A/N: Hi all! Sorry for the delay, but I've had the worst few weeks, and have been using the past week to catch up on sleep and unwind with my family. I found it a bit strange that two weeks ago, we were preparing for a blizzard, and today I was in a tank top and shorts, enjoying the 75 degree weather. Weird.
But anywho - here's the update! I apologize for any mistakes. I've had to transfer it between computers, and then uploading it here messed up all of my formatting, so I had to fix it, and then for some reason it started deleting words. In my stress, I may not have been the world's greatest proofreader.
Thank you all for your amazing reviews -tennis14321432, vampirela69, JordanGoombette, woodshark, Stacy Vorosco, hnwhitlock2000, TakumaAngel, Angelwells, Lil Tine, jforston, ineverdothis, , KittyPimms, La muta larmo, sharNZ, HPFanGirl01, Startled Boris, Petite Mule, Inez Stringos, DedicatedReader, Lover of Fantasy, silverose29, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Odile1001, BlooDsucKkerR69, Lyra Lupin, early1991, Mel, callalily32, melonka, Slinkiee, Stephanie S, memorieslost05, cypris88, Sev01, SemiCharmed, sezoa1, becknox71270, AllyZ, Mrs SeverusSnape603, Tilly, extassy, and Jinx452!
Bound to Him
Chapter 25
It was well past breakfast by the time Hermione awoke on Saturday morning. The room had been empty when she ventured out from the comfort of her bed, and now, as she stepped out of the bathroom freshly showered and dressed, she still found her roommates to be among the missing. She quickly surmised they must be out enjoying their free day.
She winced as her stomach loudly rumbled. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had a good two hours before lunch would be served in the Great Hall. She let out a small puff of air, wondering if it would be possible to sneak down to the kitchens. She was not popular there, by any means, thanks to her hopeless attempts at house elf reform, but perhaps she could convince Harry or Ron to accompany her.
Hermione sighed, realizing she had been rather short with them the past few days. A small voice at the back of her head reminded her of how poorly Harry had treated Ron and her after Cedric Diggory's death, and it tried to argue that it was only fair he get a small dosage of his own medicine. The rest of her quickly dispelled that notion, however. It was not their fault that she was not fully ready for the steady onslaught of the year, and it was not their fault that she could not tell them about her situation. It was not fair to push them away, especially when she was the one that had been desperately wishing for their company.
Steeling her resolve, she decided to venture down to the common room to see if they were there. A minute and a half later, a large smile broke out on her face as she witnessed the two of them chatting animatedly at one of the tables. Ron's face was bright, and he was gesturing wildly with his hands while Harry snickered and shook his head. She grimaced internally, realizing they must be discussing Quidditch, but then quickly shook her head. She would welcome a lengthy conversation on the subject with open arms if it would distract her from other thoughts.
"Morning, Hermione!" Harry called out, catching sight of her. Ron snapped his head up immediately, and then blushed slightly with the knowledge that she had seen him do it.
Fighting to quell her rising apprehension, she forced a smile and quickly made her way over to join them.
"We saved you some food," Ron mumbled, "since you weren't at breakfast. Thought you might be hungry."
Her eyes lit up in honest anticipation as he produced a plate with some buttered toast and sausage links. "Thank you, Ron! I'm positively starving actually."
"You're welcome," he answered sheepishly, turning another shade of pink.
Hermione ignored him and set in upon the plate in front of her. When a few minutes passed in strange silence, she set down a half-eaten piece of toast and glanced between the two boys. "So - what's new?"
Harry winced slightly at the realization he had been staring. "Erm, nothing much."
Ron tilted his head. "Did we tell you Harry was named Quidditch captain?"
"Really?" She smiled widely, turning to look at the dark-haired boy. "That's wonderful, Harry!"
He gave a weak smile and shrugged. "Yeah, it is."
"But?"
"But," Harry sighed, "it's going to be exhausting just trying to organize try-outs. We've lost so many players - Katie and I are the only ones left who have actually played any matches."
He looked around the common room and gave a slight shudder. "It's going to be an absolute nightmare."
"I'm gonna try out for Keeper again," Ron announced proudly, puffing out his chest. "I did some practicing this summer."
