Disclaimer: I still cannot claim the rights to these wonderful characters.
Suspicion
The next morning Snape awoke and felt a small weight on his chest. Looking down he saw the small head of his niece. He stroked her soft hair; her head was smaller than his palm. Smiling he thought that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to do this.
It felt good, but there was something missing- someone missing. Snape looked to the empty side of his king size bed and blinked back tears that he would never admit to having. It was far too late in his life for him to be single; not only was he not married, but he didn't even have a girlfriend. Forget that, there was no girl that had even looked at him amicably.
But he knew why: he was Professor Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts. He was Severus Snape, pureblood and Death Eater, servant to the Dark Lord. Severus Snape, spy for the Order of the Phoenix, the lost soul struggling to repent for its sins. But he was not Severus Snape, companion and soul mate. He was not the husband any girl wanted.
As far as the female population of the world was concerned, he was an ass and a git, heartless and unfeeling. But if they could see him now, as he was, caring for the small infant who was so dependent on him. But no- he couldn't be the person who he really was, there were too many other people he had to be. He had to settle for fear instead of love- he would never be loved.
But maybe, maybe this small girl who lay on his chest now would love him. He was her guardian after all, why not be her father? There would be love in his life. He looked at the small girl who brought light into the darkness. But he was unaware of just how much light this child would bring him.
An hour later, he was sitting at his desk waiting for his first class, seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins. They would arrive in approximately ten minutes. He sat at the desk preparing his notes, when all of a sudden, he was confronted by a stack of parchment seven inches high that he was supposed to grade for that class. Then he looked round and saw one of the same height for his next class, and his next one, and the one after that! Unmarked papers surrounded him everywhere he turned!
Snape, who was not used to letting his work pile up, was suddenly faced by an overwhelming amount of papers to be graded, as well as plans to make for the lessons for next week. One of his hands caught his desk as he steadied himself and placed the other hand on his chest in an attempt to regulate his breathing. It was okay; he could handle this- the bell rang signifying the students had only five minutes to be in their first classes- no he couldn't!
Snape regained composure before his students were to come in and watched them enter wondering just how exactly he could get all this work done. But then his eyes fell on a Gryffindor girl who was walking through the door talking and laughing with her two best friends. A small smirk came to his lips.
"Take your seats now! This is a classroom not a circus."
The students, hearing the annoyed tones of their professor, immediately sat in their desks and made no sound. The bell rang beginning class.
"Fifty points from both houses for causing such disarray."
The students looked around. If he was taking points from Slytherin, then they knew something was wrong. Hermione, however, was feeling less afraid and more annoyed that her teacher had taken off needless points before class had even started.
"Today, you will be making a Simple Healing Potion, begin."
The students glanced at each other not quite sure of what to do.
Snape returned to his desk and pretended to just notice that no one was moving, "Well? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation from Fudge himself?"
There was a slight pause, but then one hand rose slowly and confidently into the air. There was only one student at Hogwarts that was courageous enough to challenge the Potions Master.
"Miss Granger?" he asked standing up.
"Sir," she began, her voice as steady as ever, "I think what everyone is thinking is that you haven't told us how to brew the potion or where to find it in our books, and well...you haven't-"
But Snape, who was now standing, cut her off. "And do you claim to master the art of mind reading Miss Granger?"
"No sir," she said staring back into his cold eyes challenging him.
He began to move towards her. "Than I suggest that you stop speaking for every one. If you are simply too incompetent to brew a potion without instructions, then just say so yourself. I do believe there are a few open spots in Remedial Potions."
Hermione was indignant. She stood up bring her face rather close to her professor who was by now hovering over her. "Professor I-"
"FIFTEEN POINTS! Ms. Granger for your disrespect, ten more for your incompetence, and another ten for challenging my methods. That makes thirty-five. Anything else? Oh yes! You will report here promptly at five for a detention. Now sit Miss Granger!"
Hermione sat but did not break eye contact with her professor for a while.
Still looking directly into Hermione's eyes, Snape began to speak. "Since Miss Granger believes you all incapable of brewing a potion on your own, you will all write a six and a half foot essay on Simple Healing Potions. I trust, Miss Granger, you feel your classmates are intelligent enough to handle this. Good."
