Contracts

For all--I have been trying to continue the story without adjusting some errors mostly to do with Ermine’s age and the school year because I still cannot edit. At this point, please consider Hermione to have finished her 5th year when the contract starts and when school resumes she will be a sixth year. That will keep the part about the OOTP within the timeline.

Snape can have a son 18 or 19. Yes, he didn’t have relations with his wife for almost a year but he has a 6th month old daughter. Two twists coming up on the dead wife.

I don’t pretend my story is anywhere, and I do mean even within the same planet vicinity, as JK Row lings. I was bored and couldn’t find a new SS/HG story to read so I created my own. Yea sounds sorry doesn’t it???

I’m not an English teacher and this is not an essay. I do my best, usually late at night. I’m not offering apologies, just stating facts.

If I don’t like a story, I quit reading. You have the same freedom (I hope!).

For everyone else. Thank you. I’m having fun and I hope you are enjoying.

Information---

Playing mother means the person who is serving the tea. It is traditionally a woman’s job, but a man can also play mother. In a bachelor or widower’s house it is common curtsey for a visiting female to play mother or if you prefer the role of hostess. The only time a woman would play mother in another woman’s house is if she was incapacitated or absent.

Personal Note---
Especially for Anon---Irregardless is a valid word please check here. http://www.bartleby.com/61/84/I0238400.html

If you don’t like don’t read. If you can do better please do.

I love to read SS/HG fanfic.

******Chapter 9 - Day with Shanair *********

Shanair had been instructed on what to teach Hermione today. It seemed really simple and father had promised that if they finished early they could entertain themselves. He also stressed that if Hermione didn’t show some improvement by the end of the day he would be held accountable. They barely had 1 ½ hours before lunch.

Hermione had already decided that Shanair was the best of the brothers. He would be infinitely better than getting stuck with Shaman. She was trying to keep her emotions on a tight reign, but knew they were in danger of getting the best of her.

She had been raped. Not physically perhaps, well maybe, yes, even physically.

She had lost her virginity. She had lost her parents. Her identity. She wasn’t Hermione Granger the bookworm the smartest girl in class, or Hermione Granger, Harry Potter’s friend, or even Hermione Granger part of the golden trio. She was Hermione Snape. The most hated and feared professor’s ….what was she exactly. A daughter. NOT with that look in his eye. She also wasn’t a wife or a sister. She was in a very confused state of mind. If she could just get to a library and look up the more intricate details to her binding she might have the answers she needed.

Shanair held the door and Hermione preceded him into the Library. He noticed how her eyes widened at the sight of the rows upon rows of books. The library was impressive. Durmstrang was just about this size. He knew his fathers was better stocked. He couldn’t count the number of times that he had snuck home to retrieve a tome to help him out. The fact she was so impressed with the extensive library gave him hope that she was an intellectual as well as powerful, and he snuck another all encompassing look at her. She was beautiful. She looked like an angel beside the memory of HESTER.

Shanair indicated a divan and had to touch her arm to get her attention. She seemed enthralled. She sat on one side of the divan and Shanair took the other. It was rather small and angled towards each other as they were, their knees touched. Shanair felt a bolt of electricity go through him at the contact. She apparently hadn’t been affected as he was. Her eyes never wavered from the cavernous shelves.

Shanair quickly gathered his thoughts, took one of her hands, and began.

“Hermione, I know that all of this is strange to you. Father told us that you were a witch living in our world without any real idea of how a witch should behave. He has given each of us a discipline, or lesson if you will, to teach you in our time together.” Shanair had been speaking gently as he would to a younger child. Until he realized her eyes were once again on the books around them instead of on him. He tugged her hand and still her eyes gazed at the books.

He gently said her name and he still didn’t get a response. His other hand came up and gripped her chin and gently but firmly moved her face directly in front of him. Her face was in the right place but her eyes were still directed towards the shelves of books. He started to get exasperated. “Hermione?” still no response “HERMIONE?”.

She finally gave a little jump and looked him square in the eyes. Her eyes were a little defensive. “You didn’t have to yell. I heard you perfectly.”

Shanair was totally nonplussed. He was taken to task by her. NO!

He did have more work in front of him then he expected.

He was suddenly very suspicious as to why his father had told him to use the library. If books always had this effect on the girl, he would be pulling his hair out and hexing her before the day was over.

“If you heard me you should have had the courtesy to meet my eyes and make some type of acknowledgment. It is considered very rude in the wizarding world to not look at someone when they are talking to you. Along with eye contact it is very important as to how you carry yourself. That is the task we have today.” Hermione just blinked at him. There was no sign of comprehension. Maybe she wasn’t as smart as he had hoped.

Shanair decided to spell it out. “Posture. We will be working on your posture today. It is very important to remain upright at all times. My brothers and I had the lessons drilled into us from day one. You will learn the same way….”

Hermione couldn’t take it anymore. She had been insulted and taken unfair advantage of so often in the past few weeks that she literally saw red. She completely forgot that he was already her pick of the three brothers.

