Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix
Thank you for the reviews and, sorry, it's still not the chapter about Samhain day...
Things went a bit more smoothly between Severus and Hermione afterwards. He could still see some gleams of anger in her eyes from time to time, he still snapped at her in classes, but they were on speaking terms. Sometimes, he could see her looking at her flat stomach as if expecting it to swell suddenly and reveal her pregnancy to the whole school.
Days passed slowly, without any news from Lucius or Voldemort. Harry and Ron flanked Hermione all the time, walking with her to her classes and being there at the end of them, sitting on each side of her at each meal. She sometimes cast glances toward the Head Table, as if calling for help. It made Viktor chuckle and Severus scowl. Salazar didn't like at all the attention given to his beloved.
One week before Samhain, Albus convoked several people in his office. Severus felt no surprise when he saw Hermione; he had the feeling they were to talk about the Dark Lord's threat. He was quite taken aback though to see Harry and Ron standing by her side. The door opened and Minerva, Viktor and Poppy entered.
"Good," said Albus. "Everybody is here, we can now begin. First of all, we should all be aware of what is awaiting us, and, more particularly, Hermione and Severus."
There were some curious – and hostile – glances in Severus's direction, but everybody sat silently at Albus's offer.
"It begins with two prophecies," continued Albus. "First of all, the prophecy of a Seer who turned mad because of Cruciatus. The prophecy is the following one: the Child with the three bloods… the three precious bloods. A mix of the immortal blood and virgin blood… Pain, oh so much pain, and phoenix tears to heal the burns in the flesh…"
"What are the precious bloods?" asked Harry.
"The bloods of the Founders. Hermione is in truth Rowena Ravenclaw's Heir. In her veins runs the blood of Rowena, of her half-sister Helga Hufflepuff and now, thanks to you, Harry, of Godric Gryffindor."
Harry's eyes widened. Ron swallowed nervously and watched Hermione out of the corner of his eye. Severus sighed slightly.
"To make something short from a long story," he said, "the mother of Helga Hufflepuff left the valley where her husband and daughter lived and went into the glen. There she met a man named Roman Ravenclaw and married him. She gave him a daughter called Rowena."
"Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fen," said Hermione softly, quoting the song of the Sorting Hat in her fourth year.
"I hate this particular song," growled Severus. "Power-hungry Slytherin loved those of great ambition, indeed! There are other values in Slytherin than just ambition!"
Minerva grinned and Severus scowled again.
"Anyway, Salazar and Rowena were in love – which proves that he wasn't only interested in power and ambition – and Godric decided to destroy their happiness, casting a curse on Rowena and Helga; Salazar, furious, cemented it by adding his own curses. Rowena and Helga's descendants would live among Muggles and be Squibs until the time for Salazar and Rowena to be reunited again."
"Wow!" said Harry, looking at Hermione. "You mean… somewhere, there's your Salazar, someone meant for you?"
Severus could have sworn he had heard her teeth gritting.
"As the Founders rarely make things by halves, we know that the other Heirs are around also. We found Godric's Heir, it's you, Harry," continued Albus. "Severus told me he found Helga's Heir–"
"Wait!" interrupted Hermione. "Salazar's curse specified that Helga's descendants would be Squibs, like Rowena's, until the time of reunion. If I'm not Helga's Heir, then it is someone whom everybody believed to be a Muggle-born."
"No," sighed Severus. "Helga was married before Rowena and she already had a son before Salazar uttered his curse. The descendants of her son were not concerned by it. But the child she had after was. From him came the line of one of your parents."
"So the Heir of Hufflepuff is a pure-blood. Good for him or her."
"And who is Salazar's Heir?" asked Ron, frowning.
"I am."
Ron and Harry's eyes went from Hermione to Severus, wide with disbelief.
"Hermione and… you?" whispered Ron, looking faint.
"Exactly, Hermione and me," replied Severus, crossing his long fingers.