Hermione noticed the small crinkling at the corner of Harry's eyes as the redhead made his pronouncement. Harry was worried about having Ron on the team, and she knew he was too polite to say anything to him about it.
"Good for you, Ron!" She flashed him a quick smile and then dropped her eyes back to her food. "When are you holding try-outs?"
"I was thinking of starting the week after next," Harry answered. "That way we have a solid month and a half of practice as an actual team."
She nodded. "Makes sense."
"I'm gonna put up sign-up sheets this week," he continued. "Moths to a flame, it'll be."
Hermione snickered and nodded. "Well, if it makes it any better, my name won't be on the list."
Harry grinned and looked at her. "Thank goodness for that. I won't have to find a delicate way to say you're a horrible flyer."
"Oi!" Ron interrupted, kicking Harry beneath the table. "You don't need to insult her."
"It's alright," she laughed, touching Ron's arm. "Honestly. I know how horrid I am on a broom. I hate flying."
"Oh, right," he mumbled, glancing down at her hand and then shooting a glare towards their friend.
Hermione quickly removed her hand, and slipped it into her lap. Immediately she began looking for a change of topic. "Did you finish your Potions essay yet?"
"No," Harry groaned. "Have you?"
"Not quite yet," she shook her head. "I have finished all the research on my ingredients, though."
"Of course you have," he smirked. "I haven't even started yet."
Of course you haven't. Hermione rolled her eyes. "You do realize it's due on Monday, don't you? You can't just make up stuff like you do for Divination."
"I know, I know," Harry grimaced. "I was going to work on it today."
"Well, if the two of you are gonna waste a perfectly good Saturday on Potions, I'm going to find something better to do," Ron said, stretching lazily and standing up from his chair.
"Don't you have homework to do?" She looked at him pointedly.
"Good as new, isn't she?" Ron chuckled, glancing at Harry. He then turned back to Hermione and shrugged. "I'll do it tomorrow night. It's just one of those dream analysis things."
"Meaning you're going to fabricate it all," she sighed.
The redhead grinned and nodded. "Ginny, Seamus, and Dean went out to get some flying practice in. I think I'll join 'em."
Harry let out a deep breath as soon as Ron had disappeared up the stairs to retrieve his broom.
"He might surprise you, you know," Hermione shrugged. "His whole family - minus Percy, of course, and I don't know about his mum - have been on the team. He's played the sport longer than you've even known about it. Plus, he just said he spent the summer practicing."
"Yeah, I know," he nodded slowly. "Chaser or Beater, I could see him as - but Keeper?"
"He was going to be Keeper last year," she reminded him. "Before Umbridge sacked the whole team, of course. You seemed fine with it then."
Harry grimaced. "I know I was, but…it's just that…well –"
"You mean, it's just that last year it was Angelina's team, and this year it's yours," she stated coolly. "It was alright for Angelina to have to put up with a mediocre Keeper, but not you."
"When you put it that way," Harry winced, "I sound like a total arse."
Hermione remained silent, but pointedly raised an eyebrow.
He blew out a long breath and shook his head. "I just want the team to do well, especially after having been sacked last year. If only to show up Slytherin, I'd really like to have a top-notch team. Ron and I are best friends, Hermione – but I just don't know if he's the best Keeper."
"Then work on him," she suggested. "You have two weeks until try-outs."
"See you guys later!" Ron called out, crossing through the room towards the portrait and carrying his broom.
"You're right," Harry nodded, rising from the table. "Maybe I should."
"Not now!" she called out as he started walking towards the staircase into the male dormitory. "You have to get your essay done. You do realize as Quidditch captain you have to maintain a certain academic standing, don't you? That doesn't exclude Potions."
The boy flashed her a grin and laughed. "I was just going to get my Potions materials, but thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Sorry," Hermione blushed. She waited a few seconds before standing up and making her way to the other dormitory entrance to get her own bookbag.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
The Dong Qui root, of the Angelica genus, is indigenous to China is more commonly referred to as 'female ginseng.' Its properties are such that it can be used in potions to promote analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and sedative effects. The herb is rich in coumarin derivatives, which are helpful in relieving muscle tension, and the high Vitamin E content aids in keeping skin, internal organs, and tissues - particularly those of the female reproductive system - moist, well-lubricated, and flexible.
