Marked

by Aubrey'Snape

In the heat of the Battle of Hogwarts Hermione runs into the path of Greyback and Professor Snape. The consequences of this action will change her, her future, and the way she views the world. Can Ron and Harry set aside their malice and accept the new Hermione? ***Reposted after taking my stories down***

5. Of Rescues, Revenges, and Strangers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione's head was pounding when she finally opened her eyes, but she looked around the room she was in though she was unable to see much of anything. A pressure on her ankle made her look down to see a shackle had been placed there which was put on so tightly that it was pressing into the bone. She tried to reach down to shift the metal a little bit but found her arms unable to move at all.

"Don't bother trying to move, he put a curse on you that makes you paralyzed from the neck down," A voice said to her left and she whipped her head around to see Draco sitting next to her, apparently in the same position.

"Draco? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Same as you, I guess." Draco replied wearily not looking at her. His face was paler and thinner than she had ever seen it, his hair hung around his face in limp strings.

"Why are we here?" She pressed, hoping for answers.

"Storage, leverage against the right people." Hermione frowned at the deadened tone his voice had taken on.

"Is this where you've been all this time? I thought maybe you were just avoiding me after our little fiasco in the forest." Hermione commented as she laid her head back against the stone wall behind her.

"Yep. Or maybe not since then, I remember getting a note from my mother asking me to come visit her, but I never made it there. My father intervened and stopped me, knocking me unconscious and brought me here. He's been cutting my hair for the last few days I'm assuming to use for Pollyjuice potion. Is that how he got you?"

"Shit. Yes, I thought he was you. Came to talk to me in the Great Hall, asked to talk, I managed to run into a friend who protected me until Severus showed up and blasted us both into a wall. I can't remember the rest. Severus will come though." Hermione claimed confidently.

"Does he know you were taken? How do you expect him to find you? There're wards up around this place." Draco replied dryly looking over at her finally.

"He'll find me," Hermione repeated with the same confidence.

"If you say so," Draco said his disbelief evident in his voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus was trying to keep his head clear as he and Nott flew to the cave where the rest of their clan lived. It had taken him a good 15 minutes and two tries to transform properly because he was shaking from suppressed rage.

Nott had simply waited patiently for him to transform keeping his mouth shut. He knew Severus and knew his temper well enough that if he so much as sneezed in the wrong direction he'd probably be cinder on the ground. Once they'd gotten into the air though he had trouble keeping up with Severus because he was flying so fast, not that Nott didn't understand.

They arrived at the cave at the same time but Severus transformed and took off running into the cave without even stopping. Nott followed close behind him and was grateful to see everyone was still awake and there.

"I need your help," Severus said without preamble. The other looked up immediately and stood to their feet when they saw their leader.

"What is it?" A deep voice asked from the back of the group, there was a hush around the others and they stepped aside to let the speaker through.

"My mate has been taken by Lucius Malfoy," Severus snarled, not having the patience to answer questions.

"Your mate seems to get captured often Dux, perhaps you should have picked your mate more carefully," The man said calmly.

Severus growled and stepped towards the man but Nott put a hand on his arm. "Now is not the time for alpha fights. Severus is your leader, follow him, or get out." Nott said to the man not taking his hand off Severus' arm. Nott didn't use his size or second-in-command status often but when he did it meant that it was serious or he was pissed.

The others in the clan were staring between their leader and the man that had spoken up but another voice called through the group. "Are we going to stand here or are we going to get to the rescuing?"

Everything was a flurry of movement after that as Severus launched into a plan and took over the role of leader.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione had been dozing when she heard the squeak of a door opening but she didn't open her eyes or look around. A foot came out and kicked her ribs making her grunt in pain and fall onto her uninjured side.

"Oh good, you're awake, that means we can begin." The cold drawl of Lucius Malfoy said through the dark.

"Begin what exactly?" Hermione asked as she was dragged across the floor behind the man.

"Revenge."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus was leaning against a wall in the cave focusing on Hermione with all his might. Trying to remember her voice, her scent, the way her eyes glimmered when she laughed but he still couldn't pick up her location. It was like he could sense her, but he could only sense that she could be sensed. He knew she was out there somewhere, and knew she was alive, but he couldn't get any type of read on her location.

"Here," Nott said throwing something at Severus which hit him in the face.

Severus opened his eyes with a snarl but saw that Nott was naked; he'd thrown his shirt at Severus' face. "I already have a bloody shirt," he growled before closing your eyes.

"Funny enough I can see that, are you forgetting that she was pressed against me behind that statue? Her scent is all over my shirt." Nott snapped at him.

"Oh." Severus said dumbly as he looked at Nott again.

"Arse." Nott turned on his heel and strolled away from Severus letting him focus again. Severus brought the shirt to his face a breathed deeply focusing only on his mates scent. It was faint, barely distinguishable underneath Nott and Miss Lovegood's scent but it was enough. His mark tingled on his shoulder and he let his mind go blank allowing it to be drawn to where she was.

His eyes snapped open as he saw where she was located and he walked quickly over to the group, he threw Nott's shirt back at him, taking time to smirk when it hit him in the face.

"Let's go." He said before he transformed. A second later there were at least 20 bats floating in the air, they all flew out towards the mouth of the cave and straight on into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione was thankful that her body was in a paralyzed state; otherwise being dragged across the floor for so long would really hurt. She was sure that her body was getting torn up from the contact with the concrete floor but she might not be alive long enough to feel that.

She was dropped unceremoniously on the ground and heard Lucius walk past her, then turn to look at her.

"Where is Snape?" He asked her his wand pointed at her face.

"Why do people automatically assume I am his babysitter?" Hermione snarked staring up at the blonde man in defiance. She had barely got the words out before Lucius shouted "Crucio" and her body felt like it was dropped in acid. It lasted only a few seconds but her body continued to shake in the after effects.

"Where is Snape?" Lucius repeated with the same tone.

"I don't know where we left him perhaps?" Hermione replied. She really didn't know where Snape was but the chances were good that he had gone for help.

"Crucio," Lucius said lazily as he flicked his wand. Hermione's back bowed under the pain of the curse but she kept quiet this time, her mouth opened in a silent scream. When he let the curse up this time she promptly turned her head and puked onto the floor. "We can do this all night, I have lots of time."

"I don't know," Hermione croaked out and she tensed waiting for the curse but it never came.

"Fine. How do you contact him if you need him? I know you're his mate, how does he find you?" He asked her.

"I send him a little basket with some choco—" Hermione began but her sentence was cut off by another round of the cruciotis. Her brain felt like it was on fire, like it was burning up into a smoldering pile of ash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus led the group to where he had seen her trying to ignore the shots of pain that was twisting his gut every few seconds. When he landed he hand to take a moment to calm his bodies shaking from a mixture of pain and anger before he could move again.

"This way," He rasped, he stumbled as he tried to walk again through the slice of pain through his gut. His mark was burning so hotly he was sure that if he touched it the skin would be bubbling.

They came upon an apparently abandoned shack and he waved at the group to get their attention. He directed some of them to go to the left, some to go around the back, and some of them to go with him. They moved together silent and united across the uneven lawn making no noise in the silence of the night. He was grateful that Lucius had picked a moonless night to take her, the blackness giving them cover in their dark clothing.

He came up to a window on the side of the shack but saw only darkness inside, he walked to window after window until a gleam of blonde caught his eye in one of the lower windows. Catching Nott's attention he called him over and pointed his wand at the window silently breaking the window and vanished the glass. He and Nott lowered themselves into the room silently keeping their wands raised as they approached the blonde laying on the floor. Severus lowered his wand as he recognized Draco sitting slumped over against a back wall, a shackle around his ankle.

"Draco?" Severus whispered to the boy and held his hands up when the boy jumped. "Where's Hermione?"

"Up—" Draco tried but his voice cracked, "Upstairs, back bedroom maybe." Severus stepped closer and saw that his face was bloody and bruised, lips cracked with lack of nutrient and water. He called for Nott, "Get him outside, put him somewhere safe till we can get his out of here." Nott nodded and told the two other men with them what to do before he tailed Severus out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione was laying on the floor gasping for breath as Lucius walked around the room muttering to himself. She had blood leaking from her mouth and her body ached painfully but she couldn't feel any other damage. A tingling had begun in her shoulder a few minutes previously but her brain wasn't clear enough to focus on it.

"Severus, please, please get here." She whimpered as Lucius' footsteps came closer.

"Pleading for your little mate isn't going to help your situation mudblood, just tell me where he is and I'll let you go." Lucius snarled at her.

"Yeah right, as a dead body," Hermione said as she spit out blood.

"Don't trust me mudblood, I'm insulted."

"Oh I'm sure I could come up with something better if you want to be insulted you slimy worthless piece of—" Hermione replied her voice full of hatred, a slicing hex hit her back and she gasped out a breath at the pain.

"Crucio!" Lucius repeated and Hermione screamed as the fresh wounds on her back split painfully.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus heard a female scream and his head jerked towards the sound. He exchanged a quick look with Nott and the other man nodded. The pair of them sprinted to where the scream was coming from and saw a light coming from under the closed door. Severus waved his hand to check for any wards and smirked at the ignorance of the ex-Death Eater when he felt none.

Severus nodded to Nott who reared back and kicked the door open with all his might, making the solid wood splinter under the force of his foot.

"Drop it Lucius!" Severus yelled pointing his wand directly at Lucius heart. He looked down at Hermione lying on the floor and felt a fresh wave of agony and fury twist his stomach. "You bastard."

Lucius didn't move, just simply looked at the two of them, raising his wand to point it back at Severus. He froze however when he felt the tip of a wand press into his neck, " ." A deep voice said from behind him. The wand clattered to the floor as it fell from Lucius hand.

Severus ran forward to check on Hermione, sighing when he felt a pulse; he picked her up gently then nodded at Nott. Once he handed her off to him Severus turned back to Lucius and pulled his fist back connecting it solidly with the blondes face.

"Avada Kedavra," The man holding Lucius said and Lucius fell to the floor dead before he hit.

"What the bloody hell?" Severus growled in fury at the man.

"He needed to die," The man said simply. Severus snarled out in anger but Nott's voice called him back to the present.

"Hash this alpha shit out later, you've got a mate to save." Nott reminded Severus, glaring at the man who was squaring off with Severus.

