0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Chapter 4
SOME FORTUNATE AND UNFORTUNATE DEVELOPMENTS
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
WARNING: Yaoi Implications. Please do not read if it bothers you. Nothing graphic.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Severus apparated to the Snake-Way after he finished putting up the wards around Grangers' house. Snake-Way was the only pub in the Knockturn Alley which was open to only purebloods. All others admitted all sorts of creatures. Severus found them rather degrading.
As he ordered a very early breakfast to go with his Firewhiskey and sat around observing the few other occupants, his eyes settled on an untidy mop of red hair… long fiery-red hair…
He moved over to him.
"Professor Snape?" Bill Weasley's eyes were glazed and he seemed disoriented. But his speech was not even slurred.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Drowning my sorrows," said Bill, pouring out Firewhiskey with an unsteady hand.
"Drowning your… stupid boy! You must leave right now!"
Bill didn't seem to be listening to him.
"Have you ever loved anyone, Snape? Loved someone so very desperately… knowing all along that he loves someone else… that he will never love you… knowing… knowing everything… and felt your heart break with all the damned knowing?"
Snape stiffened. "What are you talking about? You have had enough…"
"Seeing him… everyday… every moment he is in front of your eyes… even when you are asleep… it hurts you so badly to love him so desperately… and yet that love is such an addiction… you cannot let go… you are so doomed to not let go…"
Snape was torn between surprise that he was able to talk clearly and fury that he was making a fool of himself, not to mention putting himself in danger.
"Knowing that he loves someone else… Would he hate me if he knew? Love hurts so bad… Ever felt that, Snape?"
Deciding that he had to do something about it, Severus wrenched away the bottle from him and throwing a few Sickles on the table, almost dragged him out of the pub.
"I will apparate us both to the Grimmauld Place and then you can explain yourself, you idiot!" he hissed at him.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
However, Bill was obviously not explaining himself to anyone anytime soon. He fell asleep as soon as he was in the house.
Grimmauld Place was relatively empty that night. Only Potter, Black and Lupin were there. Severus was further infuriated as he set his eyes on Black House. His heart twisted painfully as he thought of Miss Granger and how much she wanted to meet that… mangy mutt.
"What's happened to him?" asked Lupin, who had opened the door. Severus was slightly relieved that it wasn't Black. He wasn't sure that he could confront that man without killing him yet. The past seven months had been the worst torture of his life. He hated the very thought of entering this house.
"He was drowning his sorrows in Knockturn Alley," said Severus shortly as he helped him down on the couch.
Lupin frowned but did not say anything.
Severus was thinking that he was rather glad that he would be able to get out without seeing the two other persons whom he hated, when…
"Snivellus? What are you doing here?"
"None of your business," snapped Severus, his temper worsening to a dangerous point.
Lupin spoke before Black could.
"Thank-you for bringing him here. Molly was rather worried about him. And she… Harry?"
But Potter looked straight at him. "How's Hermione?"
"I am not her personal servant, Potter."
"Dumbledore said that she had woken up. Why isn't she here?"
"Because Dumbledore thinks," Severus couldn't help but look at Black, "that Miss Granger will be better off living away from such strenuous surroundings. She needs to recover her health, after all."
Black glared at him. "Dumbledore doesn't think that," he said angrily. "You bastard… you…"
Lupin put a hand on his arm and gave him a 'look'.
"And, Potter," said Snape, again glancing at Black, "you are not to send letters to her – unless you want to put her in danger."
He sneered deviously at Black, and then, black robes billowing after him, went out.
Out of sight is out of mind.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Severus? Is that you?"
"Nobody else will come to this house of their own accord."
"What are you doing here?"
"Sitting."
"Oh, of course. How foolish of me not to understand that."
"Very foolish."
There was a pause. Severus leaned back in his chair. He swirled the tea in the cup. Spilled some of it on his shirt. Cleaned it with his wand. Brought the cup to his mouth to finish whatever was left.
"Are you sure it is not woman trouble?"
And banging the cup on the table, broke the cup.
Lady Snape smirked.
"Never thought that I would see the day! So who is the lucky woman?"
An image of naked Miss Granger kissing Black shot through his mind.
"I don't know what you are talking about. Mimi!"
A small house-elf apparated in front of him.
"Clean up this mess and bring me some more tea."
"Yes, sir."
"I am your mother, Severus. You cannot hide it from me."
"I do not know what you are talking about, woman. And just marrying my father does not make you my mother."
"Step-mother, then. But mother nonetheless."
"You are only two years my senior, woman."
"So what do you want to call me? Your sister?"
Severus gave her a dark look. "I am done with siblings."
