Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter of any of the characters. The honor belongs to J.K Rowling
Chapter Nine
AN: Enjoy the much requested update. I know I haven't uploaded in A LONG time which I am guilty of. College has a way to take over one's life... Kinda scary...On that note, hope this chapter soothes your ire with me. Love you all so much. As usual, please R&R, would greatly appreciate it.
Hermione was about to leave the stable when a large shadow fell upon her. Startled, her head snapped up and she found herself staring into a pair of dark, unreadable eyes. Gulping, she took a few steps back. It was the same man who Hermione had spent her entire time thinking about. Unfortunately, the stranger was not Lucius Malfoy but rather, it was the man she had seen walk into the manor.
He looked dangerous, like the men a mother warned her daughter not to dance with at balls because one never knew what he was capable of.
Come now you are simply being a ninny. He is not dangerous, the level headed voice in Hermione's head reasoned.
Hastily, Hermione cleared her throat, trying to school her features into a composed mask as she had seen Lucius do so many times.
Not "Lucius", Mr. Malfoy! For pity's sake, the man is your employer, not your lover! scolded the logical Hermione.
Of course, I know who he is! I never said he was my lover, Hermione argued back.
He could be your lover. . .
Hermione nearly choked. She would not think about Lucius- Mr. Malfoy- as her lover. The very idea was absurd, and besides the fact that Mr. Malfoy was her employer, the man thought that Hermione was Henry and Henry was a boy and. . . and. . . . Hermione felt a headache coming on. This charade was becoming confusing but she refused to stand there, in the middle of a stable and argue with herself whether or not Lucius Malfoy would make a good lover while there were other matters to attend to. Such as the strange man who was staring at her with a slightly amused smile.
Lucius would make more than a "good lover". . .
"Sir. . . Good afternoon," Hermione said, wincing at the high pitched octave of her voice. Christ, she was going to give herself away without the stranger's help. One side of the man's mouth quirked up in a half smirk and Hermione could not help but recall that Lucius also smirked in that similar fashion. She nearly groaned.
This was getting out of hand!
"Henry, is it?" the man asked. Not trusting herself to speak Hermione just nodded her head.
"You know, Henry," the man began, stressing upon her name, "I have seen many, many plays. Lucius Malfoy has too and he always manages to see right through an act which is not. . .what it claims to be," the man drawled silkily.
"Really defeats watching the rest of the play if I ever do go with him but alas, all good things must come to an end."
Hermione's mouth went dry and felt her face loose color. Her stomach clenched painfully along with her throat. Yet, through her fear, Hermione managed to get out, "Mr. Malfoy is an intelligent man, sir. I-I'm sure nothing misses his eye. The proof is here, in front of you." Realizing what she had just said, Hermione hastened to add, "I mean, just look around at the horses. Mr. Malfoy has a keen eye for. . .the best horses," she finished, trying very hard not to walk away from the man in front of her.
He looked down at her for a few intense moments, scrutinizing her and then began to laugh in earnest. Dumbstruck, Hermione stood there, staring at him. To her there was nothing amusing about the current situation.
The predator always tortured his prey before swooping down upon them.
You really need to stop reading those horrid novels, the level headed Hermione rebuked.
The laughter died abruptly as it had began and the man glared down coldly at Hermione.
"I am not sure what game you are playing, Henry, and you may have managed to fool everyone else, but not me. I will let nothing happen to the Malfoy family and that includes keeping them safe from people like you," he said smoothly.
Normally, if this had been another situation, Hermione would've held her ground and told the man to sod off but unfortunately, she could not tell this particular man to sod off anywhere. He could make her life very miserable. Fear clutched her heart in an icy fist, effectively paralyzing her.
Without a warning, and before Hermione could see it coming, his large hand reached out and snatched the overly large hat right off. The same hat she had been using to stuff on top of her head in order to hide her untamable hair. The man's eyes grew large and he let out an oath.
"My God. . . You are a girl!" the man breathed, his eyes taking in her appearance from head to toe. Ignoring the warning bells going off inside of her head, Hermione reached up and snatched her hat back from the man's now lax grip. Angrily, she slammed the hat back onto her head, muttering an oath about arrogant and overbearing men.
"A round of applause for your observation! A gentleman does not go about snatching hats of the heads of another individual!" Hermione seethed, the fear and anger both swirling inside of her.
Damn, damn and double damn! she thought. What was she going to do now? The man knew who she was. Technically, he did not know who she was, just what she was. However, the correction did nothing to help alleviate Hermione's fears. She could not let the man tell Lucius who she was or she'd loose her job. Or worse, have her sent back home. The latter filled her with more fear. Sweet Jesus, she rather be jobless than to ever go back home to her previous fate.
"I demand that you tell me who you are and what in the name of all that is holy do you think you are doing pretending to be a boy in the home of Mr. Malfoy! You will tell me or I shall take you to the authorities kicking and screaming," the man threatened coldly when he saw Hermione's hesitation. Hermione's stomach dropped at his threat. Good Lord, where should she start? And would he believe her if she told him the truth?
