A/N: Hello, sorry I took a while with this update; I've been cough 'revising' cough. This is quite a sweet chapter though, and very long. Most of what happens was decided by the songs I was listening to at the time. You get the idea ;)
Some Might Say
Severus Snape was prowling through Hogwarts's grounds. He heard a woman's voice singing sweetly somewhere, but he could not see her. He could hear her voice getting louder as he walked towards the lake. And there was a large poplar tree, with its leaves rustling in the summer breeze, gleaming silver, under the tree sat a girl, her long auburn hair shone in the sunlight. She turned to look at him, her emerald green eyes, almond-shaped, sparkling joyfully.
"Lily!" he called out, she smiled at him and turned her head, as if she had heard another voice on the other side of the lake. "Lily…"
She turned back to him, but now with onyx black eyes, and a malicious smile. She laughed and continued to sing, but it was more entrancing than dulcet. His head began to ache, he felt dizzy; he slapped himself on the forehead and woke up.
He found himself lying on the floor next to the sofa; he rubbed his head and got stood up stiffly. In the bedroom Hermione turned over and sighed, she opened her eyes and reached out an arm for Severus, but he wasn't there. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, he was never there. She closed her eyes and quickly went back to sleep; she was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, she needed all the strength she could get.
Severus stood in the doorway, and looked down at her, lying alone and unprotected, breathing softly. He climbed into the bed and kissed her gently on the cheek. He put an arm around her and fell into a peaceful sleep.
MmMmMmMmMmMmM
Severus loaded the last trunk into the Mini Cooper. Hermione climbed in holding Spiritus in a wicker cot, and strapped him into the back seat. Severus shut the boot and clambered into the driver's seat. He tapped a code into the flashing display, flicked his wand at the steering wheel, and leant back.
"Severus, do try and look like you're driving. I think we're getting funny looks." Hermione said nervously.
"Oh come on Hermione," he waved his wand at the windows and they darkened. "No-one can see in now, happy?" They were driving north up the motorway, soon to take the rural route. Severus quickly tapped the steering wheel.
"Severus! What happened? A second ago we were on the motorway, now, we're on… a mountain." She looked out the window, it wasn't just the windows that were darkening now; the sky was turning a deep indigo, and a few wisps of cloud covered the appearing moon. Very different from how she had arrived at Hogwarts last year.
"Hermione remember the students don't come back until tomorrow night, so I'm going to have to lock you in my rooms."
"Oh I can't wait, locked inside my Potion teacher's bedroom…" she moved closer to him, she switched the radio on; the first wave it could snatch was a Muggle station, playing Unchained Melody.
"Hermione! I'm driving, don't distract me." He stared out the windscreen, pretending to concentrate. Then he turned and grabbed her hand, pulling it to his face. He pressed his lips against hers, the music buzzing in his ears. She kissed him back, pushing any memories from the past few weeks behind her.
"I love you so much," she sighed. He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head, looking at Spiritus asleep in the back.
"Me too," he whispered.
The car steered quietly around the side of the mountain, which drew away like a veil from the castle. The stars reflected in the shimmering surface of the lake, and a few pinpricks of light shone out from the castle in the clear night. As it drew nearer to the lake, the car began to rock, a huge rim inflated and the car slid into the water, before calmly gliding across the lake. Hermione gasped, it was almost as good as her arrival in first-year, but this was her seventh-year; her last year; her NEWT year; her important year.
MmMmMmMmMmMmM
"Dobby has brought Professor Snape breakfast Sir, we hope that Professor Snape had a good journey last night." Dobby bowed low in front of Severus.
"Thank you Dobby, but I am very hungry this morning, do you think I could have some more food, and lots for lunch as well."
"Yes of course Sir, Dobby shall just go and get some more."
Severus began to lie the breakfast out on his small table. Then he poked his head around the door of the bedroom to see if Hermione was up. She saw him and smiled.
"Happy Birthday."
"Thank you, are you hungry? I've ordered some extra breakfast."
"Thank you, I'll get dressed. Did you get the bottles out? I need to feed Spiritus." She wrapped a sheet around her naked body and made for her trunk.
"Don't worry, I've already made a bottle up, I'll feed him now."
She smiled at him as he took Spiritus out of his crib into the kitchen. Dobby had already brought more food up; the table was now covered in toast, cereal and fruit. Hermione appeared a few minutes later, dressed in ordinary Muggle jeans and a shirt. Severus put lay Spiritus on the floor in the lounge, where he played with a magical teddy bear.
