Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

Thanks to my BETA for editing! You are great!

Chapter 26

Two weeks later Hermione was sitting in the Great Hall eating her dinner. Or trying to. Her appetite was close to zero.

'Merlin, this is getting ridiculous.' She pushed the half eaten chicken leg in her plate. 'It has been two weeks since he shut me out. This is going too far.'

"Mya? Earth to Hermione, are you with us?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah, sorry, Lavender."

Lavender Brown shook her head.

"Hold on girl. It's Friday and Parvati called a Meeting."

At the last word Hermione's ears perked up. 'Meeting?' The corners of her mouth twitched and went up. Meeting was a polite name for a bitching session. Usually girls gathered somewhere, moaned how useless male kind was, and always ended up admitting that they (males) were useful in some point in life.

Hermione frowned. As much as she knew all her friends personal lives were going well and the Meeting was called only when somebody had a fight or broke up with a boyfriend. That hadn't happened in a while with any of her friends. Picking by bone someone's live life was always the center of their meeting.

'Oh, Hell… ' They weren't going to pick apart her love life, were they? Hermione blinked a few times. 'What am I thinking? I don't have a love life to talk about… Isn't that pathetic?' She glanced at the Head of Snakes and sighed. 'What bad can happen anyway? '

"When?"

"Tonight at ten in the Room of Requirement."

"Do I need to bring anything?"

"No. Just come."

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Later that evening in the Snape Family Chambers...

"WHAT!"

Hermione winced at the volume. The man had a healthy set of lungs and vocal cords. Her husband was developing a nervous tick in his left eye.

"You heard me, Severus."

'Why in the Hell did he have to appear when I was about to leave?'

"Yes, I heard you and you are not going anywhere."

The Gryffindor crossed her hands over her chest.

"What is your problem? We are going only to sit and talk. Besides there will be only girls."

"It is past curfew."

"I am sure you will live, Severus. You can pick me up at one by the Grand Staircase if you want."

'This is the last time I am telling him where I am going.'

"I don't see the need for you… "

"But you do see the need for me to sit here in the rooms all alone? For the last two weeks the only things I see are classrooms, the Hall and the library on occasions. I haven't talked with my friends in forever. If you expect to hold me locked down here, you have another thing coming! "

With those words, Hermione stormed out of the dungeons leaving an angry Slytherin in her wake.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

The brunette entered the RoR still fuming. She flopped on the many soft pillows that were covering the floor by a huge fireplace.

"We were starting to think that you weren't coming, Hermione."

"I hope you don't mind that we started without you."

Finally Hermione looked around and gave the gathered girls a tired smile.

"Hi, everyone."

Sitting and lying around her were five of her female friends. Padma and Parvati that were currently sitting Indian style and devouring a box of what looked like white chocolate, Lavender was lying on her stomach beside Hermione and drinking something that looked and smelled suspiciously like Fire whiskey. There also was Pansy Parkinson and Hannah Abbott that were half sitting propped on the pillows on the other side of Hermione.

"Wine?"

"You have alcohol here?" Lavender grinned nodding in the direction of the corner where their supplies were. "Sure. I need a drink. So what were you speaking about before I came? Fill me in."

Padma's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. Hermione snickered under her breath. 'Gossips. I should have known.'

………………………………………………………………………………………..

An hour later Hermione was amazed how long the Ravenclaw girl could talk without a stop.

"… and you won't believe me. I heard it from Alex, he is rooming with Robert and he said that Ginny has syphilis!"

At that, most of the present spit their drinks out or choked.

"No way!"

"You are kidding, right?"

"Merlin…"

Hermione frowned. Something smelled fishy in that story.

"How did he found out about it? Ginny told him?"

Padma concentrated remembering all the juicy details.

"No. Robert told him and he was told by … oh… hell… Professor Snape…"

Hermione nodded as if agreeing with an untold suggestion..

"Ginny doesn't have syphilis, girls. Severus simply doesn't have an eye on her."

Parvati snorted almost choking on the cookie she was eating. Her almond shaped eyes shining in the fire lit room.

"Whom does he have an eye on, Mya?"

Everyone fell silent looking at the equally silent brunette.

"You ask me like I know… Professor Flitwick maybe ?"

Pansy stood up and cleared her throat getting everyone's attention.

"Ladies. I think it is about time to discuss the main reason of why we have (hiccup) sorry… Why we have gathered, by the way thanks for inviting. " Then she pointed at Hermione with her half eaten bar of Honeyduke's dark chocolate. "How to help our dear friend and hero get her husband back on track before he drives her insane and to us, for the first time in the history of this fine school proved that it is possible to have a negative total of House points."

"Amen, Parkinson. Now as Pansy just said we have gathered here to help Mya."

