Severus' Sacrifice parts 1 & 2

[madeleone]

Title: Severus' Sacrifice
Word Count: 100x6 and 100x13
Rating: PG 13 (a bit of strong language)
Challenges:  malfoy the suitor challenge
Characters: Hermione, Severus, Lucius
Authors Note: It all belongs to JKR, I'm only playing for a bit, I make no money here. This work is unbeta'd all mistakes are my own.

 

 

She sat at a table in Flourish and Blotts autographing copies of her latest book. Her fans were many as the line led back through the shop and out the door.

 

He was entranced by the little witch, his son's nemesis at Hogwarts, Harry Potter's best friend and as everyone knew the brightest witch of her age. She'd been a thorn in the side of the MOM unwilling to become a poster girl for their post war policies. She'd refused the high profile job created just for her, instead continuing her education with a dual major in potions and history.

 

~*~

 

She'd apprenticed with his old friend Severus and they'd eventually become a couple spending three years together. But rumor had it there'd been trouble in paradise, they had split nearly a year ago. Lucius had been biding his time waiting to see if the two would reconcile but so far no sign of that of that happening.

 

He had to make his move before someone else snatched the prize away from him. He hadn't wanted to encroach on Snape's territory but, damn, if the man was determined to let her go Lucius planned to take advantage of the situation.

 

~*~

 

The line finally diminished and as she gathered her belongings he approached her. “Miss Granger.”

 

“Mr. Malfoy, fancy meeting you here. What can I do for you? You're surely not here for an autographed copy of my book.”

 

“Firstly, you can call me Lucius. Secondly, I did come here specifically to see you, although not to request an autograph.”

 

“Really? Well, I must say I'm intrigued. If I'm to call you Lucius, then you must call me Hermione.”

 

Very good, Hermione. Tell me, are you intrigued enough to be my guest for drinks and dinner?”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Six weeks later Severus Snape stormed into Lucius' office at Malfoy Inc. “Lucius, What the fuck do you think you're doing?”

 

 

Looking up, Lucius leaned casually back in his chair and drawled, “Well good to see you too, Severus. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

 

 

 

 

 

“What are you doing with Hermione, you lecherous Slytherin?”

 

 

 

“Not that it is any concern of yours, but we are getting to know each other. Actually, we've found a great deal of common interests: books, history, current events, politics, travel. I’m attracted to her and I think she reciprocates my feelings.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

 

“I let her go because I wanted her to have a chance for happiness, to meet someone else. Not so she could end up with the likes of you.”

 

 

Lucius leaned back and surveyed his old friend. “So let me get this straight. You had her, but you let her leave. Your decision, not hers?”

 

 

 

 

“We’d argued, she left me. I didn’t pursue her, I thought it best to let her go.”

 

 

 

“Hmmm... I'd wondered, she never speaks of you.” Lucius considered for a moment. “So you didn't want her, but now you don't want me to have her either.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“I wanted her happy. Not with an old man like me, and certainly not you!” Severus roared.

 

“So you gave her up for her own good, in spite of what she wanted?”

 

“She asked me to marry her. I couldn't let her tie herself to me, she deserves so much more.”

 

“Then you're a fool, Severus. She offered you love and you broke her heart. I won't make the same mistake, you can be damn sure of that.”

 

“I'll fight you on this Lucius.”

 

“Then prepare for battle, Severus. I”m not walking away.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“You can't possibly be serious,” Severus snarled. “Hermione's a brilliant, complex, sexy, wonderful woman. She deserves so much better than old washed up Death Eaters like either of us.”

 

“Speak for yourself, Severus. That's been your mistake in this whole fiasco. You are trying to think for her, make decisions for her. She is a brilliant woman who can make her own choices; she certainly doesn't need you to do that for her.”

 

Pulling out his wand to hex Lucius, Severus found himself face to face with Lucius' own wand. “I am warning you Malfoy...”

 

~*~

 

 

“No... I'm warning you Snape, you've gone too far.” Lucius assumed a defensive stance and cast a stunner Severus' way.

 

He readily dodged it countering with a triple stinging hex, which Lucius was able to avoid. Shooting back at Severus with a Diffindo which was easily blocked with Protego. Both continued shooting spells at each other with gradually increased intensity in both the strength of the spell and the damage that could be incurred with a solid strike.

 

“Stop!” cried a voice.

 

Both wands aimed simultaneously at the doorway barely avoiding firing at the angry witch standing there.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Just what the fuck is going on here!” Hermione stood in the doorway to Lucius' office with a shocked look on her face. “Both of you better put your wands down right this instant and explain to me exactly what the hell is going on here.”

 

 

They just looked at each other then back to Hermione, no one spoke. “Well?” Hermione waited patiently for one minute... two... “If someone doesn't damn well start explaining this to me soon I'm going to make use of my own wand, and I can guarantee neither of you will care much for the results.”

