AN: Right, I've put in even more spaces between the scenes this time so hopefully they will show up seperated! If not, I do apologise and anyone with any clue as to solve this dilema please let me know.
Snape sat silently still before the fireplace in the staffroom watching the dancing flames, seething over Hermione's stinging words. She didn't want him – it was that simple. Bloody idiotic, he thought, to even dream that she would ever entertain the idea of the two of them together even for a moment. What was she had called him? A greasy, sadistic bastard? Imbecile would have been more accurate.
For a fleeting moment Snape thought that maybe he should have taken his mother's suggestion about Sybil Trelawny. A glance across the room to where the bug like witch was sitting quickly quashed those thoughts.
"Severus Snape!" Snape jumped, and found Minerva McGonagall glaring down at him.
"May I help you?" he growled, not in the mood for one of McGonagall's tedious lectures on the unjust way he deducted points from her house.
"Will you please tell your mother that I am quite happy with Albus and that there is no way on earth that I will ever go out with you! Honestly, what was that woman thinking! I'm old enough to be your grandmother!" Minerva turned sharply and stalked from the room.
Great, so even Minvera didn't want him. Not that it really mattered, he supposed, there was only one woman he was interested in…
Hermione awoke late that night to the sound of Charlotte crying. She dragged herself out of bed and rushed into her daughter's room.
"Char? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, desperately searching for the source of Charlotte's distress.
"I don't feel well!" she wailed. Hermione placed one hand to Charlotte's forehead. She was burning up.
"Come on, Char, we've got to get you to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said calmly, but she felt anything but.
Hermione found herself back in her quarters, cradling her daughter several minutes later. Though she had knocked so hard on Poppy's door she thought the thing might cave in, there had been no reply. Hermione had then hurried to the Hospital Wing, only to find a note on the door saying Poppy was on vacation!
Hermione walked up and down the lounge, trying to calm her screaming daughter.
"What on earth is that racket!"
Hermione turned to glare at Justin. "Charlotte is sick," she snapped.
"Well take her to the hospital wing then!" Justin grumbled, heading back for bed.
"Think I haven't already tried that?!" Hermione cried. "Poppy isn't here!"
Justin shrugged his shoulders.
Hermione tried desperately to think, but Charlotte's cries were consuming her very being.
"Well, there must be someone else who can fix her!" Justin said, yawning loudly. "I'm bloody tired, Hermione, can't you shut her up?"
Someone else…someone else…Hermione thought. She made a dash for the door.
"Where are you going?" Justin called after her.
"To get Professor Snape."
"Snape?! You can't get Snape!" Justin panicked.
"And why not?" Hermione snapped impatiently. She shifted Charlotte from one hip to the other.
"Because…because…the man's a Death Eater!"
Hermione paused, and drew in a deep breath. "And how precisely do you know that?"
Justin ignored her question. "You can't possibly be suggesting that a servant of You-Know-Who can be trusted with the wellbeing of our daughter!"
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Our daughter now, is she? I think what you meant to say Justin is that Severus cannot be entrusted with the well-being of cheating bastards like yourself!"
Hermione didn't wait for an answer, her urgency to get Charlotte well direr that anything Justin had to say in return.
Severus Snape stirred from his sleep and angrily wondered who would be idiotic enough to be banging on his door this late at night. He ignored the sound for a minute or two, hoping they'd take the hint and leave. No such luck. Sighing, he pulled himself from his bed and slipped on his robe. He removed the wards from the door and flung it open.
"What the bloody hell do you think your doing…." But he drifted off when he saw Hermione standing there with Charlotte screaming in her arms.
"Please, Severus, I don't know what's wrong with her! And I can't find Poppy and…" Hermione had tears streaming down her own face, and Snape's heart went out to her. He reached out to touch Charlotte's forehead and felt the searing heat burn through his skin.
"Come in, Miss Granger," Snape replied quickly, allowing the witch to enter his chambers. He indicated for her and Charlotte to sit down on the couch. Snape pulled his wand from his pocket, and performed a series of spells upon Charlotte, only some of which Hermione recognized. During the course of this Charlotte settled down somewhat and quieted sucking her thumb. Finally a parchment fell from the end of Snape's wand and he snatched it quickly before it could flutter to the ground. His brow furrowed in concern.
"Take her back to bed, Hermione," Snape finally uttered. "I shall prepare a potion and bring it to you as soon as it is complete."
"Is she going to be all right?" Hermione begged, pulling herself up from the chair as she held on tightly to Charlotte.
"She will be fine." Snape gently stroked the top of Charlotte's head before rushing off for his laboratory.
