A Different Kind of Magic--UNDERGOING EDIT

I hope you all enjoyed my update frenzy today. This will be the last one for a few days as I've put off some duties today and get to catch up on everything tomorrow. These later chapters are much more intense and every bit is filled with nuances that need attention to detail to get it right from earlier chapters. I do read your reviews and appreciate them. All I can say is please do not give up on Hermione yet. There has been an influence on her that I have not revealed but cannot yet for the sake of the subplot. No one is in their right state in this screwed up post-war world. stay with me, it will be worth it.


Chapter 51- Perspective

Teddy bounced around his head, painfully yanking hair from his scalp.

“Infernal child! Stop that right this instant!”

The boy ignored Severus’ rant and simply moved down to the end of the bed. “Jumping jumping jumping, I’m jumping jumping jumping!” On and on he jumped, rumpling the bed covers and stepping on the professor’s feet.

“Ouch!”

“Teddy! Stop it right this instant!” chastened a stern Molly Weasley as she sashayed into the room with a tray of food and tea.

“Jumping jumping jumping!”

“I said stop it!” She set the tray down on the bedside table, then leaned over and gave Teddy a sound smack on his bottom.

“Hey!” Teddy rubbed his backside, lips trembling in a petulant pout. He burst into tears and ran from the room. “I hate you!”

Molly rolled her eyes and huffed. “I’ll be right back, Severus. I need to go and talk to Teddy.”

“He’s only doing that to get a rise out of you, Molly,” Severus drawled, reaching over to take his standard Earl Grey for a sip.

“That child of Remus’s always manages to get the best of me temper. I never seemed to have these issues with my own children.”

“I assure you, the little swat you gave him did nothing to hurt his feelings.”

“How can you say that?” Molly crossed her arms, setting Snape in the crossfire of her gaze.

“I saw how he dealt with our imprisonment,” Snape replied quietly. “He’s a most remarkable child.”

“I declare; if I didn’t know better, I would have just imagined that you just paid a compliment to a child!”

“Take it as you will. Teddy is the reason I am still alive.”

Molly pursed her lips, about to say something but decidedly changed her mind. She swirled about in her copious skirts to stomp down to Teddy’s room.

Severus sipped his tea. Hermione had not come into his room once since he had uttered those horrid things to her the previous day. Molly obviously knew something was amiss because she was a bit gruff with him, but he’d distinctly overhead a loud, indistinct argument between Molly and Hermione on two separate occasions as well. There was more going on in the Weasley household than met the eye.

Otherwise, Molly had not complained about tending to his needs. She had even sat with him, her with her knitting and him with a book the previous evening. It had been a companionable silence. He had heard a baby cry and Hermione’s voice from downstairs hushing one of the twins, so he knew she was around. He wondered if she had told anyone about their argument but figured she hadn’t. Molly would have bitten his head off if she knew the vile things he had said to her precious Hermione. The spy in him wanted to know what they had been arguing about. He deduced Hermione had refused to tell Molly of her reasons for avoiding him and the motherly old harpy had laid into her.

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. A massive headache was settling in at the base of his skull. It must have been a tension headache. He set his tea down and lay his head on the pillow. Within minutes he was asleep, dimly aware of Molly coming back in, only to shut the door so he was not disturbed.

Sometime later he awoke to find dim moonlight beaming through his window. A fire roared high in the grate, staving off the chill of the night. Steam rose from a mug of very fresh tea. He sniffed the air; chamomile. Molly must have been in a very short time ago. It didn’t surprise him to have slept through her coming into the room. He still tired very easily even though he was slowly regaining his strength.

He reached to take the entire tray from off the side table and something caught his eye. Severus grabbed ahold of an object wedged between the side of the bed and the side table. It was a book. After lighting an oil lamp next to his bed, he dragged himself up to a sitting position propped up by pillows. He turned the book around in his hands to get a better look at the title.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets

The book looked very old. It was in remarkably good condition. He squinted in the dim light, gingerly opening the cover to catch a look at the copyright date.

2nd Edition Pub. 1654

He blanched and looked twice. He had not misread the date. Where had this come from? A fluid, perfectly executed manuscript writing was on the inside cover.