Severus growled low in his throat again, "I am the alpha and the leader; quit undermining my authority by making selfish decisions." A moment later the man had disappeared into his bat form and flew out of the house.

"Hogwarts?" Nott asked as Hermione's head rolled against her shoulder and she groaned.

"Yes, we'll have to disapparat. Be careful, take it slow." Severus commanded and Nott nodded. "I'll get Draco."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus carried Draco into the hospital wing, followed closely by Nott who was carrying Hermione. Poppy bustled towards them urgently with her wand held aloft and immediately began to cast diagnostic spells over Hermione and then Draco. Severus stood back and watched quietly as the results of her spell displayed up into the air.

Extensive internal bleeding as result of the crucio curse

Concussion

Bruised organs

Several scrapes and lacerations

Busted lip

Fractured eye socket

A low growling sound filled the hospital wing suddenly causing Poppy and Nott to look around in shock at Severus. Once the dark haired man noticed his growling he cleared his throat and desisted. "Sorry," Severus said briskly. He scowled at Nott when he saw the smug look on the older man's face but remained quiet. The healing process took far less time than sustaining the injuries had and after a half hour all the blood and injuries Hermione had sustained were healed. The only lingering problem was Hermione's shallow breath and the sheen of sweat on her face.

"I don't understand it, but she's running a high fever, it can't be an infection or as a result of her injuries, let me just—" Poppy said but Severus cut across her.

"I believe that I can be of assistance to that Poppy," Severus said calmly. He stepped forward softly and touched Hermione's shoulder, the tips of his finger coming into contact with the edge of her mark. Hermione's breathing immediately deepened and she calmed, causing Poppy to look at Severus with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I don't want to know." The witch said as she turned on her heel and walked over to Draco to heal him.

Severus stared down at Hermione until Nott touched his arm, looking back at the older man; he jerked his head for Severus to follow him. Severus looked back down at his mate before he turned and followed Nott out of the hospital wing. "What is it Nott?"

"You need to be patched up, and then you have to go back to the pack." Nott said firmly.

"No, I am needed—" Severus began but Nott cut him off, his tone angry.

"You are the alpha Severus, your mate is fine, you need to deal with your responsibilities first," Nott said his voice slightly rose in his anger.

Severus opened his mouth to argue but shut it at the fierce look Nott shot him. His friend was right, Hermione was not in immediate danger and his pack needed him. He nodded his head slightly before his eyes surveyed the surrounding corridor, finding it clear he transformed and took off Nott flying directly behind him.

In no time at all they found themselves entering the cave where the rest of their clan was residing and Severus took his human form. The man that had killed Lucius was in the front and Severus walked towards him furiously, he grabbed the man and pinned him against the wall by his throat.

"Who are you?" Severus hissed.

"I am a friend Alpha," The man responded, the use of Severus' standing in the pack made Severus loosen his grip but only just.

"That does not answer my question, who are you? What right did you have killing that man? He was mine, he wronged MY mate. By killing him you have challenged my place as alpha as well as the rights to my mate. Do you wish to challenge me?" Severus hissed furiously, his posture stiff rage and authority rolling off him in waves.

The man stared at him for a moment before he went limp in Severus' hands; he bowed his head in a universal show of respect for Severus' higher rank. Showing that he neither wished to challenge Severus for his mate nor his alpha status, and Severus released him unwillingly in acceptance of the man's stand-down.

"Why did you kill Lucius?" Severus questioned again, this time managing to keep his voice even.

"Was it not your intent to kill him?" The man countered, not answering Severus' question.

"Yes, I was going to kill him." Severus answered suspicion clear in his voice.

"And how were you going to explain that to your Ministry? Were you prepared to be sent to Azkaban, to be sentenced to a life in prison that would kill not only you but your mate as well? Are you forgetting that bat's mate for life and to separate two mates for a prolonged amount of time would kill you both? Not a quick death, may I remind you, but a slow wasting away of the person."

Severus felt himself stiffen at the man's words, in anger but also in to cold realization that he had almost sentenced Hermione to death in a fit of anger. "Who are you?" He pressed again and this time the man answered.

"I am you, my friend, from a different time from a different place." The man replied. "My name is Severus Snape, of the United States of America. Nice to meet you."

Severus stared at him for a moment before his brain finally recovered from the shock, "Excuse me, you are not me."

"Yes I am."

"Prove it."

"Our mother's name is Eileen Prince, our father was Tobias Snape, and we grew up in Spinner's End. In 1968 we met Lily Evans, nee, Potter. Our father drank himself to death when we were 5 and our mother lived to see us graduate Hogwarts. We have a scar on our upper thigh that we received during an exploration hike with Lily. We went to Albus Dumbledore in 1981 to switch sides after he killed Lily Evans after we reported to Voldemort a prophecy we had overheard." Severus managed to conceal the shock he actually felt carefully but Nott did not.

"What the bloody hell?" Nott said from behind the pair of Severus'.

"That is an excellent question." Severus replied, his eyes never leaving his counterparts.

SEVERUS' POV

Severus was staring at the man in front of him critically, surveying him like he would one of his potions, and he could see the similarities that he'd missed before. The man had midnight black hair like him, but it was cut short, spiked up like he had run his fingers through it repeatedly. Severus almost snorted when he was reminded of James Potter doing the same thing. They shared the same eye color, both so deeply brown that they appeared black, but the other man's eyes were softer, less cold and harsh. There were fewer lines on his face, making him look admittedly attractive. He had clearly been without the broken nose though because his nose was large but lacked the bump from repeated breakings. He had an air about him that was coolly confident, not in an arrogant way but in a way that made him appear powerful. He was dressed casually, in muggle jeans and a button up shirt. Overall he looked like a "good" Severus.

NOTT'S POV

Nott flicked his eyes between the two men, taking in the stiffness of his long time friend's shoulders as opposed to the relaxed and open body language the other man had. It was like looking into an alternate universe, one with the past Severus had lived and one with the past that this other Severus lived. Questions flew through his mind so quickly that he actually got a headache, but he kept quiet as his alpha and friend surveyed the possible threat. His interest was definitely piqued, and if it were true that this man was indeed Severus, what did that mean for Severus' mate? Severus' voice broke his thought line however and he cleared his mind to pay attention.

"Why are you here?" Severus asked his other self calmly. His voice was still col and harsh, but if you listened close enough you could hear the curiosity as well.

"I was hoping you could explain that to me actually." The man responded, and Severus stiffened in frustration.

"What do you mean? How could I explain to you why you are here?" Severus responded coldly.

"Because I was living a nice life in America, until my bat instincts took over and called me here. To you. Or rather, to a wooded area where I caught your scent, I followed it back here and you were looking for your mate. I found her and brought her to you. So yes, I expect you to explain to me why exactly I am here." The man's proclamation was met with an absolutely stunned silence, both Nott and Severus staring at him in shock.

"How did you know where to find here? How did you even know what she smelt like?" Though this was a question, it sounded more like an accusation.

"Are you kidding? You reeked of her. You had obviously mated or else you wouldn't have smelt like her, and when I found her she smelt like you."

"Doesn't answer the question as to why you're here." Nott said, speaking up for the first time and drawing the man's attention to him.

"I just told you I didn't know," this was said in a tone so similar to Severus' that Nott almost laughed.

Nott glanced back over to Severus to see that the man was staring at the other with slightly narrowed eyes. He noticed that Severus' nostrils were flaring meaning that he was sniffing the man out, literally.

"Do you have a mate?" Severus asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"No, haven't found anyone I want to be tied to yet." Nott raised his eyebrow at the caustic and almost careless way this was said.

"It is possible—" Severus began but trailed off absentmindedly, almost as though he hadn't meant to speak out loud.

After waiting a few minutes for him to continue Nott finally prodded him in speech, "What's possible Severus?"

Severus started at this as though surprised to find Nott there, but he shook his head slightly before speaking again. "It is possible that you were drawn here because I took a mate. If you are in fact me that would send off the same signals to you as it did to me. Have you felt any discomfort in the last several months?"

When the man shook his head no, Severus began speaking again. "Although you are me, we are two different people. What attracts us is different but since I took a mate you would also go through some of the changes. Try to sense my mate; I should smell of her, I have her blood on me. Attempt to find her."

Nott and Severus stared at the other man as he closed his eyes and seemed to focus. His nostrils were flaring just as Severus' had moments before but after several minutes he opened his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't tell, I can smell her on you, smell her mark on you but I can't tell where she is."

"How were you able to find her in the woods?" Severus asked sharply.

"Your scent and hers, I simply went back to where your scent originated from. Once I was back in the trees I was able to pick up her scent from what I smelled on you, but I didn't find her by scent before I left here." Severus nodded slightly at this seeming to accept it.

"Doesn't explain how you got HERE, why are you in this time? Are you from the future or—"

"You would be the counterpart from—"

"Yes."

"But why didn't you stay—"

"Too dangerous, your dark Lord—"

"Indeed. Yours as well?"

"Never, I am merely a—"

"Interesting."

Nott blinked at the two men as they talked together and finished each other's sentences. His head gave a powerful throb as he tried to follow what they were talking about. "I'm sorry, but what the hell are you two talking about?"

The man turned to him and answered swiftly, "Before the start of the first war, I chose to go back in time, to attend my mother's funeral. I had missed it due to being at Hogwarts as well as the Dark Lord's side. A spell I invented called "me ipso separatum" or "Separate from myself", this allowed the me that went back in time to continue to live as though he were his own person but with my memories. We are the same person up until that point but after that, we are two completely different people."

Nott stared between Severus and the other Severus for a few seconds while his brain attempted to understand but it was pointless.

"Do you remember when I told you that your smarts would get us into trouble?" Nott asked as he rubbed his head.

"Yes," The two Severus' said at the same time and Nott whipped his head up to look between them again.

"Fucking hell. This is exactly what I meant." Nott growled out. While the Severus he wasn't familiar with actually laughed out loud causing Nott to look at him even more startled, making him laugh harder, his Severus merely twitched his lips. "So what should we call you, since Severus would be a little confusing?" Nott inquire, still looking quite stunned by Severus laughing.

"I go by Toby, actually, shortened from Tobias," Severus, or Toby said. Nott glanced at Severus and saw the familiar sneer on his lips at the mention of his father's name but he remained silent.

