I SWEAR I UPDATED THIS CHAPTER!!!! I put this chapter up a few days ago but it never came and dissapeared from document manager!!! So here it is again.
And thank u for ur sweet reviews!!! I'm lucky if I get a page in a day.... but i store my nuts dont worry - i have chapter 11 finished so I will update when i next have the internet. So here u go.
Chapter 9: Draco, Harry and Ginny.
O
So far: (Sighs – ill keep it as short as possible)
Stella Snape, sister of Severus Snape, dies. This causes a change in behaviour from Snape which arouses Hermione's curiosity which leads to her gaining a small crush on him. She, stupidly (or blindly), breaks into Snape's chambers as part two of a four stage plan to steal a kiss from him. She takes a book without thinking.
Hermione is dragged to a party – kissed by Seamus and Severus walks in just in time to see it. He finds himself irked by what he sees. He catches Hermione outside, still, after curfew and they talk. He lets her off the hook and she goes back to bed.
Hermione finishes her book and goes to return it, running into Malfoy on the way. Once in the storeroom Severus catches her and impulsively kisses her (you have to reread it). He cannot believe what he did and they talk in his chambers after. Hermione goes back to tell Ginny. Later that day she's on her way to the Library when she is grabbed by the hand of an unknown person.
O
Note: From now on in my summaries I will only put events from the last chapter – I'm now going to depend on your memories to not forget the rest.
O
Hermione had been on her way down the library, slowly. She had not been feeling as full of energy as she had this morning and she was approaching the dim light of the library's entrance when she had been startled by a rough grip on her upper arm.
She was spun around so quickly she did not have time to think. The burn on her arm panicked her. She could feel the aggressiveness. She gasped. She was brought to look straight into the eyes of the person who had caught her forcefully.
For a moment the fear lingered as she was caught by such a dangerous stare. But when she recognised the intimidating features of Severus Snape she visibly relaxed in his hold. She did not take her eyes off of his. She did not blink and neither did he.
Although she was no longer scared she felt strangely nervous and excited at the same time. She anticipated his next move. He was so unpredictable. There was a moment where time stopped and both of them were frozen as they looked at each other. The posture of Snape was threatening as he looked down at Hermione, staring up with big eyes, in his grasp.
She gasped as he abruptly turned and pulled her roughly into the empty classroom next to them. She almost tripped as she tried to keep up to speed. He slammed the door shut once she was in and locked it with a satisfying click. Now they were alone.
She shivered to think she was trapped with him, despite herself. He let go of her arm and she took a step closer. She thought so many things so quickly that she could not really focus on what was on her mind. She kept her sharp eyes on him, tall and dark with his black robes to match. The rabid butterflies in her stomach fluttered.
Once she had stepped closer he took a deep breath and looked at her intently. She was looking up at him with excitement. He did not pause to think, he just followed his instinct.
She gasped again as he pinned her against the wall in one fast sweeping motion. She smiled a little. The feeling of being safe but totally unsafe at the same time caused an explosion of good feelings inside her like two opposite potions mixed together. His body was pressing against her, crushing her slightly but it felt wonderful. She had been close to him before but now she could feel his warmth more than ever before and she felt her heart stop. She was shadowed by his thick robes, though the room was already dark, so she could hardly see him.
She loved being powerless like this. She just let herself be led, unlike the two times before where it had either been controlled by her or no one.
He put his face close to hers. He could feel her chest heave with each breath she took. He could even feel the speed of her heart from their closeness.
She found herself holding her breath as she waited for him to kiss her. She wanted to be kissed and the time it was taking only made that wish grow. She all of a sudden stopped feeling anything for a moment when their lips met. The raging and boiling liquid hot sensations inside her just dissipated. His kiss was the cure for her constant dissatisfaction.
The soft touch of his skin made tiny cool flames beneath her skin flare in delight and the feeling of drowning in her own comfort seemed too real to not be so.
Now this was better than anything she had ever implied when she had talked or even thought of spontaneity...
O
Hermione rushed to make her Arithmacy class. She wondered if she had ever in her entire life felt so wonderful. She guessed not. She sighed as she waited outside the door to go in. There was a ridiculously smug grin plastered in her face throughout the lesson.
O
Professor McGonagall strutted stiffly up and down in front of her desk as she looked over her glasses at the class as they read over their notes. She appeared to be nervous for them. That did nothing to lighten the stressful mood of the exams. If their teacher worried for them then it was time to panic.
Hermione, on the other hand, did not feel that anything could make her heart race the way Severus had when he had kissed her earlier. She sighed again for fifth time. The lesson had only just begun.
She let the small smile escape her. When she realized that she had been smirking for a full five minutes in oblivion for no apparent reason she stopped. She looked back at her book quickly before anyone could notice.
