It\'s All Done With Mirrors
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Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
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Adult ++
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Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
38
Views:
10,650
Reviews:
120
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.
Chapter 19 - Sleep in Heavenly Peace
A/N: LittleBird - Thank you for the review!! I have to say I *thought* about sending Hermione \"elsewhere\" to sleep, but I decided that Sev needs to buck his ideas up and feel rather crap for a while, after what he just did to the poor girl! teehee.... K xxxx
Chapter Nineteen
Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
The Three Broomsticks, August 2010
Severus watched Draco and Hermione giggling and whispering together, and scowled. His frown deepened as she put out one of her delicate hands and touched his face.
So, this was the latest object of his godson\'s affections. Well, they looked very cosy together, he had to admit. He drained his firewhiskey, ignoring the sharp pain that was blooming deep in his ribcage.
It was too depressing to watch. He had come here to drown his sorrows, not have them shoved in his face. Shoving a few coins onto the bar, Severus stormed out of the Three Broomsticks, just as another shout of laughter erupted from their table.
He took a walk through Hogsmeade village, robes swirling as he dodged courting couples on the cobbled streets. By the time he reached Hogwarts Gates, the sun was about to rise, and his mood had not improved one iota.
Since Voldemort had been defeated in the Final Battle, many of the protective wards had been thrown down. Apparating in and out of Hogwarts was possible - if you were a senior member of staff, that is - but Severus needed to clear his head. Walking had always been a pleasant relief for Severus Snape, ex-Deatheater, former spy for the Order of the Phoenix.
Now he had less to occupy himself, he was dissatisfied. Not that he wanted Voldemort back, of course. And it was nice not to have to attend silly meetings with annoying Tonks, irritating Lupin, and bloody Harry Potter.
Potter, though, he couldn\'t escape from forever, it seemed. Gold Medal holder for Thorn in Snape\'s Side, Famous Harry Potter had only gone and joined the staff of Hogwarts on that insufferable Apprenticeship programme. Along with his fecund wife, a Weasley through and through, who seemed to think she could be capable of learning Charms Mastery while surrounded by her gaggle of brats. Severus shuddered. The Weasley and Potter Hybrids...Merlin\'s Robe! He hoped he would be safely in his grave by the time that lot sat under the Sorting Hat.
Though there wasn\'t much chance of that, was there? Severus was young in Wizarding terms - a mere 48 years old - and with the absence of weekly summonses to Voldemort, he didn\'t suppose anyone was going to cast the Avada Kedavra on him any time soon.
And now it looked as if Dumbledore had picked the most promising candidate he could ever have hoped for, to study Potions Mastery under him. The most promising academically...but the most disagreeable under every other circumstance. The woman he loved, but couldn\'t have. The woman he\'d hurt, and hurt again. The woman who even now was probably shagging his godson. His own fault - she had been warm and willing in his arms, and he had shoved her away.
Drawing his wand, he spent a few minutes beheading the rose bushes, before he detected the sound of unsteady footsteps. He stood back in the shadows, watching Draco haul a giggling Hermione up the path towards one of the doors into the school building.
\"Right, first things first, dear Hermione. Let me get you into bed,\" slurred the blond Slytherin.
Sickened, Severus turned away and walked dejectedly across the school grounds.
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Headmistress\'s Office, Hogwarts, August 2010
\"Where\'s Hermione?\" Albus asked, mildly, as Draco uncorked a Sober-Up potion and drank it, wincing at the bitter, slightly fungal taste.
\"I put her to bed in Gryffindor. The last three drinks kind of did her in,\" the blond man smirked as he flung himself into a comfy chair.
\"Draco Malfoy, what are you talking about? She was only drinking Butterbeer!\" McGonnagall was nursing a similar draught, and had transformed her tall Witch\'s hat into a tartan icepack.
\"Well, Minerva, she started on the firewhiskey.\" Draco groaned as the throbbing in his head intensified before finally receding entirely. Then he sat up. \"Did you know, Uncle Severus tore Granger\'s dress in two tonight?\"
\"You\'re kidding! The little shit,\" breathed Minerva, dumbfounded.
