Chapter 26

It was a warm night in June as Hermione walked from the library towards the Gryffindor common room. She had used the last several days to cram as much as possible into her head for the final NEWTs exams, and she had used the library because there had been no peace in the common room: it had seemed that every student had a question only she could answer… After snapping at Seamus that he could just read up the answer himself, she had made the library her new sanctuary. And luckily, the others didn't dare bother her there.

It was almost curfew – the large corridors dark except for the moonlight and some torches –, but she as a prefect had nothing to worry. And even if she weren't a prefect, no teacher would take away house points from her for staying too late in the library, especially so close to the finals… Well, except for Filch, of course.

"You're out late," someone suddenly stated, and Hermione shrieked gripping her wand at once. But it was only Blaise Zabini.

"What do you want?" she asked hostile. The Slytherin had never been friendly to her, well he hadn't been mean, either, he had done nothing at all, to be honest, but he was a Slytherin and close friend to Draco Malfoy – that was enough for her.

"Please, put your wand away," Blaise said while raising his hands in the air. "I mean no harm."

Reluctantly, she obliged, the wand still looking out of her pocket, so she could reach for it quickly, and her eyes still warily on the Slytherin.

"What do you want?" she asked again, already sounding unnerved.

Blaise came closer to her, so close that Hermione stepped back, only to realise that there was already a column. "Hermione," he breathed into her face. "You know why I'm here."

She frowned. "Why would I know? We've never even talked to each other before."

Now it was his time to look confused. "But surely, you must have seen my gazes towards you this past year."

Hermione thought about it but she had never given him enough attention to recognise any gaze, he was just another Slytherin student, a quiet one above all. Unnoticeable, almost invisible. "No, I haven't."

"Oh, Hermione," Blaise sighed while taking one of her curly hair strands into his hand, twirling it gently. "But then you must feel the chemistry between us. The spark, the electricity here and now."

Hermione appalled. She finally understood where he was going and she definitely didn't want to go with him! She tried to free her hair, but Blaise merely took her hand into his, stroking it with his thumb.

"Blaise," she started trying to reason with him. "I don't feel the same way about you."

He looked at her hurt. "That can't be. How could that be? I've seen the way you look at me. You want me as much as I want you."

Apparently, he was illusional, Hermione thought. "No, I don't want you," she stated calmly. "I already love someone else."

He pondered this. "It's Potter, isn't it? Or Weasley? Well, I can show you how much better I am than them."

She shook her head and tried to free her hand.

Suddenly there was a fierce determination in his eyes. "Oh, yes, I will," he said, grabbed her head with both hands and put his lips forcefully on hers.

Hermione shrieked which Blaise apparently took as an invitation. She tried to get off of him, but he was too strong. She closed her eyes and tears welled in her eyes, as she imagined what else he could do to her. In all her shock she had completely forgotten about her wand.

It wasn't long, however, not even half a minute, although it felt longer, before Blaise was forcefully thrown from her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Severus, more furious than she had ever seen him, clutching Blaise's hair.

The boy cowered below him, with fear in his eyes.

For a while they only looked at each other, waiting for the explosion that had to follow. Finally, Severus whispered in his deadliest voice: "50 points from Slytherin for assaulting a fellow student. And if I were you, Mr Zabini, I would from now on not even look at her. Understood?"

Blaise nodded afraid.

Severus released him with force. "Now go," he belled, and the boy ran away.

The Potions Master turned to Hermione and came cautiously nearer. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, and then flung herself into his arms, crying at his chest. Finally, the shock was over and the tears could flow.

"Shh," Severus comforted her, stroking over her hair, holding her firmly. "It's over now. And soon this can never happen again. Next week we can tell everyone that you belong to me and then no one will dare to touch you, I can promise you that."

Hermione nodded, wiped the tears away and looked at him. "Will you do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

"Could you kiss me, please?"

Severus understood at once. "Don't worry, I'll kiss him away."

She smiled slightly as he captured her lips with his. It was not the passionate kiss they both had craved for, but instead one full of love, protection, and comfort, and soon all thoughts of Blaise were a mere shadow in the land of memories.

Sighing, Severus stopped, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'd love to continue, but we're in the middle of a corridor."

Hermione's eyes widened and she quickly stepped back. "Do you think Dumbledore knows?" she asked fearing the consequences for their improper behaviour.

Severus merely shrugged. "If he does, I'll explain."

She nodded, still uneasy.

"Come on, let's take you to your common room." Together they went along the corridors, both silent and in their thoughts, but it was a companionable silence and felt natural to them. The possibility of spending the rest of their lives together became more real with every day that they managed to work this out.

Too soon they reached the Fat Lady who eyed them surprisingly.

"Here we are, Miss Granger," Severus said in his stern teacher's voice, but Hermione understood.

"Thanks for escorting me, professor," she smiled.

"Well then, I wish you a good night and good luck for tomorrow." Whispering, so that the Fat Lady couldn't hear them, he added: "Not that you'll need it" and winked.

Hermione beamed, waved at him and vanished through the portrait hole.

The following day was the Potions exam, and then there was only Arithmancy, Charms and History of Magic, and then there finally was her graduation – and they both would be free. For a second she started to imagine everyone's reaction, especially Harry's and Ron's – and oh no, her parents'! – but she shook the thoughts away. It didn't matter as long as she was together with Severus.

The next morning everything was in a blur. Later she could vaguely remember Harry encouraging her to eat something at breakfast, but she had no recollection how she got to the Potions classroom, when suddenly an official grader from the Ministry addressed them, told them not to cheat and wished them good luck.

Only when she saw Severus secretly winking at her, she started to focus and the next hour and a half she had her best concentration in brewing a perfect Living Death.

"It's over," Ron chanted as they walked out of the Potions classroom – for the last time.

It was only then that Hermione realised that – well not officially yet but it felt to her that way – Severus wasn't her teacher anymore. Never would she sit in another Potions lesson with him, write essays for him or answer his questions in class. It saddened her a bit but she knew that it also opened new possibilities. And she sensed that if she would ask him, he would lecture her about potions as long as she liked…