 

 

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

They both slowly lowered their wands, Lucius finally broke the silence. “I think you really need to speak with Severus.”

 

“And what is it we need to speak about? Severus?”

 

Severus cleared his throat, looked as if he would speak but hesitated. Finally he said gruffly, “This is neither the time nor place for this discussion.”

 

“I want to know why I just found two men, friends, who've known each other for longer than I've been alive, ready to hex each other into oblivion. Can either of you provide me with the answer to that question?”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Lucius stalked forward and snaked an arm around Hermione's waist, causing Severus to stiffen in reaction. Pulling her close to him he spoke softly in her ear. “He's not going to talk in front of me. You must meet with him somewhere neutral to resolve these issues.”

 

“What issues, I don't understand.” She looked at him quizzically.

 

“The issues he has with us, you and me, being together.”

 

Hermione surreptitiously glanced back to Severus and was nearly floored by the look of longing in his eyes.

 

“Meet at my home, five o'clock,” she said bluntly.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Promptly at five she opened her door admitting Severus to her cottage. She had tea laid out and they sat at the table. Absolutely nothing was said for several minutes.

 

 

Finally Hermione broke the silence. “Well?”

 

 

 

“I've missed you, luv,” he replied softly.

 

 

 

“I missed you too, for a very long time. But I finally got over it.” He looked hurt by her statement. “That is what you wanted, right? You let me leave, it broke my heart. You wanted me to start over with someone else? Well, that's what I‘m doing, Severus. I'm finally starting over, it feels good”

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

 

“With Malfoy?” he sneered the name. “He's no better choice for you than I.”

 

“It's not your choice is it? It's mine.” She paused looking at him with her heart in her eyes. “You didn't come for me. I thought you‘d at least talk to me.”

 

 

 

“Hermione...”

 

 

 

“Explain it, Severus. Please make me understand.”

 

 

 

“I wanted you to be happy...”

 

 

 

“Happy! We were together nearly three years, Severus. I was in love with you, enough to ask you to make a commitment to me, marry me, stay with me forever. It doesn't get much fucking happier than that, you idiot!”

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

 

“I cared for greatly you, but I was… frightened. I couldn't see how... why you would want me. I thought it best to let you go, to find someone else, someone who deserved you. I never expected you to chose Lucius.”

 

 

She sighed, “You're like an old dog with a bone, Severus. You didn't want me for yourself, but now you don't want anyone else to have me either.”

 

 

 

 

 

“I did want you then, Hermione, I still do. But I felt like I didn't deserve you. I'm so much older and I have done many things horrible I now regret.”

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

 

“I wish you had talked to me, Severus. Explained how you felt.”

 

“I thought at the time I was doing the right thing, for you.”

 

“It wasn't your choice to make. I left because I thought we had no future, that you’d never love me. You shattered my heart, Severus, and made me miserable. And now just as I am finally starting to feel alive again you storm back into my life and try to start making my decisions for me. You can't run my life Severus, I refuse to let you.”

 

 

 

“But... Malfoy, Hermione? Why Lucius of all people?”

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

 

“I don't know, Severus. Maybe I'm just an old soul, that's what my Mum used to say about me. An only child raised by older parents, I've always been surrounded by adults even when I was a young child. I'm not attracted to boys... men my own age. Even now they just seem so immature, uninteresting to me. When Lucius asked me out it was completely different. For the first time since we broke up I had someone I could talk to about things I found interesting: potions, history, my latest book, his business, world affairs, any number of things.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Maybe I'm simply doomed to be attracted to much older, Slytherin, former Death Eaters”, she said with a laugh.

 

Leaning forward he held her hand in his and asked, “I'm sorry, I know I was wrong. I want you to come back, Hermione, to try again. Please... say it isn't too late for us?”

 

Pulling away and looking into his eyes she sighed again. “If I were to say I didn't feel anything for you still, that would be a lie, Severus. But 'I'm sorry', doesn't make it all better. You hurt me so very badly.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“So that's it, I've cocked it up and it's over.”

 

“No, Severus. I didn't say that. I just don't think I can jump back into our relationship where we left off.”

 

“Then where do we start, Hermione?” he asked softly.

 

I don't know, maybe we need to start at the beginning. We aren't engaged, significant others, roommates, or even a couple at this point. We're just two people getting to know each other.” She tried unsuccessfully to blink back tears. “You devastated me when you ended it. Honestly, it would kill me to go through that again.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“I'm willing to do whatever it takes, luv.”

 

“I need to be able to trust you again, Severus, with my heart. And I'm not giving up my friendship with Lucius. You'll just have to learn to deal with your jealousy.”

 

“I'll have to work on that. But I'll manage it somehow. I know I was wrong and I intend to woo you back, I'll court you, whatever it takes. I'll prove to you that I deserve you.”

 

“Oh Severus. That was never, ever a question in my mind. But you need to believe it for yourself.”