Illogical Behavior

As always, I would like to thank my wonderful betas, JENGEORGE and NervousAboutAngels, for all of their hard work on my behalf. And the staff here at The Petulant Poetess deserves accolades for the constant vigilance as well. Thanks so much for everything.

The characters and the backdrop are from the amazing mind of J. K. Rowling. I make no money from the writing or sharing of this story.

Chapter 13

Illogical Behavior

As the week progressed, Hermione and Snape conversed and compared notes via computer as they did their legal research, but the more they read the more hopeless Hermione's situation appeared. Historically, the law sided with the parent of the purest blood in every case. Sometimes, if both parents had equally pure or mixed blood, joint custody was awarded. But the courts never sided with the Muggle-born, even if the Muggle-born was talented and well-to-do and the pureblood didn't have two knuts to rub together. It really all came down to one thing: Hermione had to get back on Ron's good side if she ever wanted to see her kids again.

The more Snape thought about it, the more he felt that the best thing he could do for Miss Granger was to help her smooth things over with Wart Face and perhaps even help them get back together. He had made up his mind that a relationship with her was out of the question under their present circumstances, perhaps even forever since he would die a convicted felon. So his only concern now was to act as her friend and confidant and do what he could to see her happy. Isn't that what friends do? Help each other find happiness? It had never been his habit to put someone else's happiness before his own. But for some reason, Miss Granger brought out an uncharacteristically generous nature that he had never before even realize he had.

Every time he had witnessed Miss Granger and that whiffet together since their lunch in early March, emotions had run so high that they couldn't effectively communicate. He knew from painful, personal experience that, when communication lines go down, nothing gets resolved and people go their separate ways (sometimes permanently). That would have been fine with him if there had been no children involved, but Miss Granger needed her children, and Hugo, at least, most definitely needed her. There simply had to be a way to make Walnut Brain see reason. But if they were to make any progress in that regard, they would need to set aside their emotions and talk calmly with each other.

Fat chance! he thought to himself as he continued half-heartedly to flip through the pages of the third legal volume.

*****

Hermione continued her research and computer dialog with Snape and came to a similar conclusion. But she had no desire to communicate with Ron...much less get back together with him. So she took Snape's other advice and appealed to Molly's sense of justice, fairness, and motherly love, in a carefully crafted letter that didn't implicate her son in any way. Then, rather than bother Snape to send Gomez, she used a Ministry owl to deliver it.

No sooner did she open her office window to send the owl, but another landed on her ledge. It held out its leg and offered her the note. She sent the Ministry owl on its way and removed the note from the other owl. To her delight, she found a letter from Lisa on Prophet letterhead, informing her that Rita was back at the office, but with heavy makeup on her face and a wobble in her step. The letter requested her presence at the Leaky Cauldron after work. With great enthusiasm, she scribbled her affirmative reply and attached it to the waiting bird's leg.

As soon as 5:30 p.m. came, Hermione headed out the door to the Leaky Cauldron. Lisa was already waiting for her with two Firewhiskies and some chips. "I don't know what you did to her," Lisa informed Hermione with a laugh, "but the woman is in a real state! She can't stay in her seat for more than a minute, and when she does sit down, she's squirming constantly. And I've never seen her wear so much make-up. Her face almost looks like it's made of plastic!"

The news of Rita's misery was the only bright spot in Hermione's otherwise depressing week. She told Lisa of her Muggle-born woes in connection with child custody and how any hope of seeing her children rested solely within the questionable goodness of Ron's heart. "It's just not fair. I can't help my blood status. I'm responsible and a good mother. I set a good example, which is more than I can say for Ron with his drinking and carousing."

"It's the last underlying prejudice that our world has, Hermione," Lisa explained. "No one will admit it out loud anymore, but most purebloods, and even a lot of the mixed-bloods, still feel superior to any Muggle-born, no matter how talented or intelligent they might be. It's sad, really. But I've seen it happen over and over... Some poor businessman or shopkeeper who has been trying to pass himself off as a pureblood is discovered to be a Muggle-born, and his business slowly goes down to the point that he has to close up shop and move on."

"Yeah, I remember just last year... That little shop that sold Muggle cross-over clothes for witches and wizards who did business or lived with Muggles. What was his name? Otto Steingold?"

"He was from Germany, so I guess he thought he could get away with claiming to be a pureblood because no one around here knew his family."

"Didn't Rita break that story?"

