Like a Weasley
Chapter 27 of 40
AuretteHermione explains to Charlie why Severus is so important, while Severus prepares a place for the girls to practice magic.
ReviewedMost of our people had left by seven that evening. The long leave taking in the foyer was a loud, joyous chaos as people reveled in the feeling of a hope that was so shiny and new. I took up my assumed role of Leader of the Movement and wished them all goodnight. I found myself curiously removed from the situation, aloof. But no one seemed to mind as they hugged me or grabbed my hand in farewell. Finally, the door closed for the last time, and the house fell into relative silence. Besides the inhabitants of the house, Severus, Viktor, Charlie, Percy and five of the younger Death Eaters remained. Theo had Greg Goyle and Caddoc Warrington stay downstairs to keep guard and posted the other two outside.
The women scattered, most to help the overwrought house-elves tidy up the ballroom with Ma. Percy and I had sat down with my notes and drew up charts and time tables while the others went upstairs to work on the wards. I left Percy with Peaches to work on what medical supplies might be needed and made my way up the stairs to the east wing of the house with a stack of notes in my hand. The men were in the middle of a conversation about load-bearing walls when I saw an error in my notes and stopped in the doorway to scratch a notation.
"There you are; haff you eaten? Vut is so interesting on that parchment, there?" said Viktor, suddenly standing right in front of me.
"I just realized that we'll need more portkeys than I thought. There'll be fewer people on the medical team, but they might have to make repeated jumps," I answered and then looked up because the conversation in the room had stopped. Severus was standing next to Charlie. I wondered if they'd been arguing, because he was in full sneer mode and his fists were clenched at his side.
"I'm sorry, did I interrupt? I just wanted to see how it was coming along and if you needed anything." Seeing no change in Severus's face, I took a step back. "I'll just go then."
"Don't be silly, Hermione," said Charlie. "We were just about to start the fun part. Come on in." I looked around the room and saw Ma and Nott smiling and Viktor beaming proudly, but all my nerves were attuned to Severus's scowl as he backed away and turned to the wall.
"Weasley, over there, Krum, over here. Agatha, I want you over in that corner, and, Nott, stand just behind her and at my word cast your shield on that wall." They all moved to take their places where Severus had pointed and when they were set he raised his arms like a conductor.
"Shield." I watched Theo as he cast a shield charm on a wall.
"Now!" In perfect synchronicity, the other four cast an unfamiliar spell and two of the walls on either side of the room vanished with a loud pop. All that remained were the support beams standing in rows around the open area. Suddenly, the room was three times as large and almost rivaled the ballroom downstairs.
"These will need to be reinforced," said Charlie, inspecting the nearest support beam.
"I know some spells for that." Viktor said.
"I'll leave you two to supervise that; I must get started preparing for the wards," responded Severus. He turned and came towards me.
"That was marvelous!" I blurted out when he came near. His eyes glittered, and he smirked. Suddenly I felt like I did as a first-year, impressed by every mundane spell I saw. I looked down at my feet, embarrassed at my outburst.
"Could you show me the way to your infirmary?" he asked politely. I was about to take his arm and lead him, when Ma stepped into my path.
"That's in the other wing; I'll take you there: I'm heading downstairs anyway. Princess can stay and watch Mr. Krum finish up the room." She smiled at me without guile and then took his arm to show him the way. Severus's face lost all expression as he left the room with her on his arm. It had been a while since I truly hated Ma, but the feeling was rapidly returning. I stared down at the papers in my hand. I knew I was being stupid; there was no malice in her face. I could tell she thought I would honestly be interested in watching the room change. I knew this. But at that moment, I hated her. She had my man. Would he respond to her? She was more his age. But if he was going to leave me for another, why not trade up? If he wanted to be with a tart, why not me? Why did I feel like the closer we came to our goal, the closer I was to losing him forever?
"Hey, are you alright?" I looked up at Charlie and realized I was crying.
"I... I have no idea what's wrong with me," I answered.
"Hey, it's been an eventful day. I'm emotional. Why don't you and I go somewhere and talk quietly." I nodded, and he led me out of the room. We went down the hall and entered one of the bedrooms. He ushered me over to the couch and sat me down and then flopped down next to me and pulled me into a hug. I noticed he had left the door open and was thankful for his tact.
