Chapter 58: A Question Of The Heart
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Twinkling blue eyes met those of the darkest obsidian once more as Severus S. Snape found himself standing before The Headmaster amid the vast number of portraits and equally numerous glaring eyes as they zeroed in on the two conversing wizards before them. Snape had given the old fool his report but lacked the attention to detail Dumbledore had wanted pertaining to the despot's current plans. While it was true the only reason that he had no true information this go around had been due to the immense torment he suffered while the nutter dark wizard had attempted to extract information from him that he found to be lacking as well,Snape had not bothered to mention it nor what he endured those three days he'd been absent. The lessons the students continued with had been well within his plans and kept them occupied well enough. He give no indication that he had any other thoughts on his mind aside from retiring to his quarters for the night and enjoying the solitude. The elder wizard had been quite pensive for a few moments. He said nothing for a time before sitting back in his large arm chair and staring out the vast window over the school grounds. Whatever had been on the old man's mind had been difficult for even Snape to gauge as he stood as dutiful as always hidding his annoyance with having been virtually ignored for much of this unwanted visit.
"Would that be all, Headmaster?" asked Snape once more wishing to depart from the office down playing just how unnerved he had been by the many eyes that looked over him.
"There is the matter of Miss Granger that needs to be discussed." said Dumbledore turning his attention back to Snape whom had been dreading this conversation as much as he had giving his report.
"What is there to discuss?" asked Snape not in the least content with speaking of his young wife and any private affairs they share with anyone let alone his employer. "Our union was arranged was it not?"
Dumbledore sighed and looked over Snape for what seemed like the longest time.
If he had been trying to read his mind, Snape felt no such intrusion and knew all too well how to block any attempts to get into it.
"Severus, Miss Granger is only wed to you due to the implication of what harm the death eaters could do if they ever got their hands on her." Dumbledore reminded the dour wizard.
"I am well aware of that." replied Snape doing his best to hide his growing annoyance.
"Then you should know to use the utmost caution when engaging with her." warned Dumbledore. "She is to get her life back once this whole mess has been cleared away."
Snape sighed still as expressionless and dispassionate in his demeanor as he'd always been.
"Are you finished?" he asked no longer wishing to have any sort of discussion with the Headmaster, let alone a lecture about his treatment of his young wife.
It didn't take much digging to note that Dumbledore was becoming increasingly weary of the rather impressive means of attachment Hermione had been developing for Snape and in no way wanted it to interfer with both her young life continuing nor Snape's continued service to him on any level.
The Despot had been out for the younger wizard's blood as it was and staying below the radar was the only way to get Snape back into the fold for good and enable The Order Of Phoenix to capitalize off the inside information.
"Severus...I do realize that I am asking a great deal of you." said Dumbledore in a strange father-like tone.
Snape had known all too well what to expect from it and continued to control his swirling emotions that were begining to manifest via rage.
"But your top priority should be to protect Harry Potter." continued Dumbledore. "We have not come this far for you to let it all slip through your fingers."
Snape said nothing as the elder wizard continued to speak. He had gotten the message loud and clear, Dumbledore had been afraid that if he were to fall for the young witch that had been a living tangable means of love and affection that he'd forget his devotion to the boy's mother and thus his duty to protect him out of need or rather wishing to forgo it all to be with Hermione. As he stood there listening to the fears of the old man become evident, Snape had been confronted with his own questions about his relationship with Hermione Granger.
More often than not, he had been drawn to her.
First due to pure phyicality and then...something else...something he could hardly describe to himself much less anyone whom had bothered to ask.
"Miss Granger has been put in a rather dangerous and potentially fatal situation." rambled Dumbledore. "And so have you my boy."
Snape met the gaze of the elder wizard once more.
"Are we finished?" he asked again in the same dispassionate tone as before.
Dumbledore sighed before stroking his beard and nodding in agreement.
"You may return to your duties." he declared before sitting back in his chair.
Snape respectfully took his leave of the elder man, his dark robes billowing in the distance as he dissapeared out the large oak wood door.
"What am I going to do with him?" Dumbledore asked aloud before turning his attention to the phoenix Fawkes as it seemed to reply.
Snape had been halfway through the lengthy corridor as his own thoughts had begun to surface. His feelings for his young wife had been quite strong and didn't seem to be going away any time soon, not that he had wished for them to. A part of him believed there had been some merit to the old man's concerns but he quickly dismissed it making his way down to the dungeons secretly wishing that Hermione had been there as he had been before awaiting his arrival where they could finally be alone far removed from the rest of the world and the on-going turmoil.
A brief glance at Gryffindor tower on his way across the grounds saw to him thinking of a certian bushy haired witch whom had captivated him in ways she never even knew. Perhaps there was some merit to Dumbledore's concerns about his affections for the young witch after all.