The Ties that Lead to Trust

Chapter 32~ Exams and Advice

Severus stood in the front hall of the farmhouse and listened to the creak and groan of the house settling around him. His house. It was a bit of a surprise, but a great relief, that the negotiations and paperwork hadn’t taken long and in less than a month he had taken possession of the property. Hermione had provided some assistance with the money conversion, but the fine art of negotiation and the mountains of paperwork had been left to him. He was very satisfied with the efficiency of the transaction and oddly thrilled to be standing in his own house. It wasn’t a home yet. Firstly, it was uninhabitable at the moment and they wouldn’t likely move in for nearly two months, but it was his and he had come to survey his acquisition as well as place some basic protective spells on the property.

Though it was a Saturday, he had come alone and left Hermione to her studies back at the school. She probably would have liked to come along, but part of him wanted to have a chance to look around on his own. The house was much as he remembered it; faded and peeling wallpaper on the walls, worn floors, dusty carpets and dirty windows. They would have plenty of work to keep them busy when the time came. He moved into the kitchen to inspect the tap there and frowned at the rusty brown liquid that trickled from the faucet. Fixing the pipes would need a good charm and some effort. He made a short note on a parchment he had brought and continued down the hall and up the stairs.

The rooms up here were small, but he figured they could remove some walls to make better use of the space. The ceiling in the centre of the hall and one of the rooms had large watermarks that would need repairing after he finished with new shingles on the roof. There were also the floors that needed work, but he decided to leave that off his list and address the issue with Hermione at a later point in time.

Outside, it was still cool, but the sun was doing its best to warm the air. Buds were swelling, green grass overtaking the brown remnants from the previous summer and everything about him seemed to be teeming with life. A couple early flies could be seen buzzing about the barn doors and windows, but he didn’t want to think about how much cleaning his Aegean stables might need before they were useable. He had been joking about hippogriff breeding, but the idea of having some animals wasn’t unappealing. He had always enjoyed flying a broom in his youth and winged horses always held some secret appeal to him. Perhaps he would take this opportunity.

Walking over the fields to see the extent of the borders, he found a small valley with a quiet stream flowing through it. As best he could tell, it wound its way the length of the property and on into a small wooded area in the next. He walked along it a ways and found a secluded bend with several large trees and a flat rock jutting out into the water. Standing on the rock, he couldn’t see the house or any buildings and the chilly breeze was all he could hear. Severus smiled at his discovery and imagined how pleasant this place would be on a hot summer day.

Closer to the fence that ran between his property and the next, he could see his neighbour’s house through a gap in the trees. It also appeared to be built in a similar style with a number of outbuildings and animals scattered through the fields. There was a large herd of white sheep with the odd black one interspersed milling about close to the barn under the watchful eye of a large brown dog. There appeared to be some cattle as well in another field beside the sheep and a couple horses in a wooden paddock. He saw a figure moving from the barn to the house and saw another, smaller dog running along at the person’s heals. For a moment he wondered if his new neighbours would be the kind that nosed into other people’s business, but his thoughts were disrupted by the sound of hooves on hard earth.

A small black horse with white socks and a young girl of about ten riding on its back came into view along the small path that ran the length of the fenceline. She was bouncing along in a fast trot, but caught sight of him and slowed as she came up to the fence. She waved and smiled brightly at him, cheeks rosy red and dark hair in disarray from the wind. “Hello!”

Severus had half a mind to walk away without saying anything, but instead nodded at the girl and returned the greeting. “Hello.”

The horse stopped in front of him and the girl slid from the saddle and approached. “Mum says someone is going to live in Grandpa Joseph’s house. Are you my new neighbour?”

“Yes, I will be moving into the house on this property,” he said, a bit startled by her forwardness.

“Well I’m Katie and this is Domino. Mum wanted Brian to come with me, but she has a cold and Brian has to do the chores. He goes riding everyday while I’m at school anyway. It’s not fair. Where’s your horse?” she asked looking around, but not finding a four legged animal of any kind.

Resisting the urge to snap at her for her nosiness, he said simply, “I walked.”

“Don’t you have a horse?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. Hasn’t your mother told you not to talk to strangers?”

“You aren’t a stranger, you’re my neighbour. You do look a little strange though. Why are you wearing a dress?”

