Warning
This story is not suitable for readers under the age of sixteen. It contains sexual content, including some non-consensual, and may offend some readers. If this subject is offensive to you, please do not read this story.
Chapter 44 – A Walk in the Moonlight
It was two days after Hermione got her memory back that Madam Pomfrey finally allowed her to leave the hospital wing. She did not look at all happy about having to let her leave, which Hermione supposed was because she would then be out of the matron's supervision.
Hermione was immensely relieved to be free. Apart from the obvious advantages of being able to spend her nights in Severus' room, she also had her exams and project to think about. She had been able to do some work, with Ginny bringing her books from her room or the library, but she would be glad to be getting back to classes. She had missed two full weeks, and had a lot of catching up to do. The last two weeks in March were the Easter holidays, which left her only a week to catch up to the rest of the class if she wanted to make the best use of the holidays for exam revision and her project.
It was Sunday afternoon, and she was in her room deciding which books to take to the library. She had planned an afternoon of catching up, having already asked the other students for the homework assignments she had missed, then a quiet dinner with Severus. Her bag over her shoulder, she opened the door to leave, to find Professor McGonagall coming along the hallway towards her room. Her face was serious, but otherwise unreadable.
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," she said. "I wonder if we might have a few moments?"
This was a little surprising – it was very unusual for Professor McGonagall to go to a student's room. Even during Hermione's first five years, when students shared dormitories, she could not remember the Head of House going in there more than half a dozen times, but the girl smiled and stepped back, allowing the teacher inside. Hermione sat cross-legged on the bed, and Crookshanks immediately took advantage of this to sit on her lap, purring.
"I will come straight to the point, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall began, sitting down on the room's only chair. "I need to be sure that the relationship between yourself and Professor Snape is not in any way a danger to your welfare. I know that you care deeply for Professor Snape, but I am worried about the speed at which the relationship is progressing. You are very young to be having sexual relations with a man so much older than you, regardless of whether he is a teacher."
Hermione decided that being straightforward about this, and speaking her mind would be the best option. "That's my choice," she said, simply. "I don't feel that I am too young. I love Severus."
The teacher gave her a hard stare. "Was your relationship the reason for your choice of project?"
"No. It was when I started working on the project that we got to know each other. Then things just ... happened."
"And your Potions N.E.W.T.?"
Hermione nodded. "We thought that things might be simpler if Severus was not my teacher." McGonagall seemed worried by this, and Hermione hurriedly continued. "But we wouldn't think of it just for that reason. I am ready for this exam, and it will leave me extra time next year to concentrate on my other subjects. Severus wouldn't allow his relationship with me to affect his professional judgment."
McGonagall considered this for several moments, then nodded slowly, accepting her student's reasoning. "I think I understand. Hermione, I do not approve of this at all, but it does not appear that I have any other choice than to accept it." She sighed. "You seem very clear on your own feelings, and I know that I can trust you to act with maturity. I just do not wish to see you hurt." She gazed at Hermione for a long moment, then stood, and turned to the door. As Hermione stood, McGonagall turned back, drew the student into a brief and awkward hug, then left.
- - -
Getting back to her lessons felt wonderful for Hermione. It seemed perfect that the first was Potions, and she enjoyed watching Severus work. He stood at the front of the classroom, explaining the day's task as the class listened attentively. Failure to listen to every detail could lead to an error in the potion, and the teacher would not accept that. She had heard the story of how Ron had been evicted from the class in the previous lesson. Seemingly fine, Ron had returned to lessons the week before. Everything had gone well until the practical part of the class, when he had begun pouring ingredients onto the desk instead of into a cauldron. The liquid had eaten part way through the desk without Ron even noticing, and he had no idea why the Potions Master had been so angry. Although his mind was considerably clearer now, Madam Pomfrey had felt it would be safer to keep him out of classes until he was fully recovered.
