Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror

Chapter 13 - Sunday, Sweet Sunday

It all belongs to Rowling, except what you don’t recognize.

“Oh, Lavender, what a beautiful baby!” Hermione cooed over the new addition to the Potter household. She really wanted to talk about her marital difficulties with Harry’s wife, but tribute had to be paid to the less than 48 hour old Ronald Sirius Potter. And he was quite gorgeous. If Harry puffed out his chest any further, it would explode.

The newborn rapidly fell asleep at Lavender’s breast and his mother placed him in a bassinet by her side. She looked up at her husband. “Harry, I just remembered that we forgot to buy more flannels. Could you be a dear?”

He jumped up with pleasure. “Anything for our little Ronny. I’ll be right back.”

“No dear, Hermione and I are going to have a little tête-à-tête, so take your time.”

Harry blushed furiously. “If I hear that Snape hasn’t been all he should be.” Harry gave a grim smile.

“Oh, be off with you! You’d think you were married to her and not me!” Lavender was at her hormonal worst and Harry knew he’d better exit fast if he didn’t want things to start exploding or breaking.

“Finally. All right, tell me all about it! I want every delicious detail!” said Lavender luridly. Hermione burst into tears. “That good? And how’s the pregnancy going?” Lavender took Hermione in her arms and patted her back as her friend had a good cry. “You know, I think we both need some medicinal chocolate.” She leaned over to the 2 lb. box of Mystic Madness All Varieties from Honeyduke’s and chose a chocolate covered Honey Caramel. Hermione hiccupped while there was a sound of bees.

“I don’t know what to do. He was gone this morning and the House Elf said he was with Sarah feeding the ducks and they’d be over with Hagrid and his new flobberworms later on. Sarah just loves flobberworms, but we can’t keep them because she keeps overfeeding the darned things.”

“Focus Hermione. I can’t believe all this happened while I was in labor. And you were supposed to make sure Harry picked me out a really expensive, tasteful piece of jewelry, not this stupid box of chockies.”

“Well, I can’t tell Severus that I’m pregnant because he’s already furious with me and if he found out I’d taken an unapproved potion on top of that...” Lavender handed her one of the numerous flannels from the nappy bag and Hermione swiped at her tearful face.

“Get a hold of yourself, girl. You’ve had him by the short hairs since you were a teenager, now is not the time to lose heart.”

“He locked himself in the guestroom last night!”

Lavender chose a chocolate covered Parma violet and chewed slowly as the purple smoke emerged from her ears. “The blighter! After you went through all that trouble to get him back.”

“He’s jealous because I shagged his counterpart.”

“Now, we are getting to the good part. How was it?”

Hermione smiled through her sobs. “Different! It’s just like they all say. You can tell the difference. He was just like he used to be all angry and edgy.”

“Well, you’ve got back at him for last year and he’s certainly all angry and edgy now.”

“He doesn’t love me anymore!” Hermione began to wail.

“What utter stuff and nonsense. You’re the best thing that ever happened to him. And he knows it. Look, a couple of nights in the guestroom and he’ll come crawling, tail between his legs.”

“Do you really think so?” Hermione sniffed and looked up from the soaked flannel with hope.

“Silly thing!” Lavender laughed. She just loved feeling superior to Hermione. “He’s just sulking because you got your own back. He cheated on you, and you did it to him. It’s all even now.”

“That’s right. It is!” Hermione looked happy and found a piece of millionaire’s shortbread and popped it into her mouth. Fairy gold began to cascade down all around her. It glittered for a minute and then disappeared.


&&&


Severus Snape woke up in bed with a body laying half over him. To hiock ock it was Miss Granger! He thought back to the prior evening and realized that he must have fainted again. He was pretty sure he knew which potion would help clear up his current condition. It was a nerve tonic really. Sixty days and he’d be quite stable again. But he needed supplies, and he needed a lab, and some money. Damn! He’d noted that his alternate had purchased a new wand. Snape wondered if Ollivander would let him trade it in. Sunday morning and both Gringotts and Ollivanders would be closed all day.