She frowned as she stared at the jumble of words spread randomly on the pages in front of her. Why had Harry and Ron not seen and inquired as to her constant smile.
She dared to look up again and turned to them on her right. She was surprised to find them muttering furiously together behind an especially large textbook that they held up in front of their faces. She now understood why they had not seen her; they had been too absorbed in some discussion that appeared to have a great significance.
She frowned as she saw Harry was glowering sourly and although he kept his voice low she could hear the pure hatred and resentment in it. She could not see Ron's face but his voice sounded bewildered and disgusted.
She checked to see that McGonagall was not looking before she leaned over to join the discussion.
"What's going on?" she whispered. Harry and Ron stopped their talking abruptly and both turned to look at her. The concentrated looks on their faces dropped and they looked at each other blankly and then at her.
Harry then furrowed his black brows and his green eyes almost flared orange in the firelight. He leaned across Ron so she could hear. A look of strong distaste poisoned his features. "Ginny," he started viciously, "is dating a Slytherin," he spat. "And not just any Slytherin, but MALFOY!" he continued. His voice slowly climbed and the last word was heard by the whole class.
Hermione gasped and Ron nodded, looking very green. Hermione had not gasped from the news but how the hell did they find out?!
"Mr Potter?" snapped Professor McGonagall. "Do you mind explaining what exactly it is that has caused you to disrupt other's studying?" She was not angry at him and Hermione could tell. She was just agitated. Harry frowned slightly not daring to glare.
He opened his mouth to speak back rudely. He could not be held accountable for his actions, she concluded. He was fuelled by rage. Ron put a hand on his arm and shook his head to prevent him from telling the class. Harry decided to close his mouth and he looked up darkly at the professor.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. She nodded briskly and continued her pacing. Harry could understand that Ron did not want the school to know his sister was dating a Malfoy.
"I don't believe it..." Ron muttered in a barely audible voice that reeked of his disbelief. He was getting progressively greener and greener. Harry was panting. Hermione was just sitting there with wide eyes.
"How did you find out about this?" she gaped. This could not be good - this was so incredibly bad... Ron shook his head, implying that Harry was the one more up to replying.
"Neville saw them kissing behind on of the Greenhouses and ran off to find us. He was in shock," he was losing the control of his facial expressions and his face contorted into a sneer. Hermione shuddered at the glint in his venomous green eyes. They had always been a soft green before. She wondered if Ginny was aware of the fact that their secret was out.
"Bloody hell..." Ron continued under his breath. His freckles now stood out against his very pale skin. His pupils were dilated in horror.
"Does she know that you know?" she kept her voice low and her expression as nervous as possible with little difficulty.
"No," he spat. "But tonight..." he nodded jerkily at her and she knew what he meant.
Tonight... tonight, things would get ugly. Poor Ginny.
O
Ginny came skipping to meet them when they entered the common room, before Hermione had a chance to warn her. She felt her blood run cold in her veins. She was so cheerful.
She grinned at them and her smiled slowly died when she looked at their faces. Ron looked sick, Harry looked outraged and Hermione looked worried. Hermione widened her eyes at her, to try and hint something but Ginny did not get it.
"What's wrong?" she asked seriously with a slightly scared note in her voice.
Harry's sneer deepened. "Malfoy..." he hissed. He knew she would understand, and she did. She gasped and put a hand to her mouth. She took a small step back. The blood was leaving her face faster than it had Ron's.
"Or maybe you would prefer if we called him Draco..." said Ron numbly with blank repugnance. Ginny continued to gawk at the both of them. She looked around for escape, knowing that there was none.
"He's a SLYTHERIN!" burst out Harry all of a sudden, shouting at the top of his voice. She flinched hard. The whole common room stopped what it was doing and turned to listen in. Ginny shrank a little under his twisted glare.
"I-I," she stuttered quietly, at a total loss for words. She looked up apologetically at Ron but he looked away as if he could not look her straight in the eye without seeing Draco.
"Bloody hell! Ginny..." he said softly but the revulsion was plain. "What were you thinking!" his voice was climbing too. Ginny opened and closed her mouth several times but nothing escaped.
"He has made ALL our lives a misery for as long as we have known him!" said Harry hotly. Hermione just said nothing, knowing she was unable to help Ginny in the slightest no matter what she said.
"He's MALFOY!" Ron suddenly broke into a yell. There were collective gasps from the whole room and Lavender screeched from the far corner. Ginny gasped once more and shot a horrified look over her shoulder to the room filled with accusing stares.
"I-" she looked about ready to faint. Hermione took a step forward and put an arm around her. She suddenly realized that she had to stick up for Ginny and couldn't figure out what had possessed her not to until now. She had been afraid of what they would think but she knew that she needed a taste of what it would feel like if they ever found out.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ginny..." she whispered, helping her stand. It did not look like she could support her own weight much longer.
