The Austere Stonewall, Book 3: Hermione
Chapter 5: The Halloween Costume Party
The Halloween costume party was set to begin in an hour and Hermione was hurriedly finishing up her outfit. She had spent her last few days helping students left and right in preparation for the event. Thankfully she hadn't had to help decorate the Great Hall. A few muggleborn students had offered to help Professor Flitwick and the new muggle studies professor to transform the giant room into what looked like a stereotypical muggle costume party fit for the best. Hermione had only poked her head in an hour ago to see if they needed help so that the students would have time to get themselves ready.
She'd been pleased to see the fake bats and spiders plastered everywhere in addition to orange and black streamers. Jack-o-lanterns littered the tables and she was informed that there was going to be a selection of muggle foods there as well in addition to the regular wizarding fare.
Hermione herself had struggled to decide on a costume. She talked Severus into dressing up but he refused to wear anything silly. A compromise was made for regency wear, which only looked slightly different than his usual wear. They decided to attend as Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor's daughter, as there were many footnotes in history that alluded to a torrid affair between the two that started the bad blood between the two founders long before the prejudice tore them apart.
She'd found an old sheet and stitched it into a shift dress quite easily. The heavy red fabric that she made a vest-like dress from was more difficult to sew. She left a gap in the front and used a shiny gold lacing to criss-cross her torso before tying it off between her breasts which were squished and lifted by the corset she was wearing. She had embellished the red parts of her dress with the gold lacing around the edges. Her hair was curly and wild, having been finger combed to give it a natural look. Godric Gryffindor had only daughters and they all possessed wild hair so it was fitting that Hermione dressed up like the eldest, Gaia.
She slipped the small Sword of Gryffindor replica into a scabbard that was fixed at a decorative belt at her waist. The sword was more like a large knife or a small rapier but it would help people to recognize her. She made sure the edges weren't sharp even though it was transfigured from a shiny plastic. Her last touches were a long golden chain with the Gryffindor crest on it and some supple brown boots that would be mostly hidden beneath the voluminous skirts of her dress. Severus had waved away her offers to help with his costume as there were plenty of pictures and portraits of Salazar Slytherin to go off of.
When she came out of the bathroom, she saw that Severus was dressed and waiting for her in the living room to escort her. Her mouth dried up at the black quilted doublet that made Severus look like he might take up fencing. There were buckles across one side, a-symmetrically, that reminded Hermione a bit of a straight jacket. The sleeves of the doublet were long and fitted, accentuating his lean body. His breeches were fitting, much more fitting than his usual trousers. The dragonhide boots Severus usually favored had been transfigured to be taller, almost to his knees. They were smooth in their appearance rather than bumpy with texture as dragonhide usually was.
"Do I pass muster?" her husband asked, an eyebrow cocked.
"You look perfect," Hermione smiled.
"I believe you could pass as a daughter of Godric Gryffindor quite easily. If we dropped you back in time, Godric himself might now notice the difference."
She laughed as she watched Severus place a heavy black cloak over his shoulders.
Sobering, Hermione asked, "Did you remember to make a locket?"
Reaching in his pocket, Severus withdrew a deep golden colored trinket. He held it out in his hands for her to inspect. Her thumb grazed over the green 'S' on the front.
"It's almost correct. Do you mind?"
When her husband dropped the locket, allowing the locket to dangle from just the chain which was looped over one of his fingers. Hermione cast a spell at it and morphed the embellishments on the front design to look like the original.
"Sorry," she apologized. "It's just that I spent months personally acquainted with it. It's nice to see it remembered for what it used to be before it was corrupted."
Neither said anything as Hermione draped her own brown leather and crushed red velvet capes over her shoulders. Hermione had spent the longest transfiguring her cape even though she likely wouldn't wear it long. It felt wrong to leave off the cape, though.
There were already a few students in the Great Hall when Severus and Hermione arrived. Hermione looked around and smiled at the handful of children laughing and exclaiming in delight over each other's costumes.
Minerva had gone out of her way to invite guest judges for the costumes. Hermione recognized a couple of the OWL and NEWT proctors in addition to Harry, who had not told Hermione of his appointment. It was easy to spot him, though. Students everywhere were either giving him a wide berth born from their astonishment at being in the presence of the Chosen One, or were swarming him to comment on his costume.