"Well Toby welcome—er—back?" Nott said sounding unsure as to how to greet the man. He turned his attention back to Severus, "You should get back to Hogwarts, check on your mate." Severus nodded slightly and walked forward.

"What's she like? How old is she? Why is she at Hogwarts? Is she a teacher?" Toby fired at them as they walked at Nott almost laughed out loud at how much this Severus was like Hermione. He grinned at Severus and raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Well, answer the man."

Severus turned back to Toby and said calmly, "It is—complicated." Then he rounded back on Nott when the man gave an amused snort.

"Is she a student?" Toby asked, catching on to Severus' unease and Nott's amusement.

"As I said, it's hard to explain," Severus replied. "You will stay here. She is going to have a shit fit enough with what she's been through never mind learning that there are two of me."

Nott snorted out his laughter again but stopped at a cold glance from Severus. He transformed into his bat form as Severus did and the pair of them took off out of the cave mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar sight of the high arches of Hogwarts infirmary. She looked around the wing and saw a familiar patch of blonde hair sticking out of the blankets on the bed next to her. Checking to make sure that no one was coming she carefully climbed out of her bed, steadying herself when nausea and dizziness threatened to knock her back down, before creeping over to the other bed.

"Draco? Psst, Draco!" Hermione whispered as she prodded the boy. "Malfoy! Wake UP!" Hermione said louder and closer to his ear.

"Bloody hell woman, I'm sleeping." Draco groused as he rolled over to look at her. "What do you want Granger?"

"How did we get out of your father's house?" Hermione asked completely oblivious to the fact that Draco appeared to be naked under the sheet.

"Uncle Snape and Nott came and got us, now go away and let me sleep." Draco mumbled as he turned back over.

"Severus? He was there? Where is he now? Draco! Don't go back to sleep, honestly."

Draco growled in frustration but rolled back over to answer her, she sat back as he pushed himself up against the pillows making the blanket fall to his waist. They both seemed to realize that he was unclothed at the same time and Draco knocked her off the bed in his haste to cover himself up.

"Oomf—ouch you arse." Hermione complained as she sat back on his bed. "No need to knock me around." The dizzy feeling was back ten-fold but thankfully she didn't have the urge to vomit.

"Sorry," Draco grumbled. "Are you okay?" He asked as he took a closer look at her.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. What about you?" Hermione responded.

"I'm fine," Draco answered her.

"You are not! Have you seen your chest? What the hell did they do to you? Your own father, what the hell is his problem?" Hermione raged, she tugged the sheet at his chest and pulled it away to inspect the brilliantly purple and black marks that spread across the front of his body. She reached out to touch the one on his shoulder when the hospital wing doors opened and Severus and Nott entered. Draco and Hermione whipped their heads around to look at them just as the two older men came to an abrupt halt at their position.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other, then down at her hand which was still outstretched towards his chest then back at each other before jolting away.

"Uncle Severus—"

"Severus, it's not how it looks—"

"I wouldn't ever think of her like that—"

"He's a friend—"

"But that's IT!" The two of them finished together on a yell and they promptly avoided each other's eyes.

Hermione chanced a look up at Severus but noticed Nott was shaking from suppressed laughter at his side, and the anger she expected to find on Severus' face wasn't present. Instead a cool indifference was there, which Hermione didn't think was any better, and his fists were clenched into balls. He turned around to leave the hospital wing in a hurry but Hermione called after him.

"Oh honestly, Severus, we almost died together. He's been beaten and bruised within an inch of his life and he's a friend. I wasn't groping him you big stubborn possessive bat so quit the dramatic temper tantrum and get over here because I need my mate!" By the time she had finished speaking she was yelling at Severus' back. For a moment she actually thought he was going to continue to walk away but he turned around with a scowl.

"You didn't like it when someone touched what was yours did you? Why should you be allowed a different privilege than I?" The words weren't shouted but Hermione flinched never the less, she rallied quickly however.

"Well, sure, I'd expect you to react the same way IF I HAD MY LIPS ALL OVER HIM!" Hermione shouted again but Severus' response was cut off by a bang. A very haggard and annoyed Madame Pompfrey was striding towards them in a night gown looking as terrifying as Voldemort.

"These two need rest! Now, Severus I can't tell you to leave as your mate is here, but you will not distress her or cause her anymore grief or else I will shove a sleeping draught down your throat." The elderly woman snapped, making Nott snort in amusement but she soon rounded on him. "Don't you laugh over there Theodore Nott, I am more than capable of doing it to you as well!" Nott and Severus both looked suitably chastised.

Hermione scowled at her friend and her mate before she turned onto her side away from then and lay down. Tears flew into her eyes as flashes of what had happened came back and the desire to be held was overwhelming but she bit her lip. She refused to show any weaknesses to the callous man that was standing behind her. How dare he think that she was groping Draco? How dare he throw that woman into her face? They were just making headway by being civil and now this, would anything ever be okay? She heard footsteps turn and leave the hospital wing, followed by a slamming down and she winced again.

"Damn stubborn man," Madame Pomfrey groused as she walked back towards her chambers.

Hermione felt a dip in the bed and a hand was placed on her shoulder forcing her to roll over, and she turned to see the familiar blue eyes of Nott sitting above her. More tears spilled from her eyes and a sob was torn from her lips.

"Hush now, stop crying. He's not really angry, at least not completely, he was worried Hermione, both about you being kidnapped and then finding you so close to Draco, in a bed." Nott said softly, his tone reproachful but not harsh. "Old fears resurfaced, you have to give him time and perhaps no more lying in bed with naked male's huh?"