Harry and Ron's jaws dropped. The rest of the room held their breaths. All eyes were now on her.
"Hermione!" yelled Harry. "What are you doing!?" the bewilderment and fury of the words stung like wasps. Ginny looked up at her with wide and grateful blue eyes. Hermione smiled back.
She then glared up at Harry. "I'm comforting Ginny," she snapped, "What does it look like?" There was another gasp from somewhere in the sea of unblinking eyes behind her and Ginny. Ginny closed her eyes as the tears began to well up.
"She's kissing the enemy!" cried Ron, despite the fact he was talking about his own sister. Ginny looked up at him with watery eyes and snivelled. Hermione felt the rage bubbling and rising inside her too. She growled loudly and Ron suddenly looked less sure of himself.
"Does that make her any less human?!" she said, her voice an octave higher than usual and much louder. Harry looked blank. She scowled at them both. "I don't think," she highlighted the word as she raised the level of bitterness in her stare. "That it is you place to judge her," she hissed.
"Have you gone stark raving MAD, Hermione?" Harry looked furious, mystified and totally insecure at the same time. "Did you forget one tiny detail-"
"It's MALFOY!" cut in Ron for him. "Remember him, Hermione? Suddenly the fact that he's dating Ginny is enough to make you forget the things he's done?" Hermione's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared.
"This is NOT about Malfoy!" she growled.
"Yes it i-" started Harry lividly.
"No. It is NOT," she shrieked, "This is about Ginny!" Harry just let his mouth hang open and Ron waited to hear what she was about to say. The fire inside her was melting and eating away at her guts, causing pain which only stoked her fury. "It is her choice to date whoever she pleases and as her friends," she practically spat the word in their faces and both of them flinched. "Then you should support her no matter what she does. I think it is obvious who Ginny can trust the most, is it not?" she voice lowered from a shriek to an angry whisper.
The whole room was stone quiet. Harry and Ron did not speak. The anger was still faint in their eyes but a rising guilt was appearing.
"But, Ginny," rasped Ron sadly, sounding ill, "why him?"
"Leave her alone," she said bitterly but in a much calmer tone than before. "She does not have to answer to you." She turned to Ginny, giving her a pitying look. But Ginny wanted to answer this one. She shook her head softly.
"It's ok Hermione," she said quietly, "Thank you." The look in her eyes was so grateful that Hermione was so happy she had stood up for her. "I love Draco-" there were shudders from not the boys alone. "-because when I'm with him, he makes me feel like the only other person in the world. He treats me with the deepest respect. He loves me for every little thing I do and say and even the things I don't like about myself. He has been catching my eye all year and just being near him sets off the butterflies. It was not allowed by you," she pointed to them forlornly, "but it was meant to be. I would not be happy with any other man because this is what is meant to be. It is just so right to be with him..." Hermione froze as she heard a few of her own feelings being spelled out for her by her friend.
Harry was now looking sicker than Ron had the whole time. Hermione realized that what Ginny had failed to remember – Harry liked Ginny and she had just dismissed him saying that she did not belong with any other than Draco Malfoy. She felt a small pinch of pity for him but he had just given Ginny hell so in a way he deserved it.
Ginny all of a sudden widened her eyes and she could tell that she had finally remembered. But her eyes narrowed a second later in defiance.
Ron was speechless. He looked as though it had not been a good enough explanation and was tempted to ask again but he held his tongue. Harry on the other hand had a look of defeat on his face.
"That is how you feel then?" he asked quietly. Ginny let go of Hermione, finally finding the strength to hold her own. She straightened her back and the confidence leaked through the pores of her skin. That was thanks to Hermione's help.
"Yes." She nodded stiffly. Harry looked down but he sucked in a breath and puffed up his chest.
He brushed past her and went towards the boys' tower – Ron followed quickly after him, giving Ginny one final ill look.
The second they were gone Hermione turned and hugged Ginny tightly, scowling lividly at the whole Gryffindor common room over her shoulder. Immediately everyone had something to do or somewhere to be and the silence broke down as people pretended to talk about homework, exams or texts from various books.
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, letting go of Ginny. She kept her hands on her shoulders. Ginny looked at the floor, her red hair shadowing her cheeks.
"Maybe you should get an early night," she muttered softly. Ginny nodded and turned without looking up.
Hermione was at her side as she trudged up the spiral steps and into her dorm.
"Good night."
"Good night, Hermione..."
It had been a wonder, how fast Hermione's good mood popped like a bubble harshly jabbed with a pin. But that night she before bed she revisited her memories.
