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.

61. Rendezvous

A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews! And thank you to those of you who remembered it was my birthday last Friday. I did not expect that!

Lots of stuff going on here, so I hope you enjoy!

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Bound to Him

Chapter 61

Hermione unconsciously held her breath as she crept disillusioned through the darkened corridors. Severus had cautioned her about the extended staff patrols that evening, and so she had set out earlier than she would have normally to give her enough time to seek cover if need be. At first she had questioned whether they should meet another night, but had realized the stupidity of it before he even had the chance to reply. They were working on Draco's terms, and they had to make every effort not to scare him away.

It had to be tonight, and how they proceeded depended heavily on the Malfoy heir. If he were using this meeting as just another chance to feel her out, they would play along and subtly attempt to sway him toward approaching Severus. On the other hand, if had already come to that point on his own, the Order spy was on alert, ready to abandon his rounds and join them at a moment's notice.

Letting out a low breath, the witch peered around the corner to see that hallway was clear. As nervous as she was to meet with the boy, she was still grateful that she was not stuck in her room with a sniveling roommate, or in the common room with a moping Dean, an argumentative Harry, or aggressively snogging Ron and Lavender.

Upon reaching the designated door, she glanced both ways down the corridor before raising her hand to knock. A second later, the door opened to allow her into the room.

"Granger," he sneered, shutting the door.

"Malfoy," she returned coolly. "If this is going to go the same way as last week –"

Draco shook his head as he leaned against the wall. "Look, I'm sorry for offending you. I can only imagine how I would feel if I had to boink McGonagall on a regular basis."

"Oh god," she groaned, glaring up at the ceiling. "I really did not need that imagery."

"Oh, like I needed the picture of Snape's pale, bony arse bobbing up and down on top of you in my head?" he grumbled, folding his arms.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but refused to rise to the bait. Instead, she let out a calm breath. "He wants to help you."

The wizard wrinkled his nose in disdain and looked away. After a long moment, he cleared his throat. "What did you mean when you said he would be the only one you sleep with? Did he command –"

"No," she interrupted, sinking into a chair. "It's not like that. It's actually the curse itself. Apparently it's meant to prevent the victim from ever producing children that are not the bonder's, so if I… am intimate with anyone else, it kills me."

The boy raised his lip in disgust and stared at the wall briefly. "So is that why you hexed McSlaggin'?"

An unexpected laugh escaped the witch as she glanced up at him. "Is that what you call him? That's brilliant."

"Of course it is," he smirked. "I thought of it, didn't I?"

The Gryffindor snorted under her breath and crossed her legs. "Anyway, yes, that's why. Though I probably would have done it anyway since he deserved it."

"If it were me," Draco murmured a moment later, "I would have used an Engorgement Charm on his bollocks. It takes hours for the swelling to go down even after using the Shrinking Charm, which of course brings with it its own risks."

She raised one eyebrow. "Personal experience?"

"Not me, no." He shook his head before smiling and looking toward the floor. "Mother used it on Father once when she found out that he was seeing some young tart from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office on the side."

"Your mother?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah," he replied. "Puts on a good show, doesn't she? Plays the unaffected ice queen real well in public, but if anyone ever pisses her off, they better watch their backs… or their bollocks. And believe me, she bides her time."

Hermione felt her stomach twist as she watched the look of pride in his eyes diminish into pain. Deciding to change the subject, she cleared her throat. "Did the salve work at all? Professor Snape wasn't sure that it would."

The blonde touched his forearm at the question and nodded. "It takes the pain away for a while. Let me sleep a full night for the first time without Moth – well, since I've been home."

Her ears perked at the slip-up, and she was about to ask a question when she was interrupted.

"Do you have any more of the stuff or not?" he snapped. "I'm nearly out."

Suppressing the urge to react with surprise, the girl shook her head. "Not with me, no. I'm sure he has more, though. If not, he said it only takes a few hours to make."

Draco took in a deep breath and leaned his head back against the wall. "Alright. Fetch him, then."

"For the salve?"

"Not just for the salve," he grumbled. "For all of it. Just get him. I need to talk to him."

"Okay," she nodded, while sending off a mental patronus.

'Yes?'

'He's ready. He wants to talk to you.'

'I will be there in three minutes.'

"He'll be here soon," Hermione stated, resting against the back of her chair.

"Merlin's pants," the boy cried as he stared at her. "You didn't even close your eyes or anything."

A small smile appeared on her face as she fiddled with the sleeves of her robes.

'Granger. We have a furry problem tagging along. Plan B. I can delay him a moment, but if we catch the two of you together, it'll be detention. Understand?'

"Fuck!" she snapped, launching to her feet and startling the boy.

"What?"

The witch ran a hand through her hair before shedding her outer robes and tossing them on the chair. As she began untucking her blouse from her jeans, the boy stared at her in uncertainty.

"Granger, what the –"

"Could you mess up your hair a little?" she asked, interrupting him. When he only frowned at her in confusion, she moved toward him and reached for his head, running her hands through his silky blonde hair.

"Whoa!" Draco cried, attempting to pull away from her. "Would you tell me just what the fuck you're trying to do?"

