Sugar and Spice
Chapter Nine
(Disclaimer: I am making no profit off of this work and own none of the titles.)
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Hermione went about her daily rituals, going from class to class, then to dinner, then to the common room to do her homework. She was surprised, however, to walk into the common room and find Harry and Ginny snuggled up together in front of the fireplace, Ginny asleep soundly in Harry's arms.
'It's not like we were going out or anything,' Hermione thought to herself, heading to the library instead. 'But he said he liked me…"
Hermione couldn't help but feel left out. Like her only worth was her place in the Order. She was almost raped last night and she was walking around worrying about Harry and Ginny? Was her only place in the shadow of Harry?
When the Gryffindor reached the library, she found it unusually crowded and noisy. She knew that she would certainly be unable to concentrate and work in those conditions. She turned on her heel and headed towards the dungeons.
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"May I help you, Lucius?" Snape asked as the Malfoy strode into his office.
"I'd like to speak with you." He shut the door behind him. "Privately."
"You have my attention." Snape set down his quill.
Lucius noticed a notebook on the floor, slightly hidden by the bed. Hermione's name was written on the cover. "Granger. You didn't claim her virginity." He said. "I did."
"She's a liar then." Snape said. "But to lower yourself to a Gryffindor? A mudblood?"
"She was a good fuck." Malfoy replied simply.
Snape didn't reply, only picked up his quill and continued grading assignments.
XxX
Hermione was about to knock upon Snape's door, but she heard Lucius Malfoy's voice inside. Would it hurt to listen for a moment?
"But you said you'd taken her virginity, Severus." Lucius said. "You didn't. I did."
Hermione could almost see the look of surprise upon Snape's face. Flashbacks from that fateful night ran through her head.
"I didn't speak up because our Lord would've punished me for seeking her out." He explained.
"And you came here to tell me this..?" Snape asked icily. "Why does it matter? Tell Voldemort. It doesn't matter who claimed her virginity."
Hermione's mouth fell open. It didn't matter? It didn't matter to men because they don't experience the unwanted pain!
Suddenly the door swung open and Hermione jumped back, tripped and fell down. Lucius looked down on her with a sneer.
"Well, hello, Miss Granger." He said. "On the ground again, are we?"
"Stay away from me, you son of a bitch!" She snapped, only to be hit across the face with the end of the Malfoy's cane.
"You shouldn't talk to your superiors like that."
Hermione held back a lot of filthy names and replies to that as she stood up and dusted herself off.
"Severus is lucky to have you." Hermione glared at him as he exited.
"What were you aiming at, listening in on us like that?" Snape demanded, standing up and casting a silencing charm on his office. "Malfoy could've killed you and you're calling him names. Very mature."
"All he thinks about is dominance! Ruling and raping and doing everything he can to climb to the top of society! How do you think I'd react to someone who stole my virginity unwillingly? Do you think I enjoyed it?" Hermione's voice was loud and serious.
"I know you didn't enjoy it." Snape said, hoping she didn't find out about his snooping…
"Excuse me?"
"No one would enjoy something like that."
Hermione gave a gruff nod and set her books down.
"I assume you didn't come down here to eavesdrop?"
"The library is crowded, and I was wondering if I could work in here."
"So what are you asking of me?"
Hermione let out a sigh. "May I please do my assignments in here?"
"Why is your common room inefficient?" Snape asked, setting his quill down and walking towards Hermione.
"Because, uh…" No way was she going to admit she couldn't stand to see Harry with Ginny. "It's crowded in there, too."
"You're a horrible liar, Miss Granger." Snape said. "I hope you're more careful when around Voldemort." Severus was now about a foot away from Hermione.
For some odd reason, Hermione was getting a shivery, tingly feeling when she looked up into Snape's icy eyes. True, his eyes were dark and cold, but they seemed to lessen when they fell onto her. Maybe it was just Hermione's mind playing tricks on her, making her feel needed.
"I am, sir." Hermione hadn't used 'sir' in a while.
Snape was now only a few inches away and Hermione could feel his breath on her lips.
"May I ask what you're doing, professor?" Hermione asked, moving her gaze from his lips to his eyes.
"I think it's quite obvious."
Snape's lips met Hermione's instantly, surprising her immensely. She felt her eyes close and her mouth part open. Reality then smacked her in the face. Why was he doing this? This was wrong on so many levels. The Gryffindor had scenes from the night with Lucius play back in her mind. She pulled away quickly, her eyes still hooked with his.
There was an awkward silence as Hermione turned her back towards him and picked up her book, which she had dropped, and set them on his desk, opening the book and writing down the assignment.
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Three long hours later, Hermione was asleep on top of her books, breathing in and out rhythmically. Snape took care to gently lift her up out of the chair and set her in his bed, putting a blanket over her.
What was it about this girl that made Snape so… kindhearted and gentle? It was most certainly not something of his nature- especially towards a student, and a Gryffindor at that. And he had kissed her! Snape didn't even know that he was capable of acting so rash and spontaneous like that anymore. He knew that he had no affection for the girl, just… the feeling to be protective? Yes, after teaching her for so many years, it was a feeling similar to fatherly protection that he was experiencing.
But fathers usually don't kiss their daughters as he had…
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"Hermione never came into the common room last night." Harry said to Ron as they entered the Great Hall from breakfast, his arm securely around Ginny's waist.
"So? It's not our problem. She was probably off in some Death Eater business." Ron said.
This enraged Harry. "How could you say that, Ron?" Harry withdrew his arm from Ginny. "After everything she's done for you –us- over all of these years! You're just forgetting about her like that?"
"People tend to change, Harry." Ron said coldly. "I have."
Harry fumed away, leaving Ginny standing alone in the middle of the Great Hall.
Harry stormed into the common room, surprised to find Hermione flusteredly running down the girls' stairs. He began walking towards her, and when she saw him she tripped and fell into his arms.
Memories came flooding back and Hermione withdrew herself from his arms. "Sorry." She muttered.
"It's fine, 'Mione." He replied. "Where were you last night?"
"I, uh, fell asleep in the library doing homework." She said, coming up with a reasonable excuse quickly.
"In that noisy mess?"
"I was extremely tired."
"Oh." Hermione was relieved that he was done questioning her. "Are you feeling better?"
No, actually I'm the most confused I've been since I've came to Hogwarts. She thought. I kissed my potions professor last night…
"For the most part, yeah." Hermione replied. "But I must get to classes, Harry. Talk to you later?"
"Yeah."
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A/N- Okay, I know, sucky ending, but it'll have to do. Did this chapter answer your question about Lucius, KatrinaAnn? I had it planned out, but I'm tackling this story one chapter at a time. Yall enjoy and keep up the reviews! I really argued with myself as to how to lay this chapter out. Please, no flames…