Late One Night
Disclaimer: I only own Maria.
Wyall Jared: He he, you're name is on top again! Yeah, Remus is a big worrier when it comes to his kids. Glad you liked it!
Piper of Locksley: And here is another quick update! The next one won't be quite as quick as I haven't finished the chapter yet. Your deadly bucket of puffskins won't have long to wait I don't think :-P
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Well, I'm annoyed. But I hope all my old reviewers find this story again and continue reading!
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Chapter 4: Back to School
It was bright and sunny Wednesday morning in the third week of the new school year and Hermione was running late. She had had a late night last night, it had been a full moon and she was worried about her little sister as this was the first time Maria would transform away from home and that would probably cause problems. Well, it was the first time she had transformed away from home and actually understood what was happening.
Hermione ran from Gryffindor Tower and she sprinted along the corridors and down the stairs until she came to the dungeons, she soon skidded to a halt outside the Potions Classroom door. She stopped a moment to catch her breath and checked her watch. Oh no, ten minutes late… Hermione knew she would be in trouble, even if Professor Snape did understand why she had stayed up half the night. In fact, when she sheepishly entered the classroom she was mildly surprised to see their Potions Master upright as she knew he would have been with Maria and Remus all night.
"Granger, you're late."
Hermione bit her lip as she dropped her bag on the floor next to her seat, "I know, I'm sorry, it won't ever happen again Professor."
"Make sure it doesn't." Replied Professor Snape darkly.
Hermione nodded and quickly sat down, she leaned over to Harry and whispered to him, "What are we doing?"
Harry smirked, "The potion on the board. Teacher's pet."
Hermione thumped him in the shoulder and then she glanced around the classroom and noticed there were a lot of incredulous looks coming from the other students. She leaned back over to Harry, "Do you think maybe I should remind him that he didn't take points?"
Harry shook his head, "Hey, if he forgot, don't tell him. We've already lost enough points since school started."
Hermione shrugged, "Fair enough." She pulled her books out of her bag and carefully copied down the potion ingredients and procedure on the board before she started helping Harry make it.
……
By the end of class Gryffindor had only lost 15 points mainly because Neville and Ron managed to make their potion explode, which greatly annoyed the tired Potions Master.
"Granger, stay behind. The rest of you, get out." Growled Snape irritably.
Hermione continued packing everything back into her bag as everyone else left, she managed to over hear a comment from Ron as he walked passed.
"How come we got points taken off us and Granger didn't?" Ron passed a sneer at her and Hermione glared back.
Hermione closed her bag, upon hearing Ron speak she began to wonder whether he would spread the secret about her true parentage, he had said Granger in a mocking voice. She headed up to the front of the classroom where the Professor had his back to her as he sifted through papers on his desk. "You're not going to take away my Prefect badge for being late are you?"
Severus snorted quietly, "I'm not quite that cruel Hermione. Do you have an explanation for your tardiness?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly at his back; she hated it when he spoke to her like the Professor he was when they were alone. "I was up all night worrying about Maria and I only got to sleep about four this morning, and in my defense, no one woke me up…"
Severus sighed and turned to face her, "All right, I'll let this slide once, but don't ever let it happen again."
Hermione nodded, "I won't. I promise."
"Good. Off you go."
Hermione turned obediently and headed up the middle of the classroom to the door, when she got there she turned back to her father, "Are they all right?"
Severus glanced up at her and nodded, "They're just tired, that's all. No serious damage."
Hermione smiled, "Okay."
…
It was lunchtime now; Hermione had managed to get out of points being taken off after being late to first Potions and then Defense Against the Dark Arts after that. But she had explained to their relief teacher for the second lesson that Professor Snape had wanted a word with her. But not getting into trouble for her tardiness had put Hermione in the firing line of Ron's nasty comments once again.
"Just ignore him 'Mione." Said Harry as they both sat down at Gryffindor Table for lunch.