Albus Dumbledore chuckled. \"I don\'t suppose he did it deliberately. Some of those -ope-opening spells can be rather strong. Hermione\'s had a rough night, it seems. I have had to have words with Fawkes, who by all accounts added a few touches of her own to the fray in here earlier. I suspect Hermione\'s had just about enough of our interference by now. But one more thing remains - Draco, did you perform the little task I requested of you?\"
\"Of course I did, Albus. But she\'s so exhausted there\'ll be no need to renee che charm every four hours. She\'ll sleep like a log, and she\'s bloody earned it! Just as I intend to do, as soon as you let me know where I\'m supposed to be bedding down for the night.\"
\"I\'d have thought that much was obvious - tonight, you get to fulfil one of your greatest fantasies. Head Boy\'s room, Slytherin Tower. Take the Floo, dear boy, and don\'t let me catch you at breakfast!\"
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Hogwarts Lake, August 2010
Severus stood at the edge of the Lake, brooding.
He leaned forward, looking into the deep, dark waters below. Waters which held secrets, and mysterious creatures, and probably the skeletons of a few unfortunate students from the past few centuries.
Despite the rising of the sun, he felt cold.
Cold as Death. And Death had never seemed so welcoming.
It would be so easy just to -
~ Don\'t even think about it, Severus! ~
He turned, sure he had heard a voice behind him, but there was no one there.
\'Will if I want to,\' he thought sulkily, as he turned back towards the shining waters.
~ You will not! ~ The voice snapped bossily in his mind.
Severus groaned. Voices in his head, now, was it? As well as being tired and cold and frustrated he had to suffer the onset of madness, as well?
\"I\'m an old man,\" he said aloud. \"I\'m a thin and embittered git and nobody loves me.\"
~ Not true. ~ The voice was high pitched, almost girlish, but with a pleasantly melodic lilt. ~ You should know that\'s not true. ~
Rearing away from the waters in confusion, Severus Snape decided to cure his ills in the only way he knew. Amongst the shelves of Hogwarts\' Library.
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The Library, Hogwarts, August 2010
\"Good Morning, Professor Snape,\" the quiet voice of Orla Quinke filtered ineffectually through the heavy silence like a feather brushing against a sand dune.
Severus grunted, and looked up from his book. The girl was standing there, looking as if she was about to have a nosebleed.
\"Was there something...?\" he sneered, raising one expressive eyebrow. Orla blinked, and handed him a note, before gliding off in a fair imitation of Irma Pince. \'The girl will make a decent Librarian when her indentures are through, he thought,\' grudgingly. \'She just needs to work on the hiss.\'
Cracking the gold wax seal, he opened the note, which was written in McGonnagal\'s spiky penmanship:
Severus,
The Minister of Magic is arriving after breakfast this morning.
Your presence is required. Don\'t be late, and do be presentable.
Minerva.
P.S. The Minister has just lost a son, so bear this in mind before you stalk into the Office.
How enchanting. A meeting with that bloody imbecile. Should round the morning off delightfully.
Severus replaced the book onto the shelf with a rueful sigh, and Floo\'d to his chambers, where he stripped completely naked, selected a clean set of black robes which he laid neatly on the edge of the bed before stomping into the bathroom to shave.
Scratching at the stubble on his chin, he glanced in the mirror and realised he looked a sight. Sighing heavily, he lathered up a thick, spicy-smelling foam and proceeded to remove his three-day growth.
As he scraped away the itching black stubble, he thought to himself:
\'I should just get rid of this with a charm. It\'s what everyone else does.\'
~ Oh? ~ Remarked that voice, making him cut himself slightly below his jaw. ~ I thought you disapproved of \"silly wand waving\", Severus. ~
\"I do,\" he said out loud, and immediately felt ridiculous for doing so.
~ Then stop whining and get to work ~ the voice bubbled, melodiously.
Swearing under his breath, the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts completed his ablutions. Finally, he straightened up, towelled off and glared at his reflection in the mirror.
\"Happy now?\" he sneered.
~ Mmmm, deliriously. But I think the Minister would prefer it if you put some clothes on ~ lilted the voice in his head, flowing like honey. Severus blushed.
