When Hermione awoke, she was disgruntled to find her living room still full of people. Someone had transfigured all the chairs in the room into mattresses, including the chair she had been sitting in. She sat up and admired the handiwork of the mattress underneath her.
Not bad, she thought, bouncing a little to see how soft it was. Definitely wasn't Ron or Harry who did that.
She looked around the room at her friends. Someone had found her DVD player (presumably Harry, as he was the one most likely to know how to work one), and they had found Hermione's horror film collection. The Exorcist was now playing on her transfigured television set, which was now about five times larger than it had been earlier in the day.
"Looks like a perfectly normal case of possession to me," Draco was saying as he watched the film from his mattress on the floor. "No need for all that fuss – all they have to do is bore the demon out of her. It'd only take a day or two. They're giving it far too much attention and that's what it wants."
"You're supposed to be creeped out and scared by it," Harry reminded him. "That's the whole point of these kinds of films – to scare you witless."
"Pah," Malfoy said, dismissively.
"Although admittedly it wouldn't take much to scare you witless," Harry said with a grin.
"You must have watched it a few hundred times, judging by the state of your wit," Draco said, his eyes still on the screen.
"Shut it, or I won't share my popcorn," Harry said, shaking the box of popcorn he'd somehow managed to get hold of from somewhere.
"It's my bloody popcorn anyway," Ginny said, reaching over to grab a handful, spilling half of it on the floor as she did. "Be nice, or I'll give it all to Malfoy."
"See, she's nice to me," Draco pointed out, looking away from the film for a tenth of a second to flash Harry a cheeky grin, before gluing his eyes back to the screen. "Fantastic invention these VDs."
Good natured teasing? Am I still dreaming?
Afraid not, Severus' voice. They've been like this ever since their 'boy talk' with Ron in the other room. Sort of… friendly. It's unnerving.
You could hear them while I was asleep? That was just weird.
Unfortunately, yes. Actually, he had found it vaguely interesting listening to their inane conversations and silly arguments. He'd never had that growing up and still didn't have it now. He had friends, of course. Minerva, Albus, Poppy, Filius – they all counted as friends and they all took his bad moods with a pinch of salt, sometimes even a gallon of salt. But he'd never been able to open himself up to them properly.
Maybe that was what he found so alluring about Hermione? He actually wanted to open up to her. He wanted to let her in, he just wasn't sure how.
Do you know who transfigured my chair and covered me with this blanket? she asked, indicating to the thick, soft blue blanket that had been tucked around her. And this pillow?
It was the combined effort of Potter and Weasley, I think, Severus told her. I think Ginevra was responsible for the transfigurations. I couldn't see them, as your eyes were obviously shut, but they all have very distinctive voices, especially when screeching in terror as Weasley was doing not so long ago. If you are wondering why your Arachnophobia DVD is in the hallway, I won't point fingers, but I will say that Weasley has an impressively girly scream.
Hermione laughed, making the rest of the people in the room jump.
"That was a creepy laugh, Mione," Ron informed her, looking at her like he expected her head to spin around 360 degrees. "You were meant to be asleep."
"I thought I made you promise not to let him watch any more Muggle films, Harry?" Hermione said, stretching. "He's going to start exorcising random people in the hallways after watching this."
Ron pulled a face at her, then grinned and Hermione wondered what had been said to sort everything out. Ron seemed a lot happier now and everything was so much more relaxed. It was hard to believe that it could all be down to Draco.
Do you ever watch Muggle films? Hermione asked Severus, getting up to go to the toilet, something which she had had to do a lot more this last week or so.
I did as a child, Severus told her, smiling at the memory. My grandmother would put them on for my sister and I whenever we visited. She was a Muggle, although my father was never allowed to know about her. He was very Slytherin in his ideas about heritage.
Want to watch a film with me when you're back at Hogwarts? Hermione asked. Something nice and safe and normal to look forward to?