He was watching Miss Granger sleep when she stretched and her hand landed on a rather intimate portion of his anatomy that he hadn’t noticed had its normal morning turgidity. Suddenly, it was all he was aware of. She sighed and seemed to be enjoying her handful though obviously not yet awake. Snape also sighed and realized that if there wasn’t going to be a sticky, little accident, he had to move out of bed immediately. He tried to move and the result was not only was her hand on his privates but also a hip and thigh were pinning him down. Satisfied, the girl went deeper asleep. Snape exhaled sharply in annoyance. He had dire need of a cold shower. He shifted and she woke up, holding him quite tightly. Her brown eyes peered into his black ones in astonishment.

“Professor Snape!”

“Miss Granger, we do seem to meet under the most interesting circumstances.”

She looked down and curiously squeezed before letting go with a loud gasp. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Do try to sound like you mean it.” It took Hermione a moment to accept that he was making a joke, at her expense of course. She rolled away from him, taking all the covers and leaving him rather exposed with a tented pair of under shorts. He stalked off to the bathroom pulling his robes down around his skinny, pale legs.

She heard the sound of the shower running and went into the kitchen to prepare tea and coffee. She hoped that he liked his tea the same way as his counterpart, but she would soon find out in either case. She heard him head down the hallway to the spare room that was serving as his storage area, not bedroom since the cot had broke. She ducked her head out of the kitchen in curiosity when she heard him cursing.

“That arrogant popinjay!”

“What is it?”

“He left me a note!”

“Really?”

“Yes, by the way, he wrote here in a postscript, not to worry they used a contraceptive spell. How thoughtful. Prat!”

“What else did he write?” asked Hermione on tippytoe trying to peek.

“None of your concern.” He walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “Is there any tea?”

“There might be if you said please.”

There was silence and Hermione headed back to the kitchen. Snape re-read the note in silence:

‘Dear Professor Git,

Behind every great man there is a woman, and I should know as I have one of the most wonderful witches in my realm as my wife.

If you are wise, you will get cracking and make love to Hermione Granger. My wife loves being made love to, and the results are more than worth it. Some of the things that I find work wonders are: flowers, jewelry, chocolate, champagne, gift certificates to Flourish and Blotts, and numerous complements. Also, you need to stop acting like some adolescent and grow up. Nobody but artsy types wears black anymore! And while you are at it, there are plenty of spells to reduce the grossness of those scars and you could do something about the teeth.

You don’t need to thank me for the haircut, but you are welcome in any case.

Sincerely,

Dr. Severus Snape
Lord of Harmseelway
Order of Merlin, First Class.

P.S. Please let Miss Granger know that we used a protective spell and she does not need to worry about carrying your unfortunate get!’

“Pompous ass!”

“Here’s your tea, you ungrateful pig!” Hermione sipped her coffee and stuck out her tongue at him. “Are you going to sit there all day, fretting about that note?”

“I wasn’t fretting.”

“Well, you must have read it twenty times now. If you were to ask me, I’d have to tell you that he is a lovely man and quite intelligent.”

“Why does he get to be a peer? Order of Merlin, my arse. His wife probably did all the work while he had the House Elf give him a pedicure.” Snape took a sip of tea and looked up at Hermione in surprise. “How did you know I liked my tea this way?”

“I would also bet that you like Balsamic vinegar on your salad and capers in your pasta sauce. So, what do we have scheduled for today?”

“We? Miss Granger?” Snape gave a classic sneer and Hermione burst into laughter.

“I’m sorry, but, dear Professor, I’m not 11 years old anymore. Can’t we just be adults now?”

For a moment, Snape’s body remembered the feel of her hand on his cock that morning and he felt a surge of lust. He didn’t like her, and he hated the other Snape’s advice, but wouldn’t it be nice to have her under him, writhing and begging for mercy. He cleared his throat and crossed his legs.

“Well, after breakfast, I plan to find a laboratory I can use, purchase ingredients, and located Remus Lupin to find out if he is dead or alive. I also need to get some funds and a new wand.”

“It sounds like it will be a costly project.”

