Disclaimer: In chapter 1

WARNINGS: Those of you that participated in my "Cliches Contest" thingie have read part of this chapter, as that was the 'prize.' Though it has changed quite a bit, some of it still will look familiar to you.

Chapter 12: Trying to Flee the Scene of the Crime

Professor Dumbledore stood at the head table in the great hall his face a stern mask. The students and staff alike were completely silent, all faces turned toward his. No one had seen him this stern since the great war. Not a soul dared move as he looked down on them.

He said nothing for long moments simply looking at each individual until every person felt as if he had touched them in person with the seriousness of what he was going to say. Hermione sitting in her usual place was struck by the event as much as anyone. Her hands were tucked together in her lap and her eyes were scanning the crowd of students to try to figure out if anyone looked particularly guilty.

"It has come to my attention," the professor started, "That it has come to all of YOUR attentions..."He paused.

"That our Professor Malfoy and our visitor Professor Granger are mates. Due to recent events it would appear that I may have been somewhat remiss in my not mentioning that NO ONE is to assist them in any way. This is a private matter and will be treated as such." He turned and encompassed the audience again, even turning this time to the staff table.

Hermione could feel her face getting warm at the public announcement. It wasn't as if anyone was in the dark about the connection between them, but she still hated to have it stated so baldly like this.

Professor Dumbledore was usually so discreet.

Hermione turned to look around the staff table and noticed that Draco was sitting with an inscrutable look on his face. He certainly didn't seem to be flustered as she was sure she was looking. As if feeling her eyes on him Draco turned to slowly to her and winked. She hurriedly looked away.

Dumbledore seemed to have finished his speech, he sat down and resumed eating as if nothing had happened at all.

Hermione wished she could be so blasé.

If Remus continued to smirk Ginny was going to have to take a stick to his head. During the Headmaster's speech he had turned to her and raised his eyebrow, in an "I told you so" way, that made her blood start to boil.

She had been trying to make him regret his treatment of her that last few days, but he seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact and had been smugly gloating the entire time.

Now with Dumbledore making it known that he wouldn't tolerate any interference, it appeared that Remus had swallowed the proverbial canary!

With extreme annoyance Ginny turned back to her meal.

Anne Haroldson sat at the Gryffindor table her stomach cramping. Her nerves were so taut she thought she was going to be sick.

"Stupid Anne, Stupid!" She berated herself under her breath. All she had meant to do was make her idol, Professor Granger, stay at Hogwarts. The idea of Professor Granger married to Professor Malfoy and staying 'forever after' at the castle had consumed her for days. It was possibly the most romantic thing she had ever heard, not to mention very practical. Imagine the very important information she could ask, the things she could learn. All her books could be signed, perhaps Anne could help her write her next one. The ideas in her young mind were endless.

Those thoughts had pressed her to spend her entire quarter's pocket money on a box of Honeyduke's finest chocolates and had sent them with a note saying it had been from Professor Malfoy. She had known at the time that it was wrong of course, but she hadn't gotten much past the starry eyed worship of Hermione Granger.

Now here she was waiting to be called into the Headmaster's office perhaps to be expelled. She had known he was talking to her during his speech, after all hadn't he looked at her the entire time?

She couldn't finish her breakfast but sat quietly hands in her lap until her friends urged her to class.

Severus Snape, sat and sulked in a fashion much becoming to him. His dark brows beetled over his eyes, his mouth turned down in a petulant frown. Damned Albus, why did he always have to stick his nose in? Things had been going well enough. Not perfect of course, but as well as could be expected. Love appeared to be a much more complex problem than he had formerly assumed.

He slammed his cutlery about on his plate, no food making it to his mouth, in his temper. He hadn't even had a chance to try out his preeminent scheme. This was too unfair, now he was going to have to spend his time exclusively in his dungeons until this whole thing blew over.

Draco was striding through the halls confident that no one would dare displease the Headmaster. No more did he have to watch over his shoulder scared that some 'helpful' individual would be there. He couldn't be happier that Dumbledore had said what he had. Finally.

