AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
Hermione trudged towards the door. Of all the times to interrupt…
"Call Potter."
She turned around.
"Call Potter so he can take care of this nonsense once and for all," Severus' glow was stark white.
"I can't just do that."
"Why? Cormac is harassing you." His glow turned red. "He needs to be stopped immediately. Potter is an auror whose job it is to arrest creeps such as him. Call Potter!"
"Cormac is ranked above him." Her voice was weak.
"So? You are his best friend. He would protect you from this in a heartbeat."
"I know, but I don't want him to risk his career."
"You are worth risking his career."
Her eyes betrayed her doubt.
"Hermione! Open the door!"
Sweat formed on her brow.
"Cormac is trespassing. Treat him like a lawbreaker and call Potter!" Severus was bordering on pleading with her.
"There's no need to involve Harry," she straightened her posture. "I can handle him on my own."
"You shouldn't have to handle anything."
"It doesn't matter. I can do this." She plodded ahead, bracing herself for whatever was about to occur.
"Oh Hermione, my little dove! Open the door!"
She flung open the door. "What in Merlin's name do you want?"
"To congratulate you." Cormac held out a bottle of Champagne. "I heard about your potion. Congratulations!"
"I'm congratulated. You may leave now," She snarled.
"It isn't enough just to say something. I thought you'd want to have dinner with a friend, namely me."
"Actually I have lunch plans with Harry and Luna later in the week. Draco and Ginny plan on coming over at some point too. I am doing just fine celebrating with friends."
"That's fantastic." Cormac moved closer to her. "Wouldn't you like someone a little closer to you to celebrate with though?"
A child raced up her spine.
"Hermione, you shouldn't isolate yourself as you have been. It isn't healthy for you." He ran his finger across her cheek.
She pushed him away and backed inside.
"Just one drink. Have one drink with me and see how amazing we could be together."
"I know how amazing we are together." She shuddered, though she didn't know if it was from the cold or the situation. "We had such a memorable night at Slughorn's Christmas party that I've spent most of my life trying to forget it."
He frowned.
"You need to listen to me," she hissed. "I am not interested in you. I never was, and I never will be. Leave me alone."
"Why are you playing hard to get?" He stepped inside.
"I am not playing any games with you."
"Are you now?" He leaned closer to her. "Why are you trembling like a leaf? Is it fear, or anticipation?"
"I'm not trembling." Her voice was weak.
"If you are not in love then why are you flushed? Why are you struggling to speak?" He leaned in closer. "Why are you transfixed by my eyes?"
She shrunk.
"One drink Hermione," he whispered. "One drink and I will show you just how excellent we could be together."
She squeaked as he pinned her against the wall.
With the flick of his wrist the door closed. His lips were drawing closer to hers. Her brain was screaming for her to move, but her body had frozen. She let out a whine as she closed her eyes.
"What the hell?"
Hermione's eyes opened.
Cormac shouted as he struggled against a purple pillow. On the other end, Severus appeared more like a fire than a man.
"What are you doing?" Cormac grabbed the pillow, only for Severus to yank it away from him and resume his assault.
She ran to the door and flung it open.
Cormac tore the pillow out of Severus' hand. His eyes were ablaze as he turned to Hermione. "That was a mistake!"
"Ask me to touch the Champagne bottle," Severus ordered.
Hermione's heart raced as Cormac raised the bottle.
"Now, why don't you start playing nice and…"
"Grab the Champagne bottle!" She shouted.
Before Cormac could utter another word, the Champagne bottle was ripped from his hands. His eyes grew as it came towards his head.
"Severus, don't kill him!" She shouted.
Severus whacked him with the bottle, careful not to break it or knock Cormac out cold. Cormac blinked. Severus struck him again, this time harder. The trespasser screamed before rushing out the door.
"You'll pay for this Granger! You'll pay!"
"Get out of here before I call Harry and tell him about your unwanted advances!" She shouted.
He glowered at her before apparating away.
