The Expectant Detectives
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
31
Views:
15,576
Reviews:
165
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
2
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
31
Views:
15,576
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 Fifteen
Hello everyone! Sorry about the long wait for this update. Between the holidays and general laziness, it's taken more time than usual for me to get this chapter out. Thanks for sticking with this and as usual--
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
***
Chapter Fifteen
It was the next morning that Hermione thought it a grand idea that she go to visit Harry’s godfather. It had also been in her wisdom that she should do so without telling her husband first. True, the two weren’t enemies anymore, but neither would the two be the closest of comrades. So the moment Severus left to start the school day by having breakfast in with the rest of the staff and students, she wrote a note to her husband that she left with Dobby to take to him and was on her way.
Hermione was welcomed with opened arms, but as was common with many of their meetings the polite yet false cheer never lasted for long.
Sirius blinked at Hermione in shock. “The what?”
“The Black house elf chart documenting familial ties within the house elves…”
“I heard you the first time,” he said, taking a sip of his tea. “I had no idea that it existed.”
“Hmm, really?” Sirius’s eyes went narrow at her words. “That is difficult to believe.” She set her tea aside. “Now it is understandable that you don’t know where it is now, but to never know that something that your family would have held in such high regard… That’s pushing it.”
Sirius’s lips went thin at her words muttering, “If you came here to call me a liar…”
“No, I didn’t. I came here to see you and to find out if you knew where your house elves family tree was. If you choose to tell untruths along the way, I’m going to call you on it just like any other time.”
He snorted. “Leave it to you…” He took a deep breath. “I haven’t seen it since I was a teenager. I was thirteen and that damn little shit…”
“Sirius, he has a name. The least you can do is use it,” she murmured dryly. “And if you had treated him with any sort of respect, just imagine, you could have had an ally during your darkest days.”
“I’m not playing ‘what if’,” he snapped.
“Good,” she murmured. “And yet you’re willing to repeat history by continuing to treat the house elves like crap.”
He glared at her.
“Oh please,” she muttered. “I am not as bad as your mother.”
That had Sirius blinking at her in shock before bursting out laughing. “You’re still a pain in the ass.”
She nodded at that, but said nothing.
He took a sip of his tea again. “My family was so damn proud of that chart.” Sirius made a face of disgust. “It represented everything I hated about my family.”
“Understandable,” she murmured.
“Really?” He looked at her hard. “How…”
Hermione thought it over. “Back in the days when slavery was legal in the United States and elsewhere, they kept very good records. You see it was a matter of pride with the landowners. The more slaves they had, the better off they were financially. It was a matter of status. The same can be said with owners of house elves.” She sighed sadly. “Births, deaths, trades, and sales all recorded with little regard to the people, or house elves in this case. Lives reduced down to a number and how much others thought they were worth. But what our ancestors may have taken pride in, we have different ideas about.”
“You keep talking like that and the house elves are going to think you’re going to free them again,” Sirius scoffed.
She shook her head no. “There’s a saying that you can only help those who want the help. I got tired of hitting my head against that wall ages ago, but I will treat them with respect. And that, sir, starts by calling them by their names. Given all they do for us, it’s the least we can do.”
“We pay them, thank you very much!”
“You’ve fought for the respect that you’ve eventually earned as the head of the auror department and you can still say that with a straight face?”
He was silent for a time before saying, “It’s different. I know. But these are house elves we’re talking about not wizards…”
She cleared her throat, pointing out to him, “It’s that kind of egocentric thinking that got the wizarding world into a war that lasted for as long as it did with the goblins.”
“You’re a regular history book,” he said flatly.
“You’re too kind,” Hermione murmured dryly as she stood up. “I hate to end this all too lovely tea, but I must be off.”
“But you didn’t find out where the chart is,” he stated as he stood up and went over to the door to let her out.
“But I did, Sirius,” she murmured. “You as much as said it.”
Frowning he muttered, “No I didn’t.”
“You told me Kreacher had it,” she said, walking over to the doorway. “He was more than likely trying to show it to you as a source of pride.” She looked into his gray eyes and saw shock. “And why wouldn’t he be proud of it? It was his family tree after all.”
“He ended up showing it to Regulus,” he whispered. “He was the only one that paid any attention to that…” he cleared his throat. “To Kreacher.”
Smiling she said, “Very good, but don’t try doing all this political correctness at once. Remember, baby steps!”
The head auror was still laughing as she was exiting his outer office.
***
“Why in the name of all that’s holy did you want to speak to Black?” Severus demanded as soon as he found Hermione eating in their private dining room.
