A/N: Thank you so much for your patience! I'm so sorry it took so long, but life has been busy! Even now, I'm sitting in a hotel room, escaping the 91 degree + humidity after a long day of listening to science education talks. My lab presented our project at the national conference, and got really exciting feedback from the audience. So Yay!
It's been an entire year since I started this story! Can you believe it? I can't!
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If I haven't responded to your review yet, I'm sorry! I will, I promise. It's just been hectic, and I figured a new update would be more appreciated than a review response!
And I'm really not fond of the fact that FF has seen fit to sabotage my scene dividers.
Bound to Him
Chapter 37
The staff meeting was passing by as slowly as it ever did, but with fewer interruptions than any other that year. This was due in part to the fact that the week had been relatively quiet on the student front, but also due to the distraction of a number of the staff. While Pomona Sprout had nodded off halfway through – as she so often did – the two youngest instructors were currently too lost in their thoughts to pay much attention to the mundane assembly.
Severus had sat stewing over the happenings of the past day involving himself and Miss Granger. The more he had thought about it, the more surprising her degree of involvement during their encounter seemed to be. At the time, he had been too caught up in the act to do anything more than enjoy it, but after she had left his quarters, he had found it nearly impossible to not think about it. Up until her summoning, she had found the physical requirements of their bond as detestable as he had. He knew full well how long she would scrub in the shower afterwards before crying herself to sleep, and the memories of that still haunted his thoughts.
Even after facing the Dark Lord, she had approached their union with extreme trepidation, and he had chalked up her reaction afterwards to trauma. He had thought that she had asked him to stay solely out of the fear of being left alone, but their subsequent interactions had begun to change his opinion somewhat. He could remember Dumbledore's words months before.
'She wants to trust you. Let her.'
Apparently, it seemed he had managed to do just that, because all evidence pointed to the idea that she trusted him. It made sense then as to why she had pleaded with him not to say that he had killed her parents. That was the reason why betrayal had begun to burn in her gaze before he could extinguish it with the truth. She had already trusted him at that point, and she had clung to it desperately. Was that trust what was getting her through everything?
He had begun to realize in the past week just how much she had come to depend on him. Hermione had taken the meager amount of support he was able to give her in front of Voldemort and had thrived upon it. Despite everything he had done to her, she had never failed to listen to his instruction during their private lessons, and it seemed she had come to enjoy them recently. Even when it was not required, she had taken it upon herself to seek him out – stopping by his office or breaking into his quarters just to sleep. Not to mention, she had officially given him permission to use their connection and had verbalized her trust in him with it.
But is that enough to explain her reaction last night? It did not quite make sense. He had brutally raped her months before, and yet not only had she come to him willingly, but she had also initiated the first kiss, had eagerly responded to the act, and had even worried that he had been disappointed with her. There was no physical attraction on her part – how could there be? – and she had denied having any preconceived notions about teacher-student relationships. Unless she had already begun to pretend they were having an illicit affair, but that was something he highly doubted.
She could have been Occluding, he supposed suddenly. He had taught her how to focus only on certain emotions, and block out all others. She had an uncanny ability to do it, too. Perhaps that was what she had done – had focused only on the trust she had in him and cut out everything else.
Snape blew out a slow breath as he considered it, and flicked his eyes briefly towards the Deputy Headmistress. Regardless of what had transpired in Hermione's head, he knew that Minerva had been correct all along. Of course, if I actually tell her that, she'll turn into a smug cow as per usual.
And so as he contemplated – for the first time in his tenure – what would constitute a nice Christmas gift for the elder witch, he was too absorbed to notice that the man seated beside him had yet to add any comment to the conversation around them.
As it was, Remus's thoughts currently revolved around the same young woman. The smell of arousal and secretions had been unmistakable as she had run past him on the staircase. However, after an extensive extra set of rounds, he had been unable to find her partner. He had even then returned to stand sentry just out of sight of the Fat Lady's Portrait. No one – Disillusioned or otherwise – had returned to the Gryffindor common room the entire time he had been there. It was possible that he had missed a wayward Gryffindor sneaking back in while he was scouring the other floors, of course.
But then who was to say it had to have been a Gryffindor boy? Hermione had been rushing up the stairs from the fifth floor when they had collided. She could have rendezvoused with anyone from the other three Houses on any floor in any wing in the castle.
Lupin frowned slightly as he thought about it. He would have assumed that any of her romantic interests would have involved Ronald Weasley, but the boy was so obviously wound around Miss Brown now that it could not have been him. Not likely, at any rate – the Weasleys were a rather honorable sort.
Though, even if it were not Ron, it could still be about him. Hermione had appeared uncomfortable around the new couple, so perhaps she was jealous and acting out in retaliation. It was a rather stupid thing to do, but even intelligent girls had done it before.
The werewolf crossed his arms and risked a glance towards Snape, worried that perhaps the other wizard would know about what he was thinking. The dark-haired man was intently staring at the table, undoubtedly frustrated by the current topic of discussion which seemed to be regarding Christmas decorations. With a small sigh, he thanked Merlin that no one knew he was currently dissecting the sex life of a student.