"Your father," said Lady Snape, examining her rings, "made me promise that I would not let the name of Snape die out."
"Tell Romulus or Remus to change their sexuality."
Lady Snape scowled at him.
"Romulus and Remus are a disgrace to the name of Snape. They are dead to me – as they should be to you."
"You are well-versed with the art of necromancy."
"Severus!"
"I would like to read now. Please leave."
"I have, as yet, not forced you into doing anything, have I, Severus?"
"No."
"Whilst I do have every right to do so."
"No. I am an adult."
"And I am your mother - with full rights to enter you into an agreement – of arranged marriage."
Severus looked at her with a mixture of hatred, astonishment and fury.
"You will do no such thing!"
"Not if you marry within a year."
"I have no intention of doing so – and all desires in that respect which I ever had have died down."
Lady Snape narrowed her blue eyes. "You have been jilted by a young woman?"
Severus realized that it was futile to deny everything.
"She never knew my feelings. She will never know in future. She loves another man. The thing is over before it began."
"Severus."
"I don't want to talk about it. In fact, I don't want to talk about anything. I never want to talk to you. I do not understand why you always…"
"You are babbling, dear."
He shut his mouth immediately and got up. "I wonder what made me think that I would get some peace in this house!"
Lady Snape magically barred all the doors – and windows.
"They will open only when I command. Meanwhile, Severus, we will have a little chat – mother to son."
"I'd rather be dead, woman!"
"I am well-versed in the arts of necromancy – as you were only too kind to remind me a few minutes ago."
He whipped out his wand and pointed it at her. "Open the door."
Lady Snape flinched slightly, but continued. "Since you are such a great coward that you cannot win the woman you love, you must choose between Anastasia Malfoy and Fiona Vector."
"I am NOT a coward."
"Anastasia is very pretty, charming and a perfect society woman but no brains beyond what she looks best in and how she can charm people. Fiona isn't very pretty but has a good intellect."
It was a miracle that Severus was controlling his temper at this point.
"Anastasia, rather surprisingly, is besotted with you. Fiona has learnt much about you from her sister. You can understand why she isn't too eager to meet you."
"LET ME OUT OF HERE, WOMAN! I HATE YOU! HOW HARD IS IT TO UNDERSTAND THAT? I DO NOT WANT YOU TO INTERFERE IN MY BLOODY LIFE! THE SNAPES ARE BETTER DEAD THAN ALIVE! LET THE LINE DIE OUT! I DO NOT CARE! CAN'T YOU PUT THAT IN YOUR STUPID HEAD?"
Lady Snape was startled. In all her twenty years of his acquaintance, she had never heard Severus Emmanuel Snape yell.
With a flourish of her wand, the spells were removed.
"If that is your final decision…"
"YES!"
"Then you will excuse me if I take drastic measures."
Severus, who had almost reached the door turned around.
"An arranged marriage will mean your murder, woman!" he hissed at her as he banged the door behind him.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
All in all, it was in a pretty rotten mood that Severus went to Hogwarts the next morning.
Devoid of students, the castle had an eerie atmosphere – especially in the morning, when the students would have been bustling about the most. Even after all these years, Severus hadn't really gotten used to it.
There was no one except ghosts to talk to – and Filch. But obviously, they weren't the persons he would willingly talk to – even if they could talk any sense. He only received "yearly report" from Bloody Baron – who would bring in information about the younger students. The older ones, who trusted Snape and whom he could easily read, didn't really require to be spied upon. However, he had told the Baron to keep an eye on them… just in case.
"Severus! You are back early."
"Forgive me, Headmaster," said Snape sarcastically, "but in case you hadn't noticed before, I have no home but Hogwarts."
"Lana is not a bad woman," observed the old man.
Severus merely shrugged.
"I suppose you haven't told Miss Granger about anything?"
"No. It would not be advisable to put her under much stress."
Dumbledore smiled. "It is good of you to care for her."
"I was merely thinking," said Severus, his voice cold, "that I would not like to waste more of my time on that girl than I have to. The better part of my time these seven months has been spent on nursing her back to health."
"Of course, I should never expect you to care for anyone, should I?"
"I care for myself."
Dumbledore regarded him for a moment. Then he said, "Where did you find Mr. Weasley yesterday?"
"He was 'drowning his sorrows' in the Snake-way," said Snape, contempt clear in his voice. "It is a wonder that he was still alive when I got there."
"And why would you go there? Severus, you have to be more careful. Especially now since the Dark Lord knows that you are an active spy for the Order."
"I can take care of myself," said Severus heatedly. "Just tell the thoughtless young people that I got more things to do than… be burdened with them."