Hermione huffed, "How can I ignore him? What if he tells everyone?"
Harry shrugged, "Chances are, no one will believe him." He lowered his voice as he continued. "I mean seriously, no one's going to believe that Professor Snape is your father. You look nothing like him and you're a lot nicer."
Hermione smiled slightly, "I suppose…" She was glad to have Harry as her friend, he was still sticking by her side even when he was still friends with Ron. But Hermione could tell that Harry was having just about enough of Ron, she knew her ex-red headed friend was being nearly as insufferable as Draco usually was.
"On the other hand," Continued Harry quietly. "You do look a lot like Remus."
"True." Hermione nodded, she started choosing what to eat for lunch when she heard Ron's voice again.
"You know, if a werewolf reproduced its kid would probably be just as grotesque as one of those beasts."
Harry put a hand on Hermione's arm when he saw her knuckles going white from how tight she had clenched her fists. "Ignore him."
Hermione pulled her arm away from Harry and got up, "I'm suddenly not very hungry." With that, she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder before storming out of the Great Hall.
Once she had put a good distance between herself and the Great Hall Hermione stopped in a corridor and leaned back against a wall. She rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Why does Ron have to be such an asshole about this? It doesn't concern him! Why can't he accept it? So what if he doesn't like my parents that much? What about me and Maria…and Harry?
Hermione sighed and moved away from the wall, she continued on her way through the dungeons until she came to the Potions Classroom again. She just wanted a hug from at least one of her parents, and neither of them were at lunch, one for obvious reasons, so she thought they would be in the Potion Master's quarters.
Hermione entered the classroom and went through to Professor Snape's office; she headed down a short, dark hallway and to a heavy wooden, which she knocked on.
"Who is it?"
It was a hoarse voice that replied so Hermione assumed Remus must be up, "Hermione."
"Come in."
Hermione spoke the password to the quarters and entered when the door opened. She dropped her bag on the floor and went over to an armchair, where she wanted to stay for the rest of the day.
"And to what do we owe this pleasure?" Asked Remus tiredly from where he was curled up on the couch under a blanket with his head on Severus' lap.
Hermione tucked her legs under herself in the armchair, "I've had a crap morning and no one else wants to listen to me complain."
"And you think we do?" Questioned Severus raising one dark eyebrow. Hermione scowled at him and Remus hit him, albeit weakly. "Sorry."
Remus turned his brown eyes back to Hermione, "What's the matter sweetie?"
Hermione scowled at the carpet like it had annoyed her greatly as she spoke, "I'm tired, I was late for both Potions and Defense today, I killed a rat in Transfiguration because I cocked up the charm and Ron's been getting at me again."
"You don't have to put up with him, you know?" Replied Remus, his voice quiet and croaky. He noticed that Severus was wisely keeping his mouth shut for once, he had probably finally realised that some of the things he would say would upset their daughter.
"How can I not put up with him? I have to see him everyday in class and in the common room." Mumbled Hermione crossing her arms. "There's no escaping the little twat."
…
Well they weren't much help, some parents! Thought Hermione in annoyance as sat down in Charms next to Harry.
As everyone else was still entering the classroom after lunch, Harry leaned over to Hermione, "Where did you go?"
Hermione got her things out of her bag; "I went to see my parents."
"Oh…"
…
The rest of the day went fine, Hermione managed to avoid Ron when classes had finished by going to the library so she could do her homework.
"Granger."
Hermione frowned at her parchment when she heard her fake surname whispered, "Go away Draco."
"Now why would I do that?" Replied Draco Malfoy, his voice the usual arrogant drawl he saved for everyone bar his father. He sat down at the table next to her. "What's the matter?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Like you care."
"I do care." Replied Draco honestly. "You know I only pretend to hate you."
"I know that." Said Hermione quietly so that she didn't draw Madame Pince's attention. "But right now, I really can't be doing with your half-arsed comments, okay? So if you're going to gloat about my failing friendships then you can just go and crawl back under that rock you came from."
