A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am just having fun
playing with her characters. This story is rated R for a reason. You have
been warned. I also have this story listed on Whispers, Adult Fan Fiction
and Lord and Lady Snape websites.. In case it gets deleted here.
Chapter Fifteen
The next day Hermione had to meet with Layton Frontera regarding his Arithmancy homework. As the lesson came to an end Hermione looked up from her desk to find Layton staring at her from his own seat. "Pull up a chair, Mr. Frontera. I'm rather tired, as being four months pregnant tends to make a woman," she said taking a deep breath and rubbing her eyes slightly.
"Certainly, Professor. If I can help you in any way just let me know." Layton said scrambling to his feet and pulling a chair up to Hermione's desk.
"I'm sure I'll be fine but thank you anyway. Now, what was the problem you were having with your homework?" She asked smiling slightly at his offer.
"Erm." He sifted through his parchments. "I was having trouble balancing this equation." He pointed at one of the longer equations on his homework sheet but his gaze remained on Hermione, not that she noticed as her sights were firmly set on the parchment. Hermione took it off him and read through it but feeling his eyes on her she looked back up.
"Mr. Frontera." He snapped back to the task at hand. "Look here." She pointed. "You've missed a simple division sign. Try it now and it will balance." He took the parchment back and reworked the equation.
"You're right. It balances!" He said with a huge grin on his face.
"So pleased I could help." She said then looked at him frowning slightly. "You have been doing very similar equations in class for the whole of last term, Mr. Frontera. If you've been looking at this equation as long as you say, you should have noticed the very glaring error you made."
"Yes, Professor," he said. "I guess I may have been a bit distracted lately."
"Hmm. Well, try not to let it happen again, and take more care in your work, exams are not too far away and you wouldn't want to make a silly mistake in those. You are good at Arithmancy; you just need to apply yourself a little more." She told him bluntly.
"Yes, Professor," he replied sheepishly.
"I've noticed you've changed your attitude since the start of term- for the better. It's nice to see. I expect great things from you, Mr. Frontera. Do not let me down." Hermione told him kindly and with a slight warning tone.
"Thank you, Professor, and I will indeed do great things." He replied smiling with an evil twinkle in his eyes.
"You're welcome. Now, run along as I'm sure you have much you could be studying before lunch." Hermione said as she picked up her quill again and moved a pile of marking towards her on the desk.
"Thank you, Professor." Layton said as he scrambled to his feet.
"You're welcome." She said as he rushed out of the room. Hermione began marking the sixth year assignments when her door opened again and she sighed, thinking it was Layton Frontera again and rubbed he eyes; they felt gritty and tired to her.
"Anything wrong, love?" Severus asked as he stepped into her classroom, his black robes billowing out behind him.
"Oh, hello, nothing's wrong, Severus. I'm just getting on with my marking. It's a never ending story." She said sighing again and stretching her back slightly as she stifled a yawn.
"Tell me about it." Severus said; he'd just spent his free period, which was designated for his own research, marking fourth year reports.
"Can I help you with anything?" She asked putting down her quill again as he approached.
"No, I just came to say that I would be supervising detention tonight."
"Who this time?" She asked, it had been two nights already this week.
"Miss. Flint, she blew up her cauldron today, which I believe may not have entirely been an accident." He told her irritably.
"Really?" She asked, it wasn't like Miss. Flint to do anything like that but then Hermione had noticed her strange behaviour of late.
"Yes. So, I gave her detention and she will be seriously deterred from doing such a thing again. As Head Girl she has been warned that another infraction and she will lose her position." Severus said firmly as he sat down in the seat Layton had just vacated.
"Severus, being Head Girl is not an easy task as it is. She's worked extremely hard in order to gain the position and it should not be easily taken away for such minor infractions." Hermione told him short-tempered.
"Hermione, she's a Slytherin. and we have already had this conversation." Severus replied with an irritable sigh and Hermione nodded, they would drop the subject for now. "Tell me, why was Mr. Frontera here after class? Is he in trouble again?"
"Not at all, Severus. He requested a meeting with me to discuss his homework. He was having problems with an equation." Hermione told him yawning again and sitting back in her chair.
"So my Slytherin's are behaving themselves for now at least." He said raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms on his chest.
"In my classes anyway. Perhaps it has something to do with my being married to their Head of House?" She said and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"Perhaps, but I'm cynical enough to think it's a calm before a storm." He told her.
"Now, Severus," Hermione said, hitting him lightly on the arm. "I just complimented Mr. Frontera on his change in attitude. Surely your other students can change for the better as well?" She asked as she sorted the papers out on her desk.
"We will see." He said standing up. "Come on, it's lunch time."
"Already?"