“This is a cloak, young lady.”

“Are you grumpy? I don’t want a grumpy neighbour. Grandpa Joseph was grumpy and Mum promised that the new people wouldn’t be grumpy. You didn’t tell me your name either. That’s a bit rude since I told you mine.”

Severus looked at her for a moment, torn between laughing at the very serious expression on the girl’s face and the sneer that wanted to form on his lips. Instead he retained his manner and extended his hand. “Severus Snape.”

She smiled again and took his offered hand, apparently thrilled by the gesture. “ I’m glad to meet you Mr Snape. Domino is too, aren’t you?”

The horse, who had been nibbling at the grass along the path, reluctantly responded to the girl’s tugs on his bridle and swung it’s head up to the top of the rail fence. Cautiously, Severus reached out and touched the velvety softness of the animal’s nose and said with as much seriousness as he could muster, “Hello.”

Katie seemed delighted at this. “I bet everyone at the house wants to meet you. They keep guessing about who bought Grandpa Joseph’s place, and I got to meet you first. Will you come to my house for tea?”

“I’m afraid not. I must be going,” he said, watching her smiling face fall.

“Oh... alright... I guess you’ll come some day while I’m at school then,” she said and moved to mount her horse again.

He watched her retreating back and on impulse said, “That is unlikely as I am a professor and have classes to attend myself. Perhaps I shall see you again in the summer when my wife and I move in.”

The girl turn to look at him again, her face glowing with happiness. “When school is finished?”

He nodded to her.

She quickly swung up onto her saddle and waved at him. “I’ll tell Mum. See you in the summer Mr Snape. Bye!”

Severus watched the girl urge the horse from a trot to a canter as she set off towards the house and he couldn’t resist a small smile. She was young and a bit impertinent, but she was also the first youth he had encountered who wasn’t afraid, or at least intimidated by him. As a rule he didn’t like children, but he would have to live with his neighbours. Giving one last glance to the retreating figure of the horse and rider, he apparated back to the house to cast a few protective spells before he returned to Hogwarts.
*********

After the spring break, classes flew by and Hermione found more and more of her time was spent up in the Room of Requirement studying with an increasingly larger group of seventh years. Most study sessions ran from supper to curfew and several times they lost track of time. Eventually Hermione asked the Headmaster to formalize the study group as a club so their meetings could run past curfew on occasion. The week preceding the examinations was tense, with nerves flaring occasionally into shouting matches. It was Harry who solved the problem by suggesting they all blow off some steam on the Quidditch pitch before trying to study again. Hermione smiled as all of the boys and nearly all the girls in the group eagerly left for a pick up game without the pressures of house teams.

Deciding to quit for the evening, Hermione picked up her bag and returned to her room for a relaxing evening and a long soak in her tub. She had received a letter earlier in the day from her mother and hadn’t yet had time to read it. The envelope was thick, so she wanted to have enough time to read through its contents uninterrupted. What she found inside surprised her. Two separate multi paged letters dropped out, one with her mother’s precise script, the other in her father’s steeply slanted handwriting. She had kept a more regular correspondence with her mother than she had done in years following her Christmas visit, but the short notes she sent to her father had been ignored.
Until now.

Tentatively she took her father’s letter and read through it. Before she had reached the end of the first paragraph she was crying.

Dear Hermione,
I really don’t know how to begin this letter.
I feel I scarcely know you anymore, but honey,
I’m sorry. I know it must have taken an awful
lot of strength to tell us what you did at Christmas,
even knowing how upset we would be. I have
been far less strong myself, particularly in taking
so long to put pen to paper. Yet as weak as I am,
I am scared of losing you completely. I also owe
Severus an apology and have sent him a letter with
the hope we might have a more cordial relationship.

Your mother tells me you and Severus have bought
a house in Yorkshire. It sounds lovely, but I am afraid,
as far away as you are, that I won’t ever see you. I still
have a great many questions about your choice of
husband. It is, however, your choice and I only wish to
understand it better. Perhaps when your term is over,
your mother and I can come up to the house and help
you work on it. From your description it sounds like extra
hands would be helpful.

We have been doing some renovations to the clinic in the past few weeks...

The letter went on with more mundane news about work, the neighbours and thoughts on current events like any
other letter she had received from home. On the last page he gave a gentle parting.

