A/N: Shoutout to my alpha readers Ruby, Juby, and Bryra, as well as my mom and my husband for all the encouragement along the way!
Massive amounts of thanks to SnakegirlSprocket for beta-ing and getting this ready for fan eyes!
And of course, if you're here, you probably know - I do not own Harry Potter, I just like to play here.
I hope you are enjoying the story so far! Every time I upload is a joy and I have to do everything in my power to not release more at once! We'll see if I can resist this week - It's my birthday week! The alternative title for this chapter is "Tit for Tat, and an Orange Cat"
When Severus awoke, he immediately knew someone was watching him. Without a second thought, he grabbed his wand, brandishing it towards the interloper who stood in his kitchen.
"Easy, easy," Draco said, dropping a bag of liquorice snaps on the counter to raise his hands in surrender. "It's just me."
As his adrenaline banked, Severus collapsed back down into the kitchen chair where he'd fallen asleep an indeterminable number of hours ago. Casting a tempus charm, he saw that it was already mid afternoon and rubbed his eyes blearily. He glanced at his godson and realized he wasn't wearing his outerwear. Clearly he had been there for some time.
"Why didn't you wake me?" he asked.
"I would have, but you were out cold," Draco said, retrieving the candy from the countertop and joining his godfather at the table. "And I could tell that you'd clearly brewed through the night. My mother would have a fit at such behavior"
Snape chuckled. While Lucius had understood Severus's insomnia, even at times joining him to work throughout the night, Narcissa had hardly tolerated it. Anytime she could manage, she'd fuss over Severus's apparent lack of self-care, plying him with food and sleep-aid potions. Once she'd even gone so far as to lock him in a room at the Manor until he'd slept to her liking.
"Well, I'm glad you're here to carry on in her stead," he said gently. "Though, I have to say, Narcissa was much more charming."
"Take it up with the Dark Lord," Draco said through a mouthful of liquorice. "Another late night? I thought you'd have been done with that potion just after midnight."
The younger wizard's question was evident and Severus only had himself to blame. While he had no formal commitment to getting to sleep at a reasonable hour, his potion making was quite a different matter. Over the years since the war, Draco had become accustomed to his godfather's typical rhythms, and they rarely wavered.
"I was…otherwise indisposed when I had originally planned to start brewing," Severus muttered, trying to sound more bored than usual. "I ran into someone while I was out."
Apparently his attempt at nonchalance had failed as Draco's silver eyes narrowed on him.
"Oh yes, and you're so known for socializing," he said sarcastically. At Severus's responding glare, he held up his hands. "Fine, have your secrets, you sneaky bastard. That's actually why I'm here. I've recommended your services to someone."
Severus straightened in his seat, immediately and intently focused. Wandlessly, he opened the drapes to let in the bit of natural light that reached his flat. Once it struck the crystals there, the whole room filled with a brilliant glow. Blinking against the sudden change, he summoned his notebook and a muggle pen from his desk.
"Tell me," he said, pen poised to scrawl down any and all details.
Draco attempted to hold back his sudden laughter, but failed. "Well, don't be so desperate, now. I'm sure it'll be a breeze for you."
"Draco…" Severus drawled threateningly. He couldn't deny how excited he was to have a case other than the ones of his own making. Since the war had ended, he'd enjoyed many of the luxuries of no longer being a spy, such as some modicum of physical and mental health when he wasn't forced to endure the Cruciatus curse on a regular basis.
But it would be a lie to say he didn't occasionally miss the sense of purpose the work had given him. Even at his darkest moments in his service to Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, there had always unquestionably been something to do. Orders to follow or subvert, schemes to enact or disrupt. He may have been on the edge of a nervous breakdown most of the time, but he'd been well and truly at the center of it all.
While his misanthropic nature had pushed him back into the shadows, there was really no way to truly be done with that type of work. He'd already been predisposed to being a double agent, the leftovers of a deeply unhappy and occasionally dangerous childhood. By this point, habit, training, and trauma had left him permanently unsettled, desperate for something to set his energies to.
His godson relented. "Madame Ellinore Grospinks," he said, tossing a card with the name and address to Snape. "Of the Surrey Grospinks. She was a society friend of my mother's. She recently reached out because she's had a bit of trouble with her children following the passing of their father."
