A/N: Ok, I'm not going to say very much as I haven't been well recently and I'm literally falling asleep as I type, but I do want to apologise profusely for the big gap between this and the previous chapter. This unforgivable delay was caused by a combination of a broken laptop, a week's camping and flu, so despite my best intentions it's taken me ages to get this chapter too you. I really have hated being so unreliable, but I promise not to do it again!
In exchange for your forgiveness (and also because it's convenient for me) I will not be finishing on this chapter as previously suggested and will instead be adding a brief epilogue which should be up within the week.
Many thanks for your patience and the reviews for the last chapter, which were lovely as usual. Happy reading...
Snape strolled into the hospital wing and was surprised to find Hermione out of bed and dressed. She was facing away from him and appeared to be packing her school bag with an unnecessary amount of books. Too engaged in her task to notice his approach, he cleared his throat as he drew close and she whipped around sharply, riglets flying widly about her head as she did so.
"Professor," She said, her eyes wide. "You startled me."
Severus rose a dark eyebrow at her flustered state. "Obviously." He drawled. "I hope, for your sake, that you have Madam Pompfrey's permission to be out of bed."
Hermione smiled. "You think I'd dare if she hadn't? I may have faced Death Eaters but I'm not suicidal enough to cross madam Pompfrey." She quipped.
Severus frowned at how flippantly she talked of facing Death Eaters but decided to let it pass without saying anything.
"Anyway, she said I could leave this afternoon, so I've packed up my books ready for when Harry and Ron come visit after Transfiguration." Hermione continued happily.
Severus tried not to scowl at the girl's mention of her idiotic friends and again held his tongue, choosing instead to change the subject.
"I apologize for not visiting you yesterday. I didn't want to interrupt your time with your parents and when I returned later on in the day, you were asleep."
"Yeah," She picked at a thread on the sleeve of her jumper. "Well after my parents left, Madam Pompfrey came around complaining that the hospital wing had turned into Piccadilly Circus. She said I should be resting not entertaining guests and proceeded to give me a heavy dose of sleeping potion." Hermione said, one half of her face lifting up into a wry smile.
Severus nodded. "She was right. You had far too many visitors yesterday when you should have been resting." He said with a disapproving glare, but Hermione only rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of visitors," Hermione then said with a slight edge to her voice. "Harry and Ron told me that you wouldn't let them see me while I was unconscious." She accused.
"That is correct." Severus said, his voice deep and unapologetic, causing the annoyance on Hermione's face to grow more pronounced.
"Well you shouldn't have! They're my friends, they have a right to visit me when I'm ill or…" She waved her hand around carelessly as she searched for the appropriate words. "Otherwise incapacitated."
"Friends?" Severus growled angrily. "I do not consider those who would carelessly lead you into perilous danger to be your friends."
Hermione's cheeks flushed red as her irritation turned to anger. "I was not led like some helpless sheep. It was my choice to go to the ministry and it's certainly not Harry and Ron's fault that I got injured." She snapped.
"Please," Severus scoffed. "You wouldn't get into half as much trouble as you do if you didn't constantly follow around those two glory-seeking idiots."
"Those are my friends, you're talking about." Hermione ground out through gritted teeth. "And the fact that I will always stand beside them when they are in danger does not mean that I recklessly follow them into trouble."
"I don't care what your childish motives are," Severus' voice became low, silky and dangerous. "It stops now. You will cease your involvement with Potter and Weasley before they get you into any more trouble."
Hermione's eyes flashed furiously. "Who the hell do you think you are? You can't dictate who I'm friends with!"
"I'm your father. And if I think that someone is a bad influence on you, I have every right to end your relationship with them." Severus insisted sternly.
Hermione glared at him coldly. "I think you'll find that I already have a dad. So you and your misplaced authority can just shove off." She turned back to her bag and swung it over her shoulder angrily, before spinning around to face him again. "I guess I'll go wait for my friends in the common room after all."
With that parting statement she stormed past him out of the hospital wing, her face livid and her hair flying wildly behind her.
Harry looked again at Hermione in concern; she'd barely touched her food and her eyes were still red and watery. It didn't matter what Harry and Ron said in their attempts to console her, she was still upset about her argument with Snape. Feeling Ron kick him under the table, Harry looked up and followed his friend's gaze to the staff table. Harry instantly found Snape, who was staring at them intently. As he caught Harry's eye, Snape scowled and Harry glared back, angry at the Professor for trying to stop them being friends with Hermione, but even more angry that he upset her in the process. 'Stupid git.' Harry thought clearly in his mind, hoping for once that the Professor was using Legilimency on him and would hear exactly what he thought of him.
