Sorry for the slow updating! I've been having some computer trouble. This story should be no more than two additional chapters. Hopefully I will get it updated weekly, but you never know. now, let's see what our favorite duo is up to!
"Well, well, well…What have we here, my pet?" Filch's oily voice followed his cat around the corner. "Somebody's in trouble! Just wait-!" His voice cut off as he spied Professor Snape and Hermione standing in the corridor. His beady eyes darted between them, noticing the sneer on Snape's face, and the blush on Hermione's. Filch's eyes widened as he took in Hermione's attire. His rheumy eyes traveled down the length of her body, making Hermione feel as though his vile fingers were running over her skin. She shuddered in revulsion.
Noticing the path of Filch's gaze was taking, Severus stepped forward, between them. His own eyes narrowed and hardened as he blocked Hermione. "As you can see, Argus, I have everything under control. Ms. Granger has been caught wandering the corridors past curfew, and punishment will be meted out. You may continue on your way. Assistance in not required." Snape punctuated his statement with a fluttering of a long-fingered hand in the direction of the corridor Filch had originally been passing through.
Filch was not the brightest button on the coat, but he knew when he was being dismissed. Obediently, he nodded and turned toward his earlier path. With one longing look over his shoulder, hoping to catch another glimpse of the slim, long-legged Hermione in her pajamas, Filch disappeared into the darkness, leaving Hermione and Severus staring after him.
SHSHSHSHSH
Severus took a deep breath and turned to face Hermione. The girl was standing exactly where he'd left her. She was staring at him with her bright, whiskey-colored eyes, almost as if she were pleading with him.
"Professor-!" she began, stopping as he placed one slim finger against her lips. Severus looked at her with longing, sadness, and some other undefinable emotion.
"Ms. Granger. I suggest you return to your dormitory posthaste. I also suggest you take extreme caution when wandering about the castle after curfew. One never knows what might happen. As to the events of this evening, let us forget they occurred. I request your forgiveness for my inappropriate actions, and assure you it will never happen again." Reluctantly removing his finger, Professor Snape spun on his heel, and with a billow of his voluminous black robes, disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.
Hermione gazed after him, her eyes filling with tears. She had known it was too good to be true. With a sigh, she turned and entered the portrait hole, returning to her room.
SHSHSHSHSH
The next few days passed uneventfully. Unless of course you counted the numerous dreams and fantasies Hermione had regarding the events in the corridor. It took hardly any imagination at all to continue the encounter in her mind. After a few days of odd behavior, such as staring off into the distance, waking up late, and not doing her homework several days in advance, Hermione's friends had started to notice something was amiss.
"Well?" Draco plopped down next to her in the potions classroom. He pushed his pale, blond hair out of his eyes and fixed her with his silver gaze.
"Well, what?" Hermione attempted to dismiss Draco by sticking her nose back into her potions text, but the Slytherin boy was not to be put off.
"Well, are you going to tell me what has your pretty little mind so preoccupied lately? Everyone has noticed. I mean, when Zabini turns away from his mirror long enough to ask about it, you know it must be something big. So, spill it."
Hermione shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, Draco! There isn't anything wrong. Nothing to report. I am afraid to burst your bubble." Once again, Hermione turned away. Unwilling to be brushed off, Draco reached over and snatched the book Hermione was pretending to read. He held it just out of her grasp and raised his eyebrows high.
"Really? You think I am that easy to fool? My dear, I am in Slytherin. Not to mention, Ginny brought it up. So, you either tell me, or the redhead will get to you!" He smirked. "You know, one or the other of us will figure it out, so make it easy on us, and speak!"
At that moment Professor Snape burst into the Advanced Potions class in his customary billowing fashion. He stopped short at the sight of Hermione leaning over Draco as the boy held her text high. Draco's hand was at Hermione's waist holding her back. Snape's eyes narrowed in fury, and he took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Kindly return to your seats and behave as though you are 8th years and not simple-minded children. Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for horseplay in the classroom. Commence with the assignment on the board." He turned and stalked to his desk. The others in the class looked on in shock. Professor Snape rarely took points in their class, and never from the Slytherins. However, by this point all of them knew to say nothing, and busily got to work.
