Chapter 14: The Past Wasn't All Bad
Snape watched as Hermione Granger walked into the courtyard with a pile of books in her arms looking for a place to sit and study. The groups of students that were gathered in the courtyard hushed as she passed, turning away from her. While they did not insult her, they cast their gaze away awkwardly as though they did not know how to treat her.
Gone were the days when Hermione Granger was just another student in Hogwarts. She was either a hero that none of them could understand why she would return to take tests none of the other survivors of the war had to, or she was student that none of them could beat in focus or talent.
Snape had watched her shun her status as being a hero as strongly as she continued her quest for knowledge. He recognized something in her hunger for knowledge as well as the isolation she had inadvertently brought upon herself. He realized that it didn't have to be the pursuit of dark magic that isolated a person from the comfort of belonging. Any knowledge pursued with such fervor seemed have the same effect on the social workings of the student body.
He had a feeling it hurt Hermione more than she let on to not have a "peer group" in which to busy herself in, even if some of that business was getting in or out of trouble in the past. At least her getting in and out of said trouble was not like the infamous Weasley twins. He wasn't sure what a brilliant mind like hers would do if focused on mischief, but he was pretty certain that she would have given George a run for his money had she been so inclined. Thank Merlin that was never the case.
"Ms. Granger," Severus rumbled from his position by a column, causing all the students within earshot of his voice to cringe and prepare for something awful to be said.
Hermione lifted her head towards his voice, startled. "Yes, Professor Snape?"
"Accompany me, if you would," he replied. "I have something to go over with you."
There was relief in Hermione's eyes that Snape did not miss. She inhaled deeply and straightened her shoulders. "Yes, Professor," she replied with a slight lift of her chin.
And, with that, she fell into line beside him, accompanying him as he walked without a word being said. He led her out of Hogwarts and down the path towards Black Lake. The scent of the lake carried up from further out, and Snape saw Hermione's shoulders relax a little further.
"What N.E.W.T. is troubling you?" Severus asked softly as they walked along the trail.
Hermione startled slightly beside him. "Charms," she said. "Professor Flitwick wanted us to team up outside of class to keep each other from accidentally charming ourselves into a bad place."
Severus sniffed slightly, keeping his gaze towards the lake. "And your classmates find other partners all too conveniently when you ask?"
Hermione turned her gaze towards the side. "Yes."
Severus' eyes gave Hermione a side-long glance. How many countless days were spent teaching himself what he knew and crafting his own spells to break the monotony and loneliness in his own mind?
"Practice with me then, Ms. Granger," Severus said in a manner that made him question what had inspired himself to volunteer and say it as though it were nothing at all. Where had his anger gone? Or his venom? "We have a few hours before we must brew potions for Madam Pomfrey."
"Sir?" Hermione looked at him with an expression of both hope and disbelief.
Severus met her eyes silently as his stoic expression did not change. He sat down off the path with his back against a tree. Inclining his head for her to sit, he raised an eyebrow at her hesitation. "Is the ground too good for you, Ms. Granger?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, Sir," she said, sitting down near him and taking out her charm practice materials.
Snape picked up a stone and inspected it. "I presume you are have been instructed on flames without burning?"
"Yes, Professor," Hermione nodded back to him.
"Show me," Severus said, holding out the stone.
Hermione pulled her wand out closed her eyes a moment, taking in a deep breath. She opened her eyes, tapped the stone. "Ignem fridigum," she whispered. The stone flickered with a blue flame.
Snape held the stone in his hand a moment. "Feel," he said, tossing her the stone.
Hermione eeped, catching the flaming stone and practically dropped it as it chilled her hand. Snape gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"I realise Flitwick teaches you the standard and more commonly remembered charms, but do you wish to improve upon it?" Snape's expression was emotionless, but calm. The sharpness that normally tempered his voice was strangely absent. A part of him wondered when that had started to become normal in the presence of Hermione Granger.
"Of course, Sir," Hermione replied to him immediately. She straightened up and looked expectant.
Severus picked up the stone she had charmed and closed his hand over it. When it opened, the stone was wreathed in red and orange fire. He held it out to her.
Hermione tentatively closed her hand over the stone. The fire looked very capable of burning, yet when her fingers closed around the stone, the flames flicked around her skin harmlessly. There was no heat, but more importantly, there was no cold. Her eyes widened with excitement. It was in those moments that Severus saw glimpses of the old Hermione Granger peaking out from her presently haunted eyes, whose spirit and lust for learning had no boundaries.
