Hello everyone! I can't believe this story got 100 follows so quickly. Thank you everyone who has supported this story. It truly does mean a lot. In this Chapter we see Severus thoughts this time. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.
Severus Snape walked down the cobble stone street alone and with his head in the clouds. All he had been thinking about for the past ten minutes was seeing Ms. Granger in his potion's shop. It shocked him to say the least. He thought for sure she would have a job high up in the ministry with how smart she was. He also was surprised to see her living so close to his shop. After she left, he casted a spell to see where she apparated. It showed him a small apartment only a few blocks away. He had so many questions that he wanted to ask her, but the one he wanted to know most was who was the child? Obviously by how she was holding the child it was hers, but who was the father? The length and color of the hair surprised him. He expected the child to be a Weasley, but he was for sure that by the look of the child she was not. He continued to walk down the street heading towards her apartment. Maybe he'll stop by and explain things to her. He didn't like how quick she apparated away from him. He didn't get a chance to explain himself.
He thought back to the job he was offering and he made up his mind. If she wanted to work for him after they talked things through then he would offer it to her. He wasn't her professor any longer and he trusted her expertise when it came to making potions. The question he had in his mind about offering the job to her was could he get along with her? He wasn't sure about that. He was headstrong and bitter. There was no denying that. Even after given his second chance at life he was quick to anger and he knew she was stubborn as well. He hoped they could find a way to get along. A little part of him wanted her to work for him. She was smart and could help him with his research that he had been working on. He also found her attractive. She hadn't aged a day since the war ended and she was even more beautiful. He wouldn't admit that to her of course.
He finally reached where he was heading to. He was in front of a large building that had apartments. His spell told him where she was, but not exactly which apartment was hers. He walked onto the terrace and saw a billboard with a list of names along with their apartment numbers. He scanned the billboard and saw her name along with the apartment number. He walked down to the end of the hallway and reached her apartment door. He fidgeted slightly, trying to get himself calm before knocking on her door. He was rehearsing in his head what he was going to say once she answered the door. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of her.
He cleared his throat and lifted up his arm. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for her to answer the door. A few minutes went by and finally the door cracked open. He saw her staring at him in confusion. Before she can speak he beat her to it.
"Good morning Ms. Granger. I didn't like how we left things between us back at my shop, so I thought it would be best to talk this through. May I come in?" He asked her, being as polite as he could. He didn't know why he was being so nice to her, but by the way she was looking at him, almost as if she was blaming him for something, made his sour attitude evaporate. He didn't want to start off on the wrong foot.
She lowered her eyes from his penetrating gaze. "I don't know Professor. This was a mistake I think." Seeing him at her door made her nervous. She didn't think she can handle talking to him now knowing he was alive. Where is your Gryffindor courage Hermione? He just wants to talk to you. She swallowed down her nerves and looked back up into his eyes. "Just for a few minutes Professor my child is sleeping after all." She opened the door wider and allowed him to come in.
He entered her home and found it to be very homey. It suited her well. "You have a very nice home Ms. Granger. It suits you very well, but I am surprised that you are living in such a small apartment like this. Why is that?"
She closed the door behind her and turned back to him. She saw him scrutinizing her house and she waited for him to say something nasty about it. Instead he almost complemented her, which left her in shock. He never compliments me. "I live in an apartment because it was cheaper than the houses around here. I couldn't afford the payments and it has suited my needs very well for the past 3 years. Without a job you do what you have to do." Her voice trailed off in sadness. She hated that she had to live in such a small apartment. She wanted room for more books, she wanted a nook, she wanted so many things and she didn't see it ever happening to her. All because of my hormones. She scowled slightly in anger at the memory again.
He nodded slowly at her, feeling bad that he brought it up. He followed her into her living room and she motioned towards the couch. He took a seat on her couch and she sat down in her arm chair.
"How did you find me Professor? Where did you know where I lived?" She asked hesitantly. She knew there were so many better questions she could have asked, but that one was at the front of her mind since she saw him in front of her door.