"So, you've just got four rooms then?" Hermione looked around herself in between bites of toast,
"Well, bedroom, lounge, bathroom and kitchen, you don't need anything else do you?" he poured her a mug of coffee from thin air.
"I guess not, thanks." She put a spoon in the mug which stirred milk into the coffee by itself as she cleared the table. She took it into the lounge with her and watched Spiritus play.
"I've got to go down to the staff room, greet everyone and have a meeting. Will you be OK here? I'll be back after lunch, there's some food around if you look."
"OK, I'll be fine. See you later." He kissed her on the cheek and strode from the room.
On the floor Spiritus's bear was clapping its paws and singing as Spiritus prodded it. Hermione bent down and stroked his head, he looked up at her and smiled, wriggling his feet and making quiet cooing noises.
MmMmMmMmMmMmM
Hermione sat by the fireplace with Spiritus on her lap, bouncing him gently on her knee, and looking anxiously up at the clock. Suddenly she heard the door open and she leapt up.
"What time do you call this?" she demanded,
"Well I did say after lunch…"
"I had my lunch five hours ago!"
"Please Hermione, come on. We had a lot to sort out. It's hard work being a teacher you know."
"I realise that,"
"Well of course you would – Miss Know-it-all Granger." She span round, her face stung as if he'd just slapped her, he never called her that cruel nickname anymore.
"Yes, that's me isn't it!" she spat, and ran out; she went into the bedroom, put Spiritus in his crib and collapsed on the bed. She pummelled the pillows, hot tears running onto her clenched fists. She got up again and changed into her school robes, and pulling from the bottom of her trunk a silver badge – Head Girl, she'd didn't deserve it she thought. She was anything but a model student now.
She packed her trunk up and took it downstairs to where the piles of students' things were being left. She tagged onto a line of students going into the Great Hall, and walked to the Gryffindor table where Harry and Ron were sitting.
"Hello Hermione, oh wow! You're Head Girl! Congratulations." Harry beamed at her,
"Thank you, and I think congratulations to Ron too; Quidditch Captain and Head Boy, your mother must be proud." Ron went beetroot and looked at the table,
"Yeah, well."
She laughed and sat down opposite them, next to Neville. "So where's Spiritus then?" asked Harry. Hermione put a finger to her lips.
"Harry… he's being looked after."
"Who by? Sn…" Harry stifled the end of his sentence and just pointed to the staff table, where Snape was sitting; chatting half-heartedly to Professor Sinistra. Hermione's face went white.
"Something could happen to him!" she stared wildly up at Severus, who when he saw her tried to point at something under the table. "I think he's with him, I just hope he's used a Silencing Charm."
Before she could say any more the doors behind them opened and Professor McGonagall appeared, holding the torn Sorting Hat and leading a group of forlorn looking first-years. She placed the Hat on the stool and it began to sing.
Though I may only be a hat,
With little chance to speak
Take note of what I say to you;
If it's power you should seek,
Then Slytherin will solve your quest
If you are one of mind,
Then Ravenclaw should keep you smart,
If your wish is to be kind,
Then Hufflepuff will welcome you,
But if you value bravery
In Gryffindor you should stay.
Four Houses, which shall it be?
When I make my choice
And you are sitting in your seat,
Take time to look around you;
Many of you will again never meet,
This year, things will happen
Some of you will not return,
For better or for worse,
It's for freedom you should yearn.
Farewell to those I will not see,
By next year you will be missed,
But I will still sort the houses,
Just as the Founders wished.
Ron raised his eyebrows, "another strange song. There really is something up with that hat."
"Maybe it's just saying what it feels," shrugged Harry,
"Or what it knows will happen…" Hermione looked around warily, and then joined the clapping as a tiny Ciara O'Balivan tottered over to the Gryffindor table.
When the last tiny first-year had joined its house Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands, to the delight of the first-years, and many older students, the golden platters appeared laden with food. "I do not wish to keep you from your food, as I can tell you are hungry," right on cue Ron's stomach rumbled very loudly, echoing in the large hall, causing most of the students to turn and stare at him. "I'll say no more," chuckled Dumbledore, "except eat and be merry, I shall address you when you are happily fed and watered."
Ron buried his head in his plate, whilst the people around him spluttered with hysterical laughter. Hermione hadn't laughed properly for a long time and it felt good to let herself go a bit, she looked around at all the delicious platters of food, trying to decide what to start with; she eventually settled on a risotto and joined her friends in their discussions of the summer.
Gradually the students began to slow down, the food hanging heavy in their stomachs. Ron just managed to finish his third pudding before he nearly fell off the bench. Hermione pulled him upright, "Honestly Ron, you should be setting a good example."