"Yes, and you need to eat," she yawned again, "and I think you need to take a nap as well."
"Yes, this little one won't let me miss many meals these days. It must be a boy. eating like this." She said chuckling and standing up. "As for sleeping, I always seem to hit a wall of fatigue around this time of day. I'll be right as rain after lunch." Severus put his arm around her protectively and they headed off to the Great Hall.
~~*~~
Several days passed and it was the start of a new week and already the last one in January. The Headmaster had managed to break the curse on the Weasley's and all was harmonious between the quads for once. Theresa Urmintrude had been interrogated by her Head of House and the Headmaster and her dorm subjected to a thorough search but she had not said anything about the book and no trace of it had been found yet either. The Headmaster had performed the same curse breaking spell on her as well though and she was now a much more pleasant young lady to be around.
The Quidditch season was about to begin and Ron had asked Severus to referee the first match as he had to do a quick brush up on his coaching skills for baseball and would be off in America for one week. This was a couple of weeks away though so Severus had plenty of time to brush up on his own refereeing skills. The first match would be Hufflepuff verses Gryffindor.
Hermione had received three more letters over the weekend. Two from her "secret admirer" and one hate mail. They were becoming more disconcerting though but she hadn't as yet told Severus about them, deciding she needed to wait a little while first.
My Sweet,
We are destined to be. I will be there for you when He breaks your heart. Remember that I love you and I wouldn't leave you alone. with child.
~~~~ Professor Granger,
Do you know what your husband has been up to with one of his seventh year Potions students? No? Keep your eyes open! You don't deserve him. He will be lost to you soon.
~~~~
My Sweet,
I saw them together you know. Him with Her. It makes me happy since I know he's getting it elsewhere now. and you are saving yourself for me. I know you can't watch him at all times. I will get the proof you need to have the shambles of your marriage dissolved.and when you are separated from him, I'll be there.
Proof? Of what exactly? Severus' infidelity? Admittedly they had not made love in a couple of weeks but Severus was always kissing her and saying sweet words to her. Yes, he had been very busy with his seventh year Slytherins but that's because he had to give them career advice and exam counselling but then so did she have to with her seventh year Gryffindors.
But someone had planted a seed of doubt and now she was aware of a certain concern someone had brought to her attention- well two people really, and therefore, Hermione was going to watch more closely.
She shuffled some papers as she sat at her desk when she heard a somewhat timid knock on her office door. She looked up and called for the person to enter.
"Hello, Chris." She said looking up from her papers a bit concerned, he was usually more boisterous. He came in and closed the door quietly not saying a word or even offering up a smile of any sort. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked indicating that they would both sit by the fire and moving over to the more plush chairs herself.
"Erm. Hermione. y-you know the extendable ears you got me?" He started with a quiver in his voice.
"Yes?" She said slowly and indicated that he should continue.
"Well, I was using them in the corridor just to get used to them, and I-I heard something I thought you should know." He explained quite dead pan.
"About the book?" He shook his head and looked up at her before glancing away quickly. "What then?" Hermione asked as her heart started to race.
"I overheard one of the seventh year boys talking to his friends a-about."
"Take your time, Chris." Hermione soothed leaning forward slightly and putting a comforting hand on his knee.
"A-a-about." He stopped dead as another door in the office opened and Severus came in.
"Hello, love." He said kissing her on the cheek. "Mr. Granger." He nodded to him before glancing between the two of them. "Something wrong?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow and sensing a certain tension in the room.
"No, Sir. Nothing. I-I'll have to go." Chris said as he started to get up.
"No, wait." Hermione said holding her hand out to stop him from leaving. "Could you give us some time, Severus or did you need me for something?" Hermione asked as she looked up at her husband he looked somewhat dishevelled without his teaching cloak on and his black jacket half unbuttoned; he must be finished for the day, she thought.
"Sorry. I just needed to retrieve my Advanced Potions book for one of my seventh years. I'll be out of your hair. right now." He said grabbing a book from her shelf and leaving for their chambers again.
"Silencio!" Hermione said casting wards on the doors so that Chris could tell her what he'd heard in private. "Right, go on. We shouldn't be disturbed now." She told him.
"It was about Severus, Hermione." He gulped and looked somewhat edgy at best, Hermione schooled her expression against whatever was to be said next. "I heard someone say they'd seen him in what they called a 'compromising position' with the Head Girl earlier today."
"Who was it?" She asked breathing deeply and trying not to show any kind of emotion since they were all conflicting inside her head anyway.
"I don't know who it was but he was telling a couple of his friends and they were laughing about it something about her not having the title of 'Head Girl' for any conventional reasons. I didn't understand that bit." He said and Hermione tried to not smile at his innocence. "He said that Snape had seen him. He'd barged into the office to ask a question and he'd seen them and Snape yelled for him to leave."