“What’s wrong with my posture? And what do you mean upright? What am I to you a knuckle dragger? I believe I know how to walk.” at this point she degenerated into mumbling. “ of all the fool things..walk properly…what is he going to do put a bloody book on my head and have me walk around all day or maybe a ruler down my spine… I feel like Eliza Do little…”

Shanair tried to interrupt her tirade but to no avail. As a last resort to regain control he jumped up from the couch and had his wand drawn. “Silenco.” Ermine’s mouth was still moving but he couldn’t hear anything. Of course that didn’t stop her. Shanair had never seen such down right unwillingness in any girl of his acquaintance. No properly brought up witch would dare talk back to a betrothed. He was a little unsure of exactly how to handle the situation.

Hermione jumped up beside him and pointed to her throat. She obviously wanted her voice back. Maybe he could bargain with her.

His voice was as soothing as he could make it. He tried to adopt his father’s gentler tone.

“I didn’t mean to insult you Hermione. It is merely a task that my father set us for today. You are to walk like a proper witch and not interrupt me every time I start to tell you something. If the reference to a knuckle dragger was an inference to cave dwellers then, no, I think you are much more advanced than that.

You walk like most of the muggles that I have seen. You just need to keep your back stiff and your chin and eyes up. You are a Snape now and you must be a credit to the family. Father does not like mistakes.”

While Shanair’s voice had started off strong he had ended in a rather hesitant rush. Hermione had turned redder and redder as he had spoke. Her breathing had increased to where she was practically panting. He was sure that wasn’t a good sign. “If you promise to listen and not interrupt, we will get started with today’s lessons.”

Hermione was very angry. She was gripping her fist and trying to get control. Her whole body was tensed.

“See this is what I am talking about you are all hunched up. You will get a permanent hump on your back if you don’t watch it.” Shanair reached out to straighten her shoulders.

As soon as he touched her she punched him in the nose. He let out a huge groan and could do little more than gurgle as the blood filled his mouth.

Hermione mouthed the words. “DON’T TOUCH ME!”

Hermione saw the blood and had an immediate flash back to the morning’s so called lesson in the discipline chair.

Shanair looked at the witch standing above him, for he had fell back onto the divan with her punch. True he had received harder blows, but they had come from bludgers driven by ticked off Romanians.

His surprise lasted only a moment before he jumped up and grabbed her by the hair of her head. He slung her to the floor and he was just ready to pounce when his father walked in.

Immediately, Shanair knew how damning it looked. He was bleeding, but she was lying at his feet the slit had parted and her bare legs and hip was showing. Her hair was in wild disarray where he had grabbed a hand full of it. He looked down to his hand and several long strands dangled from his fingers. He quickly put his hands behind his back.

When Shanair had grabbed her by the hair Hermione knew things could get real ugly real fast. With barely conscious thought she called out for Professor Snape. She had seen him come into the room just as Shanair was slinging her to the ground. She allowed herself to fall. Hoping she could put a ‘spin’ on the whole situation that would keep her from becoming reacquainted with his furniture.

Severus had not expected this type of behavior from Shanair. He had hoped Hermione would have time to settle down after yesterday’s traumatic events. Obviously that wasn’t to be. His hands went to his temple to massage the spot between his eyebrows.

Shanair rushed into an explanation. He was a little hard to understand because the blood had clogged his throat and mouth.

Severus held up his hand to halt the intelligible words. He helped Hermione up from the floor. She stood very close to him, like she felt safe closest to him. He looked her over and could not see any damage.

Shanair on the other hand had a broke nose. Severus was sure of it. He had had plenty of his own. He looked around. What had she hit him with. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a potion that he gave his son. The bleeding stopped immediately. Severus took his wand and pointed at the boys face. He gave a mighty yell as the nose was set straight. Within seconds he was once again breathing through his nose.

Shaman and Samuel came running into the room and stopped upon seeing their brother covered in blood. Their brother had obviously just been repaired and Hermione was hiding behind their father. They were eager for details and walked further into the room. Severus saw his other sons walking into the room and with a quick “scourgify” he had removed all traces of blood from Shanair.

“Thank you father.” Severus probed his mind looking for answers. Then he turned to Hermione and did the same. The scene was the same but from two different perspectives. Shanair thought himself to be a gentleman and instructor.

Hermione saw him as a condemner, insulted her intelligence, demeaning her muggle upbringing, saying she was little better than a ‘knuckle dragger’, he had silenced her and then attacked her when she couldn’t make a sound to defend herself.

Severus rubbed his forehead. He had such a migraine, but this situation would have to be dealt with before he received any relief. The fact the girl was staying so close to him after what he had put her through the last couple of days supported the fact that she felt that she was in danger from Shanair.

Severus thought. He was really at a loss. Hermione appeared to be scared yet she had broken his son’s nose and felt like she was justified in doing so. Shanair was bewildered and angry. He wasn’t exactly sure when everything had went wrong. Severus probed and found his outrage and disbelief at Hermione speaking back to him. Severus would have laughed if it hadn’t of been so out of character. Shanair was a boy. It had become apparent within less than an hour that Shanair could not control Hermione.

Severus rubbed his temples again. What kind of Hell was he going to be put through in the next 6 weeks?

