AN: Well, it took a while, but I finally managed to get into enough of a humorous frame of mind to finish off this part. Sorry for the wait, but thank you for your patience. As of the end of this part I'm two thirds of the way done. Let's see if I can wrap everything up nicely with a mere 3400 words to go.
Part VII: Should Circe Meddle...
1.
Heavy rain marred their next date, causing them to stay inside the castle once more. Their date was halfway through when Snape broke the continued silence with a hiss of pain and clutched his forearm reflexively.
"As enjoyable as this has been," he said with a snide undertone, "I'm afraid we must reschedule this date." Snape stood up, bowed curtly and exited before Hermione could do anything more than cast a worried glance at his back.
She knew it must be an impromptu meeting he was attending, and wondered for whom it bade ill. She hoped he'd be all right.
2.
The next day Hermione noticed both Snape and Draco were missing from the breakfast rush. She waited until the last minute, wondering where they were.
As the week wore on, and no sign was seen of the two, Hermione grew more and more concerned. Every day she would cast a worried glance at the head table, drawing playful jabs from her friends.
"Oi, 'Mione! If you keep looking over there, we'll start to think you actually like the git," Ron pointed out sensitively.
"What makes you think I don't?" she answered bluntly, barely noticing the shocked looks her words garnered.
3.
Circe gleefully watched her granddaughter's worry increase over the week. She smiled victoriously when she heard Hermione's retort to her friends' banter, knowing it was time for Snape's return. Now the only problem was getting him back.
Circe knew he had gone off with that Malfoy brat to their last summons, but she had been unable to locate either of them since. She figured they must be somewhere unplottable, and she had a pretty good hunch as to where to start her search.
"I think," she mused to herself, "it's time to play the crone, and wander door to door."
4.
Circe had learned a lot from Zeus in her youth. She had learned that the measure of a person was best taken when they had no clue who you were.
She had heard a lot about the Malfoy family as well. They were supposed to be intelligent, but very stuck-up. She wondered how they would treat an old woman who showed up at their door looking for scraps of food.
She donned her rags and set off, apparating to the Malfoy estate gates, the forcing her way inside. She knew the wards were screaming as she knocked on the door.
5.
A man answered the door, frowning when he caught sight of the old woman.
"Go away!" he ordered, then tried to slam the door. Circe jammed her cane in the door, and put on her most disturbing toothless smile.
"Can't you spare an old woman a few scraps of bread?"
Lucius narrowed his eyes, then smiled dangerously. "Of course! Where were my manners? Come in, come in. I'll give you a treat."
Circe allowed herself to be grabbed and thrown into the dungeons.
"You'd have been better off getting a job," he laughed as he slammed the cell door shut.
6.
When she was sure her host had gone, Circe dug out her wand and cast some light on the bad situation. As she waved the light around, she saw a form huddled in the corner.
"Oh dear," she remarked, as she bent over the body and recognized the face. "Now how did you get yourself in such a pickle, dearie?" she asked the unconscious Snape. "Did you comment on their manners?"
She quickly cast a few diagnostic spells, and then a healing charm. Little by little, Snape's breathing got easier, and she sat down to wait for him to wake.
7.
A good deal of time passed before Snape deigned to wake. Circe helped him into consciousness by flicking his shoulder blade repeatedly.
"For the love of Circe, stop hitting me!" Snape grumbled, rolling away from the offending finger.
"Nice to know you love me," Circe said, eliciting another groan from the huddled mass.
"What are you doing here, or have I died and gone to Hell?" Snape muttered.
"Now that's a fine way to talk when I had decided to rescue you."
"Just leave me to rot. I'll not be missed."
"That, dearie, is where you're wrong." Circe stated.
8.
"So tell me how you got yourself in such an undignified position," Circe demanded when Snape finally managed to sit up.
Snape hesitated, then shrugged, knowing he might as well talk willingly. "It seems Narcissa took offense at my supposedly stunning Draco the other month. When I came over for a nightcap after the last revel she opened the door with a stunner. I woke up in here."
He pouted. "Lucius has been coming down here for a laugh every day at tea time."
Circe nodded, a knowing look on her face. "Well, we mothers can be a bit overprotective..."
9.
Snape looked at Circe as if he wanted to scold her, but thought better of it.
"So do you have a rescue plan, or are we supposed to sit here till the Malfoys lose interest?"
"Oh, I didn't come to rescue you, per se, dearie. I just came to make sure you're okay. Don't want Hermione worrying, you know."
"So you're just going to leave me in here to rot?" Snape said, feeling a little panicky.
"Oh, come now. Do you really think the Malfoys will leave you here when you're summoned next? They'll have had their joke by then."
10.
Snape laughed harshly but stopped suddenly as Circe disappeared with a pop. He covered his face with his hands to muffle his frustrated scream. The only bright side to the situation was the news that Hermione was worried about him.
Meanwhile, Circe hurried up to the castle. She had good news to share.
"Hermione, darling, all's well with your Snapeypoo," she announced loudly, flouncing into the common room.
Hermione, and everyone else there, looked over at Circe with appalled faces.
The appalled faces quickly filled with mirth.
Hermione scowled at Circe as the room rang with laughter. Circe beamed back.