Hermione flushed a deep red and fell back onto her stool. Her eyes filled with tears and her hands shook as she dug through her bag for a quill. Draco was stupefied at the reaction from his professor and his friend. Both were highly overreacting, which was unusual. His eyes flicked back and forth between the two. Hermione looked extraordinarily upset. Almost as if she were worried about Snape's opinion of their relationship, which was confusing. Severus knew they were friends. He'd heard Draco talk about it when visiting the Malfoys.
Snape, in turn, looked bloody furious. Almost as if he'd caught his lover cheating on him. Draco suddenly drew a breath. His godfather didn't just look furious, he looked jealous. Draco suddenly felt enlighted. He watched Severus roughly scribble on an essay he was grading. Severus, apparently feeling eyes upon him, looked up. Draco slowly smirked and raised his eyebrows. Snape narrowed his eyes and glared.
Severus was discomfited. The boy knew something. That was all there was to it. That satisfied look could mean nothing else. If Draco had noticed something amiss between himself and Hermione—Miss Granger!—surely other, more dunderheaded students inevitably would has well. He sighed deeply and stared at the essay in front of him. This would not end well, Severus was certain of it.
SHSHSHSHSH
Class had ended. Materials and ingredients had been tidied up and put away. Severus breathed in relief. Hermione—Miss Granger!—had scuttled out of the classroom as quickly as possible, which had been her habit of late. With a groan, Professor Snape rubbed his eyes tiredly. He hadn't been sleeping well.
"So, Godfather, have you noticed anything odd about Hermione lately?" The drawling voice of his godson broke into Severus's thoughts.
"Hermione Granger?" Severus inwardly flinched. How stupid. Now Draco, who was no fool, would never let it go. Warily Snape raised his black eyes to meet Draco's gray ones. Unfortunately for Snape, Draco looked amused.
"Is there another Hermione at Hogwarts? I'm quite certain our dear Miss Granger is the only one. So, have you noticed anything? Perhaps the way she seems distracted? Or perhaps you've noticed how she fairly runs out of your classroom these days?" Draco leaned back against the desk in the front row and crossed his arms across his chest. And he waited.
Severus debated within himself. Of course, he could deny everything. However, Draco would never fall for it. "Yes. I suppose Miss Granger has seemed out of sorts lately. I assume she is highly concerned with an assignment. It is of little concern to me." Snape looked down at the piles of papers on his desk, hoping Draco would take it as a sign of dismissal.
Of course he didn't.
"Really? An assignment? I rather thought it had something to do with her boyfriend. I mean, long distance relationships are rarely simple. Problem, Godfather?" Draco looked up from his fingernails, which he had been carefully examining, to peer at his godfather, who held a snapped quill in his hand.
Severus stared at Draco. Boyfriend? Hermione had a boyfriend? She was in a relationship? Well, hell. What was she doing snogging HIM in the corridor then? Snape was completely unaware that his carefully blank mask was slipping. Confusion, jealousy, anger, sadness. The entire series of emotions flashed across his face. "I was…unaware that Herm—Miss Granger was in a relationship. She is not still with Weasley. Is she?"
Draco smiled in satisfaction. He'd never seen his godfather lose his composure, and the simple thought that Hermione might belong to another man had been enough to break through. Obviously, there was more to their relationship that professor and student. "Oh, certainly not. Actually, I don't believe she is in a relationship with anyone. I just threw that out there, you know, to see your reaction. Which, might I say, was very telling," Draco finished smugly.
Furiously, Severus threw down the broken quill in his hand. He pushed himself into a standing position and leaned forward on his desk. "What reaction? Why should I care if Miss Granger is in a relationship with anyone? I can assure you, it makes no difference to me. I simply hope she is not still entangled with that dolt Weasley. What a waste that would be. Which is beside the point. I do not care."
Draco stood up and ran a hand through his pale blond hair. "Right. Whatever you say, Godfather." With one additional smirk, Draco left the classroom.
Severus groaned and dropped his head into his hands. This was not good.