Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I own nothing…
Summary: "And what if I don't want to love him?" The Oracle shook her head at Hermione and her unnerving smile widened. "No, child. It's not about want… It's more a… a matter of need." How do you love someone because you have to? That, I guess, Hermione and Severus will have to find out on their own.
Pairing: HG/SS with some AD/MM moments later on.
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A Matter of Need
Chapter Seven
Dumbledore glanced up from his writing as Minerva marched in.
"Hello, my dear. What can I do…" He trailed off as his eyes travelled from his Deputy's angry face to Severus and Hermione. "What now?" he asked darkly, hoping for an explanation that would not result in either of them having to leave.
"She ran out of my class so I followed her. Down to the dungeon where she proceeded to try to undress him."
Dumbledore, usually a master of his own emotions, showed the shock on his face and turned to Snape for answers.
"Severus?
"It isn't like she makes it sound."
"No?" she cried. "Then please explain because I hope to God that this wasn't what it seemed."
He took a deep breath, knowing that getting angry would only make matters even worse than they already were.
"She wasn't undressing me, Minerva. I believe she was looking for this." He pulled out the amulet to show them. To his amazement it had undone and fell into his hand. He looked at it, puzzled, until Hermione held out hers too. "I guess now we've found each other it has no need to be a constant reminder," he said quietly.
"I don't understand," Minerva said, looking between them both.
"We- We were both visited by Oracles. This reminds us of what they told us. Until now we haven't been able to get them off."
"Severus, why didn't you tell me?"
"Albus, you know there was no point. No matter how much you pester me, you know I can't tell you what I was told."
"Why not?" Hermione asked. "Surely with more people to help, the… the task set would be easier to complete."
"Your reasoning is logical," Dumbledore began, "but the more people you tell, the more differences there are between our reality and the one the Oracle saw. You need to stick to the rules in order to make what you do count."
Hermione nodded slowly and Dumbledore looked at them thoughtfully.
"The task… You are connected?"
Snape laughed humourlessly. "You could say that," he said darkly.
Dumbledore frowned at his tone.
"It doesn't matter, Headmaster. You can rest assured that I will not submit your star pupil to anything inappropriate. This ends here."
"To hell it does!" Hermione burst out before she could even think about what she was saying, her fear and anger fuelling her, but Snape cut across her.
"Miss Granger-"
"No!"
"What, you are willing to risk yourself… for me?" he asked mockingly.
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and countered quietly, "Not just you."
Snape looked taken aback. "You?"
She shook her head slightly. "Not just me."
Snape glanced at Dumbledore and Minerva and back. Hermione nodded.
"Plus more."
"This…" Snape swallowed and shook his head. "We need to discuss this further," he eventually said. He turned to leave.
"Severus…"
"Headmaster, Minerva, I'm sorry but neither I nor Miss Granger can tell you what was told or what we- ah- need to do." He looked imploringly at Albus. "All I can say is that it is in all your best interests if you do not interfere."
Hermione snorted, feeling that was something of an understatement. She smiled apologetically at the two older professors before following Snape out.
When the door clicked shut Minerva whirled around to face Dumbledore.
"Albus-"
"No, Minerva."
"But-"
"No. All we can do now is leave them to sort this out on their own. At least they have each other in this."
Minerva sighed and bit her lip.
"Haven't you got any idea what they have to do?"
"None at all, but it appears they need each other." He stood up and pulled her into his embrace. "I know you worry about them both, but you cannot sort everything out. I guess all we can do now is wait and show that we support them."
Minerva nodded and whispered, "I just hope everything is going to be alright."
xxx
Hermione stood awkwardly just inside Snape's room at the door. Snape was stalking round, swearing under his breath. He threw his robes over the chair by the fire and stopped to study the All Seeing Eye. Hermione flinched as he threw it at the wall, where it merely fell to the floor, unharmed, glinting tauntingly in the firelight.
"Sir?"
He looked at her and she averted her eyes, scared he was going to blow up at her.
"Who- What did she say to you?"
"That I am to-" She licked her lips and swallowed, then continued timidly, "- I am to love someone – you – or… or my friends, family, and people I don't even know will die."
Snape's head snapped up.
"Why? Why so many people?"
"I don't know… I don't know." Hermione looked to the heavens for support and blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"Silly girl, what good will weeping do you?"