Hermione sniffed and nodded, but allowed herself to be pulled into a bear hug. She buried her head in Nott's shoulder and let the last few days catch up to her making her sob uncontrollably. Nott simply held her tighter and began to rock her gently. Finally, when she had cried all her emotions out she fell in an exhausted sleep slumping against Nott's comforting hold.

~~~~~~~~~~~SSHG~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus walked into his quarters with a firm scowl on his face and the image of Hermione sitting with a naked Draco on his bed. It was like dealing with Lily all over again, something that he could not and would not deal with for a second time. His angry tirade was interrupted however with the entrance of Nott, who looked equally as pissed.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Nott demanded before Severus could say anything.

"I don't have any idea what you mean."

"Oh no? Well how about I remind you, your mate, your MATE Severus was kidnapped, beaten, and put through more than she should but instead of comforting her like you should have you threw a temper tantrum."

"She knows how I feel about her touching men," Severus growled out.

Nott threw his hands up in the air. "Oh for the love of God, she was concerned! She would have done the same thing if I was lying in that bed. I had to comfort her Severus, me, that's not my job or my responsibility. It's yours."

"I know that thank you. Lower your voice; you're giving me a headache." Severus said wearily as he walked away.

"If you have a headache it's because your head is stuck so far up your ass that you're not getting enough air. You need to remember that she is not Lily. SHE IS NOT LILY SEVERUS! She has done NOTHING wrong to deserve your distrust and disrespect. So, either take you possessive jealous ass back up to that hospital wing or I'm going to go get Toby and let him comfort her." Nott shouted at his back before he turned and slammed out of the room again.

Severus was shocked at his friend's threat, but knew that the man meant what he had said. He considered ignoring him and going to sleep but instead he let out a sigh and walked back out of his quarters.

Upon entering the Hospital wing he saw that Hermione was sleeping, though not very soundly. She was whimpering quietly and flinching, whether because of her nightmares or because of her ordeal he didn't know. He quietly stepped over to the bed she was laying on and sat down on the mattress.

"N—nott?" She asked blearily as she blinked open her eyes.

Severus scowled even more but didn't comment. "No, it's me."

Confused, tired brown eyes met his and he saw a flash of anger before it was wiped out by exhaustion. "What—what are you doing here?"

"I thought perhaps you needed company, it seems I was mistaken, I'll leave now." Severus replied quietly, trying to keep his hurt and disappointment from his voice. He got up and turned to leave but she reached up to capture his hand.

"No, stay, please?" She whispered.

Severus turned back around to look at her face, her eyes were dropping with sleep but she gave a weak tug nevertheless. He sat back down on the mattress, only to have her tug on his arm again. "Hermione, I don't think—"

"Please?"

Her eyes were pleading as she looked into his face and he almost groaned at how whipped he was. He lay down beside her and wrapped his arms around her when she snuggled into his chest. He could feel her breath on his neck but found that it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Before he could fight it he was slipping into sleep soothed by the feel of his mate's heartbeat and her familiar smell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~XxXxXxX~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus woke up to the sensation of being watched and a weight on his chest. He opened his eyes to see that Nott was looking down at him with a raised eyebrow, amusement clearly written on his face. Somehow in the night he had shifted on his back and the weight on his chest was a slumbering Hermione who was using him as a mattress. His arms were wrapped around her to hold her to him and her face was still tucked into his neck, it was very comforting.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," Severus grumbled to Nott but there was no heat to it. He tried to shift Hermione back onto the bed but a growling stopped him.

"I don't think she wants you to move," Nott said, his amusement growing into silent laughter as Severus tried to move her again.

"Well, I can't stay here," Severus complained. "Hermione? Wake up." She didn't stir. "Hermione, you have to get off me." There was no movement, so Severus said loudly, "Miss Granger! Wake up!"

The effect was instantaneous, she shot upright and looked around saying, "I wasn't sleeping, I swear. I have my notes."

Severus grunted when her knee came into contact with his crotch and almost threw the girl off of him when she kneed his testicles. "Be still!" He growled in pain and frustration, when she continued to move.

"Severus? What are you doing here?" She asked as though she had just realized that he was there, in her bed, underneath her.

"You wouldn't let me leave last night, and you asked me to stay." Severus explained.

"After your jealous fit? Oh, I doubt that." She replied impishly.

Nott burst out laughing at the look Severus gave her; it was a cross between outrage and confusion. "Oh my god, I wish I had a camera."

"Shut up Nott!" Severus and Hermione said the same time.

"Why are you here in my bed?" Hermione asked him again and Severus looked back at her.

"You don't remember?" Severus inquired. At her head shake he sighed and gently pushed her off his body then stood upright. "I came here last night after I—"

"Acted like a child?" Hermione supplied.

Severus shot her a glare but continued on as though she hadn't interrupted. "After I left and you woke up, when I tried to leave you grabbed my hand and pulled me onto your bed."

"I thought you were Nott," The brunette explained. "I thought he was the one crawling into bed with me."

Severus opened his mouth angrily when he caught sight of her twitching lips as she tried to hold back a grin, then up at Nott who was positively quivering with laughter. He looked back down at his mate and glared before swooping down to capture her lips against his. She opened her mouth willingly and he plunged into her mouth to deepen the kiss. "Mine," He growled against her lips as he pulled back slightly.

She looked up at him with a grin and nodded her head, then glanced behind him to Nott. "Well, that worked didn't it?"

Severus looked down at her with a raised eyebrow then over at Nott who simply gave him an "I'm innocent" look. "You two are going to be the death of me."

Hermione's comment was cut off by the infirmary doors swinging open, Luna Lovegood walked into the hospital wing and towards them. Hermione and Severus both noticed how Nott perked up and smiled widely at her. Luna in turn, looked positively radiant at seeing Nott as well.

"Luna, what brings you to the infirmary?" Hermione asked.

"I wrackspurt told me to come here," Luna replied vaguely, glancing at Hermione before sliding her eyes back to Nott. "It's almost breakfast time, are you going to eat in the great hall?" The pale blonde asked. Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Nott cut her off, and she was surprised to see that Luna had been asking him in the first place.

"That depends, can I sit with you?" Hermione's jaw almost dropped at the blatant flirting Nott was doing. A red flush spread across Luna's face but she simply nodded her head then turned around and walked towards the exit.

"Nott, you don't—" Severus said but a quick glare from Nott shut him up.

"Hush now. You have a conversation to have with your mate about Toby." Nott quipped effectively shutting the other man up; he promptly turned and followed Luna out of the wing.

"Who is Toby?" Hermione asked and Severus felt the urge to go after Nott and strangle him.

"That is a very long story, that needs to wait until you are better and not in the hospital wing." Severus said, his tone made Hermione pause and not push him. His body language was stiff and uncomfortable, the way it was when he was angry or genuinely did not want to talk about something.

"You'll explain when I am out though?" Hermione pressed, but showed that she was not going to push him.

"Yes."

"Are you still upset about last night? I have no romantic or sexual interest in Draco, I may have before all this started but he is a friend." It was something that had been grating on the back of her mind since the day before but not something that she thought he'd be comfortable explaining.

Severus sighed and sat back down next to her, waiting till she was tucked against his side before he spoke. "This—relationship as well as having a mate is new to me. I am unsure as to how I am to react and conduct myself with you and about other things that seem harmless to you but reopen previously closed wounds."

"Because of Lily and James?" Hermione questioned and Severus felt shocked for a minute at the understanding tone that she used.

"I—How did you know about that?"

"Harry, he told Ron and I in 5th year about the memories he saw." There was an edge to her voice that made it clear to Severus that it wasn't a good idea to comment about his feelings on her friend.

"Yes, because of James and Lily. Lily was my childhood friend, a slip of my tongue—"

"Calling her a mudblood," Hermione clarified and felt Severus tense next to her.

Severus cleared his throat and then continued, "Yes. That was the reason, anyhow, Lily refused to talk to me regardless of the apologies that I attempted to give her. Deciding instead to take her vengeance on me by getting together with James, she knew it was the best and only way to get back at me for my slip of tongue. She—purposely allowed James and herself to be found, by me, in a compromising position. It's a sore spot for me." Severus finished his explanation more tense than he had been before explaining and more than slightly angry at the memory. He felt Hermione's gaze on his face and looked down to see a stunned look on her face. "What?"

"That's the most I've heard you talk about something personal in, well, ever." Hermione joked.

Severus' lips twitched in amusement at her observation and he kissed the top of her head gently. "Yes well, do not get used to it."

"What made you come back up here?" Hermione asked, feeling warmth spread through her at the affectionate kiss to her head.

"Nott."

"He forced you up here?"

"Not—exactly. He told me to remove my head from my posterior." At her snort of laughter he looked at her in a mock scold. "It was quite rude I assure you."

"You needed it, I—I don't want anyone else I thought you would have gotten that but clearly—"

"It's not a matter of me knowing or not, it's still going to be a fear because you can always choose to leave instead of staying with me." The absolute loathing that was present in his voice made her heart break for the past that she knew he had, but instantly resolved to never make him feel unwanted.

Madame Pompfrey came strolling up the ward towards them before she had a chance to respond so the opportunity to reassure him was lost. "Severus, you have classes starting in a half hour so you need to go get ready and Miss Granger here needs to take some more potions and rest." The older witch looked at her pointedly making Hermione blush under the scrutiny of her stare.

Severus got up and looked like he was going to kiss Hermione goodbye before he shook his head and left the ward leaving Hermione to stare after him longingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione slept for the next few hours off and on thanks to the potions Madame Pompfrey had shoved down her throat. Professor McGonagall had come in just after Severus left to see how she was doing, but she didn't seem upset, she had joked that with Voldemort gone Hermione shouldn't be getting injured anymore. But after talking to Draco and getting his side of the story, the older witch's face had paled.

Hermione hadn't have the time or energy to get angry about her situation yet, but as the afternoon wore on and the potions she had taken had worn off, she had found herself getting more and more angry. Finally, when she had to talk to someone, she got back out of bed and pulled on the change of clothes a house-elf had brought her. She glanced around the infirmary looking for the medi-witch then snuck out of the ward when she didn't see her. Technically she was supposed to stay in the hospital for another 2 days at least until the damage to her ribs had healed fully but she was going stir-crazy. The sounds from the Great Hall told her that it was dinner time and she was assaulted by the wonderful smells of food as soon as she entered the great room. She didn't look up at the head table as she made her way towards Ginny, not wanting to see the reproachful scowl that would no doubt be on Severus' face when he noticed her.

"Hey Ginny," Hermione said nonchalantly as she sat down next to Ginny.

"Hermione, how are you? Wait, aren't you supposed to be in the hospital wing?" The redhead whispered to her. When Hermione shrugged her shoulders slightly as the older girl reached for a goblet of pumpkin juice, she continued, "Why are you out here? What's Snape going to say?"

Hermione shrugged again and began eating the food she had placed on her plate pointedly ignoring both the looks from her friend as well as the eyes she felt on her from the head table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SSHG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus had been about to take a drink from his goblet when a hard nudge to his ribs made him grunt in pain. He scowled over at Nott in anger but saw him looking at the Gryffindor table, his eyes followed his friend's gaze and felt his scowl deepen. The youngest Weasley was sitting next to Hermione, who was still supposed to be in the bed in the hospital, and he saw Hermione shrug. Miss Weasley's eyes looked up into his and she nudged Hermione, nodding in his direction once she had looked up. Brown eyes met brown and he saw Hermione flinch at the sight of his angry face glaring down at her.

"Isn't she supposed to be in the hospital wing still?" Nott questioned from next to him.

"Yes, she is." Severus answered through clenched teeth.

"Don't you wish you could spank her sometimes? She obviously wasn't spanked enough as a child or do you think that you'd enjoy it?" Nott teased and laughed out loud when Severus choked on his pumpkin juice.

"What did you mother do to you as a child?"

"The list is too long my friend; it would take years to talk about it all."

He kept his eyes on his mate throughout the meal, determined to intervene if she showed any type of weakness or dizziness. The time passed unexcitedly until he and Nott stood to leave the Great Hall when a glance at Hermione made him instantly start towards her. She was standing between Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood, the three of them making their way slowly to the double doors.