"What kind of a 'compromising position'?" Hermione gulped, she hoped beyond everything that it was nothing like a blow job as had seemed to have been suggested.
"That's all I heard, honestly. I just thought I should tell you." Chris said shaking his head and holding up his hands for emphasis. "And I didn't want to say anything because I like Severus. You are good together."
"Thank you, Chris." She took a deep breath her mind a whirl. "I will ask you not to mention this to anyone else though and don't change your attitude towards Severus either. I'm sure there's a good enough explanation for this." Chris nodded before asking if she was alright. "I'm fine but I do need to get back to work I'm afraid. I'll handle this from here."
Chris left and Hermione stood up. So, he'd been seen by another student in a so called 'compromising position' with the Head Girl? She dropped the wards on the door that would lead back to her quarters and left. There was no choice now; she would have to confront her husband.
As she approached the door leading to the inside of her chambers she heard voices from within. Taking a deep and calming breath she opened the door and stepped through to find Severus chatting with none other than the Head Girl in their living room, and in enough of a relaxed manner for him to be dressed solely in his shirt and trousers, forgetting usual formality when around anyone but his wife. Her jaw dropped in shock and Sonia Flint scrambled to her feet from the chair she had been sitting in when she clapped eyes on Professor Granger-Snape.
"Professor," Sonia said, her face flushed as she glanced over to Hermione and then back to Severus with a small sheepish smile as though they had been caught in the act.
"Miss. Flint, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company this evening?" Hermione asked as she moved closer and raised her eyebrow in question. She pulled herself up to her full height and looked down her nose at the Head Girl; she was a good few inches taller than her.
"Son. Miss. Flint," Severus began and Hermione spun to face him at his familiarity with her name and as her anger shot to new heights. "She was borrowing a book- the one I retrieved from your office, Hermione." He explained indifferently.
"Oh?" Hermione said looking back to Sonia with a baffled look. "Are you undertaking a Potions project, Miss Flint?" Hermione asked, as far as she knew Sonia Flint was not that gifted at Potions.
"Yes. well, thinking about it anyway." She replied in a false friendly manner, which Hermione managed to pick up on.
"We were reminiscing as well." Severus added with a sideways glance to the Head Girl.
"About?" Hermione asked snapping her attention back to her husband.
"Sev. Professor Snape was telling me about my father when he was in school. I was telling him how he is doing now." Sonia explained, with a glance over to Severus and a small, seductive smile- was it?
"I see." Hermione said, a double meaning to those two words as she looked between them both and couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "Well, as pleasurable as this is, it is almost curfew, Miss Flint. I wouldn't want Slytherin to lose even more points because the Head Girl is not where she is supposed to be at this time of night."
"Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't happen since I'm with my Head of House, Professor." She commented, smiling at Severus who was busy frowning at his wife.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure when you are also in the company of the opposing Head of House." Hermione grinned evilly back at her and was satisfied to see her gulp.
"Yes well, thank you for the book and I'll see you tomorrow evening, Sev- Professor." Sonia said turning to face Severus as she spoke. "I'll be thinking things over tonight as well." She said quietly so that it was obvious it was something just between her and Severus despite the fact Hermione was well within hearing range.
"Yes, Miss. Flint. I hope you make the right choice." Severus nodded and escorted her to the door, allowing her to leave and closing it behind her. He turned back to find Hermione glaring at him. "What?" He asked innocently.
"What? What!" Hermione started to pace with a frown on her face and ran a hand through her hair as she loosed the bun she was wearing off and let her hair fall freely. "Severus, why was a student in our private chambers?"
"We told you. She was borrowing a book and."
"And that couldn't have waited until class time?" She interrupted as she stopped mid stride and faced him before resuming her motion.
"She's researching tonight and we're discussing her proposal for the Potions project tomorrow evening. What's wrong, love?" He asked; feeling worried at the way she was acting.
"Don't 'love' me!" She shot back, clearly irate at him.
"Hermione, what on earth is the problem here?" Severus demanded shaking his head in disbelief at her attitude towards him.
"You don't know?" She countered in a deadly voice as she turned to face him again. She was very hot under the collar. She removed her teaching robes, leaving her in her deep blue dress, which was just about the only thing she could wear over her four and a half month old pregnant belly.
"Well. no. I do not know what the problem is." Severus replied as he sank into the chair that Sonia had just vacated completely at a loss.
"Severus. I will ask you once only." She gulped and looked him directly in the eye as angry tears began to cause her to have a glazed expression. "Are you having an affair?" She asked in a shaky voice.