He swept back to his desk, and for the rest of the class, the students were busy writing. When the bell rang, Snape announced that the essay would be due the next class. They moaned and groaned of course, but they had gotten the extra time to work on it in class- it would have been their normal homework, but now they were all learning a lesson. He smiled at his own cleverness.
It was with great chagrin that Hermione trudged down into the dungeons later that day. She was still rather sore about the lesson; especially with the way he had treated her after she had helped him in his time of need. She was on her way to his classroom when she heard a familiar noise coming out of his chambers. Hermione turned and walked in there instead.
Professor Snape was sitting at a desk trying to grade papers while balancing Elizabeth on half of his lap. From the look on his face he was not succeeding.
"Oh Hermione! I was wondering when you would get here."
Hermione ran up to the teacher and grabbed the crying baby and clutched her to her chest. She gazed at the professor trying to figure out what exactly he was doing.
"I have so much to grade, I haven't gotten anything done since Elizabeth came, and well since I can't get anything done with her..."
Hermione was beginning to get the picture. "Wait, you...you planned this! You gave me a detention because you needed a babysitter?!"
"Well..." Snape began with a slightly sheepish look.
Hermione huffed and walked over to the couch on the other side of the room. She was playing with the child, but he could tell by her posture that she was not happy. Severus sighed and walked over to the girl.
He sat down on the couch and put an arm around her, which she blatantly ignored.
"Hermione..."
But she sharply turned to face him. "No Professor! You can't give me a detention just because you need a babysitter! If you are too proud too ask for help, you can find it somewhere else next time!"
The girl turned indignantly away from him and Severus looked at her back. Yes, it was true that he couldn't ask for help, but not because he was proud-not exactly. He had never really required outside assistance before Elizabeth had came. Dumbledore's reputed omniscience had always come to the forefront before.
Not feeling threatened in the least bit; he decided he would tell the truth. "Hermione, I would have asked you but, but I didn't know how," then his voice got quiet, "and I didn't know if you would come. I am sorry."
Hermione was still slightly upset but he did apologize so she turned around. "Just don't do it again okay?"
He smiled, thinking it odd that somehow she seemed to be making up the rules now, but he was the professor.
Hermione smiled at him too, feeling something stir in her, which she attributed to the fact that the surliest man in the school had just smiled at her genuinely. The two held a moment before the professor got back to grading and Hermione was happily playing with Elizabeth.
But Hermione too had her own life and own things to get done and looking for too long at a chair across the room, transfigured the chair into a baby swing and cast a charm on it so it would swing.
Snape had been watching this performance and looked over curiously. "Well would you look at that? She likes it too!"
"You might want to try it next time you have marking to do."
"Yes, don't turn it back."
Hermione smiled, "Wouldn't dream of it!"
Severus smiled too, but when he realized that he was he turned back to the papers. He felt quite comfortable with this girl and that made him uncomfortable. Around everyone else, he had to wear one of his many masks but she was not judging him. She took him for what he was and he didn't have to pretend to be what he was not.
After a while he looked up at Hermione who was doing some sort of homework.
"My essay?" he asked.
"Nope, finished that one in class."
"All six and a half feet?"
"No, Eight and a quarter."
Impressive. "I do have to read them all you know?"
She turned and smiled playfully, "I know."
He laughed and it was the first time he had in a long while. Hermione was listening to the laugh and noted how much it sounded as if he needed that laugh. But then the professor interrupted her thoughts.
"I am thinking about having a project for this second term."
"Oh really professor?" Why was he telling her?
He didn't quite know either, but he was. "Yes, I am thinking about having each person brew a potion of their choosing. They will also write a composition about the potion as well as present the information in front of the class and finally test it."
"Why Professor that's great!" said the workaholic enthusiastically. Although she would never admit it, Hermione held a love of potions and doing it independently would certainly be fun. "I like it a lot."
"I thought you would." He said beaming at the girl, "But I don't know about the rest of the class."
This time Hermione laughed with Severus and they laughed for a while. The rest of the evening was quite pleasant with occasional spots of chatter here and there.
When Hermione got back up to her room, it was past midnight. She slipped into her pajamas and was asleep before her head even touched the silken fabric of the cream colored pillow.
