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.
Author Note: Manythanks to the wonderful, Niamh for betaing this so quickly for me. Also, kudos to Shiv5468 for putting up with my inane Britpicking questions.
I hope this extra long chapter makes up for my lack of posting and that those of you who have been enjoying the story can now see why it's taken me so long to get it to this stage.
Under Duress
Wednesday the 1st of September, 1999...
The day had started so promisingly, Hermione thought wistfully. She'd managed to find all of the classes she'd enrolled in with a minimum of fuss, even accounting for the fact that some of the lecture rooms didn't have numbers or names on them to guide the lost. She'd had some interesting preliminary discussions, though she was well aware that seven years of a magical education had fairly firmly stunted her ability to follow some of the more subtle discussions in her media course. The politics course was just as bad. The morning had become steadily worse as soon as she arrived late for the introductory lecture for the crossover psychology – sociology subject that was a late addition to her course schedule. Without any real idea of what she wanted to do, Hermione had chosen a broad array of subjects that she could pare down to a more rigid course outline at some stage in the future. For now though, the idea of applying herself to some form of study seemed very appealing and a way to help her work out just where she truly belonged – the magical world or the Muggle world.
That was until she scanned the lecture theatre and nearly choked in shock to see the most unlikely person perched at the back of the theatre looking thoroughly bored.
'Just bloody wonderful,' Hermione thought to herself.
It had all been fairly mundane for a while after her initial shock, with a general introduction and outline for the subject that Hermione dutifully transcribed into her notepad. The one hiccup was the idea that a whole term's worth of work was to be based solely on a project where she would be unable to change both the topic and her partner if worse came to worse. Hermione had asked if she; and whatever partner was to be assigned to her, could pick their topic, but a collective groan echoed through the lecture theatre when the lecturer stated that that wasn't the point of the exercise and that as each pair was announced, a slip of paper with their project topic would be handed out. Hermione reasoned that there had to be some overlap given the number of students, but this fell on deaf ears and she was left worrying about what topic she would be presented with, and more importantly which partner.
When her name had been called at the end of the hour as well as that of her project partner, there were thankfully only a few people who had not managed to safely scramble out the door clutching their ominous assignments. They didn't really need to hear the forceful, "Not fucking likely!", quickly followed by "Are you completely out of your mind, you ridiculous little Mu...man?" echoing from the back of the hall, nor the descent of the man in question himself. What had ensued for the next few minutes...solidly...was a razor sharp argument of why he should never have just added a course to 'make up numbers.' Hermione had watched Snape rant at Paul Drury; the lecturer, letting him know in no uncertain terms that there was absolutely no way he was going to do such an asinine thing, and that he could just up and resign from the course. Hermione had thought it rather interesting to watch Snape argue himself to a standstill, as the only reply he garnered was that he would automatically fail the subject and still have to pay a thousand quid for his trouble. From her perspective, Hermione found it amusing to watch Snape lose an argument and then be left with little option but to cross his arms menacingly, then try and stare down Paul.
It hadn't worked.
It had been Hermione's tentative suggestion as Snape watched the back of their lecturer exit the room that they adjourn to one of the outdoor cafés on campus to continue their discussion. The fact that he kept muttering about 'bloody nonsense' and a 'waste of time' along with several other barbed comments in her direction that Hermione didn't quite catch was enough to make Hermione seriously consider dropping the course herself, if only to escape Snape's sour moods. Hermione picked up her backpack and started walking off without checking to see if Snape was following or not. As she walked through the crowds, hurrying to be where they needed to be, she kept casting a sideways glance at him thinking that he'd obviously come to terms with the assignment and that she'd been worrying needlessly. However, one dark look in her direction when they happened to both be looking at each other effectively stopped that thought and Hermione sighed before continuing at a brisk pace to the café ahead of them.
'It's not like it's my fault that the lecturer paired us together. I mean...well, we were sitting at opposite ends of the lecture theatre, but still, there were at least fifty other people I could have been paired with, just not him!'
