Well this is chapter II...oh chapter two...hope you like it.
- Hermione Granger –
All day Sunday I planned to stay hidden away at the top of Gryffindor Tower. I had no wish to repeat any of the previous day's disastrous events. I could embarrass myself no further than I had yesterday.
How did I get myself into this awkward position? It is just too scary.
Sighing I reached into my bag beside me bed and pulled out my book (the one written by Professor Snape) and began to read.
It could have been minutes or hours when eager tapping at my window finally registered in my brain.
I looked over and saw a small owl nearly slamming his whole head into the window with an absurdly delighted look in his eyes.
I stood and opened the window. He zoomed in flying straight into the wall. He slid down to the floor and lay stunned for a moment.
I shut the window and moved to take the tiny owl into my arms.
The instant my hands touched his wings he reanimated and bounced up and started zooming around in excited figure eights and swirling down to where I could nearly catch him before spiraling back up twittering madly the entire time. Several times he dived at my head like a Kamikaze bomber pilot but he would swoop away just before he would hit.
It took several minutes in my out of shape though still thin body to tire of this game and I whipped out my wand.
"Accio Owl!"
He zoomed into my hands as if he was launched from a canon. He began to lick my fingers as he poked his head out and swiveled it to look at me. I detached the small parcel and letter from his let keeping a firm hold on him so he didn't hurt himself. He had way too much energy for such a tiny bird. I carried him to the window and tossed him out.
He hurtled happily out and arched back to me like a boomerang. He slammed forcibly into the wall and several feathers fell out.
Crookshanks lunged at him with a growl of feline fury and hissed.
"Crookshanks don't hurt him," I cried dashing forward and scooping him up. "You," I addressed the owl at this point, "need to return to your owners."
Hooting he flew up and began rubbing his head on the underside of my chin. I sighed. His owl was clueless. Cute, but clueless.
I ignored him and picked up the letter.
Star of Stars, Student of Students, Deepest light of our mutual affections, Hermione,
We, Fred (and George) Weasley do send thee this gift in the hopes of getting you to loosen up and grow to love your life. We do graciously and humbly beseech you to enjoy our late birthday present. This will and can only improve life for you in only the greatest and most interesting way.
Sincerely your dear friends of the red-haired variety,
Fred and George Weasley
P.S. The owl is yours. We picked him up from the owl orphanage. His name is Bam-bam. I am sure by this point you have discovered why.
I frowned. Don't get me wrong. I love Fred and George to death especially after what they did to Umbridge. They just weren't known for following the letter of the law.
I picked up the pretty red velvet box and opened it.
In the top portion of the box the following was inscribed:
A treat of delight
A warmth for your sight
Share with your love
You won't become a dove (PROMISE)
Eat us, both of you will be fine
Comfort and happiness are yours to find
Two dark chocolates were in the bottom. One had inscribed in lighter chocolate a fancy calligraphic F and the other in the same style M.
I touched the one with the F and the next thing I knew I was chewing it.
Warm chocolate strawberry gooey flavors intoxicated my senses and invaded my mind. I sighed as I tasted the tiniest hint of Malibu Rum. Delicious.
I paid no mind to my pocketing the other. Nor did I notice the instructions ever so subtly shimmer and fade. I lay back on my bed.
A beautiful black bird swept into my room some time later and deposited a note for me before landing on the rack where I hung my robe. Bam-bam flew over eagerly when he saw the other bird. He tried to cuddle up to her. She pinned Bam-bam in his place with a cold glare and an even colder soft noise.
Bam-bam backed up abashed.
The black bird swept gracefully over and landed next to me on the bed. She began to fluff and preen herself.
I opened the note to receive a rather unexpected delight.
Miss Granger,
I regret to inform you that Professor McGonagall has assigned your seventh year project to be assisting me in researching a cure for a certain despicable ex-teachers ailment. I am sure you need not be informed of the name of the creature I write of. I expect you to have my book finished when you arrive this evening. No great feet for you because your nose is never not buried in a book. I expect your presence promptly at seven this evening.
Professor S. Snape
P.S. Send a reply back with Ariadne (MY raven).
I moaned. JUST BLOODY PERFECT! Me and my big mouth needed to have a talk. I'd gone to see Professor McGonagall to beg her to assign me to Professor Snape. She'd been so shocked by the request that she'd instantly agreed.
Professor Snape had never allowed someone to do a project with him. No one had ever asked either. Most, well many, Gryffindors went to spend time with aurors. Hufflepuffs went and talked to business owners. Most Slytherins went to work with high ranking ministry officials. Ravenclaws went to places like St. Mungos.
I glanced at the clock and yelped. It was five in the evening.
Thankfully I finished Professor Snape's book earlier today and all I had to do was take a bath and get dressed as I had had dinner delivered to my room.
