Mothers, Witches, and Bargains Made

Estrilda -- You\'re very welcome -- sorry this update wasn\'t made as quickly.
Nesscafe -- LOLOLOL, Onlme wme will . V. Visions are tricky things, after all.
Shiv -- I kinda figured it was something like that. Many a tall tale is told about the infamous \'British stiff upper lip\'. : )
Lynn -- Good point about the Psychology. and Thank you! : ) I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Farfie -- Thanks. : )~ Sorry I was such a meanie and made you wait. Hope this chapter makes up for it.

Previously on Mothers, Witches, and Bargains Made

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\"I understand,\" he replied evenly, though inside he was seething.

\"I hope you do, Severus,\" Voldemort hissed. \"I expect to hear the good news that you are free to marry *my* choice *soon*. Now, go away.\"

Nodding, Severus rose quickly. Ignoring Sybil completely, he cast one last venomous glare at LucMalfMalfoy, his mind already plotting as he strode away, wanting nothing more than to already be gone. Unfortunately, he could think of no plan that didn\'t end with someone dead; though, the fact that he was actually leaving this meeting alive *did* surprise him. It made him wonder even more just what it was that Sybil had that Voldemort wanted so badly. He could think of only one thing, and if he was right, it really didn\'t bode well for the success of The Order\'s plans.

Much as he discounted Sybil Trelawney most days, Albus was right about one thing. When she got something right, she *really* got it right. Fighting a feeling of impending doom, Severus apparated to just outside Hogwarts\' grounds the moment he entered the smaller clearing. He had to see the headmaster as soon as possible.

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Chapter Twenty
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It was, of course, utterly useless; Severus knew that. This whole situation had escalated far beyond his ability to predict.

\"Of course, we can orchestrate an argument between you and your mother, Severus -- conveniently in front of the appropriate students. That will hopefully reassure certain parties of your feelings on the matter,\" Albus said thoughtfully.

Severus snorted. Necessary as it was, he truly hated the very *public* nature of all this. He liked having his private life just that, private. \"That won\'t help keep her safe, however.\"

\"Quite right,\" Albus agreed. \"I\'m forced to admit I don\'t have a clue how to solve that problem, other than convincing ho sto stay here at Hogwarts.\"

\"That won\'t guarantee her safety, Albus. You know that as well as I.\"

\"Yes, but it *is* safer than anywhere else she could be right now.\"

Severus closed his eyes, not wanting to deal with any of this right now. It had been an extraordinarily long day, and having suffered the cruciatus curse twice on top of it had left him aching and exhausted. Albus was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Unfortunately, he could come up with only one thing that would clear his mother of the danger, and that method was not acceptable.

\"On the other hand,\" Albus said slowly.

Severus\' head snapped up and he glared warily at the headmaster, hope warring with caution inside.

\"There *is* one way that should assure that his attention is diverted from your mother.\"

\"What is it, Albus?\" Severus demanded instantly. \"It had better be different than the only solution I could come up with.\"

Albus chuckled a bit, sobering almost instantly. \"If you\'ve thought of a way, I sincerely doubt my idea is any different. Barring the dark lord\'s demise, Severus, we are running out of options.\"

\"You *can\'t* be serious!\" Severus snapped, launching himself out of his chair and striding angrily toward the fireplace. \"I won\'t do it! This was never intended to be carried through on, Albus, and you bloody well know it.\"

\"Yes, Severus,\" Albus replied as calmly as ever. \"But as I said, we are running out of options. If you actually marry her, your mother is off the hook.\"

\"And Miss Granger is squarely on it!\" Severus pointed out, his words just short of shouting. He firmly ignored all the personal reasons why he was so adamantly against it. There was no need to go into those. They were academic at this point. Surely the headmaster would realize it simply would *not* do.

\"Any more so than merely being Harry\'s friend *and* what she is? Truly?\"

Groaning, Severus turned away from the empty fireplace. The headmaster, much as he hated to admit it, was right again. She was already a prime target simply because she could be used against Potter. Of course, the fact that she regularly bested Lucius\' son in the classroom didn\'t help her situation.

\"Have you read the agreement?\" he asked finally, firmly suspecting the headmaster had not, if he could suggest they actually carry through with it.

\"No, of course not, Severus. Why?\"

\"I suggest you do so.\"

Puzzled, Albus rose and retrieved a copy of the agreement. At the time of its signing, Severus hadn\'t wanted anything to do with it and had left it behind. Wishful thinking on his part, he supposed, that perhaps it might end up destroyed. He knew better, but even he was not immune to such things in the privacy of his own mind.

