Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

oOo

A/N:- Happy New Year everyone!Thank you all for your comments and kudos for the last chapter, I appreciate them all. Thank you also to, Golden Asp, for the beta work on this chapter.

oOo

Chapter Fourteen – The damage is complete

Hermione started attending her classes again the next day, even though she still had her arm in a sling. Of course, this prevented her from participating in anything practical, and as far as she was concerned, this was the final straw. The exercise of gaining NEWT levels was now a farce, and after her conversation with Severus the previous evening she had already resolved that she would trust him to provide her with her intellectual treats. Of course, he was already doing that; she loved her potions project and the things she was learning in his Defence Studies class, but she also longed to be free with him, and that was the most painful thing that was being denied her here.

She found that she had to be extremely careful where Severus was concerned. Every moment she was with him in public she had to be aware of her actions and speech, and this was a problem. Whenever she saw him her mind busily started cataloguing her so far brief but intense amorous encounters with him, both real and imagined, and in public she'd had to hide her expression on more than one occasion as she found herself smiling at him as he billowed ominously through the sea of dunderheads that surrounded him. She simply adored the way his robes caught the breeze as he walked and the scowling countenance that he showed to the world as large.

She knew that this face was deceptive, and that made it even more delicious because she often found herself imagining him stalking through the halls of Hogwarts with that expression affixed to his face as he walked while he was actually thinking of her writhing seductively for him on his bed. However, it was all very stressful.

Not half as stressful as it had been with Astoria Greengrass and Ginny Weasley glaring at her every opportunity that they got, or fearing for herself over the threats that had been made against her, but it was like she was walking on egg shells all the time. Of course, some of the remaining Slytherins were still trying to get a rise out of her, and that would probably never change, but on the whole they were actually leaving her alone now the trouble had been temporarily eliminated.

She felt fairly safe as well, even though she couldn't cast with her right hand because it was confined at the moment. She could do a passable job with her left, but when she was out in the school she always seemed to have at least two 'bouncers' at her side.

Her bouncers, or 'fan club', as Severus called Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Greg were never far away from her. To everyone's surprise, Greg had elected to stay after his problems, and was much happier now that Bulstrude and Nott were not there, and she couldn't help thinking how things had changed.

Of course, it was only temporary, as next term would see them return, but it was giving those who remained time to organise what they would do. Hermione would never have thought that she'd have called any of the Slytherins valued allies, especially Greg Goyle, but on Thursday afternoon just after lunch Greg and Draco were with her, and Greg had literally flattened Theodore Nott's younger brother in the hallway when he'd snarled, "Mudblood," at her as he and Daphne Greengrass walked by, and she found herself thanking the goliath of a lad for his support.

Daphne Greengrass and the younger boy seemed to be looking out for each other, which as far as Hermione was concerned was incidental. It made it even plainer as to which side of the fence they sat on and that they still blamed Hermione for Daphne's sister being expelled, even though she'd had nothing to do with it.

Daphne even spat at Draco, and then said, "Prick!"

Draco had managed to wriggle free of his obligation to Astoria because of her attack against him. This had pleased him very much, but of course it meant that the Greengrass' were now unable to ally themselves with the Malfoy family. Despite the damage that had been done to the Malfoy name in the war, the Malfoys were still the most influential family in wizarding Britain, and their name afforded lesser families a significant rise in status.

It all left a bitter taste in Hermione's mouth and just added to her resolve to leave. Therefore, it came to pass that afternoon before dinner that Hermione, Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Greg all met in Hermione and Draco's sitting room and the conversation quickly turned to whether they were planning to come back next term.

"Why are you obsessing over this so much?" Draco asked. "We've all already decided that this is a farce."

"I guess so," Hermione countered. "I just want to make certain that we're doing the right thing."

"You're looking at this all wrong, 'Mione," Harry said gently. "You're thinking that we're all as dedicated to our studies as you are. Now, I don't want to speak for our Slytherin friends here, but you're destined to be an academic, we all know that," and he swept his hand around those gathered watching them nod.

"Yes, you have a thirst for knowledge that rivals Severus and Father," Draco put in. "You're a good match for Severus, Princess."

"You can't know that this early on," Hermione scoffed, but then the remainder of his words sank in. "Your father is an academic too?" she asked, unable to hide her shock.

Draco chuckled. "Yes, if you think Severus' library is huge, wait until you see Father's. It rivals the library here. Well, it probably surpasses it," and Draco sighed. "Anyway, we were discussing other things," and his voice cracked slightly.

