A/N – Oh my god! I am SO sorry everybody. It's been over 6 months since I've updated this fic and I feel terrible! I have been terribly busy with school and have not been able to update any of my other fics either. Since schools been out I am a little bit less busy, but that may change once I get a job. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I know it is long awaited. I also hope that I haven't lost any of my faithful readers. I feel so bad… I didn't realize it was even this long for updating! I will try, since it is summer, to write more often. But I am also trying to work on other fics, so we shall see.
Summary – Years after Hogwarts, Hermione has lost everything. Her family, her pride, one of her best friends, and her true love. But in the process, she has gained a beautiful daughter, even if her profession is shameful. What happens when the truths are revealed and it turns out she messed things up worse than ever? Her chances at love again, deterred because of a stupid mistake. Will love get a second chance? Or will she push him away after all these years?
Rating – M, for obvious reasons and later chapters
Disclaimer - It really is mine! JKR just stole all of my ideas! And now she's the one making millions of dollars off of books, posters, movies, and other propaganda. God help me, I've gone insane. Cries heavily Okay… it's not mine… none of it. WAAAAAAA!
Chapter 6
Albus Dumbledore shook his head sadly as he read over the letter. He could tell she was afraid just by the manner of her handwriting, which was very shaky. He folded the letter up in defeat, placing his head in his hands.
"My children, why do you torture yourselves like this? You're killing yourselves." The doors slammed open and in walked the 'old bat' himself.
"Has she replied? Is she quitting that godforsaken so called job?" he asked hurriedly. Albus looked up and sighed heavily.
"Severus, you mustn't do anything rash," he said slowly, as he watched for a reaction.
"She didn't? I'm right aren't I?" he said as he started to pace the room. "She can't do this! I won't let her!"
"You can't do anything! Severus, she's not a child anymore! No one can control her actions!"
"She's got a daughter Albus!" Severus interrupted his rant, collapsing onto the plush chair.
"I know Severus… I know"
"Then go talked to her, or I will; not for my own or Hermione's sake, but for her daughter's."
"Severus… she's made her decision, I can't do anything."
"Can't, or won't?" the younger man yelled as he stormed out.
He rushed through the school quickly, glad he didn't have to push children aside. He finally reached outside and was now sprinting to the gates. Anyone looking out one of the many Hogwarts windows would have had to take a second look or think they were imagining things. He apparated to the small house he was at the other day.
He took a little while before he rang the doorbell, trying hard to compose himself and look as though he didn't care. And to the untrained eye, it looked as such. He rang the doorbell. Nothing… He rang it again and again… Nothing. Fed up he hit it repeatedly.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" came a groggy voice as Hermione Granger opened the door.
"SNAPE!" she yelled in shock. He looked her over, not saying a word. Her hair was extra frizzy on one side and a bit flat on the other. Her eyes were red and puffy and she had rumpled clothes.
"Granger," he said calmly as he entered the house, not waiting for an invite. "Where is your happy family?" he asked as he looked around the room.
"Not that it is any of your business but they're at Harry's. What in HELLS name do you want?" she said, her mind a bit groggy but sharp as ever.
"I can't believe you can live with yourself and face that daughter of yours everyday knowing what you do at night!" he said slowly, trying not to reveal emotion, failing miserably.
"It's not your job to care Severus. I can take care of myself thank you very much," she said tersely.
"Obviously not to turn down as good an offer such as this!"
"I have my reasons," she said pointedly.
"I see… and what would those reasons be…?"
"I have no reason to account to you! You lost that right years ago!" she yelled, glaring at him. "Now if you don't mind, get out of my house."
"I do mind," he said, now looking straight at her. "What did I ever do to you?"
"It's what you didn't do! And you know exactly what it is! NOW LEAVE! Before I call the ordinances!" He looked at her sadly, his eyes haunting as he apparated away. She wasn't sure if it was the trick of the light or what, but they were terrible.
Hermione collapsed on her couch, her head in her hands. Her body shook with violent tears again. Her head was spinning with her options. She could stay here and go on like this forever, a prostitute and a liar to her daughter. On the other hand she could go back to Hogwarts and start her life over. The only problem with that was she'd have to put up with Severus and the chance of him finding out the truth about her daughter… their daughter.
"What do I do?" she cried to herself.
He slammed the door shut and shakily poured himself a double shot of Fire Whiskey. Bringing the bottle over with him he slouched down in his winged chair. Drowning the whiskey in one gulp, he let the burning liquid run down his throat.
"Fuck!" he screamed as he threw the tumble into the fire, the flames jumping up with added fuel. He stared into the fire and memories came flooding back.
She wasn't wearing anything special, just her school robes over a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The way she so easily went from searching for ingredients to research. They way she bit her lip in concentration. She was a vision.
"Professor?" He looked up into her hazel eyes, shaking these terrible images out of his head.
"Yes Miss Granger?"
"I need your help a minute. I'm not sure what this translation means."
He walked over to her, trying hard to keep himself in check.
"Let me see a minute." He grabbed the book and looked over the pages. He could feel her starring at him. "Well, it says that the magical powers within Dragons and Mermaids help prevent the killing curse from affecting them."
"So which should I add? Dragon's blood or scales and Mermaid hair or ground tooth?"
They were closer now. She was right next to him, looking at the book over his arm.
"Well let's see," he said, putting the book down and moving to look at the shelf with the potions ingredients on it. "The hair and scales would cancel each other out with their positive and negative charges." She was starring at him again, he could feel her eyes boring into his back. "But if we do the Dragon's blood and Mermaid hair, I believe they would work well. And if they don't, we'll try again."
"Professor?" she asked again with her hand on his arm. He turned to look at her, his mouth going dry just at the sight of her.
"Yes?" he asked, gulping slightly.
"We'll add them at the same time, you add the blood. I can't because of allergies. And I'll add the hair." Her face was scared, as though she was afraid to give him orders.
"At the same time then," he replied, the ghost of a smile on his face as he took hold of the Dragon's blood. She smiled as she too two mermaid hairs out.
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three!" they said at the same time. The ingredients fell into the cauldron.
A puff of red and green smoke came out of the pot. They both smiled.
"Well, we made something," he said. She squealed and hugged him with excitement.
"We did it!" She was chanting as she hugged him tighter. When she finally noticed what she was doing, she tried to pull away, blushing.
"I'm sorry sir."
"Hermione," he said, pulling her head up by her chin. "If you are sorry, then I must apologize for this..." He then leant down and kissed her lightly.
He drowned the rest of the whiskey from the bottle and threw that in as well. He wanted to forget. But he couldn't, he could never forget her. She was his everything. She was amazing. And yet he left her. It was his fault that she did what she does now. And he'd be damned if it were going to stay that way, her job that is.
Thank You's, which are much deserved if you all waited….
Swan Dancer – Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely consider some of them! And I do so hope that you will keep your promise and keep reading! J
Charmed Piper – Yea, Ron is conceited, but he'll get his eventually! Lol… I can't wait till I write that part hehehe.
Prin69 – Yes, there is no Ron… for now… he will make an appearance eventually…. Mwahaha…
Sherry3440 – Thank you very much and I'm glad you like the story so much. And you are right, everyone should have a second chance!
Chalindra– lol… oh how could I resist those puppy dog eyes! I hope you enjoyed the update
Jean Jelly Bean – hmm… Ron die… I'll think of it lol…
ErikaJ32, Mistress Vamp, SevviesMistress, topps, NorikuKitsune, LadiG, Pearlangeloftime, and babykat89.
Thank you all so much for your reviews! I know I am a terrible person for not updating, and I hope you can all forgive me!
Love Sexy Vamp