Bound to Him

by georgesgurl117

At the behest of Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape is forced to commit a deplorable act against one who should have been under his protection. Bound by Dark Magic, he and Hermione Granger must learn to trust one another and themselves as they work together to thwart the dark plots surrounding them.

58. Under Observation

A/N: I am so sorry to have left you all hanging for so long! My fellowship application is finally submitted, so fingers crossed!

Thanks for all of the reviews, encouragement, and bribery attempts! I hope you find this installment worth the wait. And I think the next one might be even better...

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Bound to Him

Chapter 58

Snape rested against the back of his chair, rubbing his fingers over his chin after having given the instruction to the sixth year class to place their brews under stasis and head up to the Great Hall for supper. As the students worked to tidy up their workstations, his gaze subtly drifted past Draco to rest upon the Gryffindors' bench.

Hermione had not met his eye for more than a few seconds over the course of the two-hour practical session. He had considered addressing her mentally to apologize, but every time he was about to do so, he felt as though he were living through a never-ending cycle of déjà vu. How many times could he apologize after hurting her before she stopped believing that he meant it?

"Hermione, whatever you may have heard… I did not mean what I said about you."

"This time?"

Pressing his lips into a thin line, the Slytherin Head could not wager a guess as to how many times that small exchange had replayed in his head over the past two days. After recalling her reaction when she assumed he had been in her head, he had decided that he would need to find the time to address her in person. He also suspected that words may not be enough.

Thankfully, there was a gesture of good will standing right in front of him, pushing a pair of spectacles up the bridge of its nose. Clearing his throat, Severus leaned forward. "Mr. Potter… a word."

As Malfoy and Zabini jeered quietly on their way out of the classroom, the professor donned the faintest of smirks while watching the Boy Wonder glance around sheepishly. When Hermione paused mid-step and looked up at him with a question clearly written in her expression, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. She cast one hesitant glance in her friend's direction and shrugged her shoulders before continuing toward the corridor.

When the door clicked shut behind her, the Potions Master folded his arms to his chest and fixed the young Gryffindor with a scrutinizing stare.

Harry shifted nervously at the edge of his workbench and adjusted the strap of his book bag. "Was there something you needed to speak to me about, Professor?"

"An astute observation, Potter," he sneered, rolling his eyes. "Do not suffer the impression that I held you after because I cannot get enough of your dashing appearance."

The boy flushed red and ground his teeth together.

Snape sighed loudly and relaxed his intimidating presence. It would do him no favors with Hermione were he simply to stir up the young wizard's easily-provoked temper. As the angry rant she had given after he had nearly suffocated her flashed through his mind, the man cleared his throat. "I heard that you may have a question for me to answer."

Harry narrowed his eyes and shook his head in confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

"Regarding the essay I've set," the Potions Master clarified grumpily.

Comprehension dawned upon the boy, and he glanced briefly toward the door. When he turned back to face the instructor, his face was tightly set in irritation. "Hermione told you, didn't she?"

"For Merlin's sake, Potter," the older wizard snarled. "Even I will not fail you for seeking assistance."

"And if you think it's a stupid question?" Harry pressed.

Severus snorted under his breath. "Then I will berate you accordingly, but unless you blatantly ignore the advice given, it does not equate an immediate failure."

"Oh," the Gryffindor murmured lamely before scratching the back of his head. "Well, I mean, Hermione sort of helped already and I've been reading one of the books she suggested and taking notes, but I don't really know if I really understand it well enough."

"Do you currently have your notes on your person?" When the boy only nodded and continued to stand still, the professor snapped his fingers impatiently. "Well, let's not take all night, Potter. I, too, would like to make it to the Great Hall before Weasley has eaten everything in sight."

"Oh, sorry," Harry mumbled, digging quickly into his bag to find his notes.

Snape lifted the corner of his mouth into a sneer and accepted the noticeably crumpled notebook as one would a deceased rodent. He then pointed to the corner of his desk. "Grab a stool. Before I assist you, you will tell me what it is you are trying to do and what it is you think you do understand about it."

"Erm," the boy swallowed slightly before nodding. After seating himself at the side of the desk, he cautiously glanced at the man. "Does this mean you're going to pass me again?"

"I do not recall saying that," the Slytherin smirked, slowly turning a page of the messy notebook. "I merely said I would not fail you just for asking a question. You very well might still fail if your essay is as dismal as it usually is."

Harry bristled slightly, but took in a deep breath before finally explaining his idea.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Oh, there's Harry," Neville stated, gesturing toward the front of the Great Hall.

"Finally," Hermione sighed as she set down her fork. A frown set upon her face, however, at noticing the boy's expression and frenzied pace. "Harry, are you alright? I waited for a while, but I really needed to eat."

"I'm fine," he snapped, tossing his bag down under the bench.

"What happened?"

"Snape happened," he grumbled, reaching for a platter of food. "Do I need to say anything else?"

Neville shook his head emphatically as the rest of the students sitting near them mumbled their agreement.

"Perhaps his professional title," Hermione suggested with a hesitant smile.

