A/N: I'm in a giving mood!! 3 new chapters in one day...what are you to do
with yourselves?! Please please please review. And btw, I have one more
chapter of old stuff to post, and then I'll actually have to start writing
new things again! *look of horror* and I know that then the chapters will
be shorter and longer in between, so enjoy this treat while you can!! : D
and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!
Hermione walked into Transfiguration with Harry and Ron on her sides. The bell rang as they made their way to their seats, and the class turned to look at them. An inkbottle smashed, and Hermione's gaze spun to find the source of the clatter. Emily Samantha stared, oblivious to the black ink seeping over the floor. Hermione ignored her and continued to the front of the class as McGonagall snapped Emily back into reality.
"Miss Samantha!! Are you planning on picking that up or are you trying to give your shoes a new look?" She gave her a piercing glare and Emily stuttered as she waved her wand over the mess, which was now trickling onto her brown mary-janes. Hermione watched Ron smile as he and Harry watched Emily's odd behavior; she was normally so composed. They shrugged and Hermione stared at the ceiling, not wanting to give an expression. 'I'll find a way to get back at her. She can't threaten me...Dumbledore will want to know how I got to Voldemort. Severus doesn't even know that. After he gets through with the ministry and he realizes that no one knows how I arrived with the Death Eaters, Emily will be done for. Her father can't save her now, Dumbledore saw him, even if he was one of the ones wearing a mask he has to know it was him! He just has to!'
Emily, meanwhile, was staring angrily at the floor, which was now spotless. She took no notice as McGonagall started to give a lecture and everyone else started taking notes. And even though she never so much as glanced at Hermione, the Head Girl could see the fury in her eyes. Hermione wouldn't be walking anywhere alone anytime soon, and she doubted Harry, Ron and Ginny would have a problem with keeping her close.
Close to the end of class, there was an impatient knock on the door. It opened before McGonagall could even open her mouth, and the class turned. It was Snape. Hermione tried in vain to hide the small trace of a smile creeping up on her. Snape looked his usual scowling self, but to Hermione he was beautiful.
"May I borrow Miss Granger, Professor? The Headmaster requires her." McGonagall smiled.
"Go right ahead, Professor Snape. Get your things, Miss Granger, I don't think you'll be returning." And she continued to teach. Hermione packed quickly, and Snape rolled his eyes impatiently as he stood in the doorway. Harry and Ron muttered something about a greasy git, but she paid them no attention.
"See you two at lunch!" She whispered, and was off.
Outside the classroom, after Hermione had closed the door, Snape gave her the quickest of smiles. It vanished, however, momentarily and was replaced by a frown.
"I take it you know what this means, Hermione." He kept his voice down even though there was only one other student in the corridor. Hermione sighed.
"Questioning." Snape nodded and opened a door with one hand. His other he placed gently on the small of her back to guide her through the doorway. In a flash his touch was gone and Hermione wondered if it had just been her imagination, but she saw the affirmation she needed in his eyes.
"I have a free period now, so I will be accompanying you to Dumbledore's, and will be staying even though I have already given my account. Only because the ministry wants me there, of course." He winked.
"Sure, Professor Snape, you just keep telling yourself that." Hermione murmured with a grin. A passing student gave a silent gasp that a student should speak to Snape like that, and Snape gave the both of them his glare- o'-death for good measure. It seemed too soon that they were standing in front of Dumbledore's office, and the pair stopped.
"Dum dums." Snape muttered irritably, and Hermione stifled a chuckle. It figured that the venerable Headmaster's password would not fit well with the dark Potions Master. Snape, who was keen on hearing everything, raised an eyebrow at her.
"It's so predictable. I mean anyone could just waltz up here and start guessing candy and they would probably get in!" He sneered. Hermione recalled the time Harry had told her he had done just that in the fourth year, which only caused her grin to broaden. Snape gave a nonchalant wave of his hand as they came into view of Dumbledore and a few members of the ministry, one being the slightly new Minister of Magic, Maxim de Winter. He motioned for Hermione to advance to join them as he took a seat shrouded in shadows in the back of the circular room. Dumbledore smiled warmly at the two of them, and beckoned Hermione to sit.
