The Makeover - COMPLETED
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Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
46
Views:
25,375
Reviews:
188
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
46
Views:
25,375
Reviews:
188
Recommended:
1
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.
In Her Service
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
*******************************
Chapter 3 ~ In Her Service
An enthusiastic Hermione exited the Headmaster’s office. Albus had granted her Friday off, his blue eyes twinkling at the witch’s excitement. The Headmaster was glad the witch was taking an interest in her appearance. He always saw her as a young woman with great inner beauty, compassion, empathy as well as brilliance. Hermione was so focused on her pursuit of knowledge however, she never truly cared about the physical upkeep of being a witch. As long as she was clean, she was fine.
The Headmaster shook his head and smiled. A prize at Hogwarts had been overlooked for far too long. Quite a lot of people were in for an awakening. He only hoped that Hermione would remain the level-headed witch she was and not be swept away by the new focus that would be placed on her. He hoped she would remain true to herself and be able to see beyond surface appearances. If she lost touch with who she really was, it would be a great loss indeed and possibly quite a painful one as she dealt with wizards who had nothing more on their minds than getting her heels in the air.
Behind the Headmaster, Fawkes crooned a comforting little song. Albus turned around, feeling the sweet trills of his friend and familiar take hold and soothe his soul.
“Thank you, Fawkes. I needed that,” the Headmaster said to the Phoenix, who arched his neck gracefully in acknowledgement.
*************************************
As Hermione walked down the stairs smiling, she met Severus who was on his way up to the Headmaster's office. He didn't look too pleased about it. Politeness required the witch to speak.
“Good morning, Professor,” Hermione said to the wizard.
Severus’ black eyes shifted toward the Spell Mistress for a moment, then he passed wordlessly, pulling his robes aside so they wouldn’t come in contact with her. Hermione turned and watched him stalk up the stairs.
He had to be the most rude and miserable man at Hogwarts.
She continued down the stairs, heading for her labs, her heart feeling lighter than air.
*************************************
Severus entered the Headmaster’s office. Albus smiled brightly at him.
“Good morning, Severus,” he said to the wizard, who took a seat in front of the Headmaster.
Severus looked at him coolly.
“Good morning, sir,” he responded. “I don’t have long between classes, so I hope this meeting will be relatively quick if not painless.”
The Headmaster quirked his lip. Severus would remain in the dungeons day and night if he could. Albus had to admit sometimes he summoned him to his office just to get him out of the dismal surroundings. The Potions Master knew it too, and didn’t appreciate it at all. He would have told the Headmaster too, if he wasn’t his employer. So he sat there sullenly, waiting to see what nonsense the old wizard wanted to talk to him about now.
“I just wanted to inform you Severus, that our Spells Mistress has been working on a project that will interest you greatly. We kept it hush-hush so we didn’t raise anyone’s hopes too much. She has been working on the problem of removing the Dark Mark, using the severed limbs of deatheaters,” the Headmaster said.
Severus’ eyes widened slightly, but other than that, he showed no reaction. Albus and Harry Potter had killed Voldemort at the Final Battle through a combined effort…the Headmaster holding the wizard in a powerful magical binding spell that rendered the despot powerless for several seconds, long enough for Harry to disembowel and behead the wizard with Godric Gryffindor’s sword. At his death it was believed the Dark Mark would simply disappear, but it hadn’t. Instead, the mark remained, occasionally flaring up and causing the wearer agonizing pain as if being summoned. The pain could last anywhere from several minutes to several hours. No relief could be found because the Dark Lord was dead, so this Phantom Summons could not be answered.
Most of the limbs Hermione used came from deceased deatheaters, but a few were from wizards and witches that still lived, who were driven so insane by the pain they sliced their arms from their bodies and refused to have them reattached. Severus knew how they felt. He had spent many nights in his rooms, wrapped in a silencing spell, screaming in pain until the summons subsided, not to mention the few times he had to dismiss his classes early because he felt the summons coming on.
Severus looked at the Headmaster.
“I see why you believe this news would interest me, Headmaster…but this is the Spell Mistress’ project. I would be more interested in hearing about her success than her attempts at success,” he said silkily. “Attempts are nothing but failures.”
