Chapter Seven
Chapter 7 of 7
museymuseHermione Granger's business is failing, badly. When Severus Snape turns up and offers her a chance to save it, she can't believe her luck; but working with Snape brings a whole new set of problems. Written for voxangelus in the SSHG Exchange 2012.
ReviewedWaiting at the bank this time, Hermione found she was far more relaxed. She'd made sure to arrive there a good quarter of an hour early to wait for Snape, not wanting to be caught off guard again. It was busier than before, and she had to stand in a corner rather than sit. At five minutes to the hour, the automatic doors opened, and Snape strode in.
Her second thought was that it was impossible to properly make an entrance in Muggle clothes. It would have been far more impressive had he been wearing robes.
Her first thought was that Muggle suits really, really suited him.
She appraised him as he caught sight of her and approached. He had chosen to wear a charcoal grey suit rather than the options of black or black that she had thought most likely to be successful at pleasing him. The colour made him seem less stern, utterly professional, and although not attractive she didn't think anything could make Snape handsome except in his mother's eyes he certainly had presence.
"Hermione," he greeted.
She looked him over, circled him once, and then clasped her hands together. "Much better," she said, pleased. "You look excellent, Severus."
"I trust I am convincingly Muggle this time?" he asked, glaring at her.
"One hundred and ten percent." She beamed up at him. "I think we ought to be a lot more successful this time. Would you like me to handle things?"
"We shall see how it progresses," he said. She nodded, and they waited in silence for Matthew to appear. Hermione kept sneaking sideways glances at him, pleased at how well the suit she had picked out fitted. At last he shifted uncomfortably and then turned on her.
"Must you constantly stare?" he asked in a low hiss.
She started and blushed, embarrassed to have been caught.
"I was pleased with the fit of the suit," she answered quietly. "That's all."
Snape huffed and folded his arms, returning to staring at the bank employees until they scurried away. Eventually, he relaxed his stance a fraction. "The clothing is adequate," he said quietly.
Hermione patted his arm. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked cheerfully, ignoring the death glare that got her. "You have to admit, it's better than last time."
"Do not forget that the last suit got you a Ministry contract."
"Touché, Severus. Still, this one is more likely to get you a loan to start your business up the Muggle way, which is the more pressing issue. Now, don't forget to smile." She had spotted Matthew emerging from an office. Snape scowled briefly, but quickly smoothed his face to its usual impassive expression.
"Miss Granger? Professor Snape?" he asked. Snape raised an eyebrow at Hermione, who shrugged; she had made an effort, when re-booking the appointment, to mention Snape's title to avoid any issues this time. "My name is Matthew. Please, come into my office." He ushered them along and hovered as they seated themselves in the small office. As soon as the door had clicked shut and they were settled, he bestowed a helpful, keen, "please let me take your money" smile on them.
"How may I help you today?" he asked cheerfully.
Hermione waited for Snape to begin, willing this time to take her cues from him rather than forcing him to take a back seat. It's his business, after all, she had argued with herself.
"I am looking to start up a business and am desirous of financial assistance in getting started." Snape's tone was smooth and utterly convincing. "My assistant, Miss Granger, will be able to provide you with all the relevant information and paperwork in respect of the details."
The suit was her first shock of the day; this was her second. He sat back and motioned for her to begin.
"Right, of course," she said, producing the sheaf of papers from their last appointment, at least those which had emerged unscathed. "Allow me to explain..."
Twenty minutes later a slightly baffled Matthew was bidding them goodbye, wondering just why he had agreed to such generous terms on the loan. Hermione had a spring in her step, and Snape was looking at her with renewed respect.
"That was rather impressive," he said as they exited.
Hermione rubbed her hands together, satisfied. "I think that went rather well, don't you?" she asked. "You'll have plenty of start-up capital now for branding, advertising, and initial overheads like rent, bills, and wages. Rather kind of him, I thought."
"Are you sure you didn't Confund him?" Snape asked drily.
Hermione grinned. "Muggles respond well to confidence and the impression that the other person knows what they're doing."
"And Confundus Charms."
"I didn't hex him, Severus."
"He was certainly acting as if he had been hit by something."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just because you would, doesn't mean we all would. Now, we need to discuss your next steps. Would you care to come back to the office, or shall we get a coffee?" She could see the hesitation in his eyes and sighed. "Somewhere Muggle, Severus. I'm not going to drag you down Diagon Alley. We ought to be safe with a café."
