AN: Nearly since the first time I posted to the Harry Potter fandom, Dragoon811 has been my most vocal cheerleader. She's a very special sort of person who has become my dear friend in real life as well as in this fandom. And have I mentioned it's her birthday? And did you know that I'm going to copy all the birthday wishes you leave and send them to her? Just FYI.
Severus made certain to 'overhear' the details as Hermione discussed her plans with Theodore Nott. (If said eavesdropping required using complicated listening charms he hadn't employed since the war, Severus would never admit it.)
Regrettably, the two young scholars arranged to meet mid-afternoon, which left plenty of time for Severus to attend brunch with Narcissa the same day.
It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Narcissa…in fact he often found her delightfully subtle, unlike many from his house. She accomplished her aims without ever dirtying her pale hands or directly interfering most of the time, a feat which many Slytherins could not claim. And since Severus wasn't involved in her current project (finding as much sexual satisfaction as she could with men who were half her age), he didn't have to worry about being manipulated himself.
He only avoided those brunches because talk turned inevitably to Draco's lack of matrimonial bliss, which (as a bachelor himself), was a bit of a sore subject, and certainly not one he wanted to discuss…with anyone, ever.
However, Narcissa was a powerful ally, and one that would not be likely to support him if he did not show at least a token amount of civility. He arrived promptly at ten, only to be ushered onto a lovely balcony overlooking the formal gardens. Narcissa was a vision in a set of white robes that wouldn't have looked out of place two hundred years before. Her beauty was a cool thing, with her pale hair and porcelain skin.
Even today, with the signs of a long night of intense lovemaking written all over her (her lips were swollen and pink, her neck showed signs of a glamour charm, and the look on her face was clearly satisfied) she looked like a perfect ice queen. At least until she saw him.
"Severus. It's about time! I thought I was going to have to hire a bounty hunter to get you out of your lab." She tempered her sharp words with pouring him a welcome cup of tea.
He smirked. "My lab is harder to find these days." The binding from the department wrapped around his consciousness, humming slightly, but it didn't bother him in the least.
Narcissa grimaced as she pasted him a selection of his favorite pastry. "Don't remind me. And for Merlin's sake, eat. You are thinner than you were during your Hogwarts years. You need an elf. Or a wife."
He rolled his eyes and buttered his croissant. "I eat. And I'm not at home often enough to have either an elf or a wife."
"Or friends". Narcissa snarked at him as took a large bite of the buttery indulgence in front of him. "You've missed so many of our little brunches that I've taken to asking Hermione how you are…"
Severus choked and took a long sip of his tea. He eyed his friend warily. "I wasn't aware the two of you were so closely acquainted."
Narcissa laughed. "Don't worry Severus. I didn't befriend her because of you." She raised a brow. "I can tell by what is not said that the two of you work…at the Ministry…together…." Her careful pauses did nothing at all to ease the stings of the secrecy oaths that bound him as she guessed at things he was forbidden to reveal.
Severus was grateful when she stopped hinting. "I might have arranged to become closer to Miss Granger for my own reasons. One does adjust to the new order. She is, without doubt, the most bearable of the Golden Trio. I simply arranged to help her with her clothing selection and it blossomed from there. Quietly, of course. One doesn't need to flaunt these things. They will come out naturally on their own. And I do like the girl."
Severus' mind was running through scenarios quickly. Narcissa was admitting too much, too quickly. She would never do so, even with him if there wasn't more…much more to it than simple social maneuvering.
He took another careful sip of his tea. "I admire Miss Granger quite a bit, and I'm aware of her sterling qualities, do not doubt it….but I wonder why someone of your status would choose such an oblique route to proving that you are reformed? Surely Malfoy enterprises have done well enough since the war…"
Narcissa raised a brow. Severus knew it was out of character to speak of gold, but it was one of two conclusions that would explain the situation. The other…well, it was even more disturbing than the Malfoy vaults running low on gold.
Narcissa shook her head. "I won't pretend that I don't know what you mean. The Malfoy family paid quite a bit reparations after the war, but it didn't do all that much to drain the general vaults…no more than the Dark Lord himself did. Part of that was the timing of Lucius' death. I know you always suspected that he committed suicide…"
Severus flinched. "I don't know for certain, but… he had requested certain poisons from me, many years before. Untraceable things that I only made in single dose batches and never revealed to anyone. One of them was a tincture that would make a man drift off peacefully while his body appeared to have a stroke. I suspect it was the one he used."
Severus had hoped that he would never have to admit that to Narcissa. Those potions had paid for his mastery all those years before.
Narcissa didn't seem surprised. "He would have chosen one of your potions. He trusted that they would do whatever you intended. I saw him make the decision in the days after the war, when he saw how public opinion was leaning. He feared that Draco would end up in Azkaban. He knew that falling on his own sword would satisfy the wizarding public's longing for retribution and that justice would allow Draco to walk free. His crimes were far less than any that had taken the mark."
She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "He knew you'd do your best for Draco. Hearing that Potter and Granger found your comatose body when they went back to retrieve you was one of the last moments of pure joy Lucius had."