She swallowed what she was chewing saying, “I figured we needed several of the charts. They are dots in this puzzle.” Hermione looked over to him. “Have you asked Lucius for his family’s house elf chart?”
“He’s looking for it now,” he murmured, walking over to the chair across from hers as he was watching Hermione serve him a bowl of soup. “What kind today?”
“Today it’s Italian,” she told him. “Italian wedding soup. Pepper and Salt in the school’s kitchen have been nice enough to learn how to make a bunch of different soups for me.”
“Soups.” He took the serving as well as a spoon from his wife. Taking a sip of the food, he thought over what he thought of it. “This is good.”
“I thought so,” she murmured, as she took another bite of her own. “Severus, I was wondering if there are any names that run in your family.”
“None that I would curse on a child,” he muttered, but then paused and asked, “How about you? Are there many in your family with Shakespearian names?”
She shook her head no. “It was just my luck that my parents figured out that they conceived me during an evening out to see the play ‘A Winter’s Tale’. Specifically during the intermission in a dark corner on the...”
“Stop! Please, Hermione, I’ll never be able to look them in the eyes again if you keep telling me,” he told her, his expression pained.
“Think how I felt when I heard all about it when I was ten,” she said. “I’m telling you it was the one time that I can honestly say that was far too much information for my liking.”
They ate in silence for a time before he asked, “What would you like to name a child?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” she answered him honestly. “If it’s a girl? Rose after my grandmother would be nice, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we didn’t use it.”
“And if it’s a boy?”
“I don’t know,” she told him worrying her lower lip. “No insult intended, but I don’t want to name him after you. One Severus is more than enough for the world at large.”
That gained her a small smirk from her husband. “Agreed.”
They were beginning to debate the name Wulfric when Harry came charging out of their floo, looking red faced and rather upset.
“Hermione, you’ve got to come… You’ll never believe it…” He needed to catch his breath somewhat before going on. “It’s Rabastan LeStrange! He was found near the Malfoy property…”
“He’s dead?” she asked him.
“That’s just it! We don’t know how he did it, but he’s still alive, but barely so.”
***
It's time once again for the Review Sing-A-Long! The answer to the last one was "Lovecats" by The Cure. Cookies go out to Flaming Moth of Doom and Tenar10r! If I missed you, I'm sorry.
Time for the next song. "Reviewing your way in the world today takes everything you got/ Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot" Sorry no hint or clue today, but I'm sure you can get some cheer from the fact that it's fairly simple. Damn there goes my need to have everyone get the answer and I gave a clue! LOL! Happy belated Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all!!
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
***
Chapter Fifteen
It was the next morning that Hermione thought it a grand idea that she go to visit Harry’s godfather. It had also been in her wisdom that she should do so without telling her husband first. True, the two weren’t enemies anymore, but neither would the two be the closest of comrades. So the moment Severus left to start the school day by having breakfast in with the rest of the staff and students, she wrote a note to her husband that she left with Dobby to take to him and was on her way.
Hermione was welcomed with opened arms, but as was common with many of their meetings the polite yet false cheer never lasted for long.
Sirius blinked at Hermione in shock. “The what?”
“The Black house elf chart documenting familial ties within the house elves…”
“I heard you the first time,” he said, taking a sip of his tea. “I had no idea that it existed.”
“Hmm, really?” Sirius’s eyes went narrow at her words. “That is difficult to believe.” She set her tea aside. “Now it is understandable that you don’t know where it is now, but to never know that something that your family would have held in such high regard… That’s pushing it.”
Sirius’s lips went thin at her words muttering, “If you came here to call me a liar…”
“No, I didn’t. I came here to see you and to find out if you knew where your house elves family tree was. If you choose to tell untruths along the way, I’m going to call you on it just like any other time.”
He snorted. “Leave it to you…” He took a deep breath. “I haven’t seen it since I was a teenager. I was thirteen and that damn little shit…”
“Sirius, he has a name. The least you can do is use it,” she murmured dryly. “And if you had treated him with any sort of respect, just imagine, you could have had an ally during your darkest days.”
“I’m not playing ‘what if’,” he snapped.
“Good,” she murmured. “And yet you’re willing to repeat history by continuing to treat the house elves like crap.”
He glared at her.
“Oh please,” she muttered. “I am not as bad as your mother.”
That had Sirius blinking at her in shock before bursting out laughing. “You’re still a pain in the ass.”
She nodded at that, but said nothing.
He took a sip of his tea again. “My family was so damn proud of that chart.” Sirius made a face of disgust. “It represented everything I hated about my family.”
“Understandable,” she murmured.