I sat down at my desk and penned a response to the somewhat snippy note.
"Ariadne?" I questioned turning to look at the lovely bird to my left.
She fluttered over to me as I spoke to her.
"Would you please take this to Professor Snape?"
She stepped up onto my lap and took the scroll in her beak before flying out the window.
"Thank you."
She looked back and nodded her head.
I shut the window and went to draw a bath. I slid down into the deep steamy water. I was sorry not to have more time to relax. A warm bath could cure most problems. I bathed as quickly as I could so I would not be late for starting my project.
By the time I was dressed, it was time to hurry down to the dungeons. I grabbed my bag and, putting my copy of the Professor's book in it, I left the Gryffindor Tower. I also had grabbed the book the professor had dropped. It was one of my favorites and I was most surprised by his choice. It just seemed very un-Professor Snapeish.
-Severus Snape-
That damn annoying chit really made my blood boil today. I hadn't been able to take ten steps without her slamming into me.
Not that I hadn't enjoyed watching Miss Granger become the self proclaimed goddess of embarrassment and, of course, I found an even greater glee in deducting points from her EVERY time her clumsiness had ended with her raising my blood-pressure.
I stormed into my private quarters and just as I was about to collapse out on my couch and have a glass of Centaurian Wine. Minerva, that wicked witch, poked her head out of my fireplace at just that moment.
"Hello Severus," Minerva said. "I have some important business to be discussed with you before the evening is through."
I didn't even attempt to look less exasperated than I felt.
"What do you want you idiotic female? Can you not see I'm annoyed? You're ruined my weekend beyond repair! I do not think that Albus Percival Wulfric Bryan Dumbledore and his infinite twinklingness could have done better!"
My eyes sparkled with dark malevolence. My thin lips contorted into their most preferred shape. A cold, livid, devilish sneer. My hooked nose crinkled as if Minerva had brought him something fresh from the anus of one of Hagrid's bloody hippogriffs. I pushed black, long, greasy, lank locks back from my face. My hands closed around my wand clenching it tightly.
"Severus, calm down. There is no point in being upset over what has already passed. Besides you cannot spend the rest of you life skulking around the dungeons and leaping out at unsuspecting students to deduct points for such minor transgressions (transgressions that are only applicable in your mind) as breathing too loudly or looking too happy."
I slipped my wand inconspicuously back into the sleeve holder where I keep it for quick easy access. With a simple flick of my other hand the room, with a faint crackle, burst into light.
"Whatever further request you may have of me, the answer is no. You can't make me!" I said scrunching his face up.
"Severus, you are behaving as a tiny child," Minerva said glowering at me. "I'm not here to ask something of you but to tell you something. I've assigned the seventh years their projects."
I rolled my eyes in her face. "I fail to see what this is supposed to mean to me." My upper lip curled into a vindictive sneer.
"One brilliant student wishes to research in potions. She would be suited to anything. I've chosen to yield to her adamant entreaty (due to the fine, unshakable arguments presented to my notice) to work with you. You WILL work with her whether you want to or not and you will be polite to her."
With that said Minerva turned to leave. She whirled back when something whizzed by her head. The glass I had thrown smashed into a million pieces as it hit the wall.
"YOU FRIGID BITCH!" I howled hurling another glass at her.
"Expelliarmus!" Minerva shouted pointing her wand at my chest.
My wand flew out of my sleeve straight into her hand.
"Stupefy."
I awoke on the sofa. My wand lay on the coffee table.
My head was throbbing. My conversation with Minerva flew back to me.
VILE WOMAN!
A soft fluttering of wings greeted my ears followed by the soft pressure of my favorite companion. I lifted my hand and ran the tips of my fingers over the black rich feathers of my raven, Ariadne.
"Ariadne, Minerva has demanded that I allow Granger to invade my personal time and space. She wants me to work with her despite my nature. And Miss Granger must be an even bigger imbecile than I ever could have imagined. She actually went to importune Minerva for the right to work with me and asked specifically for me. What is going on in her head?"
Ariadne rubbed her beak on my neck urging resignation on my part. I kissed her on top of the head.
"Thank you Ariadne. You are the best familiar a wizard could have."
She nodded her head in agreement and fluttered over to her perch.
"Dolly," I called out into my dungeon.
CRACK!
A tiny, cute elf appeared from the nothingness at my left elbow.
"Master, what mights Dolly do for Potions Master Snape?" she asked in a sweet, bell like voice. She was dressed in a bright blue glittery pillowcase that was the same shade as her sparkling enormous eyes. She bowed low to me before peering up into my face with a wide grin decorating her face.
"I want a cup of peppermint tea and two biscuits with apricot jam," I told her being very cautious not to shudder because of the look she was giving me.