Hermione awoke the next morning when a bouncy feeling disrupted her dreams. Upon opening her eyes, she found that she was looking into the blue eyes of a grinning red head.
"Morning Gin!"
"Took you long enough! What did you do? I think I could have waken you easier if you had been in a coma!"
"Sorry Gin. I'm just tired, you know?"
"Come ON Mione!"
"You sound like a child on Christmas morning!" she said hitting her friend over the head with her pillow. Ten minutes later, Hermione was dressed and ready to go. She walked down the stairs to meet her four friends.
When they got to Hogsmeade, Hermione wanted to go into the bookstore. This was met by an immediate groan from Ron who was slapped on the arm by Lavender. Hermione laughed.
"Don't worry guys, I will meet up with you later."
"You sure Mione?" Ginny asked.
Hermione smiled, "Yeah, how about The Three Broomsticks at twelve?" That gave her two hours.
"Okay."
So Hermione went book shopping. She found one particularly nice book on beyond N.E.W.T. level potions. There were a couple of good potions that would take a good long time to brew and needed careful planning. They were sure to impress her professor. Not that she wanted to impress Snape, it was for the intrinsic reward- yes the intrinsic reward.
She didn't notice the figure sneak up behind her. "Nice selection."
Hermione whirled around, startled and came face to face with her Potions professor.
"Professor," Hermione said breathily while putting a hand on her chest just above her left breast, which Severus probably should not have noted quite as detailed as he did. "You gave me a start!"
"I am sorry dear girl, I didn't mean to."
It was then that he and Hermione realized that when she stumbled turning around, Severus had put his arm around her waist, and she in turn had caught his arm.
"Are you alright?" he asked nicely.
She smiled "Yeah I think so. I found some great potions for my project!"
"But I haven't even assigned it yet."
"Well I was here and so was it, and we just sort of bumped into each other."
"Severus," called a man who sounded a lot like Albus Dumbledore. Snape remembered that he was Severus Snape, Potions Master and he straightened up and released Hermione.
"Good day Ms. Granger."
Hermione, who was beginning to understand things more, nodded and said, "Good day Professor."
After purchasing her book, Hermione left but still had half an hour to kill before she needed to be at The Three Broomsticks. Walking past the pub, she noticed a store that she had never seen before, due to lack of necessity she assumed. She stepped inside the small store that was full of children's clothes.
Everywhere around her were the most adorable outfits ever. Then Hermione saw it, a little light blue dress that had matching shoes and a big matching bow. A smile came to her lips; it was perfect. She also found a few nice small pajamas.
But just as luck would have it, as Hermione was purchasing the outfits, her four friends were passing by the window of the store.
"Now what's Mione doing in there?" Ron asked.
He was about to go in before the two girls pulled him back. Hermione had no reason to buy baby clothes. They moved back down the street and watched as Hermione stepped out of the store and looked around to see if anyone were watching. Then she slipped the bag into her other one before heading to the pub.
Ginny and Lavender exchanged a look. First, Hermione disappears at night, then she is incredibly tired for a few days and now she was buying baby clothes. There was something fishy going on and all signs pointed to something none too positive.
And that's where this one ends. The next one is going to be fun! And if this uploads funny, I will do the next one in HTML and see what I can do for the ones before.
!!!!ATTENTION!!!! My friend Julia (another fanfic author know as Sokairu, she mostly does Kingdom Hearts stuff) decided to put our heads together and make an oober funny fic that is a cross over. We started it today during study hall, and so it will probably be up soon. Right now it's a work in progress, but I wanted to tell you, because, it is going to be really GREAT!! (even if your are like me and know almost nothing about Kingdom Hearts, that is unless of course I get a PS2 for X-mas!) But neways, it will be glorious!
So read it when it is out. I'll let you know when that is.
AND NOW IT IS TIME TO THANK THE LOVES OF MY LIFE ONCE AGAIN!!! REVIEWERS...YOU ROCK MY WORLD! I LOVE YOU ALL! YOU COMPLETE ME! ::MAKES HAND SIGN::
And to any who like this story, read my other Snape fic called Solitude! It is about his child hood, and its pretty good. So read it so I can become more motivated and write more! Bye for now!
