"The world is not black and white, Hermione. You would be surprised at how many shades of grey there are out there."
When they got to the point of discussing morals and ethics, Hermione was surprised at how much knowledge he had of muggle philosophy. She knew it was a dangerous subject, as if they were walking along the edge of a cliff and it was too windy. It wouldn't be long before they started talking about the war and she didn't want that.
"If people abandon all principles of morals then we just fall into the most absolute chaos!" - she tried to argue.
"Do you want to know what is the most absolute chaos?" - he whispered with a dangerous look, leaning over the table.
She widened her eyes in anticipation.
"Raw fish wrapped in seaweed!" - he threw his arms up dramatically.
Hermione laughed. She insisted that they dine at a japanese restaurant this time, still at the Cape Town marina, but he had not liked the experience.
"I can't believe you've never tried sushi before." - she shook her head in disbelief. "Eat the fried ones then."
"And I can't believe that you are giving up exploring your own magical abilities because of a restriction from the Ministry of Magic." - he sighed using a fork to stick a breaded shrimp.
"I don't want to conflict with the Ministry. As much as I have my disbelief in the institution, with what morals could I ask for help when necessary if I ignore the impositions they make now?" - Hermione explained.
"Let me see if I got this right." - Snape wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Are you only following the rules because you see the possibility that in the future you will benefit from people with a leverage you do not have?
When he put it that way it sounded really immoral, but they were on the verge of war. Maybe he was right and the world was nothing but a whirlwind of grey.
"I meant it when I said I wanted to try things the Slytherin way." - she smiled seductively.
"Careful, Hermione Granger. You may suddenly find yourself in it too deep to get out if you change your mind." - he licked his lips before continuing. "But I suppose it is not the first time that the Gryffindor princess has broken the rules for her own benefit. I remember a few years ago having to cook a very specific reversible potion for someone who had an accident playing with polyjuice potion."
Damn it! She always suspected that he knew she had stolen ingredients from his stock and made polyjuice potion in her second year. But as they were smart enough to cover their tracks, he was never able to prove and therefore punish them. She took a deep breath.
"I suppose we're still on a date, so you're just Severus Snape." - she squinted her eyes in his direction.
He nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"Yes, I stole from your stocks and brewed a polyjuice potion efficient enough to..."
"I knew it!" - he interrupted her punching the table. "Tell me exactly how you did it and what went wrong. I never believed in your story that the sheets of the book were stuck together and you mixed two recipes into one."
"Harry and Ron distracted you during class and I snuck into the stock closet and grabbed the missing ingredients. My only problem was that the hair I used in my potion was actually cat hair and not human hair. However, I would like to make it very clear that my potion worked perfectly for..." - she stopped for a moment uncertain whether to proceed. "At that time, we thought Draco was Slytherin's heir and that he had opened the chamber of secrets. We were investigating."
"Well, it wasn't the first time that the Sherlock Holmes trio suspected someone who wasn't ultimately to blame, was it?" - he had an accusatory tone.
"Lucius Malfoy plotted everything; we were not that far away." - she got slightly irritated. "I almost died because of that, let's change the subject."
"Exactly. You almost died and the Ministry did nothing. However, you blindly follow whatever you are instructed to do as long as it is under the premise of 'following the rules."
Were they fighting? It felt more like an argument than a conversation and she didn't like it. Them being together was supposed to be something that would relieve their stress, not cause more headaches.
"Sherlock Holmes? Your knowledge of muggle literature amazes me." - she tried to change the subject. "I never had you for the type who reads crime novels."
"I'm a box full of surprises." - he provoked laughing.
"Speaking of muggle literature... Are you familiar with the myth of Pandora's box?"
Snape let out a long, almost musical laugh. This answered her question. The idea that he was a box of "surprises" that when opened would unleash all the evils in the world seemed to amuse him. They returned their attention to the meal and the mood seemed considerably more pleasant after they returned to the natural state of banter.
"Plans for Christmas break?" - he asked, clearing his throat.
"I was planning to attend Professor Slughorn's Christmas party on the evening of the 23rd and on the 24th I would take the train to my parents'. Why?"
"I thought maybe," - he looked hesitant – "we could spend an entire night together. It's kind of uncomfortable having to worry every time about the time you have to go back to the dorm or if someone will end up catching you leaving my office."
"We can think of something." - Hermione replied happily. "Unless... Have you already thought of something?"
"We can spend the holiday together." - he blushed and Hermione thought about how the red cheeks suited him. "Or at least a few days, if you want to go to your parents' later on..."
"Sounds like a plan. I will tell Harry and Ron that I am going to spend the holiday with my parents and to them I will say that I have monitor duties to do in the first week and I can visit them after the new year', before the school term begins."
"Do you know why I was talking about Earth Magic with you today at dinner?" - he asked, breathing hard.
"Severus," - Hermione said ripping the socks off her feet – "I didn't want to argue with you at dinner," - she helped him unfasten his belt – "and now even less." - she finished turning her back so that he could unzip her dress.
"I felt that day," - he explained, running his hand over her bare back – "on my feet, when you used Earth Magic." - he rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "And I feel it every time we are... Like this."
