Regent

{2}

Hermione could feel herself shaking, and when the warm air hit her face, it did not soothe her as she hoped it would be able to.

"You are nervous," the rich voice beside her supplied.

She looked over, and regretted the side view of his nose almost immediately. The rest of his face was admittedly handsome in its own aspect, but she dreaded that nose of his, and his eyes even more. He was... imposing, and old, and she wanted nothing to do with him. Hermione's astonishment at her situation only grew as time passed by.

"I am," she spoke to the air before her, spotting several of their workers weeding the plants and trimming the roses.

This sufficed as a proper watch?

"I have faith that you will be for a while, and my reassurance that you shouldn't be nervous will not help you either. I want us to get along, Miss Granger, despite that."

Hermione let out a breath, knowing what he wanted of her would not be easy on her part. He was a stranger! Coming into her life to take it over and change it like a red dye to fabric.

"As do I," she replied nonetheless.

"I admire your gardens... have they always been at your manor?"

"As far back as I can recall."

He replied with a hum, allowing her to guide them straight through to the back. She could not have cared less it was the path which was most boring.

"What are your talents?" Master Snape inquired.

She tried not to let her unsettled mind show at his question because it would be extremely unkind of her, not to mention a slight to his character if she began to refuse him. There was no slighting a family like either of theirs.

"I read, I am wonderful with children, and I can sew. Though, that is only a product of my caretaker when I was young."

He stopped moving, and in turn, Hermione ceased guiding him forward. He looked at her again, and she couldn't avoid his black eyes, focused on her intently and with doubt.

What could he possibly doubt about her abilities? The abilities almost every normal woman of her class held.

"There must be more, surely. I was assured by your father you have rare qualities."

Hermione wondered if she could actually speak of her intellect or not... especially because the same man who mentioned she was unique taught her to fall to Master Snape's intelligence.

"I know... things, I suppose."

"What's your favorite subject of study?" He encouraged, their contact no longer in place, but the connected gazes was still enough to unnerve her all the same.

"I enjoy arithmetic and studying animals. There is a fascination I take to the natural world."

"Ah, the way it seeds life in almost every corner."

Hermione let a smile pass her lips, "Bar the arctics."

"Ice is home to many creatures, in reality."

"But not us, we weren't fit for the North and South."

He looked at her with a smooth impression, "And you say you enjoy maths?"

Hermione heard the tone he held and wondered if she'd made a mistake revealing herself.

"Well-"

"That's a wonderful quality in which I am rubbish. If I ever am in need of help with the accounts, can I depend upon you?" Master Snape seemed hopeful, though she was worried still.