A/N: Hi all! Thank you so much for your reviews! I realized ashamedly that it has been over a month since my last update on this story. I am so so sorry! I swear it did not seem like that long, but then again...life moves way too fast these days.
This update is shorter than many of the more recent chapters, but I wanted to leave you with something now. Plus, this seems like a better ending point than what I'm thinking will come next.
For those of you who are waiting for the "Call me, Severus" part - not quite yet, but it will happen, I swear!
Bound to Him
Chapter 40
Before she could hardly comprehend it, the first week of December had already come to a close. Hermione had spent the majority of her free time that week focusing on her school work. Essays had begun to pile up, and she had needed something to take her mind off of Monday night's renewal. She had struggled to keep her attention on her brewing during Potions lessons – succeeding only when continuously reminding herself of Professor McGonagall's threat. No way in hell was she ever going to tutor Lavender Brown. If she could not keep her mind off of Won-won long enough to pass her classes, that was her own problem.
It was bad enough that Hermione had to watch her fawn all over Ron at the dinner table. It was additionally disturbing to see him use a napkin. She had been telling him for five years that he needed to improve his table manners, and nothing had happened. Lavender waltzes in to his line of view, and within a month, he's using a napkin and chewing with his mouth closed. Surprisingly, she found that more disgusting than being subjected to the sight of partially masticated food rolling around on his tongue.
A tongue that has frequently been inside Lavender's mouth. Ugh.
"Ouch!" she hissed, as a sharp pain suddenly flared across her shin bone. She dropped her fork and rubbed where Ginny had kicked her. "What was that for?"
"You were staring." The redhead gestured with her head towards Ron and Lavender. "It was creeping me out."
"So you kicked me?" she asked bitterly. "You could have said something, Gin."
"I was trying to get your attention, and you weren't listening," Ginny grumbled. "I was trying for three minutes to tell you to knock it off."
The brunette huffed softly and picked up her fork again. "Everyone else is staring at them."
"Everyone else is staring at them because they're a bloody spectacle," Ginny muttered. "You, however, were staring like you were one eye twitch away from Avada-ing one of them. I'm not visiting you in Azkaban if you murder my brother. He's a prat, but he's still my flesh and blood.
"And if you kill Lavender, you'd only be proving me right," she grinned matter-of-factly.
"What would she be proving?" Harry asked, overhearing part of their conversation.
"Nothing," the older girl stated quickly.
Ginny snorted as she grabbed a dinner roll. "She told me that she doesn't care that Won-won and Lav-Lav are an item. I think she's lying."
"Oh," he murmured quietly, while his friend leaned across the table.
"Would you keep your bloody voice down?"
"Then keep your murderous gaze down," the younger witch returned.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but vowed not to glance in that direction any more. Eventually her roommate drifted off into conversation with another fifth-year Gryffindor, and she was left to her own thoughts again. She looked up when Harry nudged her in the side.
"Still meeting tonight?" he whispered.
She slowly nodded her head, sighing in exasperation when a loud giggling exploded from Lavender's direction.
"Just ignore them."
"Easier said than done." She gritted her teeth as she shoveled a load of meat onto her fork.
"Now you know what it's like," Harry snickered. "Every time you tell me to ignore Snape, this is how it is."
She glanced at him in slight irritation and shook her head. "Professor Snape, Harry."
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
"You're doing better," Hermione smiled, tossing his wand back.
"I don't quite believe you," Harry grimaced. "But it's nice of you to say it."
She shook her head as she counted out a number of paces. "No, you are. I swear. You're responding quicker."
"It's still hard to read you, though," he sighed. "You took it easier on me last week, didn't you?"
The witch shrugged and gave a small smile.
"Are you taking it easy on me now?" When she looked towards the wall and feigned innocence, Harry groaned and wiped the sweat from his brow. "This time, don't hold back. I want to know how far I have to go."
She smirked wickedly as they squared off again. Three seconds later, the wizard found himself staring up at the wooden beams of the vaulted ceiling. He grunted loudly as he pulled himself back onto his feet and rubbed the back of his head where it had hit the cushioned floor.
"Alright, Harry?" Hermione asked, genuinely concerned. She had not fully anticipated how powerful her disarming spells had become. The only one she had dueled at full strength had been Snape, and she had never actually succeeded in disarming him. He always managed to shield her attempts.
