Playing the Game

Disclaimer: All hail JK Rowling who owns these characters. I have just borrowed them for some fun.

A/N: This is my first fanfic. Concrit welcome.

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Chapter 1. I Want You

She moved towards him with infinite grace.

Severus Snape sat motionless at the Hogwarts High Table. His eyes fell immediately on the stranger as she entered the Great Hall. She held herself with a confidence that was compelling, her deep green robes swishing elegantly about her as she walked. Her stride was purposeful, her smile all-encompassing as she acknowledged various students amongst the crowd. He sat transfixed, his face revealing nothing, his black eyes watchful. Her face was a delicate blend of fine features framed by honey brown curls. She was still too far away to see her clearly, but there was something about her, something vaguely familiar that gently worried at his subconscious.

She was nearly upon them, her smile widening as she sought the face of Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts since the fall of Dumbledore so many years ago. He looked at the slightly upturned nose, at the mass of honeyed curls sitting across her elegant shoulders, and then she inclined her head in an unconscious gesture that reminded him instantly of…

Granger? Hermione Granger was the new Professor? Had it been that long that she was now qualified to teach?

He almost groaned aloud. For a moment memories of his past weighed almost unbearably heavy on his shoulders. He looked at her through jaded eyes. Years of training meant his gaze did not waver, revealing nothing of his thoughts. She was so fresh and unsullied, no longer a child but a woman making her way in the world. He had taken the Dark Mark before she was even born.

How old is she? 24? 25? Has it been that long since the Dark Lord marked me? Gods, was I ever that young?

There was something so untouched about her. She still had that indefinable quality that he had lost so long ago, and for one unguarded moment he forgot the irritating child she had been, forgot the many times his impatience had struck out at her like a whip, and instead he found himself drawn in. Rather like a tired old moth to a sparkling bright flame.

For the first time in many years, Severus felt something warm and distantly familiar uncurl in the pit of his stomach. He stomped on it immediately, like a stray Billywig under his shoe. The languid sensation was immediately recognisable. He was strangely pleased to discover himself still capable of desire, but he knew this girl… woman…he’d be cured of the sensation the second she opened her mouth. He sat silently, watching her approach.

“Hermione!” Minerva was on her feet now, moving to eagerly embrace the young woman. “Welcome, my dear. How was your journey?”

Hermione’s answer was too low for him to make out her reply. There was no need for introductions. Hermione was known to all the staff at the table, and she immediately moved along, greeting each affectionately, one by one. Snape watched every movement, every gesture, as she greeted and hugged the faculty members who had once taught her, and who now greeted her as their colleague and equal - Flitwick, Sinistra, Hagrid, Lupin - he watched with particular interest as she greeted Lupin. Her affection for the werewolf was obvious, and quite repulsive, he thought - Pince, Pomfrey, Sprout. Granger was different to the appallingly eager young girl he had known what felt like a lifetime ago. She was poised and calm as she greeted them. The war had obviously changed her. It had changed all of them.

For a moment his face was bleak before he masked the emotion. At least he was finally free and no longer being punished for his boyhood mistakes, now that the Dark Lord was gone. Had he known then the isolation his choices would cause, he might have thought twice about them.

Suddenly she stood at his elbow, her eyes on his face. He was uncomfortably aware of her nearness but years of controlling and concealing his emotions assured him he would not betray himself now, not over something this trivial. She watched him with confidence, as though she expected no less than a warm welcome, which surprised him since there had never been any real kindness between them. He stood up out of courtesy.

“Miss Granger,” he acknowledged coolly, “or, perhaps I should say, Professor Granger. Welcome to the madhouse.”

Her lips curved softly at his words and she placed one deliberate hand on his arm. She smelled of spring violets. He was not fond of flowers as a rule, but he found her scent uniquely distracting.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, Severus. Please, call me Hermione.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her unexpected use of his first name, but made no immediate comment.

“After everything that has gone before, we aren’t going to be formal, you and I.”

With that enigmatic statement she retreated to one of the two vacant seats still left at the table. They were several places along from him and he watched as she selected the one next to Lupin. He was filled with a strange relief as she moved away. At least she hadn’t tried to embrace him as she had the others. This, of course, was not surprising. He wasn’t a man that people hugged easily…or indeed, ever.

As usual, Severus had claimed the end seat of the Head Table. It enabled an unnoticed escape when necessary, the complete opposite of his usual dramatic entrance into his classes. It kept everyone on their toes. He hated to be predictable. He also preferred to maintain a little detachment from the other staff members, although he was carefully courteous when spoken to. He was a private man, a closed man. The prickly shell he had built around himself from his earliest years was now nearly impenetrable. It made him feel safe. No good had ever come from getting too close to other people. His dark looks and barbed comments encouraged others to keep their distance. He was forced to exist in the world, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

There was still another empty seat at the table. Both Vector and Hooch had left at the end of the last school year. It was now September 1 and the school year was beginning. Vector was now on a one year sabbatical, and obviously Granger would be taking the Arithmancy classes rather than the flying lessons.

