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 Madness of Wizards


After Hermione had calmed down properly Severus sent her to her new quarters to have an early night. When he was alone he poured himself a second class of firewhiskey and sat down with it, staring into the embers of the dying fire in his sitting room. How on earth had he managed to capture the girl’s affections? He wasn’t generally considered an attractive man. He was under no illusions about his physical appearance. All his old conquests could be written off as ambitious sluts, attracted to his power, or his perceived influence as an associate of the Dark Lord. Hermione was different. If she was attracted by his power, it was because she possessed it in such abundance herself. If she was ambitious, it was to improve the wizarding world in general, rather than to elevate her own standing in it. This was uncharted territory and he would need to tread very carefully if he wanted… Did he want her? Should he want her? Well no, perhaps he shouldn’t want her but what kind of fool would he be to reject something so precious, so extraordinary… He was no fool!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


The next day was a Saturday. Severus and Hermione had agreed to attend meals together, whenever possible, to demonstrate their ‘relationship’, so Severus called for her at breakfast time. She had been given a large L-shaped room and a bathroom next door to him. The room was arranged so she could draw a heavy red velvet curtain across the part containing the bed, leaving a rectangular study and seating area. Whoever had been in charge of the furnishings had decided to make this a little outpost of Gryffindor, with a red and gold theme throughout. There was a connecting door through to Severus’ sitting room so she could come and go easily if they worked late. This morning however, Severus used the other door from the Slytherin corridor.

“Are you ready?” he asked, when she opened the door.

“Just a moment,” she said, retreating back into the room again. “Come in.”

He walked in after her and surveyed the room.

“It’s a bit much, even for a Gryffindor,” said Hermione, gesturing in the direction of the Puginesque lion patterned wallpaper.

“I can see that it might be,” he replied. “Décor aside, are the rooms adequate?”

“They’ll do,” she answered. “I won’t be in here much apart from sleeping anyway. Unless… I suppose I should work here during the day unless I need to brew something.

“You may continue to work in my quarters, if you wish. I am quite prepared to allow you the use of my books and my lab when I’m teaching.”

Her face brightened, and he found himself smiling in response.

“Shall we go?” she said.

“Yes. I thought we could make a good breakfast and then send for the rest of our meals so we have plenty of time to work. It’s a Hogsmeade day but I’m excused duty. I thought we might discuss the project you’ll be working on.”

“The commission from Voldemort?”

“It would be prudent for me to have something positive to tell him when I am next called. I have no doubt that Draco will manage to contact his father today, which means I am likely to be called sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll do my best… I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“The hurt is fairly inevitable. You can’t hope to spare me all of it. As long as we can convince him that progress is being made, he will continue to need me. We will not talk about this until after breakfast and then I’ll answer any questions you might have.”


They made their way to the Great Hall together and she entered on his arm, ignoring the stares of a group of young students. Severus helped her into her seat and sat down beside her.

Breakfast was fairly well attended, as Hogsmeade was seen as something worth getting up for on a Saturday morning. Unusually neither Professor Dumbledore nor Professor McGonagall were present. Hermione couldn’t see Ron or Harry either. Had they just slept in? Or was there something Order related going on? Just as they were getting themselves together to leave Remus entered at the staff end of the room. He made his way over to where Severus and Hermione were sitting. Stooping slightly, he spoke in a low voice, so only they could hear him.

“Albus was taken ill last night. He’s with Poppy in a room off the Infirmary.”

“Has she made a diagnosis?”

“Not yet. At first he seemed to have the beginnings of flu symptoms but the Pepper-up seemed to make him worse instead of better. I think you ought to see him.”

“We’ll go up there immediately,” said Severus.

“You go on ahead. I’ll join you shortly,” said Remus. “We’re trying to keep it as low key as possible, until we’re sure what’s wrong.”

Severus and Hermione walked out together. Hermione tried to set a quick pace but Severus held her back. He rounded on her,

“You’re not a child any more,” he chided in that quiet voice of his. “If we look like we’re in a hurry, people will wonder where we’re going.”

“Sorry,” she said, chastened.

He saw the look on her face and sighed inwardly.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tell you off in the corridor as though you were still my pupil. I can scarcely expect you act like an adult if I treat you like a child in public. It’s much easier when we’re alone.”

“We will be able to work today, won’t we?”

“I sincerely hope so. Poppy might need something a little out of the ordinary in the potions line, but we lost a whole day yesterday and we can ill afford to lose another. Besides which, sick visiting is not my forte.”

They proceeded to the Infirmary in silence. Poppy did not look pleased to see Hermione when they arrived. It wa har hard to tell that she disapproved of the ‘relationship’ and she was probably one of the few people in the castle who would venture to tell Severus so.

“You’ll have to wait outside Hermione,” she said briskly. “There’s far too many people in there as it is. I don’t want him worried.”

“The Headmaster is co-ordinating the war against the Dark Lord. He’s bound to be worried. Hermione has been brewing your potion requirements unaided for the past month. If you need anything from me, she will be providing it. Furthermore, she goes where I say she goes. I take it he’s through there?”

Without waiting for a reply, he grasped Hermione’s hand and led her towards the door in the corner. Poppy stared after them with a scandalised look on her face.

Albus lay flat in the Infirmary bed. Professor McGonagall was looking very harassed. Harry and Ron were also there. Severus made sure that the door was closed behind them.

“Severus,” said the Headmaster weakly. “Did you and Hermione come to any kind of agreement last night?”


“We agreed that we will stick to our plan. If it does come about that she is endangered I will do my utmost to protect her. Can we do anything for you?”

