Hermione is spurned by Severus after weeks of trying to help him recover in St. Mungo's. Devastated, she becomes betrothed to Lucius. Unfortunately, there are those still out there who resent the outcome of the Great Wizarding War, and would like to see all Muggle-borns and blood traitors punished for their defeat of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. How far will they go? More importantly, Severus has feelings for Hermione. Will he be able to win her back?
Murder, Magic, Mayhem, and Madness
September
When Lucius insisted that he take her to the train station at King's Cross, Hermione had giggled that he couldn't stand to be parted from her.
Miss Weasley, Ginny, as Hermione asked him to call her friend, looked up at him suspiciously. "Hermione, so it's true? You're actually seeing him?"
"Yes," Hermione answered exuberantly. Lucius indicated that they should board the train and even assisted Miss Weasley with her trunk as well.
When Lucius sat down next to Hermione, Ginny cocked her head questioningly. "You're coming to Hogwarts, with us?" she asked.
"Hogsmeade," he replied. "I have business there, and I thought I'd go along for the ride."
"I thought you were exaggerating," Ginny said, still eyeing Lucius warily, sitting down across from her friend.
Hermione shook her head, but Lucius answered first. "No, I assure you, Hermione and I have become well acquainted," he said, using his most winning smile.
The girl wasn't buying it. Hermione explained how they met in London and what they'd done over the summer holiday together. Miss Weasley asked after Severus Snape, and Lucius listened to Hermione's explanation of how he didn't appreciate her assistance in his recovery, and how he'd finally hexed her from his room. Lucius remembered that day well. The fortuitous way he'd ran into Hermione in London, the stroll through the streets, and Apparating her to the fashionable part of wizard society, the Promenade for dinner. Sure, persuasion had been needed to make her go with him, but the single dinner had stretched into eight days together, before he'd consented, reluctantly, to let her return to her friends. He chuckled at how it had been only two days before she owled him, wanting to see him again. She'd returned, spending the last three days with him before he had to bring her to King's Cross. His charms were working so well.
"So you really are a couple?" Ginny asked.
At that moment, Miss Lovegood came in and sat down, greeting everyone, even Lucius as if well acquainted. "I see you're trying to reform your ways," she said then handed both Ginny and Hermione a copy of The Quibbler. "I wasn't surprised that you took an interest in Hermione."
"Thank you," Lucius said, unsure what to say. He'd read the recent article in The Quibbler about his trial and his post war contributions. The articles on his trial in all the papers had been fair and supportive, but the ones on his post war activities had bordered on slander.
Miss Lovegood nodded and turned to Hermione. "I'd prefer if you were with Ron, but he's dating Lavender again, isn't he?" She pointed at the issue she'd given Ginny. "We found them this summer. The Blibbering Humdinger. We had an Ornithologist and three naturalists with us, and we definitely identified two of the species and have pictures. Dad is so elated." Luna looked back to Lucius. "The outcome of your trial was not surprising."
"I suppose not," he said cordially.
The ride had been long, but relatively pleasant. Lucius made certain that he and Hermione shared a few private jokes, a few touches, frequent glances, and he'd even given her tender kiss. He'd bought sweets for the three girls and read poetry in his most seductive voice. By the end of the trip, Miss Weasley had been sufficiently convinced of his affection, but of the Lovegood girl's opinion, he was still unsure.
~oo0oo~
Severus swept in the Great Hall and strode to the Headmaster's chair, literally throwing himself into it, catching several appreciative glances from the tables as he did so. His eyes scanned the hall, seeing the vacant stare of admiration from a few of the returning female faces, and he shook his head in pained annoyance. The dark, brooding, enigmatic Death Eater turned undercover-good-guy because of the death of his one true love. Severus groaned at the mere thought as he watched Miss Goodie-Ever-So-Brilliant Granger enter the Great Hall with the ridiculous Miss Weasley-Soon-To-Be-Potter and Miss Brilliant-But-Looney Luna Lovegood, both Gryffindors hugging the petite blond girl and waving as they hurriedly found a place to sit at their respective house tables. His eyes swept the Great Hall looking at all the returning students. In every year except first year, there were extra students, those Muggle-borns who'd survived the war. The ones who'd been told they were undesirable and unwelcome in the wizarding world.
