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The Sound of the Sun Rising

by dryade

A.N.: This topic has been so often discussed that it urged me to write about it.
I hope you'll
like it. I was rather intrigued when Melete, Mneme and Aoede came to me at night
,
whispering this plotline into my ears. *grin*
The story takes place during Hermione's seventh year at Hogwarts.
Warnings: This will have a few 'dark themes' in it. Be warned! It will definitel
y be R-rated
later-on, for language as well as content. If sexual tension offends you, you de
finitely picked
the wrong story to read. Do go no further! Get into your white cotton night gown
, close the
windows and pull the blankets over your head.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to my beta, Leigh, who helped me revise and improve
this
story for your enjoyment as well as mine.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter-y things belong to JKR. I'm just having a little fu
n here. Hope
you don't mind. I'm not making any profit with this. Check my bank account if yo
u don't
believe me.

Chapter 1 The Girl with the Basket

Hermione went down the spiral staircase that led from the gardens to the dungeon
s, the basket
bumping into her side with every feathery step. The air was cooling down and she
wished she
had remembered to bring her robe. Her shoes left no sound on the heavy stones th
at covered
the ground. She had gained a grace in the last years that no one had thought pos
sible who had
come to know her in her first year, when she was but a bushy-haired, frail girl.

Her steps grew smaller as she came closer to the Potions Classroom. All of a sud
den she was
not so sure anymore that this was a good idea. After all, he did not react nicel
y if disturbed.
'As if he acts nicely any other time,' Hermione snorted silently.
She readjusted the basket at her side and raised a hand to knock at the door. Th
e sound was
heavy and dark and carried wide in the empty hallway.
"ENTER!"
'Wonderful mood," she sighed and opened the door. She knew better than to keep h
im
waiting, as much as she now wanted to postpone her entering.
With quick steps she entered the Potions Classroom and closed the door behind he
rself before
advancing to stand in front of the desk. He sat behind it, buried in stacks of p
archment. His
quill with the red ink had stopped scratching the paper when he looked up to see
her enter.
"Good evening, Professor Snape." Hermione was proud of herself. She managed a sm
ile that
felt sincere.
He regarded her for an excruciating moment, obviously searching his mind for a r
eason for
her to be here. His hand absentmindedly rubbed his arm through the thick materia
l of his
robes. Finally, he spoke. "I cannot remember giving you detention, Miss Granger.
"
"You didn't, Sir."
"Then why are you here? Surely not to enjoy my sparkling humour and cheering per
sonality."
The snide distaste in his voice almost made Hermione bolt right out the door aga
in. She drew
a deep breath. "No, sir, I came for this." With that she placed the basket on hi
s desk, on top of
some of the essays he still had to grade. The parchment rustled.
He stared at the basket, not knowing what to make of it. "What is this, Miss Gra
nger?"
She bit back a sigh, knowing it would only make him take house points from her,
and pulled
back the cloth she had put on the herbs for cover. The fresh scent of lavender r
ose from it.
"Lavender, sir."

His arm still massaged his arm, where the burning he had felt for an hour now ha
d turned into
an insistent sting. His eyes left the basket and went up to hers, glaring. "I co
uld smell it since
you entered, you stupid girl," he snapped at her, angry that she had felt the ne
ed to state the
obvious. "What is it doing here?"
"I noticed you were running low on lavender when we were brewing the Ghoul Banni
ng
Potion last week. I know lavender is most powerful when picked at the night of t
he full moon,
when its blossoms are closed and not yet wet by the night dew. Tonight is the fu
ll moon. I
took the liberty of preparing some bundles for your stores "
"WHAT ever made you think I need the help of an annoying know-it-all to keep up
my
stores?" he snapped maliciously. "Ten points from Gryffindor for your disrespect
ful
assumptions, you stupid girl. And now you better get out of my classroom. I have
more
important things to do than listen to your cheek."
Hermione gasped for air. She had not expected to get a Thank You from him but sh
e had not
anticipated this outright rudeness.
"Well, are you going to gap like a codfish all night or will you finally leave?"
His voice was
pure venom.
"Yes, sir," she said, backing down until her back came into contact with the lar
ge wooden
door. With her right hand she fumbled to open it. "Good night, sir." And with th
ose words,
she closed the door behind herself.

to be continued

This is just a little prelude. Just to set the mood of the story. I hope you lik
e it so far. Please let
me know.

Chapter 2 The Dark One Returns

Hermione watched the stars above her twinkle. She was not so sure if they did, a
t the moment,
or if it was her tears that made those lights above her appear to flicker. Angri
ly she tried to
swallow the lump in her throat and force the tears back into her eyes. 'He is no
t worth crying
over,' she reminded herself and wiped her cheeks.
As if to offer comfort a strong branch moved up her arm and circled her shoulder
.
Hermione smiled through her tearstained face and began caressing the rough bark
of the
Whomping Willow. After Ron and Harry had flown a car into the tree in their seco
nd year
Hermione had helped Professor Sprout tend to it. The injuries had been severe an
d Hermione
could understand why the tree had defended itself so vigorously.
While treating the wounds, applying Healing Patches to them, Hermione had learne
d from the
Head of Hufflepuff the secret way to communicate with the ancient tree. Vibratio
ns were
doing the magic. The tree was quite a sensual being, able to feel footsteps of e
very single
person on the Hogwarts grounds.
Hermione had quickly learned the dance that asked the tree to allow her near so
she could take
over the care for the Whomping Willow and leave Professor Sprout to the more urg
ent
matters of caring for the much needed Mandrakes. In her second year her attempts
at dancing
had been wooden and stiff though Professor Sprout's movements had been a lot wor
se but
over the years Hermione had developed a grace that made the Whomping Willow gree
t her
enthusiastically as soon as she came near, and wrap her branches around her, lif
ting the thin
girl to the trees crown where she could overlook the grounds.

Hermione relished the solitude her refuge offered and regarded the Whomping Will
ow
gratefully with bark-rubs. No one dared to come near the ancient tree that was k
nown for its
vicious temper and so Hermione had found herself in its comforting embrace whene
ver she
was in need of quiet.
And tonight she had been in dire need for it, she remembered, still seeing Snape
's angry face
in front of her.
'What in the name of Merlin is wrong with that man,' she wondered for the umptee
nth time.
She had only been trying to be nice. There was no need for him to jump down her
throat like
he did.
Hermione did not know why she let his behaviour irksome as it may be bother her
so
much. He was the only teacher who did not acknowledge her skills. It upset her t
o know that
he would never give her the recognition for her work she knew she deserved.
She had hoped being nice to him would soften him towards her. After six and some
years of
sitting in his class she should have known better.
Hermione sighed and closed her eyes when the stars begun to sparkle brightly onc
e again. She
cuddled against the bark of the willow, which was surprisingly warm.
When she opened her eyes again the stars did not sparkle any more. Their brightn
ess had
faded against the sky that was now the colour of washed-out grey.
With a jerk, Hermione sat up. Her hair followed her sudden movement, clinging to
her face,
wet from the morning dew.
She had fallen asleep in the tree!
Brushing her hair out of her face, she tucked it into her robe. Hermione did not
want to fall off
the tree because her abundance of curls would not allow her to watch her steps.
Slowly,
cautiously, she began the descent down the large branches of the Whomping Willow
, holding
on to the bark that was slippery due to the dew.
A sudden 'Pop' made her turn around instinctively and Hermione slid. She fell do
wn the tree,
her hands futilely searching for hold. Just before she hit the ground one of the
slender
branches wrapped around her midsection and set her down gently.
She panted. "Thank you," she told the tree and looked around to see what had sca
red her.

At first she could not see anything. The ground was covered in mist and Hermione
chose her
steps carefully so she would not trip over an out-grown root or a discarded broo
mstick. It was
still dark, though the horizon showed signs of morning already.
When she was almost ready to give up looking for the source of the sound she saw
it. A body
lying on the ground. She knew who it was.
"Professor Snape!" Hermione cried, rushing to his side, not caring about the mud
dy ground
that splashed to her robe. She was on her knees in an instant, watching his face
anxiously.
"Professor Snape?" She took his hand, searching for a pulse at the tender place
at his wrist.
She couldn't find it. Her fingers went to his neck in a hurry but she could not
find the spot she
was looking for. His face, his neck, the top of his robes everything covered in
blood.
She took the sleeve of her robe and tried to clean it away but fresh blood kept
flowing over
her hands. Hermione raised her wand and placed two spells, one to stop the blood
flow and
one to close up the wound she could not see yet. His face was even paler than us
ual, thin,
almost like parchment.
Then his body jerked and he opened his eyes in a pained, delirious expression.
Hermione froze, watching him stare in the sky with eyes wide open. She did not d
are move.
Severus Snape drew a deep breath. It sounded rugged and raspy. As if he was not
used to
breathing anymore.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione inquired, her voice wavering. She let her hands wand
er over his
body, but she still could not see any other wounds and was unsure if the one she
had just
closed up was the only one or if there were others. "Professor Snape, can you he
ar me?"
Only then did her voice register in his mind and he tore his eyes from the sky a
nd found hers.
"Sir, where are you hurting?" She pushed up the sleeves of his robe, checking hi
s arms for
defence wounds. But there were none. All she could see was the Dark Mark that wa
s already
growing lighter.
The memory of the previous night flashed into her mind. He had grabbed his arm.
Of course!
How could she not have noticed?

"I cannot help you if you do not tell me what to do, sir. Talk to me," Hermione
urged him
again. She looked at him and his eyes, dark and deep and so intense it made her
shiver, bored
into her.
"The dungeons " Severus eyes went back to the sky, fixed on the line at the horiz
on which
was becoming brighter by the second. He cleared his throat, tried again. "Take m
e to the
dungeons!"
"I don't want to move you without treating your injuries first, sir," she tried
to reason, but he
pushed himself up already, his arms shaking with the effort.
"Inside, Miss Granger," he growled and glared at her, daring her to talk back to
him.
She nodded, slowly getting on her feet.
He struggled to get up, but his legs failed him. No time for pride, he extended
his hand. "Help
me up, you stupid girl, I don't have all day!"
Hermione hurried to pull him up and placed his arm across her shoulder so she co
uld support
him. The other one was put around his waist so she could direct his steps. Slowl
y, unsteadily
they started towards the castle.
She could see the twilight bathing the castle in a soft glow and when the man at
her side lifted
his head and noticed, he trembled.
"Hurry up!" He urged her on, stumbling forward, leaning even stronger on the gir
l at his side.
They reached the castle and entered through a hidden door near the ground into t
he Dungeons.
Darkness and musty air enveloped them immediately and Severus pushed the door sh
ut with
vehemence just as the first rays of sunshine broke through the clouds.

to be continued

Chapter 3 Of Haunting Cries and Blood

They staggered along the dark, winding passage deeper into the Dungeon, bumping
into the
walls more often than not. Hermione tried to support the man at her side while m
oving them
forward bit by bit. Sweat was forming on her forehead, just below the hairline.
She had never
realized just how tall he was. His hair was falling into her eyes whenever they
swirled to the
right, her shoulder bumping into the stonewall ungracefully.
Finally she could see the large wooden door that led to his classroom. She stirr
ed them to the
left and placed her hand on the door knob, starting to open it.
Severus lurched himself against the door and, with a death glare at Hermione, sh
ut it with a
loud thud before the light could fill the hallway.
"Obscuriate," he hissed and waved his wand with an angry, shaking swerve. The li
ght that
was seeping into the passage from under the door immediately vanished.
Hermione looked up at him and he pushed himself from the door again. At that mom
ent
Severus Snape stumbled and she needed both hands to hold him up. She moaned unde
r his
grasp, when he straightened up again, putting more of his weight onto her.
"What are you gaping at, you stupid girl?" Professor Snape gestured at the handl
e. "Open the
door!"
Hermione did as she was told, rolling her eyes as soon as she had averted her fa
ce from him.
She dragged him into the classroom. It was dark, the windows were hung with thic
k, black
drapes, and she was having difficulty finding her way. Hermione manoeuvred them
to the
nearest table and leaned the Potions Master against it.
He was breathing heavily.

For what seemed like eternity his breathing was the only sound in the darkness.
Hermione did
not dare to move.
"Make yourself useful and get me some Pepper Up Potion," Severus spat and groane
d, as he
felt the muscles in his chest clench, making breathing difficult.
Hermione started forward, carefully. She tripped over the step that led to his d
esk but found
the edge of it to hold on to before falling. "Can I make some light, sir?" she i
nquired
cautiously.
"As long as you keep the drapes shut."
"Lumos!" Hermione flicked her wand and torches lit up on both side of the classr
oom,
banning the darkness with their soft orange flicker. She could see now and immed
iately found
the Pepper Up Potion on the shelf at the front of the room.
Severus snatched the vial out of her hand when she came back to him and downed t
he Potion
in one gulp. His mouth turned into a disgusted grimace at the taste of it, but t
he relief was
immediate. He could feel breathing becoming easier.
Only then could Hermione see the abundance of blood that caked at his neck and c
hin. Even
his teeth were blood-stained.
Severus slammed the vial on the table next to him and stood up. The sway in his
strides was
gone and he found his way to the storage room easily. With the grace of experien
ced
movements he scoured the shelves, taking out ingredients and loading his arms.
Hermione still stood at his desk, staring at him with apprehension. His back was
turned to her,
his arms frantically searching the shelves. What was going on here?
She looked down at his desk and saw that the basket with lavender was still sitt
ing on a stack
of parchments. He had obviously left in a hurry. She had never known him to leav
e things
lying around like that.
And then he came back out into the classroom, unloading his arms onto a work are
a in the
first row of tables. He summoned a cauldron and started a fire with a few swift
snaps and a
raspy word. The water inside started to bubble almost immediately. Then he took
out a knife,
scalpel-like almost, and started slicing a root that Hermione recognized as Kava
.
She bent closer to see what else he had brought. Her robe rustled.
Professor Snape whirled around and stared at her, as if he had only just remembe
red her
presence. "What are you still doing here?"
Hermione's mouth opened, but she shut it again vehemently.
"Well, get out, then!" he hissed and turned around to face his potion again. Her
presence was
unbearable. She stepped closer and Severus jerked. The breeze that carried her s
cent to him
left him yearning with an unspeakable desire.
"Sir, are you alright? I would like to look at your wounds "
"I told you to get out, you stupid girl!" he growled. She was next to him now, n
ot quite
touching but almost. Her scent was so overpowering not even the fresh lavender w
as able to
override it.
"Sir, I "
With a sudden step he was in front of her, shoving her backwards through the roo
m until her
back was pressed into a cold wall. He placed his hands on either side of her hea
d, caging her
beneath his body. He moved his head sideways, sniffing.
Hermione trembled.
The light of the torch above their heads reflected in his eyes. An unearthly fir
e flickered in his
dark eyes as he gazed at her, unabashedly.
"Sir, let me go, please," she whispered. Hermione did not understand what was ha
ppening.
But she knew she did not like it.
Again, he sniffed. "I can smell your pussy!" he said in that raspy voice of his;
low, growling. His eyes barely flickered in recognition when they met hers.
Hermione wanted nothing more than to slap him, but when her hand was about to hi
t his face
his came up, stopping hers in mid-air.
"Ts ts ts," he purred reprimanding. "Can't have that, now can we?" His head lowe
red until
their eyes were on the same level. His voice was sand on her skin, crawling over
every inch,
into every crevice. And with this voice came his hand, sliding beneath her robes
, between her
legs. She bucked against him, trying to push him off, but his hand cupped her ha
rshly;
groping, stroking.
"Tell me," he purred again, his lips gracing her hair now, "how long have you be
en
bleeding?"
Hermione blushed furiously. He could smell her menses? What was going on here? S
he
struggled against the death grip of his hand on her wrist, pressed her legs clos
er together and
bucked again. To no avail. "Let go of me," she whimpered, but he pressed her har
der into the
wall, his body flushed against hers.
His head lowered even further.
She could feel his breath on her ear, then her neck.
A sudden gush of air moved one of the drapes. Not enough to open it, but enough
to startle
Severus Snape out of his haze. The air that carried to him was full of lavender.

