Chapter 6 - Tea

A/N - Our ship is finally setting sail and Hermione and Severus meet! Thank you to my beta, Dreamy_Dragon, who has been so very busy but still finding time to be my mentor in all things grammatical. Not mine, no money, otherwise, I wouldn't hold down two jobs. Please review!

Chapter 6 – Tea

3 July

Hemione Granger

Severus looked over the note several times wondering what Miss Granger was about. Why she would seek his counsel was puzzling. Certainly McGonagall was a more effective mentor.

Snape placed the post on his mantelpiece. The fact that he had not immediately Incendioed it was surprising enough, but since many people did not voluntarily reach out to him these days, his curiosity was piqued.

Three days had passed before Severus decided that a reply was a necessary courtesy that couldn't wait any longer. Sitting with his quill in hand, he pondered in how many ways he could reply in the negative. 'NO' had always worked well in the past, but wasn't the past what he regretted? With every intention of denying her request, he began to write.

SS

~~SSHG~~

Hermione stared at the note in her hand. It had been over two and a half years since she had seen the scrawled penmanship, and she had never expected to see it again, especially as a concession to one of her requests. She already had an idea of how to present her intentions to Snape, but she was concerned she would never be able to convince him to agree to go along with those intentions. An afternoon was spent fretting and planning how to manipulate Snape into becoming her first public relations project. She would have to channel whatever Slytherin qualities she might possess to achieve her goal.

~~SSHG~~

The week went quickly. Hermione arrived early and stationed herself in Harrods bookshop, hoping to catch a glimpse of Snape when he entered The Tea Room across the way. Distractions surrounded her on all sides. After an hour of browsing Muggle books on business administration, she decided to make her way to her planned meeting without a glimpse of the man. Passing through the travel goods section to reach her destination, Hermione caught a deep breath of the designer leather luggage and satchels that far exceeded her discretionary income.

Hermione stated to The Tea Room's host, "You should have a table for two set aside – Granger."

"Yes, Miss, your other party has already arrived. Follow me, please."

~~SSHG~~

Severus sat at a table in a quiet corner of the room, surreptitiously glancing from behind his menu. He watched the host approach but could not quite see the person behind him. Before he had chance to prepare himself, the host stepped aside to pull out the seat for Miss Granger.

Severus almost did a double-take, nearly losing his composure, but at the last second, he politely stood as Hermione was seated. Was this the same swotty chit who had left Hogwarts at the end of her sixth year? This woman looked familiar, but so very changed. Instead of her school robes, this person wore a tailored navy suit with a white-collared blouse and brown leather laced oxfords with a one inch heel. Though her dress was conservative, her style and carriage conveyed a confidence which overshadowed any matronly characteristics. He was studying her face when she presented her hand in greeting. Caught off guard, he uncharacteristically shook it, setting her at ease.

This won't go well.Severus thought.Barely a year from battle, and I've dropped my guard. You're getting rusty, old man. Time to take control. Composing himself, Severus proceeded, "A pleasure, Miss Granger. You appear well."

~~SSHG~~

Grateful that he offered a painless ice-breaker, Hermione replied, "Thank you, Mr. Snape. I am very pleased you agreed to meet me. You also appear well."Does he ever. Hermione thought. She had never seen him away from Hogwarts. His Muggle clothing suited him well. Wearing cotton chino slacks pressed with a crease along with a crisp cotton button-down complemented with a loosely wrapped grey summer scarf, his pastel palette was the antithesis of the persona she knew. Wow. That's some reincarnation, she couldn't help but think.

After ordering tea service for the table, Hermione decided to make her proposal. At the last moment all of her prior planning was thrown aside. This man did not deserve manipulation. The truth would be her course of action. "Mr. Snape, I am certain you must be curious about my request to meet. I'm surprised you actually met me, and I'm very happy you did. I do value your opinion and hope that it will help me."

"Miss Granger, your request was unexpected. I'll admit, I have plenty of unused time these days and decided what better way to amuse myself than to see what's become of a former student's life."

"Well, Mr. Snape, I hope that I'm not here to be a subject of amusement. My goals are somewhat more sensible."