Hermione kept taking surreptitious looks to her left to make sure that Snape was still moving towards the café she'd discovered a few days ago. He was, though it was probably more apt to think of the Grim Reaper parting the ways searching for victims rather than the more mundane ex-professor trying to intimidate strangers with no idea of his prior well earned reputation. Hermione, though, was not to be deterred. She'd made the choice of that particular short course because it sounded like it would be an interesting way to meet new people and find out how she reacted to the potentially confrontational nature of the subject matter. Never in her wildest dreams did Hermione think that she'd be paired with the one person who could make the whole thing decidedly uncomfortable, not to mention bloody impossible.
Hermione spied the café in front of them and immediately headed for the one spare table left overlooking the tennis courts. She didn't check to make sure that Snape was still following in her wake, determined as she was to secure the lone table perched in full sun. 'With a bit of luck I might just manage to thaw out before the bastard has a chance to open his mouth again,' she thought ruefully to herself.
'Just my luck to get paired with the one fucking person I know in the whole university,' Severus thought to himself, all the while trying very hard to order his argument in such a way that he could get out of the project they'd been assigned. Looking at her marching swiftly to the café, Severus didn't hold out much hope of being successful. He wondered idly if Minerva hadn't taken some of her more favoured students aside and taught them how to piss him off without uttering a single word. She had that same no nonsense walk that Minerva employed when she was truly irritated with him, and although Miss Granger wasn't wholly ignoring him, he was not used to being led around like a little lost kitten. That thought alone was enough to make him start grinding his teeth further into his gum line.
Snape followed in her wake silently and he'd already had an inkling that Miss Granger was not to be trifled with, so he found himself surprised when she decided to open what promised to be an interesting and heated argument with something as mundane as idle, time consuming and ignorant chitchat.
"So, you think I'm wasting my time at University when I should be off doing something more worthwhile in the magical world?"
"I didn't say that, Miss Granger. What I said was that it was a wonder you had not found yourself employment in 'our' world, not that I think studying per se is a waste of your time," Severus said irritably as he took his seat facing the tennis courts.
"Oh!" Hermione replied with more than a little surprise.
"But you know, Professor, that still doesn't explain why you're here. You could be off researching the conundrums of magical potions rather than sitting in the sun outside a Muggle café debating the finer points of a Muggle education."
"True, but have you ever stopped to think that I deserve something I want to do, rather than constantly rising to everyone's expectations, Miss Granger?"
"Whose expectations exactly would those be, Professor?"
"Everyone's."
"You do realise that's hardly enlightening."
"It wasn't meant to be, you nosy little co..." Severus started but the gleam in his opponent's eye quashed the remainder of that train of thought. "Perhaps I should have simply said that it was none of your bloody business and be done with it?"
"Well, yes, I suppose you could have...if of course being a closed off prick is your sole aim in life," Hermione said sharply as she stood abruptly and started to shove her purse and notepad into her backpack. "It was an innocent question, Professor, but I shan't trouble you again...except in tutorials of course."
"Miss Granger...Hermione, please sit down. I enjoy baiting you – what more can I say?"
'This is not going the way I'd hoped,' Severus thought idly to himself. 'She's supposed to tell me that of course she'll do all the work and that I can just add my name to the project at the end of it all.' Severus' inner thoughts cut short abruptly as he pushed the hair out of his eyes and the young woman opposite him continued to talk.
"Well, you could tell me why you enjoy baiting me, of course, unless that follows my previous estimation of you," Hermione countered, all the while still standing next to the small table.
"True, though despite what you think, I am not a 'closed off prick' as you so indelicately put it. I simply choose not to tell people too much about myself. I like my privacy, and I cannot stand idle chatter."
"Well, you picked the wrong place for idle chatter if it annoys you so. This is after all a café. A café, I might add, that prides itself on idle chatter and gossip - no less. So, if you're not here for the idle chatter, you must be here for the gossip?"
