Morpheus Amoretti
By: Sasusc
Spoilers: None
Summary: Hermione keeps waking up next to one Severus Snape, and neither one of them knows why. HGSS
Chapter Three: One Last Time
It was the crash that alerted them. They stilled. Neither one wanted to move.
"Bloody hell," Severus whispered against her lips. He opened his eyes. Hermione Granger was once again in his bed and beneath him. Gloriously naked. The warmth of her bare skin against his confirmed that fact.
"Let's pretend we're still sleeping," she whispered back. She refused to open her eyes. If she did, then she would have to tell him to move his hand. She would have to get up and pretend she had been completely asleep moments before when they were kissing and touching.
"We can't," he said in regret.
He wasn't expecting it. She tightened her arms around him and hooked her right leg around his lower back to hold him down. That was the only reason why he allowed her to hold himself to her body. It definitely wasn't because it felt good to lie in her arms. It was also why he allowed himself to bury his head in the nook of her neck. He inhaled. Cherries. She smelled of cherries. He had been craving cherries for the last several days. Now he knew why. He's been subconsciously craving Hermione Granger.
"Daly is sorry, Master. Daly didn't know Master had guest. Daly will bring Master and guess new breakfast."
"I told that elf not to bother with me," he muttered. He should have been grateful for Daly's interruption, but he wasn't. Daly came to his room once a week with breakfast. She was one of the few house elves he allowed in his quarters.
She liked the feeling of his lips moving on her neck. She hoped he wasn't planning to move away any time soon. She wouldn't mind enjoying the feeling for just a little bit more. Unconsciously, she began to stroke his back.
Severus barely moved. He wasn't used to the sensation of someone willingly touching him. His father, being a muggle, only touched him in anger. He could barely recall his mother's touch. Living in the wizardry world, wands were use to torture people. No one needed to touch him as they forced more pain upon him. He could count the number of women on his hand that willingly came to his bed.
Hermione felt the stillness of her companion. She almost stilled her hands before she realized that the Potion Master was enjoying the movements. It didn't take too long for her to realize she rarely saw her professor accept human contact. He avoided it. Others avoided it.
The groan that escaped his lips told him to pull away from her. She was still his student, for Merlin's sake! He couldn't take any comfort in the girl. He had to remind himself forcibly that it was a girl beneath him and not a woman. He was twice her age. He could have had a child her age. She was a Gryffindor. She was a know-it-all. She was Harry bloody Potter's best friend. She had frizzy hair. He allowed any casuistries to spring to his mind to justify why he couldn't have this woman. Still, he was finding it hard to lift himself away from her.
She was becoming a lifeline to a way of life he never knew but had always dream about. Before the monster in him took away his innocence, if he ever had any in the first place, he longed for a life he saw in the houses around him. A loving family. A husband doting on his wife and helping his children grow up to be strong. The wife forever smiling and laughing, surrounding her family in her love. The children carefree and happy, never knowing how ugly the world around them could become in a blink of an eye. It was a life he never knew, but used to wish for as a child. The last several mornings of waking up in Hermione's arms reminded him of his long ago dreams. Her kisses brought forth those forgotten feelings. Her touches made him long for more honey kissed mornings and lazy stays in bed.
And it was those same feelings that unhinged him, provoking him to distance himself from her. He knew men that suffered and died from those same feelings. He killed many men who allowed themselves to become weaken and lax in their guard. If he immerse himself in the feelings Hermione's touch produced, he would become just as weak and defenseless as those very same men. Hermione could do what no other could in the twenty odd years he fought as a Death Eater and an Order spy and much longer in his father's hands: break him. She could utterly and ruthlessly destroy what remain of his soul. He knew he would never recover from it. His body tighten in response to his thoughts. He couldn't allow her to become anything more then his student.
The Gryffindor felt the change flow through his body. She knew they needed to get out of bed. She knew they needed to find out how their plans to stay away from each other failed. She needed to leave his rooms before someone discovered them. She needed a change of clothing. There were so many things she needed to do. If last night was anything like the previous nights, her clothing would be gone. She hadn't asked Professor Snape if he ever found his wand. If he didn't have it, she would need to borrow some of his clothing and hurry to her room before someone saw her. It would be tricky to explain why she was running around the dudgeons in borrowed robes, let alone those belonging to her professor, but she felt she had enough practice lying on the spot to come up with a convincing lie.
But she didn't want him to leave her just yet. She ran her hands up to his long hair and clutched it. She quickly tugged to force his head up. Hermione opened her dark eyes. He had a slightly shocked look on his face. It was nice to know he could still be surprised at some things. A wicked smile graced her lips.
"Kiss me."