"Good day, Miss Granger. I trust you know why you're here."
"Yes Professor."
"This, as you may know, is Minister de Winter. Hermione Granger, Minister." Dumbledore nodded to Hermione and the two shook hands. Minister de Winter muttered a greeting Hermione didn't quite understand, but she smiled politely at him nonetheless.
"Shall we begin?" Dumbledore questioned, a concerned look in his eyes as he stared, not impolitely, at Hermione. She nodded. "First off, Miss Granger, I would like you to tell me how you got to the town of Wath-upon- Dearne." Hermione scrunched her face in confusion before realizing that it was the town she was taken too. Now she would get to the part about Emily, and her façade would be revealed. Reliving the night wasn't going to be pleasant though. She gave a backwards glance to Snape, who nodded to her, and she started.
"Emily Samantha, a fellow seventh year Gryffindor...do you know of whom I'm speaking Professor?" Dumbledore nodded.
"John's daughter." He said to de Winter, who nodded, a look of association coming over him. "Continue."
"Well she approached me, and she, well, threatened me." Hermione paused, wondering if either of the men before her was going to ask about exactly what Emily had threatened. She surely couldn't lie to Dumbledore, but things would become very different very quickly if the Minister of Magic was informed of her relationship with Severus. Dumbledore gave her a knowing smile, and neither said a word. She continued.
"She told me that I was to meet her after dinner, and she told me to wait by a tree next to the lake, on the other side of it, and to make sure that I was blocked from view. I went, assuming she simply wanted me to do her homework or something petty of that nature, but when she returned she cast a disarming spell on me. The last thing I remember was hitting the tree behind me, hard. I must have passed out. When I awoke, I was in the town you spoke of..."
"Wath-upon-Dearne." Dumbledore added. The Minister looked at Hermione, and she nodded.
"Yes, Wath-upon-Dearne. The Death Eaters were there. Not all of them mind you, only a few. I know that Emily's father and Lucius Malfoy were among them, also Voldemort." In her later years with Harry, Ron, and running into the Dark Lord more times than half of the wizarding population combined, Hermione had finally deserted the fear of speaking his name, and she did so now freely. The Minister had not these experiences, and he flinched visibly when she spoke his name, yet said nothing. Dumbledore nodded, and his presence, along with Snape's, eased her.
"They were all wearing masks except for Malfoy and You-Know-Who." she avoided his name a second time only for the sake of de Winter's. "But I heard him name a few. I heard Samantha and Zabini, but that's all. There was another man besides the two of them and Malfoy, though."
"Macnair." Snape confirmed, and the two men facing him glanced at Snape. Hermione watched them nod. It took her a moment to put two and two together, and then she remembered the tall man at Buckbeak's "execution". The scene replayed in her mind, and she recalled the man's features, then shuddered as she remembered him in his Death Eater's mask. Dumbledore was calling her name for the third time before she snapped out of her reverie.
"Sorry." Hermione mumbled. "I was subjected to the Cruciatus curse, and also was hurt physically by Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey healed most of my injuries, but you can still see the one here." She pointed to a long, thin, red line, and de Winter's eyes grew wide. A low growl of fury was heard from the back of the room. Hermione grinned inwardly. It was nice knowing that someone cared for her. Dumbledore gave Snape a look, which calmed him down, and the Minister pulled away from examining her cut.
Hermione was about to continue when there was a rapid pounding on the door, and it flew open to reveal a flustered Flitwick...and Emily behind him.
Snape was at his feet immediately, a menacing glint in his eyes.
"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. Flitwick was taken aback. He placed a hand on Emily's shoulder.
"Severus, please, calm down! Miss Samantha here needs to speak to the Headmaster. I'm sorry, Albus, I didn't know you were busy. Shall I wait outside?"