“Really?” He looked at her hard. “How…”
Hermione thought it over. “Back in the days when slavery was legal in the United States and elsewhere, they kept very good records. You see it was a matter of pride with the landowners. The more slaves they had, the better off they were financially. It was a matter of status. The same can be said with owners of house elves.” She sighed sadly. “Births, deaths, trades, and sales all recorded with little regard to the people, or house elves in this case. Lives reduced down to a number and how much others thought they were worth. But what our ancestors may have taken pride in, we have different ideas about.”
“You keep talking like that and the house elves are going to think you’re going to free them again,” Sirius scoffed.
She shook her head no. “There’s a saying that you can only help those who want the help. I got tired of hitting my head against that wall ages ago, but I will treat them with respect. And that, sir, starts by calling them by their names. Given all they do for us, it’s the least we can do.”
“We pay them, thank you very much!”
“You’ve fought for the respect that you’ve eventually earned as the head of the auror department and you can still say that with a straight face?”
He was silent for a time before saying, “It’s different. I know. But these are house elves we’re talking about not wizards…”
She cleared her throat, pointing out to him, “It’s that kind of egocentric thinking that got the wizarding world into a war that lasted for as long as it did with the goblins.”
“You’re a regular history book,” he said flatly.
“You’re too kind,” Hermione murmured dryly as she stood up. “I hate to end this all too lovely tea, but I must be off.”
“But you didn’t find out where the chart is,” he stated as he stood up and went over to the door to let her out.
“But I did, Sirius,” she murmured. “You as much as said it.”
Frowning he muttered, “No I didn’t.”
“You told me Kreacher had it,” she said, walking over to the doorway. “He was more than likely trying to show it to you as a source of pride.” She looked into his gray eyes and saw shock. “And why wouldn’t he be proud of it? It was his family tree after all.”
“He ended up showing it to Regulus,” he whispered. “He was the only one that paid any attention to that…” he cleared his throat. “To Kreacher.”
Smiling she said, “Very good, but don’t try doing all this political correctness at once. Remember, baby steps!”
The head auror was still laughing as she was exiting his outer office.
***
“Why in the name of all that’s holy did you want to speak to Black?” Severus demanded as soon as he found Hermione eating in their private dining room.
She swallowed what she was chewing saying, “I figured we needed several of the charts. They are dots in this puzzle.” Hermione looked over to him. “Have you asked Lucius for his family’s house elf chart?”
“He’s looking for it now,” he murmured, walking over to the chair across from hers as he was watching Hermione serve him a bowl of soup. “What kind today?”
“Today it’s Italian,” she told him. “Italian wedding soup. Pepper and Salt in the school’s kitchen have been nice enough to learn how to make a bunch of different soups for me.”
“Soups.” He took the serving as well as a spoon from his wife. Taking a sip of the food, he thought over what he thought of it. “This is good.”
“I thought so,” she murmured, as she took another bite of her own. “Severus, I was wondering if there are any names that run in your family.”
“None that I would curse on a child,” he muttered, but then paused and asked, “How about you? Are there many in your family with Shakespearian names?”
She shook her head no. “It was just my luck that my parents figured out that they conceived me during an evening out to see the play ‘A Winter’s Tale’. Specifically during the intermission in a dark corner on the...”
“Stop! Please, Hermione, I’ll never be able to look them in the eyes again if you keep telling me,” he told her, his expression pained.
“Think how I felt when I heard all about it when I was ten,” she said. “I’m telling you it was the one time that I can honestly say that was far too much information for my liking.”
They ate in silence for a time before he asked, “What would you like to name a child?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” she answered him honestly. “If it’s a girl? Rose after my grandmother would be nice, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we didn’t use it.”
“And if it’s a boy?”
“I don’t know,” she told him worrying her lower lip. “No insult intended, but I don’t want to name him after you. One Severus is more than enough for the world at large.”
That gained her a small smirk from her husband. “Agreed.”
They were beginning to debate the name Wulfric when Harry came charging out of their floo, looking red faced and rather upset.
“Hermione, you’ve got to come… You’ll never believe it…” He needed to catch his breath somewhat before going on. “It’s Rabastan LeStrange! He was found near the Malfoy property…”
“He’s dead?” she asked him.
“That’s just it! We don’t know how he did it, but he’s still alive, but barely so.”
***
It's time once again for the Review Sing-A-Long! The answer to the last one was "Lovecats" by The Cure. Cookies go out to Flaming Moth of Doom and Tenar10r! If I missed you, I'm sorry.
Time for the next song. "Reviewing your way in the world today takes everything you got/ Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot" Sorry no hint or clue today, but I'm sure you can get some cheer from the fact that it's fairly simple. Damn there goes my need to have everyone get the answer and I gave a clue! LOL! Happy belated Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all!!