to fortune and to feel finally worthy of them.
Sending a last glance to his reflection in the mirror, he smiled, knowing that his was no longer the incredulous, fearful, tentative grimace of a man seeking the impossible. Then, after a slight nod to himself, he turned on his heels and went out, towards the happiness that was no longer promised only by dreams.
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A.N. It was a challenge to go on writing this further sequel and to write about an almost established relationship… but the input given to me by my friend Whitehound about the tale of Severus's care for the unfortunate students seemed to have interesting possibilities to be developed, and I've enjoyed the writing of it… Hoping readers, too, enjoyed the reading!
The section breaks are borrowed, as in the previous stories that form this little series, from: www. whitehound. co. uk/Fanfic/ffn_how-to. htm (remember to remove the spaces after the dots).