Chapter 3
Severus was not sure why he felt nervous on his walk to dinner.
Liar, yes you do.
The man huffed under his breath to himself as he rounded a corner, sidestepping a few students who nearly fell over themselves to get out of his way. He breathed deeply and took the steps up to the main hall two at a time, his brain working far too fast. He had rehearsed what he’d say, everything was normal, it was just Hermione Granger, former student, not current Minister for Magic and boss. Technically. He had his research proposals ready to go in his room, primed for her to just take with ease and look over. All he had to do was get her down there and hear him out without laughing.
Walking into the Great Hall, he spotted the woman in question already seated at the front… conveniently (or not) next to his usual seat. His eyes flicked to the headmistress, who had a glint in her eye annoyingly reminiscent of her predecessor — or rather, his. Shaking any thoughts that weren’t the matter at hand away, he stalked up to the high table and took his seat in a swish of black robes.
“Good evening,” he drawled, looking at Miss Granger.
“Hello, Professor,” she responded with a smile. Severus noted her eyes looked rather surprised. His probably mirrored hers. “How are you? I’m scheduled to sit in on your class first thing tomorrow.”
”Yes, I saw the itinerary,” Severus responded, absently gathering his plate together to stave off his nerves. Here we go. “Though, I’d hoped to speak to you sooner than that. If you can spare the time, would you come down to my chambers to meet in private? After dinner?”
He watched her closely, an expression passing over her features he didn’t recognize. It only took a few seconds of silence before she broke it. “Yes,” she said, her voice a bit cracked. “Yes, of course, Professor. I’d be happy to. We can walk together if you’d like.”
Severus swallowed and blinked. “I have some things I need to ensure are ready for our discussion, but half an hour after would be amenable. If that is alright.”
”Yes,” Hermione said with a nod. Severus noted the light blush that trailed her cheeks. It wasn’t an uncommon reaction when he spoke to people, he’d long realized how much he could intimidate the bravest of individuals with a well-placed stare and knocking his voice down a couple octaves.
//
Hermione was trying to fight her blush. She was a bit startled that her first reaction to Severus Snape inviting her down to his private chambers was an immediate coil in the base of her stomach. She had never once seen him in anything other than a professional light, and here she was, flashes of clothes flying and hot kisses going through her mind at an alarming pace. She hadn’t even heard herself agree to it before he was eating again like nothing had happened.
She was married. She was married. Not happily, but the rings on her finger were at least legal representation. She ran her thumb over them just to make sure they were actually still there and visible to the public.
Dinner went by far too slowly for her liking. At least she’d be able to refresh everything a bit before going down to see him. Or maybe he was going to give her a seeing to. Movement beside her startled her as the man running rampant in her thoughts stood and left without another word. She stared after him, wondering what alternate universe fate had dropped her into. Her gaze roamed down his retreating figure, and cloak or not, her eyes had been opened.
“Are you alright, dear?” McGonagall said beside her, jolting her out of her daydream. “You look flushed!”
”I’m— I’m fine,” Hermione stammered as she picked up her glass to take a much-needed sip of water. “Just tired from the day and traveling, that’s all.”
”Well, if you need anything, Poppy is at your disposal.” McGonagall smiled and turned back to Flitwick to continue their conversation.
Hermione breathed deeply and excused herself. A quick once-over in her room would do her good, then she could see whatever it was Professor— Severus wanted from her.
//
Hermione was sure the corridors were doubling in length with every step she took. The sconces got darker as she made her way further down into the castle, and soon she was at the small staircase leading into the dungeons. Garnering the courage members of her house insisted so many times they had, she took a breath and desperately hoped her resolve to remind Severus she was married actually came out of her mouth when they spoke.
She knocked on the door she knew was his, despite never actually being inside before. Hearing his deep, “Enter,” from inside, she slowly turned the knob and pushed the heavy wooden door open. “Good evening, Professor Snape,” she said in what she hoped was a confident voice. She pretended her voice didn’t shake just a bit. It did not.
