A/N: Once again thank you all for reading and commenting on this story. I'm glad the majority of you like this story! I had some reviews about how the last chapter wasn't that great and how it appears to be fast paced. The next two chapters are a similar situation because, I think it's chapter 15, things start to change and the storyline gets better. I didn't really like these couple of chapters either but I needed to tie up loose ends, almost like filler chapters if you like. But, please stick with me because I promise things start to unravel soon and McGonagall comes into it a bit more. Many Thanks! :)
A/N: Chapter Warnings – Bad Language, mentions and discussions of rape and cutting
Chapter 13: Classes Begin, Unethical Detention's and Explosive Behaviour
It was September 3rd, and classes had gone well today, except for defence where they were introduced to their new professor and she immediately tore shreds off Harry.
They had just found out that they were not going to be learning any magic in self-defence, and that it would all be mainly theory, and no practical. Everybody had lost their shit and there were cries of outrage coming from all over the place. She couldn't believe this was really happening; Severus had prepared her for this when they had discussed the meaning of the ministry interfering at Hogwarts. But now it was real and it was a nightmare.
"Who would want to hurt young children, such as yourselves?" Pink and fluffy asked patronisingly.
"Voldemort" Harry stated firmly.
Hermione knew that Umbridge was in favour of accusing Harry of his crimes of using magic during the summer, and the bitch was now letting everybody know exactly what she thought of the boy who lived.
"You've been told that this dark wizard has returned. But this is all a lie" Umbridge said a little more forcefully than before. You could tell she was getting irritated.
"It's not a lie" Harry had protested and had promptly earned himself a detention. Actually, he and Hermione were to share a detention that coming Friday night. They had both heard that Umbridge had a unique punishment, but neither knew what it was.
"What did you get detention for?" Harry had asked her. She made up something like being caught after curfew in the library.
"But I thought curfew was relaxed for prefects?" Harry asked.
She hesitated and made up the first thing she could think of.
"After everything that has happened, and is going to happen, I thought my attention and time would be more use elsewhere than prefect duties. I gave up the role" she lied to him.
He looked surprised that she would do such a thing, but believed her anyway. Hermione was thankful that he let the subject drop for now.
The first day had been tedious and they had been given lots of work and homework and research to do. Hermione expected this; it was OWL year after all and she knew that this year would be a challenge.
One person however, was quite predictably constantly moaning about it. Hermione rolled her eyes, some things never changed.
"How am I supposed to fit in time for my social life now, there are Quidditch games and positions to play for. I can't do that and keep up with the workload they expect us to do" Ron grumbled.
Hermione waited expectantly.
"Say Mione-" he was immediately cut off by her scathing look.
"No Ronald, this year you're on your own, you won't get any help from me. You want to get good grades and have a social life? Well welcome to my world. Now you know why I had to sacrifice all those Hogsmeade visits and why I would rarely 'hang out' with you. Priorities Ron, I've had mine down since I started here" she told him.
Ron just glared at her and was angry that she was going to be no use to him this year.
"Fine" he snapped and pouted like a child. He went back to inhaling his dinner and Hermione went back to feeling slightly ill at watching him.
She was also glad that now Harry and Ron were talking to her again, the rumours had died down slightly and people were more concerned with Umbridge, who had begun sitting in on other professor's classes and taking notes and asking the professors rather personal questions. The ministry had taken things too far this time and it was going to come back and bite them on the arse when the students got fed up of the interference.
.
.
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The next few days passed quickly and before Hermione knew it, it was Friday and she was walking down to the dungeons for her double potions lesson with the Slytherin's.
"Double potions? We're all screwed" Ron whined. The rest of the Gryffindor's felt the same way; they knew this wasn't going to be pretty.
They took their seats and waited for the inevitable.
The classroom door boomed open and the potions professor entered and walked stoically to the front of the class.
"Well? Get your books out and turn to page twenty-six and read through the introduction, you have five minutes" everyone immediately started reading.
'Amortentia?' Hermione thought. Wasn't that a NEWTs level potion? She was confused, but who was she to question the curriculum of Professor Snape.
"Dumbledore has requested we learn this now, as it has become more popular amongst enemies. Also, I hear a set of well-known twins have developed a love potion that works in a similar way. We will learn the effects and how to combat them. These will be different for everyone" he explained.
"Firstly, I will give a small sample to each table and you will write out what scents you come across first. These scents are what attract you most" he sneered almost disgustedly at the thought of it.
As soon as the sample was placed on her desk, Hermione immediately set to work and tried to decipher what she could pick up.
She eventually picked out three main scents, but knew there were others but couldn't quite work out.
The three scents she had picked out were.
- Chocolate
- Mint
- Sandalwood
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, there was only one person she could think of, who smelled like all of those things, and it caused her to panic internally.
