Hello everyone,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your lovely comments and messages!
They are literally my biggest motivation these days!
We're back in France for this chapter, and I find it is a very important step forward in the plot, so let me know what you think of it!
Also, do you think my chapters are too long? Would you prefer a shorter length or are you happy? I usually pack two scenes into one chapter, I could possibly reduce that!
Thank you again for reading!
Enjoy chapter 5.
XXX
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HALF THE WORLD AWAY - AURORA
Hermione apparated onto an empty street a few hundred yards away from her parents' holiday home. She couldn't get any closer, because the house was in a residential area and she didn't want to be seen suddenly appearing out of thin air. She had also put heavy security wards onto the property. For many years she had seen constant threats everywhere, and she still couldn't stop being overly protective. Even if there wasn't immediate magical danger, it would at least stop any muggle from trying to break into the place. Not that this was an area where this was likely to happen.
When she started walking up the hill towards the house, she was very quickly reminded of the privileged upbringing she had had. Or even the privileged life in general.
Their holiday home was in a wealthy residential area north of Grasse. It was sunny and the street had a typical Mediterranean feeling to it. It was late in the morning and she could hear people talking behind the garden hedges. She made out the sound of cutlery against dishes. It wasn't as busy as she remembered it, as no one was on summer holidays yet.
Her parents' house was built on a hill, it was rather narrow and had three floors. From the street one could only see the top floor.
She opened the large gate and once she was within the grounds she lifted some of the wards. On one side of the building there were steps leading into the garden. She decided to walk down and enter the house through the back door.
The view from here was stunning, she could look all over Grasse and sometimes she thought she could even make out the sea in the far distance.
Everything was situated on a slope; at the very bottom there was a decent sized garden with a small swimming pool, although not really big enough for swimming. On the same level was a spacious patio from where you could enter the ground floor of the building. It accommodated a small bathroom and a large open dining and living space with a kitchen. On the second floor there was a balcony with an external staircase leading up to it, two bedrooms and a larger bathroom. The top floor, that could also be accessed from the street entrance was simply made up of a spacious hallway and a study.
Hermione loved it here. She went into her bedroom and emptied her little beaded handbag. Then she busied herself, cleaning up the place with the help of a few charms. She was done quickly and changed into a summery dress before she left the house again to make her way into Grasse and buy some food at the market.
She got bread and cheese and some fresh fruit and vegetables. She also thought about getting some sweets, but remembered the pastry shop in Arraxy and thought of her parents. They really liked magical sweets, so she decided to surprise them and buy a large amount of the stuff when she was there later.
She had arranged to meet Armita and Guillaume for dinner that evening, and until it was time to go, she decided to lounge in the sun on the patio and read a book.
A couple of hours later George landed on the table next to her and she dropped her book in shock.
"Holy… Guacamole." She gasped immediately sitting up straight on the lounger. "Bird, you will be my death!"
She took the letter of him and he hooted expectantly, so she got up to get him a nectarine from the fridge. Holding it out to him, he looked disgusted.
"I thought you like nectarines?"
She sighed and went to get strawberries. He only batted his wings and took off.
Stupid owl.
There were no more spaces available on the general guest list, and whilst it would have been my preference to just not be harassed with your presence at all, I did put you down as my personal guest, to prevent possibly bothersome disappointment on your part.
I suggest we arrange a schedule, so you can be sure to attend all the talks you had planned on going to. I am not going to waste my time accompanying you, I shall try and attend presentations of my own liking in the meantime. I presume you do not need supervision once you are in the building.
I expect your reply by Monday evening.
S.S.
Hermione could literally hear his drawling voice in her head. Brilliant. How could one possibly manage to sound that cranky in a letter?
Suddenly the symposium seemed to be the least good thing about this whole trip.
No, don't let this destroy your holidays. It's going to be just fine.
Severus tidied up his papers. He hadn't really put very much work into this presentation. He would just speak freely once it was his turn, but a few notes wouldn't hurt.
He was looking for Guillaume, but Jerome, the young man working in the pharmacy, told Severus that he wasn't around, and he decided to go upstairs and make himself some coffee.
