Good day, readers and THANK YOU for your kind reviews. Feeling all warm and fuzzy. Lucky me, because Morgan and Severus aren't getting that feeling lately... DN
Hermione read Wednesday morning's edition of the Daily Prophet with dread, despite the fact that the story she was reading was on the upper half of page 3.
More Trouble for the Headmaster of Hogwarts
Has Severus Snape been careless about mixing up Love Potions again? The photo below was taken at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry earlier this week. The student, Janiss Ames, is new this year, a transfer from the Salem School in the United States. Despite a reputation for excellence in Potions, she found herself alone in detention with the Headmaster. Did the wily professor take advantage of their time alone or was Miss Ames under the influence of a Love Potion? No one seems to know for sure. But one man is determined that this never happens again.
Miss Ames' father, Ethinian Ames, arrived the next day in a fit and is threatening to have the Headmaster removed. "He'll rue the day he took advantage of Janiss's innocence," he is quoted as saying. "No family should ever have to endure such a breach of trust." In his own defence, Severus Snape has said nothing to this reporter. Others, however, have not been so quiet. Hermione Granger, one of the top students in the "8th" year at Hogwarts, has loudly and repeatedly insisted on Snape's innocence. Given that she may need the Headmaster's recommendation to be admitted to Witches and Wizards College, this statement does not come without a conflict of interest. Others are not so charitable. A student who wished not to be named shared the belief that Snape is now involved with one or more of the female Hogwart's staff and that this may be an attempt to foment jealousy among them. An official Ministry investigation through the Department of Magical Education found no wrongdoing on the part of the Headmaster, but sealed the report in consideration of the reputation for the student involved. That finding leaves this investigative reporter undeterred.
The most likely target of the Potions Master's affection is the new Potions Mistress, Dr. Morgan Hunter (see previous reporting from September 22nd of this year). Having joined the staff this year from the United States, she had been making the most of her one-year appointment with a speaking tour and extensive teaching and research, most often in the company of Severus Snape. But who is this mystery woman? The Daily Prophet has taken on the task of finding out and the story is shocking.
Ostensibly coming to Hogwarts at the invitation of a school in desperate need of additional staff, she may, instead, be fleeing troubles at home. In addition to being sacked from the Sedona School (for reasons the tight-lipped staff would not reveal), she is now embroiled in a lawsuit with her brother-in-law, who alleges that she murdered his brother, her former husband. Although she was exonerated of the charge, asserting that his untimely death was the result of an unfortunate accident, unanswered questions remain. Her husband, Phillipus Alden, was extremely wealthy thanks to some very fortunate investments in mineral fields near Sedona energy vortices. Dr. Hunter, who came from rather modest means, inherited the fortune after a mere 7 years of (childless) marriage. Phillipus' brother alleges that the brothers were in business together and that at least half belongs to him, according to the text of the suit. He further alleges that, in fact, Morgan Hunter is a criminal who should have her assets seized and be put in prison. And who is that brother-in-law? None other than Ethinian Ames, the father of the unfortunate girl who now finds herself immeshed in the (love?) triangle.
Hermione looked up to the staff table, she knew things had taken a turn for the worse. Both the Headmaster and Dr. Hunter were absent.
Hunter returned to the dungeons in the morning, wondering if Severus would still be locked inside, not answering her knock like the night before. The odor emanating from under the door had been unlike anything she'd smelled before, metallic and sour, but with some floral notes, too. Was he making some poison she was unfamiliar with? To poison whom? Her? Ethinian? She vowed to be more careful in accepting food and drink in the future, being sure to thoroughly observe and smell whatever was on offer before consuming. If there was anything on offer.
She needed to talk about Ethinian, to give things the right context. Whoever had written the article had gotten the details right, but had implied only the worst, just as they had when the two of them had been in the forest at the equinox. In remembering that night yet again, the midnight bluebells all around, she remembered why she was down in the dungeons when she had not class this morning. She squared her shoulders, drew herself up to her full height, and marched forward.
She found Snape in his classroom, writing out what appeared to be the end-of-term exam for the sixth years. Snape said nothing to Hunter as she walked forward and seemed unsurprised to see her, though she typically did not interrupt his teaching work, being busy enough with her own. She shut the door behind her and muttered a Colloportus charm, then a Muffliato charm.
