(Disclaimer : As always I don't own the characters or the setting. Just my little bit of fluff and story plotline. Unless Rowling decides to take pity on me some day.)
Summary : What if being pure by the end of your sixth, beginning of the seventh year was something that if found out by Wizgamont and the minister was something they would lock you away for? Is there a history there, that makes people afraid of someone that age never before having made love? What will happen when the person in jeapardy is one of the Golden Trio? Will it be the Ministry? Or will it be the Trio that come out on top?
Note : This is a Snape/Hermione story. If you're looking for a happy Ron who isn't an ass? You're reading the wrong story. I won't be making him into an evil Ron (although sometimes it's tempting) no, he's just going to be his usual unthinking and stubborn ass self.
Chapter 1 : Hogwarts History of Love
It was a fairly easy day for Hermione, as she'd just finished her end of the year exams. Moving smoothely through the hallway amongst the thrum of the other students, the girl of the Golden Trio walked with a confident aire as she moved on towards the Griffindor common area. It never ceased to amaze her the amount of snogging and sometimes other activities she would walk in on when it came to mid year, and end of the year exams. As if their lives would come to an end if they didn't get in that last snog, or if it might help them with the exam they've been ignoring all year long.
Wrinkling her nose at the disgusting display, while muttering to herself, "oh come off of it, the exams weren't that bad. You'd think that Voldemort had come back or something. Dean! Get off of Pavarti's face already and let her breath, she's turning blue!" Gasps coming from the people who still weren't used to the Dark Lord being gone from their lives and the use of his name still causing shock within the room. "oh get over it." Hermione found herself snapping as she lifted her chin and then stalked her way up to her room.
She couldn't help the mood she seemed to be in lately, more than one person suggested she needed to just have herself a nice all encompassing snog. But in the end she knew that wasn't it at all. She'd been working exceptionally hard lately to not let people notice that her magic was doing something funny. She kept having bursts of rather strong magic to the point where she blew up her wardrobe in a fit that made one of Nevilles potions mishaps look calm in comparison. As much studying and researching she tried to do, there was nothing that symptoms wise explained what she was going to. The only thing that even came close was only referenced by a book titled '1512 Child Massacre'. But no matter where she looked she couldn't find it, and no one had heard of it. In the end she'd given up her search but amongst her need to study for finals, she debated going to the Headmaster. This wouldn't be an easy conversation to have.
After the war was over, it was Hermione and Minerva who went to Dumbledores tomb and fed him the antidote to the Draught of Living Death he'd been fed mere hours before the supposed attack at the top of the Astronomy Tower. Snape, who'd also been in on it, merely standed off to the side as people screamed in shock and more than one person turned to look at him. Suddenly realizing how many of them had misjudged his actions in the last year. It wasn't Harry or Ron who apologized to him, in fact neither of them had yet. No, it was Neville Longbottom who walked up sure and proud and just silently offered his hand. There was no words spoken between the two, just a silent understanding that passed between them at the locked gazes. Sharp nods given and then Snape had retreated back into his dungeons, his stint as Headmaster was over, and he couldn't have been happier.
Slipping out of her school robes and into a simple everyday robe of a deep chocolate brown that was much more flattering on her, Hermione headed out of the common room and down the hall. Knowing how much Voldemort liked to come up with new and unbelievably difficult curses she had to make sure she hadn't somehow been cursed without knowing about it. Coming up on the gargoyle that was at the base of hidden stairway, she took a breath and placed her hand on the chest that was puffed out by the rock formed creature. Letting herself calm before saying, "Headmaster, I have something important I need to speak to you privately about, are you free?" There was a moment of pause before the wall opened and the staircase showed itself. Moving to the top stair, she rode it all the way to the door where the Headmaster's office was before knocking crisply.
"Enter, Ms Granger." Came the call from within. When Hermione opened the door she wasn't very surprised to find Snape there leaning against the wall of books, just watching as she came inside. Her gaze flicking from the twinkling blues to the black stern gaze and then around the room. Finding the portraits already covered, she relaxed a small bit before moving to close and ward the door. This action making both the men in the room lift a brow rather curiously.
