A/N: Hey again! Sorry it's been so long since an update. I don't really want to abandon this fic but, there doesn't really seem to be that much interest. What with work and Uni I don't really have a lot of free time to dedicate to this project. I will come back every once and a while to add another chapter unless of course some people want me to update sooner and then I will try my best!
P.S. This will be a Hermione/Severus fic with a subplot of Draco, Harry, Ron and other characters you may recognise.
P.P.S. This chapter contains ideas of Slash (Boy-boy love). If you feel offended by this or you are underage then I'm afraid this fic will not be for you but please give it a chance. Remember it is simply a subplot, so I doubt if it will ever go into great detail but I won't make any promises.
Thank You,
Annie x ~ :o)
Disclaimer : The original disclaimer still holds true. Anything you recognise from HP belongs to the wonderful JK and anything else you may be familiar with does not belong to me.
CHAPTER 3 –THE PARTY!
Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley were making their way back to Gryffindor Tower to finish the preparations for the surprise party they were throwing for Hermione Granger in half an hour. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley had bought them some time by asking her for some help with their respective Potions assignments. Birthday or not, Hermione agreed. This was why, on her seventeenth birthday, she was trying to explain to Harry and his girlfriend the fundamental properties of the Polyjuice Potion. While the couple carried on with their note taking, Hermione sat back and fell into her thoughts.
'They don't look very happy!' she thought looking at two of her best friends sitting across the table. 'They aren't even looking at each other. The body language…. – Gosh! I bet they'd feel more comfortable sitting in different corners of the castle!'
She allowed a small thoughtful smile to form on her face. Her eyes betrayed the alignment of her lips. Her chocolate brown eyes were windows to her soul. The darkness was burning and the deep, almost black, colour showed the emotions she was feeling.
'They're so lucky. They're in a comfortable relationship and they love each other…. I wish I could find someone. Every-one just sees me as the "know-it-all bookworm" but none of them really know me. I'm bright, yes, but I'm also loyal, brave heck I am a Gryffindor!'
She sighed and shook her head. 'Brave, I'm not brave. If I was then I would be able tell him exactly how I feel and to hell with the consequences but I can't. Oh why did I have to fall in love with Severus Snape! Mmm Severus. NO, Hermione!' she chided herself mentally. 'He's Professor Snape. Don't think of him as Severus. Think of him as he really is – a bastard. He treats all of us Gryffindors like shit. I think I understand why he does it but it doesn't make it any easier. Every time I gaze at him I feel as though I have been sucked into his soul. I can see him as he is. Cruel, ruthless, sly, brave, intelligent, tall, dark and sexy, incredibly sexy!'
Hermione was so deep in her trance that she never realised when she let out such a contented sigh.
Harry and Ginny, who were both disturbed by the noise, knew for a fact that that noise was not produced as a result of an interesting passage in "101 uses of a Flobberworm" in which Hermione's nose was currently stuck.
She was stirred from her thoughts by a sharp jab to her arm. "Ouch!" she whined, "That hurt!"
"Well," replied Ginny, "we've been trying to get your attention, its nine o'clock already; I think it's time we should get back."
"Alright. Did you guys understand all the properties then?" she asked the couple. They both nodded so they all packed up their belongings said goodbye to Madam Pince and headed back to the Common Room.
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When they reached the Pink Lady and entered, they were met with an almighty cry of "Happy Birthday Hermione!"
Hermione looked like a fish out of water as she stood there gaping and flapping her arms about. When she looked around she could see balloons, smiling people, streamers, banners and even muggle food and music. She was so happy she shrieked with joy as the party got into full swing.
"Thank you all so much! Thank you!"
She received many gifts including a new muggle CD of her favourite band, "The Barenaked Ladies", from Harry, (Boy was she glad that she had transfigured and charmed a stereo the previous year!). Ron gave her a large bag full of a selection of goodies from Honeydukes and from Ginny she received a magical bookmark that tells you the page you were on, no matter how many times it fell out! Hermione appreciated this gift a great deal considering just how many times a day she managed to drop her pile of schoolwork!
At the bottom of the pile of gifts was a box that had no identification. Gingerly, Hermione picked it up and turned it over in her hands. Opening the lid she gasped before delicately picking up the contents. It was a copy of 'Moste Potent Potions'. Opening the cover she noticed a short inscription inside the flap.
"Enjoy and Good Luck"
She smiled and placed the book back into its box so that it did not get damaged. There was no card so she tried to think who could be so generous. Coming to the only reasonable explanation, she stored away the reminder to thank Professor McGonagall. After all, she was the only one who knew of Hermione's dream of becoming a qualified Potion's Mistress. She had already started looking into training possibilities but, the only individual in the British Isles who's qualified to mentor her is Hogwarts own instructor. Hermione unfortunately could not deal with that prospect at the moment, no matter how much she dreamed that it could be a possibility.
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Hermione shifted her mind back to the here and now and began the mingling involved in being the guest of honour at her own party. She couldn't help but notice all the smiling happy faces all around her. She could see Lavender Brown and her boyfriend Seamus Finnegan sitting in a corner of the room completely oblivious to the entire goings on around them. Hermione felt the jealousy boiling within her as she continued to watch. It was not who it was that was the problem but the act. She was jealous that she couldn't touch her love in the same way Lav was with Seamus. She was jealous of the whispering and giggling and the public show of affection. But most of all she was jealous of how content they were with each other.
Drawing her attention away and calming her breathing she moved on. Looking around she spotted one of her best friends enthralled in an important 'discussion' with Neville, and another of their friends Dean Thomas.