Once the door clicked shut behind her, she said softly "I take it you've read today's paper," taking a copy out of her robe, still open to the article in question, her hand shaking enough to shake the ink off the paper.
"As I do every day. Interesting news today," he said diffidently, keeping his eyes on his exam, which he continued to write. The sound of the quill scratching over the parchment grated on her ears, like the sound of trapped bowtruckles.
"You can't possibly believe what they are implying, Severus. Look at what they said about you. Those things weren't true, so why would you believe the rest of this garbage?" she said, shaking the paper in his face, then turning sharply to toss it on the floor and set fire to it in frustration. The sparks flew from her wand from the force of her delivery, then subsided. They both watched it burn in silence, as the flames consumed it, leaving only the greasy emanation of burned ink.
"Well, Morgan, why don't you tell me the truth?" he said silkily, sitting back, his arms across his chest.
She spun back to face him, her expression dark. "I have to defend myself to you? That's an insult. Perhaps you should explain yourself first, if that's the game you want to play."
No rising to her accusation, he replied evenly. "I have no interest in games at all. It's you who have sought me out. Tell me what you came to say, then feel free to ask me any questions that you may have."
She paced exasperatedly across the classroom, hands clutched behind her back as though she was keeping them from being used as fists. Finally, she stood opposite him, anger flashing in her eyes. "Ok, then. Here's the truth. I was sacked by Sedona, but not for the reasons the Prophet is implying. My husband, Phillipus, died in September of last year, not from murder but from a fall while on a night hike to a mountaintop. He was making a starmap for the unaided eye, a hand-drawn masterpiece." Here she paused, her head in her hands. Her voice changed, becoming less angry, more wistful. "He had wonderful eyes, sharp eyes, but clumsy feet. He never could dance worth a darn. They found him the next morning at the bottom of the cliff, his quill still in his hand, but his wand at the top with his drawings. He had set it aside and thus had no way to save himself." She turned away, staring into the torches along the wall. "Everything that could be done was done, but nothing worked. I was utterly despondent. The school gave me the remainder of the autumn term off to mourn, but when I got back in the spring, my heart wasn't in it." She turned, but her eyes were closed with the effort at speaking. "I stopped my research, missed classes, and was generally useless when I was in class. A few of the better students tried to lead the class, but they had accidents of their own, and parents began to complain. I could have resigned, but I couldn't even work up the energy to do that. So I forced the Sedona staff to make the move to get rid of me."
She opened her eyes, stopped speaking for a moment, looking into the dark shadows, thinking of the pain in the face of her mentor, as he had to be the one to break the news.
"So, the Daily Prophet got a few thing rights, at least. What else is correct?" Snape asked, still staring at her with a directness she didn't care for. She now looked him in the eyes as she spoke.
"Ethinian Ames is my brother-in-law, Janiss my niece, though I hadn't met her before now. I didn't even know her name. Phillipus and Ethinian weren't close, and certainly not in business together. Phillipus said Ethinian was a useless wastrel and horribly jealous of his good fortune, especially because he had invited him to invest with him. He had refused, saying it was a hoax. I knew it wasn't and I advised Phillipus of that. Ethinian may claim I married Phillipus for his money, but the truth is we married before he hit it big. Yes, he had more money than me, enough to have some spare to invest, but nothing of great note."
"So the lawsuit is real?"
"Yes. Ethinian spent all the money he had, as well as his wife's, and now wants to go after mine. But the suit has no merit."
"And if you were to remarry, your husband would be first in line to claim your assets, securing them away from your pesky, jealous brother-in-law. Ideally a husband with a fortune of his own to add to yours," Snape said with a sneer.
Hunter looked up, startled out of her self-pity. "What are alluding to, Severus? That I am using you, that I am interested in your money?" she spit out. "You can't be serious."
"It would certainly explain your attempts to lure me in the forest, your interest in spending so much time engaged in research in the lab, your stalking me at the Halloween ball…" At this, she walked forward, shaking with rage.