"Severus got waylaid by Lupin," Hermione explained, grabbing hold of his shirt and pulling it out from his trousers.

"And you're undressing me why?"

"Because he already thinks we're together, so he won't suspect anything else!" she murmured quickly after slapping his hands away when he tried to pull hers off of his shirt.

"Hold on!" he growled, grabbing hold of her forearms. "Exactly why does the wolf think I'm shagging you?"

"It's your own fault, so don't get mad at me!" she snapped as she yanked out of his grasp. "Remember the first time you got me alone? He was in the hallway when we snuck back into the Great Hall. Do you think he thought you were asking me for help with Arithmancy?"

"Fuck," Draco snarled. A second later he began undoing his tie. "And why are we doing this, instead of just hiding?"

The witch flashed him a smirk. "Because we need a viable excuse for detention, don't we?"

The blonde stopped momentarily. "Please tell me that I don't actually have to kiss you."

"Not unless you care to explain to the Dark Lord why I'm dead and Professor Snape's in Azkaban," she quipped brightly.

"Then we better make this look good," he stated forcefully, magically cancelling the silencing charm before pushing into her.

"What—"

Grabbing her around the waist, he set her upon the nearest desk, pried her legs apart far enough to stand between them, and then placed her hands on his shoulders. As she stared at him in shock, he ripped the sides of her blouse apart, scattering buttons across the floor.

"Draco!" she squeaked.

The boy snickered as he unbuckled his trousers and then gave her an appraising wink. "A little on the small side, but still decent enough tits."

Hermione gasped loudly as a flush spread across her face and chest.

Placing his hands on either side of her, he leaned close to murmur, "Granger, if you can't keep quiet, we're going to get –"

"Caught?"

"Shit!" Draco hissed into her ear as they both jumped.

Her heart pounding, the girl peeked over his shoulder to see both Severus and Remus standing in the doorway. Fighting the urge to return the former's smirk, she focused on the angry expression on the Marauder's face and ducked her head against the boy's shoulder.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape purred, "do up your trousers and step away from Miss Granger."

Letting out a slow breath, the blonde did as was instructed, leaving his fake lover to quickly pull the sides of her blouse together.

"Miss Granger," he continued as he turned his dark gaze to her. "If you would, please get off of the desk and fetch your robes."

Fully aware of the Defense Instructor staring at her, Hermione slipped off of the desk and snatched at her robes. Turning her back toward the two professors, she hurriedly shrugged them on. After fastening them, she faced the men again and sidled slightly closer to Draco.

"Well, well, Lupin," the Slytherin Head murmured, folding his arms. "Twenty points apiece, wouldn't you say?"

"And detention," Remus mumbled, finally averting his eyes after seeing the blonde boy subtly slip his hand around the girl's.

"Indeed," the Potions Master nodded. "Both of you will report to my classroom at seven tomorrow evening. I have a fresh crop of flobberworms needing to be deveined, gutted, and milked."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

With a growl, Severus threw his pillow across the room and glared up at the ceiling. For nearly an hour he had been lying in bed trying to sleep and yet all he had managed to do was repeatedly run through images of a partially naked Hermione in the arrogant clutches of Draco sodding Malfoy.

When he had suggested they get caught in front of Lupin, he had not expected that they would try to make it quite so believable. While it had initially been amusing to watch the werewolf barely keep it together, the shine had worn off rather quickly upon seeing how well the two teens had played lovebirds. His jaw was still somewhat sore after having gritted his teeth at Hermione's touching, whispered farewell to the boy when they had been sent on their respective ways.

This is ridiculous. He knew very well they were only acting and that nothing could come of it, but he could not help but hear the primitive voice in the back of his head telling him to find the little twit and rip off his hands. Not to mention the other, even more primal desire to find her and show her just who was meant to be tearing off her clothes.

"Fuck!" he snarled, rolling over onto his side and slamming his fist against the mattress. He was not supposed to be thinking like this. He was supposed to be in control of himself. He was not some randy teenaged boy needing to get his rocks off, and he was not some caveman needing to prove his masculinity.

And yet still he could not shake those thoughts. Meditation certainly was not helping, and he was reaching the point of desperation where a sleeping draught was looking rather desirable, never mind the consequences that could follow should he sleep through a summons or a student emergency.

Perhaps she's still awake as well. Snape grumbled as he returned to his back and wiped a hand over his face. It was late, and she had class early in the morning. His class. She was probably asleep. As should he be.

You could always check. He blew out a long breath and folded his arms over his chest. Oh, bloody hell. I'll check, and if she's sleeping, leave her be.

After cancelling the mental silencing charm, his eyes widened slightly at hearing the witch mulling over the conversation she had had with the young Malfoy. Discovering that she was lying awake thinking about the little prat caused another surge of jealousy and encouraged him to react without fully thinking.

'Hermione.'

'Severus,' she replied immediately; all thoughts of Draco vanishing. 'What is it?'

'Can you slip away?'

'Ginny and Mattie are both asleep so I suppose I could. Why? Is something wrong?'