When his head snapped up and Hermione could see his eyes, she saw that the unear
thly gleam
had vanished. She was starring into pools of black that seemed to plead to her.
"Leave," he hissed, averting his gaze, digging his fingers into the stone above
her. "Leave
now! Before it is too late!"

Hermione slid out from under his arms; trembling. She went to the door, her back
pressed to
the wall as she made her way towards it, and pushed it open. She threw a last gl
ance at the
dark man, who was desperately holding on to the last bit of self control, then s
he pulled the
heavy door shut behind herself.
Professor Snape's head snapped up when he heard the thud of the closing door. Sh
e was gone.
But her scent still lingered.
When he drew his forehead back from the wall he could see it. Blood, a few drops
only,
where just moments ago her head had been.
With a deep, frustrated growl that shook his whole body he fought the urge to ru
n his tongue
across the stone, to taste her essence, to feel the sting of her copper in his t
hroat and the heat
that would follow.

He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. Then he took an empty vial from t
he table and
with his scalpel scraped the precious residue into it with trembling hands.

to be continued

Chapter 4 What Evil Lurks


Hermione rolled onto her back with a moan. Her head protested with a scream that
was
intense as lightning behind her eyelids.
The insistent banging on her door simply would not stop.
"What is it?" she yelled to the door, covering her eyes with her hands. The sunl
ight that
seeped through the open window was just too bright.
"It's me, Harry. You decent?"
She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'sod off' but Harry opened
the door
anyway and let himself in.
"You okay, 'Mione?" he asked concerned, when he saw she was still in bed. Normal
ly she
was the first one up in the mornings. It wasn't like her to be sleeping in on a
wonderful
Sunday like this, that simply beckoned her to spend some time in the library.
She groaned. "I'm fine, Harry. Just tired. I feel like I only just came back fro
m my rounds."
Harry sat down on the mattress next to her. It creaked under the weight of his b
ody. An
amused smile spread across his face. "Only you would spent a Saturday night maki
ng rounds,
'Mione."
"Well, not everyone wants to spend the weekends sleeping around," she retorted s
omewhat
annoyed. Did he come here and wake her just to make fun of her non-existent priv
ate life?
Her head protested at the sound of her own voice.
Harry made a face. "You could at least go out on a date every once in a while,"
he offered.
"Wouldn't hurt you."
"I will, if I find a man who knows how to talk about something else than Quiddit
ch and sex,"
Hermione reply heatedly and immediately regretted the harsh words, when she felt
her head
split open in pain.
"'Mione, you okay?" Harry asked concerned, and bent over her. He pulled back the
blanket
and stared at the dark bruise that was forming on her right shoulder. "What the
hell happened
to you?"
Hermione looked at what he was starring at. She had not realized she had bumped
into the
wall quite so hard. The shock must have overridden most of the pain. "Oh, it's n
othing. I fell,
when I was making rounds yesterday. Peeves, you know " she explained offhandedly,
glad
her hair hid her face so Harry could not see her blush.
"That looks bad," he stated concerned and helped her to sit up. "Here, let me ge
t that." Harry
said a spell and touched his wand to her skin and immediately the bruise turned
from purple to
green, faded to a dull yellow and then back into her skin.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Thanks for teaching me. Those healing spells do come in handy
. I'd be a
permanent resident at the Hospital Wing, if it weren't for them," Harry explaine
d sheepishly.
His tendency to get into trouble resulted in minor injuries more often than not.

Hemione's hand went to the back of her head where she felt something sticky.
Harry took a look at it. "My, you fell hard, 'Mione. You sure, you felling alrig
ht?"
"I'm fine, Harry, really. Just heal it, please."

Harry once again touched her wand to Hermione's skin and the gap that was hidden
beneath
the abundance of curls closed up. The bump itself, however, was still hard and p
ulsating. The
minor spells she had shown him could not make it disappear.
"Thank you, Harry."
"Someone should really do something about that damn Poltergeist," he complained
grumpily.
"Scaring you like that."
Hermione shrugged noncommittally.
"Sure you don't want any breakfast?"
"I'll pass."
"You should take a Headache Potion," Harry advised when he got off her bed. "You
look like
hell."

"I will," Hermione promised and laughed dryly. She wondered how that boy managed
to get a
girl-friend. It definitely wasn't his skill with words, that much was sure. Grat
eful to see him
leaving Hermione sank back down onto her pillow. "As soon as I get up, I'll ask
Madame
Pomfrey. Now would you please go to breakfast so I can get some more sleep?"
"Of course. Sweet dreams," he said and gently shut the door behind him.

***
When Hermione woke up, her head was still hurting. She sat up and blinked agains
t the light.
The sun shone into her window now, telling her it was past noon and that she sho
uld hurry to
get something to eat. But at the thought of food her stomach turned.
She stood up and felt the bump at the back of her head. It had grown even bigger
if that was
possible at all.
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. She saw her Potions Professor in front of h
er again. He
was coming closer at an alarming rate, a black shadow floating towards her. Unst
oppable.
And then he was shoving her into the wall aggressively. She could smell him. Her
bs and salt
and something else that was so uniquely him. The scent was stronger than ever, w
hen he was
pressing himself into her.
With a frustrated cry, Hermione jumped up and headed for the shower. Hot water w
as exactly,
what she needed now. Scalding hot water to wash off his touch.

***

With cheeks still flushed and rosy she made her way to the Hospital Wing. Her sk
in was still
tingling from over exposure to heat.
"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" Madam Pomfrey asked, as soon as she spott
ed
Hermione. She bustled through the room towards her, with those huge robes of her
s wiping
across the floor.
"Could you take a look at my head, Madam Pomfrey. I hit it."
Madam Pomfrey sorted through the mass of brown hair, using her wand to keep it o
ut of the
way. "Wow, that's a huge bump you got there."
Hermione flinched, when the MediWitch probed the bulge with her stubby fingers.
"Could
you be a little more careful, please. My head hurts like hell!"
Madam Pomfrey nodded compassionately. "Yes, yes. I'd imagine it would. I'd give
you a
Headache Potion, but I'm afraid I've run out of it "
The door opened. A deep voice spoke. "Obscuriate!"
The drapes closed in front of the windows with the rustling of cloth against gla
ss. The room
went dark.
Footsteps from the door. "Lumos."
The torches on the walls lit up and revealed a very ill-tempered looking Profess
or Snape.
"Ah, Severus, just who I was waiting for," Madam Pomfrey chimed happily, as she
saw the
box in his hand. She snatched it out of his grasp, before he could as much as sc
owl at her, and
fished a vial with a green liquid out of it.
"As much as I enjoy being your personal apothecary, Poppy, I am afraid I have ot
her
obligations as well," Professor Snape remarked with a voice dripping of sarcasm.

Madam Pomfrey shoot him a disapproving look. "There is need to use that tone wit
h me,
Severus. I do have students to tend to and need my supplies, as you well know."
Only then did Professor look at Hermione. She was sure he had known she was ther
e, but
until then he had not acknowledged her presence. Even now all he did was raise a
n eyebrow
at her.
"I'm glad you brought enough Headache Potion, Severus. It seems Miss Granger had
a bad
fall last night. Her head looks horrible," Madam Pomfrey continued chatting, not
noticing his
death glare in Hermiones direction.
But Hermione did.
"Here you go, girl, drink this," she instructed Hermione.
Hermione sipped at the potion, averting her eyes from his dark glare. She made a
face, and
drank the rest of it, trying to ignore the taste.
"Now hold still, girl, I'll get rid of that nasty bump," Madam Pomfrey instructe
d her and
Hermione lowered her head so the MediWitch had better access to the injured area
.

"Now tell me, Severus, what is this all about?" Madam Pomfrey addressed her coll
eague
again, as she busied herself with Hermione's head. She gestured at the curtains,
that allowed
no light to seep through. "Have you run out of Sobber Up Potion?"
Hermione could hear a low growl.
But when she looked up the Potions Master was gone.
"My, what a great mood he is in again," Madam Pomfrey sighed, shaking her head.
"Looked
like he hadn't slept at all. Really should take better care of himself, that man
."
Hermione hid a frown when she got up and thanked the MediWitch for her help. Her
head felt
a lot better already and no dizzy spells hit her, while she walked the hallways.
She made her
way to the library, treading silently, listening for footsteps. She did not care
for another run-in
with Snape right now.
The hallways were blissfully empty and the library deserted. Not that Hermione h
ad expected
anything else. It was Sunday after all, one of the last warm ones before the rai
n season would
start and bathe everything in mud. Most of the students were outside enjoying th
e weather,
leaving their homework to the very last minute. She shook her head at that.
Hermione headed to the Restricted Section. She did not know what she was looking
for. As
hours passed books started to pile on her table. She had looked at at least a do
zen different
volumes when she finally found something promising in the Dark Magickal Creature
s section.
'Nosufur-Atu.'
Steps came closer and Hermione quickly slammed the book shut.
"Hermione, dear," said a smiling Madam Pince. "I'll close the library now."
Hermione looked at her surprised. "Oh! Is it that late already?"
Madam Pince chuckled. "Yes, dear, it's dinner time. Got lost in the books again,
did you?"
Hermione smiled apologetically.
"You can stay here, dear. Just don't check anything out."
"Oh, I wont, Madam Pince," Hermione promised. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." With that Madam Pince turned and disappeared behind the shelve
s again.
Hermione waited until she could hear her steps recede and the door slam shut. Th
en she drew
the book closer and opened it again.

'Nosufur-Atu,' she read.


A shiver went down her spine and she reprimanded herself for her childishness. S
he belonged
to the Magical World for almost seven years now. She had seen things no one woul
d believe
possible; people who could turn themselves into animals, chess pieces that could
walk, trees
that like dancing, horses that could fly well, the last one she had not really s
een. She had
gotten used to the impossible becoming reality. And yet she was scared of a tale
that
frightened Muggle children at night.
'The Nosufur-Atu, also known as Obyri or Vampire, is a creature of the night, bo
rn out of
blood. The craving for this essence reigns his existence, making him one of the
most feared of
dark creatures.
'Now this is something new,' she thought annoyed and flipped through the pages.
'A vampire is dependent on a regular infusion of blood, else his immune system w
ill break
down and his powers for self-restoration will vanish. A vampire who is without b
lood for a
night becomes weak. If he goes without blood for nights days he will die.'
'He will die?' Hermione's mind screamed. 'He cannot die!' She calculated. He had
been
changed on the night from Saturday to Sunday. Obviously he had drank blood then.
But what
about last night?
Quickly she leaved through the book. She had to find something. She did not want
him to kill
any of the students or anyone else for that matter but she did not want him to di
e either.
'The blood of animals is not a suitable substitute for the vampire. If anything
it will increase
the withering of his body.
The only exception is the blood of a unicorn. It's magical powers can keep him a
live until he
can find a human victim again. Unicorn blood, however, comes with a high price.'

Hermione's eyes grew bigger. 'Half a life,' she remembered. 'A cursed life.' Her
eyes begun
to water. Whatever he may have done, however unbearable he may be, this he did n
ot
deserve.
Hermione cursed and leaved through the book even faster, scanning the content qu
ickly. She
wanted to find a way to help him. There was not much information on it, however.
The book
primarily told the reader to avoid them at large.
Really helpful!
At the end of the article she found a cross-reference that got her attention. 'A
Guide Through
Darkness.' It was a book from the section about Dark Magic.
Hermione eyed the far corner of the Restricted Section suspiciously, as if waiti
ng for some
evil creature to jump out of the shadows. With an offhanded laugh, that was not
at all amused,
she got up and begun to search for the volume. It wasn't long before she found w
hat she was
looking for.
Her eyes went wide. There was the recipe for a potion. The Anatithenai.
Hermione was puzzled by the Greek word. Most names were in Latin. But thinking a
bout it, it
made perfect sense. The Greek culture was a lot older than the Roman one. The Gr
eeks must
have made contact with the Nosufur-Atu a lot earlier, thus having the need to co
me up with
means of protection.
'The Anatithenai Potion keeps the vampire alive on a minimum dosage of blood and
restrains
the thirst to a controllable desire.'
'That looks promising,' Hermione noticed. She remembered the fire in his eyes wh
en he had
smelled her. The hair on her arms raised, when she realized the danger she had b
een in. If his
thirst could be controlled than the threat to the school was not as big as she f
eared.
She looked over the ingredients. Lavender was the main component.
Her head shot up. "Of course!" she realized. The basket of lavender she had brou
ght him had
still been on his desk. Its scent had been everywhere. That was the reason she h
ad been able to
escape. The only reason she was not
Hermione read on. 'Kava.' She remembered that she saw him chopping the root into
small
pieces.
Professor Snape knew about this potion!
Hermione looked over the other ingredients. There were two dozens of them. Timin
g was
especially important for the Anatithenai Potion; it took three hours to brew and
another
twenty to rest before it was ready for administration.
She took hurried notes on a small sheet of parchment, the scratching of her quil
l the only
sound in the deserted library. Most of the herbs were easy to come by. She had s
een them in
his stores. It was the last component that puzzled her.
Three drops of freely given blood.

to be continued

Chapter 5 Drop for Drop

"My are you hungry! This is your third helping, 'Mione!" exclaimed Ron surprised
and put
another strip of bacon into his mouth.
Hermione continued to load pancakes onto her plate, drowning everything in syrup
. She
refilled her cup with steaming tea. "I forgot to eat yesterday," she sighed and
cut a piece out
of the pile of pancakes. The maple syrup dripped onto her plate, when she lifted
the fork to
her mouth. "Hand me the sugar candy please, Ron."
"How can you forget to eat?" asked Ron incredulously, still chewing and passed h
er the bowl
with sugar candy.
Hermione added two cubes to her black tea, listening to the comforting sound it
made when it
cracked in the hot liquid.
Harry laughed. "She probably spent the whole day in the library, mate. You know
she forgets
everything when she has her nose in a book."

