Snapey Went A Courting

Snapey Went A Courting

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

Chapter 13 - Baby, Baby, Baby, Don’t Leave Me!


It seemed that Hermione’s head had no sooner touched the pillow when the doorbell rang. She went to the window and saw it was Snape. She let him in and found herself immediately swept up into a pair of strong arms.

“I read the article,” his voice sounded very soothing to her ear. “I’m so very sorry that you’ve been put into this position.” He looked nervous.

Hermione felt her heart pound from his closeness to her. And he was dressed in blue jeans, like in her dream. However the grey jacket and the dress shirt seemed a bit at odds with the jeans. She reminded herself that Snape himself had no senseall all of Muggle style and that this, by Wizarding standards, was excellent. She felt a bit embarrassed by her behavior of last night, but yet again, she found close proximity with the man quite stimulating.

“I’m not sure what to make of it all. I’ve left the Wizarding world, so why should they care?”

“But they do. Please let me make things right. We can wed immediately, at Hogwarts where you will be safe from the faction of House Elves who mean you harm. And I will protect you.” With that he tilted her head up and softly kissed her.

Hermione felt herself melting into him. Her head spun and her breasts tightened. She was shocked to find herself opening her mouth to him and pressing closer.

Snape was equally shocked by her action, but he was delighted that she was so responsive. He knew he had to be careful, though, because this approach had backfired once before. He gave himself more fully to the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth. As she gave a small moan, his own body responded qly aly and he had to force himself not to rub up against her.

When the kiss finally broke, they stood there gazing into one another’s eyes. Snape then drew her into him, hugging her and resting his chin on the top of her head.

“You’ve made me very happy.” There, Minerva would be proud. Hermione had acquiesced after all.

He felt her shake her head and pull away. “No. I’m sorry but that won’t do. I’m not returning. I am staying here where things are quiet and calm. I’m not going to subject my child to the dangers and insanity, yes, insanity of your world. You can see him, but he’s not going back there.”

Something fragile broke inside of Snape. It may have been hope, or his heart, but it hurt like Hell. “You stupid, foolish girl. I offer you marriage, respect, decency on a silver platter.” His voice was deep and silky; Hermione recognized it as an ominous sign. “And you spit on it all.”

Her grabbed her arms and gave her a tiny shake, “What will it take to put some common sense into that Mudblood brain of yours. I offer you protection against all that would harm you or my son.”

He shoved her onto the couch, his voice getting louder. “I jump through hoops for you. I crawl and grovel at your feet and nothing, nothing is good enough for you!” His breath was coming fast and tiny bits of spittle formed at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m a pure blood! You should be grateful to me! You… Yo
H
Hermione put her head down and covered it to avoid a blow that never came. Snape froze and stared at her frightened defensive posture. No. No. He hadn’t meant to scare her. He was cold all over, it was as if he’d been possessed by his uncle’s spirit. He sunk down to the floor and covered his face in his hands.

“And who’s going to protect us from you, Severus?” she said in a cold, clear voice. “You can’t help yourself, can you? You enjoy being the bully. You’ll never let us be equals, you see? It was an act.”

He dragged himself over to her and put his face in her lap. “No,” he moaned. Hermione wanted to touch him, comfort him, but was afraid. She did know him, had known him all along really. Knew him for the liar he was. Then a startling awareness hit her!

All that commotion should have roused Waldo. Something was wrong!

“Severus?”

He looked up, eyes shiny with emotion. He saw the panic on Hermione’s face. “What is it?” he quietly asked.

“Waldo. He’s too quiet.”

“Where is he?”

“I left him in his bassinette in the bedroom.”

They both raced toward the room, with Snape getting there first. Hermione reached down and picked up the child. His eyes were open and he was breathing, but there was a horrifying blankness to him. As she picked him up, she immediately noticed the lack of muscle tone.

“Oh, , so, something’s wrong.” Hermione swallowed down her fear and hysteria. “He should be crying, doing something.”

Snape took his son from her arms. The babe’s face was strangely inanimate, like a doll’s face. “Surely, you are simply overreacting. He’s breathing all right.” But he felt it, too. Crawling down his spine was a feeling of something being terribly amiss. This wasn’t his son. He had a suspicion of what it might be and his mind scrambled away from the thought.

“We must get him to Pomfrey.”

“Are you sure? Maybe a Muggle hospital?”

“What is wrong with you? How could you have gone so stupid in the short time since your NEWTs?” Snape sneered at her cruelly. He grabbed some floo powder in one hand while cradling his son in his other.

“Hogwart’s infirmary.” Within a few seconds the concerned face of Madam Pomfrey appeared.

“Severus? What is it?”

“Take Saccius, he’s ill.” He started to hand the baby over and Hermione panicked.

“No. I want him.”

“Hermione, think! Do you wish to risk Apparating with one so young?”

Feeling sick, she shook her head and watched as Waldo left her sight. Snape got up and turned to her. “Hurry up then. We have to Apparate to the gates and then go up to the castle.”

