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Unquestionable Love	By : CRMediaGal Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 3380 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me. No money/profit is made from this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
A/N: Remember when I mentioned slow progress? And that other subplots would be introduced eventually? Just a friendly reminder. Enjoy the angst.

Many thanks to my beta reader, Brittny!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me.

Chapter 8: Binding Together

Hailey anxiously awaited her father's arrival the following Sunday morning. She paced back and forth before the enormous, ugly, stone gargoyle. Was Headmistress McGonagall's office beyond the wall? Would the stone simply dissolve and reveal a doorway that she could pass through?

Hogwarts was filled with secretive, unexpected passageways. It seemed that every day Hailey, Albus, and Hugo found themselves lost amongst the castle dwellings or discovered new areas they had never seen before. She relished the splendor and curiosity of the place. It had quickly become a second home to her.

How could her father have had such a miserable time here when he was a student? He never said much about his days at Hogwarts, or about his past in general, but occasionally made some less than friendly remarks about them. And from the little that Hailey and her sisters had gathered, their father's childhood had not been a happy one. Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron, and even her mother had thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Hogwarts and were always relaying how much they loved, and missed, the place. Hailey stopped pacing, understanding emerging on her puzzled face.

Of course he didn't have a good time, because he's a miserable swine! No wonder. He probably didn't have any friends either! Grumpy, old blockhead! Humph!

The troubled girl sighed and began striding to-and-fro again before the statue. A few stragglers eyed her curiously as they passed by, no doubt wondering how the first year had come to be called before the Headmistress's office; it had only been a week since school began. She must have done something really bad, they determined as they shuffled away.

C'mon, already! Hailey huffed with irritation, stomping her feet impatiently.

At that moment, the infamous Potions Master emerged at the end of the hallway. His graceful form glided towards her as if in slow motion, but, in no time at all, Severus was standing before her in his unmistakable buttoned-down coat, cloak, and leather boots. All black, of course.

Hailey had not realized until that moment just how much her father resembled a vampire rather than a man. Taking in the deeply set circles under his eyelids, as well as his extremely ashen complexion, Hailey looked upon her father with a newfound apprehension and scuffed her shoes against the floor rather loudly.

"Good morning," Severus offered in a hard, low voice, ignoring her awkwardness.

"Um, hi."

Severus raised an eyebrow. Was this all that he was to expect from his daughter from now on? He ran his fingers through his hair, his expression suddenly frazzled. This did not go unnoticed by his little Gryffindor, and Hailey peered up at him questioningly.

"Yes, Da—sir?"

"Nothing," he griped, running his fingers down his buttons delicately, as if to make sure he was, in fact, presentable. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

Hailey's eyes narrowed but she nodded, whisking her bangs out of her line of sight and stepping aside so as to follow the professor wherever he intended to lead her. Severus straightened his cravat and jacket, and then cleared his throat.

"Lemon curry," he grumbled, trying to be discreet.

Hailey's eyebrows rose in surprise, a twitch forming at the corners of her mouth. What a silly password! And even more ridiculous in her father's grave voice. Hailey watched in awe as the gargoyle statue began to move with its wings expanded, and its body moved aside as a flight of stairs emerged at its heel. Severus trod onto the first step, not looking back to see if Hailey was following. Hailey rolled her eyes and sprinted up after him, practically missing a step, and gazed up as the staircase ascended higher and higher. An intricate-looking oak door presented itself between them and the Headmistress' office and Hailey sucked in a breath, waiting for her father to enter first.

The little girl stumbled in after Severus, into a circular office that contained many high-arched windows and stacks of books lining its walls. The room was warm and inviting, as was its Headmistress, who was seated at a large desk in the center of it all, staring at them both with genuine warmth. The morning sun seeped in through the windows and cascaded down to the brim of McGonagall's pointed hat, putting her in a gentle spotlight.

"Minerva," Severus drawled, giving her a quick nod.

Hailey, unsure of what to do, clasped her fingers together and gave an awkward bow, masking herself behind Severus's robes. She had never properly met the Headmistress before, and found herself unexpectedly overcome with nerves. She bit her lip, thankful that her father could not see her anxiety.

"Severus, Miss Snape," McGonagall greeted politely.

Hailey watched as the Headmistress meandered around her desk and waltzed over to them, carrying a lengthy piece of parchment, the words of which Hailey could not make out. McGonagall noted Hailey's fidgeting and continued to offer an amiable smile.

"No need to be nervous, dear," she encouraged, making Severus turn around and eye his daughter suspiciously. "This is quite informal, I assure you."