"Misses Weasley, Lovegood, and Granger, is there a problem?" Severus asked to the three of them but his eyes never left Hermione.

"She said she didn't feel good—" Ginny responded to him but jumped back when Hermione suddenly lost the food she had just eaten. Her eyes met his for a few seconds before they rolled back in her head and she slumped forward. Thankfully Nott had vanished her vomit so neither of them stepped in it as he caught her.

"She needs to go back to the hospital wing," Nott said but Severus was already headed there himself, Nott turned to kiss Luna on her head softly before following his friend down the corridor.

"What in the world?" Ginny asked from behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Hermione opened her eyes again it was to see herself, once again, looking up at the high vaulted ceiling of the Hogwarts infirmary. A heavy feeling on her chest made her frown but as she tried to lift her arms she realized that someone had placed a immobilizing charm on her. She scowled at the man sitting next to her bedside, rubbing his eyes as he woke up, then steel blue eyes met hers.

"Don't look at me like that!" Nott exclaimed when his heated gaze met Hermione's. "You're the one that escaped and then proceeded to vomit on the floor before dropping into unconsciousness for a week."

Hermione's jaw dropped open as she thought about the backed up homework she would have. "A week!?"

"Yes. Severus has been torn between sitting here and teaching. I'm only here because he had class and didn't want you sneaking out and dying in a corridor."

"He said that?" Hermione asked amused.

"Oh no, his words were, 'bloody Gryffindor's, if her life wasn't tied to mine I'd kill her myself.'." Nott replied as he stretched.

Hermione smirked and nodded, "That sounds more like him. What about my homework?"

Nott rolled his eyes at her in disbelief, "You wake up in the hospital wing and you're worried about homework? Not, I don't know, your mate being pissed?"

Hermione bowed her head guiltily, "No, I'm worried about that too, but my schooling is important to me!"

"I believe that Luna and Miss Weasley have been doing your homework," Nott said with a soft expression taking over his face at the mention of Luna's name.

"Luna huh?" Hermione prodded grinning widely.

"Oh shut up, you and Severus are the worst." Nott grumbled.

"What happened to, 'I'm never taking a mate. Being tied down by some broad for my whole life? No thanks." She teased him.

"Yeah well, there's no guarantee that that'll happen," Nott said quietly.

"Why? Did something happen?" She asked immediately feeling worry swell in her chest.

"No—yes. What girl wants to be tied to a man that's twice her age? An ex-Death Eater no less? Her whole future plans of any travel or 'happily ever after' would be gone. She doesn't want that, no one wants that," Nott said bitterly as he threw himself away from her bedside and the chair he had been sitting in.

Hermione watched him with a mixture of amusement and worry before she sat up slightly to lean against her pillows. "A girl who can see past the mark on your arm, a girl who knows that futures change based on what happens every day, and a girl that has been head over heels for you since she laid eyes on you." Nott stopped his furious pacing to look back at her, the self-hate look that had been on his face slid off. "Age is a factor, but not a huge one, or really even one that matters. Luna is smart; she knows that you aren't the person you were when Voldemort was around."

Nott flinched at the use of his old master's name but smiled regardless. "When did you get so smart?"

"When I was mated with a Potion's Master," Hermione quipped back, her face breaking into a smile when Nott laughed openly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~SSHG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus stopped outside the Hospital Wing doors when the sound of Hermione's laughter reached his ears. His eyes closed and his breathing relaxed as something in his chest unclenched at the sound, a sound he had missed without even knowing he had missed it. Nott's and Draco's laughter joined hers and he was shocked to find that the jealousy he had previously felt concerning the younger male was no longer present. He quietly opened the door and stepped in to survey the sight that greeted him.

Hermione and Nott were sitting side-by-side against the girl's pillows at the headboard with a still-healing Draco sitting at their feet facing each other. Hermione was talking and gesturing animatedly talking about something that had her smiling brightly. She looked better than she had in the last 3 weeks and Severus felt himself relaxing further. Nott said something he didn't hear but made Hermione slap his shoulder lightly before breaking down into peals of laughter. His mark tingled slightly as he walked towards them with the knowledge that it had been a few weeks since they had been together intimately. Mated bats didn't have to mate all the time, but continued intimacy was beneficial to both as it kept them healthy and their bond strong.

Hermione looked around at him as her mark started tingling and his breath stopped for a moment at the look of pure happiness and joy at seeing his that crossed her face. "Seve—Professor," Hermione called to him remembering where she was half way through.

"Hermione," Severus responded letting her know that it was okay to use his first name. She beamed at him and held her hand out to him. Nott moved to sit next to Draco as Hermione pulled him down next to her. He paused briefly before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her forward, when he pulled back she had an expression on her face that was between shock and pleasure. "Mister Malfoy, Nott," He said in greeting to the two men who were staring at him like he'd grown another head.

Hermione kicked Draco when he continued to stare at Severus with his mouth open. "Uncle," Draco said back as he glowered at Hermione and rubbed his leg slightly. "Damn Hermione, break my leg why don't you. Healing ribs not enough?"

Severus turned his head to see Hermione stick her tongue out at Draco and was reminded that the two fought like siblings. The two bickered back and forth while Severus sat quietly observing them; Nott would remain silent unless asked something or had a comment to provide. He felt a prickle of, not jealousy exactly, but envy at the ease with which the three interacted. Hermione and Nott hadn't known each other for very long, but the man had been there when she was healing and when he was being a prick. The relationship between her and Draco was the one that surprised him and made him question it. Draco had been a prat to her during school, more because of his parents and the genuine belief that the younger boy had that he was better than Hermione. It wasn't until after Hermione had punched him in the nose, and repeatedly shown that she was as good as or better than more purebloods that Draco had toned down his hate a little.

He was pulled out of his musing by a nudge of Hermione's elbow in his ribs. "Severus?"

"Yes?" Severus said looking at her, her eyes were foggy and he noticed that Draco had left to go back to his bed leaving Nott sitting at the end of the bed.

"I'm tir—" Hermione started but was interrupted by yawning. "I'm tired."

Severus nodded his head and made to stand but he was stopped when Hermione refused to release his hand. He looked at her in question and she was shaking her head at him. "You stay here." He raised an eyebrow at her but sat back down on the bed.

"I have to go to dinner and patrol," He reminded her, feeling his heart squeeze tightly when she released his hand and bowed her head.

"Right, I knew that. Of course, you have to leave," She said quietly, her voice shaking gently.

Severus frowned at her and then looked over at Nott who was looking around the infirmary clearly giving them some privacy, so he sat back down and tipped Hermione's face up to hers. When she continued to avoid his eyes he ducked his head to catch her gaze. "I'll come back once I'm done," He said quietly and she finally raised her eyes to his.

"It's fine. I understand that you have stuff to do, you don't want to have to stay here with me in the—" She argued but he dipped his head forward to capture her lips. It was a gentle chaste kiss but he felt desire and want flare through his system instantly and from the little gasp she gave she obviously had the same reaction.

He gently pulled away from the kiss trying to keep his breathing steady, and leaned his forward against hers, "I'll be back tonight," He promised and she nodded slightly with a dazed smile. He waited until she had lay down and gotten comfortable before he stood.

He motioned for Nott to walk with him and the two of them left the infirmary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~XxXxXxX~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nott and Severus were doing patrols that night chatting when McGonagall called to them.
"Misters Snape and Nott," her voice snapped up the corridor making the two of them freeze and Nott hunched slightly.

Severus snorted in amusement as he turned to face the headmistress, "Yes Minerva?" Nott glared at him for a minute before facing the older woman as well.

"Mister Nott, do you still fly?" Minerva asked Nott who blinked at her a few times before she snapped her fingers. "Mister Nott, has your brain left you?"

"N—No ma'am, yes I still fly," Nott said uncertainly glancing at Severus who's mouth was twitching in amusement at his obvious discomfort.

"Excellent, Hogwarts is currently without a flying instructor. Would you care to instruct the class?"

Nott stared at her for a span of a few minutes before nodding dumbly. The older witch nodded approvingly before she promptly turned on her heel and left the two of them. Nott looked at Severus in shock and confusion and Severus looked back at him positively shaking with suppressed laughter. Nott scowled and growled at him in warning making his laughter fade, the sound of Severus' own warning growl pulled Nott out of his anger.

"Sorry," Nott apologized roughly, keeping his gaze averted from Severus'. They had suddenly switched from being two friends back to being alpha and beta, something that had only happened occasionally since Severus had stepped into the roll. Severus' growling didn't recede and Nott instantly transformed into his bat form to show his acknowledgement of Severus' reasserting. Severus gently nudged him with his foot and the growling stopped. An instant later he was standing as a man in front of his friend feeling his face burn red with embarrassment.

"What the hell?" Severus asked staring at him.

"I don't know, I'm not sure what triggered that," Nott admitted but avoided Severus' gaze.

"Yes you do, and you need to get it under control or so something about it," it was said as a command from both a friend as well as an alpha.

"What do you suppose I do Severus? Attack her randomly? That's your—" Nott's sentence was cut off as he found himself pinned against the corridor wall by his throat the growling noise back full force.

Severus warred with his human mind and his bat instincts for a very long five minutes as he held his long-time friend against the wall. With a lot of effort he finally managed to get both under control enough to stop the growling that was being emitted from his chest. With more effort he was able to step away from Nott and the other man fell to the floor as oxygen was returned to his brain.

"Whatever the fuck you need to do to fix it, do it." Severus snarled, and Nott looked up at him, the man he knew as his friend gone leaving the powerful alpha he had seen weeks before was back full force. He nodded slightly and watched as Severus turned on his heel to walk to the infirmary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione was released from the Infirmary two days later with a cleared bill of health but a strict command to take it easy. She walked into dinner and glanced up at the head table to see that Severus and Nott were both there, but weren't sitting near each other. Looking between the two men there was an obvious tension and anger. Severus's looked up and locked eyes with her, but when she raised her eyebrow and tipped her head towards Nott he shook his head before he lowered his gaze.

She frowned as she walked towards Gryffindor table to sit next to Ginny and Luna; the latter of the two had red rimmed eyes and wasn't eating. Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she leaned towards Luna. "What's wrong?"

Luna looked up at her, then up to the Head Table before dropping her gaze again and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Come on," Hermione said quietly and pulled Luna up from the bench and the two left the hall. She waited till they were back in Gryffindor common room on a couch before she repeated her question. This time Luna broke down as tears slipped down her face.

"Nott said that we needed to stop seeing each other. He used being a professor here as his excuse, said that apparently it was against the rules but not for 'alpha Severus'. Then he just turned and left, I tried to talk to him but he told me to leave him alone that he didn't want a mate least of all a teenage child." Luna wiped the tears from her eyes and Hermione felt herself shake with anger.

"Luna, I'm sorry. I thought that Nott was interested in you, I thought he wanted to be with you. I don't know why he would suddenly change that. Maybe he's just having a hard time, let me talk to him okay? Don't get your hopes up yet alright?" She waited until Luna had nodded before she turned around and left the common room again, she passed Ginny on her way but simply told the redhead to take care of Luna. She had some men to lecture and beat some sense into.

XxxXXxxXXxxXXxxX

Hermione walked through the corridors back to the Great Hall in time to see Nott walking out of the double doors.

"Theodore Nott!" Hermione hissed as she approached him. The man tensed as he faced her but met her eyes with an unwavering glare.

"What Miss Granger?"

Hermione stopped abruptly and raised an eyebrow. "Miss Granger is it? Well fine then professor, I require your assistance on a matter." She walked forward and grabbed his wrist, ignoring his anger noise and began dragging him down an empty corridor. "Would you be so kind as to inform me why exactly you've suddenly decided that Luna is crying in her dormitory?"

She watched as Nott fixed his robes effectively avoiding her angry gaze and simply shrugged. It reminded her so much of Harry that she felt the insane urge to laugh hysterically at the motion but instead she crossed her arms. "You don't know? Well let's try this, you have gotten your head stuck up your arse and you're hurting her with your abrasive actions."

Nott's head whipped up and he pinned her with furious eyes. "You are out of line Miss—"

"Oh do shut up. You may be a professor Nott, but you're a friend and a bat first. As Severus' mate, you are also his second-in-command, which makes you also MY second-in-command. Now, answer the damned question."