"Very well. I trust you will select somewhere discreet."
Hermione wrapped her fingers about his arm and began guiding him through the Muggles, her mind recalling directions to a small café she had frequented with her parents before she had sent them to Australia. It was only a few streets away, so within ten minutes they were seated at a table in the corner of a small, cosy café. Even though he was dressed the part, Snape looked out of place, and Hermione had to restrain a smile at the sight of him sitting bolt upright in a Muggle café, eyeing the menu as if it were going to explode.
"Relax," she assured him. "It is entirely commonplace for Muggles in suits to discuss business in cafés, tearooms, restaurants, and other such places. It is also entirely unlikely that you will be spotted by any wizards."
"I am fine," he said, looking anything but. Hermione took pity on him and gave him a few minutes to compose himself while she ordered two coffees. When she sat back down, Snape was looking a little more at ease.
"You wish to discuss the next step?" he asked, still sounding a little stiff.
"Yes. I can handle some things for you notifying HMRC, for one thing but you need to decide on a location, staff if you don't want to run the store yourself, things like that. That's the more physical side of setting up. The most important thing you need to focus on now, however, is a company name, product names, and a logo. Without this we can't advertise effectively, and without advertising your business is going to find it more difficult to get off the ground." Their coffees arrived, and she busied herself emptying sachets of sugar into hers. "That part is much the same as if it were a magical business, except with more restrictions as the pictures, obviously, won't move. Have you thought of anything you'd like to use, or would you just like me to hire someone to help?"
"I'm afraid I have not given it much thought," Snape said, tasting his coffee warily as if it were about to explode, too. "I suspect you may have some ideas, however."
"Truth be told, I haven't given it much thought either," Hermione confessed. "I suppose for a name, it would be quite funny to reference magic in some way Enchantments, perhaps, or Practical Magic, something Muggles would understand. It'd be useful for advertising because you could play off the magic theme. As for a logo I would avoid any overt Slytherin motifs; if it were me, I would choose something that I find important my patronus, for example. In your case you could use a doe, or a lily..."
"A lily?" Snape's voice was quiet. "Why could you possibly believe I would wish to use a lily?"
When she glanced up from her coffee, she noticed that his face was white, his eyes like coal.
"Well," she began uncomfortably, "for such a long time Harry's mum was very important to you..."
"And you truly believe I wish to advertise my past failures in the Muggle world as well as the magical? Or that I would, in tribute to the woman I loved the woman I killed, Miss Granger demean her memory by using it to sell products?"
"I didn't mean it that way, Severus," she said meekly, half-frightened by the look in his eye. "I was trying to think of examples of symbols that may have meaning for you, and Harry said..."
"I will not discuss this further with you," he said furiously. "Potter may have chosen to gossip with all his little friends about the memories I foolishly imparted to him, but I will not indulge your curiosity by allowing you to pry into my past. This conversation is over." With that he rose and stormed out, leaving Hermione to stare after him and wonder what the hell had gone wrong.
It wasn't until Sunday that she heard from Snape again. She had spent the day curled up on the settee, re-reading all her favourite books and sighing every time she thought of the frustrating, complex, irritating Potions master who seemed intent on making her life miserable. Crookshanks, knowing when his mistress needed him, had only left her side once all day. It wasn't entirely altruistic of him; her nimble fingers had untangled any knots in his fur and were now stroking him into a half-asleep state.
"I just don't get it, Crooks," she mused, giving up on her reading. "What did I say? The man is impossible; he flares up at the slightest thing. I know I ought to apologise, but I don't even know what for." Crookshanks arched his back and gave an indignant mrrowr. Hermione laughed and pulled him closer.
"You don't care what I do, so long as you get fed," she teased.
Crookshanks wore a haughty look as he leapt from her lap and padded over to the window. As he reached it there was a tapping, and she glanced up to see an owl waiting patiently for her to let it in.
"Who'd be owling me at this time of night?" she murmured, letting the owl in and offering it a treat from the ready supply she kept by the window for the Prophet owls. It gratefully accepted the treat and stood still as she relieved it of its letter. The spiky writing was familiar, and she unfurled the parchment with some hesitation.
Hermione,
I wish to apologise for my reaction on Friday to what was, no doubt, a misguided attempt to further assist me in relation to my intended business. It is unfortunate that you hit upon one of the topics of conversation guaranteed to provoke an irrational response from myself, and I did not behave with the decorum expected. For this I sincerely apologise.