It was not – as Severus had implied – that he was letching after the girl, but only that he was concerned for her. If it had been anyone else, or even if he had not overheard her conversation with Madam Pomfrey, he would not have bothered. He could not exactly hand out detentions based solely upon scent, and so, in any other situation, he would have simply tossed the offender a disappointed look or two in class and then let it rest. But this was Hermione Granger – the girl who was the best friend of his best friend's son. He had not exaggerated when he had told Snape that she reminded him of himself. In fact, Remus was almost entirely sure that if he were to have a daughter, she would greatly resemble Hermione.
For these reasons, he found himself inexplicably protective of her. When he had heard that she had been assaulted, every fiber of his being had been enraged. He had seen red and barely recognized that he had been so violent with Severus until he felt the tip of a wand digging into his throat. His trust in the spy had been shaken greatly upon his refusal to name the assailant, and it was not until after a rather heated discussion with Dumbledore that he had finally calmed to a point where logic could regain its hold upon his head.
Of course it made sense that Hermione would not want everyone to know what had happened, but it had seemed ridiculous for Snape and Dumbledore to be the only ones to know the truth. Albus meant well and was compassionate enough, but he was busy with Voldemort and the Order and could not possibly have the time to give her the support she needed. And with Severus, the latter part was undoubtedly true, though the same could not be said about the former. He was insensitive and cold on the best of days, which as Remus knew, was partly their fault. It was because of that fact that he had been so surprised by Snape's underwater rescue of the girl. The students he had overheard in the Great Hall had said that the Potions Master had virtually appeared from nowhere and had dived into the lake without hesitation before anyone even realized he was outside of the castle. And when he had passed the hourglasses, Remus had been flabbergasted to witness just how many points Slytherin had lost. Since then, he had realized that perhaps Snape really was looking out for the girl, even if no one understood subtlety enough to recognize it. Though, with the precariousness of Severus's position, it was probably best that way.
Blowing out a slow breath, he briefly moved his gaze towards Minerva. He had wondered for weeks now if she, too, knew the truth about what had happened to Hermione. She had volunteered to speak with the girl, and Hermione's academic performance had improved afterwards. Perhaps the girl had taken her Head of House into her confidence and had shared her painful secret. Though, if McGonagall did know, he wondered if she knew about the pregnancy scare or Hermione's subsequent behavior.
By the time Dumbledore announced the adjournment of the meeting, Remus had come to the uncomfortable conclusion that he could not keep his suspicions to himself. As the rest of the staff began filing out of the room, he looked up to see Minerva and Severus conversing about a Slytherin student's detention. Gathering his wits, he made his way to them and cleared his throat.
Had he been in a lighter mood, he would have chuckled at the matching raised eyebrows he received from the pair.
"I wondered if I might have a word with you both."
"I suppose that would depend upon the word," Minerva said with a tight smirk.
Remus nodded and folded his arms. "It's about Miss Granger."
Snape rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.
"What about Miss Granger?" McGonagall queried, ignoring the antics of her fellow Head of House.
He sighed softly and frowned at the floor. "I think perhaps, she may be acting out."
"Acting out?" she repeated.
Snape arched his eyebrow. "Is she not playing nicely with the other kiddies? Throwing tantrums in class? Did she piss in your chair perhaps?"
"Severus," Minerva admonished before turning back to the werewolf. "Well?"
"I meant she may be acting out sexually," he clarified.
The Head Witch's eyes widened while a dark look overtook Snape's countenance. With a quick flourish of his wand, the doors to the staffroom slammed shut and a Muffliato descended upon them.
"What the bloody hell are you on about?" he hissed.
Remus narrowed his eyes and gestured towards McGonagall. "Does she know the truth? Or did you neglect to mention it to her as well?"
Minerva crossed her arms pointedly. "Believe me, Remus, as her Head of House and as deputy head of the Order, I know quite a bit more about Miss Granger than you do. Now, explain yourself."
With a deep breath, he gave a shortened version of what had transpired in the stairwell the night before. When he had finished, he was not the least bit surprised to see an accusatory glare on Snape's face.
"You're sniffing students now? Surely that has to be breaking at least one of the by-laws!"
"Severus, calm down."
"Calm down?" he shouted, turning to the witch beside him. "I'm not the one snuffling student's backsides as they pass me in the hallway!"
"As disturbing as that image is, Severus, I'm sure that's not what he meant."
"No, it isn't," Remus agreed. "I wasn't smelling her on purpose – it just happened that I…caught a whiff."
"Oh, you caught a whiff," Snape grumbled. "And then you just happened to search the rest of the castle hoping to catch another whiff."
The Defense instructor frowned. "If you're implying again that I acted out of jealousy, you are highly out of line."
"I'm not the one sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."
Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose as she grabbed hold of Snape's sleeve and pushed him towards the table. "Severus, if you cannot behave like an adult, then sit down."
With a grunt, the taller man flopped into a chair like a petulant child. While the woman spun back around, he folded his arms crossly and glowered over her shoulder.
"He believes that I'm –"
"Oh, I can just about imagine what he has said," McGonagall smirked, interrupting Remus. "But let's ignore that, shall we?"
"I only mention it because I'm concerned for her well-being," he responded. "It's well-established that rape victims may voluntarily seek out sexual situations in an attempt to take back some of the control in their lives."
"And you think Miss Granger is exhibiting this promiscuity?" she asked, holding her hand up to shush the man seated behind her.