Hermione reached forward and covered his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Draco cleared his throat. "My father was a monumental git, but the man who's now locked up in Azkaban is not that man. The man he is now is a very humble man who's seen the error of his ways, and I hope… Well, never mind."

"If that is true then I hope he gets out to experience life again," Hermione stated, squeezing his hand.

"Thanks, Princess," Draco replied.

"Right," Blaise said, "Back to our subject. So, I suppose I should tell you that I completed my wizarding education at Beauxbaton." He glanced quickly at Draco.

"You what?" Draco said, his head snapping around to look at his friend. "Sneaky bloody git."

Blaise shrugged easily. "You were still under house arrest. I was at a loose end, so I finished school." Then he added quickly. "But I wanted to come back here anyway, and I'm just as fed up as you guys. So, I really don't need to be here."

"Well, I'll be. Bloody hell," Draco replied, and looking at them all one by one. "Then that makes it easier. I didn't want to leave you here alone, but as I told Princess here, I don't need NEWTs, especially if they're going to be this much trouble. I'm always going to be a rich bastard."

"Yes, we have accumulated a lot since we've been in business, haven't we?" Blaise said, smirking.

"And I guess I fall into the same category," Harry said, laughing with them.

"Yes, I keep forgetting that you're a bloody lord, Potter," Draco laughed.

Harry stood and bowed with a flourish. "Lord Potter-Black, at your service," he cackled. "And I say, to hell with it," Harry stated. "I've already got a business plan in place, and I'll go the Muggle system and get a business degree to round things off."

"So, we really can leave?" Hermione gasped, smiling when each of them nodded.

Greg had been sitting there very quietly, and then suddenly he said, "What about the Quidditch?"

"We can't forget about that," Harry said, sighing. "We've agreed to play."

"But we're a player down," Draco helpfully informed them.

"Mmm, I guess I could ask Ollie to play," Harry decided.

"All right, then let us know at dinner," Draco and Blaise said together.

"Okay," Harry replied thoughtfully, watching Blaise and Greg getting up to leave.

xox

That night, Hermione sighed as she sat at dinner. She hated the idea of giving up on gaining her NEWTs but it was just becoming too difficult, and she reasoned that she may well be better off, well … really anywhere but here. She had allies, she had support, but nothing in that had changed her reasoning that coming back to Hogwarts had been a mistake. It was doing her head in. She was so bored with the majority of her work and there was so much stress around, she firmly believed that it was a completely lost cause.

On Wednesday she'd even had one final go at talking Professors Vector and Babbling into offering her more challenging work, but both teachers had simply quoted the requirements of the curriculum at her, and told her that she did not require any further knowledge. Her talks with both had left her convinced that they themselves did not know anything beyond what was required of them, all aspects of which Hermione had managed to master as she'd read about the and used them the year they were on the run.

It left her feeling very cheated that her teachers would not recognise that she was beyond what they were teaching. Then she thought of what Severus had said. He had already proven to her that he could challenge her mind with what it needed, and she also spared a thought that he might have the same effect on her body once they were away from this place.

However, before she got too far into thinking about things best not thought of at the dinner table, her attention came back to the table as the man she'd just been thinking about walked into The Great Hall via the teacher's entrance. He was looking quite smug and Hermione wondered why, but as soon as he sat down at the head table Professor Ross started simpering something Hermione could not hear close to his ear and she saw red.

She knew that Severus was not interested in the woman, but it still annoyed her that the odious woman was able to claim his attention in public and she was forbidden to do so. She watched as Severus' iron-clad façade fell into place as he brushed her off attempts at engaging him. In fact, Hermione saw him deliberately move away from her and glare, and then she saw his lips move forming words she lip read.

"Unhand me, Madam," he said.

Severus and Hermione had not spent any time alone since Monday night, and Hermione was missing him terribly, but they had made a plan to meet on Saturday so she was content that it would only be two more days.

Then her focus was diverted as a heated discussion between Harry and Ron started. Tomorrow was the Quidditch exhibition game between the eighth years and an all-star side, and the only reason Hermione had decided not to leave earlier in the week was she wanted to be there for the boys.

As he'd said he would, Harry had asked Oliver to make up numbers by taking the place left by Ginny's sudden departure and it appeared Ron was getting his knickers in a knot over it.

"What the bloody hell did you do that for?" she heard him hiss in a whisper.

"What choice did I have, mate?"

"Ginny was really looking forward to playing against Gwenog Jones."

"Well, perhaps she should have thought of that before she let her jealousy get the better of her," Harry replied in an equally heated hissed whisper.