"What did you do to her?" yelled Harry. "There's no way she would ever agree to go near you on her own! You drugged her or–"
"Shut up, Harry. It's not you who had to go through it all!"
Hermione rose from her seat, glaring at her friend.
"You want to know it all? I'm pregnant. I'm carrying his son, because of a stupid prophecy! So, yes, it's Professor Snape and me, and believe me, he was even more vocal than you about the horror of the whole situation. I really don't need to hear it a second time."
"Sit down, Hermione. You are going too fast for them. I was thus saying that Hermione was the Child of the first prophecy. But there is a second one. The Heirs will meet: the Raven will fall, the Snake will protect, the Lion will fight and the Badger will strike. The Child with the four bloods will bring the world to a new dawn. This is why we have to bring together the four Heirs. I think the first part of the prophecy refers to what will happen on Samhain."
"What will happen on Samhain?" asked Ron, Harry being still busy glaring at Severus.
"Patience. Voldemort expressed his interest in Hermione and, if you think a moment, you will remember that Voldemort is also a descendant of Salazar. Thus he could be the father of the Child with the four bloods, the mother being naturally Hermione. I trust everybody will understand that Hermione had absolutely no desire to bear the child of Voldemort. Knowing this, Severus revealed his true identity – which he had kept hidden until then – and quite reluctantly accepted to be the father of the Child. Voldemort requested that Hermione be brought to him on Samhain, when she would become his bride and the mother of his child. We couldn't wait; Hermione had to be protected from this fate and thus, Severus and she were pushed together."
"So you see, Ron, you were right: why would I want Voldemort when I have my personal Potions Master?" said Hermione, her voice scalding, while looking attentively at the ceiling.
He blushed furiously.
"Miss Granger, this is not the moment," growled Severus.
"I don't see any way for us to keep Hermione from Voldemort on Samhain. Which means she will have to go. I don't know what will happen then, but I gather he won't be happy to find her pregnant. Poppy, I want you to be ready for anything."
The mediwitch nodded, casting a glance at Hermione. The face of the young Gryffindor was emotionless. Albus looked down at a note on his desk.
"I will not be able to be with you on Samhain. The Ministry wants to see me – probably a manipulation of Lucius Malfoy – and they require my presence for the whole week. Believe me, I wish I could be here, ready to intervene. But it will be up to you."
"We will gather Dumbledore's Army," said Harry with a decided voice. "Everybody made lots of progress and Professor Krum accepted to teach us some spells despite… uh… the latest events."
Severus glared at Viktor, who shrugged carelessly.
"Good," said Albus. "Though I despite the idea of letting students going where I can't go myself, it seems I don't have the choice. I will try to come earlier from the Ministry though. Minerva, you will take the lead of 'Dumbledore's Army' if the need arises. Severus and Viktor, please keep an eye on Hermione. Do not let her alone on Samhain, even if you have to seat in her classes with her."
The two men nodded and Albus sighed.
"This will be all, I think."
To say Harry and Ron were shocked was an understatement.
"You… and him?"
She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Do I have to hit you for you to understand it?" she asked between clenched teeth.
"So the rumours were true since the beginning? That you and he were–"
"Ronald Weasley, let me tell you that Professor Snape didn't lay a hand on me until ten days ago and if he did then, it's only because of Salazar and Rowena."
"What do you mean?" said Harry with a frown.
"They possessed us and made us… participate, uh, actively," she finished with a hot blush.
Harry and Ron looked sick.
"Are they… are they still possessing you?"
"They try. But we are able to resist them. The other time, we had… Never mind."
"No, not never mind! You are carrying his child! He took advantage of you even so!"
"I'm still present, Mr. Potter," said Severus wryly. "And I would appreciate you stopping to insult me in such a way."
Harry winced.
