DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
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A/N: I have to work fast and update everyday before my vacation. Will be gone for four days, dear readers.
How do you spell b'tch? It's U-M-B-R-I-D-G-E. :)
How do you spell 'hero'? S-N-A-P-E. *heart-heart*
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CHAPTER 25: Hermione's Prince
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"Let me see that!"
"What does it say?"
"Rita Skeeter is a liar. Why is she believing Harry now?"
"How did Quibbler trick Skeeter to write this? Brilliant!"
Hermione smirked like a Slytherin upon hearing the questions from her fellow students. With the help of her dear Severus, she managed to threaten Rita Skeeter and made her write Harry's version of last year's events. Severus promised her in January that he will take care of Skeeter, confound the woman and bring her to Hermione. Poor Skeeter didn't know who brought her to Hogsmead, right in front of Little Miss Prefect Hermione Granger. While Severus took care of Skeeter, Hermione was busy seeing Luna, convincing her to seek his father's approval to print Harry's story in Quibbler. But before that favour, she apologized for mocking her father's paper in September.
Harry was pleased, as well as the rest of Gryffindors and D.A. members because almost the entire Hogwarts are now believing Harry's words.
"It's really thanks to Hermione," she heard Harry say in the common room. "She was the one who convinced Skeeter to write the story."
"How did you do that, Hermione?" the others asked with pure amusement.
She smirked. "I have my ways and I won't reveal it."
Oh, if they only know that I've got Skeeter as a Valentine's Day present from Severus!
"Umbridge is outraged," Ginny said with an evil grin. "The more she bans the paper, the more people want to read it."
"You're bloody brilliant, Hermione!" George said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.
"Had we known you could handle Skeeter, we could have asked for your help last year with Bagman," Fred told her.
Things were going well for Hermione, Harry and Ron. Well, Harry's still having a hard time with his Occlumency lessons, upset with Dumbledore and angry at Umbridge for giving him more punishments since she found out about the paper. But he had high hopes, knowing that people are starting to believe him and doubt the ministry.
"Hermione Granger," says a first year girl behind.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Professor Umbridge requires your presence in her office," she said nervously.
"Thank you," she said to the girl and turned to her friends, frowning.
"Why would she want you, Hermione?" Ron asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know. Time to find out," she said turning on her heels.
"Be careful, Hermione. That woman is evil," Harry warned.
"Don't worry, Harry. If I can take care of the Beetle, I can take care of the Toad."
Her friends roared with laughter. "You're indeed some Gryffindor, Hermione!" Ginny said.
Or a Slytherin, she thought.
She made it out of the tower and walked to Umbridge's office on the fifth floor. She knocked on the door and she heard Umbridge's voice, telling her to enter. She slowly pushed the door and entered.
"Good evening, Professor Umbridge," she said politely.
"Miss Granger, have a seat," she said in a girlish manner.
She moved towards the visitor's chair like a good girl. "Thank you, Professor."
"Tea, Miss Granger?" she asked sweetly.
"Yes, please, Professor. Thank you," she said politely. She will insist anyway. Might as well bring on the 'good girl' image.
The pink toad handed her a teacup. "It's the most delicious Earl Grey, Miss Granger."
She brought the cup to he lips, but careful not to touch the liquid. She smelled it. Veritaserum. I knew it! You, damn woman. You're trying to get something from me. In her mind, she's thankful to Severus for his tutelage. Not all people can smell Veritaserum when mixed on a drink, but Severus exposed her too much in his private laboratory. She's used to each potions' smell. "Indeed, it's nice, Professor."
Umbridge gave an evil smile as Hermione stared blankly at the wall, pretending to have taken the Veritaserum. "Miss Granger, are you close friends with Harry Potter?" she asked in her sweet tone.
"Yes," she answered promptly, showing no emotion and not looking at the toad.
She heard the toad giggle. "Miss Granger, do you know Rita Skeeter?"
"Yes."
"How did you know her?"
