Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine. I just play with them.

Of Love and Livelihood

Part Three

When Severus arrived in his classroom on a Monday in the middle of November after giving Hermione a very lingering farewell kiss, he was rather surprised to find Draco standing beside the door waiting for him.

"Everything all right?" Severus asked as he waved his wand to deactivate the wards he put up every evening.  Severus opened the door to his classroom and walked inside, assuming Draco would follow.

"Yes, of course," Draco said, walked in behind his godfather. "I'm here to observe you."

"Observe me?" Snape echoed as he turned around to look at Draco. "What do you mean?"

Draco waved a clipboard in the air before his godfather. "Observations for reviews, Severus. The Board of Governors is reviewing the even numbered employees this term. Or haven't you heard about it?"

Severus frowned. "I've heard about it. But why are you doing the observing? Doesn't Albus do it? Or, at the very least, someone who is actually on the Board of Governors?"

Draco looked quite miffed. "For your information, Severus, I was appointed to the Board of Governors in August."

Severus made no effort to hide his surprise, and let his eyebrows rise. "Why on earth are you on the Board, Draco? What do you care about Hogwarts?"

"Well," Draco began, "I'll have you know that someday Ginny and I are going to have a child. And someday that child will attend Hogwarts, and I want to ensure that the Hogwarts little Draco jr. attends is the best possible Hogwarts available."

Severus stared at him for a few moments before he was able to vocalize his thoughts. "Good God, Draco. Could you be anymore of a twit?"

Draco's faced flushed immediately, but was prevented from spewing forth an angry tirade by the sudden influx of children. Severus was grateful for once that his students had come to class and watched as Draco strode quickly to the back of the room, situating himself atop an extra stool beside the students' supply cabinet.

Severus walked to the front of the room, turning to face the class when he stood beside his desk, and glared. "All of you will behave yourselves today, as we are lucky enough to be graced by the presence of a member of the Board of Governors," he said in his most menacing voice, ignoring the scratching sounds of Draco's quill as he immediately began his note taking. "And please try to take some care when you attempt to create today's assignment. You especially, Mr. Meyer," he said, turning his eyes on the curly haired boy whose brown eyes widened in fright. "We all know how well you do when given access to the more volatile ingredients. So, do please be careful."

He swept his gaze across the room once more, and was pleased to see that most of the children were studiously avoiding his gaze. "Instructions are on the board; ingredients are before you. Begin."

Usually, Severus would begin moving about the room when the students began their potions. Oftentimes he hovered in the area surrounding Jamie Meyer's table in order to avert any possible disaster. Instead, today Severus found he was drifting towards the corner where Draco sat writing and writing. Every comment Severus made, every movement he made, and every minute of the class seemed to be recorded. It was almost unnerving to think his teaching style was going to come under such close scrutiny.

Severus spent what felt like an eternity moving about the area of the room surrounding Draco's stool, half-watching his students as they prepared their potions and glancing over his shoulder at his godson frequently.  Eventually, the clock chimed, signalling the hour had come to an end. Severus. made his way back to his desk, and called for the potions to be turned in. The students were cleaning up their supplies and packing their bags when Draco slipped out of the classroom without evening bidding Severus a good day.

He tried not to think about how uneasy this made him.

-----

Ron Weasley and Javier Malfoy were living in sin in a flat not far from Hermione's. Severus decided to drop by and visit them one afternoon in November before heading over to Hermione's flat for the evening. Severus found that they wrapping Christmas presents, weeks in advance, when Javier opened the door to the flat and grinned up at him.

"Well, hello Severus," Javier said. "Won't you come in? Harry mentioned that you might be stopping by sometime. Of course, that was in October, so we gave up hope that you'd actually show."

Severus managed a tight grin as he stepped past Javier and into the flat. He could see Ron Weasley sitting amongst the half wrapped gifts on the floor beside their sofa, entertaining a puppy with a bit of ribbon.

"Look Ron!" Javier exclaimed as he lead Severus over to the couch. "We have a visitor!"