"Neither, Miss Granger. I simply like sitting in the sun on a warm day and thanking whatever deities I should thank that I can do so. The mere thought that I don't have to constantly look over my bloody shoulder to see someone looking at me askance for doing something that is simply pleasurable is immeasurable."
"Well, that is a surprise!"
"How so?"
"Well, I never would have picked you as someone who did something for no other reason than you wanted to do it."
"Of course, but that's because you don't actually know me, Miss Granger. Not many people do actually, and those that do know me, prefer to keep things to themselves. I can't go about scaring students by being myself, now can I?"
"But you don't scare students any more. You haven't for the last few months, though I must admit I really would have loved to have seen the faces of those in the Great Hall at the beginning of the holidays when it was announced that you wouldn't be returning on the first of September. Even more so, I'd love to see their faces tonight when they realise you really have left." Hermione said all the while smiling at the put out man opposite her.
"I could scare you, Miss Granger."
"No, that really wouldn't work, Professor. You have to remember two things. I've known a secret about you since my fourth year, and then I watched as an eye witness when that secret was discovered. No, you don't scare me any more," Hermione said quietly
"But I did scare you at one point surely?"
"Yes, you did, but as I was eleven at the time, it hardly counts. Isn't it enough for you to know that you haven't scared me for quite some time?"
"Only when you were eleven, you say. How about when you thought you were slinking in like a shadow to my private supplies in your second year? Weren't you even a tiny bit afraid of me then?"
"Well...maybe just a little bit, but it was for a good cause, so I figured that the good outweighed the fear if that makes any sense at all."
"Strangely enough, it actually does. I've no doubt that means that the sun has leeched out any fear inspiring tendencies I might have been able to summon in your instance," Severus said with a smirk, all the while wondering just what had happened to his obviously former intimidation techniques.
"So, Miss Granger, are you going to sit down, or do you enjoy the thought of me squinting into the sun and you standing over me?" Snape stated with a scowl, all the while trying to shield his eyes from the full glare of the sun.
"I suppose I could sit down, but only if you call me Hermione. When you call me, Miss Granger, I do strangely enough feel like I'm eleven again...not that you scare me of course, but it's a memory no less."
"Of course...Hermione, please sit down and allow me to be chivalrous enough to buy you a mug of coffee to make up for my fearsome presence," Severus said as he stood up and attempted to bow in a courtly manner.
"Oh, do shut up and just get the bloody coffee!" Hermione huffed impatiently at him and sat down heavily on the chair. "And you can leave the bloody sarcasm at the counter as the tip too," she called out to his retreating back.
"A tip for what?"
"Never mind, Sn...Severus! Just get the bloody coffee before I'm too old to enjoy it."
Severus remained watching her and the caustic way in which he'd been dismissed, arched one eyebrow in such a way as to question her sanity in goading him and was treated to an imperious wave of her hand as she shooed him towards the door of the café. That she then spoilt the levity of the banter by sticking her tongue out at him like a spoilt brat was one that he was unlikely to forget for some considerable time.
"As you wish madam, at your bloody service madam, anything for you...you little..." Severus muttered quietly under his breath as he turned his back and started to walk towards the café door to order and a frothy cappuccino for Miss...for Hermione and his prized extra strong macchiato.
"I wouldn't finish that if I was you, Severus. I might not be able to do much without the necessary accessory, but I do have it on me and you'd be surprised what I can do without it...if you get my drift?"
Severus clenched his hands at his side, but did not turn around. He did after all need to butter her up to get out of the ridiculous project they'd been assigned to complete – one he had absolutely no intentions of doing anything for.
'The little bitch will keep,' Severus thought grimly to himself, as he pushed his way through the door to order their respective coffees.