"Yeah," Ron agreed and rolled his eyes. "Well, you should have come to Hogsmeade
with us,
'Mione. Justin Finch-Fletchley was trying to impress that one girl from Hufflepu
ff." He
turned to Harry. "What's her name again? You know, the one with the huge ..."
Hermione choked.
" the huge blue eyes, yes," Harry hurried to say. "That's Hanna Abbot, Ron."
"You're right, mate." Ron turned back to Hermione, not noticing her disapproving
glare.
"Anyway, he was trying to impress the Abbot girl and he must have groped at her
or
something, I dunno, but she got up and yelled and threw hexes at him. You really
should have
seen that, 'Mione. His hands were growing huge!" Ron choked on his bacon as he l
aughed at
the picture again, spitting little pieces all across the table.
"Mr. Weasley," came a dry, disapproving voice from behind Hermione. "I suggest y
ou
improve your manners or you shall eat your meals outside from now on." And with
a twinkle
in her eyes that would have made Albus Dumbledore proud, Minerva McGonagall adde
d:
"With that boarhound of Hagrid's."
Ron's face turned red and he gulped down the remnants of his bacon. "I'm sorry,
Professor."
She nodded curtly and turned around to leave.
"Professor McGonagall," Hermione interrupted her.
The woman looked at her and raised an eyebrow, awaiting her question.
Hermione nodded to the High Table. "Do you know where Professor Dumbledore is? I
haven't seen him since Saturday."
"The Headmaster is currently in London, Miss Granger. Important business with th
e Ministry
as far as I know. Do you have a problem that requires is attention?"
Hermione hurried to shake her head. "No, Professor McGonagall. I was just wonder
ing. It's
nothing. Thank you." She did not know how to handle the information, she had acq
uired
yesterday. A vampire on the loose in Hogwarts was too dangerous to be kept secre
t. Even if
Professor Snape knew about the potion she had discovered last night, she did not
know if he
would put this knowledge to use. He was a difficult man to judge. And it wasn't
that he was
particularly fond of his students.
'That doesn't mean he's going to bite them," she tried to reason with herself. '
After all he
always protected Harry and he's not that fond of him either.' Her inner voice wa
s not at all
convincing, however. She shuddered, and when she closed her eyes she could almos
t feel
Snape's breath on her neck again.
"Very well," Professor McGonagall said. With a glance at the clock above the Hig
h Table she
turned to the three Gryffindors in front of her. "You should hurry up. The first
class is to start
in ten minutes." And with that, she left the Great Hall.
Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other dumbstruck. None of them had notice
d the
time. Food forgotten, they grabbed their schoolbags and hurried along the corrid
or.
"Oh no, we're so dead," Ron panted.
He was right.
"Do you think I am here for your amusement???" Professor Snape growled when they
opened
the door. He swept through the room, robes billowing behind him, until he came t
o stand
directly in front of the three students.
They backed away from him, shoving Hermione backwards too. She bumped into the w
all.
Flashes from the last time she had stood there came to her mind. She squeezed he
r eyes shut,
almost feeling his hand sneaking down her body, his breath on her
It was his sneer that brought her back to reality.
"Do you think you can come and go as you please, Mr. Potter," he spat. "Just bec
ause you are
the local celebrity doesn't mean every one of us has to worship the ground on wh
ich you are
walking, is that clear?"
Harry nodded, and said "Yes, sir. I understand, sir" through clenched teeth.
Someone snickered. Hermione dared a glance at the class. Malfoy and his gooneys,
of course.
Snape whirled around to face Ron. "The same goes for you, Weasley."
Ron nodded feverishly.
"Fifty points from Gryffindor each, for being late," Professor Snape snapped, hi
s dark gaze
boring into Hermione when she looked up. And then it wavered for a moment and sl
id to a
place left to her head.
Hermione turned around slowly, unwilling to turn her back on the man in front of
her, but
curious to see what had diverted his attention from their recent trespass.
She froze.

Right next to her head was a spot where the colour of the stone was a lot lighte
r. She could
see scratches. Someone had scraped off something.
Immediately Hermione's hand flew to the back of her head, feeling for the place
the bump
had been.
Snape's eyes were on her still; deep and probing. They did not sway from hers wh
en he
spoke. "What are you waiting for, you dunderheads? Get into your seats and start
working!"
Hermione broke out of her haze when she felt the two boys in front of her moving
and she
quickly followed them and sat down at her place in the front row. She kept her e
yes on the
desk while she got her books out.
Professor Snape leisurely strolled back to the front of the room and swished his
wand. "We
will be continuing with the Draught of the Living Death that we started last wee
k."
Hermione flinched at this.
"You can pick up your potions from the shelf. If you have done everything correc
tly, as I
doubt most of you did, the potion should be the colour of deep purple." Severus
Snape sat
down at his desk, scanning the students. "Be careful when you add the Bezoar. If
you make a
mistake your potion will turn from draught to " He hesitated for the effect of it
. " vapour.
You may begin now."
One after the other the students got up and collected their potions from the she
lf. As they
passed Hermione she noticed that none of them had managed to get the colour righ
t.
She lingered behind until she noticed that she was the only one who had not gott
en her potion.
Quickly she got up and took the last cauldron. With satisfaction Hermione notice
d that the
liquid in her hands was a deep purple.
She threw a glance at the professor. He was yelling at Neville, paying no attent
ion to her.
Hermione went to the wall and ran her hand over the scrapes. They were fresh, st
ill wet and
gritty. Someone had made them not too long ago, removing her blood from the head
wound.
'No, not someone,' she corrected herself.
"Miss Granger, are you unable to find the way back to your seat?"
Hermione whirled around, caught. "Uhn no, sir," she stuttered, flushing. "I was
only
feeling a little dizzy."
"Get back to work, you stupid girl," he growled, his eyes daring her. He knew sh
e was lying.
Hermione hurried back to her seat and started to gather the ingredients she need
ed. She tried
not to look up. She could feel his eyes on her. It was giving her the creeps.
What had he used her blood for? He had scraped it off the wall so carefully He k
new about
the Anatithenai Potion. Maybe he had needed it to make the potion. But didn't th
e book say
'three drops of freely given blood'? She definitely had not left the blood on he
r own free will.
"'Mione, you okay?" whispered a concerned Harry.
"I'm fine, don't worry," she whispered back, looking fixedly at her potion. It w
as dark in the
classroom and she had a hard time watching the colour change to determine the co
rrect time
to add the next ingredient.
Obviously Neville had the same problem. "What is it with those torches," he mutt
ered
frustrated. "It is so dark. I cannot tell the Bezoar from the Bundimun."
"I suggest, Mr. Longbottom," Professor Snape drawled, "that you use that stubby
nose of
yours for once. Those two ingredients have a distinct taste. Even you should be
able to find
out which is which."
Neville's hand trembled nervously and took one of the dark powders in front of h
im.
Hermione kicked his leg. He had picked the Bundimun. If he added that his potion
would turn
out to be a Draught for a Very Painful Death.
Neville quickly put it back and picked up the Bezoar, adding it carefully while
stirring the
potion. The cauldron started to steam lightly, but the colour changed to a deep
crimson just
like it was supposed to. Neville breathed; relieved.
"Very lucky, Mr. Longbottom. This time," Snape drawled again and passed their de
sk to
move to the back rows. "Oh, and Miss Granger, ten points from Gryffindor for hel
ping him."
Hermione looked at him.
He raised an eyebrow.
She bit her tongue. She knew better than to retort. So she lowered her head to h
er own potion
again, absentmindedly adding the ingredients, stirring it every once in a while.
Out of the
corner of her eye she followed Severus Snape through the classroom. He looked pa
le. Paler
than usual. Until recently she had not thought this was possible.
He passed by the windows that were still covered with those dark drapes. They hu
ng down
heavily. Obviously he had placed several spells on them so they could not open.
The sight of the drapes showed her how fragile his secret was. She would not bre
athe a word
to anyone, she swore to herself. If anyone was to find out they would have his h
ead on a plate.
Vampires were not the most welcome of creatures.
She looked at him and her face calmed with sympathy. She could see the flicker i
n his eyes,
the way he tried to retain his composure. His features were harsh and forced. He
was thirsty.
Hermione knew he did not go out last night to get what he was craving like nothi
ng else. He
would look a lot better if he had. She was sure now that he had used her blood t
o brew the
Anatithenai Potion. Otherwise he would not be able to withstand his thirst.
'It must have made some improvement on his condition,' she realized when she loo
ked at
him. He could not have been without blood for a whole night. He would not even b
e able to
stand up straight if he had. But had he brought down a victim his features would
be relaxed,
his thirst satisfied. Until tonight at least.
The book had said that three drops of freely given blood could quench his cravin
g for seven
nights. Maybe forced blood did have a similar effect, only a lot weaker. Maybe o
nly one
night. That would explain his behaviour.
"You will finish your work on the Draught of the Living Death in the next lesson
. Put your
potions back on the shelf now and clean up your mess before leaving," Professor
Snape
scowled and went to sit at his desk again. He drew a roll of parchment from the
stack and
perked his quill. "I need not remind you of my standards of cleanness."
A slow murmur rose when the class was dismissed but no one dared to talk loud. H
ermione
started to clear her herbs away slowly. She had made a decision.
"Thank you, Hermione," whispered a very relieved Neville. He had made it through
the
lesson without melting another cauldron.
"Don't mention it," Hermione whispered back and went to get her potion into the
shelf. She
was taking her time, watching the other students hurry outside. They could not g
et out of the
Potions Classroom fast enough.

Soon the only ones left were Severus Snape and Hermione Granger.
She drew a deep breath and went to stand in front of his desk.
He took no notice, scratching his quill across the essay, leaving furious red re
marks. He took
is time. Only when he had finished with the parchment did he raise his head. "Wh
at do you
want?"
Hermione extended her arm. She placed an empty vial on his desk.
Severus Snape looked at it, then back up at her. He was about to make a scalding
remark
when she took out a scalpel from her robes. With a quick slice she cut her index
finger.
Hermione winced.
Mesmerized Snape watched as her skin split open. He licked his lips.
Hermione held her finger over the vial. The first drop of crimson red blood fell
into it; round
and perfect.
A second.
A third.
She pulled her finger back and touched it with her wand. The cut closed up, leav
ing nothing
but a smear of red. Hermione whipped it at the hem of her robes.
She grabbed her bag and, with a smile, left.

to be continued
Chapter 06 Of Chocolate Mousse and
Other Cravings

"Come on, 'Mione, don't be a bore!"