Ron looked up from the puppy, and Severus watched as his expression of joy turned to one of terror. "Professor Snape," he said softly, his unease obvious in his voice. "How nice to see you."

"And you," Severus said, as he sat down on the couch and tried to give Javier another small grin in response to his megawatt smiles.

"So!" Javier said as he sat in one of the easy chairs across from the couch. Ron seemed to remain paralyzed on the floor. "Harry mentioned something about marriages…"

"Erm, yes," Severus said. "Yes, well, Hermione and I have been dating for quite some time now-"

"Almost a year and a half," Ron interjected as his hand idly ran over the puppy's back. "She's ready for you to ask her to marry her, you know."

"Er," said Severus, "I know."

"So, how are you going to propose then?" Javier asked.

Severus frowned. "Well, that's why I am here. When I was asking Potter for advice, he pointed out that if I wanted good advice as to how to propose to a woman, I should ask a woman. Or, at the very least, ask someone very much akin to a woman."

He was surprised when Ron's back stiffened and Javier's ever-present grin vanished from his face. "I'm sorry," Severus said, "have I said something wrong?"

"No, not quite, Severus," said Javier. "Harry planted the seed, of course, and you just didn't think anything of it. But just because we're attracted to men doesn't mean we're any less of men. Do you know what I mean?"

Severus looked from Javier to Ron. In truth, Weasley looked quite hurt, and was focusing his attention on the dog. "You're absolutely right, Javier," Severus said. "I apologize, Ron."

Ron looked up at him quickly, and made no effort to hide his surprise at being addressed by his first name. "It's not you, Professor. It's Harry, is all. He can't accept me for who I am, and it's rough, you know. It's really rough when your best mate can't accept who you are." Ron paused to give Snape a small smile. "Hermione always told me she'd like it to be spontaneous. It didn't have to be elaborate. It didn't have to be extraordinary. She just wants the proposal to be sincere. She wouldn't ever want you to ask because you felt obligated, Professor. She'd want you to do it because you'd want nothing more than for her to be your wife."

"That's lovely!" Javier exclaimed as he began to make sniffling noises in his seat, and the puppy began tearing apart the wrapping paper with his teeth.

Severus gave Ron a grateful smile. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

-----

Draco was back on the first of December. He said nothing as Severus deactivated the wards to the classroom and opened the door. He merely shoved a bit a parchment towards him and waited as Severus took it from him and read it.

'Professor Severus Snape,

It has come to our attention through the observations of Governor Draco Malfoy, perusing the records from past review periods, and a short interview with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, that your teaching style may be outdated and ineffective. Thus, we must request that you take a paid leave of two weeks, effective immediately, while a new Potions Professor is allowed the opportunity to teach your classes for a short trial period.  Once this trial period has been concluded, we will alert you regarding the status of your employment. 

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

Sincerely,

&c.'

Severus looked from the letter to Draco and back to the letter before finally deciding to rest stare, horrified, at Draco. "What is the meaning of this, Malfoy?  What the hell did you put in that report?" he demanded, ignoring the fact that he nearly choked on his words.

"Look, Severus," Draco began, holding his hand up, "you're bound to be a bit emotional at the moment, so why don't I escort you back to your rooms, fix you a drink, and we'll discuss this in a few hours when everyone's had a chance to calm down."

Severus heard an odd gargling noise issue forth from the back of his throat, but he could not vocalize his protest as Draco lead him gently away from the classroom, down the dungeon hall to the door to his chambers. He was, for reasons unexplainable, not surprised when Draco was able to deactivate the wards to his rooms and steer him inside without any trouble whatsoever. He allowed Draco to seat him on the couch and looked on as his godson set himself to the task of pouring his godfather a rather large brandy.

Severus watched as Draco placed the brandy into his hand, gave him a small, sad looking smile, and patted him twice on the shoulder. "'S'all right, Severus. Or it will be, anyway. Just let the new Governors sow their oats and before you know it, you'll be back in the saddle."

