Chapter 10 ~Break up~
*What am I gonna do now? Of course I can deny I have feelings for Snape - it's ridiculous, for the God's sake! But Malfoy! He uncasted Love Spell. So what's wrong with me? I know that I don't love him. I can't. I can't. Yet I made potion perfectly well.*
Hermione blankly looked at class - everyone was whispering and gesturing. Some stared at Malfoy, who seemed bedazzled. Some gazed at Professor, checking if he had changed into Prince with shining armour during last two minutes, so they all would finally understand why Hermione loved him just a bit. Some examined Hermione herself, like she was mental and dangerous for society.
Surrounded with shining stars Snape took one step to Hermione and a room felt quiet instantly. He gained self-control very quickly and now he was as collected and dreadful as always (despite small stars flying around). Professor scowled at Hermione:
"So you managed to ruin your potion anyway, Miss Granger?"
It was not a question. It was a last salvation for Hermione, Snape and Malfoy.
"Y-yes", she babbled, not daring to look up at Professor. Even if she knew that she didn't love Snape, her potion indicated quite the opposite. And both she and Professor knew that her potion was made correctly.
"I didn't hear what you say. Would you please repeat it, or you're not even capable of such simple thing anymore?.." (several giggles interrupted him)
"...or your love for me is so strong you've lost your voice feeling me so close?" now all class was laughing.
Hermione angrily stared at Snape. He was standing still, waiting for her to reply, one blow raised questionably. He obviously provoked her. He was making her mad on purpose. But what that purpose was Hermione didn't know. And she didn't care. She felt so humiliated.
"YES! I ruined my potion on purpose! And all stars around you only prove it! I would never fall in love with such gross, arrogant, repulsive, disgusting and..."
Snape menacingly breathed:
"Enough! I've got the picture. I'm going take 60 points from Gryffindor for..."
"You can take as many points as your sick mind wishes",-
Hermione felt that she gone to far, but she wasn't going to stop now, - "I haven't finished yet. And I'm going to tell what I really feel! You're the most vile person I've ever met and the idea of loving you make me sick! And as for my love for Malfoy - it's false also, because we broke up today. I do not love him, or Harry, or Ron. That's all. Now you can take 300 points from Gryffindor - I've said all I wanted to!"
Hermione was going to run off immediately, so she won't have to face Snape and his insults anymore. (*Actually now it's you who was abuser* her mind told her, but she dismissed that thought instantly).
"You're not going away that fast, Miss Granger", - steal grip on her hand confirmed those words.
Snape calmly continued:
"I'll take 60 points from Gryffindor for your disrespect to the teacher, 20 points for your riot and 20 more points for not following my instructions during preparation of the potion. I'm sure now you and all Gryffindors will be very happy with your outburst. Take your seat."
Hermione blushed as never in her life - she was such a fool! To tell all those things to Snape's face. Luckily he didn't take 500 points for that. Though he actually did take 100 points. It would take hell of an effort to work whose points back. Hermione sighed as she sat down near Vicky. That's when it dawned on her - she officially declared her break up with Draco!
Approximately at the same time that fact finally leaked into everyone' mind. It caused several happy cries "Draco is free now" from girls, "oh, no! I've lost my bet" from others, and such noise that even Snape couldn't hush them for a minute (unthinkably long for him).
"Now, when everyone is fully acquainted with events in Miss Granger's personal life, we can continue our lesson."
None of the students felt enthusiastic - the example of Hermione was still too vivid and scary.
"I'm going to write several simple formulas which will turn your potion in color you wish. So your stars would be anonymous."
Now everyone looked much relieved. After a few minutes all room was filled with stars of different colors. It was magnificent picture. Sometimes, when stars collided they've mixed colors. Finally, all stars took their places. Not surprisingly most of them were flying by Malfoy, who was almost invisible due to thousands of stars by him. Among girls stars were divided almost equally.
Many stars were trying to get through the door, but something stopped them. After many questioning gazes Snape finally acknowledged "it means your object of love is not in that room, but stars can't fly to them. The door is protected".
Vicky smiled at Malfoy when a group of beautiful silver stars floated by her. Malfoy returned her smile, but there was something in his eyes, when he attentively observed path of his stars. And moments later his suspicions were confirmed - several stars flew past Vicky - to Hermione. She tried to hide them from Vicky, as she didn't want any complications in their triangle, or maybe she just pitied that girl - but anyway, somehow Vicky noticed them. That's when she stared so intensely, but not at Malfoy - at Snape, who was reading some of student's parchments, that he finally looked back at her. Hermione thought it all became suspicious - because Vicky obviously wasn't afraid of Snape. On contrary, it seemed as if Vicky had some kind of spiritual connection with him. Snape was first to look away. Hermione noticed hint of guilt in his eyes. It was too odd to be true.
When Snape finally wrote words to made stars disappear and all students murmured it, a room became as dark and cheerless as always.
Vicky looked at Snape and he nodded. Then she gave Hermione small piece of parchment with several words written on it. She whispered:
"Read it when I tell you."