"I don't want to, Harry!"
"You've been ignoring us for weeks now, 'Mione. It's about time we have some fun
!"
Hermione groaned and put her head on the book she had been reading. "I really do
n't want
to."
Ron grinned at Harry, knowing they were close. Just a little more persuasion. "J
ust think
about all those chocolate desserts," he tried to lure her. "Mousse au Chocolat h
ot chocolate
with marshmallows chocolate cake "
Harry giggled.
Hermione looked up, beaten. "Alright, alright. I give up."
She was rewarded with two broad grins.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" she snapped while smiling. "Go get the Map and
the
Cloak!"
Harry and Ron hurried upstairs to the Boys' Dormitory and Hermione started to pu
t her books
into her bag, carefully rolling the rolls of parchment that held her homework an
d sliding them
into their designated spaces. She could not believe she had agreed to this but s
he had been so
busy worrying that breaking out of it sounded like a good idea. And chocolate so
unded even
better.
"There is no one in the hallways," Ron said with a glance at the Marauders Map.
"We should
be okay if we go now."
Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak above the three of them and they moved to the
portrait. The
Fat Lady opened, when she heard a muttered "Solstice" and eyed the Common Room
curiously. She could not see anyone but she opened up anyway. She had her suspic
ions as to
whom would seek to sneak out at this hour of the night.
As silent as possible Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended the stairways to the ki
tchen. Once
they almost ran into Mrs. Norris when one of the stairs changed directions sudde
nly, but they
managed to hide in an alcove and wait until she had passed. The rest of the trip
was
uneventful. The huge Fruit Bowl Portrait that guarded the kitchen opened immedia
tely and
allowed them inside.
"Harry Potter!" screamed Winky and soon enough a dozen other house elves came ru
nning
into the kitchen, watching them expectantly. "What can Winky do for Harry Potter
, sir, and
his friends?"
Harry threw his cloak on one of the tables and pulled himself a chair. "I'd go f
or an omelette,
Winky. With mushrooms and tomatoes and hash. Can you do that?"
Winky nodded happily. "Yes, Harry Potter. Yes, Winky do this." And she hurried o
ff towards
the oven.
The other elves came closer, asking Ron and Hermione what they would like. And s
oon
enough the three students sat at the table and enjoyed a huge midnight snack. Ha
rry had his
omelette, Ron a huge hamburger his favourite Muggle meal since he had spent a we
ek at the
Dursleys with Harry and Hermione had a huge bowl of Mousse au Chocolat.
"So," started Ron, tomato and mayonnaise all over his face, "you think we'll bea
t Hufflepuff
at the Quidditch game on Friday?"
Hermione groaned. "Oh no! We're not talking about Quidditch now, guys. I have to
listen to
your ramblings all the time. Not tonight, please."
"No Quidditch?" asked Ron incredulously?
Harry grinned. "What about sex?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at him when he referred to the statement she had made t
hree days
ago. "Definitely not!" Hermione said with emphasis.
Harry laughed. "Okay, okay. We won't!" He fished a mushroom from his pants that
had
fallen to his lap. The omelette was just perfect.
The three of them were laughing and sharing food with one another and soon Hermi
one
discarded her spoon and fed her two best friends the chocolate mousse with her f
ingers.
"What do you think, why is Dumbledore at the Ministry," asked Ron with his mouth
full. The
reprimand by Professor McGonagall had done nothing to improve his manners.
Hermione shrugged. "No idea."
Harry gulped. "Voldemort has been awfully quiet lately "
"Harry!" Ron sighed exasperated at the sound of the name. "I'm trying to eat!"
Harry ignored him. "Maybe he's planning something. Maybe Dumbledore went to the
Ministry to convince them to prepare for a possible attack."
"Sounds plausible. Professor McGonagall is usually more open than that. She must
know
something is going on," Hermione reasoned.
Ron laughed. "Maybe that's why Snape's so uptight lately."
Hermione gasped.
Harry giggled.
"What?" Ron exclaimed, looking at her. "Haven't you noticed? He's a real pain in
the ass.
Worse than ever!"
Hermione suddenly was very fascinated with her dessert and avoided Ron's gaze. S
he
mumbled that she had not noticed.
"Oh, come on! Than overgrown bat should pull his head out of his ass for once!"
Ron was
talking himself into a rage. Suddenly he turned red. He coughed. A huge piece of
cucumber
was flying out of his mouth.
Harry giggled furiously and Hermione joined in, glad she had decided to come. Si
tting with
them, laughing, gossiping, she realized that she had really neglected their frie
ndship lately.
The boys' interest in the fairer sex had distanced them from her, leaving her to
spend her
evenings alone. She had really missed them.
Her trail of thought was interrupted, when a very upset Winky jumped onto the ta
ble and
started fidgeting. "Harry Potter must go now. Harry Potter and friends get troub
le if not go
now."

"What are you talking about, Wi " Harry started but he broke off when he heard th
e portrait
swing aside. A panicked look crossed his face.
Ron stared at the opening portrait, frozen in shock.
It was Hermione who reacted. She grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and threw it ove
r her two
boys. She was sitting at the other side of the table and could not spread the cl
oak across it to
crawl under it too. It would look very suspicious if the middle of the table was
missing.
She did not have time to think up an excuse for her being here when a harsh voic
e roared
through the kitchen.
"Miss Granger, what do you think you are doing here at one o'clock in the mornin
g," growled
a very tired looking Professor Snape.
Hermione stared at him for a minute, not believing her bad luck. Him of all peop
le!
"Cat got your tongue?" he snapped angrily when she did not answer immediately.
"I uhn I heard some students talking about a midnight raid," she stuttered, hopi
ng she
sounded more convincing than she felt. "I was hoping to catch them but I was lat
e." She
shrugged her shoulders.
Snape glared at her. "And those students wouldn't, by any chance, be Potter and
Weasley,
would they?" he asked, looking around the room. He could see no one but the hous
e elves.
"No, sir," Hermione hurried to say.
"Well, well, well," Snape mumbled, walking to the table she stood at. He eyed th
e three half
eaten dishes suspiciously. Then he took a finger and put it on the omelette. "St
ill warm. Can't
be gone for long."
Hermione simply stared at him. She didn't know how to respond. She just hoped Ha
rry and
Ron were clever enough to hide in a corner where Professor Snape would not accid
entally trip
over them.
With a fast move Severus Snape caught Hermione's hand, lifting it to her face. "
And what,
Miss Granger, would that be?"
She looked at the chocolate residue on her finger, dumbfounded, then down at the
bowl of
mousse. "I am mad for chocolate. I had to have some when I found it " Her face wa
s
burning now but she prayed to whatever gods there may be that he would think she
was just
blushing.
A flicker in the dark tunnels of his eyes caught her attention.
'It can't be," Hermione tried to reason, heat rising to her cheeks. 'He took the
potion. He took
it!'
Snape tilted his head, regarding her with an intense glare. "A craving for choco
late, I see," he
said softly, more to himself than to Hermione.
There was something in his voice that made her cheeks burn even hotter. It becam
e hard to
swallow. Hermione had noticed the roughness of it before, the way he could carry
a tune deep
enough to vibrate in her midriff. This, however, was something else entirely. It
held a promise
that woke the most ancient part of her being.
She blinked nervously, tried to ban the caress of his voice on her skin. There w
as a fire in his
eyes that was utmost unsettling. He had yet to release his hold on her hand.
Hermione drew a deep breath when he was stepping closer. The hunger in his eyes
was all too
familiar to her. She wondered if this was the way he looked at the poor women at
the Dark
Revels. Was he really spying for the Order, her mind questioned? Or did he find
his true
calling with the Dark Lord? Looking at the primal hunger in his eyes, the way it
seemed to
shine naturally, made her doubt his loyalty to the Headmaster.
She tried to snatch her hand back from him but he did not let go.
"I have cravings too, Miss Granger," Severus Snape purred in a low voice, half c
losing his
eyelids as he took in the scent of her skin, the freshness of her hair that remi
nded him of dew.
He lifted her left hand to his mouth and eyed her fingers carefully. Her Healing
Charm had
been perfect. Not a scar marred the milky skin of her hands where she had cut he
rself for him.
His mind, however, could still see the wound clearly, beckoningly. He ran the ti
p of his
tongue over her fingertip.
A loud smash broke his trance and Hermione pulled back from him immediately.
"Winky is sorry, sir," a very embarrassed looking house elf said. "Winky is clut
z. Winky
always break things." She went to her knees to sweep up the broken glass, trembl
ing under
the stare of the dark man.
Hermione put the table between them, rubbing her wrist that hurt from his grasp.
"Don't touch
me!" she hissed so only the two of them could hear it.
Severus broke into a malevolent grin as he saw her fleeing from him. He could sm
ell her fear
and it pleased him to no end. But he could also smell something else. "And what
will stop me,
little girl?"
"I will," Hermione promised. "If you lay hand on me ever again, I will force-bin
d you to the
Whomping Willow and let you see the beauty of the sunrise."
Then she was gone.

to be continued
Chapter 7 - When Lust is Stronger

Hermione ducked when a Quaffle flew over her head, and then looked after the van
ishing
dark ball. It was the third ball that had almost hit her due to her lack of atte
ntion to the
ongoing game. With a frustrated sigh she pulled her hair out of her face again a
nd tried to
concentrate on the book on her knees.
She had looked for a seat in the last row of the stands where she could curl up
in a corner and
do her research while pretending to watch the game. She would have hurt Harry's
and Ron's
feelings had she refused to come. In the seven years of their friendship she had
not missed a
single game. Well, safe for the one in the second year, but being petrified by a
Basilisk does
not really count. The two boys would have become suspicious, had she turned them
down
now. The Snape-dilemma, however, was too important to be put off and so Hermione
had
opted to bring some books along.
The noise in the stands, though, was not very productive to her work.
She had to find something. The incident in the kitchen last night had shown her
that the
Anatithenai Potion was not nearly enough to keep Professor Snape's craving at a
bearable
level. He was not up to quenching it. He needed help.
Hermione was seriously considering on informing the Headmaster about the situati
on.
Professor Snape was dangerous. The fact that she had escaped him two times so fa
r was
nothing but luck. The next time she probably would not be so fortunate. The prob
lem was that
Professor Dumbledore still had not returned from wherever he was and she did not
dare owl
him. Owl post was not safe these days.
Hermione leafed through her fifth volume today, the Book of Magical Charms and A
mulets,
and that's where she found it.
"That's it!" she exclaimed excitedly, jumping from her chair.
At that moment the crowd jumped up too, cheering, masking her odd behaviour with
their
own exultation.
" Harry Potter got the Snitch! What a catch that was! Gryffindor wins the game! "
droned a voice through the field and Hermione remembered where she was.
A beaming Ron flew past her on his Cleansweep, waving at her, happy to see her e
nthusiasm
for their victory.
Hermione smiled back at him. Let Ron misinterpret her happiness. It would not hu
rt anyone.
And at the moment she was way too euphoric herself to even try to hid the grin t
hat spread
across her face.
She sat down again, hidden behind the mass of jumping students who were discussi
ng where
and how to celebrate their triumph over the Hufflepuff team. She bent over her b
ook again,
confident that no one would disrupt her. Her fellow students had learned never t
o disturb her
when she was reading.
'The Periapt is a charm in form of an amulet,' the book read. 'The combination o
f herbal
blends and ancient magic gives the wearer strength to fight strong longings that
arise from
the darker part of the soul and would otherwise take on an evil form.'
"That's it!" Hermione repeated breathlessly.
'Blood of a Tree is the most potent medium to hold the powdered herbs for it car
ries the heat
of the body and thus enhances their natural properties. The substance has to be
drawn from
the tree freshly and hardened to Amber only after applying the sign spells.'
'That won't be a problem,' Hermione thought. She knew a tree who would only will
ingly
offer some of its blood to her.
'Verbena, Lavender, and Succisa Pratensis also known as Devil's Bit Scabious hav
e to be
dried and ground into fine powders separately. Part of the Blood of a Tree has t
o be moulded
into a diamond shaped amulet. Then the three powders have to be added in the sha
pe of the
Salomonian Knot, resembling the unity of spirit, body and soul. Apply another la
yer of Blood
of a Tree and allow them to melt together in the light of the waning moon.'
'How very fortunate,' Hermione smiled to herself.
"Hey, 'Mione! You coming with us?" Harry asked her, landing on the seat next to
her. He
was beaming with pride, his cheeks still flushed from the coldness of the wind a
nd his hair
even more disorderly than normally.
"Yeah, come on!" demanded an equally proud Ron. "Padma and Lavender are coming t
oo,
you know."
"Oh, I think I'll pass, guys," Hermione smiled at them. She did not really want
to spend an
evening watching them snog. "But you go ahead and have fun."
"You sure?" Ron inquired again.
"Absolutely. You go and have a Butterbeer for me, will you?"
Ron grinned. "Bet your ass I will!"
"Ron!" Harry interrupted exasperatedly. And with a gaze at Hermione he added; "W
atch your
mouth."
"Oh cut it, mate!" Ron laughed. He wondered why Harry was so concerned about his
manners
whenever they were with Hermione all of a sudden. It wasn't as if she had not he
ard him
curse before.
Hermione laughed and got up, packing her books onto her back. "Go on, guys. I st
ill have
homework to do." It was not a lie. Not technically at least. She still had homew
ork to do but
that's not what she was planning to do now.
"Alright," Harry finally agreed as they descended the stairs. "We'll bring you s
omething from
Honeydukes," he promised and with that the two boys were running off, meeting Pa
dma and
Lavender who were waiting for them on the road to Hogsmeade.
Hermione looked after them with mixed feelings. She really did not want to spend
the evening
feeling left out as she would be the only single girl at the table. It was bad e
nough being alone
all the time but watching the couples holding hands and groping a feel beneath t
he table was
something else entirely.
She shouldered her bag and made her way around the castle. The Whomping Willow s
tood
out darkly and eerily against the setting sun, an ancient warrior who would ward
off any
unwanted trespassers.

"Good evening, my friend," Hermione greeted the tree. She put her bag to the gr
ound and
took off her shoes and socks. She started the combination of steps that would al
low her to
come near.
The Willow recognized the girl immediately and extended a branch, helping her up
. Soon she
was cradled against the huge stem of the tree, stroking its bark with deft movem
ents. "I wish
to ask you a favour, my friend," she whispered, her forehead pressed against the
branch. Her
hands were talking to the tree even when her lips were not.
A twig was caressing Hermione's arm, offering itself to her with a movement that
looked
somewhat like a nod. Hermione could not help but smile. She knew the tree would
not refuse
her.
She accioed a small bottle from her bag and opened it, cleaning the remnants of
her Sleeping
Potion away with the wand. Then she touched the tip of it to the twig, opening a
cut that
looked like an arrow pointing downward. She held her bottle to the peak, watchin
g the yellow
liquid drip into it slowly.
The sun set the sky on fire as it dropped behind the horizon. Colour drained fro
m the world in
a grey, smoky way that left Hermione feeling uneasy. The essence of the Whomping
Willow
was still flowing into the bottle but the yellow had dulled to a darker colour t
hat almost
looked like blood.
A shiver ran across Hermione's back and she sealed the bottle with the cork and
closed the cut
in the bark of the Willow.
"Thank you, my friend," she said to the tree as she climbed down again, her feet
finding the
way with an accustomed ease. It was pitch black by now and she was anxious to ge
t inside.
Despite the countless wards that protected Hogwarts' grounds, there were dangers
.
She kneeled at the foot of the Whomping Willow, slipping her shoes back on.
When she stood up again, Hermione found herself face to face with one of the dan
gers.
"Good evening, Miss Granger," Snape drawled and inclined his head in misplaced c
ourtesy.
"What is a young girl such as yourself doing at a dangerous place such as this?"

Hermione stepped back and hit the stem of the Willow with her back. He was too c
lose for
comfort. His voice was too rough. His words too alluring. "Leave, Professor Snap
e," she
demanded with a tremor in her voice.
He grinned, baring his teeth.
The hairs on her neck were rising. His grin was not all comforting.
"And why would I do that?" he asked, stepping closer. "The ground is for us all
to tread on."
"Leave me alone," Hermione requested whispering. She despised herself for the fe
ar in her
voice.
Severus Snape ran a hand over her cheek and she winced. "I am indebted to you, M
iss
Granger. That sweet sacrifice of yours has been very beneficial to my well-being
." His
fingers were softly caressing her lower lip now.
Hermione shifted and then she could see his eyes in the light of the moon. They
were glowing
with an inborn fire.
"I do not need blood to survive, thanks to you. But unfortunately," Severus Snap
e continued,
smiling now, "that taste of yours has not been able to leave my mind. I can tast
e you still,
when I close my eyes." He rounded her, regarding her like a carnivore on the pro
wl. "Did you
know, Miss Granger, that the taste of blood is like a drug. The craving grows mo
re in time,
not less."
Hermione shivered when she felt the heat of his body as he stepped nearer again.
Without as
much as thinking about it she stepped on the ground; forcefully, vigorously.