Atiannala
Suspicion
The next morning Snape awoke and felt a small weight on his chest. Looking down he saw the small head of his niece. He stroked her soft hair; her head was smaller than his palm. Smiling he thought that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to do this.
It felt good, but there was something missing- someone missing. Snape looked to the empty side of his king size bed and blinked back tears that he would never admit to having. It was far too late in his life for him to be single; not only was he not married, but he didn't even have a girlfriend. Forget that, there was no girl that had even looked at him amicably.
But he knew why: he was Professor Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts. He was Severus Snape, pureblood and Death Eater, servant to the Dark Lord. Severus Snape, spy for the Order of the Phoenix, the lost soul struggling to repent for its sins. But he was not Severus Snape, companion and soul mate. He was not the husband any girl wanted.
As far as the female population of the world was concerned, he was an ass and a git, heartless and unfeeling. But if they could see him now, as he was, caring for the small infant who was so dependent on him. But no- he couldn't be the person who he really was, there were too many other people he had to be. He had to settle for fear instead of love- he would never be loved.
But maybe, maybe this small girl who lay on his chest now would love him. He was her guardian after all, why not be her father? There would be love in his life. He looked at the small girl who brought light into the darkness. But he was unaware of just how much light this child would bring him.
An hour later, he was sitting at his desk waiting for his first class, seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins. They would arrive in approximately ten minutes. He sat at the desk preparing his notes, when all of a sudden, he was confronted by a stack of parchment seven inches high that he was supposed to grade for that class. Then he looked round and saw one of the same height for his next class, and his next one, and the one after that! Unmarked papers surrounded him everywhere he turned!
Snape, who was not used to letting his work pile up, was suddenly faced by an overwhelming amount of papers to be graded, as well as plans to make for the lessons for next week. One of his hands caught his desk as he steadied himself and placed the other hand on his chest in an attempt to regulate his breathing. It was okay; he could handle this- the bell rang signifying the students had only five minutes to be in their first classes- no he couldn't!
Snape regained composure before his students were to come in and watched them enter wondering just how exactly he could get all this work done. But then his eyes fell on a Gryffindor girl who was walking through the door talking and laughing with her two best friends. A small smirk came to his lips.
"Take your seats now! This is a classroom not a circus."
The students, hearing the annoyed tones of their professor, immediately sat in their desks and made no sound. The bell rang beginning class.
"Fifty points from both houses for causing such disarray."
The students looked around. If he was taking points from Slytherin, then they knew something was wrong. Hermione, however, was feeling less afraid and more annoyed that her teacher had taken off needless points before class had even started.
"Today, you will be making a Simple Healing Potion, begin."
The students glanced at each other not quite sure of what to do.
Snape returned to his desk and pretended to just notice that no one was moving, "Well? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation from Fudge himself?"
There was a slight pause, but then one hand rose slowly and confidently into the air. There was only one student at Hogwarts that was courageous enough to challenge the Potions Master.
"Miss Granger?" he asked standing up.
"Sir," she began, her voice as steady as ever, "I think what everyone is thinking is that you haven't told us how to brew the potion or where to find it in our books, and well...you haven't-"
But Snape, who was now standing, cut her off. "And do you claim to master the art of mind reading Miss Granger?"
"No sir," she said staring back into his cold eyes challenging him.
He began to move towards her. "Than I suggest that you stop speaking for every one. If you are simply too incompetent to brew a potion without instructions, then just say so yourself. I do believe there are a few open spots in Remedial Potions."
Hermione was indignant. She stood up bring her face rather close to her professor who was by now hovering over her. "Professor I-"
"FIFTEEN POINTS! Ms. Granger for your disrespect, ten more for your incompetence, and another ten for challenging my methods. That makes thirty-five. Anything else? Oh yes! You will report here promptly at five for a detention. Now sit Miss Granger!"
Hermione sat but did not break eye contact with her professor for a while.
Still looking directly into Hermione's eyes, Snape began to speak. "Since Miss Granger believes you all incapable of brewing a potion on your own, you will all write a six and a half foot essay on Simple Healing Potions. I trust, Miss Granger, you feel your classmates are intelligent enough to handle this. Good."