O
Severus had never, in his entire life, felt the way he did now. Heavens knows, at one point he came so close but this was different. There was a danger to this feeling. It was the forbidden fruit of relationships. At moments he felt ashamed and repulsed by what had gone underway because that was the way the world went. Despite the fact that nothing other than social boundaries held them apart there was going to be uproar if it ever got out. He intended to keep it a secret. But as a secret it became something he could not have anticipated.
But it was all still in it's beginning stages. There was no telling where it would lead. She may even drop him the second she leaves school. He had no idea because although he knew her well he did not know that sort of stuff about her. He wanted to speak with her about it but he did not want to spoil it. And he certainly hoped she would not forget him the moment she left school...
Talk with her, he would have to. Hogsmead weekend was coming and he knew where they could slip away to get some privacy.
But the more he thought, the more they lapsed into pictures of her in his mind. His imagination was so vivid and real that he could almost see her standing right in front of him. She was an incredibly intelligent beautiful woman, he decided, and he had no idea what made him worthy of her affection.
O
"Quit it!" snapped Hermione with absolutely no hint of bite in her voice, more like irritation. Harry and Ron grinned harder as they dangled honeydukes candy in front of her nose while she was trying to study. It was a long gummy worm that wriggled as if it were alive.
Hermione made a swipe at it but they snatched it away before she could get it. "You really don't want me to pass my NEWTs, do you?" she sighed. She tried once more to continue her sentence but once again the worm was lowered slowly in front of it. She pursed her lips to hide a smile.
She snapped her book shut quickly and caught it between the pages so Ron could not take it away. It squashed but luckily did not leave a stain on her book. She opened the book took out the flattened worm and chewed on it as she continued to read.
"Hey!"
"What?" she said with a smile. Ron raised his eyebrows. Crookshanks leapt up from the floor onto Hermione's lap and curled up into a fuzzy ball, purring loudly while Hermione read.
"You really have studied enough," he said in a more serious tone. "We should do something to relieve stress..." Hermione rolled her eyes. She lifted a corner of her mouth in a half smile.
"Ron, I know this pressure is killing you but, exams are next week! We will have all the time in the world after the exams to enjoy ourselves. But right now... study," she said shoving a nearby book into his hands.
He grudgingly accepted it and wrinkled his nose as he opened it to read. He knew she was right. He knew he should study, but he was in desperate need of a break.
Harry just resumed his reading after pausing to watch their conversation. They almost never failed to amuse him, always sounding like a couple of eighty-year-olds.
O
She felt the stress mounting slowly. She could hardly think that week that led up to the exams. She had not seen Severus in all that time out of classes but her work had made it so that she could not notice. He had not been surprised in the slightest.
She spent several hours extra working late into the night but she kept his earlier advice in mind – that sleep was necessary for best performance during exams.
And when the exams actually came... she had been so surprised... in a good way. She had found her first to be a piece of cake; all the questions had been the simplest she had seen. Even Harry and Ron said they thought they did well on their Transfiguration test. She had been further pleasantly surprised to find that all the other tests to come had been just as easy, although when it came to some of them, the boys could not agree with her.
O
The final test had been Charms and she, not wanting to think like too much of a big head, had thought she had done pretty well. She walked out of the Great Hall that had been filled with single desks flanked by Harry and Ron. They were looking a little worried but mostly ecstatic that the exams were over. They were silent, respectfully, as they left the hall, as were the rest of the seventh years.
The second everyone was out of the Grand Entrance and in the warm air of June there was a short and tense pause followed by a huge roar of noise. People started screaming and yelling, whooping and jumping. The other years watched as all the seventh years, Slytherins included, hugged each other and everyone, grinning stupidly amongst themselves.
Hermione screamed along with everyone else, the relief that the worst was over and now she could start studying for University. She hugged everyone in turn, careful not to miss a single person. (Yes, even the Slytherins). She was as quick as she could be with Crabbe and Goyle but when she came to Malfoy she squeezed him tight and muttered in his ear "Treat her well".
Once the bustle had died down and people were dispersing to talk amongst their own groups of friends as usual. Hermione managed to find her way back to Harry and Ron in the swarm of students. There was a comfortable silence between them as they walked away together down the steps and out onto the green, their footsteps in sync.
For a long while they did not speak, just content to stroll together along the grass that led down to the lake and greenhouses. There were others walking nearby in the same direction, including Pavarti and Lavender. They were gossiping together, not bothering to keep their voices low. Hermione frowned at what she heard.
They had approached some Ravenclaw students of the same age and immediately informed them of their topic of conversation.
"Did you know," Pavarti asked with excitement, looking at the puzzled Ravenclaws, "that Draco Malfoy is dating someone in Gryffindor..." Two of them gasped and the other made a choking noise in her throat. The looks of pure horror on their faces seemed to satisfy Pavarti.
