Chapter 3
A pool of whiskyed saliva gathers in his slackened mouth. He skims the letter again, eyes sharpening as he tracks down any discrepancies that hint at his closest friend’s betrayal. A forged signature, or irregular handwriting— something.
But no. This letter definitely came from Minerva’s desk, and therefore, one question is begging to be asked.
What in the reigning supreme of holy and blessed fucks is this?
When was the last time he saw Hermione Granger, best friend of the bane of his existence and their world’s saviour? He could recall Minerva speaking of Granger’s achievements in arithmancy, her stellar work in her apprenticeship, and her travels for her research and conferences.
But that was all. That’s all he knows of the bushy-haired, bright-eyed, brightest witch of her age. His soulmate.
Has he even seen her recently?
He remembers that her last year as a student coincided with the year he took off to convalesce and regain his strength following the Battle. Subconsciously, his fingers trace the thickest, most warped scar on his neck, then wander down until he feels the raised red marks beneath his index finger.
He has always known that somewhere, someone had the same marks running down their chest. When he reached his majority, the bitterness of being a Death Eater consumed him, but after he had joined the Order of the Phoenix as a spy, he looked for her. Then Lily died, and his mistakes caught up with him.
After a long, gruelling trial, he had returned to the castle following the first fall of the Dark Lord, and at the urging of Dumbledore, he kept looking for her after that too, but it was futile. A few dates in, and all he wanted to do was go back to quarters in the dungeons.
However, Albus wouldn’t let him withdraw from his duties, both as a Professor and a spy, or the possibility of a social life. Instead, he made him Head of Slytherin, and sicced Minerva on him as his mentor. Then, he sweetened the deal by convincing the castle to create a top-of-the-line Potions lab next to his classroom. He was encouraged to continue his brewing and research, to pursue publications in alchemical and potions journals, to meet fellow professionals and have connections and acquaintances.
To live.
It was a good distraction; he could give Albus that.
Until Harry Potter joined the contingent of incoming Hogwarts students, and Severus’ life got hijacked by the Order once again. Thinking of his soulmate became a wishful indulgence— so he stopped. A few years later, his spy status activated, and he was stretched so thin that he found himself wishing for his death once again.
Then, he survived.
Even now, his life comes at a price. Fame, adoration, and being lumped in with the likes of the Golden Trio and Albus Dumbledore. He hates it, and so he stays at Hogwarts and immerses himself in his work as Headmaster and advisor to the Ministry, to serving on boards of potions companies and consulting firms.
He has made himself a busy man, and rarely is he caught off guard like this. He had designed the rest of his days this way, and he is… happier… for it.
Of course, it is Hermione Granger who would upend his life as he knows it.