Neelix - Comet Chaser

Chapter Two

A good night's sleep was something that Severus cherished. During the war, decent sleep had been like gold dust, and so afterwards, he had revelled beneath the covers as much as his teaching schedule allowed. Until now.

It was only five a.m, but his thoughts had been racing, interrupting his dreams and making him so restless that he couldn't bear it any longer. Thanks to Draco and his bloody bright ideas, all Severus could think about was the damage he had personally done to others during the war, and names and faces were swirling through his mind, taunting him with memories of his ill temper and hurtful behaviour.

There was one name in particular that would not stop nagging at him, so with chagrin, he threw his bedclothes back and grabbed his wand with celerity before striding purposefully into his office. He slumped into his chair and took the top page from his block of parchment, lifted his quill and then paused. He hadn't thought that writing to Potter would be so difficult, but the circumstances were such that rejection was very possible. The thought made his stomach churn.

He hadn't meant to be horrible to the boy. Yes, he looked like his father, but his temperament was mostly Lily. The knowledge that Harry Potter truly was his mother's son had cut him to the quick, making him lash out like a scared kitten. If he owed anyone, he owed Harry the most.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment and then began to write.

***

A week later, Severus was standing in the hallway of twelve, Grimmauld Place with a bemused Harry Potter, feeling incredibly uncomfortable and more than a little foolish. The boy had shaken his hand as he welcomed him into the house, and now he was standing there, looking at him as if he were some sort of puzzle to be solved.

'I still don't understand why you want to help, sir,' Harry said with a smile. 'But I am grateful. For everything,' he said meaningfully.

Severus tried not to wince. 'It is I who should be grateful, Potter. You freed me from the Dark Lord and brought me peace. I also believe that if you intend to stay here, you will have need of my expertise in clearing this mausoleum of a house of all its Dark magic.'

He avoided Harry's incredulous gaze and looked around the dingy hallway. His eyes turned toward the curtain-covered portrait of Walburga Black, the notorious and outspoken mother of his old nemesis, Sirius. He turned back to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

'Still there, is she?' he murmured quietly.

Harry nodded with a frown. 'Unfortunately, yes. She's been causing no end of problems, to be honest.'

Severus took a slow step towards the portrait with his ebony wand held lightly in his hand. 'How so?' he asked.

'She doesn't approve of my houseguest,' Harry said bitterly. 'Hermione is staying here while her new apartment is being renovated.'

'I see,' Severus replied with a slightly disinterested tone. He proceeded towards the moth-eaten curtains with determination.

'Be careful, sir. She really is very...' Harry warned.

In a flurry of dust, the curtains flew open, startling Severus, who stumbled backwards and landed with a thump against the opposite wall.

'Filth! Scum! Bringing shame on the house of my fathers...' The wizened, yellow face of Sirius's mother screamed from the painting, causing Severus to cover his ears as Harry sent a Stunner toward it. The curtains closed, and the sudden silence was almost deafening.

'As I was saying, she really is very loud.' Harry smirked as Severus brushed himself down and straightened his dishevelled hair.

'What's going on, Harry?'

Severus groaned inwardly as a familiar female voice drifted their way, closely followed by its source. Hermione Granger descended the stairs, looking almost exactly as she had the last time he had seen her. She was dressed in Muggle jeans, sweater and dirty, white trainers, but there was something different that he could not quite place. She was looking at him questioningly, and he stared back at her coolly.

'Miss Granger,' he said, nodding in acknowledgement.

'Hello, Professor. Harry said you were coming to help out. I'm not sure you'll have much luck with her, I'm afraid. Do you know a potion that can dissolve a Permanent Sticking Charm?'

Her warm, wide smile took the sting out of the comment, and Severus realised she was merely trying to be amusing. He gave her a small smile in return. 'Sadly not. I fear I will need to find a different method to shift her from her throne.'

'I was about to make some tea, if you'd like some?'

Hermione stepped into the hallway and stood in front of Severus for a moment, and he realised what had changed. The witch had grown taller, the top of her head now almost level with his nose. He no longer stared down at the top of her curly hair, but looked into her intelligent, caramel eyes. They were almost twinkling, and with a sigh, he realised that she had accepted him in the same way Potter had. Feeling humbled and unable to speak for a moment, he nodded and then followed the friends into the kitchen.

***

Two hours after drinking tea companionably with his ex-students, Severus had divested himself of his jacket and was standing in his shirt sleeves in front of a still-screaming but thankfully silenced portrait. Beads of sweat stood proud on his forehead, the result of his concerted effort with various spells and hexes. Nothing would shift the frame, and he stared angrily at the bulging face of Walburga Black as she became even more animated. He turned slightly and observed Hermione as she walked from the kitchen and towards the library, casting a wary glance at the portrait as she neared him.

'Nice to see she's quiet for once.' Hermione frowned as the woman started to silently rant with even more venom in her direction. 'How is it going?'

'I was on the verge of asking her politely to move to another frame, but I fear the woman is immoveable,' he said with frustration.