"Your incantation is standard 'cold fire,'" Severus said. "But, sometimes you don't want your fire to be cold. You want it to be neutral. What is the charm for conjuring flame?"
"Incendio," Hermione answered immediately.
"What is the other form?"
"Incendium."
"But that is not just the word for fire is it?" Severus said with a sniff.
"It is the word for burning," Hermione answered.
"But what is the word for fire or heat?" Severus countered.
"Ignis," she answered.
"What is negative?"
"Non."
Severus quirked his lips slightly. "What is the proper incantation, Ms. Granger?"
Hermione stared at him a moment, brows furrowed. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened. "Ignis non incendium."
"Are you telling me or asking me, Ms. Granger?" Severus met her gaze with his dark and unflinching orbs.
Hermione straightened her back, picked up a stone, tapped her wand to it, and incanted, "Ignis non incendium."
The stone burst into bright orange and yellow flames, yet she held onto it. There was no heat. She beamed with success at her endeavor, giving Severus a genuine smile. Within moments there were about ten to fifteen flaming pebbles scattered around them.
The corner of Snape's lip twitched. "Congratulations, Ms. Granger," he said coolly. "Now show me what else Flitwick has you working on for N.E.W.T. level charms."
Hermione gathered all the flaming rocks together in a pile and looked at them fondly before tucking them away into her bag. She pulled out her next project with renewed enthusiasm.
Snape's eyes did not leave her as she went through a list of various charms she had to remember for her charms N.E.W.T. By the time the both of them had to start heading back towards the laboratory to brew potions, the unlikely pair was surrounded in random charmed objects from a book that moved when you tried to reach for it, another book whose contents changed the moment you tried to read it, a small stick that became a walking staff, a stone that belted out Toccata and Fugue in D minor when touched, a teacup that kept tea hot without losing its cool temperature, and countless other charms on random objects.
After they spent time cleaning up the random collection of items, Severus stood, extending his hand to Hermione.
Hermione, without hesitation, clasped his hand, allowing his pale fingers to close around hers and pull her up. The touch of her hand was brief and warm, and she did not shy from the closing of his fingers around hers. He looked at her with a lingering glance, as if pondering why she did not flinch away from his touch as most would have.
He released her hand and reached into his robe, pulling out a small bundle of cloth. He tapped it with his wand before tucking his wand back into his robe. The bundle grew larger and he handed it to her.
Hermione grasped the bundle and undid it, shaking it out. It was a long outer robe made of a dense fabric. The cut of the outer robe mirrored his own. As she fingered the fabric she looked at him with a bit of wonder. "It's lighter than it looks."
Severus inclined his head to the side. "The cloth is tightly woven. You will find it more protective than your usual fare. I also charmed it to insure it is impervious to fire and liquids… heated or otherwise."
Severus watched Hermione inspect the robe with amusement. The outer robe was lined in Gryffindor colors to match her student uniform, but it was obviously custom tailored to suit a purpose that the normal student robe did not : protect her from the likes of Jeremy Thornberry's potion explosions. He did not want to see her hurt again by a student's ineptitude again. If it was going to be her nature to throw herself in front of exploding cauldrons to protect a student, he was going to make it less likely that she would be hurt by it. She was petting the fabric with her fingers as one would a cat, and he found it strangely touching.
"I took the liberty of getting Minerva's approval for a suitable robe for you, Ms. Granger," Snape rumbled. "You are permitted to wear it in place of the typical rubbish students wear to class that is not remotely helpful in potions."
Hermione's eyes widened as she stroked the fabric of the robe even more respectfully. She shed her student outer robe and replaced it with the new one. The fabric blew in the breeze off the lake, billowing to the side much as a certain Potion Master's did. She shrugged her shoulders, and the drape fell across her arms like a curtain. She shrunk her old robe and tucked it away in her bag which she, in turn, stuffed into her robe for safe keeping. She picked up her class materials from her charms class and met Severus' unwavering gaze. "Thank you, Master," she said formally with a bow.
Severus eyed her silently, his eyes flicking up and down her outfit, appraising her new look. "You are welcome," he replied softly, turning to walk up the pathway back to Hogwarts. Hermione fell into step with him automatically, their footsteps returning to a synchronization that had begun to happen unbidden between them.
By the time Snape and Hermione walked down toward the dungeon together, the students that saw them both together shot sympathetic looks in her direction, assuming that she had been dressed down in a horrible manner fitting only in Snape's sadistic mind. Snape glared at the students with his typical and silent scowl that caused them to look down and away from them both.