Normal for you, I haven't seen one in a while. Unless you count those times Albus has had to practically put me in a bodybind to make me sit and watch his rubbish with him. But it might be nice – just don't offer me any lemon drops.
He had given up telling Hermione that there was no way to save him, it was much less depressing to just play along.
Hermione pushed open the bathroom door and almost walked headlong into Ginny.
"Hermione, can I talk to you?"
"The bedroom?" Hermione asked. At Ginny's nod, she led Ginny into her bedroom and shut the door. "I need to find some pyjamas to sleep in anyway. Need a pair?"
"Nah, got my own," Ginny said, opening her dressing gown to show Hermione her incredibly small, low-cut nightie.
"Bloody hell," Hermione exclaimed. "I'm sure that should be illegal. Hey, you shaved your legs!"
Ginny pulled a face. "I finally bothered to learn the charm," she admitted. "Took bloody ages."
I most definitely shouldn't be seeing this, Severus said, trying valiantly to block the image from his mind. Is there any way you can get the damned girl to cover up?
Ginny wrapped the dressing gown back around herself before Hermione had time to think of some ingenious way of covering her up. She tried not to be amused at the horror in Severus' voice at having seen Ginny barely clothed.
You should have been in my head last time I stayed at the Weasley's, she told him with a grin. Half the family seem to walk around in their underwear.
I don't need the image of Arthur Weasley in his underwear to add to my already quite full and vivid nightmares, Severus said, shuddering.
I was thinking more of the kids, Hermione said, pulling a face at the idea of either Molly or Arthur Weasley naked.
My nightmares are complete, Severus said dryly.
"Ron saw me in this and almost had a heart attack," Ginny said with a grin. "He covered his face and kept screaming, 'my eyes, they buuuurn!'"
Hermione grabbed her least sexy pyjamas out of her cupboard. It wasn't really hard choosing a non-sexy pair, as they were all pairs her mother had bought her a couple of years earlier. Her mother thought ankle-length skirts and polo neck shirts were racy.
Severus saw Ron's point on that matter. He had actually witnessed the birth of the youngest Weasley – a matter which he had refused to discuss and would never admit to if anyone ever asked. Molly had been visiting the school when she had gone into premature labour, and after Severus had brewed enough safe painkilling potions to calm her, she had refused to let go of his hand until her baby had been safely in her arms and her husband was finally at her side.
She had been embarrassingly grateful to Severus and he had almost been tempted to perform a memory charm to erase her memory of his helping her, just so she would stop thanking him.
Anyway, after seeing Ginny being born, he really didn't think he should be seeing her in that clothing. She might only be a year or so younger than Hermione, who he definitely would like to see dressed like that, but she was infinitely younger in attitude.
"What's wrong, Gin?" Hermione asked, getting undressed with her back to her friend. She didn't look much different, but she wasn't taking the chance of Ginny noticing. Not just yet, when everything was so up in the air and she didn't have any answers to give her friend when she asked the predictable six hundred questions.
"I was curious," she answered, sitting on Hermione's bed as she watched her change. "The person you said you slept with? Who on earth was it? Why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't something I really felt like talking about," Hermione lied. She had wanted to talk about it, but hadn't felt like she could really talk to anyone. It had taken her long enough to finally admit everything to Harry, and he was pretty much her best friend.
"You said you love the bloke," Ginny said, looking perplexed. "So why aren't you with him? Doesn't he love you?"
Hermione did her very best to clear her mind before the thoughts, 'probably not' could get to Severus. She didn't want him feeling like he had to act in any particular way with her. She didn't want him feeling sorry for her and reassuring her.
Not that he's the kind of person to do that anyway, she thought, realising he was more likely to mock her than feel sorry for her. The thought was strangely comforting.
Get rid of the charm, if you want to talk to the girl, Severus said, groaning inwardly. He hated being the talked about and teenage girls were the worst.
I'm technically twenty, you know, Hermione reminded him. Well, around twenty anyway. And if you keep thinking of me as a bloody child, I will find a way to make you see that I am most definitely not one.
