Twelve

Thanks go to fizzabella for cheerleading and beta reading.

Lucius Malfoy closed the book softly, rose from his chair, and went to place it back on his shelf before he turned around to face his friend. "And you aren't going to offer for her?" he asked incredulously.

"What? Haven't you been listening?"

"I have indeed," Lucius said, seating himself across from Severus once again. "It's perfect. You're not looking for love, as you're still pining away for...I say! Don't glare at me that way! You know it's true."

"I am no longer pining away for Lily. I've made amends and did what I sought to do."

"If you say so, Severus," Lucius said in a disbelieving tone. "Regardless, you don't want love again. You've told me that. All you want is companionship, someone to have sex with on a regular basis. It sounds like that's what she is looking for. You wouldn't be expected to do any wooing, no lying about feelings. Everything is out in the open already. She loves someone else, and no matter what you say, so do you. It's perfect."

Severus sneered and wished that he could hex Lucius, a thought he had often. The man was just too smug for his own good. "It's different."

"How so?"

"She's... You know damn well how so! I'd have to put up with Potter if I made a marital arrangement with Granger! The only thing I want to see of him is his backside. He'll be coming round all the time...he and his wife and whatever brood they might have."

"Who cares?" Lucius said with a shrug. "Do what I do. Escape to your private study. You don't think I always sat round listening to Bella and Cissy's constant gossip, do you?" He smiled lazily. "Sometimes that can't be helped...your wife's family. Hmm. I do miss Rodolphus though."

"As do I," Severus said. "I should go to see him."

"As should I, but..." Lucius shuddered slightly. "When I left Azkaban, I vowed never to go back."

"I will send your regards when I go."

"If he'll see you."

"I know." Severus frowned. "I expect he won't, but I can try all the same."

"Think about what I said. Offer for Granger. It'll stop you from going through all that rubbish of meeting new women every couple of weeks."

"I don't think she's interested anyway."

"There's one way to find out."

"I'll think about it."

Lucius nodded and rose, going to the fire. "Drafty tonight, isn't it?"

"I was thinking the same."

"Bozzy?" Lucius called out.

Pop! "Master is calling Bozzy?"

"Yes, I need you to do something for me." Lucius strode over to his desk, wrote something down on a piece of parchment, and then gave it to the elf. "Have Achilles send this out straightaway."

"Bozzy will do as master bids," the elf said before popping away.

Severus felt suddenly uneasy. "What was that about? Why are you smirking at me?"

"Oh... that? It was nothing." Lucius shrugged and sat down, twirling his wand in his hand. "I just sent a note out to Miss Granger."

"WHAT?" Severus shouted. "You jest!"

"No. I asked her to meet me... er, you, at your home in about thirty minutes if she was free. I even included directions." He quickly flicked his wand, shouting, "Protego!" and was able to block Severus' hex. "You'll thank me later."

"Bastard!" Severus said. "Bozzy! Come here!" He looked back at Lucius. "You're my Secret-Keeper! How could you?"

"She'll probably be living there with you soon enough, Severus. Might as well get that out of the way, right?"

A moment later, Bozzy popped back into the room, his large, oval-shaped, green eyes wide with alarm. "You has called Bozzy?"

"Where's the letter?"

"Bozzy has done what master instructed. Achilles has left with the letter his master is sending."

"To whom was the letter addressed?"

The elf looked over to Lucius for guidance. When the man nodded in approval, the elf said, "Miss Granger."

"Damn it, Lucius!" Severus yelled, casting a thunderous expression at his friend. "You'll pay for this."

"No, my friend, you'll be paying me for this."

"Oh, yes, I'll pay you back all right."

Severus stormed out of Lucius' room and Disapparated angrily. What would he tell the girl? What exactly had Lucius written?

Once home, he nervously looked around, not wanting to give a bad impression. His house, as always, looked unkempt and shabby. "Fuck!" He quickly began casting charms that set a duster to dusting his shelves and furniture in the small sitting room, one that set the mop to mopping the wooden floor in the small entryway, and one that shelved his books in the proper place while he ran round picking up stray items he'd left to drag on the floor, such as a few stacks of books and writing utensils. After that was done, he conjured air freshener to rid the rooms of the musty smell of stale air and old books and then started a pleasant fire in his rarely used grate.

"I hate foolish wand-waving..." he muttered breathlessly as he slumped down on his couch. "However," he added, looking around, "it seems to have helped in this case." He didn't plan on asking Granger to marry him, so he was uncertain why having the two rooms into which she'd venture clean made a difference to him. He'd had Narcissa and Lucius over and never once cared about the state of his home. Why now?

Would the girl even come? It was a Friday evening. She probably had plans...might even be meeting with one of her other matches to see if they were suitable.

"I should have never gone to Lucius' house this evening, and I damn well should..." A knock on the door interrupted his words. Bloody hell!

On the way to the door, he thought about all the ways he'd like to punish Lucius for his meddling. There was another impatient knock before he could get there, but he still took the time to smooth down his hair before cracking the door slightly. He then tossed the door open and yelled, "You! What are you doing here?"