As he sat back down, Albus looked over at \" \"Anything in particular I\'m supposed to be looking for?\" he asked.

\"I believe you\'ll find Part One, Provision C quite . . . illuminating,\" Severus replied drily.

It took only moments for the headmaster to scan the parchment and find the relevant passage. \"Oh!\" he exclaimed quietly. \"Well, I\'d say that complicates matters a bit.\"

**A bit!?**

\"You have *such* a way with understatement, Albus,\" Severus retorted drily, his tone laced heavily with sarcasm.

**Bloody git!**

\"Damn it, Severus!\" Albus snapped, surprising the potions master sharply. \"The only other option seems to be to convince all parties to agree to drop the agreement -- a trial in regard to your mother I\'m sure you realize. The only problem with *that*, is that it puts us right back where we started, with you hanging out to dry, and everything *everyone* has done up to this point will have been for nothing.\"

His heart tightening in his chest, Severus slowly walked toward the headmaster. \"I don\'t see as we have much choice, Albus. I do not want my mother endangered because of this.\"

The headmaster sighed, looking as worn out as Severus had ever seen the wizard. \"I find myself in the rather awkward position of repeating a question asked of you by a student.\"

Frowning, Severus waited. **What the bloody hell is he talking about now?**

\"Is the idea so truly repugnant to you that you would rr rir risk the very real and imminent danger of your death at Voldemort\'s hands?\"

\"Bloody hell, Albus!\" Severus exploded. \"That\'s *not* the point! Have you forgotten that it\'s not just my feelings on the matter that need to be addressed here!\"

\"Perhaps no Alb Albus replied urbanely, much to Severus\' disgust. \"However, that\'s what we\'re dealing with first. Now answer the question.\"

Why was the bastard doing this to him? \"Completely wiping out the ethics of it, Albus, I\'m a man, and I\'m not bloody blind! Of course, the idea, in and of itself, is not \'repugnant\'. She isn\'t ugly, by any stretch of the imagination. She\'s intelligent, and occasionally manages a rather sharp wit -- not that I\'d admit to saying that at wand point. That doesn\'t mean that I\'m willing to act on that. I\'ve done a lot of things I regret in this life, but bedding a student -- married to her or not -- is a line I\'ve never crossed.

\"So wait until after she\'s not a student anymore,\" Albus replied simply.

Growling fiercely, Severus threw himself back into the chair he\'d been seated in earlier. \"You *aren\'t* listening to me Albus!\"

\"I\'m listening.\"

\"You\'re not hearing me, then.\"

\"I hear you.\"

\"No you bloody do not! Or have you conveniently forgotten the fact that there is another party involved in this? I believe I mentioned that a while back. Miss Granger is *not* going to be willing to go through with this . . . this . . . farce! It\'s one thing to \'pretend\' in order to help me. It\'s another thing entirely to make it real, and you know it!\"

**Give it up, Albus, please. I\'m begging you!** Severus thought fervently. He did not relish the idea of setting himself up for what was inevitably going to be a bitter fall -- no matter how much he expected nothing different. He had absolutely no delusions about how the students viewed him. Hours spent over various cauldrons, exposing himself to fumes of all sorts, had done absolutely nothing for his appearance. He knew that. He knew as well that the effect it had on his hair called into question his hygiene habits in the minds of most students, which certainly didn\'t help matters.

\"Perhaps we ld ild inquiSeveSeverus, instead of merely assuming.\"

**There goes *that* hope!** \"Do what you must, Albus,\" he replied tiredly, finally giving up fighting with the headmaster. He should know by now he would never win an argument with the old man.

//You did earlier, in regards to Miss Granger\'s actions.//

**Only because he wanted to do it anyway and was just looking for an excuse.**

Shaking himself from his inner debate, Severus stood again, scowling fiercel \"B \"But know that I disapprove, and I can assure you that I will not be here to witness my humiliation, thank you very much.\"

With that, he spun away and strode out of the headmaster\'s office, thankful when the door closed behind him without another word from the stubborn old goat. Forcing aside things he no longer wished to consider, Severus focused instead on the \'argument\' he would be having with his mother. He smirked. How many times over the years had he wished for just such an opportunity? He couldn\'t count them, but he was certainly not going to pass this up . . . even if it *did* have to ha in in public.


TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: deliciously craved. : )
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com

AN: Anyone waiting for the next chapter to \"Triumph\", it\'s about 3/4 done, and I should have it up tomorrow. \"Caught\" should be up very late tonight.

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