Hermione was beginning to panic when she felt Malfoy still, his entire body straight as though he'd turned into a steel pole. She flicked her eyes behind them to see Ginny, her wand sticking directly into the blonde man's neck, parting long white blonde hair, Rose was behind her, looking panicked.
"This isn't really the place to be trying to take off with students, is it Mr. Malfoy?" She bit, her wand dug forward and Hermione slipped back away from the blonde man. Her eyes locked on her friend.
It was a fascinating sight, she stood, her head level with Malfoy's shoulders but she was proud, and her stance was firm as she held her wand to the back of the man's neck.
Malfoy cleared his throat and raised his hands into the air, cane clutched between his thumb and pointer finger casually.
"A pleasure, Ginevra." He spoke, voice level, his entire figure exuding confidence despite the wand at the back of his neck. Ginny tipped her head at him and pulled her wand back as he spun to face them. Hermione had brandished her own wand at the man.
Hermione realized he was much more experienced than them, that he had practiced dueling outside of a classroom and had life experience under his belt.
She also knew he would not want to cause a scene in the middle of Hogsmeade, three female students facing him down. He spun his cane between his fingers and Hermione's eyes narrowed there.
She remembered, in little flashes- that was where he kept his wand.
"You should go, Malfoy, before Snape is here." Hermione bit out, Ginny shot her an odd look but shrugged, she'd ask about it later, the bushy haired brunette was certain.
"Ah yes, please do send my regards to Severus," he flicked silvery eyes to Ginny, "Arthur as well." He bowed and vanished in a spin of fine black robes.
Ginny exhaled a breath and slumped her shoulders, her eyes locked on the place the man had once stood. The bright brown twinkled and Hermione furrowed her brow for a minute before she turned back to a sobbing Rose.
"He would have killed you!" She screeched and hooked her arms around Hermione's waist. The brunette patted her head and looked to Ginny who could only shrug again.
"Thank you, Gin, that was a dangerous position to put yourself in."
"That snake, I'm not afraid of him." She tossed red hair over her shoulder while Hermione tried to pry Rose off of her waist. To no avail, she supposed she wouldn't be left alone again after this.
Especially when she told Remus, he would demand she had a security detail.
SSHG
"So, what was that about Professor Snape, in Hogsmeade?" Ginny questioned, they were ascending the stairs from dinner toward Gryffindor tower. They would break apart soon so Hermione could go to her Head Girl dorm before she did her rounds but it was the only time the two girls found themselves not surrounded by friends.
"Malfoy was here, on school grounds a week or so ago, I stumbled on him and a companion and they threatened me. Snape showed up at just the right moment and helped me." Hermione explained, trying to keep the little jumps out of her voice when she thought about the way his body had curled around hers from behind.
Just the memory of his warmth seeping into her was enough to give her chills.
"You have a thing for the Professor!" Ginny had been watching her with narrowed eyes and Hermione jumped at the exclamation.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Hermione gasped, eyes wide on her best friend who let out a wild peel of laughter.
"Yes you do! You so do! Now I know why you wouldn't give Ron the time of day- I mean, apart from Rose." She gave a mad cackle and popped Hermione on the arm. The other witch winced and put a finger to her lips.
"Shh, this is not the time or the place for this." Amber eyes flitted around rapidly, looking for anyone who may have heard her absurdly loud redheaded friend.
"This is amazing! I should have known you would be interested in older men." Ginny waggled her eyebrows and Hermione barely suppressed a frustrated sigh.
"Okay, okay, you caught me. Please don't say anything…"
"I would never, honest, I wouldn't tell anyone, not even Rose. Seriously though, 'Mi, why him?"
"I've been trying to figure that out myself. There's more to him than we see on a daily basis. He has this depth, it's hard to explain." The brunette brushed her fingers through curly hair and Ginny gave her a wide smile.
"I understand, the heart wants…After all, Rose could do so much better than Ron."
"They'll be fine, as soon as he gets his peacocking out of his system." Hermione winked at her friend who shook her head. Hermione realized then, they really had grown up quite a lot. Ginny was sixteen, nearly seventeen and in her sixth year. Ron, Harry, and Hermione herself would be finished with their education this year.
"I hope he's done with it soon, poor girl looks heartbroken every time he brings in a new bird."
"You need to get to the dorms, I have rounds to do, I'm certain it will all work out." Hermione smiled and shooed her friend away, her eyes lighting on the tapestry that covered the door to her Head Girl's Dorm. She ran her hands down the back of the large black-cat like shadow depicted on the tapestry and it curled before swinging aside to let her in.
She was surprised when she exited her dorm to begin her patrols that Severus was stood outside, staring with hard black eyes at the tapestry that covered the door.
"Good, blasted thing would not let me knock." Hermione reached her fingers out and ran them down the shadow's back again.
"He likes a gentle touch, just enough to brush the surface." She watched the tapestry sway to the side and then settle back in its place.
Severus caught her wrist, her eyes flicked to his and he gave a small nod.
"I will remember that." He cleared his throat and Hermione watched him closely, his hand warm and firm around her wrist.
"I understand there was an incident in Hogsmeade."
She gave a nod, her back leaning against the wall as he stood in front of her, eyes inspecting.
"We had a bit of a run-in with Lucius Malfoy, okay- I had a bit of a run-in with him. He told me to go with him and he wouldn't kill me- yet. Ginny saw us and, thank Merlin for her because she stopped him." She shuddered at the thought and gave a squeak of surprise when he pulled her to his chest and hugged her in his arms.
She relaxed immediately, as if by instinct and pulled back to look up at the Professor.
"You seemed to require physical comfort."
"Thank you." She exhaled, a little smile playing at her lips. He smirked, gave a nod, and said his goodnight, turning to leave her, robes billowing behind him.
She watched with her mouth slightly open, what exactly was going on with him, with her, with them?
Hermione tried to calm her raging nerves as she started her rounds and by the time she was finished she wanted nothing more than to collapse into her bed and sleep for the next two days.
She was exhausted.