"How dare you accuse me of such duplicity! So that's the real reason you invaded my mind, to see if my 'feelings' were real. You think I'm in this for your money." She paced the width of the classroom, then turned, willing herself not to draw her wand and send a Binding Hex his way.
"You'd be a fool if you were, as I haven't gotten any money. The rumors of the great Snape fortune are only that, my dear Dr. Hunter," he said, still sitting at his desk, tapping his fingers on the exam parchment. "That's one of the many lies the Prophet has published about me. Just before my trial, I gave everything I had, at that moment and in perpetuity, to Hogwarts, just to keep the money-grubbers at the Ministry from profiting from my sentencing. That's the real reason the Ministry keeps such close tabs on Hogwarts. Not out of some altruistic desire for the betterment of the students nor to make sure no one is using Curses and poisons as a punishment any more. There are some who are just waiting to find a reason, any reason, to put me out on the street. That's why I 'can't afford to leave the school' for your speaking tour. I simply can't afford it."
He expected her to leave in that instant, knowing she now had nothing to gain. Why put up with such a barrage of accusations with no hope of gain? Why bargain and wheedle for nothing? He expected her to spit on him, possibly worse, given the state she was now in. He made sure his wand was close at hand. He had never seen her this angry before. He was in unchartered territory for what she might do in a fit of temper. Her first husband was dead, after all.
She clutched at the back of a chair as though preparing to throw it, rocking on her feet, moving her weight from one foot to the other. He remained on alert, ready for her to spring at him.
"You really couldn't afford it? It was the money, you couldn't afford it," she said, looking at him for confirmation. He nodded slowly, a smirk growing on his face as she focused on his money, just as he thought she would.
"I have nothing. My home, my money, my books, even my salary, all went directly to Hogwarts. I don't even own the clothes on my back. So if you think you can play me for a fool to enrich yourself, the joke is on you," he said with grim satisfaction.
"No, Severus, the joke is on you," she said, now releasing the chair, coming back to the desk. "I always assumed you didn't want to come, that you just hated the high profile, public part of it. Or worse, that you didn't want to be seen with me. I don't want your money, Severus. I don't want my brother-in-law to get my fortune, because he's an undeserving scoundrel and had no use for Phillipus when he was alive. Otherwise, I don't care what happens to the money." She paused, trying to think of the best way forward. She was deeply hurt that he didn't trust her, that he thought she had ulterior motives. But considering it from his standpoint, the situation probably did appear suspicious. All those times she'd delayed telling him things now haunted her. If she had, perhaps she'd be in a different position now. Few others could understand the attraction she felt for him, perhaps he felt the same way. She decided to be as honest as she could.
"Janiss is a pawn, Severus, I'm sure of it. Ethinian isn't above using his daughter to forward his plans. Ethinian had nothing to do with Phillipus for the entire time I knew him, until he was dead and the inheritance was in question. He transferred Janiss here for a reason and that reason was to get to me. He tried to frame you, Severus, using her to drive us apart, to get you out of the way." She was agitated now, pondering his nerve. She had to get back to her real purpose. "Your fortune, or lack thereof, means nothing to me, Severus. I came to Hogwarts to escape the pain I was feeling in Sedona. To start over. When I first met you, I was terrified."
At this, Snape smiled darkly, remembering their first meeting.
"I was worried that I wouldn't be able to function, that I still wouldn't find any motivation to teach or work. But working with you, being with you, it's been a revelation. Not just trying to avoid your irritation and disgust, but to really work together, share ideas, share a vision. Money be damned, Severus. It changes nothing for me." She paused, holding herself up by a nearby lab bench. "So, now my question to you. What do we really have here, Severus? You denied our relationship to Ethinian and did nothing to defend me. Why?"
At this, Snape rose and walked slowly towards her. "I had thought you were a capable witch. I wouldn't insult you by treating you like a damsel in distress. Is that your technique, Dr. Hunter, to place yourself in a situation and lure in a defender, as though you were my property?" He continued to approach until he was dangerously close. "Death Eaters can become profoundly possessive of their property. Was that what you were expecting from me?"
Hunter, though small, held her ground, not taking a single step back, despite his towering over her in malice.