Albus’ eyes darkened a bit.
“I called you here, Severus, because the Spells Mistress has gone as far as she can with severed limbs. She needs a living subject,” he said evenly.
Severus scowled.
“And you expect that human niffler to be me, I suppose,” the Potions Master said, his voice taking on a bit of an edge.
Albus nodded.
“Precisely. You stay here at the castle after all, Severus, and one would think you’d have a vested interest in this project…” the Headmaster began.
“Why not use prisoners? Azkaban is full of deatheaters,” Severus said darkly.
“Because the security and secrecy involved is prohibitive, that’s why Severus. We would have to sneak them in and out of Hogwarts. Someone would discover what was going on sooner or later. Besides, the Ministry is not willing to use their Aurors to assist us in transporting convicted deatheaters and are of the opinion that former deatheaters deserve to suffer for their service to the Dark Lord whether they have been cleared or not. You are our best option, Severus,” Albus said.
The dark wizard stared at the Headmaster.
“Are you going to order me to do this, Albus?” he asked, using the Headmaster’s given name when things became personal.
Albus sighed.
“I hoped I would not have to, Severus. Miss Granger’s success will be of benefit to you as well. I should think you would like to end the torment you go through,” the old wizard said quietly.
Severus had no idea how painful Hermione’s experimentation on his living flesh would be. Dead limbs had no feelings. He did. He had a strong tolerance for pain, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. The Spell Mistress’ ministrations might be more painful than the Phantom Summons.
“I don’t like the idea of acting as a lab animal, Headmaster,” Severus said.
Albus sighed again.
“I’m afraid Severus, that’s exactly the role I am requiring you to play. The Spell Mistress will contact you when she is ready. You will report to her, and you will cooperate with her. In the end, Severus…you will find it was all worthwhile,” Albus said.
Severus silently cursed the old wizard sitting in front of him. He was just as controlling as he ever was. The only way the wizard could get out of this service was to resign his post as Potions Professor. He didn’t want to leave Hogwarts. It was his home.
“Yesss, just as I did when I was a spy, eh Albus?” the wizard replied bitterly. “All that suffering and sacrifice for a trouncing at the hands of the Ministry, then a bit of gold hanging on the end of a ribbon to ease their collective consciences.”
The Potions Master was referring to his Order of Merlin, which he didn’t give a shit about. The Ministry tried to lock him up first and he was interrogated in the most brutal manner before they released him and turned him into a hero because of Albus’ intervention and the testimony of Order members. The medal was a bandage. More falseness.
The Headmaster didn’t respond. He knew Severus was a very bitter man. Still, he had obligations he had to fulfill as an employee of Hogwarts. His assistance could end the suffering of many, many people who had returned to society as solid members. The punishment had to end.
Severus rose.
“Thank you for the talk, Headmaster,” he said sarcastically, “As always you have made my day.”
He exited the office in a billow of robes, the Headmaster looking after the wizard sadly. He was such a miserable man. Maybe working closely with the witch would help his social skills if nothing else.
Sighing, Albus picked up a stack of budget projections and started working on them to present before the Board of Governors for next year.
***************************************
Severus stormed down the stairs and out into the main corridor, his face black. He was itching to hex something or someone as he mounted the shifting stairs. A lab animal for a former student. How the fuck could Albus do this to him?
Not that he didn’t think Hermione wasn’t brilliant. She was and he grudgingly admitted it. If anyone could solve the Phantom Summons, that walking brain could. It was no wonder she was so good at what she did. She did nothing else but Spells Work and was an old maid at age twenty-five. The Potions Master always suspected she would end up that way. She never had any designs on attracting wizards as far as he could see. Knowledge had always been her bedfellow, even as a student. When the other young witches were trying out their wiles, painting their faces and tightening their wardrobes, Hermione was always someplace with her face stuck in a book.
Sometimes Hermione came to class a complete fright, her hair snarled like a rat’s nest, her eyes hollow and skin sallow because she had been studying so intensely she hadn’t eaten, slept or combed her hair. Her fellow classmates commented on it and teased her unceasingly, but she never responded to their barbs…she just kept right on learning and learning and learning. Her reward was the highest marks Hogwarts had seen in fifty years. She then went on to university and the Professor imagined she was much the same way, focused only on earning her degree and high honors.
