A/N: An update! Finally! The last chapter took a lot out of me, but I finally managed to find the time to write. Hopefully I'll find some more after next week's 4-day marathon of exams.
Thank you all for your awesome comments. They were much appreciated, and made for a very happy birthday!
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Bound to Him
Chapter 22
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!
The phrase kept running through her mind as Hermione ran down an empty corridor. There was nothing else she could do. She could not think. She could not speak. She was not even sure she could breathe. There was nothing to do but run - to get away from that room, to get away from Snape, to get away from her life.
And eventually she could not do that any longer. Her legs threatening to collapse beneath her in exhaustion, she doubled over and slid a hand through her sweat-dampened hair. As her lungs were screaming for oxygen, she spent several minutes gasping for air. Once her breathing had calmed somewhat, she straightened upright and extended a shaking hand to steady herself against the castle wall.
It all came back to her in a rush, as though it had been chasing her through the halls and finally caught up with her. The urge to vomit had her suddenly bending over again, but as she had yet to eat anything that day, she did little more than dry heave. Once the feeling had passed, Hermione wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned her back against the wall.
What am I going to do? Where am I going to go? She bit her lip as she tried to figure out the answer to those two questions. There was no way she was going to be able to face Gryffindor tower right now. Dinner was more than halfway through by now, and soon there was sure to be students in the hallways making their way to their common rooms. Hermione knew she could not just walk through the Gryffindor Common Room and go up to her bed as though nothing were amiss. Ginny would be on her about her rumpled appearance and tear-stained cheeks faster than you could say 'Quidditch.'
Where to, then? I can't stay here. The library? Hermione scowled darkly at the thought. She had spent the afternoon there only so she could keep a straight face when telling her friends that she had been reading in her spare time. She sure as hell was not going to go there now. Besides, once they found she was absent from her room, the library would be the first place where they would look for her.
Definitely not the library...and not the Hospital Wing, either. There was really nothing she could ask the mediwitch for - except maybe a Calming Draught, but then that would require some sort of explanation. The rest of her symptoms and all of her pain had vanished as soon as Snape had finished. Hermione grimaced as she remembered the strange look on his face as he had dismounted - pain and disgust.
Sighing, she attempted to shake the image from her mind and tried even harder to forget that it was his semen which now coated her thighs. With a deep breath, she pushed that thought to the back of her mind and glanced about the hallway. She had not had any planned escape route when she had left the room - she had just sprinted away, blinded by tears. As such, she really had no idea where she was. Hesitantly setting off in one direction, she started searching for familiar landmarks.
Wiping away tears, she halted at the sound of a deep-throated purring. Spinning around, she scanned the area for any sight of a cat. She frowned upon seeing none and was about to continue on her way when movement on the wall caught her attention. Turning her head swiftly, she almost jumped out of her skin when she saw the wide eyes of a lion cub staring intently back at her.
"Merlin!" she gasped.
The cub tilted his head, wrinkling his brow in concern. After a few seconds of mutual staring between Hermione and the cub, the latter quickly glanced down both ends of the hall and then blinked with a small smile.
Hermione's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise as the portrait extended towards the floor and then swung open. As she peered into Professor McGonagall's darkened chambers, anxiety swept over her. She did not have permission to be there - she had not even sought admission, for that matter. Mimicking the motions of the lion cub, she looked down either side of the corridor. There was no one else to be seen, though muted voices were drifting from somewhere else.
She needed somewhere to go - somewhere she felt safe. Gryffindor tower and the library were out. It seemed the castle was providing her another option.
Swallowing in apprehension, Hermione closed her eyes briefly and stepped into the room.
At her unexpected appearance, the black cat yowled and sprang down from the armchair. The animal streaked past Hermione's feet and darted out into the hallway just moments before the lion's portrait swung shut.
The room plunged into absolute darkness. Hermione collapsed onto the couch with a fearful sigh.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Severus forced himself to stand. He quickly redressed, withdrew his wand from his robes, and Evanesco-ed his mess. He took in several fiery breaths as he stared intensely at the desk before him. The room was absolutely silent, but he had not noticed due to the chaotic clamoring through his skull. Upon completion of the renewal, all of her inner turmoil came blasting back across his conscience. It seemed he had not realized fully that her thoughts were becoming harder and harder to hear - until now, as it were. It was as like listening to the radio on a low setting, and then having someone crank up the volume.