“Well, perhaps I can borrow on my pension.”

“You have a pension?” Hermione thought about it and then, “Don’t bother, I’ll bankroll it.”

“You? You haven’t even got your Medi-witch license; you’re just a student. Are you rich?”

Hermione looked sad. “My father left me a bit. I’m sure he’d be very happy to know it would be going to such a cause.”

“Ever the idealist,” he didn’t mean for his voice to soften. He took another sip of tea, and continued. “There’s a property that I’d like to check on in Hogsmeade.”

“Snape Cottage?”

“Quite.”

“How do you like your eggs?”

&&&

The cottage was about to collapse. They entered through the opening in the fence where the gate should have been. It was overgrown with hoarfrost covered weeds. Snape wasn’t sure what he felt. Perhaps it was a sense of anguish that here was something that should have been part of his life. A place neglected that was loved and revered by a Snape off in some other realm. And, that by rights, this land should belong to him and it was his responsibility to take care of it.

Hermione stepped onto the stoop, said a simple “Alohomora” and the door creaked open. Typical Gryffindor, thought Snape, as she strode right in without a second thought of whether the roof might cave in. Their breath materialized as smoke from the clammy damp. And then they heard something. Hermione went running upstairs and intat Sat Snape recognized as the bedroom. It was the sound of something in great pain. Hermione threw open a concealed door, and there was a shivering Nanani in a tea towel.

“Oh,” gasped Hermione, and without hesitation wrapped her cloak around the House Elf and cradled her.

“And what are you doing here?” asked Snape. He thought he knew, but he just wished to clarify it.

“Oh, please don’t tells ‘em. Don’t tells ‘em I is here.” Hermione cast a heating spell, which Snape thought was overdramatic and unnecessary. After all, the magic of a House Elf was many times more powerful than a Wizard or Witch.

“I won’t tell them.” She smiled winsomely at the Elf. “But why are you here?”

“Master died and I didn’t want to leave.” The Elf was still shivering and Snape was quite certain it was not from the cold, but some overwhelming emotion.

“Oh, you poor thing.” Hermione shot a look at Snape and he made a face back at her like, ‘whatever do you want me to do about it.’ Hermione frowned back at him and decided the man was completely useless in a crisis. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need to be alone and afraid.”

The Elf trembled even more. “Donts make me leave, oh please.”

“Hermione.”

Hermione looked vexed, but said nothing to him except, “Hand me your sock.”

“What? I will do nothing of the sort.”

“This House Elf needs rescuing.”

“It’s cold. I need my sock.”

“Don’t make me take it from you.”

“Well, you want to rescue it, give it your brassiere then. That would do the job.”

“Oh, no.” said the little Elf.” I’s dont want freeing. An you ain’t me owner, so you caint dose it.”

“The Elf has a point.”

“Who owns this place now?”

“My old master’s great-nephew, Junior Zonko.”

“Well, we shall go see Mr. Zonko this minute. And mark my words, we will be the owners of this place by nightfall.”

Snape wanted to tell Hermione that the purchase of the cottage was out of the question. It could collapse at any moment. And he would have said that, but the fire glinting in her eyes excited him and left him dry mouthed.

She left her cloak around the shivering Elf and headed out the front door.

“Hermione, you’ll catch your death of cold. That was very silly of you. You must know that House Elves don’t feel cold like Witches and Wizards do.”

Hermione kept walking and Snape, irritated, stopped her. “Oh for Heaven’s sake. Here, take my cloak. I won’t have you getting ill.” Hermione accepted the cloak without a word and continued walking.

“I assume we are heading to Zonko’s.”

“Yes, Junior Zonko probably lives behind the shop.”

“And you are going to make him an offer?”

“Right.” Hermione nodded. “What is your point?”

“I think you should let me handle the negotiations.”

“And why do you think so?”

“Well, I’m your elder and I’m a Slytherin. You are young and naïve and wear your heart on your sleeve.” He looked pleased.

“What about we do good cop, bad cop, then?”

Snape was intrigued. “Do explain.”

“It’s an American term.”

“Of course, as in Cops and Robbers. Even I know that!”