"Merlin's beard you two are quite a pair, you both throw your weight around and expect everyone to bow to your will. I am not a goddamn school-boy you two think you can just boss around. Who I talk to and involve myself with and what I do, as long as it doesn't affect the others, is my damned business. If I want to make Luna my mate, I will damn well—"

"Oh, so you do want to be with Luna?" Hermione interrupted, effectively putting a halt to Nott's angry pacing. She almost giggled when his face turned a slight pink color.

"That's—No—I mean, you—But—"

"Oh Nott, you stupid stupid man," Hermione said quietly as she placed her hand on his arm. "What is the problem with that? You like Luna, you want to be with her, so why the harsh words?"

"Severus—," Nott said in a small voice, suddenly not looking like an ex-Death Eater but more like a little boy whose father took his favorite toy.

"What about him?"

"He said that because I'm a professor, I can't date or mate with a student here. Not that that stopped him from getting his grubby little wings all over you. Oh no, merlin help the person who brings THAT up to him." Nott grumbled, his anger beginning to swell inside him again as he resumed his pacing.

Hermione raised her eyes to the ceiling and prayed for strength, "Nott, listen to me, if you want to be with Luna—Be with Luna. I'll deal with Severus. What exactly happened while I was unconscious anyways? You two have been out of sorts for far longer than this."

"Severus's other half—" Nott stopped abruptly doing a very good impression of a ghost.

"Severus's what?" Hermione asked as her eyes narrowed.

"Um—Oh wow look at that? It's time for—um—me to go somewhere that is not here." She opened her mouth but he had already turned into his bat form and was flying quickly away from her. Her glared after him until she couldn't see him anymore then turned and went in search of her mate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus sat at his desk grading papers when his mark tingled, a flash of anger went through him a second before his door banged open revealing his out of breath, very furious looking mate. He watched her warily as she stalked towards him but kept his mouth shut.

"Just when were you going to tell me that you ORDERED NOTT NOT TO BE WITH LUNA?" She shouted angrily at him.

"I do not think it is any of your business," He stated calmly before going back to his grading.

"Excuse me?" He heard her hiss in a dangerously low voice. "Why is that?"

"It is a matter that was dealt with between Nott and me," Severus said as he put his quill down, his own anger starting to spike.

"Why is it your place to decide who he mates with?" He looked up at her to see that she was visibly trying to calm herself down.

"She is a student—"

"So am I," Hermione interrupted calmly.

"Yes, and we both see how easy it's been for me," He snapped back at her. The hurt that flashed across her face made him want to take the words back immediately. "Hermione—"

"Why did you even change me Professor?" She asked, and the appearance of his title made his heart hurt.

"We've been over this Hermione; I did it to save your life." He saw tears well in her eyes and was at a loss for why they were there.

"Right," She said, her voice cracking. "Is there someone else you want to be with Professor? Nott mentioned something about your 'other-half', maybe you should make her your mate." He stared at her blankly.

"We have already discussed Leighanne Hermione, why are you—"

"That's who you think of when I say your other half?" She asked in a small voice, she had bowed her head and was no longer looking at him.

Severus had never been so confused in his life, "What are you talking about Hermione?"

A sniffle echoed through the room before she answered him, "I was talking to Nott and he said that you two have been at odds with each other since your other half returned or showed up or whatever."

It suddenly dawned on him what she was talking about and he stiffened, anger at Nott flowing freely through his body. "I have not been with anyone but you Hermione," He said softly, his voice betraying the anger he felt. He got up and walked to where she was standing and placed his hand on her chin so he could tip her head up. He gently placed a kiss on her forehead and sighed lightly when she wrapped her arms around his body.

"Then what was he talking about?" She asked him from somewhere near his armpit.

"Something that I will explain later, when I know what to do about the situation," He answered vaguely. She pulled back to look up at him and their eyes connected, the brown depths of hers still held anger and hurt from his words earlier but they were no longer filled with tears. She reached up to cup the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. It started out as a chaste touching of lips, but as soon as their lips touched their bodies reminded them how long it had been since their last mating.

Hermione gasped when she felt Severus' hands grip her hips and walk her backwards, but her mind and lips were too preoccupied in the searing kiss Severus' was bestowing upon her to pay attention to where they were going. When he pulled back finally she saw that they were standing in his quarters, about an inch from the bed. The look on his face was so endearingly uncertain that she pulled his head back down again and resealed their lips in a kiss. A growl echoed from his chest and he picked her up only to place her gently on her back on the bed. His hands came up to bury themselves in her hair and he tugged gently, making her head tip back. She moaned softly as his lips left hers and trailed across her jaw to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Goosebumps erupted across her flesh when he breathed into her ear, his hands trailed down her side to the hem of her shirt and slipped underneath her shirt to the soft flesh hidden away beneath the fabric.

Severus pulled away from her neck so he could pull her shirt up over her head, then reapplied his lips to her shoulder slowly kissing his way down until his progress was impeded by her bra. He pulled her up to slip it off, but found himself momentarily distracted when she pressed her mouth hard against his. She nibbled on his lower lip making him groan and her hands pushed his outer robes off his shoulders, and then moved to the buttons on his shirt. Their tongues warred with each other as they rid each other of the last of their clothing. Her jeans were thrown carelessly behind him, and his shirt was dropped onto the floor beside the bed.

Severus pulled his lips from hers, taking a moment to enjoy the way her face was flushed with desire and her kiss swollen lips before he lowered his head to her breast and pulled the nipple into his mouth.

Hermione arched her back and cried out at the pleasure that shot from her breast to the area between her thighs. Her hand came up to tangle in Severus' hair in an attempt to hold him in place; he nipped lightly at the swollen peak of her left breast before he moved to the right one to give it the same treatment.

"Severus—please—," Hermione whimpered as she pushed against his shoulders trying her get him to move downwards. She gave a chuff of frustration when he simply hummed in response but it quickly changed to a moan when she felt his fingers slip between her lips, carefully avoiding her swollen clit.

"What is it you want?" He asked her, his breath tickled her clit making it throb painfully.

"You, tongue, please—," She panted desperately. She squirmed when he blew a breath onto the desperate nub of flesh that was eagerly seeking his touch.

"As you wish," He said and that was the only warning she had before his lips closed around her nub of flesh and sucked. She felt her back arch as pleasure shot up her spine and then back down to the place that was being lovingly sucked on. Severus welcomed the pain in his shoulders as her nails gripped the flesh there when he slipped two fingers easily into her tight sheath. A few sucks and finger curls later, he heard her moan his name as she climaxed into his mouth.

Hermione rode the waves of satiated pleasure roughly aware that Severus had pushed himself up and used her own release to slicken his penis before pressing into her. He hissed in pleasure as he felt the aftershocks of her orgasm grip his penis tightly. Their lips met again in a hard but tender kiss as he pulled his hips back and then plunged into her body again. The pace he set was quick, driving them both towards fulfillment far quicker than either of them wanted but they hadn't been intimate in so long that their bodies weren't able to hold out.

Severus felt his release shoot up his spine and he tore his lips from Hermione's to lower them to her shoulder, sucking and licking at the skin there as he felt her tighten around him again. He felt her lift up seconds before a fleeting sharp pain shot across his chest. Pain and pleasure mixed together and shoved him over the edge just as he heard her cry out. He collapsed to the side and pulled her into him, both silent as they let their bodies calm. Both gasped when their marks seared hot but the pain was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving them the slip into sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~SSHG~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nott stood outside the castle looking out over the grounds, thoughts as wild and untamed as the animals wandering in the forest. The snap of a twig pulled him out of his thoughts and he spun around wand at the ready pointed at the face of a blonde girl. He breathed out sharply as he put his wand away glowering eyes not leaving his.

"You shouldn't be out here," He said coldly, his heart pounding in his chest. The other person tipped her head to the side as she stepped forward, leaving only a small gap between them.

"Neither should you," a dreamy voice said, Nott closed his eyes as it seemed to wrap around him, making him think of home and safety.

"I am a professor," Nott said as he opened his eyes, the color had changed to red, as he fought every instinct in him.

"So you've said," Came the reply. His body shuddered as gentle hands wrapped around his waist and the owner tipped her head up to look into his eyes. He searched them for signs of fear or repulsion but he saw only love and acceptance tinged with desire. His nostrils flared as her smell surrounded him, begging him to let her in.

"Why me? Why bother with someone twice your age that is set in his stubborn ways?" He asked imploringly, trying to understand.

Her hand came up to cup his cheek, surprisingly warm against his chilled skin, "The heart wants what it wants – otherwise it does not care." The words were barely out of her mouth before he crashed his lips into hers. Finally giving in to the desire, the want, the overwhelming instinct he had been struggling with for the many months since he'd met her. He backed her up until they ran into the wall behind her and he tore his lips from hers.

"Walk away Luna, you still have a choice," He whispered, his voice wrecked from passion and hope that she wouldn't leave.

"I don't need one," She responded simply. He looked at her, his eyes searching hungrily over her face but found no doubts upon the smooth pale skin so he lowered his head slowly and claimed her, changing both of their lives forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione walked towards Severus' quarters with dread in her stomach. The topic they needed to have a talk about wasn't exactly going to be butterflies and roses; guaranteed Severus was going to throw a canary. She pushed open the door to his classroom and proceeded towards the door she knew lead to his rooms, not pausing until she was standing before his work desk he was sitting at.

"Why do I get the feeling that whatever you're about to say is not good?" Her mate asked dryly without looking up from his markings.

"Well…it's not necessarily bad but not really good either," Hermione stalled and she fiddled with the sleeve of her robes.

"Well spit it out," Severus said but it was without heat. He patiently waited until Hermione had gathered her wits and got her thoughts together.

"Ithinkishouldtellharryandronaboutusbecausetheyrem ybestfriends," Hermione blurted out quickly.

Severus stared at her for a moment with amusement on his face, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Hermione huffed out an impatient breath and flounced over to an armchair that sat in front of the fire. She threw herself into the chair and curled into a ball before repeating herself. "I think I should tell Harry and Ron about us because they're my best friends."

Total silence met her words and they seemed to echo around the room ominously. She picked at a piece of string on her pants as she waited for Severus to answer her, but after a few minutes of nothing she glanced up through her eyelashes. The chair where he had been sitting was empty and spinning slightly. "What the—"

"I would have thought you had already told them," Severus' voice said from behind her making her jump slightly and scowl at him.

"Must you walk like a damn mouse all the time?" She snapped at him, and then scowled more when he smirked at her. "And what do you mean 'I would have thought you had already told them'? You said I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, in fact the last time I broached the subject you just squawked about how 'bloody Potter and his dumbassery."

Severus gave a snort of laughter as he walked back to his desk and sat down. "Hermione, I am never going to like Potter or Weasley nor am I particularly pleased that they'll be privy to anything to do with me but I assumed you would have told them by now. Furthermore, I have never 'squawked'."

Hermione rolled her eyes but remained silent as she followed his path coming to lean against his desk next to him. She started picking at her cuticles as she absorbed this information and felt decidedly unsure footed with his easy answer. Her mouth opened to say something but his door burst open to reveal Nott striding towards them.

"I've made Luna my mate," Nott said shortly. Hermione blinked at him with her mouth open while Severus slowly put his quill down. A pain in her shoulder shooting down her spine knew the anger was coming before he exploded.

"I forbade you to do that Nott," Severus yelled as he stood so quickly that his chair hit the wall behind him. "I explicitly told you not to do that while she was under your care and you disobeyed me!"

"Yes I did, because it's not your choice, it is MINE," Nott yelled back at him. "She will be a student here for a few more months and then she will graduate. I will not forfeit my happiness for the pack and I certainly won't forfeit hers because of you. If it's going to be that much of a problem I will leave the pack."

Hermione looked between Severus and Nott both who were glaring viciously at each other. She laid her hand on Severus' arm and when he tensed she thought he would throw her off but instead he sighed out angrily. "Give us a minute Hermione, I'll see you later."

Hermione looked between the two men before she nodded and left, pausing to squeeze Nott's hand briefly.

