Late One Night
Disclaimer: I do not own incredibly much, read previous chapters to find out what I own. I own Professor Wright as well.
Thank yous: Senoritatito, orlin, Mistress Vamp, Sarahamanda, ThouandI, SaintEmo, Lafawnduh4, Sesshomaru-is-my-master, brilliantbrunette89, bookluva629, iamtherealmaverick, Fallen Angel of Hell, Jo-AnnMarie, yoblossom, frk-werewolf, Elvine, im no muggle, Jesterqueen, SilverGlitterSprite, Marblez, Sairiniakilania, wiccan-witch88, dancergirl, and angelchick128.
Sarahamanda: Lucius and Narcissa divorced quite a few chapters ago, it was briefly mentioned during a conversation between Draco and Hermione. Mentioned back in Chapter 14.
Jesterqueen: Krum is/was Bulgarian.
Sairiniakilania: The mission hasn't been mentioned yet, but it will be this chapter. No, Sev ain't doing well at all…
Just for clarification, and I probably should've said this during the story already, Severus isn't and can not get pregnant unless he uses a certain fertility potion which he would have to make. He is not stupid enough to make it and take it himself. However, a male werewolf is able to get pregnant without potions if they do the dirty the day directly before and after a full moon (they would have to be on the bottom by the way).
It is 2004 in this story by the way. So by the time Hermione's seventh year is finished it will be 2005.
Thanks to the real Aiden (Daft Mutt) for helping me write the character.
I apologise in advance for some of the things I am going to do to certain characters this chapter.
Yet another two parter chapter because I've been told by the aforementioned mutt that I need to update quicker.
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Chapter 21: Familiaritas: Part 1
It was early in the evening on the Friday of the first week back at Hogwarts and Hermione was fast asleep on the huge black couch in the common room that she shared with Draco. She hadn't slept much the night before due to having a nightmare about Remus being killed on his little mission and after dinner last night she had found out exactly what the mission was.
"Dad, I want to know."
"Hermione, no."
"Don't I deserve the right to know? If he dies, what exactly were you planning on telling Maria and I? Were you just hoping for us to accept that he's dead, no questions asked-"
"All right!"
Hermione closed her mouth immediately, perhaps she shouldn't have persisted quite so much, but she was anxious to know. Although now that she had pissed Severus off he either wouldn't tell her or he'd just make her pay for it by being extra nasty during classes.
Severus took a deep breath to try and calm himself down a little, "Dumbledore requested that he travelled the world to try and recruit the werewolf colonies-"
"I knew it!"
"Then why the hell did you ask?"
Hermione hesitated, "Well…I suspected…I mean, he said it was something that only he could do and being a werewolf sets him apart from everyone else in the Order…" Before Severus could say anything else, she continued on. "Anyway, isn't it a pointless task? I've read enough to know that the various colonies aren't full of the most pleasant people around, and apparently they're particularly vicious towards the more privileged of their kind."
Severus fell into an armchair in his quarters and closed his eyes, "I know, that's why I tried to stop him from going."
Hermione folded her arms, "Why didn't he listen…does he want to get himself killed?"
Severus opened his eyes again, "Apparently…"
Draco entered the shared Head Student common room and dropped his bag of books on the floor, causing Crookshanks to cry out and run away because it had landed on his tail.
Hermione groaned, "…Can't you do anything quietly?"
"No," replied Draco, he pushed Hermione's legs off the couch, nearly causing her to fall off of it, and then he sat down in the space. "Anyway, you shouldn't be sleeping so early in the day."
Hermione rolled her eyes and curled back up on the couch, "Fuck off, Malfoy."
Draco raised his eyebrows in amusement, "Such a charming young lady, your parents must be proud."
Hermione grabbed her cushion off the floor and before Draco could react, she hit him round the head with it. "I'm trying to sleep," she decided to give up though and started to get to her feet, but Draco grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. "Lemme go, you bully…"
Draco laughed quietly and kissed her on the neck, "Why would I want to do that? I quite like having my hands all over you."
Hermione snorted and settled back into his arms, "Yes, I've certainly noticed that…my dad has as well."
