Late One Night
Disclaimer: I own Maria and Romulus.
AffectedMangoO: Righto, more Rem/Sev indeed!
NativeMoon: Ooh, my first recommendation! Thank you! Ha ha, I'm glad you can tolerate Hermione, I'm trying to give her another side, I never used to like her either. I'm glad you like my story!
Danielle: Thanks for reviewing! And I'm glad you love it so much!
Jill Baske: Thank you for those suggestions! I do plan on going a bit more in depth about the relationship between Remus and Romulus and why Rem isn't that fond of his brother.
Kathleen: I'll see what I can do about the Sev/Rem loving!
Talloaks: I'm glad you like the way I've written Hermione's changing attitude. You're right, Sev is a loveable hard arse, he may show more emotion in this chapter. As for Pansy, well, I would choose much harsher words to call her than creep, and you might to after this chapter :-D
Fallen Angel of Hell: More Romulus? Can do! Yeah another Lupin-Snape to be brought into this hellish world, lovely eh? :-P
Furies: Thank you!
Bakachan17: Glad you like it!
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I've only just realised that I haven't written anything into this story about Hermione and Ginny being friends.
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Warning: Gryffindor Abuse ahoy!
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On another note, I will be changing my penname to Prof. K Malfoy. So if you search for LuciusJames Lover and you can't find me, that will be why.
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Chapter 9: Unwarranted Attack
Hermione gave another big yawn in History of Magic on Thursday afternoon; she had only just realised, after five and a half years of this subject, just how boring it really is. She still managed to fill several bits of parchment full of notes but nothing was really sinking into her brain like it used to.
Ever since he had started speaking to her again, Ron had noticed that Hermione's old enthusiastic attentiveness was severely lacking now. He had also noticed that the only subject she was really paying full attention to was Defense Against the Dark Arts in which they were learning all the ins and outs of the Unforgivable Curses and going far more in depth than Moody ever took them.
Ron scribbled a note down on his own still very blank piece of parchment and put it in front of Hermione.
Hermione turned her groggy attention to Ron's note and smirked.
Binns is the kind of teacher you want to kill, but then you realise just how difficult that would be.
She scribbled her reply down and passed the parchment back to him.
How about an exorcism?
Hey yeah! You think your dad will teach us that in DADA?
Doubt it, Binns was alive when he was at school and apparently far less boring.
I find that hard to believe.
Me too.
Hermione stifled another yawn and took a few more notes on the Manticore Massacre of 1573. From what she could gather, a whole village of muggles and a few wizards and witches had been brutally murdered by a Manticore in the space of one night, and that that Manticore had never been found.
……
Finally the last lesson of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts, was over. Though Hermione did still enjoy that class, she wasn't too fond of the tone of her dad's voice when he asked her to stay behind.
"Close the door behind you Ron, thanks." Called Remus after the red head.
After Ron had closed the door Hermione spoke, "Am I in trouble?"
Remus shook his head, "Why do you ask? What have you done?" he asked suspiciously.
"Nothing…"
Remus pointed at a chair, "Sit down."
Hermione sat down obediently and raised her eyebrows at her dad, as he sat behind his desk, "If I'm not in trouble, then what's this about?"
"Voldemort." Replied Remus simply. Hermione gazed at him inquiringly. "Dumbledore has decided that it would be best if you were given practice to fight the Imperius Curse and he also thinks you would benefit from learning Occlumency."
"And who's going to teach me?"
"Lucius has agreed to help you practice with the Curse." Said Remus; he smirked a little upon seeing Hermione's horrified look. "Yes, it does mean he'll be casting it on you."
"Yeah I was afraid of that…"
"He won't hurt you, you know that."
Hermione shrugged, "I know, but still…I'd rather not have to be on the receiving end of anything he casts with that wand."
Remus shook his head, "Me neither, but it has to happen."
"And dad will teach me Occlumency?"
"Yes he will." Confirmed Remus, "Providing you stop getting on his nerves."
"If he stopped being so mean then I wouldn't grate on his nerves so much." Hermione folded her arms. "And anyway, if he teaches me the Occlumency he might see memories I don't want him to see…" she gave Remus a pointed look, she knew that he knew what she was talking about.
