Downside of Aging Potions - Chapter Twenty-Nine
"When I thought it was me who's having a
rough time,
I don't feel bad when I see you
Everybody goes down once in a while,
gives everything to the devils inside you
I got just open your mouth
And let the words come out
And say goodbye to the devils inside you
I got myself in this mess cause I love you
I ain't gonna give it up cause I love you so."
The Rasmus, Help Me Sing
"How exactly are they escaping?" Hermione questioned, tying her hair back and rubbing her eyes quickly.
"Levitation, breaking windows, floating down to safety. It's not difficult magic, Miss Granger." McGonagall replied snappishly.
Hermione bit back a response and continued the near-jog to wherever they were being led.
"What are we to do, Minerva?" Snape asked calmly.
She looked at him sharply and looked back, "Catch them."
"What? Like cattle?" Hermione asked disapprovingly.
"Can't we just try talking with the students?" Snape suggested with his eyebrow arched.
McGonagall nearly collapsed with exhaustion and rounded on Snape.
"Whatever the fuck you want, Severus. Just get them the FUCK back here."
Hermione nearly dropped to the ground this time, and didn't know whether to laugh hysterically or be absolutely appalled.
Snape put a comforting hand on the Transfiguration professor's shoulder, "Minerva, it's-"
"Severus, I'm starting to slip. There is a reason why Albus is the Headmaster," she said exasperatedly, "I can handle it-"
"I know you can. You just need rest, Minerva." He put his other hand on her shoulder.
Not that Hermione wasn't heart-warmed by his comforting ways, but she wished he would back off from her.
God. Hermione rolled her eyes. She was jealous of a nearly seventy year old woman.
"All right, Professor, you go to the Hospital Wing. Severus- let's go."
She started walking and waited to hear Snape's steps behind her. After ten feet, she turned around expectantly.
A flash passed over Snape's eyes, and he turned back to McGonagall. "She's right, go rest, Minerva."
Snape departed with Hermione.
After they turned a few corners, he murmured silkily, "Did I detect jealousy, Miss Granger?"
"Jealous? Please, Severus. She's too old for you anyway. She could be your mother or something."
Unexpectedly, he laced his fingers with hers and pushed her with nothing seemingly but his aura into the wall. He was barely an inch from her when he whispered, voice heavy with passion, "Mm, but I'm old enough to be your father."
She bit her lip, trying to calm down, getting rushes through her body like she'd never felt before. "Well, yeah, but-but that's different."
Looking up at him through her lashes, she gave a devilish grin.
Returning her grin with a smirk, he pressed his lips to hers, curling his free hand around her waist. In response, she wrapped her hands around his neck, leaving his other hand to grab her waist fully.
After they finished wrestling each others mouths, he broke to pant in her ear, "Besides, darling Hermione, the only person I'm interested in is right here."
"Ah, am I looking at him?" She grinned and hurried off, so she had a head start anyways.
"Hey-"
He caught up to her and muttered something.
She laughed, even though she didn't hear but they approached the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Warthog." Hermione said, still giggly.
She opened, trembling, and muttering about Death Eaters.
They entered the Gryffindor Common Room, which was a complete mess, just as Neville was trying push himself out the window, but appeared stuck, and thus, everyone was shouting and pushing him.
"Stop this idiocy NOW." Everyone stopped when they heard Snape.
"You can't tell us what to do, you're not a teacher." Someone yelled. A chorus of "yeah's" followed.
"And you're a Slytherin."
Hermione's eyes darted to Harry, in warning. He nodded, rolling his emeralds.
"I know. I also know something you all don't know."
They scoffed and laughed, but Neville shouted from the other side of the window, "What?"
"The Death Eaters are already here." A ripple of fear spread through the crowd and they all whispered and fretted.
"However," Snape called, "They cannot enter the Common Rooms. The teachers have charmed the rooms so no evil can enter."
"You can't do that!" A snobbish Seventh year called.
"Yes, you can. However, if you have doubts, we can let you stand watch as the Death Eaters try and break in."
He shrunk back and stayed quiet.
Snape continued, "We need to get everyone back in. You all must stay in here, quiet, no more Floo, no... desperate window attempts. Got it?"
No one answered but they all seemed to "get it."
"All right, we have to spread the word. Remember what I said. Don't panic; keep calm. Etcetera..."
Snape left and Hermione followed, not remembering until she left she forgot to see Ron.
Later. She told herself.
"That was brilliant, Severus." She said with a smile.
He rolled his eyes, "Thank you, but now we have to do that three more times."
Hermione perked up, "I'll do Hufflepuff."
Snape snorted, "Of course. No, it's fine. I'll do Slytherin and meet you at Ravenclaw. The password to Hufflepuff is piranha."
They parted and Hermione continued to Hufflepuff.
Maybe it was a mistake to send Snape to Slytherin... She didn't know why, but she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Then again, it was his own house.
Nevertheless, she turned the corridors to the Hufflepuff statue.
Hermione had been waiting outside the Ravenclaw portrait for nearly half an hour. She was sweating cold she was so nervous.
She kept telling herself he would show up. Any minute. Slytherins were tricky and didn't want to be tricked. It would take... longer.
Sliding down against the wall, she groaned. She felt like she was going to be sick.
"Should I go down there? No, but I don't know the password... Why didn't he tell me? Oh... Severus... Fucking hell... Okay... just... five more minutes. Only five."
Hermione sat there a few seconds.
"Well, maybe four."
After only a minute and a half, she got up and sprinted for the Slytherin Common Room.
When she got there, she nearly pissed herself.