He had caught sight of Hermione from his classroom window and was trying to catch her still in the gardens. Walking her to and from her destinations had become a delightful habit over the last few days.

Since the night in the South Tower things couldn't have been better. He of course had thought it best not to mention the kiss again, even though it was difficult to keep his thoughts or hands to himself when he was with her. His Veela side had been harder to control the last while. He hadn't been sleeping well and had trouble concentrating on anything, but it was worth it to see his relationship with Hermione progress. Its seemed at though she almost accepted him as a friend. He would just keep biding his time, someday he would kiss her again. Hold her in every way possible and run his hands through her hair

Thinking about her sun kissed halo of hair made him hurry his steps.

Only Hermione would be sitting on the ground with her back against a tree this time of year. Although it wasn't too cold out it still wouldn't be considered picnic weather. Draco couldn't help but stop to watch her. Her knees were up and a book was balanced carefully upon them, one hand holding the page open the other copying something down on the parchment by her side.

Hermione was so intent on her study that she didn't even seem to notice when he flopped down on the ground beside her. Lying back with his arms cradling his head he contemplated the few puffy clouds that floated along. The sky was uncommonly blue and the crisp smell in the air combined with Hermione's own scent lulled Draco into a drowsy state. He felt content. He could feel the body warmth radiating off Hermione, so near him. It felt right. It felt...

"...Draco...up...'co..." Something broke into his trance like state. Hermione had her hand on his shoulder and was shaking him, his eyes snapped open.

"Aren't you freezing?" She put a tentative hand to his face. Her hand so warm she felt feverish to him, the familiar shiver of sensation followed her innocuous touch, and she removed her hand sharply when she felt it. Her eyes going very wide in her face.

"Sorry." She muttered.

Lying out on the cold ground had leached his body of heat and he was feeling stiff from the cold. Sitting up was a chore his body seemed to be frozen in place and didn't want to move again.

They both moved to sit against the tree and silence reigned for a moment between them.

"So what is the topic today?" Draco waved a hand at the book and parchment that were sitting next to her.

"Just the usual."

"Any luck?"

"Not really." She grimaced. It had become an ongoing question and answer between them the last week or so. He always asked if there had been any breakthrough in their case and she always answering in the negative.

Even though he knew the answer Draco's chest got tight each time he asked her, and then relief flooded through him each time she admitted defeat. He loved her, he couldn't pretend to be happy that she wanted to find a way to leave him. But he was willing to at least feign interest in the pursuit. Try to be supportive while secretly hoping someday soon she would learn to accept the truth.

He sighed a long sigh and his breath came out in a white fog of air. It was getting colder.

"Do you think we should go in?"

She wrinkled her nose at the thought, he had to agree, people were too interested in the goings on in their relationship. Sometimes being in the castle compounded the uncomfortable feelings between them. The pressure of what people expected forced itself between them making them both uncomfortable and careful of the watching eyes.

"A walk then?" Draco's limbs were becoming numb and he needed a little movement or they would fall off from the cold.

"Ok."

Draco got to his feet and held his hand down for her book and parchment before pulling Hermione up. Tucking her hand in the crook of his arm they set off along the deserted garden paths.

The headmaster watched the two walking in the gardens and felt a smile cover his lips. Aha, it seemed that something was building between the two besides animosity. It could be time to set his plan into action.

"Ah Hermione, come in. Sit." The headmaster motioned her forward.

Hermione sat down across from Professor Dumbledore.

"Lemon Drop?" Hermione was not fooled by the Headmaster's disarming techniques, you don't get called to his office unless its fairly serious.

"No thank you."

"Well Hermione, you and I haven't chatted in a while." He paused to twinkle at her.

Once again she wasn't fooled.

"So, how are things between you and Draco fairing?" Ahh, finally to the point.

"Well enough." Hermione left it at that.

Of course that was not going to be the answer that he wanted to hear.