"Headmaster, it's... probably a good thing that Professor Snape is here. I ... I need your help." Looking more than a bit nervous before then glancing to the men. The impatience from Snape though is what spurred her on to continue. "My magic hasn't been right lately, I thought it might be my wand and I went to Olivanders. He did a test on me and my wand and said that the connection was stronger than ever, and i've been researching everything I can think of when it comes to what can describe what's going on. I don't have any of the other symptoms that are all mentioned." Taking a breath she lifted her head and said, "The only thing that came close was from a book that apparently doesn't exist anymore, and I don't know what to do. I keep having these... surges of power, they're ten times stronger than anything I faced when I was having bouts of accidental magic. I'm afraid of hurting someone when I leave the school." Stopping just lniog enough to take a breath she looks at Snape and says, "The only thing that controls it even a little bit, is from the meditating you were teaching me at the beginning of the year to help with the nightmares. And it has worked, it's just... not helping here."
There was almost a sad looking sparkle coming from the headmaster as he kept staring at her as if he could look right into the middle of her. Finally after what seemed like an eternity he asked, "Ms. Granger. How old are you really, after all your time using the time turner? There is reason I ask this question and if I'm right... we could have a bit of a problem on our hands. Severus, get into the blue safe and pull out the book on top would you?" Looking to the rather in thought looking Potions master for a long moment until he got a sharp nod in answer.
Flushing faintly, Hermione shifted slightly, fidgeting under the gaze that twinkled in amusement before saying, "I'll be 21 in three months if I go by all the hours added up by the time turner." The crash that came from where ever the potions master was in his getting what the Headmaster wanted proved how much of a shock that was. Her hand going to the small lump under her shirt in an almost protective motion.
Sighing softly, Albus found himself in a rather frightening position, and yet after am moment his hand reached out palm up, "it's time to let it go Ms. Granger. I never should have given it to you. Not that you haven't been very responcible with it, you have. But I'm afraid I may have caused a bit of a problem and I'm not quite sure what to do with it." About then Severus Snape in all his bat like glory came decending down on them with a book in his hands.
"Albus you can't be serious! She was in a tent with two teenage boys for almost a full year! Surely by that time she would have... have.." His hand waving as if that explained everything, even as Hermione watched the book called '1712 Child Massacre' was slid across the desk in front of the Headmaster.
"I've been looking for that!" She couldn't help but shout and then found herself blushing under the intense stare of the Potions master. For some reason that even she couldn't understand she found herself turning away from the rather intense gaze so she didn't have to meet it. Instead turning her attention to the man at the desk who was flipping through the pages.
"In the year of 1512." He began reading. "A moment in history that all of Wizarding England will never forget, but also will never acknowledge caused what would later be the reasoning for all of the inbreeding within families. It is well known that within that time period for a short time it was believed that a woman who retained her purity until her wedding night was seen as a prize because it proved her loyalty towards the man who would become her husband. However, what wasn't well known is it wasn't until 1712 when several seventh year student girls from Hogwarts started having issues with their magic did it become apparent that all women hadn't actually come to their beds pure. Instead they had been taught spells to make it seem as if they had. With the exception of all the girls from an entire graduating class who apparently had taken part in a 'chastity charm' from their mediwitch to ensure their chastness."
Taking a breath and without ever looking up, Albus continued, "However, it was at the end of this seventh year and with the issues of sudden explosions of magic that people started to wonder if Hogwarts was turning their daughters into meglomaniacs. For with the growth of these powers, came also intense anger." This part making hermione lose what color she had in her face and found herself sitting down rather hard. But still not interrupting. "It wasn't until they had married that these bouts of magic and the anger ceased, however, they found that the strength of the magic had not only been shared with their intendeds, but in the women themselves had tripled. It didn't matter that the demeanor of the girls had changed back to how they had originally been, the fact that they had all of a sudden found themselves the all encompassing war of all of wizarding England against the families of these girls. The families were. The Lestrange, Malfoy, Prince, Grange, Dumbledore, MacGonagal, Potter, and Weasley's." Pausing there for her to take it all in before saying, "Without any warning one of the families was completely wiped out, they weren't a big family to begin with and had very little standing or even noticing before this happened. The rest however, were rather high standing families within the city, known to be in the works of every important transaction or law that ever came about. In an unprecidented act, the entire population of the Wizarding community attacked these families enmasse in one night. All of them attacked at a coordinated time so that they couldn't run to each other for protection, even the house elves having been brought into the fight to make sure that a potion could be fed to the power couples."
Unable to continue, Albus handed the book to Snape who continued to read, "These families were killed almost to extinction except for the youngest in the families. Never in all of the Wizarding history had an action like this ever occured and all of the Wizgamont and the minister of magic put a rather quite rule that any witch having found to finish her seventh year without having... " his hand moving again faintly. "Would be put to death to ensure that no 'monster of power' could ever be created from such a union... as it's never been proven what would happen should a child come from these pairings and it's now widely believed that a child would take over the Wizarding world and destroy it." Closing the book then he finally looked at the woman staring down at her hands with a tight frown on her face.