"Perhaps you are the type who likes to be captive?" He stepped back and raised his wand, ropes launching forth from it that bound her shoulder to hip. Unexpectedly, she showed no sign of surprise or distress, only casting him a confused and accusing stare. With a small twitch, the ropes were cast off as though they were toilet tissue. It took some effort for Snape not to register his surprise at her ability and lack of fear.
"Severus, I know this is difficult for you. I have no way to prove my innocence, only my word," she said with steely resolve.
He was waiting for the clingy desperation to set in. "Words are cheap, Morgan, as we both know. Perhaps it is best if we both give this unfortunate situation time to resolve itself."
She regarded him with a mix of sadness and disgust. She was not one to beg, ever.
"Good day, Professor Snape," she said quietly, then turned and left without another word.
By now, few reactions on her part could have surprised him, but this one did. He sat looking towards the door until he realized that she wasn't coming back for another round. She hadn't jinxed, hexed, or stunned him. No tears, no begging.
Nevertheless, he assured himself that he'd successfully avoided being taken for a fool. For indeed, that's what he must have been to believe a witch like that could be attracted to a poor, sallow dungeon-dweller like himself.
Best to end it now, before they became too attached. Had this been allowed to continue, by the end of the school year she might have some kind of breakdown, made some kind of scene, given her history. In the meantime, he considered the impact on her teaching and research, but assumed that she would uphold standards of professionalism. Considering the situation, he was pleased that he hadn't burned the resumes of the other applicants for the Potions Professor position. He might need to send a few communications in only a few short months.
Hunter reached her rooms, having marched the entire length of the castle from the dungeons to the Ravenclaw tower in near record time. For most of the trip, she was far too angry to do any thinking, but now that she was further away from him and closer to her own private space, she began to try to understand what had just happened. Despite all the lies published in the Daily Prophet about himself, he had chosen to believe the worst in her. She regretted not having stunned him, but it was likely that it would have resulted in an well-matched duel and probably a lot of damage to the classroom, right before exams.
In truth, she didn't know what the limits of his temper were. She knew he had once been a Death Eater, which required a certain commitment to violence and aggression, but he had renounced that, hadn't he? She should find out more about that, if she decided she cared to do so.
She sat at her writing desk and considered what to do. She made a list, just as she had so many years ago. But Phillipus had been easy, though she still did the exercise. In his favor, he was kind, funny, supportive, adventurous, handsome. In the lesser column, he had been of modest means then, but she even more so. And he wasn't the world's most ambitious, nor the most brilliant. But she loved him, deeply. She looked forward to starting a family, to living out their lives together. She tried not to cry, but opted to let some tears flow, in order to bring herself back to balance. She brought herself back to the present and started her list.
In Severus' favor, his intelligence, his dark wit.
In the lesser column, his sneer, his lack of trust (in everyone, not just her), his harshness, his criticism.
In his favor, his intensity, his talent.
In the lesser column, his obsessive need for privacy, his complete silence at meals, the way he bullied students, his temper.
In his favor, high standards. It was getting more difficult to find things to put in the "favor" column. But the lesser things kept flowing.
In the lesser column, she didn't know much about his background, didn't know much about his history, didn't know much.
She looked at the paper. The visual balance was clear. He was a maddening, inflexible, taciturn, intense, talented, brilliant, breath-taking wizard. She wadded up the parchment and threw it in the fire, watching it burn brightly, then disappear, up in smoke. It wasn't as simple as the two-column list. Even with Phillipus, the list didn't capture his essence. Most of her friends thought she was settling when they married, that she needed someone with a larger view of himself, but she never agreed. No one made her feel more loved, more supported, more perfect than Phillipus.
Severus made her feel challenged, pushed, like she needed to rise to every occasion, prove herself yet again. She always needed to listen carefully when he spoke, because every word carried meaning and there would be few of them. She had a sounding board for ideas and they were flowing like water, like they used to years ago. She had a willing partner in getting the work done, and an able one. She had someone she knew would be honest with her, even to the point of hurting her feelings. She wasn't one to give up easily. She was willing to do as many as 100 different experiments to improve a potion. But that was potions, not people. How many attempts would she be willing to make here? What would a future look like with him, anyhow? Who knew. She had only few more months to be here before she had to move on. And the future looked bleak, indeed.