Her voice was husky with desire and laced with her wants. The young witch wouldn't allow him to refuse her as if he could deny her request. She leaned forward and placed her lips on his, meshing their mouths together in a union that allow sparks to fly across their bodies.
He allowed his thoughts to slip away. This had to be their last night together. They needed to solve the problem that kept forcing them to wake up in each other's arms. This couldn't happen again even if his craving grew wildly out of control. She would be leaving school soon anyway. He probably would never see her again. Even if he couldn't remember the details of their nights, he would still have these kisses.
The two lovers let themselves be swept away in the kiss. It was a kiss they both believed would be their last. A kiss that was both forbidden and accepted, and yet it felt so right that it couldn't possibly be wrong nor denied.
Ginny started to knock on the door. It was early, but she knew Hermione liked to rise this early. If she wanted to catch her and her boyfriend, she had to arrive this early to catch them in the act. She let her hand drop before it made contact with the door. The knock would warn the couple--maybe even causing her to lose her chance at catching them. She placed her ear to the door. Silence. She couldn't hear anything. There were three reasons for the silence--no, four, she rethought. One: Hermione had placed a silencing charm on the room. Two: they were still sleeping. Three: they already left. Four: they were never there in the first place. She hoped reasons one or two were the answers. If not, she gained nothing on this mission except loss of sleep.
She tried the doorknob. It was locked. She pulled her wand out and tried a simple unlocking spell. It didn't work. She needed something stronger. This was Hermione after all. The witch knew her spells and charms.
"She's not there," a voice whispered into her ear.
Ginny jumped. Draco Malfoy stood before her, wearing the school's black pants and a white dress shirt left unbutton. He hadn't even combed his hair. She mentally grinned as she caught his bare feet peaking out from underneath the hem of his pants.
"What do you mean?"
"What don't you understand, Weasley?"
"How do you know Hermione isn't in her room? Did you see her leave?" Was her brother correct? Did Draco know she wasn't in her room because she was in his? She would hate to be Hermione when Harry and Ron confront her on her choice of love interest.
"I wonder, does Potter and Weasley know where their friend is at the moment?" He tapped his lips. A smirk appeared behind his finger. "I doubt it."
"You know who it is," she stated. Her eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Draco fiddled with one of the lower buttons on his shirt. "I have no reason to inform you of Granger's love life. If she wanted you to know, she would have told you, correct?"
"Since when do you protect Hermione's secrets?"
Draco didn't comment. The events of last night played through his head. He had followed his Potion professor last night on his round. Surprising, he hadn't been found out. Snape was a master spy and should have been able to detect him almost immediately. He accepted the fact he was going to be caught and questioned by the wizard sooner or later. He had hoped it would later rather then sooner except Snape must have been severely distracted. He felt that even with the most probable chance of being caught, Snape was his best bet for finding out why he had been commanded to change his patrolling duty for the night.
He had followed the wizard for almost an hour before Snape switched courses. He followed him down towards the dudgeons, towards Hermione Granger. They had just reached the beginning of the dudgeon patrol area when he was force to duck into a nearby hallway. He peaked out half a minute later. His jaw almost dropped in shock at the sight that greeted him.
Hermione must have jumped into Snape's arms. She had her hands tightly gripping his hair and her legs wrapped around his waist. Snape had quickly twisted their bodies to use the wall to help support Hermione. The maneuver easily allowed Draco a clear view of the couple kissing.
He winced as he remembered the harsh sound of Granger's head slamming into the wall behind her as she tried to allow Snape more room to kiss his way down her throat. That was as far as he seen of the snogging session. He had left quickly after that. He knew where the couple was heading, and he didn't want to be around to watch. This was his professor. If it was anyone other then Severus Snape…well, he wouldn't mind staying awhile to watch. He would have a few things to spread around before school ended, except letting the school hear about Snape's encounter with the Gryffindor would have been ill-advised. He would become a dead man. No, he would have to forgot everything he saw that night, wipe it clean from his mind.
He pulled himself out of his thoughts to stare at the redheaded witch in front of him. She had that look in her eyes. He didn't like it. He had heard and seen enough about her mother to know Ginny Weasley could be just like her. Molly Weasley was relentless when it came down to the health and whereabouts of her cubs.
He was not about to reveal Snape's name to her. He liked the wizard. He didn't want him to lose his job because one little slip of a girl nagged him to speak. He pressed his lips together firmly. Granger had a fierce temper on her. She knew enough to cause him some damage if it ever came out that he gave them up. Not to mention that Snape would kill him before she could get her hands on his body.
The young wizard knew he would come to regret his decision. He already resigned himself for the upcoming confrontation. Ginny would not leave him alone until she received a name.
"She's in my bed," he lied through a huge smirk. "That's why I'm keeping her secrets."
