Disclaimer:- I neither own nor earn anything from this story, or its characters. The plot and situation alone are mine.
sSs
A/N:- Thank you so much everyone. You've accepted my Bella, some of you with a little trepidation, but everyone has been wonderful about her. I honestly didn't know how she was going to be received, and I must say I'm very relieved. I have introduced a few OC's in this story, and next chapter I'm planning on two more. One will be OC and the other supposedly dead, then I think we have our ensemble complete. I didn't add pairings apart from the original prompt of SS/HG in my summary, mainly because I wasn't where this story was going to take me. Thank you to Petite Mule who is proof reading her gift story as we go, she is an always reliable source of accuracy. Please enjoy this further instalment…
hHh
Chapter 4 – How Could They?
Once they were safely back into snake territory, the head of Slytherin and his friends started discussing what had happened in the headmaster's office. As expected, this conversation was a fairly bitter one. No one was happy with the outcome, and in some ways it had just become much more difficult. It went without saying that they could trust Arcturus to have Slytherin best interests at heart in the next meeting, but Severus and Lucius would rather have been there. All four of the older Slytherins impressed upon the two younger wizards that Hermione Granger was now a Slytherin responsibility.
Severus especially, gave them specific instructions that they were not to let her out of their sight until they delivered her back to him at lunch time. Never the less it was an uneasy Snape who settled back into his classroom after sending Hermione on her way with Draco and Theo either side of her. His thoughts during the morning often came back to what might be happening in the headmaster's office.
Happy today was his lightest teaching day, and that he had a free lesson before lunch, Severus was currently sitting in his office, trying to fathom how he was going to protect his little kitten, now that Potter and Weasley were hopefully being punished for this morning's deed. He was drawn from his thoughts by the tapping of a cane on his office door.
Upon opening it he found Arcturus Malfoy and Cygnus Prewitt standing in the hallway. "Ah, see, I told you he'd be thinking on the problem," smoothed Cygnus, taking in Snape's more than usually furrowed brow. The Potions master wordlessly ushered them into his office, resisting the urge to look up and down the hallway to see if they'd been followed.
Conjuring two comfortable looking armchairs, he indicated for his guests to sit and called his elf to organise refreshments. "I'm almost afraid to ask how the meeting with the Gryffindors went," Severus said, sitting in his desk chair.
"Well you may ask," Cygnus chuckled, eyebrows aloft as he shook his head. "I thought Augusta was going to hex Albus at one stage. I'm afraid we haven't managed to make much headway, but at least they have been brought to heel a little, over this deed." It was Severus' turn to raise an eyebrow.
"I'll supply the memory for your new spell," Arcturus added, almost eagerly. "It's an ingenious creation, by the way." Severus had often spent time with Arcturus Malfoy, he had been the Potions professor before old Slughorn and his curiosity on his subject still knew no bounds. Severus conjured the liquid once more and his fellow master moved to examine it more carefully. "May I ask what catalyst you're using for the bonding matrix?"
Severus chuckled, "I've managed to stabilise the reagent with carbon, lower than the usual sodium in the activity series, which also allows it to be suspended in the air." Knowing he had limited time, Severus reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a file, before copying it while Arcturus circled the lazily spinning liquid, watching it intently. "Here, read at your leisure, it's already patented."
"Thank you, dear boy. I will enjoy." Arcturus placed the document in an inner pocket of his coat and used the wand he'd just shrunk it with to obtain a silvery strand of memory. He remembered Severus' wand movements from earlier, and soon a picture was forming.
They settled just in time to hear James Potter snap. "I hope this is important old man, I've had to cancel an appointment to make it here," as he stormed through the floo without regard for anyone else. Lily followed him through, preening as she walked out.
Severus gave a scrutinising examination to his one-time love. He found her very wanting, to the point of wandering what he'd ever seen in her. Her face wore the hard expression of bitterness, and she'd had obvious glamours added to preserve her youth.
He started listening once more. Hearing Albus and Minerva both sucking up to their Gryffindor golden boy, it was sickening. That was when Augusta Longbottom stood and started waving her somewhat gnarled finger wildly; the vulture on her hat tottered precariously, but managed to remain upright. "I am so sick of this; you people never listen, do you?"