As you have no doubt gathered from Mr Potter's inability to respect my privacy even in apparent death, Lily Potter was for many years a guiding force for me, keeping me on the correct path when circumstances made it tempting to deviate. My feelings for her have, however, become somewhat romanticised by the media, and now I find that it is difficult to allow her memory the peace it deserves when I am constantly being pestered for, and I quote, "my side of the story".
My side is rather simple, Hermione. I ignored her wishes. I became a Death Eater. My actions led to the deaths of her and her husband and resulted in her son becoming a Horcrux for the Dark Lord. Thereafter, my time was spent atoning for my sins. It is not romantic; it is not a "fairy tale" as many reporters are inclined to believe. I committed a grievous sin and subsequently sought redemption.
Now that the war is over, now the Dark Lord is gone and Potter is free to live his life as he sees fit, I find that it is easier to lay her memory to rest. Lily, I feel, would simply be thankful that her son is now safe. Whilst I can never be forgiven for my actions, I have made amends to the best of my ability. During my isolation I have learnt that I am no longer living to fulfil her wishes, but to realise my own. However, I cannot escape the shadow of my past, even now. The public, the mindless masses, will not allow me to simply treasure her memory. Even now I must be a tragic hero, mourning the loss of the love I never had.
To hear you mention her name filled me with the fear that you were about to make the same mistakes as they. Now that we have established a cordial working relationship, I was loath to let it become corrupted by the public image presented by the papers. Yes, Lily was a large part of my life, and yes, she is still important to me. However, I do not wish the rest of my life to be defined by her, now that I feel I will have earned her forgiveness when I pass through the veil.
As such, well meaning as your suggestion was, I will not be using either a doe or a lily as a logo for the products. Indeed an otter would be more apt, given the amount of effort you are exerting to ensure things succeed. I am endeavouring to think of something suitable and will contact you once a decision has been reached regarding hiring a branding firm.
I trust this finds you in good health.
Sincerely,
Severus
Hermione clutched the letter to her and sighed, a few tears coming to her eyes. Now she understood. Snape had defined himself by Lily for so long. Now it seemed he wanted to be just Severus Snape. It had been insensitive of her to suggest it, innocent though her actions had been, and her heart went out to the man. It was a shame that when he was finally able to be himself, the world was refusing to let him. She vowed never to mention Lily Potter again if she could help it. There were millions of possibilities out there for marketing his shampoos, and if they were as good as his paperwork promised, she'd be buying them herself regardless of what picture was on them. She petted the owl, asked it to wait while she formulated a response, and scribbled quickly on a spare bit of parchment:
Severus,
Your apologies aren't necessary. I'm sorry for bringing it up, I realise now how it must have seemed. We'll find something suitable; perhaps we ought to take this week to brainstorm separately and have a meeting once we've come up with some ideas.
I appreciate the explanation, though you really don't owe me one! I promise I will give the topic a wide berth in future.
I am curious, though how do you know the form of my Patronus?
Let me know if there's anything I can do.
Sincerely,
Hermione
She watched it wing its way into the night and hugged Crookshanks tightly to herself, ignoring his protests, wondering if the world would ever be able to let him live in peace.
Hermione,
I feel a time of reflection upon certain issues would be appropriate at this juncture. We have been moving forward rather quickly and thus would now benefit from the opportunity to re-evaluate.
As regards your Patronus it was useful to be aware of the Patronus forms of everyone in the Order, thus allowing me to know who a message was from (whether it was intended for me or not). As such Albus kindly furnished me with as much information in this regard as possible, although by now Potter's stag is rather infamous in its own right. I was curious that an otter should be your form; you seem rather too studious and serious for such a notoriously playful animal. Perhaps it is a sign that you ought to take life less seriously and, for want of a better word, "frolic" more.
Please note that should anyone find out I said that, they will not find your body.
Sincerely,
Severus
Severus,
Never fear I like my body parts quite firmly attached.
I suppose it does make sense. Harry and Ron have been telling me to lighten up for years. If that is the case, however, I have to ask why a doe? Is it truly just a symbol of, you know, or is there another reason? I could suggest a few things but, I fear imminent violence if I do...
Suffice it to say that during our school years, a touch of the doe's gentle nature would not have gone amiss, and judging from the fact it hasn't changed, maybe you ought to try being a bit nicer?