It was a beautiful day outside and he watched the people on the street below whilst the water dripped through the coffee filter. He only liked freshly brewed filter coffee, sometimes with one of those delicious pastries that the French made. It was his guilty pleasure and he indulged in it quite often.
Taking his coffee, he walked back downstairs into the work room. He just held the cup to his mouth when he froze in his movements, staring at her.
"Hi."
Hermione Bloody Granger stood in the middle of the room, smiling at him far too happily. His expression immediately darkened considerably.
"I thought I come by to discuss the schedule", she said.
She was nervous but was hiding it well. He could only tell by the slightly heightened tension in the room. Thank Merlin, his senses hadn't dulled down since his glorious days as a spy.
"Thank you for inviting me…" She hesitated. "… as your guest."
He looked at her, feigning a bored expression. In reality, he didn't really know what to say. He hadn't expected to see her.
"Bored of writing letters? You never seemed to bore of writing tomes for assignments."
He mustered her, she was too easy to read. First she looked hurt, then angry and then she smiled. This all happened within seconds.
"That is because assignments were of importance to me. Replying to your petty slander is not."
Impudent wench. Although she had a point. He had regretted what he had written as soon as the owl had left. She walked over to him and placed a little beaded handbag on the table before she crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled jauntily.
"Anyway, I am honoured that you would be bothered by my disappointment."
"I never said that", he snarled at her.
"I think I recall something along the lines of… prevent possibly bothersome disappointment on your part."
"It would be rather annoying, having to deal with a letter full of your wailing about missed opportunities", he drawled.
For Merlin's sake, this was going to be a long week.
"And I would make sure to get through at least twenty inches of scroll when writing it."
She is mocking you.
"Get. Out", he barked at her.
"I am sorry." She looked at him in terror.
He could tell she was starting to panic. Very good, he had the upper hand again. Nobody had power over him anymore. He put on his most terrifying expression.
"I didn't mean to –", she started but he cut her off by slamming his hand onto the desk.
"You did very well mean to be brazen and therefore disrespectful, and I will not tolerate it."
Her face was giving away everything again and he relished the sight. She looked shocked, then sad, and finally resolute.
Hang on... No one simply skips through all these emotions in a matter of seconds.
She straightened her back and spoke in a very surprising no-nonsense tone.
"I did neither intend to be brazen, nor disrespectful. I meant to diffuse the tension by making a light, humorous comment. I do not want to cause you any discomfort, and I do not want to be caused discomfort by you. You invited me to come to the symposium, and I gladly and thankfully accepted this invite. However, if you will or cannot communicate in a casual, friendly manner or do not want me to join you any longer, I shall be leaving now. I don't want to waste my time and energy any more than you do."
She looked at him sternly. He obviously didn't show it, but he was impressed by how clearly she communicated and how determined she seemed. There was no loop hole and no way of arguing around what she had said.
"You will make a decent teacher", he said coolly.
You bloody idiot. What kind of a pathetic reply was that.
She looked just as confused as he was, but smiled at him a moment later.
"Thank you."
He busied himself with the closest pile of papers that was on the work top.
"You were a decent teacher, too", she said after a while.
"Trying to compare yourself to the elite, Miss Granger?"
He raised one of his eyebrows. The corners of her mouth twitched. He could see the cheeky answer forming on her lips and was looking forward to her banter. He was slightly disappointed when she replied with a sensible "No, of course not."
He had been too harsh earlier, she didn't dare anymore.
Well, that's what you get from being a git.
"There is a new elite up and about in Hogwarts now, I suppose?" He tried to sound casual, not too interested.
"There are a few new people, yes. I find it hard to believe, that we are indeed the new generation of tutors. It seems irrational. I am sure I will never reach the level of my former professors."
She seemed genuine and thoughtful.
"No, you won't."
She looked at him, not offended but sad.
"Your former professors will always have the advantage of a longer lifetime and more experience. But you can surely aim to be just as good as they were in their days, and with hard work become even better. I don't believe any headmaster or headmistress would hire a professor that wasn't of singular excellence", he elaborated in a very calculated and neutral way.