It was a rhetorical question but Albus, all but rolling his eyes, answered. "Of course we listen Augusta, what do you wish to say."
"Well that hasn't been my experience with any of you." Her beady eyes surveyed the room at large. Then she looked pointedly at the Potters and Weasleys. "From what I've seen, your boys are both menaces," she stated. Then more violent finger pointing at Albus and Minerva, "And nobody seems prepared to bring them to heel, these two were going to let them get away with it."
"What have they done, that's so bad. Surely you're able to sort it, Albus."
"What have they done," Augusta screeched. "This morning they attempted to hex the head girl and the Potions professor."
This made James laugh. "Snivellus and that Granger girl, is that all? She's an ugly buck-toothed troll, and Snivellus should be used to being hexed. I can't see what the problem is."
"Well I most certainly can," this time the voice came from a different quarter of the room. Molly Weasley joined the debate. "James Potter, you will not speak like that about the witch my son Ronald is going to marry."
Severus slid his eyes the youngest Weasley boy, who was starting to look sick. "M-marry; now hold on Mum," Ron managed, "no one said anything 'bout bloody marriage. I don't even like her."
"Nonsense love, she's your girlfriend."
Ron shot a quick look to Harry, "Oh… err yeh, she is, isn't she."
Seeing Albus seemed unable to right this situation Cygnus took over. "Come, come friends. Slinging mud," he glared at James, "and making pronouncements that do not appear to be true," this time his eyes landed on Molly's, and she bristled. Cygnus sighed, "Is getting us nowhere."
"I agree," Arcturus added. His eyes narrowing, on hearing James scoff.
"Of course you agree, you're a Slytherin," James replied rudely.
"And if we listened to Slytherins more often James Potter, perhaps tragedies may be avoided." Augusta cut in. "I suppose it has escaped your notice that your boy was born the day after poor Neville." Her eyes narrowed, "It could have easily swung the other way."
This was something obviously neither Potter had contemplated, Lily gasped and James swallowed hard. His voice sounded uneasy when he eventually spoke again. "Well it didn't, did it," and he smirked. But the old witch's comments seemed to have taken all the wind out of his sails. He looked to his son, "So what did you do?"
An internal battle seemed to be waging within Harry Potter. When he didn't answer Minerva intervened. "Miss Granger, appeared to have upset Harry," she said discretely.
It was at that moment Severus realised Minerva knew what Hermione was doing; this made it even more difficult. How was he going to protect her without them coming down on her for helping her class mates cheat? He had no illusions the Gryffindors would use the knowledge against her, even if she hadn't realised what was happening.
Albus looked pointedly at Augusta, who was still seething, and added. "Of course we can't have people hexing one another. Both young men are going to receive a detention…" he turned at the sound of twin groans at his pronouncement. But neither of them were willing to risk letting it spill that they were cheating to pass.
Severus huffed as he continued to watch, feeling more and more like throttling all of them. Eventually Harry and Ron got away with one detention Minerva. Fat lot of use that will be," Snape thought savagely.
As the memory finished, Cygnus said. "You'll need a way of keeping Miss Granger safe." Severus nodded. "I thought so. There is a little known protection by-law, which may save the day here," he watched Severus' brow clear a little. "It allows you to claim a person from another house, it's not a resorting. She would in effect then be a lion amongst snakes, but it would solve the problem of protection. You snakes are very good at seeing to someone's safety because you cover so many angles."
"The only catch," Arcturus added, "is that she must willingly renounce her own house, she must want to do it."
"Augusta and I will speak with her, if she wants an unbiased Gryffindor opinion." The old man took a deep breath. "Things at this school need to change; it may be time for Albus to resign.
"Mmm," Snape said thoughtfully. "Arcturus, may I keep this memory. I think it may help Miss Granger to view what happened."
"By all means my boy, we best leave you to your work," Severus nodded, and all three rose.
xox
Hermione was still trying to fathom what had gone wrong, she was still unwilling to believe Harry and Ron were not her friends, but she was just as certain that she couldn't allow them to continue to cheat from her hard work either.