"I met her last year in Hogsmead," she answered like a robot.
"Are you friends, Miss Granger?"
"No."
"Why not?" she asked curiously.
"She wrote awful stories about me."
"Like what?"
"She said that Harry and I were an item and I was playing with Viktor Krum's heart."
"Did you date Mister Potter, Miss Granger?"
"No."
"Was Viktor Krum your boyfriend?"
"No."
"Then, tell me, who might have helped Potter to get Skeeter," she asked impatiently.
"I don't know."
"Did Potter pay Skeeter to write the article?"
"No idea."
The toad let out a heavy sigh. "I guess the Veritaserum isn't enough. Perhaps, I should require a Legilimens to scan your mind. I shall call Snape," she said.
Hermione smirked inwardly, but did not dare move. "Please, Professor... not Professor Snape," she said quietly, still acting as if she's a robot.
"Why not?"
"He's a horrible teacher," she reasoned.
Umbridge giggled. "Oh. I knew it. You and Potter and that Weasley boy were Snape's most hated students! Well, I've got news for you, girl. I'm going to get Professor Snape's help and have a look at your fat mind," she mimicked a little girl.
"No, Professor, please," she said again.
Umbridge turned to the fireplace and made a Floo call to Severus. Hermione did not move from her chair and waited. After few minutes, Umbridge stood in front of her with Severus.
"Severus, as the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and Undersecretary to the Minister, I am asking you to look at her thoughts, see if she's behind the article written by that Skeeter woman. See if she's planning something against the ministry!" Umbridge demanded.
"It's an honor, Madam," Severus said politely. "This girl has always been a nuisance to me."
Umbridge chuckled. "Is that so? Now, don't you think it's time for revenge? Go on, Severus."
Severus gave her an evil smile and raised his wand, but instead of pointing it at Hermione, he pointed it to Umbridge's temple without speaking. Then, he lowered his wand. The pink toad blinked and looked around. "Well, Severus, thank you for your service. I will make sure to mention it to Cornelius," she said.
"Thank you, Madam," Severus said.
"Take the girl with you if you want. She's no use," she said dismissively.
"Follow me, Miss Granger," Severus said sternly and turned to the door with his billowing robes behind.
She walked behind Severus from the fifth floor to the dungeons. Once they were inside his office, she grabbed his hand. "What did you do?" she asked in confusion.
Severus faced her with his signature smirk. "Saved your arse."
"How?"
"I planted a fake memory in her mind and confound her," he told her casually, as if it's a mundane activity. "I made her think that indeed, I used Legilimency on you, and found out that you don't want to lose your prefect badge, so you're not participating in any rebellious activities. I confounded her to brush off her suspicions on you."
Hermione smiled in delight and threw herself on him, giving Severus a tight embrace. "Thank you, Sev," she said affectionately against his chest.
Severus held her back and pulled her close. "Anything to save you."
She pulled away gently to meet his eyes. "You know, I once told Malfoy that I don't like Muggle fairy tales because of the silly idea of 'a peasant woman waiting for her prince charming'. But now, I think I found my Prince," she teased.
Severus gave her a wide smile. "A half-blood Prince." Then, he tugged some curls behind her ears.
Hermione closed her eyes, savoring his touch. She could feel that there's no lust, but pure love. "My half-blood Prince."
"Yours," he whispered.
She smiled and opened her eyes. "Really?" she teased with a giggle.
"Must you really ruin the moment?" He quirked an eyebrow.
"Apologies, my Prince," she replied politely. "Say that again," she whispered.
"Yours," he said with a smile.
"Mine," she smiled contentedly.
I could get live like this... more than friends, less than lovers. When the war is over and I'm of age, we can finally be together.
That night, Severus was on his couch again, reading Andros the Invincible's biography. The wizard was known to have a Patronus the size of a giant.
"What's his Patronus?" she asked, eyes closed and leaning on his legs.
"We'll get there, Hermione," he said patiently.
"What's his Patronus?" she asked again.
