Hospital of Love[1]
‘Oh, shut up, Severus!’ Hermione cries. ‘You’re just jealous that you didn’t get full marks on the test!’ They share biology and chemistry classes for their A-Levels. Ever practical, Hermione’s also doing Applied Business, while he’s into Food Studies of all things.
Always the overachiever, Hermione’s has added English literature to her course-load. And Severus — philosophy.
They’re both learning Portuguese on Tuesday nights and yoga on Thursday morning. And both of them have landed a job at the pub where they got drunk that first Friday night. Hermione’s working four nights out of seven serving drinks and waiting tables, while Severus helps out in the kitchen. He started out washing dishes. By now he’s in charge of the chips.
It’s been three months.
She doesn’t regret it. Well, she does regret that she got falling-down drunk, that her memories of that night blur into a haze of headache and heaving.
Walking home, they are arguing again. Severus feels that he doesn’t deserve her friendship with benefits. He’s convinced that he ought to have been kicked out to live in the streets after taking advantage of her that Friday night. But it’s Hermione’s house and Hermione’s rules and she isn’t ready to admit that for her it’s more than a friendship with benefits or an overly obstinate school girl’s crush.
‘Surely you could find another lover who’d be willing and able to grant you more than I,’ he suggests. ‘That Robert Pat- something. For a Muggle he’s not too bad.’[2]
‘He’s nice,’ Hermione says. ‘And I’m sure he won’t mind me screaming strange words in my nightmares, twitching for my sleeve all the time, and being obsessed with invisible sticks of wood.’
They call their symptoms ‘phantom-wand’ and joke about it. Hermione has even researched methods of treatment for phantom-limbs — from drugs, like anti-depressants and analgesics to acupuncture, hypnosis and virtual reality therapy.
But Severus doesn’t trust Muggle drugs, and in a secret corner of her mind, Hermione sees her discomfort as just punishment. Legilimency might work, but Severus respects her too much. Neither of them is willing to pretend that a wooden stick picked up in the wood is a magic wand.
They meet Dudley on a regular basis, because as Harry’s relative he’s allowed to send and receive owl post. It’s not too bad apart from Dudley’s tendency to apply his therapy lessons to everyone and everything.
When Harry comes to visit them for the first time, it’s incredibly awkward, and both Hermione and Severus are relieved when he’s gone.
One day Minerva McGonagall shows up on their doorstep. With her no-nonsense Scotch attitude, she’s a good visitor. And she has a job for them: Hermione is commissioned for a new translation of the Tales of Beedle the Bard[3]. Grudgingly, Severus agrees to edit Dumbledore’s commentary on the tales.
Then Hermione receives a short missive from Ron — including a very sweet picture of him with Hannah holding hands and making kissy faces at each other — and suddenly all the sweet might-have-beens of her youth come to a boil.
Severus pats her back awkwardly, his words of comfort stilted and ill-received: ‘Graver sickness is survived and endured than this; you won’t die of such a trifle.’[4]
‘Ha!’ growls Hermione, voice thick with tears and snot. ‘Says the man still pining for a dead man’s equally dead wife. What do you know of love?’
‘I know that I was condemned to love without appeal, and near drowned in the aftermath. I know enough to say with certainty that it is not worth it. Moreover,’ he adds, ‘even were I able to love again, I wouldn’t let myself fall twice. It would be pure stupidity, now that I know the trap.’
‘But it doesn’t have to be like that!’ Hermione argues. ‘Love can be great! Look at —’ She wanted to say ‘my parents’. Her throat constricts. Harry’s parents? She winces. ‘— Molly and Arthur?’
‘Really?’ Severus’ voice drips with sarcasm. ‘The parents that produced the red-haired moron who wasn’t even brave enough to show up at your trial?’
‘You know what? Dudley’s damn right. You totally need therapy.’
‘So that’s love,’ Hermione mutters later into her lonely, wet pillow. ‘Just great.’
[1] “Hospital of Love” — reference to the medieval ballad of the same title
[2] Robert Pat- — guess who? 😉
[3] Textual allusion to Alain Chartier’s LBDSM.
[4] The translation of Beedle the Bard by Hermione is actually canon.
I had planned to write my comments for this act at the end, but this chapter is so sweet and so well written, I had to tell you. The evolution of Severus Snape from fellow outcast to reluctant housemate to surprised lover is beautifully chronicled. Well done!
Beth
The way you write of the love between Hermione and Severus is so gentle yet they are both very much in character. I like it very uch.
Beth
I’m glad that they have found such happiness in the world they have built for themselves. That they have a son and daughter is especially sweet.
Beth
“Harry refuses to accept it was too late even before their seven years were over. He vows to move heaven and earth to find a cure.”
This sounds ominous. Does it mean that the seven years of exile was actually a death sentence? How damned sad. But so beautifully written, Juno.
Beth
Where is Hermione? Has she already died? How is it that you can write such bittersweet prose, yet make my heart glad for them at the same time.
Love is like that, yes.
Beth
Oh, my word! This journey has been one of healing and crying and giving thanks for the blessings that were granted and railing against the ones that were not granted. But I’ll wager that the fulfilling life that Hermione and Severus Snape made for themselves and their children was more perfect than any of their magical contemporaries were able to make for themselves.
This is why you are a master, Juno, pure and simple. Thank you for this. I have loved every page!
Warmest regards,
Beth
Another amazing story.