Thank you everyone for the reviews and the encouragement. : ) It's muchly appreciated.
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Chapter Eighteen
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Severus couldn't believe he was doing this, and for a bloody Gryffindor at that. He stared at Albus, daring him to contradict what they both knew was a set of bald-faced lies. Less than three feet from him, the Granger girl sat staring at him, eyes wide with stark disbelief. He almost rolled his eyes, quite grateful there were no witnesses to this. No one would believe he spoke the truth, when the primary participate was sitting there gobsmacked as she listened.
He supposed, for the first time ever, that it was a good thing that the headmaster's belief of his words was not important, just his longstanding tendency to want to bend over backwards to accommodate Gryffindors and their impulsive mistakes. After nearly twenty years of putting up with it, it was about bloody time it worked for him instead of against him. After all, Granger *was* helping him out of a fix, it was only equitable that he return the favor. It was certainly better than 'owing' her.
"Let me get this straight, Severus," Albus replied quietly, that damned twinkle in his eyes working overtime. "It is your . . . considered opinion, that Miss Granger's rather shocking attack of one of our Professors was due to her belief that you were in physical danger from said professor?"
"It does fit the facts, Sir," Severus replied tightly. **Don't play the prat, Albus!** Severus snarled silently. **You know damn well, you want to let her off scott free, don't take the piss out of me first!**
"And Miss Granger, do you, too, maintain that this is why you physically assault Professor Trelawney?"
Severus held back a groan by only the sheerest of margins. **Don't ask her, Albus! Do you *want* this to go balls up? The girl can't lie to save her life!** He didn't dare look at Granger. He knew what he'd see if he did -- wide-eyed, frantic denial trying to present itself as agreement.
"Yes, Headmaster," Granger said softly.
Severus snapped his head around to stare at the chit, incredulous. That had sounded halfway believable!
"Indeed," Albus offered thoughtfully, pausing to stare at both of them, that incredibly annoying, *knowing* look throughout his expression. He rose and cleared his throat. "Considering the evidence recently discovered that said professor might actually *be* a danger -- and *that* Miss Granger stays within this room -- I'm inclined to . . . take this at face value." He then turned a stern visage, all traces of merriment gone, toward Miss Granger. "Do not let *this* happen again," he admonished. "Without more substantial proof, I would be forced to take action."
"No, Sir. Never, Sir!" Granger quickly assured.
"Good then," Albus nodded. "Be gone with both of you. I'll leave it up to the two of you to figure out how you managed to apparate where none should be able to."
Severus did groan then, frowning. That was just what he needed.
"Actually, Sir, I've been thinking about that."
**Do tell,** Severus thought sourly, but remained silent, his only response a roll of his eyes and an exaggerated sigh of impatience.
"Really?" Albus asked, actually looking interested. "Please explain."
Taking a deep breath, and a not so covert peak at *him*, Granger quickly began speaking to the headmaster. "Fear has long been known to do amazing things to people. Fear of specific things, phobias and the like, can make otherwise brave people into veritable cowards. Fear for other people can make cowards do incredibly brave things. It's also been known to allow physically weak muggle women to lift two ton cars off their children or grandchildren. Adrenaline, Sir; it enhances the body, preparing it for fight or flight. It stands to reason that it might also affect magical ability in wizarding folk."
He would never, not even with his dying breath, admit it, but Severus realized it was actually a plausible theory -- barring the possibility that the wards had simply weakened momentarily, which would have to be looked into. He had heard tales of near squib level witches and wizards successfully casting spells in desperate situations that should have been beyond their capability. He'd always scoffed, but now he wasn't so sure. What Granger had done, *should* have been impossible. No wild flare of magic should have enabled a witch untrained in apparation to not only successfully disapparate from within a no apparate zone, but at the same time apparate *to* a no apparate zone. It was unheard of.
Albus nodded, seemingly satisfied with her explanation. "I have already double checked the wards operating around Hogwarts, and given that there is absolutely no sign that they've been weakened or otherwise compromised, it seems to me as logical an explanation as any, and it will go in my reports as such."
Albus reseated himself, and waved them a dismissal. "Keep me informed of anything unusual," he said, immediately turning his attention to one of the many parchments scattered across his desk.
Rolling his eyes at the rather abrupt dismissal, Severus strode out of the headmaster's office. It was only after he was back out in the hallway, outside the stone gargoyle that he realized he'd forgotten to ask the headmaster how taking over his class had gone. He briefly debated returning to do just that, when he was distracted by the fidgeting presence of Miss Granger. He sighed.
