Chapter 13

It had been three weeks since Hermione and turned her wand on herself. Three weeks since she had doubted herself. Three weeks of long hard study. Three very uneventful weeks.

Almost everyday Hermione had gone for a walk with her friends down by the lake. The boys would talk passing notes between themselves. Her co-ordination had eventually righted itself. The conversation wasn't all that interesting but it was the company she looked forward to.

Whenever she went anywhere outside her 'rooms' they would be there, one either side of her, much like body guards.

Malfoy and his goons had made themselves scarce and everyone else pretty much ignored her like they use to. In all the time she spent wondering around the castle, which wasn't really that long, only once had she felt him.

She was on her way back after an hour long stroll around the lake when she felt it. She had spun around wildly looking for him, hoping for once to see his face but almost as soon as she had sensed him he was gone, disappearing in to the swarm of students heading to the Great Hall. She had grabbed Ron's arm and then hurried them along, back to her room.

Now she was sitting on the floor looking over yet another text book in hope for some hint as to how to restore her hearing.

'Tried it…Extinct…illegal…allergic reaction…' she though as she went through all of the different ingredients mentioned. It was a long, tedious, boring job, but it had to be done. At the moment the Professor was down in the Dungeons doing his patrols. When he finished he would join her for about an hour before sending her off to bed. It was a part of a routine they had eventually become use to.

Depending on how his day had been and how many students he had caught doing the rounds he would either work in his bedroom while she read on her own in the library on bad nights or on good nights they would both sit together on the sofa.

Twice Hermione had been so tired that she had fallen asleep and somehow gotten to bed.

Marking his book and placing it on the desk behind him, Severus turned to send Miss Granger off to bed only to find her curled up asleep against the arm of the sofa. Sighing he stood and removed her book from her limp grasp, stacking upon his own. Reaching forward he gently lifted her off the sofa, enjoying the feel of her against his body, before all too soon he reached her bed where he tucked her in. Storing away her dressing gown and taking off her wand holder he tenderly brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Sweet dreams," he told her, shutting off the lights with a soft, "Nox."

She really had no recollection of how she had walked to bed. But she didn't dwell on it as there were more important things to consider, like how she was going to get her hearing back. She had so many spells to catch up on it wasn't funny although when she expressed her concern to her friends they just told her not to worry. Typical boys.

Luckily she had been allowed to go the Potions Laboratory and work on some of the potions she had been missing but it was never long enough to fully complete them.

Suddenly she jumped at what she had seen on the page. 'Squid Ink!' she mentally shouted. That could be it, the answer to her problems, squid ink. It all fitted the different reactions with the components created the right mix and no allergic reaction, well hopefully. 'I have to tell the Professor now,' she thought.

Grabbing the book she pulled a winter cloak over her pyjamas instead of her thin dressing gown and headed out the door to the right of her room. Slipping out of the Professor's office Hermione watched the fog from her breath rise in the cold air.

Pulling the cloak tight she headed down a narrow corridor not really thinking where she was going but sensed his presence in that general direction for some reason. The further she travelled the darker the hall became until the point were she pulled out her wand to create some light, but before the spell formed in her mind she was engulfed in magic. It was him, him and someone else, but the second one didn't matter, the two dark auras were moving towards her.

They were too close for her to make a run for it, she might not be able to hear herself but they would. Looking around wildly she sighted a battered looking door. Tip toeing towards it she slipped inside closing it as far as it would go before clicking.

The two stopped right outside the door. Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she slipped behind a tapestry out of sight, hidden in the folds of the mouldy fabric.

The door opened, light from two wands shining in.

"This do?" one asked.

"Fine," said the other. Together they stepped in opening the door wide before shutting it behind them. Hermione watched through a moth eaten hole the two figures stand in the middle of the room, both faces obscured by the shadows.

"What's so important?" spat the slightly taller of the two.

"This," said the other, pulling up his left sleeve.

"What about it?"

"Father says he is going to call soon."

"And you think mine hasn't told me the exact same thing! Both our fathers are high enough to know Malfoy."

"How do you plan on leaving when he calls?"

"Portkey, you?"

"Same."

"Do Cabbe and Goyle know about this?"

"Their fathers haven't even mentioned them. It's not like they have even thought about it," said the Seeker.

"Like father like son." The pair were silent for several moments.

"What do you suppose Master will want us to do?"

"I don't know. Father mentioned his initiation once, said they would see what was on offer for us though. Muggle raping and torturing, we all have to kill a 'sacrifice' so to speak…. Are you worried out it?"

"Not really."

Silence covered the room again before one of them spoke.

"What will your weapon of choice be?"

"Knife, you?"

"Wand. You always did favour the hands on approach."

"What can I say; I follow in my fathers footsteps."

Again more silence.

"Just remember," said the taller one, "If you stuff up, you die. We're on our own this time."

"I know. I hear it often enough at home," hissed the shorter student. "Father and mother both."

"Don't you dare speak about mothers," snapped the taller grabbing the other student's robes by the neck.

"Just back off. I forgot about it alright, N…" but he was cut off by the other boy who started looking wildly around the room wand drawn.

"Search the room," he whispered. Draco pulled out his wand as the pair moved towards the side walls searching for whatever it was the taller boy had sensed. His senses were always slightly more attuned than Draco's.

"Stupefy," he shouted wand pointed at the now open door. The spell bounced aimlessly off the stone wall. "Shit. Come on," he said racing out the door, Draco on his tail.

ooOOoo

Hermione was scared stiff. He was there. Right there in front of her but she had no chance. She had to get out of their. If not they would most likely spot her.

They seemed to talk for ages until one grabbed the other by the collar. It was then Hermione let out an almost silent sneeze, the dust around her irritating her nose.