Harry fixed her with a trying look as he stabbed a chunk of potato with quite a bit of force.

"Sheesh, lay off, Granger," Seamus groaned, shaking his head. "The man's just suffered an extra forty minutes with Professor Git-Face."

The witch glared at him and then at Ron who laughed loudly. Crossing her arms, she flicked her eyes briefly toward the Head Table where Severus had paused mid-bite to glare down a pair of third-year Slytherins who were horsing around at the end of their table. She was not certain why the wizard had found the need to harass Harry when she had merely asked him to do his job as an educator. Unless, of course, her friend had acted like an absolute prat. It definitely was not out of the ordinary for that to have happened.

With a disheartened sigh, the girl picked up her utensil and cast a sad look at the boy across from her. When she caught him smirking back at her, she narrowed her gaze.

"Later," Harry mouthed before clearing his throat and returning to his meal.

Interest piqued, Hermione waited impatiently until he had finished eating and then eagerly followed him out of the Great Hall. When they were away from any of the other students, the wizard cast a Muffliato and turned to face her.

"It was only for show," he explained, gesturing in the direction from which they had just come. "He told me that if I didn't act like he spent the entire time insulting me, people would be suspicious and start asking questions, which wouldn't be good for any of us."

"True," she nodded in understanding. "So he didn't actually spend the whole time insulting you?"

"Oh, he still did plenty of insulting," Harry grinned, ducking his head. "But in addition to that, he actually made an effort to teach me something. He answered all of my questions, and didn't let me leave until I could adequately explain the principle to him."

"Really?" the witch gasped; eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah," he answered with a vigorous nod. "I don't know what you said to him, but he must have taken it to heart, which is odd because I've never imagined him having a heart."

"A mind-blowing experience for you then?" she laughed. She wanted to be outraged by the statement, but upon considering her earlier perceptions of the man, the witch knew she should not cast stones.

The boy nodded. "In fact, if I didn't know you better, I would've wondered if you were sleeping with him."

"Harry!" she snapped, swatting his arm.

"I said if I didn't know you!" he protested while jumping out of reach of her arm. "I'm just saying I understand where Remus was coming from now. It's just strange, Hermione. You have to admit it."

The girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I admit it. It is strange that living, breathing human being can make friends with another such creature, and be willing to listen to reason."

"I'm not talking about human beings," Harry grinned devilishly and darted up half a flight of stairs before she could strike again. "I'm talking about Snape."

"You are such a prat, Harry James Potter!" she shouted, running after him.

"You love me anyway!" he called back.

Hermione giggled under her breath and shook her head when she caught up to him. "Love you or not, I'm going to make you pay for that on Friday."

"I've been practicing, you know," the wizard replied. "So I welcome the challenge."

"Oh you do, do you?" she smirked as they stepped onto the seventh floor. When no reply came, the girl looked to her friend and then frowned in confusion. "Harry?"

The playful light in the boy's face had suddenly disappeared, and his eyes were staring straight ahead. He gave no indication of having heard his name, and she followed his gaze to where Dean was helping Ginny through the portrait hole into the common room.

"Merlin's sake," she sighed, giving his shoulder a light shove. Her stomach twisted when he suddenly glared at her, but before she could even recoil, the anger had entirely dissipated from his expression. Eyeing him cautiously, she swallowed a large gulp and then cleared her throat. "Are you alright?"

Harry narrowed his eyebrows in confusion and then shrugged. "Fine. Why?"

"Erm, you were…" she paused for a moment before shaking her head. "Never mind. I should head down to the Hospital Wing, but we can talk afterward if you want."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Her stomach twisted with anxiety as she approached the Room of Requirement. She was not afraid of falling like she had during their last flying lesson, but she knew the man well enough to know that he would press on to a more challenging exercise. There was also the added concern that whatever Severus was going to tell her regarding his summoning had to do with her.

"Hello," she stated quietly, closing the door behind her. Her eyes quickly scanned over the cavernous space – the ceilings appeared to have been raised several stories, but there was no sign of a platform.

"Good evening," he returned.

Rubbing her shoulder, she offered him a small smile. "Before we begin, I just wanted to thank you for helping Harry. I know it meant a lot to him."

"Well, he wasn't a complete nightmare," the man sighed. "He has an honorable idea at least."

Hermione grinned and nodded. "And you aren't going to punish him if it does not come up with a valid brew, right?"

He exhaled loudly and folded his arms. "I cannot fault him for failing to solve something that I spent an entire decade failing to solve."

"But what about your Cruciatus potion? I didn't know you invented it, by the way. Isn't that what he's trying to do?"

Snape shook his head. "What I succeeded in developing is merely a treatment for reducing symptoms after the curse has already been… applied. It cannot be used as a prophylactic measure as Potter intends."

"Oh? But couldn't it work like the one you made for me?"

"Not without drastic consequences. Yours I could target to prevent against localized pain, but the Cruciatus is inflicted upon the entire nervous system," he replied. "As far as I can tell, it would be nigh impossible to insulate against the curse without shutting it all down, and that does not exactly seem any more preferable."