Hermione held her stomach and found she couldn’t move. Snape, with a pained look, put his arms around her. “I’ll take you then.” Even then, she couldn’t stop trembling.

&&&

Alicia sat in the teacher’s lounge and cast a heavy sigh as she turned another page of her Arithmancy tables. Lupin came over and kissed her gently on the top of her head.

“That was quite a large sigh for such a petite Witch, my lady.” He was rewarded with a small smile that made his heart dip.

“It doesn’t make sense.” She twirled a bit of her hair between finger and thumb.

“Well, then it must be a very complicated problem you are working on.” He thought she looked very sweet when perplexed.

“With people things are always complicated. I wish it were an Arithmancy problem.”

“Alicia?” He sat in a chair next to her in the teachers lounge. “So it’s not an equation that’s bothering you?”

She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. “She shouldn’t have ever become pret. t. It’s simply not possible.” She half muttered to herself.

“Hermione. You are thinking about Hermione?”

“I never told her, was too timid, but I really enjoyed having her in my classes. Such a bright girl, a real joy to teach.”

“Not unusual. That’s how all of the teachers felt about her.” He took her hand and kissed it, wondering why his girl was so upset. He could see the tears coming in her eyes.

“Except for that bastard Snape! I hate him, Remus. He got you fired. He was always nasty about the students, with the exception of his own bloody house.” She swallowed. “How could it have happened between them? It’s not possible.”

“And he was mean to you, I remember that.”

“That’s when I first noticed you, all those years ago. You didn’t say anything to him, but I could see you didn’t approve.”

Lupin sighed, “I’ve known him a long time. As you said, it’s complicated.”

“I cursed him after you left.”

The words hung in the air for a second, while Lupin tried to understand her meaning.

“Yes?”

“He should have come crawling to me to beg forgiveness, for me to lift the curse.”

“But he didn’t?”

“No.”

“He’s a proud man. I suppose the curse wore off. Why did you do it?”

Alicia turned beet red. “I had tried to work up the courage to talk to you all the school year you were here. But you know I’m shy. And then suddenly you were gone and it was too late. I was furious.”

Lupin leaned over and delicately kissed her. “I love you, you know that?”

She gave a small laugh and sat on his lap, “I love you, too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

There was a clearing of a throat and Filius Flitwick walked in. “Now, I’m as understanding as the next Wizard about being young and all. But when the Headmaster comes back, mark my words, he’s not going to be sanguine about the scandal and you two don’t want to be caught in the cross f”
”

Alicia jumped off of Lupin’s lap as it had burned her. “I’m, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t have to mind me, Prof. Vector. But you’ve never seen how Albus Dumbledore gets when there’s a teacher-student scandal.”

“Filius,” said Lupin smoothly, “Hermione had already graduated.”

“The papers have it sounding like it started while she was a student. Hinted at her trying to improve her grades. You’ve got to read between the lines. It’s as much an attack on Hogwarts as on Miss Granger. eruserus, being a pure blood, is treated as a victim of course.” Flitwick sniffed, “Typical.”

“We shall be—“

There was a noise from the fireplace and Pomfrey’s worried head appeared. “Professor Lupin. We need your Dark Arts expertise here.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Saccius Granger. Come quickly, please.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Alicia. “I wish to see Hermione.”

“Yes, yes,” said Lupin distractedly, “come along if you want.”

&&&

What Lupin found upon entering the infirmary was a scene bordering on chaos. There was a group of House Elves in one corner of the large room, some wailing, some beating their heads against the stone walls and floor and others arguing. Hermione was sitting on a cot having hysterics as Madam Pomfrey tried to get her to take a restorative and Snape, looking like a black thundercloud in spite of his Muggle clothing, was pacing with his young son in his arms.

“What’s the Crimson Mouse doing here?” he asked with a snarl.

“I… I wanted to help.” Alicia stuttered and headed to Hermione’s side.

“Do shut your gob,” said Lupin pissed off at Snape’s treatment of his lover, “we are both here to help. You don’t need to snap at her.”

Snape cut a look to Alicia, who had taken the potion from Madam Pomfrey and freed the nurse to come over.

“May I see him?” Lupin asked not too gently.

Snape looked like he wasn’t going to agree, but then put the baby on a cot. It just lay there. Its eyes were unseeing and expressionless. Lupin tried to get the child’s attention by snapping his fingers and then making a silly face. Nothing. He leaned over and lifted one tiny arm. It dropped from his hand quite lifelessly.

Lupin straightened up and walked over to Pomfrey. Snape grimaced and cradled the baby in his arms. After seeing that Hermione had finally taken the potion, he walked slowly over to where Pomfrey and Lupin were conferring.

Suddenly Dobby broke off from the group of Elves who had been arguing and went to Snape.

“Please tell Miss Hermione Granger that it wasn’t us. She must understand. It couldn’t be because—“

“Let her rest a bit, first.” Snape’s eyes glittered, “She’ll understand soon enough.”