"And not just any Gryffindor..." she said knowingly, loving the power of knowing something they did not. One of Ravenclaws held her breath rather audibly and Hermione could see a smirk playing with Lavenders lips. "None other than..." she paused for effect, "...Our dear friend - the only female Weasley."
The gasps were harder and louder and Hermione pulled a face of disgust and pulled Harry and Ron away from them. She brought them over to their favourite spot under the willow tree on the grass leading to the lake.
She sat down and waited for them to follow suit and they did. The soft green grass was comfortable and Harry allowed himself to fall backwards onto it, his school robes lying about him in a mess. Ron on the other hand chose to take off his outer robes in the heat of the day, throwing it casually to one side, letting it sit in a crumpled pile.
The sun was shining down and all the boys wanted to do was relax and bask in the relief of knowing the exams were over. Hermione had other thoughts though.
"Can you believe them!" she spat, not looking at either of them. "They just love spreading the pain and making it stronger. They are deriving pleasure from Ginny's privacy and not once considering how this only makes the situation far worse. If it is all the school knows about she will be the center of attention and will suffer greatly!"
She looked about her at Ron who was not really paying attention, rolling up the white sleeves of his shirt and Harry was just lying still with his eyes closed trying to doze in the sunshine.
She scowled and looked angrily at the lake, roughly pressing her chin into her palm to prop up her head. The annoyance was obvious.
"Hermione, don't think about it now," Ron finally said, finished with rolling his sleeves. He shifted so he could lie forward on his stomach and sleep, like Harry. "Exams just finished." She had never really noticed how much the boys had changed. But now she saw, with his shirt sleeves up, that Ron was rather toned and realized Harry must be too. She looked back at the lake and refocused her hate on Lavender and Pavarti.
He folded his arms and let his jaw rest on them. Hermione simply sighed. Harry did not so much as twitch.
"Does Malfoy know about this?" she asked all of a sudden, straightening abruptly. She could not see Ron's face so watched Harry's reaction. She saw his brow crease although his eyes stayed closed. There was a distinct show of revolt on his part.
"Please Hermione," he said with a groan, "can we just drop the Malfoy subject for now? I have no idea if he knows or not. I do not feel like confronting him." Hermione pitied him and did as he asked, dropping the subject but continuing the thoughts in her head as she considered telling him about the situation herself.
She replaced her head on her palm and let her eyes glaze over as she followed the movements of the giant squid on the surface of the enormous lake.
O
By Breakfast there was a loud buzz of gossip in the air. There had been all week but it had been much slower because Lavender and Pavarti were studying for exams and not many had enough time to listen to rumours anyway. But now there was nothing better to do than hear what exactly was going on.
When Hermione walked down to breakfast beside the two boys she had a look of abhorrence plastered on her face and was all she could do not to wrinkle her nose at the crowds of people lining the halls whispering about none other than the keeper of her biggest secret.
She glared at anyone who dared to look her straight in the eyes. They all sent her questioning looks and continued to mutter.
They were almost at the Great Hall when she spied a large group of fifth year Slytherins all looking as appalled as she did, but not for the same reason. As they passed Hermione felt the anger rise and tried in to contain herself.
"...That Gryffindor bimbo?" gasped one of them. "Does he have no standards!?"
Hermione growled loudly but thankfully they ignored her. Harry and Ron both put a hand on her upper arms at the same time as a hint that she should try harder to keep her cool.
She took a deep breath and it did not help her much. She allowed herself to be led to a seat at the Gryffindor table.
All three of them automatically took the vacant spots in a tight bunch around Ginny. The three of them disregarded the stinging glares and poisonous stares directed at them and especially Ginny. Hermione noticed that her fellow sixth years had abandoned her and shuffled further down the bench and were talking furiously amongst themselves, all the time watching her.
Ginny was half-heartedly prodding her eggs on her plate, her head bent and her red hair shrouded her face as if she was attempting to hide behind it and failing. Her blue eyes were glossy with unshed tears and her back was hunched.
Hermione took the seat nearest her, hugging her before she helped herself to food.
For the longest time they did not speak. The boys were sullen and although they stood by Ginny they had no idea what they could say to comfort her, knowing whatever they attempted would sound awkward and forced. Ginny was looking more miserable and downhearted with each second that passed and she kept looking up at the doorway.
Hermione eventually looked up at the doorway too, while chewing her pancakes, then she glanced shortly at the Slytherin table where she could not find Malfoy. He should have been easy to find seeing as the Slytherins looked murderous and were talking bitterly amongst themselves. When he came in he would probably be ambushed.
Ginny was pale and looked very scared. Hermione decided to leave her breakfast for now.