"So what you're saying is that because I chose not to live up to the rumors that I would turn into a slut by being in the tent with the boys, now I have to be killed? I never found anyone who I thought would have me, that I loved, and thats an act punishable by death? I understand the concern after what we've just finished fighting, but no one could have WARNED the sixth year girls LAST year?" But then found herself blinking, "I was at my majority the middle of third year." And only then did she meet the rather sad looking eyes of the Headmaster. "You and Professor MacGonagal are the ones who suggested the time turner and you couldn't have warned me?" Her voice not loud, and not snappish if anything it was low and entirely too quiet. Ever so slowly she rose from her chair in a movement of grace that betrayed the years she had on her. "You put me into this position old man, how am I going to get out of it. Or is my death going to be for the 'Greater Good'." She sneered.
Both of the men in the room looked at the young woman in front of them with a wide eyed stare before Snape found himself ever so slowly smiling and just looking at Albus. Yes, this girl had picked up entirely too many of his mannerisms since the end of the war and it wasn't a bad look on her. Still though. "Calm yourself Hermion, you don't want to grab on to that anger too tightly. Close your eyes and do your breathing." In his sternest of teacher voices.
Without thought to why she was being told to do so, she turned her attention away from the Headmaster, sitting back down with a 'thump' and closing her eyes. It was only after five minutes that the hard creases on her face began to slowly ease and the beauty of the young woman began to show itself through again. Ever so slowly she found herself opening her eyes though she wouldn't look up at the two men.
"I deserved that Hermione." Came the soft whisper from the Headmaster. "I didn't think through the actions of giving you that Time Turner, and you're right it is my fault. Much of this part of history has been lost, it's only those of us who lived through the last war can remember the whispers of worry about the children that have thought about it. Truely, the time in the tent I thought would take away the worry and help the war front as well, it didn't dawn on me ... just how morale you truely are in your beliefs."
Taking off his glasses he sighed and followed it with, "I have a cabin that you will have to go to for a time to help give you time to find control with your magic. It won't solve the problem unless you found someone you could and would have... .. relations with. But we must do what must be done to keep you safe. If I remember correctly you had stated you wished to become a potions mistress. Is that still the case?"
Giving a slow nod, while still not trusting herself to speak, Hermione couldn't stop the sudden suffocating feeling encompassing her chest. Her thoughts going wild as she thought of all the dreams she'd have to abandon just to keep from being killed or hurting other people. Tears started to prick at the corners of her eyes making both Severus and Albus start a small bit. In a movement that seemed rather unlike him, Severus moved over to kneel next to the chair the woman was in and he reached up to turn her face to look at him.
"I'll take you as my apprentice, we'll set up a potions lab there, and I'll bring all the supplies that are needed for your testing. Knowing you and your propensity for over achieving you'll be mastered in two years, and hopefully by then we'll have you settled out in one way or another alright?" Looking to Albus, he started faintly at the thoughtful look cming from the old man, making his eyes narrow faintly before then saying, "Albus, I'm gonig to take two years leave from my position to be able to help train her as well as apprentice, Ms. Granger."
Nodding slowly the Headmaster found himself standing, "I think that's a perfect idea. I'll have your rooms packed up and two houseelves will do all the changes necessary to the cavbin to make it what you both need. You'll have to go with them Severus." Then turning his attention to the woman he said, "You'll have to stay here after the graduation ceremony Ms. Granger. But you won't be staying in the tower anymore. You're to pack your things and other than what you need to last you through the ceremony you're to tell everyone that you're gonig to be leaving for your apprenticeship within a couple of hours after the ceremony. You'll be staying in a room here, and don't worry these rooms are hidden from the marauders map, so you won't be found by your friends." Making her lips twitch faintly. "I want you to spend as much time as possible working on your meditation or studying from this book which I'll lend you. Any books you need send a house elf to get them for you. I don't want you to feel as if you're in trouble or under arrest, this is more for your protection than anyone elses right now."
Finding herself never once answer, Hermione couldn't help but take this all in, thinking of the ramifications of disobeying as well as arguing why she shouldn't be locked up like a criminal. After a moment however, she knew if there was any chance of her being able to get past the Ministry of Magic, and not ended up hunted down, this would be the only way to do it. Straightening herself up she lifted her chin faintly and nodded sharply, "i'll go and begin now, if you could send Winky to me, she knows how I like my things situated and she's the only one of the elves that Crookshanks won't try and hunt." A brow lifting faintly at the snort that comes from the potions master. "She also reads better than most, she was helping me do research in preparation for what the boys and I had to go through, if it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have been half as prepared as I was."
