They risked it, they both knew they did. They had to Apperate with Cicely, they risked splinching her. So far they hadn't. They practiced a few times on Hogwarts grounds before they felt comfortable to apperate with her to Worban Cemetery. Hermione dressed in Slytherin colors, the girl in Gryffindor, and Severus dressed entirely in black.
"Cicely," Hermione started, "take my hand,"
"Yes Miss Granger," she said shaking slightly, her small hand clutched Hermione's.
As Severus watched them, his throat tightened. He couldn't risk not taking the girl, he thought, They would likely kidnap her again. But if he did, there was a chance that he and Hermione would be killed. "Are you ready?" he directed his question at Cicely.
"Yes Sir," She said swallowing hard. "I won't let them hurt you," she said looking at both of them.
"I know," Severus said softly, he held Cicely's other hand and they disapperated from Hogwarts.
***********
The cemetery was lit with a single fire, Serrento waited behind his white mask.
Draco also had a mask on, "Will you stop fidgeting?"
"What if he brings Hermione?" Serrento asked, "I mean..."
"I think you should worry more about the girl hurting you then Hermione," Draco replied, "Here they come," Draco nodded towards the three shadows coming over the hill.
"Ah, Severus I see you made it," Serrento said as soon as he saw his brother. He was acting spokesperson for the night. "And you brought the girl, I see,"
Severus growled when he recognized his brothers voice, "Why wouldn't I?" Severus hissed.
"I don't know," Serrento replied, he spied Hermione clutching Cicely's hand, "I see you brought along your little pet," There were snickers through the crowd.
"Vocalis Quietus!" Cicely had pulled out her wand and silenced Serrento. She frowned at him, "I can hurt you Serrento," she said softly.
Draco was impressed but he didn't say anything. He nodded to another masked wizard who started, "This is officially the child's first meeting with us. For now we shall keep our masks on." the man started, "Severus has also brought along another..."
"Who is it, Severus? A mudblood to amuse ourselves with?" someone called from the back of the group.
Cicely watched the crowd as they all looked at Hermione, "You will not harm her," She started and clutched Hermione's hand tighter, "I asked her to come with me, and you will not harm her,"
No one said anything. They were shocked at the tone in the child's voice, it was icy and sharp for being so quiet. "The summons was for both of us and the girl." Severus looked around as if he could see directly through each mask. "Now, is there a specific reason we were brought?"
"Yes," a man standing next to Serrento started, "We are here to assess how her studies are going and if we need to take charge in any of them,"
"There will be no need for that," Severus started, "She is in capable hands. She has the highest marks for any first year and has taken several advanced studies."
"What about the dark arts?" someone asked. "Will she learn those as well?"
"Yes," Severus started, "She will have, ah, private tutoring in that subject,"
The were murmurs of agreement in the group. Cicely stood with any icy look in her eyes. she already know many of these people and knew, by instinct, who had tried to harm her beloved professor. Hermione squeezed the girls clammy hand.
Severus stood in a slightly defensive position, ready for anything should it happen. "The hour grows late, we have to go," he said out loud to the group of white masks as a whole.
"It is late. The child needs her rest." A robed figure replied. Serrento still stood silent, he was seething behind his mask.
Hermione and Cicely turned first and walked to the gates of the cemetery. Severus followed a few seconds later. He joined the pair as they waited for him.
"Severus," Hermione started in a coarse whisper, "They're hiding something, aren't they?"
Severus looked down at Cicely, she looked drowsy and he picked her up and carried her as they walked. "I don't know, Mione, I just don't know."
***********
The couple woke Cicely when they were about to apperate back. She fell asleep again as soon as they saw that dark castle. Hermione took Cicely in her arms and smiled at Severus, "I'll take her up to her dorm if you want to tell Albus about the meeting,"
Severus nodded but neither smiled nor frowned, "I'll be down to our rooms as soon as I can,"
Hermione smiled and walked towards Gryffindor tower. Severus let out a deep broody sigh as he turned to go to the headmasters office...