Branches appeared out of nowhere, wrapping themselves around Severus' arms and l
egs. He
was lifted from the ground.
"What in the name of Merlin " he called out surprised. He was pressed to the stem
of the
Whomping Willow, twigs and branches binding him, rendering him immobile.
"You will see, Professor, that I am not a helpless little girl. And I am not a s
tupid one either."
She glared at him, compassion filling her gaze.
His eyes flared with anger and the snide returned to his voice, as he addressed
Hermione
again: "What is the meaning of this, Miss Granger."
She looked up at him, still trembling. "I warned you to never touch me again," s
he said with
her voice breaking. "I'm sorry, Professor Snape, but I will not let you harm me!
"
"Get me off this monstrosity. IMMEDIATELY!"
"I cannot do that, Professor Snape," Hermione informed him. "You will come after
me. You
will take what you long for and I will not be able to stop you." She backed away
from the tree
and picked up her bag on the way. "I am the only one who can help you, Professor
, but not for
the prize of my own life. Even my kindness has an end to it."
She turned around and started towards the castle.
"You will not leave me here, you stupid girl!" Severus Snape yelled after her, h
is voice full of
rage. "Free me. NOW!"
Hermione swallowed her tears. She fixed her eyes on the comforting lights of Hog
warts,
trying to ignore the furious yells behind her.

to be continued

Chapter 8 Of Magick Periapts and Other


Charms

The little birds that nested beneath the roof of the Astronomy Tower begun to si
ng when the
golden ball rose behind the mountains in the far south. She must have fallen asl
eep. When she
had last looked up into the sky the moon had been shining brightly.
The air was cold but the girl did not feel it. The tiredness of two nights witho
ut sleep had
overcome any other discomfort. She untangled herself from the robe that was wrap
ped tightly
around her and started to stretch her limbs.
Only then did she remember why she was here. She had done her best to avoid Prof
essor
Snape since that incident after the Quidditch game. Of course she had not really
planned to
bind him to the tree, whatever she had told him before. But when he threatened h
er life she
knew she had no other options.
She had walked away from him with as much dignity as she could muster, but as so
on as the
entrance door had shut behind her she had broken into a run, not stopping before
she had went
all the way up to the Astronomy Tower. From there she had watched Professor Snap
e struggle
against the tree. His curses were carried all the way to her and lost little of
their strength.
Hermione placed a Disillusionment Charm around herself, hoping it would keep the
professor
from discovering where she had fled to. She knew it would not fool him if he was
close to her,
but there it was not very likely he would find her here. Guarded by Trelawney th
is was a place
where Professor Snape would not venture on his own free will. As much as Hermion
e disliked
the Divination Professor, he was the one person in this castle who loathed that
woman more.
Some time after midnight she had watched the Whomping Willow releasing its hold
on
Severus Snape and he dropped to the ground unceremoniously. He was still mutteri
ng curses
under his breath when he crossed the grounds and vanished into the Dungeon.
Hermione had spent the last two nights atop the Astronomy Tower, grinding herbs
into fine
powder, muttering spells to bind them, watching the amber absorb the cool light
of the moon.
It had taken longer than she had thought it would and she must have fallen aslee
p some time
last night.
Scolding herself for her carelessness she looked around. And then she saw it. Sh
e released a
breath she had not known she had been holding. The Periapt was innocently restin
g on the
white linen sheet, waiting for her to pick it up.
Hermione crouched onto her knees. She ran her hand over the amulet, not quite to
uching it.
She could almost feel the cool serenity of the moon shining from it. The amulet
looked just
perfect. The diamond shape was smooth and disrupted by nothing but a tiny hole a
t the top
that would allow a silver chain to be tied to it.
Hermione had carefully ground the three herbs to a fine powder and applied them
onto the
first half of the amulet in the form of the Salomonian Knot when the moon was at
its highest.
Everything had looked grey in its light but now she could see that the powders h
ad slightly
different shades. The golden glow of the amber was enhancing the differences eve
n further.
The Verbena had a stale, almost grey colour whereas the Lavender had taken on a
bluish hue
that was seen in the tiny blossoms. The Succisa Pratensis had made a dark green
powder.
Hermione searched around in the large pockets of her robe until she felt somethi
ng cold. She
retrieved the long silver necklace that she had brought. Her grandmother had onc
e given it to
her and Hermione was reluctant to give it up. She did not have many memories of
her
grandmother.
Hermione had been looking for another chain but she had not found any, and did n
ot have
enough money to buy one.

A giggly laugh rose from her throat. Who thought she would ever consider buying
Professor
Snape a necklace?
She pulled the chain through the hole in the pendant and closed it. Then she wra
pped the
white linen around the amulet and tied a cord around the package. She knew she h
ad to hurry
to bring it to the Owlery so the Potions Master would get it with his breakfast
mail. If she was
to face him today he had better wear it.
Hermione gathered her things and descended from the Astronomy Tower taking two s
teps at
once. The first students had already woken and she was not particularly fond of
getting caught
out of bed; even if she was Head Girl.
She was out of breath by the time she had passed through half of the castle and
was making
her way up to the Owlery. The hallways were still empty and Hermione was glad fo
r it. She
tied the linen package to one of the school owls, attaching a note too. Then she
sent it on its
way.
An exhausted Hermione fell into her chair at the breakfast table. She was glad s
he had
showered and washed her hair last night. There was no time for it now. Breakfast
had already
begun when she entered the Great Hall.
The first thing Hermione noticed upon entering was that it was unusually dim. Th
e windows
were darkened and the enchanted sky showed a sky just before dawn. Candles were
floating
above the tables, giving off a soft, comfortable glow. It looked like winter.

The second thing she noticed was that Professor Dumbledore was back. The imposin
g aged
wizard was sitting on his chair, chatting animatedly with the dark young man to
his left. There
seemed to be an uneasy air around the two of them.
Hermione sat down and poured herself a cup of hot tea. She dropped a slice of le
mon in it and
shovelled sugar into the cup. Her body was still shaking from spending the night
in the cold
and the hot liquid burning its way down her throat was just what she needed.
"You look tired, 'Mione," her trail of thought was interrupted when Harry and Ro
n sat down
on both sides of her.
S
he made a noncommittal sound.
"Honestly, 'Mione, you should study less and sleep more," Ron advised her, shove
lling food
onto his plate eagerly. Even six and a half years of delicious Hogwarts meals ha
d not stifled
his appetite. "You're beginning to look like that overgrown bat." He motioned hi
s head to the
High Table.
Hermione jerked her head around to look at Snape. Heat rose in her cheeks when h
e lifted his
eyes from his plate and looked at her. Their gazes locked and Hermione could fee
l his
presence as clearly as if he was standing next to her.
The spell was broken when Albus Dumbledore addressed the Potions Master once aga
in and
he released her gaze reluctantly.
Hermione started to shiver as she became aware of the curious glance Harry and R
on threw in
her direction. Did they know anything? They told her they had left the kitchen s
oon after
Snape had entered, feeling they would only make the situation worse if the Potio
ns Master
was to discover the three of them. They had bribed Winky into distracting Snape
long enough
for Hermione to escape too.
Hermione was relieved when they told her, they had not been present to witness t
he scene in
the kitchen. Hermione would have had a hard time coming up with a convincing lie
. And she
hated lying to her best friends.
A high screech made her snap out of her thoughts. The owls arrived. She immediat
ely saw the
tawny one with the white parcel tied to its leg. It circled the High Table for a
moment and
then sat down in front of Professor Snape.
He looked at the owl with a raised eyebrow. He never received mail in public. Ho
wever, the
scroll attached to the parcel did not hold the dark wax seal his usual correspon
dence did. He
felt the eyes of his colleagues on him and hesitantly opened the cord that held
the linen
together. Slowly he peeled back the layers of cloth.
His head snapped up.
His eyes pierced Hermione. She looked down to her plate but continued to watch h
im out of
the corner of her eye.
Professor Snape retrieved the scroll of parchment and flattened it. With furrowe
d brow he
read the words that were written in her careful script.
'It's a Periapt. Wear it on your skin.
I will not come near you
if I cannot see the chain around your neck.'
Hermione had not signed the note. It was not necessary. He knew who it was from.
And he
knew what he had to do. A week had passed. It was Monday again.

***

Hermione Granger hurried through the hallway into the Dungeon. She had fallen as
leep over
her homework during her free period after lunch. She was late for Potions. For t
he second
time.
With a rapid knock she entered the classroom and was once again greeted by the w
arm flicker
of torches.
"Miss Granger, how nice of you to grace us with your presence," Professor Snape
said in a
silky drawl.
Hermione was flushed from running. "I'm sorry, Professor. I "
He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I don't care for petty excuses, Miss Gr
anger. Don't
let it happen again."
She stared at him open-mouthed. "No, Sir," she stuttered and went to her seat. N
o taking off
house points. No detention. How strange. Was it his way of thanking her? Whateve
r it was he
better behave normally towards her. She wasn't going to all that trouble to have
him reveal
himself by carelessly favouring her.
Hermione got her potion and went to work on it, trying to catch up what she had
missed. She
had no trouble doing so. She knew what to do and hardly ever made a mistake. By
the time
class ended she had not only caught up with the rest but had handed in the only
perfect
Draught of the Living Death.

The class was leaving quickly after Professor Snape had dismissed them and again
Hermione
took her time cleaning her work area. Neville had once again made a disaster out
of his potion
and the remnants of it were caked to the desk. Hermione had offered to take care
of it for him,
as much for the shaken boy as for having an excuse to linger behind.
When they were alone Hermione spoke again: "I wish to apologize for being late,
Professor,"
she said, looking at him closely.
Severus Snape opened the top buttons of his black shirt with his left hand, his
dark eyes not
leaving hers as he showed her the silver necklace, not far enough for her to see
the pendant
that was resting on his chest, but she knew it was there. "I told you an excuse
was not
necessary," he said curtly. "I meant it."
Hermione nodded and went to his desk. She flinched when her finger split open be
neath her
wand once again and watched, as the three drops filled the bottom of the glass v
ial she had
brought with her. She closed the wound and, with a shy smile, handed him the fla
sk.
"Miss Granger," Professor Snape called after her, when she turned from him to re
turn to her
desk to pick up her school bag.
She looked at him, expectantly.
"You have found yourself quite a loyal friend in that old tree," he said, wordin
g his thoughts
carefully.
"The Willow feels an obligation towards me," Hermione replied carefully. "I take
it you
appreciate me telling the Willow to let you down again after an hour."
A spark of fury flashed in his eyes but he smothered it. Then, a curt nod.
Hermione could not bite back a grin. "My pleasure, sir." She shouldered her bag
and headed
towards the door.
And found herself face to face with a tall man in a purple robe and white beard.
The equally
purple hat was safe in his hand, as the doorway was to small to allow it to rest
on his head
while passing through.
He wore a warming smile. "Ah, Hermione, just the young woman I was looking for "

to be continued

Chapter 9 And Darkness Shall Reign

"Good afternoon, Headmaster," Hermione greeted the cheerful old man as she stepp
ed back
from him a little, wondering why he was looking for her.
"Would you care to have some tea with me in my office, Hermione?" the Headmaster
asked
with a genuine smile. He was an imposing figure even when he was smiling and thi
s was
more of a request than an offer and Hermione knew it.
"Of course, Headmaster."
Albus' smile broadened and he clapped his soft, wrinkled hands together. "Very w
ell then,"
he said and nodded to himself. His beard moved in the most peculiar fashion when
he moved
his head. He opened the door and motioned the Head Girl to follow him. Then, as
if
remembering something, he turned around again. "Well, aren't you going to come,
Severus?"
Snape lifted the vial he was still holding in his hand. The dark red liquid at t
he bottom was
whirling slightly with the movement. "I have an urgent matter to attend to, Albu
s. I'm afraid it
cannot wait," he stated bluntly, biting back a growl. It was one thing confessin
g his
predicament to the Headmaster but another altogether to meet with him and that k
now-it-all
for a chat over tea.
"Ah, I see," Albus said with a nod. His brows furrowed as he took a glance at th
e vial in the
Potions Master's slender fingers. "Well, do come up to my office whenever you ar
e done
here. It is rather essential that I talk to both of you."
"Yes, Albus."
Hermione followed the old wizard to his office, keeping close to him. His purple
robe was
noticeable and well-known and the students stepped out of their way, allowing th
em to pass
and wishing them a good afternoon with cheery smiles. Some of them shot curios g
lances at
the Head Girl who followed the impressive old wizard, looking anxious.
Albus Dumbledore tried to lighten her tenseness by joking about his trip to Lond
on and some
incident with a rampant wolverine one of his acquaintances kept as a pet. Hermio
ne smiled
politely, but she was too concerned to enjoy his warmth the way she normally wou
ld have.
When he had seated her in front of his crackling fireplace and offered her a cup
of sweetened
tea he smiled at the young woman again. "There is no need to be nervous, Hermion
e. I assure
you that you are not in any kind of trouble."
Hermione looked up from her cup and met his sparkling blue eyes. The small wrink
les around
his eyes deepened and gave his smile a more genuine touch. She wished she could
just fall
into it and believe in happiness again.
"In fact, I have asked you here to thank you."
Her eyes grew bigger. "What for, sir?"