"Harry!" Hermione greeted him with a hug, pleased to see him in his police ensemble. She laughed as she fingered the transfigured badge.
"Thought that I could help display the muggle version of law enforcement. That, and Ginny was happy with my choice," he confided out of earshot of Severus who was scowling at the merriment beside her.
Giggling, Hermione adjusted his hat. "I'm sure Ginny will be pleased for you to keep the outfit to wear just for her sometime.
Harry laughed as he blushed. "You, Hermione, look like you walked right out of Hogwarts, A History: The Dark Ages Edition."
"That was the goal," she grinned as they watched some 5th year dressed as a niffler chasing some 7th year Hufflepuff who was wearing a golden dress styled to make her look like she was fresh from the 1920s.
The party was an emphatically big hit. Students everywhere were happy to be dancing the Monster Mash and YMCA even though most had no clue what they were about. There was a few Weird Sisters songs mixed in to keep everyone included no matter their background.
The winners of the costume contest were about to be announced when it happened. Hermione had been betting with Harry that the kid dressed as the niffler was going to strike out with the girl in the golden dress (she would later lose that bet as the girl reluctantly agreed to let the boy take her to Hogsmeade the next trip) when she turned around to find Severus and ask his opinion. There, beside a girl dressed as a muggle slice of pizza, was another girl dressed as a house elf. For a moment, just a moment, she was looking at Dobby as she noted the red splotch of pizza sauce on the pretend house elf's pillowcase. The pizza slice had somehow thought including some real sauce and actual mushrooms on her costume would get her extra points in costume ingenuity.
The red stain the house elf-girl was wiping at was smearing and getting worse the more the students blotted at it rather than using magic and Hermione couldn't hear anything other than her own breathing. It was painful, the pounding and whooshing of her blood in her ears. She wasn't getting enough oxygen and couldn't feel her legs. An arm wrapped around her waist and she was being half walked, half dragged out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall. She saw black spots popping up in her vision as she tried to keep her head from lolling against the person pulling at her.
"No," she moaned, pulling her arm away. She could feel the putrid breath of her tormentor on her face again and she shoved at it, trying to get away. Her knees hurt as she shoved the person away. She crawled along the stone floor not seeing anything but the memory in her mind.
Bellatrix's cackle resounded in her head and she collapsed under it all.
A firm hand on her upper arm rolled her to her back and she kicked out and attempted to scoot away.
A cold liquid was poured into her mouth and she spat it out as best she could. Some of it was all the way down her throat though and she choked on it as she tried not to swallow.
She woke up in hers and Severus' bed, no longer wearing her costume, and being spooned by her husband.
"What happened?" she whispered groggily.
"You had a panic attack in response to a stimulus that set off your PTSD. I had to drug you in the entrance hall to get you out of there before it became a topic of gossip."
"Oh. Thank you," she said, rolling over to face him.
Her husband's dark eyes were very serious as he studied her.
"Who won the costume contest?"
He snorted. "I have no idea, truly. I got us out of there as soon as I realized you were having an episode. I sent word to Minerva and Poppy of what happened but I've not spoken to anyone else."
Hermione was hoping that this wasn't going to mean that Poppy and Severus were going to go back to watching her every move.
"I'm tired of not being okay," she murmured up into his mouth.
He kissed her lightly, chastely. "I know. Sleep. It's 11 pm. I only managed to get a small amount of sleeping draught into you earlier. Would you like some more?"
She shook her head before nuzzling into his chest. She focused on breathing in deeply, counting his heartbeats before falling asleep once again.
When they woke in the morning, Severus was still watching her closely, she knew. She could feel his gaze on her when he thought she wasn't paying him any attention. She dressed and got ready for her day pretending her husband wasn't worried.
Poppy gave her a once over before allowing her to work for the day. Hermione was a little sleep deprived and perhaps a little dehydrated but fine nonetheless.
After dinner, Hermione sat at her piano playing a few melodies, while waiting for Severus to come home after his head of house duties were fulfilled. She'd received an owl from Harry at breakfast asking what had happened for her to disappear the night before. Harry had bragged that he won the bet and that he would be collecting on it at the Ministry Gala which gave her a feeling of dread. She'd replied to Harry's letter and also sent one to Ginny asking for a chat in her office sometime soon.
