A/N: Thank you to: Wolf Runner (finally), The Grim (you flatter me - and make me sound lke a freak!), SemiCharmed (forgive my typos) and witchintraining (might this cheer you up?). Thank you lovely people!
Betwixt Wind And Water
Snape stared at her wide-eyed, his heart bursting against the sides of his ribcage, like a battering ram. He ignored the other students who were beginning to chat curiously amongst themselves, his eyes savoured every minute detail of her appearance; her refined, unblemished face, the soft tresses of her hair, the gentle glisten of her eyes, the temptation of her full lips. Hermione had her head down and was muttering under her breath, her wand crept out from her bag and pointed behind her. A squeal was heard from the back of the classroom; Pansy Parkinson was waddling around the room on four trotters, grunting. The class leapt up and began to cause a rumpus, shouting and screaming they ran around the classroom. Only two people stayed seated, completely unnoticed in the uproar.
The space between them tightened as he leant forward, his breath soft on her cheek, she gulped, he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume, she could hear him breathe in and out, he could see her eyes closing and their lids fluttering, he was so close she could almost taste him. A loud shriek broke them apart as Pansy Parkinson became a girl again. Snape stood up, his lips quivering.
"Get in your seats now!" he roared, "did I tell you to get up? Calm down Miss Parkinson, go and sit down."
"But Sir... what about the person who did this to me?" she stuttered, cowering under his glare.
"The person responsible will see me after the lesson," his eyes averted so that every person in the room felt he was staring directly at them.
He began the lesson. But he wasn't concentrating on what he was saying about the importance of DADA at the moment, that Dumbledore had told him to talk about. He didn't notice when he started talking about the current whereabouts of many of the Death Eaters – highly confidential information – to the surprise of the class. But fortunately a few members of the class had been paying attention and inquired in an audible whisper whether he should really be talking about that. He stopped himself just in time, as Draco Malfoy was looking suspiciously at him. Hermione wasn't paying any attention either, but chewing the ends of her hair and rocking incessantly on her chair, hanging on edge for the bell.
At last the familiar chime echoed through the halls and the students burst out of the classroom trying not to think about the long essay he had just set them. As Hermione swung her bag over her shoulder and made to catch up with Harry and Ron, a hand caught her around the waist, she span around, her mouth began to form a smile before she caught herself.
"No, please, we can't." she gazed into his eyes, "we've just got to forget everything."
"How? You tell me how Hermione? I can't forget it that easily."
"Leave me alone, I can't do this. For fuck's sake, look! I'm 16, and you're...you're not! It's illegal, illegitimate, unlawful, criminal, wicked, what ever you want to call it, but it's not right!" His eyes widened, his mouth tightened.
"Then what about just now? You could have just left the whole pig thing."
"I, I don't know, it was for you; people needed a distraction whilst you regained your composure."
"Fine," he whispered urgently, "but just let me have one more, one more..." she took a deep breath stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed his cheek, she turned but he was too quick. His lips reached hers before her feet could drag her away. He delved deep into her, trying to find any part of her that would let it continue. His cheeks felt wet, he opened his eyes to see hers brimming with tears, he gently brushed them away with one hand and stroked her back with the other. She pulled away, her face awash with emotion she sped through the doorway without a glance backwards. She didn't even apologise to the figure watching them from the doorway, but by the time she was up the stairs she gasped, there was a figure watching from the doorway, she ran back along the empty corridor, her heart racing.
Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway a look of pure venom and glee spread across his face, he challenged Snape as a man; not the arrogant boy he normally was. Snape was now a shivering wreck; his eyes cast downwards, his hands quivering under his robes, they both heard the running footsteps from outside and both turned.
"Back so soon Granger? Couldn't bear to keep your hands off him for long could you?" he sneered at her distraught face, "look's like someone ought to know about this doesn't it?" He made a lunge for Hermione, but Snape got there before him, she struggled under his grip.
"Don't touch her Malfoy; she doesn't need your filthy hands on her."