Grimacing, he raised a hand to his head and tried to adjust to the noise. It did not help any that his own tumultuous thoughts kept surfacing with a string of questions. How was he ever going to face her in class? Would he ever be able to get her screams out of his head? Would she ever forgive him? Would she ever trust him again? How could she? Why should she?
Snape's face contorted as he felt angry tears forming beneath his lower eyelids. Blinking them hurriedly away, he let out a rage-filled growl and tried to control the magic that was threatening to burst forth from his fingertips. He shook slightly, holding his breath as he channeled it all back into his wand. When the slender length of blackthorn began to burn against his palm, he let all the air rush out of his lungs and then angrily swished his wand.
As a ball of energy surged forth from his wand-tip, he felt a certain amount of pressure relaxing away from his body. And as the desk - now tainted by their dark union - violently exploded into a pile of splinters, he felt some of the rage within him disappearing as well. Spinning swiftly on his heel, he flung a similar fire-ball towards the high-backed wooden chair. After it too splintered apart, he spun again and again, launching spell after spell, until finally there was nothing left in the classroom to annihilate.
As a cloud of dust ominously rose about the room, Severus took in the destruction. His chest was heaving, every breath stinging with the reminder of what he had done. What he had always done, he realized - destroy things. He had destroyed his relationship with Lily - the only woman who had ever loved him. He had destroyed his soul the night he pledged his loyalty to the Dark Lord. He had destroyed Lily's life - and Potter's - when he tried to prove his worth by bringing Voldemort the prophecy. He had destroyed his freedom when he turned to Dumbledore for help.
And now he had destroyed the life of Hermione Granger - a child under his protection.
He kicked at one of the larger chunks of wood near him. A flash of color caught his eye, and his breath stopped when he recognized the pale blue of Hermione's underwear. Before he knew he had even done so, flames shot forth from his wand, reducing them to ashes.
Snape covered his face with his hands and dropped to his knees amidst the rubble. How long he remained there in that position, he did not know. Time seemed to freeze. It was not until he heard the creak of the door opening and closing that he finally raised his head.
Albus Dumbledore stood in the middle of the room, his immaculate gold and lilac robes a stark contrast to the darkness of the damaged space. His eyebrows were raised as he swept his gaze about the room before allowing it to settle upon the younger man's unmoving form.
"I see you've taken to redecorating again," he said in a calm voice. Met only with a dark glare, the Headmaster nodded sadly and slowly stepped forward. "Severus -"
"Don't," Snape whispered, nearly inaudibly.
"- I am sorry," Dumbledore finished, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Severus shrugged away from the touch and pulled himself from the floor. He shifted his robes back into place, masked his expression, and sniffed. "It had to be done."
The elder wizard closed his eyes and sighed. He gave a few nods and then gestured towards the door. "Come."
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
"I don't know what in Merlin's name has gotten into you, Malina!" McGonagall hissed as she followed the black cat down the hallway. The diminutive feline gave a small meow and rubbed against the hem of her robes as they reached the entrance to her quarters.
After speaking the password and stepping into the dark room, she glared down at the animal. "Honestly, have I ever sat my rump in your tin of tuna? Rotten feline. Just what was so bloody important that you felt the need to ruin a perfectly decent supper, hmmm?"
Malina arched her back and then quickly shuffled away, leaping onto the back of the couch.
Minerva angrily flicked her wand towards the lamp next to the couch, and raised her eyebrow at the cat, who was flicking her tail indifferently. The witch shook her head, storming forward, but stopped suddenly when she heard a quiet sniffling. Glancing around the large armchair, she gave a small gasp as she caught sight of the girl curled up in the corner of her sofa.
"Miss Granger?" she asked in surprise.
Hermione pushed up into a seated position and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Oh, erm, I'm sorry...I shouldn't be here, but I just did-didn't know where else to go."
