Chapter 13: Bookish Tendencies

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

A big hug of thanks must go to VIVAvivacious for all of her help with this chapter.

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Early January saw a fresh layer of snow on the ground that continued to fall steadily, each of the flakes with their own unique pattern. Generally people would stay indoors on cooler days like those, but the Weasley boys had very different ideas on that score. Instead, they collected together their brooms and Quidditch gear and headed to the snowy orchard near the Burrow to have a game. Snape had been invited but waved off their invitation irritably and remained in his chair before the fire in the sitting room.

It was the twelfth and final day of Christmas. Hermione had left almost four days prior, to the surprise and sadness of her friends. Snape had been moody ever since. Even Molly recognized he had not been himself – rather, he had reverted back to the Severus Snape that had appeared at the Burrow almost twelve days earlier. Even more snappish and reclusive than before, if that were even possible. Albus pointed it out once in a conversation with Molly, Remus, and Septima when they had been out of earshot of the man.

And so while the young men were playing their sport, and Snape was brooding over his Potions research moodily, Albus, Minerva, Molly, Remus, and Septima came together once more to speculate over what had happened to Snape in the last few days that made him act that way. Oddly enough, not one of them had attributed it to Hermione's departure. They had grown used to those abrupt departures and no longer questioned them. Molly had been quite relieved she had stayed as long as she had.

'Albus, something must be done about that boy,' Minerva insisted through her thick Scottish burr. 'He's hardly eating, not speaking to anyone unless spoken to first, and usually it's only in monosyllables.'

The older wizard considered his company over the rim of his half-moon spectacles. 'I am afraid that for now the only thing we can do for Severus is offer him silent support and hope one day he might decide to trust us with whatever is troubling him,' he said wisely. 'He has had a hard a life for someone who still has a long while yet to live. Severus shares his thoughts infrequently and sparingly to avoid any more hurt – the kind he was subject to as a young man growing up.'

'Well, someone has to say something to him,' Molly said simply, pouring tea into their individual cups on the table. 'He's not eating. My nerves are delicate as it is, and watching Severus neglect himself only makes it worse.'

'The only influence I have over Severus is that of a friend,' Albus said sadly. 'He had fulfilled his vow to me.'

'I don't understand that,' Remus piped, giving Septima's hand a gentle squeeze. 'He is under no vow, yet he comes here at Albus's insistence.'

'Oh, Remus, I did not force Severus to come here this Christmas. The choice was his own to make,' the older wizard replied.

'This is something deeper than what you all think,' Septima intoned softly.

Having not said anything the entire conversation, everyone was surprised by her sudden input. Molly resumed her seat and spooned sugar into her tea, stirring it before setting the spoon aside. 'What do you think, my dear?' Molly asked curiously.

'Is it possible the last thing we would expect for Severus might happen to be the answer?' she asked. 'What is the last thing that you think would ever expect happen to him?'

'For him to fall in love,' Albus stated, starting to catch on.

'Exactly,' she said with a satisfied smile.

'But who could Severus possibly be in love with? Who would ever be good enough or right for that man?' Molly questioned. 'I certainly know of no such person...'

She trailed off, gasping and slapping a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with the sudden realization. She looked at Dumbledore and then Septima with a question in her eyes, receiving a nod from both. She removed her hand and closed her mouth, still bewildered that no one had guessed earlier.

'How could we not have noticed?' Remus asked.

'It's simple,' Septima explained. 'We spent all this time wondering whether he was contemplating his past when it was so blatantly obvious we were blind to it. Hermione left on the day he began acting moody again, and he hasn't improved since.'

'While the rest of us are accustomed to Hermione's brief and wordless departures, he is not, and it has upset him more than I could have thought possible,' Dumbledore added helpfully, a simple nod from Septima confirming it.

The group lapsed into silence at this revelation, all pondering what could be done to remedy this situation. Should they discourage his affection for her? Should they encourage him to seek her out, knowing that if he found her, he could very well come back heartbroken? Or, should they leave him be and allow him to decide on his own path without any outside influence? The Severus Snape they knew and cared for would not appreciate interference and had never been known to openly express his feelings.

'We shall leave him alone,' Dumbledore announced. 'He needs to figure this out on his own. Let him know you are here for him to talk to if he ever needs it, but other than that, he must make this decision alone. '

Molly nodded in agreement, her experiences with her sons having taught her a few things over time. 'My sons never liked me to interfere much either,' she said.