Little did the Dark Lord know, Minerva, Filius, and Pomona and several members of the Order had paid visits to the families of the Muggle-born students, explaining about the war and what was happening, offering to conceal their families. Apparently Trelawney, sitting at the end of the staff table, had made another real prediction, her fourth if you believed Dumbledore, in which she had told the old man to hide the ones with potential for eleven months.
Severus turned his head so that he could see the woman without giving her the satisfaction of knowing he was looking at her, and then looked at the new Muggle Studies Professor, Lillieth Scythe, talking amiably with the batty witch. The two were a perfect pair; although, Miss Scythe, in her Native American turquoise, white ruffled blouses, and denim skirts had seemed far less batty during her interview.
Filius leaned over toward him while looking down the table at the new professor. "I think she's a good choice for the position," he said, his head still diverted in Miss Scythe's direction.
"We shall see," Severus said softly, shaking his head. "At least she knows her subject well, even the Muggle histories." He swept his gaze across the hall, stopping briefly on Hermione, and then angled his head toward Filius, still keeping her in his range of vision.
"She really has some ideas though," Filius said, turning to look at him. "Imagine us having fellyphones and tellitions!"
Severus cringed inwardly, while maintaining his look of ambivalence, watching slyly as Hermione conversed with the seventh-years. "Telephones and television. They will hardly be a novelty before long. I, though, still prefer owls and books."
"I know, it makes buying your Christmas and birthday gifts easy—a new book." Severus turned his attention to the diminutive wizard, smirking as Filius' mouth stretched into a big goofy grin.
"And I appreciate the new Charms books every year," he said, nodding once to Filius. "Have you made acquaintances with your apprentice?"
"Yes!" Filius replied, obviously pleased. "He's very good. It was a stroke of genius, starting the assistant program, and it will make things much easier on the staff this year."
The doors opened, and Minerva led the little first-years into the Great Hall for the Sorting. Severus watched Hermione sit up expectantly as the frightened tikes made their way forward. Day one of hell begins… Again, Severus thought sarcastically. Maybe, just maybe, this year won't be as bad as last year. Then again, I have three of the war heroes in the school. Who knows what mischief Weasley, Lovegood, and Granger can get into? At least I don't have Potter to watch over anymore, just Hermione. How much trouble could she be?
~oo0oo~
Lucius sat in the same car he had ridden in with Hermione and her friends as he traveled back to King's Cross. His car would be waiting for him to further carry him home. Home. The huge manor would feel empty. The halls all too quiet, and the bedroom he called his, a tomb. He would miss his witch all too much. Her curiosity, insatiable reading, insistent chatter, and zeal for life had been a constant companion for him. He'd miss seeing her curled up on the chair across from him in the library, and their discussions over dinner. He'd even miss the disturbance of her slipping into his study so she could simply be in the same room with him. It was all going along so well.
As they'd parted, it was Hermione who'd wrapped her arms around him, lifting her face up in desire of a kiss. He'd obliged, sensually caressing her lips, teasing the tip of her tongue and crushing her body against his, before letting her go. He'd smirked at her flushed cheeks and ragged breathing. He'd hugged her a second time for good measure, kissing her more ardently until she swooned, and then he proclaimed that he'd miss her. He'd watched her go with a sly confident smirk on his face, knowing that she'd owl him the moment she was in her room.
He'd been right. He'd stayed in the only respectable inn in Hogsmeade, receiving her letter with his breakfast. His first parting gift would have arrived at breakfast with the post. He knew she would be reading the note he'd left her, tucked in the fly jacket of the book of poems he'd frequently read to her. He didn't care if there were those who questioned his turn of heart or his relationship with Hermione. He was the outward picture of reformation. Besides, his betrothal to Hermione would secure his good standing in the new social order, and he'd eventually marry the brightest witch of her age, Potter's best friend and war heroine. She was his, body, mind, and soul, and upon their union this Christmas holiday, his wife.
~oo0oo~
Severus sat at the desk, his fingers steepled, as he listened to Minerva rant about the message written on the wall in the Entrance Hall every morning now, ever since the students had arrived. "It was back. Every morning this week Filius has had to remove it before the students could see it. What happens, Headmaster, if they do? Then what? We'll have a mass hysteria on our hands."
