The Raven
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
17
Views:
33,357
Reviews:
241
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
17
Views:
33,357
Reviews:
241
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 3
Disclaimer: I do not own HP or anything in it. That privilege goes to JKR.
The Raven
By: Bree McGregor
Chapter 3
Hermione was speechless. She would love to take him in, but…
“Um… well, Professor, the problemthatthat I have a cat; and cats eat birds, especially wounded ones.”
“Your cat is part Kneazle, is it not?” Dumbledore asked kindly.
“Yes, sir, he is.”
“Well, then,” he said, smiling greatly. “There is no problem. I know you will take good care of him.” He tried to pick up the raven him, bu, but the bird refused. The animal just stayed on the table, glaring at the Headmaster.
“My, what a stubborn fellow you are,” Albus said, his eyes twinkling merrily. “Well, if you do not wish to stay with Miss Granger, then the only other place for you would be the Owlery.”
The bird hung his head and slowly walked onto Dumbledore’s hand. The Headmaster then put him into Hermione’s hand.
“Now, off you go, Hermione,” Albus said kindly as he gave her a gentle push toward the door.
She walked slowly, as not to disturb the bird. When she got to the hospital door, she thought of something. “Professor Dumbledore, what does he eat?”
He turned from his conversation with McGonagall and Pomfrey. “Don’t worry, my dear. I will have a house-elf bring him something.” With that, the Headmaster returned to his conversation.
~*~*~*~*~
Three days later, Snape was not pleased! He was perched on the window sill, as he watched Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley walk down toward Hagrid’s hut for their Care of Magical Creatures class. Unfortunately, the half-giant had not yet returned.
The first thing Hermione had done when she brought him to her room, was to introduce him to Crookshanks. Crookshanks was a monster of a cat, and the two had a staring contest right off the bat! The contest was to determine who ruled the territory of the Head Girl’s room. No human alive, except for Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, could ever win a staring contest with Snape. But this was no ordinary cat; he was also part Kneazle.
Crookshanks didn’t like sharing his space or his human with anyone else, but he also knew this was no bird… how could she be fooled by it? It didn’t even smell like a bird!
“Don’t be like that, Crooks,” Hermione said as she picked up the cat and sat on the bed, petting him. Neither the bird nor the cat broke eye contact. “It’s only temporary. Besides, you were here first; but you mustn’t hurt him or rough-house. He’s hurt, and if anything happens to him, I’ll turn you into a dog.”
The cat gave her a wicked look as if to say, ‘You wouldn’t dare!’
After that, the two came to terms with each other. Crookshanks ruled, but only so far; he was there first, after all. The cat knew that the bird-thing had sharp claws and a beak that could pull his tail; Crookshanks had learned this the hard way, like the time he tried to steal the bird’s dinner, while Hermione was gone.
The second thing Hermione did on that first day was decide on giving him a name. She liked the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, called amazingly enough “RaveRaven,” but since this bird wasn’t a girl, the name of Poe’s “rare and radiant maiden” Lenore wouldn’t work. So she decided to call him Mr. Mistoffelees, from a poem from T.S. Elliot — “Was there ever / A Cat so clever, / As Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!”
The third thing Hermione did for the raven was to create a walkway for him. She had levitated her desk so it overlapped the window sill, and all he had to do was to take a small hop to get there. Then she moved the dresser between one window and the other, so he could look out from both windows.
All in all, he thought that it was very kind of her. Still, the fact remained: he had been stuck in this room for three days now, with no company but a monstrous cat. Worst of all, the cat seemed to take extreme pleasure in flaunting the fact he was free to come and go as he pleased.
~*~*~*~*~
Snape wasn’t in a good mood when Hermione came back to the room; he couldn’t even read! The only things he could do were to sleep, eat, and look out the window. That may be good enough for a cat, but Snape wasn’t a cat and he hated being cooped up.
She threw her bag onto the bed and sat down heavily; she looked very tired.
“Why can't they accept me!” she called to no one, falling back onto the bed with her legs still hanging over the edge.
He had seen her unguarded a few times these past three days, observing her vulnerability and weaknesses. At first he thought he could use the knowledge as blackmail just in case she started her know-it-all attitude again after he returned to human form. Today, he started to realize that this attitude was a false perception, and he doubted if he would ever use this knowledge against her.
“Ahhhhh!” she exclaimed, as she hit the bed with her fist. “God, how I HATE them sometimes!”
Then in a whiny voice as if she was mimicking someone else’s, she said, “Why are you studying, Hermione? Why don’t you do something fun, Hermione? Why don’t you have a boyfriend, Hermione? Why are you such a know-it-all, Hermione?”
