A Wizard's Debt
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
42
Views:
39,551
Reviews:
228
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
42
Views:
39,551
Reviews:
228
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Hermione
A/N: Right then, my exams are FINISHED *has party*, so my current to-do list has four things on it:
1) Spring clean house (even if it isn’t spring)
2) Beta work for a very promising author.
3) Add more chapters to fics.
4) Work my way through a nice order of books from an internet book seller (and we can all pretty much guess where, but I don’t want to be an advertisement for anything).
Unfortunately, my beta has another 2 exams to go – and thus these latter chapters are un-betad, all mistakes are MINE so na-na-na-na-naaaaa.
Hermione.
“Oh.” I said, wide eyed. What else could I say to that?
“Indeed.” He sneered, watching as the last few grains of sand trickled into the bottom chamber of the hourglass before adding the ingredient. I didn’t know what it was, other than being purple – usually that would bother me, but oddly enough I had other issues on my mind.
“I don’t really know what to say… other than, would it realistically work? Could we be husband and wife?”
“One moment.” He said, ignoring me, stirring the potion and hissing as it became an orange sludge. “Well, that did not work how I predicted it to.” He cleared the orange goo away with his wand before turning to me.
“What were the ‘things’ you required in a mate?” I prompted, leaning back against the workbench and watching her.
“I wanted… mate? Pardon?”
“Yes, a magical couple refer to their husband or wife as their mate, rather than a spouse. Magical marriages are very different from Muggle ceremonies – as you witnessed with Draco and Oliver – and you are joined to your partner on a very deep, and dare I say it, animalistic level. Baser instincts of protection and care are brought forward. Hence, mate.”
“It is one thing I never looked into when I entered the magical world – I read a lot of Magical History, Magical politics, Magical accounting, text books… but nothing on marriage. I didn’t think I’d need it.” I said, sad. Nobody ever wanted me for more than my mind, I don’t have a particularly attractive body for men to go after.
“I think many young people are thinking the same as you on that front, they didn’t think they needed to know the intimate details of marriage either. Though, why the ministry made it seventeen is beyond me – it is too young to comprehend and understand the life-long bond that will be undertaken.” He said thoughtfully.
“It could have been so much worse. They want to repopulate the wizarding world; they could have demanded any female of child-bearing age had to marry, not just those considered adult.” I shrugged to hide the shudder, I had a sinking suspicion that the Minister of Magic might have initially put that proposition forward.
“That does not bear thinking of.” He said with a sneer, “Returning to an earlier point in conversation, Miss Granger, what do you require in a mate?” He prompted.
“Intelligent…”
“I can produce my Curriculem Vitate should you wish to see it, but I can inform you that my OWLs and NEWTS did not drop below an ‘E’; I myself was head boy for my achievements; my Master of Potions qualification was passed with 99% - a record for the university; and that I am in no way shape or form a fool.” He said calmly, gently even.
“You were head boy? I thought James Potter was head boy?”
“He was. I was in the year below them.” He said quietly, “Continue your list.”
“Calm, controlled, sensible…”
“Need I say more, Miss Granger?” he said, peering down at me with piercing eyes.
“Not really. Erm, able to have fun?” This I am dubious about. Very dubious.
“What I classify as fun is not the same as the boys who surround you; I enjoy good food and good company away from crowds; I enjoy watching professional quidditch matches, though you would have to cover your ears as my language in those moments tends to be far from suitable for a lady’s ears – which is why Lucius never lets Narcissa accompany him to a match, his language is rather colourful, so there is a lady’s box… I enjoy visiting a little-known venue called ‘Calliope, Euterpe and Thalia’; named after the three Muses, it is a place of poets, musicians and comedians.”
“I’ve never heard of it – but it sounds nice, is it all live music?” I asked, his face had an uncommon animation to it as he answered me.
“Indeed, there are some spectacular musicians, and some not so spectacular – but they put in the same effort to their performances and are not to be mocked.” He said.
“Sounds great! Erm, someone I could have a conversation about anything with?”
“Unlike many potion Masters I am not blinkered by my research or career and am perfectly capable of talking about many things, it is just that most choose to only ask about potions.” He shrugged.
“I know the feeling, though I normally only get asked about schoolwork… Someone who could keep me happy?” I said, wincing. Was Professor Snape capable of keeping me happy? Was I asking too much?
“What do you need to keep you happy? If it was in my position to provide it, I would.”
