Apprentice

DISCLAIMER: I am only borrowing the characters and I will put them back unharmed when I am done because they do belong to JKR although I wouldnt mind playing with Snape a little more. HEHE


Chapter six

Severus awoke in the middle of the night and carefully lifted her into his arms and brought her to her bed. After he cautiously laid her down so not to wake her, he pulled the covers over her and kissed her forehead. “Good night.” He then went to his own room and laid down. She is intelligent…okay…she is bloody brilliant. But she is also 15 years his junior, so she wouldn’t want anything to do with him, would she? She has already said that he was her friend, but was it fair to ask her to be more then that? Even he didn’t have the answers to that. But he knew that he couldn’t ask her for more, even if he wanted more. He rolled over and pulled a pillow close to him and fell asleep.

The next morning they woke up to a knocking at the door. Hermione beat Severus to the door. “Hello Albus.” she said as she pulled her robe tighter around her waist, “What can we do for you?”

He stepped in to the room and turned to face them, “Well it seems that some students have been getting into some trouble.”

“What’s new?” Severus grumbled from his door way.

“Well this one is new. It seems that two of our 7th years have poisoned themselves.”

“How did they do it?” Severus grumbled as he made himself a cup of coffee, “How much trouble are they in?”

“They were trying to make the contraceptive potion and they seem to have made it wrong…and you should know what that means.” Albus looked at the both of them.

“You mean that he is Pregnant…”Hermione sat down and just stared at Albus.

“How dumb are the students, Albus? It is a basic potion that all 4th years should be able to make.”

“I know, I know Severus, but really we must go and do something about this.” He stood and went to the door, “Severus, I will meet you in the infirmary.”

“Let me go and changed and I will come with you.” Before she had even gotten to her door he yelled.

“NO I DO NOT NEED YOU TO COME AND TAG ALONG! REALLY HAVING A BLOODY KNOW-IT-ALL TAGGING ALONG WILL NOT HELP THE MATTER!”

He looked at Hermione who looked as though she may start to cry “I will be back.” Severus swept out of the room with his black robes billowing behind him.

Hermione sat there feeling numb. She had seen that face and heard the edge in his voice, but it was quite a shock to hear him use it with her after such a long time. She wondered if she had done something wrong. She had woken up alone in her bed and she knew that they had fallen asleep on the couch. Deciding that she would leave him alone she got up and packed some clothes and then sat down to write him a letter.

Professor Snape,

It seems that I have done something which made our relationship taking a turn that you are not happy with. So I have decided to leave for the rest of the holiday and when I get back I will ask Headmaster Dumbledore for another room, so that you will not have to suffer by being so close to me.

And in light of all this if you no longer wanted to have an apprentice I would understand. If that is the case please just inform the Headmaster and I will remove my belongings while you are in class.

Sincerely,

Miss Hermione Granger

She left the note on the coffee table along with a glass of his favorite Brandy. She then flooed to Remus’s house.

“Remus are you home?” she called out into a quiet house.

“Hermione is that you?” he came out in the living room in his boxer shorts rubbing his eyes.

“I am sorry I can come back later if you would like.”

“No that is fine,” he realized that he wasn’t wearing anything, “just give me a minute.” He went back into the bedroom and pulled on some muggle jeans and a t-shirt.

“Now what is going on?” he asked knowing that something was amiss.

“It is Severus.” She sighed “It seemed like we were developing something and then this morning it seemed like he changed his mind. I just don’t know what I did wrong.”

“What did he do?”

“Well last night we fell asleep in each others arms on the couch and when I woke up this morning I was in my bed, but I didn’t go there myself. Then Dumbledore came to him this morning because some students botched a potion and he yelled at me saying that I couldn’t help him and having a know-it-all wouldn’t help him.” She wrapped her arms around her middle.

“I am sure that he didn’t mean it that way Hermione.” He sat down next to her.

“I just…I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“What do you want from him Hermione?” Remus asked her taking her in his arms.