The look on her face was worth the ridiculous sentimentality, he thought. She immediately brightened up. It made him happier, too. He felt smug about himself, having made her feel that way.
Don't be stupid. You didn't make her happy. Your praise made her happy, because she is a sucker for approval.
But she was a sucker for his approval, and that lightened his mood nonetheless. No one usually cared about his opinion.
"Who else is teaching at Hogwarts now? You mentioned Miss Haywood."
Casual conversation, keep it casual, you are not desperate for information, you simply indulge in friendly conversation, just like she said.
"Yes", she replied leaning back against the desk. "Penny has been teaching potions for about seven years now. Professor Slughorn stayed on to teach it at first, but he is fairly old as you know. He is still Head of Slytherin though, and he takes some of the theory classes. Penny is also Head of Hufflepuff."
He walked over to get some dried mandrake roots he wanted to chop up for a batch of pepper-up potion. He didn't actually need to do it, but he needed to keep himself busy.
"Why are there separate theory classes?", he asked.
"Oh, they are not really separate. Well, kind of…"
She sat down on a high chair and watched him chop up the mandrakes. "Defence against the Dark Arts is taught as an interdisciplinary subject now. Hestia Jones is teaching DADA as the main subject."
Severus nodded in approval, he remembered Hestia.
"Throughout the first five school years it is combined with a different core subject each year. Students have a double lesson DADA and a single lesson DADA combined with another core subject", Hermione continued in her lecturing tone.
"During the sixth and seventh year students can decide on which combination they want to specialise. There are theory lessons and practical lessons. They invite external people for those from time to time. Aurors and curse breakers and people like that."
That sounded interesting and very sensible.
"Neville is teaching Herbology now, and he is Head of Gryffindor."
Severus couldn't help but snort at that.
"He has a rather tight grip on them, you would be surprised", she chided him playfully. He liked that sound in her voice.
"Oh, Minerva is Headmistress and Filius is her Deputy, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. However…", she sounded like a little clever clogs now, and he had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "… from September onward, neither Head not Deputy Head shall be affiliated with any house or subject. That's why I got the post of Charms Professor. Penelope Clearwater will be Head of Ravenclaw and she will also be teaching History of Magic."
He raised his head at that and looked unbelieving.
"What happened to Professor Binns?"
She suddenly had a more serious expression on her face. "Nobody knows. He simply vanished after the war."
"That sounds rather suspicious." He raised an eyebrow at that but didn't question her further on it. She nodded.
"Where was I… Oh, yes. Luna Lovegood did the first year of her Transfiguration Masters whilst I was doing my last year of Charms. She took over Minerva's teaching position."
He looked openly terrified now, not even trying to hide it.
Hermione laughed. It was the purest thing he had ever heard, but he very quickly pushed that thought out of his head.
"Believe me, everyone had a similar reaction. But rumour has it she is extremely talented with students, and the common Transfiguration grade is breaking record every year!"
She continued telling him about Hogwarts. There were a few new staff members, but she hadn't met them yet and didn't have much to say about them. Most of the other teachers were still there and he was glad to hear that Hagrid was still around, too.
She told him about how they had raised funds for the reconstruction of the castle, and how she had spent a term on site to help with the repairs. Filius had offered her an apprenticeship based on her outstanding charm work and she had reached mastery in no time.
She seemed a little bit vague about her decision to study at Oxford.
"I have worked on contracts with several muggle universities for the past seven years. I only started magic research again a few months ago."
"Why?"
She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.
"I thought I was missing out on muggle education. It's hard to keep both going at the same time."
He could tell this was a blatant lie. She of all people would be perfectly capable of handling both academic worlds, not that he would have every told her that. But he also knew that he wasn't in the position to question her and didn't say anything.
She told him about the muggle degree course too and then started to ask him questions about his work here in France. She was clearly uncomfortable and wanted to change the topic, so he went along with it.
"I had already done research on the improvement of the wolfsbane back in England, but … things happened, and there was never really time to properly dive into it."