"She only hexed 'Mione because… well, you know," he whispered, glancing at Hermione.

Hermione had been watching and she couldn't help herself. She was sick of this old argument, and glancing around the table she deliberately placed her cutlery down. "Why was that, Ronald?" she asked, smirking sarcastically. "Because I was sitting here eating my dinner and minding my own business?"

Ron flashed her a wary look; he knew that tone and it was a dangerous one. He looked back to Harry. "You know how touchy Ginny was about you and 'Mione," he whispered quietly.

"Well, she has no reason to be, and you both know it," Hermione stated fiercely. "Excuse me, I've just lost my appetite," and before anyone could stop her she was striding towards the doors of the hall.

Unfortunately most of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team were closing in on the Great Hall from the other side of the door. They were late for dinner because their practice had run over and they were hurrying because they didn't want to miss their dinner. Therefore, just as Hermione reached the doors they flung open, taking her with them.

There was a collective gasp from those watching from where she'd just left the eighth year table, and a cheer from the other group of Slytherins.

"Go Hufflepuffs," Mandrake Nott yelled.

"Looks like they're good for something after all," Daphne Greengrass agreed, as Pansy Parkinson laughed along with her.

Most of the teachers had been watching Hermione's words with Ron, and their eyes had followed her as Hermione left. Severus' eyes were glued to Hermione falling after being slammed by the door, and before he'd thought about it he was on his feet. He only realised that the situation had overcome his iron-clad control when he was already half way up the hall. The only thing he was focused on at this moment was his Hermione, and he was running up the middle of the hall to get to her.

It didn't register with him that Harry and Draco were taking Nott, Greengrass, and Parkinson to task over their comments, nor that Neville Longbottom had hurried towards the eighth year table, and Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Luna Lovegood had come to Harry and Draco's aid in support.

Hermione squealed as she was hit by the door, and then she was falling. The Quidditch players realised too late what they'd done and a seventh year managed to catch her by the arm.

"Oh no, Miss Granger," he gasped, but by this time Severus had made his way through the shocked and sorry players and was leading Hermione from the hall.

They made it outside, and he turned her to look at him. "Hermione. Let me see."

"Seberus," she gasped. "I'm habing a really horrible week," she muttered, holding her nose.

Severus grimaced. "I know," he said.

There was blood still trickling from her nose, and he could see that the pert little appendage was slightly crooked. He quickly incanted, "Episkey," and cringed when her nose snapped back into place and she yelped in pain. "I'm sorry, but it's better to get it over with quickly, love."

Not caring who was watching, he wound his arms around her and held her to him. He'd cemented his plans for the coming term this afternoon. The headmistress did not know it yet, but he'd been to see the chairman of the Hogwarts board of governors, Arcturus Rosier. He'd handed him the finished curriculum for the new defence subject, and they'd gone through it together in depth. They'd made a plan to inform Minerva tonight, so this was simply pre-empting things a little.

The old man had been very impressed, and Severus had then confided in him his plans should a certain young lady and her friends decide that they did not wish to remain at Hogwarts next term. Arcturus had chuckled knowingly and patted Severus on the back. "Well, done, young man," he'd replied. "You deserve some happiness now your life is back on track."

Arcturus had always been a genial and fair wizard. In his working life he'd been a magistrate for the Wizengamot and Severus liked the old wizard a lot. He valued his opinion; he hadn't thought about things that way yet, all he knew was that he wanted this witch in all her forms, and he glanced down at her in his arms now and gently pushed her back to arm's length, as he bent down to look at her wounded nose again.

"Thank you," she said, as she became aware that the boys had all arrived and were congregating around her, as well as several others. She felt Severus tending her bleeding nose further as he used a spell to clear the blood away, and she took a deep breath.

She blinked at them all, but the doors of the hall were still open from where they'd thrown them in their hurry to get to her and Hermione gasped as she saw Minerva McGonagall making steam-train like progress up the middle of the hall with the odious Potions teacher whispering furiously at her as she scurried along after her glaring at Hermione.

"Professor Snape!" McGonagall called as she strode towards him. "A word, if you please." She'd seen everything, and she had started her journey towards the little group in complete shock that one of her professors was giving such intimate comfort to a student. She could not understand why. She was livid, and not only because of that, she knew that the witch whispering to her was interested in Severus, and here he was carrying on with Hermione Granger behind everyone's back.

Severus saw Minerva's expression and he was happy to see shock on her face. "Draco, get Hermione up to your rooms, all of you, and stay there until I arrive." He knew he'd just signed his own resignation, but he didn't care. He turned, allowing the fury he felt to show on his face.

