Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.

Chapter Four: The Consequence

"So, you kissed him, huh?" Ginny said, once the silence became too much for her. Hermione groaned and nodded, not surprised at Ginny's shock. It shocked her too. "Ok, why did you do it? What on earth were you thinking? Was it too hard to just fail the test and why isn't Ron here?"

"Quiet, Ginny," Harry said and Hermione groaned again, laying her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her and patted her shoulder. "Everything will be aright, 'Mione, but what happened? I talked to Ron out in the hall; he said something about you r priorities needing a straightening out, something about your dream and not telling us everything. What was he talking about?"

Hermione sighed. Ron had every right to be mad at her; this wasn't the time or place. She had to focus on not getting expelled. "He's right, I didn't tell you everything, but there were so many people, I couldn't tell you the rest—"

"So what did you leave out? The bit where you run into Snape mouth-first? Or maybe you didn't run into his classroom, you ran into his private quarters. Was kissing all you did in your dream, 'Mione?" Harry asked. His eyes flashed angrily and Hermione stared at him.

"No, Harry, it wasn't like that!" She said, sitting up. "I've been having these dreams for a while now. They're nightmares. I don't enjoy them! The fact is, yes, the kissing Snape bit was the most enjoyable part, but shouldn't that tell you how bad he nightmares are? I still wake up screaming after he kisses me."

"Harry, calm down," Ginny sighed and massaged her forehead, "Hermione, do you know that you are most likely going to be expelled? We didn't mean for you to actually kiss the professor. You should have just failed the test and then you should have gone to Dumbledore about your dreams."

Hermione knew that Ginny was right, but there was still the dream about Peeves. She opened her mouth to explain that to them, but Harry spoke first.

"Honestly, Hermione, why didn't you tell Dumbledore about these dreams? D'you think that acting out your dreams will make them go away?" Harry asked. His face red with anger and his knuckles clenched tightly against his knees. Hermione shook her head.

"Look, will you listen to me for a few minutes and let me tell you the rest of the story?" When both Harry and Ginny nodded, Hermione continues and told them about what Peeves had said in her dream.

Once she had finished, the door opened and Snape walked in, not giving the other two a chance to say a word. He walked past the three of them sitting in the middle of the floor and went straight for the cabinet right behind Hermione. He pulled a pale green vial out of the cabinet and poured a small amount of pearlescent liquid into a glass and downed it. He stood still for a few minutes before turning to glare at the students.

"Stand up and get off of the floor." The Gryffindors quickly did as they were told and Harry and Hermione turned to face Snape. She swallowed hard when she did so, as Snape stood directly behind her so that she had brushed his robe when she turned around. She looked up into his eyes, but he wasn't looking at her, just standing there rubbing his eyes, so she took a few steps back.

Snape finally opened his eyes and glared at them.

"Gather your things, I'm taking you to the Headmaster and I don't want to hear a word out of any of you. Quickly!"

Snape's POV

Severus followed them out of his office, rubbing his eyes again. The potion he had just downed was slowly getting rid of the migraine that the fourth years always gave him, but this time he class had only impounded the headache. He had tried to fore the thought of Granger out of this mind, but his words from last night's dream kept echoing in his ears.

"Daring to come into my classroom and –" Followed by the vision of Granger rising up on her toes and pressing her lips to his. They had been just as soft as they had been in his dream.

Snape inwardly groaned and, forcing Granger out of his mind turned it to the pars that Potter and the Weasleys had to have played, but he couldn't think of why they would have told her to kiss him, nor why she would have listened to them. Granger was supposed to be the smart one of the group, so Severus couldn't think of a reason behind the girl's actions.

"Professor, what's the password? Professor?" Potter's voice broke through Severus' thought. They had arrived at the door to Albus' office. Severus growled the password (peppermint slug) and the four of them ascended to the outer office, where he spoke up.

"You three will not speak until you are told to, do you understand?" Granger caught his eye and nodded, though he could tell she had something to say. He nodded at her to open the door. Albus was sitting at his desk and smiled when they walked in.

"Ah, Miss Granger! Oh, and Miss Weasely, Harry and Severus! Come in, would you like some lemon drops?" Albus' eyes twinkled and he held out a bowl of candies.

"Albus, we are not here for a simple chat."

"I am quite aware of that, but that's no reason not to be hospitable while we wait for Professor McGonagall, if that is alright with you?"

Severus nodded and Albus went to his fireplace and tossed a handful of Floo Powder into it. He stuck his head in the flames and called for Minerva to come to his office. A few moments later, she stepped through the fire.

"Yes, Albus? Oh, hello Severus, children." Minerva added when she saw that the Headmaster had company. Severus saw her smile when she looked at Granger.

Teacher's pet.

"Albus, if you don't mind, this is very serious." Reaching out a hand, Severus pushed Granger forward a few steps. Albus inclined his head in acknowledgement and Minerva's smile faded.

"What's happened? Are you alright, Miss Granger?" Minerva began fussing over the girl and Severus snapped.

"Your favourite student kissed me during her Potions test." Severus grumbled and Minerva stopped her fussing and looked down at Granger, her eyes wide, while Albus merely smiled with that infernal twinkle in his eyes. Potter broke the silence, clearing his throat to get their attention.

"She only did it because I dared her to…sort of." His face went red and he looked at the floor. The Weasely girl groaned.

"We didn't expect her to kiss you, Professor. It was either she fail the test on purpose or kiss you, but it was only to get her to not be perfect."

Somewhat, no, quite surprised at this, Severus looked at the three students. Potter still had his eyes to the floor and Granger had yet to move, her expression carefully blank and not looking into anyone's eyes.