"Really?" He smiled and leaned back in his chair obviously expecting the full story, details included. Tthe only problem was that there really wasn't much of a story.

On a date with Draco Malfoy, how had this happened? Hermione wasn't sure what she was doing here. She was still in a bit of shock and she had been the one to ask him to come tonight. She had to try to give this thing a chance, although she wasn't quite sure why.

Maybe it was because Dumbledore had asked her, and because he had always been like a second father to her she had acquiesced. Or because she felt sorry for Draco. There was no denying that he was doing his best to keep his charms tamped down for her sake, but she still couldn't help feeling an attraction to him. Veelas did after all give off a ambient charm, even when they weren't trying. But that attraction alone was not enough for Hermione Granger to give into being Draco's mate. It all seemed so wrong somehow, she was a witch in her working prime. She was not about to let some insane thousands year old congenital blood disease ruin her life!

She wondered for not the first time this week if there were perhaps a cure for this Veela CURSE as there were for other types of diseases now. She was still not willing to accept that it was a hereditary condition and not a disease, because if she could convince herself that it was a disease then that meant there had to be a cure. Maybe with enough research or the right potions, she could just turn him back to his normal (for a Malfoy) self, or alternatively lobotomize him and call it even.

Draco leaned over to pour her another glass of wine and took a long whiff of her as he moved away. She hated when he did that. Hermione understood that scent to a Veela was the affirming sense. They needed the olfactory confirmation of the rightness of the match. But it made Hermione get the "BAD" chills, when he did it.

"You have to stop doing that!" Hermione said.

"Hmm?" Draco questioned.

Her remark had drawn him out of the middle of a story he was telling, and his hands stilled on the knife that he had been using to cut his meat into tiny bite sized pieces that never actually made it off the plate to his mouth.

From the way he looked at her with his little boy excited face, she could see that he had no idea he had done anything creepy or untoward, he looked as though he was having a marvelous time.

No, no, no, no, no, she couldn't do this, this wasn't right!...she groaned inwardly.

"This will never work, Malfoy!" She placed her napkin on the table, and readied herself to leave.

Never work... Draco heard her say. What wasn't working about this? They were talking. He was regaling her with humorous stories of the classroom. Well at least he hoped they were humorous. Hell, she had laughed hadn't she? Yes! Ok, so he was being charming and if he dared say it witty to boot. How was this NOT working?

"What you don't like the food?" Concern written all over his features.

Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"Don't you see Draco, this can't work." Her face was sincere but these were not words to which the instincts inside of Draco were willing to listen.

"Why?" Draco heard the word whispered in a broken voice and it took him a full ten seconds to realize that he had been the one to say it.

"Draco, I just can't be your mate. I can't! We are too different. Its wrong, we are wrong! It can NEVER happen!" Hermione stood up and faced him from across the small table.

Draco could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the Veela attractions (he had been tamping down) roared to life. All week long he had been so careful, considerate of her feelings. Asking her if she had had any luck in her studies, when all he really wanted to do was haul her to his rooms. He had taken double portions of the drugs Ginny gave him all so he could let her come to her own decision about things and not overwhelm her with his Veela attractions, the same instincts which had been battering him emotionally ragged since that kiss outside her room.

When she had asked him out to dinner he had felt he was making some progress. Now she was saying it wouldn't work. After weeks of wooing her in his own fashion he had failed. His despair at her words loosened his shielding.

He could feel his carefully constructed protection fall. It was so swift that he was unable to control it at all and those instincts crashed over him in a rush, lighting his skin to a luminescent beauty, he knew his eyes were taking on a silver 'otherworldly' sheen, but that was a momentary thought. He heard Hermione gasp as she felt the full power of the Veela allure pour over her as well. Her eyes grew large and became glazed with her desire for him. She parted her lips and sighed. Her look was making him promises of what would come. He chuckled.

