Chapter 33: A Most Unfortunate Bloke
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
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Hermione Granger's Residence, Unknown Location, Muggle World...
While Ellie had been excited about the prospect of spending time with her father, Hermione had been quite weary. She had never left her daughter in anyone's care for more than a few hours and found the idea quite stressful. Severus Snape had been such a big part of her life three years prior but she hardly knew anything about the man whom had sired her daughter, the rose colored glasses in which she lived her young life had long been removed in the wake of adulthood and recovery following the second wizarding war's end. Hermione found herself pregnant and lacking any direction following that night with Severus and nursing a broken heart in the aftermath. Still, despite what she endured due to rejection, she never said any harsh word about the man whom had given her a daughter. Looking at him now and taking note of the seemingly resigned notion of age and exhaustion that filed across his sallow pale face, she realized she had not known much about him at all. Often he had accused her of subjecting him to her school girl fantasies and he had been right all things considered. Truth be told she had been so caught up in the notion that he had been rather heroic in his subtle efforts during the war a far better counterpart to that brazen arrogant fool Lockhart that she had found herself swooning over during her second year just as all the young girls had upon meeting him.
Of course it was Severus Snape that exposed what a self-absorbed, bumbling buffoon, the rather dashing looking wizard had been.
She recalled it all too well, the moment Lockhart hit the ground during their dueling session and how he coward when faced with a true threat when Snape himself had met it full on. He and Lockhart could not have been further from each other as far as an ideal speciman of heroic stock had been considered but only Snape had the qualities of a man of worth. The subtle shift in what Hermione had deemed an attractive trait in a man had come to light then. Finding out that Severus Snape had not only been a Potions Professor worth his merit in brews but he had been a spy for the Order Of Phoenix and a constant protector for Harry Potter and by extention herself and Ron Weasley.
Even now, she admired him. Thought the sadness she felt the day she awoke and he'd left her alone and heartbroken remained. She buried it all for the sake of the unborn daughter she later found he had managed to impregnate her with. The only tangible proof that the night prior had been real and for a moment, all of the death and suffering had come to an end even after the dust settled and the bodies were collected.
Severus had not been himself that day.
Given to drink and sorrow most profound. It was only via Harry's insistance that he had not been rounded up and arrested with the other death eaters. He managed to survive the bite from Nagini preperation and resolve had a good deal to do with it of course. Hermione had done her best to keep him calm, the guilt and fury seemed to weigh heavily upon him as he continued to spiral further into a state where even those that knew of him could hardly recognize him.
She had initally intended to comfort him but the manipulative nature of the situation on both their parts got the better of them.
"Mommy?" said Ellie breaking her mother from her appearent trance.
Hermione turned her attention to her daughter as the echoes of the night she'd been concived faded into the deepest recesses of her memory.
"I expect you to be on your best behavior for your father." Hermione warned changing the subject.
"I will Mommy." promised Ellie feeling rather grateful to get to spend the weekend with her father. "You won't have to worry, I'll be with Daddy."
Hermione sighed.
She had yet to come to terms with the fact that her ex-lover had ventured his way back into her life after a long three year absence.
Snape remained silent as Hermione set about making preperations for her trip and for the household in her absence. She ensured Snape knew every detail of Ellie's schedule and every prank and gesture she'd attempt in the wake of boredom.
The dour wizard had been well aware of his daughter's antics but listened to the mother of his child none the less. Being able to assume some control over the situation had been a means of the young witch staving off stress and he had not been of the mind to rob her of such a thing. Harry continued to glare at him from across the room with his arms folded across his chest in much the same manner Snape use to when at Hogwarts. He had the tell tale signs of mistrust behind his emerald green eyes as well as the thin veil of contempt. When he found out the man whom had been in love with his mother had slept with his best friend and left her pregnant, it seemed to equate a whole new level of betrayal.
Snape did his best not to cause any trouble. His relatively resigned nature brought forth more questions about his motives than it eased the minds of the two most iconic Gryffindors he'd ever known.