"Yes, she did," admitted Lisa. "I don't touch stuff like that. I feel that it's nobody's business where someone comes from or who their parents are. If they offer a good product or service and stand behind it, I'll go to them no matter what their background."

"Do you think his business dropped off because his heritage was discovered, or because people found out he was lying about it and they no longer trusted him?"

"Does it really matter why?" Lisa asked. "He had no choice but to leave."

"Any idea where he went?"

"He probably left the country or opened up a Muggle shop in a Muggle neighborhood somewhere. It would be easier to keep his wizarding powers a secret in the Muggle world than to keep his bloodlines a secret in our world."

"It's a shame. I loved his selection. He had an uncanny ability to blend wizarding fashion with Muggle looks in a unique way. I could wear his outfits anywhere and not feel out of place."

***

Later that night, Hermione IM'd Snape about her meeting with Lisa. They batted around ideas about her Muggle bloodline status, but no new breakthroughs were forthcoming. Hermione went to bed that night more depressed than ever.

*****

When Snape arrived at her house on Saturday just after noon, Hermione had fish and chips with rolls and a salad ready for him. It quickly became a working lunch with the law books strewn all over the dining room table as they ate. This was Snape's idea. He felt that they had gotten way too friendly at his house earlier in the week, and he was determined that today she would be kept at arm's length.

He hadn't counted on their uninvited guest...

No sooner had they both finished their food then there came a pounding on the door. "Open up, Hermione, I need to talk to you!" Ron's gruff voice could be heard loud and clear even through the heavy front door.

Hermione looked up, horrified. "I wonder if he found out that I wrote that letter to his mum."

"Did you ever hear back from her?"

"No." Her anxiety began to build.

"Then you may assume that he knows."

Tears began to well up in Hermione's eyes.

Snape glanced around. Their lunch together was nothing to hide, but the research would most definitely cause alarm, even in a dunderhead like Weasley. "Go answer the door. I'll hide the books. We're just having a friendly lunch. There's nothing wrong with that. Just try to stay calm."

Another loud knock accompanied another cry of, "Hermione!"

"Impatient whippet, isn't he?" Snape commented with a scowl as he began to shrink the books with a nonverbal spell.

She nodded and dabbed her eyes with her napkin then stood up and headed for the front door. When she opened it, he pushed his way past her and came in over her obvious objections. "What do you want?" she asked in a combative tone.

"It's about that letter you wrote to my mother." His eyes narrowed accusingly.

"What about it?" she asked defiantly with her head held high.

"You had NO RIGHT to involve her in this. Now she's all upset because she's caught in the middle. And now that school is out and the kids spend all day with her, it's not good for them to see her so upset. Did you think about that? How it would affect our kids?"

That line sent Hermione into orbit. "How DARE you accuse me of not thinking about our children! They are ALL I have thought about since you forbade me to see them, you cold-hearted PEA BRAIN!! They NEED ME, just as much, if not MORE, than they need you. Did that thought ever occur to you?"

"I'm warning you, Hermione." Ron drew his wand and waved it in her face. "You leave my mother out of this, or I swear I'll..."

"Or you'll do what?" Severus Snape's cool, deep voice stung in Ron's ears just as he felt the jab of Snape's wand in the side of his neck.

Ron froze. "You wouldn't dare," he said, but his voice betrayed his uncertainty. "I'm an Auror, remember?"

"Oh, I'm shaking in my shoes," Snape replied with thick sarcasm.

Hermione tried unsuccessfully not to smirk.

Ron glared at Hermione. "Bloody Hell! Does he live here now?"

"Don't be ridiculous. He's here for lunch."

Ron gingerly held his wand with only two fingers and slowly placed it back in his robe's pocket. Snape eased his own wand back down by his side, but he didn't put it away.

"If you don't mind, Snape, I'm having a private conversation with my wife." Ron tried to keep his voice level, but his underlying tone was anything but calm.

"I believe you mean, 'ex-wife,'" Snape drawled silkily.

"Whatever you need to say can be said in front of Professor Snape, Ronald," Hermione announced in defiance.

"Alright then. Have it your way... If you ever want any hope of seeing Hugo and Rose again, you'll leave my mum out of this. And another thing, you'd better be more careful who you keep company with, my dear." Ron glanced down his nose at Snape. "I doubt that the courts would find your relationship with a convicted felon to be a good influence on our children."

Hermione was incensed. "You know that's not fair, Ron. He should never have been charged, much less convicted..."