"Well, Professor, I've just found out that me, you, my friends and my family will all die unless I love you. So please forgive me for being a little bit scared," she replied, anger piercing the fear and making her tones shrill.
Snape opened his mouth to reply with an acerbic comment, but his shoulders slouched and he lost his enraged air. He nodded in understanding and dropped onto the sofa where he cradled his head in his hands and tried to calm down. He felt the cushions shift under additional weight as Hermione sat beside him.
"Look, getting angry or feeling sorry for ourselves is not going to help us. We need to focus and…"
"And love each other," he finished darkly. He looked sideways and studied her. "No one should have to have this on their shoulders, especially not a child."
"That's just what she said. She also said I'm not a child anymore."
"Do you not feel like child now?"
"I haven't felt like a child in a long time," she admitted softly. Snape raised his eyebrow slightly but chose not to comment. "You seemed surprised that it wasn't just you," she added.
"I was. I should have known things weren't going to be simple."
Hermione's gaze softened. "You were willing let yourself die, rather than let someone love you."
He looked away at her observation. She was right.
"But now I'm not the only one at risk," he said, the bite back in his tone. "Do not worry, I am not about to let you die as you no doubt think I will."
"I don't think that."
"Well, you're probably the first."
"You think really highly of yourself, don't you," she commented sarcastically.
"You have no right to talk of such things," Snape hissed at her as if she was a small child.
"Or perhaps I have now."
Hermione could see him trying to control his anger, not that she was doing a good job of that herself. Obviously he was not used to having his life and mind probed by anyone, especially not his student.
"Miss Granger," he said eventually, low and dangerous. "It is not your place to question me, and I am sure that if I told you, you would not like the answers."
"God, you're making it really easy to love you," she cried, standing up. "What chance have I got to love you if the only side I see is a miserable, reclusive, sarcastic man? I'm only trying to see you, not this façade you seem to present to the world."
Snape looked as if he had been slapped.
"Get out of my rooms now."
"Giving up already?"
"Out!" Snape yelled as he rose from the sofa.
Hermione glared up at him, but she could do nothing but leave. They were his rooms she was stood in, and his privacy and mind she had invaded.
"I'm sorry, Professor," she said, and turned on her heel and left.
As the door slammed shut, Snape dropped back down onto his seat and barely restrained himself from smashing something.
Of all the bloody idiotic things I had to do, I had to yell at her. The girl is scared, and rightly so. No one should have this on their conscience. Merlin! I don't know if this is even possible, but it seems it's not only for my or her sake, but everyone else's. If only we knew exactly why we have to – I can't even think it! – why we have to love each other, then it would help. It looks like we'll have to find out.
He got to his feet and headed towards his bedroom when he saw the pendant on the floor. After a moment of consideration, he went over and picked it up. Retreating to his desk, he withdrew a scrap piece of parchment out of a pile and pulled out a quill.
"Miss Granger,
Due to the current status of your project, you have permission to use the classroom until and during – if you are staying – the Christmas holidays.
Professor S. Snape."
When Hermione received the letter, she couldn't help but snort at the wording, as the "current status" of their project wasn't looking good. Though, by the looks of it, she had gained one step closer to him judging by his acknowledgement of their situation.
Hermione sighed heavily as she folded the parchment and tucked it in her pocket.
xxx
The steady thud as the knife cut through the root and the scratching of Snape's quill were the only sounds to fill the classroom. He paused for ink and chanced a subtle glance at Hermione. Her hair was obstructing her face but her bowed head and stance at her desk told him that she was engrossed with her work.
She picked up a handful of the chopped roots and threw them into the cauldron. It hissed and she nodded to herself. She went to pick up another ingredient and noticed Snape watching her. She smiled slightly but shot him an inquiring look.
"Is everything okay, Professor?" It was asked under the pretence of questioning her work, but the look in her eyes confirmed it was directed at him.
"Everything is fine, Miss Granger."
She held his gaze for a few more seconds then resumed her work, every so often looking up to see him scribbling away. The night continued in this way until a crack sounded through the classroom, marking the appearance of a house elf. It was stood by Snape's desk in the customary Hogwarts' tea towel, but with another emblem of a snake entwined round an ornate 'S'.
"Sir, your drink."
Snape glanced up and nodded at the elf, who placed the steaming mug on his desk. When it caught sight of Hermione it froze.
