You probably think I'm dead, but guess what, that aint true! I meant to post this on Valentine's Day because I love you guys, but well, that didnt happen.

So anyway, if you're here hoping to read the most unique and never-heard-of HP/SS story of your life, boy will you be disappointed. But if - like many of us - those cliche fics are your weak points, you're simply looking for some entertainment for a boring afternoon, would like to meet a Pureblood Prince, or watch Severus tackle many dilemmas of a courtship, and meet a butler (yes, there is a butler, and that alone should make you want to read this story) by all means, settle into a comfortable position, may it be on a seat on a bus, on your bed, on those awful chairs at school, in the lecture hall at uni, by your worktable, or really just a bench out there in the park, and let us begin.

The Mystery of Suitor No. 5

o.O.o

Chapter One: The Pureblood Prince

"I expect your paper on my desk by tomorrow morning, and mark my words, Potter, if you fail to do so again, Merlin help me, I will make sure you won't do anything else next month, just arrest muggle prankster."

"C'mon, Snape, I was late once! Once! And it was only five minutes! Kerouac got stuck in that damn toilet, not me."

"Tell your excuses to the portraits, I am sure they are more willing to listen. Go now, or I will put Kerouac on your cases."

"But-!"

"Kerouac!" Severus called for the previously mentioned man and a second later, a young freckled, blond haired boy peaked in the office.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get out, Cody," Potter barked at the young man.

Kerouac gave an uncertain glance at Severus, who just nodded. As the boy left, Potter looked at him again. His green eyes shined with hatred. Severus smirked.

"You're doing it again. There's something else. I know there is. You don't punish me for being five minutes late with a report that was about a case we had closed in about five damn minutes. This is about something else. What is it, Snape?"

It was about something else, Potter was right. Severus kept the smirk on his lips and did not answer. The green eyes darkened even more.

"What is it? Did I mess up your precious paperwork? Did I miss a step in your 'pursue-arrest-interrogate' method? Did I forget a deadline? Your birthday? What the hell was it?"

"It is insulting that you still think you can lie to me," Severus said as the smirk slowly turned into a sneer. "I have known you since you were eleven, Potter. What on earth gives you the idea that you can fool me, of all people?"

Potter's ears turned red. Severus huffed and turned his attention back to the reports his Aurors had filed in yesterday. On his part, the conversation was over.

"I didn't lie."

Severus stopped writing, his quill leaving a black blotch on the paper. He placed it gently on the desk and pushing his chair back, he stood up. Potter was leaning onto his desk and now, right into his face as well. He didn't pull back even when Severus drew his most menacing glare.

"You must have misheard me, because you know better than any of my other Aurors that I do not repeat myself. I said, you lied to me. That is a fact, Potter, I need neither your excuses, nor your explanations regarding it."

"I heard you perfectly, Snape," hissed Potter. "And I repeat myself, because you seem to be having some troubles hearing me: I did not lie to you."

"Miss Blake would say otherwise."

Potter reddened immediately. The blush was ugly on his skin. This wasn't the one he got when someone complimented him. This was the one he had after hours and hours of combat training.

"I'm glad you finally agree, Potter."

"I did not lie," he said again.

Severus sighed, this was getting tedious. "Keep repeating it, Potter and you might convince yourself."

"Cody did get stuck in the toilet that morning and he did hold me up, that wasn't a lie."

"And then, knowing that I was expecting your report, that I came in earlier, just because you asked me to, you made me wait, because apparently you and Miss Blake had an important chat about china."

"Are you angry at me because I spoke with one of my co-workers?"

"I'm angry at you because you made me wait. I'm angry at you, because you lied to me about the reason and I'm angry at you because you still have not learned your damn lesson: You. Do not. Lie. To me!"

An owl swished in the open window. It landed on the desk between them. Severus reached for the letter, examining the fancy envelope. It was light peach coloured quality paper, thick, but smooth to the touch. There was no name, only an emblem, he did not recognize right away: a prancing black griffin in the middle of a yellow and silver crest. Below the symbol words were written on a ribbon: Aeternam Castitate et Honorem.

Eternal Purity and Honour, Severus huffed, the words raising a red flag in his mind. He showed the emblem to Potter. "Have you seen this sign before?"

