By
Madam Vespasia smiled sedately as she sipped her tea thoughtfully. Today had been an interesting day, it had been years since Severus Snape had last frequented her shop, and he had never before brought someone with him. In fact it had been just before the downfall of Voldemort that he had last condescended to shop at Madame Vespasia's.
The significance of this was not lost on this matriarch of wizarding society. She wondered who Severus Snape really worked for. It was obvious to her that he was a Death Eater, she could not miss the Dark Mark on his arm, and while he was known to be sharp tongued and was definitely not patient with fools, he had a certain grace in the way he walked. She could not blame him for being impatient with fools, so was she. In a way she envied his freedom to freely say what he thought about anyone. He had very little to fear, he was a master of dueling, and you could feel the strength of his power in the very air as he walked by. There were only two wizards to her mind that would have a chance against Severus Snape, were he to fight against them with all his might. Albus Dumbeldore and Tom Marvolo Riddle, Voldemort as he was currently known.
At this thought Madam Vespasia sighed. She had always felt it was a failure on her part that Tom had turned into such a monster. She had always been in love with Marius Marvolo inspite of the face that such a union would not be possible she had pursued him quietly and discretely. When she had become pregnant she had hid it with charms, and had quietly given birth to a little girl in a muggle hospital. She had been so happy with her little girl that at that moment it had seemed as if nothing bad could ever happen.
Then came the accident. It had been such a stupid accident. Marius Marvolo had been sweeping down the stairs to great his father when he slipped and fell. If only he had landed on the floor, or the stairs he would have been fine, but the sides of the staircase were lined with little miniature soldiers standing with muskets at attention and it had seemed that accident was the end of the hope for an heir to the Marvolo line.
Marius had come to her then, begged her on his knees to marry him. They had always loved each other, and now they could be together, but she had refused. She knew that society would never accept their marriage. At the time she was too young, only a designer starting to gain recognition in high society. In 10 years she told him. When I can stand on my own merit and the only people who shall object then will be those poor dears who longed for you themselves.
He gave into Vespasia's request eventually, but in return he asked for his daughter. He could perform a spell proving that she was his, and that she continued that Marvolo line. That would please society and his father, and with her he would not feel so alone. Reluctantly Vespasia agreed and resigned herself to a few stolen visits with her daughter. She knew that even if she had kept her daughter she could not have told her who she was, or let anyone know of their relationship to each other, and at the time she had thought Marius would give their daughter a better life.
Eight years later Marius Marvolo was laid in his coffin. Vespasia threw herself into her work becoming the greatest fashion designer in the wizarding world. Her work seemed to cry out to live life and enjoy it, her clothes bringing others the happiness she no longer felt capable of feeling herself. When her daughter threw away the Marvolo fortune to charities and went off to live in the muggle world she designed thirty new dresses. When her daughter died leaving behind a son Vespasia could never approach openly she designed a hundred.
When Tom started attending Hogwarts she arranged to "donate" some robes to Madam Malkin's to be given to him. She had hid under an invisibility charm in the shop as he tried on the robes. He had looked so sad and scared the first year. Each year she came to watch him try on his robes and as he grew older she began to think that perhaps she should say something to him, let him know he was not alone. Every time she opened her mouth to speak out she hesitated. There was a coldness about the boy now, and it frightened her. She did not fear for herself, but for what he might become.
Looking back she wondered if she had intervened, if she had said something would he have turned out the same? Would he have turned into another Dark Wizard?
And what was Severus Snape doing with Tom? Was he loyal to Tom? Or Dumbeldore? Which should he be loyal to? What should she do about it? Part of her wanted to defend Tom, he was after all her grandson. But the ruling passion in her cried out against him. There was no love in Tom, no care for anyone but himself, and in reality there was only one choice she could choose. After all she was 130 years old, and it was her fault that he existed. She had to find out where Snape's loyalties lay, if they were with Tom she would have to eliminate him…But if he was Dumbeldore's then…then the game would truly begin and no grandchild of her was going to best her!
Standing abruptly she snapped her fingers imperiously and the tea service whisked itself off to the kitchen.
Taking a moment to beckon a hat to her head she walked regally out the door and apparated. It was time to make some calls.
Rapping lightly on the door Vespasia composed herself and a moment later handed her card to the house elf. The elf escorted her into a light blue drawing room and said that she would see if Mrs. Fudge would see her.