"We need to talk," he said abruptly, striding away. "Come with me."
"Yes, Professor," she replied before he heard her scurry after him.
The buzz of milling, gossiping students grew as they approached the main hall. It silenced immediately, the moment they entered. The oh so familiar, and hated, reaction send tendrils of half-forgotten teenage memories creeping through his thoughts as the two of them were stared at, in some cases openly, in others covertly.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" he snarled at the closest student stupid enough to be staring openly. The young Ravenclaw's eyes widened, and with a squeak of horror, and a rather violent shake of his head, scurried off. It set everyone in motion and soon the two of them were alone in the hallway.
They remained silent the rest of the way to his office. Severus couldn't help but revisit Granger's reaction earlier. Glancing at her as he waved her into his office ahead of him, he couldn't help but wonder. He had never really thought much about her, beyond her irritation factor in his classes, but giving it thought now, he realized he would have pegged her as quiet and reserved, mousy really. The old adage, 'it's always the quiet ones' came to mind, which set his mind along another path.
If she reacted that . . . strongly to the situation simply because of embarrassment, how would she react if her . . . affections were engaged? Anger that suddenly aroused, territorial anger at that, spoke of an unsuspected passion buried deep within the studious bookworm. Shock at that thought flushed through him and he shook his head. He should not be thinking such things about a student! It was appalling at best.
//But she's *also* your fiancee.//
Growling to himself, he swept behind his desk, sitting rather abruptly. "Well," he inquired snidely, "are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Sit!"
Granger sat, folding her hands nervously in her lap.
The problem was, now that he had her here, he didn't have a bloody thing to say. That had *never* happened to him before.
"I'm sorry," Granger said suddenly, breaking into the increasingly awkward silence. "If it bothered you, I mean. I'm sorry."
Severus frowned, confused at the apparently random apology. "If *what* bothered me, Miss Granger," he asked rather forcefully.
Granger jumped, raising her head to meet his stare. "For kissing you. If it bothered you, I'm sorry."
Rather stunned that she'd even brought it up, considering how embarrassed she'd seemed by the whole thing. Severus wasn't really sure how he felt about her apologizing for it. "You're sorry you did it?" he demanded snidely. "Kissed the---"
"No!" Granger exclaimed interrupting him.
That was getting to be a habit of hers, one he did *not* appreciate.
"Do *not* interrupt me, Miss Granger!" he snarled.
"I'm sorry," she replied immediately. "But you're wrong. I'm not sorry I did it, I'm just sorry it made you uncomfortable."
Blinking in surprise, he glared at the cheeky chit warily. She wasn't sorry she'd done it? Whyever not? Curiosity had him asking before he managed to censor himself.
**
His mood black, Severus stormed down toward his private chambers. He had never liked feeling confused, and now was no different. He loathed the students and the students loathed him. That's the way it had always been. It was the way it *should* be.
//Why should I be sorry for acting on how I feel?//
Cheeky chit! Who did she think she was? All thoughts of his current predicament were shoved out of his mind the moment his arm began to pulse with burning pain.
"Bloody hell!" he muttered as he swept into his chambers. He couldn't help a shudder of fear as he immediately wondered at the timing of the summons. The agreement binding him and Miss Granger becomes common knowledge at Hogwarts, and not even 6 hours later he was rifling through his closet to dig out his loathed deatheater robes to meet with Voldemort. It just wasn't usual to receive two summons with such a short interval between them.
Changing swiftly, Severus Snape hurriedly wrote out a note to the headmaster. He always did this, in case something went wrong and he didn't return. An icy tendril of fear creeped into his heart as he realized that right now, that 'in case' was quite likely. The two events were simply too close together to be coincidence.
Striding across his chambers to the craftily hidden door that only he and the headmaster knew existed, Severus silently slipped into his tunnel. It lead directly out of the castle, allowing him unseen exit and entrance. He stopped only long enough to tie the note to the owl kept here for just this purpose.
"Take this to the headmaster," he said quietly, "then you're free to hunt."
The owl's head bobbed once and with a low hoot it was gone. He didn't stick around to watch it fly off. He, unfortunately, had a meeting to attend, one he needed to get to quickly. The longer he kept the dark lord waiting, the worse the meeting would be, he was certain. It always was.
TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: It'll make my day. : )
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com
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Chapter Eighteen
**********
Severus couldn't believe he was doing this, and for a bloody Gryffindor at that. He stared at Albus, daring him to contradict what they both knew was a set of bald-faced lies. Less than three feet from him, the Granger girl sat staring at him, eyes wide with stark disbelief. He almost rolled his eyes, quite grateful there were no witnesses to this. No one would believe he spoke the truth, when the primary participate was sitting there gobsmacked as she listened.
He supposed, for the first time ever, that it was a good thing that the headmaster's belief of his words was not important, just his longstanding tendency to want to bend over backwards to accommodate Gryffindors and their impulsive mistakes. After nearly twenty years of putting up with it, it was about bloody time it worked for him instead of against him. After all, Granger *was* helping him out of a fix, it was only equitable that he return the favor. It was certainly better than 'owing' her.
"Let me get this straight, Severus," Albus replied quietly, that damned twinkle in his eyes working overtime. "It is your . . . considered opinion, that Miss Granger's rather shocking attack of one of our Professors was due to her belief that you were in physical danger from said professor?"
"It does fit the facts, Sir," Severus replied tightly. **Don't play the prat, Albus!** Severus snarled silently. **You know damn well, you want to let her off scott free, don't take the piss out of me first!**
"And Miss Granger, do you, too, maintain that this is why you physically assault Professor Trelawney?"
Severus held back a groan by only the sheerest of margins. **Don't ask her, Albus! Do you *want* this to go balls up? The girl can't lie to save her life!** He didn't dare look at Granger. He knew what he'd see if he did -- wide-eyed, frantic denial trying to present itself as agreement.
"Yes, Headmaster," Granger said softly.
Severus snapped his head around to stare at the chit, incredulous. That had sounded halfway believable!
"Indeed," Albus offered thoughtfully, pausing to stare at both of them, that incredibly annoying, *knowing* look throughout his expression. He rose and cleared his throat. "Considering the evidence recently discovered that said professor might actually *be* a danger -- and *that* Miss Granger stays within this room -- I'm inclined to . . . take this at face value." He then turned a stern visage, all traces of merriment gone, toward Miss Granger. "Do not let *this* happen again," he admonished. "Without more substantial proof, I would be forced to take action."
"No, Sir. Never, Sir!" Granger quickly assured.
"Good then," Albus nodded. "Be gone with both of you. I'll leave it up to the two of you to figure out how you managed to apparate where none should be able to."
Severus did groan then, frowning. That was just what he needed.
"Actually, Sir, I've been thinking about that."
**Do tell,** Severus thought sourly, but remained silent, his only response a roll of his eyes and an exaggerated sigh of impatience.
"Really?" Albus asked, actually looking interested. "Please explain."
Taking a deep breath, and a not so covert peak at *him*, Granger quickly began speaking to the headmaster. "Fear has long been known to do amazing things to people. Fear of specific things, phobias and the like, can make otherwise brave people into veritable cowards. Fear for other people can make cowards do incredibly brave things. It's also been known to allow physically weak muggle women to lift two ton cars off their children or grandchildren. Adrenaline, Sir; it enhances the body, preparing it for fight or flight. It stands to reason that it might also affect magical ability in wizarding folk."
He would never, not even with his dying breath, admit it, but Severus realized it was actually a plausible theory -- barring the possibility that the wards had simply weakened momentarily, which would have to be looked into. He had heard tales of near squib level witches and wizards successfully casting spells in desperate situations that should have been beyond their capability. He'd always scoffed, but now he wasn't so sure. What Granger had done, *should* have been impossible. No wild flare of magic should have enabled a witch untrained in apparation to not only successfully disapparate from within a no apparate zone, but at the same time apparate *to* a no apparate zone. It was unheard of.
Albus nodded, seemingly satisfied with her explanation. "I have already double checked the wards operating around Hogwarts, and given that there is absolutely no sign that they've been weakened or otherwise compromised, it seems to me as logical an explanation as any, and it will go in my reports as such."
Albus reseated himself, and waved them a dismissal. "Keep me informed of anything unusual," he said, immediately turning his attention to one of the many parchments scattered across his desk.
Rolling his eyes at the rather abrupt dismissal, Severus strode out of the headmaster's office. It was only after he was back out in the hallway, outside the stone gargoyle that he realized he'd forgotten to ask the headmaster how taking over his class had gone. He briefly debated returning to do just that, when he was distracted by the fidgeting presence of Miss Granger. He sighed.