Hermione, he noticed, had schooled her face unconsciously mirroring her Master's as she accompanied him to the laboratory, giving no facial cue that the student body could decipher as to the nature of whatever punishment the Potion Master had undoubtedly given her. He approved, albeit silently, that she had become less readable to casual glances. She had become, unconscious or no, a protector of his secrets as he had become a protector of hers.
One of the second year Gryffindors whispered to one of the upperclassman after tugging on their sleeve. "She must have done something he really hated," he said, causing Severus to home in on the conversation.
"How so?" the older student said with a frown.
"He made her dress like him," the young second year said with pity in his voice.
Severus indulged in a private smile. Let them believe what they will. They always did. He had no doubt that the student would scurry back to his Common Room with his companion, vowing to never piss him off as badly as whatever Hermione Granger must have done to earn his ire. Perfect.
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Severus looked up from his reminiscing as Hermione walked behind him ,wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and flopped against his back. Her face pressed against his collar as she hugged him, sending a thrum of energy down their shared bond.
"Good afternoon," she purred. Somehow she had entered the classroom completely silently. He wasn't sure if it was a compliment to her years of practice or an insult to his own observational skills.
"Good afternoon, Hermione," he rumbled a reply, leaning into her touch.
Hermione plunked down a wrapped sandwich in front of him. He could smell the roast beef and a hint of horseradish on it. Apparently her mother had sent another care package stuffed with muggle condiments again. It was always a welcome treat from the typical Wizarding fare. It wasn't that Wizarding food was boring, by any means, but treats sent from Hermione's parents were always welcome. His daughter, he knew from experience, adored horseradish sauce. His son, on the other hand, was utterly fascinated by Bistro gravy granules. Severus supposed there were worse things his children could be hooked on.
"Mmm," Severus commented, sniffing the air as the sandwich taunted him from within the wrapped bundle. The sandwich smelled heavenly, and he caught himself almost drooling over the scent alone.
"You missed lunch," she said softly. "I made you a sandwich while I made Rose one, since I know she will pout if she knew her grandmother sent treats and she wasn't around to partake of them in her banishment to the hospital wing."
Severus snorted. "We can't have her sneaking back to our chambers when she's supposed to be sick, now can we?"
"It would defeat the purpose," Hermione chuckled.
Severus placed his hand on Hermione's and gently stroked the skin on the back of her hand. "Thank you for bringing me a sandwich."
"And tea," Hermione said, plunking down a teacup out of no where.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "And tea."
Hermione straightened behind him and sighed. "Off to be a dutiful mother and bring my starving child sustenance."
"Do not allow her to gnaw off your arm when she goes for the sandwich," Severus commented dryly.
"I will try," Hermione said, "To be extra careful."
"See that you do," Severus replied with a wave of his hand, shooing her from the classroom. "Don't forget the meeting with the Board of Governors today. You can thank Minerva for that bit of obligation."
Hermione slumped visibly as she exited the door. "You do know how to rain on my parade, Severus."
"I live to serve," he replied with a knowing smile. "Try not to hex any of them."
"I will… attempt to restrain myself," Hermione sighed softly as she went out the door.
"You are not allowed to turn them into ferrets either, wife!" he yelled out the closing door.
"Blast you for ruining my fun, Severus," Hermione replied with a yell as she retreated down the dungeon corridor.
Severus smiled to himself as he dutifully unwrapped his sandwich. Someone had to keep his wife from taking her frustrations out on the Board of Governors. Somehow he doubted Minerva would be all too pleased if she returned to a Board of Ferret Governors, despite the common opinion that the Board was nothing but a figurehead since the end of the Second Wizarding War. Correction… Minerva would be inwardly very pleased and outwardly furious. Either way, he would owe his wife a good shoulder massage later for putting up with the meeting. Bureaucracy was always such a pain.
"I love you too," Severus whispered into the air as he proceeded to devour his sandwich. From afar, he could feel her silent and warm reply through their bond as real as the hug she had given him earlier.
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Hermione smiled as she felt the silent warmth and amusement coming from her husband through their tenacious bond and sat down next to her daughter's hospital bed. She flipped through her latest copy of the Moondew and Moonseeds. Her eyebrow lifted as her daughter smelled the sandwich she had brought with her and began to stir from her faked convalescence.
"How was your brush with medicinal overdose, my daughter?" Hermione clucked, flipping a page in the catalog.
Rose rolled over onto her side . "Uneventful, mum," Rose admitted. Her smile was hopeful.
Hermione handed her daughter the wrapped sandwich with an amused smile.