“I think you’re already doing enough… both of you. However Poppy did mention something about potions earlier. You might want to see her when you leave.”

“Why might Hermione be endangered?” asked Ron.

“There has been another prophecy Mr Weasley,” said Minerva. “It speaks of a Serpent andioneioness and we think it might relate to Professor Snape and Miss Granger.”

“What does it say?” asked Harry.

“We don’t understand it. It’s not very clear but it does suggest that there may be difficulties for Miss Granger in the future.”

“What kind of difficulties?”

“It implies she will fall into the hands of the Death-Eaters,” said Snape shortly. “If she does, I will go with her.”

“And you’re quite sure you’re not going to take her?”

“Harry! How can you say that?”

“Don’t trust him too much Hermione, that’s all I’m saying.”

“I think you’ve said more than enough Harry Potter. It’s time you got over all this childishness about Severus. You don’t like him; he doesn’t like you. You’re both on the same side and he….”

“Calm down girl,” said Snape sharply. “One might almost think you thought I would care for his good opinion. You and I have work to do, starting with doing something constructive to help the Headmaster. We will be on our way and doubtless these two will find some other way of amusing themselves. Do you need us for anything else Headmaster?”

“No… I won’t delay you Severus… Your decision is a weight off my mind… Where’s Poppy?”

“She’s outside, I’ll send her in on my way out… try to Hea Headmaster,” said Snape, his concern showing through.”

“Don’t let me keep you from your work…”

Severus left, closely followed by Hermione. Poppy was not immediately in sight, which seemed to infuriate him. He walked quickly to her office and threw open the door without ceremony. Hermione could hear Madam Pomfrey’s indignation from the other side of the room. Severus took no notice and waited for her to be silent.

“What’s wrong with him?” he enquired dangerously. “How did he come to be that sick overnight?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” admitted the Medi-witch. “He woke me in the night saying he had the beginnings of a cold. I took his temperature and gave him some Pepper-up. He then complained of a stomach ache and within minutes he was vomiting blood. I am hazarding a guess that it’s an ulcer, but it would have to be quite well established to react so badly to the Pepper-up and I don’t see how he could eat the way he does if he had an ulcer.”

“How do you want to treat him?”

“At the momI’m I’m using blood-replenishing potions. I’ve tried to lower his stomach acid levels, but he’s not as responsive as I would like. If ven’ven’t managed to bring about an improvement by this afternoon, I think I’ll have to notify St. Mungo’s.”

“Did you use a potion for the acid?”

“No.”

“Hermione can brew one. She can top up your blood-replenishing potion while she’s at it.”

“That would be very useful.”

“I’ll floo it up when it’s bottled.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Severus and Hermione made their way back to Snape’s private lab in silence. When they arrived Severus instructed Hermione to begin brewing the blood-replenishing potion. As she began to lay out her ingredients he began to set up his own table.

“What are you making?” she enquired.

“A universal antidote,” he replied. “Next question.”

“You think he’s been poisoned?”

“I wouldn’t rule it out. Whether he has or not, this potion should absorb anything harmful and reline the stomach. It should stop any residual bleeding. If this doesn’t work, it will b Mun Mungo’s.”

“Shouldn’t he go there anyway?”

“I don’t think they could guarantee his safety, do you?”

“I suppose not. He’s in a bad way isn’t he?”

“He’s old, Hermione. Even for a wizard. Magically, he’s as strong as he ever was, but physically he’s weak.”

“You’re worried aren’t you?”

“Very. If anything happens to him, the Order will not stand together. No one else is capable of leading it. It doesn’t bear thinking about.”

“Wouldn’t Moody take over?”

“Probably.”

“You don’t think he’d do a good job?”

“His first act would be to have me put to death, Hermione.”

“What… why?”

“I have the Dark Mark. There’s no defence against that. I report to Albus and no one else, so no one can protect me. There are no custodial sentences since we lost control of Azkaban.”

“How can you say all this so calmly?” she said, her voice rising.

“If I can’t stay calm and in some measure of control I might as well open my veins now. We are fighting a war and at the moment I’m very much at the sharp end of it. The Order is made up of witches and wizards and between them they represent all the different idiocies and irrationalities our kind is capable of. Witches and wizards can break any natural law they choose and that warps our very nature.”

“Muggles can be like that too,” said Hermione. “It’s not just wizards.”

“No, but consider it in terms of percentages. Madness is a failing of our kind. I doubt whether even I am truly sane.”

“I think I am,” said Hermione.

“There would be some who would argue differently, particularly if they had heard your little confession last night.”

“Is that what you think?” she demanded, “that I’m insane to have feelings for you?”

He put down his chopping knife.

“I did not mean to belittle you, forgive me,” he said quietly.

That took the wind out of her sails a little and she calmed down.

“What do you think, really?” she said, in a small voice.

He sighed.

“In all conscience, I should tell you that you are mad. I have done many things in my life that I am ashamed of… that I would be ashamed for you to know of. Anyone who cared for you would counsel you to run away when you see me approach, and I should do the same. However I am a selfish man and looking at you now I see something beautiful, that any man of good sense would prize, and I can’t bring myself to throw you over.”

“I’m not beautiful,” she said.

“If you mean that boys would not stick posters of you on their bedroom walls, then you are correct, but beauty is much more than that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as the Muggles say. I would very much for for you to be mine one day. In the future… if there is one.”

She looked down at her cauldron, blushing furiously.

“I think we’d better get on with the work… if we want a future,” she said.

“When you’ve finished that you can turn your mind to your next task,” he said.

“Which is?”

“Devising a way of turning the Dark Lord into a deity… I told you… all wizards are mad.”