Severus, however, had made no effort to speak and was gripping his arms harder than he needed to. What Remus had said was beginning to click with his earlier internal monologue and it was worrying him more than he would have liked.
"I don't know quite what to think," Lupin shrugged. "But I know she's already sought out Poppy's help regarding a pregnancy concern –"
"What?" Minerva hissed, casting a wide-eyed glance in Snape's direction.
"—and I'm not entirely convinced that it was regarding her initial assault as she claimed. I don't think Poppy is, either. And I know that you've already caught her engaging in unsuitable behavior as you called it, Severus, with Cormac McLaggen. I'm sure I don't need to enlighten the two of you as to his reputation amongst his peers. All of that combined with what I witnessed last night…I don't think it a very far leap to make, logically."
The elder witch sighed and sat down in a chair beside Snape. "Exactly what do you think we should do with this information?"
Remus scratched his head and shrugged. "That I don't know. Perhaps we should speak with her regarding our concerns."
"Your concerns," Severus mumbled, leaning back in his chair. "And if you're suggesting we haul her in, set her down, and tell her we think she's acting like some Jezebel tart, you are even more out of line than I am."
Minerva took in a deep breath and rested her elbows on the armrests of her chair. "Forgive me, Remus, but I am inclined to agree with him. You have no evidence pointing to anything outside of a possible relationship with Mr. McLaggen, and while we do not condone sexual relations amongst students, there is nothing we can do unless they are actually caught in the act. Even then, it's only a matter of point deductions and detentions. Expulsion perhaps if there is a pregnancy, depending on the situation, of course."
"So, you're saying we do nothing?" Remus asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Remus, you don't have any proof of anything," she sighed, shaking her head. "If you did, it might be different, but as it is… I can sit down with Miss Granger again and see if she will open up to me, but beyond that, there really is nothing we can do."
The werewolf slowly nodded and inhaled deeply. "You're right, of course. Both of you, actually."
Snape snorted and stared fixedly at his robes.
Lupin pointedly ignored him and focused on Minerva. "But you agree we should keep an eye out for her."
"Yes, of course," she nodded, "but remember that she is of age –"
"Barely," Severus muttered.
"—and that you are neither her parent nor are you an assigned guardian. Unless her conduct is in direct violation of school policy, you do not have any authority to force her to do otherwise. Offer all of the advice you want, but she is not under any obligation to follow it. Is that clear?"
Remus nodded with a sigh. "I understand. I just think we should do what's best for her."
"As do we all," McGonagall stated somberly. "But unless you have all the facts straight, what's best for her may not be what you think should be done."
A small silence fell upon the room as the man took a deep breath and thought about what had been said. After a few seconds, he nodded and shuffled his feet.
"Well, now that I've had my word, I do have a rather sizeable stack of essays calling my name." He offered them each a polite smile before turning to leave.
"Bear in mind, Lupin," Snape drawled, catching the man as he reached the door. "If I catch you sniffing anyone inappropriately, I will inform the Headmaster directly. And if your snout is discovered anywhere near my person, I will personally see to its immediate removal."
Before she could stop herself, Minerva let out a snort and then slapped her hand over her mouth.
"So noted, Severus," Remus said with an amused grin as he disappeared into the corridor.
When the door clicked shut, Snape locked it with a flick of his wand and strengthened his Muffliato. He leaned his elbows on the staffroom table and held his head in one hand. "You do realize he'll be watching her like a hawk now."
"Well, what was I supposed to do, Severus?" McGonagall snapped in exasperation. "Nothing I could have said would have changed that."
"I know," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. A second later, he groaned and leaned back in his chair. "He had to go and hire a bloody werewolf, didn't he?"
"Yes, and I'm sure he did it purposely to spite you."
"Of that I have no doubt," he answered. "I have noticed that he likes to make my life difficult."
The witch gave a terse grin. "Only because you are such a charming individual when under duress."
Snape shot her a warning scowl before resting his head against the back of the chair and covering his face with his hands. "What exactly are we going to do about the furry problem?"
Minerva sighed. "How much of a problem is he?"
"Granger and I have lessons two nights a week, during Gryffindor Quidditch practices. If he's watching her as close as I suspect he will be, he's bound to notice her sneaking down to the dungeons on a regular basis. Either he'll assume she's making her way around the Slytherin dormitory, or he'll hit the nail relatively close to the head."
"Well then," she muttered, rubbing her chin. "If it requires, Miss Granger and I can sit down for a nice chat every Monday and Thursday evening, and if she happens to stumble into the Floo, who be I to stop her?"
The wizard gave a soft snort and rubbed his forehead. "And then there's the matter of the bond which has to be renewed every two to three weeks depending on… things."
"Things?" she queried with the raise of an eyebrow.
"A conversation which I shall never have with you, Madam."
"Ah," she smiled knowingly. "And you thought the crying part was difficult."
Severus glared at her from beneath his hand. "The lot of you leak entirely too much."
A hearty round of chuckles exploded from the witch until she was forced to wipe away at tears. "Yes, I think the lot of us would agree."
A full minute passed before she settled back into a slightly more serious tone. "I guess I'll just have to give you permission to convert my office as a hallway then… with advance notice, if you would."
"If desperation strikes," he muttered with a nod.
"Very well," she responded, folding her arms and donning a cross look. "Now what is this about pregnancy concerns?"
