"Did I mumble? Don't look so incredulous, Wife. I said I'm taking you to
Hogwarts. Now get your things." He spoke as if he were explaining the
details of an outing to a child.
.
"Fuck you Severus Snape!" She swept past him, into the living room.
Jasmine squirmed in her arms.
"Where are you going? Stop! Look at me when I speak to you, Hermione." He growled. He was on her in a instant; grasping her chin with his hand he forcibly wrenched her head so that she was looking directly into his fathomless eyes.
"No. I said no. I'm not going with you. You can't come here, break into my flat, bully my neighbour, and scare my daughter . . ." She shook her head free of his grasp.
"I saved you. You! The brightest witch of your generation, and you repay me by whoring around with Weasley! For all I know the girl is his."
"Right . . . Does she look like a Weasley to you?"
He waved her comment away, as if it were a bothersome fly. "No. I can see it plainly. She has the Snape profile." He stroked Jasmine's nose, unselfconsciously. The toddler turned her head and buried her face in Hermione's breast. Severus frowned and then in a quiet voice asked, "Tell me Wife, how did I fail you?"
"Fail me?"
"I kept up my half of the bargain. I provided you with a home, servants, your every whim wish and fancy was catered to without complaint . . ."
"Is that how you see it? You kept your half of the bargain, huh? How quaint. A home? You kept me locked up. I was virtually a prisoner in the dungeons."
"It would have been irresponsible to give you free reign of the school at that time. Anti-Muggle sentiment ran too high . . ."
"I wasn't married to you, I was awarded to you for your services to Voldemort."
"Don't speak his name with your filthy tongue!"
"I recon my tongue is cleaner than your conscience."
"Tell me, how does it feel to know that you have sold your soul?"
She saw stars as his slap burned across her cheek.
"There's the Severus Snape I knew." She spat, wiping at the corner of her mouth, her sleeve smeared with blood.
"You know nothing of it." He said bitterly.
"You stood by and did nothing when Harry was slaughtered and the school sacked! And you, yes you dear husband invented the potion responsible for robbing the entire population of the muggle born witches of Britton of their magic, including myself! So tell me, how are you sleeping? Well, or do the daemons keep you awake during the lonely hours when you see yourself for the worm that you really are?"
She watched as his face contorted itself from rage, and then grow mask like as he regained control. He did not slap her again.
"I thought there would be some trouble convincing you to leave." He said. "No matter, I will have my daughter either with or without you . . . Stupify!"
There was a brilliant flash and Hermione found herself descending into darkness.
She woke to the ringing of the telephone. It was morning and watery yellow sunshine streamed in through the windows. All of the lights were still on, and she was soaking wet.
"Severus?" She croaked. The phone continued it's shrill ringing, and then was cut off by her answering machine.
"Miss Granger . . .Hello? Are you there? Do you plan on working today? This is highly inconvenient. Ring me when you get this."
"SEVERUS!" She bellowed, rising onto shaky legs. Her head felt as if it were splitting. She staggered out of the empty living room only to find the kitchen and the bedroom similarly so.
"Where are you going? Stop! Look at me when I speak to you, Hermione." He growled. He was on her in a instant; grasping her chin with his hand he forcibly wrenched her head so that she was looking directly into his fathomless eyes.
"No. I said no. I'm not going with you. You can't come here, break into my flat, bully my neighbour, and scare my daughter . . ." She shook her head free of his grasp.
"I saved you. You! The brightest witch of your generation, and you repay me by whoring around with Weasley! For all I know the girl is his."
"Right . . . Does she look like a Weasley to you?"
He waved her comment away, as if it were a bothersome fly. "No. I can see it plainly. She has the Snape profile." He stroked Jasmine's nose, unselfconsciously. The toddler turned her head and buried her face in Hermione's breast. Severus frowned and then in a quiet voice asked, "Tell me Wife, how did I fail you?"
"Fail me?"
"I kept up my half of the bargain. I provided you with a home, servants, your every whim wish and fancy was catered to without complaint . . ."
"Is that how you see it? You kept your half of the bargain, huh? How quaint. A home? You kept me locked up. I was virtually a prisoner in the dungeons."
"It would have been irresponsible to give you free reign of the school at that time. Anti-Muggle sentiment ran too high . . ."
"I wasn't married to you, I was awarded to you for your services to Voldemort."
"Don't speak his name with your filthy tongue!"
"I recon my tongue is cleaner than your conscience."
"Tell me, how does it feel to know that you have sold your soul?"
She saw stars as his slap burned across her cheek.
"There's the Severus Snape I knew." She spat, wiping at the corner of her mouth, her sleeve smeared with blood.
"You know nothing of it." He said bitterly.
"You stood by and did nothing when Harry was slaughtered and the school sacked! And you, yes you dear husband invented the potion responsible for robbing the entire population of the muggle born witches of Britton of their magic, including myself! So tell me, how are you sleeping? Well, or do the daemons keep you awake during the lonely hours when you see yourself for the worm that you really are?"
She watched as his face contorted itself from rage, and then grow mask like as he regained control. He did not slap her again.
"I thought there would be some trouble convincing you to leave." He said. "No matter, I will have my daughter either with or without you . . . Stupify!"
There was a brilliant flash and Hermione found herself descending into darkness.
She woke to the ringing of the telephone. It was morning and watery yellow sunshine streamed in through the windows. All of the lights were still on, and she was soaking wet.
"Severus?" She croaked. The phone continued it's shrill ringing, and then was cut off by her answering machine.
"Miss Granger . . .Hello? Are you there? Do you plan on working today? This is highly inconvenient. Ring me when you get this."
"SEVERUS!" She bellowed, rising onto shaky legs. Her head felt as if it were splitting. She staggered out of the empty living room only to find the kitchen and the bedroom similarly so.