Draco groaned, "Do you always have to kill the mood?"
Hermione giggled and pressed a kiss to his lips, "Yes, I do, dear boy. But now, I would like some dinner."
…
Remus had been on his mission for a good few weeks now, but so far, he had had absolutely no luck whatsoever in his task. He was currently hiking through a forest in Italy, in search of the Italian werewolf colony. The only breakthrough that he had made so far on his mission was talking around two of the Romanian werewolves, but after he had sent a message to Dumbledore telling of his minor success, the two werewolves were killed by the rest of their colony. They had then proceeded to threaten Remus's life unless he left immediately and never came back. This mission wasn't particularly frightening to him, but he really did not like having his life threatened so he had fled straight away, and continued his searching elsewhere.
Remus stopped in his tracks, he dropped his bag to the ground and sat down on a rock, he was starting to wish that he had listened to Severus's arguing and stayed back in England. He was thinking that perhaps he should just give up now and go home, report to Dumbledore that it was a lost cause, and ask for something else marginally useful that he could do for the Order. Though leaving a job only half finished was something he really hated doing, it made him feel like a failure – Severus was the same, as was Hermione and probably Maria would be too if he considered the genetics.
Severus, Hermione and Maria – Remus sorely missed his family, little Maria in particular. He was scared about how she would handle going through the next full moon without him, there was only so much that Severus could do to help her through it. It was decided now, he would spend one more week searching and then he would go home and be with his family.
The tired werewolf scratched his head before bending down to get his drink canteen out of his bag; it would magically refill every time it became close to emptying so he was never without liquid.
However, having his mind fully occupied right now was a terrible piece of judgement on Remus's part, as he did not hear anyone approaching him from behind. The first thing he knew of it was the sudden pain in his head when he was hit with something very hard.
Then everything went black.
………
"Hello, Madame Pince," said Hermione upon entering the library on Saturday afternoon, unusual for her, this was the first time she had been to the library since school had started. "Any new books?"
Madame Pince smiled slightly, "Hello to you too, and yes, there are a few new books but I have not yet finished processing them so you are going to have to wait."
Hermione slumped her shoulders, "Okay," she headed for a table near the back of the library to do some of her work, but as she walked, she saw the new Gryffindor boy sitting at a table all on his own so she went over to him. "Aiden, isn't it?"
The boy, Aiden, looked up at her as though he had only just realised that there were other people present in the library. "Eh yeah…"
"Do you mind?"
"No…"
Hermione smiled a little and sat down at the table adjacent to where he was sitting, she started pulling her books out of her bag as she spoke again, "How has your first few days been at Hogwarts?"
Aiden gave a little shrug, "All right, I guess."
Hermione raised her eyebrows slightly, this boy was definitely very shy, the few times she had seen him with other people he had avoided eye contact with them. "You're very quiet…don't look so alarmed, it's a nice change from people that don't shut up, the Head Boy for example."
Aiden gave a little shrug, "Guess I'm just used to not always speaking, and having all this attention…I have a lot of siblings…"
"Ah, okay," Hermione nodded slowly. "I only have one sibling, she's five and she doesn't talk much. So um…why did you transfer to Hogwarts? Sorry if I seem too forward, I'm quite a curious person."
Aiden glanced up at her and gave a small smile, "Everyone seems to be pretty curious."
"Well, you're new, so everyone's going to see you as a bit of an attraction for the first few weeks," replied Hermione, as she opened her potions book to the right page so that she could start on her essay.
"Oh potions…I quite like that."
Hermione smirked, "You are one of the very few students who enjoy it then, and it is definitely a rarity in Gryffindor. You and I are probably the only ones in that House that do enjoy the subject."
"The others in my class already think I'm weird for paying attention in that class."
Hermione smiled, it seemed as though she had found Aiden's weak spot – Potions, which just happened to be something she knew a lot about as well. "Mm yeah, its really interesting, especially at N.E.W.T level. It isn't always easy though…"
Aiden nodded in agreement, "Professor Snape is a bit…it's a bit unusual for a teacher to be quite that cruel…"
Hermione snorted with laughter, "Trust me, he gets worse as the year goes on, and the fact that you're in Gryffindor will probably just make it harder."