Draco raised an eyebrow; "I wasn't going too. I'd rather not get on your bad side, for fear of my manhood."
"What manhood?" Questioned Hermione bitterly.
"Hey, I didn't insult you." Grumbled Draco scowling at her.
Hermione glanced at him momentarily before going back to her work, "Sorry, I'm just really annoyed okay? And my parents aren't exactly supportive either."
"More supportive than mine." Replied Draco quietly.
"Your dad is supportive, you just don't seem to realise it." Said Hermione putting her quill down at last.
Hermione and Draco had grown up together, with Lucius and Severus being friends they had no choice really. When Hermione had been born, Lucius was named her Godfather and Narcissa was her unofficial Godmother, just like Severus was Draco's Godfather. With the Malfoy influences as well as Severus', Hermione had nearly ended up in Slytherin, but the Sorting Hat had thought differently and had decided to put her where her other father had been, Gryffindor.
Hermione and Draco were still friends, but they had to be nasty to each other to keep from anyone finding out the truth, mainly the truth about Hermione but there was also a closely guarded secret that Lucius had that he didn't want anyone to find out. And if his son suddenly turned soft on the supposed Mudblood Granger, that could be ruined.
…
Dinner was not as pleasant as Hermione's peaceful afternoon would dictate, well; it didn't stay pleasant for long. She spent most of dinner chatting with Neville and Seamus as Harry was sitting with Ron a little further down, no doubt trying to talk some sense into the red head once again.
Hermione noticed that both her parents were at dinner this evening so she figured that the full moon really couldn't have been that bad, though she knew Maria was probably still asleep. She glanced down the table and saw Ron was glaring at her once again, she looked away and back up to the head table and she was slightly surprised to see Professor Snape watching Gryffindor table very closely. She wondered if maybe he could sense that she was close to breaking point.
Hermione gazed down at her plate, to be honest, she did feel like just letting go of all her self-control and beating the living daylights out of Ron for making her feel so angry. If only he would go far enough to provoke her into it.
About ten minutes later, a few Gryffindors had left the Great Hall after eating, there were now far less people between Hermione and Ron, so she could hear what he was saying far more clearly than before and what she did hear was not very nice at all.
"…I don't care Harry, the stupid tramp should have told us the truth then shouldn't she?…She's Slytherin trash…"
That was the final straw. Hermione got up from her seat and stormed down the table to where Ron was, she tapped him on the shoulder and waited for him to turn around.
"Speak of the devi-"
Ron never finished his sentence as Hermione fist connected with his nose, sending him off his seat and to the ground.
Remus stared wide eyed at what his daughter just did and Severus had choked on his drink when he saw Hermione's fist connect with Ron's face. He was a little disappointed that she had resorted to violence but he couldn't deny that he was pleased to see Weasley get his comeuppance.
"Granger!"
Professor McGonagall was on her feet and already heading towards the fight.
"How dare you insult me over something you know nothing about!" Shouted Hermione at Ron as he started to get back to his feet, surprised at being floored by a girl. "I wanted to tell you but I wasn't allowed to!" She slapped him. "I hate you!"
With that, Hermione turned on her heal and stormed out of the Great Hall, tears streaming down her face. She ignored the shout from Professor McGonagall telling her to get back here this instant. She didn't care where she went so long as it was away from everyone else.
Everyone left in the Great Hall was stunned by Hermione's impromptu outburst, only a few people knew that she had been heading towards this for the last few weeks.
Remus had put his face in his hands up at the Head Table, he knew there was no point in going after her and right at the moment, he really didn't feel energetic enough to do so. He didn't even notice Severus leave the Great Hall all of a sudden.
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A/N: Damn ff.net.
Next Chapter: Severus comes back from a Deatheater meeting, feeling the consequences of annoying Voldemort. Hermione is still angry and aggressive. And Remus is starting to lose his tether with his daughter.