"What did Sn..Snape say?" Justin stuttered when Hermione burst back into their rooms. She ignored him and carried Charlotte back to her bed. She lay the little girl down, and stroked the hair from her forehead while they waited. Tears continued to pour down Hermione's face. The minutes seemed like an eternity, but finally she heard Snape in the lounge.
"Where is she?" his voice demanded.
"I'll tell her…I'll tell her!" Hermione heard Justin pleading.
"Shut up you stupid boy and tell me where Charlotte is!" Hermione could just imagine how Justin must have been cowering.
A moment later Snape was at Charlotte's bedside, giving her a vile of purple liquid to drink. It wasn't long before the fever had vanished and Charlotte was sleeping peacefully.
Hermione led Snape from the bedroom and back into the lounge. She turned to face him and said in a wavering voice "Oh, god, Severus, thank you." Hermione burst into sobs of relief.
Gently Snape wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close.
"Shh, Hermione. Come on. It's over now," he said soothingly, stroking her hair as she cried against his chest.
After some time Hermione pulled back and Snape felt a tinge of disappointment.
"I really don't know how I am ever going to repay you," Hermione whispered, meeting Snape's gaze.
"You don't owe me anything." Snape let his control slip slightly and reached out to brush a tear from her cheek.
"But I was so nasty to you yesterday and yet you still come to save Charlotte," Hermione insisted.
"It was nothing I haven't heard before and I am sure I will hear it again," Snape said simply, shrugging, but Hermione could tell he was hurt.
"Not from me, Severus. I was wrong about you. You're a good man." Hermione leaned in towards him and Snape swore for a moment that she was going to kiss him.
"Thank god that noise is over! About bloody time…" but Justin stopped short when he rounded the bedroom doorway and saw that Snape was still there. Their eyes met for a moment and Justin shrunk back.
"Ah, Mr Finch-Fletchley. I believe you have something to tell you wife?" Snape drawled, taking a step back from Hermione.
Justin's eyes flicked quickly from Snape to Hermione and back again.
"Well, spit it out. I haven't got all night," Snape growled, his hand lingering over the pocket in which he kept his wand.
"Yes, Justin, do tell," Hermione spat, her hands flying to her hips.
"I…" he muttered "I…I had an affair."
"With whom?" Snape pressed.
"One of the students." Justin was looking at the floor his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"That is sick!" Hermione yelled, her eyes flaring and boring holes through him.
"I swear, Hermione, it was just the once. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen, I…"
"Oh, quit the bull shit, Justin. I'm the one who's sorry – sorry that I put up with your nonsense for so long!"
Snape slipped out of room, unnoticed. This was something Hermione needed to deal with alone.
"Hermione, please, I…give me another chance, I promise…" but Justin's pleadings fell upon deaf ears.
"I have given you more chances that your sorry hide is worth! Get out!"
"But Charlotte…"
"Don't you dare bring her into this," Hermione fumed, advancing on Justin. "You have never been a father to her! And frankly, Justin, she is so much better off without you!"
"Hermione! I have supported you through all your studies, I have left my own goals behind so you can do what you want and this is the thanks I get?!" Justin yelled back, having noticed that Snape was gone.
"That is such crap, and you know it. You sat on your sorry behind for four years, Bastard, while I worked and studied and cared for Charlotte and got four hours sleep a night and now you want to claim it was your doing?!" Hermione whipped her wand from her pocket and pointed it menacingly at Justin's nose. "I should've done this to you a long time ago!"
A/N: Wow, I am so flattered by all the reviews I've received! Thank you all!
And special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter…
Killer Angel – Don't be sad! They'll be together very soon! And thanks for your wonderful words!
Anarane Anwamane – yes, indeed, poor Sev! He just can't win.
BLV – Thanks for the review – keep 'em coming!
Sammie Tonks – Hm, wonder what his students would think if they'd seen Sev in the tiara? Lol. Thanks!
Evil Crazy Willow – Thank you so much! Wow, I can feel my head getting bigger by the second!
Pseudonym – Cheers!
Indie Fairy – Justin is gone! Thanks!
Lisa aka Lord Snapes Lady – Damn! How about takeout ON Snape? Oh, well, thanks for your review! Makes me all giddy!
Deb – Yes, Herm believes Snape, she just didn't want to give him the satisfaction - Well done! Thanks!
K Dark Maiden – Thank you! School – well I spend my days at Uni trying to concerntrate on what some boing old bugger right up the front is dribbling on about while wishing the whole time that I could be home writing more. Guess we can't win, huh?