~ Though if you decided to stay here day day, I would personally be delighted... ~
That was enough! Severus stormed out of the bathroom and flung his clothes on, before going to the fireplace and reaching for the Floo Pow›§ Š
Chapter Nineteen
Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
The Three Broomsticks, August 2010
Severus watched Draco and Hermione giggling and whispering together, and scowled. His frown deepened as she put out one of her delicate hands and touched his face.
So, this was the latest object of his godson\'s affections. Well, they looked very cosy together, he had to admit. He drained his firewhiskey, ignoring the sharp pain that was blooming deep in his ribcage.
It was too depressing to watch. He had come here to drown his sorrows, not have them shoved in his face. Shoving a few coins onto the bar, Severus stormed out of the Three Broomsticks, just as another shout of laughter erupted from their table.
He took a walk through Hogsmeade village, robes swirling as he dodged courting couples on the cobbled streets. By the time he reached Hogwarts Gates, the sun was about to rise, and his mood had not improved one iota.
Since Voldemort had been defeated in the Final Battle, many of the protective wards had been thrown down. Apparating in and out of Hogwarts was possible - if you were a senior member of staff, that is - but Severus needed to clear his head. Walking had always been a pleasant relief for Severus Snape, ex-Deatheater, former spy for the Order of the Phoenix.
Now he had less to occupy himself, he was dissatisfied. Not that he wanted Voldemort back, of course. And it was nice not to have to attend silly meetings with annoying Tonks, irritating Lupin, and bloody Harry Potter.
Potter, though, he couldn\'t escape from forever, it seemed. Gold Medal holder for Thorn in Snape\'s Side, Famous Harry Potter had only gone and joined the staff of Hogwarts on that insufferable Apprenticeship programme. Along with his fecund wife, a Weasley through and through, who seemed to think she could be capable of learning Charms Mastery while surrounded by her gaggle of brats. Severus shuddered. The Weasley and Potter Hybrids...Merlin\'s Robe! He hoped he would be safely in his grave by the time that lot sat under the Sorting Hat.
Though there wasn\'t much chance of that, was there? Severus was young in Wizarding terms - a mere 48 years old - and with the absence of weekly summonses to Voldemort, he didn\'t suppose anyone was going to cast the Avada Kedavra on him any time soon.
And now it looked as if Dumbledore had picked the most promising candidate he could ever have hoped for, to study Potions Mastery under him. The most promising academically...but the most disagreeable under every other circumstance. The woman he loved, but couldn\'t have. The woman he\'d hurt, and hurt again. The woman who even now was probably shagging his godson. His own fault - she had been warm and willing in his arms, and he had shoved her away.
Drawing his wand, he spent a few minutes beheading the rose bushes, before he detected the sound of unsteady footsteps. He stood back in the shadows, watching Draco haul a giggling Hermione up the path towards one of the doors into the school building.
\"Right, first things first, dear Hermione. Let me get you into bed,\" slurred the blond Slytherin.
Sickened, Severus turned away and walked dejectedly across the school grounds.
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Headmistress\'s Office, Hogwarts, August 2010
\"Where\'s Hermione?\" Albus asked, mildly, as Draco uncorked a Sober-Up potion and drank it, wincing at the bitter, slightly fungal taste.
\"I put her to bed in Gryffindor. The last three drinks kind of did her in,\" the blond man smirked as he flung himself into a comfy chair.
\"Draco Malfoy, what are you talking about? She was only drinking Butterbeer!\" McGonnagall was nursing a similar draught, and had transformed her tall Witch\'s hat into a tartan icepack.
\"Well, Minerva, she started on the firewhiskey.\" Draco groaned as the throbbing in his head intensified before finally receding entirely. Then he sat up. \"Did you know, Uncle Severus tore Granger\'s dress in two tonight?\"
\"You\'re kidding! The little shit,\" breathed Minerva, dumbfounded.
