Five
Chapter 6 of 50
neelixA/N: Just a quick thanks to Kizzy. She totally rocks.
When Hermione went into the kitchen to make more tea, Severus stood to stretch his leg. As his eyes scanned the mantelpiece, he noticed the photograph of Bertram Mellor, and he lifted it with interest.
Hermione watched him from the door of the kitchen, and she smiled to herself. For some reason she hadn't yet managed to work out, she felt very happy to have Severus in her house. He could be as nosey as he wanted, and she would still welcome him.
'That's my great-grandfather, Bertram Mellor,' Hermione said, offering Severus his tea.
'I am aware of your family connection to New Mills, Miss Granger. I wonder, however, how closely you have looked at this photograph?' Severus stared down at her, his face a mask of indifference.
Hermione faltered slightly. Something in Snape's manner had changed, and she had no idea what she had done, but he was definitely not one bit pleased.
'I hardly look at it. It just sits there. This was his house before he died.' Hermione was perplexed. 'Why do you ask?'
Severus took his tea and put the photograph in Hermione's free hand.
'Examine it and tell me what you see,' Severus said softly.
He was watching her face carefully, and as her brow furrowed, he relaxed slightly. She obviously hadn't studied the picture in any great detail, and his musings that she had been duplicitous were soon replaced with a sense of relief. She was truly Gryffindor to her frizzy roots. Severus suspected she would have a hard job being untruthful to anyone, even if her life depended on it.
Hermione stared at the photograph. Snape had obviously spotted something she hadn't, but the picture seemed innocent enough. Her great-grandfather had always been a smart man. He was dressed in a dark coloured suit, complete with tie and waistcoat, and a trilby hat was set at an angle on his head. Tufts of grey hair poked out around his ears, and he was smiling slightly at the camera as if posing under duress. Hermione shook her head apologetically and looked up at Snape.
'What am I meant to be seeing?' she asked.
Snape rolled his eyes in such a familiar and yet exasperatingly superior manner that Hermione felt irritated. Holding the picture out of his reach, she took a step backwards and hardened her gaze as she looked at him.
'I'll look again, shall I? I get the feeling if I don't see whatever it is, you'll give me a bloody detention. Don't forget, sir, that I am almost twenty years old. Not only am I no longer a child, I have never actually appreciated you treating me like an idiot.'
Almost immediately, Hermione regretted her outburst and gasped, putting her hand over her mouth in shock. 'Where the fuck did that come from?' she thought, trying to keep up as several things happened at once. The photograph dropped from her hand and fell to the floor, the glass in the frame cracking distinctly. At the same time, Snape put his mug onto the mantle in the place where the photo usually sat, then turned on his heel and walked from the house without a backward glance, leaving the door wide open.
Hermione stared after him for a moment before her feet started to move. She ran down the path to the wooden gate and looked down the lane. Snape was marching away from the house, and Hermione fumbled with the latch on the gate in her haste to catch him.
'Professor!' she shouted down the lane. He either didn't hear her or chose to ignore her, and she kicked out at the gate in frustration, stubbing her toe and bringing tears to her eyes.
When she looked again, Snape was nowhere to be seen, and she screwed her eyes tightly to stop the wail that threatened to break free.
'Please come back,' she whispered sadly.
***
Snape slammed the door of his house with such force that the ashes of his fire were disturbed by the sudden gust of air, swirling like grey dust onto the rug next to the hearth.
It had been against his better judgement to go to Granger in the first place, and now he knew why his gut feeling had told him to avoid her at all costs. The bloody girl really knew how to push his buttons, and despite her protesting, she really was still a girl to him. She had always managed to get under his skin one way or another, and she had managed it yet again after only an hour in her company. Snape gathered himself and took a deep breath. It was of no consequence. He had done what he felt he should, and there was no reason for them to have to tolerate one another again. For tolerate him she most certainly had.
Of course she must bear a grudge, because he really had been despicable to her at Hogwarts. During the first year, it was because he was wary she would already know of him through her great grandfather. There had been no love lost between Mellor and Eileen Snape, and she had christened him the 'Vulture' after a particularly steep rent increase.
In subsequent years, Granger's friendship with Potter was reason enough to dislike her, but the thing that had frustrated him the most was that he had to teach her then, a time when he couldn't hone her skills, allow her intelligent insights, or compliment her abilities. They might have achieved great things together had he been able to teach her properly, but the opportunity had been denied them both. All because of the fucking war. His own extra curricular activities had driven him to breaking point, and there were times during classes that he had simply gone through the motions, unaware of what or whom he was teaching. Their chance had gone, and he had failed her and made her hate him in the process. It could have been so very different, but he didn't allow himself the luxury of what might have been. Loving Lily had taught him that such thoughts were just a waste of time.
