AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
"You owe me a huge favor."
Severus scowled as Lucius strolled through his hearth. Did Lucius cast some type of spell which made him appear at the most inconvenient times? If so, how could Severus break the curse?
"I stuck my neck out for you tonight, and you'd better be grateful for it." Lucius brushed himself off.
"Hello Severus. It is so nice to see you. How have you been? Oh I've been fine. Why don't you come in and chat with me?" Severus snarked.
"This is no time for sarcasm," Lucius examined his friend. "Why are you in your nightshirt? It's only ten."
"Ten is late enough to dress in one."
"For other people yes, but you usually go to sleep around midnight. Given how little you enjoy deviating from your schedule, I would expect you to remain wide awake. Why are you getting ready for bed now?"
"Because I've had a long day of hiking," Severus rubbed his aching back.
"Hiking?" Lucius raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed, Minerva thought my latest date should be an outdoorswoman who could whip me into shape."
"Well you could use a little sun. The right amount really helps with your complexion." Lucius flipped his hair. "A little exercise would not kill you either. I have a great personal trainer. If you'd like to get toned for one of your dates just let me know and I can set you up with him."
"Lucius, I have little patience for your ramblings tonight." Severus' frown deepened. "Tell me what you need to say so I can collapse on my bed and get my much needed beauty sleep."
"I just got done with a meeting with Minerva and the rest of the Hogwarts Board of Directors."
"I take it you were discussing the Defense Against Dark Arts position."
"Yes," Lucius took a seat on Severus' couch.
"Oh please, make yourself at home. Would you like me to get you some tea while you're here?" Severus snapped.
"I wouldn't mind a cup of black tea."
"And I suppose it would be too much of an imposition to get it yourself."
"Well I am your guest, which implies the host should make it for me."
"You're about as welcome a guest as the blister on my hallux."
"That must have been one long hike. You're much surlier than usual."
"I have had a long day which was only made tolerable by a dinner with a friend."
"I take it you celebrated Hermione's latest success with her," Lucius replied.
"Your powers of deduction are as acute as ever," Severus' voice softened.
"Well she has reason to celebrate, because if I get my way, she'll progress to the demonstration phase of the application process."
"Do you think you can do that?" Severus sat across from him.
"I don't think I can," Lucius grinned. "I know I can."
Severus paused and examined his friend. If he was correct, then Hermione was closer to achieving her dreams. Yet, this was Lucius proposing the deal. There was always a catch with Lucius, one his debtors always abhorred.
"Why are you looking at me like I've just asked you to wear a dress in front of a bunch of third years?" Lucius asked with a neutral expression.
"I'm trying to determine what is in this for you," Severus lowered his voice.
"Can't I do a favor for a friend?"
"You never do favors without some type of payment."
"I'm wounded," Lucius put a hand over his heart. "Can't I want to help out a good friend?"
"Your help always comes with twenty strings attached, hence the reason I do not ask you for favors," Severus answered.
"Perhaps I have faith in Hermione and want to see her succeed."
"Or faith in whatever scheme you're running."
"I don't have a scheme in mind, but I do have an idea," Lucius answered.
"Here it comes," Severus braced himself for the catch.
"I want to build Hogwarts around the heroine who saved us, overcame to odds stacked against her due to her disability, and now teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts. Can you imagine the publicity we'd get if her spells work and she can fly?"
"Are you telling me hiring her is nothing more than a publicity stunt?"
"No," Lucius steepled his hands. "I genuinely want to see if you can make a woman fly. If you can, then I want the school to benefit from your accomplishment."
"The accomplishment will be all hers."
"Perhaps she'll be the one to fly, but it will be because you made her."
"I can't make anyone do anything," Severus argued. "Hermione is practicing herself, and will fly on her own in her own time."
"How long do you think it will take for her to do so?"
"I do not know, though she is making progress."
"Has she so much as floated yet?"
"We're getting to that point."
"How long until you reach it?"
"I do not know, though we are making progress."
"She's still on the ground, yet you're making progress?" Lucius twisted his lips.
"Flying is not saying a spell and going into the air. You must have a clear and focused mind. Until you can do that, you will remain grounded," Severus answered. "Hermione is doing a great job of clearing her mind and mustering the will to fly. It will take time to perfect the process. It will also take time for her body to get used to the kind of magic she'll need for flight."
"Of course," Lucius sighed.
Severus huffed. "I would attempt to explain it further to you, but you've made it clear you won't fly because it messes up your hair."
"You're right," he ran a hand through his long, blond tresses, "it does."
"Also, Hermione does not need you to pull strings for her. She can succeed in this job application without you."
"Given that I'm the Head of the Board of Directors, she'll need my help at some point."
"You will watch her demonstration and make your judgment from that, as will the other board members. That's all the help she needs."
"Or I can speed this whole process along by making a huge donation with the incentive to look at her more closely."
"You'd bribe the school to give her the job?" Severus' eyes grew.
"It's not a bribe if it comes with a gift explaining how much we value Hermione's contributions," he answered.
"Why would you need to bribe anyone?"
"Because there's little else anyone can do to help her through."
