FIC: Take These Stars Down To The World, Chapter Eleven; SSHG

[teddy_radiator]

Title: Take These Stars Down To The World
Rating: R
(Highlight to View) Warning(s):Character Death
(Highlight to View) Prompt: Hermione creates a potion just for Severus, one which he doesn't believe he wants or needs (SS/HG or SS & HG)
Note: Special thanks to stgulik, not only for the delicious prompt, but for her Herculean effort to pull this together. Thank you for putting up with me.

Well, here we are at the penultimate chapter. Only the epilogue to go. I really appreciate all the kind comments about the story. Thank you for indulging me and allowing me to try something different.

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Chorus

Pandora was the first human created by the gods as a punishment, specifically to get back at humankind for Prometheus' unpardonable sin of wanting to help them. Her beauty was crafted by the gods, and Zeus himself breathed life into her. He also breathed into her insatiable curiosity. He sent her down to earth with a tightly sealed, ornate box, with the explicit instruction to never open it.

As time went on, however, Pandora's curiosity grew like a hunger, and one day, she opened the lid just an inch, to see what was inside. Out few all the evils of mankind - spite, jealousy, greed, fear, gossip, indifference, pride, self-indulgence, hate. Pandora realised what she had done, and quickly snapped the box shut, thus capturing Hope within, so it would not be lost amongst its evil bedfellows.

Prometheus, on the other hand, was an odd duck, even for mythology. Part Christ the Martyr, part Satan the Tempter, part Serpent in the Garden of Eden. Did he take the fire from Olympus as an act of defiance, or arrogance? Did he know he would be punished for it? Perhaps that was why he had allowed himself to be chained for eternity, as both sacrifice and gift. But would he still have done it, knowing how indifferent mankind would be to his fate?

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Chapter Eleven: The Ministry of Magic

Severus stormed out of the Wizengamot chambers, striding down the corridor, robes billowing out behind him. A few yards ahead of him, a door flew open, and he braced himself. Sure enough, flashbulbs popped, shutters clicked, and a cacophony of voices assaulted him.

"Mister Snape, could you give the Prophet a statement-"

"No."

"Mister Snape, are you happy with the verdict?"

"I don't answer stupid questions."

"Mister Snape, it's been almost two months since anyone's seen Hermione Granger outside this courtroom. Is it true she's currently living with you─"

"Fuck off."

"Mister Snape, now that the trial is finally over, where do you go from here─"

He rounded on the reporters so quickly, some actually skidded to a halt. "There will be a press conference tomorrow, nine o'clock am at 148 Auldfogge Street, London South West.” He gave them his second-best sneer. “If you wish to ask your inane questions and satisfy your vulgar curiosity, that will be the time to do it. For now, piss off and go home. I don't want you here when Miss Granger comes by. She's been through enough without having to tolerate you lot." He swept forward, and the rush of the crowd parted rather than risk being bowled over.

They continued to throw questions at his retreating back as he thundered down the hall. To his left, he saw Simone Calliope, in her best hat and umbrella, surrounded by a few also-ran reporters, hoping for a little dirt.

"Ooh, I don't know my dears! But bless, Hermione's a lovely gell. Did wonders for my Thistle gout! No, I had no idea that awful man broke in! Pity though; it was a lovely place. Everyone was quite saddened by it all. I know I was. Oh, no, dear, I was fast asleep at the time, if you're interested. I'd just been listening to Celestina Warbeck's song, 'That New Black Magic,' and I dozed right off. She's lovely, isn't she, our Celestina? I can call her that, you know. We're old friends, actually…"

Severus strode past, briefly catching her eye. Simone made a show of checking her watch. "Blime', is that the time? Oh, it's been lovely chatting with you, but I'm just to St Mungo's for my yearly. Been having problems with me bunions, you know. They're ever so spongy…"

That was enough to drive off the most stalwart of the little gobshites, and Simone scuttled off with a cheery wave of her lace handkerchief, "Tara, my dears!" She fell in step behind Severus, and they soon left the stragglers behind. "D’you think we gave her enough time, lovey?" Simone puffed, hurrying to keep up with Severus' longer legs.

"I believe we have," he replied quietly. The reporters would gnaw on that juicy bone of a press conference for at least another hour, or until they discovered 148 Auldfogge Street, London South West was actually a public loo in the middle of a building site. In any case, it would buy him enough time to Apparate home and ward the shop within an inch of its life.