His experiances as Sidney Sinclair brought about significant changes in him that he knew not how to explain. His understanding of having hurt Hermione had been at the forefront of his mind, making him no better than Sidney who's cowardice would have caused his family great good deal of pain.
Briefly, his mind recalled Sinclair's long suffering version of Hermione and the selfish antics that he unleashed upon her for the simple act of loving him. He had no intention of repeating those mistakes with Hermione here in the present and current timeline.
"You can't touch a drop of alcohol while you are here." said Hermione continuing her ramblings of dos and don'ts while she is away.
Snape nodded in agreement.
He'd been overindulging far too much as it was.
"Personal guests are not permited..." she continued.
Snape had not objected to that either, he had not been much for company before the events that lead him to Hermone's door step.
"Fine by me." he replied still in the samed resigned demeanor she had become curious about. "I simply wish to enjoy my time with my daughter."
Ellie rushed over to him again clinging to his hand and giggling at the entire exchange. Snape simply stood his ground and allowed her to amuse herself. Hermione took note of the admiration he seemed to have for their little girl with something of a hint of approval mixed in.
"Be mindful of her Severus." warned Hermione. "She isn't one of your students and is quite young so she will call for your attention whither you like it or not."
Snape continued to watch Ellie zip about the kitchen. He had known all too well what Hermione had been refering to but kept silent about it.
"It will be as you say." he replied in a bid to put her mind at ease.
Hermione had nothing more to add as she moved about packing for the weekend and ensuring Ellie had dinner and was soon to be dressed for bed. Snape remained in the kitchen, he stood along a far wall with his arms folded across his chest and glanced at the clock for what seemed like hours. Harry had been watching him. As mistrustful as always and the contempt returning to the surface. The dour wizard knew it was a matter of time before the questions came.
"Why Hermione?" asked Harry glaring at his former Potions Professor.
Snape turned his attention to the now adult version of The Boy Who Lived. He had not changed all that much, his messy brown locks had some length to them and he grew a rather amusing bit of facial hair. He still remained quite small compared to most of the boys whom had gone through Hogwarts and short in stature still compared to the man whom had once been his Professor.
"Are you still incapable of speaking in complete sentences, Potter?" asked Snape in something of a bored tone.
"Stop changing the subject Snape." hissed Harry in annoyance. "You know what I'm asking."
"I see, you are under the impression that it was a voluntary choice." replied Snape. "At the time it was as manipulative as it gets...I was not myself and neither was she."
"You left her without a word." said Harry making it clear that his contempt had not been forgotten. "She had to go through her pregnancy alone!"
Snape sighed.
"What do you want from me Potter?" he asked clearly as weary as he had ever been. "I was not myself and for that I am subject to a lifetime of regret, mentally I wasn't aware that it had been Miss Granger that I had taken to bed when in search of a distraction...had I known..."
"Had you known what?" asked Harry wishing to hear the truth for once.
"I might not have been so quick to part with her." replied Snape turning his attention back to the clock.
The regret in the older man's tone had caught Harry's attention as he came to a stunning realization on his own part.
"You're in love with her." he said caught off guard. "Why did you leave?"
Snape took a few moments to supress a passing memory of Hermione Sinclair.
"What does it matter?" he asked once more resigned in his demanor. "One cannot change the past."
For the first time in three years, Harry Potter had begun to feel quite sorry for the seemingly ever brooding wizard. It reminded him of when he found out that Snape was in love with his mother and only seemed to make the situation all the worse.
"I'm sorry." said Harry realizing his hostility might have been a bit too much given what he knew now.
"So am I." replied Snape as he made his way out of the kitchen to sit alone on the sofa in the sitting room.
As he left, Harry Potter had come to the conclusion that Severus Snape was the most unfortunate bloke he'd ever known when it came to love. Then again, he'd been most unfortunate when it came to anything else as well.