Hailey offered her meek acknowledgment in return, as the elderly woman adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses and scrutinized Hailey for another moment. "Severus, her resemblance to Hermione is uncanny! My goodness! You must be very proud!"

Severus's expressionless visage did not entirely match the black eyes, which surveyed Hailey with a kindness that caught her off guard. "Indeed," he murmured in agreement.

"Well, Miss Snape, I assume your father has told you all about the assistantship?"

Hailey turned to her father for guidance. He was supposed to have told her everything about the position, but, so far, Severus had barely told her a thing. She had no idea of what she might be getting herself into. As she stared at him, Severus locked his hands behind his back, tearing his gaze away from the befuddled child. He did not utter a word, which made Hailey blush at the now uneasy stillness in the air.

"Um, no, Headmistress," she replied after an awkward pause. "Only that it will be a few evenings a week and that there is some sort of contract that needs to be signed?"

The wrinkles on McGonagall's face deepened. She surveyed the Potions Master, perplexed. "You haven't told her much in that case, Severus?"

"The details are still being worked out," he responded, his voice etched with agitation. "I thought that you might present her with an overview, so that she may understand the administrative side to these matters. I want her to have the opportunity to refuse if she wishes."

McGonagall gave a stern nod. "Very well. What I hold in my hand, Miss Snape," she held up the parchment that was longer than her torso, "is a binding contract. The Ministry designed it, but there are a few details that I will need from you today before it can be sent off.

"We, that is, the Ministry and I, are in agreement that a Potions assistant is a crucial and unavoidable position at this time. Your father has taken on many responsibilities outside of the classroom that are simply too burdensome for one person to handle, and he has been doing so for many years now without a shred of complaint or any assistance. I'm sure you're already well-aware of the fact." A soft growl escaped Severus's lips, but Hailey gathered that McGonagall either did not hear, or was choosing to ignore it. Pressing on, she said, "I asked Severus to chose a student who would be able to help him with some of the more laboring tasks associated with his position, the details of which I will leave to him to decide; however, the post is, as he has already made you aware, several evenings a week. The Ministry will want proof that this is being followed through; hence, the contract. I'm sure you know that Hogwarts thinks very highly of your father, and we all want to ensure that he is being assisted with his many responsibilities. They far exceed what you may realize."

Hailey's eyes swept over him. Another inaudible objection slipped out of Severus's mouth, and Hailey could sense how uncomfortable he was. He was always so collected and reserved, yet here and now he was intertwining his fingers together behind his back and darting his eyes about the room, avoiding contact with either of them.

What's wrong with him? Hailey asked herself, observing Severus run his elongated fingers through his hair a few times. It was something he was doing more often lately, particularly when he was distracted or unsettled. McGonagall, however, seemingly took no notice of the professor's strange antics.

"The only thing left to add to this contract are the days and hours that you will be assisting in the potions lab. Please, come."

She motioned for them to follow her to her desk, where she took her seat in an exceedingly large chair that reached to the top of her hat, and spread the contract out in front of them. Hailey noted the trademark Ministry logo in the top right corner, as well as the formal lettering that glistened in the light, turning the ink different shades of blue.

"Now then," McGonagall started, taking her feathered quill in hand, "how many days are you willing to undertake, Miss Snape?"

Hailey was taken aback at being asked. Was not her father, her instructor, supposed to determine such things? She turned to Severus again, unsure of what to say, but he was peering down at the contract as if it were contaminated.

"I think two nights would be sufficient," Severus answered before his daughter could form an answer.

McGonagall was not pleased by the Potion Master's suggestion. "Severus," she urged, "two nights? That is not nearly enough! Surely, your daughter might be willing to do three or four?"

Suspecting that her father was ruffled enough to quarrel with the Headmistress, Hailey hesitantly stepped forward, speaking as faintly as she could. "Ma'am, perhaps we could try three nights a week at first and move up to four if I find I am handling things well enough?"

McGonagall seemed satisfied with the third Snape's answer, and Severus made no further objection as McGonagall took hold of her quill and scribbled something on a section in the lower half of the contract. "And how many hours, Severus?"

The dark wizard delayed his response for a moment before replying, "Two."

McGonagall peered up at him again, her mouth etched in a deep frown. "Severus," she implored, more emphatically than before, "two hours is hardly sufficient to your workload."

Immediately, Hailey found herself piping up again. "Four, ma'am?"

Both the Headmistress and Severus eyed the little Gryffindor curiously, but then the gray-haired witch bowed her head and scratched in a few more indecipherable lines. "Four it is," she repeated.