He sat back against the cushion, making himself comfortable. He knew there talking was going to get harder than this and he wanted to be prepared for it. "I tracked your apparition when you apparated away and it showed me your apartment building. To find the number of your apartment I had to read the billboard out front. I wanted to come find you and explain myself as quickly as possible. Also, since I am no longer your professor, don't call me that."
"Then what do you suggest I call you, sir?" She asked.
"Based on our circumstances you can call me Severus if you like, especially if we are to be working together."
Her eyes lit up. She was happy and shocked that he was still offering her the job. "You want me to work for you? I thought you wouldn't want to after seeing who I was."
He cleared his throat, hating that he had to explain his reasoning to her. He had to compliment her. There was no other way to explain it to her. "You are, in fact, great at potions. I trust your expertise and judgment when it comes to potion making." He watched as her eyes lit up again by his sentiment. Silly chit is shocked by my admittance? She should know how smart she is.
Her eyes filled with tears, happy that she finally found a job. Her three years of searching had finally ended. "Thank you Severus so much. I accept your job offer. I would love to work for you."
"Why are you crying then Ms. Granger? If you don't want to accept the job, then don't. Don't force yourself to work for me." He was confused by her tears. He didn't understand why she started to cry again and it made him uncomfortable.
"I'm not crying because of that Severus. I'm crying because I'm happy. I was desperate to find a job for years, but no one would hire me because of my circumstances." She wiped her tears with her wrist and smiled at him thankfully.
"Why would no one hire you? You had a bright future ahead of you. Where did it go wrong?" He asked slowly. He wasn't sure he should be asking these questions. It's her business after all. "Don't answer that if you don't want to," he quickly added.
"It's because of my child, Severus. There is no one to watch her if I accept a job. Do you still want me to work for you if my child has to come to work with me? I know it's not ideal and I know it's not safe, but it's the only way I can work." She lowered her eyes from his gaze, bracing herself for another disappointment. Of course he wouldn't want a child in his shop. Making potions you need diligence. You can't get distracted by anything.
"Why do you not have anyone to watch her? Molly can do it or how about your parents," he suggested, not knowing what happen between them.
"I don't talk to the Weasley's anymore." She left it at that, not wanting to really get into it. "My parents on the other hand are still missing," she admitted sadly. "I tried to find them after the war in Australia, I even went to the police, but they couldn't find them either."
"I am sorry to hear about your parents. I know this may be none of my business, but Weasley is a fool if he pushed you away."
She gave him a watery smile, happy to see that someone is on her side. "Thank you, Severus. Harry and Ron no longer talk to me actually. Neither does Ginny. I've been on my own for three years."
"Why do they no longer talk to you? I thought the Golden Trio would stick together even after the war. You three have been through a lot." It was out of character for him to act like this, but he honestly cared for her. He was angry that she was left alone by her friends.
"Ron felt betrayed when I told him I was pregnant. Harry was also upset. They kicked me out of the house and they haven't spoke to me ever since. Harry is now an auror in the Ministry and Ron is a Quidditch player. It's bitter sweet reading the headlines about their accomplishments. They moved on without me it seems, but that's okay. I don't need them." Her words came out bitterly. She was, in fact, bitter by their success. It wasn't fair that they pushed her away and left her to fend by herself, while they got great jobs. She was struggling to make ends meet and not once they cared enough to reach out to her. Not even Ginny or any of the Weasley clan even bothered to talk to her. She didn't understand what she did that was so wrong. So what she got pregnant? Sure she didn't plan for it to happen, but it was a mistake.
"Your friends are idiots then Ms. Granger." He wanted to help her as much as he could. "I am still offering you the job if you want it. I know it might be difficult with your child, but we can make the store a little larger using magic of course. We can make an area just for your child to play in. I want to help you as much as I can Ms. Granger."