Is that a promise, or a threat, Miss Granger? he asked, his voice soft as a shiver of awareness went through his body at her words.
A bit of both, Hermione answered, smiling.
"You didn't tell me about you and Harry," Hermione pointed out to her friend, who was looking a little hurt.
"No, but he asked me not to," Ginny said. "I didn't want him finding out I'd said anything in case he refused to see me again. Besides, he was with Cho until not that long ago, even if they weren't sleeping together. I didn't realise that when he finished with her, he'd finish what we had a couple of weeks later."
"I don't know what's wrong with that boy," Hermione said, shaking her head. She was dreading having to talk to him about his completely insane marriage proposal. She was also going to have to tell him that Severus was still alive at some point.
"I thought he had a thing about you," Ginny admitted, sending Hermione a half guilty smile. "But did you see that kiss between him and Malfoy?"
"I saw," Hermione admitted, trying not to replay it in her mind again. Once had been enough. "It was a dare though – you know what Harry's like about not backing out of things like that. I suppose Malfoy's the same."
"Well I definitely sensed something there," Ginny said resolutely. "Just like I can tell there's something big going on with you that you're not telling me."
Hermione sat on the bed next to her friend and put her arm around her.
"You're one of my very favourite people, Gin," she said, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I'd trust you with my life. My chocolate, maybe not, but my life, yes."
Ginny giggled and Hermione lay back on the bed, looking at the stone ceiling as she talked.
"There has been so much going on that I don't know where I would even start. When I've got it all sorted out in my head and I feel I can talk, I'll tell you, I promise."
"I know, Hermione," Ginny said, lying back on the bed next to her. "I just hate seeing you so stressed out, and I really don't know how I can help."
"You could always tell me who this bloke is that everyone keeps telling me you're seeing? Everyone knows you're seeing someone, but they have no idea who it is."
I am being subjected to a 'girlie talk'? Do you have any idea how many cauldrons you are going to scrub if I do get out of this cell?
Your threats are losing their effect on me, Hermione informed him with an inner grin. You'll have to try harder.
Don't tempt me, he thought back to her, trying not to let her see that he was amused. He really should be sleeping – he was going to be woken up soon, to make more bloody healing potions. He wondered what the reaction would be when the Death Eaters finally sampled the Healing Potions he'd made. He winced.
What did you do to the potions, Severus? Hermione asked, her brow wrinkling as she tried to work out what he could possibly have done to the potions that wouldn't be noticed before they were taken. Surely they would be tested on someone before they were used properly?
I have put essence of burlap in them all, mixed with a little ginger and some crushed poppy seeds. His voice was smug as Hermione tried to remember what those ingredients would do.
The ginger works as a time-release ingredient in most potions, doesn't it? So you've put something in that is going to start working in three weeks? Hermione was so lost in concentration that she barely noticed Ginny staring at her.
Ten points to Gryffindor. Now tell me what the poppy seeds and the essence of burlap would add to the healing potions.
Poppies are used in sleeping draughts…Hang on, you're knocking them out? They take the potions on the battlefield and then lie there unconscious until one of our lot finds them?
Well done Hermione. Yes. I've also added a few drops of Newt Semen to every batch.
Hermione laughed out loud, then shot an apologetic look at Ginny.
"Sorry… erm… I was laughing at the memory of Harry in that Shirley Bassey dress," she lied, badly.
They'll be impotent? Severus, you are incredible.
Remember that next time you get the urge to insult me. He smiled. He had been quite pleased that he'd managed to add the ingredients to every batch of healing draught, under the watchful eye of that bloody moron they'd left to guard him.
I'm hoping Lucius Malfoy has an especially large dose.
"Who are you talking to, Mione?" Ginny asked, looking at Hermione with eyes that in Hermione's opinion, saw far too much.
"You?" Hermione asked dryly.
"Who've you got in your head? You've not been yourself today – sort of like you've been too busy having talks with yourself to talk to the rest of us."
