Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything that has to do with Rice Krispies.
Anything written like this is a flashback or pensive memory.
Anything written like this is a thought.
Last time:
Severus looked around the room, he found himself in Hermione's bedroom. As he turned to head for the door he saw Hermione exit the bathroom, her face was really pale. Hermione tied her robe closed and headed out of the bedroom. Severus followed her out.
Hermione heard the wards drop, "Severus you are home early."
Walking to the front door Hermione screamed. Severus started to run towards the entry.
"Hello Mudblood fancy seeing you here." Severus froze he recognized the voice.
This is not good. The dark lord will have my head for this.
Severus turned the corner and stopped as the scene before him began to unfold.
"Hello Mudblood, where are your manners? I am a guest here and you should bow before your superiors." Hermione turned and looked into the dark eyes as Bellatrix L'Strange.
"Mudblood why are you in my darling Severus' house in your night clothes?" Bella asked pulling out her wand. "Has Severus taken a mudblood whore to bed with him instead of a pureblood? He is going soft, unless he doesn't know you are here which would make this more fun." Hermione turned to run.
"I am not done with you yet MUDBLOOD" Bella grabbed Hermione's wrist with a bruising grip.
"Please let me go I haven't done anything to you." Hermione pleaded, memories of her rape flashed before her eyes. "I will do anything if you let me go."
"I don't think so Mudblood" Bella raised her wand, "Crucio"
Severus watched as Hermione's weak body fell to the ground and withered in pain. "The more you scream the less I will keep it on you and the better it is for me." Bella let the curse sit for about a minute before she lifted it.
A few slicing hexes later and she was bored. "I should have brought someone with me. It would have been fun to watch them have a go at you. Next time we will have more fun, I promise you mudblood. I will a lot of my friends with me; it will be entertaining listening to you scream." Throwing the crusartis cruse at Hermione one last time she walked out the front door forgetting about the wards and apparated away.
Severus watched as Hermione crawled into the corner shaking violently before he was thrown out of the pensive.
Shaking his head he looked around the room. I can't believe Hermione is still standing after what happened. She didn't scream at all, good girl screaming would have only made it worse. Bella gets bored if they are not screaming. I must show this to Albus I don't think Hermione is safe here anymore.
Walking to his room he looked around for an empty vial from his self of potions. Walking back to the study he stopped by the couch and looked down at Hermione who was twitching in her sleep.
She is a lot stronger then I thought. If Bella would have hit me I would still be suffering, most likely not moving.
Severus quickly made his way to the pensive, after pulling Hermione's memories out he corked the vial and began to put his frock coat back on. He placed the vial in his pocket before heading to his room for a new cloak.
"Snap, Crackle, Pop a word NOW" Severus bellowed leaving and warding the study. "Why didn't you guys go to the front door when the wards were breached?"
"Pop didn't go to the door because the wards were not breached. Pop thought Master was home early and Master doesn't like it if Pop meets Master at the door." Pop answered looking a little scared, "Did Pop think wrong?"
"It would seem that Madam L'Strange had made it past my wards. I am heading back to Hogwarts watch over Hermione, she has been hurt. There are some healing drafts on one of the shelves in my bedroom. Crackle I am leaving you in charge of healing her. I will be back in three hours." Severus walked into the living room and looked around. "Krispie I want you to clean up in here." Stepping into the fireplace "Headmaster's Office" he was once again transported to Hogwarts.
"I will be back in two hours Headmaster. I have a matter of grave importance to speak to you about." Severus spoke not ever bothering to stop walking as he made his way towards the door.
"Alright Severus I will be here," Dumbledore answer from his desk. "I take it something is amiss?"
"Yes Headmaster there is" Severus walked out of the office and for the second time that day he started to make his way down to his class room. This complicates things now. I also have to work on my wards. How the hell did Bella get though them? Reaching his class room he stormed inside, it was one of his favorite classes first years. After two months they were still terrified of him.
"We will be taking notes, so stop all the idle chit chat and PAY ATTENTION!" Tapping his wand on the board his lecture appeared, "Now follow along."
Two hours later Severus was tired. "Clean up then leave," he snapped. His class had been rather behaved today; he didn't get to take points away which just pissed him off. Opening his desk drawer he pulled out an old worn bag. After getting rid of the dust and insects that decided to make his bag a home he put the first through seventh year homework essays in.