"What!" Severus roared leaping to his feet. He was hopping mad by this point and was in the mood to cause grievous bodily harm. "How dare you ask me such a question!" He snarled, pacing slightly and counting to ten slowly in his head. He would never lash out physically at Hermione but his words could be just as hurtful when he was this angry.
"I want a straight answer, Severus!" She shouted back at him as she watched him stomp across the floor.
"No. I am not having an affair." He seethed through clenched teeth as he turned to look her directly in the eye. "Why the cause for concern? Has your trust in me wavered in the six weeks that we've been bonded?" He demanded.
"Many things have given me cause for concern." She said very quietly.
"What things?" He enunciated clearly. She took a deep breath and her gaze dropped to the floor.
"The way you are currently dressed for one. The looks you two share. The fact she was here in our private chambers. The times she's forced you to give her detention," she left the bit about the notes out of the equation for now.
"That's all? Enough for you to accuse me of such a thing?" He asked; his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.
"Why were you found in a compromising position with Miss. Flint earlier today then?" Hermione asked in clipped tones as she glared back up at him, face red in anger.
"What?" He whispered as his jaw dropped and his mind started running ten to the dozen.
"You heard my question, Severus." She threw back at him waiting for an answer as the tears escaped her eyes and trickled down her cheeks; she brushed them away absentmindedly.
"I had my arm.s around her." He said quietly as he tried to remember something that was very insignificant to him and his eyes darted about nervously.
"I suggest you explain the reason why to me." She told him.
"She was upset. I'm her Head of House and she came to me for advice." Was his explanation with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Regarding?"
"I really shouldn't break a confidence, Hermione." He replied.
"Oh, you really should because our marriage is being compromised here. Not to mention your teaching position if this gets back to the Headmaster. people were talking about this in the corridor for Merlin's sake!" She said, her voice rising in volume as she spoke and became increasingly upset and angry tears began to prick at her eyes again.
"She was having trouble with a boyfriend. wanting advice on how to win him over. Wanted to know what I would suggest." He finally told her after a pause.
"Who's the boy in question?" She demanded.
"I don't know, she never said." Severus said nondescript.
"Then how could you give advice if you didn't know what this boy would like?" Hermione asked, anger still bubbling under the surface.
"I told her what I like and that most men were the same." Hermione slumped down into her own chair and looked at him incredulously. "What?"
"Don't you see?" She pleaded gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"See what?" He asked raising his arms and shrugging his shoulders.
"The way she looks at you? It's the way I look at you!" She spelled out for him.
"Well, I only have eyes for."
"You don't get it." She said quietly again, shaking her head and letting it drop into her hands.
"Get what? You are not making much sense here, Hermione." He told her as he sat back down again.
"You were the boy she was talking about!" She responded.
"What complete and utter nonsense!" Severus replied as he thought about all of his recent encounters with the Head Girl and slowly came to the realisation that his wife may be right after all. "Hermione. I." He said looking forlornly at her and shaking his head. "I didn't do anything. You must believe me." He pleaded.
"I do, Severus, and I'm sorry I had to ask." She responded. She stood up and moved to stand in front of him, looking down and meeting his gaze.
"Hermione, you are my world. I love you so much. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." He pleaded with her as he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him; his head on her protruding abdomen. Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and hugged him to her as she stroked his hair.
"Severus. I believe you but look at these." She moved away and collected all of the notes that she had been sent, handing them to him to read as she sat on the edge of the chair next to him.
"Where? When did you get these?" He demanded as his blood began to boil again as he read through them all.
"They started a couple of mornings after the students returned from the Christmas holidays. I thought it was some silly prank but they kept on coming and I don't know who's sending them. I do recognise that writing though but can't quite place it." Hermione said pointing at one of the hate mail letters.
"That is written by Sonia Flint." Severus told her, his mind slowly seething at what she had done to them both. "Why though?"
"I have no idea." Hermione said. "What do we do, Severus?"
"We need to find the author of the other notes. Any suggestions?" Severus asked raising his eyebrow in question.
"How about luring him in? He says in the notes that he will be there for me when you are out of the picture basically." Hermione pointed out.
"What are you suggesting?" He asked looking up at her.
"Well, how about staging a separation for show? A small argument referencing the impending annulment of our marriage perhaps?" She glanced over to him. "Not for long, just until he makes himself known."
"Alright, I concede. Make it in the morning though. we have some making up to do. I believe this is our first argument since we've been married, my love?" He said smirking at her.
"I do believe you are right, my husband." She glanced down at her abdomen as she felt a sharp kick. "Little one agrees too, Severus. Feel." She clasped his hand and put it to her much rounded abdomen as Severus felt his child kicking inside her for the first time. It was amazing. He bent over and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "You have a free period first lesson don't you, Severus?"
"Yes."