Moment's later Isabel Fudge glided regally into the room. Isabel was only 60 and so it was she who slightly bowed her head and said, "Vespasia, this is such a pleasant surprise, won't you have a seat? Would you care to take tea with me?"
"Thank you, Isabel, I'd be delighted," Vespasia murmured as she sat down.
Another house elf appeared briefly to lay out the tea and tiny cucumber sandwiches.
"Vespasia, do tell me why you've come, I can't stand the suspense!" Isabel demanded as she lightly sipped her tea.
Knowing that with Isabel there was no point in dancing around a subject she said, "Well I heard a most interesting rumor," she began deliberately so as not to imply that she knew that what she was about to say was true, "that Severus Snape has finally caught the eye of a young girl."
Isabel sat still for a moment, shocked, and then start laughing, "Vespasia, you must be funning me! What type of girl would chose a man with such a sharp tongue! Surely you must be joking!"
"I'm not, she has golden brown hair, and brown eyes. I believe her name is Hermione," replied Vespasia calmly unaware of the trouble she had just created.
"Hermione," Isabel shrieked, "Hermione Granger?"
"Who is Hermione Granger?" Vespasia asked genuinely confused, wondering who this girl was that she could elicit such a violent reaction for Isabel.
"Why she's been the top student at Hogwarts for the past six years, and looks to be again this year too! Just a moment," she said pulling out her wand, "Accio Hogwarts Governors Report Book."
Quickly flipping the pages she handed the book over to Madam Vespasia. Waving out of the picture was the very girl who had been at her shop that morning. Underneath the picture was inscribed the words, Hermione Granger, the smartest witch at Hogwarts. Keeping a tight reign on her emotions she concentrated on breathing evenly and then looked up into Isabel's flashing eyes and said calmly, "Why yes, I do believe he's seeing Hermione Granger."
Madam Vespasia left shortly after the revelation intent on doing some private research, she wanted to know everything about Hermione Granger, and more knowledge was needed about Severus Snape.
She would have been very surprised at the scene that she had created when two hours later Cornelius Fudge apparated home.
"Cornelius Fudge, where have you been!" Isabel demanded sharply.
Turning around quickly Cornelius took in his wife's flushed face and angry flashing eyes and started trembling, "My dear, what on earth-"
"How could you allow this to happen? You must be the most incompetent minister of magic ever! How could you let the brightest witch in a generation become involved with Severus Snape! Now you listen to me Cornelius! You're going to put a stop to it! I will not have that, that beast corrupting her! Voldemort is on the prowl and we don't need him tempting her to dark wizardry!" screamed Isabel as she advanced on her husband.
Cornelius who had been backing quickly away from his wife suddenly registered what she had been saying and blanched. "Now Isabel," he began, "try and be reasonable. You Know Who is dead, and Severus Snape works for Dumbeldore. Dumbeldore would never allow him to harm a student," he said quickly in what was his Let's Try and Be Reasonable tone.
"Don't use that tone on me Cornelius! Get your head out of the sand and admit it, Voldemort is back! If you don't admit it soon there will be nothing left of the wizarding world! Now you can either admit that he exists and DO something about this situation with Severus Snape, or I'm leaving! I am sick and tired of your mousey ways! You wanted to be Minister of Magic, now you deal with reality, otherwise I am leaving! We'll see what society thinks of you then," she finished glowering at him like a pillar of strength. She was a tall woman and with her perfectly arranged blond hair and perfect features she looked like and avenging angel as her green eyes flashed daring him to defy her.
Society knew that Cornelius Fudge was a waffler, but they also knew that Isabel Fudge was the real power to be respected in their house. Cornelius made the perfect Minister of Magic to many people precisely because he was a coward, they could trust him not to do anything embarrassing. However his standing in society came about from his marriage to Isabel Mikael, the last surviving member of the oldest wizarding family still known to be living. It was a marriage of convenience and without her support he would be out of a job within the week.
Bowing to the inevitable he replied tersely, "Yes dear I'll have a word with Dumbeldore tomorrow." ~That damn bitch of Potter's, should have known she'd get herself into trouble, no accounting for Potter or his friends!"
"You'd better have more than a word! I will not let that, that person ruin Miss Granger!" and seeing the flash of hatred in his eyes her own narrowed and she said, "And no funny business, Cornelius, you leave that poor girl alone!" Glaring at him one last time she swept out of the room and off to her wing of the house leaving a very angry Cornelius fudge behind.