Love is Blind

Chapter 16

Hermione sat down in the over-stuffed armchair across from
the headmaster’s desk. After offering some tea, Dumbledore settled himself into
the chair next to her. He watched her surreptitiously as she sipped her tea,
and a grin spread across his weathered face. He had seen this woman change from
a lonely and scared eleven-year-old girl into a confidant graduate and now an
accomplished scholar. She was lovely, inside and out. Albus knew that if anyone
could love Severus despite his past weaknesses, she could. He was happy to see
that the two of them had started to figure that fact out on their own. He had
played matchmaker to an extent, but now it was totally up to them. ‘Well, I
might still need to prod them a little,’ he thought as he sipped from his
own cup of Earl Grey.

“So, my dear, how are you faring?” he asked after the
silence started to stretch.

Hermione smiled and answered honestly, “I am doing great,
sir.”

“I am glad to hear that, Hermione. I also am happy to see
that you and Severus have put aside your prior differences.”

A small chuckle escaped from her throat, as the Headmaster
so eloquently beat around the bush. “Yes, sir, we have. Professor Snape and I
have come to a truce, per se.” Hermione knew that Dumbledore knew of her
feelings for Severus and didn’t doubt that he knew about the activities of the
previous night. The man seemed to know everything that happened in the castle,
whether you wanted him to or not. Most of the time Hermione found that
comforting, but right now it was a bit unnerving.

“I have never heard it referred to as a ‘truce’
before,” he chuckled. “It hasn’t escaped me that my Potions Master has put
everything on hold to ensure your well-being, Hermione. Severus is very devoted
to things he believes in. Once he decides on a particular goal, he will do
everything in his power to see it come to fruition, including giving up his
life.”

“Yes, I know, sir. I saw it first-hand when we worked
together in the Order. So many times, you had asked him to stay and not return
to Voldemort, and he went on, sacrificing himself for the cause. I know that at
one point he wanted to die, I am glad that he didn’t,” she whispered
from behind her teacup.

“As am I, my dear. As am I.”

“Sir, I know that you have put your extreme faith in us to
find the cure for Remus. Our research will not falter bec..”

“Hermione, I did not ask you here, to talk of research,”
Dumbledore interrupted. “I wanted to talk with you. I have missed our teas
since you have been immersed so deeply in your experiments. Humor an old man,
and talk with me.”

A large bright smile grew on Hermione’s face. She had
loved coming into the Headmaster’s office for tea over the past few years. It
all started when she was Head Girl, just after the war. She had some lingering
effects from the final battles and found that she only wished to confide in the
Headmaster about them. Their teas had become a weekly affair, even while she
was at University. No one ever saw her coming and going, as she used the floo,
but she never missed an engagement. The headmaster had become a grandfatherly
figure to Hermione since the death of her parents in her sixth year. The
Weasleys had become her guardians, but her home was at Hogwarts and Dumbledore
was her confidante. Since Hermione had returned to study Remus’ cure, she had
been totally engrossed in her work and the weekly teas had been put on the back
burner. “I have missed them, as well, sir.”

“Will you please stop it with the ‘Sirs’ already. How many
times have I told you that my name is Albus, not ‘Sir’, not ‘Professor’, not
‘Headmaster’, not even ‘you damned old codger’, although Minerva might want to
debate the last one.”

Hermione found herself laughing hard at that last comment.
She knew that Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore were partners, and not just
working partners. She had her suspicions that they were married, only not by
name. She could remember the looks of love exchanged between them and even
recalled seeing a hand fasting cord in McGonagall’s office. She wondered if
there was a matching one here in Dumbledore’s office. “All right, Albus. I will
try, but please don’t hold it against me if I fall back into old habits.”