"Yours?" Ginny glanced across the room where the Head Boy's room was located. Was her friend there even now? Or had the Slytherin lied to cause trouble? Did he really know anything?
She turned and left without speaking to him. She had promise to report to Harry and Ron. They would not like her answer, but it was the only answer she had for them.
Draco slowly walked back to his room. He didn't want Ginny to think anything of his rushing back to his room if she happened to glance back. He doubted she would, but he would rather be safe then sorry. He sprawled across an armchair, unsure of what he should do next. He covered his eyes with the crook of his elbow as he thought. Potter and Weasley would come here. They might even use that map of theirs to locate Granger. Would it show the professor's quarters? Should he tried to send a warning if the couple were still together? Or should he try to cause a scene and stall Potter and Weasley before they could find anything? What would happened if he didn't do anything, pretend he knew nothing about this situation and allow it to play out as it would?
Dumbledore stroke his long white beard. Three sets of clothing and one wand laid on his desk. It was a safely guarded secret of Hogwarts that only the Headmaster (or Headmistress, as the situation may be) was enlighten to the information. Anyone else was told on need-to-know bases and then sworn to never tell a soul to protect the secret. Any student/teacher relationship was immediately notified via clothing and wand of the other partner. The clothing hopefully revealed the House of the student, and the wand was the proof of the guilty. The two uniform in his procession revealed that twice a sexual relationship between a student and professor happened in the professor's rooms. The other clothing revealed that the professor had visited the student's room. The professor's clothing and wand were rarely taken in this kind of situation. The dorms didn't provide any privacy for a couple.
He had ignored it the first time. And the second. But he felt he had to confront the couple after the third. This was just one too many times for it to have been an accident. That had happened before. Eight years ago, one of the professors had been working late with a student. The next morning he called the couple into his office. They both confessed. After shifting through their memories, with their permission of course, he knew they had told him the truth. The professor had been training the student all night, and they were both exhausted and hadn't been thinking clearly when an accidental touch led to something more. He cautioned the professor not to get into a situation similar to that night again. The girl was of age and wasn't coerced in any way. The situation was looked down upon, but it wasn't entirely forbidden so no action was taken. The professor retired the next year.
"How could you allow this to continue?"
He glanced at the painting speaking. Headmistress Vanek glared at him from behind her thick glasses. Her painted hands were fisted on her tiny hips.
"There are certain circumstances to this situation," he replied.
Another portrait joined the conversation. "You're up to your old tricks, my young lad. Never could keep your long nose out of another business, could you?"
"This was accepted in my days. I don't see why this rule was forged in the first place."
Vanek crossed several paintings to Rufus Vettius, a sixteenth century Headmaster. She bopped him on the head with a cane she had stolen from the portrait she had entered from. Vettius glared at her.
"This young girl had been taken advantage of three times!"
"She must not have minded much if she took him to her room. Lucky bastard."
"Shameful," Vanek muttered.
"Please," Albus said. "This matter will be resolved today."
The wizard stood up. He shrunk the clothing and placed it in a pocket. The wand followed the clothing into his pocket. No action would be taken, but he wanted to talk to the couple. This was the last day of the school year. After tonight, the young couple had every right to be together. He hoped that they could make a decision that would bring them both happiness.
"I knew it!" exclaimed Ron Weasley. "Let's go kill that bastard now."
"Hold up," Harry said. "Ginny brought up a good point. This is Malfoy we're talking about. He would say just about anything to anger us. Remember last year? He spread that rumor about you and Luna."
Ron nodded. A smile spread across is face. "I can still imagine the horrified expression he gave when his plan backfired."
"The Marauder's Map," Ginny blurted out. "Have you used it to find her?"
Both boys smacked themselves. "Of course!" Harry yelled. "Why didn't I think that before? We could have known last night."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I could have slept a few extra hours," she muttered under her breath.
"We hadn't had it for a couple months," Ron reminded Ginny as an excused. "We've been functioning without it. We just stole it back several days ago."
Harry quickly located the map and brought it down to the common room. He spoke the password and spiky black ink spread across the yellowed paper. They located the Head Boy's room. Draco was alone in his room. Hermione's rooms were empty. They searched every inch of the map looking for their lost friend. Ginny jabbed a finger near a corner of the map.
"There she is!"
The room was located on one of the lowest levels of the castle. She was in the dudgeons. And she was near someone: Professor Severus Snape.
Ron placed a hand on his stomach, a green tinge sweeping across his face. "Tell me she's in the Potion's classroom. Or in Snape's office."
"She's not. She's in Snape's personal rooms."
