Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Snake's Return
Well that's certainly inconvenient, Hermione thought with an agitated huff as she stood before her mirror the next morning. Since she wasn't ready to have to explain the presence of the pendant around her neck, nor how she had come to possess it (not that it really mattered. Harry and Ron had already seen it), she had attempted to disillusion the collar. But of course, such a powerful magical artifact was impervious to spells. It could not be charmed, disillusioned or glamored.
She had chastised herself when she'd awoken with an epiphany, wondering how she could have overlooked such a simple solution. Now she was irked that her "solution" was apparently too simple. Sighing, she turned away from the mirror, setting her wand on her nightstand as she sluggishly got dressed and ready for the day. It looked as if another turtleneck would have to suffice.
"Hey, are you ready yet?" said Ginny, stepping into the doorway of their room. The red head had risen a bit earlier than Hermione and had been down in the Common Room with her brother and boyfriend. "We're already nearly late for breakfast, and…well, you know how Ron gets when he's late for any meal."
Hermione turned to address her friend, attempting to give a smile despite her annoyance. "Yes, I'm about ready."
Ginny's eyes dropped to the black turtleneck her friend wore with a knowing look. "Trying to hide it?" she asked.
Hermione frowned. "No…well…a little. I don't really know what tell Ron and Harry just yet. I guess I'm hoping they'll forget about it for now. I will have to tell them before potions on Tuesday, though…"
"Right…Snape has one, too," mumbled Ginny in recollection. "Hey, if they do ask, you can always just tell them part of the truth. Just…leave out Snape for now. It does have relevance to your transformation."
"True…" Hermione grabbed her wand from the nightstand and placed it in her back pocket, then walked up to Ginny. "Ready when you are."
Nodding, Ginny led the way down the stairs to the Common Room. They retrieved Harry and Ron, the latter scolding his ex for making his stomach growl at him for an extra ten minutes, and the four of them headed down to the Great Hall for the usual breakfast feast. Once there, the boys made it clear they would do all in their power to make up for their inexcusable behavior the day before, badgering Hermione with numerous questions about her trip.
"So, you found the Wolfsbane then?" asked Harry, slicing his ham and mixing it with his eggs.
"Yes. The Wolfsbane and the Geranium. No easy task, let me tell you."
"Yeah, not as bad as searching for Horcruxes I bet," said Ron round a bite of pancakes.
"And not nearly so dangerous," laughed Hermione.
"Didn't run into any trouble, did you?" Harry hedged, the concern lacing his voice. Hermione smiled at her best friend with the scar, her eyes flickering to Ginny, and she couldn't help but think of how wonderful a father he would make. He was a boy-no, a man-who had a big heart and a lot of love to give.
"Not too much…" came the witch's reluctant response. "We did run into…lion animagi. And a pack of werewolves. And some angry villagers who accused…me…of killing their sheep."
The boys both about choked on their meals, their eyes huge and panicked.
"LIONS?" Ron squeaked. "And a pack of WEREWOLVES?"
"Angry villagers?" Harry repeated, stunned.
"Blimey, Hermione! What else haven't you told us?"
Ginny giggled, but said nothing, choosing to smartly keep her eyes on her own plate.
"Relax, Ron," came Hermione's level-headed response. "It's not like I was alone. Snape's a very powerful wizard. And I am the brightest witch of my age. I'm perfectly fine, as you can see."
"Good! Because if you weren't, I swear, I'd kill that greasy git for not protecting you!"
The rest of the party rolled their eyes at Ron's making a scene. Then Harry met Hermione's gaze. "Hang on. What was that thing you were wearing yesterday? Around your neck?"
Hermione swallowed the bite she'd just taken, her eyes meeting Ginny's briefly. "Oh…" She took a steadying breath. Of course they wouldn't forget about it. "Actually…I'm still wearing it."
Carefully setting down her fork, she pulled the fabric of her turtleneck aside so that the boys could see the faintly glowing pendant. "I can't take it off," she admitted.
"Why not?" asked Ron. "Where'd you get it?"
Since Snape was right, and she was a very bad liar, Hermione decided to take Ginny's advice and tell them the truth-leaving out Snape of course. "Um…I found it. At a market when we stopped to get food and supplies. It's a werewolf relic that's supposed to make one docile during transformation."
"So…it's like the Wolfsbane potion?" asked Harry.
"Yes. Exactly. But we brewed the potion just in case. Better safe than sorry."
"So basically, you were gone for two months for nothing?"
