A Working Relationship

A Working Relationship


Disclaimer: All canon characters are the property of JK Rowling and those with whom she has agreed contracts. This story was written for practice not profit.


The Prophecy


“The Serpent and the Lioness will make their match.
He will wrap her in his coils and not let go.
The Lioness will be led to torture in the pit of snakes.
Those she loves will suffer great pain.
The World will be changed through Betrayal and Vengeance!
The Serpent’s Work will be done.”


“However you look at it Albus, it’s hardly a ringing endorsement of our plan, is it?”

Severus had paused in his stalking of Albus’ office to lean up against the fireplace. Hermione sat in a chair, trying not to watch him too obviously. Minerva and Remus were also present at this emergency meeting. Albus leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Hermione was struck by how frail the elderly wizard looked this evening.

“Severus, you know as well as I do that prophecies are tricky things. I have seen to the recording of this one and I will submit it to the Ministry in the usual fashion. However, at the present time we cannot interpret the prophecy clearly. I will concede that in all likelihood it has to do with you and Hermione. The circumstances in which it was delivered are enough to lead us down that path, but I am not prepared to deviate from our plans on account of it.”

“Do you want to see the child tortured?”

“Control yourself Severus. It is not a question of my wishing any particular fate upon Hermione.”

“Then what is it a question of?”

Dumbledore opened his eyes and leaned forward again.

“If I have learned anything at all, in all the time I’ve been dealing with prophecies, I have learned that I cannot evade them. I have tried before. I tried to keep Harry from Voldemort as a baby. I failed, but events still conformed to the prophecy in the end and that one is not yet fully resolved. Whatever I try to do… whatever we try to do, the prophecy will still work itself out. We can only hope that it is not as negative as it seems.”

“And that’s all you’ve got to say!” jibed Severus furiously. on’ton’t work with her! I refuse to work with her! Lock her away and keep her safe!”

“Severus, you are not the only wizard in the world who qualifies for the description of Serpent. You are, however, the only one who I would trust to keep her safe through it all.”

The elderly wizard closed his eyes and pressed his cool fingertips aga the them.

“Are you all right Albus?” enquired Minerva, in a concerned tone.

“Just a little tired… It has been a rather eventful day. Hermione, you have not yet said your piece this evening.”

Eyes turned towards Hermione, as she sat. She turned her gaze away from Severus and concentrated on the Headmaster.

“I really don’t know what to say… I feel I’d like to discuss the matter privately with Professor Snape and then perhaps try to sleep on it.”

“That sounds like a sensible plan,” offered Remus. “Emotions are running very high at the moment. We would do well to delay any further discussions until tomorrow.”

“Very well,” said Severus tightly. “Miss Granger, I will escort you to the dungeons.”

He held out his hand and walked her over to the staircase.

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He ushered her into his sitting room and poured two hefty measures of firewhisky, one of which he thrust unceremoniously into Hermione’s hand.

She looked at it, startled.

“Drink it Hermione. If you’re old enough to be thinking about going out to face torture, you’re old enough to take a glass of spirit without flinching. Sit down. You wanted to talk, so we’ll talk.”

She sat down in the nearest armchair. He pulled a dining chair over and sat down to face her.

She tried a sip of her drink and pulled a face at the strong taste. He watched in fascination as she moistened her lips with her tongue. She flushed at being the object of his undivided attention. She met his eyes and he realised that he was staring.

“You wished to talk privately,” he said, examining the contents of his glass.

“I know… It’s hard to know where to begin.”

“Just begin. We’ll backtrack… if needs be.”

“I don’t want to stop working for you. I still want to work with you, like I have been doing.”

“Even though it might lead to torture, suffering and betrayal? Why on earth would you be that stubborn?”

“I have reasons.”

“Perhaps you would care to share them?”

“Now that I know what you do… I can’t walk away.”

“I’ve been doing it for some time. It all started long before you came on the scene. I began to work for Dumbledore round about the time you were born. The nature of the work changed when Voldemort’s energies were dissipated but I had no doubt he would be back. It needn’t involve you now.”

