Bollocks
xoXOXox
Severus nodded to his last student before closing and locking his office door. With NEWTs getting closer, his entire house was coming to see him in shifts to make sure they were prepared. He was unbelievably proud at how much his older students had grown since the end of the war. They all had nightmares and their own trauma, but with each other's help, they were pulling themselves up by the broom sticks and making a good go at a normal school year. He could only hope they stayed in touch with each other after so they continued to have a safe place to break when it happened.
Rounding the corner into his private chambers, he floated his cloak and teaching robes to their respective places, unbuttoning and rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. The dark mark came visible, grayed out and no longer moving but still a painful wound on his soul. A reminder of a younger, stupider Severus Snape. What he had to do, what he had to lose to realize his misstep was some days too hard to think about.
Pulling out a bottle of fire whiskey and a glass, he poured himself two fingers and took a long sip before putting the bottle back and making his way, tumbler in hand, to his desk. Summoning the pensive, he pulled out three vials from his trouser pockets and set them in order on his desk. They sparkled with an iridescent white and silver light. Knowing what was in them, he smiled once more.
"Twenty points to Slytherin and ten to Ravenclaw for helping a Professor with an important task."
With an amused smile, he poured the first one into the bowl and leaned until his face touched the surface. He spun into the memory, seeing the transfiguration classroom. Looking around, he watched as Hermione took her seat, placed her leaf under her tongue and let the rest of the world fade from her mind. She looked beautiful sitting there, face at peace, hands lying relaxed in her lap. Even her usually lively hair was resting in calm spirals.
He was pulled from his wool gathering about his apprentice to a giggle that turned into loud laughter as the Weasley prat jumped up from his place, baying with fright.
"Mr. Weasley, what is the meaning of this?"
Lupin made his way around the classroom as Severus took in the cause of the redheads hysterics. His face had elongated some, his mouth filling with large, square shaped teeth. His ears had moved to the top of his head and grown long and floppy. And as he spun around, there was a tail with a small bit of fluff on the end. Severus felt the laugh bubble up and spill out from his chest.
"I don't, hee haw, don't know. I did the spell, hee haw, spell right. Just like Zabini told Malfoy to do! Hee haw!"
Lupin turned to look at Mr. Zabini with a frown.
"What spell is he speaking of?"
Severus smirked as his Slytherin looked shocked, shaking his head.
"I found it in a book about metamorphosis. I was telling Drake about it on our way here. The book claimed it helped find your animagus form easier. But Drake let me know after we got situated that the particular spell had been proven to be of no use at all in a later edition of the book."
Lupin pinched his nose, sighing heavily.
"Please explain to me why you would use a spell you had no idea of the effects of, Mr. Weasley."
The still braying idiot gestured wildly with his hands as he tried to get out of the predicament he now found himself in.
"He said it would, hee haw make it easier. I don't even need, hee haw, to be an animagus to play Quidditch. I just wanted to get it over with."
The class erupted in laughter again as Lupin shook his head.
"Off to the hospital wing with you, Mr. Weasley. Class let this be a lesson that taking the easy way out is usually not the correct way. Ten points from Gryffindor for trying to cheat."
Mr. Malfoy stepped forward, smug grin in place.
"I don't know Professor. It turned him into an ass. I don't see much difference."
The class roared with laughter as Mr. Weasley ran out of the classroom as fast as his feet would take him.
"That is enough. Back to work. Five points from Slytherin for being unkind."
His godson looked at Mr. Zabini with a smile.
"Worth it."
The memory faded as Severus pulled himself up and sat back laughing. He would have to give Mr. Zabini a reward beyond house points for that one.
"Five points to Slytherin for speaking the truth."
Taking another long sip from his tumbler, he poured the second vial into the pensive and fell into the next memory. The Great Hall appeared and he took a moment to orientate himself again. Leaning against the wall, he waited to see what his second accomplice came up with.
As the golden trio came in, the rest of the eighth years trailing behind, he couldn't help but smile. He watched as Hermione immediately looked for him at the staff table and gave him a head nod in greeting. Just as it had that afternoon, his chest warmed.
Everyone made themselves comfortable in their usual spots. As the students began to fill their plates, he watched Mr. Nott's antics take hold. Every time the redheads put something on his plate to eat, it would vanish as he reached for the next item. He snorted as by the third time, the redhead's face began to match his hair.
"Oi! Whoever is doing that, cut it out!"
Potter was the first to look up confused.
"Doing what, mate?"
Weasley pointed at his plate.
"Stealing my lunch."
Hermione frowned, rolling her eyes.
"No one is stealing your food, Ronald. There is a whole table full of it."
Mr. Thomas piped up right after her.