"So... this is where you, uh, worked?" So much for tact. He suddenly sounded so much like a Weasley. Nervous and awkward but too full of curiosity to guard his mouth. I laughed.
"Um, yeah."
"I've never been in a place like this. Even in Romania, I was always afraid that somehow Mum would find out and that a howler would suddenly show up. Bit of a party pooper, really." I pictured Molly Weasley doing exactly that and laughed even harder. I think that was the first time I had thought of any of them without pain in five years. I hugged him.
"So why don't you start by telling me about Snape. Why would you risk your own life for that greasy git, eh?"
"Alright, but you'd better close the door, and you must promise to keep this to yourself."
He pulled out his wand and flicked the door closed. Still holding his wand he looked at me.
"Would you like me to take an oath?" he asked, holding up his wand.
"I think I just might, yes," I answered.
When he had taken an oath not to repeat anything I revealed him, I started to talk. I spoke about Severus and all he had been forced to do and everything he had forced himself to do because of the vow he had imposed upon me. I explained about his role with the younger Death Eaters and how if the truth came out, it would knock one of the legs out from under this motley tripod we called our army. And when I was done with that, I told Charlie about how much I loved him. I couldn't shut off the words; they just came pouring out. I told him how afraid I was that he would leave me when this was all over, and how I couldn't stop myself from feeling petty and spiteful towards Ma, who had done nothing to deserve it.
"If it helps, Hermione, I think he's fairly smitten with you as well. I thought at first he was so furious in the ballroom because your little stunt almost got him killed. But when I rethink it, in light of what I know, I think he was definitely more upset that you almost got yourself killed. In fact, it's pretty obvious if you know to look."
"I know," I said and started to cry.
"Well, call me thick, but if you love him and you know he loves you, then what exactly is the problem?"
"He only cares for me because I'm the first person since Dumbledore who's ever been nice to him. He's like a whipped dog that you decide to feed! Of course he has feelings for me. But he could do better! Once he is free of all of this and can restart his life on his own terms, he'll see I was just a rash decision made in the heat of the moment. I know if I gave him even the slightest encouragement in that direction, he would vow his undying love and bind his foolish arse to me for life! You haven't seen him, Charlie, the man takes a vow at the drop of a hat! He's fanatical about them!"
"You do realize you're starting to sound mental, don't you?"
I huffed and flopped back against the couch.
"Just a bit, yes."
"First of all, I won't even go into how stupid the whole 'he can do better' thing is. I suspect you have issues that will take more than one conversation to work out. Second of all, and, Hermione, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but who else would have him? You obviously feel strongly that he's all that and a side order of chips, but well, he's rather off putting to the rest of the world. I can't imagine any other woman even looking twice, never mind giving you a run for your money."
"Well, you haven't seen him at his best. Today has been an off day, but if you had seen him the night he swept in here and caused the death of three Death Eaters without even batting an eyelid, well, let's just say there was major swoon factor. It's all the girls could talk about. Well, once we got over the whole "Dead Bodies in the Lounge" thing. No, trust me. He's a major catch."
"You women are weird."
"Just copped on to that, did you?"
"Well, here's my take on it, and I leave things like swoon factors to you. It sounds like he's a man of intense but narrow focus. If he has decided he wants you, I don't see where you're going to succeed in shaking him off. I somehow doubt Severus Snape is the type who's going to suddenly decide he wants a blonde after the war is over. Maybe you should start thinking about whether or not you will still want him."
"Don't be stupid. He's the only man I'll ever love."
"There, see? Proof that you are completely mental." He stood up and reached down and hauled me up as well. Heading to the door, he opened it and then turned to me.
"So you have no room in your heart to love me?"
I laughed.
"Idiot, man. Of course I will always love you."
We left the room and out in the hall we ran into Peaches, Nott and Severus.
"Ready for the wards then?" Charlie asked.
"Almost," answered Peaches. "We were just coming to find Hermione. We need a drop of your blood for the wards."
"Oh, of course! Where do you want me?" I asked, turning towards Severus.
"Right here is fine," he growled. He seized my hand and waved his wand at it. I tried not to squirm in his crushing grip as he pulled out a lancet and stabbed my thumb.
"OW!" I screamed. He pressed my thumb to a vial that already contained blood. And when he was done, he muttered a quick healing spell and the wound on my thumb was gone. He spun away and stalked down the hall to the newly enlarged room; even his robes looked angry as they flapped with disdain in his wake. Peaches and Nott gave me and Charlie an odd look and took off after him. Charlie turned to me with an incredulous look on his face.