To my darling Severus. A very special book for an extraordinary man. May the works of Shakespeare forever remind you of the times we weathered and special closeness that keeps you close to my heart. All my love, Hermione

The professor felt like his stomach was going to fall to the bottom of his feet. If he had eaten anything off the tray it would have immediately come back up. It was the book she had gifted to him. She must have set it on the side table and it had fallen, becoming trapped. No wonder she couldn’t find it. He wouldn’t have either if it wasn’t for the angle he had reached for the tray.

His heart wanted to stop beating as he reread the missive. All her love. She loved him. Holy hell and he had told her that he had debased himself with her slack-

Oh, gods, what have I done?


--

Molly bustled noisily into the library and slammed a second tea tray onto the low table in front of the settee Hermione lay sprawled on with a book. Everyone else was asleep and she needed to talk to the girl before things got out of hand. It was irritating enough she had dared debase herself in the house that sheltered her, but to have done so with Rabastan and now shun an ailing man who loved her; it was incomprehensible. She was having none of it. Their previous two arguments about the cause of her refusal to tend to Severus had been fruitless so she changed her tack to one of extreme bluntness.

“You will tell me what your intentions are in my household right here and now Hermione Granger or I will toss you out on your ear, Death Eaters be damned!” Her furious eyes looked wild with bits of stray hair flying all about her face.

A startled Hermione dropped her book and sat up straight. Here we go. Hermione knew it had only been a matter of time before it came to this. Harry had hinted that her and Rabastan had been overheard and told her in no uncertain terms that if she didn’t stop seeing him Harry would lose all respect for her. While he didn’t like Snape, laying herself open for Rabastan was a step above streetwalker in his humble opinion. The normally stoic Harry incensed at her behavior had sobered her up enough to consider the consequences of her actions, and only now was she realizing the gravity of the situation.

“I’m waiting young lady! Do you want to tell me what the hell you were doing with Rabastan under my roof while your beau was being tortured by Lucius Malfoy?” She tapped her foot impatiently. This kind of infidelity really grated on her nerves.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, almost too low to hear. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I missed Severus. I felt so confused, I didn’t know what else to do!”

“Well for starters, you should have kept your legs shut!”

This bald pronouncement had fresh tears burning in the corners of the young witches eyes. Everyone was right. She had behaved despicably. There was no forgiving what she had done, and the worst part of it was she had no way to atone for it. The darkness continued to claw at her, the hiss of the serpent in her mind growing louder by the day.

“I know!” she wailed miserably. “Don’t you think I know that now? I-I- um- Oh god Molly I just don’t know what to do anymore!”

Molly pursed her lips together with extreme disapproval. As much as she despised Hermione’s actions, her motherly heart went out to the young witch. No one was infallible to the temptations of the flesh and heart, especially when one was young. Hermione had the bad fortune of playing with a volcano rather than just a campfire.

She sat down smartly next to Hermione and wrapped her plump arms around the young lady. “Shhh, now now. There’s no use crying over spilt milk, now is there. What’s done is done.”

After further rounds of shushing and nonsensical cooing Hermione dried her tears and hiccoughed in between the last of her sobs.

Molly pushed her back firmly and fixed her with a firm gaze. “Promise me you are done messing about with Rabastan. He is an admirable man in many ways, but extremely dangerous and unpredictable.”

“I promise, Molly. Rabastan threw me out of his room the night Teddy and Severus were brought home. I lost my memory after I took a shot of something on your shelf labeled ‘The Good Stuff’.

Molly tssked condescendingly. “You ought never have touched that. That is two hundred year old goblin whiskey. No wonder you weren’t in your right mind. It is still no excuse-“

Hermione held up her hand and lowered her head. “I know, and I’m not using it as an excuse. I’m simply explaining where I was. That was the point I realized how dangerous and foolish I was being. Severus needed me, and I wasn’t there for him.”

Molly studied her for awhile longer and decided she was satisfied with her answer. She took the girl in her arms again and spoke more softly. “You’ve always been like a daughter to me Hermione. There are many, many lives at stake here. I don’t want to see you or Severus get hurt. Please come clean with him when he is better, won’t you?”

Hermione nodded against the older woman’s blouse and sniffed. “He’ll never forgive me.”

“You never know unless you try, and you will forever be plagued by guilt if you do not. The truth always has a way of coming out whether you want it to or not.”

Clasping hands, the two witches retired to their respective rooms for the night, at last with an uneasy understanding under their belts.


--


Minerva’s face was set into that all too familiar thin white line. Rabastan had just finished detailing her on his meeting with Lucius. As if her plate weren’t full already, Hermione had Floo’ed in without asking.

