Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day, Hermione closed the book shop early. Gathering everything she would need to convince Snape to help her, she Apparated to a clearing near his cottage. She eyed the white home with the red shingled roof. If she already hadn't been here once before, she would be sure she was mistaken about this being his home. She braced herself for the onslaught that she knew was to come and went up the pathway to the door. Lifting her fist, she rapped on the door three times and awaited a response. Of course there was none.

She knocked again. There was no answer. Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew he had to be in there, he never left! She decided to walk around the house. Perhaps he was in the back yard or something. As she made her way around the home, she noticed that every window had the curtains shut tight. She wondered if they were always like that, or had he magically closed them at her first rap on the door. Coming to the back yard, she stopped and looked over a chest high white picket fence. She smirked at the thought of Severus Snape living in a home with a picket fence. She walked around the exterior of the fence and peered into the back yard.

It was immaculately cared for. There was some green grass on the front part of the yard closest to her. The back half of the yard was filled with plants of all kind. She recognized many of them as things Severus would use for potion ingredients, but there was also a large flower bed. In the center was a large oval of the blackest tulips she had ever seen. They were hauntingly beautiful, a dark purple color, actually. Surrounding the tulips in another oval was a thinner group of daffodils. She smiled at the flowers. They truly looked stunning.

By now she had rounded to the other side of the yard. Sure that Severus was not hiding in the garden, she went back to the front door and began the long process of knocking. Perhaps she should have owled ahead. That of course, would have given him the opportunity to really hide, so of course, that had been out of the question.

After fifteen minutes of her knocking and waiting the door was thrown open, and a most irate Severus Snape glowered at her.

"For heaven's sake, woman! Can't you take a hint?" he bellowed at her.

Now this sort of behavior would have had Hermione cowering in a corner as a student, but his barking only made her smile now. He was so utterly predictable.

"Master Snape, I'm glad I found you at home," Hermione said with a broad grin on her face.

"Where else would I be, you daft woman? Why have you decided to beat down my door?"

"Now, now, I hardly beat down your door, Master Snape. I am here to ask your help with something, actually."

Severus' eyes narrowed at her. "How did you find me?"

"I have my sources, sir."

"No one knows where I live!" he said through gritted teeth.

"I beg to differ, sir. I know where you live."

Severus looked gobsmacked. Hermione was really enjoying herself. Perhaps for the first time in years.

"As I said before, sir, I need your help. Would it be okay if I came in, just for a few minutes, to explain why I have sought you out today?"

Severus looked Hermione up and down, noticing the small book she held in her hand. She was dressed impeccably in business robes that were dark green. Her hair was not the bush he remembered, but it flowed around her in luxurious curls. Her brown eyes were big, trying to look innocent, yet they seemed to know more about the world than her years belied.

His first inclination was to slam the door in her face. Of course, if he did that, the insufferable woman would continue to rap at it until he had no choice but to listen to her. Hermione Granger was just that stubborn. He supposed he could spare a couple minutes of his incredibly busy day of reading and brewing to listen to her so he could send her on her way, never to be seen again.

Frowning deeply, so she would know just how annoyed he was, he stepped back and let her come in to his home.

Hermione's smile grew wider as he stepped back and she walked past him. The interior of the cottage was unexpected to her. It was filled with log furniture. The whole thing looked like a room at the lodges she and her parents had stayed at when they went skiing. There was a log couch with maroon cushions. A matching seat and an ottoman sat on either end of the couch. Of course there was a fireplace. The couch was situated in front of it. The fireplace mantle was made up of the same pale wood that made up the furniture. Farther back was a wooden table and chairs in the same wood color and chunky style.

She turned back to Severus after she had glanced around.

"This is really lovely, sir," she complimented.

Severus only scowled and led the way back to the table. He motioned for her to take a seat, which she did, setting her book on the table in front of her.

"Thank you for taking time to see me, sir," Hermione began.

"Just get on with it!"

Hermione flinched at his sharpness, but kept her demeanor light.

"Alright," she said. "I own a bookstore in Diagon Alley."

"Yes, yes, The Treasured Word. I know all about it."

Hermione gave him a look of shock. She hadn't been sure whether he even kept up with the outside world, and for him to know of her little, insignificant shop half a country away was quite surprising.

"Don't look so shocked, Miss Granger. I do read the paper, and your face is often plastered on the cover. What was that last book you dug up?"

"Transfiguration in a Transfigured World," she offered.

Severus nodded. "It seems that you are quite the adventurer, Miss Granger," he said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, please, you know never to believe what you read in The Prophet. They made me sound like someone out of an adventure novel, fighting off dangerous animals to find a simple book." She laughed. "I assure you, the actual search was much more mundane."

"Your question, Miss Granger?" Severus said in a bored tone.

