Hi. I am really sorry for such long silence. It's been a combination of lack of ideas and being extremely busy. I hope that now updates would be coming more regular. I'll do my best. Please send your reviews, they are always a good inspiration.
Previously:… Draco pulled away from her and she could see his eyes that had gone almost black from emotions reeling in them. "Gods, Hermione," he whispered, "I thought I'd lost you."
Chapter 29
Draco rolled to his side bringing Hermione with him as their breathing returned to normal. They both knew it wasn't the time and the place but did not care. Today had been too much of a close call, and being with each other in this most intimate of ways had held the demons at bay at least temporarily.
However now the reality had come back to them and by an unspoken agreement they readjusted their clothing, and went outside to enjoy the relative warmth of the French winter.
They set together on a bench, Hermione leaning against him. For a while both were quiet simply enjoying the peaceful scenery and each others company. Draco was the one to interrupt the silence.
"When you go back to the Order," his voice was quiet but determined, "assuming that our suspicions about Weasley are correct, we are going to offer his family a deal."
"What deal?" Hermione frowned surprised by his business tone and turned around so she could see his face.
"Their support for Potter in return for a reduced punishment for their son."
"You'll let him go free?" she enquired her heart tightening.
"Of course, not," Draco's face hardened, "He meant to hurt you and all I want to do is tear the bastard limb by limb with my own bare hands but I don't have such luxury. His family is too powerful within the Order. So I want to offer them a deal."
The Gryffindor witch frowned, "First we need to see the proof that he is indeed guilty," she replied tersely.
"But of course," he drawled and then changed his tone, "Don't keep your hopes up, Hermione. I know Severus. He would never have pushed the idea if he was not fairly confident in being right. Trust me, he might not be willing to share his information but he surely knows more than he lets on."
For a second she froze, her minds eye going back to the event earlier in the day when she saw her Potion's master in the new light.
"Professor Snape and Isabelle Delacour…" she started, but Draco interrupted her.
"I could not tell you," he replied softly, "It's not my secret and you know how it is with Severus. He's my Godfather and I don't want to do anything that might get him into trouble. I was really surprised when he actually came out to see you with Isabelle. It's a real sign of trust on his part for you and Potter. So far it's only the family who knew about them."
For a second she stayed quiet processing the information. Professor Snape was always a fascinating figure for her, especially since she found out his role in the Order. But she had never thought of him in any other capacity than a Hogwarts Professor and lately a spy for the Order. He seemed to lack any human streak in him and she had never given a thought about his life outside Hogwarts. Honestly, she could not imagine him having one at all.
Even on the memorable night when he had helped Draco recover from the after-effects of Cruciatus, she still very much viewed him as a teacher, however, today she had been confronted with a new image of Snape. Snape – a man, who had friends and relatives, who was somebody's boyfriend and perhaps, she wondered, somebody's son?!
He looked so different, so human, so young… It made her realise that he was just in his mid thirties, which was not old by Muggle standards and even less so by the wizarding ones. She found it difficult to readjust her view of the Potions Master but did not want to discuss it with Draco in case he thought her prejudiced against his Godfather whom he clearly loved very much. Instead she settled for another question that had been burning in her mind since the moment when Snape had helped her during the launch of UAW landing his powerful magic into supporting the fire arch that she had been holding.
"Professor Snape…" she started, "he helped me hold off Dumbledore and other Professors during the ball. Does it mean he knows about UAW?"
An arched eyebrow expressed his confusion, "Everybody knows about UAW," he replied, "that's why we launched it."
Hermione shrugged impatiently. "It's not what I am asking. I mean, does Snape know about us, that we started UAW?"
"To some extent," Draco nodded his head, "Obviously after that night at Fleur's he knows that you and I are involved and so are Potter and Fleur and Blaise and Gabrielle. I think he pretty much figured out that there was something else going on beyond just a personal relationship."
His answer seemed evasive to her. "So you have not discussed it with him?"
"Not really," his reply was curt and as he did not volunteer more information Hermione was forced to prod further.
"So he is not a member of UAW?"
Draco shook his head, "I think Severus has enough memberships of secret organisations without it, don't you think?"
"But he helps us anyway," she stated thoughtfully trying to process the information. "How is that possible?"
Draco sighed, "It's a Slytherin thing. We do not volunteer information unless absolutely needed. Most conversations are based not on what's been said but on what has not. Severus never asked me about UAW directly, just as I've never asked him about his work for the Order."