Hermione listened to the sound of her lover's voice – calm and commanding. His intense eyes took in every movement around the room as his students copied down his words onto parchment. When the class got out their cauldrons to prepare their brew – a potion to improve hearing – she was aware of his every step as he circled, vulture-like, watching for any sign of a wrong move. He approached closely behind her, and leaned over her shoulder – his face close enough to feel his breathing. In a softly ominous voice, just loud enough for the whole room to hear, he murmured, "I trust, Ms. Granger, that your memory has recovered sufficiently to remember what a cauldron is for."
Hermione flushed red. His presence – his voice – affected her in the way that she was sure he had intended, and the color in her cheeks had nothing to do with embarrassment. The Slytherins laughed, and Snape straightened and moved away.
"I'd heard that she couldn't even remember her own name a few days ago," came Malfoy's drawl. "That's what you get for hanging about in the dungeons, when you don't belong here, Mudblood!"
A cruel smile touched Snape's lips as he returned to his desk, satisfied with the little disturbance he had just caused.
The rest of Hermione's classes went well, despite some rather awkward moments with the teachers. Mostly, they seemed to stare at her with interest, but some were decidedly cool. Hermione balanced her time between homework, her project, and visiting Harry, who had still not woken,in the hospital wing. On Thursday evening,Hermione wasworkingon her project,when the Gryffindor Ghost came gliding through the dungeon wall, looking extremely pleased.
"Hermione," he said, happily. "Good news. Harry is awake!"
Finally! She just hoped that he was okay. "How is he?" she asked, dreading the response.
Nick refused to give her any further information, but his expression told her she had nothing to worry about. "Go and see for yourself," he laughed.
- - -
The hospital wing was full of laughter as Hermione entered. She had expected to see Harry in the bed, with the others around him, but he was perched comfortably on the edge, looking perfectly fine. Ginny was sitting next to him, her hand resting on his.
"Harry," she exclaimed, "you look great!"
Harry grinned at her. "I heard that you both had some problems," he laughed, indicating Ron. "Weird effects of those caves. I feel like I've just woken up from a quick nap."
Ron and Hermione told Harry all the news about what had been happening during his sleep, and they had a lot of catching up to do. They talked at length about what they could remember of the caves, then the conversation switched to the subject of Quidditch. The final would be on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays, and the captain of the Gryffindor team was eager to make up for lost time.
The students chatted happily together, until Madam Pomfrey finally decided that it was time for the girls to leave. "Mr. Weasley may stay," she said, "as he does not have classes tomorrow. The rest of you – time for bed." As Hermione left, with Ginny, the two boys were pulling out Ron's chess set. It was very strange to see them. Harry looked as though there was nothing at all wrong, while Ron was still having occasional strange fits of giggles. Still – it was good to see him awake, at last.
- - -
The night breeze played against the faces of the two lovers as they sat, looking across the Hogwarts grounds, towards the castle. The moonlight bathed the world in a silvery light, giving everything in their sights a mysterious stillness, as though the scene were frozen in time. They gazed out, simply enjoying each other's presence on this beautiful night.
Hermione rested her head on Snape's shoulder. "I wrote to my parents today," she told him.
"Indeed?" His voice showed his wariness of this news. Nothing relating to Hermione's parents had ever boded well for him.
"I told them that we had talked about moving in together at the end of the school year. They'll hate the idea, but it's better than telling them we're engaged!"
Even though Hermione and Snape both felt they should wait to get married, it had been taken for granted by both that when school finished they would be going to Haven.
"I wish that things were easier between you and your parents," Snape said softly. "I hate the thought of there being a rift between you."
Hermione sighed. "I know," she replied, sadly, "but it can't be helped. They will just have to accept it." A thought crossed her mind. "Speaking of acceptance, have the other staff said much more?" She had heard the whole story about how the staff had found out, and the incident in the staffroom.
Snape shook his head. "Poppy Pomfrey wants to hex me, I think, and Sprout and Sinister are not far behind her. I think your chat with McGonagall made a difference, though. She was almost civil to me this afternoon."