I will of course be checking your response thoroughly for hexes, curses, etc.
Sincerely,
Hermione
Hermione,
For your sake and the sake of any progeny you have hope for, I will ignore your previous missive. Suffice it to say that were I still teaching at Hogwarts, your inevitably bushy-haired, hand-waving offspring would be in detention for the entirety of their schooling. I will freely admit to shuddering at the thought of future Hermione Grangers and implore you to think before unleashing the same on the world.
Sincerely,
Severus
Severus,
What a rude thing to say! I believe any children of mine, if I ever have an aneurysm and decide to have them, would be perfect. In fact I may go out and reproduce for the sole purpose of annoying you, although it would be better for me to sit back and wait for Harry and Ginny to get there first I'll give you three guesses as to what Harry wants to call his kids, but you really won't need all three.
I suppose it would depend on the father, in my case if I had stayed with Ron, they would most likely have had frizzy red hair and freckles, in which case they would hate me. However, to turn it back on you, yours would be sallow and greasy haired.
Oh god, could you imagine our kids? I do believe their hair alone would cause them to kill themselves before they reach maturity. I'm sorry, but the mental image of that has caused my brain to malfunction, so I will instead imagine hexing you in interesting ways as payback both for your comments and the mental images you have provided me with.
Hermione
Hermione,
Rest assured that I have no interest in having children with you, although I do believe they would at least be of above average intellect which is more than I can say for Potter. If he names his children James and Lily, I warn you now that I will leave my self-imposed solitude for the sole purpose of hexing him. It is up to your discretion as to whether you warn him or not; my preference would be for you to maintain client confidentiality, of course.
As for your so-called "mental images", it is your own fault for having an over-active imagination and for being a Gryffindor.
Severus
Severus,
What exactly does being a Gryffindor have to do with anything? I'll grant I do have an active imagination, but now you're just looking for excuses to bring up house rivalries. Don't make me start on the Slytherin jokes most of them are just crude, anyway. (I can't be the only one to learn of the basilisk and wonder if Salazar Slytherin was severely compensating.)
As sweet as I think Harry's choice of names is, I do believe client confidentiality is important either that, or I want to see him after you're finished. I'll leave it to you to decide which it is.
Hermione
PS: I have been assured that you will have internet within the next few days. The guide I prepared ought to be sufficient to get you started; however, if you have any problems, just let me know. I've also added my email address and phone number to the bottom you did get a mobile, didn't you? If not, let me know and I will sort it out for you.
PPS: DO NOT LET GEORGE WEASLEY NEAR THE INTERNET.
Hermione,
I assure you I am not an idiot. Mr Weasley is well aware that should he approach Spinner's End again, even with the best of intentions, he will leave missing rather more important body parts than an ear.
I did not believe you were the sort of person to make jokes regarding Slytherins and their "snakes". The euphemisms and innuendoes are entirely juvenile; I suggest you stop before you fall even further behind. One of the prevailing problems with Gryffindors is their inability to know when they are losing.
I have indeed procured a mobile phone and have forwarded you my contact details via what I believe is called an SMS. Please inform me should you not have received this.
Severus
Severus,
You are the only person I can think of who would actually type out "insufferable know-it-all" via text. Incidentally, that is the common term for an SMS message a text message should you ever find yourself in a position where you need to know. I have indeed received your number and promise not to abuse it shamelessly.
With regards to your other comments: if Gryffindors stopped fighting when they were losing, we'd all be under Voldemort's rule right now. Also, may I point out that you aren't exactly innocent on that front yourself?
Just saying.
Additionally, I have a house full of Gryffindors tonight for tea. If you insult us more, I swear that not only will I give them your mobile number so that they can bombard you with texts but I will also tell Harry you would be honoured if he called his first born son James Severus Potter. And you know he would do it.
Sweet dreams.
Hermione
Hermione,
You are a truly cruel woman. I did in fact suffer the most horrendous nightmares at the thought of my name being paired with James Potter's, though I believe he may have turned in his grave at the mere mention too. Perish the thought; I shall insult Gryffindors no more. Am I to be left with no pleasures in life?
I truly believe you do not want to get into a discussion about the war and your actions in it, Hermione. That way is fraught with danger; I must insist you turn back, lest I furnish you with a full and frank breakdown of the many times I had to ensure you were not caught through your own stupidity and even my efforts were not enough, as I'm sure you can recall from your time at Malfoy Manor.