Jennifer13 – Yep, Justin the slime is outta here! Cheers girl!
Snape sat silently still before the fireplace in the staffroom watching the dancing flames, seething over Hermione's stinging words. She didn't want him – it was that simple. Bloody idiotic, he thought, to even dream that she would ever entertain the idea of the two of them together even for a moment. What was she had called him? A greasy, sadistic bastard? Imbecile would have been more accurate.
For a fleeting moment Snape thought that maybe he should have taken his mother's suggestion about Sybil Trelawny. A glance across the room to where the bug like witch was sitting quickly quashed those thoughts.
"Severus Snape!" Snape jumped, and found Minerva McGonagall glaring down at him.
"May I help you?" he growled, not in the mood for one of McGonagall's tedious lectures on the unjust way he deducted points from her house.
"Will you please tell your mother that I am quite happy with Albus and that there is no way on earth that I will ever go out with you! Honestly, what was that woman thinking! I'm old enough to be your grandmother!" Minerva turned sharply and stalked from the room.
Great, so even Minvera didn't want him. Not that it really mattered, he supposed, there was only one woman he was interested in…
Hermione awoke late that night to the sound of Charlotte crying. She dragged herself out of bed and rushed into her daughter's room.
"Char? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, desperately searching for the source of Charlotte's distress.
"I don't feel well!" she wailed. Hermione placed one hand to Charlotte's forehead. She was burning up.
"Come on, Char, we've got to get you to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said calmly, but she felt anything but.
Hermione found herself back in her quarters, cradling her daughter several minutes later. Though she had knocked so hard on Poppy's door she thought the thing might cave in, there had been no reply. Hermione had then hurried to the Hospital Wing, only to find a note on the door saying Poppy was on vacation!
Hermione walked up and down the lounge, trying to calm her screaming daughter.
"What on earth is that racket!"
Hermione turned to glare at Justin. "Charlotte is sick," she snapped.
"Well take her to the hospital wing then!" Justin grumbled, heading back for bed.
"Think I haven't already tried that?!" Hermione cried. "Poppy isn't here!"
Justin shrugged his shoulders.
Hermione tried desperately to think, but Charlotte's cries were consuming her very being.
"Well, there must be someone else who can fix her!" Justin said, yawning loudly. "I'm bloody tired, Hermione, can't you shut her up?"
Someone else…someone else…Hermione thought. She made a dash for the door.
"Where are you going?" Justin called after her.
"To get Professor Snape."
"Snape?! You can't get Snape!" Justin panicked.
"And why not?" Hermione snapped impatiently. She shifted Charlotte from one hip to the other.
"Because…because…the man's a Death Eater!"
Hermione paused, and drew in a deep breath. "And how precisely do you know that?"
Justin ignored her question. "You can't possibly be suggesting that a servant of You-Know-Who can be trusted with the wellbeing of our daughter!"
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Our daughter now, is she? I think what you meant to say Justin is that Severus cannot be entrusted with the well-being of cheating bastards like yourself!"
Hermione didn't wait for an answer, her urgency to get Charlotte well direr that anything Justin had to say in return.
Severus Snape stirred from his sleep and angrily wondered who would be idiotic enough to be banging on his door this late at night. He ignored the sound for a minute or two, hoping they'd take the hint and leave. No such luck. Sighing, he pulled himself from his bed and slipped on his robe. He removed the wards from the door and flung it open.
"What the bloody hell do you think your doing…." But he drifted off when he saw Hermione standing there with Charlotte screaming in her arms.
"Please, Severus, I don't know what's wrong with her! And I can't find Poppy and…" Hermione had tears streaming down her own face, and Snape's heart went out to her. He reached out to touch Charlotte's forehead and felt the searing heat burn through his skin.
"Come in, Miss Granger," Snape replied quickly, allowing the witch to enter his chambers. He indicated for her and Charlotte to sit down on the couch. Snape pulled his wand from his pocket, and performed a series of spells upon Charlotte, only some of which Hermione recognized. During the course of this Charlotte settled down somewhat and quieted sucking her thumb. Finally a parchment fell from the end of Snape's wand and he snatched it quickly before it could flutter to the ground. His brow furrowed in concern.
"Take her back to bed, Hermione," Snape finally uttered. "I shall prepare a potion and bring it to you as soon as it is complete."
"Is she going to be all right?" Hermione begged, pulling herself up from the chair as she held on tightly to Charlotte.
"She will be fine." Snape gently stroked the top of Charlotte's head before rushing off for his laboratory.