As they reached the door, a slight, balding wizard turned toward them, and cleared his throat with surprising delicacy. "Thank you, Toggle," Severus murmured, never slowing down. They breezed past him. "Go home now and rest, Simone. I will speak to you tomorrow."

"'Course. And be sure and give my love to our gell," she replied briskly.

Severus’ long stride faltered. Our girl. "Thank you. I will."

Once out the door, both Severus and Simone immediately Apparated their separate ways, with Toggle close behind. While Severus and Simone bamboozled the reporters and rubberneckers, Hermione had secretly Floo'd back to Potions Potentes without anyone the wiser.

The Aurors had cordoned off Medicura for two weeks while they investigated every square inch of the place. It took another week to cut through the magical red tape. By the time Hermione had been allowed back into her own shop, there was precious little to salvage in the ashes and broken glass. Even the bright, sun-shaped sign was nothing more than a blackened, broken reminder of what had been.

"You can rebuild," he had assured her, brushing the silt and dust from his fingers.

Shaking her head, she had replied, "Not here. Not after all that's happened." She shrugged. "Perhaps somewhere else..."

"Don't make any hasty decisions," he had answered sternly. "Do nothing rash. At least until the inquiry is over." He did not know or care to know when the idea of her leaving had become so abhorrent. He could only envisage the large hole in his life without her.

She had rewarded him with a sad little smile. "Well, I have to eventually go somewhere, Severus. Staying at Lavender's is fine for now, but it's quite difficult, especially with her and Ron getting married in a couple of months, and Anthony trying to..." Her sigh was as dry and bleak as the ashes at their feet. "And I have to make a living somehow. I can't wait indefinitely, not knowing when the insurance will come through. If it comes through."

Impulsively, he had said, "You can work here."

Her wide-eyed, surprised expression spoke volumes, particularly of the ‘are-you-insane’ variety. For all he knew, he was. "Here, in Potions Potentes? With you?"

"No, with the Duke of Edinburgh. Who else, Granger?"

She had coloured slightly, then gave him a tiny, bashful smile. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

That was when he knew he had won. "It's quite possibly a terrible idea. I am sure we will drive one another mad."

"I am too." She paused, then laughed. "But seeing as my other prospects are nonexistent, thank you, Master Snape. I would be most pleased to take you up on your generous offer."

Severus had felt a fluttering thrill in his chest. "Who said anything about 'generous'?"

Potions Potentes

He found her sitting at his counter, looking out the window to the vacant lot opposite. A cup of tea sat by her elbow, forgotten. He could tell by the scummy-looking surface it was stone cold. She glanced his way, and sat up a little straighter.

"Any trouble at the Ministry?"

"None. Simone and I ran interference, Toggle provided adequate lookout, and the reporters are going to call me even more hideous names than usual come the morning. But trouble? No." He nodded toward the stewed tea. "You look like you could use a fresh brew."

Her look of gratitude spoke volumes. "I owe you one. Or twelve."

He disappeared into the kitchen and soon returned, handing her a steaming mug of tea, milk and two sugars. "Good thing I keep count."

"Thanks," she said, bringing the mug to her lips, and sipped. “Oh, that’s good.” She sat her tea down with a long, slow sigh.

"You're rather morose for someone who's just been awarded for bravery by our esteemed governing body," said Severus. "Not to mention receiving your second Order of Merlin Second Class."

"I don't see you bragging on your First Class commendation."

"That's because I don't give a fuck about these tin ashtrays, while you do." She shot him a look. "Or perhaps I'm mistaken," he amended. "I stand corrected with magnanimous humility. I thought you'd at least be happy at securing that filthy sum of galleons so Mrs. Longbottom can restore that slum tenement of hers. So kindly explain why you aren't celebrating your status as Wizarding Britain's newest hero du jour?"

"Is that what I should be doing?" she asked wryly. "Gloating over my success?"

"I suppose someone has to. It might as well be you." When she did not reply, he huffed. "I confess, I truly thought the verdict would make you happy." He took a drink of his tea. "I am sorry it does not."

"It's not that I'm not relieved," she replied with a sad little shrug. "There's so much to be grateful about. I was worried that poor Anthony would be so traumatised he would never want to see me again."

"Children are surprisingly adaptive and resilient. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Weasley and Miss Brown-"

"Um, I think you'll find that's Mrs. Weasley now."

