A/N: Hi! I'm back! To writing at least! I haven't really gone anywhere! But…I am sorry…I will be gone next week, from Monday until Saturday because I am going to camp! But I will go back to typing as soon as I get back. Sorry!
Don't own anything. Now on with the show!
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The next five weeks flew by in a rush for Hermione because she spent all of her time with Severus, just content to be in his presence.
Now here they both were with a whole week leftover because they had made no mistakes in any of the potions. He had given them an extra week in order to account for mistake potions. Now all they were trying to do was find more time to be with each other without raising suspicion.
During the five weeks together, they had formed a kind of playful, teasing attitude with each other. No one at the Burrow could understand them, because Severus usually tried to forcefully exclude anyone from his life, and he had taken such a liking to Hermione. Everyone was absolutely delighted that Severus was so happy, even if it was with a student.
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Severus had just returned back to the Burrow, and went to find Hermione up in the library. The state he found her in shocked him.
Hermione was sitting on the edge of the couch with her head in her hands, sobbing. There was a letter on the table in front of her. She was so hysterical that she couldn't talk when Severus went up to her and gathered her in his arms, setting her on his lap, gently rocking them back and forth, comforting her.
After a few minutes, Hermione was calm enough to say "My parents disowned me." After she said this, she immediately started crying again, even worse than before.
They both sat there for about half an hour more, before Hermione had calmed down enough to reach over to the coffee table and get the letter, handing it to Severus. He quickly read it, and then read it again, not believing what it said.
Dear Hermione,
We are sorry. You have caused us great pains in your life and we do not believe we can take it anymore. Ever since you found out you would be going to Hogwarts, we cannot bear the pain of losing you, and not being able to see you but for a few days per year. You will never be able to imagine the pain we feel of losing our daughter again every year.
It is obvious to us that you no longer love us as you once did, nearly seven years ago, otherwise you would be here with us. Or at least been here longer than the three days you came here for at the beginning of the summer.
Now, we have made an appointment at you wizarding hospital, St. Mungo's, for tomorrow, the 23rd of August. We have made the appointment to allow the wizards there to remove all memories of anything magical that has been in our life. Unfortunately, this includes you. Everything about you will be gone, your childhood, your birth, everything. We are sorry; we never meant to hurt you.
The day after we get this done, we will be opening up a new dental practice. We are sorry, but we cannot tell you where we will be going, because we fear you will try to find us. Please don't.
We have left you college fund intact, but you will not be able to touch it until your 18th birthday this September 19th.
I have found out I am finally pregnant again, after many months of trying. We do love you, and we will miss you. Again, please do not try to find us, as we will not remember you.
We love you,
Mom and Dad.
Severus sat there staring at the paper in shock. He finally turned to Hermione and whispered, "Don't worry, dear. We will go and convince them not to do it."
Hermione turned her eyes toward him, still being on his lap, and whispered back, hiccupping slightly, "We cannot, Severus. It is the 24th of August. Their appointment was yesterday."
"Well then, can I kill them?" He managed to ask this with a strait face.
Hermione smile slightly, "No dear, you may not."
"Just so you know, I am not joking." He looked at her questioning eyes. "Anyone who reduces you to this state of being does not deserve to live."
Hermione smiled lightly and said, "Thank you for the gesture, but I don't want anyone killed on my behalf. "
She paused and thought for a moment. "I find it kind of ironic, actually. If they had one magical child, who says they wouldn't have another? They might have to go through this all over again." She giggled at this thought.
Severus was just relieved she was back to her right mind. He decided to change the subject to a friendlier one.
"Well, darling, I have a proposal for you that I think you will come to appreciate." She looked up at him questioningly and he chuckled. "The past five weeks have been kind of a pre-test. Since this summer has gone so well. I am going to offer you a pre-apprenticeship for your seventh year."
Hermione's eyes lit up and she gave him a watery smile. "Really?" she asked softly.
Severus nodded his head. "Of course. You are a brilliant witch at potions."
A flash of confusion went across her face as his words from earlier finally comprehended in her mind. "What do you mean by a pre-apprenticeship?"
"Well I do realize that you are overage, but I would like for you to be able to complete your last year as a student without the tiring duties of an apprentice. There would not be enough hours in the day to be able to get through the first year of an apprenticeship and still manage your seemingly perfect grades."
Hermione chuckled lightly. "It is true; I do have perfect grades in every class except one."
Severus chuckled, knowing her answer, but asked anyway. "What class is that, my dear?"
Hermione touched his nose with her finger. "I think you know the answer to that, dear Severus. The only non-perfect grade I have is my grade in your class."
Severus laughed outright this time, which made Hermione beam.
"Now, if you do well is a helper this year, I will be willing to offer you a full apprenticeship. That means you would be living with me in my quarters in Hogwarts. That would be because you have to be, twenty-four hours a day, available to me. For potions, I mean," he finished sheepishly.
Hermione laughed lightly. "Thank you. I would love to be your helper this year." Then she did what she usually does when he comforts her after a fight or something major happening. She tilted his head down and kissed his forehead.
Severus actually blushed at this. Then he realized that she was still on his lap and he deftly picked her up and set her on the seat cushion next to him.
Unknown to both of them, Ron had walked into the library in search of his girlfriend and found her sitting on Severus' lap and kissing his forehead. He slowly backed out of the library and ran back to his room, on the verge of tears.
Severus continued the conversation as if nothing had happened and, to his knowledge, nothing did. "When you are back at the school, I will be taking you and giving you the password to my quarters and potions room. I cannot give then to you now because giving them to you requires me to tell the designated portraits to give you access. So how about I give you 'detention' the first day and show you then?"
Hermione was beaming. "Of course that is fine with me, but we will have to work out a plan of some sort so you have an excuse to give me detention. Because you have never given me detention before, so everyone in my potions class will be suspicious unless I give you a reason. Maybe I can get into an argument about something with you. I've always wanted to do that," she added with a very Slytherin smirk.
Severus stood up just as Molly called out "Dinner." He held his hand out to Hermione to help her stand and then offered his arm out to her and led her downstairs to dinner.
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A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but everything has just been so hectic lately. They should be coming out more often though.
Luv Ya!
AmberLynn