"I don't know anything of the sort. And neither does the Wizengamot." Ron gazed at Snape with a triumphant arrogance that made Snape's blood boil. Then he pushed back past Hermione and opened the front door. As he stood on the porch, he looked back at Snape and Hermione standing side by side in the doorway. If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead many times over. "You'd better watch your step, witch!" Then he spun, and with a loud crack, Ron Disapparated.

Hermione wasn't even concerned that the neighbor doing yard work across the street turned around to find the source of the loud noise. She closed the door as she closed her eyes. Then the tears began to flow. If she gave up Professor Snape's friendship, that still wouldn't guarantee that Ron would let her see Hugo and Rose. Professor Snape was the one bright spot in her dismal life. The mere thought of trying to get along without him tore at her heart like a dagger. When she turned to look into his eyes, she found great sadness reflected there. She felt eternal gratitude when he gathered her up in his arms and began to rock her back and forth slowly, gently. His arms felt so warm, so secure. The last time she needed such comforting was right after she had learned of her parents' deaths. Harry had been there for her then, but this felt very different. At first her hands had been clustered at his chest, but as the reality of her situation sank in and her sorrow deepened, she snaked her arms around his waist and held on for dear life. Even though she had waited for this moment for so long, no thoughts of romance entered her mind. She didn't just need comforting, she needed him... his stability... his strength... He was the only person she had left to hold on to. How could she let him go?

"I don't care what Ron says; I need you in my life, Professor," Hermione admitted through her sobs. She looked up at his fathomless depths with a wet face and watery eyes. "Please don't abandon me."

Snape's return gaze held great compassion as he offered uncharacteristic words of comfort. "You never abandoned me, Miss Granger," he admitted softly, "even when I tried to get rid of you. Don't worry. You'll always have me to talk to."

His words felt velvety soft as they penetrated her tortured soul.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back in a gesture that seemed to invite a kiss. It was all Snape could do to resist the urges that began to surge through him at the sight of her parted lips and long dark lashes wet with tears. But he gently wiped the drops from her cheeks, then put his palm to the side of her head and eased her face to his shoulder. Then he stroked her soft curls as he continued to rock her gently. She needed a friend now, not a lover who would only cloud her judgment and perhaps ruin her chances to see her children. That's the last thing Snape needed to add to his already guilt-ridden past. That felony conviction hung like an albatross around his neck. At times like these he felt that he would drown because of it. But he couldn't drag Miss Granger under as well, so he steeled his resolve to once again make sure that this friendship didn't evolve into anything more.

Once Hermione had finally calmed down, Snape helped her clean up the remnants of lunch. Then he pulled the shrunken books from his robe's pockets and left them on the dining room table. There seemed to be no legal recourse for her. Hermione's only chance was to force Ron to see reason somehow. With that apparently impossible task looming ahead as her only hope, Hermione saw Snape to the door with a heavy heart.

As Snape reached for his traveling cloak, he began to think out loud. "The entire time you were at Hogwarts together, I don't remember Weasley as being overly cruel. He was never the sharpest tool in the shed, and he could be a rather insensitive clod when it came to others' feelings..."

"That's an understatement," Hermione interjected viciously.

"... but I never got the impression that he was cruel or ruthless. Romances come and go, but true friendship is forever. Weren't you two friends before the romance started up?"

"Yes," she replied curiously. "What are you getting at?"

"That his behavior is illogical. It's not... him." Snape's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I'll bet he has a reason for treating you this way. There's something he wants, and he wants it badly enough to put you and the children through hell to get it."

"But what could it be? I'm not asking for the house or any of his money. And I don't want to take the kids from him, I only want joint custody." Hermione felt totally flummoxed. "What could he possibly want from me?"

"I don't know." He pulled her in for another friendly hug. "But I'll do some digging and see what I can come up with."

Her head tilted back again as she closed her eyes. Snape looked down at her beautiful face and smiled sadly. At least this time, she wasn't crying. He planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

When he let her go, her face became a question mark. He opened the door and glanced around. Not a neighbor in sight, but since he wasn't sure who might be around when he Apparated to the river's edge at Spinner's End, he tapped himself on the head and began to disappear.

"I'll be in touch," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath enveloped her neck and sent a shudder down her back to her loins. Then she felt him brush past her to the front porch, and with a rustle of the surrounding bushes, he was gone.

And she felt part of herself go with him.