The Expectant Detectives
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
31
Views:
15,575
Reviews:
165
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
2
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
31
Views:
15,575
Reviews:
165
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
2
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. Nor do I make any moneys from the writing of this story. Though Lord knows I wish I did.
Chapter Fourteen
Hello! Here is the next chapter and as usual thank you to all the people who have taken the time out of their busy holiday schedules to read, not to mention review.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
***
Chapter Fourteen
It was with a frown that Hermione went over the test results. They all said that it was Yaxley, when she knew for a fact that it wasn’t. Could Luna have done the testing wrong? Truth of the matter was that Luna was waving her wand constantly over the wrong caldron every time she did the tests that Hermione watched before Severus arrived to pull her away. Sad fact of it all was that she didn’t trust anyone to do the testing other than herself or the people that she personally chose to be in the MCSI department and trained to her standards.
“What’s wrong?” Severus asked as he joined her in her home office.
“I was going over the results yet again,” she muttered, handing the parchments over to Severus. “She’s competent, but Merlin help me, Severus, I just don’t trust her abilities to do the testing involved here.”
“I’ll chain you to the bed before I allow you to do any testing,” he stated without looking up from the test results.
“Yes, I know and not in a good way too,” she sighed.
Her answer had him chuckling, as he set the parchments on the desk. “Did you or did you not go through just how you would be teaching your employees in your department with me?”
Blinking at him, she murmured, “Yes, I needed to know if my lessons were clear enough.”
“And have you not updated me each year on all your new tests that you’ve developed since?”
She nodded slowly. "You helped me develop more than a few of them in fact."
Standing up, he said, “I’ll do the testing. But you, madam, must make me a promise first.”
And so that was how she ended up having tea with the former headmasters and headmistresses of the school. The fact that Severus’s headmaster’s offices were on the other end of the school and as far away as a person could get without leaving the castle from where he was doing the testing for her wasn’t missed on Hermione.
“So do tell, Mrs. Snape, how is this newest investigation of yours been going?” Albus asked her.
She told them everything and even went on to mention her puzzlement over the house elf magic that may be involved.
“You do know that most house elves are related to each other,” Albus told her. “They are bred, traded, and sold between the pure blood families much like one would do a pet.” He sighed heavily. “At least this was the case when I was a child within the wealthier families. This isn’t so much the practice now. But this doesn’t stop the family ties from being there.”
“And do they keep in contact with the other?”
Albus shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out, my dear.”
“Too true,” she whispered deep in thought. “So many elves, so little time.”
This got a bark of laughter from Phineas Black.
“That came out wrong,” Hermione muttered, blushing as she looked over to the Slytherin’s portrait. “Is there a way to narrow down whom I have to speak to?”
Smiling Phineas said, “Everyone kept personalized records. There are breeding charts for one. There are also house elf family trees done in needlepoint. All the affluent families had them back in the day. Though I must say since no one has taken to selling any of their elves in centuries there is a possibility that many of them have been lost or destroyed.” He frowned. “But some families, like my own, have elf tapestries much like the ones that have pure blood family trees.”
“Where is the Black family’s house elf chart?” she asked him.
“Hmm, the last time I saw it, the elf tapestry was shrunken in a small picture frame in the attic of Grimmwauld Place. It wouldn’t do to have it out where just anyone could see it.”
“Of course,” she said dryly into her teacup. “What would the others think?”
This had many of the others snickering to themselves in their frames.
***
It wasn’t until Hermione received word that it was safe for her to return did she go back to her rooms. What she arrived to wasn’t something she expected. Lucius was there, looking as if he had been at work with his robe off and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Giving her a nod, he went back to sipping on his tea.
She searched for her husband and finally found him in his own office with the test results in his hands. Hermione went over to him, taking the offered parchments. Looking down at the test results, she let out a long breath.
“How?” she whispered, eyes trained on the results in front of her. “How could this be Yaxley? He’s dead.”
He nodded grimly.
Sitting down, she worried her lower lip, as she was prone to do when deep in thought. “Was Yaxley his first or his last name?”
Startled, he asked, “What?”
“It just occurred to me that we don’t know if that was his first or last name. None of the documents I’ve ever seen said that it was his last name. They only referred to him as Yaxley—this included the Death Log. As such that could very well mean…”
“…There’s another Yaxley,” Severus breathed.
“It gets better,” she said looking troubled. “What if they put the wrong ‘Yaxley’ into Azkaban?”
***
It was a rather drunk Lucius Malfoy that joined the two in Severus’s study two hours later. He stopped in the doorway and saw his friend at work at his desk. Lucius looked over to the small bed that was a few feet away from the fireplace.
“She didn’t want to leave the room,” Severus told him. “And I didn’t wish to stress her more than she was already.” He stood up stretching, as he put the quill he was writing with back to its holder. “We need to speak.”
“Of course,” he murmured. “And so we will just as long as you don’t care if I’m sober.”
