Title: Of Peaches and Blood

Author: Magical Me

Summary: Towards the end of her seventh year, Hermione Granger makes two unexpected discoveries – a vaccine for an unforgivable and love for a man who is as deep as he is dark.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is the property of the brilliant JK Rowling – everything else is mine

A/N: Okay. Chapitre trois – already! I'm on a roll. This sort of reminds me of TLSYH, in the sense that I had uncovered the plot at an early stage and the chapters just kept pouring out. I do hope it exceeds the number of chapters from TLSYH! Ten just doesn't cut it. Haha. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. I know I had a great time writing it.

~*~

Chapter 3

The next morning was one of the precious few where Hermione was sent various pieces of mail other than the Daily Prophet. She sat in her place at the breakfast table alone and was rather startled upon seeing a large barn owl delivering a letter from her grandmother. Gran's only way to send her mail was via her parents who used Owl Post only when attempting to correspond with her whilst she was at Hogwarts.

Dearest Hermione—

I apologize profusely for this delayed letter. I do hope you'll forgive me. Anyway, I'm afraid that my next letter won't be written for quite some time either. I'll be visiting an old friend of mine in a place…well…in a place I don't think you've heard much of. I'll be spending the majority of my time working, hence my excuse. So sorry, Mina.

Though if you'd like to continue Italian lessons through correspondence after I return, I'd be more than happy to do it. In fact, I've just dug up an interesting quotation: "Amore è come pesche e sangue - inacidisce, amaro, profondo, magro, e soddisfare, ma la maggior parte di tutto - dolce."

Translation (though I do hope you'd have figured it out before having read this): "Love is like peaches and blood -- sour, bitter, deep, thin, and satisfying, but most of all - sweet."

I found it especially profound since peaches are your favorite fruit, and you and I have always had a fascination with 'sangue', especially if it is 'sporco'. You remember how it was. Plus, you're a young woman now, Mina – seize your opportunities and indulge in all that life has to offer – especially love. I can't explain it to you in its entirety – just know that when you find him, you'll know…just the same way I did with your grandfather.

Well, that's all for now. Good luck in your studies – you'll go off to a wonderful University, I just know it.

All my love,

Gran

As Hermione reread the quotation, it began to make more and more sense. Gran was incredible at recognizing what was so typically her – the quotation was the absolute evidence. Tucking the letter into her robe pockets, Hermione rose from the Gryffindor table that was deep in discussion and headed outside for a walk.

~*~

It was one of those days.

Always a Sunday.

One of those days when Hermione felt it was time to return to the Muggle world whilst inside Hogwarts.

Playing a double role.

Just like Snape.

"Weird, that," she muttered to herself. Shaking off the thought, she grabbed several Victorian era novels and headed to her private common room that she shared with Ernie Macmillan, the Head Boy.

The Head common room came something of a shock to Hermione when she and Ernie were first introduced to their new living spaces at the beginning of the year. From the outside, their common room was veiled by one of the most beautiful paintings she had ever seen – a lush, green meadow through which unicorns glided through. The unicorn that was closest to them, Starla, was the one who required the password. Through the portrait hole laid a large room that was nearly three quarters the size of the Gryffindor common room. The rugs strewn across the wood flooring added a homey touch to their environment. Two large, high-backed chairs faced the fireplace of which there was always a blazing fire. There were couches on opposite sides of the room, and next to those were two large, sturdy desks embossed with 'Head Girl – Hermione Granger of Gryffindor' and 'Head Boy – Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff'.

Eager to get on with her reading, Hermione settled herself in the love seat next to her desk and opened her book.

Nothing like a good Jane Austen novel to keep your mind off of things.

Though as she entered the middle portion of Pride and Prejudice, she couldn't help but feel that Mr. Darcy suspiciously resembled Snape.

Hermione shuddered.

~*~

Snape tore the string tied to the owl's foot off with his pocketknife. He unclasped the envelope and studied the seal carefully – a curvy initial imprinted over a cauldron with a wand lying across it.

Cass.