Part of him was crying NO, STOP! This is not the way!...But that was a very small part, and far back in his mind. The larger part of him, the 'in control' part was crowing triumphantly because of the obvious desire written on her features. This was how his mate should be looking at him, every single day of their lives. This is how he should be looking at her. Not work? He smiled toward her, a slightly evil grin, if truth be told. He would show her what would work and what wouldn't.

He took her hand and nuzzled it to his face. A shiver went through them both at the contact. He continued to touch her hand, pressing his open lips against the palm. Then curling her fingers against his mouth, he licked the skin on her knuckles that tasted just as soft as it had looked when he had first noticed in it the carriage weeks ago. Hermione trembled and her knees buckled. She fell onto her chair, her head tilting back against the seat. Her eyes half closed, and a slight moan issued from her throat. Draco did laugh then, a full-throated laugh of conquest. The sound was primal and had nothing to do with the normally controlled Professor Maloy.

There were very few diners at the restaurant, but even so his Veela glamour was drawing the crowd. Draco growled low in his throat, this wasn't for them. Draco was so far from in control of that wild side of himself that instinct won over thought. He glared around at the bemused people who circled their table, but even the glare of a Veela in full glory did nothing to stop them from drawing nearer. It seemed to incite them to greater boldness.

The unwanted attention Draco was getting was rousing the jealousy in him, in his state it seemed that they were attracted to Hermione, and not himself. Some of them were even looking at her. She was HIS!

He stood, never letting go of Hermione. No one could be trusted, it was clear they all wanted his mate! Draco would have none of it. He moved to hide her from view and snarled at them. His face twisted, but never the less inspiring of great lust.

"Stay away! She is MINE!" The word mine was said with such primal force that a couple of the stronger willed patrons came out of their enchantment and started screaming leaving the restaurant.

The cook, an elderly Culinary Wizard, named Clovin came out of his kitchen to see his dining room, waiters and all focused on a glowing blond Godlike creature. Being a man of the world, and having attended a certain Quidditch Cup finals, knew exactly what he was seeing. This man, wait a minute, this was Professor Malfoy from Hogwarts. Professor Malfoy was a Veela? Obviously not full-blooded or he would have shape changed by now, but enough blood to transform him into this shining creature.

So strong was Draco projecting, that even as an old man, Clovin felt his heart race and he had to take a few calming breaths to get himself back to normal. The Professor seemed to have no control at all. What had brought him to that state, but more importantly....What to do now?

Clovin walked slowly toward the group of people circling the professor. At closer contact it was harder to keep himself from having thoughts he shouldn't. The snarling, spitting creature was the most lovely thing he had ever seen in his life. He shook his head, that was the Veela allure talking.

He moved through the group, trying to see who the professor was hiding. It was clear that Draco was protecting someone from the other diners who he must consider a threat. There had to be a way to diffuse the situation. But what?

All of Hermione's thoughts and feelings were centered upon the touch of perfect flesh pressed to her fingers. The hand of her Mate, became the focus of all her interest. The play of bone and tendon under pale luminescent skin seemed to her the most interesting thing she had ever seen. She pulled their entwined hands to her mouth and licked the back of his hand, a shiver of Veela magic rolled over her and she closed her eyes for a moment savoring it. The tingle that followed filled her and crackled between them.

Moving her mouth to the pulse point at his wrist she bit lightly feeling the throb of blood under the surface, she wanted to bite down and taste the tang of magic she was sure was just under his skin, her skin, their skin, skin and blood. Her teeth nipped sharply, lips hurrying to sooth the hurt. A shudder ran through his back at her touch and she laughed a low throaty sound. Why didn't he turn to her, why didn't he make her his? Her mind was a jumble of long suppressed emotions.

Why were they still here?

She was tired of being here, she was tired of sitting, she needed to be closer to him. Standing up she pressed herself to his back and breathed in the magic dancing along his skin. Lifting her free hand she smoothed it over him. The silk of his robes flowed under her fingers making them itch to touch the skin underneath. Pulling on his shoulder she managed to partially turn him to face her. She looked at the group crowded around them and frowned, before turning her eyes to Draco's.