Hermione didn't say anything - the whole situation was too strange to be surprised by another weird thing.
Just when Snape started dictating homework to be done by next lesson, Vicky carefully pushed Hermione - "now".
The words looked like gibberish. It didn't sound like any spell, and it wasn't familiar even to know-it-all Hermione.
With Snape's "dismissed" everyone hurried to get away as quickly as possible.
But what startled Hermione a lot - when almost everyone stared at her (even after break up with Malfoy she still was the one who dared to offend Snape), they didn't seem to notice Vicky, they just looked through her, as she wasn't sitting there. Malfoy dropped a note for Vicky when he was passing by. He didn't look at both girls. Hermione was puzzled. But more strange part was to come. Harry and Ron came by the both smiled at Hermione reassuringly - "You're got a nerve, Hermione!", but then they actually *stared* at Vicky. Harry gave her his best smile and said "Nice to meet you, Vicktoria."
She didn't reply, she just kept looking at him in disbelief.
"You...you can...", - Vicky was going to tell something else, but she stopped herself. She stood up quickly and with indistinct "exuse me" went up to Snape.
Hermione was going to ask Harry about it, but that's when she heard Snape's voice:
"I'll ask you to stay, Miss Granger, we need to talk."
Hermione pleadingly looked at Harry and Ron, but they could do nothing. They wished her "good luck" quietly and left her alone.
Hermione turned to Snape. Vicky was standing by him. There were only three of them in cold room of Dungeon.
When Hermione was coming closer Vicky leaned to Snape and whispered something to him. At first his face became paler, he breathed in air as if he was drowning, then he hit table with loud "What?!"
Vicky straightened and took one step back.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Snape's face changed beyond recognition.
Still too shocked he tried to concentrate on Hermione who was standing in front of him now. But somehow his eyes were out of focus. Hermione didn't move, paralyzed with fear. She already hated Vicky so much, but whatever she had told Snape seconds before made him seem dangerous to Hermione.
Finally Snape noticed Hermione and as if she was guilty in everything, yelled at her:
"OUT! Now! And be near Dumbledore's room in 15 minutes. Bring Potter and Weasley with you. Get the hell out of here!"
Not that Hermione needed to be told twice, but the fact that Snape really shouted at her in such tone, made her feet stuck to the floor for a several terrible seconds. Snape looked like a madman. Hermione somehow managed make her feet move, so she ran out of the cursed and hellish place. Shutting the door behind her, she tried to think about previous events, but Hermione's mind was too weak even to take her bearings. She was totally disoriented. World spun too fast around her. Hermione blundered to the nearest corner, sat at the freezing stony floors of the Dungeon and burst into tears, letting them wash away fear, humiliation, sorrow and insanity of that day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Beta's Note: Hi, I'm Chrissy! I beta for Lidi, the best writer in the world next to the honorable Airelle Vilka (of course). Anyways I just felt like saying hi to you guys and letting you know I'm here. Lidi really doesn't need me to beta for her since her writing is always great, but basically I'm here to reassure her that her writing is free of spelling and grammar quirks. Be a good reader and REVIEW!
A/n: I want to thank Chirssy for helping me :)
As for why Snape is so tolerant to Hermioine's abuses - well, he had a plan and he was gonna make it come true, no matter what. Even if he had to bear *that*. (hint, hint - it's all for Vicky's sake). And there's gonna be more Malfoy in 11th chapter :) And we should find out why Vicky is so isolated :) And why Harry was so happy to see her.
And thank you so much for reviews :) I love them :) I live for them :))
I saw in one fic how author replied to all reviews. I'm gona do the same ;) Now I'll aswer to reviews of chapter 9. Next time it'll be chapter 10 :) And I'll be using your nicknames, ok? So there will be no mistakes :)
|Lady Deathscythe| - no, I'm dadly serious :) I hope you liked it anyway :)
|Slytherins R Sexy| - you gotta believe it :) Actually even I found it hard to believe - but it's true :)
|Bell| - thanks :) I'll try to write more asap :)
|Luinthoron| - *blushes and shyly hid in the corner* Thank you sooooooo much!!!!!!
|Rei| - thanks :) I have exams now, so I don't have much time for writing new chapters.
|Daya| - *grins* here we come :)
|Icy Stormz| - glad you think it was intense! :) It had to be Draco/Hermione, but I think they have to struggle a lot before they finally will be able to be together :) As for Snape/Hermione. He's about 35 and Hermy is 16. Actually I like that couple, but it's not S/H fic, don't worry :)
|badgrrrl| - totally agree that AR's voice is sexy :) Vicky is not that bad. But she might change :)
|Sarah| - there won't be Harry/Hermione (sorry) but there will be jealousy (Hermione's jealousy). But I can't say more :)
|Barmybeth| - thanks :) Yeah, now I even have 103 reviews :) Lucky me! But I want more and more :))))
|Melanie| - thanks :) I finally wrote next chapter :) I hope you liked it :)