"We need to talk," he said abruptly, striding away. "Come with me."
"Yes, Professor," she replied before he heard her scurry after him.
The buzz of milling, gossiping students grew as they approached the main hall. It silenced immediately, the moment they entered. The oh so familiar, and hated, reaction send tendrils of half-forgotten teenage memories creeping through his thoughts as the two of them were stared at, in some cases openly, in others covertly.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" he snarled at the closest student stupid enough to be staring openly. The young Ravenclaw's eyes widened, and with a squeak of horror, and a rather violent shake of his head, scurried off. It set everyone in motion and soon the two of them were alone in the hallway.
They remained silent the rest of the way to his office. Severus couldn't help but revisit Granger's reaction earlier. Glancing at her as he waved her into his office ahead of him, he couldn't help but wonder. He had never really thought much about her, beyond her irritation factor in his classes, but giving it thought now, he realized he would have pegged her as quiet and reserved, mousy really. The old adage, 'it's always the quiet ones' came to mind, which set his mind along another path.
If she reacted that . . . strongly to the situation simply because of embarrassment, how would she react if her . . . affections were engaged? Anger that suddenly aroused, territorial anger at that, spoke of an unsuspected passion buried deep within the studious bookworm. Shock at that thought flushed through him and he shook his head. He should not be thinking such things about a student! It was appalling at best.
//But she's *also* your fiancee.//
Growling to himself, he swept behind his desk, sitting rather abruptly. "Well," he inquired snidely, "are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Sit!"
Granger sat, folding her hands nervously in her lap.
The problem was, now that he had her here, he didn't have a bloody thing to say. That had *never* happened to him before.
"I'm sorry," Granger said suddenly, breaking into the increasingly awkward silence. "If it bothered you, I mean. I'm sorry."
Severus frowned, confused at the apparently random apology. "If *what* bothered me, Miss Granger," he asked rather forcefully.
Granger jumped, raising her head to meet his stare. "For kissing you. If it bothered you, I'm sorry."
Rather stunned that she'd even brought it up, considering how embarrassed she'd seemed by the whole thing. Severus wasn't really sure how he felt about her apologizing for it. "You're sorry you did it?" he demanded snidely. "Kissed the---"
"No!" Granger exclaimed interrupting him.
That was getting to be a habit of hers, one he did *not* appreciate.
"Do *not* interrupt me, Miss Granger!" he snarled.
"I'm sorry," she replied immediately. "But you're wrong. I'm not sorry I did it, I'm just sorry it made you uncomfortable."
Blinking in surprise, he glared at the cheeky chit warily. She wasn't sorry she'd done it? Whyever not? Curiosity had him asking before he managed to censor himself.
**
His mood black, Severus stormed down toward his private chambers. He had never liked feeling confused, and now was no different. He loathed the students and the students loathed him. That's the way it had always been. It was the way it *should* be.
//Why should I be sorry for acting on how I feel?//
Cheeky chit! Who did she think she was? All thoughts of his current predicament were shoved out of his mind the moment his arm began to pulse with burning pain.
"Bloody hell!" he muttered as he swept into his chambers. He couldn't help a shudder of fear as he immediately wondered at the timing of the summons. The agreement binding him and Miss Granger becomes common knowledge at Hogwarts, and not even 6 hours later he was rifling through his closet to dig out his loathed deatheater robes to meet with Voldemort. It just wasn't usual to receive two summons with such a short interval between them.
Changing swiftly, Severus Snape hurriedly wrote out a note to the headmaster. He always did this, in case something went wrong and he didn't return. An icy tendril of fear creeped into his heart as he realized that right now, that 'in case' was quite likely. The two events were simply too close together to be coincidence.
Striding across his chambers to the craftily hidden door that only he and the headmaster knew existed, Severus silently slipped into his tunnel. It lead directly out of the castle, allowing him unseen exit and entrance. He stopped only long enough to tie the note to the owl kept here for just this purpose.
"Take this to the headmaster," he said quietly, "then you're free to hunt."
The owl's head bobbed once and with a low hoot it was gone. He didn't stick around to watch it fly off. He, unfortunately, had a meeting to attend, one he needed to get to quickly. The longer he kept the dark lord waiting, the worse the meeting would be, he was certain. It always was.
TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: It'll make my day. : )
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com