"Yeah, mate. You sure you didn't just eat it that fast."
The wizard glared at his housemates, flinging another spoon full of mushy peas on his plate and along Harry's robes as he pointed the empty spoon at Thomas.
"I think I'd know if I'd eaten it already, Thomas."
With a grimace, Potter used his wand to clean off the smear as Hermione went back to her book. Severus watched as the peas disappeared the moment no one was looking and Weasley grabbed for the fish.
Severus watched as the entirety of the lunch hour, Weasley ate with his fingers, never getting a single thing to stay on his plate as he berated his housemates and they grew tired of his foolishness. In pairs, they left him alone, mumbling about the spell from earlier possibly damaging his memory as well as physically changing him.
Coming back out, Severus leaned his head on the back of his chair with a contented sigh. This had gone spectacularly well. Mr. Weasley was finding out exactly what it felt like to be pushed beyond his limits and Hermione was none the wiser that he was involved. Of course, once the year was over, he would tell her. He wouldn't start their relationship with secrets being kept. But for now, he basked in these small, petty victories.
Finishing his drink, he examined the last vial critically. This is one he had no idea what to expect from. The ethereal witch had told him that she was taking part in his plan. Surprised that she even knew about it, she had given him a dreamy smile and explained that her and Mr. Nott were good friends and that he had asked her if she wanted to employ her inner Slytherin for a good cause. It seems, she did in fact find the cause worthy because she had dropped the vial covertly on his desk with her potion that afternoon and the most solemn look she had ever given him.
Pouring the liquid in, his eyebrows raised at the light laughter that whispered into the room and made his head fuzzy. That witch was something altogether different from the rest. He had no idea exactly what it was about her that made her so strange, but he was starting to think he liked her a bit. Leaning forward, he touched the smooth surface with the tip of his hooked nose and instead of falling, he felt like he floated gently down to land in the memory.
He was in the hallway leading to the library. Mr. Weasley, Miss Brown, Mr. Potter, and Miss Weasley were heading her way and Severus stood right before her as she seemed to fix her hair and check her clothing for something. Just as the group reached her side, Miss Lovegood pulled out a bottle of perfume and spritzed it on her wrists. Lifting it, she aimed for her neck and missed, misting it directly into Mr. Weasley’s face.
“Oi! Watch it, Looney! No one wants to smell like one of your made up creatures.”
He watched Miss Brown smack the redhead on the back of the head with a huff of annoyance.
“Be nice, Ron. You can be such a jerk.”
The redhead rolled his eyes as he rubbed the spot.
“And your never endless talking can be annoying but you don’t see me complaining.”
Everyone else in the hallway froze as the redhead’s eyes opened wide in shock.
“Lav, I didn’t mean to say that.”
She glared at him, crossing her arms.
“So you meant it, you just didn’t mean to let it slip from your mouth?”
Even as the boy shook his head no, his mouth opened and the truth fell from him uncontrollably.
“Exactly.”
The look on the boy’s face had Severus choking on a laugh. Miss Brown pulled her wand, as did Miss Weasley. Potter moved back a little, a worried look gracing his face.
“Ron, maybe you should shut up, mate.”
The redhead glared up at Potter, crossing his arms as he stood to his full height.
“And maybe you should stop trying to be the hero all the time. Let someone else have a go at being in the spotlight for once. We are all sick of it. The Prophet headlines are getting old. “Boy Who Lived: To become an Auror”, “Harry Potter, Sexiest Wizard of the year”, blah blah. Get over yourself, mate!”
Severus stood up straight, anger filling him. Though this was supposed to be a prank, it seemed more than some harmless fun was going to be had. He had no idea what Miss Lovegood had sprayed Ron with, but as he looked over, the very serious look on her face didn’t match the usual carefree look she wore. There was more going on here than he knew about and it seemed Miss Lovegood had had enough and was taking matters into her own hands.
“What the hell did you just say to Harry? Have you lost your mind? He doesn’t encourage it, Ron, they just write about him without his consent. What is wrong with you, you git?”
Miss Weasley moved to wrap her arm around Potter, stowing her wand so she could hold his hand.
“Merlin, Ron, what has gotten into you? I thought we were best mates. You know I don’t like all the attention.”
He watched the wizard in question try his hardest not to speak, face turning red as he bit down on the inside of his cheek. Miss Lovegood moved to wrap her arm around Miss Brown, tilting her head curiously.
“Yes, Ron, tell us what the matter is. It’s good to get out how you truly feel and not keep it bottled up inside.”
Oh. That was clever. What an intriguing side of Miss Lovegood. Severus was going to have to take some time to speak with the girl when they both had some free time.