"Yeah, I've already been warned by the others about that," replied Aiden, he was feeling quite a bit more confident now. Hermione was the first person that had actually taken the time to sit down with him and have a proper conversation, and he quite liked her for that.
"I might ask him if I can be an apprentice," thought Hermione out loud.
"He'd probably say no."
"Probably."
……
Later that day Hermione headed to Gryffindor Tower so that she could see Harry, she hadn't asked him about meeting his dad yet, but it appeared to have gone well because he wasn't quite as grumpy as he had been. She headed up to the Seventh Year Boys' Dorm where she had been told Harry was, upon arriving at the dorm she knocked loudly on the door.
"You can come in!"
Hermione opened the door and closed it behind her, "Hey, Harry."
Harry looked up from his Quidditch magazine, "Hey, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Hermione smiled slightly and sat down on his bed, "I was just wondering how it went with your dad…"
Harry put down his magazine and crossed his legs; "It went pretty well, after we'd both gotten over the initial shock. He was very…or overly apologetic though…"
"I'm sure he was filled in on your last few years of life."
Harry nodded, "Yeah, he told me that Sirius had been telling him everything that I've told him," he paused a moment before he continued speaking again. "How did you know he was alive?"
Hermione sighed, "You know how he was brought back, yeah?" Harry nodded. "When I was having my Occlumency lessons I took a peak at the notes on dad's desk for the Draught of Life, and he caught me at it. Then after shouting at me he let me help him make it, like take notes and chop ingredients and stuff; I was also allowed to be present when the Draught was administered to James." Harry's eyebrows were raised in question now. "Dad threatened to lock me down in the dungeons if I told you what they were doing."
"Oh…But still…"
"You know as well as I do that he would follow through with a threat like that," said Hermione reading her friend's mind. "I mean, how many times has he tried to poison you in the past?"
"Fair point."
…
Remus groaned loudly as he slowly came out of his previous unconscious state. What had happened to him? Where was he? Why was his head so painful? All he could remember was stopping for a rest during his hike through the forest, and now he was waking up in pain and discomfort somewhere that he did not particularly want to think about. He forced himself into a sitting position, his sides hurt like hell and his head was pounding, but as soon as he was sitting he was overcome with a bout of nausea and he threw up on the dirt covered ground he was on. After emptying whatever food he had left in his stomach, Remus started coughing, and upon removing his hand from his mouth he saw blood…
What had happened to him?
………
It was late Sunday night now and Severus had just been called into the Headmaster's office, upon getting there he found that the 'Lupin twit' and the 'bloody mutt' were there as well, which could only mean one thing. Dumbledore wanted to speak with them about Remus, after all, there wasn't much that the three men shared the same amount of concern about.
Dumbledore surveyed the three men over the top of his half moon glasses, "I am sure the three of you can guess why I have called you here at this late hour," all he got in response were three raised right eyebrows. "Remus was supposed to have sent word to me on Friday evening about the progress of his mission, I thought perhaps the delay was due to the distance between himself and Hogwarts, but now it has been far too long. The last I did hear from him, was that he was crossing into Italy, as I am fairly certain that he is still within the vicinity of that country I will be sending a team out-"
"I want to be on the team," said all three men in unison almost immediately.
Dumbledore sighed, "I was expecting that, and my answer is 'no'," he received three scowls off the men in front of him this time. "The three of you are needed more in Britain. You, Sirius, need to be at the Headquarters," he turned his gaze to the other two men. "And you two, are needed at Hogwarts."
"For all we know, he could be dead," said Severus in as calm a voice as he could manage. "How are you meant to find a corpse?"
Sirius chewed his bottom lip, "As much as I don't want to think it may have happened, Dumbledore, he has a point."
"Especially if Rem had no Tracking Charms on him," added Romulus, he was slouched in his chair and chewing a fingernail nervously.
"That is definitely a possibility," replied Dumbledore slowly. "I am inclined to believe that Remus may have been captured by Death Eaters, and if so, I am fairly certain they would not be killing him any time soon."
