A Maid in the Devil's Manor

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 9 ~ Arriving at Snape Manor

Hermione and Severus appeared on the Manor grounds. Hermione looked around. All she could see was rolling landscape and hills.

“Where is the Manor?” she asked Severus, disengaging her arm from his.

“Just over that rise,” Severus said, nodding in the direction of a hilly portion of the grounds. He began to walk, Hermione hurrying to catch up to him. They climbed the hill and came to the top. Hermione gasped.

Snape Manor was huge, brightly lit and set amidst a slew of large formal gardens. Hermione could make out a grotto and an ornamental lake to the west of it. On the right, close to the building was a large well-lit pool surrounded by boulders and foliage. The exterior of the mansion was made of alternating bands of rough and smooth finished black and gray stone, embedded with a great number of noticeably leaded and beveled windows framed by the massive façade. A great portico with a roof supported by great columns led to the main entrance. The Manor was over four stories high.

“My gods, Professor,” Hermione whispered in awe at the beauty of his elaborate domicile. Severus drew in a deep breath of pride as he surveyed his home. Indeed, it was back. He continued toward the Manor, Hermione right beside him.

“How do you stay at Hogwarts when you have this?” she asked him, “It is so beautiful I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else if it were mine.”

Severus looked down at the witch when she said this, but her eyes were glued to the Manor. She had no idea that only a week before the Manor had been cold and dead, not brimming with life and light as now.

“Well, I have my duties at Hogwarts, and it would be an inconvenience to have to cross the grounds and apparate back and forth daily,” he said by way of explanation. He couldn’t very well tell her that the mansion had held too many evil memories for him to stay there comfortably, so he found solace in the dungeons of Hogwarts.

They walked up the portico and to the main doors. Just as they reached the entrance, the great wooden door swung open, and a crowd of house elves stood in neat rows awaiting the arrival of their Master and his guest. They all bowed in unison when Severus and Hermione entered. There was a smile on every single face.

“Good evening, Master,” they said as one, bowing together.

Severus stopped and surveyed them.

“Good evening, servants,” he responded. He gestured toward Hermione, who was staring at all the house elves with wide eyes “This is Miss Hermione Granger. She will be utilizing the laboratories and rooms in the lower levels.”

“Hello Miss,” the elves intoned, bowing low. Hermione noticed a few of the older elves’ ears flattening against their heads at her name. So did Severus.

“For those of you who recognize Miss Granger’s name from years back, have no fear. She will not attempt to give you clothes or make you take wages, will you Miss Granger?” he asked her, his eyes glittering with mirth.

Hermione looked at the elves. Did they really fear her because of her early attempts to get them rights? A few of them looked at her apprehensively.

“No,” she said in a soft voice, “You are all fine. I realize you love to serve. I will not interfere with that choice.”

The relief that spread through the elves was almost palpable. They smiled up at her.

Hermione couldn’t ever remember seeing a happier looking bunch of elves in her life. They seemed more content than those who served at Hogwarts. Could they really be this happy under the thumb of dark, dour, snarky Professor Snape?

Severus clapped his hands to get the elves attention.

“All right. Enough standing about. Go back to your work,” he said, not unkindly.

“Yes, Master,” the elves replied and one by one winked out.

“That was impressive.” Hermione said, looking at him a bit strangely as they walked down the corridor.

“What was?” he asked her, meeting her eyes.

“How your elves responded to you. They weren’t cowed or frightened,” she said.

Severus stopped.

“Why would they be?” he asked her, frowning slightly.

“You are such a hard man, that’s why,” she replied, “I’ve never seen you show anyone a smidgeon of kindness in all the years I’ve known you.”

Severus looked at Hermione with a cold light in his eyes.

“Miss Granger, for many years I suffered at the hand of the Dark Lord for the good of the wizarding world, risking life and limb to provide information to keep him from overthrowing it. Not only was I forced to endure pain, but to give pain for the greater good, losing my soul in the process. As you saw tonight with Miss Skeeter, my sacrifices meant little to those who now live in a Voldemort-free society. But what I endured, I endured to help save a world that I knew would be ungrateful in the end. What greater kindness could I show, Miss Granger? Even you do not recognize what I have given for the good of others, without a thought of reward. I am still reviled, still hated, still seen as a cold and heartless man. A deatheater.”

He leaned closer to Hermione, his black eyes burning into hers.

“Tell me, Miss Granger…how do you think your disposition would be, if you were me?” he asked her. “Would you be all sunshine and laughter? If you dipped your hands in blood up to the elbows to save people who would spit on you as easily as they could hiss your name? Would you smile and dance through your days? I think not, Miss Granger. I think you would find what comfort you could in your own counsel, peace in living your own cloistered life away from those who hate you for the sacrifices you made. Just as I have. Kindness, Miss Granger? I have blackened my very soul for the wizarding world. Can you tell me of a greater kindness than damning yourself for the sake of others?”

He looked at her, waiting. There was nothing she could say.

“I knew even with your great brain, you couldn’t give me an answer,” he said softly.

Severus began to walk up the corridor again, his robes billowing. Hermione stared after him, speechless for a moment. Then followed, catching up.

“I’m sorry, Professor,” she said quietly.

“Yes, I imagine you are, Miss Granger,” he replied coldly.

Severus stopped in front of a suit of armor, and lifted the right arm. To the right of him a section of wall moved back, then slid to the right, creating a doorway that led to a torch lit stairwell.

“Please follow me, Miss Granger,” he said, descending the stairs. Hermione followed.

They walked down for quite a long time.

“I am going to have a lift installed within the next few days,” Severus said as they finally reached the lower levels. They faced a stone wall. Severus pressed the stones in an intricate pattern, and the wall faded away, revealing a short hallway with doors on either side.

“I shall be simplifying that entrance as well,” he said as he walked through, Hermione on his heels. She had an idea why the way into the labs was so elaborate. Because of who they were originally used for. Lord Voldemort.

The labs, Miss Granger,” he said pushing open a door on his right, and gesturing for her to enter.

Hermione walked into a huge, white, empty room. There was a doorway leading to another room, just as white, just as empty.

“There’s nothing here,” she said, looking about.

The Professor shook his head in negation and said, “Oh, there is something here, Miss Granger…Hope.”

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A/N: Well, they have arrived at the Manor. Severus has given Hermione something to think about concerning her perception of him. Please review.