She's got more intelligence than her brother, I've got to give her that, Severus observed, wondering idly how Hermione was going to get out of this one.
"Ginny…" Hermione started, her eyes pleading.
"It's alright," the younger girl interrupted. "You don't have to tell me. I just hope he makes you happy."
Happy isn't quite the right word for it…You do realise I am still here and can still hear you? Severus's sarcastic voice rang in her head.
Hermione sent him a vaguely apologetic thought, before sitting up to hug her friend.
"Come on, let's get back to the green vomit and spinning heads," she said, pulling Ginny to her feet and dragging her back into the other room.
"And that's just if they've been fighting cleanly," Ginny said, with a grin.
xxx
By the time the film had ended, most people in the room had fallen asleep. Ginny was sharing Hermione's mattress, having insisted that Hermione needed comforting through the scary parts. Because having Ginny clinging to her arm at every scary scene, occasionally screeching and hiding her head in her shoulder had been hugely comforting for Hermione.
At least I didn't really notice the scary bits, she thought. I was too busy trying to dig Ginny's nails out of my arm.
Harry, Hermione and Ginny were the only people left awake. Hermione was loath to look at the time, but she was pretty sure it would be getting light out soon. Winter had really started to set in and the snow had started to fall, making the view from Hermione's window spectacular in the early morning sunlight. She wondered if it was worth staying up to see it.
Severus bit back the urge to lecture Hermione on her sleeping habits. She was pregnant and should be resting as much as she could, except Hermione seemed to barely register the fact that anything was different. If he did get out of the Malfoy dungeon in one piece, he was going to make sure Hermione looked after herself properly.
Harry looked nervously at Ginny, who was quite obviously waiting for Hermione to fall asleep so she could get Harry alone.
"So, Mione, fancy a walk?" Harry said, cringing slightly at the hurt look on Ginny's face.
"Now?" Hermione asked, not wanting to hurt Ginny any more than she had already been by Harry rejecting her in the first place.
"You know, to talk about Ron?"
"If you're talking about my brother, I don't see why I can't be there," Ginny said. Then she sighed. "It's alright, you can talk here – I'll go to sleep. I'm exhausted anyway."
Hermione reached out and squeezed her friend's shoulder as she gave Harry a sad look and grabbed her sleeping bag. She went over to her own mattress and turned on her side, keeping her back to Hermione and Harry.
Hermione quickly cast a sound bubble around her mattress and pulled Harry onto it.
"That was bloody insensitive," Hermione snapped. "She really likes you."
"And I told her it was over," Harry said, sighing. "Look, Mione, you still haven't answered me. I'm not going to bed another night not knowing."
"This is ridiculous, Harry," Hermione said through clenched teeth, as if somehow Severus wouldn't be able to hear her if she did that. "You know that the answer is going to be no."
"Why? It would solve everything. You'd have security and I'd have a family. It would work for both of us."
I don't think I should be listening to this, Hermione, Severus said, gently. He had tried blocking it from his mind, but couldn't. He wasn't sure if it was the charm getting stronger, or the fact that some part of him did want to know what was going on, but either way Hermione deserved some privacy.
Stop trying to get away from me.
"You don't love me, Harry. And I don't love you, not in that way," Hermione told him, putting her hand against his cheek. "You're a sweetheart for wanting to do this, but you know it's not what you really want. Don't you want to fall madly in love with someone and then one day marry them? Think what you'd miss out on if I accepted."
He asked you to marry him? Severus asked, a stab of jealousy going through him before he could dampen it down.
Yes, Hermione answered, mentally reaching out to touch Severus. She wanted to hold him and reassure him.
You should accept, Hermione, Severus said, hating what he was saying, but knowing that he was right.
What?He loves you. He's decent enough, despite his giant ego and the fact that he takes after his father in far too many ways. He would look after you, probably better than I ever could.
Are you offering to? Hermione asked, tentatively.