His countenance was shocking. Eyes and skin glowing with the power of his Veela blood rushing through him, controlling him. So lovely, so lovely was all she could think. She brought their still joined hand to his chest and put her free arm around his neck. Nuzzling him behind his ear, and laughing again as his growl filled the room.

Turning her face up to his shining one she closed her eyes and sighed. That was all the invitation that Draco needed. His lips dropped to hers, there was no gentleness or finesse just fierceness. Magics fighting for control and possession.

Clovin wasn't sure but it looked as if the couple would consummate the bond here and now if he didn't do something. The Professor's little mate in her sensible robes and frizzy hair didn't look like that type that would take it well afterward to be caught in such a compromising position. He imagined her distress when she came back to herself. There had to be something he could do. He had to act before it was too late.

Hermione's skin was on fire, it was hot too hot. Draco seemed to know just what she needed and his fingers were at the throat of her robes carefully releasing the buttons. Pushing the material off her neck he smoothed long pale fingers over her shoulder blades, tracing the blue of her veins, visible under the skin.

Their hands, still entwined pressing to his chest, had become their point of contact more intimate than their lips on each other. The flooding Veela instincts moving freely between them through the bond of that grasp.

Everything was a heady fire, and then everything was on fire. Pain roared through the sensitive connection. Draco's hissed in anguish and pushed Hermione away from himself, their hands, their point of contact, the connection between them was wrenched abruptly apart.

Hermione staggered and fell to the ground. Hitting her head against the wall in the process, the pain flooded her senses and she suddenly understood what was happening.

She looked up to see Draco being held at bay by an old man with a candelabra. Like an animal Draco was being driven slowly toward the corner of the room, eyes wary, growling in fury.

She needed to go to him, help him. NO! But he needed her. He wanted her to come to him. His skin was calling to her. His eyes pleaded with her. No! NO! She shook her head and got shakily to her feet, allowing the wall to help her stay upright. She couldn't think of what to do. Her body was crying out for her to go to him, but some small part of her kept her just where she was, watching.

She was jolted to awareness with the old man turning to her and yelling. It took her a few moments to understand what he was saying.

"Get your Headmaster! Go girl!"

It was as if her consciousness had struggled up from deep water and just broke surface, she could move and think again on her own. She could still feel Draco's pain and anger, but she could feel herself again too. With one last look at the old man holding Draco off she turned and fled from the restaurant apparating to just outside the school grounds. She could still hearing Draco's frantic screaming of her name as she ran toward the castle. She didn't even realize that the tears were streaming down her white shocked face.

Both Snape and Dumbledore rushed to the restaurant not knowing exactly what they would find. Both men had been more than a little concerned when Hermione had rushed into the great hall. If Draco had finally lost control of his Veela Instincts there could very well be serious repercussions. Neither man wanted to think about how serious those repercussions could be!

Even their wildest imaginings couldn't have prepared them for the sight that met their eyes as they entered the dining room of the fancy Wizard establishment. Professor Draco Malfoy was crouched into a corner, his face a picture of beautiful fury. He was snarling at the crowd that circled him, but instead of driving them away, his Veela charms were so overpowering that they circled ever closer. It looked like sharks circling their prey, but the prey was not some wounded seal but a demon beyond their imaginings. Once in a while a wizard would become brave and try to breach Draco's defenses and he would strike out at them, leaving them with scratched faces or black eyes. Still this aggressive display did nothing to drive the rest away. It was a good thing that no one had thought to draw his or her wands or it could have been mayhem.

There was an old man lying on the floor a few feet from the group, there was blood on his face it looked as if he had been clawed by a wild animal. The headmaster nodded at Severus, who went over and felt for a pulse point. He nodded and they both relaxed a bit. Draco hadn't killed anyone yet this night and if they acted quickly enough they might still be able to protect him from himself.