"No, I would suppose not," she exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Is that why you have all of those Muggle books on neurobiology in your quarters?"

"Yes, I…" The wizard trailed off and then narrowed his eyes at her. "Granger, I know what you're doing."

"Asking questions?"

He raised one eyebrow. "You're trying to delay the inevitable, but we do not have all night."

"Damn," Hermione muttered.

The professor smirked and paced a few steps. "Now, then – do you recall how far I allowed you to fall last week?"

"Twenty feet," she replied, grimacing slightly as she recalled the experience.

With one further step, he turned back towards her and linked his arms behind his back. "And how often do you suppose you will be flying below that height when fleeing an attacker?"

"Not very often?"

He grunted in agreement. "And if you were to fall from, say, a few hundred or thousand feet – how effective would you suppose that method might be?"

The witch swallowed anxiously. "Not very effective?"

"What might be of more use in that instance?" he asked, tilting his head.

She blew out a slow breath as she considered the question.

"When Potter took his swan dive after fraternizing with the dementors, how exactly did he escape shattering every bone in his body?" he pressed.

Hermione pinched her lips together and scratched the side of her head. "Dumbledore cast a spell to slow his descent."

"Which spell?" When only stared at him in uncertainty, he rolled his shoulders. "I guarantee that you demonstrated proficiency in this particular spell during your second year Charms examination."

After a second's thought, her eyes widened slightly. "Arresto momentum?"

"Indeed."

"I can use that to slow my own momentum?" she queried. "Not just an object's?"

Severus tapped his head with his pointer finger. "If you visualize it and keep focus, you could save a dozen people from a fall."

A slow smile crossed her face as she stared at him. "That would be brilliant."

"It would be," he agreed, "provided you can manage it. Before you attempt it on anything living, however, I would like to see for myself that you are competent in the basic implementation of the spell."

Thirty minutes later, after watching her successfully guide a grand piano to a safe landing, Severus cleared his throat and pushed away from the pillar against which he had been leaning. "Enough. We move on now."

The proud look that had been on the girl's face quickly vanished as she watched him produce a broom. He then dropped it to the ground in front of her and eyed her expectantly. "The second rule in flying?"

"Commanding your broom?" she sighed. When he dipped his head and gestured for her to continue, the witch took in a deep breath and held out a shaky hand. "Up."

Snape pinched his lips together to keep from laughing when the broom simply rolled over.

"See?" she stated quietly. "I've always been pants at this. I can never get it on the first try."

"I do see," he muttered. "I assume that has to do with the fact that you're doing it wrong."

Hermione quickly donned a glare. "Oh please – do enlighten me as to what the correct method of saying the word 'Up' is."

"As it appears no one else managed to do so, I suppose I shall have to," he quipped, folding his arms to his chest. "What you need to bear in mind is that you are not talking to the broom. You are not asking the broom. You are not pleading with the broom. You are commanding the broom. You have to have intent. Wielding strong magic of any sort requires two things above all else: intent and focus. Flying is no different."

The girl sucked in a slow breath as she felt a stirring within her chest. She could not explain why exactly, but she had begun to realize lately that there was something undeniably attractive about him during his private lectures. She had always recognized that he had an impressive presence, but now she found it incredibly… stimulating.

As he moved towards her, she slammed her eyelids shut and forced any inappropriate thoughts to the recesses of her mind. It would not do to get distracted.

Severus froze immediately upon noticing her reaction. Mistaking it for one of fear, he grimaced and took one step backward. His tone was softer when she opened her eyes again. "Hermione –"

"Intent and focus," she whispered, interrupting his attempt at an apology. Intent and focus. Intent and focus. Come on, Granger – you've conquered Occlumency and Apparition. You've lied to the Dark Lord's face. You can manage flight.

The man scrutinized her features and relaxed at seeing she had merely been concentrating and that her fear was directed more toward the broomstick than his person. After watching her stare at the instrument for several seconds, he began pacing methodically. As he moved behind her, he leaned over her shoulder and spoke softly. "It's just a broom, Granger. It does not mean you any harm. It is not capable of thought. It's made of wood and straw. It is nothing compared to you. You could sweep the floor with it."

Hermione laughed at the double entendre and glanced up at him. When he only raised an eyebrow before resuming his steps, she smirked to herself and then returned her attention to the task at hand. With a sudden rush of confidence, she extended a steady hand. "Up."

The broom immediately slammed into her hand at the command.

"It worked!" she cried. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she raised her gaze. When he silently nodded and gestured to continue, she sobered her expression and mounted her broomstick.

"Straight up," he instructed.

Taking in a quick breath, she kicked off and began rising. "How far?"

"Higher."

Upon glancing down and surmising that she had to be nearly thirty feet from the ground, she felt a stab of panic. "Can I stop now?"

"Higher."

"You're not even looking!" she protested.

With a roll of his eyes, he glanced up at her. "Higher."

"Oh god," she whimpered, forcing herself to keep ascending.

"Are your eyes open?" Severus called.

"Y-yes," she stammered.