As far as her attractiveness went, it really didn’t matter to the Professor how the witch looked. He wasn’t interested in her or any of the staff members. He didn’t associate with them much, only when called to those annoying staff meetings where he spoke just enough to keep Albus satisfied he was participating. And those damn celebrations the Headmaster had on every possible holiday, where he was forced to hang cherubs, hearts and other decorations as well as attend the damned festivities and oversee students, making sure they weren’t putting firewhiskey in the punch. He didn’t give a fuck if they all had hangovers the next day…but he was a teacher at Hogwarts, and it was his job to protect students from themselves.
If left to his own devices, Severus would let the students drink until they puked. That would be a far more effective lesson than stopping them. But of course, that would never do. They’d have to get much older and be outside the walls of Hogwarts when they found out what too much liquor could do. Yes, Albus…that was really preparing them for life.
The wizard turned down the hallway, pissed that he hadn’t run into any errant students that he could slake his rage on. Taking fifty points from a Gryffindor because his tie was crooked would have helped his mood immensely. Ah well. He was in for it now. The Spells Mistress could do whatever she wanted to him and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it except glare at her. There would be plenty of glaring to be sure. He just hoped she wouldn’t be drawing blood. He hated losing any blood. He had lost enough under Voldemort.
He arrived in class just as the last student sat down in the front row, looking fearful. The young wizard had arrived too late for a back row seat and looked nervously at the tall, pale Potions Master as he sat down. Severus glared at the students for several moments, then said in a quiet, soothing voice, “I realize that I told you we would spend this period reviewing. But I have changed my mind. Books away, quills out. It’s pop quiz time, boys and girls.”
The students all groaned as Severus smirked nastily, stood up and walked to the blackboard to write down the quiz questions.
It was good to be the king.
***************************************
A/N: Ah, now we see how this snarky Severus and socially introverted Hermione get together. The Potions Master is not pleased about this, but there is nothing he can do but submit. Albus really pulled rank. Anyway, please review.
*******************************
Chapter 3 ~ In Her Service
An enthusiastic Hermione exited the Headmaster’s office. Albus had granted her Friday off, his blue eyes twinkling at the witch’s excitement. The Headmaster was glad the witch was taking an interest in her appearance. He always saw her as a young woman with great inner beauty, compassion, empathy as well as brilliance. Hermione was so focused on her pursuit of knowledge however, she never truly cared about the physical upkeep of being a witch. As long as she was clean, she was fine.
The Headmaster shook his head and smiled. A prize at Hogwarts had been overlooked for far too long. Quite a lot of people were in for an awakening. He only hoped that Hermione would remain the level-headed witch she was and not be swept away by the new focus that would be placed on her. He hoped she would remain true to herself and be able to see beyond surface appearances. If she lost touch with who she really was, it would be a great loss indeed and possibly quite a painful one as she dealt with wizards who had nothing more on their minds than getting her heels in the air.
Behind the Headmaster, Fawkes crooned a comforting little song. Albus turned around, feeling the sweet trills of his friend and familiar take hold and soothe his soul.
“Thank you, Fawkes. I needed that,” the Headmaster said to the Phoenix, who arched his neck gracefully in acknowledgement.
*************************************
As Hermione walked down the stairs smiling, she met Severus who was on his way up to the Headmaster's office. He didn't look too pleased about it. Politeness required the witch to speak.
“Good morning, Professor,” Hermione said to the wizard.
Severus’ black eyes shifted toward the Spell Mistress for a moment, then he passed wordlessly, pulling his robes aside so they wouldn’t come in contact with her. Hermione turned and watched him stalk up the stairs.
He had to be the most rude and miserable man at Hogwarts.
She continued down the stairs, heading for her labs, her heart feeling lighter than air.
*************************************
Severus entered the Headmaster’s office. Albus smiled brightly at him.
“Good morning, Severus,” he said to the wizard, who took a seat in front of the Headmaster.
Severus looked at him coolly.