"Good, we'll have breakfast here and then discuss our plan for the 'separation'."
They both stood up and moved off into their bedroom to make passionate love to one another.
Chapter Fifteen
The next day Hermione had to meet with Layton Frontera regarding his Arithmancy homework. As the lesson came to an end Hermione looked up from her desk to find Layton staring at her from his own seat. "Pull up a chair, Mr. Frontera. I'm rather tired, as being four months pregnant tends to make a woman," she said taking a deep breath and rubbing her eyes slightly.
"Certainly, Professor. If I can help you in any way just let me know." Layton said scrambling to his feet and pulling a chair up to Hermione's desk.
"I'm sure I'll be fine but thank you anyway. Now, what was the problem you were having with your homework?" She asked smiling slightly at his offer.
"Erm." He sifted through his parchments. "I was having trouble balancing this equation." He pointed at one of the longer equations on his homework sheet but his gaze remained on Hermione, not that she noticed as her sights were firmly set on the parchment. Hermione took it off him and read through it but feeling his eyes on her she looked back up.
"Mr. Frontera." He snapped back to the task at hand. "Look here." She pointed. "You've missed a simple division sign. Try it now and it will balance." He took the parchment back and reworked the equation.
"You're right. It balances!" He said with a huge grin on his face.
"So pleased I could help." She said then looked at him frowning slightly. "You have been doing very similar equations in class for the whole of last term, Mr. Frontera. If you've been looking at this equation as long as you say, you should have noticed the very glaring error you made."
"Yes, Professor," he said. "I guess I may have been a bit distracted lately."
"Hmm. Well, try not to let it happen again, and take more care in your work, exams are not too far away and you wouldn't want to make a silly mistake in those. You are good at Arithmancy; you just need to apply yourself a little more." She told him bluntly.
"Yes, Professor," he replied sheepishly.
"I've noticed you've changed your attitude since the start of term- for the better. It's nice to see. I expect great things from you, Mr. Frontera. Do not let me down." Hermione told him kindly and with a slight warning tone.
"Thank you, Professor, and I will indeed do great things." He replied smiling with an evil twinkle in his eyes.
"You're welcome. Now, run along as I'm sure you have much you could be studying before lunch." Hermione said as she picked up her quill again and moved a pile of marking towards her on the desk.
"Thank you, Professor." Layton said as he scrambled to his feet.
"You're welcome." She said as he rushed out of the room. Hermione began marking the sixth year assignments when her door opened again and she sighed, thinking it was Layton Frontera again and rubbed he eyes; they felt gritty and tired to her.
"Anything wrong, love?" Severus asked as he stepped into her classroom, his black robes billowing out behind him.
"Oh, hello, nothing's wrong, Severus. I'm just getting on with my marking. It's a never ending story." She said sighing again and stretching her back slightly as she stifled a yawn.
"Tell me about it." Severus said; he'd just spent his free period, which was designated for his own research, marking fourth year reports.
"Can I help you with anything?" She asked putting down her quill again as he approached.
"No, I just came to say that I would be supervising detention tonight."
"Who this time?" She asked, it had been two nights already this week.
"Miss. Flint, she blew up her cauldron today, which I believe may not have entirely been an accident." He told her irritably.
"Really?" She asked, it wasn't like Miss. Flint to do anything like that but then Hermione had noticed her strange behaviour of late.
"Yes. So, I gave her detention and she will be seriously deterred from doing such a thing again. As Head Girl she has been warned that another infraction and she will lose her position." Severus said firmly as he sat down in the seat Layton had just vacated.
"Severus, being Head Girl is not an easy task as it is. She's worked extremely hard in order to gain the position and it should not be easily taken away for such minor infractions." Hermione told him short-tempered.
"Hermione, she's a Slytherin. and we have already had this conversation." Severus replied with an irritable sigh and Hermione nodded, they would drop the subject for now. "Tell me, why was Mr. Frontera here after class? Is he in trouble again?"
"Not at all, Severus. He requested a meeting with me to discuss his homework. He was having problems with an equation." Hermione told him yawning again and sitting back in her chair.
"So my Slytherin's are behaving themselves for now at least." He said raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms on his chest.
"In my classes anyway. Perhaps it has something to do with my being married to their Head of House?" She said and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"Perhaps, but I'm cynical enough to think it's a calm before a storm." He told her.
"Now, Severus," Hermione said, hitting him lightly on the arm. "I just complimented Mr. Frontera on his change in attitude. Surely your other students can change for the better as well?" She asked as she sorted the papers out on her desk.
"We will see." He said standing up. "Come on, it's lunch time."
"Already?"
"Yes, and you need to eat," she yawned again, "and I think you need to take a nap as well."
