Challenges
The Three Broomsticks
Hermione was standing in Rons and Katja's bathroom, preparing her self to what she thought was going to be a difficult evening. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress over-the-knee with a small split on her right leg and simple black over-robes. With skilled hand she applied a little make-up, not much, just enough to emphasise her strong points, namely her eyes and her skin and disguise her weaker points.
"Going on a date, dearie?" The mirror asked.
"Not even close to it" replied Hermione while applying a natural shade of lipstick.
"Oh… well…, because if you were I would advise to wear something a little bit more, daring, you know… more… sexy"
"I didn't ask you for advice did I? And besides, the last thing I want is the person whom I'm meeting tonight to find me even remotely attractive" Hermione told the mirror sternly.
She always had to laugh about this mirror, for some reason it's voice reminded her strongly of her grandmother, a grand old dame who had sadly passed away the year she graduated from Hogwarts.
"Good, because if I didn't know any better I'd think you are going on a date" George's voice came from the door opening.
Hermione stifled a laugh. "George, I'm only going to try to convince the man to save the world, now in my experience that works better if I'm well-dressed, feeling good about myself and certain about my case, allow me have at least one out of three. Besides, this outfit also forces him to see me as twenty eight instead of seventeen"
"Feeling queasy about meeting your least favourite Hogwarts Professor?" informed George.
'Oh, he's not my least favourite, Sybill Trelawny wins that race by miles, but he's a good second… And yes, I feel a bit nervous, but that is only because I expect him to start sneering and shouting "Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger" at me, the moment I walk into the Three Broomsticks".
"Don't worry you'll do fine, you're as scholarly as he is and he may look down on us, ordinary scum of the earth, but he can't look down on Hermione Granger, our own Doctor in Chemistry, Potions and Charms, and a very attractive woman at that" George grinned.
"Thanks George, but you'd even flirt with Hedwig, given a chance" Hermione said smiling.
"Who me!? Never! That hurts Hermione… You know I am a happily married man, I'd never flirt with another woman!…" he said quasi insulted.
"But I can tell them the truth…" he added with a wicked grin.
"Yeah yeah, you'd better wish me luck, I'll need it" Hermione said while stepping out of the bathroom.
"Good Luck, lass" said Fred while giving her a bear hug.
"Yeah, better don't send him our regards, I think he still hasn't forgiven us for turning him into a yellow canary in our graduation year" added George.
"Good Luck Hermione, see you tomorrow at breakfast, or perhaps not" grinned Draco.
"Will you stop it! The thought of even being near Snape makes my stomach turn, and not in a good way!" she exclaimed.
"Don't worry Herm he's just winding you up" said Ginny while she gave Hermione a good-bye hug.
"Yeah, probably he's jealous that he can't sit at one table with Snape and slime his way up the social ladder" Harry grinned.
"Watch it Potty!"
"Or what, you'll threaten to cuddle him to death?" asked Ron grinning.
"C'mon Malfoy, everybody knows you are just a real big blonde puppy…" he added.
"Yes, and a sick puppy at that" concluded Hermione.
"Anyway, I'm going, see you tomorrow at breakfast, and no Malfoy, I do not wish to hear anymore stomach churning jokes from you" she said, and with that last statement she disappeared, only to reappear just in front of the Three Broomsticks. It was 3 minutes to nine.
"Too bad, I just thought of a few pretty good ones" Draco smirked to no one in particular.
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Hermione walked inside and looked around, it didn't take her too long to spot professor Snape at a table in the corner, close to the fire. True to him self, he was all dressed in black, sipping something that looked like a good, single malt Whisky.
From where she was standing she could not see the difference between a cheap blend and for example a Laphroigh, if she saw any difference at all. But for some reason Snape and drinking anything less than an expensive quality was an image that clashed with the mental image she had of him.
She looked at him for a moment without letting him know that she was there. He looked different, older of course, though time had not entirely been unkind to him. His hair was shorter, as befitting a man of nearly fifty, and though it still was raven black, she could see a little grey at his temples. There were some extra lines on his face and while she thought they might have looked interesting on another man, they only pronounced the eternal sneer around his mouth and the cold blackness of his eyes.
