Eternally Yours
Chapter 19
Chassit My Basket
A.N: Odd, I finished Dark Tower yesterday, and I'm writing chapter 19. Spooky! Also, apparently I died yesterday when I stayed home from school, so I thought I should let all of you know that I'm a ghost now and I could move on at any moment. So don't get too attached to me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters, nor do I own the number 19.
'No,' Ron whispered, his face still starkly white.
Hermione rushed over to him. 'Ron...I'
Ron backed away horrorstruck. 'No! It can't...Severus!'
Severus raised his wand, 'Obliv...' but Ron had already run from the room.
Hermione walked a few hesitant steps toward the door and then looked up at Severus. 'I have to go after him Sev. If he...I could get expelled.' She spoke in a quiet voice somewhere between a sob and a whisper.
Severus put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. 'Don't worry about him; let him go. He'll go tell Potter, and Potter can deal with it. Dumbledore won't expel you; he already knows. What's the worst that could happen?'
'He'll run into McGonnagal first, or Hagrid, who'll come down here and rip you limb from limb before Dumbledore even knows what happened,' Hermione answered calmly enough.
Severus took a step back. 'You go talk to Ron then. I'm going to go hide in Dumbledore's office and let him know what's going on.'
They rushed out of the room together, heading in opposite directions.
Hermione finally caught up to Ron in the second floor corridor five minutes later.
'Ron! Wait! Stop!' Hermione jogged to catch up to him and grabbed his arm, but he just brushed her off and continued marching determinedly down the corridor.
'Leave me alone Hermione,' he muttered. 'I need some time by myself to think.'
Hermione stopped and stared at the back of his head. 'Think about what, Ron? It's my choice and there's nothing for you to think about. Why do you have such a problem with this?'
Ron spun around, bearing down on her, his face a ruddy globe above his tie. 'DID YOU DO IT FOR THEGRADES, HERMIONE? WAS HE GOING TO FAIL YOU, SO YOU JUST DECIDED TO SAY 'HEY PROFFESOR SNAPE, IF YOU GIVE ME AN A I'LL SLEEP WITH YOU?' ARE YOUR GRADES THAT IMPORTANT HERMIONE?'
Hermione gave heated glare. 'Would you please keep your voice down Ron! I already told you that it's my business. And, just so you know, this has absolutely nothing to do with my grades.'
'COULDN'T HURT THOUGH, COULD IT?' Ron shouted at her, his whole body trembling.
'Ron, please,' She gave him a pleading look.
Ron huffed out of his nose, but calmed down a little. 'What is it then, if it's not grades? Are you just attracted to greasy old deatheaters who have it out for your best friends? Or is he drugging you? I wouldn't put it past him Hermione!'
Hermione sighed. 'No Ron, he's not slipping me love potions, and he doesn't have it out for you and Harry. Would you just calm down for a minute.'
But Ron was calming down, and the color was fading from his cheeks. 'Explain it to me then Hermione. What's going on? And why haven't you told me and Harry?'
Hermione swallowed, 'I think I love him; it's hard to explain how this all came about, but it's okay. Harry already knows anyway, and he understands that it's my business who I want to have relationships.'
Ron was flabbergasted, 'You told Harry but you didn't tell me?'
'Well, I knew that this was how you would react; you always get so involved whenever I'm dating someone new. Like with Viktor. You never got angry when Harry started dating Cho Chang, why is it such a big difference with me?'
But Ron was slowly turning Red again, 'Well Harry never dates Durmstrang house champions or slimy Slytherin scum, does he?' Ron was shaking again, and tears were running down his cheeks. 'And I'm not very well in love with Harry either!' Ron turned around and started running off down the hallway, calling back to her. 'I JUST NEED SOME TIME ALONE TO THINK!'
Hermione slid down the wall that she was leaning against, and sat down on the floor in shock. She hadn't expected that.
Just then Severus and Dumbledore rushed up.
Severus dropped to the floor next to Hermione, and leaned over her. He pulled her hair back away from his face, and when he saw she was crying it nearly broke his heart. Kissing her forehead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to her feet.
Hermione looked up at him, managing a weak smile, then turned to Dumbledore.
'I'm sorr...' She started but he interrupted her.
'Don't worry about it Hermione,' he smiled at her somberly. 'We hear everything, and Severus and I will take care of it, with a little help from Harry Potter I warrant. And if we can't convince him to accept your decision and be happy about it, we'll modify his memory.' Now Dumbledore smiled with genuine glee in his eyes.
Hermione nodded and turned back to Severus, who took her into his arms once more.
To this Dumbledore turned around and began examining a tapestry on the wall. Proclaiming in a loud voice, 'You know Severus, I don't think I've ever seen this tapestry before. I wonder who did it. Was it that Pacha woman? You must know Hermione.'
Severus kissed her and ran a hand down her cheek. He pulled on the black ribbon tied around her neck, extracting the key from beneath her robes. With his other hand he removed her hand from his neck and wrapped it around the key. Finally, he broke his lips away from hers and whispered in her ear, 'Use the fire in my office. Go lie down and try to take a nap. I'll take care of this and then I'll come get you.'
Hermione nodded, wrapped her free hand around a lock of his hair, and kissed him one last time before heading down to his office.
Dumbledore turned to Severus, gave him a brief nod signaling his approval, and they headed towards Gryffindor tower together.
Once Hermione had flooed over to Snape Manor she headed towards Severus' room instead of taking the other passage which would lead her down to the door which her key would open. She entered Severus' room and took his bathrobe from the chair in the corner. She bundled it up and held it against her cheek, breathing in his smoky aromatic scent. Then she folded it under her arm and headed to the library.
She took the passageway from the library down to her doorway and had just turned her key in the lock when she noticed something that she hadn't before. Written above the old English oak door in ornate silver letters was a single word.
'Chassit,' Hermione said aloud, frowning. More Latin? Somehow she didn't think so.
Still frowning, Hermione turned the handle and went inside.
After a quick trip to her personal library, where she was able to find a copy of A Tale of Two Cities that didn't lead into any secret passageways, she bundled up in Severus' robe and lay down on the bed. But, she couldn't quite get comfortable. The bed was far better than the one she had at home, and maybe even a tad better than the ones at Hogwarts, but the pillows were horrible.
Hermione stood up with a groan and made to fluff the pillow when her hand encountered something solid. Hermione removed the pillowcase and another book fell out onto the floor. Hermione knelt to pick it up and noticed that it was a journal. The cover bore Severus' mother's name, Amalthia Deviro Snape, and that single word, 'Chassit.'
A.N. Yeah, well there you go then. I'm going to thank everyone by name, and I promise to do review responses sometime in the near future.
Thanks:
Sarahamanda, Anarane Anwamane, CaptainCrash, Kouga'seagleforever(and Amanda too), Terreis, Midnight Owl Miranda, RoseCellist, momsangel, spikefan, Aindel S. Druida, Alana, RoseDust, pixieballerina (thank you by the way, for telling me where the Castaway reference was), BeatlesLover(and yes, I too love the Beatles), MeredithHaze, LynneElf, minute, Jojo, mdemanatee,ArtemisMoonClaw, XxRoswellchicaxX, RavenclawGirl714, Genny79,Dark-M-Fairy, danradcliffe6656, hahaha-evil, hp-lover-fifi, Elizabeth Tears, mysticdarkraven, blackdragonofdeath13, Faye6, Cherry 7-up, Kathryn, 'Mione7, and chocheryl.
Also, special thanks to TheRealiz, who I forgot to thank last time.