Remember

CHAPTER 2: The Ones Left Behind







October 1997









“What in the blackest of hells just happened here?” Severus asked, his eyes darting about the headmaster’s office as the pain in his head subsided slowly. “Where did Ms. Granger go? What are you up to now?”









“Feeling better?” Dumbledore asked, smiling down at Severus who was still kneeling on the floor.









“Can you just answer the bloody question?” Severus yelled, pushing himself to his feet with the aid of a nearby chair.









“Which question? There were three, is there any particular order you would like for them to be answered in?” Albus was trying to hold back his laughter as the scowling potions master resumed his seat.







“Albus, don’t push me.” Severus growled.









“Very well, I sent Ms. Granger on a little mission.” He said.









“What mission? Where to?” Severus had seen the girl’s face, she had no idea what was going on, how in the hell could she be on a mission?







“You don’t need to know the details, suffice it to say she will be back in time to sit her NEWTS.” Dumbledore smiled.









“You are up to something, old man, and I have sick feeling it involves me.” Severus said, his eyes narrowed as he watched the Headmaster continue with his maniacal grinning. “I’ll find out sooner or later, you know I will.” When he didn’t respond Severus got to his feet and moved quickly from the room in a cloud of black robes.







“Oh yes, Severus. You will find out sooner or later.” Albus said, laughing softly and congratulating himself on his cleverness.







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Severus slammed the door to his private quarters and rattled the protesting portrait in its frame. He could have cared less, he needed to find out what was going on with Hermione Granger. Dumbledore was up to something. With the war over the old fool had decided it was his personal mission to fix Severus’s unhappy life.







He was perfectly content to live in peace, to teach his classes and spend his evenings reading by the fire without having to deal in espionage. He had what he wanted, freedom and a safe world in which to enjoy it.







He went to his bookcase and withdrew his wand. He removed several books and then opened a hidden panel behind them. Inside he found a small, handheld mirror, a dark object that was part of his personal collection. He held it up, brushing the dust off with the edge of his robe.





“Show me Hermione Granger.” He said. The silvered surface wavered and then took on a soft, bluish glow but the images never became clear, wherever he had sent her she couldn’t be watched.





“Why that meddlesome old bastard.” He seethed, shoving the mirror back into the compartment and replacing his books before heading to his chair and sitting down roughly, drumming his fingers on the arm as he stared into the fire.





He raised his hand and accio’d a tumbler of firewhiskey. There was nothing he could do but wait and see what would happen, what would come of her mission. Damn Albus.







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Albus sat back in his chair and smiled. He was a meddlesome old bastard and he knew it. He loved nothing more than to play about in other people’s lives, it made him happy the older he got. He liked to see people settled, it was an odd quirk with him despite the fact that he himself never did. That ship had sailed long ago but he could help others steer theirs into port.







Severus Snape needed a little happiness in his life, a woman to love him and look after him. Unfortunately not just any woman would do. Not many woman can look beyond the surface, beyond the mark that scarred his arm and see the man beneath. It would take a woman of substance, a woman with far more than just a pretty face to keep a man like Severus happy. Albus thought that Ms. Granger was a perfect choice, albeit she is a tad young in years, but the witch had a soul as old as the earth itself.







Of course he suspected that Severus had long ago lost the ability to love, to accept love. That was why he determined that perhaps to solve that little problem, he needed to get to the root of it. And so he made it possible for Ms. Granger to take a little trip. He knew her well, she championed the underdog, she would be drawn to the young Severus, determined to build him up and make things better for him. It was just who she was.







It was Albus’s hope that maybe some gentleness and care from Ms. Granger would carry through, soften the dark wizard’s hardened heart. If not…well it was just one more misery Severus could say that Albus caused him.







Albus looked up as the door to his office swung open and Misters Potter and Weasley came barreling in, practically tripping over each other in the process.







“Professor Dumbledore, Mione is missing, we can’t find her anywhere!” Harry panted, bracing his hands on the headmaster’s desk as he slumped over trying to catch his breath.









“We’ve looked everywhere, sir, she’s not here, something has happened to her!” Ron said, his face flushing and blending in with his hair.









“Calm down, boys. Ms. Granger is perfectly fine.” Albus said soothingly. “An opportunity came up for Ms. Granger to do an exchange study and it required her to leave immediately. She is perfectly fine and will return to Hogwarts at the end of April.”









“But, sir, Mione would never leave without saying goodbye first!” Harry said standing up straight and staring at the headmaster. “She just wouldn’t do it.”









“It was a matter of timing, my boy, it wasn’t an opportunity to be missed and she had to decide quickly.” Albus lied so smoothly he sometimes amazed himself.









“Well where did she go so we can owl her?” Ron asked, looking at little lost. Of course he was probably wondering who would do his essays for him with her gone.







“I’m afraid that she will be out of contact for the duration of her studies, but she is safe I assure you. She is in the absolute best place for her to be right now.” Albus said, a mischievous smile on his lips.







“Sir….” Harry began, but stopped when the headmaster raised his hand to silence him.







“It is getting late, you two should be getting to the great hall for dinner. Run along now.” Albus said, flicking his wrist so that the door to his office opened, a clear indication that the boys should leave.







“Yes, sir.” They said in unison as they made their way through the door, jumping when it slammed closed behind them.









“I can’t believe she would leave like that without telling us, without leaving a note.” Ron said, scratching his head.









“She wouldn’t, something is not right here and Dumbledore is in on it.” Harry said, glancing back at the door. “I just hope Hermione doesn’t end up hurt, wherever she is.”









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