Hermione flushed as she watched the ink dry on the latest paragraph of her essay. Never before had she been so embarrassed to complete an assignment. This was supposed to be Potions, not a health class. Taking a deep breath, she dipped the end of her quill back in her inkpot and continued writing.
Motherwort Herb has traditionally been used in the magical protection of women and children. Throughout the ages, healers have used tinctures of the herb as a tonic for the uterus and other reproductive organs. More recent discoveries with Motherwort, however, have highlighted the plants ability to soothe and strengthen the entire nervous system. Similarly, Alchemilla vulgaris - or Lady's Mantle - is used in medical-based potions to treat inflammation or damage to the female reproductive system, and can alleviate uterine discomfort.
"Hey, Hermione?" Harry interrupted.
"Hmm?" she asked without pausing in her work.
The boy rubbed a hand behind his head, frowning at a book open in his lap. "Have you ever heard of windflower? I've been looking, but all I can find is wine-flower and wingflower. Do you think, perhaps, he could have made a mistake in writing it out?"
She snorted and shook her head. "I highly doubt it. Perhaps there's another name for it."
"And how exactly am I supposed to know what it is?" he snapped.
Hermione sighed and set down her quill. She bent down and picked up her apprentice-level text and pushed it towards him. "There's an appendix with alternate names in the back. It's rather extensive. You could start there."
She ignored his mumbled expression of half-hearted gratitude and glanced back at her list of ingredients, checking off the ones she had already described.
Avena sativa is more commonly referred to as Oatstraw. On its own, the herb can be used for many physical and nervous ailments, including depression. Oatstraw can be used in potions to prevent or relieve spasms, to soothe inflamed or damaged tissues and mucous membranes, or to strengthen the nervous system's ability to function properly. This herb is commonly found in love potions, as when it is used in combination with certain ingredients - including lemon balm, cubeb berries, cherry bark, or red clover flowers - it can establish a pleasurable experience for the drinker.
She blew out a deep breath. Lemon balm, cubeb berries and red clover were all utilized in the Olivideregrete potion, but this particular brew had not called for any of them. Theoretically, then, the potion he had developed for her was not a love potion.
Well, that's something, she thought as she looked over the rest of her notes.
Rubus idaeus is the red raspberry plant. Its leaves contain fragrine, which aids in strengthening the pelvic region. The high calcium content of the leaves can also be used to relieve pain and nourish the nervous system.
"Found it!" Harry called out, pointing at a page in her textbook. "The wood anemone, also known as crowfoot or windflower, calls upon elemental air. The mature flower is a frequent nesting locale for the Dandran Faerie colonies of Northern Europe. Poisonous, but can charm against fever, and is often used in death rituals.
"This is ridiculous. Either I want to kill somebody, cool them down, or honor them in death." He sighed. "Not to mention displacing a bunch of disgruntled faeries."
Hermione snickered and rolled her eyes. "He does say to theorize possible purposes, so he probably isn't grading you on whether or not you get the correct answer."
"It's me, Hermione, and it's Snape," Harry said quietly. "Of course he'll grade me on whether or not I get the right explanation."
"I suppose you do have a point," she shrugged. "Look at your other ingredients then."
The boy grunted as he glanced over his list. "Well, there's Valerian root. That's a sedative, right?"
She nodded, reading through her own description of the ingredient. "It has sedative properties, yes, but can also be used for internal pain or muscle tension."
"You wouldn't use a tranquilizer on somebody who's already dead," Harry thought aloud. "So, obviously, that option's out."
"Obviously," she agreed, with a raise of her eyebrow.
Harry snorted and shook his head. "Merlin, minus the nasty sneer, you sound just like him."
Hermione began to giggle, and then off-handedly wondered if Snape was listening in on this conversation, and if he would be angered over it. She sobered immediately at the thought and dropped her gaze back to the table.
"You alright?" he asked, concerned at her sudden change in emotion.
"Erm, yeah," she nodded, rubbing her forehead. "I just thought of something, that's all."
