-NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR
A/N: Before I start this chapter, I want to ask all of you who are a bit skeptical with the way Snape handled the paternity thing and how Hermione turned out to be a Nanny with a College degree, to have a little patience and wait for Snape's version of the story and the twists ahead. I plan to reveal things but I won't just do that on the first chapter, right? As for Hermione, I know many women with college degrees who never worked and after divorced, try to find work and all doors close on their faces. It is unfortunately a reality for many of us. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter ;-)
CHAPTER 3
Severus leaned back in his seat, thinking.
The idea was interesting and he could indeed benefit from it. Dumbledore would not be able to refuse him this time. He always had the eternal excuse for not giving him the Defense against the Dark Arts position. "Where am I going to find a suitable substitute for you in Potions?" the old man would smile and tap on his shoulder. "I'm afraid there is not a better Potions Master in the UK!"
'Only the old fox was cunning enough to refuse a person's request with a compliment!' Severus thought, sneering.
"Well, Professor?" Hermione's voice brought him back from his thoughts.
"It sounds like an adequate plan, although I'm not sure I could call 'you' a suitable substitute for me." He felt almost giddy to see the look of outrage on her face. He would never admit to the girl that he considered her the best student he ever had in his entire career. He knew that if someone was going to be able to fill his shoes, that person would be Miss Granger, but it was extremely amusing to make her think otherwise.
"I'll have you know that I took Potions and Transfiguration at college and I passed with flying colors! With your offer of apprenticeship, I can easily master in it and become a Potions Mistress!" she said, brown eyes shining with fiery anger.
"I'm sure you think you can, however, it is up to me to decide if you do. Since nothing will please me more than seeing Black out of the way, I am inclined to accept your plan and see where it takes us." He stood up without so much as a look in her direction. "Shall we get back? I am a busy man and I've already wasted enough of my time."
Hermione followed him, still annoyed with his words.
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Hermione rocked Seirian in her arms, satisfied with the way the nursery looked. She had transfigured the walls to a sage green and the curtains into a velvety lighter green. She got all the portraits out of the room, adding pastel paintings of meadows and animals. A comfortable rocking chair was added, as well as a larger window, enchanted to show the view of the lake and mountains outside the castle. She placed the sleeping baby in his crib when she was startled by a voice behind her.
"Are you ready, Miss Granger?" Snape spoke softly to her ear and for a moment she was a little confused as to what he wanted. Realizing he was talking about their plan, she nodded.
She was excited to start apprenticing and knowing Snape, he was also excited to be able to get Sirius' job. They would have to work twice as hard to make Sirius' life hell. In less than a year, she was sure he was going to beg to quit. After all, Sirius had an ego problem, very similar to Lockhart and once he realized he would look bad in the eyes of those around him, it would no longer be entertaining. Add that to his lack of responsibility and we have a winner... or better yet, a loser.
She turned her attention to the man beside her and saw him take one look at his son, a brief show of emotion passing quickly through his eyes. The emotion was gone before she could understand what it was. She hadn't seen him touch the baby once and it was puzzling for her to understand why he accepted it in the first place.
They quietly left the nursery and went to his private lab. Hermione got the baby monitor she had bought that day and placed it on the working table to hear Seirian in case he woke up. She had bought the monitor--or Muggle contraption as Snape called it-- in a Muggle store before they had returned to the castle. She had charmed it to work without electricity or batteries.
"How did you like the nursery, Professor?" Hermione ventured.
"Bright," he answered, gathering potion ingredients from his private storeroom.
They worked for about three hours, on a batch of medicinal potions for the infirmary and she assisted in everything, taking care to show him how competent she could be.
"I think this is enough for now, Miss Granger. The potion should simmer in low fire for the rest of the night. You can clean this up," he said removing his working robes and proceeding to go to the sitting room.
By the time she had tidied up the lab, she walked out with only her warm bed in mind. After a quick look at Seirian, she took a well deserved bath and changed into a long Muggle T-shirt that was older than she could remember but she loved to wear it to sleep.
She dived into bed and slept almost immediately.
A crying woke her up and disoriented, she sat in bed blinking, wondering where the hell she was. Another high pitched wail sounded and reality sank in. "Seirian!" she said jumping out of bed and hurrying through the adjoined door to the nursery.