"─the Weasleys, then, have proved to be good guardians. And Molly is already doting on 'her newest grandson.' With time and care, Anthony will find his way in our world.” He waved dismissively. “There will be people who gossip, and it will not always be easy, but I think Lavender Weasley is more than a match for anyone trying to harm her new chick."

Hermione refused to be mollified. "I know."

"Of course you do. It's your Modus Operandi to know everything."

"Now you've just stepped over the line."

"Merlin's balls, Granger! What's wrong?"

She looked at him with a mixture of frustration and anger. "Fine." Quietly, she added, "When I was in the Criollo, all that mattered was coming back to England, and opening Medicura. It all seemed so logical. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I did it."

Her eyes grew haunted. "I thought I was dispensing some kind of cure-all. The potion was my creation, but it was blessed by the Tripoćion, and therefore I thought it was worthy of the gods. I thought of myself as Prometheus too. Only this time, the gods wanted me to bring fire to humankind. And in my arrogance, I thought that meant that it was the right thing for everyone."

Severus tried to interrupt, but she rushed on. "I wasn’t Prometheus." Her eyes welled with tears. “You were right, you know. I was nothing more than Pandora, too curious and careless for my own good.”

"You really are taking this Prometheus analogy of yours to an unhealthy level, Granger," Severus said, but privately he cringed. He had berated himself a hundred times for that Pandora remark. It had been unworthy of her talents, it had been unworthy of him.

Absently, Severus leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the counter. “We aren’t gods. We aren’t even close. We’re just human. Sometimes we make mistakes, in spite of ourselves.” He laced his fingers together and rested them on his chest. Almost to himself, he added, “And sometimes, if we’re lucky, or unlucky, depending on your point of view, we get a second chance. It’s been my experience that the only thing we can do is run with it and see how it turns out.”

Hermione watched him in growing bemusement. "I don't think I've ever met Casual, Que Sera Sera Severus Snape," she said, tilting her head, her lips curved in a smile. "I think I like him."

Severus had rehearsed this moment a dozen times, and thankfully, in spite of his sudden nerves, at least his voice did not let him down. He held out his hand. "Come here, Prometheus."

She sat down her tea and walked over to him. He rose smoothly to his feet and took her in his arms. Pressing his lips to her smooth forehead, he whispered, "I want to do something for you."

He felt her breath quicken, and he chuckled. "You worry that bringing down the fire robs us mere mortals of self-reliance. Do you not remember Lavender before she took your potion?"

"You were the one who got her clean and sober─"

"And Simone, old and lonely and aging before her time?"

"I think you'll find you were the one who got her that long-overdue appointment."

"And Toggle? And Cynthia?" He kissed her again. "And me?"

She stiffened. "If I'd minded my own business-"

He pulled away from her and gave her a slight shake. “Hermione, don’t be dense! You made a difference to people who truly believed there were no more differences to be made!”

That got her attention. He drew her close again, not so much because she needed it, but because he did. "I’m sorry I was so…unpleasant that day.” He could not bring himself to mention the kiss, not yet. “I was afraid. I was afraid you would hex me for assaulting you. I was afraid of giving Lavender an untried potion. I was afraid of caring too much for Simone.” He closed his eyes. “And I was afraid of how much I envied you, and how much I wanted you.”

He made himself look down into those soft, brown eyes. They had seen so much, good and bad, and yet, they still shone with the cleanest, fiercest light. He saw himself reflected in them, and liked what he saw.

“Your potion didn’t heal these people; that much is true. What it did was give them the permission to accept help, to ask for it and believe they deserved it. Your potion allowed them to treat themselves like they would treat anyone else they love and treasure."

Hermione’s smile faded; she looked suddenly uncomfortable. "You make it sound like it turned everyone into a narcissist," she said.

He shook his head. "No. It allowed them to love themselves, not to fall in love with themselves. There's a big difference, Hermione. I should know. I dealt with Lucius Malfoy long enough to recognise narcissism when it’s presented to me on a plate.”

That made her smile, as he knew it would. “It’s true, Pandora was insatiably curious, and a bit reckless, but she didn’t open the box out of malice. And when all those pesky little imps raced out, biting mankind on the arse and generally making nuisances of themselves, the brave ones among us, the ones with the courage to love themselves, saw those imps as a catalyst for change. ”

She was cheeky enough to blush. “Now who’s taking the Greek analogy to a crazy level?”

He went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “Only one little meek creature remained behind, and it only came out of the box when it was desperately needed: Hope." He stroked her cheek. Gods, it was soft. "That's what you gave to everyone, including me. Hope."

