Creating Chaos

Madbrilliant and Alliean are the amazing beta's to thank for making my ramblings decipherable. And a big hug to everyone who has been reviewing! They are really amazing and encouraging!

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Chapter 21 - Creating Chaos

In her entire, although short, lifetime, Hermione had only ever been seriously insulted in a way that she could not ignore a handful of times.

This was another one of those times where she just couldn't ignore the slap in the face that she was receiving from someone who she thought she could trust. She had no idea who had done the deed, but someone had leaked more than a few details of Hermione and Severus' marriage to the Daily Prophet, and suddenly that morning they had been all over the front page of the morning edition with the eye catching article entitled "Scandal at Hogwarts!" Severus had been surprisingly calm about the whole ordeal, while Hermione, because of her raging hormones, had been unable to contain the unreasonably emotional side to her.

His reasoning for being so cool-tempered had simply been, 'Well, seeing as you are hyperventilating over this mess, it only seems right that one of us remains level-headed.'

Hermione had been huffing and scowling ever since the owls dropped the paper on the table in front of her along with the morning post. She had read over the entire three page long article over and over again, with all of the photos of the pair of them that had been captured, comments resting below in an insulting manner. She had read about her fling with Victor Krum, Ronald Weasley, and her supposed attempted seduction of Harry Potter no less than three times, all of them with photos.

...and now it appears that the former star pupil of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is at it once more. Not only that, but now as a role model within the school as a Deputy Headmistress. If readers had thought it was bad back then, it has only intensified since. An inside informant told Daily Prophet writer Sam Doyle that Hermione Granger trapped Professor Severus Snape, former Death Eater and spy for the Order of the Phoenix and current Headmaster at Hogwarts, into a marriage with claims that she was carrying his children.

Now, tell me readers, how many times have we heard that one used?

Hermione clenched her teeth, growling under her breath at the thought of it. This rubbish had Rita Skeeter's influence written all over it. Despite the fact that the Prophet had fired her years before after discovering that she was an illegal Animagus, she still had influence over its members. It made her wish she had never uncovered the lousy bitch to begin with.

'Hermione, my love, the light of my life and my very reason for existence,' Severus said to her in a pleading tone. 'Please, please stop reading that damn article and come sit with me for a cuppa.'

Hermione sighed heavily and tossed the articles aside, leaving her rubbish on the dinner table, and went to join Severus on the lounge in front of the fire. She accepted the cup of tea he pressed into her hands and held her hands between his momentarily before releasing them in favor of picking up his own cup and giving her some space.

'This is something that we can easily overcome,' Severus said simply, taking a long sip from his cup of strong black tea. 'You have classes to teach in about ten minute's time, and while you are busy teaching today, I will go to the Ministry and ask Arthur for a favor. Merlin knows he owes me a small favor for all the running around he makes me do for the ruddy Ministry. '

'Do you think he would be able to help?' Hermione asked curiously, the tea seeming to have soothed her a little.

'I have a feeling that the informant would have to be one of his own,' he replied, certain of what he was thinking about. 'This is only a little bump in the road. It will be easier to smooth over than you know.'

'Thank you so much, Sev,' she said, putting down her teacup and insinuating herself onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

'You know I'd do anything to make you happy,' he murmured back to her, touching his lips to hers in a chaste kiss.

A few minutes later, Hermione left through the Floo to her office in the dungeons, leaving Severus alone to his thoughts. His wife probably hadn't realised that outside of her own fury at the articles, he too was rather angry. At one time, he had had severe anger management issues, and most likely would have been rather inclined to raving and ranting himself about it, if it were not for Hermione. He had become calmer since being with her, and he knew that he had to be the responsible one.

With that, he got up and went to the fireplace, tossing in some Floo powder, stepping into the green flames, and calling out for Arthur's office at the Ministry. He walked out of the fireplace there and saw that Arthur was sitting at his desk behind a mountain of paperwork, notes hovering around in the air above him also. Severus always had hated the Ministry memos. They liked to poke and prod people sharply while riding in the elevators.

'Arthur, I need you to do something for me,' he said immediately, striding over to his desk and sitting in the chair across from him.

'I had a feeling I would be seeing you today,' Arthur said, looking up from his work and smiling at him wearily. He was obviously in need of a vacation.

'As you probably know, there was a rather unsavory article splashed across the front page of the Daily Prophet this morning, and it has upset my wife very deeply,' he said gruffly. 'Not to mention myself.'

'What would you like me to do about it?' the Minister offered.

'I think we should start with having the ignorant berk who wrote the article in the first place fired,' Severus said coolly. 'And then I think it would be prudent if you assigned a department to censor all of the articles going through before they are put in the Prophet.'