She was currently walking back to the dungeons with Draco and Theo. She still shivered in pleasure, remembering her professor taking her gently by the arms. "Please come back at lunch time, I wish to speak with you." The Gryffindor witch had told Draco and Theo she was capable of walking down to the dungeons by herself. They had informed her that they were going that way anyway, reminding her it was Wednesday, and they always had lunch in snake territory.
Knocking on Snape's office door, she heard. "Enter," so she went in. "Thank you for coming back, my dear. Please, follow me." Hermione nervously followed him. There was a door open that she had never seen before. "Please sit," Severus motioned to the lounge, in front of a roaring fire. There were two glasses and a bottle of wine sitting on a coffee table, it all looked wonderfully cosy.
The Potions master filled the glasses, and offered one to Hermione. Sitting in what was obviously his chair, he leant back, crossing on ankle over the over knee. Pursing his lips, and running an index finger around the rim of his glass he drew breath. "Hermione," he intoned thoughtfully. "May I show you what happened this morning in the headmaster's office?"
The obviously tense young woman took a gulp of wine. "I will admit I am curious," she offered timidly, once she'd swallowed.
He nodded, "Good, it is always correct to be inquisitive about ones position in things." Placing his glass on the table again, he rose and swept over to the lounge.
Taking her glass from her, he placed it next to his. "You said this morning that you trusted me, is this still true?"
'Yes, sir, you have given me no reason to doubt you in all the years I've been here."
"Good," he inhaled once more, searching her face. "Hermione, I allow my seventh year snakes to call me Severus in private."
He wouldn't have needed to be watching her to hear her shocked intake of breath. "B-but I'm a G-gryffindor," she stated.
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Indeed you are, my kitten. However, in a funny way you've become an honorary Slytherin. Is the fact that you're still a Gryffindor the only objection you have to using my first name?"
Hermione flushed, she'd dreamed of this situation. But was unsure that it meant what she thought it meant. Her beautiful amber flecked eyes searched his face. "S-severus," she stuttered suddenly, but her nerve vanished and she mumbled the last part of the sentence. "I'm not like them, they are all so prejudiced."
Hermione jumped, when a warm long fingered hand covered hers and squeezed. "We are aware you are not like the rest of your house. This is why we've felt sure in befriending you. We are confident it is not going to be thrown back in our faces." He picked up her other hand as well. "Hermione, look at me," he ordered gently, and watched as her long lashes swept shyly up to reveal her chocolate coloured eyes with their flecks of almost gold. Ignoring the tightness this caused in his trousers he pushed ahead. "Very soon you will have to make a difficult decision. I want you to know that we in Slytherin will support you, but you must make a clean break. No more being subject to their whims, or doing work for them, they need to pass on their own work, little one, not yours."
Her eyes were stinging badly, and she blinked rapidly in a vain attempt to stop the tears that wanted freedom. "H-how d-do you know it will…" but her voice cracked.
Knowing what the last words of her sentence would have been, Severus said, "…come to that." He watched her chestnut curls bounce in the firelight. "I know it will; I've seen this before, she was a Gryffindor too. She graduated the year before you started," he smiled wistfully then seemed to focus again. "However, I didn't ever feel that she was in as much danger as you are." He heard her take a shaky breath, and could see her bottom lip was being worried between her teeth, he continued. "Then there's Mr. Weasley's intentions toward you, you have to know that he treats you very badly."
A noise of assent wanted to escape from somewhere in the back of her throat, but Hermione resolutely managed to swallow it down.
Her resounding gulp was the only sound Severus heard. He knew from the tiny glimpses of her thoughts that he'd hit a painful nerve.
This was something she'd been thinking about privately since Christmas. There was no way her mouth would work to allow that thought out though.
Severus spoke after a moment. "I wish to show you three memories," her already bowed head dropped further. Placing a curled finger under her chin, he drew it up. Once he had her eyes, he spoke again. "I am not showing you these as punishment; even though once you see them you may think so. I wish you to be able to make an informed decision. So I'm giving you all the evidence to help you. Are you ready?"