"Oh," he responded quietly. "So have you figured yours out yet?"
Hermione glanced down at her notes. Kava Kava had anesthetic properties and could be used for relaxing. Bittersweet was used for protection and healing, as was Cinnamon Bark.
"Well," she began cautiously. "It seems to have some healing properties - for the nervous system especially - but I think it could be used as sort of a directed anesthetic."
"Really?" Harry asked, reaching excitedly for the scroll with her given list of ingredients.
Hermione hurriedly began collecting all of her notes and storing them away in her bag. She really did not want to explain anything regarding the actual contents of her essay. It was bad enough to think of Snape spending time researching the female reproductive system - she did not need the added embarrassment of having Harry knowing it, too.
"Bat nut?" he smirked. "What the bloody hell is that? It's not actually a bat's...erm...you know?"
"Testicle, you mean?" she laughed nervously. "Absolutely not! It's the seed pod of an Asian plant. It just looks like a flying bat. It's also called the Devil Pod. Merlin, Harry."
The boy had turned completely red, and he dropped his gaze back to the paper. "So what's it do?"
"It gives strong protection from evil," she answered.
"Like against dark magic, you mean?"
Hermione nodded, relieved that he had picked one of the ingredients with the least awkward of purposes. "I think it's supposed to keep the drinker from feeling certain effects of a dark curse. Or minimize them, at least."
"Brilliant," he muttered, returning the parchment to her.
"I suppose it -"
Hermione's response trailed off as both friends were distracted by the sudden arrival of an irate Ginny Weasley.
"WHERE IS HE?" she shouted angrily, catching the full attention of the handful of people lounging about the common room.
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Ron!" she responded. "Where is he?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes as she noted the girl's tear-stained cheeks. "What happened, Ginny?"
"He...he...I was...Dean and I...and he...UGH!" The red-faced redhead ran a hand through her hair as she began to pace. Suddenly she shook her head and bolted for the girls' dormitory.
Sighing, Hermione grabbed her bag and stood from her chair.
"I'll go talk to her," she muttered, noting the concern in Harry's eyes. "If you're not going to work on your essay, perhaps you can go find Ron. Obviously, he's done something to upset her."
She heard Harry give a muted response before she made her way up the girls' staircase. When she pushed open the door to the Prefects' room, she was greeted by the sight of Ginny flung across her bed, sobbing noisily. Hermione rolled her eyes, choosing to drop her bag beside her desk before venturing to take a seat next to the crying girl.
"So," she stated plainly, "You and Dean were snogging, and Ron caught you. Is that about the size of it?"
Ginny nodded slowly against her pillow. "He was so angry - completely went berserk, shouting at me. Then Dean tried to step in to defend me, and Ron lost it. He punched Dean, and Dean hit him back, and then it all went to hell. Seamus finally came and helped me pull them apart, and then he kept Ron away from us while I took Dean to the Hospital Wing."
"Is Dean alright?" Hermione asked, pushing a strand of hair back from Ginny's face and tucking it behind the girl's ear.
"He will be. Ron broke his nose and fractured his jaw, Madam Pomfrey said." The girl took in an unsteady breath and squeezed out a few more tears. "She's checking him over for any other injuries. I was going to stay with him, but McGonagall sent me back here."
Professor McGonagall, the older girl mentally corrected, before lying down beside the redhead. Ginny rolled over and buried her head against Hermione's shoulder. "I'm going to kill him, Hermione. I swear I'm going to."
Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed the girl's arm. "No, you're not. Though I don't doubt you could, you're not going to kill him because deep down you know he did what he did because he loves you. You're his only sister, and he just wants to protect you."
"He's a complete idiot," came the muffled response.
"Of course he is," Hermione laughed, squeezing Ginny to her side. "He's a boy. All boys are stupid."
Ginny let out a snort and then began to giggle uncontrollably. "You're completely right."
"Aren't I always?"
The younger girl laughed again and pushed up into a seated position. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks glistened with the remnants of tears, but her eyes were sparkling as she tried desperately to manipulate her face into a sneer.
"Insufferable know-it-all," she said in a deep mocking tone, before immediately erupting back into giggles.