The boy took in a wheezing breath and nodded slowly. "Knocked…a bit of the wind out of me, but I'm okay now."
"Sorry," she winced. "I didn't know I could do that."
"That makes two of us," he laughed cautiously. "I don't even know where to begin with that one."
The girl gave a nervous giggle and bit down on her lip. "Well – "
'Granger. We need to leave. You must make for the Entrance Hall immediately.'
Her eyes widened, and her stomach dropped as Snape's voice cut across her conscience. The Dark Lord was summoning them, and she was not ready. Oh God, oh God, oh God…
"Well, what?" Harry asked, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. "What's wrong?"
Fuck! I can't just run out on Harry without him following me. Hermione looked up at her friend and schooled her features. "Sorry. I just…erm…remembered that I have an Arithmancy assignment due next class, and I haven't started it yet. It's an entire chapter's worth of problems. I can't believe I forgot about that!"
He gave her a small smirk. "You'll be fine, Hermione. You have all weekend to work on it."
Damn! Why does it have to be Friday? She ran a hand through her hair, trying to figure something out. "Except there's a Quidditch match tomorrow, and I have a bunch of other work to get finished, too."
'Hurry it up, Granger!'
'A little fucking help would be appreciated, then!' Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she realized how ill-prepared she was. She had never thought about being summoned in the middle of Harry's lesson. How the hell am I going to get out of here?
Suddenly, she was thinking that she was in need of a full-length, unbreakable mirror. Half a second later, the wall she was facing became entirely covered with mirrored panels.
And then her mouth was moving, and she could hear herself speaking. "Since I really do need to get as much of it done tonight as I can, I want you to practice on your own. These mirrors are designed to absorb any spell cast at them, so I want you to watch yourself casting non-verbals and try to discern your tells. See if you can duel yourself tonight, and next week we'll try it again."
"Okay," Harry spoke slowly, lifting his eyebrows as he noticed her eyes glistening more than usual. "Hermione, it's going to be okay. It's just one assignment."
"I know, I know," she muttered, collecting her school robes and making to the door. "I still have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Harry!"
He offered her a bemused wave as she pushed through the door and disappeared into the hallway.
As soon as the door clicked shut, she disillusioned herself and sprinted down the nearest staircase. She descended the seven stories as quickly as she could, and did not stop running until a strong arm grabbed her around the waist as she skittered across the floor at the castle entrance.
She squawked in surprise, but quieted when she looked up to see Snape giving her a pointed look. She shivered as he guided her invisible form into the dark, winter night. As the castle doors closed behind them, she wrapped her school robes tighter around her body, and was immediately grateful that she had thought to put on a jumper before meeting Harry. She only wished that she had not opted to braid her hair that day. Her ears would have kept much warmer under her unruly curls.
As the snow squeaked beneath their feet, she could not fight the rising panic. They were not out for a nice winter stroll; they were heading to what very well could be their death.
Hermione wrapped her arms around her body and tried to run through the fake memory. She should have practiced more. She should have spent less time on her essays and more time working through the images. What if it was not enough? What if I mess up? What if he doesn't believe me? What if –
"Granger, stop it," he muttered.
"Sorry," she squeezed her eyes shut and stepped closer to him.
Severus sighed at her continued anxieties and held out his arm in front of the slight shimmer of her form. When she latched on to his elbow, he could feel her energy quivering through him. He exhaled slowly as he opened the large iron gates at the end of the walk, and silently cancelled her concealing charm. The fear was evident across her expression, and there were tears building up in her eyes.
"Hermione, calm yourself. You will do well."
The girl swallowed and nodded. "Okay, I'm… okay."
Grunting in response, the wizard wrapped his arms about her shoulders and touched the tip of his wand to his Dark Mark. One gut-wrenching second later, the pair appeared in the snow-covered field.
"Severus," Voldemort called. "I make allowances for your limited transportation, but I do not like to be kept waiting."
Hermione winced and tossed an apologetic look over her shoulder as she sank to her knees in the snow.
"My apologies, my Lord," Snape responded dutifully. "There were issues in extracting her from Gryffindor Tower without drawing unwanted attention."
The dark wizard's red eyes immediately snapped to the girl kneeling before him. He quickly strode towards her and used two frigid fingers to thrust her forehead backwards.
