Legacy

by

Jeslyn Nighthawk

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long, but real life, school and HBP kind of derailed it for a bit. So here's the next chapter, with additional ANs and review responses at the end.

Chapter 12

The next half hour was, for Hermione, at least, a blur of confusion and embarrassment. Severus had helped her to her feet after the unbearably long moments it took her to untangle herself from Marquess Malfoy. She barely heard his murmured questions about her wellbeing over the rush of blood in her ears and the tittering of the assembled crowd. She was sure her face was as red as the gown she had worn to Lady Parkinson's ball. It was like being in Hogwarts all over again, with people laughing at her because she was awkward and uncomfortable in large groups of people. The more people laughed, the more upset she became, her breath quickening and coming in gasps as she fought to hold back sobs. She was so absorbed in not breaking down that she barely noticed Severus' deliberate snub when he refused to help Malfoy to his feet, or Malfoy's speculative glance when noticed her condition.

Severus' hand touched lightly to the small of her back, giving her the anchor she so desperately needed. However, just as her breathing was beginning to calm down, and she began to feel more in control of her rampant emotions, that anchor was removed as Severus moved to talk to Malfoy in hushed tones. Immediately, the noise of the crowd rushed back in, darkness encroaching on the edges of her vision. Somewhere in a remote corner of her mind, Hermione was aware that this meant she was hyperventilating (not a good idea when combined with her already restricted airflow due to her tightly laced stays), but she was powerless to stop it. She concentrated on trying to breathe normally, helpless against the overwhelming crush of the regard of the party-goers. Even the return of Severus' hand to the small of her back did little to calm her, and she was beginning to feel slightly lightheaded.

"Breathe, Hermione." Severus' voice in her ear helped her regain her balance to a point, but her breath was still coming in short gasps, and she was still acutely aware of the stares.

The hand on her back moved to her elbow, and she was led over to her aunt, with whom Severus conversed briefly. However, she was so caught up in the snickering and whispering going on around her, that she was unable to pay attention to what they were saying. At Aunt Minerva's clearly final nod, however, Hermione found herself being escorted outside to the carriage.

It wasn't until she had been handed up into the carriage, with Severus settled upon the seat across from her, that the situation became clear. She was in a carriage, unchaperoned, with a man who had a reputation. He had a past. Hermione started hyperventilating again. Her reputation was ruined. Amelia's reputation was ruined! Her cousin would never forgive her. Suddenly, it was all too much, and in the relative solitude of the carriage Hermione finally let go of her control and broke into loud sobs.

Despite her reaction to the embarrassing situation in the ballroom and Draco's not-quite-cryptic warnings, Severus was completely unprepared when Hermione began sobbing as soon as they were safely ensconced in the carriage. He had no experience dealing with crying females, and he had never really expected such behavior out of this particular crying female.

Oblivious to the fact that he was, in truth, the chief cause of her tears, he moved to her side of the carriage and laid an awkward hand on her shoulder. This, of course, caused her to sob even harder. Severus, feeling completely in over his head, made to get up and move back to his side of the carriage, when she shocked him yet again by turning to him and clinging to his expensively tailored frock coat. Severus floundered, unsure what to do now that she was clinging to him like Devil's Snare, and trying very hard not to think about how she was ruining one of his favorite frock coats. When it became clear that she was not likely to let up anytime soon, he gently put his arms around her, hoping to offer some comfort. It seemed this was the correct course of action, for she snuggled closer to him, and her sobs quieted somewhat to the occasional whimper and sniffle.

Inwardly, Severus marvelled at the situation. Crying females did not turn to Severus Snape for comfort. As a matter of course, crying females ran from Severus Snape. He supposed the lack of this trait was just one more of the many oddities that drew him to Hermione Granger. Contemplating his feelings for the young Gryffindor, he had to admit that it felt surprisingly right to have her clinging to him for comfort. Further, although he enjoyed pushing her buttons and enciting her temper (there could be no denying he enjoyed their spats), he grudgingly had to admit he would part with a rather large chunk of his own flesh before he would see her in such pain as she was in this moment again.

Unconsciously, he began moving his hand in soothing motions over her back. This seemed to work, for her whimpers and sniffles became further apart, and her breaths became longer and more even until he suspected she had fallen asleep. Allowing himself to relax into the gentle motions of the carriage as it carried them to her aunt's home, Severus too was soon lulled into a light sleep.

The jerk of the carriage coming to a stop in front of Aunt Minerva's town home startled Hermione out of the doze into which she had fallen. Analytical even in her muddled state, her brain began cataloguing her surroundings. She was warm, against something surprisingly both hard and warm, with what felt like a heavy weight or band wrapped around her shoulder. She was quite comfortable, almost lulled back into sleep by the rythmic breathing of the body beside and slightly under her. Of course, at the realization that it was a body, she came completely awake in a state of pure terror.

Naturally, the sudden movement of her body and the slight flailing of limbs this terror brought about woke her companion. He awoke in an instant, wand out and pointing towards the door, the most likely source of a threat. His eyes narrowed in search before meeting hers. She felt her control unravelling once again in the face of his scrutiny, and her voice came out in more of a shriek than she intended.

"Oh, gods! I've ruined her reputation, she's going to kill me!" She put her head in her hands and tried to focus on calming down, but given that she was still in the situation that was the cause of her panic, it was a monumental task, and perhaps not one she was up to.

"Aside from the fact that I very much doubt that anyone's reputation has been ruined tonight, Hermione," Severus' voice washed over her in calm and commanding tone, "I would like very much to know exactly whose reputation you think you have ruined? Surely not your Aunt's, as hers is above ruination."