He was sticking labels onto vials by now and she was watching his every move and listening to everything he said. He liked it. She asked intelligent questions and he answered her.
"When I met Guillaume it was a great opportunity for me. I can work very flexibly here, I have no fixed hours, as long as I provide them with the potions they need for the pharmacy and Saint Nancy's, the hospital. He makes sure I always have all the ingredients I need. If I want to work on something special, I have room and time to do so. I only need to get my own ingredients."
He enjoyed the conversation so much, he didn't even notice he enjoyed it, and therefore couldn't overthink it.
They had just changed the subject to Charms and Hermione was analysing how advanced his skills as a young adult must have been, creating all the spells as he had done, when Armita walked into the room.
"Septimus, I am locking up. Do you need to -" She stopped and looked perplexed when she saw Hermione.
"Hermione?"
A smile appeared on her face and she came over to give her a warm hug. "How good to see you! My, you look wonderful. How long have you been here?" She pulled back and mustered her from head to toe.
Severus caught himself doing the same for the first time this afternoon. She did look… nice. Oh Merlin, get over yourself, you creep.
He furrowed his brows and turned back to his vials. He had them all labelled now, wasn't there anything else to do? Being desperate, he put on a cold mask and pretended to study some notes.
"Oh, ehm. I don't know how long I've been here…. What's the time?"
It was half past five. They had talked for four hours.
Four hours.
Armita glanced from Hermione to Severus aka Septimus and back. "How…?" She waved her hands from one to the other.
"We were discussing the symposium", Severus snapped.
Woman, shut up or I'll make you.
Hermione looked at him with this worried yet suspicious look in her eyes, that he remembered from her school days.
Great, now she looks at you in the same way that she used to look at those two dunderhead friends of hers. Well done.
"Well, you must be starving." Armita clapped her hands together. "Clemency booked a table for six o'clock."
"Another dinner party, how superb", he grumbled.
He didn't even try to hide his mood. He felt like he had been robbed of something precious, when Armita had burst in and interrupted their conversation.
You are the biggest fool alive.
He grunted and busied himself with looking at his notes again.
"I completely forgot", Hermione exclaimed. "I wanted to get my parents something. I might still make it. Can I meet you at the restaurant?"
"Certainly."
She left for now and Severus tried to make a quiet exit as well.
"Not so quick, over there!"
Armita, the ever present pain.
He rolled his eyes and tried to make his point by turning around to her very slowly, looking utterly bored.
"What am I missing here?", she asked excitedly.
He looked at her, raising his eyebrows in question.
"You!" She gestured wildly with her hands. "You have been in this terrible, disdainful mood for weeks now! Not talking, not leaving this dark little work room of yours!" She shook her head and gave him a knowing smile. "And suddenly I catch you, looking like a little wizard in a sweet shop, chittering away with dear Hermione!"
He looked at her coolly, and went to get the coffee cup from his work top. He turned back to her and asked: "Anything else?"
"Septimus Prince!"
If he hadn't been so uncomfortable, he would have enjoyed her obvious vexation.
"Would you tell me now, how this came to be?" She looked at him expectantly.
"No." He turned to go back upstairs.
"Good, I'll ask her about it then."
You nosey, bothersome, stupid old toad.
He huffed and faced her again.
"I invited her."
"I didn't know you were in contact." She waved her hands to make him continue.
"Well, you should make sure that drawer of yours is warded better." He pointed towards her desk. "It's easy to get anything I want from it. You could ask Hermione to teach you some spells." He made sure every word was dripping with ridicule and then he left the room.
"Well, I see you at dinner then!", he heard Armita yell after him.
As if he would join them for their little gathering. Bah.
But if they would ask Hermione anything about the symposium, she wouldn't know the answer, because they haven't actually discussed it. He flung his door shut and went to put on the water for some coffee.
If Armita found out, they hadn't been talking about the symposium, which she probably suspected anyway, she wouldn't leave him in peace and pelt him with questions to the point where he had to cut her stringy throat.