Remus sighed, "Look, if it comes to that then you're going to have to tell him what you saw that night. There's no way around it… Though, if it does come to that it would be great if you could leave out the bit about Lucius and I knowing."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're not scared of him are you?"
"Of course I'm not scared of him." Replied Remus frowning slightly. "I'd just rather not have to deal with his temper while I'm pregnant, that's all."
"OK, ok. Is that all?"
"Eh yeah, oh and arrange a time for your Occlumency." Said Remus as he started sifting through a pile of essays. "Lucius will get in touch about the Imperius lessons."
"Righto." Hermione got up and picked her bag up. "Lucky me…on the receiving end of two Death Eaters' wands…can't believe Dumbledore suggested this…"
Remus smirked at her as she headed for the door, "No need to be cynical."
"Oh you'd be cynical if you were in my place." Replied Hermione as she opened the door.
"If I were in your place, you'd have two monthly problems."
Hermione huffed and left the classroom.
"Took you long enough."
Hermione jumped, she didn't realise there was anyone in the corridor with her, she spun around and saw Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall outside the classroom, "What do you want?"
Draco frowned a little, "Come with me."
Hermione sighed and followed him into an empty classroom further along the corridor, "What is it?
Draco gave her a worried look; "The other Slytherins are planning to…attack you…"
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, "Why?"
Draco sighed and sat on a desk, "I'm not sure exactly…but it has something to do with what you said to Pansy that day…"
Hermione thought for a moment, "What did I say to make her want to attack me?"
"Well, not only do they think you were lying about the mudblood thing, they also think you were insulting us Slytherins and our Head of House." Replied Draco seriously.
Hermione leaned against another desk and folded her arms, "I was insulting your Head of House…but everyone does that."
Draco shrugged, "Look, I don't know the full details because I chose not to be a part of it, which has probably turned me into the black sheep of the House… Anyway, I just thought I should tell you, so you know to be careful…and wary."
Hermione smiled slightly, "Thanks…"
"No problem."
"They won't hurt you, will they? If they know you've been talking to me…" Said Hermione worriedly. She didn't really want Draco to suffer because of her.
Draco gave her a smug smirk, "The worst they'll do is ignore me, if they hurt me they know they'd have my father to answer to, and you know as well as I do that that is almost a fate worse than death."
Hermione bit her bottom lip and nodded. Her and Draco had been on the receiving end of Lucius' temper before, especially when they were younger and wreaking havoc on Malfoy Manor. "Good point."
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After he little chat with Draco, Hermione headed down to the dungeons to arrange a time for the Occlumency lessons. She quietly opened the Potions classroom door and peered in, her dad wasn't in the classroom so she headed to his office and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
"How very pompous of you." Said Hermione after she entered. Severus gave her a nasty look and she held her hands up in defeat. "Sorry…"
"I have a lot of work to do, Hermione, so there better be a good reason as to why you are interrupting me." Said Severus he sifted through a heap of parchment on his desk, his eyebrows drawn together in concentration.
"Occlumency." Replied Hermione simply.
Severus nodded, he didn't look at her as he spoke, "I want you here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night at eight o clock sharp."
Hermione sighed, that gave her less time to do her homework and study for the exams coming up in a few months time, "In your office?"
"Yes."
"Ok then. See you tomorrow." Hermione headed back to the door; she hesitated when she got there.
Severus glanced up at her when he sensed she hadn't left yet, "Anything else?"
Hermione continued hesitating for a moment or two longer before turning back to her father, "…Just…how insulted would a Slytherin have to be to want to inflict physical pain up on you?"
Severus arched an eyebrow slightly; "The mere fact that you are a Gryffindor would make them want to inflict physical pain up on you… Why do you ask?"
Hermione mouthed silently for a moment, "Well…Draco told me after Defense today that…that they were planning to attack for what I said to Pansy…"
Severus nodded his head slowly, a faint frown on his face, "I shouldn't worry about it."
"Why not?" Squeaked Hermione, her voice was croaky from the cough she had gotten from her cold. "There's nothing stopping them from harming me."
Severus sighed, "Hermione, you are perfectly capable of attacking teachers, what makes a student your age any different?"
Hermione folded her arms, "Yeah but I wasn't scared of you and Umbridge…and technically, I didn't actually attack her."