X
Hermione sighed and scratched at her temple as she stared at the blank sheet of parchment before her. Hesitantly, she picked up her quill, dipped it into the pot of ink, and slowly scratched out four words.
Dear Mum and Dad,
That much she could figure out for now. The rest of the letter had her stomach tied up in knots. There was so much that she had thought she wanted to tell them, but now nothing seemed to come to mind. She did not know what they knew or what she could tell them. And even if she could tell them, what if the letter fell into the wrong hands?
With another sad breath, she balanced the quill across the top of the inkwell and then leaned back in her chair. After a few minutes of nibbling on her bottom lip, she covered her face with her hands and groaned loudly.
What the hell can I write?
If they did not know about her current predicament, there was no way she was going to tell them now. At least, not in a letter. God, that would be a horrible letter to receive… 'Dear Mum and Dad, guess what? I got kidnapped by a pack of roving psychopaths and raped by my professor. But don't worry about me, because that professor really does care about me and is teaching me all sorts of illegal things to protect me. He burnt down our house, too. Oh, and we had real sex last night and it was nice. Love, Hermione. P.S. You can't kill him, Dad, because then I'd die, too. Love you bunches!'
The girl let out a loud, exasperated sigh and collapsed onto her desk. The hesitation on Snape's face when she had asked to send a letter made her think that he would be going out of his way to deliver it. If that were true, she did not want to waste it on some generic 'I'm alright. How are you?' letter.
Snape was expecting her letter, too. She did not feel right in just blowing it off entirely and telling him 'Never mind.' On the same note, she could not keep him waiting forever for it. Who knew how many hoops he had to jump through just to deliver it?
Hermione sniffled as tears of frustration began forming in her eyes. She did not care about writing the bloody letter anymore. She just wanted to curl up in her mother's lap and cry herself dry. But, of course, that was not an option available to her anytime soon, so she was just going to have to take what she could get. After twisting the sapphire ring on her finger, she squeezed her eyes shut and sat upright. With a shake of her head, she reached for her quill once again.
It took nearly an hour and a half for her to scratch out a decent attempt. Blowing over the last few lines to dry the ink, she reread the draft.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I hope the both of you are doing well and I miss you terribly. I feel completely horrid about how things ended this summer. I should never have stormed out on our conversation. I know you were only concerned for me, and I am so sorry for my reaction. I love you so much and I think of you every day. This year has been exceptionally trying, and you have absolutely no idea how much I wish you were here with me.
Crookshanks is doing well – disappearing more than usual, but he shows up when I need him the most. Harry's alright, I think. Ron's going with Lavender now, if you can believe it. If I have to listen to her obnoxious giggling in the common room for much longer, I swear I'm going to go spare. It helps, though, to commiserate with Ginny (Ron's sister), who is the fifth-year prefect now. It's nice to have roommates who understand me for a change. Mattie's much more interested in academics than she is in make-up and hair charms, and Gin would rather discuss Quidditch than clothes.
Classes are going well, too. Professor Snape actually gave me an 'O' on an essay – it's a shock, I know. Harry made it into Advanced Potions, so I've partnered with him again. Ron didn't, of course, but I'm starting to think that may be a good thing. Defense classes are a drastic improvement over last year. Professor Lupin is back and is actually allowing us to practice magic, unlike his predecessor. I've been practicing outside of class more, and I think I'm doing better this year than any other.
There's so much I wish to tell you, but I really don't know what to write. I guess I should thank you for my birthday present, however. I very seriously cried when I opened it and I want you to know just how much it means to me. I've been wearing it recently and I don't ever want to take it off. Every time I look at it, I think of you and it's like there's a piece of you with me at all times.
Again, I love you both so much, and I cannot wait to hear from you.
Love Always,
Hermione
With a nervous look on her face, she folded the parchment sheet into thirds and tucked it into her Potions textbook. It seemed innocuous enough to her, but she figured it would not be sent unless Snape agreed as well.
Rubbing her collarbone, Hermione could not think of anything he would object to. There was no mention of Voldemort, or Death Eaters, or medieval binding practices, or apparating without a license, or…sex.
She blew out a deep breath. Monday's Potions lesson was bound to be awkward. How she could listen to him lecture and not think about her hands moving across his naked torso, she had no clue.
X
There was a soft rapping on his door. Severus issued his standard acknowledgement and glanced up from his pile of essays as the door opened to reveal a fearful Miss Granger. Tears were forming in her eyes as she shut the door and ran over to his desk, collapsing into a fit of sobs at his feet.
Eyes widening in shock, he glanced at her shaking form. He then reached down and tilted up her chin.
"What is it?"
A shudder of anxiety rippled through her body and she tried to turn her head away from him. With a frown, he forced her back into looking at him.
"Tell me!"
Her face grimaced in pain and her voice came in short gasps. "I'm so…so sorry! I went to Poppy…and she said…she said that I'm pregnant!"
"Impossible!" he bellowed, tossing her chin away and standing to his full height. "We've used the contraceptive every time!"
"I kn-know, but I am!" she stuttered tearfully.
Snape made to argue once again, but happened to look down and catch sight of her suddenly swollen belly. Panic rippled through him at the sight of it, and he knew it was too late to brew any type of abortifacient.
"You should have come to me sooner!" he shouted, running his hands through his hair.