Severus placed his pen down, eyes darting up to Draco's face. "I gave up dealing with the problems of children when I left Hogwarts."
Draco made a big show of rolling his eyes. "Adult children. Madame Grospinks is nearly 150 years old. Anyway, since her husband passed a few months ago, she claims that precious belongings have disappeared from the estate."
"I fail to see why my services were recommended for such a case," Severus sneered. "It sounds like she knows her children have been stealing from her…I'm not quite certain there's anything I can do to help."
"Ah, well, perhaps you would if you stopped bloody interrupting me!" Draco sighed. "I asked a bit more, you know, just being polite. And it turns out these precious belongings are…quite interesting. In fact, they are the sort of things that probably shouldn't go to open market, if you catch my meaning?"
That got Severus's attention. Dark heirlooms in circulation against the owner's will? This was exactly the type of case he was looking for.
"Any word on the type of artifact?" Severus asked.
"A broad collection by the sound of it," Draco said, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "She mentioned some jewelry, but also knives and swords, among other items. What really gave it away was how nervous she was. If they were just beautiful novelties, she would simply purchase their replacements at any old auction."
Severus nodded. Dark objects were extremely common in pureblood society, and this was no simple coincidence of purity politics. Magical objects, particularly cursed ones, continued to absorb energy from those who used them.
As a matter of practicality, cursed objects were used far less often than objects with benevolent and useful charms. They were also typically used by fewer people…and fewer people with good intentions, leaving the magical signature much more intact than something as common as a broom.
There was also the not-so-small matter that the wizarding world of centuries past had significant dark ages that would have made Voldemort's reign look somewhat moderate. All of these factors combined into a singular result: old wizarding families of means often possessed some very intense talismans.
"Did you suggest my services? Or am I to seek this mystery out myself?" Snape drawled, crossing his arms in front of him.
"I mentioned I knew someone who might be able to help her get to the bottom of it," Draco said. "I'll be happy to make the introduction at this weekend's charity ball."
Severus froze, glaring daggers at his godson.
"I think not!"
"Well, I don't care what you think, that's how it's done with these types, you know that!" Draco said, sitting up straight. "The alternative would be afternoon tea at some pastel parlor where you'll stick out like a sore thumb. Believe me, this is the better option."
Severus swore under his breath, standing up to pace his kitchen. This was why he needed to have staff and a place of business — someone to deal with these pesky meetings and a place to have them outside the gaze of the hungry eyes of the wizarding public.
"C'mon! It'll be fun," Draco whined playfully, reminding Snape of Lucius when he wasn't donning a Death Eater mask. "We can get you set on the case, and probably listen in to enough gossip to get the scoop on why they sacked Granger, and get a good buzz on all in one go."
"She wasn't sacked, she resigned." The words came out as an automatic correction, but he stiffened when he realized what he'd said. Draco's eyes widened and Severus ordered his face into a mask of unreadable blankness.
"And where did you find that out from?" Draco asked, smirking. "I've been casually asking around, but no one knew what had happened."
Snape considered lying for a moment, if only to spare himself all the questions the younger wizard would ask. Then he realized that was absolutely ridiculous and there was no reason to lie, even if he did withhold some of the more personal details Granger had shared with him the night before.
"From the witch herself, of course," he said as if unimpressed with Draco's capability for deduction. "Can't imagine how you haven't run into her yourself, she seems to be all about town this week."
After a moment of thoughtful silence in which Snape poured himself a mug of coffee, Draco chuckled.
"Oh, so she's the one you were 'indisposed' with last night instead of starting on your potions," he said tauntingly.
Severus nearly choked on his coffee. "Don't say it like that, I merely stopped her from getting into a brawl at the Leaky and the topic of her employment came up."
He cursed his unusual forthrightness as he realized that Draco had simply been joking. Why of all days had he picked today to start volunteering information.
"Hold a tick," Draco said, surprise sending his eyebrows skyward. "You were actually having a drink with Hermione Granger at the pub? So you're taking my advice to hire her?"
"No, of course not. She appears to be very happily employed by Flourish and Blotts for the moment."