She gulped as she suddenly found herself staring into his piercing gaze.
"Is what he says true?"
With a whimper, she nodded.
"What were you doing?"
"H-helping H-harry with h-his h-homework…"
It was stretching the truth a bit, but was by no means a lie, Snape mused as he stood silently. He had no doubts that Lupin expected them to practice outside of class.
Voldemort took a step back and let his hand fall to his side. He regarded her shivering form for a few seconds before glancing back to Severus. "Do you find her as obedient as she seems?"
"I have no grievances with her, my Lord."
Hermione dropped her eyes to the trampled snow in front of her and tried to ignore the cold moisture seeping into her jeans. Her bare hands were already beginning to feel raw from the cold, and she was gritting her teeth to prevent them from chattering. When a pair of disgustingly pale feet appeared in her line of sight, she gasped involuntarily.
She squeaked when the evil wizard grabbed her roughly by the back of the neck and hauled her to her feet.
Without removing his angry gaze from the girl, he briefly addressed Snape once more. "She resists you no longer?"
Severus cleared his throat. "She has been exceptionally compliant since our last visit, my Lord."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes into slits, and Hermione let out a nervous whine as he harshly swept his thumb across the flesh of her throat. When she squirmed slightly in his hold, he pressed the pad of his thumb against her trachea. "Has she complied with my requests as well?"
The girl nodded her head emphatically as tears began spilling out of her eyes.
"She has."
"You know what Harry Potter is doing in his private meetings with Dumbledore?" he hissed with wide eyes. When she nodded again, he tightened his entire grip on her throat. "Then tell me!"
Hermione unconsciously clawed at his hand as she opened her mouth in an attempt to speak. She could hardly breathe to begin with, and the only sounds she could make were awkward little peeps. As she struggled, her tormenter chuckled loudly before opening his mental assault.
Snape winced visibly as he heard her give a gurgled cry at the brute force of the attack. He could see the Dark Lord ripping through her memories like a rabid dog, but he was not finding the false memory. The Potions Master cursed silently as he realized that she was too distracted by having to fight to keep breathing. She was wasting her energy trying to keep her Occlumency shields up when she should be projecting the image.
'Hermione, focus! You need to focus!'
The girl whimpered at the sound of his voice, but she attempted to follow his instruction.
'Believe in it, Hermione, and he will believe in it. Remember what I told you – your mind will inherently protect itself. He will not be able to find anything if you lose consciousness.'
Putting her trust in his words, she shifted what little focus she had left to thinking of the scenario she had manipulated. Just as the blackness was beginning to creep in from the edges of her vision, she felt Voldemort catch hold of the production and pull it forward.
As soon as it finished playing out, the Dark Lord withdrew from her mind and released her. As she collapsed to the ground in a fit of wheezes and coughs, Voldemort tapped one slender finger against his mouth and began to pace.
"Occlumency?" he sneered. "He's teaching the boy to occlude me?"
"It appears as such," Snape nodded, surreptitiously watching Hermione trying to catch her breath from the corner of his eye. "I spoke to the Headmaster following the girl's discovery, and I believe he has confirmed it."
As the evil wizard tilted his head, Severus felt his own mental barriers undergo a battering. Ignoring the painful twinges, he lowered his shield enough to push through the carefully-edited memory of Dumbledore's office. When the image faded away, the Dark Lord cancelled his Legilimency hold and broke into a grin.
"The old fool! He's wasting time!" Voldemort gave an excited laugh and stepped back towards the young witch lying in the snow. He bent down and tenderly ran his hand along the side of her face. "The fool is wasting time, and you're going to help him do it, aren't you?"
Surprised by the sudden change in her treatment, she flicked her eyes towards Snape. When he gave a slight dip of his head, she met the Dark Lord's hopeful gaze and nodded.
"A-ha!" The snakelike grin widened on his horrible face as he affectionately caressed her cheek. "My beautiful Hermione – so talented with delicate charms that the great Harry Potter seeks your counsel. Having trouble with his little birds flitting about, is he? His friends are dying all around him, and he's worried about being outshined in front of that silly half-breed?"
He laughed vibrantly as he raised to his full height. Hermione's eyes widened when he extended his hand towards her. Panting heavily, she swallowed her fear and placed her shaking hand in his palm. Gently, he wrapped his long fingers around hers and pulled her to her feet.