Hermione glanced down as she felt his hand grasp hers once more. "I suppose so."
She felt Severus squeeze her hands once and let them go. Standing he drew his wand, Hermione gasped when the sparkling pool of revolving liquid arrived above the coffee table. It reflected off the fire, sending amber shards of light dancing joyously on the ceiling. "Wow, what is that?" Hermione was instantly on her feet, and examining it.
Oh, dear Merlin, Severus mused, such a brilliant, inquisitive mind. "It is a new pensieve process I've invented." Perfect, she's simply perfect. He felt the erection that had flagged as they'd talked, roaring back into life. But he scolded himself; this has to be only your mind. Your heart can't enter this. But a traitorous little voice whispered, but why are you so turned on, you feel something for her. His rational mind took over again. Better pay Bella a visit very soon. I think I need some physical relief, I hope she's not still occupied with whats-his-name, her curly haired Adonis. However, his thoughts never reached the surface, and he calmly continued with his lecture. "Please make yourself comfortable again. The first memory is from the great hall this morning. I want you to concentrate on the reactions and expression of Potter and Weasley. I want you to be very sure you understand their intent."
Hermione watched the scene at breakfast unfold once more. Severus explained what she was looking at, as it progressed. The next memory was his recollections from the meeting he attended with Draco and Theo. No explanation was needed here, as it was plainly obvious after watching the scene in the hall that her head of house and the headmaster were covering up the truth. She was however, very interested in the three board members and asked several questions about who they were. "They don't seem to like Professor Dumbledore or McGonagall very much, why?"
Severus told her that Augusta Longbottom and Cygnus Prewitt were actually Gryffindors, then he related a little of the history, especially Augusta's tragedy, before they moved onto the last memory. "This memory is from the other board member you saw, Arcturus Malfoy. Of course as all Malfoy's, he's…"
"A Slytherin?" Hermione finished for him, with a tiny smile.
"Yes, little Miss know-it-all, a Slytherin," but Severus returned her smile, especially since this seemed to cheer her up a little. "Now in this memory, I want you to take very close note of the words of all the Gryffindors."
Hermione nodded, and carefully started to watch. Severus heard her gasp about James Potter's opinion of both himself and her. Then she seemed to become stuck in a loop when Ron said he didn't even like her, and that was when the first tears escaped her control. She quickly wiped them away, and continued to watch. When the memory finished, Severus vanished the whole thing. Hermione was sitting with her head bowed and only just holding her emotions in check. Her companions dark eyes watched her a moment, before picking up her hands, which were clasped in her lap. "Hermione," he heard a stifled little sob. "Hermione, look at me, kitten."
Her eyes were swimming with tears when they finally rose to his. "Hermione, I need you to be a very brave Gryffindor this afternoon," he rested his hand on her cheek and exhaled noisily. "Don't cry," he encouraged softly, "they're not worth it." His calloused thumb gently stroked her silky cheek, and he didn't miss how she leaned into his touch. That's a girl, my darling. Trust me; I'll only do what's right for you. There was that traitorous voice again. I really do need a good fuck. Damn Elizabeth refusing to grace my bed. Stupid witch, fancy thinking I would marry her. He scoffed internally. Then what am I losing, she was only good for one thing, not a brain in her head. There's a line of them waiting for me, he thought. His eyes wandered over Hermione once more, unlike you, my precious little kitten. Severus took in the quivering, shy young woman, frantically attempting to keep it together. You have everything. Body, brains and beauty, or you will have when I'm finished with you. He clamped down on his thoughts and refocused his mind. "Now you know everything. I wish you to sit between Draco and Theo this afternoon in class, and I want you to watch Weasley try to redeem himself with you, after Potter pushes him forward."
Her shaky voice asked. "How do you know?"
"Trust me; they're not going to want to give up their easy homework pass, lightly. But Potter will send Weasley to do his dirty work." Her eyes narrowed, but then turned frightened, and he quickly added. "That is how they work, but you will never be alone with them."