Dolly nodded enthusiastically and her wide eyes were glowing with ardent cupidity.
"Dolly could never wish to serve anyone but Great Potions Master Snape. Dolly would be most honored to retrieve Powerful Potions Master Snapes's breakfast. Dolly would have been most aggrieved if Mighty Potions Master Snape had asked for someone besides Dolly," Dolly said disapparating with a pop identical to the one when she had first appeared in the room.
Dolly was the house elf I always called upon when I desired anything from the kitchens. I think I might have inflated her head.
CRACK!
Dolly apparated back into the room holding an emerald green and silver tray laden with my order. She set it down on the table in front of me.
When I started to eat, Dolly continued to stand there and trace patterns on the floor with her bare feet. Her eyes examined her toes as if she had never seen such before.
"May Dolly have the privilege of doing more for Master Snape?" she asked before brazenly touching my sleeve with her hands and pressing her lips to it.
I ripped my arm from her.
"No Dolly," I said allowing the coldness to ooze from my words.
Tears welled in her eyes and she vanished.
I felt disgusted by the touch of the elf. I didn't want to hurt her feelings but I didn't want her behaving in the way she was towards me. She needed to be with one of her own kind.
I rose after eating and went to begin some Wolfsbane Potion for several of the prominent magical hospitals in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Due to the complexities of both brewing and harvesting the ingredients and all the unreliability in apothecaries these days all of the hospitals employed potions masters to brew their supply of it as well as several other of the more complex potions.
It was four forty-five in the evening before I had finished making the labels for all the bottles and had begun to brew a big enough batch to satisfy their demand.
I growled as thoughts of the Granger strumpet surfaced in my mind. There was no way that Potter or Weasley wasn't banging her. Except…no…she was definitely sleeping with one or the other. I do not know why that thought bothered me as much as it did.
I scribbled a quick note to the brain of the trio and sent Ariadne to deliver it.
I glanced at the clock. There was just enough time for me to take a shower.
Despite the widespread belief that circulated among the student body that my hygiene was lower than that of dirt, I did bathe…DAILY. It was slaving over a cauldron all day that made it so dirty. After my shower I ate a light supper but there was nothing I really wanted for dessert. What I wanted most was just a piece of chocolate. Since the departure of Albus the supply of the castle's candy had become severely depleted.
I cast a quick spell to dry my hair. I despised doing that. It always made my hair appear silky and soft. I didn't desire or need girls fantasizing about me. The reason, well part of the reason, I became so cantankerous (not that I have generally been an unkind man) to the girls was because in my first year of teaching I had no less than all fourth to seventh year Slytherin girls flirting with me. Three tried to slip me Amortentia and one of more shrew girls, Miss Gray, had found a way into my room and was waiting for me naked in my bed.
I walked out of my bedroom closing the door behind me softly. The clock on the mantle above the fireplace read six thirty.
"Dolly."
CRACK!
Once more Dolly apparated into my quarters.
"What cans Dolly do for Master Snape?"
I looked down. Dolly was trembling with joy as she stood there.
"I want a pot of peppermint tea," I told her staunchly refusing to look into her eyes.
Dolly nodded and disapparated with a crack.
Seconds later a pot of tea and a tea cup were on my table.
I picked up a picture and looked into the eyes of my mother, Eileen Prince. She smiled softly at me before I set the picture back down.
She was the only person I think who ever truly cared about me. It made me sad to think that I didn't have the affection of another human being for just being who I was. I'd give anything for the love of a woman. I always watched them. Women were entrancing and I wished for one, just one, to extend the minutest amount of affection to me. I suppose I wanted too much. I was considered a hero by some and a villain nearly as iniquitous as the Dark Lord had been by others.
Part of my reasoning for going to Voldemort was simply to be excepted.
But the reason I returned to Dumbledore was not too different, yet not really the same.
James Potter saved my life and from the moment that he did that I had been unable to feel out of his debt. I sneered. Just thinking about him made me more irascible and surly than anyone else I had ever known. I had owed it to him to save his life. And Lily, sweet, good, beautiful Lily. Yes, she had been a mudblood. But she had always been kind to me. Not because she cared for me but because her nature made her incapable of being otherwise to anyone. I had cared for her and I had watched her throw her life away for him. If only she had married me I could have protected her. Voldemort had told me that he would spare her. He told me that he would not kill her as long as she didn't get in his way.
No one would care for me. The Slytherin girls hadn't cared for me. Lily hadn't cared for me.
I set my cup of tea down without taking a sip.
I went into my office to await the inevitable.
A soft rapping reached my ears not a minute later.
I looked up as the clock struck seven bells.
Right on time. Well the sooner I got started the sooner it would be over.
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