She looked up at Head table and was caught unaware by the sharp stare of Severus. There was a moment where nothing moved and the only people in the room were the two of them before he tore his deathly black eyes off of her and they rested on the riotous Slytherins.
Hermione looked back at Ginny, quite at a loss for words. "Does Draco know yet?" both boys shuddered simultaneously, pausing whatever stage of eating they were in. She sent a frosty look their way.
Ginny shook her head. She slowly lifted her head to look at Hermione in the eyes. Hermione could then see that the tears were starting to spill over the rims of her eyelids and that her bottom lip was quivering slightly. She was on the verge of breaking down into a crying fit.
"Not yet..." she snivelled, her lip quivered more violently. "But when he does, what if he dumps me?" she wailed, keeping her voice low enough. She released the flow of tears and leaned forward to bury her face in Hermione's shoulder.
The muttering in the hall grew louder and Hermione sent venomous looks around the whole room, attempting to quiet them down. Once again her eyes caught with Severus and she noticed that he was not the only teacher watching Ginny sobbing in her arms. Most of them were staring intently, interested to know what was going on. She dropped her gaze and returned to the quaking Ginny she held.
"Why would he do that?" she said softly, "He truly loves you, I saw it in his eyes. He's protective as well. Why would he just dump you when he cares about you? Besides the truth is out. All you two have to do now is wait for this to die down and people to accept what is between you and the you will be rid of this extra worry sooner than you planned..." She patted her back gently to soothe her.
Ginny stopped shaking in grief but refused to lift her head to face the hundreds of eyes on her. "I don't know, Hermione," she mumbled into her shoulder, "What if he didn't really care about me and was just using me? What if I was simply too blind to see it?"
Hermione shushed her firmly, feeling suffocated from all the attention she receiving. Harry was watching with sad eyes and Ron was just watching; there was no readable emotion in his characteristics.
She let go of Ginny who reluctantly straightened and grabbed a napkin to dab her watery eyes. Poor Ginny, Hermione thought to herself sadly. It was the risk of sneaking around behind their backs and she shuddered to think what they would do if they found out about her. It would be less bad after Graduation because she would no longer be a student so therefore less improper, however the reactions would still be bad.
Suddenly there was a frightening hush the fell over the hall as if someone had dropped a huge cold blanket over the whole room. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny's heads snapped up to see what caused the silence and their brows rose when they saw Draco standing in the center of the doorway.
He was frozen and looked around the room at the whole room that was looking right back at him. He was getting progressively paler as he spied the faces of the students at his table and their mutinous glares.
His silver eyes then slid over to the Gryffindor table where Ginny was looking frightened and had tears drying on her blotchy cheeks. She was staring at him too with panic in her eyes.
His lips parted a little in what must have been his version of a gape.
There was a long drawn out silence as he looked over at the Slytherins again and he knew he could not approach them. He looked back at Ginny sitting next to Hermione. He could feel his heart clench in anger at what they had done to her.
Hermione decided to do something that shocked the whole hall. She gestured Draco to come sit with her, Ginny, Ron and Harry. There a few quiet gasps of surprise. Draco looked just as shocked as everyone else but the terrified faces of the Gryffindors looked a lot more appealing than the deadly looks he was getting shot from his house table.
Harry went a pale green when Hermione waved her hand for him to come. Ron froze and remained very still with a nervous look on his face.
She realized, as Draco tentatively started to walk over to them and the people sitting closest to them fled to the farthest ends of the table, that she enjoyed interfering and being the different one in uncomfortable situations. She was the only one behaving the way she was but she felt like she was doing the right thing. It gave her an unusual rush to the head.
There where more gasps as Draco hesitated and actually sat next to Ginny. Ginny looked so incredibly relieved and the rest of the Gryffindors were mortified, all of their jaws dropped. The Slytherins looked horrified and sickened too.
Hermione looked up for a third time at Severus sitting at the head table. He was looking shocked and unable to move. She smirked at him but he barely noticed. This was the most contact they had had in over a week now. She redirected her attention to the looks she was now receiving instead of Ginny. They were looks of betrayal and revulsion. To her surprise they did not faze her.
She ignored them and she resumed her breakfast in defiance. Draco sat still before helping himself to food too. Ginny looked so much happier and even felt up to eating as well. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, were watching with open mouths at the sight that lay before them. They could never have expected this in their entire lives.
However, they chose to close their mouths and eventually continued to eat, keeping a watchful eye on Draco and preferring to keep silent.
O
Hermione sighed. The stares she was getting were now starting to irritate her in a way she could not recall. It had always been Harry who had been the center of attention but now it was her and Ginny. After her display at breakfast that morning people had felt that she was just as worthy of their evil glances as Ginny was.
Since exams were finished they were free to do as they willed with their time and sitting in the common room with all eyes on her was not exactly her idea of fun. Ginny was upstairs, hiding away.
