(A/N: Ok, I hope this has chapter is better, I did spend longer writing it.
Please review, guys!)
Disclaimer: Don't own it. None of the characters, but Severus Snape does own me. *Cough*
Chapter Two
Severus stood in his library, staring at the extensive collection of literature, both Muggle and magical. He traced the spine of his favorite volume, Shakespeare's Macbeth. Taking the book out of its place, he sat, and turned the well-worn pages lovingly. He identified with Macbeth. Look where Macbeth's ambitions had gotten him, look where his own had gotten him. Macbeth – a hell of rather more traditional proportions, and himself – a personal hell that he could not escape from. Severus sighed, and replaced the book. Last night he had taken Hermione Granger, drunk as hell, back to his house. She had passed out on a Muggle street corner, and before he saw who she was, he was planning on performing a simple charm on her to wake her up, and then set her on her way. When he realized that it was Hermione Granger, he realized that that would not work, so he took her back to his home, outside Hogsmeade. Severus had laid her on his couch, covered her with a blanket, and left her to sleep it off. He still wasn't sure how she would react when she woke up, and saw where she was.
He heard a noise at his fireplace, and turned around to see who had arrived. Albus Dumbledore straightened up, dusting the ash of his robes, and smiling at Severus. "Ah, Severus," he began, "I'm here to see Miss Granger."
If Severus was surprised that Albus knew where she was, he did not show it. "She's asleep, and she'll wake up with a nasty hangover, which is unlikely to make her receptive to questions."
"I'll wait, then."
Severus nodded his assent, and led the headmaster into his kitchen, and began to make a cup of tea. They sat at the table, in companionable silence, which was soon broken by the sound of a woman's gasp and yelp of fright. Severus smiled wryly at Albus. "Perhaps you'd better go, then," he said. "I've no doubt you're infinitely more comforting than I am."
Albus raised an eyebrow at him, and responded with a decided, "We'll both go."
Severus shrugged, and followed Albus out of the room into his living room, where Hermione was sitting up on his couch, holding her head in her hands. "Hermione," Albus said softly, "You are at Severus Snape's house, just outside Hogsmeade."
She looked up at the two of them, standing in front of her. "How much did I have to drink last night?" she asked, directing her question mainly to Severus.
"I can't be sure, but I know that you had a great deal more than you should have. I found you on a street corner, about two blocks away from a bar, at which I assumed you had spent most of your evening."
"How did you know there was a bar two blocks away, Professor?"
"I imagine for the same reasons you do, Miss Granger."
Albus broke up the little exchange, with a question for Hermione. "Hermione, I would like to ask a favor of you. As I am sure you remember, from your own school days, we do have trouble retaining Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, and I am here to offer you the position."
"I - "
"I know you have left your job at the Ministry, Hermione."
Hermione turned her face toward Severus, who watching them, his face impassive. She sighed inaudibly. She might as well, she supposed. It was not like she had anything else to do. "I would be honored, Professor."
Albus favored her with a smile. "Thank you, Hermione. And please call me Albus." He looked around the room for a moment. "Severus, perhaps I could use your owl?"
"Of course," the younger man said, and snapped his fingers. Almost instantly, a dark brown, magnificent owl flew into the room, and perched itself on Severus' arm. They waited in silence while Albus scrawled a few lines on a piece of parchment, and then handed it to Severus, who attached it to the owl's leg. "Silence, take this to Minerva McGonagall." Silence did not move. Severus sighed impatiently. "Now." The owl hooted indignantly, but flew out of the window in any case. Severus muttered something about damned headstrong owls, and Hermione repressed the urge to laugh.
Albus turned to Severus. "I must be off, old friend. I hope to see you soon." Turning to Hermione, he said: "Teachers must be at Hogwarts August 20th. I will see you then." At her nod, he disapparated.
Hermione sighed shakily after he was gone. Severus turned, and with a swish of his long black robes, left the room, only to return a moment later with a steaming cup. "Drink it," he said, holding the cup out to her. "It'll help your hangover and headache."
Hermione took the mug gratefully, and sipped. It tasted wonderful! She closed her eyes, savoring every drop. "What is this?" she asked. "It's delicious."
He smiled slightly. "It's a hangover potion, of my own invention. I find it works better than anything written about in books. And trust me, I should know."
Hermione accepted this statement without question, and continued to sip the hot, soothing liquid. She did not know what to say to her former teacher. "Erm…I suppose I should thank you, for…taking me in…I mean, I probably would have been raped or robbed if you hadn't been there. I just wanted you to know to that I appreciate it."
He nodded. "Don't mention it. I understand the need to get roaring drunk every once in awhile, especially after a loss."
She did not respond, and after a few minutes, Severus realized that she had fallen asleep. He crept from the room silently, being careful not to wake her.
