AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
Heaven had better be worth this wait.
Standing on the edge of Ms. Granger's bed, Severus glanced over at the clock on the wall. Four minutes after eight. He wondered if he should search the apartment for her and give her a proper haunting for his troubles. Then he considered that if she found him in another room, she may believe he was a figment of his imagination, making his already difficult job even more so. Best to sit tight and hope she came at some point.
Footsteps echoed from down the hallway. Severus crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.
"You're late, Ms. Granger."
She rubbed her eyes.
"I would appreciate it if you were punctual in the future."
She blinked.
"Now let's get down to the business of why I'm here."
"What the hell are you doing here?" She blinked.
"I need to help you…"
She took a step backwards.
"Before you flee again, I ask you to hear me out."
She stopped.
"I know you are having difficulty believing that I am real, so I will offer you a bit of proof of my existence," Severus answered. "Before I returned, I spoke with Sirius Black."
Her eyes were wider than a bludger. "You saw Sirius?"
"Against my will, yes. He has a message for you."
"Does he want to haunt me now too?"
"No, but he does need you to understand that I'm real."
"Why?"
"Because we are working on a project together which involves you."
Hermione closed her eyes and reopened them.
Severus rolled his eyes. "I'm still here."
"I can see that."
"Do you want to hear his message or not?"
She gave him a small nod.
"He says he was hiding on Martinique at one point after escaping Azkaban, and then he traveled to some cave outside of Hogwarts."
Her eyes flickered, as if to confirm the account.
"Sirius also told me you have a deathly fear of motorcycles. He said that he wanted to take you on a motorcycle ride, but you said you would only watch from the driveway and wave at him."
Her voice was barely audible. "Oh my God."
"You did say that, did you not?"
"Yes, but nobody else was around, not even you."
"Then it would imply that I have spoken with him, would it not?"
She shook. "Yes, it would."
"I'll bet you could not imagine me speaking with him either," he continued.
"You might if you were looked in hell with him."
"That is not the case," his voice was lower, "though that feels like that most days."
"No, I just can't believe you're here and that you've been speaking with Sirius."
"If you are honest with yourself, you'd know that this story is too fantastical to be a figment of your imagination."
"You're right," she walked to the bed. "I never would've dreamed up such an afterlife for you."
"Then there is a good chance this is real," he replied.
She sat beside him on the bed. "Yes, it would appear that I am being haunted by a spirit."
"I prefer the term visited by a spirit considering that I have no intention of frightening you."
"Fine, you're visiting me."
His glow softened.
"I'm so sorry you're here though."
He quirked an eyebrow.
"I had hoped you'd found some peace in the afterlife. Once you got on the train to depart for the afterlife I thought you wouldn't look back."
"What train?"
"Harry said there was a train which took one to the afterlife."
"Perhaps for some there is a train, but in my case I only appeared in a boardroom and went straight to trial."
"Have you seen anyone other than Sirius?"
"I have not seen anyone you would know."
"Did you see," Ms. Granger gulped. "Lily?"
Severus' glow dimmed. "Why do you think I would see Lily?"
"Harry showed us the memories of you two together."
"What did you just say?"
"Harry showed us the memories of you and her."
"Who is us?"
"In private he showed Ron and me."
"What does 'in private' mean? Did he show anyone else the memories?"
"When it was time for your trial," Ms. Granger glanced away. "He showed the court your memories. It was picked up by the media."
Severus turned red. "Everyone saw them?"
"Yes."
His glow flared. It was as orange as that of a fire, and his eyes were as black as two pieces of coal. "He showed my most personal memories to the entire Wizarding World?"
Hermione leapt off the bed.
"What would possess Potter to do that?"
"He wanted to clear your name."
"I didn't care about that!" Severus shouted. "I would have much preferred my privacy!"
"We didn't think you'd come back!" Ms. Granger argued.
The spirit was inflamed. "Potter had no right! He had no right to make my personal life public!"
Ms. Granger fled the room as the room temperature skyrocketed.
Severus' gritted his teeth together. Potter was just as terrible as his father! He should be haunting Potter, not helping one of his best friends! His reputation had been ruined! Everyone would think he was some lovesick, pathetic puppy now! His whole life was on display! He would never find peace, unless there was a prohibition against spreading rumors in heaven!
Speaking of heaven, he was further away from it then when he'd agreed to take this mission.
His glow returned to its normal hue. Ms. Granger had vanished.
He groaned and glided out of the room.