"No," Potter shook his head, "but that sounds Death Eater-y."

Severus rolled his eyes at the young man then turned his attention back at his letter. Carefully, he tore it open. Nothing dangerous fell out, only a parchment, same quality paper. He read through the letter, eyes getting wider and wider, heartbeat picking up after every impossible word. By the time he finished reading, his fingers covered his lips and his hand holding the letter was slightly shaking.

"Is everything alright?"

He looked up, suddenly realizing he wasn't alone. He gave Potter a nasty look as he asked, "Can you hear that, Potter?"

"Hear what?"

"That's your precious time ticking by. I would hurry if I were you. Kerouac is an ambitious young man."

Potter gave an irritated huff but went to the door and wrenched it open. "Not Death Eaters, it take it?" He looked back, something like worry lifting from his eyes.

Severus sighed, "Something much worse, I'm afraid."

o.O.o

The estate took away his breath. Ancient looking trees, as tall as Hogwarts stood proud surrounding the rock-strewn road. Far away they stood thicker and even more to the east they already formed a forest. Severus could see the edge of a lake, natural looking without the slightest artificial changes. Brown reeds like spears stuck into the ground lined the verge, but over them fully bloomed water lilies could be seen bathing in the sunlight.

Then they moved out from behind the trees and there it stood the most beautiful sight Severus had ever seen since taking the first glimpse at Hogwarts all those years ago. On higher ground behind the lake, looking over the beautiful green hills of the estate stood Griffinstone, home of Cora Prince, mother to Eileen Snape. The house was a large stone building with numerous windows on all the three storeys. In the centre, a slightly protruding gateway signalled their final destination. The arched doorway had columns on each side. Above the gateway two figures, Severus could not yet make out what exactly, held a pediment with the Prince crest carved into it, he was sure.

The classic Rolls-Royce was humming quietly, the chauffeur silent, ignoring Severus' gasps that he simply could not hold back. They drove around the lake, Severus' eyes not moving from the breathtakingly beautiful sight, but his mind wondering.

He had lived for forty-one years without ever seeing his grandmother, ever even hearing a word about the Prince side of his family and now suddenly, he had been summoned. Though Severus had never had a connection with the family, he of course, knew about them. He had researched his own family line back when he created the Half-Blood Prince, but there wasn't much information about them. He knew their blood status was Pureblood and that his grandfather had died long before Severus was born, but other than that, he barely discovered anything. However looking at the estate now, he learnt something that made him smile with something close to pride. Even if he was dead to the family and the family to him, he came from a bloodline nobler and wealthier than even the Malfoys.

The car stopped and before Severus could reach for the handle, the chauffer was out and on his side, opening the door. Severus thanked him then climbed out, looking up at the building that seemed now a bit more menacing with its grand height and adorned columns. He was standing at the bottom of the staircase which was guarded by two griffins on each side. Now he saw that the same griffins held the crest too, high above, beautifully crafted out of white marble with the attention to even the slightest detail. Severus wondered if they weren't in fact petrified beasts.

"Master Snape," called a voice and Severus turned to the black clad, fancy looking man who was waiting for him a few steps away. He seemed a little bit older than Severus, with black hair, balding already. He was lean and stiff, holding his chin high, looking stern and polite, just like the house itself. Severus took a liking to him immediately.

"Good afternoon," Severus welcomed him. "Mrs. Prince is expecting me."

"Lady Prince, My Lord, and please follow me." The man pointed towards the gateway. "My name is Benjamin Carlson, I am the butler here in Griffinstone."

"She might be a Lady, but I am no one's lord," Severus remarked quietly. "Do you know why I've been summoned here, Mr. Carlson?"

"That is, I'm afraid, not for me to say, My Lord."

Severus shook his head at the title, but followed the butler up the white stairs and through the gateway. The door was opened for him and Severus stepped through, this time expecting the grandiose sight yet nothing made him prepared for this.

Vast entrance hall lined with columns, perfectly symmetrical, showed a huge staircase that lead upstairs. The stairs were covered with red carpet but beneath Severus's feet was old stone, burnished shiny from the century long use. Carlson was striding through the Entrance Hall, so Severus only had a glimpse at the statues and paintings, or the stucco ceiling. Then they were rushing upstairs and Severus was lead to one of the many doors. Carlson went through first and announced him and Severus heard a quiet, "Thank you, Carlson," before he found himself in a brightly lit room facing his own grandmother.

