37

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN:

Hermione spared only a moment to feel awkward in the presence of her Potions professor before getting to business. "What happened?" she asked worriedly as she sat down on the couch beside her professor.

Professor Snape fixed her with a searching look, and she did her best to meet his gaze evenly. "Will you be telling your friends?" he countered, and she immediately nodded.

"Of course. Harry deserves to know why Sirius apparently wants a future version of himself dead."

Interestingly, Professor Snape flinched. "Yes, I can see what you mean. What precisely did Harry say to you?"

Hermione sighed. "Harry was sulking, saying that we should have been told when the missions ended, when Hames – we've been calling him that to differentiate between them – exclaimed "Excuse me for being busy! Excuse me for dealing with Minerva's near-death! Excuse me for my own godfather wishing I was dead!"... or something along those lines, at any rate. Then he ran away."

"I see," Professor Snape sighed in turn. "Black has been finding it hard to accept Harry – he cannot understand a godson who is a killer." He raised a hand to quell her protests, "his words, not mine. Harry IS a killer, but only by necessity. Unfortunately, while Lupin understands this, Black does not. In Lupin Harry has found support and love, but Black..." The Potions Master grimaced. "Last night Black and Lupin went on a mission together, and Black apparently nearly got them both killed because he was unable to take orders from Lupin, whom Harry had placed in charge." Hermione sucked in a breath, and her professor met her eyes with a grave look. "When they returned to Headquarters, Harry decided – and rightly so – that Black was a liability, and took him off the team. I was to take his place and work with Lupin, except that I was to be the one in charge. Black took exception to this, asking how Harry could replace him with me, and that he wouldn't trust me as far as he can throw me. Not that he could throw me anywhere," the man muttered darkly to himself. "Harry did the right thing and ignored the man – and when Black took offense to that as well, Harry said that he saw no point in paying heed to a child's temper tantrum."

Hermione's lips twitched at the description – she had always felt that Sirius was little more than a big child.

"Once Harry said that Black could either shut up or leave the room, saying that we others have a war to fight, Black quieted down for a while – at least until Harry had finished going over the missions for this night. After Harry finished by saying that he and I would be dealing with the Lestranges and asked whether there were any questions, Black asked, "Will the Lestranges survive you?""

Hermione gasped, her hands coming up to her mouth.

"Harry kept himself under control, merely saying, "Why Sirius, one could think that you want me dead," before apparating out." Then Professor Snape bared his teeth in an approximation of a grin. "I punched Black for speaking to Harry in such a way, telling him that the next time it happened I would ensure that he was incapable of repeating the mistake." To his surprise, the girl beside him nodded firmly as if saying that she would have done the same. "He asked me who I was to speak that way to him, and when I informed him of our relationship he scoffed, saying that Harry was incapable of love." Severus looked on in satisfaction when the girl surged to her feet with a growl, appearing ready to beat up Black single-handed. "Lupin punched him that time."

"Good," Hermione said emphatically. "I wish I had been there to do the same! Please tell me he's hurting," she rounded on her professor with a hard look in her eyes.

"Oh, I would say he is," Severus said with no little satisfaction, settling back against the couch. "Despite our appearances, neither Lupin nor I are weaklings. Lupin's parting shot was superior to mine, though," he said almost regretfully, "as he told Black to either grow up or stay out of our way until the war is over, as the younger Harry would surely be unhappy to lose his godfather."

Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm surprised that Professor Lupin could make such a threat – weren't he and Sirius best friends?"

"Yes," Severus said succinctly, "but Lupin regards Harry – what did you call him, Hames? – as he would a son. Harry returns that in full, treating the werewolf like a father. Oh, don't bristle so – I didn't call him a werewolf out of spite." Hermione blushed slightly under his reproachful look.

"Sorry, Professor. Old habits die hard."

"That they do," the man agreed ruefully. "However, I have nothing against Lupin. He is, as I mentioned, like a father to my lover. It would be remiss of me to be at odds with someone so important to Harry."

The girl's face softened at the admission, and she settled back down on the couch. "You two are serious, then?"

"Poor word choice," Severus muttered, glowering as he remembered the terrible pun that the Marauders had overused during their school days.

"Huh? Oh, for goodness' sake," Hermione exclaimed, giving him an exasperated look. "Answer the question, would you?"

"Is that any way to speak to your instructor?" Severus shot her a quelling look, but to his surprise the girl only pursed her lips.

"When I'm speaking with my best friend's lover, yes." They held a brief staring competition before Severus backed down, surprising himself at his willingness to get along with Granger. She was a loyal friend – and no longer as insufferable as she had once been.

"We are," he conceded quietly, unprepared for the bright smile that illuminated her face at his words.

"Oh, wonderful!" she enthused. "You two are so good for each other, and I'm glad Harry has someone now that he can't be together with his previous partner anymore."

Severus inclined his head. "I admit, I too am gratified that he has found someone now that Greengrass is unavailable to him." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he cursed himself, for Granger's eyebrows rocketed upwards.

"Daphne Greengrass? That's interesting..." Thinking, Hermione said, "I suppose I can see it... She's very intelligent, somewhat cold, but with a hidden mischievousness... And Slytherin, of course." Then she grinned at him and said, "You two are actually rather similar, no?"

Severus scowled. "Enough," he said, rising and making a shooing motion with his hands. "Out with you." To his surprise the girl laughed, the sound ringing out like a bell in his quarters. The second person to laugh at the things he said.

"Yes, sir," she said genially as she rose, smiling up at him. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Professor."

"When we are in private you may call me by my given name," he said after a pause, deciding that it hadn't been a hardship to speak with the girl. At her surprised look he said haughtily, "You are, after all, my lover's best friend."

Hermione beamed at him, knowing that the relationship was serious indeed if Professor Snape was giving her permission to call him by name. "Thank you, si- Severus. Please, call me Hermione." On a whim she curtsied, and grinned wider when her professor bowed in return.

"Hermione," he acknowledged. Then a smirk appeared on his face. "Do not inform your friends of the change – I look forward to their expressions when we call each other by name in front of them."

A playful glint entered Hermione's eyes, and she grinned mischievously. "Sounds good to me, s- Severus. Good luck tonight!"

"Luck is unneeded when one is sufficiently capable," the man replied evenly.

"Even so," she insisted, knowing better than to argue the point. "Your companions may need the luck."

Severus stifled a sigh. "Indeed, you may not be wrong. I shall see you in class on Monday, Hermione."

"Until Monday, then," she returned with a smile, turning to leave. "If I don't see Harry before tonight, please wish him good luck from me – that boy needs all the luck he can get, considering all the dangerous situations he gets himself into..." With that she was out the door.

"Well, that was... not terrible," Severus said to himself once the entrance had closed behind her. Perhaps it would not be such a hardship to get along with Harry's friends as he had feared.