That was a relief for Hermione. Their little heart-to-heart had obviously had some effect. It was Hagrid's reaction that was worrying her most, though. That morning, she had passed him in the corridor, and he had turned away from her.She was sure she heard him sniff loudly as he disappeared in the other direction.
"Hagrid has been avoiding me, also," he confirmed. "He has not said a word to me since he found out."
The thought of Hagrid not speaking to either of them upset Hermione more than anyone else's reaction, because it was so unexpected. Hagrid had always been a great believer in Hermione's abilities, andhis support of Dumbledore's trust in Snape had been unshakeable.
"I'll try to talk to him again," she decided. "I can't stand the thought of him being like this, 'though I suppose we didn't really expect many people to be happy for us!"
It was getting late, and the two stood, to begin a slow stroll back to the castle, talking softly as they went.
"I had a visit from Mr. Baddock Junior this morning," Snape said suddenly. "I am beginning to think that his skills in manipulation and blackmail are somewhat lacking."
Ordinarily, this would have caused Hermione to worry, but the tone of Snape's voice did not seem to contain any concern. "What makes you say that?" she asked.
There was a hint of amusement in the reply. "For a start, the threat he is using no longer carries any weight. He is still threatening to go to Dumbledore."
"Why not just tell him, and get him off your back?" Hermione asked.
The response from Snape was grim. "It is imperative that we keep the truth from the other students for now," he said. "Dumbledore made it clear that he wants this to remain secret, and he is not happy that the staff know. If he starts getting howlers from parents and governors,things may become difficult for him. In time, the staff will be forced to accept us, and until then we should avoid having to fight the whole world at once."
She knew he was right. "I just hate the thought of Malcolm thinking he has the upper hand."
Snape nodded. "Do not worry about Mr. Baddock. For now he is asking for small things –he is still reveling in his victory over getting onto the Quidditch team. As soon as he asks for something that I do not wish to give him, I will put an end to it."
"And allow him to tell the other students?" asked Hermione.
Snape's response was almost a laugh. "I thought you knew me better than that, Ms. Granger!" he exclaimed. "The day I decide I have had enough of this game, will be the day Malcolm Baddock regrets ever taking on the master. He will never tell anyone about us, I promise you!"
At the back of Hermione's mind was a strange feeling of sympathy for the Slytherin student. She was not quite sure that she wanted to know what Snape had in mind, but Baddock was clearly in for a rough time. "And this is how the Head of Slytherin shapes the minds of his students, is it?" she teased.
Snape's replywas cut off as they rounded the corner of one of the greenhouses and almost walked into Hagrid. All three stopped, and it was clear that the Groundskeeper had heard them. "Someone there?" Hagrid asked suspiciously, looking in the right direction, but unable to see anything.
Hermione broke her invisibility spell and Snape followed her lead, appearing at her side.
"Oh, it's you two!"
Hagrid regarded Hermione with a disappointed and hurt expression, but when he turned to the other teacher, she was horrified to see loathing in his face. Snape started to speak Hagrid's name, but was cut off.
"I trusted you, Professor," Hagrid spat. "All that time when ev'ryone said Dumbledore were mad te take yer into the school, I accepted yer, 'cos I thought Dumbledore couldn't ha' made a mistake. But he were wrong about yer." Anger was rising up in Hagrid's face and voice. "Yer nothin' but a lyin', 'orrible bastard. 'Ermione deserves better than you." He took a step forward to Snape, who stood his ground, looking up at the angry man.
Snape's voice was dangerously low. "I do not have to answer to you, Hagrid," he said, coldly, "but I will tell you this. You are correct – Hermione does deserve better than I, but she loves me and I love her. For Hermione's sake, I hope you can accept that."
Reaching to put a hand on Hagrid's arm, Hermione smiled up, hoping to convince him of her feelings, but it had no effect.
Hagrid looked down at her, then back to Snape. "Yer a teacher. The thought of yer touchin' 'er makes me want ter be sick." His voice cracked slightly. "It's jus' ... wrong!"
With that, he pushed past Snape and hurried off into the night.