"Yes, this little one won't let me miss many meals these days. It must be a boy. eating like this." She said chuckling and standing up. "As for sleeping, I always seem to hit a wall of fatigue around this time of day. I'll be right as rain after lunch." Severus put his arm around her protectively and they headed off to the Great Hall.
~~*~~
Several days passed and it was the start of a new week and already the last one in January. The Headmaster had managed to break the curse on the Weasley's and all was harmonious between the quads for once. Theresa Urmintrude had been interrogated by her Head of House and the Headmaster and her dorm subjected to a thorough search but she had not said anything about the book and no trace of it had been found yet either. The Headmaster had performed the same curse breaking spell on her as well though and she was now a much more pleasant young lady to be around.
The Quidditch season was about to begin and Ron had asked Severus to referee the first match as he had to do a quick brush up on his coaching skills for baseball and would be off in America for one week. This was a couple of weeks away though so Severus had plenty of time to brush up on his own refereeing skills. The first match would be Hufflepuff verses Gryffindor.
Hermione had received three more letters over the weekend. Two from her "secret admirer" and one hate mail. They were becoming more disconcerting though but she hadn't as yet told Severus about them, deciding she needed to wait a little while first.
My Sweet,
We are destined to be. I will be there for you when He breaks your heart. Remember that I love you and I wouldn't leave you alone. with child.
~~~~ Professor Granger,
Do you know what your husband has been up to with one of his seventh year Potions students? No? Keep your eyes open! You don't deserve him. He will be lost to you soon.
~~~~
My Sweet,
I saw them together you know. Him with Her. It makes me happy since I know he's getting it elsewhere now. and you are saving yourself for me. I know you can't watch him at all times. I will get the proof you need to have the shambles of your marriage dissolved.and when you are separated from him, I'll be there.
Proof? Of what exactly? Severus' infidelity? Admittedly they had not made love in a couple of weeks but Severus was always kissing her and saying sweet words to her. Yes, he had been very busy with his seventh year Slytherins but that's because he had to give them career advice and exam counselling but then so did she have to with her seventh year Gryffindors.
But someone had planted a seed of doubt and now she was aware of a certain concern someone had brought to her attention- well two people really, and therefore, Hermione was going to watch more closely.
She shuffled some papers as she sat at her desk when she heard a somewhat timid knock on her office door. She looked up and called for the person to enter.
"Hello, Chris." She said looking up from her papers a bit concerned, he was usually more boisterous. He came in and closed the door quietly not saying a word or even offering up a smile of any sort. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked indicating that they would both sit by the fire and moving over to the more plush chairs herself.
"Erm. Hermione. y-you know the extendable ears you got me?" He started with a quiver in his voice.
"Yes?" She said slowly and indicated that he should continue.
"Well, I was using them in the corridor just to get used to them, and I-I heard something I thought you should know." He explained quite dead pan.
"About the book?" He shook his head and looked up at her before glancing away quickly. "What then?" Hermione asked as her heart started to race.
"I overheard one of the seventh year boys talking to his friends a-about."
"Take your time, Chris." Hermione soothed leaning forward slightly and putting a comforting hand on his knee.
"A-a-about." He stopped dead as another door in the office opened and Severus came in.
"Hello, love." He said kissing her on the cheek. "Mr. Granger." He nodded to him before glancing between the two of them. "Something wrong?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow and sensing a certain tension in the room.
"No, Sir. Nothing. I-I'll have to go." Chris said as he started to get up.
"No, wait." Hermione said holding her hand out to stop him from leaving. "Could you give us some time, Severus or did you need me for something?" Hermione asked as she looked up at her husband he looked somewhat dishevelled without his teaching cloak on and his black jacket half unbuttoned; he must be finished for the day, she thought.
"Sorry. I just needed to retrieve my Advanced Potions book for one of my seventh years. I'll be out of your hair. right now." He said grabbing a book from her shelf and leaving for their chambers again.
"Silencio!" Hermione said casting wards on the doors so that Chris could tell her what he'd heard in private. "Right, go on. We shouldn't be disturbed now." She told him.
"It was about Severus, Hermione." He gulped and looked somewhat edgy at best, Hermione schooled her expression against whatever was to be said next. "I heard someone say they'd seen him in what they called a 'compromising position' with the Head Girl earlier today."
"Who was it?" She asked breathing deeply and trying not to show any kind of emotion since they were all conflicting inside her head anyway.
"I don't know who it was but he was telling a couple of his friends and they were laughing about it something about her not having the title of 'Head Girl' for any conventional reasons. I didn't understand that bit." He said and Hermione tried to not smile at his innocence. "He said that Snape had seen him. He'd barged into the office to ask a question and he'd seen them and Snape yelled for him to leave."