Severus arched an eyebrow, "They have tried before, Dumbledore, nothing is stopping them from doing it again, with or without the Dark Lord's orders. I will be holding you fully responsible if he is dead."
……
"Rom, you heard him. Its like he wants Remus to be dead," said Sirius after he and Romulus had left the meeting with Dumbledore. The two were now in Romulus's quarters to discuss what they had just been told, they were both in agreement that at least one of them should be on the team going to search for Remus.
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly, "I don't think its harsh at all… I just…I still don't trust him."
Romulus spoke as he poured them both a big glass of Firewhiskey, "Maybe so, but Dumbledore trusts him, Remus trusts him, and I don't know about you but I trust the judgement of both of them. And really, do you honestly think Remus would have stayed with him if he's still as active as a Death Eater as you seem to think he is? There is no way Rem would have continued bringing those girls up with Severus if he thought there was any danger."
"Fine, but I still don't like him," grumbled Sirius, he took a sip of his Firewhiskey. "I thought you didn't like him either?"
"I'm not fond of him, but I don't hate him," replied Romulus, relaxing into his armchair. "Mind you, the way he's been since school has started…I'm getting a bit worried."
Sirius snorted, "Serves the bastard right if there's something wrong with him."
Romulus opened his mouth to put Sirius in his place, but in the end he decided not to bother. There was no point in trying to sway Sirius's mind now, it probably would have been easier had they been younger but now; you can't teach an old dog new tricks, after all.
……
It was the very early hours of Sunday morning now and Hermione was warm and snug in her big Head Girl's bed; she started to wake up though when she felt a cold breeze skate across her skin. She rolled over and groaned, "Draco…"
"I was getting lonely."
Hermione grumbled and curled up, hugging her pillow, "Can't you sleep with a stuffed toy or something? Maria has plenty, she'd lend you one," she felt her boyfriend spoon up behind her.
"Don't want a stuffed toy, I want you," whispered Draco, he kissed her on the back of the neck. "I'm so glad you've stopped wearing pajamas to bed."
Hermione snorted, "You're not getting my underwear off yet, Malfoy."
Draco trailed his fingers up and down one of Hermione's bare arms, "I'm going to have you out of them soon though, you little prude."
"I am not a prude," replied Hermione, she burrowed back into Draco's lithe body. "I just feel that I should only move onto that stuff if I feel the guy is really worth it."
"We've known each other for just over seventeen years, surely you've figured out whether I'm worth it or not."
Hermione smiled and closed her eyes again, "Oh I've definitely decided, I just don't feel ready yet," she frowned a little when Draco stayed silent. Perhaps he had fallen asleep? "Dray?"
Draco hugged her tightly in reply; "I'm glad you're not like some of the others…you have class."
"Oh Dray, stop trying to charm my knickers off me at this time of the morning," replied Hermione in amusement.
Draco huffed, "Hey, I'm being serious, you are far better than those cheap little sluts around the school."
Hermione shifted around in Draco's arms so that she could face him, she could just make out the silhouette of his head in the dark, "I was teasing, I know you're being serious, Dray," she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was silence for a few short moments before Hermione snorted with laughter and then Draco soon followed suit. What was so funny, they didn't know, they just felt the need to have a good 3am laugh.
………
The next day during classes Hermione was very side tracked, she spent most of the theory driven classes doodling on her parchment instead of taking notes, her mind was wandering, and every time the two Houses shared a class her eyes would keep travelling over to the blond on the other side of the classroom. It was something her teachers had certainly noticed as well, as she was usually quite attentive in classes.
"Hermione, stay behind please," said Romulus at the end of class on Monday, right before lunch.
Hermione stayed in her seat while the other students left, she folded her arms on the desk and yawned.
Once the students had all left, Romulus turned to his niece, "Are you all right?"
Hermione nodded, "I'm fine."
Romulus sat down on a chair in front of her, "Are you sure? Nothing on your mind? Nothing you want to discuss?"
Hermione forced herself not to smirk, and shook her head, "No, but it sounds like you have plenty you want to discuss with somebody."