Snape was shocked at the animosity in her voice toward herself. He never thought she hated herself so much. This was quite a new concept, and he looked at the girl with new eyes.
“Why are you still a virgin, Hermione?” this confession was said softly. He could tell that no one had actually said it, but he knew that it was the root of her self-hatred. What he couldn’t understand was why.
He wasn’t sure what upset him more, the confession or the silent tears that rolled down her face. He couldn’t believe she was an innocent; she was always surrounded by boys — not only Potter and Weasley, but others too, and not all from her own house.
“All I am is a brain… that’s all they see! BUT it's better than only seeing the body, and not one of them can hold an intelligent conversation to save their lives!”
‘Oh, no,’ thought Snape. ‘she’s mad now!’
“Well, off to do my rounds, no time to sit feeling sorry for myself.” She whipped the tears away and took a deep breath, and the little “Miss Perfect” mask was firmly in place again.
She was about to leave when the raven started squawking mad“Wha“What’s wrong, Mr. Mistoffelees?”
Hermione looked deep into his eyes; he looked back without blinking. She did that whenever she tried to understand what he needed. It worked quite well.
“Are you sick of this room, boy? Do you want to come on my rounds with me?”
"Squawk!!"
“Hmm, you would have to rin myn my shoulder, but then you would get caught up in my hair…” She looked at herself in the mirror and took out her wand, charming her hair into a long French braid that reached way way down her back.
“There now! No hair pulling, if you please.” She picked him up and placed him gently on her right shoulder.
They walked on her normal route as she quickly learned his movements and what they meant. He had a talent for finding wayward lovers out after curfew.
Mr. Mistoffelees would tap his beak on her head softly, then look in the direction of where the curfew-breakers were. A soft grip from his right claw meant right door or right turn; left meant left. When he gripped her shoulder softly, it meant no big deal. When he put pressure on her, it meant something big was going on; the harder the squeeze, the bigger the trouble. She found out that his claws were very sharp after the first few minutes, and she conjured up a soft pad that sat under her shirt, so his claws wouldn’t dig into her skin.
Hermione grew accustomed to relying on his instincts; after all, animals could hear and see far more clearly than humans.
Over the next week and a half, they became a formidable pair. She had even asked if she could bring him into class. Some of her professors agreed, but there were a few who had to be cajoled by Dumbledore, who thought it was a marvelous idea. In time, the girl and her raven became inseparable.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Thanks again June beta extraordinaire!
The Raven
By: Bree McGregor
Chapter 3
Hermione was speechless. She would love to take him in, but…
“Um… well, Professor, the problemthatthat I have a cat; and cats eat birds, especially wounded ones.”
“Your cat is part Kneazle, is it not?” Dumbledore asked kindly.
“Yes, sir, he is.”
“Well, then,” he said, smiling greatly. “There is no problem. I know you will take good care of him.” He tried to pick up the raven him, bu, but the bird refused. The animal just stayed on the table, glaring at the Headmaster.
“My, what a stubborn fellow you are,” Albus said, his eyes twinkling merrily. “Well, if you do not wish to stay with Miss Granger, then the only other place for you would be the Owlery.”
The bird hung his head and slowly walked onto Dumbledore’s hand. The Headmaster then put him into Hermione’s hand.
“Now, off you go, Hermione,” Albus said kindly as he gave her a gentle push toward the door.
She walked slowly, as not to disturb the bird. When she got to the hospital door, she thought of something. “Professor Dumbledore, what does he eat?”
He turned from his conversation with McGonagall and Pomfrey. “Don’t worry, my dear. I will have a house-elf bring him something.” With that, the Headmaster returned to his conversation.
~*~*~*~*~
Three days later, Snape was not pleased! He was perched on the window sill, as he watched Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley walk down toward Hagrid’s hut for their Care of Magical Creatures class. Unfortunately, the half-giant had not yet returned.
The first thing Hermione had done when she brought him to her room, was to introduce him to Crookshanks. Crookshanks was a monster of a cat, and the two had a staring contest right off the bat! The contest was to determine who ruled the territory of the Head Girl’s room. No human alive, except for Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, could ever win a staring contest with Snape. But this was no ordinary cat; he was also part Kneazle.
Crookshanks didn’t like sharing his space or his human with anyone else, but he also knew this was no bird… how could she be fooled by it? It didn’t even smell like a bird!
“Don’t be like that, Crooks,” Hermione said as she picked up the cat and sat on the bed, petting him. Neither the bird nor the cat broke eye contact. “It’s only temporary. Besides, you were here first; but you mustn’t hurt him or rough-house. He’s hurt, and if anything happens to him, I’ll turn you into a dog.”