"Liar."

Grimacing, the witch opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. The broom began to wobble as soon as she realized that the ground was twice as far away as it had been a moment prior.

"You have to keep focus in order to maintain control!" he shouted to her.

"Intent and focus, intent and focus," she repeated under her breath. Eventually, it steadied and she was rising smoothly.

"Better?" When she replied in the affirmative, he waited a few seconds longer before withdrawing his wand. "You may stop now."

"Oh, thank god," she sighed.

"Ready?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Ready for wha-AHHH!"

A high-pitched scream escaped her when the broom suddenly vanished beneath her, and she plummeted quickly toward the ground.

"Arresto momentum!" Snape shouted when it became clear that she was not going to do it herself. When she came to a gentle stop upon the cushioned floor, he sighed dramatically. "You do realize that the point of this exercise is not to test my ability with the spell, yes?"

The girl forced her eyes open and all but hugged the ground. When she finally realized what he had said, she rolled onto her bottom and stared at him in disbelief. "You could have given me some warning, you arsehole!"

"I gave you ample warning last week," he argued. "Time is not something we are guaranteed. You need to learn to react in the moment. Now, we're going to do it again."

"Fuck!" she hissed, collapsing back against the floor and covering her face with both hands.

"Granger—"

"Just give me a bloody minute!" she snapped. "Or I'm liable to have a sodding heart attack."

XxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"I think that's enough for this evening," Severus grunted as she hit the ground with a thump and a squeak.

Groaning, Hermione laid on the floor for a long moment before peeking up at him. "You couldn't have assisted me on that one?"

"And distort your perception of your progress?" He tilted his head. "You very nearly had it that time. A hundred foot fall is generally lethal, and yet I would wager you have nothing more than a few bruises."

Muttering bitterly under her breath, the witch pushed herself into a seated position. She proceeded to cast one of the diagnostic charms she had just learned, and when it came back clean, she exhaled loudly. "Now what?"

He stepped forward and held out his hand. As he pulled her to her feet, he gestured to a pair of armchairs. "Now we talk."

"Okay," she murmured, knowing she was just as nervous about hearing what he had to tell her as she had been sitting on a broom ten stories in the air. When she reached the nearest seat, she swallowed hesitantly at spotting the pensieve that sat in between them. "We're viewing memories?"

"You wished for complete honesty," he stated, sinking into the other chair. "I figured this would be the easiest method."

"I see," she whispered, gripping the armrest tightly.

Severus leaned forward and cleared his throat. "Before that, however, I need to apologize. That night, when I… shouted at you, I did not mean… I was not aware of my surroundings."

"I know," she replied.

"I did not realize that you were the one with your hand on me," he explained with a grimace. "I thought it was Bellatrix."

Her stomach clenched at the thought of the dark witch touching him. "Bellatrix?"

Grimacing, he nodded. "What I said was directed at her, not at you. I am truly sorry that I frightened you."

"It's alright, Severus." She gave him a strained smile. "I know how much pain you had to be in at the time, and I could see that you were disoriented. Plus, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey told me the same thing."

"And plied you with alcohol, I hear," he smirked.

A slight flush graced her cheeks, and she ducked her head. "Well, I spilled half of it when the cauldron blew."

"Holding your liquor is something you'll have to learn on your own," he returned. "That is something I shall not teach you.

Hermione giggled softly and then glanced uncertainly toward the Pensieve. "Am I to view them on my own, or are you accompanying me?"

"Whichever you prefer," he responded, rising from his chair.

While watching him extract the silver thread from his temple, she debated with herself. As he deposited it into the bowl, she stepped beside him and cleared her throat. "Will you come with me?"

He nodded, and a moment later they were both falling into the ether of his memory.

The girl's heart was beating wildly as they arrived in the ballroom – firstly, due to the free fall, but it only increased as Voldemort hissed his greeting. She physically flinched when the tyrant ripped into the memory-Snape's mind, and she was gripped by the irrational fear that the man currently standing beside her could again suffer that fate. Instinctually, she grabbed onto his robes and positioned her body so that she was partially ahead of him.

Severus tore his eyes away from his own likeness and focused his attention solely on her. He had no need to examine the memory for himself, and if Hermione appeared too affected by the incident, he would remove them immediately.

"Where are we?" she whispered, wincing as the memory-Snape collapsed onto his knees.

"Malfoy Manor," he replied stiffly before the evil wizard found his discovery.

"You allowed her to withdraw from class!" Voldemort shouted in the man's face. "From Defense! Where the Potter brat fully expects her to be! You were not to arouse suspicion!"

The witch gasped and felt her lower lip tremble at having her greatest fear proven true. She was the reason he had been punished.

Noticing that she appeared ready to cry, Severus took in a deep breath and touched her shoulder. "It was my decision, Hermione. I knew what the consequences would be."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she whimpered, glancing up at him with moist eyes. "I would have just dealt with Remus if I had known."

"I have given you enough to deal with," he argued quietly. "And frankly, learning how to heal is a better use of your time than putting up with the wolf."