Romulus gave a shrug, "Well, I just thought that maybe you might be worried about your parents…"
"I am," replied Hermione honestly. "But there's not really much I can do is there? I mean, one has disappeared across the world and the other…well he just refuses to listen to reason or logic, so I might as well just keep silent about it."
"So you did want to vent about something."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "No, but now that you've started me off… What is wrong with my father anyway? He looks like he's on the verge of passing out every day, I mean, I've tried asking him but he practically physically threw me out of his office."
"Your guess is as good as mine," Romulus leaned back in his chair. "Personally, I'm just going to keep my nose out of his business now, because I really don't want him to hex me again."
Hermione huffed, "Well, you're a load of help."
"I try, darling."
"Oh ha ha…" Hermione got to her feet and heaved her bag over her shoulder. "Is that all? Can I have some lunch now? I'd rather not be hungry during potions, he might poison me or something."
Romulus snorted, "Go, you irritating brat."
Hermione was already at the door when he spoke, after hearing his comment though; she just laughed and left the classroom. As she wandered down a corridor in the direction of the Great Hall and lunch, she squeaked when she found herself being pulled into an empty classroom.
"Don't hit me again."
Hermione spun around and found herself face to face with the blond father of her equally blond boyfriend, "Bloody hell! What are you trying to do to me!"
Lucius held up a leather gloved hand, "Shut up, will you? I haven't got long," Hermione closed her mouth but she looked highly affronted. "Has your father been any different than usual lately?"
"Different, how?"
"Behaviour, personality…health?"
Hermione sat on a desk in front of Lucius, "Well…he has been acting odd, I suppose, since dad left. I mean, he's been more irritable even with Maria, and…well, he seems tired all the time, more pale, he looks like he's constantly on the brink of collapsing… He's definitely losing weight, as well, I haven't seen him eating much at meal times, if he turns up that is… Why?"
Lucius ran a hand through his hair, which was unusually unkempt for him, "That's what I was afraid of…"
Hermione raised her eyebrows, "What?"
Lucius leaned against a desk and fixed his silvery eyes on his Goddaughter, "Last year, after the last Death Eater meeting that Severus attended, he was tortured-"
"Yeah, I know. Where are you going with this?"
"Right, well, I think one of the curses that the Dark Lord used on him is what is causing this change in him."
Hermione frowned, "You mean its taken nearly a year for this curse to work?"
Lucius shook his head, "No, I think it has taken nearly a year for this curse to break his system down to cause these problems."
Hermione sighed and looked down at the ground, "He's… Its going to kill him, isn't it?"
Lucius took a small vial of clear liquid out of a pocket, "Not if we can get this antidote into him soon," Hermione looked back up at him. "Which is why I am telling you, because I need you to get it into him."
"How?"
"Spike a drink, maybe?" Lucius checked his watch and held out the vial to Hermione. "I'm going to have to leave it up to you, I have somewhere I need to be."
Hermione took the vial off him, "Are you sure it will work?"
"No, I'm not, but at the moment it's the best chance we have," Lucius headed for the door. "Let me know if it changes anything, all right?"
"I will."
……
After having potions today, Hermione had decided that she would try and get Lucius's antidote into her father this evening after dinner; he really wasn't looking well at all, and if this antidote would help him then she needed to use it soon.
"Where are you going?" asked Draco from the couch he was sprawled out on as Hermione headed for the portrait hole of their private common room.
"I need to go see my dad."
Draco snorted, "Good luck."
"Thanks," Hermione left the Head Students' common room and headed slowly for the dungeons, she needed at least some form of a plan to get him to drink this antidote. She knew he would think it suspicious if she was too nice about it and wanted to share drinks with him, but what else could she do? There was always brute force, but she wasn't that big and Severus could easily over power her. Maybe I should stun him… She entered the Potions classroom and headed straight for her father's office where she knew he would be, without knocking she just went straight in, sat down on a chair in front of his desk, folded her arms on said desk and gazed unblinkingly at him.
"What do you want?" Severus didn't look at his daughter, but his voice was harsh.
Hermione raised her eyebrows, "I'm offended, dad, don't you want to spend some quality time with your daughter?"
