Chapter 5: The Wager

Spinner's End was an exceedingly large estate. It stretched acre after acre. There were nineteen proper bedchambers with accommodations for thirty servants—not counting the groundskeeper and stable master, who both had their own cottages. Victoria had remarked more than once that it was possible to get lost in the seemingly endless rooms that stretched out like the catacombs. If someone would have told Severus that it was possible to be heard at one end of the house from the other, he would have scoffed at the idea. Miss Granger proved that idea to be quite wrong. At precisely thirteen minutes after four in the morning, a blood chilling scream echoed from inch to inch of the sprawling manor.

Severus leapt to action without a care that he was still in his dressing gown. In the hall outside, he raced past Lupin—also still in his nightclothes—and down the hall to the young woman's quarters.

Miss Granger was trembling violently as she backed out of the room. "There's a man in my chamber!" she cried hysterically.

"Stay with her," Severus commanded over his shoulder to Lupin.

Pushing the door open carefully, Severus glanced around the darkened room. At first, he saw no sign of any intruder, but then he heard a muffled whimpering coming from beneath the bed. He knew that sound.

Harry's bare feet stuck out from under the bed, and Severus was forced to drop to his knees to get a proper look at the boy. Harry's entire body was curled as tightly as he could manage in the scant space beneath the bed. His face was buried in his hands. Every now and again, he would let out a tiny sound that was half way between a sob and a whimper.

"Harry?" Severus called softly. The boy did not look up. "Harry, it's alright. You can come out. She's gone." Severus was quite used to Harry not responding and did not wait long before reaching under the bed and touching the boy's arm. Harry retreated farther underneath the bed without even looking at Severus.

"Bloody Christ!" Severus swore venomously as he went round the bed to get a better reach. This time, he didn't give Harry the option of ignoring him. He pulled the boy out of his hiding place. Harry struggled against him, but gave in with a shudder.

"It's alright, Harry," Severus said soothingly. Harry touched a bright red mark on his cheek and made a noise. "Did Miss Granger do that?" he asked uselessly…not that he could have blamed her if she had.

"Is everything alright in there?" Lupin inquired from behind the closed door.

"Just fine," Severus called back. "It's Harry."

The door cracked open. "Oh, dear," Lupin said as he poked his head inside. "What the devil was he doing in Hermione's room?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Why don't I just ask him?" he quipped.

"What shall I tell the servants? The entire household is standing in the hall," Lupin said(,) ignoring Snape's foul humor.

"Tell them all to return to bed, that I have seen to this myself." Severus glanced to the boy. "Oh, and Lupin, would you please take Harry to his room? I wish to have a word with Miss Granger."

"Certainly," the physician agreed.

Once Harry was safely in his own room and the servants were once again abed, Severus beckoned Miss Granger to meet him in his study. He poured a brandy for himself and a splash of sherry for the girl. She looked at it as though he were about to poison her( but accepted the glass nonetheless. "Thank you," she murmured, pulling her wrapper tighter about her shoulders.

Severus took his seat and sighed deeply. "Did Harry harm you in any way? Did he look like he might?" he asked without preamble. He simply couldn't sweep this under the rug and ignore the remote possibility that Dursley could have been right about the boy.

"No. He didn't. In fact…I thought it strange, but he didn't seem to even realize I was in the room until I threw a book at him." Miss Granger sipped her sherry with a pensive look on her face. "He seemed to be harmless…childlike, almost."

"You are right on both accounts," Severus confirmed with a nod. "Still, I assume you are not comfortable staying here."

"To be quite honest, I'm more curious than frightened now. Who is he, my lord?" she asked.

Staring at the amber liquid in his glass, Severus was in no mood to tell the tale again, but he supposed that Miss Granger did deserve some explanation. "The boy is simpleminded and mute. I found him locked away and half starved in his uncle's stable a little over a week ago, and he has been in my care since," he told her plainly. He saw no reason to go into farther detail.

"That's terrible! How could anyone do such a thing?" the young woman cried. In an instant, she was on her feet pacing with a look of exasperation on her face. "Why would anyone seek to harm someone who can't stick up for himself? It's pure cowardice!"