Disclaimer: Don't own it. None of the characters, but Severus Snape does own me. *Cough*
Chapter Two
Severus stood in his library, staring at the extensive collection of literature, both Muggle and magical. He traced the spine of his favorite volume, Shakespeare's Macbeth. Taking the book out of its place, he sat, and turned the well-worn pages lovingly. He identified with Macbeth. Look where Macbeth's ambitions had gotten him, look where his own had gotten him. Macbeth – a hell of rather more traditional proportions, and himself – a personal hell that he could not escape from. Severus sighed, and replaced the book. Last night he had taken Hermione Granger, drunk as hell, back to his house. She had passed out on a Muggle street corner, and before he saw who she was, he was planning on performing a simple charm on her to wake her up, and then set her on her way. When he realized that it was Hermione Granger, he realized that that would not work, so he took her back to his home, outside Hogsmeade. Severus had laid her on his couch, covered her with a blanket, and left her to sleep it off. He still wasn't sure how she would react when she woke up, and saw where she was.
He heard a noise at his fireplace, and turned around to see who had arrived. Albus Dumbledore straightened up, dusting the ash of his robes, and smiling at Severus. "Ah, Severus," he began, "I'm here to see Miss Granger."
If Severus was surprised that Albus knew where she was, he did not show it. "She's asleep, and she'll wake up with a nasty hangover, which is unlikely to make her receptive to questions."
"I'll wait, then."
Severus nodded his assent, and led the headmaster into his kitchen, and began to make a cup of tea. They sat at the table, in companionable silence, which was soon broken by the sound of a woman's gasp and yelp of fright. Severus smiled wryly at Albus. "Perhaps you'd better go, then," he said. "I've no doubt you're infinitely more comforting than I am."
Albus raised an eyebrow at him, and responded with a decided, "We'll both go."
Severus shrugged, and followed Albus out of the room into his living room, where Hermione was sitting up on his couch, holding her head in her hands. "Hermione," Albus said softly, "You are at Severus Snape's house, just outside Hogsmeade."
She looked up at the two of them, standing in front of her. "How much did I have to drink last night?" she asked, directing her question mainly to Severus.
"I can't be sure, but I know that you had a great deal more than you should have. I found you on a street corner, about two blocks away from a bar, at which I assumed you had spent most of your evening."
"How did you know there was a bar two blocks away, Professor?"
"I imagine for the same reasons you do, Miss Granger."
Albus broke up the little exchange, with a question for Hermione. "Hermione, I would like to ask a favor of you. As I am sure you remember, from your own school days, we do have trouble retaining Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, and I am here to offer you the position."
"I - "
"I know you have left your job at the Ministry, Hermione."
Hermione turned her face toward Severus, who watching them, his face impassive. She sighed inaudibly. She might as well, she supposed. It was not like she had anything else to do. "I would be honored, Professor."
Albus favored her with a smile. "Thank you, Hermione. And please call me Albus." He looked around the room for a moment. "Severus, perhaps I could use your owl?"
"Of course," the younger man said, and snapped his fingers. Almost instantly, a dark brown, magnificent owl flew into the room, and perched itself on Severus' arm. They waited in silence while Albus scrawled a few lines on a piece of parchment, and then handed it to Severus, who attached it to the owl's leg. "Silence, take this to Minerva McGonagall." Silence did not move. Severus sighed impatiently. "Now." The owl hooted indignantly, but flew out of the window in any case. Severus muttered something about damned headstrong owls, and Hermione repressed the urge to laugh.
Albus turned to Severus. "I must be off, old friend. I hope to see you soon." Turning to Hermione, he said: "Teachers must be at Hogwarts August 20th. I will see you then." At her nod, he disapparated.
Hermione sighed shakily after he was gone. Severus turned, and with a swish of his long black robes, left the room, only to return a moment later with a steaming cup. "Drink it," he said, holding the cup out to her. "It'll help your hangover and headache."
Hermione took the mug gratefully, and sipped. It tasted wonderful! She closed her eyes, savoring every drop. "What is this?" she asked. "It's delicious."
He smiled slightly. "It's a hangover potion, of my own invention. I find it works better than anything written about in books. And trust me, I should know."
Hermione accepted this statement without question, and continued to sip the hot, soothing liquid. She did not know what to say to her former teacher. "Erm…I suppose I should thank you, for…taking me in…I mean, I probably would have been raped or robbed if you hadn't been there. I just wanted you to know to that I appreciate it."
He nodded. "Don't mention it. I understand the need to get roaring drunk every once in awhile, especially after a loss."
She did not respond, and after a few minutes, Severus realized that she had fallen asleep. He crept from the room silently, being careful not to wake her.