"Be that as it may, Granger should not have done what she did."

Minerva finally spoke, but didn't take her eyes off of the girl. "Now, Severus, I'm sure Miss Granger was aware of the consequences of her actions, weren't you, dear?"

Granger now had a chance to defend herself, but she just stood there a moment. Now that she was in the Headmaster's office, Severus could see that she knew she had made a huge mistake. Too late now, he thought as she finally looked up at Albus.

"Er…well, I know I'll get detention, Professor, but I can't be expelled." She looked over at Severus as she said the last part. We'll see about that, he thought.

Albus' smile widened and he winked at her as Severus scoffed behind her. "Can't be expelled, Granger? I don't know who told you that, but…"

"She's right, Severus." The portrait of Dilys Derwent interrupted and Severus glared daggers at the picture. He had always hated those meddling pictures. "Don't look at me like that. The girl is right, she can't be expelled."

"Kindly explain yourself, Dilys." Minerva was also staring at Derwent, but with a slightly less malicious glare. The portrait preened a bit before clearing his throat.

"Hem, very well. You see, in 1893 is was discovered that Corliss Brombleby, a Charms Professor, was dating Amelie Grant, a seventh year student—"

Minerva gasped at the thought of a teacher in a relationship with a student, but Derwent continued speaking.

"—Miss Grant's father tried to get the Wizengamot to take action against Brombleby, but the court decided that nothing illegal had occurred, seeing as Miss Grand was of legal age and Brombleby didn't show any favouritism to her class. Of course, it was looked down upon because of the age difference, but nothing happened to them."

There was silence for a few moments after Derwent stopped talking and then Potter just had to open his mouth.

"So Hermione can't be expelled?"

No one said he was bright.

"Quite right, Harry. But Severus is free to give Miss Granger as much detention as he feels she deserves." Albus inclined his head toward Severus.

Severus wasn't sure what to think. Of course he would give her detention, but would it be only for looks? After all, he had been pleasantly surprised when Granger had kissed him, had even thought of kissing her back, but it wasn't right. What would the rest of the school think?

"Of course, Miss Granger's most harsh punishment will be the reaction of her peers."

Severus looked at Albus and was somewhat, no, very surprised to see understanding in his eyes. Granger seemed to be unaware of her surroundings, but Albus' words work her up and she blushed.

"I'll just tell them the truth."

Potter smiled. "You'll tell them that you'd rather kiss your Professor than fail a test? I think they'd believe it."

Albus smiled as well and Severus stared at Potter as if he had revealed the answer to life, the universe and everything. Granger had opted to kiss him instead of simply messing up a potion. What did that mean? Was there more to this? He couldn't think of a good reason why any student would choose to kiss her teacher, especially a teacher that her house despised. Merlin, most of the Slytherins in that class had Death Eater parents. Perfect, just perfect.

Again, Granger blushed and Minerva cleared her throat.

"Well, Miss Granger, as glad as I am that you did not purposefully fail a test, couldn't you have done something else?"

The girl looked over at Potter and the Weasely girl nervously. There was something else that she didn't want them to hear. Something about her that Potter didn't know? Today was full of surprises.

As her silence continued, Albus asked the other two Gryffindors to wait outside the office. After a few protestations, they left and he motioned for Granger to take a seat on the chair next to where Severus was standing. She did, but kept fidgeting. She hadn't looked at Severus since the kiss, but he watched her carefully for signs of shock.

"Miss Granger, please explain the real reason you did what you did." Albus spoke softly, but his tone was firm and, after a few more moments of silence, Granger spoke.

"Er…well, I've been having very odd dreams lately. Dreams that I'm running through the castle being…herded…toward the dungeons by invisible hands and voices. In every dream, I run into the Potions classroom, where I am safe from the…things."

Not possible…could her dreams be…were they…sharing…?

"Professor Snape is always grading papers when I run in crying. When the door closes, he always says—"

"—'Ah, just in time for detention, Miss Granger.'" Severus finished her sentence in shock. "Then Granger says—"

"—'Thank Merlin you're here! There's something out…detention?'" Granger finally looked up at him, her eyes full of shock, wonder, and fear. They looked at each other in silence for a long moment before Granger tied it up in a ribbon. "And then he kisses me…"

"Albus, what does this mean? Are they sharing dreams?" Minerva's voice trembled and Severus tore his eyes away from Granger and over to Albus, whose eyes had lost their sparkle.

He was watching them with an odd look of fear and worry on his face and Severus knew he was thinking about the implications of a Death Eater sharing dreams with Potter's best friend.

"I know what you are concerned about, Albus, and you're right. He won't be happy, but I have been able to keep him out of my mind since the dreams started." Not that the Dark Lord had really tried, but Severus had built up strong walls around those dreams. He didn't want anyone seeing them. They were private.

"You must make sure he doesn't find out that you and Miss Granger are sharing dreams. If he does, then I am sure he will find a way to use it to his advantage."

"But Albus, surely those dreams don't mean anything!" horrified, Minerva moved to stand beside Granger, who seemed to realise what was happening. She, too, looked horrified.

"They didn't, Professor. The dreams didn't mean anything until I actually kissed Professor Snape. They were just coincidence and neither of us knew we were sharing dreams. Now it means that we are connected."

"Quite right, Miss Granger. And, as Severus is connected to you, he is connected to Harry through you."

A dark silence fell upon the room as the complications of this statement appeared to the occupants. A chill ran down their spines as Granger said it aloud.

"Which means that V-Voldemort will have a connection to Harry."