He might also end up doing that if he had to sit at a table with her for longer than two minutes. But he couldn't be certain that smart Alec Granger wasn't going to blow his cover.
I can't believe you're seriously considering this. And he couldn't remember when he started talking to himself.
"Merlin's beard, fuck this", he muttered under his breath and with a flick off his wand the water on the stove went cold again.
He walked back down into the work room and found Clemency rummaging through some boxes.
"I got some muggle vials in Geneva the other day, you wouldn't know where Papa put them, would you?"
"Bottom left drawer over there." He pointed towards one of the many corners of the room.
"Thanks."
"Are you not going out for dinner?", he grumbled.
"I am about to leave."
"Usual place?"
"Yes. Why are you asking?" She looked at him and a fearful expression started to appear on her face. "You're not going to join us, are you?"
He considered her for a moment, and an evil grin appeared on his face.
"Maybe I will. Just to ruin your evening."
With that said, he turned on his heel and went back upstairs to get his purse.
When he left the building through the back door it was already a couple of minutes past six. He walked down the road. In the beginning he had his hands buried in his pockets, but the closer he got to the restaurant, the more intimidating he became.
He straightened his back, appearing rather rigid, and his lips formed a thin line. He was uncomfortable. He didn't actually want to go. Why did he think he wanted to go in the first place?
He slowed down in his pace. Turning around swiftly and taking the first step back home, he stopped when Hermine appeared out of thin air right in front of him.
She looked in a hurry and nearly ran into him.
"The fact that this is a wizarding village, Miss Granger", he said coolly, "does not mean social conventions do not apply."
She looked utterly befuddled. "What?"
The warm evening sun illuminated her face and he stared at her, not showing any facial expression, but in reality her sight made him smile inwardly.
He turned and walked towards the restaurant. There was no point in going back home now. She followed him.
"Where did you come from?", he asked her.
"I quickly apparated back to Grasse to drop of the sweets I bought for my parents. I got them this weird, sizzling chocolate mousse from the bakery down the road and was worried it might get squashed in here." She pointed towards her little handbag.
"Will it not go bad by the time they arrive?"
"Excuse me?" She laughed, arms akimbo. "You are looking at a Charms Professor here. They won't even notice that I got them a week in advance."
He looked at her. She smiled feistily and slight breeze was blowing a few wild curls across her face. She tucked them behind her ear.
"Did you get the fire tongue pastries?", he asked.
"No, should I have done?"
He nodded.
"I shall get those the next time."
She smiled at him and he didn't really know how to react to it. He clenched his jaw and fixed his eyes straight ahead.
They arrived at the restaurant and he opened the door.
"You are joining us?" She looked happy about it. Why did she always look so bloody happy?
He tilted his head to tell her to go inside.
"Hang on a moment." She pushed the door shut and gave him a worried look. "What do I call you and how do I know you?"
He looked at her callously. "You don't need to lie. There should be no need to call me by my name this evening."
She didn't seem convinced, but he didn't really care too much about that. But he did care about not making her lie. Mainly because she wouldn't be any good at it, and she could accidentally trip over her own tail.
"Just speak truthfully, I will manage the rest."
She furrowed her eyebrows.
"That's insane, that is like juggling…", she stopped abruptly, and he cocked an eyebrow.
"That's like juggling two identities." Her voice sounded subdued and she suddenly appeared incredibly sad. Lifting her head, she looked him in the eyes and he could tell something was on her mind. "I am so sorry for putting you into this position."
He looked at her carefully, trying to make out her motives. She thought that she caused him harm, by making him deal with two identities. He had thought this the first time he had seen her, but for some reason it hadn't crossed his mind since.
"Don't be ridiculous", he said coolly. Trying to sound lighter, he added: "Watch and learn from an expert."
Then he opened the door again and they walked into the restaurant.
He would have not admitted it in Merlin's four-hundred-forty years, but he enjoyed the company. The Nancys were surprised to hear that Hermione was going to Paris as well, and asked about it. He casually explained that he had invited her and Hermione chipped in that they had coincidentally met in Geneva during her first visit where she had told him about her academic work. It all worked out rather nicely.
