Severus\'s Trip

Severus’s Trip
“No.”

“Professor please.” Hermione Granger was down to begging. She knew approaching Professor Snape would be difficult but she had hoped to avoid the begging stage. So much for hoping.

“I said no.” Severus Snape was livid. Who did she think she was asking him to pretend to date her just to get back at the runt of the Weasley litter. “I am no ones pawn.”

“Professor surely you can see the advantage. I’ll take care of the expenses you won’t have to pay for a thing and you’ll be able to get back at the man who tried to humiliate you.”

He hated to admit it but she had a point. Ron Weasley tried several times to have him sent to Azkaban for Dumbledore’s murder. Even going as far as to make statement after statement at Ministry hearings and giving interviews to every paper that would listen. Unbeknownst to him Dumbledore was alive and well. Clearing his name and telling the truth of his involvement with Voldermort’s downfall and death. Still, Snape was not swayed.

“Advantage or no advantage Miss Granger, the answer is still no. I do not kowtow to begging, not do I entertain ridiculous revenge plots.”

“How about entertaining bribery?” She gave him a sly grin.

“What are you going on about?” What could she possibly offer him?

She reached into her bag and pulled out a wrapped bundle. She pointed her wand and flicked, returning it to original size. Snape recognized the smell immediately. His eyes flew open. “Is that what I think it is?”

“A Hungarian Horntail dragon heart. It’s still fresh and it’s all yours if you help me.”
He thought for a moment. A dragon heart, particularly a whole one is rare. Dragons lived for hundreds of years. This was a unique opportunity indeed.

“What would you expect out of me?” He asked, quietly.

“It’s a weekend trip, we would leave Friday afternoon and return Monday morning. All you have to do is play the part of my current paramour until we leave.”

“Why not ask someone else?” He ventured, rubbing his eyes, mentally chiding himself for even considering this absurdity.

“I thought about that, but it would ruin Ron’s whole trip if I showed up with someone he hated.” She explained. “I also need to be with someone who is strong enough to take him on verbally if need be.”

“I see. He’s become one to run off at the mouth, intimidating anyone you date.” Hermione nodded grimly. “So I would assume they are under the impression we have slept together.”

“Currently sleeping together actually.” She admitted.

“I see. So you have already told them is here is someone else without actually securing the ‘someone else’, is that correct?”

“Yes.” It was pointless to deny it. He would know she was lying.

“I suppose we will have to share accommodations the whole time.”

“Don’t worry Professor, I will behave myself. Your virtue is safe with me.”

Severus looked back at the heart, ignoring her attempt at humor. It was still warm. The smell indicated that it could not have been separate from the host for more that a few hours.

“There is still blood in the chambers.” She whispered beside him. He looked at her. Blood was a different story. It was too valuable an ingredient in it’s natural form to pass up.

“What happens when we return?” He asked.

“I tell everyone we had a row and split up.” He lifted his eyebrows. She had thought of everything. He kept his eyes on the heart. There was no way an intelligent potions master would turn down a whole heart and Severus was far from stupid. A weekend charade may be a pain but when would he have such a find offered up to him again. A whole dragon heart was not something to dismiss.

He let out a sigh. “Alright Miss Granger.”

“Oh thank you Professor.”

They spoke briefly and he soon realized his only consolation was that this weekend excursion would be at Malfoy Manor. After Lucius’s death the heir apparent Malfoy, became his own man, shunned what his father had taught him and make amends for behavior. His secret involvement with Dumbledore also came out and he was regarded highly. Severus has always been a friend of Lucius but tried hard to steer Draco away from the path his father wanted. He was glad he had succeeded in at least that.

When she left, he busied himself sectioning the heart and collecting the blood. When he had finished he had 15 jars of blood and over 60 jars of dissected dragon heart.
He glanced at his chambers. It was time to pack for this cursed trip.


The next morning Severus finalized his packing and nearly downed a whole pot of coffee as he prepared to leave. He didn’t want to do this but he made an agreement and he would stick with it. Shaking his head he stepped into the fireplace, grabbed a handful of powder and called out “Hermione Grangers.”

A flash of green later and he was in a library. Antique looking furniture decorated the room, and the walls were covered in bookshelves. The mahogany and burgundy gave it a welcoming feeling, and he was glad he hadn’t emerged in a carbon copy of the Gryffindor common room. He had to admire her taste, even if there was no way he would admit it.

He made his way over to one of the shelves and glanced over the titles. It was full of potions manuals and potions theories, many of which he owned himself. Her mind was obviously as sharp as when she was a student.

“Does it meet with your approval?” Her voice brought his attention to the door. Without robes, Hermione cut quite a handsome figure. Her jeans clung to curves otherwise covered up. Her sweater was slim fit with a v-neck and the black against her skin accented her ample bustline.

“Actually it does Miss Granger, you’ve a wide variety of opinions here.” He said glancing back at the bookshelf.

“Thank you Professor, that means a lot coming from you, but I was referring to how I was dressed.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Why would that matter?”

“I figured you wouldn’t date someone who looked ,…well ….schoolgirlish. So I thought this might be more appropriate.” She turned slowly around then faced him. “I don’t normally dress like this, the women at the store said it would be perfect. It makes it seem like I’m a changed women. I thought it fitting since I’ve made so many changes in my life, don’t you think Professor”

“Yes, it’s acceptable.” His face remained stoic. “Are we leaving now?”

“Yes.” she said, “Unless you’d like something to eat first…..”

“No. If Draco entertains the same as his father, then he will most likely serve lunch when his guests arrive.”

“Well then, shall we?” She gestured to the fireplace. He stepped in and waited. She grabbed her cloak and a bag with her luggage and stepped in beside him. With boots on she was taller, but he still towered over her. “Ready?” At his nod, she gripped his hand in hers, he looked down at her. “We are supposed to be a couple Professor, remember?”

“Yes, I do remember, but I must confess the way you have my hand in your is not exactly natural to me.”

“The way I have your hand?” She looked down at their clasped hands.

He took hold of her wrist and said, “Open your fingers.” She spread open her hand and watched him, while he wove his fingers in with hers, her grip solid in his. “There we are, now Miss Granger shall we?”

“Yes.” She was suddenly warm. She called out, “Malfoy Manor.”