"Oh, Miss! Do you want a drink, Miss?"
Hermione was shocked to be addressed by what appeared to be Snape's own house elf, and looked from it to Snape and back again.
"Do you want a drink or not?" Snape asked shortly. Hermione nodded and the elf soon reappeared with another mug.
She savoured the smell of the hot chocolate as she breathed it in deeply and sat down, her fingers around the mug, drawing its warmth. She took a sip at the scalding liquid, glancing over the rim at her professor. He was lost in his thoughts and Hermione wasn't going to interrupt them.
By the time Hermione had finished her drink, Snape had long since drunk his, but neither of them had spoken. She set the mug down with a small tap that made Snape look up from his writing. He eyed her for a moment before bowing his head and resuming his scribbling.
Hermione tried to clear up as quietly as she could. When she finished, she took a sample of the potion, ladled it into a glass jar and labelled it carefully. She placed it neatly on the shelf with her other work, all the while aware that Snape was watching. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then picked up her armful of books.
"Sir?" she asked, for he was still watching her. He frowned and placed his quill on the desk and pinched the bridged of his nose.
"I think it would be a good idea for us to talk," he said, somewhat reluctantly.
Hermione followed his lead into his quarters and he waved his hand for her to sit down. He summoned two more mugs and sat down opposite her. He made no move to talk, so Hermione picked up her mug and sipped at it, although the liquid was near blistering.
"I'm guessing you have coffee."
Snape looked at her with a quizzical expression. "What?"
She indicated her drink. "I don't peg you as a hot chocolate man."
Snape gave her a disdainful look as if she was a particularly idiotic child. "Miss Granger, I do not make small talk. Do not think I am going to change that for you."
"Say something, then, rather than nothing. I thought you wanted to talk."
He eyed her and said curtly, "I apologise that having this conversation with a student his rather unnerving."
Hermione wondered how he could put so much bite into his tone, yet still appear civil.
"No, I'm sorry, it's just that this whole thing still doesn't seem real. I don't understand what is happening or why, and that… well, I'm sure you can imagine that is something I hate a great deal," she finished with a wry smile. "I guess that's something we'll just have to wait and see."
"I do not pretend to know anything about Divination, which I doubt will surprise you, but there has been a number of reports over the years of encounters with Oracles such as this, and in each case the task, whatever it may have been, was of great importance."
"What happened?" Hermione asked, slightly fearful. "They must have done something right if we're still here, living normally?"
"I would assume they were successful, at least to some extent, but now what should concern us most is what we must do."
Hermione swallowed and met his eye contact briefly, before averting her gaze to her drink. "Love."
Snape was silent for some time, and Hermione dared not move. At one point she would never have believed that she would work under him in private projects, and have something of the beginnings of a tentative friendship, never mind be in a situation where they were to love. It was a challenge, picturing herself with Snape as a couple, in love, but if there was one thing Hermione Granger didn't back down from, it was a challenge.
"Do you trust me, Miss Granger?"
Hermione started and looked up and met his intense gaze. "What? Yes, of course," she stammered, bewildered.
"Then that makes things slightly easier," he said quietly. "Now, the Christmas holidays start at the end of this week."
"I'm staying here," she anticipated, and Snape nodded.
"Then you are welcome to use the laboratory over the holidays, and we should probably use the opportunity to get to know each other."
Hermione had never seen Snape so… defeated or exhausted, and so resigned. Not that he really had a choice.
"Thank you, sir."
"Don't thank me, Miss Granger, I haven't done anything not required."
"If we are going to do this, don't you think you can call me Hermione?"
"Fine, Hermione," he said, then quirked an eyebrow at her expectant look.
She smile to herself, thinking she should know better than to expect an invitation to use his given name. Instead, she placed her mug on the table and stood up before slinging her bag over her shoulder.
Snape stood also and held the door open for her as she left, and it was when she was a few paces away that he spoke.
"Goodnight… Hermione."
In the dark he could just see the large grin that worked its way across her features as she turned back to face him.
"Goodnight, sir."
xxx
Apologies for the delay. Between a hectic pass couple of weeks, the fact that I wasn't previously pleased enough with the chapter, and that my dad blew up the computer and wiped all the settings off the modem, I haven't been able to update…
But here's the chapter, and the next chapter should be up next Wednesday. :)
Thank you for all your reviews and your patience!