Ron. Hermione smiled as she watched him laughing and joking. She was so glad he was happy. He had harboured feelings for Hermione for so long that she eventually had to tell him, once and for all, at the end of their sixth year, that there was no chance in this lifetime that she could ever feel anything for him other than brotherly love. It had taken the summer for Ron to look at her again and she was so glad when he apologised for his behaviour, called himself a prat and said that "she would that she would make someone very, very happy if not slightly scared!"
Listening to Ron's conversation she snorted. 'I can't believe that I'm hearing this!' They were arguing about who was sexier, Cho Chang the new seeker for Puddlemere United or Britney Spears a muggle singer who looked like a naughty schoolgirl in the picture they were ogling.
Hermione was hoping that Harry wasn't listening when Neville suddenly drew her attention. He had, all of a sudden, looked up, blushed and returned his gaze to his clasped hands perched in his lap.
She followed to where his gaze had been and saw that Ginny's cheeks had coloured to match her hair!
When she returned to her conversation with Harry, their heads were so close together that you couldn't see light between them. Suddenly, she jumped up out of her seat, hugged Harry, ran to Neville then dragged him over to the windowsill on the other side of the room.
Harry smiled at Ginny's antics. Noticing Hermione watching him he motioned for her to sit with him.
"Are you okay?" she asked him quietly taking his hand in hers.
Throwing his arms behind his head he replied, "Yup! I couldn't be better!"
"You want to talk about it?"
"Well," he started, "Gin and I have come to the mutual conclusion that we work better as friends. Honestly Mione, we've hardly spoken to each other for about a month now. Did you not notice how distant we've become?"
Hermione smirked in a way that told Harry that she had thought something might be up. Harry continued.
"It turns out she likes Neville. Has done since fourth year actually. She said she felt so overwhelmed when I asked her out that she couldn't say no! God! I wish we'd talked about this earlier, it would have saved us a load of trouble."
"Merlin, Harry! I'm sorry I wasn't up to my usual standards. I usually spot those things a mile off. Well then Mr Potter, is there someone special that you've had your beady eye on?"
From the red hue that spread across the young mans face, she knew that she'd hit the nail on the head but, the tightening of the lips into a solid line and the narrowing of his piercing green eyes indicated to Hermione that she would have to guess the identity of the mystery love of her best friend. Over the years Harry and Hermione had got a lot closer. They truly were like brother and sister rather than friends. That was the reason why Harry was the only one allowed to call her Mione without getting their head blown off.
"Okay! Okay!" she started, backing as far into her chair as possible, "I won't push you!" Deciding a change of subject was in order she continued. "Hey! It looks as though we're running out of Pumpkin Pasties. Fancy a trip to the kitchens? Head Girl and Head Boys privilege?"
"Sure! Why not!"
Standing and heading out of the portrait hole, Hermione quickly explained to Colin and Dennis Creevey that they were going to get more supplies and they wouldn't be long. Closing the portrait behind them, Hermione linked arms with Harry and they headed to the kitchens.
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Together they walked at a leisurely pace towards the Great Hall from which they would take the stairs down to the kitchen.
"Mione?" Harry suddenly asked.
"Yes Harry."
"If I tell you something will you keep it to yourself?"
"Of course I will! Harry, you do know that you can trust me right?"
"Yeah… right. Okay I'm just going to say it."
He took a deep breath and whispered, "I'm gay."
"Sorry," she said with a nervous giggle, "I thought I heard you say that you were gay!"
Looking away from her, with tears in his eyes, he replied, "Yeah, I did."
"Wow, well, what can I say, are you sure? No, sorry, that was a stupid question! Are you happy? Do you feel better now that you've told someone, now that you've told me?"
"I do but, it's okay if you feel weird. I understand if you think differently about me."
Harry's voice was now no more than a faint murmur. It sounded as though his heart was breaking. Hermione stopped walking, took his hands in hers and raised his chin so that they were looking in each others eyes.
"Harry Potter. I love you and I will always love you. If you're gay, then you're gay and I still love you. It's your heart. To me you're Harry, just Harry and you always will be my Harry, not the bloody-boy-who-lived! Hell, we're all allowed to fall in love aren't we? And if that special person is the same sex, then who am I to argue? I am so proud of you Harry. So, that's where all that Gryffindor courage has been hiding! Remember that I love you no matter what Harry!"
She hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Her lips connected with a slightly salty tear so she gently wiped away the others falling with her thumb.
"Well," she continued, trying to lighten the mood, "seeing as its confession time I suppose that it's my turn." Taking a deep breath she carried on, "I've actually liked someone for two years now but I know that he'll never feel the same way."
"Don't sell yourself short Mione. Your smart, beautiful and a great laugh, what else could a guy want?"
"It's just, well; it's not someone that you'd expect! I don't know if I should tell you but, you trusted me with one of your secrets and I trust you so I will tell you. Okay. I'm in love with S…."
Hermione was interrupted by a loud bang from beside the Great Hall.
They both pulled out their wands and gave a silent signal motioning towards the noise. As they crept towards the Great Hall Harry stepped in something sticky.
"It's blood!" he said in a startled hush. They slowly followed the trail until a scream resonated through their heads. They rushed to the source in the dark when a cloaked figure suddenly moved and became visible in front of them. Turning the body over, Hermione gasped as green eyes met silvery-grey before the eyelids slid over the pupils and the body slumped even further into the ground.
To be continued….
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A/N: What do you think? Please review. I will appreciate it.
Thank you for reading 'The Unknown Quantity'.
Annie x