She squared her shoulders. "They do not frighten me, I just feel… b-betrayed."
"And I'm sorry little friend, but I think you will feel far more deceived before a status quo has been reached." The Potions master rose from the lounge. "Now wipe your eyes and we'll have some lunch."
He kept one of her hands and guided her to the table. Hermione allowed herself to be led, revelling in the sensation of his hand holding hers. He placed her carefully at the table, the wine having followed them. The Gryffindor witch was surprised when she took a sip and it was still chilled. A plate of steamed fish in white sauce with sautéed vegetables appeared before her. Her stomach rumbled from the delicious aroma wafting up despite her troubles. But after a few small mouthfuls, she asked. "Is this why you and the seventh year Slytherins are never in the hall for Wednesday lunch?"
"Yes, it's a time I normally set aside to dine with them and discuss any problems they may have noticed with the younger snakes, or any issues they have personally."
"Really, that's a wonderful idea, we never had anything like that," she smiled, although her enthusiasm was short lived. "But you've just spent that time with me," she gulped, and her head lowered. "I'm sorry."
Severus put down his cutlery with a refined click. He reached forward and cupped her cheek, bringing her eyes back up to him. "I have not forgotten them, if someone amongst them has an issue that needs dealing with alone, the remainder dine in the common room and I have time with the person concerned."
"Oh," Hermione huffed, and his hand stroked her face. Her thoughts were almost radiating off her, Severus couldn't help but pick up on them. A little surface Legilimency showed him she had instantly jumped to the wrong conclusion. She thought he was only doing this to help a student.
Time to quash that thought, I need her as confident as I can get her for the remainder of today. "Hermione, you are above the age of consent. Your birthday alone makes you almost a year older than everyone. This coupled with the fact that your parents didn't see fit to send you here for another year, makes this all right. You are an adult, an innocent," he stroked her cheek as she blushed coyly. "But, my kitten, an adult and I intend to treat you as such. I would like us to become friends. Do you understand what I mean?" The head of Slytherin usually wasn't this direct, but he didn't want any misunderstanding with this woman.
"I think so," she thought for a moment, "I would like that. Would you like to invite the group in to finish lunch with us?"
"No," his eyebrow rose smoothly, "I believe, I would prefer to be alone with you, if that's all right with you." Hermione heart was now literally hammering on her ribs, did he mean what she hoped he meant. He watched her face erupt into a pretty smile. "I'll take that as yes, now eat, you need your strength."
Severus ate quietly allowing Hermione to think. When he'd finished, he dabbed his mouth with his napkin, and arranging it neatly on his plate, called his elf. The used dishes disappeared and a slice of some kind of dark chocolate torte arrived, with an additional small flute of desert wine. The cake had raspberry syrup drizzled over it, and the first mouthful Hermione had was simply heavenly. Picking up her glass she took a sip of Moscato, but still remained silent.
Severus could tell she was pondering heavily, and he left her to do so. After a time he glanced at the clock. "Well better finish up, soon time for class," he said finishing his coffee. Then he rose and assisted her out of her chair. "Come, you are entering the classroom with my snakes."
Hermione roused from her thoughts, and finally remembered her manners. "Thank you for lunch and the talk, Severus."
"You are most welcome, Hermione. I enjoyed your company." He extended his arm, and guided her through another door she'd never seen, with his hand in the middle of her back. The heat she felt, she put down to his touch, and they arrived in the hallway outside the classroom. She hadn't heard his whispered protection spell, or the clarity charm he uttered afterwards, there were just too many things clouding her mind.
Her mind reeled. Apart from the obvious problems she had with her Gryffindor friends. No, her mind thought, I'm starting to think they are not my friends. All the things fresh in her mind, the things they'd done and said to her and about her. Regardless of how wonderful the last hour had been, it had brought forward up some painful issues. She glanced around herself; she was surrounded by people who appeared to give a damn about her. Oh, I'm just going round and round in circles. I don't know what to do. Maybe there's a reason why Harry and Ron… no there can't be. I suspect if I ask them, they'll lie. Do I really, not trust them that much?