'No… I just was…' His brain suddenly seemed to catch up to his nether regions. 'No, never mind.'

'What were you going to say?' Her natural curiosity had been piqued.

'It's not important.'

'Well, it was important enough to unsilence my incessant monologue.'

Snape snorted at the comment. 'I was just unable to sleep, and I thought I would see if you were awake.'

'Why?' She seemed suspicious now. 'Did you fancy a late night chat?'

'Not exactly,' he groaned.

'Erm… then what exactly did you fancy?'

The man shook his head. 'We shouldn't be discussing this. It was inappropriate of me. Good night, Granger.'

'Inappropriate? Hold on – did you want me to meet you for –'

'Good night, Granger,' he repeated before silencing the connection. Pulling the other pillow closer to him, he closed his eyes and attempted once again to sleep. Within a few seconds, the silver otter danced impatiently across his consciousness. Whether it was because he was actually concerned that something could have happened, or because he was just a glutton for punishment, he answered her call.

'Yes?'

'Don't ignore me when you're the one who started this! You can't just hint at something like that when you're the one telling me I have to keep my bloody hormones in check and then leave me to deal with it! I'm having a hard enough time falling asleep as it is, and I don't need the added strain of having to occlude my own thoughts. So either meet me in the Room of Requirement, or sod off!'

Severus let out a slow breath as his cock voiced its opinion, and then tapped his fingertips on top of his comforter for a handful of seconds. 'Ten minutes.'

'And bring the sodding potion this time!'

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Hermione was a bundle of nervous energy as she paced back and forth as she waited for him in the Room of Requirement. They had never met like this before, and she was not sure how she was supposed to react. Her head snapped up at the sound of the door opening, and she felt the flutter of butterflies in the pit of her stomach. As Severus slipped into the room, she gave him a crooked smile before bashfully ducking her head.

"You should take this now," he murmured, holding out the vial.

Quirking her lips, she asked, "A bit impatient, are we?"

The wizard snorted softly, but chose not to comment as he cast aside his outer robes.

After ingesting the sweet liquid, the witch set the empty flask on the low bookshelf beside her and then glanced up at him. When he merely stood in place, she tilted her head and perched against the top of the bookcase. "You know, I'm going to be highly disappointed if you only called me down here to leer at me."

Smirking, Severus stepped forward until he was essentially pinning her against the wooden shelf. Placing his hands on either side of her hips, he leaned down to whisper, "I don't plan on disappointing."

The girl giggled softly as he pressed his lips against hers, and then slipped her hands over his shoulders and behind his head. As she ran her fingers through his hair, his hands moved beneath her bottom and pulled her against the significant bulge in his pajama pants. Fully opening her mouth, Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed herself even tighter against him.

With a rumble deep in his throat, the wizard lifted her off of the bookcase and carried her the short distance to the bed. Depositing her gently amidst the pillows, he pulled away from her lips to quickly rid her of her shirt and then immediately seized a nipple between his teeth.

"Ohh gods," she gasped, arching her back as he flicked his tongue against it.

When she gripped his torso with her thighs a moment later, he hooked his arms behind her knees and swiftly tugged her into him. Grinding his arousal against her pelvis, he kissed his way up her neck and under her jaw. As one of her hands snuck beneath the hem of his shirt, he reflexively thrust forward, catching her other hand on accident.

Hermione sucked in a quick breath as she felt the firm heat against her fingers. Biting down on her lip in consideration, she tentatively flexed her hand and rubbed two fingertips over the straining cotton of his pajamas.

Groaning in surprise, the man raised his head to meet her curious gaze. "Herm—"

"Would you like it?" she whispered.

"You don't have –"

The witch cut him off by pressing her lips to his. "I know that I don't. I asked if you would like it if I touched you."

Severus swallowed heavily and then enthusiastically captured her mouth. Taking that as an affirmative, she withdrew her hand from under his shirt and gradually slipped it beneath the waistbands of his pajamas and pants. He let out a low moan as she tentatively wrapped her fingers around his girth, and then magically divested himself of his clothing.

The girl squawked quietly as his member sprung free before giggling in mild embarrassment. Peering down between their bodies, she slowly ran her hand over his length. His wiry hair tickled at her skin, and she was somewhat intrigued by the velvety feel of the organ as she gently began stroking him.

"Mmmgods," he grunted, planting his knee more firmly between her legs. Holding his breath, he found himself even more aroused as he watched her face crinkle in concentration while she continued working him. After a short while, however, he grimaced and grabbed hold of her wrist to stop her.

Hermione immediately looked up at his face in concern. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," he snorted, shaking his head before kissing her forehead. "I just… happen to still need that tonight."

"Oh." She smiled shyly, releasing his length.

Snape chuckled quietly as he removed her pajama bottoms and knickers, and then leaned over her again. Catching her lips, he trailed his hand up the inside of her thigh until reaching her center. He could feel her quivering as he started rubbing her clitoris, and it did not take very long after he inserted two fingers inside of her to bring her to her first climax.

"Severus," she panted, fisting one hand in his hair. "More… please."