Hermione stuffed a muffin in her mouth and was slowly chewing as everyone looked at her.

Till now everyone avoided the topic of her personal life.

'I knew my luck wouldn't last forever.'

Suddenly Hannah sniffed like somebody just kicked her dog.

"You are my hero."

Hermione blinked. How was she supposed to answer to that?

"Err … Thanks?"

"I mean you did what we all thought was impossible…"

"That was nothing, Hannah."

"…You married Snape and lived!"

The room erupted with laughter. Hannah looked innocently around but a second later also cracked.

Parvati recovered first.

"A good way to put what we all think, Hannah dear. But let's get to the problem at hand, ladies."

The girls nodded and for inspiration refilled their goblets.

"Ok, lets begin. First step to success is to determine the problem."

"Oh that is easy, Brown. He is a male."

"I am afraid we will have to look deeper then that, Parkinson. Although it sounds like a good start."

"We could correct that! One good aimed hex at his…"

Hermione inhaled her drink at the suggestion.

"I think you have had enough to drink for today, Parvati."

"I'm Padma, Parkinson."

"Whatever, Patil. Besides if we ..err…"

"Make him a eunuch?"

"Yes, that. Hermione might send a good aimed hex at you."

"Lets not get side tracked by details. Hermione, what the Hell is wrong with your Slytherin… I mean husband? I don't remember Hufflepuff losing this many House points from him."

"I agree with Hannah here. Have you all seen him? He is out for blood. It is creepy to say the least."

"Well, the Ravenclaws thinks that you are not giving him any."

"Oh, talking about that. Is it true what they say about men with long noses and their…. you know?" Hannah wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

All girls looked expectantly at Hermione.

"I thought we are here to help me not discuss…. the size of my husband's …. bits."

"In order to help you, Granger. We must know all the details."

"Well put, Parkinson. So?"

"So nothing, Parvati."

"Oh come on. I always tell you about Julian."

"Only when I can't escape it."

"So how big is Julian's?"

"Average, but boy can he use it."

"Details, Parvati. Some of us are still virgins and want all the dirty details."

"Amen."

All attention was on Hermione again. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"What? We don't even cuddle any more since he got in that mood."

Silence. Pale faces. Hannah Abbott might have fainted.

The raven haired Slytherin girl tried to clear her throat a couple of times and then spoke in a pained voice.

"Granger, when I said we want all the details I had in mind details that wouldn't give us nightmares for the rest of our days."

Lavender and the Patil's nodded weakly.

"You are like our sister, but spare us such details. Please."

Hermione took another sip of her wine. The drink was good.

"Did I get that right? You want to know his size but don't want to know that he likes to…"

"Don't say it!"

"For Merlin's sake, I am going to see it in my worst dreams!"

By then Hannah came back to the land of the conscious.

"He likes to cuddle!"

"Abbott!

"Hannah!"

"I am going to be sick…" Pansy didn't look good.

The married party smirked.

"Yes, he does."

Silence.

"How wrong it is to say that I am jealous?"

"Are you sick, Padma?" Parvati was ready to run for the mediwitch.

"I am not sick, sister. But do you know how hard it is to find a guy that likes to cuddle? After it Eric just rolls over and is asleep, even though he is a great guy."

"Who is Eric?"

"What do you mean after it?"

Padma blushed bright red after she understood what she had just said, but it was too late to get the words back.

"We are listening, my dear Ravenclaw friend." Lavender's voice didn't leave place for arguments.

"Eric is a guy that I met this summer. He is very sweet."

"Eric… Eric… There is one Eric in Hufflepuff. A sixth year."

Padma blushed even more.

"Going for the younger men, Patil?"

Padma's sister laughed at the Ravenclaw.

"I bet he is sweet. You wouldn't go for anything else but a King of Sweetness. So you are not a virgin any more. Just for the record how many are here?"

There were three hands raised. Nobody was surprised that Lavender had her hand up. She was going to give some only to the guy that was going to put the wedding ring on her finger. Hannah on the other hand had her hand down and grinned sheepishly. They were all surprised that Pansy also raised her hand, but then everyone noticed the last hand.

"Hermione!"

"But … But… You are married!"

"It can't be!"

"No way!"

"You are kidding, right?"

The Gryffindor in question just shrugged.

"I am very serious."

"You are married!"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Really? And here I thought that the ring on my finger was for beauty."

"It is impossible. You mean Snape… He didn't… I mean you haven't… "

"He was a gentleman and gave me time to get used to him."

"What do you mean was? And now?"

"Now we are in a cold war zone. And I don't have the foggiest idea why. Like I said, we don't even cuddle."

"Maybe he's gay?"

"No, Hannah. He isn't."

"How do you know that? You haven't slept with him, right?"