Hermione smiled, but swallowed a large lump at the obvious impression of Snape. Professor Snape, she corrected herself as a guilt suddenly pressed against her.
Ginny flopped back against the mattress and wrapped herself around the other girl. "I'm glad you're back, Hermione. If it weren't for you, I'd have probably beaten him to a bloody pulp. I still might, but not if you're with me."
The older girl stiffened, but still patted Ginny on the shoulder. "Guess I just have practice defusing the infamous Weasley temper."
"You are pretty good with Ron. Too bad you weren't with him earlier. You could've stopped it." The redhead sighed. "If only you and he were attached at the hip or something."
Hermione grimaced and uncomfortably pulled away from the girl. She made a show of checking her watch and then folded her arms against her chest. "Well, lunch is about ready to be served. Are you hungry?"
Ginny nodded emphatically and climbed off the bed. "Famished, actually."
"Another Weasley trait?"
"Shut it, you."
Hermione laughed quietly and grabbed hold of the other girl's hand. "I'm just teasing. Crying really does take it out of you."
"As does snogging," Ginny added with a mischievous smile.
"I wouldn't know," Hermione sighed, pulling open the door.
"Something the great Hermione Granger doesn't know?" The younger girl dropped her jaw in mock surprise. "We could fix that, you know. I'm sure I know a certain idiot who would be up for the challenge. Maybe then he'd back off of my lovelife."
Hermione swallowed heavily, and then let out a shuddering sigh. "Shall we stop by the infirmary first and check up on Dean?"
"Yes, please."
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
As Hermione exchanged an exasperated glance with Harry during breakfast on Monday, she gave a silent word of gratitude that the weekend had passed without further major incident.
Comparatively speaking, at any rate. Sunday morning's meal had been punctuated – as expected – by Molly Weasley's screeching chastisements after the bedraggled family bird deposited a red-enveloped Howler in each of her children's servings of oatmeal. Ron and Ginny both had then left the Great Hall in shame, and neither had yet to share a word with the other since the initial incident.
Gryffindor Tower as a whole had been dealing with the fallout of that weekend. Ron had returned to the common room after supper that night, clutching his broom with white knuckles, after having received a thorough dressing-down from Professor McGonagall. Though the exact total had not been confirmed, it had been rumored that he had lost a solid fifty points for his actions, and had received a week's worth of detention with Filch. McGonagall, it seemed, had been rather put out about such untoward behavior from two of her prefects, and had suspended Ron's position for a month's time. Ginny, on the other hand, had been lucky enough to only receive a stern lecture on the impeccable conduct expected of a Hogwarts prefect and a warning to keep her romantic liaisons out of the public eye.
Not only were things tense between the Weasley siblings, but also amongst the sixth-year Gryffindor boys. Seamus and Dean were both out of sorts with Ron, leaving Neville and Harry feeling rather awkward in their sleeping quarters. At least Ron was sleeping in the prefects' room – otherwise, the tension in the room would have been astronomical. As it was, Ron spent little time around the common room as many of the Gryffindors were rather sore about losing so many points so soon in the year – from their own Head of House to boot.
And now, as Ron moodily slouched in the seat next to her and glared daggers down the table at the tall boy sitting by his sister, Hermione had to struggle to keep from rolling her eyes.
'So what if your sister has another boyfriend!' she wanted to stand up and scream. 'It's not like Dean killed your parents and then tortured you in front of all his friends! Or branded her with his name so she has no choice but to be with him! At least she can choose who she snogs, so grow up! Some of us have real problems.'
She stifled a small snort and shook her head as she pictured the looks her imagined outburst would receive. Horror, shock, and pity by the boatload, undoubtedly. She sighed deeply and pushed her eggs around with her fork. It would be worth it for the first few seconds, just to get everyone to shut up about their insignificant issues, but it would quickly spell disaster. Considering Snape had instructed her not to say anything about it, doing so would probably result in an episode of intense pain and violent thrashing on the floor of the Great Hall. Suddenly, the scene playing out in her head did not seem so desirable.