She took a deep breath and walked up to him.
"Good evening Professor" she said firmly.
He stood up and although she was quite tall for a woman, he towered over her and thus enhancing the intimidating effect. Slowly he took her outstretched hand and shook it with his cold slender fingers. Hermione had to control herself not to pull her hand back the moment he touched her fingers.
"Miss Granger…or should I say… Doctor Granger?" He spoke softly, whispered almost and his voice still sounded as black velvet, dark and suffocating. Dark eyes piercing into hers.
"Hermione will do, professor" she replied.
He smirked. "Very well, miss Granger it is then" Snape said.
*Well that was a good start* She thought and suppressed the urge to turn on her heals and walk away from the arrogant bastard.
"Miss Granger, have you had dinner already?" he murmured when they were seated.
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"Well, I do not know what you think, but unlike the rumour goes, I cannot live on air and the taste of young maidens blood get tiresome after a while. However I refuse to study and discuss ancient documents, higher magic and the future welfare of the world when I'm sober and on an empty stomach, so therefore the question whether you had eaten or not. I was trying to offer you a meal, really it's not that difficult…" he sneered.
A vague smile curled her lips, indeed she had heard the rumours about Snape being a vampire and the image of him turning into a bat and flying around the halls of Hogwarts had given Harry, Ron and herself a good laugh many times.
"Professor, I thought many things of you when I was younger, and honestly I tried to forget all those things, including their very well founded reasons why I thought them, when I got older, completely unsuccessful if I might add, but seriously thinking you were a vampire was never among them". Hermione said, trying to get over her initial aversion of having dinner with Snape.
"Very well, because I must warn you before we open negotiations…I'm nothing as innocent as a vampire" he said ominously and when Hermione saw the look in his eyes she knew he was not joking.
She took a deep breath "All right, I'll take you up on that meal offer, but I'm afraid that for drinks I'll need something stronger than butterbeer, after your last statement I feel like I'm making a pact with the devil" Hermione said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh it is nothing as simple as that "Dr." Granger. A pact with the devil just means that your life is very pleasurable while you are alive, it is the afterlife that is…troublesome. While we… we are making a pact against the devil, which will of course make our lives hell on earth, but at least we'll get rewarded in the afterlife". Severus smirked.
"That is of course if you believe in such things", he murmured, after which he ordered two glasses of 18 year old single malt Islay whisky. Funny enough, the only sentence that Hermione could think of was:
* Single malt, I was right!* but she wisely kept her mouth shut.
"I don't believe in heaven or hell, I am a humanist" she stated instead.
"Oh believe, Miss Granger, I don't know about heaven, but hell exists, trust me, I've been there". He said softly.
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They had finished their meal, a bottle of wine, and were now on their third cognac, during which Hermione had explained the background story of her project. She could see at the expression on his face that he was intrigued.
"So, do tell me, Miss Granger… which theories have you developed concerning this document and how… did you decipher it. And if you have time later this evening I'd like to see your formula, and the original document" he said, not unfriendly.
Severus knew he was being very demanding, but he had to know every little detail about this manuscript. If Granger was right… perhaps he would get a chance to finally silence the demons in his head and let the dead rest in peace. Mercifully she was intelligent enough to understand his questions and patient enough to explain everything he needed to know.
Hermione recognised the hunger for knowledge in him, something she was known for herself during all the years of her study. And of course, it was nice to talk to someone whose line of thinking was close to her own; always one step ahead, when it came to science anyway. Perhaps it was the amount of alcohol in her blood - something she wasn't used to anymore, not since she was promoted at university and the manuscript project received the "green light" so to speak - but she almost enjoyed this evening so far.
"So the document was written in the Old Tongue" he asked.
"Some version of it, I believe it is "Danoii Shidhe" or some Fae tribe if you like"
Severus did not correct her, although he wanted to box her ears with her insensitive "some Fae tribe" statement. Fae tribe… ha! But there was no time now to explain all the delicate racial differences of the people who lived in England, Scotland and Ireland long before the Celts did. Later he would tell her, but not now.
"And you translated all the ingredients right?" he asked instead.
