Author's Meanderings: Hello, Friends, Romans, Countrymen! I've had a major problem with writer's block (kitchen utensils come flying through the air I'm Sorry! Please don't hurt me!), but luckily I went and saw "The Phantom Of the Opera" and it's provided me with much in the way of inspiration. For anyone who reads Snape stuff, you'll love this movie, trust me. My Favorite song is "The Point of No Return".

I urge and Beseech Thee, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

And On With The Show In

Chapter 3: Meetings and Greetings

The buzzer rang a half an hour after Snape arrived, just long enough to unpack and get very worried about this cousin. Hermione buzzed her in and waited by the door for her cousin. From his hideout in his back bedroom, he heard swearing and the sound bags being dragged in, then delighted screaming.

"Professor! Come meet Katina!"

"Must I?"

"You might as well get it over with now!" a slightly more gravelly voice replied.

Standing in the hallway were Hermione, who had an amused smile on her face and a girl who must have been Katina. She was wearing a black gothic dress underneath her heavy black traveling cloak. She had thick, curly auburn hair and big brown eyes with a memory of black eyeliner around them.

"Professor Severus Snape, I would like you to meet my cousin, Katina Helena Granger."

"What an honor to meet another brilliant Granger" he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Prince Vlad." (Authors note; Some of you were confused by that name, well this name ties in with his traveling clothes, Gary Oldman is called that in Dracula, it's a friendly dig, see? Life's not worth living when you have to explain the joke,L)

Snape groaned and thought to himself, "One of these days, Albus, one of these days."

"Well that went well," Hermione declared 20 minutes later, as she stood in Snape's doorway.

"You know you could have been a little nicer to her, considering you're my guest and she's my cousin."

"Miss Granger, if she proves to be more than another dunderheaded Gryffindor, then I shall indeed be more cordial."

"Whatever" Hermione said and walked out of the room.

The days passed slowly as the animosity between Katina and Snape slowly, like ice melting, receded. On the first day Katina made Japanese sushi, one of her and Hermione's favorites. Snape looked on with distaste at the cucumber rolls and raw salmon.

"What in Merlin's name are you eating?"

"It's sushi, what, you've never eaten sushi?"

"Well since I prefer my food cooked and edible, then no, I haven't." He had a look that blended disgust and trepidation on his pale face.

Katina slammed her dish down, "Are you saying I don't know what I'm doing in the kitchen!"

"Actually yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Oooh, shouldn't a' done that." Hermione put in while popping a California roll in her mouth.

"Why you Unbelievable, Imbecilic, Dunderheaded Bastard!"

Snape looked a little surprised that she used his favorite name to call students, but was still too stunned by her outburst to say anything.

"How dare you call my cooking below average! You probably couldn't make a decent meal if your life depended on it!"

"You really shouldn't of done that." Hermione cut in again.

"If you think I went to the Parisian Cordon Bleu just to be called inadequate by an amateur like you, you're Sadly Fucking Mistaken!" She screamed one last time, threw her dish at the wall and stormed to her room.

Snape and Hermione sat at the table. One had been stunned into silence, the other continued to eat her meal.

"I said you should be nicer, but did you listen to me? Nooo."

Snape glared and stalked off to his bedroom.

1 Hour Later: Katina stepped out of the bathroom, clad in black cotton robe and black towel around her wet hair.

"I'm still pissed at that bastard! How dare he accuse me of inadequate cooking, he didn't even try my specialty egg rolls!"

As she was fuming, she failed to notice the black rose nestled on her bed next to a roll of parchment.

She smiled as she saw her favourite flower in her favourite colour. She conjured up a smoked crystal vase and placed it delicately by her bedside.

She picked up the scroll and broke the black wax seal.

It read thus:

Miss Granger,

I apologize for calling you a bad cook without tasting the evidence. I'm usually suspect to one of the students trying to poison my food, only they go about with more gusto. Perhaps I was wrong about your meal, after all they don't just teach you how to scramble eggs at the Cordon Bleu, but I didn't want to take the chance of food poisoning.

Sincerely,

Professor S. Snape

Katina's face upon reading this was a mixture of frustration and glee, because it meant she could write an equally scathing forgiveness note.

She sat down and began to write a reply.

The next day passed quietly enough but the second day proved more eventful.

The three were sitting in the living room/study/library before breakfast. Katina and Snape sat at opposite ends of the room each in their respective dark corners, Hermione was the only one sitting in the sunlight.

As Katina had been in particularly Gothic Lolita mood she was wearing what looked like a Victorian doll's dress, in black of course, with white frills at the hem, collar and cuffs. She wore her hair in black silk ribbons, tying her curls in. Severus looked like……drum roll ……wait for it…… A Potions Master!

They had been reading in the solitude of morning when finally Hermione threw down her book, sighed loudly and looked back and forth between her two silent companions.

"God I'm hungry! And more than a little bored."

Silence.

"Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't I conjure up some breakfast, then take you two on a tour of some city! We can apparate back tonight around 10:00, how does that sound?"

Katina visibly brightened "I'm game! What city?"

"Well it depends, metropolis or quaint village?"

"Both, New York! We can go to Greenwich Village!"

"And the Library!"

"And the Museum!"

"And the Shops!"

Hermione and Katina lapsed into giggles while Severus was already planning his rout of extraction from this frivolous outing.

"You two should have a lovely time," he said voice dripping with contempt, "I on the other hand, have far more important things to do."

"Like what exactly?" all at once the two Miss Grangers had turned from giggling school girls (which he hated) to dangerous Xena-like women, ready to break out the broad swords.

"Like," he searched his mind for something important to do. He came up blank.

"Like my lesson plans for next year!" he declared triumphantly

"Why do something you already did?" his two interrogators looked on with glinting eye, not unlike Dumbledore, but with a decided feminine ferocity in them.

"I know for a fact you finished them all one week before arriving here!" Hermione announced triumphantly.

"Ah-ha! So a lie hath been brought forth into the clarity of Judgement! Now sir, you must pay the penalty for attempting to deceive two young women!"

Hermione looked at her cousin, like you would look at a sister when she's obsessing over something, fondly with a hint of annoyance. Severus merely looked on with trepidation.

"What did I tell you about reading Shakespeare?" Hermione sighed.

Katina looked at her impishly and said "As far as I know you've said nothing to counteract my further perusal of dear Willy's writings."

Giving up, Hermione said "Anyway, you have a point." turning to Severus (who had begun to hope they had forgotten the reason for Katina's tirade).

"You can't be left alone Dumbledore wants me within throwing distance of you at all times, so you have no choice but to come, or I will report you to Dumbledore."

Severus sighed in defeat and got up to leave the room.

"When breakfast is ready inform me. And when the preparations for this undeniably insipid trip are finished, feel free to forget me."

And Hermione and Katina sat down to plan.