Ten

Same disclaimer as usual.

Thanks go to Fizzabella for the beta read!

Severus tossed the Ministry scroll onto the top of this desk and strode angrily to the window. Glancing out, he thought back to the conversation he'd had with Hermione Granger. What a fool he'd been! He'd trusted her to speak with the Minister on his behalf, to help right the wrongs that had been done to him, and now she'd done the same thing that bloody Ulbrook woman had been trying to do. Angrily, he went back to his desk, snatched up the scroll, and left the room.

He then pulled on his cloak and strode out of his home, intent on going to the Ministry. "I'll see about this," he muttered. The crisp air accosted him as he made his way to dark water of the river next to his subdivision. What was the girl's plan? What could she have to gain by placing herself as one of his matches? Was she as desperate as Brocklehurst had been? Whatever the reason, she would explain herself.

It didn't take long to Apparate to the Ministry and find his way to her office. Without bothering to knock, he strode in and slammed the door shut behind him, relishing when she startled and grabbed at her chest.

"Professor!" she said, gasping. "You scared me!"

"Good," he said, stepping closer to tower over her seated form. "Explain this." He tossed the scroll he'd been holding onto her desk.

She gingerly reached for the scroll, not taking her eyes off of him. "If this is about changing your answers, I was going to owl you this evening."

"Indeed? So you admit it then?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"Sorry? Admit what?" she asked.

"Stop playing coy with me! You doublecrossed me!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said firmly. "And... I would appreciate it if you would go back to the other side of my desk and have a seat. I'm sure we can work out whatever..." Her words trailed away as her eyes drifted to the open parchment. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Feigning innocence then? I suppose it's a coincidence that you and I have been matched!" He didn't appreciate that she thought she could hoodwink him. "Don't lie to me."

"I am not lying. You think that I planned to...what? You think I've done what old Ulbrook was trying to do? I assure you that she has been demoted and is no longer in charge of anyone's matches. I would never do something like that!" she said indignantly, rising from her chair. "There has to be a logical explanation for this," she said, shaking the parchment. "Will you sit down so we can get to the bottom of this?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he sat down and continued to glare at her. He met her eyes and couldn't discern any lies in them. Could it truly be a coincidence?

At that moment, one of the Ministry's interoffice memos flew into the room in the form of a paper airplane and landed on Hermione's desk. Before she could reach for it, it popped into the form of an envelope in a small puff of smoke. He watched as she sat at her desk and reached for it with shaky fingers and noted the Ministry's Geneamorological Agency's crest stamped on the outside.

Granger opened it and read over the contents. "It's true," she said finally. "You are one of my matches. The third on my list." She seemed genuinely surprised.

"You mean you had no hand in this?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Of course not. I'm as taken aback as you are."

Severus stood. "I... I shouldn't have come here like this, but I could think only that..."

"Only that I'd done something horrible. I spent so many years hoping to gain your approval, and you still think the worst of me." She threw the parchment onto her desk and leaned back in her chair. "I have no idea why we would be matched. I don't know that we truly have anything in common at all. This just makes me second guess the entire process. I mean, it can't be valid."

Straightening his spine, he said, "Don't worry. You would never be my first choice either, Miss Granger."

"That's not what... Oh, I see." She nodded. "You told me yourself that your answers were less than truthful. That explains it. As I was trying to tell you earlier, the Minister told me that he was certain you could change your answers since your matches hadn't been successful. I was going to owl you on my way out."

"That explains it then." He sneered at the woman before him. "I personally prefer redheads, but I mistakenly said brunette."

"Why? Why would you say brunette if that's not what you wanted?"

"I didn't realize that oral answers sufficed. I was simply reading through it and making snide comments as I did so. It... it popped away when I finished reading."

"You've got to be joking," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "I wondered if anyone would be foolish enough to do that. I never thought that you would be."

.

"As I told you before, I was angry and intoxicated. I wasn't thinking clearly. You forget that you are doing this by choice. I haven't one." He spun on his heel and reached for the door.

"Professor, wait."

He arched an eyebrow and turned back to face her. "Yes?"

"I didn't mean to insult you. If you don't like either of the other two matches this time, you are welcome to change your answers and perhaps get true results." She gave him a small smile. "I sincerely wish you luck."

Not sure what to say, he nodded. "I... I wish you well also." He turned back to the door, and instead of opening it, he spun to face her and seated himself in the chair again. "Why are you doing this? I don't understand. Is this some misguided attempt to join the less fortunate? Are you on some crusade to save the unfortunates like myself whom this agency is affecting?"

She sucked in a deep breath and said, "The truth is complicated, and it's a long story. I just thought I'd put my form through to see what results were yielded. To be honest, I didn't expect much, but I'd hoped that it might work."