Having lost her appetite, Hermione dropped her fork on her plate and leaned her elbows on the table. She chewed on her lip as she glanced first at Harry, then Neville, Ginny, and finally back at Ron. They all knew what nightmares lay in store for them. They all had real problems that were beyond their control. She let out a deep breath, realizing that their petty disputes were distractors – things that were actually in their power to do something about.
Worrying about Quidditch, looking for secret places to have a quick snog, fighting over your sister's virtue, complaining about homework, or starting trivial arguments – these were all things normal teenagers did. The world they were living in was not going to let them be normal, but they could pretend, at least. If they wanted to forget, for the time being, that their loved ones had been killed, or that their parents could not even say their own names, or that they had been possessed by Voldemort, or that they had battled with Death Eaters – then so be it.
The problems they chose to focus on were trifling and inconsequential, but even Hermione could appreciate that they kept her from thinking about her own situation. They all tended to look to her as the stabling force, and so that was what she needed to be – or at least pretend to be.
For now, though, she desperately needed a few minutes' break from the chaos. The Potions lecture started in a half hour, and she knew she would need to clear her head before that. Pushing up from the table, she threw her bag over her shoulder and made her way to find someplace quiet.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
"What are you looking at, mudblood?"
Severus internally grimaced as he heard Draco sneering from the hallway. Yanking open the classroom door, he appeared just in time to see a small flame flicker in Hermione Granger's eyes and then die away a second later. Potter stood beside the girl – and had tried to step protectively in front of her – but the firm grip she had on the boy's sleeve prevented him from rising to the occasion.
"In!" he barked, glaring as the gathered students jumped and began filing past him. He felt a small trickle of relief spread through him as he noticed the girl remained impassive as Draco purposefully pushed in front of her, and he was even more impressed that she managed to keep Potter's temper in check as well. She kept her hold on his arm throughout the entire encounter and all but forced him towards their bench.
Clenching his teeth, Snape threw the door shut and strode towards the front of the room. "Your essays shall be on my desk in the next thirty seconds or they will be considered late, and you shall receive a zero."
The edges of his mouth turned upwards in a dreadful smirk as everyone fearfully rushed to the front of the room. Everyone, except for Granger, that was. She was standing by her table, white-faced, after Potter had snatched her essay from her hand and had gone to turn it in with his. Upon catching Snape staring at her with a raised eyebrow, her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and she immediately dropped into her seat.
When exactly twenty-seven seconds had passed, he bellowed an order for everyone to sit and be silent. As he began his lecture, he periodically found his eyes wandering in Miss Granger's direction. To everyone else, it appeared she was listening to him with rapt attention, but he knew different. Her gaze intermittently darted to where Draco sat, and he could hear her trying to figure out whether or not the boy knew of what had transpired at the Death Eater's gathering three weeks prior.
Severus could not find fault with her over that, as he had quite honestly been wondering the same exact thing. He knew Draco had been forced to take the Dark Mark as punishment for his father's failure at the Ministry, yet it was rather unlikely the boy had been summoned to witness the binding. It was still possible that either Lucius or Bellatrix had enlightened him as to what had taken place, but the lack of insinuating comments stemming from the blonde Slytherin made Snape think otherwise.
But that was not important to him at the moment. What was important, on the other hand, was getting Miss Granger back to her usual hand-waving, book-regurgitating self. So far, he noticed, she was off to a miserable start. The lecture period was already halfway through, yet she had not managed to scribble down a single note, and he knew for a fact that she had only been listening to him for a handful of minutes.
He paused dramatically in his oration, which effectively drew renewed attention from the majority of the students. By now, they knew that it would mean one of two things – he either was ready to launch into a verbal evisceration of someone, or he was about to ask a question, which could also result in a scathing remark. Fortunately, the latter was true of this occasion. Keeping an eye trained on Hermione, he folded his arms and sighed.
"Is anyone in here capable of telling me why the leaves of the Taragomine plant are utilized, and not the stalks or roots?"
A few terse seconds ticked by while the students nervously shifted in their seats, desperately hoping not to be called upon to answer. Severus felt a small bit of triumph when he noticed that even Draco was purposely avoiding his gaze. Though, as the seconds continued to waste away, triumph soon melted into sheer impatience.