“You are the first person to ask me that. Most people don’t care for my happiness, they think if they give me books then I’ll be blissfully happy. But it doesn’t work like that – yes I love getting lost in a good book, who doesn’t? But I need other things too. I like gardening, not impressive Herbology, just planting some seeds or bulbs and letting them grow, watching the insects visit the flowers. I like music, and I hope you’d have room for my piano, which is shrunk and kept safe with Molly. I enjoy drawing, more specifically fashion drawing; I can’t sew for love nor money, but I design nice pieces of clothing.” He’s going to think I’m mad, I know it. He’ll laugh like Ron did when I told him I designed clothes ‘Why do that when you never wear anything pretty?’ he’d said.
“How big is the piano?”
“It’s a baby grand.” I said, shocked.
“I have perhaps got space for an upright piano; I could ask Minerva for larger rooms to accommodate one larger…” He said, scratching his nose.
“You play?”
“No. But I enjoy listening. The dungeons are not a place for plants, with the lack of light; but I do not doubt a way could be found around that. And as for your drawing, I have no problem with it – and perhaps some drawings could become real, one of the potion Master’s wife’s runs a robe boutique in Wizarding York. You could pass on your ideas to her; actually, I’d encourage it, a hobby is a wonderful escape.” He said, giving an almost perfect answer.
“Are you in my mind and just telling me what I want to hear in a method of swaying my opinion to you?” I asked, suddenly sceptical.
“No. What would be the point in that? What would I achieve? If I too must marry then I would like a woman who would be a true partner, an equal. Someone who can look past my deeds and appearance.” He said, jumping up onto the desk behind him and stretching out his long legs.
“Could you hold me when I need a good cry?” I whispered.
“It is a long time since I comforted a crying woman, but I would do anything to keep my mate comfortable, it is a duty as a husband.”
“Well, can you forget that we aren’t married and give me a hug; ‘cause all I want to do is curl up and cry.” I whispered, the reality of the past month catching up with me, his perfect answers giving me a fool’s hope.
“Come here.” He said gently, folding me into surprisingly strong arms in the space between his legs as he sat on the bench. Finally, in the comfort offered by a firm embrace, I broke down with the tears that have been threatening to fall for a long time.
“Its all right.” He whispered. Words that were untrue, but exactly what I needed to hear.
1) Spring clean house (even if it isn’t spring)
2) Beta work for a very promising author.
3) Add more chapters to fics.
4) Work my way through a nice order of books from an internet book seller (and we can all pretty much guess where, but I don’t want to be an advertisement for anything).
Unfortunately, my beta has another 2 exams to go – and thus these latter chapters are un-betad, all mistakes are MINE so na-na-na-na-naaaaa.
Hermione.
“Oh.” I said, wide eyed. What else could I say to that?
“Indeed.” He sneered, watching as the last few grains of sand trickled into the bottom chamber of the hourglass before adding the ingredient. I didn’t know what it was, other than being purple – usually that would bother me, but oddly enough I had other issues on my mind.
“I don’t really know what to say… other than, would it realistically work? Could we be husband and wife?”
“One moment.” He said, ignoring me, stirring the potion and hissing as it became an orange sludge. “Well, that did not work how I predicted it to.” He cleared the orange goo away with his wand before turning to me.
“What were the ‘things’ you required in a mate?” I prompted, leaning back against the workbench and watching her.
“I wanted… mate? Pardon?”
“Yes, a magical couple refer to their husband or wife as their mate, rather than a spouse. Magical marriages are very different from Muggle ceremonies – as you witnessed with Draco and Oliver – and you are joined to your partner on a very deep, and dare I say it, animalistic level. Baser instincts of protection and care are brought forward. Hence, mate.”
“It is one thing I never looked into when I entered the magical world – I read a lot of Magical History, Magical politics, Magical accounting, text books… but nothing on marriage. I didn’t think I’d need it.” I said, sad. Nobody ever wanted me for more than my mind, I don’t have a particularly attractive body for men to go after.
“I think many young people are thinking the same as you on that front, they didn’t think they needed to know the intimate details of marriage either. Though, why the ministry made it seventeen is beyond me – it is too young to comprehend and understand the life-long bond that will be undertaken.” He said thoughtfully.
“It could have been so much worse. They want to repopulate the wizarding world; they could have demanded any female of child-bearing age had to marry, not just those considered adult.” I shrugged to hide the shudder, I had a sinking suspicion that the Minister of Magic might have initially put that proposition forward.