Hermione gave a look to Snape that made him glower but stay put. Dumbledore's eyes flashed in what was almost rage, and Hermione thought about how powerful a wizard he really was. Emily was cleverly hidden almost fully behind Flitwick, who was about to lead her out of the room when Dumbledore spoke.
"No, Professor, the two of you should stay. Sit." He magicked two chairs across the room, and locked the door behind them. Snape's eyes followed Emily across the room, and Hermione noticed how there were tears flowing freely down her face. It was Emily who avoided Hermione's eyes this time, and looked at the floor. Dumbledore gave her a piercing gaze while Snape made no effort to mask the hate in his. The Minister seemed not to know what to think, and looked pleadingly at Dumbledore.
"Miss Samantha, may I have your wand please?" Even when the redhead handed the wand to her Headmaster, she refused to meet his eyes. Dumbledore almost had to pry the wood out of her hand, and he scrutinized her quite clearly. "Priori Incantatem." He spoke as he placed the tip of his wand to hers. Instantly the ghosts of spells appeared and vanished one by one. There were spells she had done in class, a drying spell, most likely for her hair, and then they hit gold. The disarming spell, along with a levitation spell were shown. They seemed to match Hermione's account of events. Dumbledore frowned; de Winter looked angry; Snape, livid.
"I suggest that you explain yourself, Miss Samantha, before you find yourself in more trouble than you can possibly imagine with that feeble Gryffindor mind you call your own." Snape spat, and Hermione could see the icy fire raging behind his dark and clouded eyes, visible only to her. Emily smiled through her tears, and it dawned on Hermione. Not only was she probably going to execute a well drawn out plan to claim her innocence, but she was going to reveal the nature of the relationship between Severus and Hermione. Hermione gasped, seeing the look of satisfaction brewing in her eyes. Dumbledore put up a hand as she opened her mouth.
"No! If you speak, Miss Samantha, so help me, you will be thrown out of Hogwarts faster than you can say 'unfair'."
Every pair of eyes turned to the old wizard, who, in all of Hermione's seven years of knowing him, had never acted this way before. The Minister was clearly thinking the same thing, and gave him a puzzled expression. Emily stared, and Hermione thought she heard the softest voice swear. He looked at Hermione, and then at Snape, and Hermione saw the affirmation in his eyes. Of course, he would've figured it out too, he was a genius!! Hermione smiled, and Dumbledore asked her to continue her account. She paused, trying to remember where she had left off.
"Well I was tied down during all of this, as was Professor Snape. And they tortured us both." A tear escaped, running hot and wet down her cheek. She didn't brush it away, hoping that they didn't notice.
"And then you showed up, Professor." She nodded at Dumbledore. "And you, sir." A look to Flitwick, who smiled fully.
"And I'm sure they've already told you what happened from there, but if you want my account I can give it also. I didn't see too much of what transpired, however, because I fainted shortly after."
"That will not be necessary, Miss Granger. We've already spoken to your fellow teachers and they've given us all they can. Their stories match up perfectly, another one is not needed." The Minister frowned as he looked at Miss Samantha. Dumbledore stood to intervene.
"Miss Granger I think that will be all, am I correct, Maxim?" The Minister nodded. Hermione gave a sigh of relief and turned her head to the other side of the room to wipe away her tears, which had not yet ceased falling. Snape stood.
"We still have the matter of Miss Samantha here. She has some information that may be vital to figuring this all out, Albus." Flitwick said, rising. His tiny little eyes were alight in excitement. Snape rolled his eyes, and walked to Hermione.
"If he only knew." He murmured, and swept a hand towards the door. Hermione was about to object when Dumbledore spoke.
"Minister I'd like to question Miss Samantha by myself first if you don't mind, seeing as how she is one of my own students."
Hermione felt rather than saw Snape relax next to her. He gave a nod to Dumbledore and the two of them left his office. They heard Flitwick's voice, and Snape shut the door, muffling the sound. There were never really students around this area, as none of them thought there was anything useful in this part of the castle, so they were alone. Hermione took one look in his eyes, through caution in the wind, and wrapped her arms around him. Their lips pressed together, and Snape pulled his fingers threw Hermione's hair, and their bodies flew to each other. They kissed fervently, quickly, passionately. And then they were off before anyone had seen them, the Minister walking out shortly after being none the wiser.