"No, Ron. It wasn't for nothing," said Hermione. "We needed the ingredients for the Wolfsbane potion, and now we have them. And, if I hadn't gone to New Zealand to get those ingredients, I never would have found this, which seems to be a much easier way of…controlling myself."
"Why are you trying to hide it?" Harry wondered.
"Because…" Hermione winced. "I didn't want the whole school to see it. It's bad enough they were teasing me before I left. I'm sure that won't be the last I hear of it."
"Hello Potter."
The four friends turned their attention to the newcomer, their expressions immediately guarded and unwelcoming when they took in the black and green robes and the icy blonde hair.
"Malfoy," Harry stiffly acknowledged.
"What are you doing here?" Ron interrogated.
"Not that it's any of your business, Weaselbee," Malfoy gave his signature smirk, his contemptuous eyes observing each one in turn before finally speaking with an arrogant tone that could rival that of Lucius. "But as it turns out, I never graduated. I was loathe to come back to this stupid school, but my mother thought it was important for me to complete my education. So, here I am."
"What about your father?" asked Harry coldly.
Malfoy scowled. "My father's in Azkaban. Good riddance, I say. Now I'm free to do whatever I want."
"That's great," interjected Ron. "So why are you here bothering us?"
Malfoy's smirk returned as his gaze swept the length of the entire table. "Just thought I'd come and see for myself if the rumors were true. I heard Gryffindor has gone to the dogs. Eh, Granger?" His eyes landed on the girl in question before he threw his head back and howled.
The entire hall had gone silent, and at that wisecrack, many students erupted into sniggers. They immediately grew silent when Hermione shot up from her seat and turned menacingly on him with a snarl.
"You'd better shut your mouth, Draco," she warned, her tone unmistakably hostile.
The smug look never left his pale face. "I'm not afraid of you, Granger. From what I've heard, you only have fangs and claws during the full moon."
Ron was the next person to shoot to his feet, followed by Harry and Ginny who all pointed their wands at the unwanted Slytherin. Hermione gave another snarl, taking another agitated step toward the blonde.
Malfoy raised his hands defensively, taking a few steps back. "Ok, ok! Take it easy! I'm leaving! I don't want to hang around you lot anyway." He sneered specifically at Hermione as he spoke his last words. "Wouldn't want to catch fleas."
Hermione positively bristled as he walked away to join the Slytherin table. Ron placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently in an attempt to calm her.
"Easy, Hermione. It's just Malfoy. He's all talk, and no backbone."
She counted quickly to ten in her head before allowing him to turn her around so that they could both take their seats again. Hermione looked down at her plate, picking up her fork to maliciously stab a hunk of sausage and stuff it in her mouth in an attempt to keep from lashing out at someone else.
"Honestly, I'm surprised they're even allowing him back here at Hogwarts," continued Ron. "I mean, after we all saw him choose Voldemort over us!"
Harry shifted his worried gaze from Hermione to the red head. "I don't think he really had a choice, Ron."
"Don't make excuses for him, Harry!"
"I'm not. He's a berk, and it's obvious he'll never change. But it's his parents that put him in that situation in the first place. He didn't want to follow them. Didn't you hear him? He's glad his father's in Azkaban."
"Who cares? I'm telling ya, Harry, somewhere in the future, there's a cell in there with Draco's name on it."
Unbeknownst to all the students in the Great Hall, the spectacle that had just taken place at the Gryffindor table did not go unnoticed by a member of the staff. In fact, a certain dark wizard stood in the shadows of the large doors, watching as his troublemaking Godson retreated to the safety of his own house.
Needless to say, Severus was not at all happy about what he'd just witnessed. It angered him in a way that unnerved him. He had to clench his fists until his fingernails dug into his palms to keep himself from marching in there and throttling the overconfident juvenile. If anyone was just like his father, it was Draco, he admitted silently and with much disappointment.
Forcing back an agitated growl, he abruptly turned from the Hall and whisked up the stairs and through the corridors. It was best if he simply…walked away. If he didn't, he'd risk making a very big mistake, his promise to Minerva of acting with the utmost discression forgotten.
X-X-X
Draco had eaten his breakfast quickly, having received a less-than-friendly welcome from at least half of the Slytherin table. It seemed that, where he had once been the champion of his house, he was now looked upon as a traitor. Most of the patriots of silver and emerald had seen that their superior attitude wasn't worth the destruction those ideas had caused. Granted, they still felt superior, but they no longer entertained the ideals of their parents; that muggles and muggle-borns should be subjected to magical genocide.