Standing in the queue in front of the counter, Severus had to do a spot of re-appraisal. The level of noise inside the café made him very thankful that Miss...that Hermione had seemed so attracted to sitting outside. He couldn't help thinking that a carefully placed Confundus charm would allow him to make his way more swiftly to the counter and order the coffee he now felt he desperately needed. Severus felt that if he was to succeed in his quest to jettison the ridiculous notion that he would be attempting a project with 'her,' he first needed to order his thoughts, and for that caffeine was definitely the drug of choice. It always had been, even when the Headmaster had insisted on those interminably long staff meetings. Spying her sitting outside with her hair ruffling in the slight breeze, he wondered just which deity he'd managed to piss off this time. First, there was her glee at catching him unawares in the pub a couple of weeks ago and now this nonsense to argue his way out of as well. She'd been correct though – Olwyn's puddings had more than compensated him for having to put up with Miss Granger's constant chatter in his ear as he ate his dinner there a few times each week.
Why he had never thought to ask what she was going to do until the answer was so abruptly presented to him a mere fifteen minutes ago was beyond him. It simply wouldn't do to let her know just how much she unsettled him, but she did and he had no idea how to wheedle his way out of this new mess. His thoughts were interrupted when he was asked for his order, though, and so he had to place those random thoughts aside as he concentrated on getting his order filled with the crush of students around him. As he waited, he reached for a small plastic tray, looked outside once more, then furrowed his brow at the odd look on Hermione's face, and hoped that by some small miracle the day would soon become much better. It was an idle wish and one that he realistically did not expect to eventuate.
Hermione sat in the sun enjoying the novel experience of sitting outside and making Snape fetch her coffee for her. Had she still been in contact with Harry and Ron, more than the perfunctory greetings they exchanged every so often, she would have been sure to send the fastest owl possible to let them know about this latest oddity in her life. As it was, Hermione still had an owl to send to Minerva to let her know how her first day had been and she had no doubts that Minerva's mirth would more than make up for the lack of contact with the boys. He was watching her every so often through the window too, something which made Hermione smile quietly to herself. With the crush of students' she could see through the window, Snape was no doubt trying very hard not to hex them all out of the road. 'Actually, watching him trying to talk himself out of a fine brought about by the cursing of a hundred or so Muggles might just have made my day truly complete,' she thought slyly to herself. Any humour at Snape's lack of social behaviour was soon left to ponder at another time as Hermione was left with the unsettling feeling that this 'project' would be around to haunt her for some considerable time. Reaching into her backpack she pulled out the notepad she'd flung hastily into her bag a few moments ago and opened it up to have a closer look at just what torture her new lecturer had managed to inflict on her. Aghast at the topic laid out in front of her, Hermione closed the notepad and laid her right hand firmly on the cover. Half hoping that this was some obscene joke, Hermione had another peek at the topic, shut her notepad again quickly and started to hope that a large hole would suddenly appear in front of her so that she could escape the nightmare of trying to explain just what the topic was to Snape.
"This is not happening to me! It's a mistake, a horrible, horrible mistake. The lecturer must be out of his mind to think that I...that we have any hope of doing this," Hermione mumbled to herself all the while holding her head between her hands – fingers pulling at the roots of her hair.
"You do realise, Miss Granger that talking to yourself might be regarded as a sure sign of madness," Snape said directly over her as he put a gaudy brown tray on the small metal table in front of her.
"I take it you've already passed the milestone if you can recognise the symptoms, Pr...Severus?" Hermione replied caustically, though she still did not look up at him.
"No, I have not!" he replied firmly, "Though it was often my belief that the Headmaster would have kept some professional worrier happy for some considerable time with his affectations. Now, Hermione, what could possibly be so bad that you have the look of someone wishing the earth would open spontaneously and swallow them whole?"
"This," Hermione said perhaps more forcefully than she meant as she pushed her notepad towards Snape.
"A notebook?" Severus queried all the while lifting up the tray quickly to stop her from up ending the coffee he'd had to queue for.
"How droll, Professor, but if you'd open the bloody notepad you'd see the real purpose of my disgust."
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Severus asked hurriedly as Hermione lifted her head to look at him directly. 'Oh shit, it obviously is that bad,' he thought to himself as he looked at her face.
"No, I suppose you're right, Professor. It might not be that bad except that it is. In fact, god-awful might be a more appropriate way of describing it."
