10 Years After

10 Years After
Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing of what you’re about to read, with the possible exception of the plot, although I’m sure it’s been done before. The places, characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. Thanks.

Aberdeen, Scotland: Ma, 20, 2008, afternoon; Hermione’s Cottage.
Hermione walked around her cottage, shrinking her belongings and packing them up. Severus was assisting her by carefully packing up her research items. The move to Hogwarts had taken longer than she expected, with St Damian’s continually attempting to woo her to remain on their staff. Now it was the of of May and Hermione was ready to start her new life. It was time for her to return to Hogwarts. She felt at home there. It was home. To her, anywhere Severus was felt like home. She knew in her heart that she was truly, madly, deeply, and totally in love with Severus Snape. They had their small arguments and disagreements, but for the most part, they were exceedingly well matched. Severus was more even tempered than she had ever imagined and he seemed to bring that out in her as well. She silently watched him as he sat down on the couch and looked over her research diary. His long dark hair fell into his face, his elegant fingers turned the pages, his dark eyes took in her words. She marveled that this man, this brilliant wizard who she once thought was so formal, was sitting on her couch ians ans and a sweatshirt reading the diary of her research, looking nowhere near his 48 years. She zapped down the last of the personal items and sat down next to Severus, wrapping her fingers around his. He looked over at her and smiled. Gods, she loved his smile. It was open and genuine and melted her heart.

“I’m impressed with your research, Hermione,” he said, indicating her journal, “you’ve been very thorough.”

“I’m missing something, though,” she replied, “I don’t know what, but I know that I am. There’s something there. Something that will just open the door and make it all clear.”

“You’ll find it.”

“I’m hoping WE’LL find it, together. I need your help. I’m at an impasse and I need that second pair of eyes.”

“You have me for the entire summer,” he said.

“In more ways than one, I hope,” she stated, smiling at him.

Severus leaned over and gently kissed her. Wrapping her arms around his neck and climbing up into his lap, she deepened the kiss. Completely lost in the kiss, they were both startled by a loud clearing of the throat.

“Lovely,” said a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hermione looup tup to see Harry standing there glaring at her and Severus.

“Harry! What are you doing here? And where have you been?” asked Hermione.

“Busy,” he replied tersely.

Severus looked closely at Harry, then turned to Hermione, “Hermione, why don’t you floo some of these things to Hogwarts and I’ll follow with the remainder. I’ll be certain to leave the windows open and return your key.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am. I’ll be along in a few moments.”

Hermione grabbed a few boxes and some floo powder and disappeared into the fire leaving Severus and Harry alone in the cottage.

“She’s moving in with you?” asked Harry.

“She has her own quarters at Hogwarts. She’s been offered a mediwitch internship there. She can complete her studies, do her internship, and work on her research all under one roof,” explained Severus.

“And of course, she’s right under your thumb where you want her.”

“Hermione Granger is under no one’s thumb, nor d shd she ever be,” replied Severus.

“She was Hermione Potter before YOU came along, Snape.”

“She was never truly Hermione Potter and I think you know that.”

“You stole my wife, Snape. I sent her away to a conference and you fucked her anole ole her.”

“It wasn’t quite like that, Potter,” stated Severus, his voice dripping with contempt, “you don’t give Hermione much credit, do you?”

“She was MY wife.”

“In name only, Potter, in name only. Why weren’t you there, in New York? It was an important moment to Hermione, you know,” asked Severus.

“I had Quidditch practice.”

“Right,” said Severus, standing up to his full height and glaring at Harry, “one of the most important moments in the professional life of your wife and you found straddling a broom and chasing after a snitch more important. No wonder she found her way to me. An important moment like that and her husband wasn’t there to remind her to use sonorous, to hand her a drink when she looked like she needed one, to applaud what she’d accomplished. Instead, her nasty old git of an ex potions professor was. I was there, Potter, youen’ten’t. And she needed you to be.”

“You didn’t have to seduce her.”

“I didn’t. By you not being there, you pushed her to me and I was there to catch her.”

“I hate you. I always have, Snape. You’ve always been a cold calculating bastard.”

“I know. It’s an image I’ve carefully cultivated.”

“You’re using Hermione to get to me.”

“Am I, Potter? Do you really think you’re worth it?”

“She’ll leave you.”

“She very well might,” conceded Severus.

“And when she does, I’ll be there.”

“I’m sure you will be. You’ll be there to gloat, not to win her back. That ship has sailed, Potter, and you know it. You never were ine wie with Hermione. You just liked having her around. She was comfortable.”

“What do YOU have to offer her?”

“Respect.”

“You don’t love her. Yon’t.n’t. You’re incapable of love.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, you are.”

“If you say it is so, then it must be so,” shrugged Severus.

“I’m going to make certain she knows exactly what you are.”

“I do believe she knows me better than anyone. Perhaps even better than I know myself.”

“Then it’s only a matter of time before she wakes up and leaves you.”

“So, Potter, are you really willing to do this?”

“Do what?”

“Destroy your friendship with Hermione merely because you hate me?”

Harry stood blinking at Severus as Severus smirked at him. Harry was aggravated. No matter what he said, Severus didn’t seem to let it bother him.