"Where is Weasley?"

"At home I expect."

"You know what I mean." He gazed at her until he saw her squirm slightly. "You told me that you and he were no longer an item, but I wonder what happened that would send you in this direction."

"I can't believe I'm going to tell you this, but... I might as well." She shifted in her seat and began toying with her quill. "Ron asked me to marry him. I knew that it was coming, and I'd been thinking about all the reasons why we shouldn't rush into it. My main reasons were wanting to get ahead in my career, not wanting to marry just because it was expected of us by friends and family, and I wasn't ready to start a family." She shrugged. "We talked about it, disagreed on some things, and couldn't come to an agreement that suited each of us."

"Such as?"

"Such as, I wanted to wait five years before trying for a family while he wants to start soon." She smiled wanly. "I was a fool."

"How so? I see nothing wrong with someone wanting to try their hand at their career first. You've a long life ahead of you. Nothing but time, Miss Granger." Severus wasn't sure why, but he detested the thought of the girl being chained to Weasley and ending up like Molly.

"Time, as it turns out, is not on my side, Professor."

"How so?" he asked curiously. "Are you dying?"

"No, not dying, but I do have a medical issue."

"Have you been to a Healer?"

"Yes, one."

"Have you been to another for a second opinion? What is the condition? The field of medicinal potions is making advances each day."

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable discussing something so private with you, but I can tell you that there is no cure for this." She swallowed thickly before speaking again. "I have something that females get, and sometimes it hinders the possibility of pregnancy."

"I see." He gazed at her for a moment, sizing her up, before saying, "But you just said that you weren't ready for children now. Maybe it's just as well. You might never have been ready."

She snorted. "Of course I had to see this lovely little family while out for a walk, and I had an epiphany. I wanted what Ron wanted after all. I didn't want to wait. I thought it felt as though time were about to run out on me, which could be the case, mind."

"So, did you tell him?" he asked, honestly intrigued. Had the prat turned her out when he'd found out about her condition?

"I went to tell him, and he had company, a lady...one he'd come in contact with through the matchmaking agency." Her eyes stared forward, but she wasn't seeing him. She was lost in memory. "I knew then that my chance had passed, that she could give him what I might never be able to."

"And so you made the decision for him," he said mockingly. "How noble of you."

She frowned. "If you must know, I... I talked to him after Harry and Ginny convinced me to do so. We've decided that it's for the best that we go our separate ways."

"Oh..."

"Don't think badly of him. He tried to talk me into trying, but in the long run, I think it just wouldn't have worked, no matter how much we love each other."

"And now you're looking to enter into a relationship with someone while you love another." He curled his lip. "And you intend to try to bring a child into that if possible I gather? How would that be for the best?"

"I don't know what your interest in this is, but I just thought that maybe I could find someone who is looking for the same things that I am. At least the person would know ahead of time that children might never be possible. At least I answered all of my questions honestly." She picked up the scroll he'd given her when he'd entered and tossed it at his chest. "Unlike some people. This talk is over. Pl-please leave."

Her voice had taken on a slight tremor, and Severus feared she might burst into tears. "I will leave you then," he said, quickly fleeing before any sobbing could ensue. The last thing he needed was some frantic woman wailing about things that didn't concern him.

One thing that he'd previously thought had been confirmed however. Weasley was definitely not the fastest broom on the pitch, and the oaf had probably let the best thing he'd ever have going for him go when he'd let her walk out of his life. It wasn't until he'd got home that he realized that he might be the type of man she now sought. Why else would he have turned up as one of her matches?

"Well, she's right. I wasn't truthful about my answers." Puzzled, he went to the small sitting room and found a copy of his questionnaire on the rickety table. As he read over the answers, he realized that most of what he'd said hadn't been that far from the truth after all. "Granger..." he said aloud, realizing she and his ideal match seemed to blend with ease. He truly would prefer a younger woman, and he had nothing against her being a Muggle-born. Granger's body was quite attractive to him, as he'd always been fond of women who were built strongly. She was at ease in the Muggle world, having grown up there, which was the same for him. Her salary was probably comparable to his, if not better. Aside from his preference for eye color and hair color, Granger seemed to go along with what he wanted from a woman.

Shrugging away a feeling of uneasiness, he left the room and went down to his personal lab to check on some potions he'd left brewing. School would be starting soon, and he wanted his stores to be well stocked. While he worked, Granger's medical condition plagued him. What did she suffer from? Had Weasley given her some sort of sexually transmitted disease? He made a mental note to seek information in some of his texts that dealt with feminine complaints. Maybe something would jump out at him. Perhaps if he guessed correctly, he might be able to help her somehow. If she'd even want his help that was.