Severus was making his rounds and stopped by her table, he noticed that she was trying to subtly hide her piece of paper, and was turning red in the face. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question when she refused to let the paper go.
He would find out.
"Right, now that you have found the scents that attract you to someone, your homework will be to research more about the potion itself. However, for now your instructions are on the board, this must be brewed before you are dismissed" he stated.
The students hustled and bustled around, picking out the correct ingredients and starting the brewing process.
Once the students were done and had handed in their potions for marking, they began tidying their stations and packing up.
"Dismissed" he announced and students started to filter out.
"Except you Miss Granger" he added. She sighed, she had expected this.
"Yes Sir?" She asked once all the students had left and the door had closed.
"We have some things to discuss" he said pointedly looking towards her wrist.
"Sir, its lunch, now is really not the time-" she stopped when he raised his hand to silence her monologue.
"-Which is why it's a good thing that you have to serve a detention with me. Tomorrow morning, Miss Granger, you will report here at 9am and we will spend the whole day replenishing the infirmary supplies. We will have all day Miss Granger, I suggest you rest and prepare yourself for an exhausting day" Snape told her. There was a promise in his voice that said they would be talking a lot about things, including how she got detention in the first place. She gulped nervously and nodded.
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.
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The rest of the day passed in a blur and she found herself heading towards Umbridge's office for her detention. She was going first and then Harry would serve his after her.
She knocked on the door and waited for invitation before she entered.
"Miss Granger, please sit. You're going to be writing lines for me tonight and it will hopefully send a message" she smiled tightly at Hermione.
Hermione didn't like this.
"How many times, and what would you like me to write?" She asked her professor trying to be civil.
"Long enough for the message to sink in and I would like you to write 'I must not argue with my superiors, adults or otherwise'" she told her student.
Hermione's jaw dropped at the implication and she looked at her professor who was daring her to challenge the authority. So she picked up the quill provided for her and began to write.
She had written the line twice when she suddenly felt an intense burning on the back of her left hand. She itched at it and noticed it had turned red, like a sudden rash had appeared on her skin.
She continued writing and the burning intensified. She looked at her hand once more and noticed that there were now marks there. She looked closer and found that the marks were letters, in her handwriting; the lines she was writing were now engraving themselves into her skin. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. What type of magic was this?
"Everything alright dear? Do you understand? Some creatures should know their place, don't you think?" Umbridge asked her.
Without a word, Hermione collected her bag and left the room. She immediately headed for her common room, hoping to see Harry on the way to his detention, but he wasn't there. She sighed as she sat in the bathroom and ran her hand under the cold water, hoping to cool the burn.
She waited up in front of the fire for Harry to come back. When he finally came in he looked at her and grimaced.
"Was yours as bad as mine?" He asked her.
They sat there, comparing their marks from detention and talking about the ruthlessness of Umbridge and how they feared she would try to take over the school.
Hermione soon said good night, she had to serve her detention with Snape tomorrow and she knew he was going to be brutal and take no lies from her.
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.
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The following morning, at exactly 8:59, she knocked on the door and she was immediately given access to the room.
"Good morning, sit" Severus commanded. She hesitantly took a seat and waited in anticipation for him to continue.
"Now Miss Granger, I never want to see your wrists in that state ever again, am I clear? If you ever do something like that ever again, you will answer to me" he told her seriously.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I was on autopilot. It was exactly after the second time-" she broke off not dating to go further.
He looked at her sympathetically and nodded.
"Understood" he said to her, letting her know she didn't have to continue if she didn't want to.
He looked at her and stopped when something else caught his eye.
"Your hand?" He asked and reached out to take a look.
She let him and he observed her hand for a moment before exhaling.
"That damned woman" he muttered under his breath, as he went to the cupboard and grabbed some healing salve for her.
He gently rubbed the salve into the wound and it looked less angry and even hurt less.
"Thank you" she whispered.
Severus tutted but didn't reprimand her for her thanks, he had given up trying that by now.
"Now, about how you ended up in detention with me today?" He asked her.
So she told him, the conversation that had occurred between her, Lupin and Dumbledore and how she had been forced to give up her prefect status when she refused to be just a minion for Dumbledore anymore.
Severus was shocked by what she was telling him and he couldn't believe that Dumbledore had taken things so far and done this to such a young, innocent girl.
He went over to her and knelt down in front of her chair, where she was sat. He then hugged her and held onto her tight, trying to keep her from breaking into pieces. This girl had been dealt the worst hand of life he had ever had to witness.
She giggled and hugged him back, glad that she had him and breathed in the sandalwood, she blushed at the thought as she remembered yesterday's potion lesson and the scents she had listed from the Amortentia potion.
"You're quite red Miss Granger, anything to say?" He asked her, smirking and also wondering what could possibly have her look like that.