Dobby’s eyes filled with tears and one headed down his face, “House Elves would never hurt her or her baby!”

“Severus, Remus agrees,” cut in Pomfrey

“I’m not surprised,” replied Snape in an irritated tone. “So what do we do then?”

“I’ve never actually seen a Changeling before, Severus. Have you?” asked Lupin.

Snape shook his head. “The Faerie keep to themselves. I’ve never even met one of them.”

Lupin swallowed and spoke in a low voice. “Oh, they can be found though. I have met a Witch who has some Faerie blood.”

Snape’s left eye began to twitch. “Tell me where she is and I shall hex the information we need from her.”

“She’s on our side. You don’t need to do that. I’ll give you her card and you can owl her for an appointment. She’s good at locating people and things.”

“This can’t wait,” he hissed.

“Do you have a better suggestion? Unfortunately, she’s not part of the flooworkwork.”

Snape looked over at Hermione who was lying on the cot sleeping restlessly. Alicia had left. “Give me her name.”

“Viola Iolanthe. Just mention me.”

&&&

Sliewynk was dancing a jig and singing, “I’ve got the baby, I’ve got the baby,” all the way through the Faerie Queen’s forest.

“Say, wot you got there, little Sliey?” asked Jerkypot rubbing his nose with a twig like finger.

“What does it look like? It’s a human child. A mortal. And he’s mine. I’m going to present him to the court, right now. Come with me?”

Jerkypot took a closer look. “So, that’s what they look like. Ugly little bastard. I wonder why the Queen’s so fond of ‘em.”

“I don’t know.” Sliewynk scratched her blond head. “I dunnever thought about it before. But she is awfully keen on ‘em, so it will make her very happy.”

Jerkypot squinted his eyes suspiciously. “Do theys always be quiet like this?”

“Oh, no. They cries something fiercely they do. And then the Mum has to feed them and clean them and play with them. A right pain in the arse they are!”

“Hummmph! Well, let’s be on our way then. It don’t sound like much fun at all!” Jerkypot gave his nose another good rub and a scratch for good measure and they both took up singing and jigging, “We’ve got the baby. We’ve got the baby.”

Waldo was quite pleased with the entertainment, as it often went when children entered the Faerie World. He felt no hunger or discomfort; instead, he watched the antics of his new friends with distinct pleasure.

&&&

Close on to midnight, Lupin and Snape continued to go through tome after tome in the library, in both the Restricted Section and elsewhere, searching for something to help them. So far they had learned nothing new: that the Faerie had been Mankind’s allies against the Elves who were known for their savagery and mischievous temperament. The Faerie had pretended to take the Elves’ side against Man, only to betray them and put the Elves into slavery.

The Faerie kept to themselves and most information about them was little more than lore. Cold iron was one of the few defenses against a Faerie attack. Another was Faerie Dust, which could temporarily impair their power of illusion. Unfortunately, the recipe for the dust had been lost somewhere in antiquity, much to Snape’s despair.

Finally, in all the accounts that the two Wizards had found one thing was obvious-- it was impossible to retrieve a human child once he had been taken by the Faerie.

Snape earlier that day had received an owl post reply from the Witch Iolanthe, making an appointment for 10 AM the next day. He had checked on Hermione around dinnertime and given her a strong sleeping draught to help her with the shock she was dealing with. Madam Pomfrey remained in charge of Saccius. At Hogwarts almost everyone called him by his Wizarding name, but really he wasn’t Saccius and he wasn’t Waldo. It just looked like him.

At some point near 2 AM, Snape’s eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep over a book. Lupin saw him and chose to let him sleep. He would need his rest to face the day to come.

A/N: Big hugs and many thanks to my reviewers: NegativeNine, Kait, Luna, Spaz141, Deb and Mele. Keep up the good work! Also many thanks for all the Birthday Wishes. I had a swell time.

From the album \"Where Did Our Love Go\" The Supremes
(Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Edward Holland, Jr.)

Baby, baby
Baby don\'t leave me
Ooh, please don\'t leave me
All by myself

I\'ve got this burning, burning
Yearning feelin\' inside me
Ooh, deep inside me
And it hurts so bad

You came into my heart
So tenderly
With a burning love
That stings like a bee

Now that I surrender
So helplessly
You now wanna leave
Ooh, you wanna leave me

Ooh, baby, baby
Where did our love go?
Ooh, don\'t you want me
Don\'t you want me no more

Ooh, baby
Baby, baby
Where did our love go
And all your promisses
Of a love forever more

I\'ve got this burning, burning
Yearning feelin\' inside me
Ooh, deep inside me
And it hurts so bad

Before you won my heart
You were a perfect guy
But now that you got me
You wanna leave me behind
Baby, baby, ooh baby

Baby, baby don\'t leave me
Ooh, please don\'t leave me
All by myself

Ooh, baby, baby
Where did our love go?
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