“How I truly feel? How I TRULY feel! Nothing has been the same since he killed Voldemort. Everyone is just moving along as if nothing has happened. He still gets all the praise, even though I was just as involved. He is buddy buddy with Malfoy and Nott now like that is acceptable. They are fucking death eaters! They should be in Azkaban with their fathers. Hermione is being a stupid slag. Acting like she is still upset about what happened in the Forest of Dean when I know her and Harry were boffing and lying about it.”
Potter tried to speak only to be shut down by Weasley continuing in his rant.
“Then she breaks up with me and leaves me to have to date Lav Lav just so I have someone to take to the end of the year dances and snog. Do you have any idea how annoying that is? Having to listen to her go on and on about shoes and makeup and hair products and whatever other vapid, bimbo nonsense she spouts all day long while calling me fucking Won Won like I’m some child. Hermione was supposed to be my prize for helping win the war. She was supposed to stand beside me and bring my image even higher. Professional Quidditch player captures the Brains of the Golden Trio. I could have ignored her incessant need to share useless facts about whatever book she had read any day over Lavender’s yammering.”
The poor witch being spoken of burst into tears, head falling on Lovegood’s shoulder as Miss Weasley and Potter both moved over to give her support.
“You are suck a dick, Ron. Hermione broke up with you because neither of you have anything in common. She hates Quidditch. You hate anything to do with intelligent conversation. And yeah, you left us. I haven’t forgiven you for that. But we were trying to move past it and let it go. And we have never and will never be anything more than friends. She is like a sister to me, Ron. The idea is gross! But we stood beside you. We always have. And this is how you act? Like somehow, we betrayed you?”
Weasley threw his hands up as he exploded in anger.
“She took on an apprenticeship with that greasy dungeon bat! He is going to use it to fuck her and she is letting it happen. She was supposed to be mine! What the fuck could he possibly have that I don’t?!”
The hallway went silent as a spark of light caught their attention. Hermione stood there, face pale, eyes filling with that same righteous fire as they had on the day this all started.
“Everything, Ronald. He has everything that you don’t have. Honor. Loyalty. Kindness. Intelligence. Power. Prestige. Courage. Valor. Patience.”
With each word she stalked the boy, backing him into the wall causing him to wince as the sparks from her hair and fingertips zapped his exposed skin.
“He thinks before he speaks when it matters and he cares about what you have to say. He is stern yes, but also fair and he broke his own soul to save us all.”
She stood back, gripping her wand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“He is a hero but he is also just a man who knows his faults and instead of blaming them on everyone else, he owns them like a man should and tries his best to overcome them. You can’t compare yourself to him because you aren’t even in the same league.”
The wizard pushed off the wall to loom over her, glaring eye to eye with her as he seethed.
“You sound like you are in love with him!”
Hermione gave a sad smile, walking past him for the library as if he were beneath her notice.
“If there was anyone in the world worth loving, Ronald, it would be him. And if I thought I could gain his affections, there is nothing in the world that would get in my way. We’re done. Luna, Lavender, Ginny, shall we? Harry, you want to join today, considering?”
All four of them nodded her way, moving towards the library and not once glancing at the fuming wizard. Lovegood stopped as the other’s crossed the threshold, turning back to give Weasley a very Slytherin smirk.
“Now who sounds looney, Ron? Enjoy the rest of your year.”
With that farewell, she too entered the library to most likely do damage control with her friends. Severus fell back from the pensive, eyes both blazing in anger and widened in shock. It was never wise to piss off a Slytherin but to anger one that also has the intellect of a Ravenclaw, that was truly scary. When he set about making Mr. Weasley pay for what he said to Hermione, he had no idea he was opening Pandora’s box. He wanted to feel bad about it. Feel ashamed that he had blown the young wizard’s life to pieces, but really, in the end, he hadn’t. Weasley had done that all on his own.
Pouring himself another drink, he let his mind replay what Hermione had said when talking about him. No one had ever seen him in that light. Some saw pieces but they were always tainted with the darker things he had done in his life. All she saw, all she seemed to care about, was that she found him to be a worthy man. That was all he ever wanted to be growing up. To be seen as worthy. To truly be worthy. And with just a handful of words, she had given that to him. Given him his only wish.
Taking a deep pull of his fire whiskey, he tried to stem the tears that pooled in his eyes. Miss Lovegood’s revenge was a two-ended sword. Not only had she shone the true nature and thoughts of that selfish bastard, she had given Severus a wide open view of what he could have if he just let go and let himself be free to have it. And he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was fucked. Between the labels, honor and patience, he had moved from being attracted to Hermione Granger to falling completely in love with her. Bollocks.
xoXOXox