Lucius smirked and barged his way inside, tossing a parchment to Severus as he did so. "It seems she sent a reply with Achilles, and he brought it to me instead of to you." As Severus read the note, Lucius made a show of looking around and sniffing the air. "Do I detect a lemony-scent in the air, Severus? You've been doing some cleaning, haven't you? My, my. Whatever does this mean?"

"Shut up, arsehole," Severus bit out. "I've got to go."

"Where to? What's she have to say?"

"I'm surprised you haven't read it."

"I should have," Lucius retorted. "Where are you going? Come back here!"

Severus heard the last as he slammed his front door behind him and trotted off towards his Disapparation point, quickly passing through the rundown homes in his neighborhood.

Hermione paced before her fire, contemplating what Severus Snape could want with her. Did he think that the chat they'd had was not enough of a meeting to discuss their strange match on the agency's list? She'd just have to reassure him that she wouldn't try to hold him to anything and that she'd been about to write a response to say that none of her matches had worked out for her before his owl had brought his letter to her.

When he knocked on her door, she counted to ten, whispering, "Relax," to herself as she went to it. "Who's there?" she asked, though she knew it could only be Snape.

"It is I, Severus."

She opened the door. "Hello," she said, moving to the side and inviting him in. "I hope you don't mind, but I couldn't leave. I've got something simmering and have to check it every ten minutes."

He sniffed the air and asked, "Calming Draught? The last stage?"

"Yes." She smiled. "You're good."

"I'm a Potions master. I'm surprised you make your own."

"Well, I don't mind making some. I like cutting corners where I can. My parents raised me that way," she said with a shrug. "It's simple enough, just at this stage with the timer going off every ten minutes for an hour." She closed the door. "Would you like some tea or something to drink?"

"Ah... I... yes. Tea will do."

A chime began dinging.

"Blast. I'll be right back." She hurried off across the room and entered one of the doorways.

Severus walked over to some shelves nearby and looked at the knick-knacks she had lining them, along with some pictures. He recognized her parents, having seen them once when they'd taken her to Diagon Alley several years before. Most of the other pictures were of the Dream Team. He sneered and turned around. Her flat was nice and cozy. Definitely clean and feminine. Everything had its place.

As he approached her beige couch, he heard the distinct pop of Apparition in the kitchen. Had someone come for a visit? He walked over to the archway and peered in. To his surprise, he saw a house-elf putting a kettle of tea on. What was Granger doing with an elf? He backed up and quickly went to sit on the couch. Just as he did so, Granger came out of the room.

"Well, that's done for another ten minutes. I hope you don't mind, but I've asked Shorty to make tea for us."

"Shorty?" He knew the elf looked familiar! "Wasn't that the elf the Parkinsons gave clothes to?"

"Yes, the very same."

"How did you end up with him?"

"We came to an agreement." She perched on the cushion next to his and asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Yes, about my owl earlier..."

"Professor?"

He shook his head, having trailed away while trying to decide what to tell her. He opted for the truth...somewhat. "I was at Malfoy Manor earlier and speaking with Lucius. I told him what had transpired between us."

"The match you mean?"

"Yes. That."

"Oh. All right." She smiled when he said nothing else. "And?"

"And he thinks that perhaps..." He stood up and walked over to her fireplace, pretending to inspect the vase of dried flowers on its mantle.

"Shorty has tea," said the little elf.

Severus turned around gratefully and took a cup from the service tray. "Thank you," he said, nodding at the elf.

"Thank you, Shorty," Hermione said as well.

"Does mistress want anything else?"

"Not now. Thanks."

Shorty bowed low, his ears scraping the floor, and then hurried back to the kitchen.

Hermione took a sip of her tea and then blew the liquid in her cup. "Still too hot."

"Indeed it is." He placed his cup on the tray again and faced her. "I want to apologize for the owl earlier. Lucius had an idea, and he thought to be helping me by sending it in my name. I will trouble you no more. Have a good night."

"Excuse me?" she said, her voice shrill. "You're just leaving? And without explaining why you've come in the first place?"

"Well, I just thought it best. I feel quite foolish to be honest, and I'd rather leave before actually acting a fool."

"Please. Sit down. Drink your tea. I'd like to know what he thought he was doing to help. I mean, I can't believe the man would deign to send an owl to me."

When he'd done as she'd bid, he finally spoke, voice surprisingly steady. "Lucius thinks that you and I could come to some sort of arrangement, that the agency's match could work for us."

"Oh." She appeared to be at a loss for words. Hermione blinked and looked down at her cup.

Severus rose again. "See? This is why I wanted to leave. I should not have come."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say nothing. I shall see myself out."

Feeling ridiculous, he quickly left the gobsmacked girl alone, mentally cursing Lucius as he made his way home. He'd just made a fool of himself, and what was worse, the girl would tell Potter about it. That thought made him sick. What had he been thinking? Why had he even gone along with Lucius' scheme? He hadn't planned on it, but once he'd entered her home, he sort of thought, deep down, that the idea had merit.

He walked into his home, slammed the door, and threw his coat rack against the wall across the room. It felt good to take his anger out on something. He wished that Lucius had remained so that he could be the brunt of it. Severus whirled around when he heard a soft tapping on his door.

Surprised, he strode over and wrenched it open.