He wasn't about to speak to the headmistress about Hermione, that was their business and no one else's. So to shift the focus he commanded the doors of the hall to shut and block out the view of the miscreant brats in the hall. He turned towards McGonagall's shocked expression and said, "A word? No, actually I'd like to use a few more than that, Minerva." He spared a scowl for Apolline Ross watching from behind Minerva and he started stalking towards them.

Minerva stood her ground as he started to approach but as he closed the distance between them he saw fear in her eyes, and then he saw her start to back away.

Minerva had never seen him this angry.

He stopped right in front of her. "The new curriculum was delivered to Arcturus Rosier this afternoon. He will arrive in one hour's time and we will discuss things then," he said, "However, allow me to inform you that I did not survive the war and clear my name to waste my life being hounded by this banshee of a woman while she is indulged by you." He pointed at the Potions teacher before turning back to Minerva. "I had my fill of that with Sybil Trelawney until she left. I've given too many years of my life to other people. Now, my life is my own, and I will see you in your office in one hour," and he apparated away.

The headmistress just stood there stunned, and then she realised that she had not even managed a word of what she'd been planning to take him to task about. After that it hit her that he'd apparated away. "How did he do that?" she muttered, still too shocked to think or move.

Severus knew that he'd just given the game away as he redirected himself to the portrait in front of their shared office so as not to break the wards he had on the area; the young people still benefiting from them would need them until they left. He was just about to go in when he heard the others still coming up the stairs, apparently they'd stopped to watch the show because they were all smiling at him. Well, all but Potter; he was busy questioning Hermione with a concerned look on his face.

"But you can't just leave, 'Mione, it's not Friday yet," he said.

"I can, and I will!" she said. "I'm not staying another moment."

"But what about the Quidditch match?"

"Sod the Quidditch match, I'm sick of this crap. You don't need me for a fricking Quidditch match," and by this time she'd arrived at the office door and was looking at an amused looking Severus and she smiled at him.

"Tut, tut, my dear, such language," he said, returning her smile. "Your nose appears to be better."

"Yes, it is. Thank you," and she leant up and kissed him. "Now I'm going to pack and leave, are you coming?"

"Yes," Severus replied, the corner of his mouth tilting up into a smile.

"What?" Draco put in, his head snapping around towards Severus.

Severus smiled shark-like at them. "I'm sure you heard and saw that I've just signed my own resignation," but then he looked up the hallway from where they'd just come and added, "and Minerva will be getting over her shock right about now, so I suggest that we get behind this door before she gets here." He opened the door and gestured for them to go in. "No one gains access until I tell you otherwise, Violet," Severus told the portrait guardian. "Oh, and thank you for your discretion."

"You're welcome, Headmaster, sir," Violet replied, smiling.

Severus ushered them inside as he heard Hermione saying to the boys. "I've been a bloody fool to think that it would be any different in wizarding England than it was before, so I'm out of here. If you want to stay here and play your game of Quidditch that's up to you."

Severus cackled. "Do you have a place to stay, Hermione?"

Hermione glanced at Harry. "Well, that depends on what Harry says," she stated, her lip suddenly slipping between her teeth.

Harry nodded. "You're welcome at Grimmauld Place any time you want, love, but I think you might be just about to receive a better offer," and he looked towards Severus and smiled. "Thank you, sir. I have learned such a lot from you this term," and he held his hand out to shake.

Severus shook it, replying, "I never thought I'd say this, Potter, but you do have an excellent head for defence."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, before adding, "And I'm happy for you both to stay at Grimmauld Place tonight if you want, but I did promise that we'd play Quidditch tomorrow…" and he grimaced. "Although, I don't know if we'll have a goalie now."

"Thank you, Mister Potter, but I have a perfectly acceptable residence that Hermione is welcome to come and share with me."

Draco watched all this, slightly dumbfounded that it was happening so fast after simmering all term, but then he cut in, "I might be able to solve the goalie problem. I've been seeing a seventh year on and off this term… She's of age, and she's the Ravenclaw goalie."

"Melanie Taylor-Smith?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you've noticed her?"

"Yes," Harry smiled. "She's great! Then it's settled," he agreed. "We'll play Quidditch tomorrow, and then resign after the match, gentlemen." He turned to Hermione and Severus who'd been listening. "We'll all meet up at The Hogshead after the game. A private party if you want to come."

"We will keep it in mind, Mister Potter," Severus told him.

Then Hermione added, "You can have my room for the remainder of your time here if you want it."

"Thanks," Harry said, starting for the door.