Chapter 52: Rain And Regret
{A/N: Here's Another Update..So I woke up to a story on my phone by a Melissa Ragsdale about Severus Snape. In her article she claims that Snape is just another man that didn't listen when a woman told him "No" to link the Potions Professor as an example for the Me Too, and Times Up movement...normally I wouldn't care to much for Articles but this one bothered me enormously...first...she doesn't even have all the facts pertaining to their relationship given everything she takes is from a memory of an embittered girl that turned on her best friend for the arsehole that bullied him...second she didn't even bother to note that Snape's only friend from a young age was Lily who according to her own sister was a spoiled brat that got whatever she wanted it didn't matter the case because everyone treated her as if she was "special". Personally, I believe Petunia liked Severus first but he was interested in Lily because she had magical abilities, in fact he most likely never would have bothered with her if she wasn't a witch given her personality who could blame him...Third...she decides to prop Snape up as some "obsessive stalker" without knowing if he even gave a damn about Lily before his actions had gotten her killed. From my perspective, Snape had moved on just as she had and it was quite possibly even with Bellatrix LeStrange...it would explain his animosity toward Neville Longbottom had why Bella and he are so...familiar with each other...there was even a letter from Lily speaking about apologizing to Severus Snape...JKR. even said that at some point James and Lily wanted to apologize to Snape meaning "Snape" was treated poorly by these two sorry ingrates not that he was some leach that didn't know how to get a clue...It was quite evident his "devotion" to Lily was purely out of guilt for her death hence his memories of her that were fond were of the nine year old girl he met not the teenage girl in love with James Potter while lying to his face. I'm, sorry about the rant but this annoyed me to no end...and as for Snape being a hero...He was one pure and simple...the man did everything to bring down his former master without anything in return...going so far as to risk his life for an ungrateful brat and two worlds that never gave a damn about him one way of the other...by definition the thankless man that saves the day is a HERO...especially if he dies for it...I apologize once more for the rant but she was going too far.}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
{"She has no recollection...Of the life she had without me...She let it slip away, away, away...It's so sad it had to be this...She forgot the good things about me...She let it slip away, away, away..."}Tears In The Rain,The Weeknd
Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Swollen gray clouds had greeted Hermione Granger's amber eyes as she found herself staring out the nearby window of the Gryffindor common room. She had not been able to get the last night with Severus Snape out of her mind as she trailed from her conversation with her best friend and slipped into the lines of memory. Harry Potter had been incredibly patient as far as friends had gone and took her hand in a supportive gesture. The tears streamed down her cheeks as rapidly as the raindrops streamed down the outside window.
"Mione." said Harry understanding just where her mind had gone.
"I know Harry." she replied. "But I can't help it...I miss him...I've made such a terrible mess of things but I miss him."
"He'll be here for the baby's birth." said the green eyed wizard. "I suppose the two of you could work something out then."
"I doubt it." replied Hermione bitterly. "He hates me...if it weren't for the baby he'd never want to see me again."
The saddened witch suddenly had a thought.
"Harry...you don't suppose that he'd...well that he'd take the baby do you?"
Harry Potter sat back in his chair and took a chance to look out the window at the rain himself. He couldn't say for sure if Snape would make a move that bold but it wasn't out of the scope of endless possibility considering how this mess ended up costing him more than it cost Hermione.
"I don't rightly know what to think at this point." admitted the green eyed wizard. "Snape is...unpredictable at best and vastly vindictive at worst."
Hermione sighed rubbing her not quite showing belly.
It had been what she was afraid of hearing as she turned her attention back to the window.
"He'd have every right to...to take the baby and never want to see me again." she said realistically speaking. "Given that he is financially secure and owns his own home it would be all too simple for him."
"I doubt it will come to that." said Harry trying his best to reassure her.
"But if it did...he'd have every right." replied the amber eyed witch amid tears. "Harry I never intended to hurt him...at first...well I was intrigued with getting to know him on a personal level...he spoke to me like I was a person not an inferior subject unworthy of his time and we chatted a bit more as the days went by."
The boy who lived had been terrified about having to endure the recollection of his best friend's torrid affair with their former Potions Professor, but like a good friend, he suppressed his horror and let her recount the events that lead to this very moment. At best he could gauge how to do damage control.
"He was so intellectual and mysterious." she continued her amber eyes lighting up in the process of recalling her time with him. "He was even sweet at times..everything seemed to be going well...then he invited me back to his house for diner...I had no idea he was such a talented cook...it was still going well until we drank the wine from Lucius Malfoy's collection...it was laced with lust potion...Severus and I found that out all too late."
Harry had been caught off guard by that.
"Lust potion...you two were drinking a lust potion?" he said as if that had been a big deal to him.
"Yes...it was only after the fact but..." began Hermione before she sudden caught on. "Harry you're brilliant."
The green eyed wizard had not known what she meant but he took the compliment. The pregnant witch had been pleased about something for the first time in quite a long time.
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Headmistress Office, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Minerva McGonagall stood with her arms folded across her chest and a stern expression on her face. She had been quite peeved about the events that had taken place concerning Hermione Granger's scandalous affair with The Potions Professor, Severus Snape. The amber eyed witch in question had confessed to her underhanded antics in the wake of using a polyjuice potion to seduce her Professor while he had been off school grounds and how she and he engaged without protection of any kind during those times resulting in her pregnancy. She had even admitted to attempting to end the affair numerous times only to be drawn back to him.
The Headmistress had been silent for quite some time as she looked upon her once favored student.
"Miss Granger...Hermione...all of this is duly noted but Severus Snape chose to leave Hogwarts of his own accord." said the elder witch.
Hermione had been confused by this.
"W-What do you mean?" she asked.
"When madam Pomfrey informed me of your current predicament and how strangely it paralleled with Severus' condition I drew my own conclusions dear." said Minerva McGonagall looking at the confused witch with her glasses at the tip of her nose. "I may have aged some but I was young once you know...and I have been well aware to your particular interests since before the second wizarding war got underway...to put it plainly Severus was always muttering about how irritating you were in his classes and how you went out of your way to "try too hard"...I simply viewed it as a matter of time before you acted on your fantasies...I of course never imagined you'd go through these lengths to do so."
Hermione's cheeks turned red.
Apparently her infatuation was evident to even the Headmistress.
"S-So why?" she began unsure how to proceed with her line of question.
Professor McGonagall sighed.
"He's quite angry with you." she admitted. "He wanted you to suffer the consequences of your actions...but I'd wager he'll get over it sooner or later."
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Professor McGonagall took pity on the poor expecting witch.
"As far as we are concerned this incident stays in house and your just rewards for your deception are already evident in the fact that not only are you to be an unwed mother but you have lost the respect of the wizard you wanted most." she said. "Youth is a time for foolish ventures Hermione but what you did will have consequences for the rest of your life...I'm sure you wish to undo the past but what's done is done...Severus is gone...he may return...he may not...it all depends upon him at this point and there is no guarantee he'll want anything more to do with you in the future."
Tears once more streamed down the face of the amber eyed witch.
"He hates me." she said knowing all too well what the future had in store for her. "I suppose it's no less than what I deserve."
With a sigh, she took her leave of the Headmistress and ventured back to the Gryffindor common room. Severus Snape was indeed long gone and if he had wished to return to Hogwarts it would be so at his convenience.