Her eyes widen at his sentiment. He wants to help me? He doesn't even know that the child he is talking about is his. Why does he want to help me so much? I annoyed him at school and I know he didn't like me very much, yet he's offering a job and even changing his shop just so I can bring Sabrina with me. This man is truly amazing. "Thank you Severus so much. I know I was annoying at school and I know you didn't exactly like me either, but thank you for doing all this for me. I appreciate it so much. You have no idea how much this can change my life."
"Someone gave me a second chance at life Hermione. I was ready to end it all. I was ready to die in that shrieking shack, but Dumbledore had other plans. When I died Hermione I appeared in a buffer zone. I wasn't alive, but I wasn't dead either. Dumbledore was there to talk me through it. I had two choices. He offered me door number one where I can choose to end my life or I can take door number two and live again. I can have a life where I didn't have to answer to anyone. I can do whatever I please. I never got a chance to live life the way I wanted to. It was always because of some ulterior motive behind it, but now I am free Hermione. The Dark Lord is gone and I no longer am stuck at Hogwarts teaching anymore. I was given a second chance and I think you deserve a happy life as well. You didn't deserve to be treated the way your friends treated you. You deserved to live a happy life after the war. Everyone did. We all went through so much and deserved a break from it all, but you were never given that. I am sorry for what you went through." He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She started to cry as he spoke to her.
She wiped her tears using the handkerchief he offered her. "Where did you go once you got another chance, Severus?" She didn't want to talk about her life anymore.
"When I went through the second door I was at a healer's house. I was in a coma for a year from my injuries. The healer didn't think I would ever wake up and she didn't want to send me to St. Mungo's because she didn't know how they would react to a past Death Eater in their hospital. When I woke up, she started to nurse me back to health. I wasn't able to speak at the beginning. My vocal cords were damaged by the snake attack. She fed me potions and after a few months I was able to talk again. She also helped me gain my strength back. A few more months went by and I decided that I couldn't stay there anymore. It wasn't fair to her. So, I ended up leaving her house and I was out into the real world again. At first I didn't know where to go. I ended up taking a vacation and traveling around the world. I visited the America's and I even went to Australia. Taking that vacation helped me find my way and it cleared my mind. When I returned to London, I found that shop abandoned and with a for sale sign. I patched it back up and I opened up my potion store and that is where I've been ever since."
"I'm glad you were given a second chance, Severus. It wasn't fair the life you were given, but now you are able to move on. People still think you are dead Severus. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I think you should let the world know that you are alive. No one sees you as a Death Eater anymore. In fact everyone thinks you are a war hero. Harry let everyone know after you died whose side you were really on. Some people mourned your death because of it."
He scowled angrily. He didn't want people to know he was alive. He liked his solitude and he didn't need to be plagued by reporters or "fans." "I know what you're trying to say Hermione, but I like my solitude. I don't want to be swarmed by reporters asking about my whereabouts. I especially don't need fans or admirers either. I have been lucky so far with none of the wizards or witches who visit my shop saying anything to anyone. I am still able to keep my secret even though my business has been going really well, which is why I need a potion's assistant. At the beginning my shop wasn't well known at all. A few regulars would come by, but that was it. I eventually put out an anonymous ad about my store and it turned my shop into a success. I had so much work to do and when it's only yourself you eventually need another partner."
"Then I will be your partner then. What does the job consist of?" She asked with a smile. She was happy that they were talking about work and not about her life. She also was happy that she finally had a job.
"Well, I work Monday through Saturday. I open the shop at 9:00 A.M. and I work until around Noon. I close the shop for about an hour to go to lunch and I re-open the shop at 1:00 P.M. Then I close at 5:00 PM. Does that sound okay to you?"
She nodded in agreement. "Yes that sounds fine. Hopefully Sabrina will be okay at the shop for so long."
"If you want I can give you different times for your child's sake. If it gets to be too much just let me know. Now I know it's none of my business but this question has been bothering me since you came into my shop. Who is the father of your baby? By the color of the hair and by what you have told me it's definitely not a Weasley and I know it's not Potter."
She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by her daughter coming into the living room, clutching her bunny rabbit.