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "When I returned this morning I had a
meeting
with Severus. He told me a very fascinating tale about a brave young girl who sa
ved a man. A
man who had just returned from a run-in with one of world's darker creatures."
Hermione fidgeted with the handle of her cup.
"It took a lot of courage to stand up to a full fledged vampire, Hermione," Albu
s insisted and
leaned forward again to put his old hand on hers for a moment. She could feel th
e soft
wrinkles and the warmth and for a moment she felt a security she had thought los
t ten days
ago. "I want to thank you for saving Severus' life."
Hermione's lip twitched. "I couldn't just leave him there, sir. He looked so "
Albus Dumbledore nodded when her voice gave in and she averted her eyes. "I unde
rstand,
my child. It must have been a really frightening experience."
'You have no idea,' her mind agreed. Hermione let her head sink.
"If it hadn't been for you he would not be any more."
"There was blood all over him," she remembered shivering. The cool morning air h
it her skin
again and the dew wet her legs when she knelt down. "He could barely move. For a
moment I
thought I thought he was dead "
"He was, my dear. He was dead indeed," Albus declared and offered her some choco
late
covered cherries. "A person must die before turning into a vampire. The heard st
ops beating.
The lungs stop breathing. The eyes become blind." He nodded, as if to fortify hi
s words. "It is
a weak moment, Hermione, where one is very vulnerable."
'So Professor Snape does indeed have a heart,' Hermione mused but she did not sa
y it. A
heavy feeling was setting on her chest. She just looked at Albus Dumbledore. "He
doesn't
seem very vulnerable now," she stated a little disturbed.
Albus laughed and there was this twinkle of amusement in his eyes again. "No, he
doesn't,
does he? He seemed even more temperamental than usual when he spoke to me this
morning."
Hermione nodded affirmatively. A lump was forming in her throat.
Albus regarded her with his head tilted sideways. Something was troubling her. S
omething
she was not telling him. "He also told me of your gift to him."
Hermione looked at him. It took her a while before she was answering. "The least
I could do,"
she mumbled.
"No," Albus cut in. "No, the least you could do was nothing. You could have walk
ed away
from him and left him to his fate. Most people would have done so. You are an ex
traordinary
young woman, Hermione. You have so much compassion. You selflessly offered a par
t of
yourself to a man who has never said a kind word to you."
Hermione was about to protest, but Albus raised his hand.
"You don't need to defend him. I know he's a man who's not easy to be around. An
d I know
he has given you a hard time in the past six years. His words can hurt awfully b
ut you must
know he hurts even more." Albus sighed. Then he smiled at her. "You gave him you
r
blood, despite all that. You bound yourself to his fate. You saved not only him
but his
possible victims too."
Hermione was confused. "Bound myself to his fate?" she repeated nonplussed.
Albus Dumbledore nodded. "Blood is a powerful substance. He is bound to you. Par
t of you
is coursing through his veins."
Her mouth fell open. "Oh my!" she gasped.
"You must have noticed something. Some sort of connection. Not so strong with yo
u as it is
with him, probably, as it was only a small part of you that was given," Albus in
quired.
Hermione stared at her hands. A connection. "There were little things," she reme
mbered
suddenly and something in side of her shifted. "Like he knew what I was thinking
and
what I expected. When he was close I felt " She fell silent. What did she feel ex
actly?
Why had she missed out on that part when she looked up the Anathitenai Potion? I
t was not
like her to miss something as important as that. A connection. She remembered hi
s voice and
the way it had caressed her skin as if it were his hands roaming across her and
not his words.
And she remembered the way her body had tensed and her throat had become dry.
"We're connected in some way. He's drawn to me! That's why he's so so " Hermione
stuttered when Albus looked at her intensely. "That's why he's so difficult."
Albus took her hand. "He has been behaving towards you, hasn't he?"
Hermione bit her lower lip. She could feel Severus' breath on her neck again and
his hands on
her body when her eyes closed and they fluttered open again immediately. If it w
as true, if he
was bound to her by her offering it wasn't his fault at all. "He was difficult,"
Hermione
repeated carefully, rolling the words in her mouth. "Nothing I couldn't handle,
though."
"Oh!" Albus sounded surprised.
"She's not a fragile child, Albus, so stop being so damn concerned about her wel
l-being," a
low growl came from the direction of the door and Hermione whirled around. Sever
us Snape,
clad in black and a menacing sneer stepped in from the spiral staircase. His rob
e was
billowing behind him the way it always did. Now, however, it had become a forebo
ding to
Hermione.
"Is that so, Severus," Albus inquired with a stern look.
Severus looked at Hermione and his eyes sparkled with amusement, though his face
did not
show any. "Quite so, yes. She is more than capable of taking care of herself."
Hermione smirked. This was the closest to a compliment she had ever heard from h
im.
Severus sat down on one of the armchairs, draping his robes around him.
"The problem is, Severus, that there should never have been a situation where th
is young
woman would have to defend herself against you," Albus criticized him with a sev
erity in his
voice that Hermione had never witnessed before. His blue eyes were cold now and
serious. A
shiver ran down her spine as her eyes went from the Headmaster to her professor.

Severus bowed his head. Shame flushed his cheeks for the fraction of a second. "
Of course,
Headmaster."

Silence fell over them. Suddenly the atmosphere seemed thick with something unsp
oken.
Albus sipped on his tea, watching Severus Snape curiously. The younger man looke
d
unsettled, his face even harsher than usual, the lines of worry edged deeper int
o his parchment
skin.
It was Hermione who finally broke the quiet. She got up from her chair and walke
d over to
the Potions Master. She raised her hand to his face and he jerked away from her,
his eyes
boring into her, his lips trembling in an attempt to give birth to yet another c
ruel remark.
Hermione held his gaze with a confidence that astounded her.
He fell silent.
She moved her hand again and it passed his cheek lightly and wandered downward t
o his
neck. Her fingers found their way under his collar and she found the silver chai
n. She
caressed the necklace, her fingers fluttering over the base of his neck, catchin
g a pulse. The
silver had warmed by the contact with his body and she felt, for an excruciating
moment, heat
rising within her.
Quickly, she snatched her hand away from him. "I hope you like it," she said wit
h a voice
barely more than a whisper.
When he looked at her, his eyes were pure black. There was no fire but something
else.
Something she could not read. It was deep and warm and she found herself drawn t
o it.
Severus inclined his head slightly. "It's satisfactory."
Her lips twitched into a grin when she sat down again. She saw his eyes flare in
recognition of
his innuendo.
Albus clapped his hands together again to get their attention. "Well, now that w
e have settled
that let us get back to more urgent things."
Two heads turned towards him and Albus continued, addressing Hermione. "That pen
dant
you made him, what is it for?"
"It's called a Periapt. I found out about it in the Book of Magical Charms and A
mulets. I
noticed that Professor Snape seemed to have trouble controlling his his thirst."
She threw
him a hesitant glance. Shame flushed his cheeks again but it was so quickly repl
aced by a vile
glare, that she thought she had mistaken it.
The glance did not go unnoticed by the Headmaster.
Hermione hurried to ensure Dumbledore that he must not be worried. "He did not d
rink any
blood. It was difficult for him to control himself, but he did not drink from an
yone."
Severus scowled at her but when the Headmaster shot him a disapproving glare he
defended
himself. "She's right. I didn't drink from anyone! But I am still I can't help c
raving this
delicious, tempting " He threw a glance at the bowl of chocolates on the Headmas
ters lap,
hoping he would understand.
"Unlike yours, Severus, my cravings won't hurt anyone," Albus said calmly. He fi
xed his
gaze on him. "I take it this problem has been solved now."
Severus nodded.
"Just make sure you wear this necklace at all times. I don't want to take any ri
sks. You know I
care for you, Severus, but my first concern must be for the students."
"Of course, Headmaster."
"And does that spell I cast work well for you?"
"Yes."
Hermione was confused. What spell?
The Headmaster turned to her. "That is another thing I wanted to talk to you abo
ut, Hermione.
You realize that it looks rather suspicious if Severus casts an Obscuriate where
ver he goes."
Hermione nodded. She wondered why no one has commented on it already. It was one
thing
to close the drapes in his classroom but to do it wherever he appeared would aro
use
suspicions sooner or later.
"I have cast a spell that charms the windows of the castle whenever Severus come
s near them.
They won't allow the sun to intrude. The whole process is quite subtle. To anyon
e who should
happen to look it would seem like a cloud blocking the sun or something similar.
"
Hermione's frown furrowed. "Isn't that a terribly complex spell, Professor? It m
ust take a lot
of energy to maintain."
Albus rubbed his nose. "Unfortunately it does, my child. This is not the first t
ime the castle
has housed a vampire but none had been able to stay very long. The windows' awar
eness will
slip and it will eventually become dangerous for him to trust the enchanted glas
s."
Severus would not meet her gaze and she returned her attention to Albus.

"How long does he have?"


"I am not sure. A few months. Half a year maybe. Not more." He placed his empty
cup on the
tray. "I am hopeful, however, that we will come up with something."
Hermione looked at Severus again and sadness filled her. Where would he go if he
was forced
to leave? She was almost tempted to put her hand out to him again, as she saw hi
m sitting
stiffly in the chair. He could not leave! Her chest clenched at the thought.
Albus' voice brought her back again. "There is another problem. One that might p
rove a lot
more difficult to solve. The problem of his discovery."
Severus looked at Albus intently. The blackness of his eyes was a stark contrast
to his fair
skin. They seemed to protrude everything. "Do you really think this is necessary
, Albus?" he
growled.

Albus nodded. "You know very well how exposed you are right now. Even if you had
n't had
this unfortunate run-in with a vampire, your position in Voldemort's inner circl
e is a very
dangerous one. If Voldemort was to find out "
Severus raised a hand. "Spare me! I know his ways only too well."
Albus once again addressed Hermione. "I have to ask you another favour, I'm afra
id. One that
asks more of you than a weekly donation of blood."
Hermione edged forward in her chair. "What shall I do?"
Albus took her hand. "I want you to protect Severus' secret."
"I am not planning to tell anyone," Hermione said, slightly defensive. What did
he think of
her? She had given up sleep more than once for this insufferable man in front of
her, lied to
her friends, neglected her studies. And now the Headmaster was doubting her inte
grity?
"I know you aren't, Hermione, but that's not what I am asking you," Albus calmed
her. "I
want you to protect his secret. To keep it."
It took Hermione a moment to comprehend his words. When she did, she put her cup
onto the
saucer with such force it almost shattered. Her eyes flew to Severus Snape, then
to the
Headmaster, then back to her professor. "You you want me to be your Secret Keepe
r?" she
asked incredulously. "You can't even stand me! Let alone be near me!"
Severus ran his hand through his thick, black hair. "It was Albus' idea."
Hermione looked at the Headmaster. "Headmaster, you know the Fidelius Charm won'
t work
if the party whose secret is to be kept doesn't trust the other one. You know th
at. How can
you expect me to be his Secret Keeper if he hates me so much?"
"I don't hate you, Miss Granger" Severus said silently.
Hermione's head whirled around to face him. Did he just say that?
"Hermione, please consider it," Albus pleaded again and Hermione reluctantly ave
rted her
eyes from the man who had buried his face in his hands.
Albus Dumbledore was still holding her hand. "I know this is a difficult decisio
n and I would
not want you to rush into it. But Severus is in grave peril. His work for the Or
der is dangerous
as it is. If anyone should find out about his condition "
Hermione nodded. "I understand, Headmaster. I promise to consider it."
He smiled and squeezed her hand. "That's all I'm asking."
She stood up and gathered her things. It was time for dinner. "I want to sleep o
ver it,
Headmaster, if it's alright."
"Of course," Albus stood when she walked to the door.
She stepped onto the spiral staircase and looked at the two men in front of her.
One the
episode of wisdom, the hero of her childhood and one dark, mysterious, and utter
ly irritating.
She smiled at him when he looked up, pale and miserable. "However I decide, Prof
essor
Snape, I don't think anyone at school will notice."
He raised an eyebrow.
"There've been rumours of you being a vampire for as long as I've been here. No
one will
notice a difference." She smirked but tried to bite it down. His temper was more
vicious than
ever nowadays. She did not want his wrath on her again.
Severus looked at her and then he did something she would never have expected. H
e threw his
head back and let out a roaring laugh.

to be continued

Chapter 10 Behind Enemy Lines

'I don't hate you.'


The words reverberated in his head. What had he been thinking? She was an annoyi
ng know-
it-all. The girl who made every Potions class hell with her endless questions, h
and waving,
and wise-guy-attitude. The girl who stole from his stores more than once.
His hand wove through his hair, trying to untangle the mess he had made while ru
ffling it.
The black silken strands slipped through his fingers easily.
He saw her face, then. Those huge, brown eyes that had looked at him so surprise
d he could
have just told her he was wearing a red g-string. She had really believed it, wh
en she said he
hated her. She really believed that he did.
He had never given her reason to think otherwise.
He did not hate her and he found his stomach clenching sickeningly when he saw t
he sadness
in her eyes at those words. He did not hate her! Far from it!
She was the girl who looked at him with an expression in her eyes that made his
knees buckle
beneath him, his heart beat faster, and his blood burn in his veins. The girl wh
o offered her
soul to him unknowingly; trustingly. The girl who made him believe he was worth
something.
"I don't hate you, Hermione Granger," he said again to the silent room and his v
oice was full
of honesty and disgust. For himself. For he knew it was true. He did not hate he
r.
But she did.
Severus Snape stopped pacing his study. He placed his hands on his desk, beside
the cauldron,
and watched the crimson liquid simmer. A little steam was rising from the surfac
e. It carried
the scent of her blood.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He could see her face again, as she watch
ed him
during breakfast. She had blushed when he caught her staring, and Severus had to
smile at the
heat that crept into her cheeks. Was it him doing that to her?
With a sudden spur of anger he picked up the vial that had previously held her p
recious gift
and threw it against the wall. It shattered in a clear, piercing crash and tiny
shards of glass
flew through the air.
He was despicable. He was no longer a man but a monster.
He remembered his revulsion when he learned that Remus Lupin was a werewolf.
Lycanthropy had repulsed him but at least Lupin suffered from it only three nigh
ts a month.
Half-human, they said. But Severus felt he was not even that anymore. He was dam
ned for all
eternity.
He moved to the mirror at the other side of the room. His reflection was menacin
g, his eyes
too dark, his skin too pale. That in itself was not new to him. What was new was
the depth of
his hatred for himself that shone through the black orbs of his eyes and seemed
to burn with
intensity. A monster, indeed.
"I don't hate you," he whispered. "I only hate myself." His fist collided with t
he glass surface
and the enchanted glass broke but did not shatter. With an almost angry cracklin
g the
fractures closed up, showing once again his solemn reflection. He could not esca
pe himself.
For a moment Severus was glad the castle held only mirrors of the magic world. M
uggle
mirrors refused to show his face now. One less thing to worry about.