Severus snarled under his breath and cast his attention away from them, choosing instead to stare out the window. The only sound for some time was the scratching of McGonagall's quill. Hailey shuffled her feet uncomfortably before deciding to speak up again.

"Headmistress?"

"Yes, Miss Snape?"

Hailey could sense that Severus's eyes had resumed regarding her, but tried to ignore them. She hesitated and bit her lip, trying to find her voice.

"Is - Is this an unbreakable contract?"

McGonagall stopped writing and raised her eyes. "Are you having second thoughts about the assistantship?"

"No!" Hailey replied without delay. "I - I just want to know how - how binding this contract is? If - If it was too much for me, or I couldn't—" She bit her lip harder, feeling increasingly less confident the longer she stood before the two great, prominent wizards, one including her father.

"No, it is not an unbreakable contract, my dear," McGonagall reassured the self-conscious girl with mangled curls. "You may step down at any time, and your father can simply find a replacement. All I ask is that you give Severus time to find someone else if that should be the case. At least a week's notice should be adequate."

Hailey continued to bite her lip and carefully stepped forward again, still unsure. "And - And how long do I have to fulfill this request?"

"Request?" It was Severus who spoke now, and he also stepped forward, so as to be level with his daughter. She, in turn, cast him a look of dread. "Hailey, do not do this if you don't want to, or if you have no intention of keeping your word."

His response was mangled by an anxiety Hailey did not understand. McGonagall slowly stood up from her chair, her eyes darting thoughtfully from father to daughter. "You would do the post for as long as Severus and I deem appropriate. For now, it would be for this term only. If you decided to continue next year, well, we can discuss the matter as it presents itself. There is quite a lot your father has on his plate, Miss Snape. I would hope you would be able to assist him for as long as he requires."

"Hailey," Severus beseeched, in a much gentler tone that was familiar to her, his hand reaching out to touch her shoulder. Hailey jolted slightly at Severus's contact, but he tried to ignore it. "Do not do this simply to appease me. You can say no, and I will not be offended. This is your opportunity to refuse, my dear."

Appease you? Hailey reflected, unnerved by Severus's words. I'm not doing this for you!

She paused, realizing that she had no idea why exactly she was doing this; however, had she not already agreed to it? She could not go back on her word now, not after she had already said she would at least try. Hailey Snape did not like to back down from anything, and she certainly did not want to give her father the satisfaction of quitting before she had even started. So she sucked in a deep breath and nodded her head to the Headmistress.

"I'll do it."

"Wonderful!" McGonagall exclaimed.

In that moment, Hailey contemplated how nice it would have been to have the Headmistress as her Head of House. She reminded Hailey of a sweet, wise grandmother—gentle, yet firm. McGonagall outstretched her hand holding the quill and turned the contract around to face them.

"I'll just need your signatures there at the bottom."

Hailey waited for Severus to step forward first, which he did with much reluctance. His sable appearance looked severely out of place against the luminescent morning sun. The windows were sending pink and yellow rays through the glass, which then trailed down through the room, before abruptly disappearing as they hit the Potions Master's outline.

Hailey could not read his face, as his back was turned, but she heard a heavy sigh, something like an echo of defeat, escape his lips as he wrote his name on the appropriate line. He swiftly turned around, his robes swaying along in stride, and handed the quill to Hailey. As she stepped forward, she noted Severus's graceful handwriting. It was certainly far more enthralling and impressive then her own signature, which she scrawled haphazardly, smearing the ink against her fingers. Why did her father have to do everything better than her, even when it came to writing his damn name?

"Well," McGonagall asserted when the matter was concluded, "I will get this off to the Ministry straightaway. But before I do, would you, Severus, permit me a moment alone with your daughter?"

A quizzical look emerged on Severus's sallow face, and he raised his eyebrows, glancing from his colleague to his daughter, who met his gaze with the same apprehension. "Of course," he agreed before spinning round and taking his leave at such a speed that Hailey's mouth flung open. She gawked after the inscrutable man as he disappeared out of the room, without saying a word to her.

It seemed that Severus wanted nothing more than to get away from her; or perhaps she had imagined it. Nevertheless, Hailey felt slighted by her father's disregard and clenched her jaw, her face turning a visible shade of red.

Stop it, Hailey! Why do you care? You don't want to be around him anyway!

"Miss Snape?" McGonagall spoke, bringing Hailey out of her tortured thoughts.

"Please," Hailey insisted, turning to the aged Headmistress, now more comfortable in her presence, "call me Hailey."

McGonagall's kind eyes met her own. "Hailey," she repeated with a sincere smile, "I want to thank you for what you're doing. Your father may not realize the benefit of having an assistant yet, but I know he greatly appreciates your willingness, nonetheless. I do, too. It is probably not my place to speak of such things, but I must put your father's well-being above such formalities for a moment. I hope you will understand."