"Severus," Voldemort cooed, turning to face his follower. "You will take this darling girl of yours back to her scarlet tower where she will ensure that Precious Potter has the best Avis charm in the British Isles! And when she has, she will use that brilliant mind of hers to assist him with the rest of the meaningless drivel that school deems necessary to assign!"
"My Lord?"
"Tut, tut, Severus," he chided amusedly as he led an utterly befuddled Hermione towards the dark-cloaked wizard. "If Dumbledore wishes to waste his time training the boy in such folly, let us support him in any manner we can."
Snape took in a long breath as he comprehended the Dark Lord's line of thought. When the girl's hand was held out to him, he accepted it. He pulled her closer to his body in preparation for apparition when the tyrant addressed him once more.
"Oh, and Severus, see to it that the girl shares anything of importance with you. I will not risk this arrangement on your ability to sneak her out of the castle beneath Dumbledore's nose. I do not have the time to wait for you."
He gave an acquiescing dip of his head and immediately apparated himself and the girl to the gates of Hogwarts. After casting a notice-me-not charm, he pushed open the gates far enough to allow them entrance and then tugged her to the edge of the gravel path.
Without a word, he cast warming and drying charms over her body. He removed his winter cloak and transfigured it to fit her smaller frame. He pulled the fur-lined hood over her head and then gestured to her reddened hands. "Put your hands in the interior pockets. It will protect them until I can treat any frost damage."
Hermione did as she was told and attempted not to wince at the stinging of her chapped knuckles. She swallowed nervously when he gently traced his fingers along the edge of her throat. Biting her lip, she briefly met his questioning gaze before averting her eyes to the snow about their feet.
"I do not sense any serious damage," he said softly, drawing his hand from her body. When she nodded silently, he exhaled slowly. "Do you require immediate attention, or may we update the Headmaster first?"
She glanced up at the concerned expression on his face and shrugged as she whispered, "I think I'm alright for now."
A pained look crossed his countenance at the scratchiness of her voice. He squinted up at the brightly-lit window of the Headmaster's office, and then back at the girl shivering in front of him. With a sigh, he disillusioned her and gestured for her to follow him to the castle.
"You will not have to speak," he stated matter-of-factly. "It will be quick."
xXxXxXxXxXx
"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore greeted quietly, looking up from his desk. His eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly at the sight of the subdued girl following closely at his spy's heels. "Miss Granger."
She spared him a sideways glance as Snape steered her towards an armchair by the fire. Collapsing into the chair, she tucked her feet beneath her and pulled the winter cloak tighter around her body as she fought off another round of shivers.
"I take it from your mutual absence and reappearance that Riddle wanted a word with the two of you," the Headmaster sighed, leaning back in his seat.
Snape grunted in response as he stepped towards the desk and sank down into a chair. "A stunning conversationalist, as always."
Albus nodded in understanding and steepled his fingers. "And what has transpired?"
"He is interested in our keeping the boy distracted with empty tasks while he builds in strength."
"Empty tasks?" the elder wizard asked with a raise of one eyebrow.
Severus sighed and rubbed his temples. "School work… Quidditch… anything not directly related to his preparing for facing the Dark Lord."
"Mmmm, I see." Dumbledore touched the tips of his fingers to his lips. "Was there nothing else discussed? No mention of the Malfoy boy?"
The spy shook his head slowly. "We were simply summoned so the Dark Lord could inspect her progress on monitoring Potter. Once he finished his examination, we were dismissed for the evening."
"He gave you no further commands?"
"To continue on in our present endeavor," Snape responded. "And since he has gained next to nothing of value, he has decided that Miss Granger will no longer need to be brought before him. She is instead to share anything of significance with me, and I will subsequently relay it to the Dark Lord when next he calls."
Albus widened his eyes and glanced briefly towards the chair where Hermione was curled up by the fire. "I must say I find that a bit surprising."
The girl raised her head at his proclamation, but the Slytherin Head simply shrugged. "I may have mentioned the difficulty in bringing her to him without your catching wind of it."
"A bit of a risk to take, Severus," he said with a smile, though his eyes held a glimmer of censure. A handful of seconds passed before he shifted his gaze again to the girl. "Nevertheless, I am glad that you may breathe a little easier, Miss Granger."
