Chapter 8
“Congratulations, Severus!” Minerva gushed as she hugged him tightly. “I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it. I assume you’re only going to upgrade your private lab and not the equipment for the students?” she teased.
“The grant funding is for me, not a cohort of dunderheads who don’t know the difference between a boom berry and an eyeball,” Severus muttered. “I intend on drawing up plans to get the lab altered later this evening. I’d prefer to start on this sooner rather than later,” he said.
“I also saw something in the Prophet … front page,” she said.
Severus arched an eyebrow and eyed the paper on one of the tables in the staff room. He snatched it up and groaned, tilting his head back.
MINISTER GRANGER CANOODLES FORMER PROFESSOR OVER LUNCH
Minister Hermione Granger and Hogwarts professor Severus Snape were spotted this afternoon in muggle London sharing a meal together.
Granger recently aided Snape in procuring funding for various potion research proposals within the Ministry, despite getting pushback from her peers and trusted advisors.
The former Death Eater obviously showed his gratitude to Granger, married to Auror Ron Weasley, by treating her to lunch. An exclusive interview with Weasley is detailed in full on page 4.
Severus made a noise under his breath and slapped the paper down to the table. “This is fucking ridiculous,” he swore, ignoring Minerva’s chastisement. “I secured funding and she suggested we go out to lunch. It was nothing more. Are we not allowed to have a meal in the same room together? We did fight in a damn war with each other,” he said in annoyance.
“I believe you, Severus!” Minerva said as she put her hands up. “I just wanted you to see it. I’m surprised they found you in a little restaurant in muggle London, but I suppose she is the Minister for Magic, so she probably gets followed everywhere she goes.”
“I don’t envy her,” he muttered. “No wonder she didn’t want to leave the castle. Probably the first time she’s felt like a person in a while.”
“Why do you think I invited her to stay longer? Everyone needs a respite every now and then. She’s only been Minister for two years, but she’s already done so much for our world. I don’t want her to get burnt out. We need her. She’s changing your life, too,” she said with a smile. “I think she’s brilliant.”
“You don’t say?” Severus chuckled. “You ought to start a fan club.”
“Behave, Severus Snape,” Minerva said pointedly. “And go design your new lab. You’ll be like a child on Christmas morning.”
“Better than that,” Severus said. He meant that, this was better than Christmas. He was going to be completely in his element, and he was so happy about it.
//
Hermione had taken up many an invasive front page of The Daily Prophet . How this was front page news was beyond her. She looked over it one more time, wondering what exactly the point of this was. Why would people want to know that she’d been for lunch with Severus? It was obvious what the vultures at the paper were going for, given the very specific reference to her marriage that had been thrown in there. That and the use of ‘canoodles.’ They certainly had not been canoodling. It was downright pathetic journalism.
It had made coming home a fucking nightmare.
She walked through the door and shook her head when Ron immediately hounded her. “Don’t start this with me, Ronald.”
“I’m not the one who’s starting anything. Did you have a nice cosy lunch with Snape then, ‘Mione? Did you not fancy telling me all about that?”
Arsehole.
She barely resisted rolling her eyes at him, something that he’d asked her to stop doing, and so she simply wanted to do it even more with the sole purpose of annoying him. Instead, she shook her head. “It was just a celebratory meal for his proposals having been fully accepted. That was all that it was. I’m really not understanding what you’re trying to get at here. I’ve supported him through this process. It seemed only right that we go for lunch and a chat about it.” She walked through into the bedroom, “Don’t follow me, Ron. unless you’re going to not be quite so pathetic about me simply going to lunch with another bloke… Severus, of all people.”
“Oh, ‘Severus’ now, is it?” Ron scoffed, following her anyway.
“Ron, why do you feel as if you have to give your opinion on this? I went on, what was essentially, a business lunch . So bloody what if I decided to have a catch up with him? It’s just what kind, understanding people do.”
Honestly, she was sick to death of having to explain herself to Ron. It wasn’t just this. It was about anything and everything these days. What on earth was the point? He never listened to her. He had his opinion, and he stuck to it. He wasn’t quite as easily pliable as he’d once been.
