Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Conversations
Hermione sat on the corner of the couch, her knees pulled to her chest and her arms tightly clamped around her legs. She hadn't been able to sit like this for a while. It was a wonder to be able to make even the slightest movement without pain shooting through her abdomen.
She closed her eyes as she remembered the day she left her home for Grimmauld Place. She'd been getting ready to apparate when her father stumbled drunkenly into the room. He's grabbed her by the hair and shoved her against her dresser.
"I don care how far away you go, you're mine" His voice had sent chills down her back. The tone was even worse than the words. He sounded possessed. "You will come back for the holidays," he continued "because if you do not, I will find you and I will kill you. If I can't be free of your existence, you won't ever be fully free of my presence" He landed a savage kick to her side, then his whole demeanor changed and he sat next to her and pulled her into a soft hug. His breath ruffled her hair and he sounded like he once used to. "Have fun with your friends Mione, love. Always remember that your father loves you. I'll see you soon, sweetie."
The words he spoke had stuck with her. He'd see her soon; how soon? She shook her head to ward off these thoughts and the feeling of helplessness that came with them. If she was really the brightest witch of her age, then how could she be in this situation? When she was younger, her father hadn't been so cruel. It was only after Gabriella…
She wouldn't think about it. She couldn't. She had to think about some way to change what was happening now; she couldn't change what happened then.
She was never going to go back there. It didn't matter what he'd said, he could never find her if she chose to hide.
There was something about hiding though that left a sour taste in her mouth. She knew that hiding from something wouldn't make it go away. She hadn't hidden from Death Eaters, how could she even consider hiding from her own father?
The door opened and her silent musings were interrupted by the quiet entry of Professor Snape. He sat on the other end of the couch and surveyed her with his dark, solemn eyes. There were a few moments of silence before Hermione spoke.
"Why did you tell Harry and Ron that I agreed to become your assistant?"
"It seemed appropriate at the time as your explanation was exceedingly faulty."
"There was nothing wrong with what I chose to tell them!"
"You're obviously quite green to the game of deception, aren't you Ms. Granger? Why would I have a student in my private quarters for something as trivial as a quick question about the homework you would have never left until a week before the new term began. Even someone with such a small amount of intelligence as Mr. Weasley would see straight through your flimsy charade. Not only would he do so, but the combined total of both Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter's brain power would undoubtedly bring them to the wrong conclusion, per usual and they would once again decide that I was doing something thoroughly evil that, this time, involved you. It was much simpler to come up with a plausible explanation that no one could disprove. That," he paused, "is the difference between life and death when the stakes of the game are high."
She knew he was right and admired the ease with which he had woven a credible story that no one would doubt. However, she would never admit that she knew he was right, nor would she admit her admiration.
"Are you really going to have me assist you?"
"I just said that I was, did I not? How is your side doing by the way?"
The sudden switch in topics threw her off for a moment.
"It's fine, thank you." She replied stiffly. She took a quick breath and launched into a speech she had prepared. "I hope you don't believe that just because you happened to find out about all of this, it means that you have the right to the right to inquire about my life and circumstances. I didn't confide in you, you rudely barged in on me, that doesn't give you any rights."
"No, you're right. That doesn't give me rights. However, the fact that I am your teacher and t hat you are now my assistant who will help me with volatile potions gives me the right to know whether you are physically and emotionally stable enough to do so."
Once again, she knew he was right and it was killing her to acknowledge it, even to herself.
"Now, down to the matter at hand, your duties. You will come twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The occasional Saturday if need be. You will help me with cleaning and sorting instruments, gathering ingredients, brewing potions that I believe you are capable of, and grading essays. Chances are, I will need you to stay at the castle for the holidays." He paused to give her a searching sweep. "If there is a problem I will resolve it. Once I inform the headmaster of my decision, he will magically bind us for the duration of your assistance. It's a standard procedure as once one has accepted an assistant's job in potions, they are under the protection of the one they assist."
Up until this point, Hermione had just been intently listening. Upon hearing this, however, she interrupted him. "What precisely do you mean by that, sir?"
"I mean, you cannot be harmed without my knowledge, and typically I will almost be forced to your side. This binding spell was introduced after too many assistants died while doing something for the person they were assisting."
Hermione made a face at that. "How dangerous is this? Honestly, sir, I've been in jeopardy all my life, a job as an assistant probably won't even come close to my sense of danger."
He smirked at her wry sense of humor. "True."
"You're not going to tell anyone, right?"
"Obviously, you're one who needs constant reassurance. No, I'm not going to tell anyone."
"Okay."
"Good, so we've reached an agreement then?"
"Yes."
Hope you enjoyed it. Not much happened in this chapter. You'll have to wait to find out who Gabriella is, though.