Cassandra Watson was his former Potions mentor from his days as a student in Italy. In those days, Cass was like a goddess to him – she breathed and slept Potions and was eager to teach him all that she knew – including Italian. She was a fairly sagacious woman; nearly twenty years his senior, Cass was probably in her sixties by now.

He smirked recalling the way the Granger girl had been so shocked to hear him speak the language.

It would have made Cass proud.

Studying Potions in Italian was something Snape would not have imagined to be as blissful as it was. With Cass's wisdom and leadership plus the beauty, not to mention complexity, of the language, it became little drops of heaven – and Snape was sure to have absorbed them all.

Eagerly, he tore open the envelope and hurriedly pulled the piece of rolled parchment apart.

Snape scanned the brief message.

She had accepted.

For the first time in fifteen years, he was going to see Cassandra Watson – but this time…

…at Hogwarts.

~*~

Snape twiddled his thumbs around the handle of his coffee mug. From behind the desk in front of him, the Headmaster was smiling.

"I still can't see how you can drink that rubbish, Severus."

"It's quite simple, really. Especially when you haven't got a sweet tooth the size of a hippogriff," he said sardonically.

Dumbledore sipped his tea thoughtfully. "Perhaps."

Silence.

"So what exactly was it that you wanted to see me about, Severus?"

"Ah, yes. Well, do you remember Cassandra Watson?"

Dumbledore frowned momentarily. "Not that I know of, -- oh! Yes, yes, of course. Lovely young Italian woman, was she?"

Snape snorted. "Young would hardly be the adjective of choice, though in comparison to yourself, Headmaster, that is quite another story."

Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly. "Quite. Ah, I remember now. I believe she's the only Potions Mistress in Italy?"

"Mmm. At any rate, I've taken the liberty of inviting her to Hogwarts to assist Miss Granger and myself with the vaccination."

"Wise decision."

"I'm aware."

"When is she to arrive?"

"Tomorrow morning. I don't have a class until after lunch, so I plan on speaking to her until then. I'll inform Miss Granger of our guest after her class tomorrow." He winced. "Gryffindor seventh years – my favorite," he commented dryly.

"They are a rather extraordinary young group, I'll agree," Dumbledore added merrily.

I'll ignore that.

"So where will our Potions Mistress reside during her stay?"

"The dungeons, as I see it. That way, she'll have access to my labs and such."

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled. "As I recall, Severus, I believe she was a Slytherin."

"Perhaps."

~*~

Hermione heard a strangled voice outside her portrait hole.

"Erm – cauldron cakes? No! Licorice wands?" she heard it guess.

Christ.

She stood up from her desk and decided to physically open the portrait hole, rather than revealing the password. As she flung it open, she placed her hands on her hips. "Yes, Ron?"

"Oh, h-h-hi, Hermione!" he stammered.

"As you may or may not recall, Ron, this is not the Headmaster's office!"

"Erm – yeah. I know."

"Well!"

"Well what?" He was still standing in the doorway.

"What is it you wanted to ask me!" she cried exasperatedly.

"Um…I didn't want to ask you anything. I just wanted to talk to you. You know – see how you're doing."

Hermione waved towards her desk that was loaded down with bits of parchment – and despite the amount of things on her desk, it was all organized in a very neat fashion. "I'm busy, Ron. Thank you for checking, though. And yes, I am fine."

He gulped. "Oh. Right, then."

She looked into his eyes.

There's something missing.

She sighed. "Ron. What is it really?"

"I…I just don't feel like we talk as much anymore. You're always off studying and all that load of bullocks. It's just not the same," he said sadly with a twinge of annoyance.

"It's been the same every year. I've always spent the former of my time studying. It never bothered you then. Plus, I wasn't Head Girl – that takes up a lot of time as well, you know," she said matter-of-factly.

"It's different this year!" he exclaimed.

"Different…how?"

Ron was flustered. "Never mind!" he roared and stomped off back into the Gryffindor common room through the portrait hole.

Well, Ron. You don't miss your water 'til the well runs dry.

Let go.

