Title: Hermione's Helping Hand

When Lemon drops Attack

The potion arrived a week before term was to end. Hermione at once delivered it to Madam Pomfrey, which gave her an excuse to be able to visit Harry. He was still knocked out from the Bludger, but she hoped that he would be able to wake up in time for Christmas. Madam Pomfrey walked over and poured the potion into a goblet, which she poured down his throat. At once his limbs started to jerk, then he opened his eyes.

" Well I'm glad that you're back with us," Madam Pomfrey said. " And I'll leave you two alone."

When Hermione knew she was actually gone, she turned to her husband. She felt relieved that he was awake and happy that he hadn't actually been killed.

" What happened?" he asked.

" Luna attempted to turn into an animal and changed into a Basilisk," Hermione explained.

Severus huffed at that.

" That girl is going to get someone killed one day!" he told her, then he smiled and she returned it.

" So are we still on with Prince Manor?" Hermione asked, after a few moments silence.

Severus nodded.

" That house hasn't been lived in since mum married my dad," he explained. " Twenty odd years is a long time for things to fester."

Hermione shuttered as she remembered Black Manor.

" Oh!" Hermione said, suddenly remembering. " The Ministry sent me a letter saying that your no longer on probation. I was hoping that you would help me with a problem that sprung up with Luna."

It was Severus turn to shutter.

" What's wrong with her?"

" Well it seems that Luna is ill and I tried to help her, but something is blocking my wand."

" Do you know what it is?" Severus asked.

Hermione shook her head in response.

" I was hoping that with us working together, we'll be able to figure it out."

Severus was silent for a moment, Hermione thinking that he was going to say that he wouldn't, or couldn't. Finally he spoke.

" I'm all yours!"

Hermione grinned.

" I was hoping you would say that!"

Madam Pomfrey let Severus go two days later. While he was in the wing, he noticed that Harry was there. The Matron explained that a Bludger had hit Harry during practice. What worried Severus was the fact that no one saw who had done it.

" You will let me know if he does get out," Severus had said to her.

" No problem!"

Severus returned to work the next morning after spending a wonderful night with his wife in something that she called a hot tub. It did make his muscles feel better and when she asked if they were going to keep it, he said they would. Hermione was glad that her husband was back. She could return to being a student, and not having to juggle both teaching and being a student.

Hermione, after lunch, decided to spend the afternoon doing her Ancient Runes work. She had just pulled out a sheet of parchment when Ron came running into the library, getting several annoying looks from the other students. He looked like he had when they had first seen the spiders during their second year.

" Ron, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

" Spiders!" Ron gasped. " Big ones!"

Hermione gave him a strange look, but allowed him to take her out into the corridor. The only thing that was there, besides the usual paintings, were a large pile of lemon drops. Hermione snorted in frustration, and turned to scold Ron for not only not taking his prefect duties seriously, but also wasting her time, when the pile moved. Ron made a choking sound when the pile turned into several large spiders.

" Get out of here Ron," Hermione demanded. " And get some help."

Ron did as he was told and Hermione closing her eyes let herself be transformed. Suddenly one of them lunged at her, and kicking off, she flew high above them.

" FLAME BURST!" Hermione bellowed, sending a huge ball of fire right at them.

It destroyed one of them, leaving a sticking, yellow mess.

" That is so gross!" Hermione commented, sending one after another at the remaining spiders.

By the time she was done, there was one thing that was for certain. She was never going to ask for a lemon drop for as long as she lived. She transformed back, just as Ron returned with Remus and Severus. Both men took one look at the mess and knew what had happened.

" Where are the spiders?" Ron asked, who was as clueless as Neville had been with Transfiguration.

" I have no idea," Hermione answered, giving her husband a small wink.

" You know what gets me," Severus said as he and Hermione headed back to their quarters.

" What?"

" Why those cursed candies decided to change into a spider."

Hermione thought that over. Normally it would have been funny, but since they had almost made a meal out of her, she didn't find it remotely funny. In fact, she sensed dark magic from them, telling her that someone had cast a spell on those little pieces of what Dumbledore used to calm down, wanted to send a message. However finding out who was something else entirely.

" Who do you suspect?"

" I don't know!" Severus answered. " But once we find out who did it, then he or she will be heading off to a nice little cell in Azkaban."

" Glad that it won't be you!" Hermione stated.

" Me too!" Severus said.

The rest of the term ended quickly, with the Professors telling those in the fifth and seventh years that the examinations would soon take place, which would be in June. The cold winter air blew around everyone that dared to venture inside Hogsmead. Hermione didn't go because she wanted to get the last bit of her homework done and also she wanted to check on Harry. When she arrived the Matron told her that he had just woken up.

" Can I see him?" Hermione asked.

" Of course," said the Matron.

Hermione was led to Harry's bed, where he was busy eating some of the Christmas cake that had been brought to him. He smiled when he saw Hermione and she returned it. She then sat down in the chair next to his bed and the Matron left them alone.

" So are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded.

" The Matron says that I've got to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holiday, but I intend on making good use of it."

" What do you mean?"

" Well, I was going to find out what happened to Luna," Harry told her. " Professor Snape was here before you arrived and told me what happened. He figured that since I was going to become an Auror, that I needed to get training."

Hermione at once saw sense in this. Harry needed to get some training and she figured that it would look a lot better if there was something written down that he had captured his first dark witch or wizard while in school.

" So any ideas on who did it?" Hermione asked him.

Harry shook his head.

" But I'm determined to find out," he told her. " Also he told me that you tried to figure out what was wrong, but something was blocking your wand. That's how come both of us figure that dark magic is involved."

" I figured that much!" Hermione stated. " However, I won't be able to get anything from you until term begins."

" What-oh sorry, I forgot," Harry said suddenly. " Your going to help Severus clean Prince Manor."

Hermione nodded.

" Well good luck then."

" Thanks!"

Hermione got up to leave, but Harry called her back.

" Ron was visiting before you and Snape arrived," Harry said. " And it looks like he's going out with Luna."

Hermione stared at him.

" What!"

Harry nodded.

" But don't tell Ron I said anything," Harry told her. " He wants me to keep it a secret."

Hermione smiled, and then said, " I will."