"You are completely mental."
"He's just under a lot of strain."
"Oh, well then. Let me tell you just how thrilled I am to have you sound just like a battered wife." He turned and stomped off down the hall, and I followed behind. His words had struck a chord of truth and I didn't like it at all.
So sorry for the long delay. Thanks to Astopperindeath for the beta.
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Latest 25 Reviews for The Princess of Gryffindor
597 Reviews | 6.94/10 Average
I agree with Mick42 in the sense that I don't like the Voldemort won/everyone's dead/Hermione's a whore stories. I avoid them like the plague. I decided to give this one a go based on the reviews. I was very, very skeptical. There were aspects to the writing that I didn't like, such as it being written in first person, but the memorial scene alone made it well worth the read. I may have shed a tear (or 10).
Wow...just wow. Now I know why all of these other reviewers have shed a tear. I am a mess. Still smiling tho'! Captivating read. Kudos!
Yay, all finished. It's been a while since I've read this, so I had forgotten a lot of the details in the ending chapters, but I still love it as much as I did the first time I read it. You have my in tears reading the end couple of chapters now, but that's terribly easy to do to a pregnant woman, so don't worry too much lol.
I just love Snape, have I ever mentioned that? I do. And it's stuff like this in stories- him vowing to protect Hermione- that make me love him even more..
This is one I've read before, on ffnet I think, but I have to read it here too, it just seems impossible not to reread your favorite stories when you come across them somewhere. The bonus is that you already know you love the story, even if you can't remember all the details between point A and A.D.
My dear Aurette,I have spent half of yesterday and all of today re-reading this unbelievable story. Half of the time, I've been a sobbing, sopping mess - when S&H were gathering forces and found people who were still alive, the whole Harry and Ron speaking to Hermione from the great beyond, the memorial scene (holy crap, talk about sobbing!), reuniting with Minerva's ghost, and the list goes on. I love the plot of the story. I love your numerous OCs. I love how the young DEs revolt. I love how forces from all sides join together to fight the Dark Lord. I love the romance between S&H. I love how utterly vulnerable he is to her, and she to him. I love how wizarding society hero-worships Snape in the end. I love So Many Things about this story. If my heart could take it, I'd start it all over again, but I really wasn't exaggerating when I said I was sobbing half the time I was reading. This might sound odd, but reading this today, US Memorial Day, just makes it seem even more poignant. But I do think it's honoring to RL sacrifices by reading about fictional ones. Thank you so much for this absolutely wonderful story, and for giving me such an enjoyable (if teary and snotty) way to spend my day off.Love,Christev
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
{{{hugs}}}What a beautiful thing to say. I am deeply touched and honored. Thank you, Christev.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
{{{hugs}}}What a beautiful thing to say. I am deeply touched and honored. Thank you, Christev.
Heartbreaking and wonderful and worth rereading. Thank you for sharing this.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I'm so glad you enjoyed. ;-)
Just re-read this and had to mention: Best Epilogue Ever. Why couldn't you have given JK a few pointers? ;-p
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
LOL! She never asked... Thank you!
I've just flown through the last several chapters, held in thrall to this story! This is just genius, you know, starting at a place of total desolation - this terrible post-war dystopia - and taking all the elements from DH (the prophecy from Severus, the Hallows, even walking beside the dead and moving with them before returning to earth - thanks particularly for including Draco with the others), using them as they were meant to be used, finding another way of stopping Voldemort and reenvisioning a new world in the aftermath.
And I love seeing Snape marked as the Man Who Lived! And a father! And the Minister! (And that proposal? Mmm-hmm... clearly, he has caught on to everything Hermione's been teaching him!)
You strike such a great balance between comedy and high drama. It's such a pleasure to read.
Oh, Goyle. Goyles will be Goyles, I suppose!"I think you have just been metaphorically peed on." Oh, I love this line... particularly since Severus' possessiveness towards Hermione is such a strong part of his character (which is why his reluctant willingness to 'share' Hermione rather than lose her was SO terribly shocking).
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Thank you! And I think, by his behavior in this chapter, you can see he tacitly took those words... back.