Severus ran his fingers through his hair and walked despondently to his armchair. Her words were still ringing in his ears, and a part of him felt foolish for walking out as he had. But the overwhelming shame at her outburst had been too much to bear. She hadn't invited his presence into her house, and he was sure she wouldn't have wished it. Worse yet, she had obviously been emotional for some reason, and she must be mortified at him observing her tears. Thank God she hadn't felt the need to explain herself. He had no desire to listen to the tale of her broken heart, for surely that had triggered her outburst. What other reason could she have for needing to hide from the rest of the world?
Severus stretched his legs and felt his eyes closing. He had a headache, and it wasn't eased by the memory of Granger's usually wide, brown eyes narrowed in anger as she spat her vitriol in his direction.
***
Hermione decided to fill the void left after Snape by having a bath and trying to forget about it. The bathroom was small and set in the eaves of the cottage, with the bath nestled under the sloping ceiling. There was a small frosted window, edged with the frilliest pink chintz curtains Hermione had even seen. It was at floor height, and its situation had puzzled her until she realised that the floor had been raised to give ceiling height to the room below.
The taps were on full, and steam started to rise and fill the room as Hermione unstoppered a bottle of scented oil. Lavender was her favourite, and right now, she needed its relaxing properties as well as its wonderful aroma. She added a generous splash to the water and turned the taps off tightly to stop them dripping. Sorting out the dodgy plumbing was one job that would have to wait. Hermione slipped off her white, towelling bathrobe and fixed her hair into a messy bun atop her head. She dipped her toes into the water gingerly, swirling the bath oil and inhaling deeply. Slowly, she eased herself into the hot water, allowing it to wash over buttocks and thighs until she was lying with her head supported by the curved end of the bath.
Closing her eyes, Hermione immediately thought of Snape and bit her lip. It was only an hour since he had stormed away from her, and yet it already felt like it was just some sort of surreal dream. And still, her skin tingled as she remembered his tall frame and sombre countenance, standing in front of her fire and staring down at her. He still managed to intimidate her, so how had she found the courage the ridiculously rash courage--to lash out at him in such a rude and un-Hermione-like way? Not that what she said wasn't true, but she had never spoken in such a way to someone she respected. Her cheeks blushed at the memory of it, and she shook her head and opened her eyes, forcing her mind to concentrate on things other than Snape. But even as she grabbed her bath scrub and squeezed the foaming bath wash into the nylon fibres, the image of his face hung like a spectre in the back of her mind. With a resigned sigh, Hermione knew she wouldn't settle unless she apologised to him. She hit the bath water with the flat of her palm in frustration.
'He is going to just love that, damn it!' she said out loud, imagining the smug look on his face.
Half an hour later, Hermione was sitting at her small dining table with a block of writing paper and a Parker pen in her hand. She had poured herself a large glass of wine to fortify herself, but so far, she had two attempted apologies and had screwed them both up into small crumpled balls, which she had then thrown in the direction of the fireplace. She took a breath and tried again.
'Dear Professor Snape,
If you are reading this and haven't incinerated my letter already, then thank you for giving me the time to explain myself.
I am truly sorry for my unnecessary outburst earlier today. As you are aware, my emotions are a little frayed at present. Nevertheless, this does not excuse my rudeness.
After all, you only wanted me to look at the photograph more closely...'
'Shit,' Hermione muttered to herself. She had completely forgotten the photograph. Her eyes scanned the room until she spotted the picture on the floor in front of the fireplace, surrounded by shards of broken glass. She walked quickly to it, lifting it by the corner and shaking the glass from the faded print. She brought it back to the table and turned her reading lamp onto it. Taking a sip of wine, she perused the photograph carefully from the top to the bottom, examining each section to find what she had previously missed.
With a gasp, Hermione's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before, and yet now she couldn't tear her eyes from the image. Bertram Mellor was standing in front of a row of very familiar Victorian houses. The image was a little shaky, but there was no mistaking what she was seeing. Staring out between the net curtains of one of the houses was a young, pale, and terribly thin face, framed with black hair.
'Oh, no,' she whispered.
Story Actions
To follow, favorite, like, and more either log in or create an account.
Leave a Review
Log in to leave a review.
Latest 25 Reviews for Hilltop Cottage
734 Reviews | 7.3/10 Average
This was such a great read, thanks for sharing! I was especially happy to see that Minerva recovered well enough to be able to attend Severus' and Hermione's wedding. It just wouldn't have been the same without her. And Donovan, you just know that boy is going to be such a heartbreaker. Well done!
God what a beautiful beginning. I got chills when I read the first few sentences of this chapter. It reminded me of a 19th century British novel.... something from Hardy. I love your writing. There are naughty bits that are fun to read, but you have a charming prose that just strikes me sometimes. So, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your writing. THANK YOU!