Hermione walked into Transfiguration with Harry and Ron on her sides. The bell rang as they made their way to their seats, and the class turned to look at them. An inkbottle smashed, and Hermione's gaze spun to find the source of the clatter. Emily Samantha stared, oblivious to the black ink seeping over the floor. Hermione ignored her and continued to the front of the class as McGonagall snapped Emily back into reality.
"Miss Samantha!! Are you planning on picking that up or are you trying to give your shoes a new look?" She gave her a piercing glare and Emily stuttered as she waved her wand over the mess, which was now trickling onto her brown mary-janes. Hermione watched Ron smile as he and Harry watched Emily's odd behavior; she was normally so composed. They shrugged and Hermione stared at the ceiling, not wanting to give an expression. 'I'll find a way to get back at her. She can't threaten me...Dumbledore will want to know how I got to Voldemort. Severus doesn't even know that. After he gets through with the ministry and he realizes that no one knows how I arrived with the Death Eaters, Emily will be done for. Her father can't save her now, Dumbledore saw him, even if he was one of the ones wearing a mask he has to know it was him! He just has to!'
Emily, meanwhile, was staring angrily at the floor, which was now spotless. She took no notice as McGonagall started to give a lecture and everyone else started taking notes. And even though she never so much as glanced at Hermione, the Head Girl could see the fury in her eyes. Hermione wouldn't be walking anywhere alone anytime soon, and she doubted Harry, Ron and Ginny would have a problem with keeping her close.
Close to the end of class, there was an impatient knock on the door. It opened before McGonagall could even open her mouth, and the class turned. It was Snape. Hermione tried in vain to hide the small trace of a smile creeping up on her. Snape looked his usual scowling self, but to Hermione he was beautiful.
"May I borrow Miss Granger, Professor? The Headmaster requires her." McGonagall smiled.
"Go right ahead, Professor Snape. Get your things, Miss Granger, I don't think you'll be returning." And she continued to teach. Hermione packed quickly, and Snape rolled his eyes impatiently as he stood in the doorway. Harry and Ron muttered something about a greasy git, but she paid them no attention.
"See you two at lunch!" She whispered, and was off.
Outside the classroom, after Hermione had closed the door, Snape gave her the quickest of smiles. It vanished, however, momentarily and was replaced by a frown.
"I take it you know what this means, Hermione." He kept his voice down even though there was only one other student in the corridor. Hermione sighed.
"Questioning." Snape nodded and opened a door with one hand. His other he placed gently on the small of her back to guide her through the doorway. In a flash his touch was gone and Hermione wondered if it had just been her imagination, but she saw the affirmation she needed in his eyes.
"I have a free period now, so I will be accompanying you to Dumbledore's, and will be staying even though I have already given my account. Only because the ministry wants me there, of course." He winked.
"Sure, Professor Snape, you just keep telling yourself that." Hermione murmured with a grin. A passing student gave a silent gasp that a student should speak to Snape like that, and Snape gave the both of them his glare- o'-death for good measure. It seemed too soon that they were standing in front of Dumbledore's office, and the pair stopped.
"Dum dums." Snape muttered irritably, and Hermione stifled a chuckle. It figured that the venerable Headmaster's password would not fit well with the dark Potions Master. Snape, who was keen on hearing everything, raised an eyebrow at her.
"It's so predictable. I mean anyone could just waltz up here and start guessing candy and they would probably get in!" He sneered. Hermione recalled the time Harry had told her he had done just that in the fourth year, which only caused her grin to broaden. Snape gave a nonchalant wave of his hand as they came into view of Dumbledore and a few members of the ministry, one being the slightly new Minister of Magic, Maxim de Winter. He motioned for Hermione to advance to join them as he took a seat shrouded in shadows in the back of the circular room. Dumbledore smiled warmly at the two of them, and beckoned Hermione to sit.