It has often been suggested to me that I ought to apologise for not interceding once news of your imprisonment reached me. However, I will not do so. It was a war, and you were responsible for your own actions; I bear no responsibility for the treatment you received. However, should you see my godson again, I grant you full permission to take him to task for his actions and those of his family.
I would be grateful if you could provide me with your suggestions for the companies you intended to use for the branding and marketing of my products. I feel I am unable to find adequate material myself and would therefore like to pursue this route.
Severus
PS: You have house guests? What do you intend to feed them, cat food?
Severus,
Denying you pleasure is one of my sole pleasures. Leave me to it.
I never expected an apology from you for any of the actions during the war on either side, Severus. At the time we didn't understand but now I believe we do. As you said, it was war; we did what needed to be done to win. It is best left there.
I wasn't actually aware that I needed your permission to hex Draco Malfoy, though any curses you can recommend would be appreciated. Incidentally, did you know he was coming to see me before your previous letter? It turns out that after the press conference, the Malfoys have decided that my services are worth retaining. Dear Draco has designs on Astoria Greengrass, but she is reluctant to let him court her because of the stigma of his name. He believes that by investing in Muggle businesses, it will help convince her of his sincerity it must be love. Anyway, I am now playing the stock markets with a small fortune of Draco's money, and he hopes to propose to Astoria by the end of the year. Will wonders never cease? I'm sure you'll be proud of the fact that I didn't hit him, though I did give him an uncomfortable chair and poured on the guilt.
I have attached a list of companies and their websites. It will do you good to get to grips with the internet to look them up. Let me know if you have any trouble.
Hermione
PS: Unofficially, the third Friday of every month is "Takeaway Day". Stop laughing.
Hermione,
I do not laugh. I may, however, smirk.
I was not aware of Mr Malfoy's intentions towards your business, though his attempted romance with Ms Greengrass is well publicised. I am pleased that business appears to be taking off for you. As with all good ideas, it seems to have taken some time to find its feet, but I trust the future will be rosy for you.
I have attempted to investigate these websites; however, I admit to having difficulty with the email address provided by the Internet service provider. Please attend this evening after work in order to resolve the issue.
Severus
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Latest 25 Reviews for Just Business
50 Reviews | /10 Average
Hello. I just wanted to say what a wonderful writer you are. I hope you will continue with this story. i'm off now to look your bio up. Have a nice weekend. :)
I liked the brisk pace of the letters. I think their face-to-face encounter could be shaped a bit more for intensity,.. but nevermind.
I'm suspending my disbelief that HG can be so dense. I'm still not convinced but perhaps I can give her the benefit of the doubt that she was distracted with other things.
I loved the "Original Prompt" :D and i guess you must have too, otherwise you wouldn't have started this fan-fic!
I love the exchange of letters in the chapter. Well done!
The letters are truely fun, they both seem to exprees themselves so much better in the written word.
Two peas in a pod, it seems.
So I'm thinking the puzzle is that she fancies Snape. Crooks obviously approves.
Enjoyable chapter. Thanks for sharing.
Forgiveness and naked ladies. What a fun-filled chapter.
Oh my. Well, at least she got to air her grievances.
Snort...giggle..floppy...teehee
Enjoyable chapter. Thanks for sharing.
Great start with a suitably snarky Snape.
Epistolary commentary can be so much fun to write, can't it? ^_^
I really enjoy letter stories. :)
I am thoroughly enjoying the way this story is unfolding. Keep up the good work!
Glad to see George has lost none of his sprit
. I think Severus has been shocked into seeing sense at last, and now that the air has been cleared they can get on with business.
Aww, she's finally able to get over her guilt of leaving him in the shack. It was nice that he was so honest with her in that regards. And I bet he takes Granger out when he's alone and pets her and secretly cherishes having a little pet lol.
Poor Snape and evil George! Very much looking forward to the next chapter!
I do believe Just Business is turning into a friendship and I hope more in later chapters. the chapter was great laughter sorrow and forgivness, what more could you ask for.
Oh dear that could of gone better but how hilarious. :)
The mouse thing had me grining but the floppy had me falling about. LMAO
I love your first chapter.
C'est très drôle ! Very funny ! Thanks
Loved the update, it was smashing:-))
Great to see the update! I don't blame Hermione at all for throwing her hands up in the air and storming off. I really enjoy the characterisation of the boys and the Weasleys too. Looking forward to more...