Draco looked thoroughly confused. "I guess she's always liked books, but I didn't think she'd give up all the adventure for something like that. I'd think she'd jump at the opportunity."
"I didn't ask her, so I wouldn't know," Snape said dismissively. "Did you have anything else to talk about Draco? Any more unwanted social invitations? I need to run some errands before the shops close."
"Needing new books?" Draco said slyly, and Snape cursed his lack of sleep. Obviously, he was off his game if Draco so easily saw through his words.
"And apparently some new robes," he hissed. It had been an age since he'd needed dress robes. He'd thrown away his old ones a few years after the war. They held too many strained memories to just sit in his closet, unused and reminding him of much darker times.
"I think I'll join you then," Draco replied cordially. He had certainly inherited the Malfoy knack of making a pleasantry drip with poison. "I rather think I'd like to do a bit of shopping myself."
Snape grimaced but decided there was no point in refusing. They headed to Madame Malkin's first, the visit hardly taking time since they thankfully already had his measurements on record. Draco busied around with the seamstress, each of them holding up different swaths of dark fabric and conspiring. It was so much simpler when he could send an owl with a request for his usual black frock coat or pants. Even that was a rare occasion, as he regularly mended his clothes himself, or sent for them to be repaired. Severus had always hated shopping with the Malfoys for their uncanny ability to turn errands into something of a sport.
"Now that one," Draco said, holding up a charcoal grey silk. "I think that one for the shirt."
Madame Malkin hummed her approval. "It will look lovely with the velvet robe."
"Don't I get any say in this?" Snape asked, already resigned.
Both Draco and the seamstress looked at him blankly.
"No," Draco said.
A bit more polite, the seamstress added, "Master Snape, this is for a special occasion. It will be done by tomorrow evening."
They thanked the witch and made their way to Flourish and Blotts. Severus could feel Draco nearly buzzing with energy beside him.
"One would think you might be excited to see Granger," Snape said, raising an eyebrow.
Draco shrugged. "I've kept my distance because I don't fancy the idea of repeatedly putting myself at the mercy of Granger the Auror. It's daft to taunt someone who has the legal ability to make your life hell. But now she's a civilian again."
Snape bit back on the desire to chastise his godson. As much as he'd held onto some hope of shaking Draco from the visit to the bookstore, there was not much he could do without drawing even more suspicion. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to the shop.
"Master Malfoy," he said sarcastically, letting the blond wizard pass into the shop first before following closely behind.
"Ah, welcome, gents," one of the clerks said congenially. "Is there anything I can help you with this evening?"
"I think we can find our own way around, thanks," Draco said. Severus had forgotten that he was the only person Draco still showed a bit of impudence towards. It had been quite a while since he'd been out to shops with the Malfoy heir in tow, and part of him still expected to see Draco as he was in his younger years. But there were no sneers, only polite smiles.
"Well, just let us know if you have any questions," the clerk said, returning to guiding a new shipment of books into their rightful places on the shelves.
Snape headed directly towards the collections room where he presumed Granger was still situated. This time, he was prepared for the impressive scene of her work process, though he noted that the extent of the matrices and length of scrolls had more than doubled from the day before. The witch herself was (thankfully) sitting at her desk, her nose deep in a book. She was chewing on her bottom lip in concentration as her free hand idly played with a lock of hair that had escaped the messy bun on top of her head. A bottle of pumpkin juice and handful of phials of hangover cures in varying degrees of consumption sat on her desk, arranged as if they were just as necessary as ink pots or parchment to her process.
Severus only realized that he hadn't made a move into the room when Draco stepped forward to knock on the door jamb, shooting a sidelong glance that seeped with puckish intent.
She looked up with a start, the automatic smile of someone on the job lighting her face.
"How may I help—" she began, her words dropping off as her gaze flicked between him and Draco. He saw the moment her psychic walls went up, only a flash of a scowl on her face before her expression resolved into the blandness of occlumency. The stark difference between her comportment the night before and that moment became clear.
"Snape," she said, her tone polite but anesthetized. Her eyes slowly moved to the younger Slytherin, and though her clinical pitch stayed the same, she spoke more hesitantly as she continued, fully annunciating his godson's name. "Draco Malfoy."