'That seems like a reasonable request,' Arthur said with a grateful sigh. 'I had thought you would come in here demanding something ridiculously hard for me to do.'

Severus smirked and nodded. 'Hermione is distraught,' he told the older man. 'She was in hysterics all morning, and I had to tell her that I would come to you now to get her calm enough to teach her classes,' he added. 'I know that a member of your family went to the Prophet with this. Now, I need you to tell me who it was.'

Arthur blanched a little at Severus' request. He knew that this was one of the questions that Severus would be asking. It was just the sort of thing he would do if it were his wife that was being wronged. He understood completely how the younger man was feeling, and he wanted to be able to help him so much. But he was still a little anxious about selling out a person in his family to the people that they had wronged. He loved his family immensely, and what he was about to do made him feel sad.

'It was Molly,' Arthur replied sullenly. 'Now, I know you are mad, but please understand – Molly has not been well for the last few years. Things have been getting worse, and I have even taken her to St. Mungo's discretely for check-ups every now and then. Her mind was a little deteriorated from the war.'

'That is no excuse for spiteful behavior,' Severus said in a low voice.

'I know it is not an excuse,' Arthur said seriously. 'But please, whatever you are planning on doing to her, just don't hurt her.'

'I would never harm a hair on your wife's head,' he said quickly, looking at him seriously. 'I merely want to talk to her. I want her to understand what it is she is doing to my family and her own.'

Arthur nodded understandingly, standing and going around to where Severus was, holding out a hand to him. 'I am honored to be a friend of yours, Severus Snape,' he said seriously. 'For all of my years above you, you seem to have accumulated a wisdom that is far greater than your age.'

'It was perhaps Albus' best influence,' Severus said with a sigh, standing and shaking hands with the older man. 'I will see you at a later date, Arthur.'

Severus then Flooed back to Hogwarts and walked around his office as he thought. It was just lucky that the carpet was practically pace-proof, or there would likely be holes through it by then. He was caught up on thinking what he would say to Molly Weasley if given the chance. There was no way that her mind was deteriorated seriously enough to affect her good judgement. If anything, it was only sharpening as time went by, and this was what gave Severus the most grief. Make no mistake, he had once liked her a great deal and was grateful for all the times she had healed him after returning from a revel and being unable to get to Poppy.

He owed her on some level, and he was going to repay her by talking some sense into her and making her see that she was being nonsensical. An hour later saw him sitting in the chair behind his desk once more. He spun around in the chair to face the wall where Albus' portrait hung, and with a wave of his hand, the curtains parted. Once again, Albus appeared to be asleep.

'Old man, stop faking it,' Severus snapped a little too harshly. 'I know you're awake, you know you're – so let's just save us all time and get on with this conversation I know that you've been dying to have with me since overhearing my conversation with Hermione earlier.'

Albus chuckled and opened his eyes. 'You've come to ask my advice about Molly Weasley,' he stated simply with a twinkling in his eyes and a smile.

'Naturally,' Severus replied tartly.

'First things first, my boy; how is Arthur feeling about this little mess?' Albus asked curiously.

Severus frowned. 'Well, I'd hardly call it little, now that this so-called mess is public, but I suppose he is dealing with it in the best way that he can,' Severus replied solemnly. 'I feel for him a great deal. I would certainly hate to be in his position now. I certainly have no idea what it is like for my wife to act the way that Molly has of late. Hermione is too sweet and non-corrupt for that.'

'Hermione is indeed a sweet young woman,' Albus agreed. 'But do not underestimate her, Severus – she has powers that other wizards and witches alike could only dream of possessing.'

Severus nodded. 'In any case, Arthur is in a bad way,' he continued. 'I fear that he will need a very long vacation after this ordeal is sorted and done with.'

'I hear that Julia Weasley stopped by to visit your wife over the weekend?' Albus said, with a slight question in his tone.

'She did indeed pay a visit. I was in Hogsmeade at the time, however, Hermione did give me a full recount of their discussion,' Severus answered seriously. 'It has led me to believe that what has happened now involving Hermione and myself was just the end explosion of something that has been a long time in the making.'

'And you think that Molly Weasley is behind all of the commotion then?'

'I have no doubt that she is one of the major antagonists in the entire fight. And her dunderhead of a youngest son, Ronald, was not helping things either,' Severus replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'I wish that boy would grow up and realize what a good thing he has and let go of his childish grudge.'

'Then this is what you need to tell the two of them, Severus,' Albus said kindly, his blue eyes, even in the painting, strangely sad.

'Thank you, Albus,' Severus said.

Albus nodded and closed his eyes as Severus drew the curtain back across by his own hand this time.