Heavenly Angel Chapter 4

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Hermione was eating her breakfast when a thick envelope landed in front of her. She didn’t look surprised. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

A large black owl swooped onto a perch in one corner of the kitchen and hooted deeply.

Hermione sipped daintily at her cup and tried to put the envelope in her robes. It was too big and wouldn’t fit in her pocket.

“Nice try,” said Ginny sarcastically. “Is he stalking you?”

Ginny opened the ice box and took out a plate of thinly sliced liver. The owl preened and puffed its chest out. Ginny gave the owl a bit of liver and scratched him.

“No,” said Hermione. “We were partners for a long time. I’m not going to stop correspondence with him over a drunken letter.”

Ginny looked disappointed as she sat at the table. Hermione knew it was because Ginny assumed their letters were mundane now. That was fine with her. She put the letter on the table and tried not to look at it too much during the meal.

Afterwards, she made her way to her room and locked the door quietly behind her. The letter felt thick, but not as heavy as the first. She walked across her room and sat at her desk.

The brass letter opener gleaned in the soft light filtering through her curtains. She reached out and gently loosened the wax seal so she wouldn’t break it.

A gentle pink smoke rose from the letter. It smelled like chocolate. Dear God, he did know her.

As she pulled the letter out she noticed something slither to the floor, clacking softly on her floor. She looked down and saw a white-gold chain lying on the floor. She picked it up and looked at it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to put it on. What did it mean?

Dearest Hermione,

(She shook her head and read that again. This was so ridiculous. So unexpected. So undignified. So romantic. Bah.)

Please accept this token as a symbol of my desire to court you. My behavior in my previous correspondence was reprehensible, at best. Although I am male and am overcome by primal instincts from time to time, I assure you my feelings towards you are honorable. I will never treat you as anything less than a lady.

(Hermione snorted. He had been bitter and sarcastic for the last 10 years. She hardly expected him to change now that he decided he needed to be polite around her. Manners had nothing to do with mood. She fastened the chain around her neck.)

I will be contacting your father soon to ask for his permission to court you.

(Hermione read that again. Good lord, her father was going to explode.)

I plan on honoring all Wizarding formalities involving courtship. No doubt it will confuse him enough that he will not feel moved to assault me right away.

(She chuckled. Apparently he had been listening to her when she spoke of her parents.)

Enclosed are my notes on the properties of mica. Even though the Order doesn’t need the information any longer, I see no reason to abandon the project. Please review the notes and contact me.

Yours,

Severus

Hermione shook her head and flipped through the notes. They seemed to be in order. She shook her head and chuckled. Only Snape would combine a love letter and potions notes. Romantic, yet practical.

Hermione set his letter aside and went over his notes. In one spot she frowned and walked over to a bare section of wall. She reached out and pushed it lightly. A panel swung open and a bookshelf was revealed. She fished out an enormous tome and laid it out on the floor. She flipped through it and found the passage she was looking for.

Hermione strode over to her desk and began scribbling furiously. She messily applied her seal and stalked to the kitchen.

“Caesar,” Hermione barked at the large black owl. He hooted in startled indignation. “Take this to your bubble-brained master.”

The owl hooted cheerfully, as if it liked nothing more than to see his master told off.

“Sweet boy,” Hermione murmured as she fastened her letter around his neck. He nuzzled her affectionately. “Make him give you tasties when you get there.”

The owl hooted a salute before it soared out the window.