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm sorry to have gotten sidetracked. Actually, your knowledge of my work will help considerably. I have been commissioned to find another book. This one is on Potions. I have been searching for over a month with no success." Hermione heaved a great sigh and barreled into her request. "Sir, would you consider helping me find it?"

Severus laughed. Hermione arched an eyebrow at him as she watched him throw his head back and guffaw at her. She knew this was the first time she had ever heard Severus Snape laugh. She didn't take it as a good sign.

"You want me," he pointed to himself and snorted, "to help you," he pointed his finger at her.

She gave him a wan smile. "I would be really grateful if you could?" she said sheepishly.

More laughter assaulted her. Hermione rolled her eyes. She would have to throw in something more enticing.

"It's The Potions of our Time, sir."

Severus immediately stopped laughing. "I beg your pardon?" he asked dubiously.

"I said it's The Potions of our Time."

Severus scoffed. "That book is just a fairy tale. Every Potions Master tells his apprentice about a book of potions so complete, that you would never need another book of Potions again. It's just a legend. Wishful thinking," he offered with a flourish of his hand.

Hermione opened her book and took out the copy of the post script from Barnaby Sutton and pushed it across the table to Severus. Severus picked it up and read it quickly. He looked back up at Hermione with a more serious expression on his face.

"Do you know what this find would mean to our world?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"I do, sir, that's why I need your help. I have already scoured every library I could find, looking for references to Holt. I have searched Sutton extensively, but this one document is the only mention of his even knowing Holt. I am at a dead end, sir. I could use a new pair of eyes."

"Who are you working for?" Severus asked suddenly.

"Cecil Nottingham," she told him.

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "He's still alive?"

"Apparently, as he walked into my shop over a month ago with the book this passage was taken from."

"Don't be smart with me, witch."

Hermione wanted to make a caustic remark, but she needed this to work. She looked duly repentant.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to be flip."

Severus gave her a quick nod and stared down at the paper again. His mind was already creating ways to track down the book. He felt himself get excited. But then, he reigned himself in. When he had disappeared from the Wizarding world, he had no intention of ever emerging back into it. If he helped Granger, word would get out that he was out and about. People would start looking for him. His carefully constructed life would be . . . disturbed. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

No, it would be better if he left this matter alone. Let Granger figure it out on her own. She knew everything anyway. What could he really contribute? Making his decision, he looked back up at Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, I cannot help you."

"But, sir, with the both of us . . ."

"I said I couldn't help you. That is my final answer. Thank you for stopping by, now please take your possessions and leave!"

"But . . ."

"And don't come back!"

Hermione looked to the table. She was almost in tears. She had been so sure his interest would be peaked with her explanation. She had been foolish to think that he would drop everything just to help her. She stood and reached for the paper, which Severus was holding out to her. She opened her book and placed it back into it, extracting another piece of paper and handing it to him.

"I will not bother you again, sir, but if you change your mind, this is my address. Please come find me. I really could use your help."

With that she turned and showed herself out of the cottage, Apparating away with a pop. Severus stared after her, and then looked down at the paper. He should just toss it into the trash, but something made him get up and take it into his bedroom. He put it in the drawer of his desk, with the intention to never look at it again.

oooOOOooo

A week had gone by, and he hadn't pulled out the paper with Hermione's address on it. Unfortunately, every waking minute of every day had been filled with thoughts of the search for the text. What he wouldn't give to lay his hands on that book! No, it was foolishness. He couldn't, he wouldn't go after it. He wouldn't disturb his life in such a way.

oooOOOooo

Another week had passed, with still not a glance at the paper. But his resolve was weakening. What would it hurt for him to be seen sporadically in the Wizarding world? What would the harm be if someone, other than Miss Granger of course, knew that he still lurked about? The adventure would far outweigh the negatives, he was now sure. He couldn't even be sure that he would be recognized. He could, of course, wear something other than the black robes he had grown so fond of. He assumed no one would give him a second glance if they saw him in say, green, or blue. Maybe he wouldn't be noticed at all.

He went into his bedroom and opened the desk drawer. Looking down into it, he stared at the paper with Granger's address on it for at least five minutes. Finally he heaved a great sigh. That know-it-all Granger had dangled a carrot in front of his nose that he couldn't ignore. He shook his head and pulled the paper from its place in the drawer. He went over to his bookshelf and pulled a fat book from it. He placed the book and the address on his bed as he went to his closet and pulled out a green robe, similar to his black ones. Despite his love for black, he had some other color choices in his wardrobe. He just liked black better.

Pulling off his black robes, he put the green ones on with the black pants he already wore. Looking in the mirror, he admitted that dark green wasn't a bad color on him. Shaking his head, he gathered the book and address and did something he hadn't done in quite a while. He left his home and Apparated to London.

A/N: Next up: Severus' book's significance.

Many thanks to my beta, who works under a shroud of secrecy. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Please leave one if you haven't already, and keep it up if you already have.