Hermione gave him an uneasy nod before resting her head against her knees. Her head was beginning to ache, and the cheery brightness of the office was only making it worse. It was not as bad as it had been before Halloween, but it was enough to put her mother's migraines to shame.
The two professors continued speaking, but she paid them little attention as she tried to ignore the rising tension in her head. It was getting to the point where she was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. She sucked in a steadying breath of air and buried her face into the crook of her arm.
Sensing her discomfort, Snape cleared his throat and stood from his chair. "If that is all, Headmaster?"
The elder wizard glanced at him in mild surprise and then flicked his eyes toward the girl. He nodded in understanding and waved in the direction of the fireplace. "Yes, of course, Severus. She requires your attention more than I."
The witch raised her head at the weight of his hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she clambered out of the chair and followed him to the fireplace. As they swirled out of the green flames, she was hit with a sudden bout of nausea and quickly grabbed onto the mantle to steady herself.
"Do you need to lie down?" Snape asked, eyeing her with concern.
The girl shook her head and inhaled deeply. "I don't think lying down is going to do anything to stop the pounding in my head."
He grunted in understanding and gestured with his head to the bedroom door. "If you can manage your way to the lavatory, we can try to dampen the effect."
Hermione slowly nodded and cautiously began picking her way around the furniture, attempting not to make any more movement than was absolutely necessary. The wizard trailed behind her and kept his eyes trained on her figure, watching carefully for any loss of balance. When they at last reached the bathroom, he had her sit upon the commode while he dug out a headache relief potion from the cupboard beside the sink. As she quickly downed the flask's contents, Severus wordlessly began drawing her a bath.
"Ugh," she whimpered, holding her head. "Why is it so loud?"
He let out a small sigh and silenced the splashing water with a flick of his wand. "Better?"
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, though she kept her eyes pinched shut.
"I will turn out the lights as soon as I've examined your hands," he promised. After years of having his mind torn open by Voldemort and having to teach hundreds of giddy school-children, he had the art of minimizing a migraine down to a science. He had prepared his own remedies in the dark on many occasions, and he was half-assured that he could do it in his sleep if needed.
"Okay," she whispered, slipping her hands down onto her lap. She hissed slightly when he ran his thumb across the knuckles of her right hand.
"My apologies." The Potions Master reached back into the cupboard and pulled out a small, round jar of white salve. "This should heal them quickly and prevent any further irritation from the hot water."
The young witch bit down on her lower lip as he gently massaged the substance onto first her right hand and then her left. As an intense cooling feeling erupted along her chapped fingers, she gave a small squeak of surprise. When he extinguished the lights in the room a half-minute later, she slowly opened her eyes and made another noise of appreciation.
"How do you know how to do all of this?" she whispered as she watched him sprinkle the now-familiar blue crystals into the bath water.
He sighed upon finishing his task, and rubbed the back of his neck. "It comes with the territory, I suppose."
"Of being a Potions professor, or a spy?"
Severus turned to look at her, and she could barely make out the gleam of his eyes. "Must it be exclusive to one option?"
Hermione snickered in spite of her current condition, and suddenly found herself wincing at the pain rippling through her head. The wizard took in a frustrated breath and stood to his full height after stowing the jar of crystals beneath the sink.
"I will leave you to bathe," he murmured as he took a step out of the room. "I will have Dobby retrieve clothes for you, and when you feel the pain has become more manageable, I will see to the contusions on your neck."
The girl nodded in response and stood to unclasp the winter cloak. He took it from her when she held it out, and when he moved to close the door, she whispered, "You can leave it open."
He lifted one eyebrow in surprise, but let his hand fall away from the knob.
"Thank you."
With a nod, he slipped through the bedroom doorway and into the sitting room. Hermione gave a soft sigh as she undid the braid in her hair and set to stripping out of her clothes.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Nearly an hour later, Severus looked up as the pajama-clad girl took a seat beside him on the sofa. "How does it feel?"
She bit her lip and shrugged. "Better, I suppose. I don't feel like I need to throw up, at least."
He nodded as he reached for the jar of yellow bruise paste that was sitting on the end table. As he screwed open the lid, the girl gathered her hair in one hand and held it away from her neck. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the cool salve, but when she felt only his fingers, she narrowed her brow and glanced at him in surprise.