"What kind of a 'compromising position'?" Hermione gulped, she hoped beyond everything that it was nothing like a blow job as had seemed to have been suggested.
"That's all I heard, honestly. I just thought I should tell you." Chris said shaking his head and holding up his hands for emphasis. "And I didn't want to say anything because I like Severus. You are good together."
"Thank you, Chris." She took a deep breath her mind a whirl. "I will ask you not to mention this to anyone else though and don't change your attitude towards Severus either. I'm sure there's a good enough explanation for this." Chris nodded before asking if she was alright. "I'm fine but I do need to get back to work I'm afraid. I'll handle this from here."
Chris left and Hermione stood up. So, he'd been seen by another student in a so called 'compromising position' with the Head Girl? She dropped the wards on the door that would lead back to her quarters and left. There was no choice now; she would have to confront her husband.
As she approached the door leading to the inside of her chambers she heard voices from within. Taking a deep and calming breath she opened the door and stepped through to find Severus chatting with none other than the Head Girl in their living room, and in enough of a relaxed manner for him to be dressed solely in his shirt and trousers, forgetting usual formality when around anyone but his wife. Her jaw dropped in shock and Sonia Flint scrambled to her feet from the chair she had been sitting in when she clapped eyes on Professor Granger-Snape.
"Professor," Sonia said, her face flushed as she glanced over to Hermione and then back to Severus with a small sheepish smile as though they had been caught in the act.
"Miss. Flint, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company this evening?" Hermione asked as she moved closer and raised her eyebrow in question. She pulled herself up to her full height and looked down her nose at the Head Girl; she was a good few inches taller than her.
"Son. Miss. Flint," Severus began and Hermione spun to face him at his familiarity with her name and as her anger shot to new heights. "She was borrowing a book- the one I retrieved from your office, Hermione." He explained indifferently.
"Oh?" Hermione said looking back to Sonia with a baffled look. "Are you undertaking a Potions project, Miss Flint?" Hermione asked, as far as she knew Sonia Flint was not that gifted at Potions.
"Yes. well, thinking about it anyway." She replied in a false friendly manner, which Hermione managed to pick up on.
"We were reminiscing as well." Severus added with a sideways glance to the Head Girl.
"About?" Hermione asked snapping her attention back to her husband.
"Sev. Professor Snape was telling me about my father when he was in school. I was telling him how he is doing now." Sonia explained, with a glance over to Severus and a small, seductive smile- was it?
"I see." Hermione said, a double meaning to those two words as she looked between them both and couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "Well, as pleasurable as this is, it is almost curfew, Miss Flint. I wouldn't want Slytherin to lose even more points because the Head Girl is not where she is supposed to be at this time of night."
"Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't happen since I'm with my Head of House, Professor." She commented, smiling at Severus who was busy frowning at his wife.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure when you are also in the company of the opposing Head of House." Hermione grinned evilly back at her and was satisfied to see her gulp.
"Yes well, thank you for the book and I'll see you tomorrow evening, Sev- Professor." Sonia said turning to face Severus as she spoke. "I'll be thinking things over tonight as well." She said quietly so that it was obvious it was something just between her and Severus despite the fact Hermione was well within hearing range.
"Yes, Miss. Flint. I hope you make the right choice." Severus nodded and escorted her to the door, allowing her to leave and closing it behind her. He turned back to find Hermione glaring at him. "What?" He asked innocently.
"What? What!" Hermione started to pace with a frown on her face and ran a hand through her hair as she loosed the bun she was wearing off and let her hair fall freely. "Severus, why was a student in our private chambers?"
"We told you. She was borrowing a book and."
"And that couldn't have waited until class time?" She interrupted as she stopped mid stride and faced him before resuming her motion.
"She's researching tonight and we're discussing her proposal for the Potions project tomorrow evening. What's wrong, love?" He asked; feeling worried at the way she was acting.
"Don't 'love' me!" She shot back, clearly irate at him.
"Hermione, what on earth is the problem here?" Severus demanded shaking his head in disbelief at her attitude towards him.
"You don't know?" She countered in a deadly voice as she turned to face him again. She was very hot under the collar. She removed her teaching robes, leaving her in her deep blue dress, which was just about the only thing she could wear over her four and a half month old pregnant belly.
"Well. no. I do not know what the problem is." Severus replied as he sank into the chair that Sonia had just vacated completely at a loss.
"Severus. I will ask you once only." She gulped and looked him directly in the eye as angry tears began to cause her to have a glazed expression. "Are you having an affair?" She asked in a shaky voice.
"What!" Severus roared leaping to his feet. He was hopping mad by this point and was in the mood to cause grievous bodily harm. "How dare you ask me such a question!" He snarled, pacing slightly and counting to ten slowly in his head. He would never lash out physically at Hermione but his words could be just as hurtful when he was this angry.