Severus sighed. "He was many things, and many of them were not laudable…but I'll admit I was quite fond of that blond bastard."
She caught his hand and patted it fondly. "I admit I was as well. Say what you would about him, he always did whatever he had to do in order to protect his family." She took a slow sip of tea, reigning in her emotions. Severus had long known that Narcissa and Lucius had enjoyed a rare relationship when it came to arranged marriages.
Of course, that brought him back to the other probable reason Narcissa would go out of her way to quietly befriend the best third of the Golden Trio.
"So Hermione has been spying on me for you."
Narcissa laughed. "Nothing like that. She never gives me details, the wretched thing. She will only promise to try to keep you in line."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "You are giving her too much credit if you think she's capable of that."
Narcissa snorted. "Yes, she's magically powerful, brilliant, well-mannered, and infinitely preferable to most of the chits her age, but we mustn't expect miracles. "
Severus felt a sinking sensation. He'd been hoping that a few artful words to Narcissa would apply the proper pressure to Draco. The boy was…difficult to direct without the proper lever.
It seemed that Narcissa had embraced the new order entirely.
"You were vetting her. And possibly molding her. I thought those robes looked a cut above her normal style."
Narcissa snorted lightly. "Several cuts above her normal style. She showed up here in brown robes that I wouldn't have let the elves use to polish the floor. Brilliant she may be, but she's fallen into bad habits in her wardrobe choices. That's something a woman can not afford."
"She doesn't give a niffler's behind about fashion."
"She will need to if she's intends to bear the Malfoy name."
Hearing it put so baldly made Severus flinch. "You support Draco's choice then? I thought perhaps he was acting without your knowledge."
Narcissa nodded emphatically. "I want him to have more than an arranged match. I'm pushing him to find a bride, yes, but I want it to be the right sort. And he's always…noticed Hermione Granger. Wouldn't shut up about her during his first four years at Hogwarts…"
"You do realize that there is no relationship between the two of them beyond an unhealthy fixation on his part and a history of clashing."
"Passion is a start. And really, she's the most attractive girl in her year. I can see why he would choose to court her if he was freed of his old prejudices."
"You can't really call it courting."
She rolled her eyes. "It will be. In the meantime I'm giving her a few hints on her appearance."
"You should be giving your son a few hints on how to court a lady."
"He has gone about it in the most awkward way imaginable."
"Does Draco have any idea that you are manipulating him toward Hermione?"
She took an annoyingly smug sip of her tea. "I simply asked a few leading questions and let him decide."
Severus stopped. "You really mean to do this. Blood purity means nothing to you?"
Narcissa fiddled with her napkin. "Not as much as continuing the family name without turning into a pack of inbred idiots like the Crabbs or the Gaunts. It doesn't mean as much as my son's life and happiness. I want my grandchildren to have some power in their spells. And most of all, I want to see those grandchildren in the next decade. Draco will put it off forever if he isn't pushed."
Severus resisted the urge to massage the vein I his head that was pounding again. "Your new lover must be a muggleborn."
She laughed brightly. "Ten years ago that was a phrase that would have earned you a crucio in the wrong group. The fact that you can joke about it now shows how far our world has come."
"I'm all for the betterment of society, but now when it comes at the cost of my lab partner." Funny, that bit of information didn't cause the charm to buzz.
Narcissa poured him another cup of tea impatiently. "Be reasonable Severus. The girl is going to marry someone eventually."
He took his leave shortly after, but his mind was troubled.
He was beginning to suspect that his own reasons for disliking this entire affair might be more than just the loss of a co-worker…not that she couldn't work after a child was born, but spouses tended to keep one from spending every minute at the office, and those were minutes that at the moment belonged to Severus. He had no wish to share her with a Malfoy spawn (one that would no doubt be convinced the world revolved around itself…it was, after all, the Malfoy way).
Severus arrived at the Muggle café a full hour before Hermione was supposed to show up. He had several small flasks in his pockets, in case there was a need.
There was only one waiter in the establishment at this hour; it was slow, no doubt why Theo proposed it as a meeting place. He wanted to meet her somewhere public enough to put her at her ease and private enough so that they could stay for an unlimited amount of time, provided they tipped well and order drinks at reasonable intervals.
Severus quickly confunded the waiter to think that the manager had hired a new guy who was taking this boring Sunday shift where there were very few tips. He left the café whistling to himself, and wondering why he'd shown up today at all…
Severus quickly used a combination of transfiguration and charms to make his appearance unremarkable. He was no Minerva McGonagall, but he could manage that much. He grimaced slightly as he surveyed the result. He'd gone for pleasant looking and unremarkable and ended up with something vey like James Potter.
He shuddered and changed the nose back to something close to his own…no, too recognizable.
Smirking, he tried something akin to a male version of Granger. Pert nose, wide brown eyes, a face meant for smiling, he didn't change his height. He left his hair black but added some curl.
The resulting disguise was very attractive, for a man. Severus had rarely been so pleased when looking into the mirror. Of course, the female form was much more attractive,…but that would be sheer folly. He'd need a gender-swapping potion and new robes…
The bell over the door chimed merrily and he hastily tied the waiter's long white apron around his skinny frame.
