(Redeant in Coniunctionem - Reunited)
"Merlin Hermione! I've missed you!"
"Me too! Shove over Harry!" Hermione was immediately assaulted upon her entry into the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron wrapped her in the fiercest hug she'd been victim to since her run in with the basilisk and she smiled at them when they finally released her and allowed her to breathe.
"Well, look who the cat dragged in." Draco drawled from behind them and she grinned, darting up to wrap him in a hug as well.
"I've missed you all so much." She gushed upon releasing Draco and turning back to her friends. It had been nice familiarizing herself with her family, but this was her truest family, the people she'd chosen to surround herself with. The people she adored.
"Not as much as we've missed you, I assure you." Draco smirked, and Hermione cocked an eyebrow.
"These two argue all the time, drive me mad." Harry huffed.
"Please, how can we argue all the time when all you two do is snog?" Ron sniped, and Hermione pressed her lips tightly together to stifle a laugh, her eyes glittering happy mirth. "Sorry, by the way, for everything I put you through Hermione, I dunno what got up my arse, but I swear, I'll make it up to you." Hermione grinned broadly at this and hugged the redheaded wizard tightly once again.
"Thank you, Ron, that means a lot to me."
"So, Granger, how was your little vacation?" Draco cocked an eyebrow as they made their way to a set of sofas, if any of the Gryffindors thought Draco's presence was odd they didn't say anything, and Hermione thought Harry must bring him round a lot.
"Selwyn now, thank you." Hermione pretended to adopt the haughty air Draco often demonstrated and was promptly smacked in the face with a pillow. Spluttering she laughed and tossed the pillow back at a laughing Harry before shaking her head and looking down. "It was fine, I learned a lot about my family, my heritage," she paused.
"Bet you read every book on them you could get your swot hands on." Ron scoffed, and Hermione shot him a glare but carried on.
"My father was actually Regulus Black, I think that was why Severus left me like he did." She ended quietly and the three looked at her somberly.
"He seems to be quite miserable, if that makes you feel better." Harry offered, and Hermione shot him a look before shaking her head with a soft smile.
"He doesn't feel half the misery that he will when he sees me again."
"It scares me when she pulls that look." Ron stage whispered to Harry who nodded in agreement.
"I personally cannot wait to see what she has in store for him." Draco smirked wickedly, earning a matching look from Hermione.
SS/HG
The boys supplied Hermione with meals for the rest of the weekend, the four of them bunking up in the Gryffindor common room and discussing everything that had happened over the past several months.
It had been decided, at least amongst them, that Dumbledore was absolutely not himself. Hermione had posed the very strong thought that he wouldn't be under Imperius like McGonagall, is Occlumency was too strong. That left only one option- an imposter- and the group couldn't decide whether they thought Dumbledore may be alive or dead.
What they did know however was that something needed to be done about it, and quickly.
Settling into her bed on Sunday night Hermione thought about the coming day. She had potions first thing in the morning and based on the fluttering of her stomach already she wouldn't be eating breakfast.
That was all well and good, she didn't want him to see her until she sat down in his classroom.
She considered the old adage about a woman scorned as she drifted to sleep that night, steeling herself against the love she felt for the idiot wizard. She would bring him back to her, with an apology. She was not fool enough to think the wizard might beg, but she did intend to make him wish he were the begging type.
Hermione woke early and dressed in her nicest clothes beneath her black school robes. She knew she wouldn't be allowing Severus to see her in them, but the confidence boost was much needed. She smoothed her hair, the way her grandmother had taught her, to turn it into large looping curls that just brushed her shoulders. It grew at a ridiculous rate, but she didn't mind it much at the length it was. Hermione didn't feel like she looked like herself when she looked in the mirror, this was someone else, someone beautiful and poised, neither of which the witch felt.
Pasting on her best smile she left the room and made her way to join Harry and Ron in the common room. Ron had carried a handful of sausage from breakfast and offered her one, to which she wrinkled her nose, before continuing to stuff his face.
"Remember, if you need anything just say." Harry gave her a firm side hug before the pair escorted her out into the hall. They met with Draco in the dungeons who took Harry's hand in his before the group walked into the potions room.
Severus stood at the board, scribbling in his looping script when Hermione and the boys entered. She took her place at a table with Ron, Harry and Draco stationed behind them, and despite her rioting nerves began to remove her items from her bag and prepare for the lesson. She almost wished he wouldn't turn around and see her.
His leaving her had punched a hole in her heart, left her feeling hollow and sad. Now seeing him she almost forgot why he needed to be taught a lesson in the first place. No matter the wizard's reasoning he couldn't instantly be forgiven for this. He said he loved her, he said he would do anything to stay with her.
Hermione felt the return of her rage as she thought on how long she'd gone without hearing a word from him. Yes, no matter what his problem was, she didn't deserve this, and she knew it.
When Severus did finally turn from the board his eyes swept across the filling classroom, as if taking inventory. For a moment they brushed across her and she thought he wouldn't acknowledge her at all, but then his eyes swept back and locked on her face, his black eyes dark as they stayed trained on her own eyes. She wet her lips, pretending not to notice the intense moment between them before turning to her book and opening it to a random page, anything to escape his gaze.
"Ms. Granger, what are you doing here?"
"It is Ms. Selwyn now, actually, and I am like any other student, here to learn, Professor." She knew the moment her cold tone stabbed straight through him, his eyes locked on hers showing the flinch that his body would not.
SS/HG
At first he'd thought her an apparition, one like the many he'd seen over his time parted from the witch. However, when his eyes flicked back to find the fiery gaze still locked on him at the front of the room his breath stalled in his chest and he was certain his heart stuttered.
She was here, she was sitting in front of him and Merlin she looked angry. It had been different when he'd only been forced to see her face in dreams but now, looking at her sitting in his classroom his stomach squirmed and his heart clenched dangerously.
He'd left the witch for her own good. He was older than her father for Merlin's sake! Still, she stared at him and he felt himself all but collapsing under her gaze.
"Ms. Granger, what are you doing here?" His voice managed to remain cold, impassive, though inside he felt anything but.
"It is Ms. Selwyn now, actually, and I am like any other student, here to learn, Professor." The cold tone, the way her eyes pierced him, she may as well have cut him straight through to the bone and he cringed inwardly at the pain that seemed to underlie her words. Merlin he'd hurt her, he'd hurt himself. Staring at her now he wondered to what end? What had he achieved if she was only going to return and torment him. He was saving her, damnit!
Her eyes left him, turning to her book stoically and he forced down a groan.
"Turn to page one hundred and fifty-three, we will be studying a fairly simple potion…" He forced himself into his teacher persona, his eyes still fighting to stray to Hermione's form.
Gods she looked good, a bit gaunt but so beautifully there, well in his classroom.
Why had she decided to come back, and Merlin help him how would he resist her?