The Headmaster was obviously exasperated with the man. "Just remember that tonight will be a meeting in the Grimmauld Place. Mundungus has some information."
Severus snorted derisively and then went on his way to the dungeons. He couldn't understand why the barmy old man trusted the two-Knut worth thief. Granted that the crook sometimes provided them with information, but more often, he proved to be a trouble for the Order.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Severus wasn't able to accomplish anything in the way of Potion-making that day. Hermione Granger occupied his thoughts as he sat languidly in front of the empty hearth, his eyes staring at nothing.
Lana's (he would never call her 'mother' which he thought was rather ridiculous no matter what his father used to say) words plagued his mind. Would she really enter him into an arranged marriage? He didn't quite know what to think. She was an unfathomable woman. For Merlin's sake, she had been able to rope in his father – a man whose disregard for his first wife had driven the woman to suicide. However much he hated her, he knew that Lana was a very powerful and firm strong-willed woman. It won't surprise him much if she went through with her plan.
If she did, he would probably have some annoying, unwanted wife interfering in his life. Someone like… molly Weasley? He shuddered. He had no memory of Anastasia Malfoy but Lana had made her out to be a female version of Gilderoy Lockhart.
But he didn't want that. He wanted Hermione Granger. No matter what it took.
It was bad enough that he was losing someone he thought he had… feelings for. He didn't want to be saddled with the burden of a brainless blonde who cared only for his money. No, he valued his solitude too much to allow that to happen.
He would have to do something about it.
But what?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Bill Weasley sat as far from Severus Snape as he could in the crowded kitchen. He wasn't talking to anyone, just taking care that he was not near Snape. He had some memory of what he had blurted out in his drunken haze yester-night. His former Potions Master was intelligent enough to deduce… some things about him.
"Bill, dear," said his mother ruefully, "your hair almost nears your waist. It isn't very nice, you know."
"Not now, mum," he said, wishing that Dumbledore and McGonagall would come in soon.
"It is just a simple spell."
"How many years have passed with me telling you that I like my hair long?"
"Molly!"
He was rather grateful when his father called out for her. Honestly, could mothers never understand what was chic?
"Mr. Weasley."
Suppressing his groan, he said civilly, "Good-evening, Professor. And thank-you for bringing me back here last night."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "I had thought you had more sense than to go to Knockturn Alley."
"I was… not thinking clearly."
"That much was obvious. You shall refrain from such stupidity in future. Moreover, a few Death-Eaters there noticed me helping you, which means you will have to be more careful than before."
Bill frowned. He hated being lectured. Before he could stop himself, he said, "You weren't supposed to be there anyway!"
An indecipherable look crossed Snape's face. "Everybody has their own sorrows to drown."
Bill was flustered. They were perilously close to the topic that discomfited him. "Ah, well… about that, sir…"
"I shall not mention what you revealed to anybody?"
"I would be most grateful if you won't," said Bill, looking at someone at the other end of the room. Snape refrained from indulging his inquisitiveness. "If it hadn't been for that, I should not have…"
"I have no interest in gossiping," snapped Snape and moved away as stealthy as he had come. "And the times are too dangerous to let your feelings overpower you, remember that, Mr. Weasley."
Hypocrite.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Were his eyes deceiving him? Severus was a master in reading subtle signs. Interested in gossiping, he certainly wasn't. But he did desire to know which man the oldest Weasley son was pining over. His only excuse was human curiosity.
All throughout the meeting, his attention had kept wandering back and forth between Dumbledore and Weasley. The latter had retained it for longer than five minutes when he had been covertly staring at the owner of the house they were presently gathered in.
As Bill continued stealing glances towards him, Severus could not but be certain that he was in love with Sirius Black – of all persons…
"Severus, a word if you please?"
Politely as it was worded, Severus could recognize the gravity of his tone.
"It is about Miss Granger."
"She is fine…"
"The Ministry," said Dumbledore tiredly, "have refused to consider a re-test for her NEWTs."
"It never has happened before, to my knowledge."
"And they are determined to continue the tradition. Miss Granger shall have to repeat her seventh-year."
Through no fault of hers, hung unsaid between them. Severus wondered how she would take the news.
"It will be better if we tell it to her now. The sooner, the better."
Wait a minute! We!
"I hope you have enough time to get it over with tomorrow, Severus."
"Won't Minerva be better for this job?" he asked, finding the thought to be the harbinger of such horrible news to her intolerable. Won't she just get one more reason to hate him? That was NOT what he needed right now. Maybe Black should tell her that and bear the brunt of her fury.
"Miss Granger will have a better hold on her emotions in front of you."
And without giving him a chance to debate that, the Headmaster departed.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