Stupid chit was barely able to mount a broom, let alone teach it.

Hooch, on the other hand, had gone off to realise her dearest dream. She had been approached by the International Quidditch Association to train as a professional Quidditch referee, given her natural skill and eagle eyes. It was a rare opportunity and a highly prized position, so, naturally, she had accepted. Minerva had not yet revealed the name of Hogwarts new flying instructor and Quidditch coach, but Severus did not have to wait long to find out.

The doors opened once again and a sudden hush fell over the Great Hall. A tall, slightly windswept young man strode in, and the whispers began. That’s him, isn’t it? Can you see his scar? Did you hear about what he did to You-Know-Who? What’s he doing here, is he going to-? The young man ignored the whispers, just as he had since his first arrival at Hogwarts. He made his way to the High Table, greeting the many familiar faces just as Granger had done.

Severus’ lip curled slightly as he recognised the ever messy hair of Harry Potter.

Brilliant, he thought disgustedly, now all we need is Ronald bloody Weasley to turn up and we’ll have the Golden Trio back together again.

Potter made Severus very uncomfortable as he was indirectly responsible for the death of the young man’s parents, and all the tragic events in the boy’s life that had sprung from that. Severus could still remember Lily Potter’s beautiful animated smile, and his gut clenched. He had never gotten accustomed to the stab of guilt that lanced him every time he saw the boy’s eyes…Lily’s eyes. Potter, of course, had interpreted his reaction as hate, and Severus encouraged that. It helped Potter keep his distance and made the sensations easier to bear.

And of course it had been easy to hate the boy that was the image of his childhood nemesis. Not that he genuinely hated Harry, not anymore. Still, he wasn’t about to tell Potter that.

With the arrival of Wonder Boy, Severus was pleased when Minerva finally tapped the rim of her glass and addressed the student body. Potter had not yet reached his end of the table. Severus acknowledged that, while they had fought on the same side during the war, he did not plan to get chummy. As Harry took the empty seat next to Hermione and Lupin, he cast one shuttered nod of acknowledgement in Snape’s direction. Severus barely quirked an eyebrow in response.

Minerva introduced the two new appointments: Professor Harry Potter as the new Flying Master - which caused a huge wave of cheers and applause to erupt from the students; and Professor Hermione Granger, who would be taking over Arithmancy from Professor Vector during her sabbatical. Severus clapped politely with the rest of the staff, though not as enthusiastically.

Severus noticed out of the corner of his eye that, for once, Granger did not flinch, beam, or blush at the attention that was on her. He congratulated her silently - so you have finally grown up? It’s about time. Taking care not to catch her eye, he applied himself to the meal that had suddenly appeared before him.

Severus spoke quietly with Flitwick over dinner, though he kept half an ear trained on the newest members of the faculty. His sharp ears were alert, but he was unable to catch more than snatches of their conversation.

“-are you sure, Hermione-”

“-love-”

“-not the easiest man-”

“-my only chance-”

“-always here for you-”

Their whispers tantalised the edges of Severus’ hearing, but from what little he could gather, they were discussing their love life, and it was starting to get heated.

“-don’t have to like it-”

“-it’s what I want-”

“-know what you’re doing-”

Perfect, he groused to himself, Potter and Granger are dating and I am going to have to endure the tedium of seeing them mooning over each other at every meal or having lover’s spats. How pathetic. Severus began seriously considering having his meals in the dungeons instead. He began making plans to escape as soon as dessert was over. He knew he would hardly be missed.

***

As he strode about the lab preparing for his sixth year class, Severus congratulated himself on having done an excellent job of avoiding both Potter and Granger for the first week of term. They were new to the faculty and had many new tasks to learn as they settled into their roles. He, on the other hand, was a veteran player in not being seen. He began to use less obvious routes to navigate around the castle. He also took several meals in his chambers, unless Minerva insisted, and then he made sure to time his arrival to enable him to sit next to Flitwick or Poppy instead.

He discovered he had a disgustingly superior knack of appearing to be deaf whenever a slightly breathless Granger tried to attract his attention from a distance. She could never catch him without running – a most undignified action for a teacher unless there were dire circumstances involved. Mostly, he simply kept moving rapidly, nodding an abrupt acknowledgement as he passed, so as not to get caught in conversation with her. Potter wasn’t even an issue; he avoided Severus with the same passionate intensity he showed for Quidditch, and, for once, Severus was actually grateful to him.

Unfortunately, there had been one encounter with the minx that he had not managed to avoid. His ears still burned with the memory.

Granger was waiting outside the Potions laboratory for his last class of the day to finish. As the last of the students hurried out, relieved to be away from his stinging put-downs and scowls, she waltzed into the room and started wandering about, as though she had every right to be there, touching things almost affectionately. After the wretched first lesson he had just endured with the miserably limited intellects of the second-year Hufflepuffs, Severus was in no mood to entertain her apparent desire to stroll down memory lane.

“Professor Granger, was there something you wanted?” He did not keep the terseness out of his voice. He didn’t even try.