"Professor McGonagall, Minerva," he corrected smoothly. "I am aware of the problem, but what would you have me do? We haven't determined exactly how the words return each morning. I don't know if it is a Cursed Charm, or something that is simply being reapplied each morning, but so far, Filius is quite capable of removing the words."
"We have more Muggle-borns in the school than ever before," she reminded him, not for the first time. "The message is a clear threat. Mudbloods welcome to Hogwarts. Now go home. It's written in mud, mud made with blood. The message couldn't be clearer."
"Minerva, we still do not know who is writing these words, or why, let alone when. I have alerted the Ministry. We have Aurors in the corridors to patrol the school as extra security. I have extra staff for the assistance of the extra students who've returned to finish their education. I have the ghosts and the house-elves on alert, as well as all the paintings," he said, and then sighed heavily. "You voiced your concern when the Sorting Hat disregarded its previous tendencies and placed Muggle-borns and students of Muggle-born parents in Slytherin house, a topic which I have personally addressed to the Slytherin prefects and returning students, sternly. In addition, I have a firm hand on the students in Slytherin with both Horace Slughorn and Wandelina Perrimont sharing the duties as Heads of House and overseeing that the older students do not torment the new house members."
"You approved the Ministry suggestion regarding the use of the Great Hall for inter-house revision time and the desegregation of meals on weekends to encourage inter-house relationships. We have clubs now in all areas of discipline and study as well as extracurricular activities to promote further student interactions. As the new History of Magic professor, Miss Perrimont has a well rounded curriculum that will include magical history up to the current war, and will have an added emphasis on the achievements of great witches and wizards from all four houses. I have even added a Wizarding Social Studies and Ethics course." He sighed and dropped his hands on his desk. "Pray, tell me what you'd like to recommend?"
Minerva sat at primly, obviously deep in thought, worrying her fingers in her lap. "I don't think I can think of anything else at the moment. You have obviously considered everything."
"Indeed," he replied slowly, his voice still strained on occasion from the damage to his vocal cords. "I have given this matter a great deal of consideration and attention. I have considered every suggestion presented to me, and I've adopted what I considered feasible and beneficial. Please be assured, I do have the welfare of this school and its students well in mind."
"Attitudes won't change overnight, Minerva," the portrait of Dumbledore said from his frame. She looked up and gave him a wry smile. "Some residual animosity is not to be unexpected. But I trust Severus. I know with his experiences, he will assure the safety of the students to the best of his abilities."
"I hope so, Albus. Severus, I'm sorry," she said, rising. "I just want a peaceful year, and to let the past be the past."
"As do we all, Minerva," Severus said, as he rose to walk with her to breakfast.
Filius was standing before the cursed wall, talking to Auror Daryl Rolfe as the students filed in to eat. The wall above their heads looked clean, unmarred by the earlier defacement. Severus nodded and conversed with them about the reoccurring phenomena but neither wizard knew why the words kept reappearing each dawn. The wall itself did not have any residual curse on it that either wizard could detect. Severus shook his head, knowing that was true. He'd checked the wall himself each night, and he couldn't detect any residual magic on the wall save the usual spells and enchantments, but the words had reappeared before dawn each morning nonetheless. He was concerned. Someone or something was writing the message on the wall each morning, and they'd yet to be caught.
Severus thanked the Auror before entering the Great Hall himself. As he strode down the aisle to the head table, Hermione Granger caught his eye, and he slowed down slightly, glaring at the warm smile she evinced at seeing him. His chest tightened and his mouth seemed to go dry, but he ignored them. Forcing his attention to the Slytherin table, he noted nothing amiss in their behavior, body language, or expressions. He knew that the culprit would be blamed on a returning Slytherin student until proven otherwise. Until then, he'd keep an eye on them as well. He took his seat, and waited until the tables were full. He stood, ran off the obligatory morning announcements and sat down. Mid way through breakfast the owls arrived. Thankfully, all his correspondence, any letters of complaint, the few ridiculous love letters, gifts of endearments, and the offers of matchmaking, were sent to his office.
