Chapter 3: Resisting Compulsions

Snape froze as an invisibility cloak became suddenly and dreadfully discernible - in the exact spot whence Hermione's voice had murmured the incantation - and dropped listlessly to the ground.

That insufferable idiot. What the hell has she done?

His feet were already carrying him towards the cloak.

And just where had she managed to learn plene latito

He clenched his jaw contemptuously; he'd have thought that the required reading for spells like that would be found in much lower places than her high horse would care to transport her.

Plene latito was as effective as an invisibility cloak if one wanted something concealed - more so, as it effectively made it impossible to sense that something in any way. But it also had the potentially nasty side effect of making the something intangible. Plene latito was used on living as often as it was used on the inanimate, and, for the living, being under its influence called for practice. As did its casting.

The countless possible effects of a faulty plene latito on a human being were... dissuading.

Snape snatched up the fallen silvery cloak and ran a hand over his face in total frustration as a set of school robes, a pair of shoes, a wand, and a sac of potion ingredients were revealed to be underneath it. Unless one modified the incantation to include their belongings, one's belongings were not included in ethereality.

She's insubstantial.

Well of course she is. Heaven forbid such a trivial thing as severe intoxication get in the way of Hermione Granger casting a perfect charm.

Snape, the second person that night to be at an uncharacteristic loss for an answer in the dungeons, straightened with a stifled groan and let the cloak fall to the ground again. There were only two foreseeable consequences to the girl's utterlyinane course of action.

On the one hand, she'd cast the spell correctly and was now a technically safe but unconscious ghost. In this instance, Snape could look up plene latito's counter-charm and perform it.

If he managed to establish some avenue of communication with her.

And if she listened to his instructions.

And if she had enough sense to remain in the dungeons upon her return to consciousness.

And if, on the other hand, she'd cast the spell as her mind was succumbing to potion-induced unconsciousness and delirium and - despite the accurately recited Latin and her seeming dearth of physical properties - had botched one its many crucial elements, she could now be in serious mental or physical danger, unconscious, and completely inaccessible.

Snape glowered down at the cloak and fought the urge to shred it and every one of its student-owned counterparts into a million pieces. This entire disaster was, he decided, its fault.

So it was the cloak that caused Miss Granger to vanish?

She wouldn't have dared come here tonight without it. Invisibility cloaks used to be priceless rarities. Now they're schoolboy toys. It's disgusting.

She'd have found a way. The three of them would have developed appropriate camouflage in their first year and you know it.

Charms are detectable. I still would have caught her before she got herself into my storeroom. If she hadn't managed to get into my storeroom, she wouldn't have been able to pilfer the Koritsu, and therefore she would never have been in placed in a position to spatter herself with dangerous liquids. She, therefore, would have been in her right mind when I apprehended her - not developing potion-induced hysterics – and would have been sensible enough to realise the senselessness of such a drastic course of escape.

Oh, so you apprehended her, then? It seemed to me that she chose to reveal herself. Stop trying to justify what's unjustifiable; you didn't check for any Detectably Charmed Students tonight. And where were all your usual defences? The wards, the magical locks on the storeroom, the sensory charms? You're not going to blame this on invisibility cloaks; students will break rules with or without them, and tonight, you know perfectly well that you wouldn't have caught a wandless Longbottom if he'd chosen to come a-thieving. You made – and almost drank – that stupid potion in circumstances that you inflicted upon yourself. Anyone could have seen you and recognised what you were doing, and you're angry that Ms. Granger did so and, not only stopped you from drinking it, but managed to harm herself in the process. You haven't forgotten the wards and the protective measures on this classroom in years, Severus.

I hadn't made that particular potion in years. The… absentmindedness and the craving for the potion are, regrettably, symptoms of the same state of mind.

It's been a while since that particular mentality has surfaced... What did Voldemort do to you that, this time, the potion was the only possible resort?

Miss Granger needs embodying. I have no time to waste analysing a choice that I've already made. Shut up and let me work.

Snape shook himself out of contemplation and crouched to scoop up what Miss Granger had left on his dungeon floor.

The cloak he enclosed in the confines of his storeroom along with her plundered ingredients, feeling a deep sensation of pleasure as the thing slithered into a trunk containing similarly acquired student possessions.

He dumped her clothing and shoes onto the counter unceremoniously and then turned his attention to her wand. After contemplating it for a long moment, he placed it carefully on his desk, paused, turned to scribble a message onto the blackboard and then swept from the dungeons.

Half an hour later, two leather-bound books sat, fully perused, on the side of his desk and beside them where a quill, a cauldron, and a jar containing a spider, all arranged along side of Miss Granger's wand in a line, all a twinkling shade of ghostly grey.

Severus Snape exhaled slowly and settled back in his chair to wait.

From the author: I have reviews. This surprised me and then proceeded to induce a pleasant sort of "warm and fuzzy feeling" in the depths of my stomach that made me want to shriek or squeal girlishly into a pillow. I managed to retain my dignity (with difficulty), however, and simply grinned like an idiot.

For the next two days.

Thank you for both the giddiness and the criticism, it makes updating remarkably more entertaining and rewarding.

rickfan37 - That particular powder scene was one of the stimuli that incited me to write a Snape fic. The image was burning a literary hole in my head. Also, the story's rating is subject to change, however, having read a few of the sorts of stories you described, I consider myself unqualified and ill-equipped (in other words, I'm too bloody scared) to do such a rating-changing scene justice. At the moment.

Wonk - Do you know how to speak/write Latin? If so, if you notice any... inaccuracies, please feel free to drop me a hint or two. My knowledge is garnered from various online dictionaries.

Tevkins - Is there anything in particular that caused the confusion? I don't have a beta yet, and so am relying on my own contemptible editing skills. Speaking of which...

I'm looking for a beta. If you're interested, know anyone who would be interested, or know of a place where interested betas can be found, please let me know.