“What’s going on?” Hermione asked carefully. She was wearing travelling clothing and held a transfigured bag in her right hand which she carefully set on the floor of the office.

Rabastan looked at Hermione and then pointedly looked away to an indiscriminate place above Minerva’s head. The Headmistress looked at her uninvited guest and back at Rabastan. Was there something else she didn’t know about? If there was, it would have to wait. More pressing matters were at hand.

“Come sit down child. We were actually just talking about you.”

“You were?” Hermione asked suspiciously. What could they possibly have to discuss in private about her? Unless he had told her about their intimacy; Circe she hoped not.

Hermione sat in a chair while Rabastan remained standing, still not looking either woman in the eye.

“I’m afraid Lucius Malfoy is aware of your existence now that Severus and Teddy are safely back with the Weasley’s.”

This news was not a surprise. She had obviously been targeted at the Manor to begin with, and it being a Ministry run building, it stood to reason that Lucius was behind the attacks.

“I need to move you, Severus and Teddy to a secure location. Rabastan has informed me of some very disturbing news which I am not at liberty to divulge to you at this time. Know that it is in your best interest. Why are you dressed for travelling? Were you going somewhere?”

Hermione cleared her throat, not sure how to begin. “I, er, that is, yes, Headmistress. I am no longer able to stay at the Weasley’s.”

“Do you care to share the reason with me, child?”

“No offense, but it's private. I can’t tell you.”

“I see.”

The portrait of Albus Dumbledore snored softly in the background.

“Well then. Since you were already planning on leaving, no matter how foolish that may have been at this time to make such a decision on your own, it works out for the best since you needed to be moved anyway.”

She nodded, shifting in her seat.

“Albus has always kept several safe houses for hiding Muggle families and some students during the war. One of them was very well hidden and particularly useful for some of the Order’s operations. It will suit our needs very nicely for this purpose. I will have Rabastan take you there immediately and I will go to the Burrow and return with Teddy and Severus.”

Did she just hear her right? Severus was to stay with her?

“I’m afraid that’s not possible Minerva. Severus is the reason I am leaving to begin with.”

“Whatever misgivings you may have, Hermione, they must be set aside. I need you to work with him on his recovery to aid his return to health, and he cannot look after a small child on his own. We still need you to work on the Prophecy. I would not ask if it were not extremely urgent. Your safety is in grave danger.”

Hermione shook her head vehemently. “You know that I will do anything for you Minerva, but you simply can’t ask me to stay with him. He has said some vile things to me that I can’t forgive. I just couldn’t bear to be around him.” Among other vile things I’ve done in his absence.

“If this has anything to do with your physical relationship with Severus, I assure you it is not reason enough to refuse. The work the Order is doing is far more important than personal misgivings.”

Hermione’s mouth hung open for a moment.

Minerva sighed and shuffled some papers on her desk. “Don’t look so shocked, child. I knew from the day I came down to the dungeons and had to contend with a very telling odor.”

Hermione’s face turned a bright shade of crimson.

“Posh, child, I am no saint. It would take a lot to put something like that past me. I’m frankly not surprised it happened. It is not uncommon for two people in your position to become close in such a manner. It is unfortunate that you are not on speaking terms, but it’s non-negotiable. You simply must get along for the sake of the Prophecy and if not for that, then for Remus and Teddy.”

As had so often happened in the past, Hermione concluded that McGonagall was right. She hated it when she was right. How did this always end up so awkward for her?

Rabastan was not looking happy in the least. His scar deepened his frown into a fierce scowl. If looks could kill, Hermione would have been smoking where she stood.

“What’s your problem?” she glared back.

He said nothing and turned back to Minerva. “If I may be excused, Headmistress?”

“Yes, of course, Rabastan. I will let them know of our arrangements.”

He nodded curtly and left, slamming the door behind him.

“Is there anything else I should know about, Hermione?” Her former Head of House stood behind the desk with her hands balled into fists, planted on her hips. There would be no weaseling out of this one.

“Rabastan and I.....we were… intimate,” Hermione whispered, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

“Oh dear Merlin, what were you thinking?” Minerva quickly came around the desk to sit in the chair opposite her.

“I wasn’t,” Hermione choked out, tears starting to fall. “It was just, I just, well he was there, and he was so big and strong, and I missed Severus so much!” Great sobs wracked her body as Minerva took the young woman into her arms, patting her back and shushing her. She rocked lightly with her until the sobs turned to scattered hiccoughs.

