Okay, I really didn't want to add another POV for this story, but this chapter *demanded* to be written from Hermione's POV. ::sighs:: Ah, the life of muse's slave. Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoy it.


On to the fic!




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Chapter Twelve
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Hermione was nervous, her stomach was tied in the biggest knots she'd ever felt. This was worse even than the time they'd gone after the philosopher's stone. It was ever so much worse than when she'd secretly brewed the polyjuice potion -- that time, even knowing the risks of getting caught, and what they were going to do with it, she'd had fun. That had outweighed the concern of getting caught. That and all of that had been done in secret, no one was supposed to know about those things. This . . . *this* would be done out in front of *everyone*.

She groaned as the light from the dorm window landed squarely across her closed eyes, bringing her further into unwanted wakefulness. She slowly opened her eyes, shading them from the evil, awful sunlight, and glanced quickly at the bedside clock.

She sat bolt-upright in bed, a surge of adrenaline pumping through her. If she didn't hurry, she was going to be late for breakfast. Today, of all days, that would not be a good idea; people might wonder why. She launched herself out of bed. Ignoring the fact that on less than 3 hours sleep she certainly wasn't going to be at her best today, Hermione was ready to leave her room in record time.

She paused at the door, taking a deep, calming breath. It didn't help much, but it was certainly better than flying out of her room as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. She had yet to inform Harry and Ron as to what was going on, and that conversation worried her more than just about the rest of it combined.

**Oh, God, how am I going to tell them?** she thought frantically as she opened the door and stepped out. They were going to freak, she knew. Squaring her shoulders she hurried to meet them, wondering where they could go to make sure they wouldn't be overheard while she told them the truth. Thanking every diety she'd ever read about that she *could* tell them the truth. She really didn't think she could make it through this while keeping it secret from them. She froze for a split second when she first saw them waiting in the common room.

**I'm engaged to Professor Snape!** she thought suddenly, the very idea finally hitting her all at once. The edges of her vision greyed and she swayed. She gulped, bending over slightly. **Oh, please don't pass out. Please, don't pass out!** As the grey receded, she began berating herself. Running around like a madwoman after not *nearly* enough sleep was not the smartest thing she'd ever done.

Her near-faint had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was engaged to marry Professor *Snape*. Nothing . At . All.

**

Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Hermione played with her food more than she actually ate it, pushing it around her plate listlessly. She had more on her mind than filling her stomach as she had yet to figure out how she was going to broach the delicate subject she needed to with Harry and Ron. She deliberately ignored their concerned looks. She really didn't want to deal with them right now.

Equally, she ignored the raucous noise of the other Gryffindors at the table, all of them seeming to choose today to talk from one end of the table to the other.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Harry asked finally, putting down his fork and giving her his full attention.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "don't take this the wrong way, but you look *really* tired."

Hermione rolled her eyes, glaring at Ron. "How could I *possibly* take that the wrong way?" she retorted angrily, then sighed. "Sorry, I just stayed up too late last night -- studying."

Ron shook his head, and for one of the few times ever, straightened to his full height, looking her straight in the eyes. "You really need to take better care of yourself, Hermione," he said. "I know studying is important . . . especially to you, but it's not more important than your health," he finished firmly.

Touched by his obvious concern -- as well as by the fact that he'd finally admitted how important her studies were to her . . . without being facetious -- Hermione smiled. "I will, Ron. I promise."

Harry watched her skeptically, his concern just as obvious as Ron's. It radiated from his eyes, making them seem an even brighter, sharper green than normal. "He's right Hermione, you know. We'd be lost if you got sick."

"I know he is, Harry. And thanks." She hesitated before she continued, taking a deep breath. "Can we talk before first class today? There's . . . something I need to discuss with the two of you. I . . . need your help on something."

Her two friends glanced briefly at each other, their concern rising sharply, she knew, but then they turned back to her, both wearing blinding grins. "Always," they said together.

"All you ever had to do was ask," Harry continued quietly.

Hermione focused her attention on him. "I know." She paused, eyeing him thoughtfully. "It's the same for you, Harry. You know that, right?" She turned to include Ron in her look. "Both of you?"

"The Three Musketeers," Harry said softly and Hermione grinned.

"Exactly," she replied, her mood cheered considerably.

"The three who?" Ron asked, perplexed.

Hermione and Harry both laughed, and hurriedly finished their breakfast as they explained the story of the The Three Musketeers to Ron.

Hermione grinned as she watched Harry pantomime great sword fights, realizing just how lucky she was to have friends like them. It didn't matter that their interests often conflicted, that the two boys were far more interested in quidditch than studying, or that she was just the opposite. That just made it all the more fun.

**

Hermione froze just outside the great hall, her thoughts about where to talk to Harry and Ron stopped cold. There, just inside the main entrance, were both her mother and her father. Even having expected them, it was a shock to see them here, at Hogwarts. Muggles didn't come to Hogwarts. It wasn't done.

**And they're early!** Hermione thought in complete panic. **I haven't let Harry and Ron in on the plan yet!**

Around her, she heard the startled whispers begin, the word muggles repeated over and over as word was passed from student to student. On either side of her, Harry and Ron just stared. Surprisingly, Ron was the first to recover.

"Hermione," he whispered, a shade too loudly in her opinion, "what are your parents doing here?"

She turned beet red as all the other students, the ones already gathered in the hallway and those still filing out of the great hall fell into silence. She could feel each and every one of their eyes boring into her. "I--I don't know, Ron," she replied. Though the words were a lie, she didn't have to feign shock. She really *had* expected a little more time to prepare herself.

