disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to, but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.
Alright, for the next chapter, same as usual, 10 reviews will get you the next chapter. Also, I would love it if you gave some particular likes/ dislikes and the direction in which you'd like the story to go.
Enjoy!
Chapter 8: Snape's Side of the Story
Hermione and Severus had made their way down to the kitchen in relative yet companionable silence. Severus had walked slightly ahead of Hermione, in case anyone had made way into the house. He had no idea why he felt so much more protective towards the much younger woman, more protective than he had felt in her six years at Hogwart's. As they rounded the last corner into the kitchen, he put his arm out as he ducked his head into the room to scope it out. Hermione had been caught in her thoughts and she walked right into his arm.
Hermione rubbed her torso where she'd connected with Severus's arm and as he looked back to see what was the matter she smiled up at him. "Sorry. Busy thinking about big bats in dirty cloaks."
Severus glared at her and she gave a silvery laugh at the expression. Severus relaxed and let her go into the kitchen first, judging that there was no immediate threat. "Yes, while you're thinking naughty thoughts about your most hated professor I've been making sure that no-one who wants to hurt you can."
Hermione stepped into the kitchen and turned to face Severus, reaching for his hands. "I know. Don't worry, this will wear off soon enough."
Severus gritted his teeth in something that could have been a smile. "I thought you were hungry. Shall we eat?"
"Do you know how to cook? Or do you expect house-elves to do everything for you?"
If this was how every morning was going to start, Severus was beginning to understand why Weasley had gotten stuck with her. He opened his mouth to tell her so when he thought better of it. "As a matter of fact, Miss Granger, I can cook and take care of a household myself."
Hermione wrenched her hand from his and glared at him. "'Miss Granger' my bloody ass! So you think you can go back to the way things were now. I promised that I would stay here this entire damn summer and I can't leave. You said you'd tell me what the hell is going on. What exactly happened between the bedroom
and the kitchen, Severus?"
He couldn't explain it either. But when she said 'Don't worry, this will wear off soon enough', something snapped in his head, or perhaps his heart: he didn't want to lose her, not so soon.
"I don't know, Hermione! I just I can't explain this right now; we need to eat and I'll explain once we have some food in our stomachs. You're the one who said she was hungry, anyways," Severus said, ushering her into the kitchen. Once inside, he spun her around and gave her a quick, hard kiss. As he looked into her kiss-dazed eyes, he spoke once more, "That should clear something up."
As it turned out, neither Severus nor Hermione was a complete mess in the kitchen; however, neither was a top chef, so they ended up eating pan-fried potatoes and bangers (AN: burger-like ground meat patties. . . I love UK slang!). Hermione sat on the counter while Snape leaned against an island directly across from her. Their spat was forgotten and every so often Hermione would reach across and rub his thigh with one of her feet. Severus caught her foot in one of his hands and tickled it gently. Her eyes were lidded as he looked into them. He let her foot go gently and took her empty plate from her, setting it on the counter.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Severus. I guess I am a little upset about having to spend the rest of the summer here. Not that I want to leave you, understand, but I'm angry at myself for forgetting that things are different in the wizarding world. When I promise something to a muggle friend, it is only as good as my word. When I promise to another witch or wizard, it's binding; it had been hard to transition from muggle to wizard life. But I know that's no excuse, and I'm sorry. I'll be better for you, I promise," Hermione said, then she slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "My gods, I did it again. Merlin."
"I know, and I bear some of the blame; I shouldn't have asked you to promise before you knew what you'd be promising. An older wizard should never do anything like that to a younger witch or wizard witches especially," Severus kissed her hand as he spoke. Straightening, he changed subjects again. "However, I did say I would tell you what has happened. Know this: the reason I made you promise to stay here is because this information is highly volatile; if it got out before it was time, the entire wizarding world would be at risk."
Hermione nodded and straightened her robe, becoming all business. "Yes, and I promised to stay and listen to everything. I want to help you, Severus, because I can do no less after last night. But I just pray that I've picked correctly," she said, averting her eyes.
Severus cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face until he could look into her eyes. "Stop doubting yourself, and stop doubting me. Settle in because this is a long story."
AN: this is entirely Snape's side of the story, so I'm not going to deal with dialogue, etc. . .
I had been in love a few times and each time I'd lost the girl to some other man, usually one who didn't deserve her. Looking back, the only girl who ever married a man who treated her right was Lily; that's probably why I've spent so much time watching over Harry and the rest of you lot. Well, I have another reason to watch over you now.
That is another story. Back to what I was saying, the other girls I had any interest in were later subjected to unions with vile men, Deatheaters that you've probably fought. I was young and rather inexperienced, and as result I incorrectly assumed that becoming a Deatheater would gain me the power I had craved as a younger boy tormented by so many others, gain me the right to the woman I loved. But that would never happen; she was used as bait to lure me deeper and deeper into the folds of the dark magic and finally she told me she'd be able to marry me if I gave away the location of the Potter residence. I couldn't, and I fled. This was barely a year before the assault on Godrick's Hollow; I fled to Hogwart's and during the time I was running the woman's husband tracked me down and almost killed me. Then Pettigrew joined Voldemort and within a year James and Lily were dead while Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid and I among others scrambled to keep Harry safe.