“Are you seriously scared of me being friendly with Severus Snape? He’s a changed man, and had been for years prior to the end of the war. We have mutual interests… If I just so happen to want to socialise with him every now and then, or check on how he’s getting on with his research, then so be it.” The brunette shrugged nonchalantly, trying to appear completely unbothered. “That is all that I’m going to say on the matter.
“That’s easy for you to say.” Ron grumbled, rolling his eyes. “I don’t like you being pictured with other blokes like this, not in a one-on-one situation.”
“Oh, and I had control over that?”
“You had control over meeting with him alone.”
“I’m not listening to this, Ronald,” Hermione state, before collecting her bag and coat, turning to walk right back toward the door. “We are not going to talk about this later.” She was not going to put up with that level of pettiness from her husband. What was his problem? Did he not trust her? What on earth was it about Severus that bothered him? She was allowed to have friends outside their circle. She was allowed to branch out .
She put any incriminating thoughts of dungeons and cloaks out of her mind.
//
“Madame Minister.”
“Make it quick, Robert,” Hermione sighed as she briskly walked toward her office, coffee in hand. “And if it has anything to do with that article from yesterday–”
“It doesn’t. Since you are Professor Snape’s first supporter on this project of his, the board and I thought it would be acceptable for you to travel to Hogwarts to give a full report on the progress of the new lab. If you can find time in your busy schedule, that is.”
Hermione stopped walking and looked at her colleague. “You’re asking me to go?”
“Yes.”
She could read between the lines. She knew they were praying on Severus’s downfall, and by extension, hers as well for spearheading this entire partnership. She steeled herself and nodded, her grip just a bit tighter on her coffee cup than before. “I’ll work a visit into my timetable. Thank you.”
//
Severus walked into the staff room and arched a brow at Minerva tidying things up with her wand. “Special occasion?” he drawled, walking past her to make himself some coffee.
“Yes, actually. Hermione is coming back. Didn’t you know?” Minerva answered.
“What?” he asked, turning to her. “What do you mean?”
“Something to do with your grant funding. The research department has sent her to give a report. I want to make sure this place is looking its best for her. I’m not sure if she’s going to stay for more than one day like last time. I opened the offer to her, but she has yet to accept,” she said. “Do you think it has anything to do with that spread the Prophet wrote?”
“Why would that have anything to do with her staying?” Severus asked.
“Well, it was awfully suggestive, and she’s married,” Minerva said. “I read Mister Weasley’s response and he didn’t seem very happy.”
“Loath the day I worry about what makes a Weasley happy,” Severus muttered. “I still don’t see why that’s a problem.”
Minerva sighed and stopped what she was doing so she could turn to him. “Severus, she’s married to him. A front-page article claiming you two were ‘canoodling’ over lunch doesn’t go over well to husbands. Do you see my meaning? He’s jealous, and I’m sure her staying here overnight would only add fuel to the fire.”
Severus frowned and looked at her in confusion. “Jealous of what? Surely not of me . It was a business lunch at most. And people call me insecure,” he mumbled, folding his arms. “I do not want to be the reason Miss Granger stays away from the castle.”
“Well, regardless, help me make everything look tidy. Go scare some students into behaving or something,” she sighed, waving her hand dismissively as she got back to work.
Severus turned his attention back down to his coffee and thought about what Minerva said. He found it extremely hard to believe anyone could possibly be jealous of him. It wasn’t unheard of for past professors to see their students. Hell, Hermione hugged Minerva on her way out and there hadn’t been a bloody smear campaign about it. Why was it when she talked with her other peers or professors, nobody batted an eye? But when it was him , he was some siren sent to break up her marriage. Please. He had no interest in any part of her love life. The only time he’d been mildly invested was in her sixth year when she was caught in a love triangle with her husband and that godawful Lavender Brown girl. Dumbledore had been particularly amused by everything. Ugh. There were times when he was glad the old codger was dead.