Again the Headmaster found himself staring at Hermione a long moment, "Well that explains why she won't ever do any of the other staffs bidding, were you the one who nursed her to health and stopped her from drinking?" At the young woman's nod he couldn't help but burst out laughing, "And she did it without the girl picking up on it." Glancing to Severus, "These elves keep making me think they should be sorted into houses as well. She would have been a born slytherin." Seeing the confusion of the studen in front of him he said, "She bound herself to you Hermione, you gave her purpose, and if your own reactions to her are any indication, subconsciously speaking you don't really mind it do you?"
Again the woman found herself rather in shock, "Bound? To me?" Came the small squeek, and yet it brought her to think back on all the progress the elf made, even how Winky had started going to her on what to do with the tuft of hair and keeping her clothes clean. Well... embroidered pillow cases anyways. "I guess, it makes sense." Frowning faintly for a moment before sighing, "Can she be one of the two elves then? I think the potions master would do better having her around than one of the other ones who's so scared they'll break things all the time."
Giving his nod of approval at his new Apprentices thoughts on his own temper he found himself saying, "She is one of the more competant ones. Odd though I never had issues with her helping me when I called for her. Maybe it's because I'm head of slytherin. In either case the only other elf we need is one for the cleaning and cooking. Winky can be the personal elf to Ms. Granger and myself."
"I will let her know and I'll send her to you presently. Go and get your things ready Ms. Granger I'll send Winky to you in a few minutes. Just come back up here when you're ready and I'll show you to your new room for the next couple of weeks. And before you ask, I'll make sure a number of my potions books are available to you and they'll be in the room waiting for you." Having seen the more than once gaze of the girl going to his book case with a look of wishful sadness. At his offer she couldn't help but smile, showing the dimples that hadn't been present since before the final battle.
"Thank you Headmaster. Master Snape." Bowing her head softly as she turned and quickly headed out of the room, not even realizing she'd already picked up the apprentice to teacher way of addressing the man. Both of them watching as she bound her way out of the room, it was only when the door closed that the smiles on both of the mens faces faded and they found themselves looking at each other.
"Albus. Just training her to be able to control her magic and control her temper won't help. You and I both know it'll just keep getting worse the longer it goes. As it is she's already gone four years, and right now she could take you, me, and potter on if she got mad enough. You know what needs to be done, and ... ... I don't know who to bring for her."
Shaking his head, the Headmaster said, "Is there anyone other than yourself you can trust with this? Severus my boy, you and I both know you have found a friend in her. And this could be good for both of you, I know of no one else who could handle the shared powers other than yourself without letting themselves be dragged on to the darkness of magic. She needs you." Patting the man's shoulder before saying, "Think about it, Severus. You have at least two years to figure out your feelings on this matter, and about her. If it's truely only friendship then you will have to start thinking of possibles that you would trust with her and with the power. But we can't go much more than two years, even with your training she won't last much longer than that. We're lucky she lasted this long." Seeeing the man nod and then frown, neither said a thing till Snape started swearing under his breath and stalked his way to the floo. Tossing in powder and disappearing to his destination. Calling out a moment later, "Winky!" The headmaster started working on getting things set up. As it was, this was going to be a very long couple of weeks before the graduation ceremony, but hopefully this would make things a little bit less difficult.
With a loud 'Pop' the house elf appeared in the room of the Headmaster, the pretty white pillowcase embroidered in white, silver, greens and blacks making his lips twitch faintly. "'eadmaster Dumblydore calls for Winky?" Came the small squeek of the bright blue eyed elf.
"Yes Winky. I need you to help Hermione Granger to move into my guest room. And for the next two years you're going to be living with her and Professor Snape. I think I can trust you to keep this to yourself, as it concerns your mistress. She's going to have a pretty hard time over the next two years, but if we do this right she may find herself a match." Looking to the elf who started twisting her own ear. Oh yes, this elf already knew about her mistress, it was probably one of the reasons why she bound herself to her. To help mask some of those little outbursts. The little elf hopped up on the desk and leaned in closely as the Headmaster began to outline his plan.
(End of Chapter One : I hope you all liked it! I know the whole purity thing has been done before but I decided to take a different twist on it this time. PM's and followings of course are welcome!)