She started to move forward when an icy, sneering voice stopped her.

"Well, Granger, has the Head Girl been bad? Is *that* why your -muggle- parents have infected Hogwarts?" Malfoy sneered, smirking at her.

"Are you getting expelled?" asked Goyle excitedly.

Harry and Ron both stiffened, but Hermione responded before they could. "Of course I haven't, *Malfoy*," she replied, slurring his name as if uttering the most vile insult she could come up with. "And no, Goyle, you can stop getting excited. We wouldn't want you to pass out from lack of blood supply to your last brain cell. I'm not getting expelled." Then a truly insidious thought occurred to her. "They're probably here because I'm going to be honored in some way," she continued haughtily, drawing on every ounce of her pride to carry off the tone, lifting her chin smugly.

Malfoy's sneer grew more pronounced and Hermione took it all in, in a kind of bemused silence. Inside, she was a mess, totally unprepared for this supposed-to-planned-out-confrontation this early in the morning.

Harry and Ron snickered, the sound cut short as Professor Snape swept into the hallway scowling, looking as normal as if today weren't so very different from every other day. She envied him that ability. She was utterly certain that every thing that *was* different was written plainly across her face and in her eyes for everyone to see. Absolutely everything was spiralling out of control, and she felt lost and oh so incredibly alone.

She'd felt a bit of it last night as today's plans had grown more and more elaborate, but it was nothing compared to seeing them set into motion. Last night, it had all seemed so academic, unreal, really. Today, it was real. It was happening; and it was happening in front of the entire student body.

"What is everyone milling around for?" Professor Snape barked, his trademark sneer firmly in place. "Don't any of you have classes to attend?"

Everyone jumped, shuffling restlessly, but no one moved off. They were all too curious to allow mere fear to move them away. Hermione wondered idly whether or not actual points being removed would even do it.

" *Muggles* are in the school, Professor," Malfoy volunteered, a vindictive grin appearing as he continued. " *Granger's* parents, Sir," he said, pointing toward the couple standing just inside the entrance, now in quiet discussion with the headmaster.

Professor Snape's nose flared as if he'd suddenly got wind of a stench, and opened his mouth to -- no doubt -- deliver some scathing retort, but thankfully -- in Hermione's opinion -- his mother's approach and greeting, cut him off.

"Good morning, Severus," she said smoothly, gliding up next to him despite the number of students present in the hall. Raising herself up onto her toes, one hand bracing herself on his arm, she bestowed a chaste peck on his cheek.

Hermione noticed several things at once; Malfoy, Harry, and Ron -- all three -- had the exact same expression on their faces. It was quite comical actually, an odd mixture of wide-eyed curiosity about who the woman was, and a disgust that rivaled the one Professor Snape had been wearing upon hearing that Granger's parents were present. Everyone else simply wore looks of bland shock.

She stifled a laugh when Harry leaned in close to her ear and asked, "what's a woman who looks like *that* doing kissing *Snape*?"

"Mother," Snape responded with a slight nod.

Hermione was pleased to see the shock on Malfoy's face . . . that and she had to admit that he looked ridiculous with his mouth agape like that. She didn't turn to see the mirror ones on Harry and Ron's faces. She was sure they looked equally silly, trying to process the *fact* of Snape's mother.

"Oh!" Mrs. Snape exclaimed, looking toward the headmaster -- and *her* parents. "Just the people I wanted to see," she continued, striding off. "I'll see you after dinner, Severus." This was tossed over her shoulder.

Hermione watched Mrs. Snape approach the three by the door, only looking back toward the people around her as they disappeared into the corridor that led to the headmaster's office. Harry and Ron were still staring at the now empty entryway. Malfoy was staring at Snape in undisguised curiosity -- along with what seemed to be half the school. She wasn't sure, but the students seemed torn between which scene to stare at more pointedly -- Mrs. Snape and the headmaster with . . . gasp . . . muggles, or Professor Snape who they'd just seen kissed by his mother like a school boy. Professor Snape, on the other hand wore an expression Hermione had never seen -- confusion. Even as she watched, it turned disgusted, a scowl returning.

"Get to class!" he snapped, then cast one last perplexed glance toward the headmaster's corridor before spinning and striding toward the dungeons -- toward his classroom, Hermione presumed.

It took Harry and Ron both trying to get her attention before she snapped back to what was going on around her. They were the only three left. "Are you all right, Hermione?" Harry asked quietly, half his attention still on the hall that her parents had gone down with the headmaster and Mrs. Snape.

Hermione only nodded, not even sure he saw her response. She was too busy trying to figure out how, exactly, she was supposed to talk to them about what was going on, when no one gave her the time. Thanks to the surprise after-breakfast entertainment, there wasn't time before potions.

Suddenly angry at all adults everywhere, Hermione marched off, leaving two very surprised friends in her wake -- not that she noticed until they quickly caught up with her, each of them grabbing an arm to slow her down.

"Are you *sure* you're all right?" This time it was Ron who asked.

She rounded on him, eyes flashing. It wasn't fair to him, she knew, even as she ranted; this whole situation didn't even involve him yet, but he was convenient, and he'd made the mistake of asking her something she'd already answered. "I *said* I was, didn't I? Do you think I don't know if I'm all right, or not? What do you think I am, some helpless little girl that doesn't know her own mind?" she shouted, wrenching herself from both their grips.

At their twin looks of shock, and quickly shaken heads, Hermione slumped. "Look, I'm sorry. We'll talk after potions, before we go to Herbology, okay?"

They nodded and the three of them quickly headed for potions. That was one class they really didn't dare be late to.


TBC
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