As it turned out, Severus correct with his predictions. As soon as Harry and Ron entered the room, Ron made a bee line for her. She watched him gulp at the disdainful looks cast by Draco and Theo, and Blaise, Pansy and Daphne from behind them. But this time it was like Hermione's eyes were taking in the scene with more clarity than before. She saw Harry prodding Ron in the ribs to come over, and the words she was now certain he was forcing himself to say sounded ridiculous to her ears. She could see the manipulation behind them. But how do I solve this?
The door banged, and the sharp tap of boots striking stone floor sounded behind her. This pulled Hermione from her thoughts as the Potions master strode into the room, fluidly turned in a graceful swirl of black to start the lesson. Despite herself, or maybe because of her troubles, her mind latched onto the comfort of his smooth baritone and relaxed into the caress of his decadent velvet voice. The rest of the afternoon was a blur, and Hermione retired to her room before dinner, not wanting to revisit the Great Hall or the Gryffindor table after that morning.
She was busy sulking on her bed, when Draco turned up at her bedroom door after he arrived back from dinner. When she didn't answer him, he politely broke in through the bathroom, and was almost alarmed when she didn't even think to hex him. Finally he coaxed her out into the common room where she also found Theo and Daphne waiting with food. "You need to eat, Hermes," Daphne encouraged.
Sighing, Hermione flopped down on the lounge. She watched Draco and Theo leaving for the library, and sighed once more. "I'm sorry. I'm not much company tonight, too many things flying around my brain."
"Just eat. Do you want to talk?" her new friend asked.
Hermione found she liked Daphne, not only had the personable witch befriended her, but she hadn't laughed at her naivety either. The Slytherin witch sat with her long black hair cast over one shoulder. She watched Hermione with crystal clear emerald green eyes, sculptured eyebrows and a full pouty lips. Finally Hermione spoke. "I feel like such an idiot," she mused, staring at the plate of food they'd smuggled out of the hall for her, like it was all its fault.
"Why?" Daphne asked. "Just because you didn't see that hex coming, none of us saw that one."
"No, it's more than that… Arh!" Hermione growled, and rubbed her forehead. "If only I… everybody else knows stuff." She huffed, "Have they been playing me for a dupe?" Hermione turned confused eyes to Daphne. "I've thought these people were my friends since first year. Until recently, I've only had what I could see in other people's friendships to compare friends with."
"Don't you have Muggle friends?"
"No, I've never really gotten on with people my own age. You guys are the first people my own age, who don't go on with juvenile rubbish." She sighed, not really knowing what she was trying to say. "You are all so laid back about stuff."
"We're Slytherins; we adapt to situations and work them to our best advantage. That also goes for people."
"Yes I guess so, but I still feel like an idiot, and I don't know what to think."
They were interrupted by the boys returning. "Here you go Granger, a present. That book you were harping on about yesterday, you know the one that wasn't in the library." Draco started mimicking Hermione. "How are we supposed to do our assignments when the books we need are missing?" Draco was having a lovely rant al la Hermione, and even the witch herself was trying not to smile at him. Finally, he dropped a kiss on her head, and then whispered in her ear. "A certain slutty blond of your acquaintance had it. We simply appropriated it for ourselves." He stood up and continued, "And once you're finished with it, I want it, okay?"
A smile broke out across Hermione's face. "Thank you," she jumped up and threw her arms around him. "Thank you, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."
The only thing that shocked Draco more than her enthusiastic thanks was the astonishment that nobody would have gone out of their way to help her before. He hugged her back and the three Slytherin's just gaped at one another.
"Well, come on Daph, we better get back before curfew," Theo offered, rousing himself from his stupor.
"Mmm," replied Daphne. She turned to the now sheepish looking Hermione. "Don't worry Hermes it will all work out, don't forget to eat, ay."
"Thank you to you as well," Hermione hugged Daphne, and patted Theo's arm. "I don't know if I would have made it through today, if it hadn't been for you three and Severus of course. He's been amazing," Hermione sighed, and sat down to finally eat with a small smile playing around her lips.