Dumbledore and Snape protected by the potion that everyone in the school had been taking, removed their wands from their pockets and placed the group at large in a binding spell. They then waded in to try to see if Draco would be able to return back to the school of his own free will.

Now that the group around Draco had stopped crowding closer he seemed to relax a bit, but his eyes were still shifting nervously about and there was a thin line of spittle dripping down his chin. Dumbledore carefully went towards his former student and now professor all the while talking to him in a soothing voice. It seemed that Draco Malfoy had packed up his threads of sanity and left the building, leaving the wild Veela side in control. Wherever Draco Malfoy had gone, it wasn't going to be easy to get him back. Professor Dumbledore sighed loudly and looked around the room, Severus had been releasing people from the binding spells and leading them one by one to tables talking to them assuring them it would be fine and then binding them again. So far no patron had resisted. Dumbledore didn't know if this was luck or the dark looks that Severus was capable of giving. Whatever the cause he wasn't going to question it.

They needed to get Draco out of here and to the infirmary as soon as possible. Professor Dumbledore felt himself getting angry, this should not have happened. Things had seemed to be going well with Hermione and Draco, perhaps not a passionate romantic bond, but something had been developing between the two of them. And now this.

There was pounding on Hermione's door and then it flew open, hitting the wall with such force that she jumped. Professor Snape came into the room his face a dark cloud.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" His voice was silky with anger.

"I am leaving Professor, as you can see." Hermione snapped.

"I can see very well that you are wasting your time packing, as you aren't leaving the school." He crossed his arms over his chest, and glared.

Her heart beat so hard that she could hear it sounding in her ears. She turned slowly, tense anger visible in her body.

"I am sorry Professor, but I am leaving."

"No, Miss Granger you are not."

"I am so!"

He raised his eyebrow at her and she realized how childish she sounded. After the events of the evening she couldn't really care. Being more scared than she could ever remember being in her life, leaving seemed like the wise choice. The only choice.

She turned around and continued packing her case.

Severus Snape watched Hermione with indifference. She was going no where. There was no question in his mind, none at all. With Draco in his present condition there wasn't a chance that she would be leaving for a very long time if at all.

If she wanted to throw her little childish fit and pack that was up to her, it mattered not a bit in the long run.

He shooed her cat out of the one chair in the room and sat down.

There was no sound in the room but that of Hermione's frantic packing. It appeared the chit had to work something out of her system. He grudgingly admitted that seeing Draco that evening had made him more than a bit uneasy as well, so he would give her time. He had no pressing engagements. He could wait.

Severus crossed one leg over the other and casually studied the nails on his left hand.

What was he still doing here? This was HER room! The nerve of the man. Hermione shoved some more of her clothing haphazardly into her trunk.

Turning to glare in his direction didn't do a bit of good, apparently he was just going to make himself at home.

Hermione started minimizing some of the more bulky items before putting them in her trunk. She was leaving. This was all too much.

A few more minutes of silence and Professor Snape was starting to annoy her with his sitting. And his breathing. And the fact that he didn't argue with her, not that there was anything that she wanted to hear, or say. It didn't do her any good to admit that what she was wanting was a big thunderous row, and since the object of her fear and anger wasn't there, anyone would do. In reality she wasn't mad at Draco as much as scared to death. Leaving was obviously still the best option.

Crookshanks crawled up into the trunk amidst all of her folded clothing and started cleaning his whiskers. Hermione tried to wave him away but he merely licked one paw and dragged it across his forehead completely ignoring her. He needed to move so she could finish. She put one hand toward him and he hissed and batted her away.

A chuckle came from the direction of Professor Snape, but when Hermione turned to glare he had his usual dour expression and wasn't even looking in her direction.

She could feel a lump rise in her throat, and tried to swallow it down. She was not going to cry. She was logical and logical people don't cry. When encountering a problem they find answers. But there were no answers to this. There weren't even really any questions, she WAS Draco Malfoy's mate, and there was nothing she could do.