Theo was there, looking as twitchy as Draco had when he was turned into a ferret.
He shoved far too much muggle money at Severus. There must be a hundred pounds there.
"There is a girl…she's meeting me here in about a quarter of an hour. I want things to go well. Is this enough to make certain that it does?"
Severus looked down at the crisp pound notes. He picked them up and pocketed them. "That depends on her, but I can make sure of things on my end." He didn't say how he was going to make sure of things after all.
The boy gave him a nervous smile and prowled through the tables, looking for the perfect seat.
Severus shook his head as he familiarized himself with the various coffee and teas behind the counter. Had he not taught any of these dunderheads anything? He'd assumed that it was only Potter and Weasley that had escaped all efforts to educate them.
The boy was practically jumping out of his skin.
Which was odd. Theodore Nott was notoriously self-contained.
Theo fidgeted for ten minutes before Hermione arrived. She was wearing non-descript muggle clothing, it made her look far too young in Severus opinion, more like the girl who was once his student.
For his part, Theo lit up when she walked into the room.
A short, quiet discussion later, and Hermione was ordering her chai. Theo paid insisting, "You are doing me the favor, Granger. I would be booted out of good society if I allowed you to buy your own tea."
Severus made her drink as well as Theo's, wondering if pure-blood etiquette had stretched to the idea of dating as yet… So much of the older written material dealt with how quickly you could marry a witch if you stole her from her clan or if it was allowable to duel another Wizard at the solstice.
Her spell worked perfectly and within moments they were both engrossed in reading the book quietly in a corner of the shop.
The awkward boy with the pretty girl made quite a sight, but her smiles as they murmured about the book made Severus wince.
When Theo motioned him over impatiently to bring another round of their drinks, Severus thought about just letting his potions slip over Theo's drink. Then Hermione looked up at him (the face that was some unknown man) and her smile faltered around the edge.
"Hello! Thank you for bringing this."
Severus nodded as he slid Theo's drink on to the table. "My pleasure."
He turned to go when she groaned. "Merlin. That is delicious."
His brows rose in feigned surprise. "Merlin? That's an odd invocation."
Theo cleared his throat and caught his eye in a significant way. Severus let a half smile rest on his face and ducked his head. Then he snapped the tray to his body and nodded. "Call if you need anything else." He left her with her pretty lips sucking the straw in a practically indecent way.
It was just a cold drink mixed with tea.
Admittedly, anything he brewed had to be top notch; it was a matter of pride. But he also knew the flavors she preferred, so with little to do while he spied…er…watched over her, he'd put together something suited to her taste. Still, if he'd known that a drink would cause her to make sounds like that, he would have brewed something for her sooner.
She didn't loose interest in the book, but she drank no less than three of his special drinks in the matter of an hour. Each time he brought one, she turned her attention away from Theo to thank him and compliment his brewing.
Theo seemed pleased with the first drink, and disconcerted after the third when she inevitably excused herself t go to the loo.
Severus chuckled as he cleaned a glass.
Theo came up to the bar. "What did you make for her? I'd like to buy the recipe since she likes it so much."
Severus shrugged. "Sorry mate. I tossed some things in at random, once she finishes this batch it will be gone forever." Unless of course you were a potions-master with an eidetic memory. Then you would know.
Theo's face fell. "That's too bad." The boy was obviously consoling himself with the fact that she would have no reason to come back to this café alone to drink the tea she's liked so well.
The book was finished a short while after Hermione came back from her 'break'.
They leaned back in their chairs for a moment, discussing some small point. Hermione sighed and reached for her purse. "Theo, it was quite kind of you to let me read this with you. I can't believe you had the patience to let someone read a new book at the same time as you."
Theo chuckled. "Well, it was your spell that allowed it to be read at all. I'd like to get together to discuss what you thought of it sometime."
She smiled up at him. "I'd like that Theo."
He picked up her hand excitedly. "Do have some more time now? I have some arithmancy calculations that I'd love for you to see…I've been working on the muggle market you see…"
Her eyes lit up. "Really? That sounds fascinating…" Her eyes were bright, like the last time Severus asked her to do equations on one of his potions. Then her face fell in disappointment. "But I can't this evening. Narcissa is expecting me at the manor. She wanted advice on her guest list."
Theo's face held nothing but polite interest. "Oh? Is she planning an event?"
Hermione smiled happily. "Yes, she decided to host a benefit for the Centaur herd at Hogwarts. They have been experiencing incursions into their territory for years now…."
Theo nodded, clearly unwilling to admit that he hadn't followed the plight of a group of magical creature who had so little to do with him.
Severus had a sneaking suspicion that Hermione kept up with the herd simply because she felt some sort of obligation or gratitude for the Sr. Undersecretary incident.
"I promised Narcissa I would help her this evening." Severus noticed that she looked vaguely regretful. "I would like to see the calculations sometime though, if you'd like to show them to me."
The boy's face lit up like one of the Hogwarts Christmas trees. Severus frowned as he cleaned the glass.
Most witches wouldn't think that reading Greek manuscripts and doing arithmancy was romantic. This was Hermione Granger however.
This…could be problematic.