RP: Books & Things

[shh_hermione]

Date: 14 November 2004
Character(s): Hermione Granger, Severus Snape
Location: Library
Status: Private
Summary: A chance meeting and a common goal
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_hermione]

After checking the area for possible danger, Hermione focused on her project. It really was quite awful. So many books were completely ruined, and others looked to be nearly as damaged. Why had no one put up a charm to protect them? Sure, it would be somewhat time consuming, but it was a simple spell that would have protected the texts from the weather damage.

Hermione sighed, dragging her fingers across the spines of the books and wondering if it would be worth putting up charms now. The damage had mostly been done, after all. There was still a chance that some could be saved, though, and it wasn't like she had anything else to do. After she gathered the books she needed, and a few for herself because, really, needed something to occupy her evenings, then she'd looking into putting up some general charms.

She scanned the section of law books, but honestly didn't have any idea what might contain information on parental rights and similar issues. Surely there was a family law section or at least a book with that in the title. She was reaching for a book on a higher shelf when she heard shuffling above her. She gripped her wand tightly and whispered, "Nox", before silently making her way to the staircase.

[shh_severus]

Someone was down there. He saw the light go out. Severus knew he should Disapparate immediately but after last night, he was spoiling for a fight. It had been too long with no source to vent his energy and frustration.

With his most menacing tone, he called out, "Show yourself!"

[shh_hermione]

Hermione saw a dark shape at the top of the stairs. For a moment, she considered a well aimed curse that would knock whomever it was off balance. Only the knowledge that they'd then roll down the stairs and possibly injure themselves kept her from giving in to the impulse.

Instead, she murmured the words of a spell she'd learned during their travels. With a flick of her wand, a burst of light illuminated the figure at the same time a familiar voice spoke. "Bugger," she muttered, glad that she'd not knocked him down the stairs after all.

She was still hidden and smiled slightly as she levitated several nearby books and sent them flying up to dance around Snape. "What if I don't want to?" she called out in a low voice before carefully moving away from where she'd been standing.

[shh_severus]

Severus cursed as the light slammed into his retinas, damned near blinding him. Ah. It was Granger. He should have sodding well guessed.

Flicking vicious finites at the books, Severus walked down the stairs as if he could see perfectly well. Never show the enemy your weakness. The girl had cleared developed more of a spine than was necessarily good for her in her travels. He'd noticed it during their brief moments of contact over the last year, and it was in ample evidence again tonight.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded haughtily, as if he'd caught her in the restricted section of Hogwarts' library without a pass.

[shh_hermione]

"Well, Professor, this is a library," she pointed out as she stayed in the shadows, "which would make one logically assume that I'm here for a book."

Since she wasn't entirely sure if he'd start flinging out hexes, she remained alert. She murmured a charm that would remove the effects of the illumination charm, keeping her voice quiet so he'd not necessarily hear her end it.

"Since I assume that you're here for a book, too, I won't bother asking," she added, hoping that his sight was better. She'd not have cast the simple light charm if she'd known the identity of the person on the stairs. It wasn't a dangerous charm at all and merely acted as a flash of a camera might, but, after what happened to poor Shacklebolt, she was trying to think before acting.

[shh_severus]

It took only a few moments for Snape to readjust to the darkness, cursing the girl under his breath the whole time. Picked up some interesting new spells in her travels, had she? Part of him itched to learn just what she knew, but pride would never allow him to ask.

"Yes. I too am here for reading material," he said, voice soft and silky. "This building is liable to come crashing down upon our heads at any moment. I wish to liberate those books that aren't already beyond repair before that occurs."

[shh_hermione]

"The building is in terrible shape," she agreed, finally moving from where she'd been lurking in the shadows. She remained cautious, knowing that Snape was unpredictable but assuming he'd not directly hex her.

"And no one has bothered to put up any protection charms," she added with a slight scowl. "There are a lot of books that are damaged to the weather, which is just a shame. While the building is a mess and, as you suggested, most likely to collapse at any time, the books could have been treated much better."

She sighed. "Of course, the war was raging and people were fighting or dying, so books weren't very important in the scheme of things," she said softly. "I considered putting up some protection charms once I found what I came for, but perhaps it would be best to move them somewhere safe until the building can be rebuilt. They're only Muggle books, of course, so people might not be too concerned."

[shh_severus]

"Some of them are salvageable," he said softly, thinking of the pile waiting for him upstairs. It occurred to him that he might not be able to make off with all of the important books before the building collapsed or they became so damaged that it wasn't worth it.

"Protection charms on all of these books would be time consuming work for one person," he murmured. "Some of them are garbage, of course, but some are worth saving. I do not think that moving them all at this late an hour, and with no clear destination readied for them, is feasible." He glanced at her uneasily. Severus Snape was neither a people person nor a team player, but the thought of losing the books grated at him more than proposing a deal.

"Should we wish to place them under protection charms this evening, it would take no more than two hours with two people applying the charms. Then they could be moved at our leisure." He watched sharply for her reaction.

[shh_hermione]

She nodded. "Quite a few areas were protected from outright rain and snow, but the air has still worked some damage," she said. "I was able to find several the last time that were barely damaged."

"Yes, they are time consuming. Fortunately, I have trouble sleeping and need something to do," she said with a shrug. She looked at him carefully when he continued speaking.

"With both of us working on it, it would definitely be done within two hours," she said confidently. "It would probably be easiest and less time consuming this evening if we just charmed them all, then worried about sorting and moving at another time. We can add a layer to the charm to protect them from the crumbling building, too, just in case. It seems relatively solid at the moment, but I noticed two walls that are barely staying up."

[shh_severus]

Severus had trouble sleeping as well, though he wasn't about to tell her that.

"We will work in tandem, then," he agreed. "It will be somewhat complex, as each book will need to be done individually for the fullest protection, though I suppose we could charm a shelf at a time for speed. If any of the books are removed, it might make them more vulnerable, however." He arched a brow challengingly at her. "I've the time and energy to do each book individually, if you have the stamina not to cut corners as well."

[shh_hermione]

"When I do something, Professor, I like to do it right," she said simply. She was thinking about the sections and analyzing the process to figure out the most productive use of their time.

"Actually, if we do each book at once," she mused, "we can go ahead and sort this evening. If something is too damaged to save, we can levitate it to a designated area so it's out of the way when we're ready to move those we've saved."

"It might take a little longer, but I'm game if you are," she said casually. She was rather pleased that they'd not only protect them but sort as well.

[shh_severus]

"A not altogether ridiculous suggestion," Severus murmured, his analytical brain already cataloguing everything he saw. "Unsalvageable can go on this table." He rapped the long, empty table with his knuckles.

Letting his wand slide into his ready hand, Severus stepped forward with more eagerness than was perhaps necessary. He hadn't had the chance to do concentrated magic for a long time, and this was the perfect opportunity. And Granger, he had learned over the last year, was almost tolerable when not accompanied by her goonish friends. He could only pray that she would take his cue and work in silence.

[shh_hermione]

"Of course it's not. It was my suggestion, after all," she said with just a ghost of a smirk. She glanced at the table and then at the nearest stacks.

"I think the table isn't quite big enough. Out of five books I chose the other day, two were unsalvagable. If we apply those percentages to the entire library, though, actually we'd need to increase the estimate for the upper level due to the areas of roof damage and their proximity to the worst of the weather, well, I would suggest that we might wish to start upstairs and move the salvagable items down here, then switch once we've completed it."

She looked at him curiously. "What do you think, Professor?" she asked. Once they had their plan of action determined, they could work rather quickly, she figured.