"Harry," said Hermione, tightening her jaw, "could you please leave the subject alone? It's already more than enough for me to have Rowena in the back of my mind, whining for being with her Salazar. I really don't need your complaints on top of it all."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, obviously willing to ask more questions, but they knew better than to ask them now, considering that Hermione's tone was warning them of her temper slowly deteriorating.
"Of course, Hermione. Remember we will be there for you if you need help," said Ron, hugging her gently.
Harry nodded fiercely. She gave them a tight smile.
"Thank you. It's nice to know."
Severus scowled while Minerva and Albus looked at them approvingly. The Dream Team was back together.
Albus was due to leave the following day and he made sure that he wrote passes to the members of the DA, allowing them to be out after curfew. Severus decided to help Viktor with the training and he set meetings on every evening of the week until Samhain. The only absences allowed were for Quidditch practice – since there were three Houses in the DA, there were three different slots of time for Quidditch practice – and even then, it was more than often delayed later in the night, under Viktor's supervision – and sometimes Severus's, who quite enjoyed being back on the pitch.
Due to the late activities, it wasn't unusual to see little groups going back to their dormitories almost half-asleep well into the night. Argus Filch grumbled a little when he saw them, but he had the list of students allowed outside after curfew and didn't bother them. Severus even saw him once helping an exhausted Hufflepuff back to her dormitory, but the girl – Hannah Abbott – was so tired she didn't even think it strange.
Viktor and Severus were ruthless but surprisingly, the Potions Master showed more patience in that than in Potions and even Neville began to relax slightly in his presence. He wondered if the students now understood why he wanted to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts instead of Potions; with Viktor, they made a good team, being patient, though demanding. Being more advanced than Harry on the subject, they could teach spells and jinxes that Harry would never have taught, even if Hermione had researched them for him. Harry continued to be an assistant teacher with them and Severus could see the surprise in some of the students' eyes.
As for Hermione, Severus took special care of her. He didn't want everybody to know that she was pregnant, but he couldn't let them hit her with their spells, so he cast a shield around her that would stop any curse she wouldn't have stopped on her own. She made as if she hadn't noticed it and it was perfect with him. She trained hard, almost as ruthless as Severus himself, and her poor partner was often dazed by the end of the session. Nobody but Ron and Harry knew the reason why, but they were used about Hermione always trying to overachieve, so they thought nothing of it.
Of course, with the additional practice, the classes and homework, it was rather hard for Hermione to find time to go see Firene, but she couldn't stay away from him for very long. After the disastrous visit one week and half earlier Severus kept a closer eye on her. Since then, every three days, grudgingly, Severus had taken her to the Forbidden Forest and let her pour her heart to the unicorn. Harry and Ron, not trusting Severus but worried for Hermione, had told him that she didn't confide in them. In fact, she didn't confide in anyone but Firene. Severus wasn't happy about it but he didn't voice it. He knew she wouldn't confide in him.
He also kept an eye on Vincent and Gregory. Pansy, relieved of her duties toward Draco, was now spying on them and she told Severus that they enjoyed the attention. She hadn't heard from Draco since the day he had left with his mother and she felt much better this way. The Gryffindors sniggered at her when they saw her all over Vincent and Gregory instead of Draco and taunted her mercilessly. Only Hermione didn't say anything.
"Hermione, why don't you tell her off? She just insulted you!" exclaimed Ron after Pansy had just called her an ugly Mudblood before entering the Great Hall.
Severus was standing in the shadows behind them and frowned slightly. Hermione seemed tired and her eyes weren't what he called lively.
"I just don't care," she replied softly. "Since I'm Rowena's Heir, I can't be a Mudblood, now, can I?"
Ron and Harry chuckled, waiting with impatience for the day she would claim this in front of the whole school and thus come back at all the Slytherins who had insulted her during the previous years. But Severus frowned even more. He still remembered her little speech in the Hospital Wing, when she had told him she was proud of what she was. It was just a ploy to avoid an argument. He shook his head; something was wrong.
This very evening, Pansy came to see him, furious.