“So, you try to talk me out of the place, and I’ll waiver and he’ll drop the price, whatever it is.”

“Did the Sorting Hat really choose Gryffindor, no, don’t answer that. I would hate to think what would have happened if you had been sorted into my house. No only purebloods need apply, it would never have happened.”

Hermione laughed, “I’d probably be married to Draco by now. All those years of claiming to hate Mudbloods and the first thing after the war, he was trying to bed me and wed me.”

“Oh, no. Lucius must have been turning in his grave.”

Their conversation was cut short by their arrival at the joke shop. They walked around to the door at the back and rang the bell. Of course, it made a rude noise.

Twenty minutes later they left, deed in hand, having bought the place at one-tenth the asking price. Hermione had signed the Wizard’s Promissory Note and the money would automatically be transferred from her account at Gringotts first thing in the morning.

&&&

They chose to lunch at the Hog’s Head, fearing that they had rather worn out their welcome the past two days at The Three Broomsticks.

“Harry would know where Remus is.”

Snape frowned but continued eating his pumpkin pastie. “Then you should contact him.”

Hermione got up and went over to the dirty, soot-encrusted fireplace.

“Eh, you gonna use the floo network, I expect recompense.”

“You dirty old goat lover, you’re going to charge for use of the floo?” demanded Snape

“Floo powder ain’t like fairy dust. Don’t just come for free now, does it?”

“How much?” asked Hermione.

It was obvious that no one had ever gone that far on dealing with him. “Um, err, two knuts. That’s whot I charge.”

Hermione put the money on the bar and walked back to the fireplace.

She ducked her head down and Snape noted that she was having a conversation.

Hermione came back to the table. “Well?” asked Snape.

“He’s at the Good Shepherd’s Hospice. He’s not doing well at all. Also, Harry wants to see you tomorrow at the Ministry for questioning about your kidnapping.”

“He can’t force me to go, can he?”

“I think you should go. They believe they found the person who cast Imperio on those two Wizards.”

“What? You’ve lost me.”

“You were tortured by two wizards. They were found to be doing the torture under Imperio. Harry thinks they found the person who cast the Imperio.”

“Oh Gods.”

“Oh, you are not going to faint again. Here put your head between your k.”
.”

“I’ll be fine, stop mothering me.”

“Well, you say that now, so it won’t be my fault if you wake up on the floor with a goose egg on your forehead.”

Snape looked at her and the warm annoyance on her face affected him. It had been such a long time that he couldn’t remember when last anyone cared. He swallowed and returned to his food. Of course she cared, she wanted the Lycanthropy Cure just like he did. For different reasons perhaps, but still…

He looked at her plate, “You haven’t touched your food. It’s not healthy to be so slim.”

He might have grown a second or third head the way she considered him. “The food here is atrocious. We could have gone back to my flat and done better. Are you ready to head over?”

“Yes, let’s do it!”

&&&

Miriam Strout led the way down the hospice corridor, “They think that it is because of a genetic defect that the ability to regenerate at the full moon is lost. So the speeding up of the metabolism for every Lycanthropic change is not compensated for and the subject’s body ages at an incredible pace and eventually wears out.”

“Is there any chance that the Wolfsbane Potion could be creating genetic damage?” asked Snape wondering how such a small woman could walk so fast.

“Well, I’ve heard those rumors too, and you know, the Ministry of Magic refuses to spend the money on any research of the matter. I mean, just imagine, they distribute the Wolfsbane Potion almost gratis to anyone who is part of the Werewolf registry. What if the potion should be hastening their deaths? Why no one would want to take it, would they? No, no, we couldn’t have any of that. It would put all our lives at risk.”

Hermione wondered if there was any sarcasm to what she was saying, and then realized there wasn’t. She really didn’t care how many Wizards and Witches died from the possible side effects of the Wolfsbane Potion. All that mattered was the rest of the population that didn’t need to take it would be kept safe. She felt a bit queasy.