Draco Malfoy's mate...Draco Malfoy's...the thought hit her suddenly and quite clearly. It hit her more solidly than anything had ever before. She was Draco's mate. Draco's...now all her hours of denial and studying seemed completely ridiculous to her. How pointless and hopeless those searches had been. She started out laughing, but then the dam broke and tears streamed down her face and she was crying. Sobbing so hard that her breaths were coming in gasps, but worse yet she couldn't seem to stop.

Despite what one might think of Severus Snape he was not unfamiliar with crying females. Perhaps not in the context that most men were familiar with crying females but never the less he had encountered more than his fair share. Well been the cause is much more accurate a term.

He had been instrumental in innumerable student's mental breakdowns. Yet when Hermione started sobbing he felt uncomfortable. Ill at ease. Not helpless of course, Severus Snape was never helpless, but he felt out of control. That was something he didn't like. He didn't like it at all.

He sat quietly for a minute or two hoping that she would wind down on her own, but the sniveling, if anything, was intensifying. Even her cat was put off by her behavior if its slicked back ears and twitching tail were any indication.

He pushed his way to his feet and moved to stand at her shoulder. If there was anything that he had learned it was that invading someone's personal space was a wonderful form of intimidation, a tactic that had worked in the past when he wanted to alter a person's behavior. He hoped that his closeness might shock her enough to make her forget her petty little whinge fest and come to her senses.

What he hadn't expected was for Hermione to reach out with both hands and clutch his robes, pulling herself up from the bed and into his chest there to continue her caterwauling. No he hadn't really been expecting that all. A sneer covered his features and he closed his eyes to steady himself for a moment.

Severus had never been a compassionate person and Hermione draping across him like a limpet sobbing her eyes out hadn't exactly changed his feelings on things. He stood with his hands at his side, only with the greatest of efforts to not throw her off and demand she stop her ridiculous howling that instant. As it was it took only moments before his robe front was soaked through to the skin. Now he was not only emotionally uncomfortable he was simply uncomfortable (period.)

This had to stop, but using his powers of deduction he didn't think that yelling was going to quite work this time, nor PROBABLY his being extremely snarky. More's the pity really. He supposed he would have to dredge up some sort of human feeling, from somewhere, and try to console her.

He put one tentative hand on her heaving shoulders and awkwardly patted her, the other he placed on the back of her head, barely resisting the urge to force her face to his shoulder to smother her into stopping her crying if nothing else!

"There, there." He said, which really was the limit of his experience in these sort of matters, having only seen it, never participated himself in the calming of a person.

It seemed to help a bit, Hermione sniffed, (a decidedly juicy sound, which he had no doubts meant hell for his coat) and her crying took on a bit of a softer sound.

"There, there." He said again, thinking he might really be getting the hang of this sort of thing.

"It will all be alright...probably." He said, trying out something of his own. That one seemed to work better, Hermione sniffed again and removed one of her hands from its clutch on his robe front to wipe at her wet eyes.

Ginny ran down the corridors to Hermione's room. Students who were supposed to be in their dorms cowered against the walls with no time to hide or flee, but she wasn't interested in taking points or handing out detentions. She had other more important things on her mind.

The door to Hermione's room stood open and a sight unlike any she had ever seen before met her eyes.

Severus Snape was doing something decidedly human? She had to blink hard and shake her head. Yes it was still Severus, and he was holding a crying Hermione to his chest and patting her back. Oh how she wished she had a camera to capture this illusive "never before seen in captivity" behavior!

Not time to think about that now!

"Hermione! We need you!"

A/N Thanks for all the reviews! :) I appreciate, as usual, the interest in the story. Your kind words, threats, cajoling are always welcome and I love hearing your ideas on things. Once again any glaring mistakes let me know.

M, here it is. Finally.

Arbitrary, I have read your new chapter, but life is conspiring against me with regards to posting a detailed (LONG) review of your sotry...but never fear, it will come along, POOR YOU. (Does it scream hypocrite for me to wonder when the new chapter will be out? Na...probably not.) ;)