Though Hermione could not fully accept that as reason enough, she was distracted from protesting further by the Dark Lord latching onto one of her own memories which Severus had falsified. After watching for a long moment, she tightened her gaze. "This is what you did with them? You used them to sell out Remus?"

Snape sighed uncomfortably and closed his eyes. "I had no other option, Hermione. The Dark Lord needed a believable reason, and the truth would have seen you summoned for punishment alongside me."

Her anger diminished quickly upon seeing the memory-Severus land harshly onto his elbows and stutter his response to the Dark Lord's question.

"Oh, you will train her!"

The witch bit down on her lip and unconsciously grabbed hold of the man's hand while Voldemort seized his likeness's face.

"You will turn that little mudblood whore of yours into a formidable opponent that Potter will never see coming. The boy surrounds himself with love – the fool! – and when the time comes, your little pet is going to tear out his heart right before I stop its infuriating beating! Do you understand?"

"Oh, god," she grimaced.

"Yes, my Lord."

"And if that dog ever paws at the girl again, you will alert me immediately, and we will PUT HIM DOWN!"

Hermione pressed closer to her professor as she watched the Dark Lord pace dangerously. Her heart dropped into her stomach as soon as she saw the voracious gleam in the tyrant's red eyes.

"Bellatrix."

"No," the girl whimpered as the insane woman appeared. She blanched when she witnessed Bellatrix running her fingers against his cheek in a manner eerily similar to the way she had done so in the infirmary. It was no wonder he had reacted so badly to the action.

"It seems your information was valid."

"Her information?" she mouthed in surprise.

"Sevvy's itty, bitty slut-slut wants –"

Without warning, the scene vanished and the pair were deposited roughly back into the present time.

"You don't need to see the rest," he explained when she glanced up at him. "I assure you there wasn't anything important."

The witch nodded slowly and dropped her gaze to where their hands were still joined. He had made no effort to draw away from her, and for that she was entirely grateful. At present, it was the only thing keeping her from launching herself at him, throwing her arms around his torso and burying her face into his chest.

"And despite what it sounded like, I do not believe Lupin to be in any more danger than he has been for some time," he mumbled. "Fenrir Greyback, the Dark Lord's pet wolf, has held a particular obsession for him since he bit him as a child, and courtesy of the late Peter Pettigrew, the Dark Lord is acutely aware of how close he is to Potter."

"Right," Hermione sighed, blinking quickly and dropping her chin in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It just felt so wrong to see it portrayed that way, and yet… oddly plausible at the same time, and it bothered me."

The Slytherin grunted in understanding and shrugged. "He maintains that he is only interested in your well-being because you're Potter's friend and because he supposedly sees a bit of himself in you."

"Well, it had better not be because he wants to see a bit of himself in me," she quipped with a small smirk.

"Indeed," Severus purred. "You have far too many suitors as it is."

The girl gave half a smile and then pulled away from him, crossing her arms to her chest. "So Bellatrix was the one who told him?"

He nodded in response and let his hand drop to his side. "She is also the one who informed the Dark Lord that you were not on the train with Potter at the holidays."

"How did she – Draco." Hermione spun back to look at him. "She's using Draco, isn't she?"

"Yes." When she collapsed into her chair, he followed suit. "She is looking for any means of removing me from the Dark Lord's favor."

"Do you think she told him to confront me?" she asked quietly. "Do you think it's some sort of trap?"

Snape shook his head. "No. I do not think he is eager to be her informant, and he would not wish to share with her that he was questioning the Dark Lord in any way. No, whatever he is doing seeking you out has nothing to do with her. She would appear far more self-satisfied had she set this in motion. Frankly, I don't think she has the mental capabilities to plan well for the long-term since her stint in Azkaban."

"So why is he seeking me out, then?" the girl queried, pulling her feet onto the chair.

The man steepled his fingers as he contemplated her question. "Whatever it is that the Dark Lord has assigned him has him panicking. He has no one really to turn to – he has been forbidden from seeking his father's counsel, and I think he is intelligent enough to know not to trust his dear Aunt Bella to have his best interests at heart. But you… you're the unknown factor. You've inserted yourself into his world, and he needs to know your motivation for doing so. He needs to figure out whether you're more of a threat or more of an ally."

"It's been nearly a fortnight since I gave him the note," the witch mumbled, fiddling with her ring.

He nodded slowly. "I've noticed him watching you. If he is in enough trouble, he will be pressured to make his determination relatively quickly. I think he will decide soon whether it is worth it to pursue your intentions further."

"And then what?"

Severus leaned against the arm rest of his chair. "Then, if he is curious enough, he will approach you, and you will have to prove to him that you can be trusted."

He paused a moment and then straightened in his seat. "And whatever you do, you will not tell him that his father asked me to lend him assistance."

"What?"

"Do not, under any circumstances, mention his father," he repeated. "Is that clear?"

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

The halls were unnervingly silent as the young Gryffindor witch left the infirmary on Saturday night. A charm gone wrong amongst the Ravenclaw first-years had delayed the start of her brewing, causing her to stay more than an hour past curfew. She was so tired that she could hardly keep her eyes open, but at least she knew now how to rid someone of an unexpected tail should the need ever present itself in the future.

