A/n: though it's Snape-centered part, believe me, it's must-read chapter. There is reeeeeally important part about Vicky.
And I wanna thank all my wonderful beta-readers :) You're great! :)
Chapter 8 ~Snape ~
"Well, well, well, Miss Granger", - Snape's hand was disorderly trying to find its way to freedom out or totall mess of his and Hermione's robes.
"I'm sorry, Professor", -Hermione, who's beg was now very uncomfortably poking her into back, was trying to get as far from Snape's body as possible. But her Brownian movements only make it worse. Now tough fabrics of a robe was capturing her legs, preventing Hermione from any further steps. After another unsuccessful attempt to move, Hermione felt that she's lost balance and gonna fall - somewhere.
At that time Snape finally got his wand and began whispering something like "Liberatum" - but he didn't manage to end that spell, because Hermione was clingin his robe to stop her from falling, causing Snape to drop a wang. In slow motion both the professor and the student saw as it felt on the floor with slight pat. They both breathe out with a relief as nothing happened. But next second their faces were flashed with a blinding fountain of sparks.
~*~*~*~
"Vicky, did you saw where she ran?" - Draco turned around, calculating where Hermione could possibly be.
"No, but I think she's somewhere nearby", - Vicky looked very worried, - "How do you think, did she heard what we said?"
Draco bent a little and put hands on knees to catch his breath, then shook head, so now his golden hair were in a funny disorder, - "I doubt it". He looked at Vicky, - "Why are you smiling?!"
"I'm not", - after I-don't-belive-you stare from Draco she continued with a sniff, - "Well, actually you reminded me of Harry with such mess on your head. And don't make that face! I didn't tell you remind me of Neville, did I?", - she lovingly touched a strand of his hair and smoothed it a bit, - "We have to find Hermione before she does something stupid".
~*~*~*~
Hermione instinctively covered her eyes with hands, muffed with a robe, but somehow her hands were heavier when ever. She cautiously opened one eye, then another - to see the sourse of hands sudden recalcitrance - Snape's hands. Somehow now they were sharing one huge robe, so her sleeves were connected to Snape's one. And their front part was connected. So now there was nothing separating their chests.
"Luckily I have jeans and a blouse under robe", - Hermione though, then it suddenly hit her, - "But what does Snape have under robe?!".
Hermione's terror was so oblivious to Snape, that he, feeling uneasy enough, answered her unspoken question not looking into her eyes, "Don't worry, Miss Granger, I'm not na...", he stammered a bit, and if the corridor wasn't that dark, Hermione could swear that Professor actually blushed, "I'm fully dressed". He said it almost voiceless.
Hermione was facing Snape's chest. It was the first time in her life when she was actually and truly happy she was not a tall girl. To look up at Snape was intimidating, but to be on the same level with his black peircing eyes would be fatal.
"We need my wand back", - Snape quiet voice make Hermione jump a bit, - "Thanks to your..." - he paused, making Hermione feel worthless, "... your pas de deux we're trapped for awile and I'm not going to spend this way no more seconds".
Hermione was trying to lower her head, feeling only guilt and shame, but it was difficult, becuase her (their to be more correct) robe was linked to Snape very tight, so Hermione didn't have luxury of moving that much.
"And as this corridor is too narrow for two persons to crouch while we stand this way, I presume it would be more reasonable for us to round for 90 dergees, so we will be able to learn slightly and pick up a wand",- you could mistake Snape's tone for his usual teaching/scaring style, if he wasn't breathing heavier than always and avoiding looks of Hermione, who now was feeling more secure, not facing the danger of naked Snape in a few inches.
They made several moves - if someone would saw them from outside if would look like some clumsy and fat scarecrow tryed to dance a polka - and then both of them realized what's gonna happen next. When they stood this way (Hemione' back was opposite to the exit) they really had much more space, but still not enough space between their robe, so they couldn't crouch anyway. Snape looked depressed as he missed such important and evident fact.
Hermione was almost crying with desperation, besided she cursed herself that she left her wand in her bag and couldn't reach for it now, as it was lying in several meters from her (she accidentally pushed it when tried to free herself in the beginning).
Then they said in sync:"Who?"
Snape coughed and said: "You can decide it. Which way do you prefer?"
Hermione would prefer to die! She was desperate - Hermione had to choose who's gonna pick up that damn wand. If it were her, then she had to lie on Snape, and if was him -vice versa. Each way was threatening.