Hailey scrunched up her nose, not understanding what the Headmistress was getting at. "Ma'am?"

"Your father did not request this post, nor was it of his making. It was mine." McGonagall stopped, taking in the surprised expression on Hailey's face. "And I daresay he will not make this task easy on you. He will probably try to give you too little to do, or nothing at all. I implore you; please do whatever you can to coax him into accepting your help. He needs it, Hailey. I beg you to see past his stubbornness and work with him. I know it won't be easy, but then I trust you already knew that before agreeing to take this on."

Hailey was not sure what to say, so she gave the Headmistress a meek grin and inclined her head. McGonagall unexpectedly wrapped one arm around the girl's shoulder and peered into her brown eyes, causing Hailey to blush all over again.

"You know, I suspect you're tired of hearing this, but you look so much like your mother. I had the pleasure of teaching her while she was here. Hermione was one of the brightest witches who ever stepped through these doors, did you know that?"

Hailey felt a sensation of pride rise from her toes all the way up through her chest. "Yes, Headmistress. I've heard many such nice things said about my mum from when she was here."

"Yes, well, they are all true, mind you! I'm sure you hear over and over how much you resemble her. But now that I look at you closely, I daresay that your eyes are most definitely like your father's; very dark and intense. They're quite unique, Severus's eyes, and you have other traces of him in you, as well.

"I could see it earlier, the little characteristics you two share. You should be very proud to possess many of his qualities. Hogwarts is very lucky to have your father. I'm not sure how this place would have panned out without him..."

McGonagall's voice trailed off, and Hailey sensed what the Headmistress wanted to say but was too upset to express. Though the woman had meant her words to be complimentary and encouraging to her, McGonagall had no idea of the turmoil that was stirring within the wild-haired girl at her side.

"Thank you, Headmistress," Hailey began, choosing her words carefully. "I understand. I will do my best to help him."

McGonagall patted her shoulder, evidently trying to lighten the mood which had shifted so abruptly in such a short span of time. "Thank you, Hailey. Again, I do appreciate this a great deal and so does your father, though he may not show it."

Bollocks! Hailey thought, grateful that her musings were entirely her own.

McGonagall escorted Hailey to the door, her arm still enveloped around Hailey's dainty frame as they strolled together, linked at the hip. "You may not hear it too often here, Hailey," McGonagall pressed on thoughtfully, "but you mean a great deal to Severus, you and your sisters. He's very proud of you all. I hope you will not give up on him too easily."

Hailey turned to the elderly witch, whose eyes seemed woeful again, almost pleading with her for some kind of understanding. She stepped back, gave another awkward bow, and laced her fingers together. The Headmistress was saying awfully strange things about him. Why could she not just accept them and move on? Why could she not forgive and forget?

"I won't, Headmistress," Hailey gulped, unconvinced by her own words. "I'll work with him, I promise."

McGonagall seemed heartened by Hailey's pledge and patted her shoulder. "Very well, my dear. You may go."

Hailey gave another ungraceful nod before exiting the office as fast as she could. She was glad to be alone with her thoughts, but her relief was short-lived. As she strolled down the staircase, she found her father waiting for her. Severus was pacing back and forth before the entrance, his robes billowing elegantly behind him, but halted in his tracks when she emerged.

"What was that about?"

His inquiry came out edgier than he had meant it to, and Hailey rolled her eyes in response. "Don't worry about it," she grumbled, moving to leave Severus where he stood.

"Don't dismiss me like that, Hailey!"

Severus reached for her arm, but Hailey whisked it free before he could get a firm grip. She reared on him with narrowed eyes and a threatening glare that rivaled his own.

"Don't touch me!" she exclaimed, raising her arm back again to avoid contact.

Luckily, the corridor was deserted, so no one heard his daughter's cry. Severus let out an exacerbated sigh. He was not getting anywhere with this one, and all she seemed to do lately was either lash out at him, or ignore any small attempts he made to connect with her.

"I wasn't— Never mind! I only wished to know what the Headmistress wanted to speak to you about in private."

"Then ask her! Don't trouble me about it! And don't even think about reading my mind either!"

She was, of course, referring to her father's unusual gift of mind reading, an attribute that had proved extremely useful to Severus during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Though Hailey was not privy to many of the details surrounding those dark days of his past, she was well-aware that her father was one of the greatest, most highly-skilled Legilimens in the wizarding world.

"I wasn't planning on it!" Severus snarled, unhinged by Hailey's anger. "And how exactly am I troubling you, for that matter?"