"Amelia's!"

"I don't think that her reputation is likely to suffer from anything that has transpired. Why would you think you have ruined it?" His calmness was beginning to affect her, and when she answered it was in a much quieter tone.

"I'm in a carriage with you, unchaperoned! You have a i past /i , how could it not be?"

"No one is likely to know that we are alone together in this carriage. Although you were in no condition to notice, your Aunt and I cast a rather powerful glamour that will make it seem as if we were remaining there with her until the titters die down, and then leave all together. No one will have noticed that you and I slipped out a bit early to make sure that you didn't have a breakdown in the middle of Lord Garlie's ball."

"No one will know?" Hermione's relief was tremendous, his cool logic cutting through her panic. "Amelia's reputation is safe?"

"As safe as it can be, considering she's run off to elope with Potter and drawn you in to help her with her ruse." He raised a questioning eyebrow at her when he mentioned her best friend's name.

Hermione blushed. "He's my best friend and the love of her life, but I knew the two of you had no fondness for each other. I thought it best not to bring him up unless it became necessary."

"It was information I would have gladly welcomed knowing before Draco Malfoy joined me for dinner this evening." Her questioning look prompted Severus to continue, "I'm afraid my surprise at learning that the girl I was supposedly escorting to the Season's festivities was engaged to Potter tipped my godson off to the idea that things were not as they would seem."

"What do you mean, 'tipped him off?'" Her voice was becoming shrill again, but she was in no mood to care.

"My godson caught me in a weak moment, put the pieces together, and deduced that you were not Amelia Lupin, but Hermione Granger. Apparently he had heard of the both of you at school, and caught a few glimpses of you together. He never knew which was which until I let slip that I knew your cousin was engaged, not you."

"What on Earth caused my name to be brought up at all?"

At this he had the grace to at least look a bit ashamed. "Draco spent quite of bit of time during the war working with Potter…" Hermione confirmed his questioning look with a nod; she had known that. "Apparently, Potter gushed about his beautiful fiancée constantly, and Draco was very confused as to why I would show an… interest… in Potter's woman."

"Oh," she murmered. Comprehension dawned. "Oh! Do you have an… interest… then?"

"Not in Potter's woman, certainly," he replied in a lazy drawl.

She smacked his arm lightly. "Don't be obtuse, you horrid man."

His eyes widened slightly at her familiarity, but he returned steadily, "I'm a Slytherin, my dear. It's in the job description to be obtuse." He lifted her gloved hand to his mouth for a courtly kiss.

"You've not answered the question, sir," she scolded, a flush suffusing her face.

"And I don't intend to, Miss Granger," he replied, a wicked smirk on his face. He got up to exit the carriage, and offered her a hand down. "That would spoil the fun."

She sniffed indignantly, but allowed him to hand her down. As soon as she alighted, however, she removed her hand from his, uncomfortable with the contact for no reason she could name. He walked with her up the short walk and into the entryway, but stopped short when she stepped onto the first stair leading to the family rooms. She turned to face him then, the extra height putting her face to face, if not exactly eye to eye, with him. She glanced up into his dark eyes, and felt something between them stretch and pull taut.

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt as if she were falling into the dark wells of his eyes even as she felt her own flutter closed. The moment of anticipation stretched for what seemed like forever until finally it snapped, and she felt the feather light touch of his lips upon hers, brief, but utterly shocking. Her lips parted in a small gasp as he pulled away, and he took the opportunity to come back and deepen the kiss slightly. This time, she felt it down to her very soul, and her whole body shuddered with the need to be closer to him.

He pulled away again, and with a murmured goodbye which she was too shocked to return, walked out the door.

The wonder of that second kiss stayed with her all the way until she climbed into her bed. This man was her match, and whatever might come in the next few days, her future was now irrevocably tied to his. Now all she had to do was convince him of that fact.

TBC

A/N: Again, I'm sorry it took so long. Super big, huge thanks to my two great betas, Taya and Shiv5468. They not only helped me deal with 3 a.m. writing, but a broken spell check as well.

Please, please, please review, as I am still a shameless review whore.

-Jes

Review Responses:

Queen of Thieves: He knew she was a witch simply because I am assuming, as I have seen done often in fanfiction, that a powerful and well-trained wizard can sense another of their kind, and to some extent, their strength. Amelia is Lupin's daughter. The repetition in Chapter 9 was in Hermione's own mind to remind herself to call him by his given name, and not his title. The whole thing is something of a power game between them. I hope that answered your questions. Thanks for your many reviews!

HeartBlood: While now that might be the case, in the Regency girls had very little choice what to wear, and the clothes by their very nature were revealing on top, and concealing below. Severus is a gentleman, and should know better. I'm glad your enjoyinn the fic, thanks for reviewing!

Blackaces924: I really do need to work out a family tree. I'm a bit fuzzy on it myself, but I believe Amelia and Hermione are related to Minerva through their Father and Mother respectively, who are siblings. Minerva is Lupin's father's sister, making her the girl's great aunt. Thanks for reviewing!

Hi there: I don't plan on getting him together with Ginny as that is a ship I could never quite get on. I also can't tell you who I plan to pair him with, as that would ruin the sequel. Thank you!

The Great Green Leaf of Peril: Plot? I haven't seen a plot... but then, hopefully one will show up eventually... Thank you for reviewing!

Klo, fanficfan, Sabrina, Severus-fan, Anarane Anwamane, Mom, Alpha, lovethelab, sweetsyphn, tiger witch, angel-g2001, Kethryn, saigo, Rue Maridian: Thanks so much for your reviews! They mean the world to me.