Severus tapped his fingertips on the desk and let the girl go on about the injustice of it all for a moment longer before interrupting her tirade. "I do agree, Miss Granger. However, that does not solve tonight's issue. Do you feel safe with Harry in the house?"

She stopped mid-step. "I already told you, I don't think he even seemed to notice me in the room. I doubt the poor thing realizes what he did wrong. While I can't say that I enjoyed having him awaken me in the middle of the night, I know he did not mean to harm me." Her pacing began again. "However, the real question is—why was Harry even in my room in the first place?"

"Well, what was he doing when you first saw him?" he asked. The girl was irritating in the extreme, but Severus couldn't say that she was wrong.

"I couldn't be sure. I could just barely make him out in the moonlight, but he was in the corner near the bureau. At first, he was actually crouched down between the wall and the dresser. I wouldn't have seen him at all, but then he stood up," she explained.

"He was looking through your things?"

She shook her head. "No, I never unpacked my bag. However kind your hospitality, I had not intended to stay more than necessary."

"Well, then there is only one way to solve this mystery. Miss Granger, if you would wait here…"

"No. Thank you, my lord, but I intend to join you," Miss Granger interjected stubbornly.

"However strange the premise, you do realize what would happen if it were to be known that I was alone with you in a bedchamber?" Severus drawled flatly.

"It's not as if I have much of a reputation to worry about," she replied with a shrug.

Candle in hand, Severus made his way up to the bedchamber with Miss Granger at his heels. He placed the candle on top of the bureau and began looking for whatever had brought Harry to this particular chamber. It did not take him long to find the sad, little bear that Hagrid had given the boy. He picked up the ragged thing and handed it to Miss Granger before he began to open the drawers one at a time. Tucked away in the back corner of the bottom drawer, Severus found an empty spool of thread, a bright, blue feather, a shiny button, a pretty bit of lace, and a half of a sweet pastry.

"Such ridiculous nonsense!" Severus muttered angrily. All this commotion had begun over nothing more than an assortment of junk.

Miss Granger gave the bear a sad glance. "These must be his treasures," she said. "He probably thought they'd be safe here."

"Safe from what?" the lord demanded.

"I don't know." Miss Granger was still clutching the bear as she sank down on the bed. "The poor boy was only in here looking in on his things, and I hit him with a book."

"It is not the worst the boy has endured, and I daresay that he will barely remember the incident come morning," Severus assured her unsympathetically. "Get some sleep, Miss Granger."

Severus was quite irritable when he sat down at the breakfast table the next day. Lupin, plague take him, was bright eyed as ever. The physician looked up from his tea, and he seemed to take note of Severus' foul humor for he said naught but hello. The lord took his usual seat and paid no mind to the other man. His patience had truly run dry with the interlopers that had invaded his world. He was only thankful that Miss Granger was still abed. Guest or not, he would have tossed her out on her ear if he had been subjected to anymore of the girl's incessant prattle. As he sipped his coffee in well-earned peace, Severus could not help but wonder at how Harry faired after the night's debacle.

"Do you know if Harry is awake?" Severus asked one of the footmen.

"Why, yes, mi'lord. He is out in the garden with Miss Granger," the young man replied quickly.

Severus raised a black brow.

Beside him, Lupin chuckled. "Hermione never did return to bed, it seems. I saw her this morning as she passed my door, and she told me that she was going to make friends with Harry this morning," he said. A bemused look crossed his face. "For some strange reason, she had a hatbox and a bear with her."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I assume she intends to return Harry's treasure." He relayed the night's happenings to a very unsurprised Lupin.

Clucking his tongue nervously, Lupin nodded. "That does sound like the very kind of thing Hermione would be involved in. She always was a precocious child. I knew her father quite well, and I suppose she grew up to be much like he was."

"Exactly what was your relationship to her father?" Severus asked simply to be contrary.

Lupin's face burned. "He was a colleague, nothing more. Alfred Granger was an amazingly gifted physician and a close friend."

"No need to be defensive, Lupin," Severus said wryly.

