Author's note: I'm hopefully going to make this a Snape/Hermione relationship, if not make them friends. If it does happen to have romance in the future, it well be slow going, so bare with me.
Summary: When Snape's brother and his wife are murdered, Snape becomes the legal guardian of three kids. But when he has to go away for the beginning of Hogwarts' new school year he must hire a nanny.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm not making money off this; it's just for fun.
Chapter 1
Oh the agony! Severus Snape couldn't count the number of useless nannies he had interviewed, and all in that very day! Dunderheads! All of them! Only one seemed close enough to be qualified for the job, based mainly on his opinion. And he would have to choose Miss Pillared; he was to leave the very next night for Hogwarts.
How his brother managed to get himself killed was beyond him. That fool was always getting himself into trouble. He was stupid, and naïve. How could he just stand back and let his wife be killed and soon after, himself. As though he were in some kind of trance. Whoever it was that killed his brother and sister-in-law hadn't found their kids, though he couldn't decide if that were a nuisance or no.
There was a knock that the door stopping his train of thought. He stood from his place in the sitting room off the main entrance of the ground floor. He opened the door to find a well-groomed girl who looked about twenty-five. She was wearing a black dress suit. The skirt stopped just below her knees. She was wearing high-heels, which seemed to make her taller.
"May I help you?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm here for the nanny interview."
"Yes, very well. Please, come in."
He showed her to the sitting room, and order some much-needed tea.
"How old are the children?" she asked.
"I was under the impression I was the one giving the interview."
"Yes well if you do happen to hire me, I would like to know what exactly I'm getting myself into."
"Mmm… do you have a résumé?"
She looked through her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He took it and skimmed it out loud.
"Professor Hermione Granger…" he paused, realizing who it was that he was sitting before. "Miss Granger?"
"Yes Professor?"
"You're a nanny now?"
"Yes."
"You have a teaching degree from Oxford University, the wizarding section I presume?
"Yes."
"I also see you've worked with another family before. The Ashford's, how long were you with tem?
"For about five years."
"Then what happened?"
"The kids grew up. They are now attending Beauxbatons."
"Mmm…What did you teach the children?"
"Basics, general math, reading, writing, music."
"What was your wage?"
"They didn't pay me, I didn't want them to."
He raised an eyebrow. Then narrowed his eyes.
"Why, Miss Granger?"
"Because I did it for fun."
"Fun?"
"Yes, it's not as if I need the money I'm quite content." He gave her a questioning glance, so she continued, "I love to teach."
"Well I find it unacceptable to not pay an employee. How is three thousand galleons a month?"
She opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke first.
"Then it's settled. How early can you come tomorrow?"
She signed, "Before noon,"
"Good. I will expect you at let's say eleven?" she nodded, "Good. I will show you around then, and introduce you to the children."
He stood, as did she, then showed her out. He watched as she walked out of site.
Hermione Granger now sat at her table gazing on the surface. It had been a short meeting, and somehow he still had the power over her he had when she was his student. Silencing her with his looks, and words. She was now replaying the happenings of the day in her head, wondering what it was that made her go to Snape Manor in the first place.
She couldn't believe that five years with the Ashford's were over. She had known when she got the job that they wouldn't need her after all their children had all turned eleven. Now she was sitting in her house looking through the Daily Prophet. She was bored and nothing seemed to spark an interest.
Hermione didn't want some job that would continue to bore her, nor did she need one. She had everything she ever wanted, or needed. She was quite content. In her last two years at Oxford, she had made a huge discovery, a break through even. She had constructed a potion that would undo the damage of the Cruciatus Curse.
The wizarding community had given her more money then she would ever need, or want. Now that she was free to do any job she wanted, she had chose to nanny. She couldn't have any children herself, she had found out the hard way. Though that's a whole other story.