McGonagall shook her head to recapture her senses and then took a seat beside her. "Never mind that. Now, tell me what happened."
A new round of tears sprung forth from the girl as she pulled her knees to her chest. After a few minutes of gentle coaxing from her Head of House, she began to talk through everything that had happened since the start of the Welcoming Feast.
Minerva remained absolutely silent as she listened to her account, though her lips pinched together in anger. When the girl had finished, she softened her expression somewhat and brushed a lock of hair out of Hermione's face.
"It h-hurt so much," Hermione whimpered. "I thought I was g-going to die...I wanted to. I begged him just to let me die."
"Look at me, Hermione," the older witch instructed as she touched her cheek. When the girl raised her eyes, McGonagall gave her a tight smile. "You are strong, you hear me? You made it through, and you will continue to do so. Don't let him win."
Hermione nodded slightly and allowed herself to be pulled into a comforting embrace. She was not quite sure whether 'him' was referring to Snape or Voldemort, but at the moment she could not care less.
"Does it still hurt?" Minerva asked as she gently placed the girl's head against her shoulder. When she felt the shaking of the young witch's head, she gave a quick sigh of relief. When the girl began sobbing again, she stiffened and glanced down at her. "Hermione?"
"He tried to give me a potion," she whispered. "I wouldn't take it, and he just looked so...angry."
The Gryffindor Head narrowed her eyes as she slightly pulled away from the girl. "What sort of potion?"
Hermione's sniffling increased, and she tried in vain to wipe away the tears that were still falling.
McGonagall placed a hand on her arm. "What sort of potion, Hermione?"
"A...a love potion," she answered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Olvideregrete."
"He did WHAT?" Minerva's eyes widened in shock. She began muttering beneath her breath, more to herself than to her student. "There has to be some mistake. Severus might be a bastard of a man, but he would never resort to something like that. Impossible."
Hermione shrugged mournfully and wrapped her arms around her shins.
The deputy headmistress frowned and stood up from the settee. One flick of her wand had a roaring fire going in the hearth, and another had the urn of floo powder soaring towards her hand. Upon catching the metal container, however, Minerva shook her head and returned it to the mantelpiece. It was best to gather all of her thoughts before storming in to confront anyone. Sighing softly, she spun back to face the girl curled up on her sofa.
"Is there anything I can get you?" she asked cautiously. "Are you ...in need of anything?"
Hermione sighed and buried her face against her knee. Though her voice was muffled, the elder witch could still distinguish her words. "I...I don't know. I think I just want to climb in the shower and never get out."
"Hmmph," McGonagall frowned, but then shrugged her shoulders in understanding. "If you would, Miss Granger, follow me."
As the witch's emerald robes rustled past her, Hermione looked up from her misery and then reluctantly slipped off of the couch. She raised her eyebrows in confusion as she headed towards the door through which her Head of House had disappeared. As she neared, she could hear the sound of running water.
Pushing the door open a little wider to reveal a relatively large bathroom, she could not help but utter a small squeak of surprise. McGonagall stood beside a large tub of sparkling white marble that was currently being filled with bubbling water through a faucet of gleaming gold. The rest of the room - the flooring, the sink basin, the expansive countertop, and the toilet - shared the same marble as the tub, while accentuated by the presence of a few squashy-looking and decidedly-Gryffindor red bath rugs.
"It's not quite a shower, but it'll have to do," Minerva interrupted her observations. She pulled out two folded, fluffy red towels and set them atop the marble vanity. "I guarantee this will be more relaxing at any rate."
The tub, seeming to have recognized on its own that it had reached the optimal water level, switched off with a quiet fizzing of bubbles.
"Well," McGonagall gave a tight grin. "I'll step out, then."
Hermione gave a small nod, swallowing back a new set of tears as the woman swept past her and closed the door softly. She let out a large gust of air as she set her wand next to the sink and began unfastening her school robes. As the heavy fabric dropped to the floor, she shakily moved her hands to unbutton her blouse. When that, too, had been tossed to the floor, she winced at her reflection in the mirror. She could never have been considered pudgy by anyone, but never before had she ever been able to see the outline of her ribcage, and her elbows seemed even more bony than usual. Her eyes narrowed heatedly as she noted the angry red marks that had formed on her upper arms. She could clearly distinguish separate finger impressions - hand-prints. Snape's hand-prints.