Rose unwrapped the sandwich with enthusiasm. "Roast beef with watercress!" she squeaked happily. She took a huge bite out of the sandwich. "Mmmwmithorseradishmph."
Hermione shook her head. "You can thank your grandmother for sending that jar of horseradish sauce, Rose."
Rose nodded as she hungrily polished off the sandwich in a manner that would have made the Weasley males proud.
Hermione rubbed the area between her eyes as she channeled her inner Severus. There were times that she wondered if their daughter was really theirs. Perhaps her daughter had spend far too many weekends having sleep overs at the Burrow.
Rose wiped her mouth and seemed to regain some focus. "The only visitors have been Scorpius and James."
Hermione shrugged. "It's only the first day, Rose."
Bast hopped up onto the bed and meowed. Ignis chirped at Bast in greeting. Hermione patted Bast gently between the ears, rubbing the cat's head with her fingers.
Hermione pulled something out from her robe. "Here, wear this while you are here, Rose."
Rose held out her arm when she saw her mother hold out a band. Rose recognized the seriousness pass across her mother's face. It was the less about the expression and more the lack thereof. She and her brother had grown up with two master Occulomens as parents. Recognizing small tells across their parent's faces came with the territory.
Hermione slid a bracelet over her hand and shrunk it down to her wrist. The bracelet grew warm as Hermione ran her finger across the surface, and Rose watched as flames whipped across the surface of the bracelet and then disappeared altogether. "If you feel suspicious, touch the bracelet and say 'difficultas.' That will alert Poppy and the mediwitches to come check on you. If you feel threatened, touch the band and say the word 'cinnabar.' It will take you back to your room in our quarters and alert your father and myself as well as your Aunt. Do you understand?"
Rose nodded. "Difficultas. Cinnabar. Thank you, mum."
Hermione locked gazes with her daughter, her eyes were darker. "Trust Bast, Rose, and your gut." Ignis peeped as if to confirm Hermione's words. Bast meowed assent and curled up next to Rose's pillow.
Rose shook her head. "I will."
Hermione's expression softened and she brushed her daughter's curls out from her face. "I will have Mr. Mitchell bring you your homework for potions. James and Scorpius said they will bring you their notes and homework for your other classes."
Rose gave a small sigh of disappointment at the mention of homework, but gave her mother a smile.
Hermione nodded and stood. She leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. Standing straight she turned to leave.
"Mum?"
"Yes, Rose?"
"Could you bring me another sandwich with horseradish later?"
Hermione's lip quirked. "I'll see what I can do."
Rose beamed at her mother as she glided out of the hospital wing, her dark robes fluttering behind her like the passing of a ghost.
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Severus' pale fingers tapped along the side of the scroll he was reading, his dark eyes stared into parchment as though to bore into it with the power of his gaze.
A beat of wings caught his attention and shortly after dark wings unfurled as a giant harpy eagle barreled through the open tower window followed by two adult phoenixes and a small parliament of owls. The wind caused by the multiple wing beats sent parchments sitting on Minerva's desk scattering. Severus slammed his hand down on a pile of papers to keep them from fluttering across the room. He arched a brow at his eagle wife as she flapped over the desk. Her huge talons unfurled, releasing the two phoenix chicks onto the desk. Ignis and Sparks peeped excitedly, rushing over to cuddle against Severus' sleeves.
Hermione gave a great upbeat of her wings and launched backwards, reforming into her amused human form. "Husband," she said with a smile.
"Wife," Severus replied.
"Hermione," a voice from the portraits greeted. "You do know how to make an impressive entrance." The phoenixes and owls in the office warbled and hooted innocently from their perches throughout the room.
"Albus," Hermione turned and gave the portrait a small bow of her head. "Finished beating Phineas at poker?"
"I beat him," said Phineas with a twirl of his arm. "You can always tell when he has a good hand."
Hermione and Severus gave the portrait of Phineas Nigelius Black their best arched eyebrow.
Phineas harrumphed. "His eyes twinkle when has a good hand."
The portrait of Albus scoffed, turning his head, causing Severus and Hermione to exchange a knowing look.
Hermione turned her attention to the scroll next to Severus. "Papers for the guest lecturer?"
Severus stood and nodded, handing her the scroll. Her eyes flicked across lettering on the scroll. "It seems in order, but you are hesitating?"
The potion master nodded to his wife. He held out his hand to explain. Hermione placed her hand in his and neared him, drawing his head down to place her forehead to his. Her eyes closed a moment before she stepped back from him. "Postpone it. I agree."