And when one interacts with the likes of Fred and George Weasley, it undoubtedly will come in handy.

Stifling a yawn, Hermione rounded a corner on her way towards a set of staircases. She had made it halfway down the corridor when the sensation of being watched became suddenly overwhelming. Without giving any indication that she was aware of another's presence, she slowly withdrew her wand and then whirled about in a defensive stance.

At first she saw nothing in the shadows. She was just about to move on when she noticed the nearly imperceptible shimmer of a Disillusionment charm. Silently she cast a Finite Incantatem and sucked in a nervous breath when the moonlight reflected off of white-blonde hair.

"Malfoy," she frowned, keeping her wand trained upon him.

"Granger." The wizard seemed perfectly unaffected as he leaned against a doorway. "Busy?"

The girl took a step towards him when he gestured to the empty classroom, but eyed him warily. "I'm not going to need a visit to the chiropractor this time, am I?"

"What the fuck are you babbling on about?" Draco grumbled, narrowing his eyes.

"It's a Mug—never mind, nothing," she sighed, crossing the threshold. Upon reaching the center of the room, she spun back in time to see him close the door and cast a Muffliato. "What is it you want, Malfoy?"

An entire minute stretched in silence while the Slytherin did nothing beyond stare at her.

Hermione blew out a frustrated breath. "If you're not going to spit it out, I have somewhere else to be. I don't need to waste my time with you."

When she began moving toward the door, he finally spoke. "I need to know why."

"Why what?"

Malfoy took several steps towards her. "Why you're bothering! Why you bought me a fucking Christmas present! Why you keep watching me!"

"Because he asked me to," the witch replied, folding her arms.

His eyes pinched practically into slits. "So you are spying on me for the Dark Lord!"

"No!" Hermione snapped. "Not him!"

"Then who?"

She took in a slow breath and raised her chin. "Professor Snape."

The blonde jerked away in surprise and ran an uncertain hand through his hair. "Why does he care?"

"Because he does!" the witch hissed, throwing one hand into the air. "Isn't that enough?"

A deep scowl settled onto Draco's face, and he crossed his arms. "Typical Gryffindor, aren't you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

He shook his head as he sneered. "Trust blindly and without question, right? Looks like it's worked out swimmingly well for you, hasn't it?"

Fire flared in her cheeks as she turned away from him.

"You never trust someone without knowing their motivations!" the boy shouted.

Hermione glared at the wall for several seconds and tapped her foot in agitation. "Then what do you want from me?"

A moment passed quietly as he drew himself up to his full height and dropped his voice. "I want to see it."

"See what?" she barked, glancing back at him.

"Your mark." Malfoy tilted his head as he peered at her. "If you're working for him, he has some way of controlling you. And since Aunt Bella said that Snape already murdered your parents, that can't be what he's holding over your head."

The girl swallowed hesitantly as she considered his request. She really had no desire to do so, but Severus had stressed several times that she would need to bend to some of his demands in order to earn some measure of the boy's trust. Inhaling loudly, she unfastened her school robes. She could feel his curious gaze locked onto her form as she tossed the robes to the side and then lifted the edge of her shirt as she turned her back towards him.

The wizard took in an audible breath as he slowly approached her. "This isn't the Dark Lord's mark."

"No, it isn't," she shook her head. She gasped slightly at feeling fingertips at the base of her spine. "He may have instructed me to do something, but Professor Snape is the one I'm bound to serve."

Draco ran his fingers over the letters of the scar and stared at it in wonder. "And you have to do whatever he tells you?"

The witch bit her lip at the odd prickling feeling that his fingers were eliciting and then nodded.

"And if you don't?" he pressed.

"It burns," she replied.

Returning his hand to his side, the boy contemplated the new information for a few seconds. A determined expression appeared on his face as he spoke. "Prove it."

"What?" Hermione cried, dropping her shirt as she spun to face him.

"You expect me to believe your story," he snarled. "Prove it, or fuck off."

Her eyes widened in horrified disbelief. "You want me to disobey him just to –"

"You're wasting my time, Granger," he interrupted with a growl before stepping away from her.

Panic set in as she realized he was leaving. He wanted her to violate a direct command from Severus, but there was not anything she could do with jeopardizing anything important. He was not going to believe her, and –

"Wait," she whispered, realizing that Snape had given her exactly what she needed. Raising her eyes to the retreating boy, she cleared her throat. "Fine! You want proof?"

Draco pivoted on one foot and turned to face her with a raised brow. "I'm waiting, Granger."

Her face was set in a grimace as she responded. "Professor Snape wants to help you because your father asked him to do it!"

Immediately, a searing pain flared across her lower back, causing her to cry out in pain. The intensity of the burn was startling – as if deliberately disobeying a command was to be punished with greater force than an accidental violation. Her knees buckled after a moment, and she grit her teeth upon collapsing upon all fours. "He commanded… me… n-not to t-tell you!"