Hesitantly, she raised her right hand and placed it over the marks on her left arm. She lined up her fingers with the imprints left by his, and shivered as she realized how much larger his hands must be. His long fingers had encircled her arms entirely as he forced her back onto the desk. Dropping her hand back to her side, she suddenly remembered the intense pain and fear that had gripped her being. She remembered the panic and the urge to fight that they had instilled within her. She had struggled and kicked at him, and yet he had held her down through it all.
And tomorrow I'll have the bruises to prove it. Taking in a painful breath, she shook her head and continued stripping out of her clothes. As she let her skirt drop around her ankles, she covered her mouth with her hand and felt as though her eyes might bug out of her head.
"Oh my God," she whispered. I just ran through the castle without any knickers on! Holy Merlin. Well, it's not as though you asked Snape to have them back, did you? Oh Lord - Snape has my knickers. Well he can bloody well keep them...or burn them...or eat them for all I care...because I certainly do NOT want them back!
The soft knocking of the door startled her from the train of thought.
"Just a minute," she replied, hurriedly moving to climb into the tub. A soft moan of relief escaped her lips as she slid her entire body into the deliciously warm water. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and let her head rest against the back of the tub.
At her acknowledgement, the door opened just enough for Minerva's head to appear.
"Were you intending to return to Gryffindor Tower this evening?"
Upon hearing the hard sigh escaping the girl's lips, McGonagall gave a knowing nod and stepped into the room.
"I figured as much," she said quietly, setting a stack of folded clothing on the vanity next to the towels. "I've had the house-elves deliver a pair of pajamas and a change of clothes for the morning."
Hermione glanced up at her with wide-eyes. "You mean I can -"
"You may," the elder woman answered with a smirk. "I shall notify Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley that you have been sequestered in the Hospital Wing until the morrow, and I shall instruct Miss Weasley to cover your rounds this evening. You may return the favor for her tomorrow night."
The girl nodded emphatically, brushing away stray tears with a wet hand. "Thank you."
Minerva gave a curt nod and moved back towards the door. "If you are in need of assistance, Malina will know how to find me."
Hermione followed her gesture and noticed that the small black cat had managed to sneak into the room unseen, and was now curled up quite happily in the sink basin. Malina raised her head and blinked twice before giving a swift flick of her tail and dropping her head back to her paw.
The deputy headmistress had nearly succeeded in closing the door when Hermione suddenly spun in the water and called out, "Professor?"
"Hmmm?" McGonagall replied, appearing again in the doorway.
The girl paled a little and began to chew on her lip. Her stomach was twisting nervously as she struggled to voice her concern. "I...er, I have Potions tomorrow morning..."
Minerva nodded as her voice trailed off. "I will have you excused from your classes tomorrow. Seeing as you're currently suffering a bout of some strange illness, it would take at least that long for Madam Pomfrey to set you to rights, wouldn't it?"
Hermione could not help but smile in appreciation.
"However," the Gryffindor Head suddenly donned a stern look. "I do expect you to make up any missed work in a most timely fashion. Potions included."
"Yes, ma'am," she responded with a dip of her head. "Thank you again."
The older witch raised her eyebrow as she moved to make her exit. "Just don't make a habit of this."
Hermione nodded as she watched the door shut behind the woman. She gave a quick glance towards the apparently sleeping cat, and then sighed. She shivered slightly before curling up and ducking beneath the warm cover of bubbles.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Severus looked towards the ceiling in mild annoyance as the fireplace in the Headmaster's office flared green and suddenly produced an irate Minerva McGonagall.
Her eyes narrowed considerably when she caught sight of him. Her wand was out in a split second and she began forcefully marching towards him. "You! What the bloody hell is WRONG with you? Is there NOT a scrap of DECENCY left in you at ALL? You can't POSSIBLY claim that that was in her best interest!"