Miss Granger sat perfectly still, chewing on her lip and staring pointedly at the table top. Potter was beginning to send her a questioning look, as if beseeching her to answer lest he receive another round of ridicule. It was tempting, of course, but that would have to wait for another day. Right now, Hermione needed to answer the question – and if she was not going to do it herself, he would have to do it for her.
Severus focused all of his attention on her small form, willing her hand to rise. When it did – causing her face to explode into surprised confusion – he gave a satisfied smirk.
"Miss Granger," he drawled, "Surprise, surprise. Please do bestow your infinite wisdom upon the rest of us."
Her eyes bitterly narrowed, and she swallowed down a large gulp of air. When her mouth opened and words began tumbling out, he noticed that her eyes had widened even further with shock.
"Actually, sir," her voice corrected with its usual confidence, "it is the Taragomine stalk and roots that are utilized, not the leaves."
Snape allowed his eyebrows to rise in mock surprise. "And pray tell why that is – besides you having read it in the list for tomorrow's potion."
A few snickers erupted from the Slytherin students, while those from the other houses grimaced at the realization they should have known the answer.
"Because, sir," she said, her steady voice conflicting wildly with the wondered hurt glittering in her eyes, "the leaves are commonly used by the Tarago fly as a place to lay their eggs. Tarago fly eggs are covered in a resin that is dangerously toxic to humans. As most Taragomine leaves are tainted by this resin, using them would render the potion's true effect useless, and would instead kill the drinker. Obviously, that would defeat the entire purpose of brewing an invigorating draught in the first place."
Severus feigned a disappointed look and shrugged. "Five points from Gryffindor for your tone, Miss Granger. I asked for a simple explanation, not for you to supply us with your additional commentary."
He took in a deep breath as he watched her jaw drop and her face flush with anger. When Draco outright laughed, Snape gracefully turned to face the blonde.
"Mr. Malfoy, perhaps you could enlighten us as to the purpose of the Taragomine plant?"
When the boy spit out an adequate response, he awarded five points to his own house and then continued on with his lecture. By the time the end of the period had arrived, he had given an additional ten points to Slytherin, another ten to Ravenclaw, and had stripped fifteen more from Gryffindor. Ten of those points had been lost by Potter, who had tried to argue that Hermione should have actually received points for delivering the correct responses when everyone else had.
Glancing at the clock, Snape saw the minute hand strike the twelve, and immediately dismissed the class. He moved around to his desk, but paused when he noted the downtrodden look on the Gryffindor witch's face.
"Miss Granger, a word," he added, taking a seat and fixing a cold glare on Potter who suddenly seemed intent on staying behind.
The girl let out a shuddering sigh, but gestured for the bespectacled boy to leave. When the door clicked shut behind Potter, and the room was empty save for the two of them, Hermione crossed her arms against her chest and stared at him indignantly.
"My apologies, Miss Granger," Severus muttered. "It was not my purpose to offend you."
"Not your purpose to offend me?" she hissed, standing from her bench. "That was all you, wasn't it? You forced those words out of my mouth, and then you punished me for it! Five points for my tone, and five points for patronizing a fellow student? You were the one who set my tone! You were the one who corrected Macmillan in that manner!"
He closed his eyes briefly and held up a hand. "If you would allow me to explain—"
"With your own mouth?" she sneered. "Or are you going to force me to explain it to myself?"
Snape's eyes flew open and his nostrils flared as he bellowed, "Would you just listen, Granger?"
Hermione slammed her mouth shut and glared, wrapping her arms around her midsection.
"Now then," he began, cooling his voice. "I told you earlier that we needed to behave as we normally do – that includes my cutting you down in class. While I do not particularly enjoy it, it is what is expected of me – from your house as well as my own."
"No one expected you to treat me like a bloody puppet!" she thought, narrowing her eyes.
"While that is true," he admitted, "They do, however, expect you to know the answer to every question asked in class and for you to flaunt that knowledge about as you always do. If you are under the impression that the students and staff have not noticed your lack of participation in class, Miss Granger, you are sadly mistaken. Some of the more troublesome ones have taken it upon themselves to sniff out the cause of your distress – and that is exactly the kind of attention that we do not need."
