The Arrangement

A Working Relationship

Disclaimer: All canon characters are the property of JK Rowling and those with whom she has agreed contracts. This story was written for practice not profit.

The Arrangement

"Severus! It's no good you carrying on protesting. My mind is quite made up. You are to have an assistant."

"Headmaster..."

Albus held up his hand. "Stop fighting it, Severus. You're wasting your breath. I have heard both of your points several times over. You feel that an assistant would be under your feet and that you would be inconvenienced and endangered by working so closely with someone else. These are valid points, my boy, and I have taken them into consideration whilst making my choice."

"You've already chosen someone?" he replied, in an outraged tone.

"Indeed I have. She is going to work part time in the evenings and at weekends and you may delegate responsibilities as you think best. I would suggest you allow her to grade papers for the Lower School and perhaps brew potions for the Infirmary. That will give more time to concentrate on your research and to answer Voldemort if he calls you in the evenings."

"How do you suggest I keep my comings and goings a secret with some curious female haunting my lab?"

"You need have no secrets from Hermione, Severus. She is well aware of your role in this conflict as are all key members of the Order."

"Tell me you don't mean Hermione Granger!" he said in horror.

"Of course I mean Miss Granger, Severus. She's the obvious choice. She is more than competent enough to brew basic Infirmary potions and do any other odd jobs for you."

"We don't get on. She'll have me as a captive audience trapped in here night after night. She'll drive me mad with all her questions."

"Severus, you can't continue to judge the girl on what she was like as an eleven year old. She's a young woman now and the most promising academic mind to come through Hogwarts since you were a student here."

"She has a good memory; I'll give her that much."

"If you paid proper attention to her you would see that there's a great deal more to her than that."

Severus grunted. Albus resisted the urge to laugh at him.

"Severus! I simply cannot allow you to carry on burning the candle at both ends in the way you have been. You're tired and you're irritable and you are increasing the pressure on yourself by your stubbornness. You cannot carry on like this. You are too important to me for me to allow it."

"I can manage," he protested.

"No, Severus, you can't. You are a powerful wizard but I don't want you going to Voldemort when you're too exhausted to keep him out of your head. You put yourself in great danger for us and you do so without complaint. I will do all I can to keep you safe, whether you like it or not. All I will ask is that you treat Miss Granger with the same degree of respect you would reserve for any other competent colleague."

"She's a child... What about her exams?"

"She's the oldest seventh year, Severus. She came of age a full year ago now and she has agreed to defer her exams if necessary. She will continue to sit in on classes during the day so as not to arouse suspicion. I'm just asking you not to try to intimidate her in the way you do your students. She will come down here and get on with her work in a professional manner and you will treat her accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"

"As crystal, Headmaster. When is my torture to begin?"

"Miss Granger will be joining us any minute... in fact I think I hear her footsteps now."

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," called Severus irritably.

The door opened and Hermione stepped inside.

"Good evening, sir, Professor Dumbledore..."

"Good evening, Hermione," said Dumbledore warmly. "I was just filling Professor Snape in on the details of this new arrangement. I'm sure that you are going to be a great help to him."

"I hope so, sir," said Hermione eagerly.

Snape snorted.

"Isn't that so, Severus?" said Dumbledore.

"Yes," replied Snape shortly.

"Well I'll leave you two alone to discuss the finer points of the matter. Hermione, I'd like you to come and see me afterwards if that will be convenient."

"Yes, Professor, thank you."

Dumbledore left the room quickly, leaving Snape and Hermione standing at some distance from each other.

There was an uncomfortably long pause. Eventually Hermione broke it.

"Thank-you for agreeing to let me work with you," she said politely.

"I didn't agree to anything," said Snape brusquely. "My wishes have not been taken into account at all."

"I'm sorry about that," said Hermione awkwardly. "Nevertheless I hope you will find the arrangement helpful once we've worked out the details."

"I hold little hope of that. However I accept that in this matter I am bound to accept the judgment of the Headmaster."

"What will you be wanting me to do?"

"First and foremost, Miss Granger, I will be wanting you to keep your mouth shut. I cannot abide useless chatter and I will not be interrupted in my work."

"No, sir, I can respect that. Professor Dumbledore said you were working on something really important. Something that might help Harry when he has to fight Voldemort."

"That is correct. If I am to be successful in my endeavour I need plenty of time and space in which to work."

"I understand. I'll do some of the mundane stuff for you so you have time and I promise I'll be as quiet as a mouse. You won't realise I'm in the room. I take it we'll work in here?"

"I'm not sure that would be wise. This room is not exactly private and I can hardly pretend you're here on detention every night and all weekend. Neither would it be a good idea to ward myself inside with you. I view you as a child but there are others who seem to think you would pass as a woman, so it would give rise to gossip if we are seen to be seeking privacy. The same holds true for my office. I have a private lab, which can only be accessed through my own quarters. I will need to work in there. You may sit in the room alongside to mark and I'll put in a spare bench in the corner for you to use to brew for Poppy."

"So that's what I'll be doing? Marking work and brewing for the Infirmary."

"Yes. While you're doing that I will research and experiment undisturbed. I'll need to charm a Dicto-quill to reproduce my handwriting so no one knows you are doing the marking. I trust you are sufficiently acquainted with my character to produce convincing comments for the essays?"

"I don't think I'll have a problem," she said dryly.

"That's settled then. We'll start tomorrow."

"How will I get to your quarters? I don't even know where they are."

"There is a hidden door in here. I will show you how to use it tomorrow. As I have nothing set aside for you this evening I suggest you go and catch up with the Headmaster to reassure him that I am capable of behaving myself. You may stay behind after last period tomorrow. I take it Potter and Weasley know about this?"

"I haven't told them yet. I was planning to say that I was spending time helping Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall."

"You were planning to deceive them. Why?"

"They would make a fuss if they knew I was helping you and they'd keep trying to persuade me to have time off to watch Quidditch practices. It's just easier for me to pretend to be doing things they won't question."

"As you wish. I will see you tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Hermione made a move towards the door. As she got there she turned and said, "Goodnight, sir and thank you."

"Goodnight, Miss Granger."

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"How was he after I left?" asked the Headmaster.

"He was fairly reasonable considering. I mean you can tell he's not happy about the prospect of having to do his work with me around but he wasn't too nasty about it."

"I suppose 'not too nasty' is the best we can hope for at the moment. Please try and stick with him. This work he's doing could be the key to everything and I would be a fool to allow him to waste his time marking first year essays. He has to teach to maintain his cover, but I want to relieve him of as much as I can."

"I understand. I'll keep out of his way as much as I can."

"It is my hope that he will eventually allow you to help with the research."

"Oh but... I mean Professor Snape is practically a genius.... I couldn't possibly..."

"You have great potential in this field, Hermione. You are correct about Severus being a genius, but I am not convinced he cannot benefit from having someone he trusts to share his research with. Work with him, Hermione. It will take time but if he opens up to you at all, let him. At the very least his life will be easier for it. In a more unhappy scenario, he plays a dangerous game as a spy. If something were to happen to him it would be helpful for us to be able to understand his work and his thinking."

"I'll do my best, sir, I promise."

"That is all any of us can do."