His eyes followed an owl as it swooped down on Hermione. The young snow owl landed delicately with a parcel, before accepting an edible token of gratitude and waited. Obviously, whoever had written the girl wanted a reply. Severus watched her slyly as he swept his gaze about the room, never shifting his sight too far off so as to at least keep Hermione in his range of vision. Eventually, the owl flew off with a letter. He sipped his drink, eyeing Hermione over the rim. She looked up at him, and he smirked, hidden from her view by his goblet. He set his goblet down and turned to Minerva, fabricating a question regarding the prefect schedule, offering suggestions and was rewarded a promise to send a student from her first class with a copy.
When he looked back at the hall, Hermione was still looking at him. He scoffed and turned his attention to the Slytherin table, all too aware each time Hermione looked at him over Miss Weasley's head.
"Severus, did you hear me?" Lillieth Scythe asked.
"Yes, I heard you," he drawled softly so as not to strain his vocal cords. "The devices you want will not work properly in the school. Electricity, not eckeltricity, doesn't work in the castle. It disperses and infuses with the adolescents' magic and the magical resonance of the spells on the castle itself. Electric, not ecklectic devices, charmed magically to operate in magical environments, defies the legalities set forth as a breach of the statute of secrecy and the unlawful act of using magic on a Muggle artifact."
"It's only a projector," Lillieth protested.
Severus snorted. "It is, according to your request, which I did send for consideration to the Department of Law Enforcement and the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, a compact disc slash radio, a DVD slash VHS with a television component, a compact personal computer, and a projector. Oh, yes, and a telephone. Did I leave anything off?"
Lillieth blushed under his intense stare. "Ah, er, no."
"As we already have a projector, two I might add, and a phonograph player for your use, I don't see the urgency in your request," Severus sneered and Minerva shot him a warning glare. "However, as soon as I receive word regarding your requirements, I shall inform you immediately."
Lillieth muttered what could only be assumed to be an utterance of agreement. Minerva diverted her attention to the new staff member to, no doubt, console her. Severus swept his eyes once more around the Great Hall. Twice he noticed Hermione looking at him, and he carefully kept her in his range of vision until a scuffle at the Slytherin table caught his attention.
Across the Hall, a pair of blue eyes watched the Headmaster with a veiled expression of animosity.
He was sitting at his desk, replying to his correspondences when he heard the grinding of the staircase behind his door. A moment later, a swift knock announced the arrival. "Enter," he said, after touching his wand to his throat to magically increase the volume of his voice without straining his vocal cords.
Severus was a little surprised to see Hermione enter his office and approach his desk. "Professor McGonagall asked me to copy down the prefect schedule for you," she said politely, handing him the scroll of parchment.
Miss Weasley and Mr. Behounek had been made Head Boy and Girl, but the board of governors and Minerva had insisted that Hermione and Mr. Flinch-Fletchley be thus honored as well, as returning students. The four of them represented three of the school houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Slytherin was, of course, passed over.
"Sit," he said, stretching out the parchment on his desk to check the schedule. Her neat and precise script made deciphering the schedule much easier than if Minerva had simply copied hers. Severus noted the rotations of each prefect. "Her—Miss Granger, please inform Professor McGonagall that I will need to address her regarding the schedule."
Hermione leaned forward, her hand sliding forward slightly from where it was resting on his desk. "Is there a problem, sir? I copied it exactly," she inquired after a lengthy pause.
He'd been distracted by the graceful shape of her hand sitting next to his favorite quill, the surging remembrances of those delicate fingers stroking his limbs, shoulders, and back. He snapped his attention to her face as she spoke. "I wanted the prefects to do their rounds in pairs," he said with a growl, more annoyed with himself than with her or the schedule. Not that she'd know it.
She looked at him confused. "They are. One person from two different houses, each night, just like we've always done."
He pointed his finger at the parchment on his desk and met her gaze. "I am aware of how it has been done in the past, but that is not how I want it done this year."
She continued to look at him, unflinching with the earnest expression of someone who wanted to please. He fought back the first thought of how she could please him, with one of those deeply caressing massages she used to give his body, and suppressed a groan. Her brow creased in confusion. "I want them together, as in pairs of prefects each night, not two each doing a separate patrols. Certainly with the extra two Heads, making a total of two Head Girls, two Head Boys, plus six prefects in each house this year, and the regular staff rotation, the apprentices, and the added Auror patrols, it isn't necessary for the prefects to divide."