I think that I have rambled enough on news from our
little corner of the world. I wish you the best of luck on your
examinations. I am certain you will do well. You have always
made me proud and I regret ever giving you cause to doubt it.
Take care of yourself.

Love Always,
Daddy

For a few minutes she sat, overwhelmed by the letter after so many months of cold silence. When the reality of it sunk in, she found some parchment and a quill in her desk and began to write.

Dear Daddy,
*********

When Hermione left her Transfiguration exam, she felt like a wrung sponge. The practical segment of the exam had been the last in a series of draining magical workouts. The only exam that hadn’t completely exhausted her was Potions. It seemed odd to her, since, aside from Charms, she felt the most pressure to succeed. It also gave her great satisfaction to notice Malfoy, who had been with an examiner across the room, having a difficult time with a potion she was certain they had studied in first term.

Relieved to be finished, she and Harry strolled out onto the grounds to relax while Ginny was busy writing her sixth year Defence exam. Flopping under a tree by the lake, they watched the giant squid drift peacefully across the surface. Harry’s eyes held an unfocussed look as he gazed at the mountains in the distance.

“What is it Harry?” Hermione asked.

He sighed deeply. “What am I going to do next year?”

She furrowed her brow. “I thought you were going to do Auror training.”

“Not that ‘Mione. What am I going to do about Ginny?” his voice sounded almost forlorn.

“She isn’t going to break up with you just because she still has a year of school left. A year apart will be good for you. You can send letters. You’ll communicate better,” she reasoned.

“I hate the thought of being apart for so long. There are lots of guys here-”

“-Harry Potter! I can’t believe you would even suggest such a thing. Ginny would never even think of it!”

“I know she wouldn’t, but there are so many couples around the school. It would be really hard for her you know...”

Hermione sighed deeply. “I’m sure if you work it properly you could visit on Hogsmeade weekends and of course she’ll go home for Christmas. That’s the only time you really notice other couples.”

“But...” he started, but couldn’t find the words to express himself.

She gave him a curious look. “What is the real problem?”

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and very carefully gave it to Hermione. Opening the lid she saw a delicate gold ring with a smooth blue stone set into it. “Harry, is this...?”

He shook his head. “No. I thought I would give it to her as a sort of promise ring. It isn’t an engagement ring or anything. I thought... well... I don’t know if it means to little or too much... I’m not ready to say marriage and I know she isn’t either, but... Do you think this is a good idea?”

The sapphire glittered in the sunlight and Hermione looked at it, smiling. “Oh Harry! Any girl would love to get something so thoughtful. She’ll understand what you mean. It’s lovely. You have good taste.”

“Not really. The lady at the store helped pick it out. I asked her if it was appropriate as well, but I had to get your opinion. You know Ginny better,” he still sounded worried.

“I’m positive she will love it. Don’t worry. Besides, you don’t have to give it to her right away,” she handed back the box and patted his shoulder.

He hung his head. “I was going to give it to her for Valentine’s Day, but I was too scared so I just gave her chocolates instead.”

“You could always drag her up to the Room of Requirement to give it to her. It would most likely provide you with the right setting,” she recommended.

He appeared to think about it for a moment then nodded. “Not a bad idea. Thanks.”

She smiled broadly. “Anything to help. It’s odd to think we won’t be back here next year.”

Harry nodded. “When are you moving into the house?”

“It needs some work before it is habitable, so probably a week or two after school is finished. Dumbledore says there is no hurry to clear out of our rooms, but I will have to be out of my Head Girl rooms before the train leaves since no one has any idea where the room goes over the summer.”

“That has to be odd, not going to your parents’.”

“Yeah. I finally got a letter from Dad and he and Mum will be coming up to help work on the house for a few days. I’m not sure if I’m excited or scared about it,” she said with a worried look.

Harry returned the comforting pat on the shoulder. “They’re your parents. If he took the time to write, your dad must want to work things out. I don’t blame him for not liking Snape.”

“Harry-”she said in a dangerous voice.

“Just kidding,” He said in a conciliatory voice. “It’s alright for us to visit, right?”

She shook her head chuckling, “Of course it is. I know you can’t get past the professor bit now, but Severus is pleasant company outside of the classroom. Believe it or not, but he even laughs a fair bit.”

