Legacy
by
Jeslyn Nighthawk
A/N: Happy Birthday Mom! Here is the first of your promised updates. The next chapter will be up this evening sometime. For everyone: This is the un-beta'ed version, I will post a revised version of both fics when real life decides to leave both Taya and I alone. Still I hope I was able to keep Taya's suggestions in mind when I wrote these, and I did look over them for any blatant mistakes. Feel free to drop mistakes in my review box *hint, hint*. Thanks to all who have stuck with me this far. Review responses at the end. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
"Miss Amelia?"
Hermione tried to turn to answer the maid standing in her door, but as Ginny was busy trying to tame her curls, all she received for her efforts was a stiff slap to the shoulder. She sighed and turned back to the mirror. "Yes, Amy?"
"There is a Lord Snape to see you, Miss."
"Lord Snape?" Hermione gasped, "He's here?"
"Yes, Miss," the maid replied with a slight roll of her eyes, "He's in the study with your aunt right now, but he asked to see you."
"Oh," Hermione looked at Ginny in the mirror. Ginny smiled back knowingly, and Hermione blushed. "Um, tell him I will be down as soon as possible, then."
"Yes, Miss," Amy curtsied and then left.
"Oh, Ginny, what am I going to do?" Hermione asked, burying her face in her hands. She had told Ginny of her conversation with her aunt and her subsequent decision.
"That's a silly question, 'Mione," Ginny said with a laugh, "You've obviously caught his attention; now go make him fall in love with you!"
"But I lied to him! And I will continue to do so as long as this thing takes. How can I do that?"
"You will do what you have to do, 'Mione. You always do. Besides," Ginny added in a conspiratorial whisper, "I heard His Grace was Head of Slytherin House, in his day. Wasn't long, and he left 'bout a year before you got to Hogwarts, but he was Head. Maybe the ability to pull this off will be something he would prize in a bride."
"But how could he ever trust me?"
"Now that is a really silly question! Everyone knows Gryffindors are no good at lying!" Ginny finished her ministrations with a last twist of hair and one more well placed pin, "Well, you're done, so you might as well go see why His Grace decided to show up before you've even made your official bows to society. The masquerade was just a trial run, you know. Tonight's the real thing. I wish I could be there to see Lady Parkinson's face. Her Pansy's got nothing that would compare with you."
"Except a title and no dark secrets…"
"True she has a title, but as for secrets… I hear she and the young Lord Malfoy are really close if you know what I mean."
"Really? Well that's no surprise. They were pretty thick while we were at Hogwarts too," Hermione giggled, "They deserve each other."
"Enough stalling!" Ginny scolded with a laugh, "Get down there and see what he wants.
Feeling slightly queasy, Hermione made her way to the top of the stairs. She paused there to shore up her failing Gryffindor courage and then descended.
Lord Snape was standing in the parlor when she came down, his back to the door. He was alone, so Hermione assumed he had resolved his business with her aunt. Lord Snape was dressed head to toe in black from his finely made black linen frock coat to his highly polished black Hessians. His silky black hair was tied at the nape of his neck with a black silk ribbon that perfectly matched the hue of his hair. He was an impressive figure, and Hermione felt her heart flutter a little at the sight of him.
Hermione squared her shoulders and said in her steadiest voice, "Your Grace, what an unexpected pleasure."
Lord Snape turned around at the sound of her voice and raised on expressive eyebrow as she curtsied. He gave a small polite half bow and said in silky tones that raised the hair on the back of her neck, "I assure you that the pleasure is all mine… Miss Granger."
Hermione felt her heart jump into her throat and stop.
***
Severus could not suppress the smirk that came to his face when he saw all of the blood drain from Miss Granger's face at his pronouncement, but he felt that smirk fading when she began to wobble and look for all the world as if she might faint. He quickly moved to hold her up and guide her by the elbow to a settee near the door. Once she was seated there, Severus shut said door and warded against eavesdropping before moving to sit next to her once more.