Surprisingly, she did not react. Her only response was to walk over to his desk where he currently stood separating various rolls of parchment into piles for marking. His wand automatically sorted them by subject and year with each graceful flick of the wrist.

“Thank you, yes, there is actually.” He watched as her slender fingers reached out to touch the piles of scrolls almost absently. She didn’t seem in any hurry to enlarge on her comment.

“Well?” he snapped after a long pause. “Perhaps you might tell me so that I can get on with-”

“I want something only you can give me.” She stepped closer to him and looked him square in the face. He found the action slightly unnerving.

“Excuse me?” He had suddenly lost the thread of the conversation, and he could smell violets again, which wasn’t exactly helping.

“You asked me what I wanted,” she prompted with a soft smile. “Look, Severus, like you I was never one for beating about the bush, to use a Muggle expression. I know what I want, and I go after it. I’ve never been any different. Perhaps that was why the Sorting Hat placed me in Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw.” Her smile was amused. “I have had the last five years to think carefully about what I want from life, and now that I have decided I thought it only reasonable to give you fair warning.”

Fair warning? Only something he could give her? He thought of the almost possessive way Granger had looked over the lab, and his desk.

He carefully composed his features not to reveal his surprise. “Don’t tell me,” he drawled, “you want my...job.”

She blinked at him. And then she burst out laughing. Severus hated being laughed at. It reminded him of his appalling youth. He could feel the tips of his ears going red, and his temper rising to match. He drew himself up to full height and glared down at her, his arms folding like a barricade across his chest, drawing his voluminous robes with them.

“Oh dear me,” she chuckled, wiping at one eye. “That was terribly clumsy of me. I must be more nervous than I thought. No, Severus, I don’t want your job.” Her tone was almost scolding. “I want you.”

Severus stared at her as though she were a stray Hinkypunk trying to lure him into a misty bog. His scowl, if possible, grew blacker.

“Now, Severus,” she stepped up to him, putting a placating hand against his chest, which he glared at and shrugged off. “Don’t look at me like that. I am trying to tell you that I want to get to know you better and see where else it might lead.”

Severus hated being wound up almost as much as he hated being laughed at. He knew perfectly well that he was considered one of the Wizarding World’s least eligible bachelors along with the likes of Bertram Winpole, who had experienced a bizarre transfiguration accident as a child and had ended up with a face that permanently resembled a walrus. That, in itself, might not have been so bad, but the permanent odour of rotten fish that continually emanated from him was more than any self-respecting witch could bear. At last report Bertram was still working for the Ministry of Magic investigating unusual Ghost Ship appearances off the coast of Dover. At the very least, it kept him downwind.

Snape was certain that the only reason Witch Weekly hadn’t published something along the lines of “Who’s afraid of Severus Snape?” was that he had taught their Editor in his Potions class some years ago, and the woman was still completely terrified of him. If he were handsome he might have believed it possible. I mean, look at pretty-boy Malfoy. He was the most repulsive individual to walk the planet but he could still pull the ladies…well, of course, that was before. During the war, Longbottom had sent that remarkable blasting curse which hit Malfoy right in the face. Who would have thought Longbottom had it in him?

There was no excuse for this woman to stand there and mock him. Just because he was neither attractive nor companionable didn’t mean he didn’t still have a man’s needs! He gathered his breath to put the spiteful tease in her place.

The object of his discomposure poked him hard in the chest and looked him square in the eye.

“Don’t even THINK about saying whatever it is you are planning to say,” she declared. “I came here to let you know what my intentions are so that there will be no confusion about this. If you aren’t interested, then all you have to do is say ‘no, thank you’.”

Once again, the scent of violets assaulted his nose. His eyes narrowed. “No, thank you.”

As if he planned say anything else!

Hermione simply smiled at him, undeterred.

“Well, obviously I expect you to say no at first because you haven’t had the opportunity to test my sincerity,” she explained, “but eventually you will say yes. It’s meant to be this way.” Her confidence was becoming irritating.

“What a remarkable prediction for a woman who proved herself utterly incompetent at Divination.”

It was her turn to blush. Her lack of ability in certain areas was obviously still a sore point. Still, she recovered admirably, arching one eyebrow at him.

“You’ll see. I’ll leave you alone to give you some time to think on it.” And with that she sashayed out of the dungeons leaving a slightly speechless Potions Master behind.

Severus shook himself out of his bemused state, annoyed that he hadn’t gathered the wits to put her in her place.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, shaking his head, “Either she is suffering the effects of some badly brewed love potion, or she really IS after my job and is just trying to distract me.”

And, of course, it hasn’t occurred to you that she could be serious? his inner voice taunted dryly.

No, of course not, he thought darkly, thrusting the thought aside and pointedly ignoring his body’s lingering response to her ‘I want you’. No, I am not that stupid.

Severus finished preparing the ingredients for the next class as he reviewed his thoughts. Fortunately, he had not seen her since. She was, after all, apparently dating Potter. He was hopeful that she had come to her senses and was now avoiding him out of sheer embarrassment.

Well, good! That will solve everyone’s problem!