At these words Hermione tensed. No matter how close Draco and herself had been, they never had talked about what was happening with the Order just as they never talked about what was happening when he had been summoned by Voldermot. It was an unspoken agreement and until now it worked quiet well.
But she was not sure that they would be able to maintain this separation for too long. Draco had sensed her confusion. He sighed, "Look, Hermione, this is not an easy situation, there is a lot of interests both organisational and personal mixed up and it's all determined by your priorities. For examples, my first priority is you and my family. Therefore I will do anything to protect you and only after that I will start thinking about UAW. For my father, as you have recently learnt, the first priority is our family, which is why he had helped you in spite of his Death Eater duties. For Severus, I suspect, the first priority is Isabelle and himself, then the rest of Delacours, and only afterwards it comes to us. Dumdledore, the Dark Lord and UAW follow suite in whatever order that I don't want to dwell onto for too long."
The witch's look was a mixture between puzzlement and annoyance. "How do you not get confused in this hierarchy?"
He smiled at her, "It's simple really, family comes first, everything else follows. This way, my father knows that though Severus probably would learn about him helping you, he has nothing to fear from him. And Severus would help us with UAW if he thinks that this would help him to survive the war. But we do not discuss it. First of all, there is a big difference between suspecting and being told openly, especially if you are ever questioned under the Veritaserum. And second of all, it's really is unnecessary since everybody already knows where we stand."
Hermione shook her head, "This is so Slytherin," she muttered. "Always thinking of personal gain."
"Well, of course," he looked at her squarely, "it's how we are, how we have been brought up."
"But it's ridiculous," she almost shouted, "what about the greater good. Sometimes it's important to sacrifice yourself for the others to have a happy life?"
His face hardened, "And what d0 you think my father did a few hours ago? He risked his life so that we could be happy."
"And I am forever grateful to him," she shot, "but he also killed his sister-in-law. Wouldn't that be against your rules of protecting ones family?"
Draco shook his head, "Bellatrix was trying to kill you, of course, my father would protect you."
Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose to calm down. This Slytherin philosophy was really beyond her. She understood the principal, but it seemed completely alien to everything she'd been taught during her life. At the same time now she understood how Draco and his House operated. Don't ask - don't tell policy was really taken to the extreme but it somehow seemed to work in his large and complex family.
Her thoughts shifted back to a new member of the Malfoy-Delacour clan. "How long have Isabelle and Professor Snape been together?" she asked trying to change the subject.
"Hermione," Draco's voice was soft but determined, "You know I can't…"
"Of course, you can, Draco," the voice behind them startled the pair and they both turned swiftly to see Isabelle Delacour standing behind them. The dark haired witch smiled at them but her light demeanour did not hide an intense expression in her eyes.
For some reason Hermione felt guilty, "No," she protested, "Draco is right. I've already pried enough…It's not my place…"
"But you can't help but being curious," Isabelle's voice sounded warmer than before, "and I don't blame you. But I would prefer if you learnt the truth from Draco and not from gossips which would spread sooner or later."
Hermione did not know what to say feeling honoured and guilty at the same time. "Thanks," she muttered, "I…" she stopped not knowing how to express her emotions.
The older woman seemed to understand her, "If Severus deemed it appropriate to reveal our relationship to you and Mr Potter than there is no reason for me to hide the background of it, especially from you."
"Me?" Hermione could not contain her surprise.
"Yes, you." Isabelle's face suddenly darkened, "I am not at Hogwarts and can't help Severus within its walls and when he is with the Order. Draco also has no access to the side of Light at least not as much as you do." She looked at Hermione defiantly, "From what I've heard and seen you are the only one who has honest respect for Severus. I want this respect to turn into something stronger, perhaps even a friendship of sorts, so that you would support him wholeheartedly."
Hermione just gaped at her and the French woman smirked, reminding the Gryffindor witch that she was looking at the other half of the Head of the Slytherin House. However, when she spoke up her voice sounded warmer with no hint of sarcasm.
"I know that you are very loyal to your friends, maybe if you see Severus as a human rather than a mean teacher, you would help him when the time comes. At the very least you could steer your friends away from fighting him. He could do with one less trouble on his plate."
For a moment two women looked at each other and what Hermione saw made her warm to Isabelle Delacour almost instantly. Behind the confident façade, she had seen the same emotions that were so familiar to her: devotion and worry, helplessness and fierce need to protect, it was all mixed together creating the one concoction called love. It stroke so close to home that Hermione all over sudden felt herself being very close to this gorgeous hauteur woman whom she had first met just a few hours ago.
"I'll do what I can," the young witch sounded so sincere, that Isabelle could not hide the relief that washed over her.