"Do think I'd really want to touch a Mudblood anyway? It disgusts me Professor, that of all people you chose her. Father will be interested when he hears this..." Malfoy chuckled to himself, Snape clutch Hermione tighter.
"Let go of me!" she yelled, "Malfoy, you are the most evil psychotic bastard I've ever met! I don't know who you think you are strutting around as if you call the shots but I most certainly am not impressed. Just because you don't know how to feel it doesn't mean you can take it out on other people. Besides, I don't know how much you heard back there but you must of heard enough to realise that was the end." She flung out her hand and reached for his face, unclenching her fist to reveal five talon-shaped fingernails, and before Malfoy knew what was happening he had five streaks of blood across his cheek. The three of them stared open-mouthed in horror as the blood trickled down his cheeks; a fire burning ferociously in his eyes Malfoy leapt upon her, grimacing in pain. Snape tried to pull him off but Hermione was already on the floor, her robes torn, her hair tousled, her bag and books askew, and her lips and forehead covered in blood. Malfoy cursed under his breath.
"Serves you right, you bloody slut!" He turned and pointed his finger at Snape. "You won't get away with this, I'm warning you, after I've been to Dumbledore we'll see what you feel like, and then there's Father..." Snape remained silent, but stared at him intently. He used Legilimency to find the experience Malfoy had just had and skilfully extracted it, then for extra protection he performed a Memory Charm, Malfoy stood before him looking confused.
"Now, now, Mr Malfoy, teasing poor old Mrs Norris is not a good idea, is it? You better go off to the Hospital Wing." Malfoy touched his cheek and saw the blood drop onto his fingertips, he rushed off out of the room.
Snape bent down and gently stroked Hermione's head as she lay curled up on the floor shaking with terror amidst the pools of her own blood. She whimpered and tried to get up, but unable to she sat there and began to collect her books. The two of them uttered not a word whilst she put her books back in her bag, he used a simple charm to clean her face and robes. She clambered to her feet and moved towards him.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she whispered in his ear, he could smell the drying blood. He took out his hand and held hers tightly, he brought it up to his mouth and gently kissed it. Hermione turned and stumbled out of the door, she turned and mouthed back at him once more, "I'm so sorry." and she was gone.
The sun shone down on her through the slit windows as she passed along the corridor, she could hear lessons all over the school. But instead she walked out of the doors into the autumn sunshine and wandered down the path to Hagrid's Hut. She knocked on the door and looked up expectantly.
"It'd better be important, I haven' got much time yeh know!" Hagrid's mane of wild hair confronted her at the door. "Hermione! What d'you know? Are you alrigh'?" Hermione tried to smile.
"Oh Hagrid," she fell into his arms.
"Careful there, now come on Hermione, don' cry, s'OK. In yeh get, let's have a chat." He led her inside and sat her down with a cup of tea. "so are yeh gonna tell me abou' it?"
"Hagrid, it's just that, oh I don't feel like going to any lessons today."
"Yeh bin to see Madam Pomfrey?" Hagrid looked her up and down.
"No... I'm not ill, at least not in that sense, I don't think any medicine can do much for me. I just didn't want to go to lessons, but needed to talk, that's all."
"Is that righ'? I see, bu' a bit odd yeh not wanting to go to lessons!" he smiled kindly at her, "cheer up, eh?"
Hermione sat quietly, sipping cup after cup for at least an hour whilst they talked about the summer and goings on in the wizarding world. Until Hagrid looked at the clock on his wall.
"I'm sorry Hermione, bu' I've got a lesson in a minute, yeh OK now?" she nodded, "cours' yeh not, what you got can' be cured, I see it very easily. Yeh in love, Hermione."
A/N: Cute isn't it? Was that slow enough, but with enough action to keep the reader enthralled? So do we think Snape was 'skilful' enough to keep Malfoy quiet? You'll have to see. Next update will be on 1st November cos I'm in Edinburgh next week, hmm, where's JK at the moment..? ;-)