~~~~~~~~~SSHG~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus waited until the door had shut behind Hermione before he turned his furious gaze back on Nott. "You went against my instructions, you've now put not only yourself in danger, but you've also put the rest of our pack in danger." Nott opened his mouth but snapped it shut at Severus' growl. "If you get called before the Ministry for sexual relations with a student your status as a bat will be revealed and so will mine."

"What if you get caught huh? You're an ex-Death Eater and the leader of an elite pack. What happens to you if that happens? You lose your job, and cast the same light I would." Nott snarled out. Severus had him pinned to the wall in an instant and was growling again.

"I am the alpha, not you. Which means the decisions and orders I give are to be followed, immediately and without question," Severus snapped out, the growling he was emitting making his voice rumble.

"Your status as alpha does not make you exempt from the rules," Nott replied around the arm cutting across his neck. "As your beta I am here to remind you of that."

Severus sneered at him and snarled at him viciously once more before removing himself from Nott's body. "I am aware that I am not exempt from the rules, I am simply more prepared to deal with the consequences than you. If you want to put yourself on the line and risk both yourself and her, fine then, do it but do not expect my protection when it goes badly."

"Of course not, why would I look to my oldest friend? Especially when he has his head planted firmly up his rectum." Nott yelled at him before he turned on his heel and slammed out of Severus' quarters. Severus watched him go and pinched his nose between his fingers when the door slammed behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione was leaning against the stairs nearest Severus' classroom when Nott stormed into sight, his eyes landed on her and he sighed.

"Not now Hermione," Nott sighed out but stopped in front of her when she stood.

"Give him some time to calm down Theo, don't do anything hasty," she pleaded with him. Nott searched her face for something before he gave a short nod.

"I have been his friend and companion for a long time, I know how he can be but he makes me so—angry."

Hermione laughed, "Join the club."

"Or the pack," Nott said dryly and Hermione dissolved into giggles.

"I'm happy for you, and for Luna, she was pretty broken up with your actions," Hermione scolded lightly.

"I know, and I apologized, you haven't been in this world long enough to know how it works. The alpha's word is law, if you disagree or go against it, you leave. Maybe I should still leave," Nott's tone was heavy with stress and sadness making Hermione want to hug him.

"Give it a few weeks, if he hasn't come around by then, then decide, but don't act rashly until then. You have a safe place to sleep, you're near your mate, and you have a job. Severus' anger isn't worth giving that up until you know it's dire." Nott nodded at her words and she smiled warmly at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~SSHG~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus didn't turn around when his door opened again, nor did he make any move to put his shirt on when Hermione walked towards him. He gazed into the fire as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss to his spine.

"You care for him," Her voice said as she laid her head on his shoulder. He felt the tension drain out of him at her words and soothing tone.

"He's the closest thing I have to a brother, I've known him for a long time," Severus said softly not removing his eyes from the flames.

"Then why not allow him to be happy?" The quiet question made him turn in her hold and look down at her. He looked over her face memorizing the changes and all the things that endeared her to him. The unruly curls, the smattering of freckles on her cheeks and nose, and her honeyed eyes that seemed to search his soul, all things that made him love her.

"It is dangerous to get involved with a student while you're still a teacher," Severus explained, he pressed a finger against Hermione's lips when she opened her mouth. "Yes, I am a teacher and you are a student as well but I am prepared to handle those fallouts. Nott, while rough and hardened on the exterior, is still the little boy seeking acceptance on the inside."

Hermione searched his eyes for a moment before speaking, "And what of your want to be accepted?"

Severus sighed softly and pulled Hermione into a hug, he pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair before replying. "I have long accepted my fate in that regard. Whilst I have a mate by my side who loves me as I love her, acceptance is unimportant."

The smile he received from Hermione was stunning in its quality and made him return one of his own. He gently tipped her head back and pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss, it evolved into something more when she opened to him willingly and sighed. The dull roar of lust that always was present when they touched returned but with a less intense quality since their last coupling was not far past. He broke the kiss to lead her to his bedroom waiting until they were in front of his standard issue bed before initiating another kiss. His hands came up to tangle with her hair and he deepened the kiss, their tongues warred and caressed each other with comfortable ease. They ended the kiss to pull shirts, bra, and waistcoat off which were carelessly tossed aside. He pressed Hermione back until she was able to lay back on the bed and slide up. Her pants and his quickly followed their shirts on the floor as they once again joined their mouths.

He licked and nipped his way down her neck until he came to a rest at her breasts, pausing he lathered them with love until they were dark and hard before he moved on to better things. His nostrils flared when her natural scent assaulted his senses and he pressed a light kiss against her outer lips as he shouldered her knees apart. If he were to look up, he knew he would see Hermione covering her eyes with her hands, face glowing with embarrassment. He hooked his hand behind her knee to place it over his shoulder so that he could reach his goal. Her lips were dewy, her clit released from his pink sheath begging for his attentions. The first swipe of his tongue across the slit caused an instinctual thrust of her hips but then she calmed slightly. The sight of his fingers slipping into her body made his erection throb with need. He had always heard of males using their mates, taking their own pleasure and caring little for their counterparts own needs. The sight of Hermione writhing and panting as he brought her to the peak of pleasure with his mouth and hands made him wonder at that again. What sight was better than his mates heaving chest, flushed red with arousal, begging for release? Watching her come undone in his arms made his own reactions sweeter. He climbed up her body, ignoring the whimper of protest at the loss of his mouth, and watched his penis disappear into her. She was wet and warm around him, and he was forced to lay his head on her shoulder when he was seated to the hilt to get a grip on his arousal. He lifted her leg to wrap around his hip and held the other one behind the knee pressing up lightly to drive deeper. Their fingers tangled together as he bore his weight onto his hand next to her head and their eyes locked in a sizzling gaze.

The pleasure was too good, the draw of her body to great, and he soon felt himself teetering on the edge of oblivion. Sharp nails dragged down his back adding to the pleasure as she arched and clenched around him crying out his name breathlessly. His forehead met hers as he tipped over after her and his hips gave stuttered thrusts forward as wave after wave of release tore its way out of his body. The slightly wince she gave when he released her knee wasn't lost on him and he gently pulled free of her body, before walking to his bathroom to get a potion.