She slid the straps of the dress over her shoulders and then the entire piece over her hips. She sat on the bed wearing only her knickers.
"You have so much potential, I feel like you're at the edge when we're together. It wouldn't be hard for you to channel that energy in your favor. And I know you made your choice regarding the war..."
"We agreed not to talk about it." - she interrupted him.
"So, I ask you for permission to talk about it, just this once."
She nodded. He didn't expect her to agree so easily and he couldn't seem to find the right words to express what he meant.
"What keeps you from trying?" - he asked. "In addition to the Ministry's denial."
"What if I suck and can't do anything?" - she sighed crossing her arms over her bare breasts.
Snape controlled himself not to laugh at her reasons. He was literally kneeling in front of her, informing her that she possessed a power that most wizards and witches would kill to achieve and she was afraid it would not be enough. Hermione Granger was a very fascinating witch.
"What do you have to lose?"
"My pride and dignity?" - her eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't lie that day; I really can't help you. But I can at least act as an encourager, because I believe you." - he held her face, using his thumb to wipe a tear that fell on her cheek.
Then he got up and turned over to the pile of papers on the tea table by the fireplace. Finding the piece of parchment he was looking for, he turned to her and handed it.
"It's a signed form to check out from the Restricted Section of the library the two volumes that the school has on Earth Magic. They are books from the last century and they are probably dated, but I think they would be a good start."
Her eyes scanned the information on the parchment and she looked up at him with shining eyes. Whether it was because of the tears or what he had done, Snape did not know.
"Thank you, Severus." - she said folding the form and sighing. "Now... where were we?"
Snape was not wrong to think that the books would be dated.
"Witches should not do jobs that require a lot of intellect. The accumulation of blood in their belly, which is preparing to receive a wizard's seed, leaves too little of the fluid running in the rest of the body and consequently in their head. So they cannot think straight and should not be blamed for failing to achieve the same results as a wizard, even in the simplest of tasks."
Hermione doubted that she could find a text more old-fashioned than these books. The only usable part of the entire content of the books was a short chapter on the four elements of nature and the predominance of the Earth element over the other three. In the middle of the page there was a triangular figure that showed water, fire and air at each vertex of the shape and the earth in the center, as a point of conversion and consequently of expansion. To attract the power of the Earth and channel it in the form of magic, it was necessary to master the other three elements equally.
She started taking notes. She decided that she would at least try to work Earth Magic, but first, she needed a north. At the top of the parchment, she began to write down all the topics she thought necessary to research for a better understanding of this part of the four elements. The rest was bullshit and she wouldn't pay any attention, at least for now. The first thing she would do was to have a conversation with Professor Firenze about astrology. Hermione was a Virgo and in the astrological view of the four elements this was a sign that fell under the spectrum of the element Earth. Could this have to do with the fact that she can channel magic from the Earth? She was never a fan of the Divination subject, but as far as the subject's curriculum was concerned, astrology was the aspect she most accepted as possible to be clearly studied.
"Hey Granger!" - a soft voice called to her and she looked up to see Cormac McLaggen throw himself on the sofa next to her.
"Hey." - she replied turning her attention to the parchment. She folded what she had already written and tucked it inside the book, she didn't want to give him any reason to question her about that.
"It's rather hard to get you alone lately..." - he commented casually and Hermione gathered all her strength not to roll her eyes.
"I'm very busy studying, speaking of which I need to go to the library." - she stood up.
"Wait a second." - he grabbed her wrist. "I have something to ask you... Are you attending the Slug Club Christmas feast?"
"Yes." - she replied, turning her wrist slightly and he understood the cue, letting go.
"With someone?" - he raised his eyebrows.
Damn it! She had thought of inviting Ron, but with his thing with Lavender getting so serious he would never accept it. The idea now was to ask Harry, although she also thought that with Ginny being single now and him so obviously into her... Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
"Alone." - she sighed.
"Would you like to go with me?" - he asked, blushing slightly.
For a moment she felt a little sorry for him. Cormac seemed to be working hard and she was not the type of girl who had a line of boys asking her to be their date at any kind of festivity. However, she was almost sure that Snape would attend the dinner and that even if the two had nothing that could be displayed in public... She would not like to see him accompanied by someone.
"Yes, we may go together. As friends." - she made sure to clarify it before leaving the common room through the portrait hole.
Author's notes:
Hermione Granger's birthday is September 19, if anyone is curious. This information is relevant for two reasons: the first being her zodiac sign, which in my story will have an interesting role and the second to indicate that at this time in history (November 1996) she is of age and therefore her relationship with Snape does not face any legal issues. The birthday of the vast majority of Harry Potter characters is available for consultation either at Pottermore or other websites; more relevant dates will be revealed as the story goes.
Although I have nothing against (and even consume) fanfictions with the theme of BDSM and sub/dom relationships this is not the case here. The title of this chapter was thought strictly in the moral, not sexual, aspect of the shades of grey.
I am very excited about the direction that Earth Magic is taking in the story. What are you thinking? Leave a comment! xx