Surprise was evident upon the pureblood's face as he stepped towards her. Pushing up the edge of her shirt, he stared down at the scar, which had become angrily red in color. "It works."

"Of course it fucking works!" she screeched. Tears were automatically spilling out of her eyes as she pulled together enough focus to send a mental Patronus.

"It hurts that bad?" Draco queried.

"Does your arm hurt?" she hissed, glancing over her shoulder at him.

The boy swallowed fearfully and moved away from her. "What happens then?"

Hermione winced and pressed her forehead to the floor. "I go to h-him to… treat it or else it… continues to get worse until my entire body shuts down, and I die."

"H-how long does that take?" he stammered.

"Why?" she sneered. "You want to watch it happen?"

"No!" the wizard cried; his expression clearly one of panic.

The girl took in a steadying breath as she received word from Severus. "A few days, maybe? I don't really know how long after disobeying."

His coloring far paler than usual; Malfoy edged nervously toward the door. "Sh-should I go get him?"

She shook her head slowly. "He's already on his way."

"Oh," he gasped. "You… You're n-not –"

"I'm not going to die in the next five minutes, if that's what you're asking," she stated bitterly. When the boy disappeared into the corridor a few seconds later, the witch groaned and pulled herself into an even tighter ball.

'One minute, Hermione. I'm nearly there.'

"Okay," she whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. The seconds ticking by felt like hours as the magic burned through her nerve fibers, but finally she heard the wizard's arrival.

Snape closed the door and quickly warded it before moving quickly to her side. "Hermione, I am sorry –"

"It's alright, S-Severus-s."

He shook his head as he uncapped the jar in his hands. After pushing her shirt entirely out of the way, he began applying a liberal amount of the orange salve to her spine. "You need to listen to me. This is my fault –"

"I understand." She took in a deeper breath as the pain began to recede. "You knew he would demand a demonstration, so you purposely gave me something to use."

"You figured it out?" he asked, wiping the excess salve on his robes before tugging her shirt back in place.

Hermione let out a soft grunt and panted as she rested her head against his leg. "Not right away, because I didn't get why he shouldn't know his father was trying to help him. But then, when he was walking away, I realized that you set it up so I could kill two birds with one stone."

The wizard snorted in disbelief and smoothed his hand over the back of her head. "For a Gryffindor, you manage to think an awful lot like a Slytherin. I am only sorry you had to suffer for it."

Propping herself up, the girl moved closer to him, winding up half in his lap. "For a Slytherin, you manage to care an awful lot like a Hufflepuff."

A quiet chuckle escaped him as he wrapped an arm about her waist. "I wanted to give you warning, but I didn't know how the bond would react if you knew."

"Better safe than sorry," she nodded against his chest. "I just wasn't expecting it to hurt so bloody much."

"I am sorry," he whispered, touching his lips against the top of her head.

Hermione closed her eyes as she continued working to catch her breath. After a few minutes, she cleared her throat. "Do you think it worked?"

Severus tightened his hold on her as he stared at the door. "I guess we shall see."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Oh, Won-won," Lavender cooed loudly, perching on her boyfriend's lap as he sat near the Gryffindor common room fireplace. "I can't believe you weren't there. It's going to be dreadfully boring learning to Apparate without you."

Across the room, Harry rolled his eyes and let out a disgusted groan. "Don't let it bother you, Hermione."

"Easy for you to say," the brunette witch grumbled, looking up from her textbook. "You haven't felt him glaring daggers into your back the entire weekend."

The boy sighed and gave a small nod. "I tried explaining to him why it's a good thing he's not taking lessons, but it was of no use."

"I wouldn't imagine it would go very well, seeing as you are taking them," she pointed out.

"True." He picked up his quill and shrugged. "Ron will calm down eventually."

Hermione snorted under her breath and returned to her studies. Several dozen pages later, she became distracted in the midst of her reading upon realizing that she had not heard the quill scratching for several minutes. Raising her gaze to her friend, she found him staring blankly past her shoulder.

"What is it, Harry?" When no response met her, she narrowed her eyes and looked behind her. Her lip curled in disgust at seeing that Ron and Lavender were presently engaged in another bout of snogging. "Well at least he isn't glaring, right?"

As she shifted in her seat again, the witch noticed that her younger roommate was sleeping with her head on Dean's shoulder as they sat together on the sofa. A wave of jealousy washed over her as she thought about Severus cradling her to his chest for nearly an hour the night before and how she had wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night in the same manner. He, however, had picked them both up from the floor before she had a chance to fall asleep and had escorted her up to the seventh floor.

Blowing out a long breath, she realized that Dean was not actually reading the book he was holding, but was instead glaring in the direction of the table she was sharing with Harry. His expression was somewhat pinched, and she noticed that his hand was splayed rather possessively atop Ginny's hip.

Hermione narrowed her own eyes as she glanced back at her best friend, who was still staring. Realizing that he had been watching Dean and Ginny, not the atrocity that was Ron and Lavender, she scowled and kicked his shin beneath the table.