They watched each other for a couple of minutes, silently, neither of them even trying to hide their curiosity. Lady Prince was old and strict looking with short white hair, piercing, almost yellow eyes and lips thin as razor. Though she was sitting, Severus suspected if she were standing they would be almost the same height. She was wearing silver robes, made out of satin. Her arms, crossed on her lap, were covered in black lace. She wasn't smiling, but then, neither was Severus.

"Thank you, Carlson, you can leave now."

"Yes, My Lady," came the response and Severus heard the door close.

Then a house elf appeared, carrying a tray preparing tea for Lady Prince. Severus waved her away, feeling his hands shaking just a bit too much to hold a cup in this state.

"Welcome Severus," Lady Prince said finally, watching him with hawk eyes over the brim of her cup.

"Lady Prince," Severus nodded.

"Ah," a fleeting smile crossed her lips and she held out a hand, "I am your grandmother, Severus, there is no need for such formalities. Cora will do."

Severus stood and with a little bow of his head, kissed her held out hand, "Cora, I am glad to finally make your acquaintance."

"Oh I am sure, you are," she chuckled softly and seeing through the lie right away. "You must know why I called you here."

Severus sat back and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm afraid, it's quite the contrary in fact. I haven't the slightest idea."

"You do not?" She asked surprised.

"May I speak frankly?" When she nodded, Severus went on coldly. "You disinherited my mother when she married a muggle. I am the son of a man you despised all your life and your daughter who you have not seen for almost half a century. You have not attended her funeral, you have not answered her letters, you have not spoken to her or to me, as far as I know. So, though I am honoured, no, I have no idea why you have summoned me here today."

"That was indeed rather frank," she sniffed with a small jerk of her head.

Severus didn't feel like correcting his mistake. "I did not mean any offence, Cora, and if you think I am angry or sad that you have not played a greater role in my upbringing, you are mistaken. I had no knowledge of you until I was sixteen, and even after I learned about the existence of the Prince family, it simply did not matter to me anymore. You were just a distant relative, please forgive me, but I have never thought of you as my estranged grandmother. We did not speak of you or your family, you were quite non-existent to me up until now."

"And do you wish me to stay non-existent?" Lady Cora asked stiffly.

Severus leaned back, somewhat relaxed now. This wasn't just a social call. The Lady wanted something. Which meant, Severus had the upper hand. "You must know that I find this an honour, Cora. I would have visited you sooner if I had known I was welcomed."

She exhaled slowly. "Severus, you are my grandson, you are-"

Severus held up a hand and made her stop, which, given her astounded look was something no one had ever done. "Cora, if I were truly your grandson, you would know that I prefer honesty to deceit. Or at least, do not insult me with lies so transparent."

"Spoken like a true Prince, my sweet child," smiled the Lady and Severus had the impression that she seemed proud there for a second.

"Am I?"

"The Prince blood is in your veins, Severus. No one can deny that."

"So is the blood of a muggle. Eternal Purity and Honour; isn't that your motto?"

"Oh sweet child, our family would have long died out if we did not mix. Your great-great-grandfather was a muggle too. Our problem with Eileen wasn't that she married a muggle, it was that the muggle was powerless, poor, brutal and beneath her in every possible way. If she married a rich muggle we wouldn't have said a word. Oh don't you look so surprised, Severus. You are friends with the Malfoys, surely you know our ways."

Severus forced a polite, small smile on his face, "Not to this extent, I'm afraid."

"I did not call you here to argue, Severus. What is done, is done. It is in the past. Do I regret sending away Eileen, my only child? Yes. Do I regret not searching out my only grandson? Yes. Can I undo the past? Not quite, but I can… help my grandson now."

"You are mistaken in one thing, Lady Cora. I lived my whole life without you and I managed well on my own. I would appreciate your company, I would like to learn more about my family, but I do not need your help."

She beckoned him closer and Severus stood and walked to her. She stretched out her hand and Severus moved his right but she shook her head. "The other."

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Severus held out his left hand. She grasped his wrist with one hand, and with a swift jerk from the other, she pushed up Severus's sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. "Is this what well means to you?"

