A/N: Enjoy while it lasts, since I have to admit it's not a very long one. Well it is rather lengthy but I used a lot of text from the actual book, I'm so sorry but I have to, otherwise my story might not make sense to you guys, considering I use a lot of tiny detail to go further into. I'm also sorry for the late update, but I'm rather busy lately (I know it's a lousy excuse, but first off no one reads this peace of text and it's the truth)
A leap in the dark
Chapter five
And the party's on!
Severus reluctantly made his way up to Slughorn's party. He found it an absolute waste of his time, especially now that he had far more important things to do concerning the lycanthrope curse and all. Yet, Albus had insisted his presence, if only for about an hour, seeing as Slughorn had also included a number of men and women that held close ties in with Death Eaters. Albus thought that anything that had to do with Death Eaters was in someway a concern to both Severus and himself. Although Severus usually shared that thought, now was not the time. He had always hated these social gatherings and he wasn't very good at it either. Through his exhaustion he almost snickered to himself, of course I'm not good at it, everyone who dares to come within a range of ten feet gets a snarly professor up their arse.
He knocked at the door of his colleague and soon it swung open.
"Come in, come in Severus, don't be shy!" he was practically dragged in by an over-enthusiastic professor Slughorn.
Never losing his posture Severus quickly pushed him off of him.
"Be sure not to get too exited, I assure you I will be gone before an hour has passed." He glared down at the beaming man.
"So soon, but old pal, everyone wants you here."
"I highly doubt it." and with that Severus stalked off towards the refreshments table.
As Hermione was pouring herself a punch she noticed a dark figure making its way towards the other end of the table. She put down her glass as soon as she had filled it and carefully studied the ghastly man. He had also poured himself something to drink and was idly playing with a crisp from the table, turning it in his fingers. He looked extremely bored and absently sipped his cup.
Hermione looked down to grab her own cup but the next moment she looked up the dark man had disappeared.
"Do tell me Miss Granger, what is it you find so interesting in me?" a smooth voice asked.
It seemed as if the man had suddenly reappeared again, only now he was standing a few feet in front of her.
"N-nothing sir." Hermione answered nervous as she looked up into his black eyes. She knew them to be dark brown, yet on this moment they had no colour in them whatsoever. Maybe I had been mistaken about it the other day.
"Good. Let's keep it that way, shall we?" it was more a demand then a question and Hermione quickly shook her head in agreement.
"Also, considering your 'great intellect', I don't believe I have to remind you of our earlier made arrangements of keeping your mouth shut to everyone, do I?"
"No sir." She said weakly. Those eyes, those eyes always made her so insecure, made her feel like a small sobbing child. No matter how much effort she put in her essays or assignment, never had they given her a look of approval. Yet as he turned to walk away she saw his eyes change into exhaustion, weariness; if it was only for a few moments.
"Are you alright again, sir?" she quickly put her hands over her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that, where had those words come from? Snape slowly turned around, a disdained look on his face.
"I assure you Miss Granger, though it is none of your business, that I'm perfectly fine. I recommend you to get a grip over your unwanted concern for me or you'll be spending the rest of this year in solitude down in the dungeons, cleaning my cauldrons." He hissed barely audible. With one last death glare he turned on his heel and vanished in the crowd.
Hermione stood a little shaken. She had no idea why she said what she did. She was still wondering how Snape could've healed that fast. She knew werewolves had a fast healing pace, but as far as her knowledge on the disease reached Snape wasn't officially a werewolf until his first transformation.
"Hermione?" someone called.
Hermione looked up to see Cormac McLaggen making his way towards her and she sighed heavily.
"Hi, what was Snape's deal?" he asked uninterested, "No matter, listen up, professor Slughorn wants to put up a meeting with Kranos Green. Isn't that great! He's such an amazing quidditch player! Of course in a few years I'll be way better than he'll ever be, but it's still a great chance to meet him. Through him, I can get into the quidditch world, you know, getting to know the important people. I'm sure I'll get in when I get of this crappy school, but the sooner they discover my amazing quidditch talents, the better!"
After the word 'Slughorn' Hermione stopped listening and wandered off through the crowd, too bad that McLaggen followed her, continuing his annoying quidditch story. She wondered how long he would go on about that stupid game. It seemed never, so she walked up an empty place near the wall opposing the entrance door and she leaned comfortably against it.
She let him babble on about quidditch and how great he was, but after ten minutes she really had enough.
"Could we please change the subject, I'm not all that big a fan of brooms, flying and balls that shatter your skull on impact." She sighed and Cormac looked at her incredulous. He mutter some disgracing talk about 'loosen up' and 'ought to stop being a nerd', which Hermione angrily ignored, and he shrugged.
"So what you want to talk about instead?"
"Well, I've alwa-"
"You know," he interrupted her insolently, "we have been standing underneath a mistletoe for some time." He said as he softly touched her cheek with his thump.
"Isn't it a popular Christmas cheer that two people who meet under a mistletoe are obliged to kiss?" he grinned and leaned towards her.