"Are you injured?" Severus' form was much more humanoid.
"No." She slammed shut the door. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," his glow lessened.
"Of course I'm fine. I've almost been forced into a kiss and watched you possibly throw away your chance at heaven. I'm peachy!"
"How could I have thrown away my chance at heaven?"
"You assaulted Cormac!"
"I defended you!"
"Dismas or the Trinity or whoever is running this program could've seen what just happened! They could have considered your assault a sin and given you more time, or pulled you from the program completely. How could you take such a stupid chance?"
"I was protecting you."
"The Trinity and Dismas may not see it that way! They could damn you!"
"If Sirius can stay out of hell despite hanging someone from a tree then I doubt anyone is going to damn me," Severus replied.
"Do you think that, or do you just hope that's what is going to happen?" Her voice was raised.
"If the Trinity is just at all they'll have more problems with me sitting around and watching him assault you than they will with me throwing a pillow and a Champagne bottle."
"They may not think I was in danger though. In theory I could have fought him off."
"Regardless, it is doubtful you could have combatted the effects of the poison."
"Poison?"
Severus took held the bottle in front of her and pointed to annulus. A few drops of a mother of pearl liquid oozed from under the cork.
"Amortentia?"
"Yes."
"Could you smell it?" She asked.
"Of course not. I just got close enough to look at it when he was towering over you. Even if I hadn't looked at it, creeps like him used to contact me during the summers and ask me to brew the potion for them, just so they could pull a stunt such as this."
"Did you ever do it?"
"I made sure what I brewed had the same coloring but none of the potency every single time."
"How?" Her expression softened.
"I can show you sometime," he replied. "It is much easier than many believe."
She exhaled.
"Looking back I should have refused to help them at all, but some of my clients were Death Eaters, and others I feared were just going to find someone else to brew it. They always paid well too. Still, I could have behaved more ethically," he mused.
"No, you behaved quite well given the circumstances."
"Perhaps."
Silence fell between them.
"You were amazing," she whispered.
"I was only behaving as any friend would," he answered.
"Perhaps, but," her voice cracked. "Very few people have stood up for me like that, especially if it could cost them so much."
"Potter would if you'd let him."
"I know, but getting him involved is complicated."
"How? Cormac is trespassing on your property and was ready to sexually assault you. It seems like a simple case and an even simpler arrest."
"It should be, but you know better than anyone how some people have the power and the position to get away with crimes such as this."
"True," Severus' glow lessened.
Hermione strolled towards the kitchen. "I say we forget all about Cormac and enjoy our evening together."
"Agreed" he floated behind her.
"Now, I was looking over your notes for the antidote to U-No-Poo. They are quite fascinating, but there's some room for improvement."
"You think you can improve my work?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I can." She returned to her seat.
"You are the only person arrogant enough to say that to my face."
"Or the only one confident enough to believe her ideas are just as good as yours."
"Perhaps." He sat across from her.
"Now," she began. "I noticed how you used dandelions and dittany. It's clever, but there needs to be something increasing their potency."
"Like what?"
"I was toying with some ingredients. Perhaps dragon blood could work?"
"Intriguing," Severus mused. "Very intriguing…"
How dare she turn me down?
Cormac swept the papers off his desk and slammed his fist into the wood. His face was contorted and scarlet.
How dare she not understand how perfect we are together? Instead of being grateful for my attention she assaulted me. She assaulted me in her own home!
He grabbed a parchment from one of his drawers and pulled out a quill. Two could play at this game. She would be in jail within the hour if he had his way!
Just as he was writing the letter he paused. Like it or not he had technically trespassed. Any memory from either of them would prove that. A judge may decide his actions warranted the attack. It could cause an unwanted scandal.
He pounded his fist into the desk again.
This isn't over! Nobody turns down Cormac McLaggen and gets away with it! She will learn her lesson soon enough!
It was only a matter of finding the right opportunity to make her realize just how advantageous marrying him would actually be.