“The Headmaster was right to send me to help you. You have to do far more than any one wizard is capable of. It makes sense for me to help you. We’ve been through all this before.”

“‘Before’ was the time when we didn’t know our activities were putting you at risk.”

“We still don’t know that they are. I might always have been at risk. I might not even be the lioness. It might be someone else.”

“I don’t think any other Gryffindor woman is as worthy of that title as you are. You’re a very strong character. You were, even as a child. There is no doubt in my mind that it’s you. I don’t wish to see you hurt.”

“Why not?”

“What?”

“Why don’t you wish to see me hurt? I’ve been in plenty of scrapes in the past and you know I’ll be at Harry’s side next time he faces Voldemort. Why are you so protective all of a sudden?”

“It’s my job to protect my students. I once stood between you and a werewolf and I didn’t even like you then.”

“So you ‘like’ me now?”

“Miss Granger, I think this conversation is straying from the point.”

“I don’t think so. The prophecy said that the Serpent would not let the Lioness go. That might imply that he protects her.”

“It might mean that he captures her and holds her against her will until he kills her.”

“ ‘Wrapping’ could imply protection.”

“Some snakes kill by wrapping themselves around their prey until it can no longer draw breath.”

“Which would you do?”

“I would protect you.”

“There we are then.”

“Those you love will ‘suffer great pain’, Hermione. Are you factoring that into your calculation? What of your parents? You love them, do you not? They are Muggles. You must consider them.”

“ I love them. They’ve always taught me to stand up for what I believe in. If they were in my position they would do what I’m doing... and I’m a woman now. I don’t only love my parents.”

“Weasley?”

“Yes… but not in that way. Ron and Harry are both like brothers to me. I love them dearly.”

“Then who is the recipient of your womanly affections?”

He raised his glass to his lips as he waited for her reply, swilling the burning liquid around his mouth.

Hermione took another sip of her firewhiskey for courage.

“You are,” she said quietly and braced herself for his reaction.

Severus choked on the fiery liquid. It brought tears to his eyes and he wiped them away furiously.

“That’s why I can’t let you go back to doing what you were doing before. I want to see you survive this war. Even if you don’t feel anything for me… I don’t really expect you to…” Her words tumbled out in a hurry.

“Stop right there! How on earth did this begin?” he demanded.

“I think it started when I watched you working on your project. You’re so good at what you do and I was interested. I never really understood how hard you worked before and then last night you were in danger…”

“So this emotion of yours is a combination of intellectual curiosity and pity?”

“No! Last night you touched me and I … I … Oh God!” she began to weep quietly. He watched her with mixed emotions. He was no eunuch. He had noticed she was a fairly pretty girl, since sorting out her teeth, but never in a million years would it have occurred to him to hanker after a pretty schoolgirl, not even in the early days of his career when he wasn’t that much older than his students.

But wasn’t that just what he had been doing? All right, it had been unconscious on the most part, but he had watched her work, as she had apparently watched him. He had felt panic for her safety when Lucius had discovered her and when that hideous woman had taken it into her head to give this damn prophecy. As to the touching, he couldn’t deny that his skin had its own memory of her touch. She wasn’t a child any more. How on earth was he to handle this?

He rose from his chair and knelt beside hers. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder. Her tears slowed but she didn’t raise her head.

“Hermione,” he began. “You have gone through a great deal in the last twenty four hours. I’m not going to be harsh with you. It appears that fate has decreed we will have a connection of some sort and since Albus is determined that we cannot fight fate, we must bow to it and make concessions. I have taught you for six and a half years now and I can’t forget that overnight. We will work together as we had planned and I will do my utmost to keep you safe. I will not rush headlong into any other type of relationship. If it comes at some point, then it comes, but it will not be now. Do you understand me, Hermione?”

She lifted her head then and their faces were mere inches apart. He lowered his head and kissed her softly on her lips before pulling back.

“I understand,” she said.

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