"A thunderbird," he answered.
"Wow!" she muttered with amusement. "A very rare one."
"Indeed," he said. "Thunderbirds can erase memories. Andros himself is skilled with memory charms."
"I still wonder sometimes why my Patronus was an otter," she said.
"You're intelligent and full of positive energy; and so is the otter," he remarked.
"Yeah, I think so, too," she murmured against his leg. "Sev?"
"Hmn?"
"Why did your change from doe to a snow leopard?" she asked, summoning her Gryffindor bravery again.
"Come up here," he said gently, patting her shoulder.
Hermione moved to stand up, but Severus pulled her to his lap, making her shriek. She was sitting on his right lap, slightly facing him and her hands are on her knees. Severus's right hand was wrapped around her waist, his left was resting on the arm of the couch. They have never been this close.
"Relax, will you?" he almost pleaded. "I will not do something inappropriate."
"Too late for that, don't you think?" she teased rather nervously.
"Allow me to rephrase that. I will not do anything to damage your womanhood," he whispered.
She met his black eyes and nodded. "I trust you."
"Good. Now, for your question... Hermione, this is not an easy subject for me. You've been warned. I do not speak my personal life to anyone, most especially my emotions. I should give you an Order of Merlin award for running my life and taking off my spy mask."
She giggled and relaxed to his hold. She leaned her side to his chest... and she melted against him. "Go on... tell me what you must. I'm listening."
Severus sighed and held her tightly. "It was a doe... because she's the only person who made me really happy," he began. "Of course, Mother loves me. But during my boyhood years, I was a bit upset with her for not using her magic. She's a witch, and yet she lives like a Muggle... Her family has fortune, yet she depends on her irresponsible husband financially. Then there was Lily. She's my first true friend. Whenever I have to cast my Patronus, my happy memory was with her: the time we first sat together on the train—our first journey to Hogwarts. It's the memory I've been using for over ten years, since Dumbledore taught me the Patronus Charm. We shared the same Patronus form, though she never knew about it; only Dumbledore and few members of the Order."
"Why is is a snow leopard now?"
"Because finally, I'm free," he said.
She pulled away to meet his eyes. "Explain," she said with a frown.
Severus chuckled and pulled her again, rested his chin on her head. "Bossy witch. No one ever bossed me around, except Dumbledore, the Dark Lord few high ranking Death Eaters," he paused and laughed with her. Then, he continued. "For fourteen years, I've been guilty for putting Lily's life in danger."
She stiffed, but Severus tightened his arms around her. "No, I'm not going to tell you how. Not today; it will be another story and I have to seek the old man's permission first."
"Okay. Continue," she said against his chest.
"I had no other true friend, Hermione—except for Dumbledore. I've never loved anyone, except for my mother... and her. Though she did not forgive me, I still loved her, placed her on a pedestal... I was ready to murder anyone who would speak badly of her. I was... obsessed," he said with a hint of sadness. "When Savelius came, I kept on asking myself, how come I had a relationship with other woman? I thought I was betraying Lily. But slowly, I realized that it was never a betrayal because she was never mine, and I was never hers. I will be a traitor if I abandon my son and his mother and continue to mope over a dead woman—an old friend who refused to forgive her sixteen year-old friend."
Hermione felt tears in her eyes and allowed them to fall on Severus's shirt. He might have noticed that she's crying because he stroked her spine. "As I spend time with Savelius, I was amazed by his brilliance and behaviour with you around. I can see you in him—your habits, your facial expressions and even your skills. One day, you entered my mind and never came out."
She chuckled and wiped her tears. "So, why is it a snow leopard, then?"
"Because you and Savelius showed me that I can be happy. My happiness doesn't depend anymore on one person. Don't get me wrong, Hermione. It was you who brought joy in my dark life. You gave me Savelius and brought my mother back to my life. My happiness is not just one person... but a group of people we call family. Thank you, dear."
Once more, Hermione let her tears fall on his shirt and she melted against him—her Prince.