Chapter 9
Severus stopped just inside his portrait hole, stunned. "Jane? What are you doing here?"
"I had some business to take care of back home and thought while I was here I would stop in and visit with you." Jane said airily.
Severus just stared at her. She really thought she could just come in and out of his life? Especially now that he had Hermione? Of course, she didn't know that his heart was otherwise engaged.
"So, Severus, how have you been?" Jane came over with the intentions of giving him a huge hug.
He stepped back slightly. "Jane, really, why are you here? We had decided that it was over the day you left here for the other position." Severus said bitterly.
"Oh Severus, can't you put the past behind you and enjoy the here and now. After all, you never did change your passwords."
Severus shook his head. He had to get her out of here. She took another step towards him and before he knew it she was pressing her lips against his, as he started to pull away he heard Hermione's voice.
"Severus, I forgot.... Oh?" Hermione walked in, and saw him in the woman's embrace. He had pulled away by that point. She looked at him, looked at the woman, turned and looked at him again, and then turned and ran out of the room.
"Hermione! Wait!" Severus started after her.
Jane all of a sudden realized why Severus had been so cold. So he was involved with someone else. Well, that certainly made things more complicated. Well, she would have to adjust her plans accordingly.
Severus turned around and stalked back into his room. "GET OUT!" He snapped. He knew very well what Hermione was thinking and he had to get to her before she assumed the worst.
"Absolutely not! We need to talk." Jane had dealt with him enough that she wasn't afraid to stand her ground.
"Jane, I'm warning you. I am involved, or was, until you showed up. I love Hermione. You and I cannot go back. I don't know what your scheme is or why you're here, but at this moment, I could care less. So I will say it again-GET OUT of my rooms!" He turned and stalked out of the room, with the intention of heading to Hermione's room.
Jane stared after him, a plan forming in her mind.
Hermione ran down the hall, trying not to let the tears form before she got to her rooms. It wouldn't do to let anyone see her crying, after all she should have known better than to open her heart again. She made it to her room and slammed her portrait shut. She heard a muffled "REALLY!" and then she let the tears fall.
She had never really cried after she had discovered Christophe's infidelity, so she cried for the hurt he had left her and then she cried, certain that she was going to lose Severus to that witch that was in his room.
Severus stood just outside her rooms, and he heard her sobbing. He knew if he knocked now, she probably wouldn't let him in, but he knew if he didn't, he might lose her forever. He knocked "Hermione? Please, let me explain."
She heard him knocking and debated whether she should open the door to him. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. She wasn't ever going to let someone walk all over her again.
He stood outside waiting for her to let him in. She sat inside waiting for him to leave.
He finally sighed and said "You know where to find me when you are ready to talk." And he turned and walked back towards his rooms.
She let out a deep sigh. She walked into the bathroom and dried her face. She looked into the mirror and whispered "Never again."
Jane knew that discretion was the better part of valor. Obviously the girl was insecure. She would have to play on that. Now, how to do it? Dumbledore had already arranged for her rooms to be prepared. It paid to be a visiting professor; at least she wouldn't have to head back to Hogsmeade. She had wasted the better part of a day waiting for Severus to come back as it was.
She headed back to her rooms and plotted about how she was going to get him back.
Severus walked into his rooms, relieved to find that Jane had left. He couldn't deal with her. He thought he had finally moved past all that mess when he opened his heart for Hermione. Of course, he had told Jane he had loved Hermione before letting Hermione know herself. He walked over to his cabinet and without thinking, pulled out the bottle of firewhiskey and poured himself a glass. He sat down in his chair before the fire and took a drink. He thought back on the day he had at her house. Despite what everyone might have believed, he truly had enjoyed himself. He had never really gotten to sit down with a whole muggle family before and observe the interactions. Hermione's mom was a fantastic cook. Then, it had all gone downhill with Hermione dragging him home and then finding Jane, of all people, in his rooms. That was all he needed. And he knew that Hermione thought the worst, especially after having her heart broken before. She had walked into his rooms to find a woman kissing him. He didn't blame her; he might have reacted in a similar manner if he had found her with her ex in her rooms. Of course, Hermione didn't know that was Jane Abbott.
He took another swig and continued to think. He was going to have to go to Albus. He didn't have much of a choice. Jane's being here was trouble for him. He just knew it. She would not have just popped in without a reason. She did not do anything without reason. That much had been obvious when she had left him here at Hogwart's and moved on. He couldn't have Hermione thinking they had picked up where they left off years ago. He cared too much about her to lose her. The time that they had spent together on the weekends showed him he could happily live a domestic life.
He got up and poured himself another glass. He carried it into the bedroom with him and tossed down the remainder of it. He then crawled into bed, where he proceeded to toss and turn restlessly.
Hermione was thankful that the next day was Sunday. She tossed and turned, seeing over and over again the picture of Severus in another woman's arms. She knew that she should probably give him a chance to explain himself, but she had always said she would never give someone a second chance after she had caught Cristophe with her roommate. Finally, she drifted off into a restless slumber.