He swept back to his desk, and for the rest of the class, the students were busy writing. When the bell rang, Snape announced that the essay would be due the next class. They moaned and groaned of course, but they had gotten the extra time to work on it in class- it would have been their normal homework, but now they were all learning a lesson. He smiled at his own cleverness.
It was with great chagrin that Hermione trudged down into the dungeons later that day. She was still rather sore about the lesson; especially with the way he had treated her after she had helped him in his time of need. She was on her way to his classroom when she heard a familiar noise coming out of his chambers. Hermione turned and walked in there instead.
Professor Snape was sitting at a desk trying to grade papers while balancing Elizabeth on half of his lap. From the look on his face he was not succeeding.
"Oh Hermione! I was wondering when you would get here."
Hermione ran up to the teacher and grabbed the crying baby and clutched her to her chest. She gazed at the professor trying to figure out what exactly he was doing.
"I have so much to grade, I haven't gotten anything done since Elizabeth came, and well since I can't get anything done with her..."
Hermione was beginning to get the picture. "Wait, you...you planned this! You gave me a detention because you needed a babysitter?!"
"Well..." Snape began with a slightly sheepish look.
Hermione huffed and walked over to the couch on the other side of the room. She was playing with the child, but he could tell by her posture that she was not happy. Severus sighed and walked over to the girl.
He sat down on the couch and put an arm around her, which she blatantly ignored.
"Hermione..."
But she sharply turned to face him. "No Professor! You can't give me a detention just because you need a babysitter! If you are too proud too ask for help, you can find it somewhere else next time!"
The girl turned indignantly away from him and Severus looked at her back. Yes, it was true that he couldn't ask for help, but not because he was proud-not exactly. He had never really required outside assistance before Elizabeth had came. Dumbledore's reputed omniscience had always come to the forefront before.
Not feeling threatened in the least bit; he decided he would tell the truth. "Hermione, I would have asked you but, but I didn't know how," then his voice got quiet, "and I didn't know if you would come. I am sorry."
Hermione was still slightly upset but he did apologize so she turned around. "Just don't do it again okay?"
He smiled, thinking it odd that somehow she seemed to be making up the rules now, but he was the professor.
Hermione smiled at him too, feeling something stir in her, which she attributed to the fact that the surliest man in the school had just smiled at her genuinely. The two held a moment before the professor got back to grading and Hermione was happily playing with Elizabeth.
But Hermione too had her own life and own things to get done and looking for too long at a chair across the room, transfigured the chair into a baby swing and cast a charm on it so it would swing.
Snape had been watching this performance and looked over curiously. "Well would you look at that? She likes it too!"
"You might want to try it next time you have marking to do."
"Yes, don't turn it back."
Hermione smiled, "Wouldn't dream of it!"
Severus smiled too, but when he realized that he was he turned back to the papers. He felt quite comfortable with this girl and that made him uncomfortable. Around everyone else, he had to wear one of his many masks but she was not judging him. She took him for what he was and he didn't have to pretend to be what he was not.
After a while he looked up at Hermione who was doing some sort of homework.
"My essay?" he asked.
"Nope, finished that one in class."
"All six and a half feet?"
"No, Eight and a quarter."
Impressive. "I do have to read them all you know?"
She turned and smiled playfully, "I know."
He laughed and it was the first time he had in a long while. Hermione was listening to the laugh and noted how much it sounded as if he needed that laugh. But then the professor interrupted her thoughts.
"I am thinking about having a project for this second term."
"Oh really professor?" Why was he telling her?
He didn't quite know either, but he was. "Yes, I am thinking about having each person brew a potion of their choosing. They will also write a composition about the potion as well as present the information in front of the class and finally test it."
"Why Professor that's great!" said the workaholic enthusiastically. Although she would never admit it, Hermione held a love of potions and doing it independently would certainly be fun. "I like it a lot."
"I thought you would." He said beaming at the girl, "But I don't know about the rest of the class."
This time Hermione laughed with Severus and they laughed for a while. The rest of the evening was quite pleasant with occasional spots of chatter here and there.
When Hermione got back up to her room, it was past midnight. She slipped into her pajamas and was asleep before her head even touched the silken fabric of the cream colored pillow.