He could see his words were stirring her emotions, and rather than allow her to give into them, he added, "You told me your potion was blessed by this ‘Tripoćion’. That’s a pretty impressive endorsement. And to show my faith in that endorsement…"

He withdrew the little blue vial from his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened. "I thought all the stock had been lost in the fire!" she said.

"It was, sadly. No doubt your next few weeks will be spent working quite hard to replenish it, now that the Ministry is through with you.” He gave the bottle a little jiggle. “This is the one you gave me the first day you moved here."

She gaped at him in surprise. Touching the tip of her finger to the bottle, she murmured, "I was convinced you poured it down the drain, or smashed it against a wall."

"I nearly did," he confessed. "But then I decided to discredit you instead." She looked dismayed, but he continued. "I tried every procedure known to Wizarding kind to decode it, but I couldn't. And believe me, Hermione, I have never encountered a potion I couldn't break down and identify by its individual components. Until this one. Therefore, I can only conclude that the gods like it just the way it is."

He paused, listening to the quiet ticking of the clock, the breath moving in and out of his lungs, the heart beating steadily in his chest. Under Hermione's rapt, hopeful gaze, he uncorked the bottle and downed the potion in one gulp.

He had listened to countless customers try and explain the taste of this potion, but all their descriptions fell woefully short. A faint taste of orange danced over his tongue, and if he allowed some air to mix in, he could just sense the edge of a delicate chocolate undertone, as soft, as innocent as a first kiss.

"Oh, I am undone," he whispered.

He felt a ridiculous grin stretch his cheeks as the potion lifted him to a different, kinder part of himself. Like dusty gems locked away in a dark vault for too long, this feeling started as a dim, distant glow, and grew more luminous and colourful as the light reached every corner, every nook and cranny of his being.

This was the cleanest, gossamer feeling, this 'everything.' And nestled within his affection and admiration for the woman in his arms was the complete forgiveness of himself, and the sweet, true acceptance of himself as worthy and deserving of love─and her. And what was more, the absolute knowledge that if she chose not return that love, he would lose no depth of his self-worth or faith in himself. He would let her go with love, and it would be enough to sustain his heart.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her, trembling with life and this new beginning of love. It stretched out before him like crisps sheets on a bed of down, and he could not suppress a smile at that analogy, especially when it included the fantasy of a naked Hermione Granger lying on top, holding out her arms to him.

She was staring at him with the same mixture of incredulity and happiness pressing against his chest, and he watched in delight as her expression dissolved into the most perfect smile he had ever been given. Whatever he was feeling for her, she returned it. "You have truly brought fire down from the mountain," he marveled, and pulled her to him.

This time, Hermione kissed him first.

CODA

Comments

[beffeysue.livejournal.com]

OMG! The beginning of this chapter made me fear that Hermione had been found guilty of that man's death, and then lo and behold both she and Severus were rewarded for their deeds.

Ron, Lavender, and their son, Anthony, seem very happy. And of course Molly is beside herself with joy, so good happens all round.

Severus' reaction to Hermione's potion was just what I was hoping for. Thank you! Oh yeah, she kissed him first. That put a big smile on my face.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sweetie! I'm so glad you have enjoyed the story. I was afraid folks would find it too odd. I've been delighted with the response it's had.

[mywitch.livejournal.com]

OH I AM UNDONE

Wow. Perfect. Happy tears. 💖💖💖

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you sweetie. Grab your tissues. The Epilogue made me cry.

[arwitchywoman.livejournal.com]

Perfect line.

[arwitchywoman.livejournal.com]

I'm getting my tissues ready. This is one for my faves list.

[hbart.livejournal.com]

You made me sweat a little there in the beginning, but it all worked out, even if Hermione is not feeling like celebrating. This Severus ... Good gods he is exactly what she needs. I loved that at one point he thinks about how he had rehearsed how this was going to go. And the description of how he felt after the potion was perfect. Them working together may be a terrible idea, but if they argue, they'll just have to have lots of make up sex. Okay, I gotta move on to the ending now.

[snapebraille4tu.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am undone. Self-love and self-care, just like you were talking about a few weeks ago- how it's so hard for us to love ourselves as we would love and care for people we love. Just beautiful. ❤️

[nocturnus33]

Severus rehearsing his "speech" is so sweet.
I love what you did in this chapter.

[melusin-79.livejournal.com]

lovely teddy. Well done