He watched as she took a long drag on the cigarette that rested in-between
her fingers, and watched as she absentmindedly twiddled it with her thumb.
It was obvious that she didn't smoke much, if at all. She didn't cough at
all, but he could see her fighting hard not to. He noticed the drags were
short and the breath that chased the smoke into her lungs was long. And she
exhaled slowly, almost savoring the harsh bitter smoke, used of all it's
taste. He kept his eyes glued to the shrinking cigarette for a long minute,
watching the nicely manicured nails as the went through the motions. She
had smoked before, he deduced, although it was obvious she didn't do it
often. He smiled slightly, one that showed in his eyes more than his mouth,
and turned his gaze once again to the fireplace.
"So Granger, how have you been occupying yourself the past seven years?" He listened halfheartedly to Draco's drawl. He knew that the boy was only looking for a chance to boast and brag at how his family kept their villa, kept everything, even their house elves.
"I've been occupying myself." The tone of her voice, and the look on her face as he turned to see her, proved that they should not press the point further. But Draco Malfoy was having fun, and Severus Snape knew better than to stop him, mostly because Draco would turn on him as well.
"Just how have you been doing that?" She glared at him.
"That's none of your damn business Malfoy." He could see the pain in her eyes. Her years were not spent well, and he could see it. She was gaunt, and her clothes were incredibly small, something that he should have picked up on, but didn't, and as the night wore on, her makeup began to fade and the dark circles under her eyes made their presence known.
"Done something to be ashamed of then Granger? Poor little mudblood couldn't cope." He fought himself to sit back in his chair as the sound of the slap echoed throughout the small room. He watched it all with a careful wary eye, ready to stop them if things got too out of hand, but he knew better than to interfere. It was better that they got all of their hostility out now, that they cleared the air between them, they needed to be able to trust each other. All of their lives depended on it.
They worked as a team, they had to. All of them, every single member of the resistance had to trust each other. He didn't care if they liked each other, as long as they wouldn't be as stupidly Gryffyndor as to risk the other's life because of their hatred. There was a reason why most of the resistance was Slytherin. Not because of their pride in their lineage, although that was very much part of it, but because he knew Slytherins would put their own vendettas aside to work for a greater cause. He had seen it before, two men who hated each other, working in tandem, as partners, working for their cause.
She seemed sated after slapping Draco, and the boy was too stunned to goad her further. An angry red mark stood out visibly against the pale white skin and blond hair. He smirked at the boy's arrogance, and at the fact that the girl had actually bothered to literally slap some sense into him. He felt both pairs of eyes turn to him. "So, Uncle Severus, if you would like, how about filling us in here." The boy's voice was no longer drawling, it was the tone that the boy used around him.
The boy knew better than to show his airs around him. His family was almost as distinguished as that of Malfoy's. He watched as the boy tossed the cigarette butt into the fireplace, and removed another and lit it, although with the aid of his wand. Hermione had done it without a wand. He didn't know if it was due to the pent up magical ability inside of her, her anger, or perhaps just the raw ability to perform wandless magic. It was something few had, and if she was showing signs of it without any real training, he knew that she was going to be a very valuable part of their organization.
He just hoped that she wouldn't show her Gryffyndor side. He wondered time and again why the girl wasn't sorted into Slytherin, it would have done her much better. She could have shown her cunning, without having to put up with being goaded into harebrained schemes by Potter and Weasley. Even Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would have been more beneficial to her. And every time he wondered why she hadn't been sorted into his house, he felt something that he couldn't quite describe, although he knew that it was guilt.
He felt guilty about an event that had occurred twenty-five years previously. And for those twenty-five years, he constantly wondered how much things could be different right now. He wondered if he would still be in the magnificent stone castle, teaching potions. Or perhaps he would have gotten the Defense Against the Dark Arts position to teach the students something valuable. But years of experience had taught him not to think of the past as an endless sea of what ifs. It would only drag him down.
"Draco, Miss Granger-"he started to speak,
"Hermione." She interrupted. "I told you to call me Hermione." He nodded his acquiescence.
"Draco, Hermione, I suggest you get used to working with one another quickly." He said softly, and after they glared fiercely at each other, and then at him. And he smirked at them, knowing that he could at least trust Draco not to do something rash, although something about Hermione made him want to trust her as well. He quickly erased those thoughts however, experience had taught him not to trust anyone.