Harry paled with rage. How dare the man use Hermione! The other day he had been running late to start the class. Hermione had to start it. She had been wearing a Slytherin uniform supplied from him. He had given her detention. Was there another purpose other then the usual punishment for the detention? He ranted.
Ron tried to calm his best friend. "Look at it this way. We always said that Snape needed a good shag. Now we know sex does not improve his disposition."
"Oh God," Harry muttered. "Hermione had seen Snape naked. She had sex with that great big bat."
"Don't do something stupid," Ginny comment as she started up the stairs leading to the girl's dormitory. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. Just remember this is Professor Snape. Don't forget all of the curses and hexes he knows."
The two boys barely acknowledged her warning and passing. They had decided that they were going to confront the greasy bastard. After they had their say, they were going to report it to Professor Dumbledore. He ought to know that the wizard was taking advantage of his students. Hermione couldn't be his only victim, they reasoned. They needed to protect their friend and any other female student under the Potion professor's care.
It took them longer then expected to arrive at the door the map marked as the entranced to the professor's quarters. The trick stairs rearranged itself several times--each time taking them farther from the passage they needed to take. Ron briefly thought that the castle was trying to keep them away, but dismissed that thought immediately when the stairs finally came to a stop in their favor.
"Ah, Mister Potter, Mister Weasley."
The duo glanced at the older man. "Professor," they greeted.
"You're here for Miss Granger, I presume. I will be taking care of the matter." He held up a hand when they opened their mouth to protest. "I will send Miss Granger to you when I am through. This is not entirely Professor Snape's fault. Returned to your rooms and informed Miss Weasley and Mister Malfoy to remain quiet on this matter. A young woman and a professor's reputation are hanging on the line."
Albus Dumbledore watched the young wizards march away from him. He raised his fist to knock on the door, glad that he had decided to take the long way to his employee's quarters. The floo network would have been much quicker but then he would have missed the opportunity to halt the boys from barging into the couple and possibly making the situation worst. Fortunately, he was able to block the Head Boy's fireplace to stop Mr. Malfoy from making the same mistake as Potter and Weasley.
"We have to stop," Severus spoke into the skin at her neck.
Hermione shook her head as she raked her nails down his back. She arched her neck as he nipped it. She didn't think she could stop. One kiss was not enough for them. The temptation to continued spread with each contact they had. How could this be so wrong when it felt so right?
Severus found the strength to untangle himself from the woman on his bed. An amused smirk appeared across his face. She was pouting. He reached down to touch her bottom lip. It was still soft and swollen from their kisses.
"We have to talk," he commented when she opened her eyes.
She gave a barely noticeable nod. She had a theory she was still formulating. Fred and George had design a potion based on memories and dares. The drinker would behave unnatural to their temperament, allowing them to do things they normally wouldn't. The potion had an additional bonus of having a memory alteration built in. The drinker would forget any actions induced by the potion. She recently learned that the potion had been mixed in with the punch from the party. She knew from their first night together that they had both had drunk the potion. Hermione theorized the siren gills they both had used the day of the party had gotten into their systems. The combination of the potion and gills could possibly contribute to their new habit of waking up together in bed. Except her theory didn't fully explain why they couldn't remember their nights together.
An owl from the twins had confirmed that the potion's effects should have only worked once, and the memory alteration would not have been as severe as Professor Snape and herself were experiencing. They had wanted the potion to alter the drinker's memories only for a short time, long enough for friends to make comments to their confused friend. The person would regain their memories in full within twenty-four hours.
Hermione was also informed that there were several safeguards placed into the potion. The twins had tried to think of every consequence their new potion may have, and had decided upon placing restrictions on it. The drinker would not be able to do anything they didn't want to do nor anything that may hurt them (or anyone else, for that matter). It also halted sexual responses. They didn't want to be responsible for anyone having sex under intoxication. Something else had overridden the safeguard for them to be here now.
"The house elf should be here soon with our breakfast," he commented as he pulled himself up and sat on the edge of the bed. He avoided looking at her. "I will bring you a bathrobe for you to wear."
Hermione pulled the sheets up around her as he left. She had hoped to have more information before giving him her flawed theory, but she had kept silent long enough already. Professor Snape would want to know about the potion and its properties immediately. He could possible fill in some of the gaps in her theory with his knowledge of potions and ingredients.
Severus returned a few minutes later. He had put on a pair of black slacks and his usual white dress shirt. He threw his dark green bathrobe onto the bed at Hermione's feet. He turned around and left as fast as he had entered. He didn't want to be in the same room with a naked Hermione Granger any longer then he had to. He was afraid that he would return to the bed and forget all of his reasons why it was wrong. He silently repeated each reason with each step he took from his bedroom to the small dinning room.
She was a child.
She was his student.
She was an innocent.
They were under an unknown influence.