"I know! I'm sorry!"
He was about to start hyperventilating when the door to his office burst open to reveal an angry Remus Lupin.
"I knew it!" the werewolf shouted, advancing upon him with his wand drawn. "I should have known it from the minute you started accusing me of lusting after her. All along, it was you!"
"Lupin, it's not what you think!"
"No?" he questioned with a tip of his head and a shake of his wand. "What I think is there's a student lying on your floor about to give birth to your child… Snivellus! Tell me I'm wrong!"
About to give birth? She couldn't be! At the sound of screaming, however, he was proved wrong. Spinning around, he witnessed a sweat-drenched Hermione groaning loudly as she tried to push forth the baby. Without a further thought towards his colleague, he dropped to the ground before her. There was another painful grunting noise, and a slimy weight fell into his hands. Soft cries came from the infant, and Severus felt a sense of awe wash over him as he stared down at his bloodied son.
The feeling immediately lurched into fear, however, when his office shifted into the clearing where Hermione had been bound to him.
"Severus!" Voldemort hissed angrily. "I gave the mudblood to you for entertainment, not for procreation!"
"My Lord," he pleaded, cradling his screaming son to his chest, "It was not meant to happen!"
"Silence!" The dark wizard stormed through his cluster of followers and appeared in front of him. His red eyes glowed dangerously as he leaned in to whisper. "You have failed me for the last time. You will prove yourself to me, once and for all!"
With that, he took a step back and gestured wildly. "It's time for you to make a choice, Severus! The spawn or the whore – you may only keep one!"
"What –"
His protest was cut off by a round of ear-piercing cries, and his gaze swept to the stone altar where Hermione was once again stripped naked and was writhing beneath Bellatrix's wand. He wanted to shout or throw himself in front of the curse instead, but he found himself unable to do anything but watch the girl be tortured.
"Tick, tock, Severus!" Voldemort chuckled darkly. "Keep one, kill the other!"
"No," he whispered. He looked down at the wriggling bundle in his arms and saw Hermione's eyes gazing back at him from beneath a smattering of dark hair. Looking up, he noticed Bellatrix had lifted the Cruciatus briefly and Hermione herself was staring at him. Two identical pairs of brown irises pleading with him for their life.
"P-please…Professor!"
"P-p-p-please…P-p-p-professor!" Bellatrix cackled before recasting the Unforgiveable.
Hermione's screams swirled around him, and the babe began to cry loudly. Severus knew he could not choose. He could not kill either of them. He could not do it.
A crack of apparition could be heard and Snape looked up to see Albus Dumbledore standing at his side. Relief swelled through him. The Order was coming! He would not have to choose. The Dark Lord would fall, and Hermione and his son would be safe.
"Headmaster, you –"
Dumbledore held up a hand and shook his head. "You have to choose, Severus. I need you to choose. For Harry's sake. For Lily's sake."
"No," he begged. "I can't! Don't make me do this!"
"But you must," the Headmaster's voice called as his image began to fade. "For everyone's sake, you must!"
His earlier relief crumped into utter despair as he looked again between the infant and its mother. He could not choose. He would not –
"P-professor!" Hermione's voice called out to him as she struggled. "S-save him! P-please!"
With tears rolling down his cheeks, he nodded gravely and raised his wand. "Avada Kedav –"
But it was too late. He had taken too long to make his decision. Severus gasped as he felt his throat begin to restrict and blackness was beginning to seep into his vision.
"Now, you all die!" the Dark Lord cackled as the curse continued to strangle him.
X
Severus's eyes flew open to find the ginger cat was currently standing upon his throat.
"Get off!" he shouted, pushing the creature away from him. His voice was hoarse, and he knew he must have been screaming in his sleep. His cheeks were wet with tears and his body was covered in sweat. Kicking off the covers, he climbed out of bed and shakily made his way towards the sitting room.
He did not even bother with finding a glass. He pulled out the fire-whiskey bottle from its cabinet, opened it, and tossed back a large gulp. It burned the entire way down, but Snape did not care. He immediately knocked back a second shot. Slamming the bottle down onto the end-table, he collapsed into his armchair and stared into the blackness of the room.
He did not even startle when Crookshanks jumped onto his lap and started kneading his thighs. Ignoring the feline's ministrations, Severus tipped his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes.
Granger is not with child. Even if I did knock her up after Poppy performed the charm, she could only be five weeks along at most. There would still be time to – No, she isn't pregnant! If she's so sure she's having her…that…next week, then she must have already had one since. We've used contraception every time...unless the potion wasn't effective. No! I watched her brew it – it was done correctly. And the VacuusOrtis is one of the oldest known potions. It has to be effective even with the binding, doesn't it? There's no reason to worry… unless she misses again.
Merlin. He was going to have to find out for sure if Granger was still menstruating or not. Grabbing hold of the slender-necked bottle, he took another long swallow. Relishing in the burn, he set the bottle back and glanced down at his lap. The half-kneazle had paused in his task and was fixing him with a disapproving stare.
"I don't see you volunteering to have that conversation with her!" he spat with a glare.
The cat matched his gaze for a few more seconds before dropping his attention back to kneading.
Snape let out a long breath and squinted at the clock. He had a little over six hours to brood before he would have to stand in front of the sixth-year class. How he could lecture to her without thinking of the screaming girl in his nightmare, he had no clue.