“I thought that I wanted a mentor, but the more time that I spent with him and the more I got to know him, the more things changed. Remus when I am with him he makes me feel safe and loved.” she looked up at him, “I thought that he had some of the same feelings for me.” She ran her fingers over the necklace that he had given her for Christmas. “But apparently I have been wrong.”

“Mione, Severus doesn’t do things for no reason. He would not have allowed you to get close to him if he didn’t feel something for you too.”

“He made me feel like he could when I was in school. When with one look or sarcastic criticism he could make me feel like I knew nothing at all or that I was nothing.”

“I am sure that he didn’t mean to do that.”

“Then what happened this morning?” she buried her face in her hands finally crying, “I just don’t understand it.”

“I don’t know Mione. I don’t know.” He sighed and held her as she cried.

KNOCK KNOCK

Remus went to the door.

“Do you know the meaning of this?” Severus threw the letter into the man’s face.

“She told me that you yelled at her and made her feel like she was back at school and that she had done something wrong.”

“Damn that is not what I meant to do. I just can’t stand it when these bloody students mess such simple things up and it pisses me off to my core.” He dropped his head into his hands. “She must think that I hate her.”

“What am I supposed to think? You called me a Know-It-All and said that I would only be in the way.” Hermione stood there leaning against the wall with her arms wrapped around her middle.

Severus looked at her and she had never looked so small. “There was nothing else that you could think, but that is not how I feel Hermione.” he walked over to her and held on to her shoulders, “I do not hate you and I don’t think that you are a know-it-all and you could never be in the way.”

“But, but…”

“I hadn’t had any coffee and when basic potions are screwed up and students are poisoned I just lose a grasp on myself. I am truly sorry that I took it out on you Hermione. Please believe me when I say that it was never my intention to hurt you in any way. Can you forgive an old, battered and bitter asshole of Potion Master? Maybe not now, but in time?”

She looked up at him while running the pendant over the chain and finally she nodded. Severus closed his eyes relieved that he didn’t loose the one thing precious to him.
In the end they spent the rest of the day with Remus.

He knew when she came back to the castle with him that she hadn’t forgiven him and he didn’t think that she should, but hoped all the same that she would at some point. He was a bastard and there was no way around that. He was crazy for thinking that she would really want to be with him as anymore than a friend.

Hermione came out of her rooms dressed in jeans and a pink v-neck sweater with a black leather jacket in her hand , “I will be back. I am going to Muggle London.” Was all she said and left the rooms before he had a chance to say anything.

As he sat there he had noticed that she was playing with his necklace and when he thought about it he hadn’t seen her take it off.

Once Hermione had made it to Muggle London, she walked to the beauty salon that her mom and her always used to go to when she was home for the holidays.

“Hello, my name is Hermione and I have an appointment.”

“Ah yes here you are. Have a seat and Michelle will be right back to you.”

She sat and idly looked at the Muggle magazines when she finally got called to the stylist chair she was a little nervous. “I want a change in color. Something warmer I also want to bring the length up to about my shoulders, but I want to keep the curl.”

“Sounds good.” and the stylist set to work, “What brought on the need for a change?”

“I haven’t changed my hair since before University and I have lost two my best friends since then. I have also reconnected with some friends.” she got a twinkle in her eyes “I just think that it is time that I do something for me.”

“Sounds like a good reason to me. So tell me what you do?”

Hermione told her that she was student teaching at a Boarding School in Scotland. She also told Michelle about the teacher that she was falling for. When they were done Hermione’s hair was a warm shade of red just brushing her shoulders and Michelle had tamed the curls and showed Hermione how to do it on her own. After she left the salon she decided that she would do some shopping. She knew that there had to be a way to get Severus to see her as something more then someone who would always be in the way. That is when she came across a store front that had models dressed in a very classy yet sexy way. That was exactly what she needed. So she went in and by the time she left she had bought a few essentials. She found a secluded area and when she was sure that she was alone she apparated to the edge of Hogwarts.


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“My dear, could I have a moment?” Albus was walking towards her as she made it inside the castle doors.

“Of course sir.” she meet him halfway and took the arm that he offered her.

“I was just wondering how things were going down in the dungeons?”