Snape had remained absolutely silent through her tirade, though he kept a cautious eye trained on her wand as he cautiously stepped away from her.
"Minerva!" Dumbledore interrupted in a cautioning tone as the pair of them continued moving across the width of the office. "You cannot kill him."
"No," she hissed with an angry shake of her head. "But I can maim him!"
Severus let out a sharp gasp of pain as he suddenly backed into the corner of a bookcase and struggled to not fall to his knees in agony.
Minerva's mouth stood open as she stared at him in surprise. A majority of the anger had left her tone as she dropped her wand to her side. "Are you alright?"
Snape coughed painfully, and a look of disbelief crossed his face. "Two seconds ago you were ready to cut me to pieces."
"Yes, well," she stammered in surprise. "I didn't actually intend to physically harm you."
"I always knew your threats were empty," he hissed.
Raising an eyebrow, McGonagall sighed. "I'm willing to give you the chance to explain yourself before I actually start launching hexes. And it takes the fun out of it when you're standing there looking like you just got rammed by a charging centaur. Now, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat when the younger wizard offered no response. "Severus is refusing medical treatment. It seems he may have suffered a few fractured ribs this evening."
The woman's eyes widened as she glanced towards Snape. "Miss Granger?"
Severus narrowed his eyes dangerously as he grabbed the top of an armchair for support.
"Oh, give it a rest, Severus," she admonished. "And, for Merlin's sake, sit down before you fall down."
The younger man held his glare for a few minutes before finally relenting, and taking a seat with a sigh.
Minerva rolled her eyes, and her stern expression returned. "Spare me the dramatics, if you would. I've already heard all of the gory details of this evening, so count yourself lucky to still be breathing."
Snape glanced briefly at Dumbledore, who had let out a small sigh from behind his desk, before returning his gaze to her. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Because I want answers," she huffed, gathering her skirts and perching on the edge of another chair. "For instance - Miss Granger seems to be under the impression that you tried to drug her this evening. Why would that be?"
"Drug her?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprised confusion. "With what exactly?"
The deputy headmistress raised one eyebrow as she stated matter-of-factly, "Olvideregrete."
"WHAT?" Severus bellowed angrily, launching forward out of his chair. "What could possibly have possessed her to think that!"
Minerva crossed her arms, her eyes following his form as he began to pace. "That's what I'm asking you. She says you tried to give her a potion, she refused, and you got angry!"
Snape halted immediately, and his mouth popped open. "Oh...that."
"Yes, that," she responded crossly. "Now explain."
Grimacing, he ran a hand through his hair. "It was an...anesthetic of sorts. Something I developed in an attempt to dull the pain. Not a love potion. You, of all people, know where I stand on those cursed things."
"I do," she nodded firmly. "Which is why you are still capable of speaking."
"Merlin's sake," he hissed. "Why would she even think of Olvide -"
"Severus?" McGonagall asked as he trailed off and stared blankly at the floor.
The Potions Master did not seem to recognize that she had spoken to him. His mind was too busy playing back to the day before. He could see Hermione standing over the potion as it finished brewing, but before that he remembered her staring nervously at his desk. His eyes widened as he realized which book he had left open, and that his notes had been strewn all over his desk. In sudden disgust, he wiped his hand down his face. He completely understood how she could have misunderstood the situation. It could have made perfect sense that he would ply her with some sort of potion to remove her inhibitions. It may not be moral or even ethical, in his opinion, but it definitely would have made it less unpleasant for both of them to -
"THAT'S why you wanted me to add love potions to my coursework!" Snape's eyes had taken on a dangerous shimmer as he spun to face the silent Headmaster.
"You're reaching, Severus," Minerva stated, her eyes flicking between the two men. "He is reaching, isn't he, Albus?"
Dumbledore steepled his fingers and considered his response.
"ALBUS!" The Deputy Headmistress was on her feet in a split second, anger and disbelief flickering across her features.
The older wizard sighed. "I merely thought it might make things easier. At the very least it could provide you with some insight as to how to go about it. Which, if I'm not mistaken, it did. Did it not?"
"What does he mean by that, Severus?"
