Severus slapped 'The Daily Prophet' down on his desk, his head falling into his hands as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths.
The headline glared up at him when he opened the sharp black orbs again: MINISTRY MANDATES MALFOY'S MACHINATIONS FOR MUGGLEBORN MISFITS
He was willing to wager that Rita Skeeter-bitch thought she'd been clever in her titling, in reality this was not clever, nor was it a matter to be joked about. Muggleborn students would be culled from Hogwarts, they would begin a new education system for the poor children, one that would put them at a major disadvantage. One that would teach them nothing useful.
Marriage laws would be next, disallowing the union of any blood status with those of muggle birth. He slammed his hand down on his desk and was surprised to hear a squeak of shock. His head shot up, black hair bobbed around his face and he stared into the wide eyes of Hermione.
Sweet little Hermione, muggleborn. Sweet little intelligent Hermione who would be persecuted along with the rest, possibly killed.
It dragged a low growl from the base of his throat and the witch took a step back.
"I'm sorry, I uh- I didn't mean to come at a bad time. I'll just- I can go." She spun on her heel and made to rush to the doorway.
"Hermione…" Her name was pried from his throat, raw pain hanging on every syllable and she stopped in her tracks, eyes wide as she turned back to him. Those beautiful amber eyes.
"Hermione, I apologize, I've just seen the paper and, well, as you certainly must understand I am upset by their intentions post-Holliday break." She gave a little nod, her slight figure drifted toward his desk as she watched him through sad eyes.
"Yes, I'd just come to speak with you about that, I suppose I won't be able to be your apprentice now." She stopped only when her abdomen met his desk and he watched her, eyes narrowed. He caught the prickle of her flesh, the small raised bumps that littered her exposed arms. She shivered as if she'd caught a chill under his gaze.
"Like hell they will take you from me." He growled, and then, with a deep breath tried to bottle his rage, he needed to calm down, she wasn't his. Not now.
Not yet.
Not ever if Lucius bloody Malfoy had his way.
"Professor…" Her fingers wavered mid air before her hand hovered and then settled over his own that braced him on his desk. He wasn't exactly sure when he'd stood and leant over the wood, it brought him closer to her, to her soft scent.
He glanced down at their hands and then looked back into her eyes.
"Severus, as it would seem I will no longer be your Professor…" He cleared his throat before righting his posture. Instead of knocking her hand away from his he flipped his own and grasped the slender fingers and small palm of her own hand in his.
It fit perfectly, just as it had all those years ago.
"But it will be over my dead body that they take you from me entirely." He folded his other hand over hers, the witch blushed a pretty red that quickly flowed down to the neck of her top.
"Severus…" She managed, her amber eyes sparkled staring up at him, his stomach muscles twitched, a pleasant heat suffused his bloodstream. "Would you…" She took a deep breath, "Would you like to have lunch with me?"
He smirked, his eyebrow cocked. "I would like nothing more, Hermione." And this time he could feel the shudder race through her body, making his smirk deepen in his pleasure.
SSHG
"So you had lunch. Together? Like, as a pair? At the same table? And you talked? And he was nice to you?" Hermione cocked an eyebrow at Ginny, giving her a faint smile through the dreamy look on her face.
"And you really do like him?"
"More than you could ever know." Ginny pulled a face. "You're right, it makes absolutely no sense. He's like, nineteen years older than you. I couldn't do it."
"Careful Ginevra, you never know when the universe will make you eat your words." The redhead scowled and shook her head. "Honestly though, it feels like I've known him since he was young. Like we've known each other forever."
"Please stop looking all dreamy, it's unusual." Rose blinked out of her own love-struck daze and wrinkled her nose. Ginny was still making a disgusted face.
"Age is just a number Gin, and besides, do you honestly see me getting on with anyone my own age?" Hermione shuddered, and this time, unlike those earlier, it was not out of excitement.
"You have a point, you have the soul of an eighty year old…" Ginny gave a wicked smile. "In fact, if we looked at it from a maturity standpoint I'd have to say you're the one cradle snatcher."
"You're an arse Gin." Hermione scowled and stuck her tongue out at her friend.
"Ah yes, but you love me regardless." She shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"That remains to be seen." Hermione crossed her arms across her chest.
"Can we talk about Ron now?"
"No!" The two older girls crowed in unison.
SSHG
"Hermione?" Severus glanced up from his grading, the witch was in his doorway for the second time in a single day and this perplexed him.
Of course, they'd had a pleasant lunch together but that didn't mean he'd anticipated her return to be quite so soon.
"Severus…" She fidgeted, her eyes locked on her feet. "I think I need to talk to you about something, something that's been bothering me for a while, but I can't really- what I mean is I haven't been able to speak with anyone else about it." She was blushing, he adored it.
"I'm certain Lupin would be able to give you much better advice than myself." He leant back in his chair, his black gaze focused on her fidgeting figure. She approached a few steps more and pulled the door shut behind her. She seemed to be trying to look anywhere but at him.
Peculiar.
"No, I mean, I can't talk about this with him. I can't really tell anyone I don't think but- well, you, you are a part of what I need to talk about." He could feel his spine go rigid. What exactly did she need to talk to him about, and why was she standing so far away from him? She'd been bold enough to approach him earlier.
He cleared his throat and with the flick of his wand a chair shot from one of the stations to settle beside his desk. He patted it twice with a hand and gave the little witch a long look.
"Have a seat then, if you will, and we will discuss your issue." She cleared her throat and with a nod shuffled to the chair. She sat as soon as his hand was removed and, he noticed, was certain to keep her hair in front of her face.
Whatever it was she wanted to speak about, she was embarrassed. That much was obvious. And suddenly his mind was filled with possibilities.
"Well then, let's get on with it shall we? I am afraid we do not have all night." The witch gave a breathy laugh, short and stilted before she looked up into his face.
"Please don't think any less of me when I tell you this." He moved a hand to her knee, captured by her pleading eyes.
"Hermione, I doubt there is much you could do to make me think little of you at all."
"Okay," She sucked a deep breath and gave a nervous smile, leaving him waiting with bated breath for her to speak.