He could lose his job.
He could lose Dumbledore's trust.
She was still a child.
He was a former Death Eater.
He rubbed his arm self-consciously where the Dark mark had been for almost two decades. Over the summer break, the Order decided it was best if they attacked the Dark Lord before he attacked them. With information gleamed from him and other spies, they found the perfect time to execute their plan. Harry Potter overpowered the dark wizard, and won the day. The Dark mark on each Death Eater's arm burned for over an hour after their master was destroyed. The magical ink used to form the mark had burned away, leaving deep scars in its wake. No amount of magic could heal or cover the scars. It was the price he had to pay for a foolish youth. It was a price he was more then willing to pay. The constant pain reminded him daily of his sins, not that he needed much reminding. The healers said that the pain would remain until his death, there was no cure or relief for a magical scar as deep as the tattoo had left.
Almost as soon as he stepped into the living room he heard a knock beating a rap on the main entrance to his professor quarters. He hesitated briefly in front of the door. Opening the door would change everything. And there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. Dumbledore was behind the annoying knocking. He knew the instant he opened the heavy door and saw the serious expression on Albus Dumbledore's face staring back at him. He knew. Dumbledore knew what he had done. The wizard always found out one way or another, and three days was too long to keep this--whatever it was--hidden from his prying eyes. It was only the details that became murky knowledge for him. Time had taught him to allow Dumbledore to supply the answers and wait to see what he really knew. There was a slim chance he didn't know about the previous two nights. Very unlikely, but possible. He didn't put much hope into it. He wasn't the kind of man to hope for the hopeless.
"Severus, I wish this was but a social call," he greeted the man. There were no twinkles in his eyes as he spoke. His eyes spoke volumes, all of it bad for the younger wizard. "I trust you realize the why of my visit." His voice was hush, sounding somber.
He didn't reply.
Dumbledore reached into his pocket and pulled out a wand. Severus presumed it was the missing wand of Hermione Granger. "Please give this to Miss Granger and meet me in your sitting room. We have much to discuss."
And without a word spoken from Severus Snape's lips, the Potion Master strode into his bedroom. Hermione was standing beside his bed with her hands folded in front of her. She looked calm and collected standing next to the bed post. She was the prefect picture of serenity. Upon further studying of her pose, he realized that she wasn't as calm as she first appeared. Her fists were clenched tightly around each other. Her left foot was twitching nervously. Her eyes gave away her state of mind. It was busy brainstorming, thinking of ways to help them get out of this situation.
"Dumbledore is here." Simple and to the point, it was the only way for him to tell her of the current situation. He didn't need to say anything else, the three words were enough of an explanation.
Her eyes darted to his as she took several steps closer to him. "Does he know?"
He raised an eyebrow as he glanced down at her. She was standing too close to him. "Does he know you're here?" She nodded. "Of course he knows you're here," he said derisively.
"Oh."
"Oh? Is that are you have to say?"
"What is there to say? He's here, he knows." She placed her hands on his cheeks and stared deeply into his eyes. "It's going to be alright." Oddly, she felt at peace about knowing that, smoothing all her rogue nerves. She reached up on her tippy-toes to give him one last passionate kiss. It might be her last time to do so.
Severus Snape didn't move. Not until her hands slipped behind his ears and onto the nape of his neck to deepen the kiss did he allow himself to move. Only then did he move, only then did his arms came up to wrap around her waist. He pulled her closer to his body so that she was flushed against him. It felt like heaven holding her this close to him. It was a forbidden heaven that should have been denied to him.
"Hermione," he whispered as he began to kiss his way down her throat. "Hermione." He moved his lips back up to her face, but paused just inches from her lips. He watched as she slowly opened her eyes and glanced up. "Stop. We need to stop. Dumbledore is waiting for us." He sounded more rational then he felt. He prided himself on his self control, and felt relieved that he was gaining his control once again.
Something flashed briefly through her chocolate eyes but it was gone before Severus could identify it. She pulled away from him to tighten the belt on the robe he lent to her. A sly smile curved her lips as she glanced towards the open doorway, and consequently towards one Albus Dumbledore.
"Do you think he knows what we were just doing?"
Severus rubbed his temples. He felt a headache forming, and he knew it would only become bigger as the day proceeded. This girl was going to be the death of him. He could fell it through the marrow of his bones.
Hermione quietly sat down next to her professor, making sure there was the appropriate amount of space between them. She kept her hands folded in her lap and her head held high. She wasn't going to be ashamed of what had occurred. Professor Snape and herself had never planned for anything like this to happen, and had in fact, tried to prevent it from happening again. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her professor's posture. His head was bowed allowing a dark curtain of hair to obscure his face. His hands were fisted at his sides adding to his defeated look. He reminded her of a child who lost his best friend. She had to restrain herself from reaching out and trying to comfort the man. It wouldn't look appropriate. It would not help their cause to be seen offering comfort to each other.