Hermione let out a hearty laugh and then stopped and stared at Walburga, her eyes focussed at some distant point, with her mouth open slightly.

'Granger, you look like a fish,' Severus said, snapping her out of her reverie and earning him a hard glare.

'Actually, I had an idea, but you're obviously doing so well on your own...' Hermione started to walk away.

'Wait. If you have something to contribute, Miss Granger, I am willing to listen.' Severus stepped towards her and looked at her beseechingly. He was so desperate; he would accept any help, even from Hermione Granger.

'Well, it is a long shot,' she said, absently curling a length of hair around her finger. 'You'd better follow me.'

***

The empty frame on the wall almost mocked Hermione, who had flushed a deep shade of pink. Luckily, the bedroom was dark, and she hoped that Professor Snape wouldn't notice.

'He can be temperamental,' she said by way of explanation.

'So it would seem. The idea is not without merit, however. I believe we should pay a visit to Minerva,' he replied.

'We had better bring that with us,' Hermione said, frowning at the blank painting in frustration. 'Otherwise he will continue to hide.'

***

Phineas Nigellus Black sat in his frame, every inch the superior Slytherin. Severus stood in the middle of Minerva's office and looked up at him surreptitiously.

'Ready, Miss Granger?' he asked her quietly.

Hermione lifted the empty canvas from Grimmauld Place and balanced it carefully on Minerva's desk, then exited the room.

'Professor Black,' Severus intoned respectfully. 'I wonder if I could trouble you to visit me in your other frame?'

'Who is that?' Phineas asked slowly. 'Snape?'

'Indeed, Headmaster. I require your assistance with a most delicate matter.' Severus had a brief flashback of obsequiousness at the foot of the Dark Lord, and shuddered.

A dark shadow flickered at the edge of the empty frame, and Severus smirked to himself. It was typically Slytherin of him to insist on playing the game to his own rules, even though he was only a portrait.

'Speak, then,' said the disembodied voice of Phineas.

'It involves your great-granddaughter, sir,' Severus began, only to be interrupted by Phineas abruptly.

'Ha! She may be family, Snape, but any help you need from me with that mad, old witch is going to cost you,' he sneered.

'I don't see how any amount of Galleons could be of any possible use to you, Headmaster,' said Severus bitterly. His hope of Phineas Nigellus being of any help was quickly fading.

'You're not thinking like a Slytherin, Snape. You disappoint me. I have my price. See to it, and I can assure you that my great-granddaughter will no longer be welcome in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.' Phineas had appeared in the frame as he spoke, and he folded his arms smugly across his chest.

Severus sighed. He had been out-Slytherined.

***

Harry stood in the hallway of twelve, Grimmauld Place and examined the wall where the portrait of Walburga Black had once sat. He ran his hand over the wall slowly and let out a low chuckle.

'I can't believe you did it,' he said.

'I did have some assistance,' Severus turned and nodded to Hermione, who smiled a little shyly at him.

'You did the persuading, sir. I don't know how you managed to do it, but it worked amazingly.' Hermione's eyes shone with admiration.

'And Sirius's mother is now in St Mungo's, you say?' Harry asked.

'She now adorns the wall of the Janus Thickey Ward,' Severus replied with a smirk.

'Blimey. Those poor nurses,' Harry laughed.

'How did you get him to help, sir?' Hermione was dying to know.

'I appealed to his Slytherin sensibilities and called in a favour from Kingsley. Phineas Nigellus Black now has a portrait in the office of the Minister for Magic,' Severus said with a lop-sided smile.

'Oh, no,' Hermione said with a nervous giggle. 'Surely the next Minister will just shift him once he becomes too annoying. Which he will,' Hermione said, remembering her time in the tent during the war.

'Permanent Sticking Charm,' Severus said quietly.

Harry and Hermione stared at him, and they started to laugh.

***

Severus said his goodbyes to Harry after they shared takeaway pizza in the kitchen, and Hermione walked him to the door, past the now portrait-less wall. They walked in silence for a moment until Hermione asked the question that had been burning her since Severus had written to Harry.

'Why did you come to help, sir?' she asked softly.

Severus turned and stared into her eyes, contemplating telling her a lie and finding that he couldn't. The witch had shown him nothing but friendship and respect, and he found himself wanting to extend the same to her.

He sighed. 'I have not been the nicest of men, Miss Granger. You are surely aware that I have been mean, heartless and incredibly hurtful to many people over the years. It is time to make amends.'

Their eyes met, and Hermione smiled softly. 'I understand, sir.'

'I should be going,' Severus said, placing his hand on the doorknob.

'Call me if you need any more help,' Hermione said sincerely.

'I will, Miss Granger. Thank you,' he said with a smile.

As he walked quickly down the front steps into Grimmauld Place, he heard her voice calling after him.

'Call me Hermione.'

Prompt words used: Wand, Celerity, Kitten

Author's notes: Thanks to WriterMerrin for the beta and to people reading. Please review.