Harry laughed aloud at that. “I just can’t picture it. I guess I’ll just have to visit sometime and see it for myself. Gin will be able to get her apparation licence as soon as school is finished, so travel won’t be a problem.”

“Good. Come up next week and we will put the two of you to work,” she smiled wickedly.

Harry tried to give her a nasty look, but failed. “Hey! It’s not fair to put your friends to work when they come calling.”

“True,” she nodded, “but everyone does. Besides, you were banging on my door asking for help when you were fixing up the place in London.”

He shrugged. “I guess we have a deal then.”

Hermione leaned over and gave him a big hug which he returned without his former hesitation. When they broke the hug, Harry stood and offered his hand. “Let’s head back. Supper should be soon.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And Ginny wouldn’t happen to be finished her exam yet, would she?”

Harry looked up to the red headed figure looking slightly lost as she walked out onto the grounds. “Yeah, that too.”

And they both laughed together.
*********

The last Hogsmeade weekend of the year came at the very end of exams. In a few short days, Hermione would no longer be a student and the Hogwarts Express would depart from Hogsmeade station bringing the reunification of families separated for the school year. Hermione felt a touch sad that she would not ride the train one last time, but there was no reason for her to be on the train.

The morning of their Hogsmeade visit, she was sitting with the seventh year Gryffindors in the Great Hall, anticipating a group celebration. All had been former members of DA and there was some comment about returning to the Hogshead for a commemorative drink, but the idea was struck down. Instead they had arranged for a couple tables at the Three Broomsticks to accommodate the entire group and chipped in for a proper celebratory lunch. Hermione was listening with half an ear as the morning post came into the Hall. Her usual newspaper arrived along with a small bundle of feathers that zipped about the table excitedly. Harry noticed this and they exchanged a glance. “Pig?”

The diminutive owl landed on the table, but couldn’t hold still as it hopped and danced with excitement. Hermione snatched the bird and stroked his feathered head. “Just where have you been?”

She noticed a note attached to his leg and with Harry’s assistance managed to remove it.

Hey Hermione!
You won’t believe who blew in the other day. I have no idea
where he’s been, but last week Pig was twittering around the
kitchen table at the Burrow. He was a bit of a mess when we
found him, but he seems to have recovered quickly. Just
don’t feed him to that cat of yours. I hear you have a Hogsmeade
visit today and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind a little chat.
I’ll buy the butterbeer.
George Weasley

Hermione looked from the note to the bouncing owl and smiled sadly shaking her head. “If only you could talk, Pig.”

Ginny, who for once had not been attached at the hip to Harry, noticed the commotion and came down the table to
investigate. “Is that? It can’t be...”

The small owl left his spot on the table and landed on Ginny’s shoulder, nipping at her hair. Harry’s mouth was agape watching. “Where on earth did he come from?”

Shrugging, Hermione answered. “The letter just says he showed up at the Burrow last week.”

“What does Mum have to say?” Ginny asked.

“No idea, the letter is from George.”

“George?” both Ginny and Harry seemed surprised.

Ginny’s lips twitched. “I’m amazed you haven’t been turned purple or something.”

She shrugged. “He said he’d be in Hogsmeade today and wants to meet. I have no idea what he wants.”

“Well if it’s George and not Fred then my bet is on a favour,” Ginny postulated.

“And if it were Fred?” she asked.

Harry answered, “Then I’d say a test subject or something illegal.”

When breakfast was finished, everyone above third year pushed towards the doors, ready for a day away from the school. The dew still glistened on the grass as they walked down the path towards the village, but the day was rapidly warming. Hermione gave a glance to her black school robes and sighed. It was going to be hot today and their robes wouldn’t help.

Everyone broke off to enjoy a bit of morning shopping before meeting for lunch and Hermione walked up the main street thinking of looking into a housewares shop she had noticed before while waiting for George. She didn’t get very far, however, as George Weasley was standing outside of Honeydukes pacing. “Hermione! There you are.”

“Hi George,” she answered automatically, startled that he was waiting for her. “I didn’t expect you to be here so early.”

He shrugged. “I had to come up to Hogsmeade anyway. I thought I would come early and tour the shops if I didn’t see you right away. You got my note, right.”