The group chuckled at this, and they soon dispersed from the kitchen in different directions. Albus and Minerva headed outside to watch the game while Molly remained in the kitchen to prepare the next meal. Remus took Septima by the hand and led her up the stairs, eager to spend some time alone with his ladylove.

Snape, however, remained in his chair, pondering how his life had taken such a turn for the worst after a few days of peace. Hadn't he made the right decision saving Hermione from himself? He wasn't so sure anymore. He felt his heart clench painfully in his chest every time he so much as thought about anything that reminded him of her. Even the cereal she had favoured during breakfast had thrown him for a loop when he had reached for it that morning. Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his sleepy eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to prevent the headache that was flirting at the edge of his consciousness.

Decidedly, he stood from his chair and made to venture outside for a walk to clear his head. The cold and snow might freeze some sense into him. He put on his winter coat and scarf over his trousers and sweater and stepped through the front door, immediately heading in the direction of the orchard. Perhaps watching the game would further distract him from his increasingly maudlin thoughts. He stood by the edge where others were also standing to watch the game. He saw all the Weasley boys' spouses and children, Albus, Minerva, and Tonks, who was in the process of sweeping Charlie Weasley off his feet, quite literally in some cases.

He saw Arthur had taken up the role of Keeper for this game, and his youngest son, Ronald, was sitting this match out. Snape found this behaviour unusual for this particular Weasley especially and began to approach him. His curiosity got the better of him.

'Mr. Weasley, it's unlike you to miss a game of Quidditch,' Snape murmured.

Ron looked at him for a moment before turning his eyes back to the match. 'I don't usually,' he said simply. 'I'm just not in the right mood at the moment. It seems to be going around a lot these past few days.'

'A man who has a passion for sport would never let something as trivial as a mood stand in the way of him and his game,' Snape said smoothly. 'What seems to be the problem?'

'Hermione's gone again,' he huffed. 'I always get like this when my best friend leaves. I don't know what it is that she sees in you, but I'll be damned if I can see what's so great about an antisocial git.'

'Whatever are you blathering on about, boy?' Snape demanded, torn between curiosity and being offended.

'Hermione is practically in love with you. She hasn't said it in so many words; she probably doesn't even know it. But I know this time her leaving like that had something to do with you,' he answered quietly. 'Even though she barely comes around to visit and keeps to herself, I know Hermione. She is fragile. She can be hurt so much more easily than you would think.'

Snape listened as the younger man spoke, taking it all in and storing it for future use. Hermione's reaction to his horrible behaviour had been unexpected, and he now realized he had made a terrible mistake. How could a rare gem like her ever care for a man like him? He could understand how easy it would be to fall in love with her, but he had nothing to offer her. All that was left was an old, unused heart, a name that had been sullied countless times, and although he was well off financially, it was not something he ever wanted to build a relationship with another person on.

'Do you know where she lives?' Snape asked suddenly, surprising himself.

'She's never told us where she lives,' Ron answered, his eyes speaking volumes. 'Bill and Charlie have tried everything they could think of to try and track her, but even our owls can't be followed to where she lives.'

'I'm going to try and find her,' Snape said quietly. And he would.

Setting his mind to work immediately, he muttered a quick thanks to the Weasley boy and strode back towards the house, ignoring Albus and Minerva as they called after him. He went straight to the room Hermione had been staying in when she was there and began rifling through all the drawers until he came across a locked one. It took him mere moments before he managed to remove the wards on it. He slowly opened it and found Hermione appeared to have forgotten one of her books in her haste to leave the Burrow. Flipping open to the first page, he read an inscription that was written on the inside of the front cover.

Hermione,

It is your 16th Birthday, and your father and I are so very proud of you. You're no longer our little girl any more. We're going to miss thinking of you as our baby, but you are going to be such a wonderful woman, how could we possibly hold you back? This book is special to all of the women in our family, and I pass that legacy on to you.

Use the knowledge it imparts well.

Love, Mum and Dad

Snape closed the book and stared at the front cover. Pride and Prejudice. A small smile curved his mouth. He knew exactly what he had to do to find her.

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A/N – It's nice to be focussing on the primary pairing now. Thanks for reading.