Walking After You
Chapter Eight
~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
~~~~~~~~~~
Snape Manor turned out to be the home of Severus's parents. Apparently, the family gathered together for Christmas every year. Hermione was delighted at the prospect of meeting her friend's family. Severus was not. It seemed that the rest of his family had the rather cheerful disposition that Severus had grown to lack. They often pestered him about smiling more and wearing something other than black.
~~~~~~~~~~
Approximately one week before the Christmas holidays, Severus and Hermione were to be found sitting in the Severus's quarters discussing propriety and decorum. Hermione was very eager to learn all she could about Severus's family, but before he would tell her, Severus insisted on informing Hermione about the proper actions to be taken at the home of his parents. The way he talked of his family, it seemed that they were all stuck-up, but Severus informed her that this was the proper way to act in Society and around company.
"Now tell me about your family, Sev." Hermione urged once he had finished babbling on about rules.
Severus smiled and launched into a talk in which he told Hermione all about his family. His parents were Oliva and Gordon Snape and they had three children. As it would happen, Severus had two sisters: Fiona Williams and Anastasia Snape. Fiona was the eldest at forty-five and she was married with two children, Aurelia who was twenty-two and Miles who was eighteen. Anastasia was the youngest at thirty-five and had one daughter, Elisabeth who was sixteen. Apparently, Anastasia had been wild and flirtatious in her younger years and had gotten pregnant at the age of nineteen. She moved to America to raise her daughter.
Hermione was worried after hearing this. She was much closer in age to Severus's nephew and nieces than she was to Severus himself. Would it not be awkward for her to be there?
"No, not at all." Severus told her when she voiced these qualms. The potions master when on to explain that in the wizarding world the age difference was not frowned upon nearly as much as in the muggle word.
"In fact," He said. "Fiona is ten years younger than Matthew."
*But was he ever her professor?* Hermione thought.
Snape continued, as if reading her mind. "But our situation is different indeed." He paused. "But my mum and dad will be so happy that I've brought home a 'lady friend' especially one who can put up with me, they'll hardly notice the age difference."
"Yes," Hermione mused with a smile. "It is quite a gift I possess, isn't it?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione Granger walked next to Severus Snape, wringing her fingers. They had apparated to Snape Manor and were now walking up the drive. Severus would have liked to put an arm around Hermione to comfort the girl, but he had luggage in each hand. So he did what Severus does best.
"Calm down, stupid girl." Severus said impatiently. "Don't worry, my family is nothing like me; I've already told you that!"
Hermione dropped her hands to her sides and gazed up at the house. It was quite a sight.
Severus pointed out a balcony on the East Wing of the second floor. That was his room, he told her.
When the two were not ten feet from the large oak doors, they (the doors, not Severus and Hermione) burst open. A young girl with silky hair the color of chocolate came running toward them. She threw her arms around Severus.
"Uncle Severus!" She exclaimed. "It is so good to see you again."
"Likewise, Elisabeth." Severus said with a nod.
"Oh? And who is this?" She asked with a grin gesturing to Hermione.
The luggage had been flung from Severus's grip when the young girl threw herself at him, and Hermione's had come open and her clothing (including underwear) had strewn itself about. Hermione rushed about picking her things up and hastily throwing it back into the case.
Severus bent to help her, but Elisabeth smacked him.
"Uncle, you know better than to though a lady's unmentionables!" She scolded. "Unless….hmmm?" She subtlety suggested.
"You mind your tongue, child." Severus snapped. "And your mind. This is my friend Hermione Granger." He emphasized the word friend.
"Oooh. Are you his girlfriend?" She asked Hermione.
"Elisabeth Snape!" Severus excalimed at his niece.
"Sorry, Uncle Severus." She apologized with a grin. Elisabeth turned toward Hermione. She curtsied saying, "Elisabeth Snape. How do you do?"
Hermione smiled back and did the curtsy that Severus had made her practice countless times and introduced herself as well. "Hermione Granger. I'm quite well today, yourself?"
"Good, good." Elisabeth said in a hurry. "Now tell me. Are you his girlfriend?
Before Hermione could answer, Severus did for her.
"You know very well what I meant last time, Elisabeth." He said. "I am forty years old and I do not have…*girlfriends.* " He grimaced as if the word was a foul taste in his mouth.
"Oh, so I should instead say 'lady friend' as Grandmother does?"
"I'll not have you meddling in my affairs, Elisabeth."
"Elisabeth!" Came a voice from inside the house. "Are you harassing your uncle?"
"Yes, Grandfather." Elisabeth said with a smile.
"Good girl." Said the man at the door.
Severus looked up in surprise. "Dad!"
"Come along, Severus. Come inside and introduce us to your friend."
Severus sighed, but obeyed. Hermione followed him with a grin.
"Severus needs to be pestered from time to time, dear." Gordon Snape said to Hermione.
"Oh, I agree, sir." Hermione said with a grin.
Severus turned back at her and glared.
"Oh good!" Gordon smiled. "Well, then. We'll get along just fine."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Take your hand / and place it in my pocket / flick your eyes back in their sockets / put those thoughts away / sometimes they're much to loud"
--Natalie Imbruglia, Left of the Middle, Wishing I Was There
~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think? Please review! Thank you to Silver*Chime and Cayla Mastra who have me on their favorites list! Oh what and honor!!!