~~SSHG~~

Sensible, indeed. Severus mused. As he waited for her to continue, he noticed so many more changes. Miss Granger's adolescent features were a thing of the past. Her smug grin was replaced with a serious countenance. Her face displayed the resonance of past struggles and bitter acceptance. The wild, bushy mane was tamed to a wavy coiffure, pulled neatly back and secured with a pearled barrette. The brown eyes that had often directed a fiery glare towards him or his godson now projected a sad and resigned loss.

"Miss Granger, if we are to review those goals, let's put niceties aside. I've not traveled all the way here from Manchester for tea and biscuits. Proceed."

~~SSHG~~

Hermione cast a silent Muffliato before she began.

"Mr. Snape, I confess that as I was planning how to make my proposal, I originally wanted to find a way of convincing you to accept it. However, I admit those plans were not fair to you. I know that you have spent most of your life being manipulated and conscripted to fulfill someone else's agenda." Hermione paused to rub her left wrist. "I cannot in good conscience try to sway you to accept my proposal by using underhanded tactics. I'm going to take the direct approach and wait for your decision."

Gryffindors. Using too much breath to spit out the truth. She's smart enough anyway to realize no ruse of hers could fool me. Severus leaned back in his chair, crossed one leg over another, and folded his arms in front of him. She can keep talking and dig her own grave. This might be an entertaining excursion after all.

"Mr. Snape, I plan to begin a business venture. I have spent many months considering my future options, and reflecting upon my past passions, I've decided to open a public relations agency."

Severus was confused and not willing to admit he was unsure of what she meant by 'public relations.' Is she trying to facilitate illicit activities in public? "Explain."

Hermione began. "I am not certain, Mr. Snape, if you were aware of my extracurricular activities at school. I was always trying to promote a cause, beginning in my third year with the establishment of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare through my sixth year organizing and helping develop Dumbledore's Army. I cannot imagine living outside of the wizarding world, but I have decided I'll bring to it a Muggle vocation. Public relations, promoting products, people, even organizations, seems to be my forte. I plan to open the first public relations agency in a magical culture."

Severus recollected seeing a strange S.P.E.W. lapel button years ago and dismissing it as rubbish. He knew also that Miss Granger would have played a strong role in the DA and realized he should have known that Potter and Weasley didn't have the skills to organize and recruit so many members on their own. "Well, Miss Granger, you've already had success with promotion on an amateur level. You should certainly have at least a limited success with your skills, especially since you will have no competition."

At that moment, their busser brought a tea kettle to their table and began pouring the steaming Earl Grey. As he stepped away, their waiter delivered the tiered tea service, abundant with sandwiches, miniature quiches, scones, clotted cream, curd, and jellied biscuits.

Hermione waited for her guest to take a sip and put a quiche on his plate before she continued, "Yes, that was what I was hoping. It could be a revolutionary business. I'm not certain yet how marketing would influence the wizarding population. There is no established past performance to measure."

If this woman thinks she will change our attitudes towards house-elves, she is delusional. "Miss Granger, the best opinion I can offer you is don't. You will never change our culture's attitude towards house-elves, no matter how noble you consider your cause. I suggest you stay with an accepted vocation suited to your abilities, say in Transfiguration or Arithmancy? Certainly you haven't lost much time by pursuing a mastery in either of these fields."

"I am not expressing myself well, Mr. Snape. Long ago I accepted that my Muggle ideals did not transfer to wizarding culture, and it was unjust of me to expect our world to adapt to my feelings regarding house-elves." Hermione paused to sip her tea and compose her thoughts before she continued. "I suppose I brought up that aspect so you would know that I have firsthand experience with what works and doesn't work in the public relations field. My intention is to start this business and work on the marketing of other things: businesses, institutions, geographic locations, people, and so on. That is why I am looking for your acceptance of my proposal."

Severus was growing frustrated. "But why do you feel it necessary to convince me you need my acceptance of your choice in this endeavor? You've made no proposal."

Hermione took a deep breath, squeezed her left wrist and took a leap of faith. "Mr. Snape, I need your approval because I want to make you my first project. I want to change the public's perception of you."