Seirian was crying at the top of his lungs and judging by the time, she knew he was hungry. She proceeded in checking his diaper and carrying him to the kitchen to fetch a bottle. The child only stopped crying at the moment the bottle reached his mouth. He suckled avidly and Hermione smiled at the little one in her arms.
"What a temper you have, huh? When you want something, there's no stopping you." She caressed his cheeks with her thumb. Seirian ignored her, concentrating in the warm nectar he was consuming.
She walked back slowly, to finish his feeding in the nursery, when she saw light coming from the sitting room. It was almost four in the morning, was it possible that Snape was still up?
She carefully peeked inside the room, trying not to make herself noticed. She could only see the back of the large chair in front of the fireplace, and his pale hand holding the chair's arm. She adjusted the infant in her arms and stepped inside, curious to know if he was asleep. She stood there for a long moment, debating if she should go near or just go back to her own bedroom.
"Are you going to stand there all night, Miss Granger?" his voice was soft but rich in sarcasm, startling her one more time. She cursed herself, wondering how the man did it. She was sure she hadn't made any noise to be noticed.
"I-I was wondering if you're still awake... it's so late," she answered approaching him and sitting on the chair facing his.
He sipped some of the firewhiskey in his hand and said, "It seems that question has been answered."
"How do you manage to teach classes all day and not sleep at night?" Hermione asked, shifting the baby to rest on her left arm.
"I am not much of a sleeper," he answered shortly, not moving his eyes from the fire.
Seirian finished the last drop of milk and fussed around a bit; eyes wide and alert. "Your son seems to think the same thing, I don't think he is going to sleep anytime soon," she said.
Snape looked at the child in her arms, pushing his legs impatiently as she tried to find a perfect position to calm him down. Seeing his curious look, she asked, "Do you want to hold him? He can be very playful once he's fed and clean."
His eyes grew uncertain. "No, I don't think it's a good idea."
"I've never seen you touch him; why did you ever accept being a father if you don't want anything to do with the child?"
"I believe that's none of your business and I didn't exactly accept being a father. I was obligated to do it," he said coldly.
"I believe it's my business now that I take care of him and I'm not sure I understand the circumstances of your agreement in this, but I must say it's highly out of character." She knew she was threading in dangerous ground, but she couldn't take a father ignoring his own child.
"I thought that I had made it perfectly clear that I wouldn't want to hear a word on this subject, but your Gryffindor curiosity couldn't keep you, now could it?" he had now shifted to his dangerous voice and it was growing softer by the minute.
Ignoring what he said, she went on, "I'm sure you must be ashamed of whatever indiscretion you got yourself in, but I don't think blaming the child will make you feel any better!"
"I took him in and I accepted him as my son! I don't think that qualifies as blaming the child!" he banged the glass on the small table by his side. "And you think you have me all figured out, don't you? It isn't in my character to care, so why would I care for an illegitimate child?"
"You make it very hard to think otherwise," she said lifting her chin defiantly.
He stood up and left the room to his bedroom without a word, leaving Hermione alone with the cooing child.
With a sigh, she looked down at Seirian. "That sure went well..."
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Hermione was finishing changing Seirian that morning when she heard Snape's voice calling out to her. She carried him to the dining room where she planned to get some coffee, and found Snape and Dumbledore waiting for her.
"Professor Dumbledore! How wonderful to see you," she greeted.
"It is a pleasure to have you back, Hermione. Why don't you join us for breakfast at the Great Hall? Minerva is anxious to see you," he placed his arm on her shoulder and turned to Snape with his twinkling blue eyes.
"Severus, my boy, why don't you carry your son and let Miss Granger have a little break to talk to the rest of the staff. I'm sure you're craving some time with your offspring." Dumbledore didn't wait for a reply, taking the child off her hands and pushing him into Snape's.
Snape looked like he was holding a bomb about to explode. "But Albus, I don't think it's appropriate for the students to see me with the baby. What will they think?"
"They will think you have a son, which is perfectly acceptable. Shall we?" Dumbledore extended his arm to Hermione and she took it with a big smile on her face. This day was getting better and better.