Response from ofankoma (Reviewer)
Oh, absolutely! That's what's so marvelous to see in this Snape. He acts impulsively so often, and then immediately knows that it's not what he really wanted, and is slowly learning to keep it all in check as he accepts the fact that she really loves him and that he's truly safe with her.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Hannah and Neville! Woo-hoo! (You can just feel the little triumphs along the way - things are getting brighter all the time!) And the lack of trust between all parties involved... yes, that feels completely, completely believable.(Also,I don't know that I've ever met an original character that I've liked, but Peaches is fantastic. Just fantastic. You make me change my mind on a lot of things, I think...)
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I intentionally started this tale as dark as I could make it, and then slowly let the light in. Neville and Hannah were such a beacon of hope...
Ah, the trust between the two as they examine the girls! And her red robes... yes, I imagine Severus doesn't want Hermione in anything less than a high-necked robe in front of her old beau.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Trust is something they thought they had, but as you can see, they are both too emotionally unsophisticated to not end up with issues.
Whoa, whoa, whoa... Elder Goyle and Ma are two revelations here, aren't they? As for the former, it really makes me wonder (again and again) what Voldemort's plan was 'when' he won. Why cheat Death if you have nothing to live for? For someone as hypothetically long-sighted as he was (looking to an eternity of power and control over the wizarding world), he's remarkably short-sighted here (what do you do now that you've won?). You raise all sorts of fascinating questions here. And Ma, with the Veritaserum? Grand.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Ma was intended to just be a stock vilain, but she elbowed her way toward three dimentional. I was very happy with the way she worked out.
The robes! Wonderful, wonderful, all around, from Hermione's comfort in them and the note exchange.Charlie and Viktor? You're really getting things moving here, aren't you? Momentum. You're really a master with creating a momentum that just pulls a reader through the story. I don't mean just here, but everything I've read up til now - it's so well paced and unfolds so naturally. In case I haven't said this in a chapter or two, thanks so much for sharing this.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I was very attuned to the pacing of this tale. It was my very first mult-chaptered fic and getting the pacing down right was one of my primary concerns. Thank you so much for reviewing it!
Hooray! I love what you've done with Theo Nott. The second guessing and the regret shows how easy it was for misguided, then-ambivalent people to latch on to Voldemort's coat tails. (Cloak tails?) Very like Severus at that age, no?You're also hilarious, but I suspect you know that. "Conjure myself some decent clothes?" FABULOUS.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Exactly! I saw Theo as not being wildly different from young Snape, just perhaps a bit more entitled. I am so glad you liked this.
Wow. There are so many things I love, love, love in this chapter. First off, the relationship between Severus and the Malfoys. (Ach, and the horror of their deaths!) Next, Dumbledore's attitude. I, for one, have a tendency to vilify the man. Reading the repentance he shows here makes me rethink a lot of things about him. (So thank you for challenging me!) But you're right - we have a lot of evidence in DH that there are many unspoken things in his past that explain his present actions. And, of course, it's just a relief to see that he finally has someone to tell all this to, someone who will care for him and stand by him through it all. This is just wonderful, and I'm completely loving your writing and this story!
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I also have a tendancy to vilify Dumbledore, but I know that was never JKR's intention, so every so often I try and reset my thinking. Then I backslide. lol.
There are so many reasons I love this story... wonderful narrative flow, seamless incorporation of canon devices (Hallows! Can't wait to see them in action!), a fresh perspective on the nature of evil in the Voldemort regime, a place to see regrets worked out and atoned for.But the single greatest reason why this is so fabulous is your clear vision of your characters. What we know of them from JKR is fleshed out so beautifully here, and it's not a happy-go-lucky, cleaned up and sanitized version of the very broken people we know (and love), but a hard look at the mistakes they make and how they learn together to move on and forgive one another in a much deeper understanding of who the other really is.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
This chapter was my impetus for writing the whole fic. I wanted to get to this scene. Of course, once I did, I then had a Ministry to over throw... lol.
Oh, now that's interesting... incorporating the Hallows? I think this means we'll get to see some action from the Elder Wand (killing Voldemort?), the Resurrection Stone (Harry and Ron?), and the Invisibility Cloak (I have no idea on this one... it's useful in so many ways). I can't wait to see where they lead!