She flipped back to the front page. The headline news was as sad, as the many people who died in the final war. Two people had been killed by left over Death Eaters, ones who hadn't been caught. Their three children now lived with their only other relative, their uncle, who was also her old Professor.
An owl flew though the window and landed in front of her. She untied the letter from the owl's leg and began to read. It was from her agency, there was a new job opening for a nanny, which just happened to be at Snape Manor. She was scheduled to go at two forty-five. She looked at her watch; it was a little after one.
She got up from the table and walked into her room. Looking through her closet she found her black dress suit, and the matching shoes. She set them out on the bed, then walked into her bathroom. She washed up and added touches of makeup. It was now two thirty. She got dressed and once outside apparated to Snape Manor.
Snape Manor was a large building, one much like Hogwarts in many ways. She walked down the path and up the stairs to the main doors. She knocked, and waited for an answer.
When he opened the door, he paused, glancing over her. He mentioned her inside and served her tea. They had talked a little but she was soon out the door. He had been shocked to find it was her, his ever-annoying student. But he had given her the job.
She was expected at eleven sharp and she would go, if not for her old Professor than for the children. She went to bed that night thinking of what a day tomorrow would turn out to be.
She woke early in the morning so she could pack. She spelled everything she would need into an endless bag. It was ten thirty when she was finished, so she got dressed and apparated to Snape Manor once again.
She walked the familiar path and up the steps. She again knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He opened the door to let her in. when she walked into the entrance hall she saw three children standing side by side. She smiled slightly at them then turned to Snape.
"The oldest it Timothy, then Marie, and the youngest is Constance."
She smiled to them.
He then turned to the kids and said, "You are to call her Nanny Granger, is this clear?" the children nodded their little heads. "Timothy is ten. Marie is six. And Constance is five."
Timothy had dark brown hair and brown eyes to match. He was about the size he should be for an eight year old. Marie also had brown hair and eyes. Constance on the other hand had light brown hair, almost as if it had been blond when she was younger. Her eyes were a striking blue, and Hermione knew one day, every guy she'd met would fall for her, and fall hard.
"Come along Miss Granger, I'll show you around."
He turned then and pointed to a door next to the sitting room she was lead into the other day. "That is my office, do not go in there."
She nodded.
Going clockwise he pointed to the rooms he indicated. The second was a bathroom, then the dining room, and then the kitchen.
"There are three house-elves. Olive is the head-elf. The other two are Ainon, and Irima. Ainon, and Irima clean, and Olive cooks. Should you need anything all you have to do is snap you fingers, and one will come. If you're looking for a particular elf, just say their given name. Is that easy for you to understand, Miss Granger?" he said in a sarcastic tone.
She nodded, not trusting her mouth for the right words. He walked up the stairs and stopped on the second landing.
"That hall will take you to the library, where you will teach the children. I went ahead and fixed a timetable for you." He handed her the piece of paper, "You are free to read any volumes you may choose," he said knowing she would ask latter.
But Hermione wasn't paying attention. They were to wake at nine, and eat breakfast at nine-thirty. They then had thirty minutes to eat and head to the library, where she would teach the two oldest math equations. They would stop at eleven-thirty to eat lunch, again only thirty minuets. Then it was back up to the library, where then they would learn to read and write, or to improve their already learned skills in that particular subject. They would stop at one-thirty, and the kids would then learn to play a musical instrument. At two they would sit and color, for thirty minutes. When two-thirty would roll around they would they could either choose from the list above, or sit in the library reading. At five-thirty they would eat dinner and after they were left to their own devices, as long as it was educational. There was no playtime she noticed. Didn't all children need time to play?
"Miss Granger? Are you paying attention?"
"Sir, don't the children ever get to play."
"They don't need to play."
She began to protest, but was cut off.
"Miss Granger I'm not paying you to watch them play, I'm paying you to teach them the things they will need to know when they attend Hogwarts."
"Yes, Sir I understand that, but all work and no play makes for a very dull day."
"And dull is what I want."
