Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, sadly. JKR would be the owner. But
they're fun to borrow!
A/N: This would be the sequel to Messing With the Wrong Woman. That said, both could be stand alone stories so you don't necessarily need one w/o the other. Anyway, this one is a lot more angsty. It's also a lot longer. Enjoy!
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Part 1
Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, awoke as if torn from a pleasant dream. All truth be told, he had. Yesterday's events were the stuff of dreams. If someone had told him seven years ago that he would fall in love with Hermione Granger and she would fall in love with him, he would have scowled furiously and hexed him or her to oblivion. But, with the course of time, it had happened. Last night they had declared their love for one another thanks to Hermione's persistence, and Snape had gone to bed feeling the happiest he ever had. He dreamt of her all night: being with her, loving her, being hers. However, a relentless knocking on his door crudely ended his dreams.
Turning to check the time (7:30), he groaned loudly. "I'm coming. You can stop your bloody pounding!" He had an idea of who was the culprit. Only two people could get past the wards on the first two doors. The third was more for privacy so he never placed bothered with a ward.
Snape rolled out of bed and trudged to the door to open it. He still had on his sleeping robes, black as the darkest night. "Hello, Minerva. Do come in," he said to Professor McGonagall. She was obviously disturbed, so he thought it best to be polite. "To what do I owe this early visit?"
"Severus, do you know what you've done?"
"To what are you referring?" he asked, sitting down in a nearby chair.
"You know quite well what I'm talking about. You're not only placing yourself in greater danger, but Miss Granger as well, and I don't mean just physically. The emotional effects alone are enough to destroy you both."
He knew she was right. This is what he had not wanted to think about. He had literally forced himself not to think about any of it, but he knew he needed to see the truth for what it was.
McGonagall continued. "Don't' forget the students, Severus. If they found out, you'd most certainly meet an unpleasant end. As for as we know, Malfoy hasn't told anyone, but we can't afford to have him telling his father. Lucious would hunt both you and Hermione."
"Thank you, Minerva," he responded angrily. She flinched so he softened his tone. "I've spent many hours thinking about the consequences. Why do you think I've held back? I was . . . am scared. If anything happened to any of them, especially Hermione, and I was responsible, I couldn't live with myself. Minerva," at this point she was sitting in a chair opposite him listening intently. "These students, this school, mean more to me than anything. I didn't have a choice last night. I have no regrets other than not having an alternative."
"Severus," she said getting up, "please be careful how you proceed. Try to find Draco Malfoy and talk to him before he tells someone, as well."
"I plan to find him this morning," he replied, standing to open the door from Professor McGonagall.
"And Miss Granger?"
"I only hope she won't hate me for what I know I must do."
"My only advice is to be gentle, for your sake and hers," she said before leaving. Snape closed the door behind her. What looked like a bright day had suddenly become very cloudy. Thunderstorms were likely on the horizon for him. He only hoped it would go quickly.
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Hermione could not have been much happier. Okay, she could have been happier because she had to deal with Ron this morning. She understood why he hated Snape. The Potions Master had a tendency to pick on the Gryffindors more than any other house. He also had a reputation for being the meanest teacher at Hogwarts. Hermione knew better though. She knew it was an act to keep up his image. Snape's spy work was too important for him to come off as nice, which, in reality, most everyone who knew him well would say was true to an extent. Hermione just had to convince Ron of this. She really did not want to deal with him, but he and Harry were waiting in the common room.
"Good morning, Hermione," Harry yawned.
"Good morning, Harry, "she replied. "Morning, Ron." He just sat and stared at the floor until Harry nudged him. Hermione thought she heard a mumbled "morning." She quickly decided she should forgo being nice and just get to it. Breakfast could wait. 'Ron, I know you hate Professor Snape. You can hate me too if you want, but that doesn't change how I feel about him." That did the trick.
"Hermione, he's Snape! How many times do I have to tell you? He's evil! E-V-I-L, evil!" Harry, surprised by Ron's outburst did not quite know how to react. Instead, he just stared at his supposed best friend open mouthed. "Harry, you have to agree with me. Snape is a Death Eater. How much more evil could he get without being You-Know-Who?" This pulled Harry back to the real world. He noticed Hermione was fuming so he quickly jumped to her defense.
"Ron, Snape is not evil. Yes, he was, emphasis on was, a Death Eater. However, if he hadn't done all the spy work, we'd probably all be dead. Ron, your pig-headed ignorance is getting to be too much. Come on, Hermione. Let's go to breakfast." He left, Hermione in tow.
"If you ever decide to leave your little world, you're free to join us," she said before leaving.
Ron stared after Harry and Hermione. Had Harry really just defended Snape? It seemed wrong. Was he the only one who saw how he would hurt her? Plus, it was just creepy. Snape in love was just . . . ew. Ron did not want to go there. He also did not really want to follow Harry and Hermione, but he was getting hungry. The common room was kind of lonely too, being as it was just him. Everyone who had stayed over Christmas Holiday was at breakfast, so Ron decided to join them whether Harry and Hermione were there or not. Was he really as dense as everyone thought? He would show them. In fact, he would prove it this morning at breakfast. Yeah, that's what he would do.