The wizard sucked in a breath at the sound of his name on her lips. His cock was painfully hard after her earlier attentions, and he simultaneously felt the need to hear her say his name again as well as the need to drive away the images of the girl with Draco from his head. Growling quietly, he parted her legs enough to settle between them and wasted no time in pushing past her entrance. He managed a few slower thrusts until she pulled him closer to her, and then rapidly increased his pace.

"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!" the girl whimpered, clutching onto him tightly as she reached another peak of pleasure. "Oh god, SEVERUS!"

Still not fully satisfied, the man seized her about the waist and rolled over onto his spine so that she was straddling him.

"Severus." Her chest was heaving as she stared down at him. "What… what?"

Not fully comprehending the meaning of her question, he reached up to push hair out of her face. "Do you… want to stop?"

A high-pitched laugh escaped her as she ran her hands over his chest. "Gods, no."

As Severus smiled, his hands moved slowly down from her face and neck, pausing briefly to toy with her breasts before trailing the length of her torso to grip her hips. Holding her gaze, he gently guided her still-pulsing channel over his member and relished in the soft groan that escaped her. As he repeatedly flexed his hips into her, he realized just how much he enjoyed the view provided to him by the position. Staring up at her, not only could he see her breasts jiggling and her amethyst pendant slapping against her sternum with every thrust, but he could also watch her eyelids flutter shut and mouth fall open as she lost herself to sensation.

"Ohhh, fuck," she groaned, falling against his chest when her arms eventually gave out. Tucking her head against his neck, she whispered, "Please. Severus, please."

Wrapping his arms about her frame, he held her tightly and wildly pounded into her until they both reached their final release.

"Holy shit," Hermione gasped as soon as she could manage it several minutes later.

Uncertain as to what he could say, the wizard managed an odd laugh and then wiped his face with his hand. After a minute, he cleared his throat. "I should –"

"Please don't," she whispered, lightly clenching her legs around him. "Can't you stay?"

Snape let out a sigh. "And what? Walk down to breakfast together?"

"No," the girl mumbled into his neck. "You could leave early…"

"What about your dormmates?" he asked. "If they wake up, and you're gone –"

"They'll think it's like every other time," she interrupted.

The man narrowed his eyes and attempted to look down at her. "Every other time?"

"I don't always sleep the whole night," Hermione explained. "And when I don't want to take a potion, I come here."

"And do what?"

"Duel… read… meditate… talk to myself. Whatever helps."

Severus took in an uncomfortable breath and ran his hand down her spine. "How often are you here?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It's been more frequent lately. Once or twice a week, maybe."

"Hermione," he chided. "You need to sleep."

Blowing out a deep breath, she moved her hand up to his shoulder. "I know. That's why I used to sneak onto your sofa. I could always sleep there."

His gut twisted slightly at the admission, and he realized that the little willpower he had amassed to leave had vanished. Exhaling deeply, he finally lifted her off of him and, while she sighed sadly, climbed off the bed. Instead of making ready to leave, however, the wizard simply turned down the bedcovers on one side, waited until she finally moved beneath them, and then slid in beside her.

"You're going to stay?" she smiled.

Snape nodded as he slipped his arm about her waist. "I'll leave early."

Giggling under her breath, the witch laid her head against his chest and slid her hand up to his shoulder. After a moment, she yawned and closed her eyes. "Well, happy Valentine's Day, I guess."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Hermione."

The witch let out a soft groan and paused at the head of the staircase. Taking in a deep breath, she turned around to face the disheveled wizard. "Professor."

Remus grimaced briefly as he approached her. "I would like to speak to you for –"

"I'm on my way to detention," she interrupted. "Professor Snape will not be happy if I'm late."

"I can make it quick," he commented. "It's about your, erm, relationship with –"

"What about it?" the girl queried, flashing her eyes in warning.

The man paused briefly as he glanced about the empty space. "I'm not going to use his name here, and I'm not going to say anything to Harry."

"Well, thank you for that," she murmured.

Remus nodded slowly and then cleared his throat. "I'm concerned about you."

"You don't need to –"

"Think about who it is you're dealing with," he hissed. "He nearly killed you!"

Hermione huffed and looked toward the floor. "He didn't mean… he feels terrible about that."

"He nearly killed you," he repeated, "and you just, what, decide to take up with him?"

"He isn't the only one who's nearly killed me, now, is he?" she snapped. "Harry's done it several times. You've done it, for Merlin's sake. And I've forgiven both of you, haven't I?"

"Hermione –"

"No!" she growled. "You don't know him. You don't know what he's been through –"

"And you do?"

"I know far more than you!" the girl retorted, crossing her arms. "And I'm not about to turn my back on him just because the lot of you have done so!"

"There's a difference between not turning your back and…"

The witch narrowed her eyes as he trailed off, and then stepped further toward him. "And what?"

"Nothing," Lupin shook his head. "I don't want to yell at you, and I know that I cannot actually force you to stop. I just want you to think carefully about what it is you are doing."

"I am!" she argued. "Now, if you would excuse me…"

"Hermione, wait!" the wizard called after she had started moving back toward the stairs. "I just… I thought the two of you had ended things."