“That does not bear thinking of.” He said with a sneer, “Returning to an earlier point in conversation, Miss Granger, what do you require in a mate?” He prompted.
“Intelligent…”
“I can produce my Curriculem Vitate should you wish to see it, but I can inform you that my OWLs and NEWTS did not drop below an ‘E’; I myself was head boy for my achievements; my Master of Potions qualification was passed with 99% - a record for the university; and that I am in no way shape or form a fool.” He said calmly, gently even.
“You were head boy? I thought James Potter was head boy?”
“He was. I was in the year below them.” He said quietly, “Continue your list.”
“Calm, controlled, sensible…”
“Need I say more, Miss Granger?” he said, peering down at me with piercing eyes.
“Not really. Erm, able to have fun?” This I am dubious about. Very dubious.
“What I classify as fun is not the same as the boys who surround you; I enjoy good food and good company away from crowds; I enjoy watching professional quidditch matches, though you would have to cover your ears as my language in those moments tends to be far from suitable for a lady’s ears – which is why Lucius never lets Narcissa accompany him to a match, his language is rather colourful, so there is a lady’s box… I enjoy visiting a little-known venue called ‘Calliope, Euterpe and Thalia’; named after the three Muses, it is a place of poets, musicians and comedians.”
“I’ve never heard of it – but it sounds nice, is it all live music?” I asked, his face had an uncommon animation to it as he answered me.
“Indeed, there are some spectacular musicians, and some not so spectacular – but they put in the same effort to their performances and are not to be mocked.” He said.
“Sounds great! Erm, someone I could have a conversation about anything with?”
“Unlike many potion Masters I am not blinkered by my research or career and am perfectly capable of talking about many things, it is just that most choose to only ask about potions.” He shrugged.
“I know the feeling, though I normally only get asked about schoolwork… Someone who could keep me happy?” I said, wincing. Was Professor Snape capable of keeping me happy? Was I asking too much?
“What do you need to keep you happy? If it was in my position to provide it, I would.”
“You are the first person to ask me that. Most people don’t care for my happiness, they think if they give me books then I’ll be blissfully happy. But it doesn’t work like that – yes I love getting lost in a good book, who doesn’t? But I need other things too. I like gardening, not impressive Herbology, just planting some seeds or bulbs and letting them grow, watching the insects visit the flowers. I like music, and I hope you’d have room for my piano, which is shrunk and kept safe with Molly. I enjoy drawing, more specifically fashion drawing; I can’t sew for love nor money, but I design nice pieces of clothing.” He’s going to think I’m mad, I know it. He’ll laugh like Ron did when I told him I designed clothes ‘Why do that when you never wear anything pretty?’ he’d said.
“How big is the piano?”
“It’s a baby grand.” I said, shocked.
“I have perhaps got space for an upright piano; I could ask Minerva for larger rooms to accommodate one larger…” He said, scratching his nose.
“You play?”
“No. But I enjoy listening. The dungeons are not a place for plants, with the lack of light; but I do not doubt a way could be found around that. And as for your drawing, I have no problem with it – and perhaps some drawings could become real, one of the potion Master’s wife’s runs a robe boutique in Wizarding York. You could pass on your ideas to her; actually, I’d encourage it, a hobby is a wonderful escape.” He said, giving an almost perfect answer.
“Are you in my mind and just telling me what I want to hear in a method of swaying my opinion to you?” I asked, suddenly sceptical.
“No. What would be the point in that? What would I achieve? If I too must marry then I would like a woman who would be a true partner, an equal. Someone who can look past my deeds and appearance.” He said, jumping up onto the desk behind him and stretching out his long legs.
“Could you hold me when I need a good cry?” I whispered.
“It is a long time since I comforted a crying woman, but I would do anything to keep my mate comfortable, it is a duty as a husband.”
“Well, can you forget that we aren’t married and give me a hug; ‘cause all I want to do is curl up and cry.” I whispered, the reality of the past month catching up with me, his perfect answers giving me a fool’s hope.
“Come here.” He said gently, folding me into surprisingly strong arms in the space between his legs as he sat on the bench. Finally, in the comfort offered by a firm embrace, I broke down with the tears that have been threatening to fall for a long time.
“Its all right.” He whispered. Words that were untrue, but exactly what I needed to hear.