Author's Note:

I just wanted to add a quick "Thank-you" to those kind readers who reviewed and made helpful suggestions. I hope the story is less confusing now.

Cousins


Hermione distinctly heard her name being called.

It was Ron, calling from her table just a few shelves away.

Holding Harry's cloak over her head, Hermione arrived at the door just as Ron was leaving.

Checking to make sure she was alone, Hermione stole through the door from the restricted books section and stepped between two shelves before she pulled the cloak off.

Standing alone, her heart pounding as she breathed deeply to calm herself down, Hermione was unaware of the pair of piercing black eyes observing her every move.

Hermione quickly ran her fingers through her hair to smooth it down as it had become quite mussed after spending most of the afternoon under Harry's invisibility cloak.

Behind her, lounging comfortably against the end of the book shelf watching her play with her hair, Severus Snape waged an inner war with himself.

He knew he should terrify her by tapping her on the shoulder and demanding an explanation for her behaviour. He could probably even get her expelled, she was 'caught in the act' so to speak. Yet, he was also extremely curious as to what the very proper and correct Miss Hermione Granger would be doing in the restricted books section.

Severus Snape was of course quite aware that Mr. Potter owned the invisibility cloak but he knew that Potter would only try and protect her or deflect his anger onto himself.

Uncertain yet as to his decision, Severus watched as Hermione straightened her skirt and blazer before walking towards the table where the open book lay on the table.

Following her silently, Severus waited until she had bent to pick up her bag, noticing her quickly stuffing the invisibility cloak away, before clearing his throat from directly behind her.

He could perhaps feel gratified that, due to her obvious guilt, Hermione Granger barely stifled a scream as she jumped and twirled to face him.

"Well Miss Granger"

Looking down at her dispassionately he allowed an only slightly severe expression to rest for a moment on his face as he regarded the noticeably paler Hermione.

"While I admire your dedication in your search for knowledge Miss Granger, I must, even so, insist that you accompany me to the Great Hall for dinner."

"Oh, I'm sorry Professor Snape, I hadn't realized it was dinner already."

Hermione bit her lower lip as the thought crossed her mind as to 'just how long he'd been in the library', and, especially of 'had she been seen?'

Picking up her book bag, the book on the fey and her cloak, Hermione followed Professor Snape from the library.

Their passage to the Great Hall was made in silence, but for some strange reason Hermione didn't feel quite as terrified of Professor Snape as she expected to be.

They entered together and he nodded to her before striding to the Head Table.

Hermione found a space between Ron and Neville and hurriedly filled her plate and began eating, her head down, seemingly totally absorbed in her meal, before anyone could start asking her any questions.

At the Head Table, Severus listened with half an ear to the conversation between Miss Malfoy and Professor Sprout as he puzzled over what to do about Miss Granger.

He was weighing the options he had in dealing with Hermione until he heard 'Lucius Malfoy' and 'cousins' in the same sentence.

A chill traveled down his spine, however Severus kept his face neutral and continued to eat his dinner.

"Well, my dear."

Professor Sprout chuckled somewhat forcibly.

"Of course we wondered, what with the same last name and all."

Miss Malfoy nodded earnestly, then finished her last bite of dinner and placed her fork on the side of her plate before answering.

"My father and mother decided to travel when I was quite young, you see, and though I've met witches and wizards from nearly every country there is, I hadn't met any of my relatives yet."

Her soft voice held the hint of an odd accent that was nonetheless charming as all at the Head Table strained to listen.

"I even missed the first two years at Hogwarts because we were in Shangri-La and time just seemed to stop."

Diamona had stopped to take a sip of her pumpkin juice and dab daintily at her lips before continuing.

"In fact, I hadn't even known I had a cousin here at Hogwarts until I saw Draco at the Slytherin table. He looks so like my younger brother that I was certain that we must be related."

"It sounds like you've had quite an exciting life, my dear."

Professor Sprout took a giant gulp of her pumpkin juice and swiped at her lips with the edge of her grubby cloak.

"Hasn't she, Severus?"

His head jerked up suddenly at hearing his name and Severus looked over at Sprout in surprise, his expression annoyed.

Severus had been deep in thought, he had been debating whether this quite interesting information was something he might be able to bring up the next time he was called to a Death Eater's meeting.

He was more than happy to cause Lucius Malfoy as much trouble with Voldemort that he possibly could.

He didn't, however, want to involve her as she seemed to be completely unaware of any of the more rotten branches of the Malfoy family tree.

He grunted in reply to Sprout's question.

Though he did have a number of questions he wished to ask her himself, Severus didn't want an audience when he did, especially not the entire staff.

Below them, the students were rising and hurrying out of the Great Hall as soon as they were finished. At the Gryffindor table, still finishing her dinner, Hermione had set the big book on the fey down on the table and was oblivious to all that was going on about her.

Seeing this, Severus turned to speak to Diamona.

"Have you spoken with Lucius yet, Miss Malfoy?"

"Actually, I sent him a letter by owl after Draco and I had had a wonderful talk about the family, but I haven't heard back yet. Draco said that his father travels quite a lot and is often busy so it may be awhile yet till I can meet him."

"Yes, I have heard he can be quite busy" Severus agreed, a thoughtful look on his face as he reached for his coffee before glancing over at Diamona.

"Do you have everything you require for your classes, Miss Malfoy?" he inquired solemnly, changing the subject suddenly as he noticed Draco walking purposefully towards the Head Table.

"Oh yes, thank you, everything I need is there. You have quite a well stocked classroom, Professor Snape."

A sound stopped any further conversation as Draco cleared his throat loudly.

"Cousin Diamona" he purred, warmth evident in his tone and smile as she looked down at him.

"Oh, are you ready Draco?"

At his nod, she started to push her chair back, and was surprised, as were the other Professors, when Severus quickly jumped up to assist her.

"Perhaps we might have a chance to chat sometime Miss Malfoy" he whispered quietly, then added, "alone", before holding his hand out to help her up.

"Oh, thank you Professor Snape."

Diamona smiled prettily up at him, the flash of her even white teeth seen but for a moment before she placed her slender hand in his much larger one and stood quickly.

"Perhaps after curfew."

She whispered quietly as she stood close, her warm breath tickling his ear, the faint scent of lavender tantalising his senses, before she stepped away and looking over to the others, nodded pleasantly.

She walked quickly to where Draco waited impatiently for by the steps that lead to the Head Table and her infectious laughter floated over to the Head Table as they walked away together.

With a self-satisfied smirk sent in the direction of Crabbe and Goyle, who were still finishing their dinners, Draco bowed politely to his cousin then escorted her from the Great Hall, speaking quietly to her as they left.

For some reason, though he thought he aught to feel something, Severus was strangely unmoved by the beautiful young woman.