Severus, though horrified by the clichés his godson had emitted, simply stared as Draco gave him one last smile before turning and walking towards the door. He paused in the doorway, and Severus thought for a moment he might speak.  Instead, his godson merely shook his head and slipped out into the dungeon hallway, closing the door behind him with a very decisive snap.

Snape moved his eyes from the door to the glass of brandy in his hand before finally allowing his gaze to rest upon the fire that flickered merrily in the hearth. He willed himself not to scream.

-----

"Oh, Severus," Hermione said as she slammed the door to his rooms shut behind her. He turned his head slightly so that his eyes could rest on her. She threw off her muggle style coat as she crossed the room before practically flinging herself on top of both the sofa and him. He was surprised that the brandy did not spill.

"Darling," she said, as she pressed her lips against his temple, and he wondered just what it was she could possibly think of asking from him now, "oh, you must feel wretched. And you have every right to feel wretched! What they did to you is unforgivable! Teaching is your life, and to take it away from you is to take away everything."

Severus frowned. "When you put it like that, I sound rather pathetic."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, tossing her tangled, wavy mane over her shoulder. "Oh, I didn't mean to, Severus. You're not offended, are you?"

He continued to frown. "No."

She sighed. "Draco flooed me at work this afternoon. Listen, why don't you come and spend your time off with me in London? It will be fantastic for you. A change of pace and environment is just what you need."

"Yes, and seclusion in a place where I am least likely to murder someone. Though you forget, my darling Miss Granger, how easy it would be for me to apparate to Hogsmeade and walk to the Castle and murder the bastard who-"

"Severus!" Hermione interrupted, her voice sounding full of worry. "Darling, it's best that you stay calm. I don't want anyone, you especially, to become injured unnecessarily."

He gave a slight grumble in response, and Hermione smiled at him, patting his arm lightly before leaning over to kiss him. "Severus," she whispered against his mouth, "come have a nice little holiday in London with me. It will be wonderful. I promise."

He said nothing, merely silenced her with his kisses, and was happy when she responded enthusiastically. "Hermione," he whispered, not exactly pleased with the gruff quality of his voice, as she trailed kisses from his jawline to his throat, "you're the only good in my life."

She pulled away from him suddenly and peered up into his eyes. He watched her inspect him for a few seconds. Eventually, she seemed to find what she'd been looking for in his face, for she gave him a sad little smile and stood from the couch. "Would you like me to pack your usual day wear?  Or should we go casual and just stick with shirts and slacks?"

-----

Severus decided there was a very big difference between knowing one was expendable and feeling like he or she was expendable. For example, Severus had known quite well during the war that if he died, he would simply have been just another casualty. He would just have been one of the many war dead, one of the tally marks of Lost Order Members Albus probably kept in the back of his journal. This knowledge, however, was decidedly different from the emotion obtained when someone, like Potter or one of the more callous Weasleys, would make a casual remark about the risks he took when he did his spy work. "So what," they would sometimes say, "so what if he dies. It's just Snape."

And in those moments following the statement, Just Snape would feel quite awful. For it was a quite awful thing for one to feel that he or she did not matter, and that no one would care whether or not he or she perished while striving to save the Wizarding World from its impending doom.

Severus found that spending his days sitting in Hermione's rather small flat reminded him greatly of just how expendable he was. Despite the fact that he was not taking a very active role in it, the world was still turning, people were still going about their business, Potions classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry continued to be taught, and no one seemed to notice or care, really, that Severus Snape was trapped in his significant other's tiny flat with her large, obnoxious, ginger-colored cat. And Severus found that these thoughts were rather depressing.

Severus always amended his thoughts, though, when Hermione came home. She seemed to care that he was stuck in her flat while time continued to pass and the world charged onward without him.

She arrived home from her job at St. Mungo's at approximately quarter past seven every evening. She always came bearing both bags of groceries and a list of complaints. The complaints mostly dealt with her laboratory assistants, all of whom Severus had taught and all of whom he had decided incompetent long ago. The groceries mostly consisted of frozen foods that Hermione would throw in the oven for a few moments before deciding that it took too long to actually bake things and using magic to finish cooking them.