Severus' thoughts on the ambition of Voldemort five years out are interesting... it certainly does make you wonder - what would Tom have done had he won? Did he have a plan in place? I mean, the fear of ignominious death aside, what was really motivating his actions? What did he envision for the Wizarding world?
There's much that I enjoy in this chapter... the way they recognize each other as being, really, the only people left on earth (that we know of so far) who can really see one another is fantastic. Antarctica banter with penguins! 'Whoever had broken this man deserved to burn in hell.'What I found myself wishing I had here was Hermione's musings on her own sexual history. Was she a virgin before she was enslaved here? I found I wanted this when she first talked about her position as a whore with Snape as well... I just want it sometime. (Maybe it's coming up later? We'll see!) There seems to be space for her to say that she's still a virgin (so to speak) with a great deal of this as well. And defend her innocence. Since she never kissed Ron in the final battle (AU breaks off earlier here, right?), has she even been kissed?
Response from ofankoma (Reviewer)
(Because Severus very well may be right in trying to stop her... for her own peace of mind, certainly, and for the fact that she's been traumatised for years there. Another sexual experience now may not be helpful on the road to recovery, and he'd certainly be remiss if he didn't know the situation before letting her have her way with him...)
The harpsichord? That's hilarious. Does she tune it herself, as well? All the descriptions of this place add up to a bizarre, depressing, garish nightmare. It's like everyone tossed in their leftovers and out popped a brother, or several people's lives just vomited out all their extras on the (Voldemort-run) street.
Ah, Draco. I'm sad to hear he's lost. I have a soft spot for him as one of the people who gave Severus a will to go on in HBP and DH. I would have liked seeing your Snape deal with him.
That last long paragraph on the enigma of Snape? Spot on. It sums up why he's such a fascinating character in canon: powerful and powerless, beautiful and ugly, lauded and humiliated. The ambiguity of him is so rich, and not in the Dumbledore 'we sort too soon' sort of way, claiming that he's truly a Gryffindor at heart merely because he's on the side of good.
As to protection, well, that's another one of the strongest themes attached to him in canon, isn't it? He's constantly fighting to protect people - even people he despises -and he prepares them all to do the same. Your Hermione's a lucky girl...
Well done, you.
Hmm... "I, too, practice self-denial?" I think he might practice a few kinds of denial here, since he did just move to kiss her. (Of course, perhaps poor Severus doesn't know any better. He missed out on the 'What not to do whilst visiting a whorehouse' lesson in finishing school.) I greatly appreciate a post-DH Snape who doesn't know what to do with a woman... after all, when you poke around in canon, it seems fairly obvious that his social calendar was empty.
I also enjoy the dynamic you're setting up between Hermione and Peaches, the latter of whom is clearly in control of her own destiny in a way that Hermione just isn't... yet.
And...Harry and Ron? What?!?
Oh, gravy! Lime-green peignoirs and silver mules? This is a high class establishment poor Hermione's stuck in. (Although the lime-green clothing is oddly reminiscent of St. Mungo's...)
I love a phrase like "She floated in like a frigate in full sail." Really, the oppressing shabbiness of the place is overwhelming. I'm so very wary of new characters, so I'm really hoping I will like yours... Peaches, maybe yes? Ma, maybe no. Unless we do know Ma or Angel already and they're just under aliases like the Princess?
Drinking Cocoa enticed me back here to revisit this wonderful, deep, rich tale once again, when I should be doing my own writing and in other ways getting the heap of papers on my desk cleared and sorted (not to mention getting to bed at a decent hour). But, no, I had to swallow this beautiful work whole once again, rediscovering all its complexities and marvels, emotions and heatbreak, fascinations and intricacies. And it is now nearly 2am, and I can at last climb into my solitary little bed, wrapped in the warmth of some quite satisfying and delicious writing. Thank you.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I thank you, truly, for your revisiting this story. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing it is apreciated on a second reading as well. :-)
I give it five years before Brilliant figures out how to spell that journal open and gets the shock of her young life hahahaha.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
LOL! Oh, that would be Brilliant! You need to write that fic!
Response from StarryEyedNoOne (Reviewer)
I haven't wrote HP fanfic since I was the age of a first year lol. I pray to any diety that's listening that NONE of it is still floating aroung out there. :-\
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
LOL! I understand. I once read that if you aren't embarrased by something you wrote a year ago, you are no longer growing as a writer. Hell, I get embarrassed over things I wrote last week...