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Erased	By : SeverelySnaped Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 5329 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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By Severely Snaped

Severely_Snaped@yahoo.com

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Chapter Five: Sometimes We're Oblivious to the Obvious

Severus took a deep breath before opening the door. He usually waited until the second cup of tea to tell Albus what was really bothering him during these visits. Now that the old wizard already knew, no since in dragging it out. He crossed the room slowly before taking his seat and gave a light shrug.
"I suppose Miss Granger has already filled you in on...current events," he sighed, casually reaching over to accept the steaming cup now sitting on the table just beside him.
"That she has," Albus nodded. "However, the imprint of her hand on your left cheek would have told me just as much."
Snape was glaring now. "Well, you don't have to look so amused!"
At this, Albus chuckled lightly. "You're quite right, do forgive me." But the laughter was still very much evident in his eyes as he continued on what he hoped was a more serious note. "Why do you think she acted the way she did?"
"Oh, come off it, Albus. You know damn well I was being a total prick."

Dumbledore feigned a small puzzled look. "I didn't think anything of the sort, my boy. I only heard one side of the story, and a person can't just assume they know what happened."
Severus gave him a look that said otherwise. "Albus, I'm in no mood for your light humour. You know as well as I do that I should have had more control over my actions." Albus remained silent as the young wizard elaborated.
"I don't know how to...'act'...around her. I hate that word but I don't know how else to describe it. I'm not used to having someone invade my privacy or rummaging through my classroom or cabinets or notes as if they were their own. I don't like people knowing what I do or making note of everything I have, or tracking my every movement. She's...very diligent, Albus. I will give her that. She has managed to keep the students up to date, despite what I told her earlier..."
He paused, feeling rather ashamed. "But she needs to assist someone who doesn't mind having that kind of help around. If you want to keep her here at Hogwarts, fine. But when her contract with me is up, I'm not going to ask her to continue working with me."
Albus brought his hand up and rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, as if trying to remain calm. "Severus, you were very hard on her growing up..."
The potions master rolled his eyes. "You've told me that already..."
"Don't interrupt me, Severus." he said quietly, and the young wizard absently stirred his tea. "You were very hard on her," he continued, "but you were so because it never failed to amaze you how far she would go when you did. She would work hard in her other classes, yes---but she always worked twice as hard in yours."
At this, the younger man looked up at Albus, paying him a bit more attention as he went on. "She did not like you for years. She wasn't thrilled having your class first thing in the morning, and there were times you made her so mad she almost gave up entirely. But she didn't. No matter how hard things got, she stuck with it and did her best and came out better for it in the longrun. And she will do the same again. As will you. You have never given up, Severus. And I don't expect you to start now."
"Albus," he started, "I will continue to work with the girl on the potion analysis, but I meant what I said. I am not going to ask her to return as my assistant once our contract is up."
Dumbledore sighed. "I'm not telling you to do otherwise, Severus. But don't give up on trying to know the girl you knew. Have you even read over any of her old transcripts?"

The old wizard looked as the other man paused and then slowly shook his head. "Any of her old potion scrolls or projects?" Another light shaking of the head.
"I will admit that I have not," Severus said, eyeing his fingers and trying not to fidget.

"Severus, you keep a journal...is that correct?"
Snape gave him a wary look. "Yes...but you knew that."
The other man nodded. "It was just a question," he finished, before moving on to non-related subjects. The rest of the evening was spent talking about the Ministry, mostly---but Severus couldn't get the journal reminder out of his head.

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

Hermione did take the weekend off as the Headmaster suggested, but she did not spend it entirely in London. She had spent most of Saturday catching up with Ginny in Diagon Alley and taking her mind off of things back at the castle, and trying not to think about her visit with her uncle the next day. Which didn't turn out as bad as she thought it would, as dinner with him the next evening drew to a close. They went over paperwork and pictures, mostly, and talked about a few other things Hermione might want to look into as far as her parent's business relations were concerned. But over all, the visit went well. She didn't get distracted and she didn't get upset. She was always fond of her Uncle Marvin, so that helped a great deal in her mind.
By the time she got back to her rooms at Hogwarts late Sunday evening, she was tired and ready to fall asleep immediately. Which she did a short time later, lessons plans finished and with Intrigue curled up by her side, leaving her master to wonder where she had been roaming during the evenings.
He, himself, was sitting in his study staring blankly at the leather bound journal in his hand, as if noticing it for the first time. In the few weeks since he had regained consciousness, he had written in it maybe three times. It never occurred to him that he may have written about her before. Perusing over her early scrollwork and projects were almost given---he knew that if he did, her scores would be high and her work thorough. But this was different. The book in his hands contained his own personal thoughts towards the girl. The truth of how he viewed her. And it interested him far more than any project ever could.

And it scared the hell out of him.

He stared at it for a long time, before finally opening it along with a bottle of vodka, and slowly re-read his latest entry, before turning it further back, as if trying to make sense of what would soon become two different extremes. As he finally found an entry dated back to what would have been her third year, he almost snorted as he read all of the rude comments he had written about her, despite a few hints towards praising her---as if to say, "well, yes---the girl IS bright, but she's annoying so it doesn't matter."
But it did matter, apparently. Because as hour wore on and the number of entries with her name in them became more frequent during her sixth and seventh years, so did the remarks favouring her intelligence, and even more disturbing was the lack of insults and biting criticisms when compared with earlier entries. It was as if he was engrossed in a mystery novel and he was the lead character; he was so curious to see what would happen next, and was strangely unsure of how he would react when he found out. With another deep breath and a big gulp of his drink he flipped to another entry.

July 9th, 1998
I am pleased to see that Miss Granger has accepted the offer of a full apprenticeship under my instruction. I had spoken with her about this before, but I had made it clear that I wanted her to take a month to sit back and decide whether or not she wanted to pursue this in lieu of other academic offers. The owls that girl has received with parchments from all of Britain�s top universities vying for her acceptance could easily fill the owlery tenfold. She deserves every last one of them and I must admit that I was almost envious of each one that dropped another proposal in her hands at the breakfast table.

I knew she would thrive outside of Hogwarts and I was thrown off at first in her reply on Friday because it seemed as if she were turning those down for something else entirely, as she did mention returning to Hogwarts in the fall. But I had assumed that she would be filling in for Madame Pince while she was on leave visiting with an ill family member. Even more shocking to find out, as I read further on in her letter, was that she was planning on returning for the sole purpose of my apprenticeship offer.
There are a few rare occasions in my life that I can say as such, but I can honestly say that having her accept this position leaves me rather thrilled. I have come close to offering a few other students the opportunity in the past, but had decided against it on further introspection of the student's best interests. With Miss Granger, there was no doubt. She is absolutely the most intelligent and eager student I have ever had the pleasure of teaching, and the mere thought of her getting her Potions Mistress title within these walls couldn't make me any happier.

The rest of the entry went on about Lupin's broken leg at the time, and how he probably deserved it. Severus remembered writing that part, but had no recollection of ever having written anything about the Granger girl. Seeing words of praise, and in such high regard---especially in his own handwriting---unnerved him. He closed the book while he could still think, despite the alcohol induced light-headedness threatening to take over.

He had to clear his mind and get it out of his head. He stood up and put it in the back recesses of his mind before checking on the classroom and the laboratories one last time, and placed a dish of food down for his familiar. He called her name once, and when no reply or padding of feet came, he went to bed.

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Author�s Note: I know the date�s of Hermione�s graduation is all screwy---I need to check back with the specified dates as to when the trio started school---because it was NOT 2000 as one would think. I�ll correct these when I get a chance!
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