Response from neelix (Author of Hilltop Cottage)
To be compared to Hardy made me smile :) You're very kind,but more than that I'm so happy you like the,story :)
For such inteligent people, in the love department they really had lower grades...so quick to think badly of one another, especialy Severus, but Hermione had her moments, too.
I was so glad when they finally learned and began to trust each other!!!
It was an interesting journey. Thank you.
Great story :) Excellent job with the buildup, realistic angst scenes, and a happy ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
WTF!! Why is she letting Alicia plant stupid doubts in her mind? Alicia doesn't even know Severus! And Severus was obviously not too happy with Alicia. For Merlin's sake! What the hell is the matter with Hermione?? When did she become so gullible and wishy washy? This isn't the Hermione who stood up to Malfoy and punched him in the face! She needs to take a pill or something.
And there are a hell of a lot of worse things in the world than a man who stands by you as the mother of his child!!! Get over the Cinderella complex Herms. 
OK! What the Fuck is wrong with Severus now? These aren't weak minded individuals. Snape is a freaking spy who fooled Voldemort for like 20 year, for gods sake! He should be able to see a BSer from a mile away! These two are really getting on my freaking left nerve. Doesn't Mister Ligilimens remember being inside Hermone's head? I don't know how much more of their BS I can stand. Get over yourselves Hermione and Severus! You two are freaking making me want to poke my damned eyes out!!!
Oooooh, I never would have thought! Severus will put her in her place. There's a reason Hermione is his first and only relationship. I'm sure Alicia isn't the first woman to come on to the Potion's Master. 
Too bad for Hermione, though. Betrayed by a friend. Hopefully if Alicia realizes tonight that they are engaged to be married she will back off, for Hermione's sake. I can't imagine she would think she had a chance with Severus if he want's to brush her off. He's a master at putting people in their place.
I'm looking forward to that if it becomes necessary.
I just hope this doesn't interfere with Minerva's cure.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, neelix! 
It was about time these two became a family. I'm so glad Hermione realizes she should not have left him. I will forgive her for breaking Severus' heart because of her youth and immaturity.
Now that she's a grown woman, she hopefully has her priorities straight. She can still be Dr. Granger, but she should keep it in prospective. Now, what about dear Minerva?
Severus wouldn't be the first man to change his ways once a father. If I was Severus though, like you said in the story, he needs to be sure she is committed to making this work and not leaving again when she feels hurt. Obviously she has no idea how she nearly killed him the first time she left him. By the same token, Hermione wouldn't be the first woman to grow up and make a committment to see the rough spots through rather than leave when things got rocky after having a child together. Everything changes when a couple says, you are stuck with me for the rest of our lives. How do you want to do the next 60 years? The hard way or the easy way? Make your choice.
Hopefully, she has seen that if you leave, you just change the problems you have for new ones. Unless there is physical abuse, infedelity or addiction, I think most things can be worked out. The 4 things just mentioned would be deal breakers for me. I hope they are happy together now. That's what stories are for. The happily ever after.
Please!!! It's not my place to say???? For God's sake! Let drag out the pain as long as possible shall we? Intereasting the penny dropped and Severus knew why he hadn't got her letter. Luna had told her but I guess she wasn't listening. I give up! Snapes blaming himself for being a jerk but she isn't blaming herself for anything at all. She didn't do anything wrong.
"What- an- idiot!" Hermione. How long did it take you to realize he didn't know.
I'm going back to Hermione's visit to St. Mungo's. Is she that thick? Did she hear Luna say he didn't get her letter, or at least take the hint that he may not have gotten her letter, the same as Minerva, and that she was wrong? Now she has a chance to do something about it and it doesn't seemed to have crossed her mind.
Poor Severus. I don't remember reading any stories where I liked Severus and thought Hermione was the idiot. Good original plot, just uncomfortable.
She didn't want to give up the parties and her work for Severus, but she has because she had his baby. Now, she's just lonely while giving them up. And it was all unecessry. He jumping to the conclusion that she left him for someone else, and she to he conclusion that he couldn't change.
You never even gave him a second chance to know he was wrong. Was it worth it Hermione, in the scope of things?
Did you think you were going to find someone else who understood you better and loved you more?
You could have been pregnant while with Severus and had a baby together.
There needs to be a smiley for="Self Absorbed!"
I'll think about it????
I had written a novel sized review after the last chapter but I hit one wrong button and lost it. Damn!!! I think I spent an hour and a half going back and researching the story so that I could review all the chapters I'd missed at the same time.
She needed to put chapter 14 in a pensive.
As for this
"Hermione was thrown. Not only had Severus left Spinner’s End to help find a cure for Minerva, he was also back at Hogwarts. After all that time spent in New Mills, avoiding the wizarding world and holing himself up like a hermit, he was back in the public eye in a way she would never have anticipated. She wondered what it all meant." 
