Title: Picture Perfect (Part 9 of 12)
Title: Picture Perfect (Part 9 of 12)
Team Name: Spy for the DE's
Word Count: 100 (x4)
Rating: PG
Challenge: Back from the Dead
Characters: Hermione, Severus
Authors Notes: Today's update is dedicated to geminiscorp who, yes, has been a very patient lass (and also for not putting on the mom hat ;D) I anticipate all the DEs punching the air in victory...
Also, beware the exposition! I'm sorry, but it couldn't be helped.
Part 8
Hermione came again the next morning, not having slept a wink. It was still too early for the students to have eaten their breakfast, so she decided to see Rose later. After asking the ghosts and portraits, she found Snape in the kitchens, again.
He was having tea.
“All right,” She said.
Snape looked up, politely curious, and gestured for her to sit.
“You go first.”
“Fine.” Hermione took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Shoot.”
Snape looked her straight in the eyes, all his attention focused on her. In a soft voice he asked, “Where is Rose’s father?”
“He’s dead.”
***
“How?”
“I don’t know… “ her voice faltered.
Snape’s brow knitted in concern and he gave her a moment to recollect herself.
“How young were you when you married?”
“Very. After the war, everyone was happy. Everyone was in love. Harry married Ginny right after. I made Ron wait. I wanted to take my NEWT’s first.”
Snape’s mouth quirked into a small smile at that, but his voice was still soft and cautious.
“And after?”
“He worked at his brother’s joke shop. I worked with St. Mungo’s. I developed healing potions. We had a flat. It was good.”
“And then?”
***
“The children. Our jobs were stable and we thought the flat too empty and quiet. One right after the other. Rose and Hugo. Ron wanted to stay at home and be a house-husband. Told me I was better suited as the breadwinner.”
She had a watery smile on her face, pausing for a moment to relive all the good moments of her life in her mind.
Snape was reverent of her private moment, but felt an odd twinge in his chest at the sight of how sweet those memories seemed.
“He ‘wanted’ to?”
“He fell sick. And he passed on.”
***
“I tried, I tried so hard to learn what was wrong. We ran tests, we conducted experiments, we tried diagnostic spell after spell… I tried every cure - I must have invented a hundred a week. But death wanted him too much and he just… drifted away… “
She drew her hands up to her face. “Well, you can surmise I had to stay at home to care for the children. I only worked on temporary shifts at the hospital to pay bills. I haven’t had time for lofty pursuits since his death.”
Snape snorted mirthlessly. “I don’t believe that.”
Team Name: Spy for the DE's
Word Count: 100 (x4)
Rating: PG
Challenge: Back from the Dead
Characters: Hermione, Severus
Authors Notes: Today's update is dedicated to geminiscorp who, yes, has been a very patient lass (and also for not putting on the mom hat ;D) I anticipate all the DEs punching the air in victory...
Also, beware the exposition! I'm sorry, but it couldn't be helped.
Part 8
Hermione came again the next morning, not having slept a wink. It was still too early for the students to have eaten their breakfast, so she decided to see Rose later. After asking the ghosts and portraits, she found Snape in the kitchens, again.
He was having tea.
“All right,” She said.
Snape looked up, politely curious, and gestured for her to sit.
“You go first.”
“Fine.” Hermione took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Shoot.”
Snape looked her straight in the eyes, all his attention focused on her. In a soft voice he asked, “Where is Rose’s father?”
“He’s dead.”
***
“How?”
“I don’t know… “ her voice faltered.
Snape’s brow knitted in concern and he gave her a moment to recollect herself.
“How young were you when you married?”
“Very. After the war, everyone was happy. Everyone was in love. Harry married Ginny right after. I made Ron wait. I wanted to take my NEWT’s first.”
Snape’s mouth quirked into a small smile at that, but his voice was still soft and cautious.
“And after?”
“He worked at his brother’s joke shop. I worked with St. Mungo’s. I developed healing potions. We had a flat. It was good.”
“And then?”
***
“The children. Our jobs were stable and we thought the flat too empty and quiet. One right after the other. Rose and Hugo. Ron wanted to stay at home and be a house-husband. Told me I was better suited as the breadwinner.”
She had a watery smile on her face, pausing for a moment to relive all the good moments of her life in her mind.
Snape was reverent of her private moment, but felt an odd twinge in his chest at the sight of how sweet those memories seemed.
“He ‘wanted’ to?”
“He fell sick. And he passed on.”
***
“I tried, I tried so hard to learn what was wrong. We ran tests, we conducted experiments, we tried diagnostic spell after spell… I tried every cure - I must have invented a hundred a week. But death wanted him too much and he just… drifted away… “
She drew her hands up to her face. “Well, you can surmise I had to stay at home to care for the children. I only worked on temporary shifts at the hospital to pay bills. I haven’t had time for lofty pursuits since his death.”
Snape snorted mirthlessly. “I don’t believe that.”