“I would think it would bother you to be the mercy fuck of a Muggle born witch,” Harry said.

“That a woman like Hermione would evemotemotely consider being with me in any capacity amazes me, Potter,\" said Severus, raising an eyebrow, \"The fact that I have her now and you don’t is icing on the cake. You took her for granted. You assumed she’d always be there for you, no matter HOW you treated her. You assumed she wouldn’t care that you showed her no support and never listened to what her dreams were. All you were concerned about was how SHE fit into YOUR life. You never once considered that she might have wanted a life too. You used her. She was a trophy to you. A beautiful and brilliant woman on your arm. You didn’t care that you stifled her brilliance. How could you ever believe that Hermione would settle for being merely a wife and mother when there was so much more out there for her?”

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Severus. He wanted to shut Snape up. Make him stop talking. Make him stop telling the truth. The truth hurt, and being hurt angered Harry. He’d never lost at anything in his life. Not at anything big. He’d won the big Quidditch matches, won out over Voldemort. How could he lose his wife to a snake like Snape?

“Hex me, if it makes you feel better,” continued Snape, “but it won’t bring Hermione back to you. I may not be the most emotionally experienced man ever to roam the face of this earth, but I do know one thing. Love is a two way street. You have to give it to get it. And part of giving it is accepting the other person for all that they were, all that they are, and all that they will be. You loved Hermione for all that you wanted her to be. There’s a difference.”

“And I supposed you fancy yourself in love with her?” spat Harry, still pointing his wand at Severus. “What exactly makes you think you love her?”

“Have you ever seen Hermione first thing in the morning?”

“Of course I have, I was married to her for 6 years.”

“Have you really seen her though? Have you seen the way she greets the day with a long stretch? The way she moves slower than imaginable? The way she yawns and then smiles? The light in her eyes that rivals the sun when she finally gets those eyes all the way open, usually after 2 cups of very strong coffee? The way she pores over the Daily Prophet? Tell me, Potter, what section of the newspaper does she read first?”

“The science section.”

“The obituaries.”

“The obituaries?” repeated Harry with disbelief.

“Yes. When I asked her why, she told me ‘any day I don’t see my name there is bound to be a good day.’ How does she take her morning tea?”

“Milk and sugar.”

“She doesn’t have morning tea. She prefers coffee in the morning – black with sugar and a dash of cinnamon, tea in the afternoon and evening. And she likes Earl Grey tea, with just a hint of sugar, no milk anymore. She claims something called ‘lactose intolerance’ when really it’s because she never remembered to buy milk and got used to drinking the tea without,” Severus said, the corners of his mouth turning up at the thought of Hermione’s earnest face when she mentioned the lactose intolerance, “What’s her favorite way to spend a Sunday?”

“That’s easy. Museums or watching one of my Quidditch matches.”

“Hermione has never cared for Quidditch. She would prefer to stay in bed late reading the papers, eating sticky toffee buns, drinking coffee, and talking. Then the afternoon would be best spent in front of a fire reading a good book when it’s cold or rainy, or sitting outside reading if it’s a warm sunny day. She also likes long walks at the shore or around the lake at Hogwarts. And when she’s quite persuasive, she likes to force me to venture into the Muggle world with her to see a film. Her favorite film is something called ‘Sleeping Beauty’ because she claims the message is that friendship can save you from anything. You say you were married to her for 6 years and friends with her for 17 years. Did you ever take the time to get to know her?”

Harry lowered his wand and sank to the floor. He wrapped his arms around his knees and glared up at Severus. The man was right. He hated him, hated what he said, but he was right. It was what Hermione tried to tell him when she left him. He’d pretended to listen, but he didn’t. He knew the marriage was never meant to be.

“I don’t want to lose her, Snape,” he said quietly.

“Then get up off the floor, stop threatening to hex me when you know how easily I can counter it – wand or no wand, and let Hermione live. Accept her for who and what she is. Accept the decisions she has made. Accept who and what she has chosen to be a part of her life. Be there for her. Applaud her accomplishments. Mourn her setbacks. Be a friend like you were. Scratch that. Be a better friend than you ever have been. Move on, Potter.”

“I will never like you, Snape.”

“I don’t expect that you will. I can’t imagine me ever becoming particularly fond of you either.”

“You love her, don’t you?”

“Yes,” said Severus simply.

“If you ever hurt her…”

“You may hunt me down and hex me for all you’re worth, Potter.”

“Then I have something to look forward to.”

“It would appear that way, although I don’t know that I would hold my breath awaiting that day.”

“I should go,” said Harry.

“As should I. I promised to help Hermione get her quarters set up and her research equipment moved into our private labs.”

“I’ll be fine,” stated Harry.

“I sincerely doubt I could possibly care less as to your emotional state, Potter.”

“You are a git, Snape.”

“So you’ve been telling me for years,” retorted Severus, as tied the key onto Nicander’s leg and sent the large owl to the Dean’s office with instructions to return to Hogwarts, gathered up the remainder of Hermione’s belongings, tossed some floo powder onto the fire and stated his destination, leaving Harry alone in Hermione’s former cottage.

“I’ll be fine,” he stated again as he turned and walked out the door.