They both stopped. In less than two seconds they were scouring the room. She had to get out of there fast if she didn't want them to catch her. Moving silently towards the door she sent it open with her wand. Gathering her courage she dashed out the door, feeling the spell on her heels. She sprinted down the corridor back towards the main part of the school, text book still held tight against her chest. She sprinted for her life to the Professor's Chambers, her safe haven.

ooOOoo

"Draco, go left up ahead. Don't try and contact me until Quidditch training tomorrow morning. I won't be going back to our bed chambers tonight," he said sprinting along the dank corridor.

"Right," he puffed, just keeping up.

The two split up. Draco headed down the hallway a lightning speed until he stopped dead in his tracks, wand pointed at a stone pillar.

"Come out," he said in a sing song voice, advancing towards the pillar. The student hiding attempted to sprint off in the opposite direction but Draco caught them with a body binding spell. "Now, that's no way to treat your superiors," he scolded advancing on the frozen student. "Now, I'll forget all about this, only if you do." Her eyes widened as his wand pointed straight between them. "Obliviate." Her eyes went wide before gaining a vacant expression.

Releasing the bindings, the Slytherin Seeker walked back to his Common Room. "Bloody snooping third years," he muttered slipping away his wand.

ooOOoo

Hermione dashed around the corner, skidding into the Professor's office, bolting the door behind her. Not bothered at all, by the many pickled floating animals lining the walls she raced over to the hidden doorway to Professor Snape's Chambers. Stepping into the brightly lit room she slammed the door behind her, slumping to the floor against the door, chest heaving.

ooOOoo

Snape was furious and though he didn't want to admit it, frantic. Hermione was gone. She was still on the grounds but not in his, their, her, his, their…their chambers. It wasn't like she wasn't allowed to leave, just that she had never left unaccompanied. All the Gryffindor's were present and accounted for except for Hermione Granger which meant they weren't taking her on a midnight expedition.

The door behind him opened. In a split second he was up off the sofa, wand drawn. He breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"Where the hell have you been?" he thundered, advancing on her, oblivious to her flushed yet pale face. "You have no right to leave these rooms. What have you been doing?"

It was only when he grabbed and shook her shoulder she really realised that he was standing in front of her, her eyes focusing on his.

Finally seeing her he took in her wide, watery eyes, pale face and slightly flushed cheeks. Her hair and cloak were dusty, her breathing shallow and raggered as though she had just run a mile. "What's wrong? Hermione, what happened?" he asked softly, concern written all over his face as he knelt before her.

Hermione let the large text book, which had been slowing her down, slip to the floor as she lunged forward into her Professor's arms.

Severus was slightly startled as the small woman before him jumped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, her head sitting in the crook of his neck. His arms slid around her petite frame on their own accord, holding her close.

"Sssshhhhh," he cooed, even though she couldn't hear him. His hand moved in small circles on her back as sobs began to rack her body. Sliding to the floor himself, he pulled her into his lap alternating between stroking her soft hair and her rubbing small circles along her back.

After several minuets the shakes subsided but she didn't pull away, instead she began to sag in his arms though still cuddled into his neck, a large wet patch now on his collar. Somehow he managed to get up without waking her and carried her to her room. Sitting her on the bed he gently took off her cloak trying not to wake her without much success though she quickly drifted off as he hung the garment.

He would have been happy to just leave her sleep but she would freeze with out a blanket over her. Shifting her so he could slide out the comforter from underneath her she woke.

"It's time to go to sleep," he told her helping her under the blankets in her drowsy state. As he turned to leave a small hand grabbed his wrist.

"Please," she asked him still holding his wrist through the many layers of clothing. "Please, don't go."

"Hermione, it is unethical," he told her turning to face her, his face emotionless.

"Having me here is unethical," she counted with a slight yawn. "Please, all I want is some company. Don't leave me alone," she finished, her face slightly desperate.

Sighing his defeat he went to conjure a chair before he noticed she moved over in the bed for him to lie on the bed. He looked her sceptically.

"I promise, nothing will happen. I just want you to lie with me. At least until I fall asleep."

Rolling his eyes he continued to conjure the chair, only to place his outer garments over it and shoes under it. With a wave of his wand the outer doors of the Chambers locked as per usual and the lights flickered out. Dressed only in his pants and white shirt, yet again, he slipped under the covers sure to lie only on his side of the bed, ankles crossed, hands across his stomach, body stiff.

Tentatively a warm hand reached across and intertwined with his and against his better judgment he drifted off to sleep.

ooOOoo

When he awoke in the early morning, Hermione had somehow ended up sleeping with her head on his shoulder, one hand across his chest, his own arm across her back holding her close.

He enjoyed the way her hair lightly tickled his skin, and how her warm weight felt just right. He stayed still for a moment listening to the rhythmic sound of her breathing and let her scent engulf him.

Finally disentangling his limbs from hers she woke. When she realised the position they were in a blush graced her cheeks as she pulled away, sneaking over to her own side. Severus chuckled rolling on to his side to look into her chocolate brown eyes that peeked out from the blankets and mop of brown hair.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked innocently despite the small quirk of his thin lips. Hermione nodded.

"You?" she asked in return.

"Fine, except for the fuzzy little chipmunk," he teased.

Pulling the blankets down to her shoulders Severus saw the smile that graced her lips.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" he asked. The slight laughter in her eyes died as Hermione sat back against the head rest, the blankets wrapped around her, her pillow now held against her chest. Severus also sat up, moving so he was at her feet.

After a deep breath her eyes moved from her knees to his eyes as she told him about how she had found out about squid ink then without really thinking went to find him. How she had been corned in the room with the two boys before she just managed to escape and get back.

Severus could have said many things but instead he said that they would do best to investigate this new possibility of a cure but first he had classes to attend to and without another word he left to get ready for classes.