“It is going well. We are almost finished developing a new potion that will allow the drinker to see into the future.”

“Very good.” he stopped to look at her, “Interesting, but I was wondering how things were going personally?”

“Very well, Professor.” She straightened up at that.

“Is everything ok, my dear?”

“Professor, could I ask you something?”

He nodded in response.

“Do you think that I am worth it? For a man I mean.”

“My dear, you are worth everything that he has to give you, but you must be patient and willing to work with him. But now I really have to go and I must tell you that your hair is really becoming.” He was gone just as quickly as he had come.

She walked the rest of the way down to the dungeons without interruption. She thought to herself that the holiday break definitely was an amazing thing. It was so quiet here in the castle. She silently slipped into her room and put her purchases away. When she came back out Severus was sitting in one of the armchairs looking into the fire.

“Mind if I talk?” she came and sat across from him.

He nodded and looked up at her.

“I don’t know what you are looking for in me, but I am falling for you and those nights that I fall asleep in your arms are the happiest nights of my life and I don’t want to lose that.” She moved so she was kneeling in front of him taking his hands in hers. “I am not promising anything. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I want to find out with you.”

“Hermione,” he pulled her up to his lap, “those are the happiest nights for me too and I want to find out what tomorrow holds with you too.” He pulled her face to his and for the first time they kissed. It was slow and tentative at first. Then he slid his tongue over her lips urging her to open her mouth. She opened her mouth and accepted his tongue. After a few minutes they separated. “Hermione.”

“Severus.” She pulled him back to her for another kiss. This time however she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

He allowed his arms to wrap around her and pulling her tight against him. He broke the kiss and just pulled her closer to him. “You know that this won’t be easy right?”

“I know, but I am willing to try if you are?”

“I am willing to try.” Severus pulled her face back to look at her, “Hermione life was never easy for me, not in the least, and I want to share what happened in my life with you. But I also know that it won’t be easy to hear.” He paused looking out into the fire and then back into her eyes, “If you don’t want to hear it then I wont tell you and I won’t ever hold it against you.”

“I have no doubt that there are things about you that I don’t know and the few things that I do know are only the top of the iceberg, but Severus, I want to know. I want to know what made you the man that you are today and what made you do things all those years ago.” She stroked his cheek, “But I do know that it will be hard to hear what you have to say so please give me some time.”

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and breathed in her scent.

“Can I ask you something personal?” she didn’t look up at him.

“Of course.” He was now stroking her hair softly.

“How many women have you had move in with you?”

“None. I have never really had a serious relationship.”

“You mean to say that you have been saving yourself for me?” she looked up at him with a soft teasing smile.

“I guess you could say that.” He kissed the top of her head, “My love this furniture was not meant for an old man and the past couple of mornings I have felt it. Shall we move to somewhere more comfortable?”

“Of course. You should have said something sooner.” she slipped off his lap and offered a hand to help him up.

He didn’t let go of her hand, but instead swept her into his arms. “Where should we sleep?”

She looked up at him, “I think that we should sleep in your room Severus.” He pulled her tighter against him, “Put me down.”

“You are as light as a feather. I enjoy the feeling of you in my arms.” he carried her to his bedroom and laid her down on his bed.

“You know I have never been in here.”

“I know.”

She looked around carefully, but didn’t see that much. Just a bed, dresser and two bedside tables and a bookshelf that took up one whole wall. She was gazing at the bookshelf so intently that she didn’t notice him talking to her, “Hermione hello anyone in there?” Severus was now tugging on one of her curls.

“Ah…sorry.” she gestured toward the wall.

“Don’t worry you can read them all.” He stepped back and slid out of his robe as he walked around to the other side of the bed. She did the same and then crawled under the covers. As Severus slid under the covers he reached for Hermione and she went willingly to him. “This my love is perfect.”

“Yes it is.” She wrapped her arms and legs around him and they quickly fell asleep wrapped up in each other.


A/N: See he still can be a bastard. I like the way this chapter ends. It makes me smile. Let me know what you think. Thank you again to Constance my wonderful beta. I hope to have the last two chapters up soon, Peace and Love and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all you moms out there.