Chapter 32: Refection On One's Priorities
{A/N: The Move's been canceled so here's to the start of more uploads...-S.S.}
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The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts,Wizarding World...
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore paced his office. He had been more than a little annoyed at the antics of his Potions Master as of late when it came to one Hermione Granger. The older wizard's blue eyes masked the rage with an unnerving twinkle as he continued to move to and fro his light blue robes trailing behind him. He could not afford for Snape to lose his way. Things were fast coming down to the wire and one misstep on the part of the Potions Professor could easily enable the ball to be in Voldemort's court. No. He needed to nip this nagging problem in the bud and he needed to do it quickly before they lost the ground they had worked so hard to gain over the years.
In a matter of seconds there was a knock at his door.
"Enter." bellowed the gruff tone of Dumbledore.
He made his way behind his desk and put on his usual false face to conceal his rapid anger at the spiraling situation. The ebony clad Potions Professor entered the room. He had been as emotionally distant as always as he stood before his employer.
"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" asked Snape.
"I did." said Dumbledore in an eerily pleasant tone. "Have a seat Severus...would you like a lemon drop?"
Snape held up his hand.
"I prefer to stand." he said respectful."I'll pass on the lemon drops as well, thank you."
Dumbledore wasn't surprised by any of this. Snape never really sat in his presence, he always seemed to be on his guard around him and as far as the lemon drops went Severus had always detested the things even when he was a child attending Hogwarts. Not to mention he knew they had been laced with calming draught, and he ought to be the one to know considering he had been the one to brew it.
"Severus, what I have to speak to you about is of the utmost importance." said Dumbledore in a serious tone.
Snape arched an eyebrow at the implication in his employers voice.
"And what prey tell do we have to discuss?" he asked.
"Your marriage to Miss Granger to name one of the few things we are to speak of." said Dumbledore.
Snape narrowed his eyes at the older wizard.
"My marriage no longer concerns you old man." he said.
"Severus getting involved with Miss Granger is a mistake." said Dumbledore.
"Mrs. Snape and I are married, quite happily I might add and it was due to your own design." said Snape annoyed that the headmaster still referred to his wife with her maiden name.
"I arranged for her protection." said Dumbledore. "You said yourself that this marriage was a farce."
Snape narrowed his eyes at the older wizard.
Dumbledore looked at him stunned.
"Don't tell me you suddenly have feelings for her." he said.
Snape said nothing but kept his eyes on the older wizard.
"Merlin help us...Severus you cannot be serious." said Dumbledore. "We have come to far and worked too hard for you to become careless now."
"I am not nor have I ever been careless." said Snape insulted. "I do my job and I do my job well...or have you forgotten?"
Dumbledore sighed.
"Miss Granger is clearly becoming a distraction." he said. "We cannot afford for your cover to be blown...if Voldemort suspects that you have feelings for your muggle-born wife..."
"He will not find out." said Snape. "I am careful enough around him."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Severus, you and I both know that your caution is not enough in this." he said. "You need to get your focus back...your job is to protect Harry Potter and get me information on whatever the dark lord is planning."
"I know what I am to do." said Snape bitterly. "Do not speak to me as if I am some child incapable of understanding even the gravest of situations."
"Then do it." said Dumbledore. "And you will be ready for my instructions regarding the Malfoy situation."
Snape had been enraged but kept it at bay.
"As you wish." he said still bitter.
"I mean it Severus." said Dumbledore. "You are spending far too much time in the company of Miss Granger, if need be I will send her back to her Gryffindor tower where Minerva can keep an eye on her."
"Over my dead body." replied Snape unable to take anymore. "My wife stays where she is...if you want me to do my job effectively...are we clear old man?"
"If she proves to be too much of a distraction she goes back to Gryffindor tower." said Dumbledore not backing down. "Until then you may keep her in your quarters...but there will be no missteps Severus, there is too much at stake."
"Like I need to be reminded of that." said Snape annoyed. "One misstep is certain death for me, or have you forgotten."
"At least we understand each other." said Dumbledore. "You are dismissed for now...but I warn you Severus...do not get too attached to Miss Granger...this war and protecting Harry Potter are your main priorities."
"Understood." replied Snape still so very bitter. "Headmaster."
With that The Potions Professor took his leave of The Headmaster. This discussion was far from over and there were too many variables in their current plans to proceed, they would have to wait it out to see what the dark lord's next move was going to be before deciding to go from there. Both Snape and Dumbledore would have bet their last dollar it had plenty to do with the Malfoys.
And no one had dreaded the out come more than Lucius himself. So far everything was locked in a stalemate, whatever the dark lord had planned for the Malfoys was going to be big and it was sure to turn the tide of the war, an outcome that both Dumbledore and Snape agreed upon even if they had not spoken about it. They remained confident that Voldemort would make his next move soon and it was most certainly for ill.