She flushed even more and intrigued Severus further; he raised his eyebrow expecting a response.
"You smell like sandalwood" she whispered.
Severus blinked.
'Had he just heard her right?' he thought, confused about what she meant by that statement.
She refused to say anything more and knew she needed a topic change so she went to the first thing she could think of.
"Harry and I are talking again" she said.
Severus let it go; he didn't want to think on what he had just heard the young witch say.
"That's a step forward" he told her.
She nodded and the topic switched again to talking about her newfound friendship with his godson and she readily answered all questions Severus had on that.
As they were making potions for the hospital wing they stole secret glances and swapped secret smiles at each other.
They eventually had lunch that Severus had summoned from the kitchens via a house elf, and they sat in comfortable silence and ate.
They worked through the afternoon harmoniously, and eventually the sun began to go down and they began packing up, they were mucking about again.
"To be honest my godson could pass for a vampire" Severus said jokingly, laughing at his godson's expense.
"Or a sexy Greek God with alabaster skin. He's like the male Aphrodite with that chest, let's be honest" she joked back.
Severus stopped and looked at her, all mirth gone from his eyes and now replaced with cold hard black stones.
Hermione took a step back, slightly perturbed by the sudden shift in his emotions and waited for him to give her an explanation.
"It's time for you to go, Miss Granger" he told her.
"But-" she started but was cut off.
"Silence, Miss Granger. I have asked you to leave now get out" he yelled at her.
She looked at him shocked and tensed up. What was wrong with him? She didn't understand what she had done wrong. She questioned herself but things were happening too fast for her to assess.
"Why?" She whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out" he told her, she began backing up towards the door, more confused than ever.
"And try not to spread your legs for everyone on your way back to your dorm" he snarled.
Hermione gasped, and there was a sharp pang in her chest, she let the tears fall and shook her head. Without saying anything else, she turned and fled the room.
She ran all the way to her tree and collapsed on the ground sobbing. She curled up into a ball and wished the world away.
"Hermione?" A voice asked hesitantly.
She looked up and saw Draco staring down at her worriedly.
"What happened?" He asked her.
"I don't know" she choked out.
"Tell me what happened" he demanded.
So she did. She told him about the whole day, how everything was fine until the last couple of minutes when Snape had turned. As she explained what had gone on and what had been said, realisation began to set in.
She didn't see it, but Draco did, and he could understand what had happened.
"Come on, let's get you tidied up, and get some dinner down you" he said. She followed.
After dropping her off at the great hall, Draco walked to his godfather's office and hammered on the door. Severus opened up and allowed him in.
"What is the meaning of this Draco?" Severus asked his godson, not in the mood for this.
Draco just grinned at him and waited for his godfather's patience to snap.
It didn't take long.
"What are you grinning at boy? Are you here to gloat about how you have made a conquest out of Miss Granger in her fragile state?" He sneered.
Draco's grin widened and Severus was so close to slapping him for it.
"I knew it" Draco said.
Severus stared at his godson.
"I knew you fancied her" Draco stated.
"I don't know what you are referring to" Severus told him.
"Yes you do! You fancy Hermione Granger and you are jealous of what she said about me earlier, I knew you liked her! I'm not stupid!" Draco exclaimed happily, his godfather and new friend had mutual feelings for each other.
"You do not know what you speak of boy, and you will keep your voice down about such things" Severus seethed as he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him.
"Oh no? Well the girl you fancy had an emotional breakdown earlier because of your comments. She's convinced that you hate her, think her a whore, and no longer have any desire to see or talk to her ever again" Draco informed him.
Severus started.
"What? Really?" He asked his godson, calming for a moment, trying to gather his sanity.
Draco brushed himself off and nodded at him as he headed towards the door to let himself out.
"By the way, I would never go for her. She would never spread her legs for everyone, you know that you arse! I would start apologising and begging for forgiveness if I were you" he told his godfather.
Severus just stared at him.
"You would never seduce her or make her your lover?" he asked Draco.
Severus was confused; he had overheard many scandalous comments in the Slytherin common room about what Draco's reputation was in bed.
Draco shook his head.
"Nope, I would never seduce her, or sleep with her. In fact, I wouldn't sleep with any girl. I'm gay godfather" Draco informed Severus, and then left the office slamming the door behind him.
Severus threw a bunch of books at the wall in rage, and then sunk down to the floor with his head in his hands.
He regretted what he had said to her, and Draco, and how he had treated them, and how he had handled the situation. Of course he knew she would never do what he accused her of. On top of that, his godson was gay and so nothing would ever happen between the two teens anyway.
'How long has Draco known that he was gay?' Severus thought to himself.
'Why didn't Draco confide in him sooner about it?' Severus questioned further.
He sighed as tears formed and rolled down his cheeks.
"Hermione forgive me" he whispered to the silence of his office.
