Heavenly Angel

AN: In this fic I see Hermione as around 21. The first few
chapters of this are going to be really short. One chapter per letter, but as
the story fills out it will get meatier. Thanks for all the reviews!!

Heavenly Angel Chapter 4

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione was eating her breakfast when a thick envelope
landed in front of her. She didn’t look surprised. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

A large black owl swooped onto a perch in one corner of the
kitchen and hooted deeply.

Hermione sipped daintily at her cup and tried to put the
envelope in her robes. It was too big and wouldn’t fit in her pocket.

“Nice try,” said Ginny sarcastically. “Is he stalking you?”

Ginny opened the ice box and took out a plate of thinly
sliced liver. The owl preened and puffed its chest out. Ginny gave the owl a
bit of liver and scratched him.

“No,” said Hermione. “We were partners for a long time. I’m
not going to stop correspondence with him over a drunken letter.”

Ginny looked disappointed as she sat at the table. Hermione
knew it was because Ginny assumed their letters were mundane now. That was fine
with her. She put the letter on the table and tried not to look at it too much
during the meal.

Afterwards, she made her way to her room and locked the door
quietly behind her. The letter felt thick, but not as heavy as the first. She
walked across her room and sat at her desk.

The brass letter opener gleaned in the soft light filtering
through her curtains. She reached out and gently loosened the wax seal so she
wouldn’t break it.

A gentle pink smoke rose from the letter. It smelled like
chocolate. Dear God, he did know her.

As she pulled the letter out she noticed something slither
to the floor, clacking softly on her floor. She looked down and saw a
white-gold chain lying on the floor. She picked it up and looked at it. She
wasn’t sure she wanted to put it on. What did it mean?

Dearest Hermione,

(She shook her head and read that again. This was so
ridiculous. So unexpected. So undignified. So romantic. Bah.)

Please accept this
token as a symbol of my desire to court you. My behavior in my previous
correspondence was reprehensible, at best. Although I am male and am overcome
by primal instincts from time to time, I assure you my feelings towards you are
honorable. I will never treat you as anything less than a lady.

(Hermione snorted. He had been bitter and sarcastic for the
last 10 years. She hardly expected him to change now that he decided he needed
to be polite around her. Manners had nothing to do with mood. She fastened the
chain around her neck.)

I will be contacting
your father soon to ask for his permission to court you.

(Hermione read that again. Good lord, her father was going
to explode.)

I plan on honoring all
Wizarding formalities involving courtship. No doubt it will confuse him enough that
he will not feel moved to assault me right away.

(She chuckled. Apparently he had been listening to her when
she spoke of her parents.)

Enclosed are my notes
on the properties of mica. Even though the Order doesn’t need the information
any longer, I see no reason to abandon the project. Please review the notes and
contact me.

Yours,

Severus

Hermione shook her head and flipped through the notes. They
seemed to be in order. She shook her head and chuckled. Only Snape would
combine a love letter and potions notes. Romantic, yet practical.

Hermione set his letter aside and went over his notes. In
one spot she frowned and walked over to a bare section of wall. She reached out
and pushed it lightly. A panel swung open and a bookshelf was revealed. She fished
out an enormous tome and laid it out on the floor. She flipped through it and
found the passage she was looking for.

Hermione strode over to her desk and began scribbling
furiously. She messily applied her seal and stalked to the kitchen.

“Caesar,” Hermione barked at the large black owl. He hooted
in startled indignation. “Take this to your bubble-brained master.”

The owl hooted cheerfully, as if it liked nothing more than
to see his master told off.

“Sweet boy,” Hermione murmured as she fastened her letter
around his neck. He nuzzled her affectionately. “Make him give you tasties when
you get there.”

The owl hooted a salute before it soared out the window.