Normally he would read and destroy the essays after class, but since he knew Hermione would not want to be left alone for too long he was going to take them home." After stuffing his quill and ink into the bag he closed it and stood up.
"Hello old friend, might I have a word" Malfoy Sr. asked walking into the classroom. "I heard something interesting news from my sister-in-law. Care to explain?"
Just my luck this day just keeps getting better and better. "If I had time I would. But I have a meeting with the Headmaster right now. I can invite you for a talk tomorrow would that be alright?" Severus walked towards the classroom door. "I'll even serve scotch."
Malfoy followed Severus out of the classroom, "Would this be a home visit then?"
"If that is what you would like then yes. I will let the elves know. What time should I expect your company?"
"Eight, my wife is serving dinner to her sister tomorrow and I am unable to miss it, until tomorrow Severus." Malfoy walked away towards the back entrance of the castle.
Warding his classroom he made his way to the Headmaster's office.
Ten minutes and 20 points later he was in the headmaster's office, waiting for the Headmaster to return from the pensive. Why does it always take him so long to do things?
Five minutes later Dumbledore was finally out. "I have never seen your house before. It's nicely decorated."
"Headmaster I didn't show you the memories so that you could see my house. What are we going to do about Miss Granger?"
Dumbledore sat down in an armchair in front of the fire. "Tomorrow is Halloween, will you be summoned?"
"Most likely, there is nothing going on at the school, expect that it's a Hogwarts weekend. But I never actually go there with them. The Dark Lord knows that."
"Bring Miss Granger here tomorrow at about 7:30 I need to talk to her. I will be sure I send her back before you get summoned. There are a few things I need to discuss with her. I have found out why she is sick and I need to clear some things up with her before I can tell anyone else."
"Is that wise Headmaster? Surely you can tell me and I can relate the news to Miss Granger, it isn't that serious is it?"
"I don't see why not it is perfectly safe here with me, and yes it is quite serious and it would be going against what I believe in to tell you and not Miss Granger first. I am sure she will let you know after I talk with her. Why don't you go home and have a nice dinner with her. I am sure you have some essays that need criticism am I right? I am sure Miss Granger can help you on them."
Severus grabbed his bag and went though the floo, "Snape Manor." In a brilliant green light he was gone.
"Poor Severus this news isn't going to go over so well. I am also afraid of how Miss Granger will take it. It's not something that happens everyday. It will hit her hard I know it." Dumbledore picked up his tea, and drained it. "I hope everything goes over well tonight."
Severus came though the floo and was surprised the living room looked better then it had when he was going up. "Hermione what happened in here?" Severus took his cloak off and hung it on the coat rack near the fireplace, "Hermione?"
"I thought you could use a change, if you don't like it I can change it back." Hermione came into the room wearing teal blue robes. "I thought we could drink tea in here after dinner, I thought it was kind of dirty and well scary so I fixed everything up and changed the colour. Do you like it?"
Severus looked around the room; the once gray walls were now in a neutral light brown. The furniture was in the same tone only a couple of shades darker, and the tables were even darker then the couches. All the books were placed back on the shelves in some kind of order and the room was brightly lit with new candles. "Its different, what tone is this anyway?"
"It's Desert Sand; I fell in love with it when I saw it in a muggle magazine last summer. I even transfigured all of the furniture to match it. It isn't too much is it? I think I will work on the kitchen tomorrow is that alright?"
Severus put his bag down near the bottom of the coat rack. "No I actually like it, it's different and you are right this place needs a revamp. What colour may I ask are you thinking of painting the kitchen?"
"A light Pear Green colour, after I helped the elves scrub the floor I loved the colours in the tile, there is a hint of the green that I think will brighten up the room. Plus I can fix the table and chairs. Is it alright if I make them white, I think it would look best?"
"Hermione do what you want, I don't come to this place often so the next time I come it will be a mess again. And what do you mean you helped the elves clean? I told you before I left that I wanted you to take an easy, and what happens when I come home I find out you redid the whole living room and helped the House Elves with their house work. I don't want you to over do yourself you are still sick if I do recall."