Draco didn't believe that rubbish anymore either, but he was unable to convince his "friends" otherwise. Harry had been right. During the final battle, Malfoy hadn't wanted take his place in the Dark Lord's army beside his misguided parents. Though he'd never cared much for the old school and it's students, he hadn't really wanted to be associated with it's destruction any more.
But his father and mother had chosen his fate for him. Even if his respect for his father had dissipated, the love he held for his mother wouldn't allow him to betray his own family. So, in the end, he had to steel himself and rejoin the enemy ranks. Figures no one would listen to the truth, no matter how many times he tried to appeal to them.
As he wandered down an empty corridor, headed for his dormitory, a hand reached out from the shadows and pulled him into a hidden alcove. Before he could say so much as Stupify, he found his back pinned to the wall. He lifted his head to meet the pitch black gaze of the man before him.
"Well, well. If it isn't my Godfather," he said defiantly. His eyes lowered to the glowing stone that rested against the midnight robes. "Nice necklace. Never took you for a man to wear jewelry."
Choosing to ignore the boy's comment about the pendant, as well as his trademark pretentiousness (a trait born from his father, made worse by Severus himself), Snape spoke in that eerily calm, casual manner that made any normal person question if he had deeper motives. Malfoy, however, was much too self-important to ever pick up on the fact that Severus Snape always had deeper motives when he set out to speak to someone. It went without saying that he was not a man who stopped to shoot the breeze and chat about the weather.
"Draco. I confess myself…disappointed."
"And? What's that supposed to mean? Shouldn't think it would be much of a surprise, my disappointing others."
"I thought you would have learned from your father's mistakes, if not from your own," Snape admonished mildly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not my father. He can rot in Hell for all I care."
For once, Snape couldn't agree more. Lucius Malfoy was not only a two-timing, egotistical bastard; he was also a coward. The man had no skeleton with which to support himself. In the end, he'd run away like a frightened child, unable to shoulder the cross upon which he'd crucified his own soul.
But this did not change the fact that his Godson was an idiot. "Pity…I had hoped that your Outstanding grades were a good indicator of your intelligence, Draco. But it seems you lack common sense. I thought even you would be wise enough to not foolishly draw attention to yourself."
Malfoy gave a short bark of laughter. "C'mon, Severus. Even you have to admit it was pretty funny."
Snape narrowed his eyes, his tall frame bearing down on the scrawny blonde with exasperation and contempt. "I've protected you long enough, boy. If you desire to distinguish yourself from your self-righteous prig of a father, I'd suggest you learn a few manners and some humility. Otherwise, you will reap what your arrogance has sewn."
Draco snorted with a roll of his eyes. "Really now? And I suppose you've given up on all your Gryffindor jokes, then? No more house rivalry? Stopped taking points from the do-gooders? I think you've gone soft, Severus."
The dark wizard's expression was now utterly blank. Inside, he was furious. Had the boy learned nothing? Had all Snape's attempts to be a mentor failed on this hopeless cause? Or did stupidity simply run in his family?
He stood straighter as he regarded his young charge with apparent apathy. "You're such a child, Draco. You haven't grown at all since you stepped through these doors at the age of eleven. I cannot look upon you and call you a man."
The boy now stood glaring at Snape, once again feeling as if he were under someone's thumb; like someone was still trying to control him. "Thanks for that. Glad to know I can count on you for a good pep talk. Now if you're done reprimanding me."
He ducked beneath the wizard's arm and stepped quickly out of the alcove, beginning to stalk angrily down the corridor. Snape rushed out of the shadows and grabbed hold of Draco's arm, spinning him round to face him.
"I mean it," Severus warned, the expression on his face telling Malfoy that he would do well to heed Snape's words. "Knock. It. Off. Unless you want someone to Kedevra you, you'll learn to keep your mouth shut. Especially when it comes to the Gryffindors."
Malfoy yanked his arm from Snape's angry grip, scowling back at his mentor. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
Severus stared after Draco as the boy walked briskly toward the dungeons. He was furious, though he would not allow his body to betray his ire. He was sorely disappointed to learn that Malfoy was just as immature and bigheaded as ever. But there was another reason for Snape's inner rage.
His Godson had intentionally set out to bait and tease Granger. Normally, that wouldn't have fazed Snape. Now, however, Hermione was (dare he think it, but it was true) more important to him than Draco and his miscreant ways. If the boy kept it up, Severus wasn't sure that he'd be able to resist hexing him into the next century.