"Ms. Granger?"
No answer.
Once he reached the sitting room he glanced around. It took him a few moments, but he found a trembling under bundle of blankets. "Ms. Granger, I mean you no harm."
She squeaked.
"Ms. Granger," he grabbed the blankets, but his hand went right through them. "I am not going to hurt you."
She squeaked.
"Please, say something to me."
Her muffled voice replied. "I wasn't trying to upset you."
"I know you were not, and I appreciate you warning me about it. At least I know what they will ask in heaven, assuming I ever get there."
"You'll get there."
He slumped onto her couch. "If I continue to have eruptions like that it is doubtful I will ever leave this program, much less Purgatory."
"After everything good you've done, you deserve some peace. Surely God sees that." She poked her head out from under the blankets.
"I don't know what the Trinity sees anymore," he confessed. "Every time I think I have them figured out the Almighty does something against my expectations. I think the Trinity prefers to keep everyone on their toes."
"What kinds of things do they do?"
"Let's just say there are a few judgment calls they've made which cause me to question their sanity."
"They're unjust if they do not allow you into heaven at some point." She gave him a small smile.
"They put me into a Pilot Purgatory Program anyway. Given all I've done I suppose getting time off a century long Purgatory sentence is more than I deserve," he replied.
"You mentioned that you needed my help."
"Yes," he replied. "I need to give you a sense of eudaimonia."
Ms. Granger's grin widened. "That should be easy enough given that I am content with my life, or as content as I've ever been."
"Apparently you are not content or I wouldn't be here."
"I am fine except." Ms. Granger allowed the blanket to fall onto her lap. "My father is deathly ill. If you could cure him that would be amazing."
"Sadly I do not have any power to go anywhere else on earth except in this apartment or interact with anyone except for you."
"I suppose that rules out bringing him here then."
"Yes, which may be for the best since I do not have healing powers either, at least not as far as I know."
"Then perhaps you could help me find a cure for him."
"What is ailing him?"
"He just had his second heart attack."
"That is unfortunate."
"It is." Ms. Granger took a shaky breath. "Which is why I'm creating a potion which will strengthen the heart after an attack. It could give him some strength back at the very least."
"It could," Severus hummed.
"If we could help him and others like him it would give me a sense of peace, which may be enough to get you into heaven," Ms. Granger replied.
"It might be," there was a hint of a grin on his face.
"Except," Ms. Granger swallowed. "Do you want credit for the project?"
"Heaven should be enough of a reward, though if you name your potion after me that would be much appreciated."
Ms. Granger extended her hand. "Then it's a deal."
Severus attempted to shake her hand, but his went right through hers.
"I forgot about the touch thing," Ms. Granger muttered.
"If you tell me to touch your hand I can do so."
"No," she pointed to a purple pillow on the end of the sofa. "Just grab that pillow and allow me to shake it."
He frowned before obeying her. She shook the pillow and chuckled.
"I must say that is the oddest handshake I have ever had," he admitted.
"It is for me too," Ms. Granger was still grinning. "Still, I would like you to pick up my notes and sort through them. Feel free to pick up any book you would like too."
"Please hand them over and I will do as you say, Ms. Granger."
"You should call me Hermione."
"I hardly think that would be appropriate."
"Why not? We aren't student and professor anymore, and we're partners on a project. That would make us equals, so we should use each other's names."
He examined her once more. Underneath her baggy t-shirt and sweat pants was a woman's figure. Her expression was not that of a naive girl, but of a woman who had been forced to grown up before her time. Still, he couldn't let go of the student she had once been.
"I would still prefer to call you Ms. Granger."
"I will respect that then."
"I would prefer to be called Mister Snape."
"Why?"
"Because this situation is odd for me, and I do not want my name to be misused."
"I suppose I can understand that." She slipped off the couch and strolled towards her kitchen table.
His eyes fell upon the dying embers in her fireplace. "You may want to rekindle the fire. It will be getting cold soon."
She collected the parchments from atop the table. "Actually it's quite warm with you in the room. I don't want to waste firewood on a warming room."
Severus returned the pillow to its proper place. "Suit yourself."
"Here are a few of my notes," she walked in carrying five rolls of parchment. "I have more, but I don't want to overwhelm you."
"Trust me, you won't overwhelm me," Severus answered. "After all, I have at least a century to work this out."
Hermione grinned. "I suppose you do."
Severus furrowed his eyebrows, hoping it would take much less than a century to resolve Ms. Granger's issue.