Hermione gently touched his arm and when he turned to face her fully she jumped back from him.

She pointed at her throat and with a quick finite she had her voice back.

Hermione had a very respectful and slightly fearful tone to her voice when she asked him, “Sir, may I go and check on the baby? She seems to be in great distress.”

Not until that moment did Severus realize that Sarah was screaming at the top of her lungs, and from the volume she had worked herself up to, had obviously been screaming for some time. Before he could answer her Wiggles, the nanny house elf, came into the room carrying Sarah. The howls and tears were tremendous and Wiggles was crying too. She was very distressed that she couldn’t get the child to quite down.

“Master Snape Sir, I can not get Mistress Sarah to stop crying. She is crying so hard something must be wrong and this dumb elf cannot figure out how to make her better. Can you helps Mistress Sarah?”

Sarah seemed to cry even louder and no one in the room could figure out how that was possible.

Severus bent down and took the child from Wiggles. Sarah hiccupped looked at her father and starting screaming. The sound was such that no other thoughts could enter you mind. It was mind numbing.

Hermione looked at the baby. She had to stand on tiptoe because Professor Snape was holding the child to his chest and was attempting a bouncing movement to calm her down. The child was lovely. She had a head full of black hair. Her lips were cherry and her eyes looked like big black olives. Hermione gasped and even she wasn’t sure if it was because of the beautiful baby or her Potions Professor holding the baby. The picture they made was … well sexy! In an effort to hide her reactions she touched the baby’s face and started murmuring soft words.

Sarah stopped howling immediately. She turned her large eyes to Hermione and blinked once. The room seemed to hold it’s breath. She considered Hermione for a long moment and then gave a leap towards her. Severus easily held on to her but it surprised him. Sarah never wanted anyone but him, and not always him. She reached for Hermione and started to struggle.

Hermione looked from the baby to Professor Snape and said, “May I?”.

He gratefully handed over Sarah and she started cooing. Cooing? His daughter had never cooed in her life!

He looked on suspiciously, as Hermione almost effortlessly settled the little girl on her hip and started to play with her fingers. Hermione laughed as she caught her fingers and brought them up to her mouth. She was sucking on them.

Hermione turned to Wiggles, “I think she’s hungry. I would like to feed her if you would bring me a bottle.” Wiggles turned her big eyes to the master looking for permission. He nodded and she popped out and back in within seconds with a bottle. Hermione took her over to one of the deep chairs and sat down with her. She immediately took the bottle and suckled hungrily.”

All five looked on in amazement. Sarah never ate anything without a fight. Severus had been forced to put calming spells on her to get her to take even a little nourishment.

Hermione kept up a prattle of murmured conversation with the little girl as she ate. Sarah’s hand came up to Ermine’s breast and after several attempts grasped her nipple in her tiny hand. She gave a huge sigh of contentment and lent back further into Ermine’s arms. Her eyes started to close as she ate.

Severus realized that the boys were gaping. So was Wiggles. He disregarded the fact that he had probably had a similar look on his face moments before.

He shooed the boys out of Library. Hermione knew they were leaving, but didn’t give an acknowledgment. She had a reprieve, however short it was.


****************

Severus took the boys back into the parlor. He looked at Shanair and spoke. “Your actions were taken as insulting, degrading, and threatening by Hermione.” Shanair tried to interrupt, but Severus held up his hand.

“I know that is not how you intended it to sound.

“Perhaps, we should give Hermione a few days to adjust being with us before we start the lessons. She was surprised by the betrothal. It is almost unheard of in her world for the parents to decide who their children should marry.”

His son’s faces held looks of disbelief and incomprehension. That just drove a point home to him.

“If we have trouble understanding that, imagine how confused she is trying to understand our ways. Just because she is a very powerful witch and has been in our world for the past 5 years does not mean that she understands us any better. I propose that we try to get to know her and the lessons can start after her confinement.” The boys all agreed, but none faster than Shanair.

Severus looked at his handsome son. He was seething. Not in anger but in bewilderment and shame. He couldn’t figure out how she had misconstrued his meanings or gotten the best of him. She was even unarmed!

Severus thought to calm the situation by saying, “If it’s any consolation, she broke Draco Malfoy’s nose in 3rd year .” Shaman laughed out loud. Shanair turned red.

Snape caught thoughts of, “why didn’t he tell us she turned violent…..broke Malfoy’s perfect nose HA! I’d pay to see that…that’s two who else has she attacked…”

Severus picked the last thought up and turned to his boys. Hermione really deserved respect. “ The last person she attacked was Malfoy in the Ministry just a few weeks ago. She won. I mean Lucius Malfoy!” That wiped the smirks off of all of their faces. Draco might be somewhat of a joke in the magical power department, but Lucius was in a league with their father. The fact that she had bested him caused some concern. Even for Severus.

Severus knew that Hermione favored Shanair above his other sons and she had broken his nose. What was she going to do to the others?


**********
Shanair sounds like he\'s out of the running. 1 down...how many to go? If you want him to have another chance let me know. I think I\'ll kick him out. Good guys will not win this one.