X-X-X
The library was undoubtedly the best place to catch up on her work. Being a Sunday, no one was occupying the spaces between the vast towers of books. No one besides Hermione Granger, that is. Silence was wonderful, especially when she had so many assignments to do. Currently, the young Gryffindor was attempting to get through her potions work, knowing that, even though she and Snape were now lovers, he would not be any more lenient when it came to his class. No doubt he would find it more amusing to pester her.
That was alright with her, though. She could easily pester him right back, and in a much more enjoyable way.
"Hey Hermione," came the familiar, chipper voice of her red headed friend.
"Hello Ron," she replied, not pausing even the slightest in writing the essay she was currently working on.
She heard him take the seat opposite her as he spoke again. "Doing your missed assignments I see. Knowing you, you'll have two months of work done in two days," he said with a laugh.
Hermione laughed as well, finishing up her sentence before meeting her friend's gaze. "That's highly inconceivable, Ronald. Not unless you want me to work nonstop. Then you'd really see my angry."
"Yeah, you're right." His smile quickly receded and Hermione wasn't sure she liked the nervous look on his face. She grew even more worried when he lowered his eyes to focus on his twiddling thumbs.
"Um…Hermione? I uh…I have something I want to talk to you about…" he said uncertainly.
Uh oh. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good, Hermione thought with trepidation. She immediately feared what he was going to say. "Ok," she said casually, sitting back in her chair as she waited. "So go on."
"Well…I just wanted to say that…" Ron paused, seeming to struggle to find the right words. After a moment or two, he raised his head, his brown eyes pleading with her as his next words flew from his mouth. "I love you, Hermione."
Her heart sunk instantly. Dear Merlin, help her… She rushed to stop him from saying any more. "No, Ron, listen-"
"No, Mione! Just…just hear me out. Look, I tried. I really tried to just be your friend again, but it didn't feel right." She tried to interrupt him before he got too deep into this conversation and ended up hurting himself, but he wouldn't pause to let her get a word in. "I know I probably didn't do enough, but I promise, I'll try harder. I'll stop the things you don't like, and I'll start doing the things that you do. I can change, I can make you happy. Can't we give it another go?"
"Oh Ron, I'm sorry…I can't-"
"Yes, you can! Just say the word, Mi. Please, think about it. I love you-I need you-"
"No! You don't. You don't need me, and I don't need you. Not that way. Not anymore."
"But Mi-"
"No, Ron. We tried. We gave it our best shot. I love you, really I do. But like a brother; a friend. And if you'd stop to give it some thought, you'd realize that you don't love me romantically either."
"You're wrong."
Hermione shook her head, feeling the tears sting her eyes. She fought hard to keep them from spilling over. She hadn't expected him to ambush her with this topic. She had thought he'd accepted the fact that she'd broken it off. Apparently she'd been wrong.
"Ron…I'm sorry. I just can't."
The shimmer of hope, the pleading look; both left his eyes and he lowered his head again in defeat. Silence ensued, and for a moment, Hermione wasn't sure if he wasn't going to start up again. At last, he seemed to find his voice.
"Yeah. Yeah, ok. Alright. I understand." He nodded vigorously, as if trying to convince himself that Hermione's words were true, and that he really had no chance of winning her back. "Yeah…well…I guess I'll be going then." He stood abruptly, almost knocking over his chair, flustered and upset as he was. "See you later, Hermione."
As he quickly began to walk away, Hermione opened her mouth, about to call after him, to say something, anything, to console him. But she didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Once he was out of sight, she let the tears fall, her heart aching for her best friend, and hoping that one day, he would really come to understand.
X-X-X
Ginny lay on her bed, playing with a paper bird when a distraught Hermione came striding through the doorway. She flung her bag on her bed, then flopped down on it herself with a grunt, dropping her head in her hands.
Slowly sitting up and grabbing the paper bird to set it on the night table, Ginny stared worriedly at her friend. "Hermione? What's the matter? What's happened?"
"Oh Ginny! I don't know what I'm going to do!" cried the distressed witch.
Ginny moved to sit beside the bushy-haired girl, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Ok, calm down, and this time tell me why the bloody hell you're almost in tears," she demanded.
Hermione lifted her face from her hands to look at the red head. "It's Ron," she said unsteadily. "He asked me to give him another chance."
Ginny's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "What? He did not!"
"He did."
"And? You didn't say yes, did you?"