Snape gave her an apologetic look as he undid the clasp of her amethyst necklace before dropping it into her free hand. While beneath the pressure of the Dark Lord's grip, the silver chain had left angry red impressions in the sides of her throat. When he did apply the paste, she gasped involuntarily at the temperature difference before focusing her attention on the look of determination he held as he tended to the bruises that were beginning to form.
Upon finishing his task, the wizard banished the jar back to the bathroom and glanced at the necklace in her hand. "You may want to wait until the irritation fades before donning that again."
Hermione let her hair fall back into place as she nodded. She gave a soft sigh and wrapped her fingers tightly about the pendant. She had scarcely taken it off in the ten weeks it had been in her possession, and she was loathe to be separated from it for any stretch of time.
They sat in silence for several minutes until finally she cleared her throat. "Do you think that...erm… will the Dark—You-Know-Who really not call for me again?"
The man sighed sadly and let his gaze drift to the fireplace. "For the time being, you may be safe. I do not, however, think we can put our trust in any of the Dark Lord's promises."
Not again, he thought, not ever again.
She nodded in understanding and fiddled with jewelry in her hand. "I was afraid of that."
He glanced back at her in time to see a distressed look cross her face. He could tell she was playing over the night's events in her head, and it was unlikely that doing so would do her any benefit. Wishing to distract her from her tendency to fret incessantly, he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Granger, it is over. You did well."
"No," she whispered, shaking her head violently. "I nearly ruined everything. If I had passed out before he found it…"
"It does not matter."
"Yes, it does!" The girl looked up at him with shining eyes. "It does matter. He would have known we were lying to him about Harry, and we'd both be dead!"
"We are not, however," Severus countered, moving his hand to gently cup her cheek. "In this world, one needs to focus on what they were able to accomplish and not on what could have happened if they were to fail. You were successful in feeding the most powerful Legilimens a false memory. You were successful in protecting Potter's vulnerable mind. That is what you must not lose sight of. Nothing… else… matters."
Hermione bit her lip and paused a moment before curling her feet up onto the sofa and resting her head on his thigh. His surprised gurgle was drowned out by the loud, shuddering sigh that escaped her mouth. His hand hesitantly hovered in the air before it finally came to rest on her waist.
"It isn't burning, is it?" he asked cautiously after a few minutes' worth of quiet.
She shook her head against his leg and moved her empty hand nearer to her face.
Snape let out a small breath of relief. He had been dreading the possibility of having to renew the bond since the moment he had left her in the bath. Glancing down at her silent form, he moved his hand to her face, where he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And your head?"
"Still hurts," she mumbled.
He nodded and made to move his hand, startling somewhat when she caught it with one of her own. Without a word, she tugged it down and placed it purposely over her eyes.
"Granger?"
"Please," she whispered. "It helps. Something about the pressure and heat, I guess. My dad does this for my mum sometimes."
The wizard gave a small grunt but made no effort to remove it even when she had dropped her own hand back to the sofa cushion. When she attempted to snuggle deeper into the couch, he sighed and summoned his restored cloak from the chair where he had tossed it earlier. He magically threw it over the length of her body and watched as she quickly grasped the collar, tucking it close to her chin. A handful of minutes passed in silence before he felt her muscles beginning to relax and her breathing deepened into the slow, steady rhythm of sleep.
Though a fine layer of sweat was beginning to form across the palm of his left hand, he kept it over her eyes for fear that the movement would wake her. The more uninterrupted sleep she could get, the better it would be for her. He knew in the back of his mind that he should send her back to her own room, but he had an overwhelming urge to keep her within his direct line of sight. It was slightly irrational, he thought, but he could not keep himself from thinking of the nightmare that he had had earlier that month.
It had taken every ounce of willpower he possessed to stay still while the Dark Lord's hand had been about her throat. He had known, of course, that the tyrant's intention was not to kill her, but that had not stopped his heart from nearly pounding out of his chest in fear.
As he watched her sleep, he exhaled lengthily and thought of what could have happened had he not kept in control of himself. Had he made any form of protest, it would not have mattered what memories Hermione projected. The Dark Lord would have taken his fondness for the girl as a sign of treachery and would have executed whatever punishment he deemed necessary.