Hermione went back to holding her head in her hands, though the aroma of freshly brewed coffee was starting to make it through to her startled synapses. Tentatively she lifted her head, using her hair as a curtain so that she could see how Snape, how Severus was taking the news. 'At least he's sitting down for it,' she thought to herself. 'He hasn't started yelling yet, so maybe it won't be quite that ba...' Any thoughts of finishing that internal musing was cut short as Snape started to let her know in no uncertain terms just what he thought of this 'project.'
"He is out of his fucking mind. No, scratch that, he didn't have a mind in the first place if he thinks this is an appropriate topic to write and present an assignment on. I won't do it! I refuse to do it, Miss Granger and you can't make me!" Snape replied heatedly, as he slapped the notepad and loose sheet on the table.
"You're right, I can't make you do it, but not more than half an hour ago our 'esteemed' lecturer let you know that if you do drop this subject you'll receive an automatic failing mark and that your partner will also fail...and I refuse to have a FINC on my record just because of this mess."
"A fink? What in Circe's name has a fink got to do with this?"
"Not a fink you...you dunderhead! An F dash INC, a failed incomplete. In other words, a sign that someone couldn't be bothered trying so they just gave up mark. A listing I refuse point blank to see on my academic record, Professor." Hermione ground out the words slowly, gathering speed as she thought of the fact that the bastard had better not just give up or she'd have more than a few indelicate words to say on the matter.
"It seems we've reached an impasse then, doesn't it, you silly little girl?" Severus shot back angrily across the table, as he leant back and folded his arms in the most imposing way that he could. 'How dare she call me a dunderhead,' he thought, scowling across the table and vowing silently not to give in.
"How dare you call me that," Hermione said. "Just because I actually want to study, not bloody fluff around like you, does not make me silly, and I haven't been a little girl for quite a few years either."
"Do tell, Miss Granger. You called me a dunderhead, so I merely reciprocated with the nearest equivalent I could think of. Surely you don't begrudge me the ability to be just as cutting in my observations as you are?"
"Your wit or lack thereof is truly astounding, Professor, but trading barbs across a table isn't actually resolving the fact that we have a problem."
"Correction – you have a problem, Miss Granger. I don't have a problem with the assignment as I have no intention of actually attempting it."
"But I'll fail if you just up and quit," Hermione replied quietly.
"Then it seems we might just have to come to some sort of agreement about this nonsense then, doesn't it?" Severus said derisively as he waved his hand in the general direction of the notepad.
"Exactly what sort of agreement are you thinking of, Sn...Severus?"
"Come now, Hermione, surely I don't really need to spell it out for you?" Severus said fluidly with more than a little hint of mischievousness.
"Humour me, Severus," Hermione replied cautiously, knowing all at once just where the conversation was heading. She'd had plenty of practice deciphering the nuances he was alluding to, particularly when her friends; and other classmates, had all tried at one time or another to con Hermione into doing their work for them.
"Well, Hermione, perhaps we could come to some sort of arrangement? After all, it seems you actually want to complete this course, whereas I am quite happy to just walk away from this mess. The loss of the money would be regrettable, but some losses really aren't that bad, are they, Hermione?"
"Is that the best you can do, Severus? Because if it is, you're absolutely pants at this sort of thing," Hermione shot back at him before he'd had a chance to continue his case.
"Just for the record, Severus, this is about the twentieth time someone has tried that lark with me. 'Oh, come on Hermione, it's just a couple of pages', or 'but you are so much better at this sort of thing than me,' or my particular favourite, 'but I have to go to Quidditch training and I'll never get it finished in time'." Hermione drew breath having used her fingers to count off the excuses she'd heard and been privy to over the years.
"I always told them; Harry and Ron mainly, but there were others, to bugger off and do their own bloody work, but it never stopped them from trying to cajole me into cheating for them. If I wouldn't cheat for a school project, the sun must have leeched quite a bit more of your grey matter than you realised if you think I'd stoop that low now."