She nodded. “At breakfast. I can’t believe Pig turned up after all this time.”

“Me too. Shocked the life out of everyone at home. I think it made Mum sad though,” he said closing his eyes.

“I know. It was like seeing a ghost... well, I suppose I see them all the time but you know what I mean,” her voice was quiet.

“Yeah. Butterbeer?”

She snorted. “It’s a little early.”

“Well I would have suggested a coffee, but Puddifoots turns my stomach,” his voice held a degree of contempt for the location, though she wasn’t completely sure why.

Hermione looked down the street at the Three Broomsticks weighing her options. “Well I’m sure Rosemerta can brew tea or something.”

He nodded nervously. “Alright. Sounds good.”

Inside the friendly pub, Madam Rosemerta waved merrily to them. “Bit early for the party aren’t you?”

Smiling, Hermione moved towards a seat by the window. “We just thought we’d have a cup of tea and a chat.”

The older woman smiled at them. “It’s a lovely morning. I can put a table outside if you like.”

“Yes. That would be great. Thanks Rosemerta,” George answered and they followed her as she levitated a table out the back door.

From where they were sitting, they could see the field where the battle had taken place, but in the cheery morning light, it didn’t seem sad or sinister. A minute later Rosemerta appeared with a pot of tea and a plate of fresh scones and left them to enjoy the morning air. For a few minutes they were silent before George started talking. “I need some help Hermione.”

She looked at him in concern. “What is it? No one is in trouble are they?”

He shook his head. “Not like that. I’m having a problem and I need your advice.”

“Well I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but tell me what it is and I’ll try,” she encouraged him gently.

“I have a girlfriend,”he blurted.

“A girlfriend?”

He nodded morosely. “A muggle girlfriend.”

Her eyes widened and she chuckled quietly. “Oh. Why is it everyone thinks I’m an expert on relationships?”

George gave her a curious look to which she responded. “Don’t ask. He’d never forgive me if I told anyone.”

“Well, it isn’t so much about the girlfriend part,” he shook his head slowly, “it’s the Muggle part. I’m worried about explaining magic to her. I don’t know how, or even if I should.”

“Tell me about her. When did you meet?” she queried.

“In March. Fred and I have been looking into expanding our shop and including toys for younger kids. I was looking around a toy shop in London and managed to knock over a big display of miniature cars. I figured it would be fun if we could charm them to fly around like Dad’s old car. Anyway, Megan found me under a pile of boxes. She’s the manager of the store. Her dad owns it.” George explained.

Hermione furrowed her brow. “You’ve been with her that long? And you haven’t told her? I’m sure she’s noticed something.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well she’s a bit strange herself, for a Muggle anyway. She’s a lot of fun and enjoys the toys in her shop as much as I like the pranks in mine.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. She sounds like she wouldn’t run away if you told her you’re a wizard. Not if she likes you anyway.”

George shook his head vigorously. “It isn’t that so much as the trouble I could get in with the Ministry. Statute of Secrecy and all that.”

“Surely she can keep a secret. Like I said, if she likes you-” Hermione began but was interrupted.

“If we stop seeing each other then I will have to modify her memory. I feel like I’m making a big decision for her by choosing to tell her. You know Seamus’ mum?”

She nodded.

“Well she didn’t mention magic until after they were married because of the regulations at the Ministry. It’s like committing to marry without asking the other party. Lots of folks wait, but I know a bunch of unhappy families because of it,” he sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Mum knows I’ve been seeing someone and has been pestering me to meet her, but if she comes to the Burrow, well it’ll be obvious won’t it? I saw what Harry was like there and he had already done a year at Hogwarts. I don’t want to scare Meg, I’d hate to have to Obliviate her memory and I’m terrified of what she’ll do to me when I tell her how serious revealing the magical world to her is.”

Leaning back on her chair, Hermione took the whole situation in. For a few minutes they were quiet, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally she asked, “Why are you asking me?”

He shrugged. “I figured you would have a better idea of what being told about magic would mean since you grew up as a Muggle. You’re also a girl. I love Meg, but I still have no idea how girls think.”

“At least you admit it,” she said wryly, “I suppose it all depends on how serious you are about her.”