"Hello, Granger," Draco said, either oblivious to her controlled demeanor or not caring. The blond wizard strode into the room, spinning a chair backwards to straddle it as he faced his old classmate. "It's been awhile. Rough night?"
He indicated the collection of potions on her desk and Snape closed his eyes against his godson's brashness. Really, I just want to get the book and be on my way. When he opened his eyes, Granger's caramel-colored gaze had narrowed on him accusingly. Before he could decide whether to just ask for the book outright or construct some sort of explanation for why he'd let her old school nemesis tag along on his errand, her glare flicked back to the younger wizard.
"And as always, a bit too soon, don't you think Draco," she said. Her smile was all teeth and maintained its predatory glint. "I thought I had at least another 48 hours before I'd be graced by your company."
"So I can expect to see you at the benefit? I wasn't sure because of your change in…employment," Draco gestured around the small room, his lip curling slightly. Severus tensed, in no rush to see the girl cry again as she had the night before.
To his surprise, the witch laughed. "I attend those functions as a member of the Order, not as an employee of the Ministry. I assure you, if I did not believe in the cause, I would not be caught dead at such an…opulent display."
"Well, that's grand to hear," Draco said, sounding genuinely pleased despite the wicked look he cast at Snape, who was beginning to feel entirely out of place in this tense reunion. "Because my dear old godfather will need the company of just as likely to avoid the glad-handing officials and chattering socialites as he is. He has the tendency to loom and lurk when left to his own devices, and I can't have his future clientele thinking he's a dementor."
Granger's occlumency relaxed and a few giggles burst forth from her. Severus bit back against own instinct to grab Draco by the ear and pull him from the room.
"That's quite enough, Draco," he drawled. "I am not in need of a keeper. You would do well to focus on managing my professional contacts and steer clear of my personal life."
Granger raised an eyebrow and Draco screwed his expression into one of mock puzzlement.
"That's what I'm doing, Snape! How long do you really think Granger is going to be tied up working with…" he squinted at the book in her hands, "...wizarding taxation reforms of the 18th century? No offense intended."
"So much taken," Granger replied slyly, though she appeared much more at ease than when they'd first entered the room.
"Out, Draco," Severus said through gritted teeth. "I have business to attend to, as I'm sure Miss Granger does as well."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I suppose I'll take a look around. I've been needing a new journal anyways." He paused as he stood, glancing over the operation at work. "I'll have my accountant send you the short-list of filing regulations the Malfoy estate utilizes, Granger. It should simplify your research."
Granger looked as if she wanted to scowl, but her gratitude and interest overpowered her expression in the end. "That's unbelievably kind of you, Malfoy. Are you feeling quite well?"
Draco turned in the doorway, undoubtedly to spout off some flippant remark, but Severus slammed the door closed with a wave of his hand, causing the witch to chuckle.
"I'll have to remember that," she murmured, looking under her eyelashes at him. "Somehow, I've yet to have the particular satisfaction of shutting a door in Malfoy's face."
He noted that her occlumency shields were once again nowhere to be found. The temptation to reach into her thoughts was strong, so he looked away to roll his eyes.
"Had I realized he would make himself such a pest, I would have given him the slip at Madame Malkin's."
"So, you are going to the charity ball tomorrow?" Granger asked, reaching down for her bag and beginning to rifle through it. "I must say, I'm a bit surprised. Is this the first such event you've attended since the war?"
"Essentially," he said with disdain. "I try not to make a habit of such frivolous expenditures of my time."
"I'd noticed," the witch replied, finally pulling a manual out of her purse. "Here it is: the most recent protocol manual. Fair warning, you'll have to look past my notes. I'm not typically one to write in books, but I suppose there are exceptions to every rule."
Severus reached out and grasped the book, noting how well-used the paper felt in his hands. Flipping through, he saw her neat handwriting bordering many of the pages. It tickled something in the back of his mind and suddenly he remembered the inches and inches of her essays he'd read and scowled. They'd always been thorough enough, though her reliance on textbooks as gospel had always needled him and gave him the perfect excuse to mark up her work. It seemed she'd learned the lesson he'd not been able to teach her: that published work was only half the story.