"Come now, Miss Granger," Severus said in what he hoped was a soothing tone, but suspected was closer to a derisive tone, "Surely it can't be all that bad?"
She stared at him as he were the devil incarnate. "What-" she gasped, "What- when did- how!?"
"Several things tipped me off, my dear," He worked hard to bite back the natural sarcasm that came to the fore. The last thing he needed was a hysterical female on his hands. "First, you slipped up when you introduced yourself last night. Since both Minerva and Albus Dumbledore are very close friends of mine, I have spent much of the last few years hearing about the remarkable talents of one Miss Hermione Granger. Combined with the obvious interest you showed in Potions and Transfiguration last night, it did not take a great leap of intuition to put two and tow together. The final nail in your proverbial coffin, however, was that, as a good friend of Remus Lupin, I have seen portraits of both you and Miss Lupin, and truthfully, neither of you look much alike."
"Oh," Miss Granger seemed disheartened to find that her ruse would not pass close inspection, "So I suppose that if I continue with this, you will expose me then?"
"Quite on the contrary, my dear," Severus said, his smirk returning, "I intend to help you."
"Why?" The astonishment and confusion written across her expressive face were quite comical actually.
"One, your aunt has explained your situation, and I feel inclined to help, if only for her sake. Her reputation is at least somewhat at stake in this endeavor."
He watched her turn his words over in her mind before she prompted him, "And your second reason?"
"Why, Miss Granger, surely after all of this you would understand that I would be intrigued by the little Gryffindor who would be so bold as to try and pull off this mad and very Slytherin scheme? Besides, I have something of a wager riding on your success." No need to tell her that he had bet she would not succeed.
As she looked up at him with consternation over being the subject of a wager, Severus noted once again how truly lovely she was. Her chocolate eyes and mahogany curls were not beautiful in the traditional sense, but were warm and inviting. Her upturned nose and full lips begged to be kissed, and her pale skin was flawless. Her sense of style was also impeccable: her morning dress was simple white muslin patterned with deep purple rosettes, which only upon closer inspection showed themselves to be hand sown. Her hair held no ornaments this early, unlike many ladies', and was instead put up in a simple cascade of curls.
What he found most intriguing, however, was her spirit and openness. Combined with her intellect, Miss Granger was a rare find among the British aristocracy. Although she had no title, Miss Granger was an heiress, and with her connections, she would be a suitable choice with regards to how the Crown would react to his decision. All things considered, she was everything he had been hoping for, but not dared to expect in a bride. There was only one downfall.
How on earth was he going to convince her she wanted to marry? She had already made it plain she had no desire to do so, and as such his title and position were likely to hold little sway on her decision. He was hardly a likable person, and certainly not a loveable one. Severus could only hope that he would be able to appeal to her on an intellectual level.
To begin with though, he was going to have to work to mend the gap that his announcement about the wager seemed to have caused.
"What idiot would be so arrogant as to enter into such a wager with you, you great toad!?" She wasn't shrieking, but she was damned close, and Severus did not want this to degenerate any farther.
"That idiot would be your uncle, Remus Lupin. You do remember him?" Severus sneered, "The gentleman whose good name you are risking in this little endeavor?"
"Don't you try and turn this back on me!" Miss Granger fumed, a becoming blush rising in her cheeks, "I am not the one making such ludicrous wagers with the potential to greatly harm another individual!"
Severus couldn't repress the thought that she was quite beautiful when she was mad. "Of course not, my dear, you are only the one entering into a ruse you are completely unprepared to see through to the end at risk of ruining not only your own reputation, but that of every other person involved!" Now how had he ended up shouting?
"You arrogant prat!" She was standing now, and damned if he'd let her tower over him. He stood and leaned in close to her face.
"You ungrateful, thoughtless shrew!"
"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?"