Severus nodded grimly. He leaned down over the scroll and quilled a reply on the scroll. He pooled wax on the parchment as he pulled out his half of their combined sigil. Hermione clicked her together with his and they pressed it into the cooling wax. He rolled up the scroll and rewaxed the seal, grasping the official Hogwarts seal off Minerva's desk and pressed it to the edge. Prince, as if waiting for that moment, launched himself off the perch he was sitting on, wrapped his talons around the scroll, and whooshed out the open window.
"That isn't very fair, Severus," Phineas complained from his portrait. "How are we supposed to know what you are thinking when you don't have to say it out loud like a normal wizard?"
"I don't know, Phineas," Hermione said cheerfully. "I understood him just fine."
The portrait scowled at her. "Hrmph. Not all of us are gifted with whatever that is you two have. You didn't catch me bumping heads with my wife to let her know what I was thinking."
"Perhaps you should have, Phineas," Hermione quipped. "You might have learned something."
"Psh," Phineas said dismissively.
"His mind is cluttered enough as it is," Amrose Swott's portrait self quipped. "Nothing else will fit in that cranial space."
Some of the other portraits snickered as Phineas made indignant scoffing sounds.
"I think Minerva purposely left today for her meeting with the other school Headmasters and Headmistresses," Hermione said with a sniff. "The meeting with the Board of Governors was terribly dry. I might have dozed off slightly during the reading of the minutes."
Severus gave her a sympathetic look. "Thank you for… enduring that bit of excitement for me," he said softly.
Hermione twirled her hand. "You had things to do as well. At least I didn't have to wrangle that mess on Minerva's desk."
Severus gave a gallant shrug. "Our tasks are done. Minerva's chores are completed. You have placated the Board of Governors for the rest of the month, classes are in order, and I think it is time for dinner… if Wayne hasn't eaten it all." Severus plucked the two phoenix chicks off the desk and deposited them on his and her shoulders. Pyre seemed to toss a coin in her head as to which non-feathered parent to perch on and decided to settle on Hermione's empty shoulder, letting out a contented warble.
"Maybe we could let Prince and Pyre carry off the Board of Governors. Would anyone really even notice they weren't there?" Hermione speculated.
Severus placed his arm around his wife's waist and gently herded her out the Headmistress' Office. "Now, now. We should at least allow Minerva to retire first before turning Hogwarts upside-down."
"Haven't we already turned Hogwarts upside-down with our inter-House solidarity?" Hermione asked, leaning into Severus' shoulder as she walked.
"Small steps, my witch," Severus purred as they passed the gargoyle and the door closed behind them.
"Speaking of small steps," Hermione began. "Ginny is coming over tonight to discuss tentative plans for Ron's wedding."
"Goodie," Severus replied flatly without about as much excitement as one would use to address the cleaning sludge out of expired flasks without magic.
"Think of the bright side, Severus," Hermione said with a grin. "You get to watch the Malfoys make Ronald's life infinitely more complicated."
Severus' mouth twitched upward at the thought of the mental harassment of Ronald Weasley.
"See? There is a bright side," Hermione chuckled, nudging her elbow into her husband's side. He gave her a wolfish expression and cast his eyes forward as they accompanied each other to the Great Hall.
"You can't tell me you didn't have a hand in those two getting together, Albus," Phineas sniffed from his portrait as the pair left the Headmistress' office.
"I did not, Phineas," Albus replied as he rocked back into his rocking chair. "If anyone gave those two a push it was Minerva."
"That cat gets her animagus whiskers into everything," Phineas stated as he brushed off his robes.
"Now, now, it's not that bad," Albus chided. "Lemon drop?"
Phineas grumbled something under his breath about where Albus could stick his candy.
"What's that, Phineas?" Albus asked.
"Fine, Albus, I'll take a lemon drop." Phineas stormed across the portraits, snatched a candy from Albus' candy bowl, and stormed back towards his portrait frame.
The portrait of Albus leaned back into his rocking chair, eyes twinkling. Mission accomplished. Not even death deprived the old Headmaster of his mischief.
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A/N: It is a glorius day outside. The wind is blowing, the sun is shining, and I want to go outside and frolic like it's my job! Alas… it is back to the books with me. Wish me luck folks! I have the attention span of a squirrel today. Perhaps less than a squirrel, because at least squirrels OCD on survival… hrm… I hope you enjoyed this little installment in the lives of our favorite couple.
A/N #2 : Went back and added some content in order to make the transition of POV a bit less jarring. Thanks to HMRoberts for pointing out my sleepy brain's failed attempt at coherency.