Harry and Ron kept giving her unreadable looks but did not articulate their thoughts. They had grudgingly been the bigger men that morning and allowed him to sit with them despite all he had done and she had been so proud of them.
They were entitled to feel a little peculiar.
She suddenly stood while Ron ordered his horse to beat up Harry's queen in a game of chess. Harry scratched his head as he looked to find the cause for his loss. Ron folded his arms in triumph before turning to her.
"Where are you going?" he asked curiously.
"I think I'll sit in the Library," she mumbled shooting a look at the others in the room. Ron looked at them briefly too then nodded.
"Yea, maybe you should," he said as he turned back to his game of chess.
Hermione, however, had not the slightest intention of going to the library. She intended to seek out Severus instead. She wondered what he would think of the situation, in comparison to their own.
She said her goodbyes and they did too. She left via the portrait hole and strolled calmly and slowly down the halls. There was no rush anymore so she took her time, stopping to converse with several paintings on her way.
She hoped (no, she relied) on Severus being in the classroom or his chambers. She did not think it would be such a bad thing to get inside his chambers any more, the only thing he may not like would be the surprise.
She kept her steps short and was not startled to see Malfoy shuffling about the halls without Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. He looked as though he could not think of a better way to waste his time.
She stopped to approach him. After all, there was no rush.
He glanced up at her cautiously and once he recognised her he let down his bristly guard. He even dared to reply to her sympathetic smile with a small lax smirk.
"Why are you wandering around here?" she asked, she gestured that they should walk together. He, grateful for something to take up his time, did not hesitate to join her on her way. He did not look her in the eye when he replied.
"I can't stay in the Slytherin common room any longer..." he sighed. "When I'm not dodging hexes I'm dodging glares," he started to gain back a little malice and he snarled slightly when talking about his housemates. "I don't know where to sleep tonight... maybe the room of requirements. Wherever did you find it? I had no idea it existed until the party," she knew he was changing the subject.
"That doesn't matter," she said offhandedly. "I don't know what to tell you..." she said slowly. He nodded in acceptance.
"I know. I would like to thank you, however. You have been of great assistance to Ginny and I," he said nobly and Hermione was honoured. "What you did this morning... I could not say any Slytherin would have done the same, and sadly neither would I. But then again I am no Gryffindor; that is why you belong in that house. All I can say is that I would never have thought I would have been talking to you like this or sharing breakfast with Potter and Weasley... Ronald Weasley," he added for her benefit although she did not need it.
"You are going to join us for lunch again and I will not hear a word against it. They'll murder you at your table." Draco nodded.
"Where are you going anyway?" he asked looking slightly nervous as the reached the dungeons corridor. "Not the Slytherin common room?" His cool was replaced a ruffled edginess.
"Can you keep a secret?" she decided he of all people, other than Ginny, would be the only person she could tell. She felt a little sick at the thought, despite herself. He raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Do Potter and Weasley know?" he asked, lowering his voice a touch. She looked reluctant but shook her head. He raised his other brow.
"I-..." she paused. Was she really going to tell Malfoy? Yes, she was. "I like Professor Snape..." she kept her voice low. She could see of all the horrible things he had expected, that had not been one of them. He froze jerkily and Hermione was made to stop and stay with him.
"W-what did you say?" he stuttered in disbelief.
"And we kissed," she added, in a weird way she enjoyed the horror in his stricken eyes as he took a step back away from her.
"No." He shook his head violently, his blonde hair swaying, "Your just trying to make me puke. You are joking aren't you?" he looked up at her begging that she would start laughing and tell him he was stupid for believing it in the first place but she shook her head.
He gagged into his hand and had to pause to lean against the wall. He continued to shake his head.
"No, that is more than wrong. That is simply disgusting!" he looked like he had been struck with a heavy bat with the words disbelief carved into it. He could not bring himself to think such things.
"I wonder if that is what the Slytherins are thinking right now," she snapped, starting to be irritated by his response. It had the intended affect on him. He remembered what she had done for them and attempted to hide his revolt... and failed.
"But..." he muttered quietly, looking at her with his silver eyes. "It's SNAPE," a shadow of a sneer played on his lips. She raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"That's what Harry said about you, only he replaced Severus' name with yours," she smiled. Draco glowered at her. It had sent shudders of repugnance through his body to hear his first name being said by her in such a tone.
"And your on you way to visit... him?" he refused to say his name in case it might help him come to terms with it.
"Yes," she said composedly. He could not look her in the eye, despite her kindness towards him.
"Eugh," the snarl of distaste escaped. "I think I'll leave you now," he said pushing himself off of the wall shakily and started to hurry off.
