Chapter 10: Candid Comparisons
{A/N: Here's Another Update...This is another Re-Post if you have read this story before I suggest you re read the re-posted chapters in a bid not to be lost...hopefully this comes out right...also you asked and now you shall receive...Late Post...}
My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.
{"Ninety Miles An Hour Down A Lovers Lane...On A Tank Of Dreams...Oh If She Could've Only Seen...That Fate's Got Cards That It Don't Want To Show, And...That Boy's Just A Walkaway Joe...Born To Be A Leaver Tell You From The Word Go...Destined To Deceive Her...He's The Wrong Kind Of Paradise...She's Gonna Know It In A Matter Of Time...That Boy's Just A Walkaway Joe..."} Walk Away Joe, Trish Yearwood
Open Road, Muggle World...
Hermione Granger-Weasley gripped the steering wheel of the newly repaired sedan Severus had fixed up for her. She could still feel the distant hum of his magic as the engine seemingly purred as she continued down the long stretch of highway. Rose had been pouting looking very much like her mother as Severus Snape's muggle estate got smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror. Hugo had been silent as tears continued to stream down his tiny cheeks. It seemed the children had gotten rather attached to the Potions Master, a strange occurrence if ever there was one given Snape's reputation at Hogwarts. She continued to drive as the images of the drunken wizard pressed his pale lips into hers. The lingering feeling of his warm tough against her inner thigh had been almost too much to ignore as she suddenly found herself turning down an adjacent muggle street. Rose and Hugo had not known what had been going through their mother's wondering mind.
Snape smelled of herbs, fresh earth, and whiskey the previous night.
The amber eyed witch tried to ignore the tears as they streamed down her cheeks as she focused on the road. The safely of her two small children at the forefront of her mind when it came to navigating the winding road but something in her had been screaming for the man that had once been her Potions Professor, Defense Against The Dark Arts Instructor, and former Headmaster respectively. His expression when she told him that she thought it best to make her way back to Ron and her former life.
Her former life, the thought of it had made her scoff without intention.
Being Ronald Bilius Weasley's little wife and bearer of his children.
The pompous arse had not even bothered to act like a bloody decent husband, always gone for months at a time for the sake of his Quidditch matches and falling into bed with Merlin knew how many enamored witches who knew next to nothing about his terrible table manners, his constant eating, and brutish ways.
He had come home smelling like Lavender Brown.
Lavender fucking Brown of all the witches to choose from to cheat on her with!
Stupid sod.
The kiss she share with Severus had been the closest thing to real passion and enjoyment of said passion since before she had married the wretched buffoon she called a husband. The only thing he had ever been good for was the production of Rose and Hugo respectively and Ron couldn't even be bothered to show up for either one of their births. Now Molly Weasley made plenty of excuses for her youngest son but it had never really eased the anguish his utter selfishness caused.
The more Hermione thought on Ron's many transgressions, the more she gripped the steering wheel with all her might before making an informed decision, possibly the best one of her life since before she took on the name of Weasley.
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Miss Dewberry's Place, Muggle World...
Severus Snape had not been enjoying the third bottle of wild turkey the old barkeeper had given him. It had not been as blatantly destructive as firewhiskey but it was terrible in taste just the same. He couldn't stop thinking about Hermione Granger of all people. It had impressed him quite a bit to see the bushy haired bookworm blossom into such a lovely young woman. To say he had not expected it was merely an understatement. While she had not been bad looking as a child nor even a teenager, she had been sorely lacking in self confidence when it came to her personal appearance and social skills. Snape smirked as he thought back to his own awkwardness as a teenager. He of course, had not had the luxury of overcoming it as much as he liked to pretend.
It had taken quite a bit to work up the courage to carry out an actual conversation with the strikingly beautiful young witch. Her being his former student made it much easier but not all together without some node of awkwardness. The memory of his antics due to his drunkenness had still been fresh in his mind as the images of her driving away in the sedan he had fixed up for her had been difficult to over come. He had not truly known what had driven him to such lengths during his temporary madness, perhaps it was a last ditch effort to keep her from becoming another casualty of brilliance snuffed out by an inferior's ego.
Her children were another matter.
Intelligent little hellions with charm to boot.
"Missing them already, Little Toby?" asked Miss Dewberry with an arched eyebrow.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." muttered Snape raising the bottle to his pale lips.
"Sure." replied Miss Dewberry unconvinced. "And I'm the Queen of England."
"How the mighty have fallen if that is to be true." said the half-drunken wizard bitterly.
"Alright old sod, enough feeling sorry for yourself...go on home and sleep it off before you become unbearable." said Miss Dewberry with a serious expression on her aged face.
"How can I get home old woman, you took my keys?" asked Snape still evidently bitter.