Hermione stared as he walked away, her body still buzzing from her orgasm and her mind quietly sated. She admired the way his arse flexed with his strides and the way his muscles shifted as he moved around the room. He handed her a pain potion and she smiled sleepily at him as it took effect, making her body feel heavy and her mind cloud. She was vaguely awake as he pulled the covers over her body and kissed her forehead before whispering something about grading. His chuckle meant that she had given a reply but she could not remember what it was.

~~~~~~~~HGSS~~~~~~~~~

She bolted upright gasping as she came awake, the remnants of her nightmare slipping from her mind. Gentle snores and the heat next to her told her that Severus had come to bed sometime in the night. She lay back down and tried to remember what her dream had been about, but the last of the pain potion and the soothing sounds of Severus' breathing made the faint memory of a man who shared her mates face hard to grasp. The call of sleep was too strong to ignore and her last thought before she succumbed to slumber once again was what a stranger thing to dream of.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

It had been a month since she had asked Severus about telling Harry and Ron about them and she was no closer to a way to tell them than she was before. It wasn't like she could just stroll up to them in Gryfindor common room and say, "Hey, Snape is really a bat, and he bit me during the war and I'm his mate. What's for dinner?" That would turn out very badly indeed so she mulled over her options as she got dressed for the day.

As it turned out, the decision was taken out of her hands quite abruptly thanks to Harry's complete inability to resist the temptation to eavesdrop. She had just settled in to enjoy her coffee at the breakfast table in the Great Hall when Harry and Ron sat down across from her. A glance at the pair of them showed their faces in twin looks of disgust and anger.

"Er—Good morning," Hermione said calmly quietly wondering what the hell their problem was.

"Don't give us that, when were you going to tell us?" Ron hissed at her making her eyebrow raise without conscious thought.

"Tell you what exactly?" She questioned as she looked between the two of them. Harry's face was a mixture of hurt betrayal, and disgust, the look made something heavy settle in her stomach.

"How's your shoulder feeling lately 'Mione, any marks we should be aware of?" Harry spoke for the first time and the heated tone of his voice made her flinch slightly.

"What are you—"

"Did you know that portraits are horrible gossips, and really unconcerned about who hears them?" Harry snapped out over her sentence and the heavy feeling in her stomach hardened leaving her feeling slightly dizzy and nauseous.

"Snape, Hermione! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Ron snarled at her no longer bothering to keep his voice down.

Hermione sat her cup of coffee down with shaking hands then clutched them in her lap before she said quietly, "I can explain."

Ron laughed humorlessly, nastily, as Harry retorted, "That's an explanation I'm just dying to hear Hermione, its Saturday, now is a perfect time for it." He and Ron stood from the bench and she had no choice but to follow, feeling and ignoring, the multiple sets of eyes on her as she left the hall.

XXxxXXxxXXxx

Explaining to the boys took the better half of the morning and after they had left, she'd stayed by the lake long after the lunch bell had sounded. The situation had been hard to get through especially with Ron turning all different shades of red before finally paling so badly that she was worried he'd faint. Harry had been stoically silent through it all, letting her explain only interrupting with a handful of questions, before dragging Ron back up to the castle with a parting "see you later".

"Thinking of drowning yourself in the lake," A familiar voice said from behind her and a reluctant grin slipped across her face. She turned to see the tall blonde haired form of Draco standing behind her. His gray eyes looked a little more lined than they had when she'd last seen him, but that was to be expected. A scar cut across his eyebrow splitting it in two, but far from marring his looks, it only seemed to enhance them. "Sixth year I thought about it a lot, didn't imagine my life could get any better."

Hermione watched him as he sat down next to her, and then wrapped an arm around his waist in a brief hug. He returned it and pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning his attention back towards the murky water. "I told Harry and Ron about Severus and I. They took it about as well as you would expect."

"I'm grateful to them, and you, for the things you did for me after the war, but I still think they're denser than a granite slab." Draco smirked at her, making her grin ruefully and slap his arm. "How're you and Uncle Severus?"

She felt her face heat but looked up at the darkening sky instead of meeting his eye. "Some days we're good, really good, we've settled into our bond more and are more in-tune with each other. Then there are other days where I think about the future, about all the dreams I had before all this, and I can't help but wonder what my life will be like in a few months, let alone years. He's still at odds with Nott, and I hate that. I hate that he's so—"

"Thick?" Draco supplied helpfully and she nodded in agreement.

"I think the thought of Nott having a mate scares him, if Nott has a mate, he has this new future that Severus might not be a part of. Which is completely daft since Nott loves him like a brother but there are issues there that are a decade or so in the making." She stopped talking suddenly and closed her eyes. "Quit hiding in the shadows."

Draco jumped slightly as Severus stepped out of the shadow behind the tree to lean against it. His black eyes flickered between the two of them before coming to rest on him. "Draco, it's good to see you recovered."

"Thank you Uncle," Draco replied solemnly as he stood and gave Hermione his hand to help her up as well. "I'll see you around Hermione, stay out of trouble." He gave her a quick hug and a parting nod to Severus before walking away into the forest.

Hermione raised her eyebrow at Severus when her mate turned back to her, but the look of feigned innocence on his face made her laugh. "Really Severus, aren't we past the jealousy stage?" She teased gently a small smile letting him know she was joking.

The arms that wrapped around her were unexpected but not unwelcome and she buried her face in his shoulders letting his scent of herbs and earthy spices loosen the knot that had sunken into her stomach. Suddenly the weight of the situation bore down on her, tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them. She felt him shift and pulled her tightly against him before pressing his lips to her hair, the move made her cry harder and soon she was sobbing into his shoulder. She wasn't sure how long they had stood there, him holding her and her wetting his shoulder but when she pulled back her eyes had to adjust to the darkness.

"Sorry I got snot on your robes," was the first thing she said and then chuckled wetly at his exasperated look. She leaned up for a kiss and frowned when she received one on her forehead instead.

"You have snot and tears on your face, while I am certainly not complaining about mixing our bodily fluids; you will have to clean your face before I kiss you." The tone of his voice accompanied with the look of mild disgust on his face caused an unladylike snort from her. The snort turned into a chuckle, which turned into a full out laugh until she was holding onto his arm to keep herself standing. His, "When you're quite finished," caused more laughter. He huffed and scowled at her until she had herself under control.

"Oh Merlin, my emotions are all over the place," She complained as she wiped her eyes.

"You are getting close to your monthly cycle," He said blandly and she gaped at him. "What?"

"How do you know that?"

"You smell," the simple reply came making her squawk indignantly.

"I most certainly do not," She shrieked taking satisfaction in his wince before she turned away from him prepared to leave when his hand on her arm stopped her.

"It is not unpleasant; I am the only one that can smell it, as I am your mate. It is your body's way of letting me know it is fertile and in its prime for impregnation."

"There will be no impregnation!" Hermione said weakly after she had stared at him for a few minutes.

He gave her a look that clearly said "Obviously" before he transformed into a bat and took off into the night sky. A few moments later she had shifted and flew off after him letting out a happy call which he answered with his own.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Severus woke Monday to an unpleasant tingling on his shoulder from his mark, the distress of Hermione was echoing through his mind as well as his body making him tense in bed. He breathed out slowly as the pain ratcheted up setting his teeth on edge before it faded away to a dull throb. A quick wave of his hand showed that it was 5:50 in the morning, a whole 3 hours before he actually needed to be awake for classes and he felt a scowl form on his face before he could stop it.

It was still in place when he entered the Great Hall, and a quick glance down at the Gyrffindor table showed that he wasn't the only one with a scowl. His mate appeared to be trying to kill the bacon on her plate as though it wasn't already dead. A look further along the table showed Potter and Weasley, Weasley had a rag clutched to his bloodied nose and the situation suddenly became clearer. He felt his eyes narrow slightly over his coffee mug as Potter stood and walked down to where Hermione was sitting. The boy tried for several minutes to talk to his friend but she resolutely refused to meet his eyes so he gave up and went back to his breakfast. Hermione sat for a few more minutes glaring at her plate before Miss Lovegood walked over to her; they conversed for a minute or two, and then left the hall together. Severus felt eyes on him and a glance to his left showed Nott staring at him with something close to solemn confusion on his face. He gave a tiny shake of his head before turning back to his coffee; there were some things that would never make sense, like witches.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXX

"—and I hit him because he's such a pompous arsehole that I just lost it. I mean, what the bloody hell does he think this is? That I'm doing this just to torture him? It's not like I asked for it."

"Pompous arseholes? Talking about me again?" Nott's voice said from behind Hermione and Luna. Luna immediately brightened and turned around to face him but Hermione scowled at the wall.

"Theo—Professor Nott, how are you today?" Luna's dreamy voice said with a gentle tip of her head. Hermione bit her lip at her friend's slip-up but stayed silent.

"Tired, Miss Lovegood, I didn't rest much over the weekend," Nott replied with a mocking sadness in his voice. Hermione laughed as Luna's face flushed red, an unspoken communication must have occurred because Luna suddenly said, "I'll see you in class Hermione" and she was gone.

Nott leaned against the wall next to the window she was sitting in and looked at her steadily until she finally cracked.

"Ron asked if my good grades in potions were due to being Severus' slutty mate. I punched him. Harry looked torn between hitting him and laughing at Ron's expression." Hermione grumbled moodily.

"I'm sure your monthly has nothing to do with it," Nott commented. A ringing silence met his words causing him to look up at Hermione who was flushed red.

"How does everyone know when I'm on my period, honestly," Hermione snapped angrily.

Nott tapped the side of his nose gently, "Heightened sense of smell."

"Severus said only he could tell though," Hermione grouched. Wonderful, every bat in the world could tell she was ovulating. How wonderful.

"He's your mate, of course he can smell it, no others should be able to however."

"Except you."

"Yes," Nott said as he tipped his head to look at her. "But you forget that I was there when you were changed, and in the months afterwards, I know your scent almost as well as Severus'. I also could tell because Severus' scent on you is stronger."

Hermione thought about all the touching Severus had been doing over the last few days. "Marking me again?"

"In essence, yes. Bats are very territorial of their mates, probably has something to mating for life, but that doesn't mean that challenges don't arise. By keeping his scent on you, other male bats with smell it and essentially know that you come with a very jealous mate." Nott explained with a smirk.

"Is that why you and he were fighting before you and Luna—"

"Partly. I was an unmated male that shares a close relationship with his mate, he felt challenged without me actually challenging him."

"I don't think I'll ever fully grasp this bat stuff," Hermione said with a sad sigh. "Are all bats born bats, or can they be turned like werewolves?"

"Almost all are born, someone only turns if they're made the mate of a bat. In some cases though, there are mates who have grown apart or are separated by other reasons and they can take other mates. It is very rare though, there's only one or two cases I am aware of."

"Seems like an awful big gamble, for anyone, how did Severus know that I would be receptive?"

"He didn't, but he's always been the man that can't stand by while others are hurt."

"How do I even know how I would feel without this interference?" Hermione thought out loud, voicing long dormant insecurities but Nott was shaking his head before she'd finished speaking.

"That's not how it works; it doesn't create something that doesn't already exist. Being his mate doesn't make you love him, it doesn't make you want to be near him, and you're his mate because those feelings were already in existence before no matter how small."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but the bell signaling the first class of the day cut across her retort. She gave him a smile and left, her head still buzzing with the new information she'd been given.

xxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxx

Severus didn't glance up from his work as Hermione entered his quarters and strolled towards him with a determined gait. She came to a stop in front of his desk and waited for her to speak, when no words seemed forthcoming he sighed as he set his quill down and gave her his full attention.

"How did you know that I fancied you before you marked me?" She said without preamble, and he was actually surprised the question hadn't surfaced before now. "More bat voodoo?"

"Bat voodoo? Really Miss Granger," Severus said with amusement clear in his voice. "I was the only teacher you strove to impress," He held up her hand as she made to interrupt. "You also lowered your wand in the middle of a battle when you realized it was me. Even after my apparent betrayal to Dumbledore, you didn't attack; your first instinct wasn't to attack. That is how I knew."

His mate stared at him for a moment before she slumped into the armchair placed by the fire. Regardless of it being April, she was chilled and shivered as the coolness of the room and the heat of the fire caressed her skin. Severus bent his head back to his work as the silence stretched not looking up again until soft snored reached his ears. He allowed a small smile to spread across his lips as he stood and walked over to where Hermione had fallen asleep curled into a ball. He placed a kiss to her forehead gently, and frowned at the heat that met his lips. He inhaled deeply and received his answer for the fever, with a quiet snap of his fingers his mate disappeared from the armchair to be delivered into her bed. As he turned back to continue his marking he braced himself for the moodiness that would engulf his mate over the next week.

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Hermione woke in the night sweating, her insides twisting in pain so badly that tears sprung to her eyes. She stumbled to the loo to clean the stickiness she felt between her legs, when she was cleaned and climbing back into bed the glint of a vial caught her eye. Next to her bed was a vial of pain potion and a huge hunk of Honeydukes chocolate with a note that said, "I'll give you more in the morning."

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