The girl exhaled slowly before glancing over her shoulder. "Perhaps we both realized that we cared for each other in the meantime."

"But he's –"

"I know exactly who he is," she replied quietly. "And despite whatever he may have done to me in the past, I know that he… actually makes me feel… like I'm… not crazy… and that I matter."

"Hermione, you –"

"Everyone else either looks to me as a victim or a counselor or… a bloody encyclopedia!" the witch hissed, gesturing with her hands. "He doesn't. So go ahead and judge me all you want – everyone else certainly does – but don't expect me to walk away from the one person who actually understands me."

Remus deflated slightly in response. "Just… be careful."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Lost in her own musings regarding her declarations about Draco – or Severus, really – to Remus, Hermione startled noticeably when the classroom door suddenly slammed shut. After glancing briefly at the boy silently sitting at a table on the other side of the room, her eyes followed the Slytherin Head as he made his way toward her with a large basket.

With a subtle smirk, Snape paused in front of her and began unloading his goods. After setting out a pan full of freshly deceased flobberworms, a knife, two jars, funnel, and collection flask, he raised his eyebrows suggestively and then stepped away. As the witch grumbled beneath her breath and begrudgingly set to work, he quickly warded the classroom door and then made his way to the desk at the front of the room. Sitting down, he crossed his arms and focused his attention on the pureblood heir. "Now, Mr. Malfoy… I have afforded you great liberties with my patience – and my witch – so I would suggest you not try me further by dallying any longer."

Swallowing hesitantly, Draco flicked his gaze toward the scowling girl and then walked toward the man's desk. Perching against one of the nearby stools, he cleared his throat. "She can't tell anyone anything, can she?"

"No," the professor replied before allowing his eyes to catch hers. "Granger, you will not discuss what transpires here with anyone else. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded, returning to her disgusting task.

Malfoy watched her for a moment before meeting his Head of House's expectant expression. "My father asked you to help me?"

"He did," the man nodded. "He approached me at Christmas with the request. Apparently, he and your mother had discussed it several months prior, but were afraid of your aunt's reaction."

"Why you?" the boy hissed quietly. "You took his place."

The dark-haired wizard folded his arms. "I may presently be in the Dark Lord's favor, but I am also indebted to your father. Without his influence, I would not… be where I am."

Noticing his student's hesitant expression, he shrugged casually. "Of course, should the tables turn as they are wont to do in the Dark Lord's circle, it may be beneficial to have your father in my debt."

The added information appeared to appease the young Slytherin, for he let out a deep sigh and dropped his gaze to the floor. "He's going to kill my mother, sir, if I fail."

"I am well aware of that," Severus replied, leaning forward. "But the fact remains that I am unable to assist you unless I know what it is you have to do."

The boy's eyes fluttered shut as he nodded in understanding, and a look of anguish took over as he slowly raised his eyes. "He wants me to… Sir, I'm supposed to kill Dumbledore."

While the spy's face shifted in surprise, a loud gasp escaped Hermione. "But that's… that's… how can he expect you to do that?"

Snape watched the younger wizard wince, and then let out a slow breath. "What is his timeline?"

Draco seemed to pale even further as he mumbled, "By the end of the school year."

The horrified witch sank onto her stool and stared at the two Slytherins who wore matching looks of defeat. A moment later, however, the professor neutralized his expression and cleared his throat. "What have you considered?"

The boy shook his head as he stared at the desk. "It's not like I could manage to get him alone, and even then, I wouldn't stand a chance against him. Aunt Bella said she would help me, but so far… I still have nothing."

"I see," Severus murmured, running his hand over his chin. "I agree that your best chance lies with a more subtle option. Poisoning, perhaps. Something slow-acting and hard to detect."

"Obviously," Malfoy snapped. "But I don't even know where to begin. I can't exactly ask Madam Pince for a book on poisons, now can I?"

"Madam Pince, no."

"You have something I could use?"

The older wizard inhaled slowly. "Give me the week to see what I can put together. We can meet again to discuss the matter on Sunday evening if that is agreeable to you."

A moment later, Draco nodded and stood from his seat. "Granger said that you might have more –"

"Of course," the professor interrupted, producing a canister from within his desk drawer. "Whenever you are nearly out again, I will replenish it."

After accepting it with muffled gratitude, the blonde glanced back at his classmate. "Am I to assist with flobberworms now?"

"Oh, I believe Miss Granger is fully capable of preparing them on her own," Snape replied, allowing a small smirk as the witch noticeably rolled her eyes. "Do take care in not being caught with your trousers undone on your way back to the common room."

With a small snort, the pureblood made his way toward the classroom door. Once he had left, the Slytherin Head rose from his chair.

Hermione paused in the midst of squeezing the mucus into the collection flask when he came to stand beside her. "Shouldn't you go talk to Dumbledore?"

"An hour or two delay will not do him any harm," the man murmured, picking up the knife and grabbing hold of the next flobberworm. "I need these done in time for classes tomorrow."

"I thought I was fully capable of doing this on my own," she commented grumpily.