"I had to do something, if I sat around all day I would have been worried, and believe me the Snap, Crackle, Pop and Krispie didn't want me to help them but I insisted on it. Oh dinner is ready, are you going to wash up first? I helped make dessert. I hope you like chocolate."
Severus started to unbutton his frock coat, "Yes I will go and wash up first then I will meet you in the kitchen. There are many things we need to discuss before I start to grade. And the Headmaster thinks it wise that I let you help, so if you are not busy I would like you to help me grade essays."
Hermione smiled, "Of course I would love to help. Lets go eat dinner before it gets cold. Would you like wine or something stronger?"
"Wine is good, I prefer red if we have any." Severus walked towards the bathroom. When did I care about other people? Damn it I am going soft, she is changing the house and your letting her. What the bloody hell is wrong with you?
Severus reappeared in the kitchen five minutes later, he was only in his black trousers and his white shirt which was let out and a few buttons had been let down. "This looks good. Who made it?"
"Pop I believe. I wasn't in here when they were cooking I came in only when they started on the dessert. After I woke up I spent a good hour working on the living room. You said you had something to talk to me about?"
"Yes, actually there are two things that I wish to talk to you about. The Headmaster wants you to go to his office tomorrow before I am summoned. I do not think this is wise but I am not Albus Dumbledore so it doesn't matter what I think. He has found out why you are sick and wishes to talk to you about it. I have no idea what he is going to tell you for he wouldn't tell me." Severus cut into his pork chop, eating a few pieces he began again. "I do hope that you will tell me what the Headmaster said so that I can also be prepared for what ever it is."
Hermione played with her food while he spoke, for some reason she couldn't get herself to eat. "Alright I will tell you since you are part of this no matter what. What was the second thing that you wished to talk to me about?" Picking up her water goblet she took a hearty drink.
"I don't know what to do now that Madam L'Strange knows your whereabouts, we now have to come up with a plan. There is one that I can think of but it wouldn't be nice and I know you won't like it. I just have to talk to the Dark Lord and the Headmaster before I tell you. Please eat something you have been sick all day, it would be unhealthy for you not to eat something."
"For some reason I am not hungry why don't we take tea and dessert in the living room? We can get started on the essays." Hermione got up from her chair, "well are you coming or am I going to eat all of it myself?" Hermione left the kitchen and went into the living room, the house elves had already delivered the tea and cake and they were nicely placed on the new transfigured coffee table.
Severus picked up his glass of wine and followed her into the living room, he looked at her as she sat down on the couch and took a plate of chocolate cake. "Let me get the essays, do you want to do first though third or fourth though seventh?"
"First though third if you don't mind, I don't think I know that much about the potions being made this year. I miss my classes so much; I didn't even get to start them. Try some cake it's wonderful."
Severus grabbed his bag and sat down on an arm chair across from the couch. "I understand, later when you have your memories back I will let you continue to study. That is if you want to." Severus opened the bag and pulled out all of the essays, sorting though them he took out the first though thirds and handed them to Hermione. "Take a quill they are spelled to write like me so don't worry your girly handwriting won't give it away where you are."
"I would love to continue my studies I would really like it if you would help me on them." Taking a quill she started on the essays. Ten minutes later she was already at her wits end. "How do you stand it, these are horrid. It's like they just add anything together and hopes that it makes sense I can't even begin to grade them." Frustrated she skipped the first years and went onto the second years. They were written better and made a lot more sense.
Thirty minutes later Severus cracked his fingers. "Well I am done with mine, would you like me to do the first years? They seem to be making you upset? I understand what you mean, I hate reading them they make my head hurt. We talk about each potion and all the ingredients the day before in class if they would pay attention they could actually do very well on these."
"Thanks I am almost done with the third years. When did you start to teach skele-grow in third year? I had to wait until I was in my fifth year before I learned how to brew it." Hermione asked marking some poor Hufflepuff's essay, "There I am done, it's only nine. I don't feel like going to bed just yet. Do you mind if I asked you a question?"
Severus didn't like where this was going, "As long as it's not about my personal life it is fine, but I would like to ask you one for everyone you ask me. It's only fair."