”Miss Granger,” Severus greeted, gesturing for her to come in further. “I appreciate your time and will not waste any more than I have to. I am humbly asking for a favor, from one academic to another. I have a research proposal that cannot get off the ground no matter how hard I try. Prejudices from the old days persist and nobody will give me a passing glance. I was hoping that someone with both your stature in society and who knows my history better than most, would throw me a lifeline.”
Oh. Hermione blushed further as she realized she had never been more wrong about anything in her entire life and definitely needed to stomach a shag with her husband to get her mind out of the bloody gutter. Pulling herself together, she cleared her throat and nodded. “Of course, Professor. I’d be happy to look over whatever you have. I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such a tough time of it.”
She had never seen his eyes light up like they did just then. “Thank you,” Severus said, his tone evidently relieved. “Here.” He walked to his desk and picked up a rather thick folder with a ream of paper inside, then handed it to her. “This is everything you need. I made a copy for you to take with you — you don’t have to look at it all this trip. I know you’re busy with audits. But it’s color-coordinated, the key is on the inside there.” He pointed to the folder and raised his eyebrows. “There’s a table of contents, labeled questions and answers I made from the time spent on this, anything I could possibly think of that would come up as questions during the process.”
Hermione looked down at the folder and opened it up to skim the first few pages. “Wow,” she murmured in awe, her eyes hungry as she took in the new information. “This is… wow.” A small laugh escaped her and she glanced up at him. “I did not realize the wolfsbane potion could be improved upon.”
”It can, it has,” Severus said, folding his arms. “I have been working on this for the better part of two decades. My original potion prevents the transformation monthly, but must be taken before the full moon and during to be effective. The alterations outlined there — with proven results — explore the very real possibility of reversing the effects of lycanthropy altogether. It closely mimics chemotherapy with cancer cells. I lost my test subject… years ago, but… the trials were finished by that point. I recorded no major side effects and we saw positive molecular change until the point he passed.”
Hermione looked up at him and tilted her head. “Someone I know?”
Severus pressed his lips together in a thin line and cut his eyes downward.
She nodded and looked back down at his work. “Remus,” she sighed sadly, blinking back a few tears. “You did this for Remus?”
”Yes and no,” Severus admitted. “For the greater good, but… I am glad it helped him the short time it did.”
Hermione’s chest ached and she closed the folder. She was not in an emotional state to give this the attention it deserved. “Consider it done, Professor. Knowing you, this doesn’t even need a second set of eyes. But I’m going to read every word and get back to you. It’s at the top of my priorities. I have to look through it all before I can promise you a meeting, but—“
”Just the chance of your attention is enough,” Severus reassured, shaking his head. “I cannot overstate how much I appreciate this, Miss Granger. Minister Granger.”
Hermione smirked and hugged the folder to her chest. “You are allowed to call me Hermione. I won’t sack you.”
That earned her a smirk. She had never been on the receiving end of one of his amused looks, unless it was rooted in cruelty. It was nice.
”Noted,” Severus said as he bowed his head. “I won’t presume to tell you what you’re allowed and not allowed to do. I sincerely request you refrain from ‘The Greasy Git.’”
Hermione smiled sadly and shook her head. “I have never once given any time to that horrid insult. But if it’s all the same to you, I’ll start with Severus and we can go from there.”
Severus nodded, his hair curtaining around his face. “Very well. I won’t keep you any longer, Minister.”
She smiled wider at his blatant disregard of her suggestion and his buttoned-up formality. She had never known him to be anything other than completely proper when it came to authority and others he respected. As a student, she didn’t get that pleasure, but now that she was above him, and now that they weren’t both fighting in a war losing their closest friends, he had softened a bit in the years since. Not that she’d ever tell him that. “I’ll see you in the morning, Severus.”
He grumbled under his breath and Hermione could have sworn she saw him almost smile, but she chalked that up to her imagination. “Goodnight,” she murmured, leaving his office as quickly as she’d come.