~*~

Harry examined Hermione's handwriting carefully. "So a bat's fang and a vampire fang can't be used in place of each other?" he asked.

Hermione swallowed the carrot she had been chewing and answered, "No, they cannot. The fang's properties change during a proper transformation. So if you were to extract a fang from a bat and also one from the same creature after its transformation, they would be different."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I see how that works. Thanks loads, Hermione."

"Anytime."

Across the table from them, Ron was scribbling down his Potions homework as well. "Oi! 'Mione!"

"Hmm?"

"What the answer to number four?" he asked thickly through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Ron! I'm not going to tell you the answer! Do it for yourself!" she cried incredulously.

"But 'ou jus' 'elped 'arry!" he managed to choke out in between the bites of roast chicken.

"I explained something to him after he asked me a specific question. He wanted to know why, whereas you simply want to know what!"

"Well then can you explain the answer to number four?"

"No!"

"Hmph."

Harry leaned across the table in Ron's direction and hissed, "You git! That was number four."

"Oh…oops."

Hermione slammed her book shut. "Lunch will be over in five minutes. We'd best be getting along to Potions now."

Harry and Ron nodded in agreement and stood from the table, rounding up Dean, Seamus, and Neville as well.

The walk to the dungeons was quieter than usual, mainly because everyone could sense the unfinished business between Hermione and Ron. At last, they had reached the Potions classroom on time and sat in their usual seats.

Snape seemed slightly less provocative than usual and the class ran without a hitch – that is until Neville melted his seventeenth cauldron for the year, resulting in an extra thirty points from Gryffindor.

Towards the end of the class when they were cleaning, Snape said silkily, "Miss Granger, if you please."

Feeling the watchful eyes of her classmates on her back, Hermione put the cloth she had been holding on top of her desk and walked to the front of the classroom. "Sir?"

"This morning the Potions Mistress of Italy arrived. She's here to assist us with the vaccination. Stay after class and we will have a discussion," he said in a low tone.

Her eyes widened in excitement. "Yes, Professor."

When she returned to her desk, Harry whispered, "What was that all about?"

"Extra credit," she replied smoothly.

In a matter of sorts…

"Oh. Do you have to stay after class or something?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay. I'll let Ron and Ginny know."

"Thanks, Harry."

"Sure."

Then the bell rang. "You are dismissed," Snape barked.

Hermione watched as the Gryffindors eagerly filed out the doorway.

Finally, she and Snape were alone.

"Why Potions Mistress of Italy?" she asked aloud.

"So we can eat spaghetti, Miss Granger," he said sardonically.

She rolled her eyes.

"Italy is the only country in Europe to have produced an adequate Potions Mistress," he said finally. "I studied with her when I was in Italy."

"Oh."

Suddenly, the door flung open, but Hermione was looking over her notes, and didn't bother to turn around.

"Afternoon, Severus. Aren't you going to introduce me to the brilliant young lady?" a cheerful voice called.

Hmm. Oddly familiar…

Hermione turned around.

"G-G-G-Gran?!"

"Mina?"

Snape, albeit his surprise, was rather amused and smirked at the two gaping females. "Apparently introductions would be superfluous, Cass."

~*~

Hermione looked at her grandmother in anger.

"What are you doing at Hogwarts, Mina?"

She sat, lips pursed. "I should ask you the same thing."

"I didn't know you were a witch, lovey!"

"Likewise."

Cass sighed. "How could Peter and Katherine have been so naïve?" she asked, referring to Hermione's parents.

"Do they know you're a witch?" Hermione asked indignantly.

"Erm – no."

"Well there you have it."

"Mina, don't be angry with me."

"I'm not," she spat.

Cass crossed the room and embraced her granddaughter. "Oh, Mina. I'm so sorry. If only I knew…"

Hermione suddenly softened and began to return the hug. "It's okay, Gran. It's better this way, though, isn't it?"

"Mmm."

Snape coughed. "Now that the reunion is finished, may we get on to more pressing matters?"

~*~

A/N: Lovely. And, as always, review please! Thank you for reading.