Severus snorted, as he took out a bottle of fire whiskey from a desk drawer along with two glasses. “Given everything, I think it’s appropriate.”
Frowning Lucius joined him, taking his glass. “What is the matter?”
“Do you recall if Yaxley’s name was his first or his last name?”
Frowning he thought it over. “I’m nearly positive that it was his last name, why?”
Severus told him about the testing, including the multiple results all pointing to the fact that the man that had been in their rooms was in fact Yaxley. This had Lucius frowning, but he said nothing for a time.
“But he’s dead,” Lucius finally said.
“A Yaxley was there and given the kiss, but pray tell was it the one we’re thinking of?”
Lucius began to pace, saying, “I remember Yaxley’s father. Right bastard that one. He slept with plenty of women—whether they wanted him or not. So there might very well be a child or more born on the wrong side of the blanket.” He snorted. “But the chances of the wrong Yaxley being thrown into Azkaban? That’s impossible!”
“And yet not entirely improbable,” Hermione was the one to whisper. Sitting up, she got up from the small bed and transfigured it back into the lounge. “Both of you sit. It’s no fun getting drunk standing up.”
She sat between them, resting into the cradle of her husband’s body. Lucius looked to their joined hands that rested over her heart, but made no comment as he looked away to the fireplace in front of them.
“The Ministry of Magic was so relieved the war was over and that Voldemort…” Both men flinched. “…was dead. All they were looking for was a darkmark at first. And it wasn’t as if they had a means to double check identities at that time.”
“How true,” Severus said darkly. “It took Albus’s portrait a week and a half to get me out of Azkaban.”
“It wasn’t Professor Dumbledore’s painting,” Hermione answered absently. “Remus practically lived at the Ministry for that week and a half. It wasn’t until the Weasleys got involved did they know he meant business.”
It was a cross between shock, understanding, and horror that crossed her husband’s face. “You mean I owe…”
She snorted, as she twisted to see his face. “No, you owe him nothing. He told me as much. In fact, I think he would be all the happier if you never mentioned it to him at all.”
A smile breaking out on Severus’s face had Hermione giggling even as he stated, “Consider it forgotten.”
***
It's time once again for the Review Sing-A-Long! The answer to the last song was "A Little Less Conversation" by the king of rock himself, Elvis Presley! Leftover wrapping paper and ribbons go out to storm610, Mia, and Arrabella for getting the correct answer! If I missed you, I'm sorry.
And here is the next song! "Hand in hand is the only way to review/And always the right way round/Not broken in pieces like hated little meeces." There you go. As for a clue, I'm in a giving mood (must be the holidays) so here it is! If you want the name of the group just think of what you do when you're ill. In other words, you look for the...? There you go! Hope everyone is having an awesome holiday season!
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
***
Chapter Fourteen
It was with a frown that Hermione went over the test results. They all said that it was Yaxley, when she knew for a fact that it wasn’t. Could Luna have done the testing wrong? Truth of the matter was that Luna was waving her wand constantly over the wrong caldron every time she did the tests that Hermione watched before Severus arrived to pull her away. Sad fact of it all was that she didn’t trust anyone to do the testing other than herself or the people that she personally chose to be in the MCSI department and trained to her standards.
“What’s wrong?” Severus asked as he joined her in her home office.
“I was going over the results yet again,” she muttered, handing the parchments over to Severus. “She’s competent, but Merlin help me, Severus, I just don’t trust her abilities to do the testing involved here.”
“I’ll chain you to the bed before I allow you to do any testing,” he stated without looking up from the test results.
“Yes, I know and not in a good way too,” she sighed.
Her answer had him chuckling, as he set the parchments on the desk. “Did you or did you not go through just how you would be teaching your employees in your department with me?”
Blinking at him, she murmured, “Yes, I needed to know if my lessons were clear enough.”
“And have you not updated me each year on all your new tests that you’ve developed since?”
She nodded slowly. "You helped me develop more than a few of them in fact."
Standing up, he said, “I’ll do the testing. But you, madam, must make me a promise first.”
And so that was how she ended up having tea with the former headmasters and headmistresses of the school. The fact that Severus’s headmaster’s offices were on the other end of the school and as far away as a person could get without leaving the castle from where he was doing the testing for her wasn’t missed on Hermione.
“So do tell, Mrs. Snape, how is this newest investigation of yours been going?” Albus asked her.
She told them everything and even went on to mention her puzzlement over the house elf magic that may be involved.
“You do know that most house elves are related to each other,” Albus told her. “They are bred, traded, and sold between the pure blood families much like one would do a pet.” He sighed heavily. “At least this was the case when I was a child within the wealthier families. This isn’t so much the practice now. But this doesn’t stop the family ties from being there.”
“And do they keep in contact with the other?”
Albus shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out, my dear.”
“Too true,” she whispered deep in thought. “So many elves, so little time.”
This got a bark of laughter from Phineas Black.
“That came out wrong,” Hermione muttered, blushing as she looked over to the Slytherin’s portrait. “Is there a way to narrow down whom I have to speak to?”