"Yep," Ron hiccupped.
"So, welcome to our new students and welcome back to our old students," Dumbledore stood up, the plates vanishing as he did. "I have a few things to say before you all go off to bed.
"Firstly, I wish luck to our new Head Boy and Girl, and our Prefects this year. Secondly I would like to announce that Professor Snape will be continuing his role as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, whilst I have appointed Professor Dee as our new Potions Master." A wizened old wizard stood up, Harry was sure he'd seen him at the Wizengamot at his hearing the summer before last. Professor Dee bowed and frowned down at the students, holding his red velvet robes straight.
"Also I should remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden, and Mr Filch has informed me that the list of objects not permitted in the castle has been extended to 542 items, although Mr Filch was able to recite all of these to me this morning I am afraid I am unable to memorize them with his capability, so the full list can be found in Mr Filch's office which he will be very willing to show you.
"Finally, there will be some great changes this year, and though we may all find ourselves in times of peril this year we should not lose hope; there will come a day when we can breathe easily again. But understand this; things are now in motion that cannot be undone, but we can meet them with courage all the same.
"I think that is enough for one night, now off to bed all of you."
The houses filed out of the Great Hall, Hermione peered up at Severus as she walked past the staff table; he didn't see her. Ron nudged her, "That Dee guy, what's up with him?"
"I don't know, he doesn't look very happy does he?" she shrugged; they nodded to the prefects leading the first-years to their common rooms, and followed Harry behind a tapestry.
As people began to go up to the dormitories Hermione drew Harry to one side, "Harry, could I please borrow your Cloak? I want to say goodnight to Spiritus."
"Sure," Harry ran up to his dormitory, a few minutes later he appeared, and pulled the Cloak out his bag and handed it to her.
"I won't be long," she whispered and slid through the portrait hole as she shrouded herself in the Cloak. She took from her pocket the charm that Severus had given to her last night. It was a silver serpent coiled into a spiral, with bright green eyes. She held it on her palm, slowly it uncoiled and slithered around on her hand until it pointed to the left, she turned left and continued until she got to a flight of stairs. The snake lifted its head upwards and she walked up the stairs. Eventually it guided her to a bare stone wall, a bust of Salazar Slytherin stood on her right, she held her palm against the wall and the snake slithered off, it found a crack in the wall and slid through. Slowly the wall began to move sideways until a door was visible, the snake coiled up on the handle. She picked the snake up and inserted its head into the locked, there was a click and she opened the door, the wall sliding back behind her.
"Hello?" she walked into the bedroom where Spiritus was drifting off to sleep.
"Excuse me a second," she heard footsteps coming from the lounge and Severus appeared in the doorway. "You could have knocked."
"Sorry, I thought you would have heard the door."
"I was entertaining,"
"Oh, who?"
"Professor Dee for your information, and I don't think he should know you're here,"
"Don't worry, I just came to say goodnight to Spiritus." He nodded and went back into the lounge; she bent down and kissed Spiritus. Snape came back in, closing the door behind him.
"You're sure you'll be OK? Just use the watch if you need me." Hermione ran her hand to her wrist where her watch was, the second of a pair she'd bought, having given him the other one last Christmas.
"Hermione, I am perfectly capable of looking after our son."
"I know, I know. Look I better get back."
"Me too, John will be getting worried. Goodnight." He gave her a quick kiss and opened the door for her. "See you tomorrow."
"Yes, goodnight," she blew him a kiss from across the corridor, before pulling the cloak over her head. She watched him invisible as he stood at the door for a few seconds. He looked around and sighed deeply; he put his head down and shut the door. The stone wall slid back across, locking him away from her.
How different this year was going to be.
A/N: Well I did promise a long one ;) That was quite fun to write. You may have noticed how atrocious I am at poetry, and of course it is just conformation for trev. But hey, the hat needs a song. Also someone (sorry I can't remember who) guessed that shock horror this fic does not have a beta! Oh the shame! Yeah, I don't have a beta, mainly because I can't be bothered, also because I tend to write on a Sunday night + update on Monday morning - I just I like the rhythm (don't worry I am strange), so I wouldn't have time to send anyone a chapter and receive it and make changes and… so on, there is more to my life than fanfiction ;) But I do discuss updates with my friends who will know what I mean ;) so apologies for any awful spelling/grammar/gender confusion, I really hate those little errors but I find it hard to check my own work as I 'see' what I 'want' to have written…
Wow, anyone who actually read that, I salute you. You're probably bored to death and think that I'm a freak. Wouldn't blame you…