Severus huffed quietly, "Not particularly, no. And I refuse to believe that you came down here just for 'quality time'."
Hermione ploughed on, unfazed by her father's attitude towards her; she was quite used to it, after all. "Can I get you a drink?"
"No."
"How about a hot chocolate? That would be good, Maria might like one," Hermione got to her feet and headed for the hallway that led to the potions master's quarters. She noticed Severus was about to speak again, a nasty look on his face. "Hold that thought."
Severus let out a low growl as his daughter disappeared into his quarters; he really could not be doing with her right now, especially if she was going to be like this. Could he not just be left in peace for one evening?
…
Hermione had called Dobby the house-elf from her father's quarters to ask him for three mugs of hot chocolate, her thoughts on house-elf slavery forgotten for now, as this antidote was at the forefront of her mind right now. "Thank you, Dobby."
"Dobby is happy to do so, Miss. Dobby thinks Professor Snape, sir, needs some help."
Hermione raised her eyebrows, "You're not the only one, Dobby, and helping him is precisely what I am trying to do."
Dobby grinned, but he didn't leave straight away, instead he took on a rather thoughtful pose and expression, "Dobby is wondering…" Hermione glanced back at him again as she tipped Lucius's antidote into one of the mugs. "If Miss is certain it is a good idea to be with Dobby's former young master…"
"I know the Malfoys treated you horribly, Dobby," started Hermione before she put a magical mark on the mug with the antidote in so that she wouldn't confuse them. "But I can handle both Draco and Lucius, they're both afraid of my fists."
Dobby still looked uncertain but then he nodded, his big ears flapping from the motion, "Okay, Miss! Dobby will leave now."
Hermione smiled, "Goodbye, Dobby," after the house-elf had gone, she picked up the three mugs of hot chocolate, hers and Maria's in one hand and Severus's spiked one in the other. "Maria, come on."
"Otay!" Maria got up and followed her big sister. "I miss daddy, do you know wherwe he is?"
Hermione hesitated, "…I honestly couldn't say, kid, but I miss him too."
Maria pouted, "Daddy's not bein' vewy nice."
"I know, he's…he's just having a bad time right now, he's missing dad too," replied Hermione, she kicked the quarters' door closed behind her before leading Maria down the narrow hallway and back to Severus's office. "Drink."
Severus glared at her, "I am not thirsty," he silently groaned when Hermione sat back down, looking as though she had every intent of staying until he did as she told him too. "Is it your life's task to annoy me to death?"
Hermione shrugged and sipped her own drink, before transfiguring a book into a chair for Maria, "If that's what you want to think… Drink up, I'm not leaving until you do."
"You can not order me around, and like I said, I am not thirsty."
Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly; she could be just as stubborn as Severus could if this was how he wanted to play it, "Everybody needs some sustenance, dad, especially those that don't eat for days on end."
Maria was looking wide-eyed between her father and her big sister, not entirely sure what to think, except that even she could tell that one of them was probably going to end up hurting the other sooner or later. But she wanted her dad to be nice to her again; she didn't like it when he was in bad moods.
"What I do and do not do, is none of your concern."
Hermione held her father's gaze levelly as she pulled her wand out from her sleeve, "You're not leaving me much choice here, dad… Accio wand!" Severus's wand shot out of his own sleeve and straight into his hand.
"Hey, give that back!"
Hermione shook her head, she pointed the two wands in her free hand at his mug, "Drink that and I'll give it back."
Severus looked as though he would like nothing more than to smack his daughter right now, but he reluctantly picked up the mug of hot chocolate, knowing full well that she had done something to it. He kept his nasty glare fixed on Hermione's calm face as he brought the mug to his lips and took a sip.
"All of it."
Severus practically snarled at her before he quickly downed the rest of his drink, "Happy?"
"Very," replied Hermione serenely, she handed Severus his wand back and put her own mug on his desk. "Goodnight," she ruffled Maria's hair and left the office quickly, in case Severus hexed her on the way out. When Hermione got back to her and Draco's common room she practically fell into her boyfriend's arms, "Hold me…I think my dad might try and kill me."
Draco was taken by surprise but he held her anyway, "Why?"
