crack_van | Care of Magical Creatures by mia madwyn (M)

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Severus Snape/Hermione Granger
Length: Epic (~289k)
Author on LJ:

miamadwyn
Author's Website: FFnet profile
Why this must be read: I had to triple check that this hadn't been recced yet. I'm the last person who would advocate student/teacher relationships OR SS/HG however this story is such a gem, that I have eaten my words and converted. Every SS/HG fan has read this story so I am hoping to convince those other readers who may not be interested in the pairing to give this story a chance.

First of all, the story starts out with the typical AU Marriage Law premise but Mia makes it believable. Hermione is nothing but prepared and logical, so of course, she was would ask an adult who was also a member of the Order, a powerful wizard and someone who would guarantee her protection from Voldemort to marry her. It makes complete and total sense. From there, Hermione's world completely changes. Mia takes the reader on one awesome ride, complete with evocative language and expert storytelling.

The story is an epic, in more ways than one, and very popular in the fandom. Give it a chance, you certainly won't regret it!

Excerpt

She flung the door to the Potions classroom open with a bang, her robe billowing around her. "Professor!"

Snape raised his face from the papers on his desk. If he was startled at her sudden entrance, he certainly wasn't showing it. "Ten points from Gryffindor," he drawled, then lazily lifted his wand. "And term hasn't even started yet."

She felt something–a force–hit her square in the chest and her heels dragging across the floor. He was ejecting her from the room!

"Expelliarmus!" she gasped. His wand flew through the air, and she had to lunge to catch it. She stood up, feeling quite smug.

Until she saw the expression on his face. Those narrowed black eyes and thin lips were frozen, expressionless, but those eyes burned. Oh, my.

She gulped. She had disarmed a teacher!

She scurried forward, placed his wand on his desk and backed quickly away. Cleared her throat. Tried to appear calm. "There. Now that I have your attention—"

"Quite." His voice was barely more than a whisper, but even so, his tone was acid.

Hermione glanced nervously at the door. She waved her wand quickly so that it closed a lot more quietly than it had opened. Another flick of the wand and it was locked for good measure.

She looked at him, determined. "I need your help, Professor!"

Professor Snape slid his eyes toward the locked door, and back at her, without moving any other part of his body. And remained silent. Scarily silent. In fact, he was more frightening while silent than if he'd raged at her.

She closed her eyes. Breathe, Hermione. And realized, of course, that he was proving her right. Everything about his reaction to this horrid visit was supporting her theory. And after that quick sense of relief, a surge of self-righteous anger filled her.

She opened her eyes and glared at him. "Do you know what they're going to do to me?" She couldn't stand still. She dragged her free hand through her hair, took a few steps toward the window, whirled back. "Have you seen my list of–of–" she could barely choke the word out– "suitors?"

Finally, he moved. He eased back in his chair, relaxing. "I can't see any reason why such a subject would be of any interest to me, Miss Granger," he hissed, but she got the distinct impression he was enjoying her situation.

She clenched her wand more tightly and snapped, "I never implied that it was. I simply asked if you knew. But I suppose that doesn't really matter—"

A sneer twisted his lips. "I'm thinking I've been remiss by not keeping up with your love life."

"Love life!" She stopped herself just short of stomping her foot, but noticed his gaze flicker to her knee-twitch as if he realized what she wanted to do even before she stopped herself. "Draco Malfoy? What kind of joke is this, Draco Malfoy wants to marry me? That's pure insanity." She stormed across the room. "And–and—Mundungus Fletcher!"

He covered his smirk with long fingers and leaned back in his chair.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, George and Fred Weasley, Ron, of course. And Viktor—"

"Herr Krum? Now that is a feather in your cap."

"Professor, suffice it to say, I have reason to know it is not! But that's not the least of it. It seems that I'm some sort of project–like a virgin territory to be either conquered or protected!"

Other than a clever arching of one skeptical brow, his expression didn't change.

Care of Magical Creatures