Dumbledore studied his students. There was no twinkle in his eyes as he observed them. His Potions professor looked resign to any fate he was about to hand to him. Hermione Granger looked more confident and composed then Severus. It was to her that he addressed his questions. Miss Granger would be able to give him the a logical reason for their digression. He knew Severus. The wizard was pone to give answers with the most damaging character assassinations and little hope of redeeming the situation. Hermione was neutral in her answers, allowing one to see the possibilities and allow hope to fester for good or bad. Hopefully the answer was something he could overlook their budding relationship.
"Miss Granger, could you please tell me why you're in Professor Snape's private quarters?"
Hermione took a deep breath. "It started two days ago, the morning after the seventh year's party. I woke to find myself in Professor Snape's bed. I couldn't remember how I got there."
"Severus?" he asked in hope the wizard was better able to explain.
Severus didn't move.
Hermione never realized that her hand left her lap to cover the professor's hand. Dumbledore noticed. He couldn't find it in his heart to feel disapproval. Severus Snape needed someone to care for him, to bring him back from the darkness covering his soul. He needed this more then anyone he knew. How could he punish the man if he found something special with Hermione Granger?
"Professor Snape doesn't remember how I got there either. I immediately wrote out a list to find out if we had anything in common to cause our memory lapse."
"And did you?"
"We believe the fruit punch bowl at the party was spiked with a memory altering potion. But, the potion itself, should not have been able to allow Professor Snape and myself from…having intercourse." Her hand squeezed Severus's hand. "I--we believe that the potion became altered because of two other factors we both share. Earlier that day, both of us worked with siren gills."
"Ah, siren gills," Dumbledore mumbled thoughtfully. "the gills drew the two of you together and the spiked punch allowed you to forget your actions the next morning. What was the third common factor?"
"Lemon drops, sir."
"Lemon drops?"
Hermione nodded. "I'm not saying that you meant for this to happen, but you are known for lacing candy and the such."
Dumbledore pulled at his beard as he thought deeply. Had he laced his lemon drops recently? He didn't think so. His eyes narrowed in reflection. Last year for Valentine's Day he distinctly remember soaking several pieces of candy in a lust potion for his staff. Had some of it found a way into his newest batch of sweets? It was possible and would explain this situation…two days ago, not yesterday nor today.
"If, by chance, a lust potion found a way into both of your systems, it would only explain the first night. This possible particular lust potion only last within twelve hours."
"There, within, lays the problem," Hermione said. She had to ignore her anger at his words. The headmaster was careless to allow one of his students to consume a lust potion, let alone giving one to an unwilling victim. There must have been something else between them that could alter a lust potion, a memory potion, and prolong the lure of the siren gills. She missed something in her calculations. That something needed to be found. She wasn't sure how long the effects of…this would last. Was today the last time or next week? Could this last forever? Would they still feel compel to find each other even after they parted ways?
She stood up quickly and walked to Severus's desk. She pulled out a sheet of paper and pencil and started writing out the various ingredients in the Weasley's memory potion. After completing the list, she listed the ingredients in the Merpeople's Lure and the potion she knew Professor Snape had worked with that day.
"What are you doing, my dear?" Dumbledore asked. "I can not punish either one of you even if I wanted to. It's partly my fault for putting you in this awkward position."
Hermione didn't answer him. She had hardly heard his question. Instead, she looked over her shoulder to her silent professor. "Professor Snape, did you use flarifax weed or danillion petals in your potion?"
"Flarifax weed."
"Thank you." The list of ingredients were filling the sheet of paper. She circled the ingredients each potion held in common, and then preceded to underlined the most common elements as these were less likely to interact and alter the other potions. "Professor Snape?"
Severus didn't look at her. He hadn't even heard her. He titled his head to glare at the Headmaster. Albus avoided looking at him. He was going to kill the great wizard. His many years should have made him more careful of disposing of candy dipped in a potion. Now, thanks to the carelessness and a series of unfortunate events dealing with other potions, he sullied an innocent child.
"Severus Snape!"
His head snapped up as he turned to glare at Hermione. "What do you want?"
"What could change the property of belladonna?"
He thinned his lips as he slowly answered her. "As you very well know, Miss Granger, poppy seeds, unicorn blood, the hair off of a dragon's toe, dark chocolate in large quantities, and mint.
"And what could cancel the time restraints in most potions?"
He narrowed his eyes. He hated answering questions where the inquirer already knew the correct answer. "Ash and mint extract are two of the more common neutralizing agents. There are at least a half dozen other obscure ingredients which would cause similar effects."
