Deja Voodoo

Sorry this has taken so extremely long to get back on track. I sincerely apologize.

***



Lightning smokes on the hillrise

Brought the man with the warning light

Shouting loud ";you had better fly";

While the darkness can help you hide

Trouble\'s comin\' without control



Hermione stood with her coat in hand staring at the person who had just managed to glide through the front door to her flat. Literally.



“How did you get into my flat?” she demanded.



Snape sneered at her and his gaze flicked briefly to Ginny before turning back to Hermione. “Really, Miss Granger, you should revisit some of your warding classes. A mentally damaged muggle child could have gotten through those wards.”



Hermione snorted and stuck her nose in the air at that. “There is a very good reason the wards are simple. I live in a complex full of muggles. I don’t want any of them harmed accidentally.”



“Clearly,” he said, looking down his nose at her. “However, I did not come to test your ridiculously simple attempts at self protection.” He turned to look at Ginny. “If you wouldn’t mind, Mrs. Potter, I’d like to speak to Miss Granger alone.”



“Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Ginny,” Hermione said firmly, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at Snape’s diaphanous form.



Ginny patted Hermione’s arm. “No worries, Hermione. I want details later,” she said, kissing the other woman on the cheek. She gathered up her coat and breezed toward the door, pausing to look over her shoulder at Snape. “I do hope you’re enjoying your afterlife, Professor,” she said sweetly before making good her escape.



Snape glared at the door as though it had greatly offended him before turning back to Hermione.



She looked at him expectantly. “Well? I presume you have some reason for invading my home and my privacy.”



Snape eyed her narrowly for a moment, contemplating how best to broach the subject now that he was here. He shrugged and decided that what little miss perfectly oblivious needed was a swift boot to the posterior. Fortunately, he was perfectly capable of delivering it.



“I came to see if you were planning on doing anything about this situation with Lucius,” he said coolly.



Hermione blinked a few times before staring at him oddly. “What situation would that be?”



“Let’s not play games, hmm. You are perfectly well aware of the fact he’s taken an interest in you. Why is so far beyond me it might as well be in another galaxy but there it is.”



“He’s had an interest in a great many women since he and Narcissa parted ways a few years ago,” Hermione scoffed.



“For supposedly being the smartest witch of your age, you’re incredibly narrow minded when it comes to that situation.”



“How so?” Hermione asked, glaring at him.



“I’m certain you’ve run into similar situations. People interested in you due to your celebrity and connection with Mr. Potter.”



She glared harder at him before nodding slightly. That was true enough. It seemed the instant she and Ron had broken up there were a myriad of men clamoring for her attention. All because of who she was connected to, not for herself at all.



“Now,” Snape went on. “Knowing that from a personal stand point I believe you should be able to discern that he was hardly the pursuer in most of those situations. Think about it, Miss Granger. Lucius has money, power and position. Not to mention, I’ve been informed he’s rather nice looking. Mostly by him. Do you sincerely believe that women aren’t drawn to those things?”



Hermione straightened completely and squared her shoulders. “I can certainly see where some women would be,” she said, lifting her chin a notch.



“You are not though.”



“Not in the slightest,” she said, shaking her head.



“That is precisely why he is interested in you. You have your own career, your own money more or less, a life that in no way hinges on a partner for status, those are things that for some inane reason appeal to him.”



“It’s only because I’m different from the other women who’ve been chasing him. That’s all it is.”



Snape hovered around until he was almost nose to nose with her. “If that is indeed all it seems to you, please inform him of that.”



Hermione frowned at him. “I don’t understand.”



“If you harbor no interest toward him, inform him of that. It would be better to have a bit of pain now than have his heart ripped out later on by you,” Snape said, whirling around and gliding toward the door.



“Wait. Are we even on the same page here?” Hermione asked.



“I’m not entirely certain what page you are on, Miss Granger. The page I am on informs me you could do an inordinate amount of damage to someone I consider a friend.”



Hermione shoved her hands through her hair in frustration. “This makes absolutely no sense.”



“I believe it makes perfect sense.”



“No it doesn’t! Not really. I don’t know what he wants from me and as usual he’s been far from clear on the matter. If he wants something from me he should tell me.”



He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “Gods above and below, save me from oblivious children and middle aged, lovesick fools. What he wants from you is something he doesn’t quite understand as no one has ever bothered to tell him or show him. The poor, deluded fool fancies himself in love with you. If you’ve no similar feelings, I suggest you refuse all contact with him,” he said, zipping out through the closed door and leaving her staring after him in shock.



***Mad Ramblings aka Author’s Notes***

The song used in this chapter is Sign of the Gypsy Queen by April Wine. I don’t own it either.