Albus Dumbledore chuckled. \"I don\'t suppose he did it deliberately. Some of those -ope-opening spells can be rather strong. Hermione\'s had a rough night, it seems. I have had to have words with Fawkes, who by all accounts added a few touches of her own to the fray in here earlier. I suspect Hermione\'s had just about enough of our interference by now. But one more thing remains - Draco, did you perform the little task I requested of you?\"
\"Of course I did, Albus. But she\'s so exhausted there\'ll be no need to renee che charm every four hours. She\'ll sleep like a log, and she\'s bloody earned it! Just as I intend to do, as soon as you let me know where I\'m supposed to be bedding down for the night.\"
\"I\'d have thought that much was obvious - tonight, you get to fulfil one of your greatest fantasies. Head Boy\'s room, Slytherin Tower. Take the Floo, dear boy, and don\'t let me catch you at breakfast!\"
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Hogwarts Lake, August 2010
Severus stood at the edge of the Lake, brooding.
He leaned forward, looking into the deep, dark waters below. Waters which held secrets, and mysterious creatures, and probably the skeletons of a few unfortunate students from the past few centuries.
Despite the rising of the sun, he felt cold.
Cold as Death. And Death had never seemed so welcoming.
It would be so easy just to -
~ Don\'t even think about it, Severus! ~
He turned, sure he had heard a voice behind him, but there was no one there.
\'Will if I want to,\' he thought sulkily, as he turned back towards the shining waters.
~ You will not! ~ The voice snapped bossily in his mind.
Severus groaned. Voices in his head, now, was it? As well as being tired and cold and frustrated he had to suffer the onset of madness, as well?
\"I\'m an old man,\" he said aloud. \"I\'m a thin and embittered git and nobody loves me.\"
~ Not true. ~ The voice was high pitched, almost girlish, but with a pleasantly melodic lilt. ~ You should know that\'s not true. ~
Rearing away from the waters in confusion, Severus Snape decided to cure his ills in the only way he knew. Amongst the shelves of Hogwarts\' Library.
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The Library, Hogwarts, August 2010
\"Good Morning, Professor Snape,\" the quiet voice of Orla Quinke filtered ineffectually through the heavy silence like a feather brushing against a sand dune.
Severus grunted, and looked up from his book. The girl was standing there, looking as if she was about to have a nosebleed.
\"Was there something...?\" he sneered, raising one expressive eyebrow. Orla blinked, and handed him a note, before gliding off in a fair imitation of Irma Pince. \'The girl will make a decent Librarian when her indentures are through, he thought,\' grudgingly. \'She just needs to work on the hiss.\'
Cracking the gold wax seal, he opened the note, which was written in McGonnagal\'s spiky penmanship:
Severus,
The Minister of Magic is arriving after breakfast this morning.
Your presence is required. Don\'t be late, and do be presentable.
Minerva.
P.S. The Minister has just lost a son, so bear this in mind before you stalk into the Office.
How enchanting. A meeting with that bloody imbecile. Should round the morning off delightfully.
Severus replaced the book onto the shelf with a rueful sigh, and Floo\'d to his chambers, where he stripped completely naked, selected a clean set of black robes which he laid neatly on the edge of the bed before stomping into the bathroom to shave.
Scratching at the stubble on his chin, he glanced in the mirror and realised he looked a sight. Sighing heavily, he lathered up a thick, spicy-smelling foam and proceeded to remove his three-day growth.
As he scraped away the itching black stubble, he thought to himself:
\'I should just get rid of this with a charm. It\'s what everyone else does.\'
~ Oh? ~ Remarked that voice, making him cut himself slightly below his jaw. ~ I thought you disapproved of \"silly wand waving\", Severus. ~
\"I do,\" he said out loud, and immediately felt ridiculous for doing so.
~ Then stop whining and get to work ~ the voice bubbled, melodiously.
Swearing under his breath, the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts completed his ablutions. Finally, he straightened up, towelled off and glared at his reflection in the mirror.
\"Happy now?\" he sneered.
~ Mmmm, deliriously. But I think the Minister would prefer it if you put some clothes on ~ lilted the voice in his head, flowing like honey. Severus blushed.
~ Though if you decided to stay here day day, I would personally be delighted... ~
That was enough! Severus stormed out of the bathroom and flung his clothes on, before going to the fireplace and reaching for the Floo Pow›§ Š