I can't offer you anything, Severus said, trying not to snap at her. I probably won't get out of here, and even if I did, do you really think I would be easy to live with; have a relationship with? Is that even what you want?
I don't need looking after by anyone. It's not either choose you or Harry and that's it. I'd be fine on my own, she said defensively.
I don't want you to have to do this alone.
I won't be alone. I don't have to marry Harry so as not to be alone!"Who are you talking to?" Harry was watching Hermione with that same puzzled look Ginny had been giving her earlier.
"Severus," Hermione said, enjoying the look of shock on Harry's face. "He's telling me that I should marry you. I'm telling him that plenty of women are single parents and they cope just fine. I don't need him, or you."
She got to her feet and glared at Harry. She walked over to her bedroom door and put her hand on the handle, getting ready to leave the room and shut herself in, far away from Harry.
"Hang on, Hermione. Why are you so angry with me?" Harry said, getting to his feet and following her. He wisely decided it was safer to save the questions about Snape being in Hermione's head for later.
"I'm not angry with you, Harry," she said, turning to look at him properly. "I'm angry with life, for being so fucking unfair."
She took a deep breath, fighting back the tears. "I just wanted to have a normal life. You know, finish my NEWTs, go to Wizarding University, fall in love, get married, have a baby or two. Why did it all have to be so backwards?"
Hermione let go of the door and started pacing the room. Severus fought the urge to try to calm her down, knowing it was better that she finally got all this out before it all ate her alive.
"Now I'm in love with a bloke who is going to die on me, and I have no idea how to fix that. And if he at least loved me back it would be a little better, except he wants me to marry you. And you know you don't really want to marry me, Harry. You just want to protect me, which is lovely, it really is. And you'll make a great Godfather to the baby, really you will. But it has a father and I want its father to live."
"Hermione…" Harry said, his tone warning.
"And on top of having to go through this pregnancy alone, I've got bloody Draco Malfoy trying to kill me at every turn. I keep nearly dying, but not quite doing it. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be easier if I just gave in and let him take me to Voldemort."
"Hermione," Harry hissed, his fingers digging painfully into her shoulder as he forced her to stop pacing the room. "Shut up."
Hermione fixed Harry with a hurt look, reaching up to angrily swipe away the tears that had started to roll down her cheeks.
"Thanks Harry, that's really helpful of you," Hermione said, her tone matching the hurt look in her eyes.
No Hermione, I think Harry is trying to tell you that…"Oh for fuck sake, you shut up too!" Hermione snapped. That was it. She was giving up. She couldn't cope with this anymore. She fell to her knees and sobbed, burying her head in her hands as the tears dripped through her fingers.
She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me, Harry!"
A hand grasped her chin and forced her head up. A pair of silver-grey eyes met her dark brown ones.
"Oh God," Hermione gasped, frozen as she took in the unreadable face of Draco Malfoy as he bent over her, staring into her eyes with an intense look.
"I think we need to talk," he said, his eyes not leaving hers.
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I quite like doing the evil cliffhanger thing. You might have noticed ;o)
Now I'm going to do the replying to reviews thing, which I don't do very often cos I always end up forgetting someone and feeling guilty.