Why would I work so hard to save the child of the man that had tormented me so? I had loved Lily so much; she had been much like a sister to me, and had worked hard to protect me from the worst of the Marauders mayhem. And it wasn't as if I could save the child of the other woman I loved, or even the woman herself. And I owed such a debt to Dumbledore himself.
When I finally got back to Hogwart's after not being of any more use to Voldemort, I had been attacked by a group of Deatheaters led by the other woman's husband. I was barely alive when Hagrid found me. Because of the service Dumbledore had done him, he brought me to Dumbledore. Albus couldn't even contact Poppy to help, because I was still a fugitive, but I was no longer a Deatheater. That meant something to Albus, and he saw what could be, if we were willing to work at it. He took me in, nursing me back to health with the help of McGonagall and Hagrid. I was training and helping Hagrid learn more magic, as penance for what had been done to him by my former master. It was during that interim that I realized what I owed to Albus himself. After the attack on Godrick's Hollow, Hagrid and I were the ones who took Harry into hiding until Albus and Minerva could do enough damage control and track down the Dursleys. After that, I performed many missions for Albus, in the first iteration of the Order of the Phoenix.
Over the years I waited, finally being instated as Potions master at Hogwart's while we waited for Harry to come of age. The prophecies about Harry were beginning to come to fruition, and other prophecies were being given and growing. One of those prophecies spoke of the companions of the Boy-Who-Lived; once you three were sorted into Gryffindor one after the other we realized that you and Ron were those companions. Yet another prophecy mentioned the girl who would bring him back. At first Sybil AN: Pr. Trelawney thought that prophecy referred to Cho Chang, but now we realize it refers to Ginny Weasley.
The last prophecy was the most disturbing. 'The Man in the Moon may not live while the Boy Who Lived battles the Dark Lord, lest his presence weaken the power of the trinity.' The
AN: end of Snape's story for the time being. . . Hermione's just bursting waiting to say something!
"Man in the Moon is Dumbledore! Harry is the Boy Who Lived, we know, and Voldemort is the Dark Lord. But why did Albus have to die?" Hermione broke into Severus's story, impatient to figure the entire thing out.
"Hermione, he's not dead! He's in hiding, the same way I am!" Severus said, annoyed at the interruption.
"Albus is alive?" Hermione whispered. "I have to tell Ron and Harry! We can win now!"
"No, Hermione," Severus grabbed her before she could leap off the counter. "If you tell Harry, he won't have the power to defeat Voldemort. With Albus gone, Harry has the last impulse he needs to put the petty vendetta he has aside and focus on the final battle. He'll only be in one last battle, and if Albus shows up before Harry casts that last spell, Voldemort will win, and Harry will die. The Weasleys will face worse ends than the Longbottoms. If you think your second year was awful, the second reign of Voldemort would be worse. You and I would be some of the first to fall. We have muggle blood in our veins, and we've both done so many things to foil his plans over the years, he has special reason to hate us."
"But Severus, Albus will be able to formulate a plan along with the rest of the Order. We could all go against Voldemort in the final battle, overpower him with numbers and strength. Prophecy is not the only thing to consider in a decisive battle," Hermione said, trying to wriggle out of Severus's grasp. His hands tightened on her waist, and Hermione stopped moving. "Right?"
Severus shook his head. "No. It is different when the prophecy comes from a sybil."
"Professor Trelawney?"
"Not Sybil, Hermione, a 'sybil' a prophetess descended from the ancient tribe of seers. True prophecy rarely happens, but it is the only kind of foreseeing they are stricken with. Every time a sybil gives a prophecy, it is truth. No other sybil in the last millennium has given as many prophecies as Sybil Trelawney. All of her prophecies, even those given before James and Lily were born were focused on Voldemort, Harry, and how the two would interact.
"In short, we have to follow the prophecies as best we can. If Harry doesn't know Albus is around, he has to pull his strength from inside himself something that a hollow shell like Voldemort can't do."
"But you didn't even know that Ginny was the girl who would help Harry you thought it would be Cho Chang! How can you believe the prophecy now?"
"Because the prophecy is so specific."
"But if Albus isn't dead, then isn't the prophecy still not being followed?"
"But Harry doesn't know that!" Severus roared, angry that Hermione was so intent on proving herself right and him wrong. "Giving the impression that Albus is dead will prove to be enough! You have to trust me!"
Hermione froze as he shouted the last words. She blinked a few times as she let things sink in for a moment. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "I'm beginning to understand, but I still don't like it. Can I see Albus?"
Severus gave a great sigh and shook his head. "Not right now. He'll be coming around soon, to speak with Draco and me and discuss our next move. But right now, you need to trust me."
Hermione gave him a weak smile. "I think you're right. There's no way I could be around Ron and Harry and keep this to myself."
She leaned into Severus's chest and sighed, her breath wavering as she fought back tears of joy. He tentatively put his arms around her, waiting for her to speak again.
"And I was just beginning to deal with him being dead, building up all the anger I thought I could use in the last battle. And I was really looking forward to killing you in revenge for what you did to Albus."