"Stop questioning me! Just leave me alone!"

A low hiss escaped Severus's lips. The blackness of his eyes evinced a combination of hurt and distemper.

"Don't be so childish!"

"I'm not!"

"Why can't you be reasonable?"

The Potion Master's tone was unemotional, yet subtly hinted at some sort of feeling, perhaps sadness. Hailey was too flustered to contemplate the meaning behind his words. A deep-seated crease formed between her brown eyes.

"Oh, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

To the child's surprise, Severus closed the gap between them in an instant, and Hailey found herself pinned against the wall with nowhere to go. Her breath caught, and she regretted how heated she had been just then. She knew how out-of-character it all was—the outbursts, the rage, the animosity that swept over her whenever Severus even so much as looked her way—but everything about him now set her on edge, bringing out a side that neither one cared for. Severus loomed over his daughter, his raised eyebrow twitching, and his lips curled in vexation.

"You can be angry with me all you want, Hailey," he growled, struggling to keep his voice steady and controlled, "but I am still your father. I will not be so disrespected. I am also your teacher and when I ask you a question, you will answer me. Do you understand?"

"FINE!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, Hailey!" he spat dangerously. "I mean it!"

"Get away!"

Severus clenched his jaw, a hint of color flushing his otherwise pale cheeks. "What the hell is the matter with you, you insufferable child?"

"Wha...?"

"I've had just about enough of your incessant backtalk!" Severus's beady eyes searched the little girl's flustered face, aggravated beyond all measure, his voice expressing a rare variety of emotion. "I don't want any more of it, do you hear? No more!"

Her body was trembling from all the built-up rage; the same, unnatural fury from days before was coursing through Hailey's veins again, and she felt unable to prevent it or keep it at bay. She clenched her fists against her father's firm grasp.

"Well, perhaps I wouldn't hate you so much or be acting this way if you hadn't decided to try and hex me in class!"

Severus curled his lips, his eyebrows coming together. "I had no intention of hurting you, Hailey! I tried to tell you that already!"

"BOLLOCKS!"

"How dare you—"

"What?" Hailey challenged back, her temper getting the best of her. "How dare I what? Talk back to you? After what you did to me? I don't understand!"

Severus unexpectedly pulled his hands off of her, all of his inner frustrations and misery now visibly apparent. Hailey hit the wall and tried to recover her balance, expecting her father to continue the argument; but surprisingly, he did not make a retort or raise his voice. A part of her secretly wanted their fight to continue. She had so much rattling inside her that was dying to burst out, and yet, her cheeks glowed red with sudden humiliation. Another portion of her was abashed by the heated, harsh words she had just used on him. She did not like being this angry, but seemed to lack any self-control. She searched Severus's weary face for something tangible, something that would remind her of the father she still loved, but he only offered her a hopeless stare in return. His eyes scanned her features for the child he knew only days prior.

"You don't trust me," Severus uttered at last, his voice hushed and sullen.

"No, I don't!" she admitted, throwing her hands up in resignation. "I hate who you are here! I hate how you've changed! I hate how you and Mum and Lily and Surina don't seem to tell me anything! What's wrong with you?"

Severus's form remained quiet and still, which only frustrated Hailey further. Her little body trembled with a mixture of manifesting rage and a strong desire to cry, but Hailey fought the urge as best as she could. Severus noted her dark eyes were becoming saturated with tears. Yet he did not know what to do, what to say, or how to help, only that he wanted to comfort his little girl. The girl with the bushy hair, button nose, and fierce intellect, who shared the small joys that he appreciated, such as Potion-making; or, at least, she used to...

He took a step forward, his arm outstretched to Hailey rather carefully, but the discouraged young girl instantly recoiled. "NO!" she cried, stopping Severus in his tracks. He reluctantly backed away in a heap of defeat.

For a long moment, Severus continued to stare, his face wrought with pain, lamenting the lack of affection and understanding that he received in return. "Very well," he breathed faintly, believing Hailey wanted nothing more from him.

Severus moved away as quickly as his body would allow, not turning back to chance a second glance at the befuddled, sad girl in the hallway. It pained him too greatly. He had no idea until that moment just how much damage he had caused, though he had already suspected it was on a profound level.

The professor's steps echoed along the lonely, empty corridors as he made his way back to the familiar dungeons. As he descended the spiral staircase, Severus closed his eyes, trying to take slow, even breaths.

Hermione, I need you...

A/N #2: Not good... But on the upside, we'll have Severus and Hermione together in the next several chapters. Woohoo!
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Unquestionable Love