Guillaume would be leaving tonight after dinner, he was staying in Paris for the whole week as he gave several talks on medicinal magic throughout the week. Hermione would come to Arraxy in the morning and apparate to Paris with Severus. She would attend their talk on the wolfsbane potion and one other talk in the afternoon on linguistic charms.
"I am very interested in what they have to say about translation charms. Maybe I can learn something from them."
She grinned and leaned back, holding a glass of wine in her hand.
"Your French is superb", Clemency remarked. "You would do yourself discredit using a translation charm."
Severus noticed a smug expression on Hermione's face. It was a rare sight. She wasn't the kind of person to display such petty behaviour.
"As much as it ails me to admit this", he drawled, "Clemency is right." Said woman rolled her eyes at his comment. "Most translation charms are pathetic, and even the more refined ones are no substitute to actual linguistic ability", he added.
Hermione put down her glass and leaned forward onto the table. She looked at all of them, one after the other. He could tell she was slightly tipsy, not bad at all, but her cheeks were red and she had a twinkle in her eyes. When her gaze found his, it dawned upon him. The twinkle wasn't there because of the wine.
You fool. She actually had you fooled.
He snorted amused and crossed the arms in front of his chest.
"I never thought I would say this…" He couldn't help it, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "… but I am mildly impressed, Miss Granger."
The others looked confused for a moment, but Clemency caught on next.
"No way! You are using a charm?"
When Guillaume and Armita came around as well, she explained that it was her main master project.
"I had originally planned to work on a memory restauration charm, but that worked out rather well very quickly. I could have presented that as my master project, but I felt bad, somehow as if I would be cheating."
Clemency facepalmed herself and Hermione laughed.
"Well, see, I already knew about memory charms. The point of a mastery is to master something new, having to work for it more than usual, to prove you're capable."
"No, Miss Granger. That is what you think a mastery is about."
Severus made it sound as if he was annoyed, inwardly he was thinking about her comment. Was it really that important to her to prove herself? To whom? Everyone knew she was brilliant. He would never tell her that, of course.
Hermione and Clemency started talking about dually studying magical and muggle subjects and went on to discuss the differences of French and English secondary education.
He didn't notice at first, but he started watching her. It surprised him how content he was and he liked the look and sound of her laugh and jauntiness. It made him feel good, that she could be like this in his presence, despite knowing who he was.
All he could remember from his days in England were mistrust, hostility and exploitation. Nobody felt relaxed around him or would engage in conversation, not to mention friendly banter. He knew, he had to thank himself for that, and it had been part of his job to keep people away. It had been his only way of survival for that matter, but it had scarred him deeply.
He had wanted to escape it for so long, be alone somewhere, only be his own master. He never wanted to think of it again, and he never wanted to see any of them again.
He had it all now, in France. If one had asked him about Hermione Granger half a year ago, he would have gladly gauged out his own eyes with a rusty spoon and eaten them, rather than having to face her.
And yet, here she was and he relished in her sight. Not in a romantic way, but because she was a person from his past that didn't seem to mind him in the slightest. Not at this moment in time, anyway. She was just being herself, laughing, talking to him and everyone else as if they were equals. Yes, everyone in France was treating him this way, but they didn't know who he was. She did, and she wasn't put off by it.
He liked her presence and the character radiating around her. It was calm, yet uplifting and spirited. Everything about her was paradox, yet pure harmony.
He was leaning back in his chair, swirling a glass of wine in his hand. His eyes were fixed on her, and he was so deeply in thought that he hadn't noticed when they had asked for the bill.
"I will see you at nine tomorrow morning then."
She smiled at him whilst bending to the side to get her bag from under the table.
He gave her a quick nod, hoping nobody had noticed him staring. He put down his glass and handed Guillaume some money to cover his part of the bill and a generous tip.
They left the restaurant and it was still pleasantly warm. Hermione was walking backwards down the hill, smiling at them and waving goodbye. She didn't even fully turn around before she disappeared with a quiet pop.
He immediately felt robbed of something again, missing a fundamental placidity, a source of necessary delight.