"Do you use mint toothpaste, sir?"
"Miss Granger, I don't see how that is relevant to our situation."
Hermione arched an eyebrow at his sullen tone. "If you must sulk and wallow in your anger, do so after we are gone. It does not suit you. Your toothpaste, if you must know, will tell me everything I need to know about our situation."
"I am not sulking, Miss Granger!"
"Your acting just like Ron when I force him to rewrite his essays."
"Do not compare me to that imbecile!" he nearly shouted.
Hermione gave him a look before standing up and walked away.
"Twenty points, Miss Granger, for walking away from me while I'm still talking to you."
"Very mature, Severus," Albus commented. A twinkle appeared in his eyes. He hadn't seen Severus behaved like this since he was in school. It was very refreshing that Severus could still resort to childlike behavior after all this time. He needed Hermione Granger in his life to keep it balanced. This interaction between them only reinforced that idea. The circumstances of their getting together may not have been the best way to go about it, but the Fates knew what they were doing when the events snowballed into this.
"I am not acting like a child, Albus," Severus told him.
"You are sulking, my dear boy. It seems like Miss Granger discovered the reason behind your situation; and you were too busy hating yourself to realize it."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's the mint, Professor Snape," Hermione answered, bringing out his tube of toothpaste. "I ruled it out in the beginning because wizard toothpaste doesn't use mint for the very reason that it can affect a potion in small degrees. I use muggle toothpaste which uses mint. You also use a muggle toothpaste."
Hermione watched as his eyes narrowed in thought. "The mint could altered the Weasley's potion and the lust potion. But there shouldn't be enough mint in either toothpaste that strong to change them to this degree we are dealing with."
"Very true, Professor. Unfortunately, the kitchen elves decided to use mint in one form or another in several of their dishes they served throughout that day. Our toothpaste, alone, would not have made a noticeable difference in any of the potions were consumed that night. Combined it with the meals we had and the odd combination and reactions in both of the potions with the siren gills, we are left with this mess. This could have happened to anyone."
Severus didn't like that idea. It meant he could have gotten into bed with anyone and it wouldn't have made a difference who they were. It left him feeling a slight vulnerability over the potions he had mastered and trained his body to become immune to their effects.
Dumbledore fiddled with his white beard. He wanted to reinforced the positive effects this incident had on his Potion professor. "But it didn't. It happened to the two of one. One shouldn't dismiss the Fates. There is always a purpose, a greater meaning behind random events. The Fates wanted the two of you together." He smiled. "It took a lot for them to get both of you to this point. Don't waste it as being insignificant to the scheme of life." He glanced towards Hermione, as if he could read the thoughts racing through her mind. "Was it fate that brought you to Harry Potter, and thus helped played a significant part in the downfall of Lord Vordemort? Or was it random luck that you held the distinct knowledge to help your friend? Do not dismiss what can not be seen or positively tested, Miss Granger. How does one measure love? Love is a force that cannot be seen with the naked eye, nor be tested in a lab. But, my dear, it was the driving force that protected Harry Potter for years, and then later used to defend himself and others. Do you dismiss the love because one cannot calculate it? Do not be so sure to dismiss the Fates. We have our choices and free will, but it belongs to the large scale of destination. This day could be your sign, and I would grieve to know you could be blinded by the things you cannot see."
The wizard stood up slowly. "I hope the two of you will consider the possibilities that may lay in wait for you." Those were his parting words. He left before either one could open their mouths.
The couple glanced after the old wizard. Hermione stood behind Severus, the tube of toothpaste forgotten in her hands. She shifted her eyes thoughtfully down to her professor, her lover. Dumbledore's words stroke a cord in her heart for some unknown reason. It resonated from her heart to her head, and forced herself to catch the back of the sofa to steady her weaken knees. It screamed to her not to let this moment--this man--pass her by without giving it a closer look. It wanted her to be absolutely positive that there was nothing more then a chemical reaction to the digested potions going on between herself and Professor Snape. Because if there was something there, beyond the effects of the potions, it was her duty to test and examine all of the details before arriving to a conclusion. She didn't want to look back at this moment and regret the path she chose to ignore in favor of a more simple and untested reality.
This was her reality. This was her chance make the most of whatever life chose to throw into her path. Her reality revolved around the choices she will have to make regarding the situation and this man. She could choose to ignore any connection she felt for Severus Snape, and may one day come to live with regret and possible denial the rest of her life. Or she could choose to take the harder path, and learn something more about herself and what she could be capable of doing…of feeling. She may learn that the completeness she felt in his arms were nothing more then the byproducts of a odd combination of ingredients, or she may learned that this feeling went beyond all of that and could have been felt without the ingredients interfering in their relationship--that as time went by they could have eventually come to this point on their own. Wasn't it her obligation to find out?