Lupin probably would have replied, but he was not given time. The childish sound of laughter filled the halls outside of the dining room, and not a thrice later Harry burst through the door dragging a somewhat disheveled Miss Granger behind him. The young woman had the good sense to be rather embarrassed by the display they made. She managed to wiggle her way out of Harry's grasp and courtesy. "Good morning, my lord. Hello, Remus," she said with flushed cheeks. "Harry found a robin's egg, and I gather he wants to show you."

Indeed, Harry was holding the broken blue shell as though it were a rare gem. He offered it to Severus with awe in those damned brilliant eyes of his. God, how he wanted to wipe that look of innocence away from Harry's face! Instead, he took the eggshell from Harry's palm, and examined it briefly. "Very interesting," he told the boy as he returned it.

Severus shared a look with Lupin, and then glanced back at the still blushing Miss Granger. She was trying desperately to shove wayward curls back into place, but stopped when she noticed that the men were looking at her. "Have I got a smudge on my face or something?" she asked horrified.

Lupin shook his head. "Hermione, I believe you and Lord Snape might be able to help each other out." He took Harry by the arm. "I will take the boy back to the garden and leave you two to work out the details."

"Details?" Miss Granger cried.

Severus sighed. He wasn't looking forward to having the little harpy in household, but it did seem the most logical solution at the moment. Besides, he would choose dealing with Granger's tongue over Harry's tempting any day.

"I have been looking for a nursemaid for Harry, and it seems you show great talent with the boy." He eyed the girl more appraisingly than he had before. She was such a plain thing with a stubborn chin—the exact image of a governess, to be precise. He knew that she had a fierce sense of honor, and he didn't doubt that she already had made herself champion of Harry's cause. Yes, Miss Granger was ready made for such a position.

Miss Granger returned his gaze full measure. "There is no talent to it. All he needs is a bit of affection and attention. True, guidance wouldn't be amiss either, but he isn't exactly hard to deal with. Had anyone given him the time, I don't believe he would be in such a state."

Severus massaged his temples. "I will pay you eight hundred pounds per year to give him the time, Miss Granger."

"That is mad!"

"I will go no higher than eight-fifty. Try and find that kind of salary as a librarian, Miss Granger," he barked.

Miss Granger sank into a chair. "I never intended to weedle my way into your household."

"Well, Miss Granger," he snarked, "you've done marvelously from the start with your lack of effort. Take the position, for I won't offer it again."

Miss Granger took much less time considering it than he had estimated. "On one condition," she agreed.

"What condition?" he inquired with a sneer. Though Miss Granger had shown that she could get on well with Harry, he would not put up with much of her silliness.

With her head held high, Miss Granger stated her terms: "I wish to educate Harry."

Now, that elicited great mirth from the lord. "You honestly believe the boy has the capacity for such? The child barely knows his own name."

"I believe that no one has give him a chance." Miss Granger obviously did not see the humor in what she had proposed.

Perhaps, this could work out to his advantage. "If you are so sure of your abilities to teach Harry, I off you a bit of sport. I wager that in one year's time, you cannot gain substantial results with the boy," he said with a mocking smile.

"Just whom will be judging Harry's progress? And what are we gambling with?" she asked suspiciously.

Clever girl, Severus thought. "I think the good Dr. Lupin will be a fine judge."

"Agreed."

Severus shrugged as though he did not care. "As for the rewards…I think we should use the two things we both have in abundance. Your time and my wealth. I will pay you four thousand pounds if you prove me wrong," Severus offered. Her eyes widened, but he was not yet finished. "And if I am right, I want you to take Harry to a cottage that I own in Turnbridge Wells. You will remain there for the rest of your time in my employ as his nurse."

Her eyes hardened. "You wish to cast him off?"

"No. If I had wished to do so, I would not be so generous. I wish to put the boy somewhere he will be safe," he answered honestly. He needn't tell her that it was himself he wished to protect the boy from. Miss Granger would never know the depths of his depravity. Devil take his soul, he wasn't sure how much longer he could take those perfect emerald eyes staring at him.

"Very well, but I don't desire your money. If I win, I want to become your assistant. I have read several of your papers and would love the opportunity to learn from you." Her gaze dared him to refuse. The chit had picked up the gauntlet quite brilliantly and nearly cast him upon his own blade.

Severus offered his hand to Miss Granger, and she accepted. In one year's time, someone would be very sorry.