Smiling Phineas said, “Everyone kept personalized records. There are breeding charts for one. There are also house elf family trees done in needlepoint. All the affluent families had them back in the day. Though I must say since no one has taken to selling any of their elves in centuries there is a possibility that many of them have been lost or destroyed.” He frowned. “But some families, like my own, have elf tapestries much like the ones that have pure blood family trees.”
“Where is the Black family’s house elf chart?” she asked him.
“Hmm, the last time I saw it, the elf tapestry was shrunken in a small picture frame in the attic of Grimmwauld Place. It wouldn’t do to have it out where just anyone could see it.”
“Of course,” she said dryly into her teacup. “What would the others think?”
This had many of the others snickering to themselves in their frames.
***
It wasn’t until Hermione received word that it was safe for her to return did she go back to her rooms. What she arrived to wasn’t something she expected. Lucius was there, looking as if he had been at work with his robe off and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Giving her a nod, he went back to sipping on his tea.
She searched for her husband and finally found him in his own office with the test results in his hands. Hermione went over to him, taking the offered parchments. Looking down at the test results, she let out a long breath.
“How?” she whispered, eyes trained on the results in front of her. “How could this be Yaxley? He’s dead.”
He nodded grimly.
Sitting down, she worried her lower lip, as she was prone to do when deep in thought. “Was Yaxley his first or his last name?”
Startled, he asked, “What?”
“It just occurred to me that we don’t know if that was his first or last name. None of the documents I’ve ever seen said that it was his last name. They only referred to him as Yaxley—this included the Death Log. As such that could very well mean…”
“…There’s another Yaxley,” Severus breathed.
“It gets better,” she said looking troubled. “What if they put the wrong ‘Yaxley’ into Azkaban?”
***
It was a rather drunk Lucius Malfoy that joined the two in Severus’s study two hours later. He stopped in the doorway and saw his friend at work at his desk. Lucius looked over to the small bed that was a few feet away from the fireplace.
“She didn’t want to leave the room,” Severus told him. “And I didn’t wish to stress her more than she was already.” He stood up stretching, as he put the quill he was writing with back to its holder. “We need to speak.”
“Of course,” he murmured. “And so we will just as long as you don’t care if I’m sober.”
Severus snorted, as he took out a bottle of fire whiskey from a desk drawer along with two glasses. “Given everything, I think it’s appropriate.”
Frowning Lucius joined him, taking his glass. “What is the matter?”
“Do you recall if Yaxley’s name was his first or his last name?”
Frowning he thought it over. “I’m nearly positive that it was his last name, why?”
Severus told him about the testing, including the multiple results all pointing to the fact that the man that had been in their rooms was in fact Yaxley. This had Lucius frowning, but he said nothing for a time.
“But he’s dead,” Lucius finally said.
“A Yaxley was there and given the kiss, but pray tell was it the one we’re thinking of?”
Lucius began to pace, saying, “I remember Yaxley’s father. Right bastard that one. He slept with plenty of women—whether they wanted him or not. So there might very well be a child or more born on the wrong side of the blanket.” He snorted. “But the chances of the wrong Yaxley being thrown into Azkaban? That’s impossible!”
“And yet not entirely improbable,” Hermione was the one to whisper. Sitting up, she got up from the small bed and transfigured it back into the lounge. “Both of you sit. It’s no fun getting drunk standing up.”
She sat between them, resting into the cradle of her husband’s body. Lucius looked to their joined hands that rested over her heart, but made no comment as he looked away to the fireplace in front of them.
“The Ministry of Magic was so relieved the war was over and that Voldemort…” Both men flinched. “…was dead. All they were looking for was a darkmark at first. And it wasn’t as if they had a means to double check identities at that time.”
“How true,” Severus said darkly. “It took Albus’s portrait a week and a half to get me out of Azkaban.”
“It wasn’t Professor Dumbledore’s painting,” Hermione answered absently. “Remus practically lived at the Ministry for that week and a half. It wasn’t until the Weasleys got involved did they know he meant business.”
It was a cross between shock, understanding, and horror that crossed her husband’s face. “You mean I owe…”
She snorted, as she twisted to see his face. “No, you owe him nothing. He told me as much. In fact, I think he would be all the happier if you never mentioned it to him at all.”
A smile breaking out on Severus’s face had Hermione giggling even as he stated, “Consider it forgotten.”
***
It's time once again for the Review Sing-A-Long! The answer to the last song was "A Little Less Conversation" by the king of rock himself, Elvis Presley! Leftover wrapping paper and ribbons go out to storm610, Mia, and Arrabella for getting the correct answer! If I missed you, I'm sorry.
And here is the next song! "Hand in hand is the only way to review/And always the right way round/Not broken in pieces like hated little meeces." There you go. As for a clue, I'm in a giving mood (must be the holidays) so here it is! If you want the name of the group just think of what you do when you're ill. In other words, you look for the...? There you go! Hope everyone is having an awesome holiday season!