Hermione buried her face against his shoulder; "I just took his wand and forced a potion down his throat…"
"Well that's your own fault," said Draco unsympathetically. "Why would you do that?"
"Lucius told me too."
Draco frowned, "My father talking to you forgotten…why did you do as he told you?"
Hermione lifted her head and sighed, "Because he's trying to help dad that's why… I'm going to go and have a shower," she got to her feet. "And no, you can't join me."
"Spoil my fun, Granger."
………
Throughout breakfast and lunch the next day Hermione kept a close eye on the potions master, as he had turned up to both meals for once. Her friends had certainly noticed her odd behaviour today but they didn't bother to ask because she had been ignoring them all morning anyway. While she watched Severus, she saw that he had noticed her intent gaze and he returned it with a glare as he ate a rather decent amount of the food that he had not been touching for around a week and a half now. After making sure that Severus finished his food, half way through lunchtime, Hermione got up from Gryffindor table, her own food barely touched, and headed off to her uncle's classroom.
"Hey 'Mione."
Hermione smiled, "Hi, can I use your fireplace?"
Romulus drew his eyebrows together at the odd request but he nodded, "Yeah, floo powder's on the mantle."
"Great, thanks," Hermione headed into Romulus's office and closed the door, she grabbed the floo powder off the mantle and knelt down in front of the fire. She threw a handful of the powder into the lit fire and said loud and clearly, "Malfoy Manor!" After the not entirely unpleasant experience of her head going through the floo networks to Malfoy Manor, she found herself facing the legs of a man in black robes and shoes. "Lucius?" The man in front of her turned towards the fire and knelt down, and she finally saw the face that belonged to the feet.
"Hermione, this is sooner than I expected."
Hermione shrugged, "Well, I managed to force it into him last night, at great personal risk, mark you…and he seems to be better… I mean, he ate plenty at breakfast and lunch, if that means anything."
Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly in thought, "Well, it could be the antidote… But keep me posted anyway, and send it by owl next time," he glanced cautiously around himself. "I don't think flooing will be safe anymore, for you, anyway."
Hermione frowned, "All right. See you later."
"Bye."
Hermione pulled her head out of the floo chat and got to her feet, trying to get the ache out of her legs from kneeling on the cold stone floor.
"Should I be worried about your reasons for being in communication with Lucius Malfoy?"
Hermione spun around to see Romulus leaning against the doorframe to his office, "Um…well, I mean, I'm just so in love with him and his son, so I thought I would try and arrange a time that the three of us can get together."
Romulus blinked owlishly at her, "You're a sick little girl, Hermione Granger, get out."
Hermione laughed and bowed to her uncle, "Yes sir," she picked up her schoolbag and left the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor's office.
The rest of the day went smoothly enough, Hermione found herself being completely ignored in potions by their professor who didn't even come near the desk she was working at; but at least Severus had eaten something at every meal today, which meant he must be getting a little better.
By the next day though, everything went horribly, horribly wrong.
It was half way through the Seventh year potions class that Hermione noticed the abrupt change in Severus, he had eaten again at breakfast this morning but now he wasn't looking too good. She kept glancing up from her potion to watch as he father wandered around his classroom, rubbing his forehead every few minutes like it was paining him.
Severus went back up to the front of the classroom and leaned against his desk, he squeezed his eyes shut briefly before gazing hazily around the room; he noticed, as he did this, Hermione watching him intently once again. He did wish she would stop that, but he could understand, obviously she was concerned about him but he really didn't need it. Did he?
A few students had noticed the extra paleness in their professor now, not to mention the slight swaying from side to side that he was doing.
A Slytherin girl decided to speak up, "Professor, are you all right?"
Severus started to open his mouth to reply, but all that happened were his eyes rolling back in his head and a hard fall to the floor.
"Dad!"
To Be Continued…
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A/N: Oh I'm so cruel to these people… And sorry for the long wait, and the fact that this is a cliffhanger…
Next Chapter: Is Hermione's parentage out? Is Remus all right? More about Aiden and Romulus, as well as a bit more of Maria… Oh, and will Severus be all right?