“Enough to want Mum to meet her. I’ve never brought a girlfriend home before,” he clarified.

She nodded. “Have you slept with her?”

“What?!” Hermione was surprised to see he looked genuinely scandalized, which was a very unusual expression on any Weasley, particularly one of the twins.

Hermione was flustered. “Sorry, didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just trying to get a feel for the situation. So you’ve been dating for four months. I presume you’ve met her family?”

“Yes. For what it’s worth, they seem to like me.”

“May wonders never cease,” she responded sarcastically and stood.

They walked quietly up the low rise to the clearing where the memorial plaque was located. Looking at the many names of young people on the list she turned to him. “I say you tell her soon.”

“I figured as much, but how?” his voice was low and his demeanor uncharacteristically pensive.

She shrugged. “Plainly I suppose. If she is fun loving, I’m sure she will be highly entertained by anything you show her. I wouldn’t do anything big that might scare her. Simple spells will give her the idea and you can go from there. If she is really bothered by what she sees then it isn’t much to make her forget and if she is keen to see more then you can go ahead and show her. She may ask you about love spells too, so you need to be very clear about them and what they can and can’t do. That’s the sort of thing a girl would be worried about.”

George made a sound of agreement and began walking towards the shade of the surrounding trees. “And the Statute of Secrecy? What do I tell her about that?”

“Just tell her not to tell anyone because you could get in big trouble if she did. If she manages a store she can’t be totally irresponsible. Besides, you obviously really love her, or you wouldn’t be here telling me about it. This is more than a meet the family thing isn’t it?” She continued to prod for information.

He seemed wary for a moment, but then relented and told her. “I want to make a commitment and we talked a little about it, but we haven’t known each other that long. Fred has known Angelina for years. No one was surprised when they got engaged a couple weeks after she finished school.”

Considering the current situation George was in, she told him bluntly. “You don’t have to rush things, but if all goes well with your little revelation and it’s what you both want, why not get engaged. The Ministry is bound to start hounding you soon about making a petition. It isn’t a reason to marry, but you could look at it as motivation.”

“Perhaps, though you’re dodging the curse before it’s cast. I’m not just going to conjure a ring, tell her I’m a wizard and propose on the spot. How were you told about magic?”

“Well I got my letter and my parents thought it was a practical joke, but the next day someone from the Ministry came by to explain things to us. The first thing I wanted, of course, was to see some spells. The woman was very patient and transfigured our teakettle into a toad, floated cups from our cupboard and made the sugar bowl tapdance on the kitchen table. It really startled my parents, but I loved it,” she recounted for him.

“I suppose it would seem like a practical joke if you hadn’t grown up with it. Do you think Meg will think it’s that?” he sounded very worried again.

“Seeing as it’s you, perhaps, but if you bring her to the Burrow then she’ll see it isn’t. I wouldn’t worry too much. If she’s dating you, she’s not likely to run away screaming,” Hermione was grinning broadly.

“You flatter me, you do. I still don’t know if I should be insulted or relieved you chose the greasy git over me,” he teased.

A small Mona Lisa smile graced her lips and lit her eyes. “Relieved. I may have fought all the time with Ron, but I expect you and I would have hexed each other to the point of incapacitation in under a week. Besides, I’m happy.”

Though he noticed her smile, George asked, “Are you? You know everyone at the Burrow has been worried about you. She might not have shown it, but Mum was in a right tizzy after you told her.”

“I really didn’t mean to make her angry,” Hermione said, glancing at her watch and noted it was close to when she promised to meet her friends.

Noticing her time check George began walking back towards the building. “She isn’t, only fretting. She’s known Snape for years and kept going on about how miserable he is to be around. I’ve seen it for myself, but for her to say it... well she was never in his classes so you’d think he would be different to her.”

“I don’t think he’ll ever win any Witch Weekly personality contests, but he isn’t really that bad to live with. He was still irritable the last time I was in his class, but he hates teaching. Anyone would be unsociable while doing things they dislike,” she said in way of explanation.

“It’s horrible how you were kicked out of class. I can’t believe the Ministry did that to you,” George said emphatically, clearly expressing his distaste for the Ministry by his tone.

An equally distasteful and cold voice sounded from behind Hermione. “Funny, I can’t believe what the Ministry does either. Stupify!”
*********