"I believe so…"
Severus got a little irritated, believing was something you did in a god, goddess, humankind or nothing, and not a word he liked to be used in science.
"I do not care what you believe in Miss Granger, I need to be absolutely certain. I have no time and no need for foolish beliefs, now did or didn't you translate the ingredients right?" he asked impatiently.
The tone of his questioning went quickly downhill, too quickly as far as Hermione was concerned.
*Ah, back to the old professor we all know and love again, the difference this time is that I am no longer his student* she thought, anger glittering in her eyes.
*And it's about time he found out*
"Look professor, I know you don't like me, and believe me, the feeling is entirely mutual, but I at least ask you to respect my professional opinion. I have spent four year researching this document, and I know I am very thorough, very good, and also very precise at what I do. I told you everything I know, everything I have researched. Obviously it is not enough, otherwise the bloody potion would work, that is where I'd like your expertise to come in, nothing more, nothing less… and I certainly don't want any lectures from you in which you treat me as unknowing little student of yours" She said furiously.
He looked coldly at her, she thought this was personal???, such arrogance…
"You are right Doctor Granger, I do not like you. I do not like you any more than I like any other wizard or muggle, which is not much, but just for your information, I not like many people.
I do like my privacy, being alone, without being disturbed with trivial things by a woman or friends. I am a man who prefers the company of a simmering cauldron, Chopin, a good whisky and my own intellect. However, the fact that you and I do not like each other is irrelevant in this matter. I admire the work you are trying to do here, but before I give you my professional opinion I need to know every single detail you can give me. Which is something you should understand as a scientist, since we share a mutual interest in the same science, do you understand that!?" he sneered.
Hermione was confused, did he just give her a compliment and an ear bashing in one?
"Well…it seems that interesting times are ahead, if we start working together. Let's play it safe and both get ourselves a life insurance" Snape murmured softly after a while.
"So that means you'll do it?" she asked hopefully
"It means I'll think about it…right now I need to go back to my dimly lit quarters and ponder everything that has been said tonight". He replied.
Something about that little lecture he just gave her was bugging her. It came as no surprise that did not have a wife or family, but no friends except for Dumbledore perhaps… She could not imagine her life without friends, and honestly, she didn't want to.
"Professor, can I ask you an honest question?"
"I mean…O forget it, it's really none of my business" she said softly.
Snape looked at her intently and raised one eyebrow.
"It's quite all right Miss Granger, I suppose you are old enough to ask an honest question and get an honest answer to that question"
She looked at him.
"Don't you ever get lonely?" she blurted out.
He was silent and didn't look at her
He ordered another round of drinks and waited until Rosmerta handed it to them.
He took a sip and looked at Hermione,
"I have a feeling it may take a while before we get used to each other, let alone be able to work together, however I promised you an answer" he sighed.
"Yes, I do get lonely, not very often, but sometimes I do get lonely… I suppose you are just as surprised as I am that I am telling you this, but let's just blame it on an abundant amount of alcohol, shall we?" he softly said.
"And since we are being honest with each other, I have been… informed that you questioned my… reliability, please, do explain…" he said. And when she looked into his eyes she saw hints of pain and anger in them, but most of all, a cold, black void…
Hermione was silent, she simply did not know what to say, her anger had melted away and she really did not want to answer that question at this moment.
"Very well, the answer will have to wait till another time then, I think I know most of what I need to know anyway. Before I give you my answer and the conditions on which I work, I'd like to have a look at the document, do you have it here?"
"No… I gave it to Dumbledore to keep for me…" she said.
"You'll have to go without sleep for a while then, at least until you can allow yourself to fall down on the bed in the Hogwarts guestroom. I must say I am rather curious, after all you've told me... Tell me, have your flying skills improved since you last attended Hogwarts?"
"No… not really" she said hesitantly.
"Fine we'll just have take my broom then, follow me" he said as he stood up and with billowing robes walked to the door without looking back if she was really following him.
"Damn him!" Hermione muttered as she stood up, and apparated just outside the Three Broomsticks.
*I will not follow him, not now, not ever* she thought murderously and she walked up to where Snape was waiting, holding his broomstick.
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Em
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