"When would you like it back?"
"You can have it," she said with a sigh. "I've read it so many times. And as I told you last night, it isn't as if it ever really helped me. I think it will be much more informative to you at this point."
Severus grimaced and took out his change purse. He did not want to be indebted to her, and given how much he'd looked for this particular book, it was well worth a sum. He already felt guilty for drinking the whiskey she'd purchased the night before given how undue her gratitude had been. "Will 5 galleons suffice?"
Granger was taken aback, suddenly standing up and walking around from behind her desk. "Absolutely not!"
"10, then?"
"Snape!" she bit out, pushing his gold-filled hand back to his chest, her grip firm. "I do not require compensation for something I give freely. Knowing your intentions for your agency is plenty of a reason to help, even if just in this small way."
Severus examined her face for a moment and wondered if he was just imagining the unsaid meaning to her words. Would she want to help in larger ways? She'd seemed interested in the mission… His eyes travelled down to where her warm hands gently pressed against his own. He frowned at the wild impulse to grasp them and force the money into her palms.
Misunderstanding his expression, Granger quickly took her hands away and stepped back.
"My apologies," she said, her eyes finding the ground in a show of deference. "My satisfaction at potentially aiding your pursuits and defying the Ministry in one go is all the compensation I need. Thank you."
No, she will not do as an employee. Not for the first time in her presence, Severus was at a loss. He realized he'd be much more prepared to hire her if she was exactly as she'd been in school: precocious with a pesky penchant for pedantic performance. But this new Hermione Granger confounded many of his previously held assumptions about her…and honestly, people in general. No, he'd be much better off finding a Slytherin like himself and Draco, someone he could predict. He didn't like how she apologized or thanked him at the wrong moments, stealing the lines of interaction that were rightfully his. It left him feeling off-balance and more out of place than he already did.
"I have yet to do anything of note and it is all very likely that this contribution of yours will go nowhere at all." He scowled. "So I thank you."
Once again she surprised him by laughing.
"Oh, I'm sure many great things will come out of your efforts."
He glowered at her smiling face, decidedly done with the interaction. Without another word he opened the door and turned to leave. Draco straightened abruptly from where he'd been obviously listening at the door.
"I'll see you both at the benefit," the witch said pleasantly. Snape simply grunted in confirmation as he stepped out of the room grabbing the collar of Draco's cloak in warning.
"Better wear your best, Granger." The blond wizard sneered, but the expression lacked any venom that it might have held years before.
Granger shut the door magically without a word and Snape finally felt like he could breathe again. He dragged his chuckling godson from the shop, only releasing him when they were once again outdoors. Without pause, he continued to stalk in the direction of his flat. Draco easily matched his stride and grinned wolfishly at him.
"She's delightful," he said, and Severus couldn't exactly tell where the balance between sarcasm and genuineness fell in his words.
"I shouldn't have let you come along," he muttered under his breath. "The last thing I need is Granger worrying about my public image at this gods-forsaken gala of yours."
"Snape, were you just in the same room I was?" Draco asked incredulously. "Did you not see the set-up she's got going in there? And that personality of hers– oh, she's fun now. Not nearly as stuck up as she was back in the day. Granted, I'm not half the prat I was—"
"You could tell all that in the few words you got in before I sent you out?" Snape asked dismissively. A sinking feeling filled his chest. Draco's inclination towards the witch had already been surprising, but now Snape was wholly suspicious of his motives.
"I'm telling you, if you don't hire her, I might," the younger wizard said. "She'd be brilliant for the foundation…or even as an accountant for the estate once she learns the ways of it."
Severus made a noncommittal sound of acknowledgement. If Draco was trying to rile him, it was working. The idea of Granger leaving the Aurory just to work for Malfoy's pet projects, no matter how notable they were, frankly, made him nauseous.
They'd finally reached his building and Draco followed him through the wards in silence. Severus immediately went about setting up his workspace as Draco reclined on the couch lazily. After several minutes, the young wizard interrupted the sounds of ingredient bottles clinking and the small crackle of the fireplace, as well as the cauldron's tentative bubbling.
"Snape."
"Yes, Draco."