Pain flickered across his features, and his green eyes shifted to her. "What was that for?"

"You're staring at them," she whispered.

Harry's face twisted in confusion. "Staring at who?"

"Ginny and Dean."

Raising his brow, the boy glanced back in that direction and noticed Dean glaring back at him. His cheeks immediately flushed, and he dropped his gaze to the table. "I didn't mean to. I think I just got lost in thought. I didn't realize I was staring at them."

"Ah," the witch murmured, frowning at her book. "Well, it was still a bit creepy."

Harry grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. "Creepier than realizing you can't see Won-won's or Lavvy-poo's hands anymore?"

"Ugh!" she groaned, covering her eyes with one hand. "Don't tell me anything else!"

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

While sipping his breakfast tea, Severus found his eyes actively seeking out the Gryffindor witch. He relaxed slightly upon seeing her chatting amiably with a few of her Housemates. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had had to send her back to her tower on Saturday night, but it had needed to be done. She had needed to sleep, and he had needed to barricade himself in his quarters with a bottle of firewhiskey and his guilt at having caused her physical pain in order to draw in Draco.

Casting a glance in the direction of Slytherin table, he spotted the Malfoy heir silently staring at his plate. With a sigh, the man set down his tea cup and leaned back in his chair. That little shit better be worth it.

"Good morning, Severus!" Remus smiled upon taking his seat.

The dark-haired wizard glared up and crossed his arms. "Is it?"

The wolf sighed as he pulled forth the nearest platter of sausages. Snape watched him snag half a dozen of them before losing interest and turning his attention back to the student body. On several occasions during the next twenty minutes, he could feel the other man's eyes on him. When he could not take it any longer, he let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, spit it out, Lupin, before you piddle on the floor."

"Well, I was just…" Remus glanced out toward the Gryffindor table and then rested his forearms atop the table. "Do you think I might be able to sit in on your lesson again?"

The Potions Master snorted and tiredly wiped his face. As much as it pained him to admit it, having Lupin as a witness during their private lesson was probably a good thing. He would be less likely to dwell on dangerous thoughts – like how much he found he missed waking up to find a warm witch snuggled up against him – if a third party were present.

"If you must," he finally grumbled.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Good evening, Hermione."

The witch let out a soft sigh at finding the only remaining Marauder perched on a desk in the empty Potions classroom. She had strongly hoped that the man would have had his curiosity sated last week and would rather have spent the night in his quarters regaining his energy after Friday night's transformation. She much preferred it when there was no intrusion upon her private lessons. Severus was far more open and agreeable when they were alone.

"Hello, sir," she replied, dropping her school robes onto a chair.

"Granger," Severus acknowledged, folding his arms. "As you can see, we once again are blessed with an observer."

"Is that alright with you?" Remus asked.

Not really. Hermione forced a brief smile onto her face and shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine."

"Why do you suppose that the preferred Shield Charm of the Order and Aurory alike is the Protego?" the Slytherin questioned, perching against a table.

The girl quirked her lips as she mentally ran through her previous readings on shielding. "Because it lends itself the easiest to mobility?"

"And why is that?"

"Because it's temporary, quick, and requires less energy," she explained. "It's more efficient at times to reapply a particular charm than to maintain one long term."

Snape nodded. "The drawbacks?"

"Personal shields are size limited," she replied. "Unless you use the Protego Horribilis, Maxima, or Totalum, a Protego is limited to shielding only an individual."

"And the Protego Amicus?"

"Has the added drawback that you are sacrificing your own protection to shield another."

Severus rubbed his chin. "Why might that be preferable to using an extended Contego that could shield you both?"

The witch frowned as she considered the question. When she shook her head in uncertainty, the man immediately turned his expectant gaze to the werewolf.

Remus startled slightly at being called on to answer. "Well, I guess… I would assume you are referring to the distance of transfer."

"Which means?"

"Which means that the partner-shield can be cast from a greater distance," Hermione surmised before the greying wizard could speak.

"Precisely," the Slytherin stated, pushing off of the desk. He gestured to the witch to move into the center of the room, and then spun gracefully on his heel, disarming his colleague with a silent Expelliarmus. As the werewolf launched to his feet in surprise, Severus brandished his newly collected wand with a smirk. "Constant vigilance, Lupin."

When Remus held out his hand for it to be returned, the other man shook his head.

"I think not."

Hermione glanced between them in surprise. "Doesn't he need his wand?"

"Whatever for?" Severus smirked, stowing the extra wand in his sheath. "Any protection he requires, you will provide."

"What?" she gasped, flicking her gaze toward Remus and noticing he bore an uncomfortable expression.

"I expect this exercise to strike home the message that this shield is only to be used under appropriate circumstances – when the other individual is incapable of defending themselves," he replied, rolling his shoulders. "I also expect it will serve as a somewhat painful reminder to the wolf to keep his guard up from here on out."

Remus gave a brief, disheartened smile as moved to stand beside the witch.

"Oh, don't fret, Lupin," Snape grinned, raising his wand. "Besides, I do believe I owe you a few Stinging Hexes."