"To have an overprotective gay husband. He is not giving you any and doesn't let you get it elsewhere… Oh man… I am so sorry for you…"

"He isn't looking at you since Malfoy came. Maybe he is … Sweet Circe…with Malfoy!"

"Severus is not a gay! So keep all the condolences to yourself! Geez…He is moody, not swinging the other way. "

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. He got a 'boner' when we snogged. Ok? So he is not gay. Besides, the only thing that he would like to do to Malfoy is to rip the Albino's throat out."

"Yeah… So what is wrong with him anyway?"

"That's what I would like to know."

"You mean one morning he just woke up all cranky?"

"Well… Yes…"

Everyone frowned at that. Nobody was moody just like that.

"I have never liked Snape, but even he has to have a reason for such behavior."

"Patil is right. Something must have happened. Think about it, Hermione."

Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Ok. Saturday everything was fine. Sunday… also went well. We woke up, headed to the Hall for breakfast, McGonagall came and Severus went to the Headmaster… I was… busy in his study all day and haven't seen him…Monday started with him being all snappy at me."

The young women also tried to remember anything what happened that could be considered important.

"I heard that Professor Snape doesn't get along with the Headmaster lately. Maybe Dumbledore said something to him?"

"They haven't gotten along since Dumbledore found out about the fact that Severus married me. But I don't think that was it."

"Who knows? The old man did hire Malfoy. What got into the Headmaster to do such a thing?"

"No clue here. I am not on the most favorite list of Dumbledore and McGonagall you know." Hermione played with her wedding band. 'Severus…' She forced herself to look elsewhere after a minute. "I think that Severus somehow found out about Malfoy's appointment the night of his patrol."

Lavender opened a new box of chocolate and spread them around.

"Want one, Hermione?"

"Yes, give me the white chocolate rose."

"Here you go. About Malfoy, that would explain why Snape was in such a foul mood the next day, but why did he go berserk on you?"

"Lavender is right. Besides, shouldn't he be over that by now? It's been like two weeks, right? Even Potter calmed a little. I heard he really blew it in the Headmaster's office the same day."

"The portraits in Dumbledore's office said that they were discussing only the night patrol schedule."

"I still think that it has something to do with Malfoy's appearance."

"Have you tried asking Snape what is wrong?"

Hermione glared at Padma. Amazing how stupid smart people can be sometimes.

"Only about five hundred times."

"If he doesn't talk to you about what is wrong, what are you two talking about then?"

"Weather."

Silence.

"Oh man…"

"That's bad…"

"What next? Separate bedrooms? ... Oh, wait a sec… you don't sleep together anyway…"

"Yes, I know that this is bad. I have tried everything save hexing him to make him talk to me. "

"It can't be that bad."

"Trust me it can, Lavender. But I could have probably gotten used to that if he hadn't been different in the beginning."

"How different?"

"Did he change much?"

"Apart from the obvious?"

"Before you go into explaining Hermione, we would like to point out that to us he is the same Overgrown Bat of the Dungeons as he was our first day here. Except that now he is not greasy."

"He is not that bad… all the time… Life is just not fair…"

"You can say that again, Granger. We have Malfoy as a teacher."

"Speaking of the creep. He has a nice ass. Don't you think so?"

Deadly silence. Everyone's eyes went wide.

"Jesus, Hannah…"

"What the heck is in your glass, Abbott?" Pansy reached for the girl's drink. "I want some of that too."

The Hufflepuff laughed at Pansy's request.

"Just wine. So what do you think, Hermione?"

Hermione frowned even if the corners of her mouth twitched and amber eyes twinkled.

"About Malfoy or his ass?"

"Both. They come as a package deal I am afraid."

"In that case I think that Malfoy is an ass."

There were toasts around to the statement. Hermione wasn't the only one thinking so.

"Well, yes. But that was not what I was asking about."

Hermione threw her hair over her shoulder trying to imitate an outraged voice.

"Honestly. Ms Abbott, I am a married woman now, I don't go around discussing other men's backsides."

That caused another roar of laughter from her friends.

"Good one, Hermione." Parvati wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I still think that he is a gay." Hannah was holding her own.

"Snape or Malfoy?"

"Hell if I know. Both?"

"For the last time! Severus is not gay!"

"Ok, Ok. Keep your panties on, Hermione."

"I still say that Malfoy has a nice backside."

"Just too bad that his personality is rotten like last year's eggs."

"I'll drink to that."

Pansy looked at her friend and sighed.

"You really are worried about him, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" Hermione didn't lift her eyes from the blood red liquid in her goblet.

"How desperate for answers are you?"

"Enough that hexing him sounds better and better by the second."

"Ok then. Desperate times calls for desperate measures…"

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