Title: Hermione's Helping Hand
Draco's Vow
The next morning, which started November, the Gryffindor team was training for their match against Slytherin. Malfoy had gotten together the most brutal team that he could find inside the school. They were all big, evil, and willing to shed blood to get what they wanted, which was a win. Of course life inside the Malfoy personal quarters wasn't wonderful. Pansy's son, who she named Tom, had several medical problems that St. Mungo associated with inbreeding. Malfoy didn't buy it, and neither did his wife.
" There is nothing wrong with marrying a pureblood!" he told the Healer.
" Yes, there is!" the Healer countered. " And your now suffering from it."
As a result, the next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, gave the seventh-year Gryffindors more homework then they even had during their fifth year. So the other students found them in the library, trying to get through all their Dark Arts work.
" That man is unbearable!" said one student.
" I know!" Harry said. " And I'm afraid that it has only begun to get worse for us."
Everyone knew that Harry was right.
Hermione, meanwhile, was looking for someone to take the kittens that were now ready for adoption. She loved them all, but they were getting into things that she knew could hurt them. She put an ad in the Daily Prophet, but no luck. Finally she put a message on the Gryffindor notice board and soon students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw came by to take the kittens from her. The only kitten that wasn't taken was the runt, which Hermione decided to keep.
" Well, it's all your fault!" Hermione stated, when Crookshanks got unhappy about what his mistress had done. " You got out!"
Crookshanks hissed and then disappeared into the next room.
" Well, sorry I said anything."
" So I heard you finally got rid of the extended family," Ron said, as they ate dinner later that night.
" Yep!" Hermione said, nodding her head. " However I still have one kitten left, but I'm going to keep him."
" What are you naming him?"
" Albus!" Hermione answered, before she took a bite of her chicken.
The next day, after Charms, she went to visit Madam Pomfrey. Remus's wife was going as well due to the fact that she was having a lot of children and this was her first time being pregnant. Madam Pomfrey checked her over, and then it was Hermione's turn. She moved her wand over her stomach, which without the enchanted robes, showed her true condition. Severus had been invited to come as well, and he held her hand, which made Hermione feel better.
" Well?" Severus asked.
" Her levels are normal and I've got a great feeling that she's going to survive the delivery."
Hermione smiled at what the Matron had said. Before she defeated whatever it was that had come after her and her husband, she was fearful that she might not live to see her children be born, or that they might die in childbirth. Now that her levels were normal, she felt a lot more confident about the whole delivery thing.
" Now I want you to continue with how you've been eating and I'll see you next week."
" Thanks!" Hermione said.
On Saturday the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin took place. Hermione wasn't in the mood to see Malfoy, who had planned on sitting next to her. So she spent her time with her husband, watching him grade Herbology work. Malfoy had found out that Severus was back teaching, but because Remus wasn't paying him, at least that's what he thought, the governors had told him that there was nothing that they could do.
" But the Ministry says that he can't teach," Malfoy had protested.
" We informed them and they said that as long as he's not paid, he can teach," one of the governors said sharply. " There is nothing in his records that show that he's being paid."
Malfoy grumbled at this, which should of told them that there would be trouble.
The next morning Harry told Hermione that they had won, though a lot of the players were in the hospital wing due to the injuries that the Slytherins had inflicted on the Gryffindors. Hermione sounded shocked, though she shouldn't have been.
" Are they going to be all right?"
Harry nodded.
" Madam Pomfrey said that they would be fit for classes tomorrow."
Hermione let out a sigh of relief, and then headed off to the library to get some of her homework done.
The next morning Hogwarts got a visitor from the Ministry. At first Hermione thought that Malfoy had managed to get the Ministry to send someone to get her husband, but Remus told the school that he was the one that handed out applications for the Ministry and anywhere else that a soon-to-be graduated students wanted to go in.
" Now I want those that are planning on leaving Hogwarts after their N.E.W.T's to meet me in the small chamber that is used for the sorting. I will have the list sent to all the houses and those who's names are on the list, will come at that particular time," he explained. " It's important that your on-time, as being on-time will reflex your ability to do that job."
" And who says that things like that don't matter anymore," Harry commented.
" To right!" Hermione muttered.
When the bell rang they all headed off to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, where Malfoy was punishing them further by telling those that believed him, that he would be responsible for those that needed their Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W. T, that he would prevent them for getting it. Ginny was one of those that believed every word that he said. When the bell rang, where he gave them a four-roll essay on concealment, Ginny voiced her fear.
" Can he do that, I mean really do that?" she asked.
Hermione looked at her crossly, crossing her arms.
" Absolutely not!" Hermione stated. " He's just trying to scare you into not taking your N.E.W.T's."
" But what if he really can?"
Hermione glared at her, which at once shut Ginny up. As she turned and left, Ron turned to Hermione.
" But what if he's right?"
" He's not!" Hermione snapped. " Now excuse me, but I need to see when I go to that appointment."
The appointment turned out to be right after Herbology, at four. She wrote down the time and then rushed off to Ancient Runes. However she couldn't concentrate all day, and by the time she did get out of Herbology, with her husband wishing her luck, she had only just made it. She opened the door and entered.
" Hello, Mrs. Snape," said the Ministry official. " Sit down!"
Hermione sat.
" I saw you in the courtroom nearly six months ago," he told Hermione. " I was impressed that you knew the law well enough to defend him."
" Thanks!"
He nodded, and then pulled out her file. He flipped it open and looked over it.
" Top of the year, every year since you arrived here. Only got into trouble once, and that was during your first year. Could you explain about that?"
" Hagrid bought an illegal dragon egg from the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. We didn't want him to get into trouble, so Charlie's friends took him off of our hands."
" And who caught you?"
" Filch!" Hermione answered.
He nodded again, and then moved on.
" All the Professors give you high marks, including your husband," he told her. " Now what are you hoping to get into?"
" Committee on Experimental Charms!" Hermione answered at once.
He looked at her.
" Willing to experiment on yourself for the benefit of the wizarding world!" he said.
Hermione nodded, and then said, " Someone has too."
He handed her an application and she filled it out at once. As she worked, she felt a small breeze coming from behind. When she turned around, whatever it was was gone.
" Are you okay?"
" Fine!" Hermione said.
She finished her application and then handing it to him, and was just about to leave, when he handed her something.
" What is this?"
" I don't know, but it just came in."
Hermione took it and opening it, felt her blood run cold.
I will kill you Hermione J. Snape, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.
Hermione pocketed it, and ran out, leaving the Ministry official confused.