X
"It's weird," Harry muttered under his breath.
Hermione frowned and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "What is?"
"The class is nearly over and he hasn't looked in our direction once."
"Oh," she whispered. "I hadn't noticed."
It was true. She had not noticed that Snape had kept his eyes trained on practically anywhere else but their table. She had not noticed because she had been too busy keeping her eyes trained on anywhere but his figure.
"He hasn't been watching us," Harry affirmed, "but Malfoy has."
"What?" she whispered, tossing a hasty glance in the direction of the blonde Slytherin. Draco met her gaze for half a second, before he cast his eyes back to the front of the classroom. Unconsciously, she let her eyes follow his to the lectern where Snape's pale fingers were clutching the edge.
Hermione's cheeks flushed as she tried to shut out the memory of those fingers tangling in her hair and moving along her bare chest. Swallowing nervously, she wished desperately that today had been a practical session, so she could focus on something other than his voice. And at least then, she could try to blame the redness of her face on the heat from the flame beneath the cauldron.
Letting out a slow breath, she averted her eyes back in Malfoy's direction. Her discomfort eased somewhat into curiosity when she noticed him itching his left arm again. Draco glanced up and caught her staring. Immediately, a look of uncertainty flickered across his features, and he folded his arms against his chest.
"Something's off with him," Harry mumbled.
She nodded slowly as Draco turned back to stare at the top of his desk.
"I don't like –"
"Potter!" Snape shouted. "Five points for speaking out of turn! Now tell me why the boomslang skin of a female snake is preferable to that of a male?"
The boy floundered a bit under his gaze, trying to think of a possible reason. When Harry glanced at Hermione sheepishly, she sighed and raised her hand.
"Granger, would you put your hand down?" Snape said with a roll of his eyes.
"But she knows the answer, sir!" Harry protested.
"Of course Granger knows the answer!" the professor hissed. "Anyone worth their salt knows the answer. The point is, you don't! Perhaps if you were paying attention to me and not whispering sweet nothings into your partner's ear, you would know!"
A hiss of snickers erupted from the Slytherin students.
"I wasn't –" Harry nearly stood out of his chair, but his denial was cut short.
"Granger, would you tell your boyfriend the answer?"
"He's not my –" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut briefly and cleared her throat. "Female boomslang skins are preferable as their brown pigment is more conducive to changes than is the green pigment found in male boomslang snakes."
"Indeed," Snape scowled, glancing back at Harry. "Another five points from Gryffindor for interrupting my class."
Letting out a small whimper, Hermione noticed several sets of eyes on her.
Well, at least now I can blame the blushing on embarrassment, she thought glumly as she flipped to a new sheet of her notebook.
Granger.
Her eyes flicked immediately to the professor who was currently demanding an answer from one of the Ravenclaws regarding the method for removing the green pigment.
For our session this evening, you will need to visit Professor McGonagall in her office.
What? Why?
I will explain later.
Hermione frowned and dropped her gaze back to her notes. You planned that on purpose, didn't you? So I would already be flustered.
I have no idea of what you're thinking.
A small smirk, however, had made its way onto his face, which caused the student speaking to stutter nervously in the middle of his response.
X
As seven o'clock approached, Hermione knocked politely on McGonagall's office door. When she was bade entrance, she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her.
"Good evening, Miss Granger," Minerva smiled, gesturing towards the fireplace. "Professor Snape is waiting for you in his office."
The girl sighed and crossed the room. "Is this really necessary?"
McGonagall shrugged and reached for another essay. "For the time being, I think it best to humor his paranoia."
Hermione grunted and reached for the floo powder. She tossed a pinch into the fire and called out her destination before spinning away.
She coughed out of habit and brushed the feeling of soot from her clothes as she stepped out in the dungeon office. She had barely enough time to reorient herself after her trip before she felt the cold dripping of a Disillusionment charm being cast on her.
"If you would follow me to the classroom, Miss Granger," Snape instructed before opening his door and stepping into the hallway.
When they had reached the Potions room and the door was soundly secured behind them, he cancelled the charm and began moving towards the storeroom.
"Is there a reason for the cloak-and-dagger routine?" she asked nervously, following him through the narrow room.
The man sighed as he pushed open the door to the unused classroom. "Lupin."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Now what?"
"Your little run-in with him the other night."
"I didn't mean to get caught!" she protested, crossing her arms. "There was a turn in the staircase, and I didn't see him. I didn't mean to run into him."
Severus shook his head. "That isn't the problem. He would have bought your story if it weren't for his being a werewolf."
"Why does that have anything to do with it?"
"Think about it, Granger!" he sneered. "I know full well you covered it in your essay third year."
The girl wrinkled her nose as she remembered back to her research. "They can suffer violent outbursts… they can sense fear… they have better nocturnal vision… erm… they have a more advanced sense of smell…"
"And therein lies the rub," he muttered.
She raised an eyebrow. "What? He can smell lies?"
"It isn't the lie he could smell," he stated pointedly.
It took a few seconds for her eyes to widen in realization and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, god! He could tell that I… Wait, does he know that it was you?"
Snape shook his head. "Our only spot of luck was that it occurred after the full moon. Any nearer an impending transformation, his sense of smell would have been more developed, and I would have again been on the receiving end of one of his violent outbursts."