"Nothing is going to happen." Said Severus slowly so she would get it into her head. "They won't hurt you."
"Fine…" Hermione shouldered her heavy bag once more. "Bye."
"Goodbye."
Hermione left her father's office and finally headed back to Gryffindor Common Room where she dropped her bag and collapsed on the couch next to Ginny and rested her head on her best female friend's shoulder.
Ginny smirked, "Hard day 'Mione?"
Hermione leaned forward and started pulling her homework out of her bag, "No not all…" she replied sarcastically, "Man I can't wait until the weekend."
"I still can't get used to your new attitude." Commented Ginny as she turned back to her magazine. "Although, it is a welcome change from forcing all your friends to do their homework."
Hermione smiled slightly, "That's not what my parents think." She said quietly. "They prefer the old me."
"The old you was more rule abiding. Now you go around and do as you please." Replied Ginny; "I'm surprised you haven't lost your Prefect badge yet."
Hermione smirked, "Me too, to be honest."
"Its good that you still have me to keep you in order, Miss Granger." Said Ginny smiling happily, she tapped her own Prefect badge importantly and managed to do a good impression of Percy while she was at it.
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It was getting late when Remus finally made his way down to the dungeons, he went into the Potions classroom and saw his lover making a potion, concentration written all over his pale features.
Severus, sensing Remus was about to speak and break his concentration, held up a hand, "Wait a minute."
Remus closed his mouth, as he had been about to ask what Severus had been slaving over recently. He had actually been working on a potion for the Order for the last three months, yet Remus still had no idea what it was for. Instead, he moved closer to the desk Severus was working at and peered curiously at the ingredients lay out before his lover. He didn't want to know what some of them were, but others he could recognise even despite his self-confessed ineptness at Potions.
Finally though, Severus pulled his concentration away from the potion and rubbed his eyes, he then looked to Remus, who was watching him curiously, "What?" That man had been grating on his nerves even more than usual lately, he figured it was probably because his lover was pregnant.
Remus shrugged slightly, "Nothing, I'm just wondering what exactly it is that Dumbledore has you making, as its taking up nearly all of your spare time."
Severus leaned against the desk and tried to get the crick out of his neck, "I am not liberty to say, as I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't tell you especially." He saw Remus frown. "It will benefit you, don't worry. But I'm not making this potion under my own free will, I'd rather not have to see what its final result brings."
Remus pulled a face of confusion and just shook his head, "Whatever…I'm going to bed."
Severus smirked a little, "Thinking too much?"
"Yes."
"I'll be there soon." Called Severus after his confused and pregnant lover.
Remus huffed, "I'm not exactly in a rush to sleep with you again, you know?"
"I know."
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It was early Friday evening and Ron and Ginny hadn't seen Hermione since classes had finished. They had checked the library and the Prefects' bathroom, they had asked both Professor Lupins if they had seen her, they had nearly gone to ask Professor Snape if he had seen her but decided against it as he had been in an extremely foul mood today.
And they still couldn't find her; she just seemed to have disappeared so the two Weasleys went looking all over the school for her. She had told them about her warning of the Slytherins' plans, that's why they were so worried.
Ginny was just ahead of Ron as they walked to the next staircase, "I just don't get it…where could she have-Oh my god!"
Ron rushed to her side and his eyes widened up on seeing what his younger sister had seen, "Oh no…Hermione…"
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Romulus had been in the Infirmary when Ron and Ginny came rushing in with Hermione's limp, unconscious body. He was now running to Dumbledore's office where he knew Severus and Remus would be, discussing a few things about the Order.
After hurriedly speaking the password to the Gargoyle, Romulus charged up the stairs and hammered on the door.
"Come in." Came the surprised voice of Albus Dumbledore.
Romulus entered the office panting for breath; "Hermione was attacked…"
That was all he had to say to get the occupants of the room running, he was still shocked about seeing his niece like that, that he didn't even bother to question why Lucius Malfoy had been in Dumbledore's office as well.
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A/N: Muahahahahahaha! I was actually going to write Hermione's attack but I think I'll leave that particular bit for you to find out next chapter.
Next Chapter: Hermione wakes up after two weeks with someone very unexpected at her bedside. We find out just what led to her unconscious state and more details on the potion Severus is brewing.