"What did Sn..Snape say?" Justin stuttered when Hermione burst back into their rooms. She ignored him and carried Charlotte back to her bed. She lay the little girl down, and stroked the hair from her forehead while they waited. Tears continued to pour down Hermione's face. The minutes seemed like an eternity, but finally she heard Snape in the lounge.
"Where is she?" his voice demanded.
"I'll tell her…I'll tell her!" Hermione heard Justin pleading.
"Shut up you stupid boy and tell me where Charlotte is!" Hermione could just imagine how Justin must have been cowering.
A moment later Snape was at Charlotte's bedside, giving her a vile of purple liquid to drink. It wasn't long before the fever had vanished and Charlotte was sleeping peacefully.
Hermione led Snape from the bedroom and back into the lounge. She turned to face him and said in a wavering voice "Oh, god, Severus, thank you." Hermione burst into sobs of relief.
Gently Snape wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close.
"Shh, Hermione. Come on. It's over now," he said soothingly, stroking her hair as she cried against his chest.
After some time Hermione pulled back and Snape felt a tinge of disappointment.
"I really don't know how I am ever going to repay you," Hermione whispered, meeting Snape's gaze.
"You don't owe me anything." Snape let his control slip slightly and reached out to brush a tear from her cheek.
"But I was so nasty to you yesterday and yet you still come to save Charlotte," Hermione insisted.
"It was nothing I haven't heard before and I am sure I will hear it again," Snape said simply, shrugging, but Hermione could tell he was hurt.
"Not from me, Severus. I was wrong about you. You're a good man." Hermione leaned in towards him and Snape swore for a moment that she was going to kiss him.
"Thank god that noise is over! About bloody time…" but Justin stopped short when he rounded the bedroom doorway and saw that Snape was still there. Their eyes met for a moment and Justin shrunk back.
"Ah, Mr Finch-Fletchley. I believe you have something to tell you wife?" Snape drawled, taking a step back from Hermione.
Justin's eyes flicked quickly from Snape to Hermione and back again.
"Well, spit it out. I haven't got all night," Snape growled, his hand lingering over the pocket in which he kept his wand.
"Yes, Justin, do tell," Hermione spat, her hands flying to her hips.
"I…" he muttered "I…I had an affair."
"With whom?" Snape pressed.
"One of the students." Justin was looking at the floor his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"That is sick!" Hermione yelled, her eyes flaring and boring holes through him.
"I swear, Hermione, it was just the once. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen, I…"
"Oh, quit the bull shit, Justin. I'm the one who's sorry – sorry that I put up with your nonsense for so long!"
Snape slipped out of room, unnoticed. This was something Hermione needed to deal with alone.
"Hermione, please, I…give me another chance, I promise…" but Justin's pleadings fell upon deaf ears.
"I have given you more chances that your sorry hide is worth! Get out!"
"But Charlotte…"
"Don't you dare bring her into this," Hermione fumed, advancing on Justin. "You have never been a father to her! And frankly, Justin, she is so much better off without you!"
"Hermione! I have supported you through all your studies, I have left my own goals behind so you can do what you want and this is the thanks I get?!" Justin yelled back, having noticed that Snape was gone.
"That is such crap, and you know it. You sat on your sorry behind for four years, Bastard, while I worked and studied and cared for Charlotte and got four hours sleep a night and now you want to claim it was your doing?!" Hermione whipped her wand from her pocket and pointed it menacingly at Justin's nose. "I should've done this to you a long time ago!"
A/N: Wow, I am so flattered by all the reviews I've received! Thank you all!
And special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter…
Killer Angel – Don't be sad! They'll be together very soon! And thanks for your wonderful words!
Anarane Anwamane – yes, indeed, poor Sev! He just can't win.
BLV – Thanks for the review – keep 'em coming!
Sammie Tonks – Hm, wonder what his students would think if they'd seen Sev in the tiara? Lol. Thanks!
Evil Crazy Willow – Thank you so much! Wow, I can feel my head getting bigger by the second!
Pseudonym – Cheers!
Indie Fairy – Justin is gone! Thanks!
Lisa aka Lord Snapes Lady – Damn! How about takeout ON Snape? Oh, well, thanks for your review! Makes me all giddy!
Deb – Yes, Herm believes Snape, she just didn't want to give him the satisfaction - Well done! Thanks!
K Dark Maiden – Thank you! School – well I spend my days at Uni trying to concerntrate on what some boing old bugger right up the front is dribbling on about while wishing the whole time that I could be home writing more. Guess we can't win, huh?
Jennifer13 – Yep, Justin the slime is outta here! Cheers girl!