“Good morning, sir,” he responded. “I don’t have long between classes, so I hope this meeting will be relatively quick if not painless.”
The Headmaster quirked his lip. Severus would remain in the dungeons day and night if he could. Albus had to admit sometimes he summoned him to his office just to get him out of the dismal surroundings. The Potions Master knew it too, and didn’t appreciate it at all. He would have told the Headmaster too, if he wasn’t his employer. So he sat there sullenly, waiting to see what nonsense the old wizard wanted to talk to him about now.
“I just wanted to inform you Severus, that our Spells Mistress has been working on a project that will interest you greatly. We kept it hush-hush so we didn’t raise anyone’s hopes too much. She has been working on the problem of removing the Dark Mark, using the severed limbs of deatheaters,” the Headmaster said.
Severus’ eyes widened slightly, but other than that, he showed no reaction. Albus and Harry Potter had killed Voldemort at the Final Battle through a combined effort…the Headmaster holding the wizard in a powerful magical binding spell that rendered the despot powerless for several seconds, long enough for Harry to disembowel and behead the wizard with Godric Gryffindor’s sword. At his death it was believed the Dark Mark would simply disappear, but it hadn’t. Instead, the mark remained, occasionally flaring up and causing the wearer agonizing pain as if being summoned. The pain could last anywhere from several minutes to several hours. No relief could be found because the Dark Lord was dead, so this Phantom Summons could not be answered.
Most of the limbs Hermione used came from deceased deatheaters, but a few were from wizards and witches that still lived, who were driven so insane by the pain they sliced their arms from their bodies and refused to have them reattached. Severus knew how they felt. He had spent many nights in his rooms, wrapped in a silencing spell, screaming in pain until the summons subsided, not to mention the few times he had to dismiss his classes early because he felt the summons coming on.
Severus looked at the Headmaster.
“I see why you believe this news would interest me, Headmaster…but this is the Spell Mistress’ project. I would be more interested in hearing about her success than her attempts at success,” he said silkily. “Attempts are nothing but failures.”
Albus’ eyes darkened a bit.
“I called you here, Severus, because the Spells Mistress has gone as far as she can with severed limbs. She needs a living subject,” he said evenly.
Severus scowled.
“And you expect that human niffler to be me, I suppose,” the Potions Master said, his voice taking on a bit of an edge.
Albus nodded.
“Precisely. You stay here at the castle after all, Severus, and one would think you’d have a vested interest in this project…” the Headmaster began.
“Why not use prisoners? Azkaban is full of deatheaters,” Severus said darkly.
“Because the security and secrecy involved is prohibitive, that’s why Severus. We would have to sneak them in and out of Hogwarts. Someone would discover what was going on sooner or later. Besides, the Ministry is not willing to use their Aurors to assist us in transporting convicted deatheaters and are of the opinion that former deatheaters deserve to suffer for their service to the Dark Lord whether they have been cleared or not. You are our best option, Severus,” Albus said.
The dark wizard stared at the Headmaster.
“Are you going to order me to do this, Albus?” he asked, using the Headmaster’s given name when things became personal.
Albus sighed.
“I hoped I would not have to, Severus. Miss Granger’s success will be of benefit to you as well. I should think you would like to end the torment you go through,” the old wizard said quietly.
Severus had no idea how painful Hermione’s experimentation on his living flesh would be. Dead limbs had no feelings. He did. He had a strong tolerance for pain, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. The Spell Mistress’ ministrations might be more painful than the Phantom Summons.
“I don’t like the idea of acting as a lab animal, Headmaster,” Severus said.
Albus sighed again.
“I’m afraid Severus, that’s exactly the role I am requiring you to play. The Spell Mistress will contact you when she is ready. You will report to her, and you will cooperate with her. In the end, Severus…you will find it was all worthwhile,” Albus said.
Severus silently cursed the old wizard sitting in front of him. He was just as controlling as he ever was. The only way the wizard could get out of this service was to resign his post as Potions Professor. He didn’t want to leave Hogwarts. It was his home.