"Good day, Miss Granger. I trust you know why you're here."
"Yes Professor."
"This, as you may know, is Minister de Winter. Hermione Granger, Minister." Dumbledore nodded to Hermione and the two shook hands. Minister de Winter muttered a greeting Hermione didn't quite understand, but she smiled politely at him nonetheless.
"Shall we begin?" Dumbledore questioned, a concerned look in his eyes as he stared, not impolitely, at Hermione. She nodded. "First off, Miss Granger, I would like you to tell me how you got to the town of Wath-upon- Dearne." Hermione scrunched her face in confusion before realizing that it was the town she was taken too. Now she would get to the part about Emily, and her façade would be revealed. Reliving the night wasn't going to be pleasant though. She gave a backwards glance to Snape, who nodded to her, and she started.
"Emily Samantha, a fellow seventh year Gryffindor...do you know of whom I'm speaking Professor?" Dumbledore nodded.
"John's daughter." He said to de Winter, who nodded, a look of association coming over him. "Continue."
"Well she approached me, and she, well, threatened me." Hermione paused, wondering if either of the men before her was going to ask about exactly what Emily had threatened. She surely couldn't lie to Dumbledore, but things would become very different very quickly if the Minister of Magic was informed of her relationship with Severus. Dumbledore gave her a knowing smile, and neither said a word. She continued.
"She told me that I was to meet her after dinner, and she told me to wait by a tree next to the lake, on the other side of it, and to make sure that I was blocked from view. I went, assuming she simply wanted me to do her homework or something petty of that nature, but when she returned she cast a disarming spell on me. The last thing I remember was hitting the tree behind me, hard. I must have passed out. When I awoke, I was in the town you spoke of..."
"Wath-upon-Dearne." Dumbledore added. The Minister looked at Hermione, and she nodded.
"Yes, Wath-upon-Dearne. The Death Eaters were there. Not all of them mind you, only a few. I know that Emily's father and Lucius Malfoy were among them, also Voldemort." In her later years with Harry, Ron, and running into the Dark Lord more times than half of the wizarding population combined, Hermione had finally deserted the fear of speaking his name, and she did so now freely. The Minister had not these experiences, and he flinched visibly when she spoke his name, yet said nothing. Dumbledore nodded, and his presence, along with Snape's, eased her.
"They were all wearing masks except for Malfoy and You-Know-Who." she avoided his name a second time only for the sake of de Winter's. "But I heard him name a few. I heard Samantha and Zabini, but that's all. There was another man besides the two of them and Malfoy, though."
"Macnair." Snape confirmed, and the two men facing him glanced at Snape. Hermione watched them nod. It took her a moment to put two and two together, and then she remembered the tall man at Buckbeak's "execution". The scene replayed in her mind, and she recalled the man's features, then shuddered as she remembered him in his Death Eater's mask. Dumbledore was calling her name for the third time before she snapped out of her reverie.
"Sorry." Hermione mumbled. "I was subjected to the Cruciatus curse, and also was hurt physically by Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey healed most of my injuries, but you can still see the one here." She pointed to a long, thin, red line, and de Winter's eyes grew wide. A low growl of fury was heard from the back of the room. Hermione grinned inwardly. It was nice knowing that someone cared for her. Dumbledore gave Snape a look, which calmed him down, and the Minister pulled away from examining her cut.
Hermione was about to continue when there was a rapid pounding on the door, and it flew open to reveal a flustered Flitwick...and Emily behind him.
Snape was at his feet immediately, a menacing glint in his eyes.
"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. Flitwick was taken aback. He placed a hand on Emily's shoulder.
"Severus, please, calm down! Miss Samantha here needs to speak to the Headmaster. I'm sorry, Albus, I didn't know you were busy. Shall I wait outside?"
Hermione gave a look to Snape that made him glower but stay put. Dumbledore's eyes flashed in what was almost rage, and Hermione thought about how powerful a wizard he really was. Emily was cleverly hidden almost fully behind Flitwick, who was about to lead her out of the room when Dumbledore spoke.