"You cannot honestly tell me that you won't enjoy her presence at the benefit. I'd bet my new broom that she'd talk to you about anything you wanted and actually be able to keep up. And she's much more civilized than you, so she'll know the pleasant ways to get others to move along."
Despite knowing the truth of his godson's words, Snape's ire rose at the constant prodding. He was a stubborn man in the best of times, but at the moment, Severus was feeling even more contrarian than usual.
"It sounds to me that you're the one who would enjoy her presence," he shot back, refusing to indicate his feelings either way.
Draco laughed, and Snape turned to see him looking thoughtful. Seeing he finally had Severus's attention, he gave a waggish shrug, a pale eyebrow arching deviously.
"Hell, maybe I'll just ask her out to dinner. Her reaction alone would be worth it."
The words felt like a challenge. Draco was demanding Snape show him his hand, but it wasn't going to work. He hadn't lived as a double-agent for the better part of two decades to suddenly fold under such light pressure. Still, Severus found the need to slide his occlumency into place to stop himself from snarling any number of things at Draco: that he shouldn't toy with the girl who'd recently lost so much; that he shouldn't pressure her back into the hunt of dark magic when she seemed more than contented by her current position; that he should stop smirking that way that was so reminiscent of his late father. Finding his control again, he formed his face into an approximation of pleasantness.
"I'm sure the two of you would make the front page of the Prophet," he said, his words as bland as the smile on his face. It had the desired effect, as Draco scowled and got up from the couch.
"You're fucking terrifying when you smile like that," his godson conceded. "Now, since you won't see reason and hire Granger, at least put me to some use. What are we brewing tonight."
Thrilled by the neutral subject, Severus instructed Draco in the preparation of the ingredients. However, as they worked, he couldn't help but feel he'd lost a little bit of ground in this one-man game of chess he was playing. Even if he could deny it to Draco, he was starting to have trouble believing his own lies that Granger wasn't exactly the type of assistant he was looking for.
Hours later, Draco emerged from Snape's flat, tired but satisfied with the assistance he could provide his godfather. He stopped at the top of the half-flight that led down to the basement apartment when he nearly tripped over a cat with bushy ginger fur.
"Oh, sorry my lad," he said, bending down to pet the animal. It purred ferociously back as he stroked its thick fur. Then Draco froze at the notable bent angle in the beast's tail. He knew this cat. Lifting the animal up to look at its face, he confirmed his suspicions.
What the hell is Granger's mangy cat doing here?
He shook his head, placing the cat back down and making his way to the exit. It was probably just the late hour and the potion fumes. He'd only seen her cat a handful of times, and there were plenty of orange cats who looked more or less the same.
Stepping into the cold, he made his way to the apparition point so he could make the quick trip back to Malfoy Manor. However, as he neared the alley, he caught sight of Hermione herself, bundled against the cold and walking towards him. For half a second, he considered calling out to her, then thought better of it. He'd see her soon enough anyhow. Instead, he just turned to watch her, reflecting on how entertaining their reunion had been.
He was certain Snape wanted to hire her, he just couldn't tell exactly what the hang up was. Everything he'd said about his former enemy had been true–he'd found her quite striking amidst her matrices and charmed quills, ready to dish it back as good as he gave it. It was a fairly rare occurrence for him to have someone willing to snap at him. Even Snape had softened quite a bit in the years since the war. Hermione's witty retorts were refreshing, especially without the baggage of the blood purity nonsense he'd dismissed after years of being the poster child for pureblood support of the Dark Lord.
He was about to turn and go when he realized Granger was slowing in front of Snape's building. With a shock, he watched her step inside the doors that were spelled to only let in residents or approved visitors. Had Snape really pulled one over on him? Perhaps he'd already hired the witch and was just being his usual secretive self. Making the split-second decision to find out, Draco sprinted back towards the building, looking in through the front windows of the foyer. Instead of travelling down the stairs to the heavily warded flat, Granger began the trek upwards, her ginger cat following a single step behind.
A broad grin curled Malfoy's mouth as he realized the excellent fortune he'd just stumbled upon. Snape and Granger lived in the same building…and unless he was mistaken, neither of them had any idea. Oh, the Gala will be fun indeed.