"But I don't want to do it and you do for some insane reason. What could be the matter with me acquiescing to you and leaving the details to your renowned study habits?" Severus asked as he leaned forward and had another sip of his coffee.
"Nice try, Snape, but I'd save your breath. If I stooped as low as you seem to think I would stoop, it would take a hell of a lot more than a few decorated phrases to make me even consider your offer. I suppose your offer is far kinder than the one Ron graced me with one day, though," Hermione replied in a tired voice.
"How so?"
"Well, you have to remember, Professor, Ron tended to use euphemisms when he was trying to be a smart arse. Well, just before it all happened last year he came to me with a rather unique offer. I could use some new Cheat-Easy quill he'd received from the twins to do his Transfiguration NEWT for him and he'd 'pay me back' by letting me 'service his broomstick.' I vowed then; after I'd kicked the smug bastard for hurting me so much, that I would never ever put up with that sort of nonsense again."
"But, I would never...I mean, that's awful. This is completely different though, Hermione. I would never try that sort of rubbish on you. It's just a stupid assignment!"
"Is it really, Severus? The only difference I can see from this side of the table is the remuneration being offered, though if it were to even skirt what Ron suggested I would make you an instant eunuch and Obliviate any of the Muggles who inadvertently happened to look this way at the wrong time."
Severus watched as Hermione leant forward slightly and drew back the sleeve of her blouse a fraction to show him exactly where her wand was. With a sigh, he slowly nodded his head and sat back again holding his coffee. Neither looked away from each other and nothing was said, but in that moment Severus realised that he had no other option than to complete the assignment, much though the thought of it left him decidedly uncomfortable.
"My apologies, Hermione, for your having to put up with that sort of puerile nonsense. Had I realised my mistake sooner I would have never suggested such a crass affront to your good nature. I will help you with the assignment, but I still don't like it," Severus continued quickly, rasing one hand slightly as he watched Hermione smile at him tentatively and open her mouth.
"Thank you, prof...Severus. It might seem like an awful thing to have to do, but you never know what you might find out about yourself in the process. I know I'll find it a challenge too, but at least we sort of know each other and..." anything else Hermione might have said was cut off by the man opposite her.
"Please, Hermione save your breath. I already know just what I've signed myself up for, but I still don't like it, nor do I want to do it."
"It can't be that bad; alright it probably is that bad," Hermione started but one pointed look from Severus was enough to make her qualify her enthusiasm. "We'll just have to make the best of it and look at it, and ourselves honestly. Besides that, just think, Severus, as soon as we've completed the assignment we don't have to think about it ever again."
"Perhaps you're right, Hermione, but I can't help thinking that, 'Touch in all its myriad forms effects changes and affects individuals in many different ways. Using a sociological base, outline specific instances of touch (nurturing, platonic, clinical, sensuous and erotic) and how they affect our perception of each other from the cradle to the grave.' as a topic is going to come back to haunt me quite often."
All constructive criticism, comments and reviews are most welcome!
NOTES:
The Cheat-Easy Quilldoesn't exist in canon, (as far as i know), though I have seen variations on the theme in a number of stories. I don't recall the quill having a specific name, but if it does, can someone tell me so that I can add due credit?
The crossover course that has Hermione and Severus entwined in its clutches doesn't actually exist - well, not as far as I've been able to find here in Oz and internationally. The whole set up of the course is pseudo-sociology and pseudo-psychology. It's a mishmash of prior learning and a healthy dollop of bullshit stirred liberally throughout it. It is not meant to denigrate the individual fields that I've selected, so my apologies in advance if anyone thinks it's all a bit off. That was most certainly not my intention and if anything really rankles, let me know and I'll revise it.
The café does actually exist. I used to sit there often when I was at the University of Sydney after having seen my quota of lecturers (I was aPublisher's rep) for the day. It does overlook tennis courts and was always jam packed with students and the most useless little brown plastic trays that barely held two cups or mugs of coffee. I used have to return my tray to the counter, but I felt that was pushing the envelope a bit much if Snape had to do likewise.
"