"No, Professor, the two of you should stay. Sit." He magicked two chairs across the room, and locked the door behind them. Snape's eyes followed Emily across the room, and Hermione noticed how there were tears flowing freely down her face. It was Emily who avoided Hermione's eyes this time, and looked at the floor. Dumbledore gave her a piercing gaze while Snape made no effort to mask the hate in his. The Minister seemed not to know what to think, and looked pleadingly at Dumbledore.
"Miss Samantha, may I have your wand please?" Even when the redhead handed the wand to her Headmaster, she refused to meet his eyes. Dumbledore almost had to pry the wood out of her hand, and he scrutinized her quite clearly. "Priori Incantatem." He spoke as he placed the tip of his wand to hers. Instantly the ghosts of spells appeared and vanished one by one. There were spells she had done in class, a drying spell, most likely for her hair, and then they hit gold. The disarming spell, along with a levitation spell were shown. They seemed to match Hermione's account of events. Dumbledore frowned; de Winter looked angry; Snape, livid.
"I suggest that you explain yourself, Miss Samantha, before you find yourself in more trouble than you can possibly imagine with that feeble Gryffindor mind you call your own." Snape spat, and Hermione could see the icy fire raging behind his dark and clouded eyes, visible only to her. Emily smiled through her tears, and it dawned on Hermione. Not only was she probably going to execute a well drawn out plan to claim her innocence, but she was going to reveal the nature of the relationship between Severus and Hermione. Hermione gasped, seeing the look of satisfaction brewing in her eyes. Dumbledore put up a hand as she opened her mouth.
"No! If you speak, Miss Samantha, so help me, you will be thrown out of Hogwarts faster than you can say 'unfair'."
Every pair of eyes turned to the old wizard, who, in all of Hermione's seven years of knowing him, had never acted this way before. The Minister was clearly thinking the same thing, and gave him a puzzled expression. Emily stared, and Hermione thought she heard the softest voice swear. He looked at Hermione, and then at Snape, and Hermione saw the affirmation in his eyes. Of course, he would've figured it out too, he was a genius!! Hermione smiled, and Dumbledore asked her to continue her account. She paused, trying to remember where she had left off.
"Well I was tied down during all of this, as was Professor Snape. And they tortured us both." A tear escaped, running hot and wet down her cheek. She didn't brush it away, hoping that they didn't notice.
"And then you showed up, Professor." She nodded at Dumbledore. "And you, sir." A look to Flitwick, who smiled fully.
"And I'm sure they've already told you what happened from there, but if you want my account I can give it also. I didn't see too much of what transpired, however, because I fainted shortly after."
"That will not be necessary, Miss Granger. We've already spoken to your fellow teachers and they've given us all they can. Their stories match up perfectly, another one is not needed." The Minister frowned as he looked at Miss Samantha. Dumbledore stood to intervene.
"Miss Granger I think that will be all, am I correct, Maxim?" The Minister nodded. Hermione gave a sigh of relief and turned her head to the other side of the room to wipe away her tears, which had not yet ceased falling. Snape stood.
"We still have the matter of Miss Samantha here. She has some information that may be vital to figuring this all out, Albus." Flitwick said, rising. His tiny little eyes were alight in excitement. Snape rolled his eyes, and walked to Hermione.
"If he only knew." He murmured, and swept a hand towards the door. Hermione was about to object when Dumbledore spoke.
"Minister I'd like to question Miss Samantha by myself first if you don't mind, seeing as how she is one of my own students."
Hermione felt rather than saw Snape relax next to her. He gave a nod to Dumbledore and the two of them left his office. They heard Flitwick's voice, and Snape shut the door, muffling the sound. There were never really students around this area, as none of them thought there was anything useful in this part of the castle, so they were alone. Hermione took one look in his eyes, through caution in the wind, and wrapped her arms around him. Their lips pressed together, and Snape pulled his fingers threw Hermione's hair, and their bodies flew to each other. They kissed fervently, quickly, passionately. And then they were off before anyone had seen them, the Minister walking out shortly after being none the wiser.