"So," Hermione said as she handed him a plate of some sort of substance that he hoped was edible, "how was your day?"

He shrugged as he took the plate from her and shifted slightly so that she might sit down next to him on the couch. "Fine, I suppose," he said once she'd seated herself. "Mostly watched the floo, but no one contacted me."

Hermione patted his leg as she spooned a mouthful of the substance into her mouth. "They will, Severus," she said after she'd swallowed. "Don't you worry. They'll floo."

Severus sighed before taking a bit of the mystery substance, discovering that it tasted somewhat like chicken and peas. "How can you be so sure, Miss Granger?"

"Because, Professor, I just am. I'm certain that they will floo just as I am certain that the earth is round and that your love for me is true," she scooped another spoonful of the mush into her mouth. "There are some things you just know." She paused to swallow. "God, this is disgusting, isn't it?"

Severus nodded. "I'm afraid it is, my dear."

"Hmm," said Hermione, pushing the food around on the plate with her spoon. "Well, why don't we go to Javier and Ron's? I'm sure they'll have made some lovely supper. They always do. And they can reassure you that you'll be flooed soon enough. Sound good?"

Severus smiled at her before leaning over to brush his mouth lightly against hers. "Sounds wonderful."

-----

Living with Hermione brought it to Severus's attention that he wasn't quite sure he was ready to marry her. It wasn't that he didn't love her, for he did very much indeed. It was just that he wasn't sure he'd love her for very much longer if they lived together all the time.

She talked incessantly. And it wasn't that this was news to him. He knew from the nights they spent together that talking was an area in which she was greatly skilled and that it was something she did constantly unless he was kissing her, she was eating, or she was sleeping. And sometimes, the woman even spoke in her sleep. Severus had, in his many years of bachelorhood, become well adjusted to the silence one experiences when he or she lives alone. He was therefore unsure whether or not his nerves would be able to take her constant prattling for a very long period of time.

Also, Hermione took hour long showers and spent another full hour in the bathroom styling her hair. It seemed that having finally discovered a way to tame her hair into a more manageable mass had been more detrimental to her ego than it had been helpful.  As Severus had discovered through living with her, Hermione could not even leave the house without applying exact amounts of at least six different hair styling products, brushing it a very specific number of strokes, and using her own variation of a drying charm on it . He was unsure if he would ever make it to his first Potions lesson on time if Hermione would be spending two full hours occupying the bathroom every morning.

And then there was the fact that Hermione was absolutely enamored with her little flat. He was positive he would have a very difficult time persuading her and that damned cat to pack up and move into the dungeons with him. Maybe he would be able to find a way to convince Albus that he would have to reside in Hogsmeade once he and Hermione had married. This, at least, might appeal more to Hermione, for even though she would still have to give up her flat, she would not be living in the dank, drafty castle dungeons. This would, of course, present a problem for Severus. He did not think it would be very easy to act as the Slytherin Head of House when he would be living a rather inconvenient distance from Slytherin House itself.

So, Severus decided to wait. He would hold off on proposing marriage to Hermione for a bit longer. It was already November, so perhaps it would be wisest to wait until the beginning of the next year. Maybe they could start the year anew with promises for the future. Or, maybe Severus would wait until February. Perhaps he could propose on Valentine's Day which, despite being rather clichéd, might render the holiday a bit more bearable.

He was in no real hurry to get married. He didn't think Hermione was in that much of a hurry, either. She was far too modern and progressive to simply rest on her laurels and drop hints to mutual friends about marriage in the hopes of his acting on them. If and when she really and truly wanted to get married, she'd probably just take charge of the situation propose to him herself.

At least, he was fairly certain that was what she'd do, and he supposed he would find out whether or not she would soon enough.

----

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and thanks very much to those of you who have reviewed! Next chapter (or so) will be up as soon as possible!