"So, he's going to be watching me closer, is what you're saying?" At his nod, she ran her hands through her hair and let out a frustrated cry. "So what are we going to do?"
He straightened and cleared his throat. "Minerva has graciously offered to provide you private counseling two nights a week, simultaneously working to provide you with an alibi, and hopefully deterring any pathetic attempts of his to counsel you himself."
"And the… you know?" she asked nervously.
Severus snorted. "If need be, the you know can also be arranged through McGonagall's office. You, however, will be showering thoroughly before returning to your dormitory, lest fate be tempted to have her way with us yet again."
The girl leaned sadly against one of the upturned tables. "She does seem to have developed a penchant for the pair of us."
"You have no idea," he sighed. "However, in the interest of spiting the fickle bitch…"
Hermione risked a small giggle as she slipped out her wand and took a defensive stance.
X
"Hey, Hermione!"
She spun around quickly to see Harry running to catch up with her. "Yes?"
"I was wondering if I might partner up with you today," he mumbled as they climbed the stairs towards the Defense classroom.
"Why? What's wrong with Ron?"
Harry gave her a pointed stare as he adjusted his book bag.
"Oh," she smirked. "It's only been a week and a half, Harry."
"She's taken to calling him Won-won," he complained.
Hermione scrunched her nose up in disgust. "That is positively vile."
"Tell me about it," he grumbled. "If I have to listen to any more of that rubbish, I don't know if I can keep to non-lethal spells."
"As much as it would pain me to see you in Azkaban," she snickered, "do you really think it fair to foist him off on Neville?"
"Who are you foisting on me?" Neville asked, filing in the room behind them.
"Ron," they whispered in unison.
"What? You don't think I can handle him?"
"I have every confidence in you, Neville," Hermione smiled. "But Harry seems to be struggling not to mortally wound him."
"Oh," he mumbled before shrugging. "I wouldn't mind."
"Are you sure –"
"Brilliant!" Harry said loudly, clapping the other boy on the back before grabbing hold of Hermione's arm and steering her towards their seats.
As Remus began the brief lecture portion, Hermione quickly found her attention wandering. He was discussing the different non-verbal shields that were covered in the textbook, but since Professor Snape had already made her work through them for the past two defense lessons, she could not find the motivation to take any notes.
Off-handedly she wondered why Dumbledore never considered Snape as a viable candidate for the Defense position. It was not that Remus was a bad teacher – he surpassed all of her other Defense instructors by leaps and bounds – but it was just that Snape was better. She doubted he would waste so much time with the textbook in class, but would instead require more preparation outside of the classroom so that the session could be focused more towards the practical application. Which, when there was a Dark Lord waiting in the wings, would probably be the best thing to do.
Sighing, she glanced over at Harry and realized that few people would probably actually take Defense if they knew Snape were to be teaching it. Though, there would surely have been more Slytherin participation in the course. As it was now, there was only one Slytherin student enrolled in their class – Tracey Davis. As Slytherins went, Tracey was probably Hermione's favorite. She was quiet, studious, and kept to herself. She had backed up her Housemates' stories a time or two, but never had been one to start a fight or make any comments. Surprisingly enough, she had never been heard spewing blood-purity rubbish or mouthing off about Harry – or even Gryffindors, in general.
Hopefully, she'll stay that way, Hermione thought, leaning forward against her desk. It would be nice to see some Slytherins not drift off to the Death Eaters.
Oh. She mentally shook her head at her idiocy. That was why Snape could not teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Voldemort and his followers would not look too kindly upon it, and that would undoubtedly put the Slytherin Head in an even more precarious position.
Fate really is a fickle bitch. Hermione frowned and crossed her arms. The one man who could best teach them to defend themselves against Death Eaters could not actually teach them to defend themselves against Death Eaters.
Well…he can teach me, she conceded. One person is better than none, right?
Glancing down at her open book bag, she caught sight of her Potions text and realized she had forgotten to hand Snape her letter. Deciding she could slip it to him after that afternoon's practical session, she blew out a small breath and tuned back into Lupin long enough to have him direct the class to partner up for shielding practice.
Immediately, Harry latched onto her arm and tugged her towards his usual spot.
"What the hell, Harry?" Ron grumbled.
Harry seemed to be struggling for an appropriate response, so Hermione rolled her eyes and answered for him. "We thought it might be good practice to switch up partners every so often."
"Yeah, so we don't get stuck in a rut," Harry agreed. "Push our boundaries a bit."
"Oh, makes sense," Ron nodded, before dropping his voice. "But Neville? Where's the practice for me?"
A spark of rage began to burn inside Hermione and she barely managed to keep from shouting at him. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face and tilted her head innocently. "You could be the nice guy and help him out. I'm sure Lav-Lav would find it charming."
Ron's face nearly matched his hair as he stalked over towards Neville.
"Lav-Lav?" Harry snorted.
She shook her head. "I don't know – it just came to me."
"It reminds me of the loo," he smirked. "Ooh, ooh – Lavvy-poo!"
Hermione threw her head back and laughed loudly.
"Harry, Hermione," Remus cautioned, "perhaps you could use your time for what was assigned."
"Right. Sorry."
Sobering their expressions, the two friends squared off from each other. Harry offered to practice his shielding first, and so Hermione silently launched a stinging hex his way. When the boy cried out in mild pain, she bit her lip to keep from smiling.