"Alright I will go first. Why are your house elves named after Muggle cereal characters?" Hermione asked adding sugar to her tea. "It seems weird that a pureblood would know about Rice Krispie's."
Severus smiled, "I didn't think that is what you were going to ask. It was my mother's idea actually, I named Krispie." Severus got up and moved over to the couch sitting down he picked up his tea cup and took a long drink.
"I was about four when we got the house elves, I didn't know what they were for so I made friends with them. That was the same year that the muggles were coming up with the idea to have elves on the box of their new cereal. My mother being an artist decided to take them up on their challenge."
Eileen Snape sat behind her desk, pencil in hand. She had been chosen to draw the elves for a new cereal. Taping her pencil she looked down at the information they had given her.
Rice Krispie's a great cereal for kids. It actually sounds like the cereal is talking to you. It makes a Snap, Crackle and Pop noise when milk is added. If you add marshmallow and margarine it can be turned into a tasty treat for the young and old.
Eileen smiled, she had an idea. She slowly began to draw the first elf. Snap, he was going to be the boss. He was also the oldest brother and in charge of everyone. Snap had red hair that poked though the front of his chef's hat. He wore a yellow waistcoat with a red neck kerchief, blue trousers and blue chucks. He was the perfect older brother.
Crackle was the next in line, he had beautiful yellow locks. He would be the trouble maker of the three. He wore a blue waistcoat with a white neck kerchief. Red trousers and red chucks finished him off.
Pop was the youngest, he loved to eat rice krispies and nobody seem to really care. He would wear a red conductor suit complete with at top hat that covered his brown hair. He was also the tallest of them all.
Eileen smiled to herself, these are what elves should look like, not like the demons that they were before.
"Would you believe that she actually won the contest? That was the same year my father brought home the three elves. I was little at the time so my mother named them after the elves she had made." Severus finished his story leaning back onto the couch. "As I got older my mom would sneak me some rice krispies. I think I was about seven or eight when we got Rice and Krispie. Right away I named them after my favorite treat. Although father ended up giving Rice away saying I only needed on nurse elf. That was also the year my mother got sick. Now I believe it is my turn to ask you a question. Do I have any limits?"
"You may ask anything you want Severus?" Hermione smiled, "I hold no secrets."
"Very well Hermione, Why did you and Weasley break up? I thought you two would run off and marry when the war would be over?" Severus asked taking another piece of cake.
"I wasn't ready to be intimate with him, he wanted sex I didn't give it to him. That and I feel like he's more like my brother. Just like Harry. I actually wanted to wait until I was married to have sex, but that would happen now. Severus who would want me after that, nobody wants a whore as a wife." Hermione started to cry. "I still don't get it Severus, why me?"
Severus watched the girl in front of him cry, "I don't know Hermione, and your not a whore. Never call your self that, it wasn't like you wanted it, that is why it was rape. And don't worry someone will marry you, maybe not right out of school, but there will be someone."
Hermione couldn't take it anymore, she jumped up from her chair and threw herself on Severus. Clinging onto the front of his robe she hung on for dear life and cried into his chest.
Severus wasn't sure what to do, this was the second time she had done this. He rubbed her back, it was something his mother used to do to him when he was upset. "Hermione there will be someone for you, don't worry too much about that." He lifted her chin so that she looked up at him. "You're a beautiful young woman there will be many men killing each other over you."
Hermione stood up on her tiptoes, she brought her face closer to his. "Do you really believe that Severus?" She licked her lips while she waited for him to answer.
"Hermione I am not one to lie about complements, if you remembered anything about me you would know that. Yes I do believe it because it's the truth."
Hermione smiled briefly before she leaned forward lightly placing her lips upon Severus. She kept them there for a brief second before she pulled away. "Thank you Severus, it's kind of late so I will be going to bed now, I have a busy day tomorrow. You should be going to bed also, your day will no doubt be busier then mine." She let go of Severus and walked into her room after saying goodnight to the house elves.
Severus stood still, Why did she kiss me? And why was I disappointed when she stopped? Stop thinking like this you sick bastard she is getting over a rape, get over yourself. Shaking his head he too made his way to bed, she was right Halloween was going to be a pain in his ass.
I promise to update a lot sooner, even though I am off to college next week. You got three chapters in one day what more could you want?