"The password is Tomato Salad if you want to see Ginny. The entrance is the portrait of the fat lady," she called after him. He froze and turned on the spot. He gave her a perplexed look as he stood far away from her and she simply gave him a sweet smile.
"Why would you tell me that?" she never failed to astonish him. She smiled harder and shrugged.
"You want to see Ginny don't you? And you have nowhere else to go..." He gaped at her as she turned to leave before he did.
"Wait!" he called after her. She stopped but did not turn. "I cannot go in there without you. They'll think I broke in or something. They have to know a Gryffindor let me in..." She realized he was right and sighed. This would mean more hostility from her housemates.
She continued walking once more and called her reply over her shoulder, "I'll be with you as soon as I can... wait for me at the bottom of the steps up to the portrait."
She did not see what he did next and she focused on finally getting to see the stare of Severus that could strip her down to her soul. She could not hold back the smirk as she continued to imagine him. But images in her head were nothing compared with reality. She still felt nervous as she approached the open door of the Potions classroom but in an entirely different way to how she had most of her student life.
She pushed the door open warily. It creaked a little on its damaged hinges. As she peered around the door into the empty class room, lit by torches along the wall, she was met with the silky voice she had been expecting.
"Close the door behind you," he said softly, only glancing at her briefly before returning to whatever it was that he was doing.
She stepped inside and closed the door gently. She had not really expected him to greet her with something like 'I missed you' anyway. That was not his style.
Once the door snapped shut she started to walk towards him, between the desks. She froze when he held up a hand to stop her. He kept his hand there for a lingering moment. Why did he want her to stay back? Was he changing his mind about things?
She just held her breath, panicking while she stood still staring at his bowed head as he lowered his hand. The wait seemed far too long for her to handle. It was not more than half a minute while he scratched a few more spiky words onto his parchment. It felt like an hour.
Finally, after and age, he dropped his quill and looked up at her and that alone was enough to make her start breathing again. She could not begin to describe the features of his face alone that made his intense stare so intoxicating. She kept still, just watching his every move.
He got up in one fluid movement and swept around his desk in a flurry of his large robes. And as he strode over to her she held her breath once more. Was it over? Was he going to dismiss her or was he going to kiss her? She felt her heart pound and her blood felt like sand in her veins. The fear and hope mingled into a new form of feeling inside her.
He halted perfectly a half foot away and she bit her lip. She wished she could read him better. He looked down at her and there was a short silence. He was well aware of her discomfort and found himself basking in it. Her anticipation made him feel a little better. She definitely still felt something, and that was what had been irking him recently.
"It has been a while," he stated delicately, not wanting her to know just yet what he felt. He did not understand his pleasure at her uncertainty. It gave him a certain sense of power but it also, he knew, made her heart race. He decided to take a small step closer to confuse her further.
She nodded, her eyes not moving. "I'm sorry," she muttered quietly, with nervousness, "I've been so busy..."
"With exams," he finished for her, "Yes. I am well aware. I was not accusing you..." now he would let the small smirk he held back loose. "...Hermione." He watched her close her eyes and sigh. Her relief made him feel good too. He was beginning to get confused as to what exactly he did not like about her... He could not think of anything. Insufferable know-it- all was not one he had ever really meant. Intellect was of great value.
She smiled at him a little. He had been toying with her, she realized. She closed the gap between them and crept her arms around his neck. He kept his expression cool but he placed his hands at her waist.
"Tsk tsk," she said softly, leaning closer, "You really had me panicked there for a moment, Severus." She could feel the shiver crawl down his spine as she had intended at the sound of his name. He gazed at her with the black caves in place of his irises. He did not apologise.
"I know," he lowered his voice and it was her turn to quiver in pleasure because it had come out at almost a soft growl. He put his face very close to hers and smirked at her shivers.
There was a pause before he kissed her in which they both relished each other's company. Hermione had decided, however much her body screamed at her, that she should break the kiss quickly.
She pulled away and he eyed her cautiously. She told herself she had to let go of him and take a step back so they could talk but instead she rested her head against his chest, enjoying the rise and fall with his breathing.
"We have to talk," she sighed. It was Severus' turn to dread what she would say next. He looked down at the mass of curls on her head that pressed against his heart. He frowned in worry and tightened his grip on her.
O
Is that cliffy? I sure hope not – it's just this chapter was starting to get a bit too long so I had to cut it somewhere.
I am SO sorry for lack of SSHG in this chapter. I know it is mostly DMGW but Hermione's ability to withstand public disgust is definitely going to come in handy. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! (You will forgive me won't you?)
Thank you for the reviews. As you may have noticed, my vocabulary is very limited so if you have any good words and their meanings that you can't remember me using or are simply words you like that are rarely used I could definitely use some donations. Feel free to email me with them.
Thanks a bunch! Snakecharmer.