Hermione awoke the next morning when a bouncy feeling disrupted her dreams. Upon opening her eyes, she found that she was looking into the blue eyes of a grinning red head.
"Morning Gin!"
"Took you long enough! What did you do? I think I could have waken you easier if you had been in a coma!"
"Sorry Gin. I'm just tired, you know?"
"Come ON Mione!"
"You sound like a child on Christmas morning!" she said hitting her friend over the head with her pillow. Ten minutes later, Hermione was dressed and ready to go. She walked down the stairs to meet her four friends.
When they got to Hogsmeade, Hermione wanted to go into the bookstore. This was met by an immediate groan from Ron who was slapped on the arm by Lavender. Hermione laughed.
"Don't worry guys, I will meet up with you later."
"You sure Mione?" Ginny asked.
Hermione smiled, "Yeah, how about The Three Broomsticks at twelve?" That gave her two hours.
"Okay."
So Hermione went book shopping. She found one particularly nice book on beyond N.E.W.T. level potions. There were a couple of good potions that would take a good long time to brew and needed careful planning. They were sure to impress her professor. Not that she wanted to impress Snape, it was for the intrinsic reward- yes the intrinsic reward.
She didn't notice the figure sneak up behind her. "Nice selection."
Hermione whirled around, startled and came face to face with her Potions professor.
"Professor," Hermione said breathily while putting a hand on her chest just above her left breast, which Severus probably should not have noted quite as detailed as he did. "You gave me a start!"
"I am sorry dear girl, I didn't mean to."
It was then that he and Hermione realized that when she stumbled turning around, Severus had put his arm around her waist, and she in turn had caught his arm.
"Are you alright?" he asked nicely.
She smiled "Yeah I think so. I found some great potions for my project!"
"But I haven't even assigned it yet."
"Well I was here and so was it, and we just sort of bumped into each other."
"Severus," called a man who sounded a lot like Albus Dumbledore. Snape remembered that he was Severus Snape, Potions Master and he straightened up and released Hermione.
"Good day Ms. Granger."
Hermione, who was beginning to understand things more, nodded and said, "Good day Professor."
After purchasing her book, Hermione left but still had half an hour to kill before she needed to be at The Three Broomsticks. Walking past the pub, she noticed a store that she had never seen before, due to lack of necessity she assumed. She stepped inside the small store that was full of children's clothes.
Everywhere around her were the most adorable outfits ever. Then Hermione saw it, a little light blue dress that had matching shoes and a big matching bow. A smile came to her lips; it was perfect. She also found a few nice small pajamas.
But just as luck would have it, as Hermione was purchasing the outfits, her four friends were passing by the window of the store.
"Now what's Mione doing in there?" Ron asked.
He was about to go in before the two girls pulled him back. Hermione had no reason to buy baby clothes. They moved back down the street and watched as Hermione stepped out of the store and looked around to see if anyone were watching. Then she slipped the bag into her other one before heading to the pub.
Ginny and Lavender exchanged a look. First, Hermione disappears at night, then she is incredibly tired for a few days and now she was buying baby clothes. There was something fishy going on and all signs pointed to something none too positive.
And that's where this one ends. The next one is going to be fun! And if this uploads funny, I will do the next one in HTML and see what I can do for the ones before.
!!!!ATTENTION!!!! My friend Julia (another fanfic author know as Sokairu, she mostly does Kingdom Hearts stuff) decided to put our heads together and make an oober funny fic that is a cross over. We started it today during study hall, and so it will probably be up soon. Right now it's a work in progress, but I wanted to tell you, because, it is going to be really GREAT!! (even if your are like me and know almost nothing about Kingdom Hearts, that is unless of course I get a PS2 for X-mas!) But neways, it will be glorious!
So read it when it is out. I'll let you know when that is.
AND NOW IT IS TIME TO THANK THE LOVES OF MY LIFE ONCE AGAIN!!! REVIEWERS...YOU ROCK MY WORLD! I LOVE YOU ALL! YOU COMPLETE ME! ::MAKES HAND SIGN::
And to any who like this story, read my other Snape fic called Solitude! It is about his child hood, and its pretty good. So read it so I can become more motivated and write more! Bye for now!
Atiannala