He agreed and they talked for what seemed like hours and
even more cups of tea. Their conversations were spread amongst many topics, but
somehow always ended back up at either potions, her research, or anything that
could remotely be connected to Severus Snape. Albus had weaseled out of her the
fact the she had fallen in love with Severus. He seemed overjoyed at that fact
and Hermione could just picture the ideas the old man had in his head. He was
probably picturing their wedding and extensive anniversary parties at the
castle. She admitted to herself, that she could picture these things to, and
they were quite pleasing. She tried to picture the timeline… the confession of
love, the wedding, the honeymoon, sitting comfortably together in his
chambers…their chambers, the possibility of children. She sighed heavily and
Albus knew where her thoughts had led her.

“Hermione, does he know?”

“Which part, Albus? That I love him, that I dream of being
his wife, or that I can never be the mother of his children?” she asked
bitterly and immediately regretted her snappiness. “I’m sorry Albus. Everything
is happening so suddenly. I am scared to tell him any of this. It’s too soon to
talk about marriage. It may even be too soon to talk about love. But if I tell
him that I am barren, would he still want me?”

“Child, we don’t know for sure that ‘barren’ is the right
word. There are possibilities.”

“I know, that is what I was going to work on after I found
the lycanthropy cure. I want to have children, someday. If it weren’t for
Lucius Malfoy, I could have.”

“Hermione, Severus may surprise you. Don’t give up just
because of one small chink in the chain.”

“Honestly, Albus, this is more than a ‘small chink’,” she
said exasperated. “I am sorry to cut this short, but I must be going, Albus. Thank you for a wonderful tea.” She
stood up from her chair and started to feel around toward the door.

“Hermione, it has been a pleasure, but before you go I
have some things that may prove handy.” He snapped his fingers and with one
hand grabbed Hermione’s, placing a bundle of smooth sticks in it. “Find the end
and snap them straight,” he said guiding her hand as to what to do. “It’s a
cane. This will help you fell what is in front of you, so that you may find
your way through the castle easier.”

Hermione swallowed the large lump that had formed in her
throat and squeaked out a ‘thank you’ before putting the cane in her robes. She
then felt Dumbledore’s soft wrinkly hand come up to her ear and placed a small
object in it. It felt like a rock, but it formed to fit into the ear canal
perfectly.

“That is an Audious Stone,” he explained. “I have it
charmed so that while it is in your ear, all you have to do is skim over the
page of a book and it will be read to you through the stone.” The look of
astonishment on her face was all the thanks he needed. “Here, try it.” He
handed her a book.

She opened the book to a random page and lightly rubbed
her fingers across the worn parchment. In her ear, she heard a soft voice
speak, “… Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the
eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing\'d Cupid painted blind. Nor hath
love\'s mind of any judgment taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: And
therefore is love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft
beguil\'d…”*

“Albus, this is amazing! I have never heard of anything
like this. Thank you.”

“You are very welcome, my dear. Now you can continue your
research and be able to read anything you need to. By the way, only you can
hear the Stone, so you can be in the library and not disturb anyone else.”

“Albus, I don’t know what to say. I can’t tha…” She
wrapped her arms around the old man, he rubbed her back in a comforting way

“Now, my dear, I have one more thing for you.”

“Albus, you didn’t have to do this…”

“Child, amuse me, please. Snap your fingers, if you
would.”

She snapped her fingers and heard an almost instant pop
in front of her.

“Winky is here to help Miss Hermione,” a squeaky voice
said as a small bony hand grasped Hermione’s.

“Hermione, this is Winky, I believe you have met before.
She has offered her services to help guide you through the castle or help you
with anything you require.”

“You are giving me a house elf?” Hermione asked disbelieving.

“I know your feelings on the treatment of House Elves, but
I assure you that Winky does have holidays off, however much she may dislike
them,” he chuckled. “I will now leave you in Winky’s capable hands. I hope to
see you at lunch Miss Granger.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you again,” she said as she started
toward the door.

“Hermione, remember what I said – Severus is very devoted
to things he believes in, and I do think that he believes in you.” Hermione
could hear the smile in his voice and if she could see his eyes, they were most
assuredly twinkling.

*

A/N – The quote that is read to Hermione from the book
is from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ Note the connotation that
can be gathered about love being blind. Hehehe.