“Yesss, just as I did when I was a spy, eh Albus?” the wizard replied bitterly. “All that suffering and sacrifice for a trouncing at the hands of the Ministry, then a bit of gold hanging on the end of a ribbon to ease their collective consciences.”
The Potions Master was referring to his Order of Merlin, which he didn’t give a shit about. The Ministry tried to lock him up first and he was interrogated in the most brutal manner before they released him and turned him into a hero because of Albus’ intervention and the testimony of Order members. The medal was a bandage. More falseness.
The Headmaster didn’t respond. He knew Severus was a very bitter man. Still, he had obligations he had to fulfill as an employee of Hogwarts. His assistance could end the suffering of many, many people who had returned to society as solid members. The punishment had to end.
Severus rose.
“Thank you for the talk, Headmaster,” he said sarcastically, “As always you have made my day.”
He exited the office in a billow of robes, the Headmaster looking after the wizard sadly. He was such a miserable man. Maybe working closely with the witch would help his social skills if nothing else.
Sighing, Albus picked up a stack of budget projections and started working on them to present before the Board of Governors for next year.
***************************************
Severus stormed down the stairs and out into the main corridor, his face black. He was itching to hex something or someone as he mounted the shifting stairs. A lab animal for a former student. How the fuck could Albus do this to him?
Not that he didn’t think Hermione wasn’t brilliant. She was and he grudgingly admitted it. If anyone could solve the Phantom Summons, that walking brain could. It was no wonder she was so good at what she did. She did nothing else but Spells Work and was an old maid at age twenty-five. The Potions Master always suspected she would end up that way. She never had any designs on attracting wizards as far as he could see. Knowledge had always been her bedfellow, even as a student. When the other young witches were trying out their wiles, painting their faces and tightening their wardrobes, Hermione was always someplace with her face stuck in a book.
Sometimes Hermione came to class a complete fright, her hair snarled like a rat’s nest, her eyes hollow and skin sallow because she had been studying so intensely she hadn’t eaten, slept or combed her hair. Her fellow classmates commented on it and teased her unceasingly, but she never responded to their barbs…she just kept right on learning and learning and learning. Her reward was the highest marks Hogwarts had seen in fifty years. She then went on to university and the Professor imagined she was much the same way, focused only on earning her degree and high honors.
As far as her attractiveness went, it really didn’t matter to the Professor how the witch looked. He wasn’t interested in her or any of the staff members. He didn’t associate with them much, only when called to those annoying staff meetings where he spoke just enough to keep Albus satisfied he was participating. And those damn celebrations the Headmaster had on every possible holiday, where he was forced to hang cherubs, hearts and other decorations as well as attend the damned festivities and oversee students, making sure they weren’t putting firewhiskey in the punch. He didn’t give a fuck if they all had hangovers the next day…but he was a teacher at Hogwarts, and it was his job to protect students from themselves.
If left to his own devices, Severus would let the students drink until they puked. That would be a far more effective lesson than stopping them. But of course, that would never do. They’d have to get much older and be outside the walls of Hogwarts when they found out what too much liquor could do. Yes, Albus…that was really preparing them for life.
The wizard turned down the hallway, pissed that he hadn’t run into any errant students that he could slake his rage on. Taking fifty points from a Gryffindor because his tie was crooked would have helped his mood immensely. Ah well. He was in for it now. The Spells Mistress could do whatever she wanted to him and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it except glare at her. There would be plenty of glaring to be sure. He just hoped she wouldn’t be drawing blood. He hated losing any blood. He had lost enough under Voldemort.
He arrived in class just as the last student sat down in the front row, looking fearful. The young wizard had arrived too late for a back row seat and looked nervously at the tall, pale Potions Master as he sat down. Severus glared at the students for several moments, then said in a quiet, soothing voice, “I realize that I told you we would spend this period reviewing. But I have changed my mind. Books away, quills out. It’s pop quiz time, boys and girls.”
The students all groaned as Severus smirked nastily, stood up and walked to the blackboard to write down the quiz questions.
It was good to be the king.
***************************************
A/N: Ah, now we see how this snarky Severus and socially introverted Hermione get together. The Potions Master is not pleased about this, but there is nothing he can do but submit. Albus really pulled rank. Anyway, please review.