"By all means," Severus returned, perching on the edge of a stool as he continued working. "Do not allow me to intrude upon –"

"Oh, shut it," she muttered.

The amused expression on his face gradually vanished while they worked in silence for several minutes. Eventually, the girl could not take the tension any longer.

"How was he supposed to accomplish that without help?" she asked after angrily discarding a worm. "Killing Dumbledore? It's… well, it's practically a suicide mission, isn't it?"

"You know that; I know that; Bellatrix knows it; and the more Draco considers it, the more he knows it," the wizard replied quietly.

"Then why?" Hermione growled, slamming her hand against the table. "If he's only supposed to fail, why not just kill his mother right away?"

He blew out a deep breath as he finished gutting another flobberworm and then set down his knife. "As I've said before, the Dark Lord is a showman. He goes for maximum impact. He gave Draco a brief glimmer of hope so that when it fizzles out after a year's worth of suffering, watching his mother's death will be all the more painful because, in the back of his mind, he'll always think he could have prevented it. Her death, in a manner of speaking, will become his fault."

"But it isn't!" she argued. "It wasn't his fault at all! He wasn't the one who –"

"Of course not," Snape agreed in a calmer voice. "Forcing Draco to take the mark underaged and killing Narcissa would certainly have been punishment enough for Lucius. But making it so that Lucius has to watch helplessly as his only son is eaten away at by the guilt over not being capable enough to save his mother… Well, that will utterly destroy him."

As tears pricked at her eyes, the girl was about to wipe her face when her hand was suddenly knocked back to the table. Before she could glare at him, however, she remembered that her hands were covered in slimy, green mucus.

"You shouldn't get it in your eyes."

"I know." Her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Thank you. I forgot what I was doing."

He grunted in acknowledgement and then gestured toward the nearest sink. "You could start washing up. I can finish up these last few myself."

"Are you sure?" When he nodded, she slid off of her stool and spent a number of minutes scrubbing her hands and forearms before returning to perch beside him.

"You may leave if you'd like."

"And if I'd like, may I stay?"

"I suppose," he murmured.

Hermione watched for a few minutes in slight amazement as he worked far quicker than she had done previously. Folding her arms to her stomach, she cleared her throat. "What are you going to do?"

"Consult the Headmaster before doing anything else."

The witch blew out a slow breath while he picked up the final flobberworm. "Well, you know, he is already –"

"It had not slipped my mind, I assure you," Severus replied.

"Well, hypothetically, couldn't you just allow Draco to take the credit for that?"

The man sighed as he dropped the knife to the table and began collecting the last bit of mucus. "Possibly… if we could manage to identify the curse used – or one with similar effects. And then, we would have to hope that the curse happens to follow the Dark Lord's time frame. It may not. In fact, given the man's willpower, it is likely to drag out past June."

Leaning forward, she frowned. "So you're saying that Draco's only real hope is to kill him himself?"

Severus paused in the midst of cleaning up the table and then shrugged. "At the moment, I see no other option."

The girl covered her face with her hands and did not look up until she heard the sink faucet running. "You are going to help him, right?"

"I will do what I can," he responded tersely, flattening his hands against the sink edge. "But should the Headmaster decide otherwise…"

"I know," she sighed before standing from her stool. Biting down on her lip, she hesitantly approached him. "This is too surreal. I can't believe we're actually discussing this."

A sad smirk was on his face as he turned to face her. "We could stop."

"We could, but that won't stop me from thinking about it." Her eyes slowly drifted to the floor as she held her elbow with her other hand.

When he noticed her lower lip beginning to tremble, the wizard touched her chin. "Hermione? Are you alright?"

"No, not really," she whispered, shaking her head. As he slipped his arm around her back, she tucked her head against his shoulder and held onto his robes. "I'm just so sick of this, of him. I hate him so much."

"You're not alone in that," Snape replied. Pressing his face into her curls, he breathed in the vanilla scent of her shampoo and then closed his eyes for a moment. "But we will finish him, and he will be gone."

"And what if he comes back again?" the girl murmured.

His grip tightened significantly as he turned his head so that his cheek lay against her hair. "Then we fight again until he's well and truly dead."

"And then what?"

The wizard lifted his head and gently smoothed his hand over her spine. "And then we get on with our lives in whatever manner we see fit."

A smile slowly crossed her face as she looked up at him. "Promise?"

While he nodded, she held his gaze and felt her heart begin to beat faster as his fingers continued moving along her back. Almost unconsciously, her eyes flicked toward his mouth, and she began pushing upwards while he lowered his head. Before his lips actually touched hers, however, he turned his head and let out a deep sigh. "I should speak to Albus."

"Okay," she exhaled, dropping her eyes to the side. After he had stepped away from her, she folded her arms and cleared her throat. "Can I wait for you?"

Severus paused at the door and dipped his head. "Lupin should not have any reason to seek me out this evening."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

When green flames appeared in the fireplace, Hermione ducked out of sight until she saw that it was only Severus returning from the Headmaster's office. While he stood still in the middle of the room, she crept back to her original perch on the sofa and then cleared her throat. "How did it go?"