"You have to do something!" she fumed. "This silly girl will just blow my cover! Next time I know, she will give me a hug and tell me how impressed she is!"
He raised his eyebrows.
"Am I to understand you are speaking of Miss Granger?"
"Of course I'm speaking of Perfect Granger! I insult her and she just doesn't care!"
"Naturally she doesn't care. She's used to your insults now. But don't worry; it's not drawing attention to you. On the contrary, everybody is wondering what is happening to her."
"And what is happening to Know-It-All Granger?" Pansy asked crossly.
"I think she's simply tired of all this."
"Tired, ha! As if she had the luxury of being tired! Her job is not that hard; she had you instead of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle! I would say she's lucky. And only for a weekend, instead of seven years!"
Severus's eyes narrowed.
"I trust you will keep this to you. And may I know how you know of this?"
"Her reaction when she saw me looking at you and later when I came in your office."
"What about her reaction?" he asked offhandedly.
She had a sly smile.
"Why, Professor Snape doesn't understand women… I think I will let you find out by yourself."
"Be careful, Miss Parkinson. Despite the unusual circumstances, you are still my student and I can take House points from you or give you detention for insolence."
"You never take points from your own House," she said with a pout.
"There is always a first time for everything," he replied evenly. "Now go and don't forget to show Vincent and Gregory how much you like them."
Pansy glared at him and scowled. He smirked at her and dismissed her.
As soon as the door closed behind Pansy, Severus decided that it was time to speak with Hermione. She needed her strength and wits for Samhain and they needed also to be able to rely on each other. However, except the occasional words while going to see Firene and coming back to Hogwarts, they didn't talk. She wouldn't obviously shun him if he sought her, but she made clear that she wanted the discussion to be the shortest possible.
It was hard to judge on only two days, but this new behaviour of hers dated from the day Albus had spoken to the little group, revealing what had happened between Severus and Hermione. He wondered briefly if she was ashamed in front of her friends and trying to show them that there was nothing between her Potions Master and herself. Certainly her friends saw this like a betrayal from her. They hated him, he knew as much, since he had worked for seven years for making them hate him.
Dinnertime was over and he noticed that he had missed it. He shrugged and went to the library. There was still one hour before the meeting with the DA and Viktor. In a way, he regretted that Pansy couldn't be allowed to be present in those meetings; she could have showed the students what an aggressive spell-caster was. But he couldn't expose her cover like this. The incident with Marietta Edgecombe two years before was a proof that nobody could be trusted – especially not students whose parents worked at the Ministry for Magic.
Hermione was in the back of the library, hidden behind rows of books, her head disappearing behind several stacks of books. He slid noiselessly in the seat in front of her and looked at her brown hair hiding her face from him. After one or two minutes, without raising her head, she asked crossly:
"Like what you see?"
"Very much. Can we talk?"
"I thought that it was what we were doing."
"No. I am talking, you are aggressing me."
"Sorry for hurting your sensibilities. I am busy now and you're seeing me in less than one hour. Can't it wait?"
"Hermione… I know you're ashamed because your friends know what happened between us, but you know we will have to rely on each other next Tuesday."
"I know," she replied quietly, finally looking up at him and tucking a rebellious tendril behind her ear.
"We need to discuss about it," he insisted calmly, thinking that for once, it would maybe help if he made as if he cared instead of commanding her to come.
"Very well. Tomorrow – Friday – morning, I have a free period. Is it alright with you?"
"Yes, it will be good. I will see you then? At ten in my office?"
She nodded and when he stood up, she was already buried in her book. He briefly wondered what she could be reading that would prove so interesting. As to answer his question, she lifted her book and let him read the title: The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, by Quentin Trimble. Judging by the pages left, she was near the end. He shook his head.
"Let's hope we won't have to go there," he murmured.
She seemed surprised that he hadn't mocked her but then he surprised her even more: he reached out for her shoulder and squeezed it gently. He went away before she could say anything.