He returned to the desk and sat down, watching his face on the surface of the si
mmering
potion. The crimson colour and scent of blood brought memories and he let his ey
elids fall
shut.
He had left the meeting when the night's entertainment had arrived. A boy, hardl
y older then
ten, and a young girl, eight maybe. They had been taken from their house where a
t that very
moment the bodies of their parents cooled down, and found themselves in the dark
basement
of the Malfoy Mansion, surrounded by men clad in dark robes and silver masks.
Severus had seen the panic on the boys face and the way he wrapped his body arou
nd the
shaking little girl, probably his sister, and he could not bring himself to stay
. He stumbled out
of the room and took the back door from the house. The Malfoys had put an Anti-A
pparation-
Shield around their property and Severus Snape had been stumbling through the pi
tch black
gardens, trying to find the end of the Malfoy grounds so he could apparate back
to Hogwarts.
That was when it happened. The moon was hidden behind a cloud and he could not s
ee
anything. When he heard the rustling behind him it was too late. Sharp fangs bor
ed into his
neck.
Severus had whirled around and grabbed the dark figure, pulling it to the ground
with him.
The fangs did not open and he could feel himself growing weaker with every breat
h. He could
feel his life being sucked out of him.

Everything whirled into darkness.


He didn't think when his hands flew to the creature's neck and he pressed. Slowl
y, the sucking
became less. His head was whirling and whirling and then he pushed and he was fr
ee.
Except that he would never be free again.
Severus had pressed his hands to his neck and his blood gushed over his fingers.
He searched
for his wand, fumbled to regain his grip on it with slippery fingers. But the sp
ells did not
work. The wound did not close up.
Fog lurked at the edges of his vision.
He knew what he had to do.
His focus shifted and in one graceful movement he was on the body in front of hi
m, piercing
his sharp teeth through its neck. Copper trickled into his mouth; tangy and stro
ng.
When he drew back again the gush of his blood had stilled to a small trickle. He
looked at the
vampire in front of him. His hood had slipped and showed his face. He was a youn
g man, no
older than twenty. His eyes, however, showed his true age. Ancient.
"Your first kill, my friend," he said with a rough voice and his lips curled int
o an evil grin.
"Enjoy it." Then his eyes fluttered and closed and he breathed his last breath.
Severus had emptied him.
The shards of glass on the floor reflected the light of the torches and a hundre
d little fires
seemed to burn in the Dungeon, when Severus opened his eyes again.
"Brooding again, Severus?" a velvet voice called from behind him and Severus jum
ped up so
fast the chair tumbled and fell to the ground.
He was face to face with a white haired man, his wand in his hand though he was
not sure
how it had gotten there. The intruder was as tall as Severus himself, but his ey
es were blue
and cold and sparkling with amusement, whereas Severus was still trying to catch
his breath.
"Don't sneak up on me again," he said with a low growl that only increased the g
rin on
Lucius Malfoy's face.
"My, Severus, are you jumpy today," he drawled and rounded the desk, running his
black
glove above the surface.
"Why are you here, Lucius," Severus inquired impatiently. He picked up the chair
and placed
it in front of the desk again. Then he sat down on the table top, strategically
blocking Lucius'
view on the cauldron which was innocently simmering on a low flame.
Lucius smiled and shook his head, making his hair move and catch the glow of the
torches. It
sparkled like silver. "I wanted to ask you over for next weekend. I am planning
another little
get-together at my place. I rather hope you will come. I missed you on the last
one."
"I had business to attend to," Severus said carefully. "The old man upstairs was
expecting
me to attend a meeting and it would have aroused suspicions had I refused to com
e."
Lucius Malfoy cocked his head. "Your early departure aroused suspicions in other
people," he
informed him and took a stroll through the study of his old friend. His gaze wan
dered over the
books and lit up when he noticed some extremely rare volumes on the Dark Arts.
"That cannot be helped," Severus said and held Lucius' gaze, when he turned arou
nd to look
at him again. "All I care about is that the Dark Lord and you know that the old
fool's trust in
me is the only way I can get the valuable information our cause needs."
Lucius' lips turned into a grin which did not look friendly at all. "I know that
, old friend. I
was merely stating that other people do not understand the work you do. It would
be a
lot easier for them to accept your position if you would show more interest our
other
activities."
Severus inclined his head. He did not want Lucius to see the repulsion in his ey
es. "I will be
there."
Lucius' smile broadened. "Excellent!"
Severus grunted.
"Well, I'm off then, old friend," Lucius said and rounded the table, making as i
f to head to the
fireplace. He whirled his cane at his side and hit the desk.
Severus gasped. He jumped forward, but the cauldron slipped through his fingers.
It landed on
the stone floor with a loud, metallic thud.
"Oops," Lucius said and Severus looked up to see the fair haired man vanish with
a mocking
smile in the green flames of the fireplace.
Severus looked at the ground again. The potion was glimmering on the floor like
a pool of
blood.

. to be continued

Chapter 11 The Fair Lady's Kiss

Hermione woke from a thud on her door. It was not a loud sound but it kept repea
ting, and so
she finally gave up trying to ignore it, threw the blanket back and tiptoed to t
he door. She
opened it a little, hiding behind the door since she was only wearing her night
clothes.
"You?" she gasped, surprised when she saw the tall, pale man in his black robes
in front of
her door.
He just looked at her.
"What do you want?" Hermione asked, not at all polite.
Severus bit down a request to call him professor and shot a concerned glance ove
r his
shoulder. Something was moving in the Boys' Dormitory and moved closer to the do
or. The
last thing he wanted was to get caught sneaking into the Head Girl's room at nig
ht.
Hermione was thinking along the same lines. She reached out and grabbed the mate
rial of his
robe on the wrist and pulled him inside just as she heard a door upstairs open.
"Get in, will
you? I'm not fond of any rumours concerning me and you."
Severus was caught by surprise and stumbled over her doorstep. He was trying to
catch
himself when he heard the sound of the door closing behind him and when he turne
d around,
he found Hermione leaning with her back against the door, regarding him with a s
colding
look.
"You are wearing that to bed?" he asked incredulously, grateful that the darknes
s hid the
blush that crept in his cheeks. At the moment he could not remember why he came
here for all
his gold in Gringots.
Hermione was wearing a white undershirt and a matching slip, both of which were
revealing
more than they were covering. He could see the dark outline of her pointy nipple
s through the
innocently white material. She had braided her hair to one thick plait that was
hanging over
her shoulder.
"Did you come here to see me in my nightclothes?" she said scathingly and grabbe
d her
bathrobe and wrapped herself in it.
His eyes flared again at the impropriety with which she was addressing him. He r
aised an
eyebrow at her.
Hermione sighed. "You came in here, waking me up. Now don't expect me to be too
thrilled
about it."
The chair had been so cluttered with her clothes he quickly discarded the idea o
f cleaning it
and crossed the room to sit down on her bed. "We I have a problem "
Hermione waited for him to continue, leaning back against the door. She did not
like the
image of him sitting on her bed. He looked too comfortable there, resting on her
pillows,
gazing up at her with those intense eyes of his. "Well, spill it out!"
Severus shook his head at her briskness. "The Potion was destroyed."
Hermione's eyes widened. "How?" she asked disbelievingly. She could not believe
he was so
careless with her blood sacrifice.
"Lucius Malfoy," was all he said. He fell silent again, watching her pleadingly.
She stared at him, trying to read the expression on his face. To no avail. "Does
he know?"
Severus shook his head. But Hermione could read the 'not yet' in his eyes. He wa
s shaking.
She looked at the man who was trembling in anxiety. He knew well that his life d
epended on
her. Should she chose to disclose At that moment Hermione decided to protect his
secret
and to protect his life. He was doing so much for the Order and he was receiving
nothing in
return but danger and dread. She would keep his secret.
She crossed the room and sat down on the bed, as far away from him as possible.
His eyes
never left her and she tried to smile at him reassuringly. The tightness in her
stomach was not
making this easier. "I'll help you," she said warmly.
He looked at her doubtingly.
"It was no one-time-offer when I gave you my blood. I'll be here to give you the
ingredient
for the potion for as long as I can." She placed her hand on his and felt him te
nsing beneath
her grip. "I'll help you like you helped Remus."
He jerked his hand away and jumped from the bed. "I don't want you pity, girl."

Hermione looked up at him. "Maybe my commiseration is all you have left now," sh
e
whispered and cut open her finger. She held it out to him, waiting for him to pl
ace the vial
underneath she knew he was carrying in his pocket.
He was fighting it for a moment, Hermione could see it in his face, but then he
elegantly
pulled a flask from his pocket, uncorked it and held it to her finger. He watche
d her blood
flow into it. When he had what he needed he took her hand gently and placed the
tip of his
wand to her wound. It closed up, leaving nothing but smooth skin.
Hermione smiled at him when he put the flask back into his robes, still holding
her hand.
"Thank you," he said and the words sounded foreign on his lips, as if he had nev
er before said
them.
Which was probably true, Hermione thought. "You're welcome," she responded with
a smile
and his hand was warm in hers and reassuring.
Reluctantly, he let her go. "I will let you get your rest now, Miss Granger," he
said and his
voice was soft as he retreated to the door. He looked at her from across the roo
m, the way her
plait nestled in the hollow of her throat, the way her eyes shone huge and warm
and sweet.
The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. His eyes, however, were still dee
p and sad.
And then Hermione knew. She held her hand out again, beckoning him to come back
to her.
Cautiously, Severus stepped forward.
She took the hand that was hanging to his left side. She placed both of hers aro
und his hand,
stroking his long, slender fingers softly, reassuringly. "You only have to ask."

He blinked. He could not meet her eyes. The compassion he found there was so tru
e it was
unsettling. "You know the potion needs one day to brew," he started timidly.
Hermione nodded.
"I need something to help me over the night," he stated as matter-of-factly as h
e could but the
tremor in his voice betrayed him. He did not want to demand this of her. But the
alternative
was endlessly more horrific. Tentatively he raised his gaze. She looked so innoc
ent. She
looked so pure. "I can't ask this of you."
Hermione pushed the sleeve on her left arm back. "You are not asking. I am offer
ing."
He was still as she slid her wand over her wrist, opening her skin in a large, s
lender gash.
"Try not to bite me, please," she whispered as she extended her shaking hand to
him.
"Wounds made by vampires don't heal with magic."
Severus' hand ran over the scar on his neck. His had not responded to the spells
either. Only
when he had become a vampire himself did the bite marks close up.
He nodded, then lowered his head taking her arm in both of his hands tentatively
. He ran his
fingers over her skin softly and Hermione closed her eyes and leaned into the to
uch.
Butterflies kissed her wrist and fluttered upward on her arm, settling in the pi
t of her stomach.
And then his lips were on her, warm and careful. His tongue ran up and down the
length of
the gap in an excruciating motion.

There was no pain, just


A moan escaped her throat as the heat of his lips ran through her whole body, ga
thering in a
hot, tight knot in her lower stomach.
The sound was enough to break the restraint Severus had felt. He closed his lips
around her
wrist tightly and began to drink. Her hot blood filled his mouth and made him di
zzy with
longing. More and more he drank, harder and faster. He was gulping down her prec
ious
liquid, increasing his hold on her arm.
Hermione squirmed beneath him. The tension in the lower region of her body was b
ecoming
unbearable. Her legs were trembling, her stomach hard and firm and wrecking with
spasms.
She was panting now, fighting for breath. Tiny whimpers wrung from her lips as h
is tongue
sneaked out again and licked the copper of her skin.
And then he sank his teeth into her.
Her eyes flew open.
His dark hair was sprawled across her arm, hiding his face from her view. His kn
uckles were
white from the force of his grip on her. She could feel the bruises forming wher
e his slender
fingers met her flesh.
Hermione tugged at her arm.
His teeth sank deeper into her wrist, tearing her flesh, rupturing her veins to
give way to even
more of her delicious juices.

Panic began to fill Hermione when she could feel herself becoming light-headed.
She tugged
at her arm again, more forcefully this time. "Let go of me!"
He did not. He kept drinking from her with an urgency that made his body tense.
"Let got of me!" she screeched and pushed him off with all the strength she coul
d muster.
Severus tumbled from the bed and hit the ground. He whirled around and hissed at
her. His
eyes were aflame; his mouth smeared with her blood.
"Out!" Hermione panted and slid back from him, clutching the arm to her chest. T
he blood
was soaking through her bathrobe.
Severus tumbled backwards, running his hand across his face. When he drew it bac
k he saw
the blood and almost looked surprised.

"Out!" Hermione screamed.