Hermione almost pushed him away, "Erm yeah sorry but I got to search for the toilet, those punch's…" And within a second she was gone. Cormac rose his eyebrows and shrugged. It couldn't be him he reasoned, for he was perfect, she has probably never kissed before, he laughed, too intimidated by my experienced lips.
A good half hour later Severus had spoken to all men and women who needed a bit of his attention. If he had to be honest Albus had been rather misinformed, what rarely happened, about the people with Death Eater connections. Many may have been invited, but little of them had turned up, probably because of the high risk of going into enemy territory.
Severus stood there, sipping his fourth drink that evening, minding his own business when suddenly he heard his name and an arm threw itself around his shoulders, pulling him to the left.
"Stop skulking and come and join us, Severus!" hiccuped Slughorn happily.
"I was just talking about Harry's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!" Trapped, with Slughorns arm around his shoulders, Severus looked down his hooked nose at Harry, his black eyes narrowed.
"Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all."
"Well, then, it's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn. "You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death – never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus."
"Really?" said Severus quietly, his eyes still boring into the famous Boy-Who-Lived, who was surely feeling a certain disquiet. If I have time, I will have to remember looking into this. Gone from an extreme dunderhead to a genius potions master over a few weeks of holiday. I don't buy it.
"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn, interrupting Severus's thoughts.
"Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration , Herbology..." Potter summed up.
"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror ," said Severus with the faintest sneer.
"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," said Potter defiantly. Cheeky bastard.
"And a great one you'll make too!" boomed Slughorn.
"I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry," said miss Lovegood unexpectedly. Everybody looked at her. "The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're working to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease."
Potter inhaled half his mead up his nose as he started to laugh. Severus looked disdainful at the blond girl and a suffocating Potter. He was certain the girl was both mentally deranged, as had highly insane parents who thought up and then brainwashed all those odd visions into her.
It'd been hell teaching her class, correction; teaching her. She obstinately disobeyed all advise in the books and made her own pulp, often resulting in an explosion. The rest of her classmates were rather quiet, always working diligently. Of course that may have been because his mood dropped a few hundred feet whenever he had to teach Miss Lovegood.
Potter on the other hand seemed very amused by her remark and Severus turned his head away from the gross coughing and snuffling. That's when he saw something that caught his eyes and a feeling of uneasy rose in him. Draco Malfoy was being dragged by the ear toward them by Argus Filch. The sight of Filch never meant anything good.
"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"
Draco pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious. "All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate crash, happy?"
"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that night-time prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?" Filch edged his look toward Severus, but he only narrowed his eyes. He was trying hard not to let his doubts and fears show. What was Draco thinking, exposing himself so openly!
"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving a hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."
Filch's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable and Severus watched Draco who almost looked equally unhappy. From the corner of his eyes he saw Potter looking from Draco to him and back again. Annoying Potter always sticking his noise where it doesn't belong, just like his stupid father. Doesn't he have to be with that bushy know-it-all friend of his anyway? As Filch shuffled away, muttering under his breath, Severus quickly smoothed his face into inscrutable again and saw Draco had composed his expression as well. He was thanking Slughorn for his generosity.
"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away Draco's thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all..."
"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Draco quickly. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known. ..."
Severus watched Potter stare at the blonde boy. He followed Potter's fixation and noticed how much ill Draco looked. He had only seen the boy during class, since he completely ignored all calls to meet him in his office. It wasn't very often he saw his face during class either, Draco always sat bend over and worked on his potions until classes were over. He'd quickly hand in a sample, clean up and nearly ran out of the dungeons. This was the first time he had seen Draco close up for ages; dark shadows had formed under his eyes and there was a distinctly greyish tinge to his skin. The young boy was actually beginning to look quite like him. Which certainly wasn't good to be compared with.
"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Severus suddenly.
"Oh now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccuping again, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard."
"I am his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," said Severus curtly. "Follow me, Draco."
Severus led the way out Slughorn's office and into a classroom at the end of the corridor. As Draco entered Severus closed the door with one sweep of his wand.
"Well?" he started.
"What well?" Draco responded impudent.
"You know damn well what I have brought you here for. I want some answers, including the answer to what you were doing alone in that corridor at night?!" he said.
"Nothing that concerns you!"
"It does concern me! And that whole event surrounding Miss Bell then? We cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled –"
"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?" Draco said outraged.
"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are
suspected of having a hand in it." Severus spat, Draco was certainly giving him a hard time keeping his anger under control.
"Who suspects me?" Draco said, yet Severus was done listening, if Draco wouldn't voluntarily give him the information he would get it himself. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay?" Draco continued angrily. "That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about – don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work – I can stop you!"
There was a pause in which two minds battled for the upper hand, then Severus said quietly, "Ah…Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"
"I'm not trying to conceal anything from Him, I just don't want you butting in!"
"So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco–"
"So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" jeered Draco.
There was another pause. "You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."
"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!"