In a tiny, dim room with dirty windows lay Remus Lupin on a cot. The Wizard’s hair hadn’t been cut in some time and it was all lengths as if the monthly transformation had caused an uneven growth. His nails were also dirty and long. Hermione shivered. Although Remus never had a great deal of money, he’d always taken scrupulous care of his personal hygiene. Her heart went out to him that he was too ill to do this and that no one on the ward could be bothered.

His hair and long beard were totally white and he looked to be decades older than Albus Dumbledore. His skin had a parchment quality to it and was an ashy grey. His eyes were pale blue and were rheumy and reddened with broken blood vessels. He was staring up at the ceiling so still that for a moment Hermione thought they had arrived too late and he had died.

“Visitors for you,” said Strout, “now be nice and try to sit up for them.” Hermione expected that Strout might attempt to help Remus do so, but instead she turned on her heel and left the room. Remus continued to stare up at the ceiling.

Snape cut a look at Hermione. The bleeding heart was, of course, melting as expected. Her lips were trembling as she attempted to pull herself together. Fine, thought Snape, first the damned House Elf and now the ruddy werewolf! He was about ready to die of sugar poisoning.

Hermione pulled up a chair from the opposite wall and slowly approached the cot. Tenderly, she lifted the skeleton-framed Wizard up so that she could move the pillows behind him. When she came into his eye view, he reacted. It wasn’t much but his labored breath seemed to speed up. Hermione took her wand and did a quick diagnostic.

“Remus,” she stroked his hair from his face and spoke to him gently, “please calm down. It’s Hermione Granger. I was one of your students.”

“We are not having a good effect on him. We should leave,” said Snape with a catch to his throat. He didn’t like being there, he felt angry. We wanted to hex someone, but there was no one to attack.

“You can leave if you wish.” She said coldly, “I just got here.” She started inspecting his body.

“What are you doing?” asked Snape in frustration after a few minutes of watching Hermione go over him.

“He’s dehydrated, has bed sores and bruises. We are taking him with us!”

“No, you can’t. We don’t have the facilities to handle him.”

“He’s dying of neglect. If you want your cure, and someone who trusts you enough to sign off on it, you better keep him alive.” She went to the table, which was too far from him to reach for himself, and got him a glass of water. She pressed it to his lips and though most of it trickled onto his front, his large Adam’s apple did indicate that he was capable of swallowing a bit. She laid him back on the cot.

“Her... her...” it sounded like he was trying to call her name.

“Save your strength, Remus.” He tried to move his hand and Hermione took it between hers. “Do you give permission to let me check you out of this place?” His eyes went to her and he blinked. And then in a painfully hoarse voice, “Yes.”

Snape grabbed Hermione’s arm and dragged her to a corner of the room.

“He’s too far gone. He can’t give consent, not in this condition,” he hissed at her.

“At this point in time, it isn’t the curse he’s dying from. It’s lack of water and nourishment. They aren’t even trying to keep him alive. I can help him.”

“For what, you little idiot? For him to die after the next full moon? Don’t you realize it’s a kindness to let him get weak enough for it to kill him.”

She slapped him then, very hard.

“Sod off,” she whispered. And turned back to her former DADA professor.

And that was the end of the argument.

&&&

Dr. Severus Snape got ready for bed. He’d managed to avoid his wife for the better part of the day. It helped that when he and Sarah had returned to the cottage, Hermione had already left for the Potters. He left Sarah to bake cookies with Nanani and worked in the lab. He had his dinner there and was a bit surprised that Hermione had chosen to leave him alone. He crept up to the guestroom and warded himself in again. He was wretched. Every time he thought about her his stomach hurt and his heart was ready to burst! He just couldn’t accept that Hermione had been in another man’s arms-- even if those arms were his! Part of his brain told him he was being unreasonable. After all, what was good for the goose was good for the gander. But he wasn’t thinking now. He was feeling, and his feelings told him to find a deep, dark hole and hide.

He took some Dreamless Sleep and tucked himself into a tiny ball of misery and went to sleep.

A/N: Big, big hugs to my reviewers: Karen, NegativeNine, FriendlyQuark, LittleBird (thanks for the warm thoughts), Deb, and Genrou.