Rubbing his forehead, the man turned to face her. "As well as it could have, I suppose. Albus attempted to hide his surprise, but I do not think he's yet fully come to terms with his relatively imminent demise."

"Understandable," she murmured, pulling her feet onto the cushion. "What did he decide?"

Snape exhaled loudly as he sank onto the couch beside her. "He needs time to consider the situation, but for the meantime, I am to provide assistance. Though we should delay while we can, we both agreed it best to make it appear that the boy is making some progress at least. It may benefit Draco later should a need arise."

"Okay," the witch replied, leaning against the back of the couch. "So what do we do?"

He snorted beneath his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tread carefully."

"Obviously," she smirked, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Is there any other way to tread?"

"Not if one wants to live to see the morn," the wizard replied quietly. For several minutes they stared in silence at the flames dancing in the grate, until he glanced at the clock and then slowly rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, resting her elbow on the arm rest and propping up her head.

He disappeared into his bedroom and then reappeared a moment later. "I, erm, having something for you."

"For me?" Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she pushed to an upright position.

The man bore an uncomfortable expression on his face as he held out a flat box. "I was not certain that you would… wish to observe it at all, but it has been six months."

Accepting the proffered item, the girl stared at him in mild disbelief. "You got me an anniversary gift?"

"I apologize if you find it inappropriate," he muttered, crossing his arms behind his back. "I just realized recently how much time had passed."

"I don't think it's inappropriate." She shook her head as she ran her hand across the lid of the box. "I just feel bad that I didn't pay attention to the date and that I don't have anything for you."

"It does not bother me at all," he assured her. "You've put up with me remarkably well thus far, and I thought that should be recognized."

An eager grin spread across her face as the witch pulled off the box top to reveal a thin scrap of leather. After running her fingers over the delicate embroidery, she glanced up at him.

"It's a witch's wand sheath," the Slytherin explained. "It was crafted with an undetectable charm, so once it is worn, it is fully concealed from sight, touch, or magic. Only the wearer is aware of its existence and is able to summon its contents."

Her jaw dropped slightly as she looked back at it. "Severus, you really didn't have to do that. It must have cost a fortune."

"I imagine it did," he agreed, settling on the edge of the sofa. "It was my mother's seventeenth birthday present from her parents. Obviously, she no longer has any use for it, and it does me no good sitting in a drawer."

"It's beautiful." Setting the gift on the coffee table, Hermione shifted onto her knees so that she could give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

"You are welcome," the man grunted. When she did not move away from him, he glanced back at the clock. "Perhaps you should head back to your dormitory."

The Gryffindor sighed audibly, but climbed off of the couch and retrieved her gift.

"Hermione," he called out when she had reached the door leading to McGonagall's corridor.

"Yes?"

Severus rubbed the back of his neck. "If you find yourself unable to sleep, you may always contact me."

A blush graced her cheeks as she squeezed the box to her chest. "Well if you ever… fancy a late-night chat or whatever, just let me know."

With a snort, he rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Good night, Granger."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Where did you want to go?" Hermione asked her roommate as they walked down the snowy path to Hogsmeade village on Saturday afternoon.

Ginny shrugged. "Wherever you want to."

"Well, you know me," the brunette stated in false cheer, "I want to spend the entire time in Tomes and Scrolls."

"That's fine."

The older girl's eyes widened as she looked at her friend. "Gin, you heard what I said, right?"

"Yep."

"You want to spend the day in a bookstore instead of going anywhere else?"

"I said it was fine, didn't I?"

"You don't want to go to Spintwitches?"

"Not really."

"Zonko's?"

"Nope."

"Honeydukes?"

"Nope."

"Seriously?" Hermione gasped. "Do you even want to go at all?"

The redhead gave another shrug of her shoulders. "I'd rather not be in the castle."

Her friend let out a long breath and shook her head. "I was completely kidding about the bookstore – I mean, I want to poke around a bit, but I don't need to stay terribly long."

"It's okay if you do."

After rubbing her face with her glove, the brunette glanced over her shoulder to see that Seamus was looking equally frustrated as he walked beside a silent Dean. When the hotheaded wizard caught her looking at them, she made an exaggerated face and rolled her eyes. After he nodded in agreement, she returned her eyes to the path ahead and cleared her throat. "Alright, then we'll go to Tomes and Scrolls for a while and then over to Sandwitch's for tea and biscuits or something."

"Sounds fine."

"Ugggh, Merlin," she groaned under her breath.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"He had to have been meeting someone."

"Yeah, but who?"

"I don't know. No one good."

Hermione narrowed her brow as she glanced past Neville to see Harry and Ron conversing in low voices near the stairwell. Curious, she said a quick farewell to the other boy and then made her way over to them. "What are you two talking about?"

Though Ron dropped his gaze to the floor, he made no effort to leave her presence.

"Malfoy," Harry growled, leaning forward. "In the village, he was acting twitchy with his friends, and then he just sneaks away."

"So naturally you followed him," she muttered.

"Naturally," the boy smirked before again donning a serious expression. "I think he knew I was following though, because he kept darting through crowded stores, and I lost him. Half an hour later, I see him sneaking back from the woods and then he made a beeline out of the village toward the castle."