"Listen to me," said Severus, his voice so dangerously low. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco–"
"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"
"What is your plan?"
"It's none of your business!"
"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you..."
"I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"
"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes–"
"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!"
"Keep your voice down!" spat Severus, for Draco's voice had risen excitedly. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres–"
"What does it matter?" said Draco. "Defense Against the Dark Arts – its all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts–"
"It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Severus. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle–"
"They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!"
"Then why not confide in me, and I can–"
"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"
There was another pause, then Severus said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your fathers capture and imprisonment has upset you, but–" Draco violently pushed his way past Severus, flung the classroom door open and strode off through the corridor.
Severus heard the footsteps fade as he sighed silently to himself. He rubbed his hand over his face and made sure no one could read in it what had just happened.
Severus slowly walked from the classroom, closed the door behind him and returned to the party.
Hermione was talking to professor Slughorn. After she was done she could go to bed and be rid of Cormac's stalking. She'd been avoiding him for nearly twenty minutes.
"So tell me Miss Granger, with all your knowledge and a gift for studying, what will you do when you are done with school. I know a certain friend of mine who works in a potion laboratory who would surely appreciate such a fine brain as yours, maybe you could start off as his assistant, get to know the business a little better." Slughorn suggested, still hiccupping. He'd love to have yet another person in debt with him for opening his amazing net of connections to them.
"No offence sir, but I don't know whether I want to work with potions after school, I mean sure they're really interesting and I love working with them, but I just don't know whether I'd be able to create a potion myself. Following a recipe isn't all that hard, but thinking up a new one, that's just seems really difficult."
"Sure that's difficult, but here I was thinking you'd like such a challenge."
"I don't know, I have many more interests besides potions." She said doubtfully.
"Yes, but of course child, why I ought to introduce you to Harold Fitzgerald, when he was a student he was always very good at everything, so he didn't knew what he wanted to do either, until I helped him. I set up several meeting with a range of different wizards and witches and after talking to them and discussing his options with me, he had found a true goal in life. He now owns many of the big companies in America trading with China in wood for wands. He makes millions of galleons a day and lives happily with his wife and children in a beautiful villa down in the Pacific's. All thanks to me" said Slughorn proudly, picturing Hermione to do the same, extending his connections even further.
"I don't–" Hermione began, but stopped as Snape emerged from the crowd and stood next to Slughorn.
"Ah Severus how fun of you to join us!" Slughorn called and a grin from ear to ear appeared.
"Trust me when I say that I'm not inclined to be fun." He spoke the last word with all the mockery his voice could muster.
"And Mr Malfoy, where is he?"
"I've sent Malfoy to the Slytherin common room, his behaviour the past few months has been intolerable in the least. It is time he learned there are rules that apply even to him."
"You are too hard on the boy, Severus. You haven't given him detention, have you?" Severus shook his head and turned.
"Wait old friend, you're not going back so early, the party's only just beginning to warm up."
Over his shoulder Snape excused himself from the party, "I have much homework to grade before tomorrow." and walked off.
"Alright good luck with that, great to have had you here!" Slughorn called happily after him.
Severus walked down the dark and cold collidor leading towards the dungeons. When he breathed he could see his breath float by him, it calmed him reasonably. He stopped by a window and he leaned with his hands and forehead against the icy glass. It had frost on it.
"That stupid brat!" he cursed in a whisper.
Severus sighed and a big condensation spot formed on the glass. "No point in brooding, better continue on altering that Wolfsbane." Whispered Severus to himself and carried on his way back to his quarters.
A/N: last time I update I was so excided to have a chap done that I completely forgot to comment on the reviews. Again sorry but if you reviewed chap 3 or 4 here's my reaction:
For chapter 3:
GryffJr: haha I know, but I already have an idea of bonding them, no worries ;P
ShadowCub: I don't know about the Victorian society thing, I'm just a huge Alan Rickman/Snape fan and Hermione's alright too, I think they're cute together. Besides don't they say men get more handsome as they age? Alan certainly does.
Also thanks to Barb8, iceball19, Forest Jaguar, notwritten, Half-elf and kiliho for reviewing chapter 3.
Now for chapter 4:
ShadowCub: I don't know whether Lupin would still be in character if I were to roughen him up. he always comes off to me as just a twit who used to follow his stupid friends, but never actively did anything since he felt a little sorry for others.
AtrumxDea: well it's great to have a new Reader&Reviewer. Hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story, and thanks for the congrats.
katgirl13605: I'm not the only one who thinks this way about Severus great idea to follow Lupin down into the tunnel connecting Hogwarts with the Shrieking Shack. There are many who support this theory take a look around the Internet. Also thanks for reading so deep into my story and reading back to see whether things are right, you give very good critics and it has helped me a lot.
And last but not least thanks to goldnote, Lilith Kayden, coliemcnoly, WannaBArtist and kiliho for reviewing chapter 4.
I hope I get as many reviews as I got with the other chapters, yaaay. Remember constructive criticism is already appreciated.