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Written in Blood	By : Corinna Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 20663 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- 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.

Chapter List
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"TWO MONTHS LEFT TO CHOOSE A BRIDE!"

The words of his mother�s recent Howler, proclaiming that fact (as if I could forget) haunted him. At least his mother�s owl knew by now never to deliver him mail in the Great Hall�he�d cursed it enough times to be sure of that. Snape could count on one hand the times she�d sent him mail that wasn�t a Howler, declaring that the Howlers got her message across far better. No doubt.
Despite his continued efforts to be nice, he felt himself growing more and more agitated lately. He would twitch at the slightest noise, as he don done when still a Death Eater. He would get angry at the slightest provocation when not under strict control. The only times he felt truly at ease were his private lessons with the Granger girl.
He had been surprised to find, at first, that he truly did enjoy her company. Used to the know-it-all Gryffindor, she was truly companionable when not trying to impress. But impress him she did, nonetheless.
Her newfound grasp of Potions was nothing short of amazing, he admitted to himself. He only wished that one day he would have a child who possessed that same intellect, and keen spirit to learn.
Child. Oh, Merlin. He was at a loss when it came to his predicament. He buried his head in his hands, and then opened one bloodshot eye, searching for his bottle of firewhisky.
And stopped, when he saw not his bottle, but the Headmaster, standing on the other side of his desk.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," he gasped, surprised. He was about to stand when Dumbledore instead took a seat.
"Severus," the Headmaster began, and then stopped. He raised piercing blue eyes to bore into the Potions Masters�. "Severus, are you well?"
About to answer in the affirmative, Snape changed his mind, and decided in that moment to tell Dumbledore everything, as he always had done. All of a sudden, it seemed inconceivable that he hadn�t unburdened himself to the Headmaster earlier. Surely Dumbledore would have a solution!
The story poured out of him, from Sacheverell Snape to his mother Selima, to the trunk, to the contract and the appalling way in which innocent souls were added to it. He ended with his unsuccessful attempts into the world of romance, rather humiliated. "Professor," he finished, "what should I do? Your counsel has never yet led me astray."
Dumbledore paused for a moment, then asked, "May I see this contract?"
Hurriedly, Snape led the way to his private chambers, in which the contract still floated ominously. Dumbledore inspected the piece of parchment studiously, never quite touching it. He prodded it with his wand, eventually, with no effect. Finally he straightened and turned to Snape.
"I am sorry, Severus, but there is nothing I can do. This is a legally binding contract." At Snape�s appalled look, he went on, "If your mother were deceased, I could break the spell, but as long as the one who signed the last name on the parchment still lives, breaking the spell would kill them. No doubt she did not inform you of this fact."
Snape was about to insist that he break the spell and his mother could take her chances with whatever Sacheverell had to throw at her, but broke off, knowing Dumbledore would never conscience the exchange of one life for another (except perhaps to give his own up for someone else). Bloody do-gooder.
"As for your predicament," Dumbledore went on, "I suppose I could put in a good word with Minerva�"
"Thank you, Headmaster," Snape replied hastily, "but no."
Dumbledore shrugged, and took his leave. As soon as he shut the door behind himself, Snape collapsed on his bed and let out an almighty groan. His last hope was gone. He was so wrapped up in his own desolation that he hardly noticed the door re-opening until he heard the Headmaster�s voice.
"Did you call me, Severus?"
Dumbledore must have heard his groan, he supposed. Although surely the Headmaster was smarter than that�
"Ah, well, there was a subject I meant to broach with you in any case. I understand you have taken young Hermione under your wing, as it were. I wish to thank you for your kindness and patience towards her, from all the staff. She is really beginning to depend on you, Severus."
Snape frowned. The Headmaster sounded like he was trying to give him a clue, but damned if he knew to what. "Yes, er�she is making wonderful progress in Potions. At chess as well," he said fondly.
Dumbledore nodded, as if Snape had just confirmed something for him. "Yes, well, keep up the good work. She needs a friend right now. And Severus, don�t be too hasty to discontinue these lessons with young Hermione." He shook his head. "Young, did I say? No, not so young anymore, after all."
With that, he left Snape alone and conf, in, in the darkness.