After some distance, there were a few things about the game they'd played at George and Angelina's party that were bothering Hermione. She, who had resisted blabbing secrets under torture, couldn't hold her own against a simple truth serum? That seemed odd considering she was certain that Ginny had more fantasies about Harry than just "anything."
When Severus returned, Hermione faced him on the couch as he removed his boots.
"Severus? I wanted to talk about a few things," she told him as confidently as she could.
When she had his full attention, Hermione admitted how trapped she was beginning to feel with not being allowed anywhere on her own or having Severus dictate her potions for her or when she could run or could not run.
He traced a lazy finger around his mouth as she spoke and finally, at length, said, "You are healing if you feel you are ready to take back control."
He'd not said anything else but left to have a shower. Hermione was irritated as he hadn't exactly told her he was going to back off or that she was right or anything. Stripping down, she let herself into the shower with him.
"You can't just leave in the middle of a conver-"
Severus spun around and clasped his hands over her hips. He pulled her body flush against his and tugged her under the spray of hot water.
"There she is," he murmured against her throat as he pressed open mouth kissed to the skin.
"What?" she said dumbly, hands scrambling to find purchase on him to help hold herself steady.
"The know-it-all swot I taught for 6 years; the girl who was in control of anything she desired. Here she is," his silky voice was in her ears and he was using a tone that was by far more seductive than she had ever heard it.
His thigh inserted itself between hers and her back met the shower wall. His mouth was on her and she reached up to his neck, holding on so that if he were to pull away from her, she could follow.
Severus was usually a bit more calculated in his moves. The way he took her in the shower was frantic. Hermione was very surprised that he seemed excited about the fact that she'd essentially just confronted him about something that irritated her.
He rutted her against the shower wall hard and fast and Hermione's thought through it all was that this Severus Snape was addictive. She liked the calculated moves that came with power but she also really liked the way he seemed to lose control, as if she were simply too sexy for him to not have her immediately.
In fact, Hermione was so turned on that even after an orgasm in the shower with him, she still wanted more when they left the shower. She kissed him wildly, trying to climb up him again in the middle of the bathroom. He lifted her to the counter and had her again in less than 15 minutes after the shower.
They'd stumbled to their bed that night not bothering with clothing and Hermione wondered if this was a reward for being herself. Was Severus still conditioning her or was he truly so attracted to her being herself that he'd been unwilling to hold back?
The next day brought an answer from Harry wishing her better and thanking her for sharing. He shared troubling news that pieces of evidence that had been locked inside the heavily warded evidence vault were being left on his desk in the training room. For a week this had been going on and no one knew how it was happening. This concerned Hermione as it meant someone in the auror department had gone rogue or was hiding true motives. Harry would need to be careful.
Ginny visited her that afternoon and Hermione was able to get some answers.
"So you noticed that, then?"
"What?" Hermione sputtered, "of course I noticed it! You, Ginerva Weasley, have certainly got a better answer to what your deepest fantasy of Harry Potter involves than a meek 'anything with Harry is fine with me,' you tramp!"
Her friend threw her head back and laughed. "Yes, I surely do but I doubt my brothers wanted to hear them so I took an antidote before I took my drink. It allowed me just enough presence of mind to twist the truth a bit."
A scathing look was sent Ginny's way. "You bitch."
More laughter. "What are you so upset about? You know far more embarrassing things about almost everyone else at that party now. Or, did you already forget that Oliver admitted to having a three way in the quidditch dressing shed after the championship game a few years back?"
Shaking her head to dislodge the memory, Hermione giggled a little. "I haven't forgotten any of it, unfortunately. I was mean to Ron," Hermione admitted.
The red head across from her fiddled with the quill stand on her desk. "How do you figure that?"
This was something that had been bothering her since it had happened. "Well, I spent years waiting on him, kissed him, then threw the brakes on when he finally asked me. It's sort of like gaslighting him and-"
"What's 'brakes' and what is 'gaslighting'?"
Hermione stopped to explain the muggle terminology behind the two terms.
"So you see, as soon as he works through all the signals and signs and asks me to be his girlfriend, I shut him down with an explanation that seemed weak and flimsy. After all the anger I had at him for throwing Lavender in my face, I threw Severus in his."