After chatting with all the teachers Hermione sat between McGonagall and Snape who was glaring at any student who dared stare at him and the baby. She was finding it infinitely amusing to see how awkward he looked holding a baby, even though he seemed a little more relaxed and was beginning to look at the child differently. She could swear she had seen him almost smile when the child pulled a lock of his hair.
All in all, it had been a pleasant breakfast and she was glad to see everyone again.
"What do you think of being my assistant in your free time, Hermione? You could benefit a great deal with a Transfiguration apprenticeship," McGonagall offered.
Hermione was taken aback by the offer, but felt a slight poke on her ribs, turning to find Snape looking innocently at her. He lifted an eyebrow and she glared. The man could be a nuisance sometimes, he didn't trust her word a bit and it was very irritating to have him reminding her that they had an agreement at every turn.
She smiled at McGonagall and tried to find a polite way to refuse it. "I am flattered that you would want me as your assistant. Merlin knows I love Transfiguration but, the thing is... I... that is, the Professor..."
"What Miss Granger is so eloquently trying to say, is that she has already accepted being my assistant and she's going to apprentice in Potions," Snape cut in with a smirk.
McGonagall was evidently disappointed but nodded and smiled politely.
Hermione sighed and tried to change the subject.
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Dumbledore insisted on walking Hermione to the grounds where she was taking Seirian to get some sunlight, while Snape was going to his first class of the day.
Snape carefully handed the child to Hermione and was about to head for the dungeons when the heavy doors to the castle opened and a tall man appeared.
"Ah... Sirius, come inside. I was wondering what was taking you so long," Dumbledore said waving to the man.
"Albus, I'm sorry I'm late, I had a few... things to take care of." Sirius looked at Hermione and smiled broadly. "Is that you, Hermione? You look beautiful," he said boring those blue eyes on hers.
Hermione braced herself, feeling anger and even repulse at the man's touch on her shoulder. "Thank you, it's good to see you."
"Is that your baby? My, it's been really a long time I'm away, I haven't heard about you being pregnant," he said playfully touching the infant's cheek.
Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Snape put one firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her and his son away from the other man's grip.
"Even though this is not of your concern, this is my son and Miss Granger was hired to be his Nanny. So, I would really appreciate if you kindly kept your canine paws away from him!" Snape's voice sounded icy cold.
"Snape, I didn't see you there. Still hiding in the shadows, are you?" Black answered and both man were about to start a row when another form appeared at the door.
"Sirius honey, can you give me a hand here?" asked a blond and slender woman trying to levitate two huge trunks at the same time.
"Oh I'm sorry, dear. Let me handle that later, come over here," Sirius pulled her by the hand and brought her to view.
"This is my wife Phyllis," he said proudly.
Hermione heard an intake of breath behind her, where Snape stood motionless. The blonde called Phyllis' smile faded as her eyes fell on the child Hermione was holding. The exotic blue green eyes widened, making it possible to see the tiny dark freckles covering her catlike eyes.
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A/N: I want to thank Shauna for beta-reading.
Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews to:
risi- In the first chapter I wrote that Hermione worked as a Nanny during her years in college, to get some extra money, as for being on her own, she wasn't for long. :-)
vizzy-vicky-lou - Well, why do I hate Sirius? where to start... because he's an arrogant irresponsible immature bully? (among other things) but yes it was me who said I identified with Snape because he was bullied. Even though he might be guilty of something, there is absolutely nothing that justifies bullying. He wasn't even provoking them. If they were so noble and good, they wouldn't bully Snape even if he was the devil himself. I believe a good example is Harry, who despite his hate toward Malfoy, you never see him start a fight or bully any slytherin. It's always Malfoy who asks for it.
gavvie - see explanation above. I'm glad you like the story and hope you won't mind my view of Sirius.
the-sexy-flower - I am really sorry I didn't mention you the last time. I had probably updated the chapter before or at the same time you reviewed. And thank you so much for always leaving kind words ;-)
Ophelia-Dumbledore, strega-in-progress, Nore, Nakhash Mekashefah, Minerva7, sesshyluver03, MCMish, sweetytweety013, Intelligent Witch, Pathatlon, Arsinoe de Blassenville, mysticdarkraven, Parody-of-an-Angel, Beatleluver91, lucidity, SilverMoonset, kalinda, Makalani Astral and a.bolina.