I'll tell you what it all means, little sister. It means you jumped the gun when you went off in a huff! You never worried about any one elses pain but your own, including the man you claimed to love.
I am sorry to be so bitter toward her for your sake. I don't blame the story or think the story is lame. I'm just pissed off at Hermione, still have a migrain and should be in bed, because I have to go to work tomorrow, but I can't stop reading your story.
Please forgive me for not spell checking.
Goodbye Severus???? Hermione stared up into his face. It shocked her to realise that she didn’t truly know the man before her. He was more complex and insecure than she had ever imagined, and he wouldn’t change, not ever.
She's his first relationship in his entire life and he is her first love. How does she know he won't change, ever.( 
Know-it- All) I will say, OK he is being a really big prick, a huge bastard and a fuck up. He has really hurt you with this.
However, he already has changed by having his first relationship this late in his life.
She knows she is the first person he has ever trusted like, this doesn't she?
I know she's hurt and doesn't think he really loves her right now, but I dont feel like she was ever really committed to a long term relationship with him. He was handy and helped her get over the war. I guess she was on a war just rebound.
She sure made up her mind rather abruptly!
Only a few momments ago she was declairing her deep love for him. Maybe what she should really say is, "he's just too complex and insecure for her to waste any more of her time on."
Is she sweet little Hermione who just accepts him as he is, loving him so unconditionally. Or, is she just not willing to take the time to work on a relationsip with Severus Snape. She doesn't seemed to have warned him that this, not going places with her, was becoming a deal breaker for her.
Has she ever brought up the fact that it bothers her that he never says he love her?
This is his first relationship in his entire life for a reason. Of course, she is young and after all he isn't her husband, he's just a "boyfriend".
I don't know what she means though, when she says she's shocked and doesn't know this man.
He's been a mean tempered git since the first time she met him when she was 11, and she just now realized he has a tendancy to jump to the worst possible conclusions when he's worreid or up set, and that he has serious anger management problems?
If she truly loves him as much as she says, I think she should have told him what the deal breakers were and given him a chance to prove himself.
He's already pissed off right now, as it is. So she can tell him what needs to happen if he wants to keep her then leave him to stew and think about how much he is willing to do to keep her.
I've been with the same man three times the number of years I was single or 3 times longer than I was alive when we first got together. You don't get to have a lifetime mate unless you give people a chance to work on their issues before you bail for good. I don't think Hermione had ever intended to spend her entire life with Severus.
After 5 years, I think she would have pressed him a little harder to work things out sooner.
Snape is being a real shit. Yes he just falsly accussed her. However, ‘I understand, witch,’ he whispered. ‘I wouldn’t want to stay with me either.’ Is this the hint of the century or what? He can't imagine why she had wanted to be with him in the first place. From chapt. 11-'I missed you, you know. After you “died.”’ Hermione made quotation marks with her free hand and looked into his face. ‘I had no idea you meant so much to me, until I thought you were gone forever.’
She was looking at him with expectation. Severus shrugged.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Hermione,’ he sighed. ‘Whatever you see in me is misguided. I have nothing to offer.’
This is so sad.
I'm sorry for not keeping up on my reviews for each chapter, but I've had a migraine all weekend. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about all that I've read so far. I hope they work this out.
about time! I should have been in bed two hours ago but I couldn't leave it on such a sad note.
This isn't a good sign guys.
Poor Severus. She didn't give him much of a choice without him rejecting her outright. But he doesn't have a chance in hell of coming away unscathed. Will it be worth it? I hope Hermione doesn't let me down. She on a war rebound which is worse than a Ronnald Weasely rebound. She says she needs him. Does she know what she's asking from him? I really don't think so. If he's in for a penny, he's in for a pound. Severus Snape does nothing in the middle. I hope Hermione see's that.
I'm very happy she has given Severus a garden. I hope she isn't leading him on. She seems very young here. I know that in a story this long there are usually some bumps in the road to love, but I never look forward to them. The story is sweet and filling me with anticipation of them becoming a couple.
I know Snape will keep her secret. And I think Snape is going to get a friend. Will it turn into a romance or will it bite him in the butt just like he probably expects it to?
I hope Hermione is trying to figure out how to get Snape back as much as he's trying to get her back.
I assume Severus will keep Hermione's secret. It's not Snepelike to gossip. But he'll think about what Minerva has said and will feel duty bound to check on "the girl". I wonder who will contact who first. I am also assuming that Hermione isn't using her wand so that she can't be traced back to this place by the Ministry knowing her wand has been used. When she uses it in Diagon Alley doing little insignificant spells, is just no one paying attention because of where the magic is being cast and mainly only notice it when it's in a Muggle area? Could the Ministry have found Hermione, Harry and Ron the last year of the war by following thier wands? 