Hermione nodded and smiled, the act making her face light up, and Severus choked back a lump in his throat. "I will be happy to rewrite the schedule and add in the Auror and apprentices' patrols. I can have it in your office tonight, if you like."
"Yes, I'd like that," he replied then silently chastised himself. "Just give the schedule to Professor McGonagall for her approval."
"Of course, sir," she said, beaming at him as if he'd given her a prize. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Oh, yes, his mind shouted, and he clamped down on the thought before he said anything inappropriate. "No, that will be all."
He watched her leave from the corner of his eye, not missing one single gentle sway of her hips as she walked. He wanted to bang his head on his desk for the thoughts that circled in his mind unbidden, but he wouldn't give the nosey portraits in his office the satisfaction of seeing him have an emotional outburst. She is off limits. An annoyance. A student. A child, although I know that is a lie. All right! She's eighteen—a woman now—but regardless. She's a student. Get a grip. It will never happen again. You saw to that in the hospital when you told her to shove off. You didn't want her then—you can get over her now. He groaned as he fought the urge to follow her, in case the portraits looking down at him would see his physical discomfort. Bloody Merlin, to hell with it all! Whatever you think you had wasn't real—and it's over.
He picked up the parchment and fingered her perfect lettering. Frustrated, Severus nearly crumpled the page to throw it away, but folded it neatly and tucked it into his desk drawer on top of the copy of her school schedule.
~oo0oo~
Lucius stood at the window and gazed out at his family's estate. The gardens were immaculate as always, the water in the reflection pool a pristine shade of turquoise, and the roses in the knot garden still in bloom. He'd sent his house-elf to go cut a dozen roses from his garden and take them to Hermione, arranged casually in a round vase as if he'd done the arrangement himself. The elixir in the vase would maintain the roses for months and increase their delicate scent.
He smirked at the remembrance of Miss Wesley's absolutely gobsmacked expression when he and Hermione had arrived together in King's Cross, assuming that he'd come see her off to school. It was almost as rewarding as Miss Weasley's look of incredulity when he'd entered the compartment with then and sat down, intending on riding the train to Hogsmeade on the pretence of having business in the village.
Since Hermione's first day of school, he'd sent her a letter every three days, occasionally copying poems and lines from sonnets on parchment scented with his cologne. It was sappy, but her responses indicated that she loved them, so he'd kept it up. Besides, the scent of my cologne on the parchment adds a reinforcement to the spells.
He looked at the silky robes she'd left behind, laying on the bed next to him. Dark green. The color had been fabulous on her. He knew her penchant for wearing Muggle clothes on the weekends and, although he'd never really liked the idea, he had purchased a luxurious cashmere sweater for her in the same deep green with a matching scarf and gloves to send to her. The Muggle department store had grated on his nerves, but with a little flattery, the sales girls were very accommodating. One of them even gave him a demonstration of how the sweaters looked on in a sizable dressing room, under a little assisted persuasion. His lips curled as he recalled how responsive the girl had been under his Charm when he'd shown her his appreciation for her assistance.
The first Hogsmeade weekend was the weekend before Halloween, and Lucius was going to surprise Hermione. The sweater and accessories would arrive the day before she'd go, and he'd be there to see her as she passed though the school gates.
He turned and strode down to his study to finish his business correspondences. The wedding invitations and the wedding announcement sat on the corner of his desk. He'd show them to Hermione, convince her that they were perfect, and then send them off. The menu was set; the flowers were all arranged for, the cake selected, and the diamond necklace he would give Hermione to wear sat in his drawer. He'd take her shopping, of course, to buy her wedding robes but the one he'd commissioned was sure to light up her face even if he'd have to use a little assisted persuasion.
He turned his attention to his business affairs, and the annoying letter from Draco, asking him about his allowance.
September continues ~
~~oooo0oooo~~
Author's Notes:
Forge ahead, the month isn't over yet!
Many thanks to my betas, Pookah, CourtneyRochelle, and MadBrilliant for helping me clean up my many mistakes. I really appreciate it more than you can possibly know. I'd be ashamed to show my story to anyone without your invaluable help. And to era1960 for being there when I needed to bounce ideas and have a second opinion.