CHAPTER TWO: That Redecorating There is Temporary, Yes?
Dumbledore was there by nightfall. Apparently for an overnight visit. That would explain the new room. As the house-bell rang, Hermione found the new door attached to her hallway, and beyond it, a whole new room.
"Headmaster Dumbledore!", she cried joyfully, having opened the front door. She hugged him spontaneously. The jolly old fiend hugged her back and asked her how she was as she invited him in.
"Well, well!" she answered, wondering how to get around to the subject of her visitor who probably belonged in St. Mungos or a military encampment. If they hadn't all been disbanded. Now that the war was over. It was so hard to talk about those things now.
"I hope it's not a problem if I stay for at least the night? You have such a nice view and it's so peaceful here," asked the Headmaster obliquely.
"Oh, I'd love the company!" she answered happily. Granger found herself comfortable in hostess mode, offering her former general and headmaster a bit of dinner. He accepted, asking if he could freshen up and see her other guest for a moment first.
"Of course!" chirped Granger, and bustled off to the dining room.
"Let's be hopeful," said Dumbledore after her, "set a place for Severus?" He took a tiny bag out of his pocket and into the new room in Hermione Granger's small retreat cottage. If anyone had been looking, which no one was, they would have seen the room suddenly become a well furnished mix between a library and a bedroom. After a bit of tweaking here and there, he wandered next door to the guest room where his old comrade, friend and follower lay sleeping in what was not a completely mystical faint.
Dumbledore sat and studied the man for a few moments. He went out and looked about for answers in the garden. Granger came out and silently waited. When Dumbledore looked at her, she pointed to exactly where Snape had appeared. "I thought he was a cloud over the sun, at first," said Granger, also pointing to where she had sat. Dumbledore smiled and nodded before returning to prowling her garden.
In time he looked up and gave his pronouncement. "Perhaps dinner?" he said.
"Ready," answered Granger.
"Could you let Severus know?"
It wandered through Granger's mind that she probably looked like Crooshanks at this moment, being asked to move out of a nice warm patch of sun on a cool day, but why not. "See you inside," she said nodding and went to knock on her guest room door.
She entered. Dumbledore had apparently been doing some redesigning. Granger decided she could live with it for a short while. But frankly, she preferred her white wallpaper with the faint yellow, blue and pink flowers. However, and perhaps more importantly, amidst the heavy green and silver, Snape seemed to be giving off better vibes, if that made any sense.
"Severus?" she said gently. Nothing happened. "Severus?" she said again, finding it odd and somehow indecent to be addressing her former professor so familiarly. But the war seemed to burn any presumed manners from Ms. Granger. Which is why she was alone out here in a cottage and very happy, thank you.
"Professor Snape?" she said, raising her voice above murmur. He seemed to retract into the blankets and pillow. Emboldened by some result she said "Severus," this time loud enough to wake the sleeping.
The man seemed to freeze and Granger felt her war wounds prick. If he had a wand, she'd have ducked already. But he didn't, and her gut chose the confidence game. "Dinner is on the table, Severus, so unless you need the attentions of a medic, please join us. Thank you."
With that she turned and left. Pausing momentarily to flick an eye to a closet. Dumbledore had apparently taken care of that, too.
When she got to the dining room, Dumbledore was installed in a chair and merrily pouring drinks he had apparently brought. And then he started chatting with her about the work it took to dig a garden and asking her why she was doing it manually.
"It feels good, sir," she answered slowly. "It takes up the days, and I get to win. Even if I can't break through all the rocks - I get in far enough for the rose bush roots. That and my grandfather kept roses.
"I can understand, on both counts," said her former headmaster, rising from the table to great Snape with a certain formality which he had neglected to show his hostess (she noticed with a certain sniff). (And he then winked at her.)
Releasing Snape from the hug, Dumbledore said, "Mr. Snape, do try the salmon. I find my mouth watering at the very thought of it."
Looking nothing but lost and withdrawn, Mr. Snape nodded formally as if to the room, sat down, and took the platters handed to him, took the food on his plate, and ate slowly. Without words. Without making eye contact. Dumbledore kept up a gentle chat with Granger about recent art shows, some novels and the vagaries of the weather. A small detour into the stress between living and living with magic as Ms. Granger felt it, the child of both muggle and magic worlds.
Snape stood suddenly and seemed about to speak. Dumbledore smiled benevolently while Granger paused, her fork full of vegetables, midway to her mouth. Only Crookshanks had the dignity to blink and stare.
"Are you dead, too?" he managed to ask, before falling again to the floor.
Dumbledore this time propelled him into the original guest room before retiring to the second himself.
"Rest easy," he said to Granger. "I think I understand what has happened and he needs time."
"Can Voldemort come back?" asked Granger. "If Snape came back, then can Voldemort?"
"No. Severus never fell in the hole that swallowed Voldemort. He paused on the threshold until the guardian demons spat him back. Earlier today."
"I don't understand why, 15 years later, he would fall into my garden."
"And the threshold demons will never explain that one, so we get to live with it. When Severus gets his legs under him, I will take him off your hands."
"I don't mean to toss you out."
"But unless our former professor and military hero has become a snake in truth, there seems something amiss with his sleepy presence."
"Yes, sir."
"Give him time Granger. He may simply need to remember who he is and how to feel."
"I'll get another chair for the garden."
"Two, even after I leave, I suspect I'll be dropping by for visits. Oh, and Granger?"
"Yes?"
"Maybe he likes roses."
"They're not leafed out yet."
"I don't see the problem."
"I'll see you in the morning, sir."
"Good night, Granger."
With some further fussing about, Granger had her house how she liked it, Crookshanks was clearly voting for sleep, and Granger settled down for her own rest. She was disturbed that she almost wished Snape were simply a former professor and not at all a martyr and hero. Her life was better having let go the martyrs and the heroes.
tbc...