"I-I'm not who you think I am. I-"
"Tell me the truth!" he all but snarled. Though Hemione had planned on being discovered so soon, she also had not wanted not to tell anyone the truth about who she was or where she'd come from, but it seemed that right now she had no choice.
So, before she could think of ways to tell him half the truth, Hermione ended up telling him the whole truth from the very beginning. She told him about her family, her background, who she really is, and the man she had ran away from and why she had ran away from him in the first place. In the end, she finished on a shuddering breath, refusing to cry.
There was a moment of silence before the man spoke.
"You are the daughter of Lord Granger? The one who supposedly "vanished into thin air"?" he asked. Hermione's blood froze.
" 'Vanished into thin air'? What are you talking about?" she demanded. She had thought that her mother would conduct some story or something but vanishing into thin air? What sort of nonsense was that?!
"Yes, you heard me. Rumor has it that Lord Diggory's 'fiance' simply vanished one night, never to be seen again," the man drawled.
" "Fiance"?! Why, that sneaky son of a- I never agreed to marry him! Never! I never accepted his proposal!" Hermione shouted angrily. The man waved a careless hand, as if the news was minuscule.
"Be that as it may, your parents have suffered quite a shock. Your father believes you are dead, and your mother. . . Well. . ."
Hermione paled. Her breath stopped and she felt her blood turn to ice.
"What happened to my mother?" she whispered, her body numb. The man frowned at her.
"She is not dead, if that's what you're thinking. She's gone into a severe decline, I've heard. Your father has turned to his liquor, believing that you're dead. At least, that's what Lord Diggory told him. Your mother refuses to believe it."
Hermione felt such relief at hearing that her mother was alive that she sank to her knees. A shuddering breath escaped her lips.
Thank you dear God! Thank you so much! Hermione prayed fervently. She may have been angry with her parents, but she would never want them dead. Ever. The memory of what Lord Diggory had said to her father washed over Hermione, causing bile to raise in her throat.
God, the man had no limit! He had told her parents that she was dead. . .And they believed him! Hermione thought, furious with Lord Diggory.
Severus watched the emotions on the girl's expressive face and knew, in that moment, that she was no threat to the Malfoy family and that she had been telling him the truth. Not even the best actresses could conjure so much genuine emotion. He felt as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He had been completely truthful in his account of what he knew had happened to her family and once he had seen her reaction, well, Severus knew she was not out to ruin the Malfoy family. The question was, how on earth had Lucius not managed to look past her costume?
Probably because every time he ventures near the girl, she looks like a dirty stable boy, Severus thought.
"Come, come off of the ground," he said, his voice having lost it's cold tone.
Hermione raised her eyes to look at the man's out stretched hand. He was looking at her with sympathy and kindness, the initial cold glint gone from his eyes. Gingerly, she grasped his hand, and allowed him to pull her up.
"Thank you," Hermione said politely and pulled away from him. He just started at her until she began to grow uncomfortable.
Well, he knows the truth, so what now?
As if he knew what she was thinking, the man bowed to her, causing Hermione to gasp.
"Severus Snape, at your service, my fair lady."
"Oh, please don't do that! Some one might see you!" she hissed. Was he trying to blow her cover? Smiling, Snape straightened up.
"My apologies. It seemed necessary that I reinforce myself as a gentleman in case you were put off by my previous behavior," he said smoothly and smiled charmingly at Hermione.
Now, Severus Snape was a typical ladies man. He knew he was charming executed that charm with aplomb. He never failed, especially with women. He was used to their reactions, and the playful behavior. However, it came as a shock and surprise to him when Hermione did not react as most women would. She did not gasp or giggle or bat her eyelashes at him. She simply returned his smile with a radiant one of her own, devoid of any coyness, or falsehood.
"Now that you know about my reasons for being here, you won't tell Lu- I mean, you won't tell , will you?" Hermione blundered and blushed, hoping that Severus Snape did not pick up on her mistake.
Severus did pick up on her little mistake but he refused to embarrass the poor girl further.
"I should," he began lightly, but when he saw her eyes go round with fear, he took mercy on her and decided not to antagonize the girl any further.
"But, I won't."
Hermione closed her eyes, holding herself in check. Relief and hysteria bubbled in the back of her throat. She wanted to leap and joy and hug Severus Snape tightly.
Dear God, today was the day of miracles!
Within twenty minutes or so, Severus nodded to Hermione as he mounted his horse.
He smiled down at the young lady, who looked more like a little boy in her current dirty state. Regardless, she was a cute little thing he had to admit. She wasn't Helen, but rather her own person, unlike any other lady he had met before. It was refreshing.
"Good day. . .lad." With a mock salute he was off, leaving Hermione staring at his back. No wonder Severus and Malfoy were such good friends; they were practically the same person, except, Severus Snape did not inspire inappropriate thoughts to enter Hermione's head or to make her knees go weak. No, it seemed that the one man she could not have was destined to inspire her inner wanton.
