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To have loved, and lost (was Missed Chances)	By : professorflo Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 10775 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters within. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Remebrance
- 2-2.
- 3-3.
- 4-4.
- 5-5.
- 6-6.
- 7-7.
- 8-8.
- 9-9.
- 10-10.
- 11-11.
- 12-12.
- 13-13.
- 14-14.
- 15-15.
- 16-16.
- 17-17.
- 18-18.
- 19-19.
- 20-20.
- 21-21.
- 22-22.
- 23-23.
- 14
- 15
- 16
Severus woke to the smell of cooking, and it took him a few moments to realise where he was. Whatever he was lying on was soft, far more comfortable than the mouldy old chair he’d been sleeping upright in. His bed wasn’t this soft either.

He cracked one eye open and peered around cautiously, only to find himself lying in the middle of his front room. Memory came flooding back, and he realised Minerva must have knocked him out to halt the magical build up that he had been on the verge of expelling once more. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he noticed that his two-seater sofa had been transfigured into the ridiculously soft day bed he was lying on. He wasn’t capable of performing such a precise transfiguration himself, not that he would ever admit as such to anyone.

A clatter from the direction of the kitchen drew his attention, and he clambered slowly to his feet and padded softly across the carpet to look down the short hall. He could see the kettle just beginning to boil on the old–fashioned cooker through the open door. Unsurprisingly, what he could make out of the kitchen had also been cleaned and tidied, and as he watched, sparkling glasses marched themselves through the air and lined themselves up neatly in one of the high cupboards. Another cupboard door opened and 3 cups and saucers floated down and settled on the counter as Minerva moved into view, her back to the door.

“Let’s hope the old cat is more adept at brewing a decent pot of tea than she is at blackmail.”

The arrogant drawl from behind startled Snape, who spun, scrabbling for his wand before realising it was still where he had dropped it a day or so earlier. He could just see it, poking out from underneath the chair he had been languishing in for the last few weeks.

Luckily for him, the bone man standing behind him meant no harm. Severus tried to recover his composure, greeting Lucius with a cool nod.

“What a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t aware I was expecting you.”

A quick glance around the sitting room remind him how grateful he was for Minerva’s intervention. The place was far below Lucius’s standards at the best of times. A few hours previous it had been no better than a troll’s lair.

“That’s because you weren’t,” Lucius replied. You can thank your feline friend for inviting me around while you were… indisposed.”

“Oh?” Severus had caught the slight inflection that meant there was more to what his friend was telling him.

Lucius smirked. “She thought it would be necessary to suggest that a formerly uncovered piece of information about my dealings with a member of the Wizengamot just after the Dark Lord’s return might… unfortunately come to light if I didn’t come immediately.”

“I’m surprised you submitted to such crude coercion.”

“Who said anything about submitting? She clearly doesn’t realise that that particular matter was dealt with straight after the war, along with the rest, and cannot be used against me again. I had my own reasons for coming.”

Severus raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn’t comment. If Lucius had wanted to divulge his reasons he would have done so without being pressed for them.

“And what of hers in bringing you here in the first place?” Severus moved away from the door, feeling his whole body ache, both from the lack of exercise over the last few weeks, and the exhaustion of two magical outbursts in the last few hours. He needed to sit down again.

“You are fortunate in having such a good friend, even if she is an interfering old cat.” Lucius followed him back towards the seats. “I must say it hadn’t occurred to me to check on you, even though I’d suspected you wouldn’t be in the best way. I assumed you’d turn to the bottle for a few days, though I hadn’t expected to find you in quite such a state.

Severus reached down to grab his wand, before flicking it at the transfigured daybed, changing it back into the stylish two seater she had chosen to replace the faded, lumpy sofa that had been old when he was a boy. As he lowered himself into the chair he had occupied almost non-stop for weeks, he took a quick look around the room.

It was as spick and span as it was possible to get, without replacing any of the battered shelves or other fitting. All thanks to Minerva of course. He knew his own appearance was neat, having buttoned himself up in his usual frock coat after his shower, although he’d got a quick glance of himself in the bathroom mirror, and he looked even more pale and gaunt as usual. Despite this, he thought his friend was over exaggerating more than a tad.

“I don’t know what you mean, Lucius,” he replied.

“Don’t give me that look. A few hours ago neither you nor this house were in any fit state to receive guests. While you were taking a nap the esteemed headmistress filled me in on the squalid condition she found you in. Apparently it stank worse than the alley behind the Hog’s Head in here. And that’s even without mentioning whatever you did to your bathroom.”

Severus chose not to dignify him with an answer.

1 month 3 weeks earlier

The result of the vote was of such importance to the wizarding populace that the daily prophet, along with several other papers, had run a special evening edition. Not that Severus had bothered with the paper. The outcome was already decided, it had just needed formally ratifying.

Severus had waited until he’d heard the front door close before he’d emerged from his bedroom, something he’d been doing for the past few days, since he’d read the news about the upcoming vote. What was he to say to her? How was he to treat her? Knowing that soon she would be handing him divorce papers made any interaction with her inconceivable. He’d made sure to be back in his room before the time he could reasonably expect her home by.

Today, though, he’d not run. He’d be waiting for her return with the papers she would no doubt be rushing back to him with. He refused to make her search for him. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. Severus planned to be sitting in the front room when she returned, so that she wouldn’t be able to avoid him. He wouldn’t put it past her to leave the papers lying around for him to sign, rather than facing him.

He’d emerged from his basement lab mid-afternoon, leaving a few potions that would need to simmer overnight. His intention had been to make himself a quick meal so he could be finished by the time she came home, but when he sat down to eat, he found he had no appetite. His stomach was too unsettled and his chest was tight with anticipation.

Pushing the plate away from him in irritation, he stood, picked up his unwanted dinner and dumped the lot in the bin. He made his way to the sitting room, where he ensconced himself in his usual chair with an antique tome he’d managed to purchase some time ago, but hadn’t yet got round to reading.

Half an hour later he gave up, unable to concentrate, despite the intriguing contents. It was a collection of theses and theories on using charms to augment the potency and uses of various types of bloods in potions. It was exactly the type of subject matter that would have been eagerly discussed by the two of them before their marriage, discussion which had been completely lacking since the day he had told her of his unending love for Lily.

The clock on the mantle told him that it was still so early to expect his wife – for a little longer at least – home from work. It was a few minutes till five, and she’d never been back before six. What with the overthrowing of the marriage law, there was a good chance she would be late today. Severus settled into his chair before flicking his wand lazily to light the fire, wanting to take the edge of the chill in the room if he was going to be there a while. There was no point in being uncomfortable while he counted down the last few minutes of his marriage.

He woke hours later to a cold house, the fire having gone out long enough ago that there was no trace of warmth coming from the grate. There was no trace of her either. There was no way she had come in and gone to bed, as the only way to get upstairs was to come past him, and he was a light enough sleeper that he would have heard even if she’d tried to creep past.

Looking up at the clock again, he realised just how much time had actually passed. It was a little after two in the morning. She’d never been this late, no matter what scandal or catastrophe had occurred at the ministry. He could only assume that she was avoiding the confrontation that was to come. He could only sit and wait for her.

For the next several hours he drifted in and out of sleep, every small noise startling him into drowsy awareness, before fatigue pulled him back under. It wasn’t until sunlight had crept into the room that the sound of the front door quietly clicking closed yanked him into full alertness.
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To have loved, and lost (was Missed Chances)