Snape shifted his stare from the frowning Potter back to Hermione, who was still yet to take more than three bites of steak pie. He cursed under his breath, furious with himself for screwing up the whole parenting thing so quickly. Only yesterday had the girl's mother said that she trusted him to look after their daughter and today he was making said daughter cry. Not that he'd changed his mind about what he'd said. He still fully believed that those boys were a bad influence on his daughter and he wanted her to have nothing more to do with them, but he could admit to himself that he hadn't handled the situation very well. The truth was, he just hadn't expected the conversation to escalate so quickly; one minute they were calmly discussing her health and the next she was saying that she didn't want him as a father.
"Severus," Snape looked to his left to see Dumbledore learning forward so that he could speak around Minerva. "I think it might be wise to have a little meeting with Miss Granger after dinner this evening."
Severus sighed. He would really rather have done this with as little interference from the headmaster as possible, but he supposed the old wizard might be able to reach the teenage girl in a way that he could not. Severus nodded his agreement solemnly. "If you think it prudent, Headmaster."
"Yes, Severus." Albus replied, eyes twinkling. "I think it highly 'prudent.'"
As dinner was nearing its natural conclusion, a light tap on Hermione's arm drew her attention to a timid looking first year behind her. She turned and looked in confusion at the the small girl who wore her mousy-brown hair in low bunches on either side of her delicately freckled face and seemed unable to from any words in the presence of the older students. In answer to Hermione's puzzled expression, the girl thrust out her hand which held a small parchment note and let out a tiny whisper, "From Professor Dumbledore." As soon as Hermione had taken the note from her hand, its deliverer scurried away, obviously not expecting the note to warrant a reply, or at least not a reply that she would be required to deliver.
The note that Hermione now held opened itself as soon as it recognised that it was in the hands of its intended reader and Hermione looked down to read the elegant script.
'Miss Granger,
Please join us in my office at your earliest convenience.
Regards, A. P. W. B. Dumbledore'
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was literally the last thing she wanted to have to do. Why couldn't the teachers at this damn school ever leave her alone?
"'Mione? Are you ok?" She heard Ron ask gently by her side. She opened her eyes but merely passed him the note in answer.
Ron and Harry quickly read the note together and then looked back at their friend in concern and sympathy.
"Well that sucks." Ron said bluntly and Hermione nodded solemnly in agreement.
"You know you don't have to go." Harry offered comfortingly. "It says to go at your earliest convenience. Just tell them it wasn't convenient." He shrugged. "Screw Dumbledore."
Hermione considered it for a moment but then shook her head. "No, I can't keep avoiding the issue. I promised myself that I would start facing this whole thing maturely. Besides, they'd only come and fetch me."
The boys had to agree, it didn't look as though she had much option other than to go and hear them out.
"We'll go with you, 'Mione." Harry said firmly. "And we'll wait outside until you're done."
"Yeah." Ron agreed. "So just leave if they start talking crap. After all, they can make you go, but they can't force you to stay." He concluded with a smug grin and Hermione couldn't help but grin back.
"Tea, Miss Granger?" The headmaster offered warmly as Hermione sat in the comfortable chair he had indicated she should take.
"No, thank you, Professor." She responded politely, sneaking a glance at Professor Snape who was frowning severely at Professor Dumbledore as if the old man's pleasantries were causing him physical pain.
"Very well." Dumbledore said, placing the tea pot back on its matching tray. "Let's get started then, shall we?" He asked rhetorically, though Professor Snape still mumbled gruffly, "I wish you would."
Dumbledore pointedly ignored his comment and spoke directly to his favoured student. "Now, Miss Granger, there are just a few things that we need to discuss regarding the current situation."
"I've already said that I won't tell anyone else." Hermione interrupted, pre-empting the reason for her summons.
"Anyone else? Foolish girl! How many people have you already told?" Snape snarled, his previous annoyance with the girl returning.
"I've only told my parents and Harry and Ron. I wasn't going to keep hiding it from them if you, Dumbledore and half the Order know. They are my friends, after all." She said scathingly back.
Now they both sat swivelled in their chairs so they could glare more easily at one another.