"Just an hour even?"
"No, Miss Granger, not even an hour,"
"Professor, lets look at this from you point of view, shall we." She paused hoping he wouldn't interrupt, he didn't. "You teach potions, and have been since before I was in school. When you teach the first years, how mush time does it take them to start to wonder about other things?"
"Fine," he glared, "One hour, after lunch, and not another minute. Is that clear Miss Granger?"
"Perfectly, Sir."
"Good now can we go ahead?"
She nodded. He showed her where she would be staying, it was the room across from Constance' and Marie's. Timothy's room was next to theirs, and Snape's room (when he stayed there), was down the hall. All of them on the third floor. The forth floor was completely off limits, no one had been on that floor for many years. There was no need to.
She didn't know how she felt about that. Sleeping so near her old potions professor. The very same one who had tormented her through her Hogwarts years.
Snape was due to leave at five, two hours before the Hogwarts express was due to arrive in Hogsmeade station.
She watched him go, and after eating with the children, and later making sure they were all asleep, she started to unpack, and fill her rooms to make them a little more homey.
All the furniture was made of fine oak; it was old, and craved out. It was exquisite. Her large four-poster bed was soft to the feel, one she wouldn't mind sleeping in. There was a bathroom off the side of her room, next to her closet. The mirror was magical, something she wasn't looking forward to. When she finished filling out her bookshelves, which were next to her desk on the opposite side of the bedroom, she got ready for bed. She took a much-needed shower and got dressed in her pajamas.
There was a knock at her door, just as she was pulling the covers from their position. She went to open it and found Constance standing by the door. There were tears running down her tried face. Hermione went to her and picked her up.
"Shh… Why are you crying?" Hermione asked gently, holding Constance, and rubbing her small back.
Constance sniffled, but said nothing in response.
"Did you have a bad dream?"
She nodded against Hermione's shoulder, still not saying anything. So in hopes that the little girl would fall asleep and not wake again that night, Hermione began to sing:
I've spent so much time throwing rocks at your window I walk by statues never even made one chip Wait a time to spare these lies we tell ourselves
That I never even knocked on the front door
but if i could leave a mark on the monument of the heart
I just might lay myself down for a little more than I had the last day
These days have come and gone
But this time is sweeter than honey
When she finished, the girl was indeed asleep. Hermione stood and took the girl to her room. She tucked her in, and although the girl was already asleep she said goodnight. She closed the door, very ready to just curl up in her bad and not wake till she had to. Though that dream was short lived.
"Professor." She said in a tired greeting.
"Miss Granger. The children are asleep?" he asked.
She nodded.
"I'm here to make sure they weren't to much trouble."
"No, not all."
"Good. Well goodnight Miss Granger." He said turning around.
Once he was out of sight, Hermione went back into her room. She lay in her bed wondering why he had come. He didn't seem to like his nieces and nephew, much. Though she supposed maybe he did, she didn't really know him after all. She was hoping against all odds, that he hadn't heard her singing; she was afraid she'd never live that down, should that accidentally get to the ears of her old head of house.
Snape had come by to check in, hoping all were asleep. He had walked up the stairs, only to find that Granger girl comforting his youngest niece. He was glad she had, for he wouldn't have known what to do. He was going to say something but stopped when he heard her begin to sing. It was beautiful, nothing he would have expected. When she had come back from putting Constance to bed, he realized she was in her nightclothes. Her pajamas, he noticed, were made of silk, and the color was black, again not what he expected. Maybe red, but black? He talked with her briefly then said goodnight. He was now back at Hogwarts, sitting by the fire in his privet chambers. He set the glass half-filled with fire-whisky, down on the table and went to bed.
To be continued...
Just to say,
Amy Lee, the lead singer in Evanescence, wrote the song Hermione sang to Constance. It's called 'So Close' incase anyone was wondering. Hoped you liked it so far, please review and tell me what you think.
Miss weird