Both combatants turned to see and incensed Minerva McGonagall standing wand out in the doorway to the parlor. Severus was the first to regain his composure and managed to growl out, "Just a friendly disagreement, Minerva."
Minerva barked out a laugh and replied, "If that disagreement had been anymore friendly, the watch would have been here in no time flat. Hermione?"
"It was just as Lord Snape said, Aunt," Hermione replied with remarkable aplomb, "Nothing more than a friendly disagreement."
Minerva gave an unladylike snort. "In the future, please remember that wards against eavesdropping do nothing to mask the noise coming from a room, only the words. You scared the servants half to death."
"Yes, Aunt." Hermione had the sense, at least, to look ashamed.
Severus was another story. In his most droll voice he replied, "Of course, Minerva."
"Good," Minerva said with a firm nod. She then directed her gaze to Severus, "What time will you be picking us up for Lady Parkinson's ball then?"
"Excuse me?" Dear Merlin, it seemed that although Minerva was still on his side in regards to his courtship of Miss Granger, Miss Granger herself was most definitely not.
"As I had not yet had a chance to inform you, Miss Granger," Severus said dryly, "I have arranged with you aunt to escort the two of you to the many functions we will all be required to attend this Season. As I am a close friend of your aunt this will not seem unusual, and will afford me the chance to keep an eye on a subject in which I have such a vested interest. I assume that will be acceptable to you?"
"Of course, Your Grace," Hermione replied, with an impressive sneer of her own, "What time would be most convenient for you?"
"Seven o'clock I think. And do call me, Severus. It can only help the believability of you being part of a family to which I have such close personal ties."
"Certainly, Severus, and you may call me Amelia, in public." She turned to leave.
"And in private?"
She looked over her shoulder at him with a self satisfied smirk, "I believe Miss Granger would be just fine."
Minerva's laughter followed him down the street as he left.
TBC
A/N: There it is the first real fight. I think from this point forward the rating might jump to R for reasons of how I see the relationship going, and the language I hear them using. Anyone who reads this and objects to a change of rating please let me know. I might just post the R version at Lord and Lady Snape and leave this version as it is. Thanks so much for reading, please, please, please review. I will happily beg for reviews. They are the reason I write.
Review Responses:
Thantos: Short is good. Short is still a review. Thanks.
Joshua Glass: I'm glad you approve. I think a good portion of my longer style is due to a creative writing class I took last semester. I have seen your fic, but have not wandered in yet. I'll be sure to do so.
Besa-chan: Yes, I called you "chan." You were too reliant on me to make sure you remembered to do things like go to class in high school for me to ever call you "sama." Anyway, I still might make Draco good, French scum or no. I love the annoying little ferret. I just can't help it. And maybe good is too strong a word for what I have in mind. HEHE! I WIN!
MlleGigi: I understand what you are saying, and will endeavor to fix the ambiguity. She has been in quarantine, or at least they have had no visitors for many years, and she hasn't left. Still, I'll work on it. Thanks for the input.
Taya: Thanks, luv. Of course she will become at least partially Slytherin. Hermione is the only Gryffindor other than Minerva I really like. Except the older Weasley brothers (Percy excluded). The Twins have a lot in common with my roommate actually. Anyway, pictures please! I endeavor to improve. Hope things get better soon.
Vidgal: Really mom, it's not that hard. Love you and happy birthday.
Calliope: How can anyone not love Catullus?! *Sighs dramatically* I have decided to declare Classics, on Thurday actually I have the meeting with the head of the department. I also finally decided on Civ. This means much Catullus for me. Yay! Thanks for both of your reviews.
Emerem, Anarane Awamane, Bella Mortis, Athene Saile, Snape's Secrets, Charmaine, Phoenix Flight, Porthos, PainfulLove, Wackoramaco87, Beccs, and Fleria: Thanks everyone. I hope you enjoy where this leads.
A/N: Happy Birthday mom, and happy Easter to all who celebrate. Be kind and drop a review.