TBC
A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and sorry I didn't update sooner my computer decided it was going to die on me.
"Cicely," Hermione started, "take my hand,"
"Yes Miss Granger," she said shaking slightly, her small hand clutched Hermione's.
As Severus watched them, his throat tightened. He couldn't risk not taking the girl, he thought, They would likely kidnap her again. But if he did, there was a chance that he and Hermione would be killed. "Are you ready?" he directed his question at Cicely.
"Yes Sir," She said swallowing hard. "I won't let them hurt you," she said looking at both of them.
"I know," Severus said softly, he held Cicely's other hand and they disapperated from Hogwarts.
***********
The cemetery was lit with a single fire, Serrento waited behind his white mask.
Draco also had a mask on, "Will you stop fidgeting?"
"What if he brings Hermione?" Serrento asked, "I mean..."
"I think you should worry more about the girl hurting you then Hermione," Draco replied, "Here they come," Draco nodded towards the three shadows coming over the hill.
"Ah, Severus I see you made it," Serrento said as soon as he saw his brother. He was acting spokesperson for the night. "And you brought the girl, I see,"
Severus growled when he recognized his brothers voice, "Why wouldn't I?" Severus hissed.
"I don't know," Serrento replied, he spied Hermione clutching Cicely's hand, "I see you brought along your little pet," There were snickers through the crowd.
"Vocalis Quietus!" Cicely had pulled out her wand and silenced Serrento. She frowned at him, "I can hurt you Serrento," she said softly.
Draco was impressed but he didn't say anything. He nodded to another masked wizard who started, "This is officially the child's first meeting with us. For now we shall keep our masks on." the man started, "Severus has also brought along another..."
"Who is it, Severus? A mudblood to amuse ourselves with?" someone called from the back of the group.
Cicely watched the crowd as they all looked at Hermione, "You will not harm her," She started and clutched Hermione's hand tighter, "I asked her to come with me, and you will not harm her,"
No one said anything. They were shocked at the tone in the child's voice, it was icy and sharp for being so quiet. "The summons was for both of us and the girl." Severus looked around as if he could see directly through each mask. "Now, is there a specific reason we were brought?"
"Yes," a man standing next to Serrento started, "We are here to assess how her studies are going and if we need to take charge in any of them,"
"There will be no need for that," Severus started, "She is in capable hands. She has the highest marks for any first year and has taken several advanced studies."
"What about the dark arts?" someone asked. "Will she learn those as well?"
"Yes," Severus started, "She will have, ah, private tutoring in that subject,"
The were murmurs of agreement in the group. Cicely stood with any icy look in her eyes. she already know many of these people and knew, by instinct, who had tried to harm her beloved professor. Hermione squeezed the girls clammy hand.
Severus stood in a slightly defensive position, ready for anything should it happen. "The hour grows late, we have to go," he said out loud to the group of white masks as a whole.
"It is late. The child needs her rest." A robed figure replied. Serrento still stood silent, he was seething behind his mask.
Hermione and Cicely turned first and walked to the gates of the cemetery. Severus followed a few seconds later. He joined the pair as they waited for him.
"Severus," Hermione started in a coarse whisper, "They're hiding something, aren't they?"
Severus looked down at Cicely, she looked drowsy and he picked her up and carried her as they walked. "I don't know, Mione, I just don't know."
***********
The couple woke Cicely when they were about to apperate back. She fell asleep again as soon as they saw that dark castle. Hermione took Cicely in her arms and smiled at Severus, "I'll take her up to her dorm if you want to tell Albus about the meeting,"
Severus nodded but neither smiled nor frowned, "I'll be down to our rooms as soon as I can,"
Hermione smiled and walked towards Gryffindor tower. Severus let out a deep broody sigh as he turned to go to the headmasters office...
TBC
A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and sorry I didn't update sooner my computer decided it was going to die on me.