"Thank you." With those words the dark haired woman turned and disappeared into the house leaving the young couple alone.
"She truly loves him," Hermione muttered almost to herself.
"That she does," Draco's voice was unusually soft. "And she has done so for a very long time." When Hermione turned to him a surprised look, he shrugged. "From what I know Isabelle and Snape first met at the wedding of her father and Aunt Apolline. She was seven and Severus had just turned seventeen. What followed was a school girl crush that turned into something more. Isabelle is very strong headed, as you probably have noticed, and at a time she was a very spoiled girl. When she turned 16 she told Severus that she loved him and expected a proposal from him within a year."
At this information Hermione gasped, her imagination painting a colourful picture of Snape's response. Draco's lips curved into an amused smile, "Yes, you're right, Severus was not impressed and as usually did not even try to soften his reply. But Isabelle was as stubborn as he was; she persevered and for a year did not leave him alone, using any means at her disposal. She tried to make him jealous, begged and even attempted to seduce him. Severus in return did everything to discourage her attentions and let's just say that at some point it got so bad that she suffered a nervous breakdown.
The situation had put a lot of strain on Severus' friendship with the Malfoys and the rest of the Delacours. I mean they all tried to reason with her, but she just would not listen to anybody. So in order to solve the issue once and for all Severus told Isabelle that he was not about to marry some dunderhead school girl and his wife would have to proof to be be his intellectual equal. So if she came up with a potion that cured Lycanthropy, he would propose to her the same day."
"What?" Hermione could not believe her ears. It's all sounded like a story from one of the cheap romance novels that were so popular in the Muggle world. "But this is…"
"An impossible task." Draco finished for her. "Yes, well, you know Severus. He just lost patience and reverted to the tried and tested method of scientific logic. To everybody's surprise, his method seemed to have a good result. Isabelle came down, stopped bugging Snape and concentrated on her studies. The first big shock came after her graduation from school, when instead of following a carrier in fashion as everybody was expecting of her- I mean, you've seen how she looks, she took apprenticeship in potions; became a Mistress in 3 years time and also qualified as a healer specialising in werewolves' treatment. That was seven years ago and just 6 months ago, she came up with a potion that could prevent Lycanthropy in small children if given within 2 hours after the bite. The rest as they say is history."
Hermione stared at him in shock, "What do you mean history?!" she asked incredulously, "Has Snape proposed to her?"
Draco smiled, "The answer to that is that I don't know. But they have been together ever since. Knowing Severus, I would not think it was something so dramatic. And as far as I know my father and Severus have not yet had one of their drinking sessions so nobody knows for sure."
Hermione shook her head trying to rid her mind of the image of drunk Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape.
"They seem to be very close," she said instead, "your father and Professor Snape."
Draco nodded, "They've been best friends since school."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "How did that happen?"
Draco looked at her in confusion, "Well, they were both in Slytherin, my father a couple of years ahead. And the Princes and the Malfoys were always close, I think at some point there were even trying to become related through marriage. But it never had worked out. Too few girls in both families."
It was Hermione's turn to look confused, "The Princes?" she asked.
"Well, of course, Snape's father was a muggle but his mother was Elaine Prince, the heiress of the Prince family-one of the oldest wizarding lines."
Suddenly, Hermione's brain clicked, "Prince," she repeated, "which makes Snape-a half blood… Oh, God," she cried out. "Harry's book…"
"What book?" Draco looked at her with a confused expression.
"The Potion's book," Hermione looked horrified, "that's why Harry has become so good in Potions, it's Snape's book and all the notes had been made by him."
The Slytherin frowned, "Are you telling me that Potter has got Snape's Potions Book from when he was at school?" he asked.
Hermione just nodded and Draco laughed. "Or, that's just great. I would love to see both their faces when they found out. Potter has been so proud of his successes in Potions and just to find out that it's because of Severus' book!"
Hermione scowled at him but could not master any witty reprieve. She felt a bit overwhelmed to be all over sudden exposed to the personal life of the Malfoy clan. Being the only child, just as both her parent were, she had never been exposed to big families except for the Weasleys who were as transparent as glass. But Draco seemed to have a large number of incredibly fascinating relatives who were, by some miraculous reasons, now linked to so many people around Hermione. It was allowing her a very unexpected insight into the life of the pureblood wizarding aristocracy.
Before Hermione could respond, a noise to her left startled her and she saw Isabelle standing right next to them. "It's time," the witch's voice was deadly quiet and when the two youngsters looked at her questioningly, she simply nodded her head, "It's been confirmed…"