The cat gave her a wicked look as if to say, ‘You wouldn’t dare!’
After that, the two came to terms with each other. Crookshanks ruled, but only so far; he was there first, after all. The cat knew that the bird-thing had sharp claws and a beak that could pull his tail; Crookshanks had learned this the hard way, like the time he tried to steal the bird’s dinner, while Hermione was gone.
The second thing Hermione did on that first day was decide on giving him a name. She liked the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, called amazingly enough “RaveRaven,” but since this bird wasn’t a girl, the name of Poe’s “rare and radiant maiden” Lenore wouldn’t work. So she decided to call him Mr. Mistoffelees, from a poem from T.S. Elliot — “Was there ever / A Cat so clever, / As Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!”
The third thing Hermione did for the raven was to create a walkway for him. She had levitated her desk so it overlapped the window sill, and all he had to do was to take a small hop to get there. Then she moved the dresser between one window and the other, so he could look out from both windows.
All in all, he thought that it was very kind of her. Still, the fact remained: he had been stuck in this room for three days now, with no company but a monstrous cat. Worst of all, the cat seemed to take extreme pleasure in flaunting the fact he was free to come and go as he pleased.
~*~*~*~*~
Snape wasn’t in a good mood when Hermione came back to the room; he couldn’t even read! The only things he could do were to sleep, eat, and look out the window. That may be good enough for a cat, but Snape wasn’t a cat and he hated being cooped up.
She threw her bag onto the bed and sat down heavily; she looked very tired.
“Why can't they accept me!” she called to no one, falling back onto the bed with her legs still hanging over the edge.
He had seen her unguarded a few times these past three days, observing her vulnerability and weaknesses. At first he thought he could use the knowledge as blackmail just in case she started her know-it-all attitude again after he returned to human form. Today, he started to realize that this attitude was a false perception, and he doubted if he would ever use this knowledge against her.
“Ahhhhh!” she exclaimed, as she hit the bed with her fist. “God, how I HATE them sometimes!”
Then in a whiny voice as if she was mimicking someone else’s, she said, “Why are you studying, Hermione? Why don’t you do something fun, Hermione? Why don’t you have a boyfriend, Hermione? Why are you such a know-it-all, Hermione?”
Snape was shocked at the animosity in her voice toward herself. He never thought she hated herself so much. This was quite a new concept, and he looked at the girl with new eyes.
“Why are you still a virgin, Hermione?” this confession was said softly. He could tell that no one had actually said it, but he knew that it was the root of her self-hatred. What he couldn’t understand was why.
He wasn’t sure what upset him more, the confession or the silent tears that rolled down her face. He couldn’t believe she was an innocent; she was always surrounded by boys — not only Potter and Weasley, but others too, and not all from her own house.
“All I am is a brain… that’s all they see! BUT it's better than only seeing the body, and not one of them can hold an intelligent conversation to save their lives!”
‘Oh, no,’ thought Snape. ‘she’s mad now!’
“Well, off to do my rounds, no time to sit feeling sorry for myself.” She whipped the tears away and took a deep breath, and the little “Miss Perfect” mask was firmly in place again.
She was about to leave when the raven started squawking mad“Wha“What’s wrong, Mr. Mistoffelees?”
Hermione looked deep into his eyes; he looked back without blinking. She did that whenever she tried to understand what he needed. It worked quite well.
“Are you sick of this room, boy? Do you want to come on my rounds with me?”
"Squawk!!"
“Hmm, you would have to rin myn my shoulder, but then you would get caught up in my hair…” She looked at herself in the mirror and took out her wand, charming her hair into a long French braid that reached way way down her back.
“There now! No hair pulling, if you please.” She picked him up and placed him gently on her right shoulder.
They walked on her normal route as she quickly learned his movements and what they meant. He had a talent for finding wayward lovers out after curfew.
Mr. Mistoffelees would tap his beak on her head softly, then look in the direction of where the curfew-breakers were. A soft grip from his right claw meant right door or right turn; left meant left. When he gripped her shoulder softly, it meant no big deal. When he put pressure on her, it meant something big was going on; the harder the squeeze, the bigger the trouble. She found out that his claws were very sharp after the first few minutes, and she conjured up a soft pad that sat under her shirt, so his claws wouldn’t dig into her skin.
Hermione grew accustomed to relying on his instincts; after all, animals could hear and see far more clearly than humans.
Over the next week and a half, they became a formidable pair. She had even asked if she could bring him into class. Some of her professors agreed, but there were a few who had to be cajoled by Dumbledore, who thought it was a marvelous idea. In time, the girl and her raven became inseparable.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Thanks again June beta extraordinaire!