**** Disclaimer in Part One*******
Previous installments can be found at: www.autumnpenguins.com
A/N: So what did Salazar say exactly? That answer is coming right up, thanks for sticking with the story!
This is the last chapter until I return from Greece (about a week) and I couldn't leave it at such an evil cliffhanger, so here ya go ; )
Updates to this story can be found at: autumnfic@yahoogroups.com
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Severus Snape was confused to say the least. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of new emotions and impressions on the young wizard. Things he'd regretted since the day he renounced Voldemort were suddenly expunged from his past on a technical level. He had the memory of doing them, and he still had the nightmares, but even now they were beginning to fade. He wondered how long he would have before he remembered so little of those days that it would be like they had never happened.
In addition to that, he found himself with new feelings that were frankly alarming. His attitudes towards things were beginning to change. He no longer found himself sneering with contempt at every Gryffindor who passed his way by nature. He had to remind himself to do it and that bothered a part of him. He'd never had a tolerant attitude towards Gryffindors, not even when he was in school. Something was changing, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. Then there were his peculiar dealings with one Hermione Granger. She had yelled at him, he had suspended her and then allowed her to talk him out of it. Something wasn't adding up.
Sighing with frustration Severus decided to take a walk through the forest. The cool air, the trees and the magic in the air never failed to comfort him when he was overly taxed emotionally. He had spent many nights in the forests after answering summons to Voldemort. He particularly liked spending time where the unicorns were known to bed down for the night. It was more soothing and peaceful than the rest of the forest. He was coming back from his retreat when he heard voices.
"Salazar you're being unreasonable!" It was the voice of Hermione Granger.
"Hermione. There's stuff about me you don't know." Snape recognized it as his 'own' voice.
"I don't care. I love you." She said it quietly, but strongly.
Snape was silent, she loved him? Of course not, she loved the person he used to be. He waited for the younger man to answer. From Snape's position in the forest, he could see the features on the young man's face struggling for one look. He saw the emotions wrestle in front of him. Anger, sadness and what looked like regret.
"I-I can't." He said before running back towards the castle.
Hermione turned towards the forest, hurt and shock clearly readable on her face. Severus felt a pang of guilt as he saw how crushed she was, but let it go for now. Instead he pinched the bridge of his nose and sat upon a smooth boulder to ponder the latest development. Surely, if he himself returned Hermione's apparent feelings, there would soon be a stirring of that inside him as well. Perhaps there already was seeing as how he felt guilty for the girl's suffering. He quickly shoved that thought down and emerged from the woods too see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with their backs turned towards him. "I'm going to kill him, I am going to tear that bastard's limbs off." Ron said emphatically.
"Not if I beat you too it." Harry muttered.
"I would have expected nothing less than such brazen words from two Gryffindors, but against a fellow Gryffindor?" Snape rolled the word off his tongue. "My, my. 30 points from Gryffindor for a plot to murder a fellow student. If I learn that you haven't returned to the tower immediately, it will be an even 50."
"But what about Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.
"I'm sure she doesn't need to be babysat by the two of you for every minute of the day. But I must admit that you seem more worried about her than usual. Surly it must be something serious if you're considering cutting off limbs of someone." Snape said mockingly.
"We just want your nephew to stay away from her." Ron stated blandly.
"Be that as it may, I asked you to return to the tower. You can saddle Miss Granger with your worries later on." Snape said with an air of impatience.
The two young Gryffindors sighed, but there was no use arguing with him unless they wanted to loose an incredible amount of points. They were so wrapped up in anger that they never saw Snape slink off in the direction they had been intending to head towards.
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Hermione had wandered towards the back of the castle not really knowing where she was going. She felt numb inside. She'd admitted her feelings for Salazar and he had only looked at her as if her words caused him pain before taking off. "I can't."
That's all he had said, the words echoed over and over in her head. She had the desire to hex a rather important part off of him. Her musings of what curses would be most effective were cut short by an annoyingly high-pitched voice. "Look boys, it's a little Mudblood who's lost her friends." Pansy Parkinson taunted nastily.
"We can't let that be now can we?" Blaize Zambine put in.
"Oh for fuck's sake just stuff it for once in your miserable lives! I could out hex all of you on my worst day." Hermione bit out her voice full of acid.
"Prove it Granger" Malfoy taunted.
"Gorganimus, lockmortirus, herflundiah, jellrisium, farbatio" Hermione fired off in rapid-fire fashion. Soon before her Draco had grown an extra arm, Pansy's jaw was firmly locked, Blaize was rolling on the ground and gasping for air like a fish, Crabe was wobbling around wildly and Goyle had developed a terrible gas problem.
Nobody had seen Snape slip up behind them. His methodical dehexing was done quickly, and soon all six pairs of eyes were on him. The Slytherins smirked; surely Hermione had had it now. "10 points from Slytherin apiece for failure to manage any blocking spells while it was five on one" he said silkily, his eyes on Hermione the entire time.
"But sir, she attacked us." Goyle said.
"And yet she managed to hex all five of you while you were standing around being useless. Get out of my sight." Snape growled at the students from his own house.
"Miss Granger, I believe you and I need to have a little chat." Snape said and began walking towards the entrance to the castle.
"Today Miss Granger, surely hexing five of my students must prove you've some semblance of a quick wit. Don't loose is now."
Hermione sighed and followed him towards the castle. She could tell it was going to be a long day, and more than anything she didn't want to run into Salazar again. Her face drooped at the thought as she entered Snape's office and sat down. It took her a minute to realize that they were in fact in Snape's private quarters and not his office.
"Sit down Miss Granger. Some explanations are in order and this will take some time."
Hermione simply nodded and waited for him to begin. Anything was better than thinking about Salazar.
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TBC