"I want a straight answer, Severus!" She shouted back at him as she watched him stomp across the floor.
"No. I am not having an affair." He seethed through clenched teeth as he turned to look her directly in the eye. "Why the cause for concern? Has your trust in me wavered in the six weeks that we've been bonded?" He demanded.
"Many things have given me cause for concern." She said very quietly.
"What things?" He enunciated clearly. She took a deep breath and her gaze dropped to the floor.
"The way you are currently dressed for one. The looks you two share. The fact she was here in our private chambers. The times she's forced you to give her detention," she left the bit about the notes out of the equation for now.
"That's all? Enough for you to accuse me of such a thing?" He asked; his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.
"Why were you found in a compromising position with Miss. Flint earlier today then?" Hermione asked in clipped tones as she glared back up at him, face red in anger.
"What?" He whispered as his jaw dropped and his mind started running ten to the dozen.
"You heard my question, Severus." She threw back at him waiting for an answer as the tears escaped her eyes and trickled down her cheeks; she brushed them away absentmindedly.
"I had my arm.s around her." He said quietly as he tried to remember something that was very insignificant to him and his eyes darted about nervously.
"I suggest you explain the reason why to me." She told him.
"She was upset. I'm her Head of House and she came to me for advice." Was his explanation with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Regarding?"
"I really shouldn't break a confidence, Hermione." He replied.
"Oh, you really should because our marriage is being compromised here. Not to mention your teaching position if this gets back to the Headmaster. people were talking about this in the corridor for Merlin's sake!" She said, her voice rising in volume as she spoke and became increasingly upset and angry tears began to prick at her eyes again.
"She was having trouble with a boyfriend. wanting advice on how to win him over. Wanted to know what I would suggest." He finally told her after a pause.
"Who's the boy in question?" She demanded.
"I don't know, she never said." Severus said nondescript.
"Then how could you give advice if you didn't know what this boy would like?" Hermione asked, anger still bubbling under the surface.
"I told her what I like and that most men were the same." Hermione slumped down into her own chair and looked at him incredulously. "What?"
"Don't you see?" She pleaded gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"See what?" He asked raising his arms and shrugging his shoulders.
"The way she looks at you? It's the way I look at you!" She spelled out for him.
"Well, I only have eyes for."
"You don't get it." She said quietly again, shaking her head and letting it drop into her hands.
"Get what? You are not making much sense here, Hermione." He told her as he sat back down again.
"You were the boy she was talking about!" She responded.
"What complete and utter nonsense!" Severus replied as he thought about all of his recent encounters with the Head Girl and slowly came to the realisation that his wife may be right after all. "Hermione. I." He said looking forlornly at her and shaking his head. "I didn't do anything. You must believe me." He pleaded.
"I do, Severus, and I'm sorry I had to ask." She responded. She stood up and moved to stand in front of him, looking down and meeting his gaze.
"Hermione, you are my world. I love you so much. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." He pleaded with her as he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him; his head on her protruding abdomen. Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and hugged him to her as she stroked his hair.
"Severus. I believe you but look at these." She moved away and collected all of the notes that she had been sent, handing them to him to read as she sat on the edge of the chair next to him.
"Where? When did you get these?" He demanded as his blood began to boil again as he read through them all.
"They started a couple of mornings after the students returned from the Christmas holidays. I thought it was some silly prank but they kept on coming and I don't know who's sending them. I do recognise that writing though but can't quite place it." Hermione said pointing at one of the hate mail letters.
"That is written by Sonia Flint." Severus told her, his mind slowly seething at what she had done to them both. "Why though?"
"I have no idea." Hermione said. "What do we do, Severus?"
"We need to find the author of the other notes. Any suggestions?" Severus asked raising his eyebrow in question.
"How about luring him in? He says in the notes that he will be there for me when you are out of the picture basically." Hermione pointed out.
"What are you suggesting?" He asked looking up at her.
"Well, how about staging a separation for show? A small argument referencing the impending annulment of our marriage perhaps?" She glanced over to him. "Not for long, just until he makes himself known."
"Alright, I concede. Make it in the morning though. we have some making up to do. I believe this is our first argument since we've been married, my love?" He said smirking at her.
"I do believe you are right, my husband." She glanced down at her abdomen as she felt a sharp kick. "Little one agrees too, Severus. Feel." She clasped his hand and put it to her much rounded abdomen as Severus felt his child kicking inside her for the first time. It was amazing. He bent over and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "You have a free period first lesson don't you, Severus?"
"Yes."
"Good, we'll have breakfast here and then discuss our plan for the 'separation'."
They both stood up and moved off into their bedroom to make passionate love to one another.