Hermione had to analyze, and quickly, in which way she would have less contact with Snape.
"Me", - was her final verdict. This way she could possible put her body's weight to one had, trying to avoid any touch of Snape's body against her, and get a wand with other.
They slowly started bending, holding walls, not to fall. Hermione knees were rubbing Snape's legs. Hermione was embarrassed - "I'd better die! Why did I deserve it?!" Judging by Snape's face expression it wasn't the happiest moment in his life either.
Surprisingly enough he had strong hands, so he could move really slow, even in so difficult situation. At one moment Hermione had to fall at Snape for a split second - before rising above him on her hands. When her body landed on Snape she closed eyes, pretending it was just a bad dream. She put hands hear Snape's shoulders and as fast as she could, with her weight on them. It demanded a lot of strength from her. But the most difficult part (in a psychological way) was to come - Hermione had to move a bit forward to get the wand. And it meant she had to come to face-to-face level with Snape. She inhaled and make her first move (let's not forget how hard it already was - to have weight of your whole body rested on two thin hands). Her loose hair were sliding along professor's chest.
"Just not to touch him, not to touch, not to touch!" This only thought in Hermione's mind and it was written in huge, blinking, underlined letters. When her bushy curls touched Snape's face she nervously murmured indistinct "sorry" and streched her hand for the wand. And before she realizes what was going on she felt Snape's hand stretching with hers as well. Hermione's eyes widened with shock, and only then she put herselft together, understanding that as they shared one robe Snape had to move his hand "sync" with her hands as well. She reached to the wand and took it, with a proud smile - "I got it". She was holding herself only with one hand.
"Ooops."
That's when her strength left her and she collapsed at Snape, banging foreheards with professor.
"Ouch", Hermione pulled her hand toward to touch bruise, forgetting about Snape's hand attached to her own. At the same moment he finally took wand from her hand, and whispered several words. He was ready to stand as he saw that Hermione wasn't going to do it as well. There were blood on her forehead. Snape hesistantly reached his hand to it: "Are you all right".
Hermione, not really knowing what was going on around, answered "Yes" and fainted.
~*~*~*~
When Hermione opened her eyes she saw Snape, learning over her, watching curiously at her. "Fianlly you're back. We gonna be late to Potion class. Thanks to your sudden flake out."
Hermione looked at him with horror.
"I... I'm... "
"Sometimes, only sometimes, waving a stupid wand help to cure a person really fast. You're fine already."
He gave her a hand ("so we're still in the corridor" thought Hermione), so she could stand up.
"Hurry, Miss Granger, now we only 2 minutes to get to the class in time", - it was normal Snape, whom feared almost every student in Hogwarts, but somehow he wasn't that scary for Hermione nomore.
Hermione picked up her bag and waked out of this corridor only to be met by Draco and Vicky, embracing each other. They were a bit freaked out as they said at the same time:
"We really need to talk to you!"
The three of them suddenly turned their face to Snape as he appeared behind Hermione's back with thunderous "It's you!"
Hermione had never ever in her life seen Snape or any other person being changed by hate so fearfully. When he usually looked at Harry, his face of course changed, but not that much. Now he looked like devil himself. "Maybe that's how Voldemort looks like" suddenly thought Hermione.
Vicky was ready to cry, but she still contorlled herself, while Malfoy took one step towards Snape. Now Draco was shielding Vicky, defending her from anything that Snape could possible make to her.
Snape was queit for several endless seconds, then he ordered:
"You", - he stared at Vicky thoughtfully, - "go to the dungeon".
Then he turned his head slightly and suddenly shouted on Draco and Hermione: "What are you waiting for?! Go to the classes. NOW!"
"I'm not leaving you alone with...", but Draco's words were stopped by tender touch of Vicky's fingers on his lips.
She smiled at him reassuringly - "I'm gonna be fine. Just go".
Draco wasn't going to give up that easy, but Vicky repeated with a plea in her eyes - "Please, just go".
Hermione took Draco's hand as they both left that place silent.
Then they were out of sight, Vicky turned to Professor Snape, with small tears forming in her beautiful eyes, and said:
"I'm so sorry, I should have told you about me and Malfoy. Please, don't be angry at me, dad."
A/n: I already have next chapter but I won't post it until you review that one and tell me what do you think. (Next chapter will be about *True Love Potion*).
(Yeah, I know, I'm a bad-bad girl :) ).