Tainted Elf: Okay, so you haven't reviewed yet, but you always give me lovely reviews, so I'm thanking you in advance ;o)
Thamara: You're very, very welcome ;o)
Kairos Devan: E-mail if you want me to start e-mailing you when I update. And thank you for the great review :o)
SycoCallie: I love your reviews :o) I hope everything gets better soon. If you want someone to talk to, I'm around a lot at the moment. It's sometimes easier to talk to people you don't really know. x
Luna87:o) I'm not sure about putting Harry and Ginny together, I kinda like the Draco and Harry thing now I've started it. I promise I'll find someone to make Ginny happy though ;o)
MeandmySharpie: I have a bit of a cliffhanger addiction…
PadfootsLuvr: Ooh! A cookie and fudge. :o) Hmm. Now you've made me hungry. :oD
Gundamwinggirl:o) Thank you. I promise I'm a happy ending sort of a person. Eventually anyway. Mind you, the word happy is subjective, so don't relax too much ;o) And thank you for the other review too – will add some fluffy bits soon. x
Lovernotafighter: Lol. I may adopt the phrase 'jumping Jesus' :oD And to the other review: You're so lovely :o)
Freewomble: Wouldn't want you exploding. Could be very messy ;o)
Zafr0: I have no idea yet. You'll find out when I do. I never know what I'm going to do until I've actually typed it. Then I usually read it over and wonder what on earth I did that for ;o)
Amr: Ah, thanks for reminding me. I'd forgotten Severus didn't know about what kind of charm it was. Much appreciated. :o)
Vodkatears and Elandria: Thank you :o) I'm replying to you both together because I thought that you two could probably room together in the mental hospital when your co-workers and friends lock you both up for laughing at the computer ;o)
Nicole: Congratulations on the baby :o) My little girl is fifteen months now and I remember being all pregnant and desperate for it all to be over so I could see the creature that made me so bloody uncomfortable and finally hold her. And maybe lecture her for all the kicking when I had been trying to sleep. Erm… anyway, I hope everything goes well :o)
Nyxx: Have you noticed that the blokes in gay porn are always so much better looking than the blokes in straight porn? Do you think it's so that the blokes watching the straight porn don't feel hideous in comparison? x
Arianrhood: I get fudge, cookies and cake :o) I really should update more often ;o) I find the Draco/Harry paring strangely intriguing, so I probably will play with that a little. Thank you for the lovely review :o)
M4ever: Thank you for the reviews :o) I've been really blocked with my writing lately and it took a while for me to get unblocked and back into it. Wasn't happy enough to write for a while, or when I did it got hugely depressing so I had to delete it. I think I'm back on track again, so I'll be updating more frequently. :o) x
Drunken Goddess: Thank you :o) And thank you for setting 'DRACOSBALLDUSTER' on fire – it was much appreciated ;o)
Neko Blah Blah: I'm going to go over the story once it's finished and sort out all the inconsistencies and grammar/spelling mistakes I've managed to miss. Will have a look at that bit then. :o)
Silver Shiver, Tori, Lywinis, Miss Serena B, Monkeyhotdogs, Nan, Leosqueen, Anarane Anwamane, Raclswt, Vigdis, TaraSimi, and anyone else who I managed to miss, thank you :o) Lots :o)
WhispersJune: Thank you for always being the very first to review :o) I'm stealing one of your ideas for later in the story btw. I hope you don't mind ;o)
Christy: Thank you :o)
Kori Black: Oooh :o) I like long reviews. I'll keep an eye out for the 'gender-bending' thing in future – I hadn't noticed I did it. If you write something, let me know :o)
And thank you to all the people who reviewed before, who I didn't reply to. You're all so nice.
Sphinx: Can I marry you? ;o)
Yamihikari: Thank you :o) If you e-mail me so I've got your e-mail address, I'll e-mail you when I update. X
Eloradanin: Thank you :o) sends you a big hug for your review (I promise something will happen soon)
Lovethelab: Two reviews :o) I feel all special ;o)
Torniquette:oD hides under desk No throttling the author – that's just mean!
Lunamoon: See? You and Torniquette scared me into updating ;o)
SpiritofLupin:o) :o) You're so nice! You'll find out soon ;o)
Semperputus: I like Ron – he always gets such a hard time, just because people want him nicely out of the way so Hermione and Severus can be all happy together without feeling bad. I promise I won't make him too sulky ;o)
Chevybaby: drools with you ;o)
And thank you to NobisSolomNon, Alexsandra, Innogen, Nique, 'Anon', Yulia, NobisSolomNon, Anijade and cc for the lovely reviews too. And all the people I didn't reply to before. x
I think that's it. :oD wipes brow Now that took longer than writing the chapter. I bet if I check now, I've got more reviews that have appeared since I started writing this :oD waves guiltily to the people she might have missed