~~~~~~~~~~
1,011 Words
Chapter Eight
~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
~~~~~~~~~~
Snape Manor turned out to be the home of Severus's parents. Apparently, the family gathered together for Christmas every year. Hermione was delighted at the prospect of meeting her friend's family. Severus was not. It seemed that the rest of his family had the rather cheerful disposition that Severus had grown to lack. They often pestered him about smiling more and wearing something other than black.
~~~~~~~~~~
Approximately one week before the Christmas holidays, Severus and Hermione were to be found sitting in the Severus's quarters discussing propriety and decorum. Hermione was very eager to learn all she could about Severus's family, but before he would tell her, Severus insisted on informing Hermione about the proper actions to be taken at the home of his parents. The way he talked of his family, it seemed that they were all stuck-up, but Severus informed her that this was the proper way to act in Society and around company.
"Now tell me about your family, Sev." Hermione urged once he had finished babbling on about rules.
Severus smiled and launched into a talk in which he told Hermione all about his family. His parents were Oliva and Gordon Snape and they had three children. As it would happen, Severus had two sisters: Fiona Williams and Anastasia Snape. Fiona was the eldest at forty-five and she was married with two children, Aurelia who was twenty-two and Miles who was eighteen. Anastasia was the youngest at thirty-five and had one daughter, Elisabeth who was sixteen. Apparently, Anastasia had been wild and flirtatious in her younger years and had gotten pregnant at the age of nineteen. She moved to America to raise her daughter.
Hermione was worried after hearing this. She was much closer in age to Severus's nephew and nieces than she was to Severus himself. Would it not be awkward for her to be there?
"No, not at all." Severus told her when she voiced these qualms. The potions master when on to explain that in the wizarding world the age difference was not frowned upon nearly as much as in the muggle word.
"In fact," He said. "Fiona is ten years younger than Matthew."
*But was he ever her professor?* Hermione thought.
Snape continued, as if reading her mind. "But our situation is different indeed." He paused. "But my mum and dad will be so happy that I've brought home a 'lady friend' especially one who can put up with me, they'll hardly notice the age difference."
"Yes," Hermione mused with a smile. "It is quite a gift I possess, isn't it?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione Granger walked next to Severus Snape, wringing her fingers. They had apparated to Snape Manor and were now walking up the drive. Severus would have liked to put an arm around Hermione to comfort the girl, but he had luggage in each hand. So he did what Severus does best.
"Calm down, stupid girl." Severus said impatiently. "Don't worry, my family is nothing like me; I've already told you that!"
Hermione dropped her hands to her sides and gazed up at the house. It was quite a sight.
Severus pointed out a balcony on the East Wing of the second floor. That was his room, he told her.
When the two were not ten feet from the large oak doors, they (the doors, not Severus and Hermione) burst open. A young girl with silky hair the color of chocolate came running toward them. She threw her arms around Severus.
"Uncle Severus!" She exclaimed. "It is so good to see you again."
"Likewise, Elisabeth." Severus said with a nod.
"Oh? And who is this?" She asked with a grin gesturing to Hermione.
The luggage had been flung from Severus's grip when the young girl threw herself at him, and Hermione's had come open and her clothing (including underwear) had strewn itself about. Hermione rushed about picking her things up and hastily throwing it back into the case.
Severus bent to help her, but Elisabeth smacked him.
"Uncle, you know better than to though a lady's unmentionables!" She scolded. "Unless….hmmm?" She subtlety suggested.
"You mind your tongue, child." Severus snapped. "And your mind. This is my friend Hermione Granger." He emphasized the word friend.
"Oooh. Are you his girlfriend?" She asked Hermione.
"Elisabeth Snape!" Severus excalimed at his niece.
"Sorry, Uncle Severus." She apologized with a grin. Elisabeth turned toward Hermione. She curtsied saying, "Elisabeth Snape. How do you do?"
Hermione smiled back and did the curtsy that Severus had made her practice countless times and introduced herself as well. "Hermione Granger. I'm quite well today, yourself?"
"Good, good." Elisabeth said in a hurry. "Now tell me. Are you his girlfriend?
Before Hermione could answer, Severus did for her.
"You know very well what I meant last time, Elisabeth." He said. "I am forty years old and I do not have…*girlfriends.* " He grimaced as if the word was a foul taste in his mouth.
"Oh, so I should instead say 'lady friend' as Grandmother does?"
"I'll not have you meddling in my affairs, Elisabeth."
"Elisabeth!" Came a voice from inside the house. "Are you harassing your uncle?"
"Yes, Grandfather." Elisabeth said with a smile.
"Good girl." Said the man at the door.
Severus looked up in surprise. "Dad!"
"Come along, Severus. Come inside and introduce us to your friend."
Severus sighed, but obeyed. Hermione followed him with a grin.
"Severus needs to be pestered from time to time, dear." Gordon Snape said to Hermione.
"Oh, I agree, sir." Hermione said with a grin.
Severus turned back at her and glared.
"Oh good!" Gordon smiled. "Well, then. We'll get along just fine."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Take your hand / and place it in my pocket / flick your eyes back in their sockets / put those thoughts away / sometimes they're much to loud"
--Natalie Imbruglia, Left of the Middle, Wishing I Was There
~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think? Please review! Thank you to Silver*Chime and Cayla Mastra who have me on their favorites list! Oh what and honor!!!
~~~~~~~~~~
1,011 Words