"Severus," she started to say.
"Miss Granger," he cut in coldly. "Do not let the words of a mad man sway you. We are not meant for each other. We do not have a duty to see this--this relationship through to its end, and I do not know why either one of us would even attempt to do so. It would not end happy for either one of us. It would make us miserable."
He saw the hope in her eyes being crush. It was better this way, he felt, to end it abruptly and prematurely. These last couple of days would be the start and the end of their romantic relationship.
"I would suggest you go back to your room and start packing. The train will arrive early tomorrow morning and I'm sure you would want to say goodbye to all of your friends," he practically sneered at her.
He watched as she froze in her spot. It seemed like eternity of staring into her eyes and demanding her to leave him, but it was only seconds before a coldness replaced the shock hurt evident in her eyes. She stormed passed him, a cloud of chocolate curls floating behind her. He would have sworn he saw sparks of lightening sprouting out of that cloud. She reached his door before she stopped.
"Severus Snape," she started but couldn't finish. She clinched her fist and stomped her right foot. She let out a strangled scream/growl. She twirl around and left without vocalizing her thoughts.
Severus gave a small flinch as she slammed the door behind her. But it wasn't the sound of the door that caused the flinch. No, it was all the glass jars and other assorted glass items he had placed around the room that caused it. There was nothing left in the room that hadn't shattered or exploded on her exit. Several slivers found their way towards him and sliced into his exposed skin. He glanced around the destroyed room and gave a small bark of laughter. Hermione Granger had a fiery temper he hadn't expected to ever see. If she could cause this kind of damage unintentional, he hated to see what she would do premeditated.
Hermione Granger paused outside of the professor's door. She leaned against the door and brought the collar of the robe to her face. His special scent lingered on the fabric. She inhaled deeply as the tears started to flow down her face.
She was an idiot for even once considering beginning a relationship with Severus Snape. It would never have worked. She was a naïve fool to think anything different.
"You're wrong, my dear."
She gasped as she glanced up. The headmaster was standing in front of her. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.
"Severus never did know a good thing when it hit him in the face. He's a very stubborn man, and very set in his ways. You have to be persistent with him if you ever want to get anywhere with the man. He's built walls around his heart, and he needs you to break them down." His hand traveled down her arm and pulled her away from the door. He tugged her down the hallway alongside of him. "Don't give up without a fight. I assure you, true love is well worth the fight." He smiled down at her. "And I know the best way for you do it."
She frowned. "Today is officially the last day of school. I don't think I could convince him of anything in that short amount of time."
He winked down at her. "Although I've offer you an apprenticeship with Professor McGonagall, I may have found a better place for you." Hermione frown in confusion. "How would you like to join my staff and become the newest professor of Muggle Studies? Professor Barrymore will be leaving us this summer to travel around the world. It would be an honor to have you replace her."
"But what about the apprenticeship?"
"I'm sure we could work out a schedule for you to teach and apprentice underneath one of our available professor here at Hogwarts, or maybe even work with one outside of the school if that is your wish."
Hermione let out an uncharacteristic squeak as she flung herself into the older wizard's arms. "I don't know what to say, Professor."
"Say yes. Think about it. And write me during the summer so we can plan your future here at Hogwarts."
It went against her nature to agree without considering all of the options available to her, but her heart spoke before her brain could process the idea. "Yes."
"Wonderful!" Dumbledore exclaim. "Just wonderful!"
She gave one last glanced behind her to the door that was now several yards away from her. She'll have the whole summer to outline her plans for Severus Snape. She wasn't going to allow the wizard to ignore this thing between them. They needed to see this development through for better or for worst. She had to know where this thing, their connection, would lead them. She smiled as she turned back around and stared in front of her. She could see the future in front of her, and she wanted to grab it with both hands and shake it for what it is worth.
Severus Snape better watched out. He wasn't going to know what hit him. She laughed in joy. She'll allow him the summer to think about what he might have loss when he kicked her out of his rooms--allow him the chance to regret it. And then she'll use the new school year to show him what he could still have.
AN: Thank you all for waiting this long for an update. I seriously thought I would have been able to update alot sooner then this. I lost my notebook with my notes for the story (and still haven't found it yet) and had to remember everything I wanted to do to end this. I've changed the orignal ending as I had wanted to have them saying goodbye at the train station, but I kind of like this new ending. It really helps to introduce the sequel I have in the works. And no, I don't know when I'll start posting that. I may or may not post the sequel as more chapters to this story or as a new story. Time will tell. And I will not abandon the sequel, as I have great plans for where I want this story to go.