She let out a large sigh and sank back against the nearest lab table. "Maybe I'm just sick of being the center of attention! Did no one bother to think of that?"
Severus raised his eyebrows and studied her for a few seconds. "Seeing as you have always enjoyed your place in the spotlight, your current behavior is a rather prominent deviation from normal. Several people believe there must be something responsible for your change in personality."
"Well, there is!" She groaned and gestured between the two of them. "This is what being the center of attention has gotten me so far!"
He nodded his head and sighed. "As understandable as that is, the fact remains that you are drawing more attention by remaining silent than you would if you flung your hand up in the air every five seconds."
"I just have to pretend to be normal, is what you're saying," she mumbled quietly. A moment of silence passed before she met his eyes. "And what if I don't? What if I don't start participating in class? Are you going to marionette my arm waving in every class?"
Snape snorted softly and glanced down at his desk. "Perhaps. If that is what is needed."
"This isn't the first time you did this, is it?" she pressed, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "You've put words in my mouth before, haven't you?"
He swallowed slowly and gave a brief dip of his head.
"When I first ran into Remus, you answered for me, didn't you? And then again at the Welcoming Feast."
His nod was almost imperceptible.
Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, not knowing if she should be angry or feel slightly relieved that he had been the one answering the difficult questions. One thought, though, was cemented firmly in her mind – Snape could not be expected to handle all of her interactions for her. For one thing, it was creepy and violating, but it was also too much to ask of him. She needed to step up and take some of the authority back in her own life.
But that was perhaps the scariest thought of them all. She exhaled morosely. "I don't know if I can do this. I'm not good at acting – or lying, for that matter."
Severus raised one brow and tilted his head. "And yet somehow you managed to lure that blasted High Inquisitor out into the Forbidden Forrest on a quest to find a secret weapon that didn't even exist. If you were as horrible an actor as you claim, she would not have gone tearing out there without even so much as a doubting glance in your direction."
"But that," she argued. "That was different! I had to do something! She was torturing Harry – it was a life or death type of situation, sir."
"Exactly," he stated emphatically.
Hermione blinked her eyes in slight surprise.
Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. "What type of situation do you think we currently find ourselves in, Miss Granger, if not a matter of life or death?"
"You're right," she muttered a few seconds later, dropping her arms to her sides in defeat. "I'll try harder from now on."
Nodding, he flicked his eyes towards the clock. "You can start by not being late to Charms, and make sure Potter goes with you. I don't care for him loitering in my hallway."
Hermione gave a disbelieving smirk, grabbed her bag and headed towards the door.
"Oh, and Miss Granger," he called out in a bored voice.
"Yes?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Ten points to Gryffindor."
She opened her mouth in honest surprise, but then narrowed her eyes at him a few seconds later. "Only ten? Gryffindor lost twenty."
"Mr. Potter would do well to remember who his superiors are," he answered icily. "Ten points for talking back to a teacher is more than fair."
"And what about the points I should have been awarded for answering the questions correctly?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Snape gave her a haughty smirk. "Did not we just establish that I was the one who answered those questions? I don't give out points for claiming other's intellectual property as your own, Granger. Now, get moving."
Hermione rolled her eyes and slipped out into the hallway, where Harry was leaning up against the wall.
"You alright?" he asked, nervously glancing at the door. When she nodded, he raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about? And don't even try to tell me that he was just asking after your health."
"Of course he wasn't, Harry," she snorted as they began their journey up the stairs. "He deemed it necessary to point out that I hadn't answered anyone else's questions in class last week."
"And he was disappointed that it was in his class that you made your glorious comeback?" Harry questioned.
"Something like that," she shrugged. "He gave me this long-winded speech about how I shouldn't draw attention to myself."
He shook his head and snickered. "What a git."
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x X
As Severus gathered the sixth-years' essays into a manageable pile and transported them into his office, he smirked and shook his head. Glancing down at the ginger cat curled up on the chair behind his desk, he quickly met the feline's pale green eyes.
"She's a much better liar than she lets on," he sneered.
Crookshanks blinked his eyes knowingly in response.
Snape snorted amusedly and then spun back to his classroom to prepare for the incoming class of snot-nosed first years.