End Part 1
Please review!
A/N: This would be the sequel to Messing With the Wrong Woman. That said, both could be stand alone stories so you don't necessarily need one w/o the other. Anyway, this one is a lot more angsty. It's also a lot longer. Enjoy!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Part 1
Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, awoke as if torn from a pleasant dream. All truth be told, he had. Yesterday's events were the stuff of dreams. If someone had told him seven years ago that he would fall in love with Hermione Granger and she would fall in love with him, he would have scowled furiously and hexed him or her to oblivion. But, with the course of time, it had happened. Last night they had declared their love for one another thanks to Hermione's persistence, and Snape had gone to bed feeling the happiest he ever had. He dreamt of her all night: being with her, loving her, being hers. However, a relentless knocking on his door crudely ended his dreams.
Turning to check the time (7:30), he groaned loudly. "I'm coming. You can stop your bloody pounding!" He had an idea of who was the culprit. Only two people could get past the wards on the first two doors. The third was more for privacy so he never placed bothered with a ward.
Snape rolled out of bed and trudged to the door to open it. He still had on his sleeping robes, black as the darkest night. "Hello, Minerva. Do come in," he said to Professor McGonagall. She was obviously disturbed, so he thought it best to be polite. "To what do I owe this early visit?"
"Severus, do you know what you've done?"
"To what are you referring?" he asked, sitting down in a nearby chair.
"You know quite well what I'm talking about. You're not only placing yourself in greater danger, but Miss Granger as well, and I don't mean just physically. The emotional effects alone are enough to destroy you both."
He knew she was right. This is what he had not wanted to think about. He had literally forced himself not to think about any of it, but he knew he needed to see the truth for what it was.
McGonagall continued. "Don't' forget the students, Severus. If they found out, you'd most certainly meet an unpleasant end. As for as we know, Malfoy hasn't told anyone, but we can't afford to have him telling his father. Lucious would hunt both you and Hermione."
"Thank you, Minerva," he responded angrily. She flinched so he softened his tone. "I've spent many hours thinking about the consequences. Why do you think I've held back? I was . . . am scared. If anything happened to any of them, especially Hermione, and I was responsible, I couldn't live with myself. Minerva," at this point she was sitting in a chair opposite him listening intently. "These students, this school, mean more to me than anything. I didn't have a choice last night. I have no regrets other than not having an alternative."
"Severus," she said getting up, "please be careful how you proceed. Try to find Draco Malfoy and talk to him before he tells someone, as well."
"I plan to find him this morning," he replied, standing to open the door from Professor McGonagall.
"And Miss Granger?"
"I only hope she won't hate me for what I know I must do."
"My only advice is to be gentle, for your sake and hers," she said before leaving. Snape closed the door behind her. What looked like a bright day had suddenly become very cloudy. Thunderstorms were likely on the horizon for him. He only hoped it would go quickly.
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Hermione could not have been much happier. Okay, she could have been happier because she had to deal with Ron this morning. She understood why he hated Snape. The Potions Master had a tendency to pick on the Gryffindors more than any other house. He also had a reputation for being the meanest teacher at Hogwarts. Hermione knew better though. She knew it was an act to keep up his image. Snape's spy work was too important for him to come off as nice, which, in reality, most everyone who knew him well would say was true to an extent. Hermione just had to convince Ron of this. She really did not want to deal with him, but he and Harry were waiting in the common room.
"Good morning, Hermione," Harry yawned.
"Good morning, Harry, "she replied. "Morning, Ron." He just sat and stared at the floor until Harry nudged him. Hermione thought she heard a mumbled "morning." She quickly decided she should forgo being nice and just get to it. Breakfast could wait. 'Ron, I know you hate Professor Snape. You can hate me too if you want, but that doesn't change how I feel about him." That did the trick.
"Hermione, he's Snape! How many times do I have to tell you? He's evil! E-V-I-L, evil!" Harry, surprised by Ron's outburst did not quite know how to react. Instead, he just stared at his supposed best friend open mouthed. "Harry, you have to agree with me. Snape is a Death Eater. How much more evil could he get without being You-Know-Who?" This pulled Harry back to the real world. He noticed Hermione was fuming so he quickly jumped to her defense.
"Ron, Snape is not evil. Yes, he was, emphasis on was, a Death Eater. However, if he hadn't done all the spy work, we'd probably all be dead. Ron, your pig-headed ignorance is getting to be too much. Come on, Hermione. Let's go to breakfast." He left, Hermione in tow.
"If you ever decide to leave your little world, you're free to join us," she said before leaving.
Ron stared after Harry and Hermione. Had Harry really just defended Snape? It seemed wrong. Was he the only one who saw how he would hurt her? Plus, it was just creepy. Snape in love was just . . . ew. Ron did not want to go there. He also did not really want to follow Harry and Hermione, but he was getting hungry. The common room was kind of lonely too, being as it was just him. Everyone who had stayed over Christmas Holiday was at breakfast, so Ron decided to join them whether Harry and Hermione were there or not. Was he really as dense as everyone thought? He would show them. In fact, he would prove it this morning at breakfast. Yeah, that's what he would do.
End Part 1
Please review!