“I want to tell you a story, child,” the elder witch began, smoothing the hair of the younger. “I knew of a young witch, long ago, about your age that was in love with two wizards. The first wizard she had grown up with and always knew he would be the man she would marry. Well, times change and the young wizard went to war. She assumed he had died when he went missing and they couldn’t find his body. After grieving for only a short time, a friend of her beloved’s came to comfort her. They ended up in each other’s arms. Whether it was a mistake or not, the deed had been done.

“A short time later her beloved was found alive, having been Obliviated and resettled in another country. When his memory had been restored, he returned home to find his girlfriend in the arms of his good friend. There was a confrontation and her beloved killed the new love interest. Her beloved was sent to Azkaban where some say he died of a broken heart.”

Minerva stopped speaking, slowing her patting of the young witch’s back. “What happened to the witch?” came the muffled question.

A faraway look came into the eye of the Head of Gryffindor. “She went on to have a very full life, and she most certainly found love again, but it was never the same. The experience marked her in such a way that everything paled in comparison to the love she had shared with the young man from her childhood.”

Hermione sat up, wiping tears from her cheeks and snuffling loudly. “That was a story about you, wasn’t it?”

Minerva smiled. “Yes, child, it was. My advice to you is to choose. Do not make the mistake I did. When my beloved returned, I could have picked one, but I didn’t. I secretly saw them both. That is what enraged him, ending in the death of my other love interest.”

Hermione was shocked that she was sharing this with her. Minerva really did see her as a friend and colleague. It meant a lot.

“Severus is a good man, and I’ve seen how he looks at you. He’s in love with you, child.”

“He-he-he can’t be in love with me after the horrible things he said!” she cried.

“I’ll admit that Severus is a bit sharp with his tongue and a tad impetuous, but he has lost much in his lifetime. I do not begrudge him his eccentricities. He has had to protect himself and the lives of many from the Dark Lord for many years. I do know this; when he feels strongly about something, it is not something to trifle with. He will carry rejection with him to his grave. He bears grudges worthy of a brassed off Hippogriff. If it is your desire to not return his affections, make sure your decision is a permanent one. Once spurned, he will not turn to you again.”

Hermione bit her lip, worrying it as she lost herself in thought. Minerva gave her a moment to think.

“Child,” she put a hand on either of Hermione’s cheeks, “please believe me when I say he is in love with you. I saw it that first day in the dungeons when you surprised us all. I didn’t spend all these years listening to Albus without figuring out a thing or two on how to read people’s emotions.” Her eyes sparkled.

“What about Rabastan?”

“What about him, dear? Are you in love with him?”

“No,” she said slowly, “but won’t he be upset if we all have to work closely? Will it cause a fight if he is to come to where we are staying?”

“Rabastan is going to be far too busy soon to worry about petty jealousy. As far as I can tell, he is not a jealous man, but the way he left just now gives me reason to pause that sentiment. If you are firm in your decision to stay true to Severus, I do not see him being childish and making a scene. It is not his way.”

Hermione nodded, “Yes, he is a very proud man.”

“They both are. The differences between Rabastan and Severus are at once vast and not at all different in complicated ways. I can see the qualities inherent in both that drew you to both of them.”

Minerva took her hands once more. “Take your time if you must, but do not take too long to decide. In the matters of the heart, much is set in stone when we think we have all the time in the world. Before you know it, your life will be gone, and you will be old and alone with only a few faded memories to keep you warm.”

“I love Severus. He’s the one I want.” The surety of her statement filled her heart with joy and sorrow. “Rabastan means nothing to me.”

Minerva nodded her approval.

“Do you think Severus will forgive me?” she asked timidly.

Minerva let her head fall back onto her shoulders and rolled it from side to side at the stiffness gathered there. “Severus is not a very forgiving man, but I think if your love is great and you prove to him in every way you can that your words are sincere, your remorse complete, that he will, indeed forgive you.”

“Thank you for sharing your story with me Headmistress. You’ve been so kind.”

“You are like a daughter to me, Hermione. Anytime you need me, I will be here for you.”

The two women embraced. “Now, I will summon Rabastan and than gather the others. He should have had enough time to cool off by now.”

Within a few minutes he stepped into the office, once again a collection of calm. “After you,” he motioned to the fireplace. Once inside, Rabastan threw the Floo powder into the air and clearly stated, “Cotswold Cottage!”