"You're a bright one Little Toby, you'll find a way." she replied eluding to the fact that she had at least some inkling about there being more to him that met the eye.
His father did always tell stories about how much of a freak he had been, him and his mother. She had not been so blind as to not note that Eileen Snape had come from a different world and it had nothing to do with her family being of wealth.
"I'm going...I'm going." said Snape getting to his feet.
He had been reluctant to return to his estate. In the days following the war, the silence and lack of interruption had been welcome given all he had suffered before leaving the wizarding world. Then Hermione and her children showed him just how maddening the quiet had been when they had given the estate so much life during their visit. Unable to remain any longer, Snape walked out of Miss Dewberry's place and apparated home out of the sight of the muggles of Bricksport.
As drunk as he was it was the only way to travel and make it home in one piece.
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The Sitting Room, Snape's Estate, Muggle World...
With a crack of thunder, Severus S. Snape landed on the grounds of his lonesome estate. He stumbled into the door expecting the quiet to be overwhelming as he made his way into his usual sitting room but found something quite off as he continued into toward his piano. The scent of jasmine had been the first thing he noticed and the surprising warmth that filled his house just before a certain young witch glared at him with narrowed amber eyes.
"Why did you kiss me?" she asked getting right to the point.
Snape half chuckled when he began to remove his coat and hang it up on the coat rack.
"Hello to you too, Miss Granger." he replied in his usual baritone drawl.
"Answer the question bloody drunken sod." said Hermione sitting on the edge of the seat.
Snape noted that Hermione had been in his armchair.
"You're in my seat." he said drunkenly.
"Why did you kiss me Severus?" she asked with a stern expression on her face.
"Because." he replied with a bit of slurred speech.
"Because is not an valid reply." said Hermione getting frustrated with his lack of an actual response.
"You need a wake up call." replied Snape reflecting her stern expression. "I couldn't stand back and watch you die too."
The amber eyed witch had been stunned by his words.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked attentive.
"Lily was like you." said Snape making his way over toward the whiskey.
He poured himself a shot and drank it down quickly. The Potions Master made a grimace and poured another shot drinking it straight away as well.
"Why do you say that?" asked the young witch unsure if she should proceed with her line of questioning.
"I say it because she was just as blind and reckless to the point of sheer stupidity." replied Snape seemingly angry as he reflected on the life of his once dear friend. "She let Potter rule her and look where it got her!"
"Harry's mother loved his father." said Hermione in defense of her friend's parents.
"Bah!" replied Snape annoyed. "Potter was an arrogant, lazy, jackass, strutting about like some kind of peacock...he couldn't handle real competition if it beat him to death."
Hermione seemed a bit uncomfortable with that last bit sensing some residual rage on Snape's part for his loss of Lily's affections.
"I...I knew her..." said Snape finishing off another shot. "The real her...the girl who had not been afraid to take risks in a bid to discover new things and far off places..."
"She seemed to be very lively witch." said Hermione feeling a bit awkward discussing Snape's lost love.
"She was a shallow, pretentious idiot." muttered Snape. "She strutted about the castle at Potter's command like some trained poodle."
"But didn't you love her?" asked the amber eyed witch almost forgetting that she wasn't suppose to know Snape's secret.
The former Headmaster of Hogwarts glared at her with narrowed obsidian eyes for what seemed like the longest time before he continued.
"I loved the witch she use to be." he muttered. "I see Potter has not wasted any time spouting his mouth off to all who would listen about my misery."
The young witch got to her feet and walked over to the now slumping wizard as he stood near the piano.
"He was only trying to clear your name." she said in Harry's defense. "He was devastated when you died...well everyone thought you did."
"Sod that idiot boy." muttered Snape annoyed. "He was all but petitioning for my demise after his precious Black was murdered."
Hermione sighed.
Clearly, there was not going to be any common ground when discussing Harry Potter with Severus Snape no matter how drunk he had been.
"You're too good for that wretched sod." said Snape meeting her gaze once more. "If you were any sort of brilliant you'd petition for a divorce immediately."
"I can handle my marriage just find thank you." said Hermione in her own defense.
"Spoken like a soon to be vastly empty witch." replied Snape observing her.
"And you would know all about that wouldn't you?" she countered.
"It's not as if it's a well kept secret any longer." replied the drunken wizard. "I take it the children are asleep."
"No thanks to your bellowing." said Hermione.
Snape smirked rather drunkenly.
"You see...it's much more entertaining when you've got a bit of life in you." he replied. "Weasley would never understand that...nor will he ever understand you no matter how you wish it."
He stumbled toward the far way looking back at the young witch deep in thought.
"Good night, Miss Granger." he said secretly pleased about her return.
"Good night, Severus." replied Hermione attempting to remain civil.
Snape made his way up the stairs toward his bedroom leaving the young witch to contemplate his drunken words.