Snape groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I utilized a few of the ingredients - the legal ones, mind you - to capture the pain-blocking properties of Olvidegregrete. Nothing else, I assure you."
He let his hands drop onto the desk and leaned into glare at his employer. "You could have told me that was your purpose, instead of trying to manipulate me into it! Do you know how much time I wasted trying to come up with a goddamn lesson plan for them?"
Dumbledore let out an amused snort. "I assure you, my dear boy, if I had thought you would take my suggestion to heart, I would have done so. If you were to think of it on your own, however, you would be more enthused -"
"I would be more enthused?" Severus growled and pushed away from the desk in disgust.
Minerva closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. After several moments of tense silence, she glanced at the ceiling and shook her head. "You are both IDIOTS! Hermione Granger is a living, breathing person - not some puppet you can use as you see fit, whether you think it's in her best interests or not! Wipe that blasted twinkle off your face, Albus. Hermione is NOT a child - spare her the insult of trying to sugarcoat things. You cannot take away her choices just to make things easier!"
Dumbledore said nothing, but his face betrayed a hint of shame.
"And you!" she shouted, rounding on Snape. "She may not be a child, but she isn't a calloused, desensitized adult either! She's highly intelligent, but she isn't devoid of emotions like you pretend to be. Good gods, Severus! Fifteen days ago, you raped her in front of the darkest wizards of our time, and you expect her to willingly come back to you for another round? Or to ingest something without knowing what it is just because you give it to her? It's amazing she even trusts you at all!"
Snape stiffened and visibly paled. He blinked his eyes shut and nodded in pained agreement.
McGonagall gave an exasperated sigh and threw her hands in the air.
"Is she alright?" Severus asked a few moments later, not even bothering to hide the concern in his eyes. "Is she still in pain?"
"Well, I wouldn't say she's alright," the elder woman replied, "but she isn't suffering any physical pain, no."
A few lines of tension eased from his face as he let out a deep breath.
"And so you know," Minerva added, "I've excused her from tomorrow's classes to allow her time to collect herself before we throw her back in the thick of things."
Severus gave a small nod and spoke softly. "Good."
"I assume you've already explained her absence to Harry and the young Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"I have," she nodded. "They believe she has temporarily taken residence in the Hospital Wing."
"You do realize they will spend all evening devising some foolhardy plan to visit her, don't you?" Snape drawled.
"I've given them strict instructions not to," Minerva replied with a raised eyebrow. "Though, if that doesn't satisfy you, Severus, you're more than welcome to stand guard."
"Poppy might enjoy the company," Dumbledore added with a slight chuckle.
Snape rolled his eyes and glared at the wall.
"Speaking of Poppy," McGonagall said with a glance to his midsection. "You should let her take a look at you. I don't like the thought of you being injured."
"I'm so flattered that you care," he sneered.
"Oh, I care alright," she smirked. "If you puncture a lung and choke to death on your own blood, not only will I lose my favorite student, but I'll have to find someone to take over your lessons."
Severus snarled and stalked over to the fireplace. He threw in a pinch of floo powder and swirled through the green flames to the Hospital Wing.
When he disappeared, Minerva rested her hands against the back of an armchair and fixed Dumbledore with a look of angered incredulity.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Hermione stifled a yawn as she finally stepped out of the warm bathroom. Peering out into the sitting room, she saw that it was currently unoccupied. Feeling somewhat relieved, she padded across the room.
The couch had been altered so it was nearly double its original width and was more than long enough for her to comfortably stretch out. A large, fluffy pillow had been placed at one end, and two tartan throw blankets had been laid out across the seat.
With a small, satisfied sigh, Hermione sank onto the couch. She pulled her feet beneath her body to sit cross-legged and stared calmly into the fire. She ran her hands across the soft flannel of her pajama bottoms, and closed her eyes as she listened to the crackling of the embers. Focusing solely on those senses, she tried to sweep her mind clear of everything else. It was not the first time she was grateful for having had Occlumency lessons - several nights had found her utilizing her new ability to keep her conscience quiet. When she had the emotional strength to focus, it worked quite well. It did not guarantee sleep, however, for as soon as she began to drift away, her shields would drop and all of her thoughts would rush back to her. So far, the only full night of rest she had gotten had been a result of the Dreamless Sleep draught.