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

As Hermione�s progress continued to increase, Snape had to laugh at Dumbledore�s words of warning. Discontinue her private lessons? Not on his life. They had begun to meet every day, usually working on schoolwork, but increasingly branching out to other subjects. He had had no idea she had read Hogwarts, A History, although it really shouldn�t have surprised him. She always had been the brightest. He told himself he was only doing what Dumbledore had asked of him, and being a friend to a student who needed it, but the truth was, she was as much a friend to him as he was to her. It had been a very long time since he could talk of literature or the theatre to someone. He smiled, recalling the look of surprise on her face when she learned he knew no few bits of trivia about muggle musicals.
He had been in London once, he told her, and seen an ad for a show called "Chess." Intrigued, he had gone in, and had been hooked on musicals ever since.
Other than that, however, he confessed he knew precious little about the non-wizarding world. He was overcome with laughter when she told him about the skiing trip she had made in her fifth year, and aghast as she tried to explain what her parents did for a living. The idea of someone allowing someone else stick an auger in one�s mouth horrified him. It sounded like something Lord Voldemort would come up with, to him.
Meanwhile, he was growing steadily more agitated as his deadline approached, slowly yet steadily. He required steadily increasing amounts of Madame Pomfrey�s Dreamless Sleep potions in order to sleep through the night. He felt the days tick by, the day when he would receive his next Howler growing ever closer. Liberal applications of headache relievomehomehow went missing from the Hospital Wing, the grades in Potions dropped, and Snape was no longer to be found at the High Table in the Great Hall at mealtimes.
And then it came. Sequestered in his chambers, away from prying eyes, a single tawny owl found its way through the wards to drop a red envelope at his feet. The bird took off again immediately, without waiting for a response. The envelope started to smoke around the edges, and he hurriedly tore it open, knowing all the while what it would say.

"ONE MONTH LEFT TO CHOOSE A BRIDE!"

Bugger it, he thought, I�m getting out of this castle. He left the charred remains of the Howler in his room to deal with later, and went out for a stroll around the lake.
He strode purposefully, feeling his muscles stretch, as the chilly December air sliced through his cloak. His thoughts were black, but the day was bright, and the water of the lake, while undoubtedly frigid, was shining in the sun. He stopped moving for a moment, and stood still, feeling the crisp autumn wind swirl around him.
"Professor Snape?"
It was the one student for whom he would have ceased his silent reverie. He sighed, "Yes, Miss Granger?" He turned around to see her.

She was standing by the lake, gazing curiously up at him. Her hair, now more curly than bushy, was waving gently in the wind. She was in Muggle clothes today (of course, it must be Saturday) and the jeans and soft red sweater she wore suited her quite wellut iut it was the look on her face that nearly took his breath away. She was smiling slightly, looking pleasant enough, but something about her had changed�all of a sudden he put his finger on it. It was what Dumbledore had said, on their last meeting in Snape�s quarters. "Not so young anymore, after all." All of a sudden, he saw the truth of those words. She was a young woman now.

Growing a little nervous under his gaze, she coughed discreetly. "I was just going to ask�are you feeling all right, sir? You�ve been looking a bit peaky, if you don�t mind my saying so. I just want to be sure you�re healthy." She smiled again. "I wouldn�t want to have to do my Potions exam unprepared!"

Stop staring at her, he told himself firmly. Nothing has changed. Nothing. "I�I am well, Hermione," he said, feeling anything but well. "Thank you for your concern." Seeing sookeooked a tad hurt at his brush-off, he added, "Will I see you tonight?" I sound like an adolescent asking for a date, and not a Professor asking a student if she�ll attend lesson!

She laughed, relieved his brusque mood had passed. "Like you have to ask," she replied, and bid him farewell before wrapping her cloak about her to ward off the chill, and heading back to the castle.

He watched her go, wondering what had just happened, and what in Merlin�s name he was supposed to do about it.
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