"Perhaps he was simply meeting his girlfriend for a quick snog away from prying eyes."

The witch flushed red as she looked up to see that Remus had suddenly appeared beside her.

"She'd have to be a right nasty piece of work to snog that snake," Ron sputtered.

Hermione could feel the man's gaze burning into the side of her head as Harry snorted in agreement. When she was certain the boys were not looking at her, she turned her head to glare at him.

"No offense, Remus," Harry replied, "but if he were only meeting some girl for that, why would he need to be that secretive?"

"Maybe he just didn't like you following him," she suggested after the werewolf finally shifted his gaze to his friend's son.

"Or maybe it wasn't a girl after all," Ron sneered. "Maybe it was a bloke. He could be queer."

"Or maybe it was a Death Eater," the other boy hissed.

Sighing, the girl rubbed her head and cleared her throat. "Well, erm, let me know if you figure anything out. I have to get to the Hospital Wing."

"You're not going to supper?" the ginger-haired wizard asked.

Of course that would be the first civil thing he says to me in weeks. She shook her head. "Not hungry. Ginny and I ate in the village."

"Would you like an escort –"

"No, Professor," she interrupted, glancing at the man in warning. "I would not. But thank you for your concern."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Hermione spun on her heel and made her way toward the infirmary. Once she was out of their sight, however, she darted down a side corridor and leaned against the wall. Technically, Madam Pomfrey had suggested she take the night off since she had been kept late the rest of the week, but she had no desire to sit through her friends' character assassination of the boy who was suffering worse than she was.

Of course she wanted – and probably needed – to know who Draco had been meeting. Likely it had been for something more nefarious than a romantic rendezvous in the trees, but that was for Severus and Dumbledore to know. For all she was concerned, if Remus was under the impression that she was the one he was meeting, then so be it. The only one who could prove otherwise was Ginny, and she highly doubted that the Defense Instructor would ask her.

"Granger."

"Geez!" she gasped, clutching her chest. Her heart was beating loudly as she turned to look at the tall blonde who had appeared seemingly out of thin air. "Merlin, what is wrong with you?"

Draco seemed not to notice her reaction as he murmured, "Get him."

"What?"

"Snape," the boy growled. "He's not in his office, so get him. Now."

"Okay." Taking in a deep breath, she did as instructed and only had to wait a few seconds for a response.

'Is it an emergency?'

'You tell me. Draco says he needs to talk to you, and Harry saw him sneaking off to the woods to meet someone earlier.'

'Piss. I'm with the Headmaster, but I will attempt to cut it short. I can meet you in my office.'

"Alright," the witch replied, gesturing toward the nearest staircase. "He'll be in his office in a moment. You may want to, erm, disillusion yourself."

Nodding once, the pureblood tapped his wand to his head and vanished from sight. As they walked down to the dungeons, Hermione shivered and slipped one arm about her waist. It felt weird being followed by an invisible person, and even more so when it was someone she normally would not have trusted not to hex her in the back.

Upon reaching the familiar wooden door, she knocked twice but received no response. Chewing her lip, she glanced in either direction and then pushed it open.

"Hold on," Malfoy snapped, pointing to the door as soon as he had removed the charm. "That door was locked. I know it was, because I tried to open it fifteen minutes ago."

Grimacing slightly, the girl sank back against a table. "Yeah, well, you're not the one bound by his magic to serve him, are you?"

"Oh," he breathed before raising his lip in disgust. "Kind of like a house elf, then?"

"I guess," she growled, crossing her arms. "Any snide comments you wish to make?"

He shook his head and shifted uncomfortably. "I was just thinking that it was unlikely that your service would end if he presented you with clothes."

Hermione snorted softly as she pulled out a chair. "If only it were that easy. No, I'm afraid I'm stuck with him for good."

"Sorry."

Utterly shocked by hearing the word coming out of his mouth for the second time that week, she was only able to shrug her shoulders in response. Thankfully, they were saved from any further conversation by the arrival of the Potions Master through the fireplace.

"Mr. Malfoy," he stated coolly as he crossed toward his desk. "I trust there was a worthy reason to pull me away from the Headmaster?"

Draco blanched slightly and nodded. "Aunt Bella wanted me to meet her outside of Hogsmeade today."

The witch's eyes widened slightly as she looked toward the professor.

"I imagine then that it will only be a matter of time before the casualty list is released," Severus sneered as he took his seat.

"She didn't kill anyone," the blonde snapped.

"That you are aware of," his Head of House replied. "I know better than to hold my breath. Now what did she want?"

The boy exhaled loudly as he dug into an interior pocket of his robes. "She gave me this."

Snape leaned forward to peer at the vial produced and raised his eyebrows at noticing the greyish-green liquid it contained. "I take it that is a concentrate of –"

"Angel's Trumpet," the younger wizard stated.

Hermione slowly stood from her chair as she approached them, eyeing the vial in horror. "Isn't that –"

"A deadly poison?" Severus finished boldly. "Indeed, Miss Granger."