Hermione found herself pulled from her quiet introspection by the sudden appearance of a four-legged mass upon her lap. Peeking out from beneath her lashes, she allowed a small smile as she watched Malina begin kneading her thigh. When a tiny paw hit upon an exceptionally sensitive spot, she jerked and began to giggle, earning her a reproving look from the small feline.
"Sorry," Hermione laughed, realizing she had seen the exact same look plastered upon the cat's owner several times.
Malina gave a mew of disapproval and moved onto the other leg.
"You know," she said quietly, running her hand along the cat's sleek, black spine. "My familiar would probably be jealous if he knew I seeing another cat behind his back."
The cat flashed her what could only be considered the feline equivalent of a smirk and continued with its task. After a minute or two passed, she stretched and curled up in Hermione's lap.
Hermione smiled as she continued stroking the cat's fur. As she scratched behind Malina's ears, she glanced about the room and wondered off-handedly when Professor McGonagall would be returning.
"Well, I'm still alive," she said to the cat. "So she hasn't killed him yet, I guess. If that's really how it works. Rather strange to think about it actually, isn't it? I mean, how could one life be bound so tightly to another that one's death causes the other's. I've heard about people who have been together for so long, that when one dies the other soon follows - but that's out of love, and it's kind of sweet in a sad sort of way. They'll be together forever, as they say.
"But this? It's absolutely barbaric! It's disgusting, deplorable, demeaning, and any other nasty synonyms I could possible think of. And to make it worse - I have no one to commiserate with. Even if I could tell my friends, they wouldn't understand. They'd be up in arms undoubtedly, unable to listen to reason. They wouldn't get it that there's nothing they can do - nothing anyone can do - to fix it."
Hermione sighed and willed herself not to cry. It was easier for her to do while the cat nuzzled against her hand. "My life is completely sunk, and the only ones who know it are three professors and two cats. And there's even fewer that wholeheartedly care about me. Snape cares, but only because his life depends on it. And Dumbledore - I hate to say it - but what he cares about is that its complicating his ability to spy on You-Know-Who. I screw this up, I'm dead, Snape's dead, and the Order has no one else to send in. It could cost us the war, and it would be my fault."
Malina stood and stretched so her front paws were placed on Hermione's chest. Pushing forward, she rubbed her head against the girl's chin.
Wiping away the few tears that had started collecting, Hermione scooped the cat into her arms and placed her face in the soft fur. She laughed as the feline's purring vibrated against her cheeks. "Well I'm glad you care. I honestly think Crookshanks is getting tired of being my therapist. He's probably relieved you came along actually. And besides you two, I only have Professor McGonagall, but it's not like I can come running to her every time I have to...you know. She must feel really sorry for me to let me spend the night on her couch even."
As a stray thought arose in her mind, she began to laugh almost uncontrollably. Malina glanced up at her in surprise and quickly slunk out from her grasp. The cat watched from the arm of the couch as Hermione doubled over with laughter.
"It isn't really that funny," she gasped, finally managing to suppress her giggles. "I just thought how strange it is...I mean, could you imagine their faces if I told Ron and Harry that I'd had a sleepover with McGonagall? They'd never believe me!"
The girl sighed as the cat chose to ignore her and clean its paws. When the cat stopped to yawn, curled up, and closed her eyes, Hermione suddenly found herself wishing she could do the same. Groaning, she turned so she could stretch out. Resting her head against the pillow, she stared at the ceiling and wondered if she would get any sleep at all.
A loud popping sound startled her into a seated position with her wand extended. She frowned when she saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Must've been a house-elf, she surmised. After spending a few nervous minutes staring into the room, she allowed herself to relax and moved to set her wand on the nearest end table. Upon doing so, she froze and stared at the small vial that she could have sworn was not there when she came out from the bath. She snatched the bottle up quickly and rolled it around on her palm. As the label declared in Snape's meticulous writing, it was another vial of Dreamless Sleep.