END OF CHAPTER 8
A/N...Shini asked when they're going to get together...it's like brewing a potion, you add in all the necessary ingredients slowly, and make sure to blend them well, and you get the end result, but sometimes, the best potions take time. I'm not planning on having them get together and start shagging each other senseless any time soon...well, not with any feelings towards each other at least.
"So Granger, how have you been occupying yourself the past seven years?" He listened halfheartedly to Draco's drawl. He knew that the boy was only looking for a chance to boast and brag at how his family kept their villa, kept everything, even their house elves.
"I've been occupying myself." The tone of her voice, and the look on her face as he turned to see her, proved that they should not press the point further. But Draco Malfoy was having fun, and Severus Snape knew better than to stop him, mostly because Draco would turn on him as well.
"Just how have you been doing that?" She glared at him.
"That's none of your damn business Malfoy." He could see the pain in her eyes. Her years were not spent well, and he could see it. She was gaunt, and her clothes were incredibly small, something that he should have picked up on, but didn't, and as the night wore on, her makeup began to fade and the dark circles under her eyes made their presence known.
"Done something to be ashamed of then Granger? Poor little mudblood couldn't cope." He fought himself to sit back in his chair as the sound of the slap echoed throughout the small room. He watched it all with a careful wary eye, ready to stop them if things got too out of hand, but he knew better than to interfere. It was better that they got all of their hostility out now, that they cleared the air between them, they needed to be able to trust each other. All of their lives depended on it.
They worked as a team, they had to. All of them, every single member of the resistance had to trust each other. He didn't care if they liked each other, as long as they wouldn't be as stupidly Gryffyndor as to risk the other's life because of their hatred. There was a reason why most of the resistance was Slytherin. Not because of their pride in their lineage, although that was very much part of it, but because he knew Slytherins would put their own vendettas aside to work for a greater cause. He had seen it before, two men who hated each other, working in tandem, as partners, working for their cause.
She seemed sated after slapping Draco, and the boy was too stunned to goad her further. An angry red mark stood out visibly against the pale white skin and blond hair. He smirked at the boy's arrogance, and at the fact that the girl had actually bothered to literally slap some sense into him. He felt both pairs of eyes turn to him. "So, Uncle Severus, if you would like, how about filling us in here." The boy's voice was no longer drawling, it was the tone that the boy used around him.
The boy knew better than to show his airs around him. His family was almost as distinguished as that of Malfoy's. He watched as the boy tossed the cigarette butt into the fireplace, and removed another and lit it, although with the aid of his wand. Hermione had done it without a wand. He didn't know if it was due to the pent up magical ability inside of her, her anger, or perhaps just the raw ability to perform wandless magic. It was something few had, and if she was showing signs of it without any real training, he knew that she was going to be a very valuable part of their organization.
He just hoped that she wouldn't show her Gryffyndor side. He wondered time and again why the girl wasn't sorted into Slytherin, it would have done her much better. She could have shown her cunning, without having to put up with being goaded into harebrained schemes by Potter and Weasley. Even Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would have been more beneficial to her. And every time he wondered why she hadn't been sorted into his house, he felt something that he couldn't quite describe, although he knew that it was guilt.
He felt guilty about an event that had occurred twenty-five years previously. And for those twenty-five years, he constantly wondered how much things could be different right now. He wondered if he would still be in the magnificent stone castle, teaching potions. Or perhaps he would have gotten the Defense Against the Dark Arts position to teach the students something valuable. But years of experience had taught him not to think of the past as an endless sea of what ifs. It would only drag him down.
"Draco, Miss Granger-"he started to speak,
"Hermione." She interrupted. "I told you to call me Hermione." He nodded his acquiescence.
"Draco, Hermione, I suggest you get used to working with one another quickly." He said softly, and after they glared fiercely at each other, and then at him. And he smirked at them, knowing that he could at least trust Draco not to do something rash, although something about Hermione made him want to trust her as well. He quickly erased those thoughts however, experience had taught him not to trust anyone.
END OF CHAPTER 8
A/N...Shini asked when they're going to get together...it's like brewing a potion, you add in all the necessary ingredients slowly, and make sure to blend them well, and you get the end result, but sometimes, the best potions take time. I'm not planning on having them get together and start shagging each other senseless any time soon...well, not with any feelings towards each other at least.