Severus didn't get offended as she expected instead he smiled sweetly and reached to the inside of his robes. He pulled out his silver badge and held it out to her. This was his crest, the three wands crossed in the middle with the head of a screeching hawk over it, the words 'honour' and 'duty' engraved on the sides. "This is what well means to me."

"I did my research, Severus. I know the story of your life. I know about little Lily Evans, I know of the Half-Blood Prince, of your time with Him, your betrayal, your new alliance, your work during the wars, your work as Potions Master at Hogwarts, Head of Slytherin, Order of Merlin First Class, Head Auror ever since. I have a cabinet full of reports on your doings. You may not have realized it, but I was keeping an eye on your from far away."

"How reassuring," Severus remarked pulling back his arm and putting the badge back into his inner pocket. Though he attempted to stay unaffected the words caused a great emotional turmoil in him. On one hand, he absolutely loathed the idea that someone was spying on him, checking his background like he did with the criminals of the wizarding world. On the other hand however, it felt somewhat nice that his grandmother had paid attention to him all these years.

"Now let us not quarrel," Cora said softly and made him sit next to her.

Severus only raised an eyebrow. Potter would laugh at this. That man knew how Severus was when he quarrelled and this wasn't even near it.

"You appreciate honesty, Severus, and I like your strong character, so I will not betray our first meeting with deceiving you. The reason you are here is very simple. I do not simply wish to welcome you back in the family. I want to make you my heir."

Severus's heart missed a beat but he didn't let his face show his surprise. He stared at his grandmother, eyes narrowing, but kept quiet, knowing there was more to it, moreover an honour this big, must come with a price in the same value.

Lady Cora went on, "I am old, Severus, very old. And I want to make sure Griffinstone will belong to someone who would appreciate it and not sell it to buy fancy brooms as the current heir would surely do. I need someone who would uphold the grace of this place, and continue to care for it."

"And you think, I am the best person for this?"

"No," she laughed. "But you are certainly far better than your cousin, Roger. I have two options. I could get him assassinated and let the estate fall into the hands of his brother, who I hate even more or name you my heir."

"Assassinate?" Severus asked back with a raised eyebrow. "Is this how Purebloods handle their disputes nowadays?"

"As you are an Auror," she smiled, "I can neither confirm nor deny that."

"Ah."

"I assure you, I do not want Cousin Roger dead, which is why you are here. Consider it, Severus. You can have all of this, the estate, the money, the name, the title, everything."

"Surely you are not throwing all this on me out of good heart and remorse. Name your conditions, Cora."

"You will need to marry and procreate."

Severus laughed out loud. "I believe we already encountered our first problem."

"We did not," Lady Cora said calmly. "I know you prefer men. And I do not have a problem with that, as long as you get married. And about the children. There are many options nowadays, Severus, surely you know. Maybe not too legal, but as long as you give me a grandchild, I do not care how."

Severus couldn't quite believe what he was talking about with his grandmother on their first meeting. He knew his astonishment was clear in his face now, but he could not care.

"You will partake in a former courtship, in which noble men will court you namelessly. By the end of the summer you will chose one of them, and get married. The moment you sign the papers and get bonded, your name will appear in my will, naming you as the sole heir of the Prince estate and everything that belongs to the name. You needn't move here as long as I am alive, but after my death, you and your husband and children too will live here and take care of the estate. I care not whether you continue with your job or not, but I expect you to think of Griffinstone as your home and tend to it accordingly after I am no longer alive," she stood gracefully. "These are my conditions, Severus. You will have one week to think about it and you may tell one person about our talk, no more. The Prince family has always been in the background and I would rather not have the spotlight on us during this rather extreme period. Carlson will send you all the papers you will need to look through to understand how much exactly your inheritance is."

As if on cue, the butler came in holding a rather big pile of papers and parchments. Severus, understanding that his visit came to an end, stood up too. He walked to Lady Cora and kissed the back of her glove covered hand. "I will consider it. And it truly was an honour to finally meet you, Cora."

He turned around, dark blue robes flaring around him and marched out, but his grandmother's voice stopped him at the door.

"Tell me frankly, Severus, are you tempted?"

Severus looked around the magnificent drawing room. He could see the beautiful garden through the high windows.

"Who wouldn't be, Lady Cora?"