Ginny was thoughtful for a moment. "It's not really the same. Ron only dated Lavender because she was 1) easy 2) he wanted physical experience and 3) he knew she would hurt your feelings the most. He flouted a relationship with her in front of you simply to cause you pain. He was punishing you for having kissed Krum in 4th year. That was worse than anything you've ever done to him, Hermione. He was essentially punishing you for the fact that he was an idiot and didn't ask you to the ball and so you had fun with someone else."
Hermione took a moment to think through what Ginny was telling her. She knew Ron had done it all for nefarious reasons and that he had taunted her by snogging Lavender in public areas when she was present. She'd never really considered that it was all borne of a deeper insecurity of Ron's.
"That may be all true," Hermione admitted, "but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still sending him mixed signals. I made him confess to me that he'd given Lavender his V-card, which we all suspected, but then by telling him I gave mine to my husband... It was like throwing it in his face that he could have had me but I chose someone else. I feel...dirty and icky after having done that. It was mean."
Arms wrapped themselves around her and she hugged Ginny back.
"This is what makes you such a precious person, Hermione. Even after all that Ron has done to you- and don't lie and say that my brother hasn't hurt you more than he's ever done right by you- you still are the bigger person who cares for others. I wouldn't sweat it. Ron needs to be reminded that he's a shit every now and then. He's not exactly a mine of deep emotional sensitivity. He probably felt hurt by knowing that Snape popped your cherry since he hates Snape. Also, why didn't you tell me that you'd not had sex! I had no idea you went into your wedding with Snape a virgin!"
She snorted at the massive understatement but didn't speak.
Continuing, Ginny said, "He was probably hurt that you gave something so special to a man that Ron felt was beneath him on the scale of Those-Who-Deserve-Hermione-Granger but I doubt he'd be thinking you have doubts about giving him a shot."
"Perhaps a nice letter explaining my thoughts and feelings would be better than trying to tell him this in person," Hermione chewed her lip.
A laugh from Ginny.
"A novel detailing thoughts and feelings, and you think Ron will read it?"
A shrug. "It will make me feel better so it makes no difference if he reads it or not, right?"
"I guess, if that's what you want to spend your spare time doing. Personally, if I had a husband in the castle with me I'd be-"
Hermione slapped a hand over her friend's mouth, very well aware of what her friend would be doing if Harry was in the castle.
When she finally let Ginny's mouth free, the younger witch grinned slyly. "So, tell me more about the circumstances that led to a recent virgin having a thing for reading glasses, blow jobs in the dungeons, and Snape using the word 'baby' as an endearment."
True to her word, Hermione had crafted a letter to Ron detailing her thoughts and feelings about him. She started from the first time they met and ended with how she currently felt towards him. She hoped Ron read the letter since the parchment was a scroll totalling three feet of her tidy scrawl.
It was cathartic and Hermione felt a bit more free of burdens as she played music that evening.
She was playing a melody she'd toyed with before but she was adding words to it when Severus came home that night. After speaking to Ginny and writing to Ron, she was freeing the remnants of it all from her mind by containing it in music.
"I saw the part of you/ that only when you're older you will see it too/ you will see it too/ I held the better cards/ but every stroke of luck has got a bleed through/ it's got a bleed through/ you held the balance of the time/ that only blindly I could read you/ but i could read you/ it's like you told me/ go forward slowly/ it's not a race to the end/"
She felt Severus standing still inside the doorway as he listened to her. She decided to keep playing. She only had a bit more left written for the song anyway.
"Well you look like yourself/ but you're somebody else/ only it's not on the surface/ well you talk like yourself/ no, I hear someone else though/ now you're making me nervous."
The song ended abruptly and Hermione reached for a quill to add a random thought to the note section of the song.
"You've a talent," her husband commented behind her as he tucked her hair behind her ear.
"It's just a release for me. It makes me feel better so it doesn't really matter to me how it sounds but thank you."
She swiveled on the bench to look up at Severus who seemed more serious than usual.
"What's wrong?"
He reached in his robes and handed her a piece of folded parchment.
"This was owled to me today. Sender anonymous."
She opened the parchment and gasped. Rather than seeing words she simply saw a detailed ink sketch of herself and Severus on the porch swing. The sketch of her had her head thrown back in ecstasy while the figure of Severus had his hands inside her tiny little shorts. There was no doubt that whoever had drawn this had witnessed the act that occurred what seemed like ages ago to her.
There at the bottom of the drawing was a few words.
"Enjoy her while you have her."