The sudden jarring of his right arm prevented him from further negative contemplation. Severus looked over to see the ginger cat perched upon the armrest of the sofa. With a determined swishing of his bottlebrush tail, the feline fixed him with a very pointed look before stretching casually and sauntering along the back of the couch. The half-Kneazle butted his forehead against the back of the man's head and then daintily hopped down onto the sleeping girl.
"If you wake her up, cat," Snape warned in a low voice.
Crookshanks donned an affronted expression as he looked up at the wizard and began gently kneading her hip. After half a minute's worth of preparing his roost, the cat curled up, yawned sleepily, and tucked his nose beneath his tail.
The Potions Master glanced nervously at Hermione, relaxing slightly when she showed no signs of waking. He was just about to close his own eyes when the Floo suddenly sprang to life.
"Severus?" McGonagall's voice called out as her head appeared in the green flames.
He sent a harsh glare in the direction of the fireplace. "You can come through if you can keep your bloody voice down."
The witch's eyebrows arched visibly before her face disappeared. Two seconds later, she stepped out of the fireplace into his quarters.
"Blasted nosy felines," he muttered beneath his breath as he checked once again to make sure Hermione was still asleep.
"What was that?" Minerva queried; her face twisted into a pointed warning. When he feigned ignorance, she rolled her eyes and glanced concernedly at the girl in his lap. "Is she alright?"
"She will be," he said, clearing his throat. "Did the Headmaster send you to monitor her recovery?"
"Hmmm…what?" she asked, snapping her eyes to his. "Oh, no. Actually it was Mr. Wilcox who alerted me to her absence when he could not find her for rounds a little while ago."
Snape grimaced, realizing he had forgotten all about her being assigned to patrol on Friday nights.
"I told him I had excused her for the evening and that he should seek out Miss Weasley or Miss Lewis to accompany him instead," the Gryffindor Head explained. "I wished to verify for myself, however, that she was alright. Was she…were you…"
With a sigh, he nodded his head.
"I see," she responded sadly. "How did she do?"
"She did well."
McGonagall gave him a tight smile before glancing at the clock. "There's half an hour until curfew, if you did not wish to draw attention. I can escort her back to Gryffindor Tower if you think she is well enough."
The man exhaled loudly and begrudgingly nodded his head. "It would be for the best."
"I think that could be debatable," she smirked, crossing over to the sofa. "The three of you do appear rather cozy."
Severus scowled as he slipped his hand from the girl's eyes.
The Deputy Headmistress chuckled softly as she gingerly shook Hermione's shoulder. The young witch slowly opened her eyes in response and blinked up at her mentor, who smiled back at her. "I'm very sorry to wake you, dear, but it would be best to get you back to your room before curfew."
Wiping her eyes, the girl yawned and pulled herself into a seated position, dislodging her familiar from his perch. As Crookshanks jumped onto the back of the couch and began licking his rumpled fur, Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You mean before Harry has a conniption fit."
At Snape's amused snort, she sheepishly glanced back at him. "Sorry, for… erm, falling asleep on you."
"Oh, don't worry about him," Minerva grinned, holding her hand out to help the girl to her feet. "He's perfectly fine."
The brunette smiled as the wizard rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. She looked down at the necklace she held in her hand and then hesitantly touched the side of her neck. When there was no pain at her touch, she gave a small breath of relief and pocketed the amethyst jewelry in her pajama bottoms.
"Dobby," Snape hissed after glancing at her current attire.
The elf popped into the room a second later. "Master Snape, sir, calls for Dobby?"
"I need you to fetch back Miss Granger's school robes. Now."
With an eager grin, the creature disappeared with a crack and reappeared within a moment. He held out the article of clothing to Hermione, who took it with a small smile.
"Dobby is glad to be of service to Hermione Granger and Master Snape, sir!"
"Thank you, Dobby," the girl responded.
The elf bowed deeply before popping away.
McGonagall waited for the witch to slip on her robes and stow her wand in one of the pockets. She then led the way to the hallway door and held it open for Hermione to pass.
"Good night, Prof—erm, good night," the girl said quietly.
"Good night, Granger," Severus responded. A minute later he cleared his throat loudly. "You've forgotten something."
Both witches turned back to see him glaring at the half-Kneazle, who had paused midway through cleaning his behind in order to return a similarly challenging look to the professor.
Minerva snorted and quirked one eyebrow. "If there's one thing you should know about us 'nosy felines,' Severus, it's that we do as we wish and not as we're told."