A Dark Scenario

Chapter 4 ~ Recovery

Minerva was seated at her desk, dressed in Tartan robes and reading the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet which had been magically delivered only minutes before. She had a subscription. Her black eyes shifted back and forth as she read about Snape's release by the council. She frowned slightly.

A knock sounded on the door. The headmistress started. She had just changed the password to the gargoyle and hadn't yet told Hagrid or Filch. It was the summer months so no one else was at Hogwarts. How did anyone get up here?

"Come in," she said tightly.

The door opened and the witch's eyes widened when she saw who entered.

"Severus?" she gasped.

Snape nodded slightly. Now Minerva understood. The gargoyle probably still recognized Snape as Headmaster. She narrowed her eyes at him. She had been given the post and was the rightful successor to Dumbledore when Snape had been named. She wasn't about to give up her position, especially when he'd been put in place by a corrupt Ministry.

"I read about your release. Congratulations," Minerva said coldly. "Sit down, if you must."

Snape's eyes rested on the portrait of Albus Dumbledore hung behind her desk. It nodded at him slightly as he billowed forward and took a seat in the upholstered armchair in front of Minerva's desk.

The headmistress' eyes were hard as they studied his pale visage.

"How can I help you?" she asked him tightly.

"My position—" Snape began.

"I am the rightful Headmistress of this school, Severus, and if you try to usurp it based on that—that fallacy of a—"

"—as Dark Arts teacher," Snape continued calmly. "Is it still my position?"

Minerva reddened. She had jumped the broom, assuming he wanted her position.

"I—I'm not sure," she replied hesitatingly. "I don't know that having you at Hogwarts would be conducive to the school, despite your being cleared of all charges. I am relatively sure that many parents would find your continued presence here, alarming at least. I would have to ask the Board of Governors what your status is."

"When?"

Minerva blinked at him.

"I suppose I could owl them today," she replied.

Snape nodded, then said, "I need a place to stay, Minerva. My home at Spinner's End has been burned to the ground, and it will take several days for the Ministry to release my frozen assets. Are the quarters in the dungeon available?"

"You want to stay here?"

Snape nodded.

Minerva looked torn.

"He was my man, Minerva," a soft voice said behind her. Snape's black eyes flicked up at Albus' portrait as the headmistress spun in her swivel chair to look at the painting. "He must not be abandoned further."

Minerva blinked, her eyes becoming wet as she looked at the portrait, her mouth pulled in a thin, tight line. She turned back toward Severus and stood up.

"Very well. The school is closed for summer vacation, so—yes, you can stay for the time being," she said tightly, walking from around the desk. "Follow me."

Minerva opened the office door and walked through. Snape stood up to follow her. He walked toward the door then heard the portrait say, "Well done, Severus."

Snape hesitated, but didn't look back at it. He simply exited the office and closed the door behind him.

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"I'm afraid your pickled creatures were destroyed," Minerva said as Snape looked at the empty shelves in his former office. "We were clearing it out, you see—"

Snape looked at Minerva but didn't say anything. She opened the wall that led to his former private quarters. She entered and Snape followed her. The first thing that greeted him was the empty wall to ceiling bookshelves, the shelves that had held his large and formidable library. Every one of the books was gone, but the furniture and his desk were still in place.

"Your books were placed in our library," Minerva said. "We had no idea you'd be—returning."

"You mean set free."

Minerva reddened again, then said, "I'm not sure we can retrieve them all. There were so many and Madam Pince didn't have time to catalog them. The library was expanded and they are mixed in with everything else. I suppose if you can recognize some of the titles—"

"I'd like to see the library," Snape said shortly.

Minerva led him out of the dungeons and they silently rode the shifting stairwells to the fourth floor.

"As you know, Severus, there are tens of thousands of books in the library, on thousands of shelves. It will be difficult to locate your books. Perhaps you would take payment—"

"They're priceless," was the reply.

They entered the library, which had indeed been expanded. Minerva looked around and wore a little smug expression on her face.

"As you can see, there are far too many—"

Snape pulled out his wand and held it aloft, turning it in a large circle over his head.

"Ostendo Libri," he said softly.

On the shelves, several thousand books began to glow with a greenish light.

"I'll begin removing them immediately," Snape said.

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Harry, Ron and Hermione were in Harry's living room at his restored home in Godric's Hollow, Ron pacing back and forth as both Hermione and Harry sat in armchairs and listened to him.

"All right, Hermione. So Snape did what he did claiming it would save your life. But you aren't absolutely certain Voldemort would have killed you. He didn't kill me," Ron said to his girlfriend. "Snape could have tricked you and just wanted to get into your knickers. Did you ever think of that?"

"No, I didn't," Hermione admitted. "There wasn't a lot of time to think, Ron. The Death Eaters were coming for me. And you didn't see Severus—how desperate he was. He actually seemed afraid for me."

Ron snorted.

"Severus. I hate how you use his name like that, like—like you know him. You don't know him. Snape is a premiere actor, Hermione. How do you think he managed to fool Voldemort all those years?"

"Ron," Harry ventured. "What's done is done. Hermione is alive and that's what matters, isn't it?"

Ron spun on Harry, his face contorted.

"You don't understand how I feel, Harry. Hermione is my girlfriend. Mine. I hadn't even touched her—and Snape took what belonged to me—what should have been mine first—"

Hermione jumped up furiously.

"What should have been yours first? Ronald, you're talking about me like I'm nothing more than a piece of meat! Is that all you're concerned about? That I'm not a virgin any longer? That Snape got there first? If he had been second, it would have been all right then, would it?" she demanded.

Ron reddened.

"No, that's not it, Hermione. It's just that—I mean—since that happened we haven't become any closer—physically. We were on our way before that happened, and now--"

Harry shifted uncomfortably in the armchair. This was something they should be discussing in private.

"Ron, you're a selfish arsehole with the emotional range of—of a bloody needle head!" Hermione hissed at him. "I can't believe this. It's all about shagging to you, isn't it? Not what I went through, not that I survived the best way I could. Well, I know it wasn't about Severus wanting to get into my knickers. If that was the case, he could have done it while I was with him. But he never touched me again, Ron. He wouldn't even talk about it. He didn't even want me to thank him for saving my life! He didn't get anything out of it Ron, except maybe guilt."

"He didn't look guilty when he was sticking it to you," Ron said nastily.

Harry couldn't move as Hermione's hand blurred and she pulled her wand, blasting Ron into the wall, then storming out of the house. He heard the sound of Apparition and looked down at his crumpled and unconscious friend, shaking his head.

"Ron, when are you going to learn?" he said softly, getting out of the chair, walking over and checking his vitals. He was still breathing.

Luckily.

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A/N: Just a little more. Thanks for reading.