Severus stopped just inside his portrait hole, stunned. "Jane? What are you doing here?"
"I had some business to take care of back home and thought while I was here I would stop in and visit with you." Jane said airily.
Severus just stared at her. She really thought she could just come in and out of his life? Especially now that he had Hermione? Of course, she didn't know that his heart was otherwise engaged.
"So, Severus, how have you been?" Jane came over with the intentions of giving him a huge hug.
He stepped back slightly. "Jane, really, why are you here? We had decided that it was over the day you left here for the other position." Severus said bitterly.
"Oh Severus, can't you put the past behind you and enjoy the here and now. After all, you never did change your passwords."
Severus shook his head. He had to get her out of here. She took another step towards him and before he knew it she was pressing her lips against his, as he started to pull away he heard Hermione's voice.
"Severus, I forgot.... Oh?" Hermione walked in, and saw him in the woman's embrace. He had pulled away by that point. She looked at him, looked at the woman, turned and looked at him again, and then turned and ran out of the room.
"Hermione! Wait!" Severus started after her.
Jane all of a sudden realized why Severus had been so cold. So he was involved with someone else. Well, that certainly made things more complicated. Well, she would have to adjust her plans accordingly.
Severus turned around and stalked back into his room. "GET OUT!" He snapped. He knew very well what Hermione was thinking and he had to get to her before she assumed the worst.
"Absolutely not! We need to talk." Jane had dealt with him enough that she wasn't afraid to stand her ground.
"Jane, I'm warning you. I am involved, or was, until you showed up. I love Hermione. You and I cannot go back. I don't know what your scheme is or why you're here, but at this moment, I could care less. So I will say it again-GET OUT of my rooms!" He turned and stalked out of the room, with the intention of heading to Hermione's room.
Jane stared after him, a plan forming in her mind.
Hermione ran down the hall, trying not to let the tears form before she got to her rooms. It wouldn't do to let anyone see her crying, after all she should have known better than to open her heart again. She made it to her room and slammed her portrait shut. She heard a muffled "REALLY!" and then she let the tears fall.
She had never really cried after she had discovered Christophe's infidelity, so she cried for the hurt he had left her and then she cried, certain that she was going to lose Severus to that witch that was in his room.
Severus stood just outside her rooms, and he heard her sobbing. He knew if he knocked now, she probably wouldn't let him in, but he knew if he didn't, he might lose her forever. He knocked "Hermione? Please, let me explain."
She heard him knocking and debated whether she should open the door to him. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. She wasn't ever going to let someone walk all over her again.
He stood outside waiting for her to let him in. She sat inside waiting for him to leave.
He finally sighed and said "You know where to find me when you are ready to talk." And he turned and walked back towards his rooms.
She let out a deep sigh. She walked into the bathroom and dried her face. She looked into the mirror and whispered "Never again."
Jane knew that discretion was the better part of valor. Obviously the girl was insecure. She would have to play on that. Now, how to do it? Dumbledore had already arranged for her rooms to be prepared. It paid to be a visiting professor; at least she wouldn't have to head back to Hogsmeade. She had wasted the better part of a day waiting for Severus to come back as it was.
She headed back to her rooms and plotted about how she was going to get him back.
Severus walked into his rooms, relieved to find that Jane had left. He couldn't deal with her. He thought he had finally moved past all that mess when he opened his heart for Hermione. Of course, he had told Jane he had loved Hermione before letting Hermione know herself. He walked over to his cabinet and without thinking, pulled out the bottle of firewhiskey and poured himself a glass. He sat down in his chair before the fire and took a drink. He thought back on the day he had at her house. Despite what everyone might have believed, he truly had enjoyed himself. He had never really gotten to sit down with a whole muggle family before and observe the interactions. Hermione's mom was a fantastic cook. Then, it had all gone downhill with Hermione dragging him home and then finding Jane, of all people, in his rooms. That was all he needed. And he knew that Hermione thought the worst, especially after having her heart broken before. She had walked into his rooms to find a woman kissing him. He didn't blame her; he might have reacted in a similar manner if he had found her with her ex in her rooms. Of course, Hermione didn't know that was Jane Abbott.
He took another swig and continued to think. He was going to have to go to Albus. He didn't have much of a choice. Jane's being here was trouble for him. He just knew it. She would not have just popped in without a reason. She did not do anything without reason. That much had been obvious when she had left him here at Hogwart's and moved on. He couldn't have Hermione thinking they had picked up where they left off years ago. He cared too much about her to lose her. The time that they had spent together on the weekends showed him he could happily live a domestic life.
He got up and poured himself another glass. He carried it into the bedroom with him and tossed down the remainder of it. He then crawled into bed, where he proceeded to toss and turn restlessly.
Hermione was thankful that the next day was Sunday. She tossed and turned, seeing over and over again the picture of Severus in another woman's arms. She knew that she should probably give him a chance to explain himself, but she had always said she would never give someone a second chance after she had caught Cristophe with her roommate. Finally, she drifted off into a restless slumber.