"Bloody hell, Hermione," he grumbled, shaking his arm. "That hurt."
"Then shield it," she challenged.
"It would be easier to shield if I knew it was coming."
The witch smirked and twirled her wand. "Oh, excuse me, Mr. Dark Lord? Could you possibly let me know when you're going to curse me, so I can try to block it? Oh, you will? Splendid!"
Harry stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds before giving her a lopsided grin. "That would be rather fantastic, wouldn't it?"
"Fantasy being the key root word, yes," she nodded. "Care to try again?"
"You bet," he nodded. She sent him another hex, which he failed to block. "Ow! You're way faster than Ron."
"Well spotted," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I did tend to best him during DA sessions, didn't I?"
"Well, yeah, but I thought that was because he was…erm…"
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "He was what? Going easy on me, you think?"
"Erm…no offense."
With a flick of her wand she sent a tripping hex towards him, and Harry suddenly found himself face down on the ground.
"Hermione, brilliant non-verbals," Remus stated quietly as he stepped past them. "Harry, you need a little work on your shielding."
The boy groaned as he picked himself off of the floor. "She's so quick, though."
"Anticipate," the professor said before moving on to the next group.
"Easier said than done," Harry muttered.
Hermione gave a snort and rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you think it's so easy, maybe we can switch turns."
She shrugged nonchalantly, but grinned wickedly on the inside.
X
Snape paused as he walked through the rows of students brewing and raised his eyebrow in disbelief. The majority of the class period had passed by, and Potter had yet to say one word. Folding his arms, he studied the two Gryffindors for a moment. A small smirk appeared on his face as he noted that Harry was purposely focusing all of his attention on his potion for the first time in memory. Granger seemed completely content with being ignored by her partner, and the satisfied glint in her eye had yet to vanish since she had first walked into the classroom that afternoon.
Moving on to a pair of Hufflepuffs, he thought fondly back to the lunch hour when Lupin had regaled them with the tale of his early morning class. It had been most amusing – yet not surprising – to hear that Hermione had all but wiped the floor with The-Boy-Who-Lived, as had Longbottom with The-Ginger-Sidekick. The dynamic duo had still been licking their wounds during the noon meal. Though in Weasley's case, Miss Brown had nauseatingly been doing most of the 'licking.'
As he heard the tinkling of glass vials being prepared, Severus headed back to his desk and set out the wire collection basket before pulling a pile of third-year essays towards him. Shortly after, several students began turning in their results and vacating the room. He was mildly surprised to see Potter turn in his nearly-perfect completed potion before Hermione had even started decanting hers. When the next two students cautiously placed their flasks in the baskets and fled to safety, he looked up briefly and noticed she was being intentionally slow. In fact, she was hovering at her table, attempting to remain inconspicuous while the last remaining student finished bottling his brew.
Snape rolled his eyes slightly and sighed. "Miss Granger, is there a reason you are wasting my time?"
Hermione bit her lip as she glanced nervously at the other student. "Erm, I was wondering if I could ask you a question about the essay you set."
"If you must," he grumbled, sighing dramatically for the benefit of the boy handing in his flask. When the room was empty save for the two of them, he set down his quill and glanced at her. "What is it really, Granger?"
The girl let out a deep breath after setting down her potion and then handed him a folded parchment. "I finished my letter."
Severus gave a small grunt of acknowledgment as he took it from her and immediately set it down. "I shall see to its delivery as soon as it is possible."
She nodded and hesitantly looked at the paper. "You aren't going to read it?"
"Is it your impression that I make a habit of reading others' correspondence?" he asked blandly, returning to his marking.
"Well, no," she stammered. "I just wasn't sure if you wanted to screen what I wrote. I can rewrite it if you think I should."
He exhaled slowly and reached for the letter. His face remained impassive as he skimmed through it. "It's fine."
Hermione breathed in relief and nodded before turning to leave.
"Granger."
"Yes?" she asked, facing him.
"About the matter we discussed earlier," he started cautiously, pointedly staring at his desk top. "Have you…"
The young witch frowned as he trailed off, and then scratched her eyebrow trying to figure out to which matter he was referring. "Are you asking if I've showered today? Or what?"
Severus grimaced and wiped his hand over his face. "You mentioned a certain event taking place this week. I just…wanted to ascertain that it had…taken place as was expected."
Hermione let out a laugh and covered her face in embarrassment. "I can't believe you're asking me that, but, erm, yes. The event is taking place as expected."
With a relieved sigh, the wizard nodded slowly and picked up his quill again. He cleared his throat and flicked his gaze towards her. "I trust you will be fully capable of completing your essay now."
She raised her eyebrows in mild confusion, but nodded and took her leave. As she made her way up towards the ground floor, she wondered briefly why Snape had needed to ask whether or not she had started her cycle. Undoubtedly, he had been shocked by the mention of her pregnancy scare, so perhaps he was simply being paranoid now.
Better to be overly cautious, I suppose, than to be caught completely unaware.
As she stepped off of the staircase and began making her way to the Great Hall, she shook those thoughts away and started mentally writing her essay on the uses of cornflowers as potion ingredients.
Distracted as she was, she barely managed a squeal as a cold hand clamped over her mouth.