"Of course not, Gin! I couldn't say yes even if I wanted to-which I don't! I meant what I said before; I don't love him that way anymore. I told him my feelings hadn't changed, that it was truly over between us. Now he's upset again…And I feel horrible!"
"Well you shouldn't. He knows you're not interested in him. It's his own stupid fault for even asking."
"I know, but…He was my first real relationship. It was the same for him, too. I know it's got to be tough to be dumped."
"He'll get over it. He always does. And if he doesn't, and he continues to make you feel guilty, I'll punch him!" Ginny promised, making a gesture by punching her palm in an attempt to make Hermione laugh.
It worked. Hermione gave an undignified sniffle-laugh, wiping at her eyes. "Gin, you're so horrible sometimes!"
Ginny wrapped her arms around her friend again, and Hermione leaned into her, trying to steady her hitched breathing. "That's what I'm here for."
Crack.
Both girls raised their heads upon the arrival of the house elf from the day before.
"Note for Hermione Granger!" said Cella, handing the witch the rolled up parchment that was once again adorned with green ribbon. Hermione took it gingerly from the elf's hands, her cheeks reddening because Ginny was in the room upon the note's arrival.
"Thank you, Cella," said Hermione.
"Would Miss care for dinner here in her room again tonight?" asked the elf, eager to please.
"No, thank you. I'll be taking my meal in the Great Hall this evening."
With a smile and another resounding crack, the little elf was gone, leaving the two girls alone again.
Hermione looked down at the parchment, unsure about opening it in front of Ginny. The latter spoke up before the former could say a word.
"A letter from Snape?" Ginny asked.
Hermione's cheeks flushed brighter. "Yes," she answered sheepishly.
Ginny giggled. "I still don't know what you see in him, but the more I think about it, it is kind of romantic…in a weird, alternate universe kind of way," she added with a funny look.
Hermione smacked her over the head with the rolled up parchment. "Thanks Gin!"
Ginny laughed and stood up, not wanting to be assaulted by paper again. "Anytime! So go on; what's it say?"
"Ha! What makes you think I'll tell?"
Ginny lifted an eyebrow, then grimaced. "On second thought, maybe I don't want to know," she said as Hermione finally read the note.
The brunette grinned wickedly. "Well, since you asked…it says, 'My Beloved Hermione, I cannot wait to see you tonight so that we can shag like rabbits in my dungeons.'"
Ginny covered her ears. "NO! I'm not listening! I'm ignoring you! I don't want those disturbing images in my head, thank you very much!"
"'And since I already know you'll find it prudent to speak out of turn during class as per usual, I think I'll deliver your punishment early. Perhaps a bit of S and M will still your tongue.'"
"EW! Shut up! Shut up right now, Hermione Jean Granger, before I vomit on your bed!"
"'Forever yours, Severus Snape,'" Hermione finished, grin still in place.
"Oh God! I don't think I'll ever be able to set foot in potions again!" exclaimed Ginny, falling face down on her covers and pulling a pillow over her head.
Hermione laughed. "Oh Ginny! I was kidding! Honest! It's not like that at all!"
"Sure it isn't! I'm sure in all that time you two were alone, you did shag like rabbits! Don't deny it!"
"Well, actually…"
"Stop right there, or I swear, I'll murder you!" Ginny threatened, sitting up on her bed again to glare at Hermione.
The other witch covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Really, Ginny, that's not what it says at all! He says he'll be atop the Astronomy Tower tonight if I'm able to get away for a bit to see him. That's all! I promise!"
The red headed witch's glare did not falter. "I'm still going to kill you. And to add to the revenge, maybe I'll tie you to a chair and make you listen to everything Harry and I do one night!"
Hermione's eyes bulged. "No way! I do not want to think about my two best friends in that manner!"
"And I don't want to think about you and Snape! EW!"
"Relax! It's alright, Gin!" Hermione said around her snickers. "And if you help me get out of the Tower tonight, I swear, I'll never torture you like that again!"
A/N: Kay, so I hadn't originally intended to bring Draco into this story. But then I thought of the Prisoner of Azkaban where he howled in DADA, and I just couldn't resist! It was way too fitting! And I came up with some great plot twists and puns from him later on down the road! ;P I've never written Draco before. It's kinda fun! I think I got him dead on, too! Prat! XD Even Tom Felton himself said Malfoy would never be a good guy.
Shorter chapter than last time, but I HAD to end it here because I have a plan for the Astronomy Tower… Time to be mean to someone. Bwahaha! (evil grin)