"Not for much longer if I have anything to do with it." Severus growled.
"Well you don't have anything to do with it." Hermione sassed back. "It's none of your God damn business!"
Severus was fuming, but fortunately Albus decided it was time for him to intervene. "Now Severus, be reasonable. Those three have been friends for five years; you can't expect Hermione to stop being friends with them now just because you disapprove. After all, they've been through a lot together.
Severus dragged a long-fingered hand down his pale face and took a calming breath. He took a moment to look up to the ceiling and then returned his gaze to his daughter. "It is not your friendship that I object to, merely the resulting danger it puts you in."
Hermione nodded understandingly. "But I can't help that being Harry's friend puts me in danger. – The same way I can't help that being your daughter makes me a potential target."
"No, but we are taking precautions by limiting who knows about our relationship. Similarly there are precautions you could take whilst remaining friends with Potter."
"Like what? You want me to pretend not to be friends with Harry?" Hermione asked, exasperated.
"No, but you could stop needlessly putting yourself in danger; running off to the Ministry to fight Death Eaters, for example." Severus drawled. "I don't mind you being on good terms with Potter, but I want you to stop actively helping in his fight against the Dark Lord." He looked at her intensely. "I waited hours for you while you were under attack at the ministry, not knowing whether you were dead or alive. I won't be put through that again."
For a few moments Hermione didn't speak, nor make any reaction at all, other than to look directly back at him. Her expression was completely blank as Severus looked for any indication in her face that might reveal what she was thinking inside.
"No." She finally said; simple, quiet, firm.
"No?" Severus repeated in question.
"No." She reiterated more definitely. "I will not sit back and watch while others fight, and die, for the cause on my behalf." She took a deep breath. "Look, it's not like we're looking for a fight, and we know we're not going to be active Order members until we leave school, or at least until we're of age. But I won't promise that if an emergency arises I won't do everything in my power to help, because I will. I know we disagree in our views about the role of young people in this war, but I will always stand up for my friends and my beliefs and you can't stop me."
"I'm your father." Severus responded quietly.
Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation. "That doesn't mean anything! My mum and dad are still my legal guardians."
"Actually, Miss Granger," Dumbledore interrupted the conversation again. "That is one of the reasons that I called you here this evening."
"Why?" Hermione asked in confusion.
"Your parents have agreed that while you are at Hogwarts or otherwise in the magical world, Severus will act as your guardian." Dumbledore revealed.
"What?!" Hermione was aghast.
"I spoke to your mother." Severus explained calmly. "She feels that you need someone looking out for your best interests while you are in the magical world, seeing as there is so much they don't understand."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"It's nothing to worry about Miss Granger." Dumbledore said kindly. "It simply means that Hogwarts will regard Severus as being responsible for you. For example, if Professor McGonagall were to have any concerns about your school work or your behaviour, she would inform Severus instead of your parents. It would then be his decision whether to deal with the issue himself or speak to your parents. The other teachers don't know about your relationship but they have to go through your Head of House anyway, so that isn't a problem."
Hermione was stunned. "I can't believe they would do this." She said, her tone reflecting her disbelief, though she knew it must be true. "This is such bullshit." She groused, slumping back down into her chair in defeat.
"Language." Severus warned with a stern look.
Hermione huffed and pushed herself off of the chair onto her feet. "Whatever. Just do what you like. I don't care anymore."
Severus watched as she walked out of the Headmaster's office, not bothering to call her back. He sank down into his chair, closing his eyes, and rubbed his temples with one hand. This wasn't getting any easier and Severus was beginning to wonder if they'd ever have a conversation that didn't descend into an argument.
Opening his eyes, he saw Albus observing him with sympathy. "That girl is impossible." Severus grumbled.
Albus chuckled. "Nonsense. She's just very passionate about what she believes in."
"Which just means that she's stubborn."
"Hm, must be hereditary." Dumbledore said in mock thoughtfulness.
Severus glared severely back at him back at him. "That's not funny, Albus."
Dumbledore managed to maintain a straight face but his eyes twinkled in mirth as he rose an eyebrow at his sullen colleague. "Who's laughing?"
A/N: There, I promised angst and arguments and though I may be as late as Royal Mail, I do, eventually, deliver. So, the next update will be the last of this fanfiction. I hope you've enjoyed it and I hope you'll review, as your comments have truly been of an enormous help in writing my first fanfiction. Thank you.