"Wait," Severus scowled. "You don't think she can do this on her own merits, do you?"
"I think she needs help, and lots of it," Lucius admitted.
"You think she's incapable of getting this job on her own?"
"Well, she was incapable of getting that interview on her own."
Severus closed his mouth.
"You've already scratched Minerva's back. Now, I can do the same," Lucius continued.
"No."
Lucius cocked his head.
"Hermione can do this on her own without your money," Severus argued.
"Just like she got that interview without your interference."
"That was different. Minerva was being unreasonable. Someone needed to step in and do something."
"And I'm offering to do the same thing, only for her to advance to her demonstration."
"No, I only cracked the door open for her. You're trying to force her through the process."
"Is that a problem for you?"
"Yes, because Hermione can do this on her own."
"How willing are you to bet your future on that?"
"My future?"
"Indeed, your future."
"How did this become about me?" Severus asked.
"Whoever is hired will be your coworker too, will they not?"
Severus nodded.
"If I succeed, it would ensure you didn't work with someone who had fought against you as a seventh year."
Severus twisted his lips.
"There's more going on than Hermione struggling to obtain her interview. I can't tell you the names of the candidates, but they are a 'who's who' of Dumbledore's Army, the same people fought against you during your tenure as headmaster. A few went so far as to brag about their rebellion against you in their letters, and mentioned holding a grudge against those who made their lives, 'a living hell.'"
Severus slumped in the chair, feeling more weighed down than he had all night.
"Now, do you want me to help Hermione get through, or do you want to work with someone who may or may not have forgiven you for allowing the Carrows to punish them with a Crucitas?"
"There will be no bribes," Severus was surprised the words came out of his mouth as quickly as they did, but he was more certain of them than he'd been of anything else that night. "Hermione will impress everyone with her interview, and she will get the job on the strength of her demonstration."
"And if she doesn't, I suppose you'll make another bet to get her through?" Lucius asked.
"There will be no need to do that, because Hermione can do this on her own. All she needs is a chance to prove herself."
"Which you gave her despite her wishes."
"It," he swallowed. "It may have been a more advisable course of action to give Hermione tips on how to persuade Minerva with words than making another bet."
"Let me guess, she's being a Gryffindor about the whole thing and is upset about how you got her that interview."
"She doesn't know what I did," Severus' voice was soft.
Lucius leaned in closer.
"She think Minerva had a change of heart because she proved her competency by muscling through her pain. She has no ideas what my role in the whole affair is."
"And you don't intend to tell her either."
Severus shook his head.
"I swear fraternizing with all these Gryffindors had dulled your Slytherin instincts," Lucius grumbled. "You aren't thinking rationally."
Severus rubbed his chin, considering his next words.
"This is politics," Lucius continued. "Everything is about politics. You have to know who to bribe and squeeze to get your way in the world. I thought I taught you that a long time ago."
"This isn't about politics for her."
"Yes, but you have to play the game."
"Not anymore, not if it cost her her dignity."
"Dignity?" Lucius spat. "What does this have to do with dignity?"
"Ever since Hermione joined the Wizarding World, she has been looked down upon, firstly the purebloods for being a muggleborn, and then by everyone else for being disabled. All she wants a chance to progress in the world by her own merits."
"And now, at the most crucial moment, you've decided to buy into this philosophy instead of considering the situation like a rational Slytherin."
"It's what she wants, and I'm going to respect that."
Lucius groaned.
"I got her in the door. Now, she can go through on her own," Severus argued.
"Fine, you two can fall in your respective swords," Lucius snapped. "But don't come crying to me if you're getting harassed by a co-worker for the things you did as a headmaster."
"Were the applications that bad?"
"Most did speak of how they fought you, and how thrilled they were that they played such a pivotal role in defeating the Death Eaters."
"I take it they had no idea you were on the committee."
"If they did, I think they would've been harsher in their assessment of the Death Eaters and more boastful about defeating them. Minerva would love it if someone I couldn't fire told me where to stick my prestige."
"I apologize if you were troubled by what they said."
"I can take it because I can ignore them. You on the other hand will have to live with them for nine months if they are hired."
Severus nodded before a silence fell between them. The longer the moments wore on, the more time he spent on the image of students screaming as the Carrows cast the Crucitas, their cries still as loud as ever. Then, he recalled the packages which exploded in his office, the attempted break-ins, the glowers he received from others even in the present day. Must he endure that from a coworker for months on end?
"She'd better fly."
Severus looked at him.
"For your sake she'd better fly," Lucius continued. "If she cannot fly, then your life will become much more difficult."
"I will keep that in mind," Severus noted.
"In the meantime," Lucius stood. "If you change your mind about the donation, let me know. Her disability is not insurmountable if you play your cards right."
"I won't change my mind," Severus argued. "Hermione will do this all on her own."
"Then you'd better pray she can fly, and you'd better pray she doesn't find out about the bet."
"Agreed."
Lucius pulled out some floo powder, said the name of his address, then disappeared. Severus stared at where he'd been sitting, praying his faith in himself and Hermione was not misplaced.