Severus got to his feet. He backed away from her quickly, his legs shaking benea
th him. He
saw the fear in her huge brown eyes as she watched him from across the room. Her
bathrobe
had opened in her struggle with him and the arm she was desperately clutching to
her chest
was soaking onto the white undershirt.
"What have I done?" He fumbled for the doorknob and without another glance at he
r, he left.

to be continued
Chapter 12 Of Scars

"I'm so sorry, Hermione!" He whined and watched her apprehensively, fidgeting ne


rvously
with his hands.
Hermione bit her lower lip to force back the tears that were springing to her ey
es. She
clutched her hand to her chest and tried to breathe through the pain that was se
nding burning
sparks up her arm.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to " He whimpered again and guilt washed over hi
s face in
blotchy red patches when he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes.
Hermione tried to smile at him but failed miserably, gasping instead. "I know yo
u didn't,
Neville. Now pick up that root and get working again before " She rolled her eyes
in the
direction Professor Snape was leaning over the potion of one of the Slytherins.
He had yet to
notice the incident but she prayed that he would not.
Neville understood immediately and nodded. He bent down to pick up the huge chun
k of
Mandrake root from the floor he had clumsily dropped on Hermione's arm. Somethin
g wet
was sticking to his fingers, when he curled them around the wood. 'It must have
fallen into
something,' he concluded and watched the ground. He couldn't remember spilling a
ny
ingredients today and was not surprised to find the floor beneath him dry.
Curious, Neville lifted the root to his face. Something wet was covering part of
it. Something
red and pasty. Something that looked suspiciously like blood.
His head shot to Hermione and he looked at her arm. She was still pressing it ti
ghtly against
her bosom, her breath coming forced and panting. He could not see any blood on h
er but she
was wearing black gloves that hid her arms from the fingertips to her elbows. Th
e material
was dark and gleaming and distracting the light of the torches in a soft, vague
shimmer.
Hermione was glaring at him. "Get back to work," she told him under her breath,
still
clutching her arm. She could feel the wetness seeping through the glove; warm an
d sticky.
Neville turned back to his potion when he saw Professor Snape crossing the room
with huge,
sinister strides. The boy quickly buried his face in the pages of the book, pret
ending to read
over the instructions to the potion.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when the boy finally turned around and wasn't
paying
attention to her anymore. She probed the wound on her wrist through the cloth of
the glove
and flinched. She felt the pain once again burning its way up her arm in blindin
g daggers.
She was having difficulty to keep her eyes focused.
Hermione had had a hard time stopping the blood flow last night. She had tried a
variety of
spells but she knew beforehand that they would not do any good. Vampire wounds d
on't
respond to magic. She had fastened one of her school ties around her upper arm w
hen she
remembered the Muggle way of first aid. She had called a house-elf to get her so
me ice and
placed it on her arm, waiting for her vessels to contract and her blood to stop
pumping out of
her. Finally she had gotten an idea. She transfigured a thin thread and, using h
er wand to
guide it, stitched her skin back together. The Muggle remedy was finally doing t
ricks her
magic could not, and the wound had closed up.
Her wrist was pulsing with pain and Hermione wished she could get a Pain Relief
Potion.
Asking Madam Pomfrey was out of question, however. She would know about the natu
re of
her injury immediately. And the only other person in this castle to stock Pain R
elief Potion
was the only person she did not want to ask. So she had to endure the pain witho
ut a potion.
The most pressing problem had been to hide the wound. Searching through the draw
ers she
had found a pair of elbow-length, black gloves that her mother had bought her to
match a
dress. 'The next best option to skipping classes,' Hermione had thought and put
them on. It
had brought her a few curious glances from classmates and teachers but she told
them she was
cold and no one doubted her. Not out loud at least. She was the top student of t
he year, the
Head Girl, the confidant of her younger housemates, the voice of sanity. A littl
e quirk was
allowed.
"Are you having trouble chopping the roots into equal slices?" a deep, intimidat
ing voice
startled her out of her thoughts.
Hermione looked up and found herself staring into the face of her Potions Master
. He had put
his hands on the table in front of her, watching her intently as she was trying
to chop the root
and keep it from sliding through her grasp. Handling ingredients with her finger
s clad in silky
material was proving a lot more difficult than she had expected.
"Maybe if you throw vanity to the wind, Miss Granger, and get rid of those awful
gloves of
yours you could actually get your task done," he suggested with an agitated, dee
p growl.
Hermione took a deep breath. His voice was sending shivers down her spine. "No,"
she
whispered and the word was a tiny bit of a think. His black eyes were watching h
er and she
could feel her body starting to tense. Butterflies kissed the nape of her neck.
She cleared her
throat.
Severus Snape raised an eyebrow, daring her to repeat herself.
"I can't take them off," Hermione said only a little louder and held his gaze. H
is closeness
was unsettling. She could almost feel him on her skin, his heat burning her, his
darkness
enveloping her in a blanket of night.
He inhaled, trying to retain his composure. "And why, pray tell me, can't you ta
ke them off?"
Hermione looked at him daringly and repeated the same lie she had offered the ot
her teachers
who had asked. It was difficult to hold his gaze. The black pools of his eyes we
re drawing her
to him. "I am cold, sir. I doubt I'd be any better chopping these roots if my ha
nds keep
shaking from cold."
He was exhaling tensely and hissed in that perilous tone of his: "I don't care a
bout your petty
problems. Take them off!"
Hermione bored her eyes into his. She moved her face closer to him. She could fe
el his breath
on her face, hot and furious. "You know damn well that I can't," she hissed in a
low voice, so
only he could hear her.

Professor Snape stepped back from the table quickly and spilled the content of h
er cauldron
over the table top when his robe billowed from the movement. He stared at her, i
gnoring the
hidden glances of the students and the deadly silence that had settled on the cl
assroom.
"Detention, Miss Granger," he spat, when he finally found his voice.
"No!" Hermione retorted.
"Hermione!" Neville whispered terrified and tugged at the hem of her robe.
"What did you say?" Severus said in a menacing growl and rounded on her, whirlin
g her
around on her chair to face him. His face was but inches from hers again.
"You heard me. I said no!"
His hand flew forward and wound itself around her right arm in an iron grip. He
lifted her
from her chair and dragged her through the room. Hermione was having trouble fol
lowing his
huge strides and stumbled after him. The whole class watched in awe.
When they were in his study he threw the door shut behind them and placed a Sile
ncing
Charm on the walls. He turned around so fast his robe flapped again. "Who do you
think
you're talking to, Miss Granger? I will not accept such disobedience!"
Hermione shot him a furious look. "I will not serve detention with you!"
He furiously rounded on her. "Yes, you will! You will obey me like every other s
tudent does!
You will do as I say! Do you think three meagre drops of blood bought you the fr
eedom to do
as you please in my class?"

"Last night you took a lot more than just three drops!" Hermione replied angrily
, standing her
ground, gripping her wand tightly inside her pocket. He was so much taller than
her; her head
was level with his chest.
"That was unfortunate "
"Unfortunate?" she screeched. "Unfortunate? I trusted you! And you you almost em
ptied
me and left me to bleed to death and all you have to say is it was 'unfortunate'
? To hell with
you, Severus Snape!"
Severus stumbled back. His legs gave in under her hateful gaze and he grabbed th
e edge of
the desk to keep upright. The fury was gone from his face, so was the rage. All
that was left
was defeat. "I'm already there, Hermione," he said so silently she could barely
hear him.
Hermione fell to her knees, tears of frustration running down her face. The look
in his eyes
almost broke her heart. At that moment she wanted nothing more but to reach out
to him. But
she did not. "How can you expect me to be alone with you anymore? I can't trust
you." Her
whole body was shaking as sobs racked her. "I can't trust you," she whimpered ag
ain and she
whished to whatever gods there may be that she could.
"And you shouldn't," he agreed, beaten. His eyes were tunnels of darkness. He co
uld not
stand looking at her any longer and averted his gaze in a gesture of defeat.
Another sob shook her body. Her arms hung to both sides of her body; lifeless, c
areless. The
left glove was soaked with her blood. It started to drop from her finger and ont
o his carpet.
Neither of them noticed.
A soft rap at the door made both of them jerk around.
"Sir is everything okay in there?" they could hear the concerned voice of Harry.

Severus stared at the door as if he was able to see through it. He swallowed hea
vily and
dropped the Silencing Charm. "Class dismissed, Potter," Severus called in a stra
ngled voice.
"Uhn sir " Harry started again, nervously. He was obviously still waiting at the
door.
"What about ?"
"Miss Granger is alright, Potter. Now leave," Severus said a little louder this
time. His tall
frame was shaking and he made his way to the sofa next to the huge book shelf an
d let
himself sink into the cushions. He ran his hand through his hair in a distressed
movement.
When he looked at Hermione again, his eyes were full of tears. "You better leave
now," he
whispered. "Your friends are waiting."
Hermione nodded but did not move to get up. Hot tears were streaming down her ch
eeks,
staining the porcelain skin of her face.
Severus looked at her and the sadness in his eyes made her sob.
She stumbled to her feet, using her right arm to help her up. By now her whole g
love was
soaked and she left bloody imprints on her robes whenever they came in contact w
ith her arm.
She went to him; timidly, slowly, and he gazed at her in firm disbelief when she
placed her
glove-clad right hand on his cheek.
He leaned into her touch, desperate for contact, desperate for forgiveness. But
he knew she
would never give him that. He was a monster.
He closed his eyes. He could not stand the pity he saw in her face and the fear
that was
masked by it.
"Severus," Hermione sobbed and caressed his cheek. His despair was flooding over
her in
drowning waves and she did not have time to surface and draw breath before the n
ext one hit
her. She was drowning in him. "Oh Severus!" She bent down and placed a chaste ki
ss on his
forehead, just beneath his hairline. Her lips were on fire, burning him.
His eyes flew open.
And she was gone.

to be continued

Chapter 13 A Promise Kept

Hermione was standing in front of the window, watching her breath fog up the gla
ss. Her
fingers were laced around a cup of steaming tea that carried a hint of rum. She
sipped
carefully and the sting in her throat was almost enough to let her forget about
the sting in her
heart.
The door opened and she could hear Albus enter. He closed the door but did not m
ove to meet
her. He just stood and watched.
Hermione was still looking out of the window, watching the sun dance across the
lawn and
the children chasing each other around merrily. They did not know how much life
could hurt.
"I helped myself to something to drink, Headmaster. I hope you don't mind," she
said and her
voice was calm, cool, and collected.
Her mind was everything but.
"I don't mind at all," a soft, aged voice came from behind her and it was the co
ncern in his
words that made her turn around and face him.
"Have you been crying?" he asked worried and stepped a little closer.
Hermione tried to smile. The tears that had dried on her face tightened her skin
. She wanted to
tell him that everything was alright, that he did not have to worry but when she
opened her
mouth no sound came out.
Albus Dumbledore regarded her carefully. Her features were paler than usual. The
cheekbones cut through the skin of her face. "Why don't we sit down by the fire,
" he
suggested and extended an arm for her to take it and let him guide her to the ar
mchairs by the
fireplace.
Hermione looked at his offered hand. Then she walked by him and sat down in one
of the
chairs.
Albus looked after her with a worried expression. She was a young woman with goo
d
manners. It was not like her to refuse to acknowledge a polite gesture. He sat d
own in the
armchair in front of her. He did not know how to start. She seemed distressed an
d far away.
"I like your gloves," he finally offered. It was as good a start as any. He had
never seen them
on her. They suited her, however, made her look more solemn, more like the adult
she was. It
was so easy to overlook talent and knowledge beneath those school robes, Albus r
ealized.
Hermione looked at her hands. They were black and foreign to her. With a sad smi
le she met
Albus' eyes. "I don't," was all she said and she lifted the steaming cup to her
lips again and
took a deep gulp. The hot liquid was burning her mouth but she did not mind.
Hermione had stopped the blood flow by tying a cloth around the wound tightly an
d used a
cleaning spell to get rid of the stains after she had left the Dungeon.
"What happened, my dear?" Albus asked in that soft voice of his that made her wa
nt to pour
her heart out. But when Hermione looked into his blue eyes she remembered the ic
y coldness
she had seen in them when he was warning Severus Snape. She remembered the firmn
ess of
his concern for the students and condition under which the Potions Master was ab
le to stay.
And she could not say it.
"It's nothing."
"Hermione," Albus said cautiously. "You never lied to me before."
She looked at him firmly. "You didn't either."
His grey brows furrowed. "I didn't lie to you."
"You refrained from mentioning something," she exclaimed calmly. "That's the sam
e."
Albus' eyes saddened. "I couldn't tell you."
"So you left me to my fate." The words were barely more than a whisper but the a
ccusation in
them was loud and sharp; like a smack in the face.
"I "
" had no choice," she interrupted him unkindly. "I understand that. And now now I
don't
have a choice anymore." Tears, fresh and scalding, made their way down her cheek
s again.
Albus leaned forward in his chair and took a white handkerchief from his pocket.
He gave it
to Hermione and she wiped the tears away softly.
"That's what you meant when you said I had bound myself to his fate," she stated
solemnly.
"I had wondered about those words. And I had wondered why I had not found it in
the books.
I thought I had missed something. And I never miss anything." She smiled at that
, shyly. "I
looked through everything again and again all through the night but it's not wri
tten in any
book."
He shook his head. "No, it's not."
Hermione nodded. That is what she had assumed when she spent the night leafing t
hrough the
books again, looking for the piece of information she had missed, any piece of i
nformation.
But she had not found anything. No warning. No words of caution. And so she had
unsuspectingly given her soul to him.
"He doesn't know?"
Again, Albus shook his head. "No. He doesn't know. He knows he's attracted to yo
u but he
doesn't know where this feelings stem from. He doesn't know about the depth of t
he bond."
"I wish I didn't either," she whispered and tears choked her. It had been a wise
move not to
put a warning to the Anatithenai Potion. She doubted she would have given her bl
ood to the
dark, solitary stranger that was her Professor, had she known the consequences.
Or would
she?
She had bound herself to him. The more blood she gave to him the tighter their b
ond became.
Had it progressed the normal way, the whole process would have taken months. Thr
ee drops
every seven days. It was not much. She would have felt concern for him which wou
ld have
grown to fondness over the time. They would have developed a fragile sort of und
erstanding
that would slowly, very slowly, have turned to friendship and eventually ...
But he had disrupted the process.
And all of the sudden Hermione had found herself on the last square of the game;
unprepared,
overwhelmed, overdone.

"It is not necessary for him to know," she said in a determined voice. "He will
become aware
of it soon enough."
Albus nodded his promise not to tell Severus but the expression in his eyes show
ed that he
was considering this to be a mistake.
Hermione wiped her tears away again and forced a smile to her face. "I've made a
decision."
Albus Dumbledore raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"About the favour you asked me."
His eyes grew bigger. "You want to ?" He looked at her hands that were wrapped ti
ghtly
around one another now, seeking support in the strength of the other. The silky
material of her
gloves shone in the firelight. "You want to do this? Even after all he did to yo
u?"
She nodded.
"Have you thought about it?"
Hermione let out a harsh laugh that sounded not at all amused. "After all that h
as happened,
after all I have been through, you are worrying about that?" She looked at him f
irmly.
"Please, Headmaster, get the contract."
With a curt nod Albus got off his chair and went to his desk. He took a key from
a chain
around his neck and inserted it into a drawer. He turned it. Once. Twice. Three
times. He took
a roll of parchment from the drawer and returned to the young woman.
Hermione took it from him. She unrolled the parchment. It was empty. She let her
fingertips
glide over the soft, smooth surface.
"You know what to do?" Albus asked her.
She nodded. She slid off one of her gloves and gave it to the Headmaster. He too
k it, keeping
it for her. Hermione placed her right hand on the parchment and closed her eyes.
"By the
force of the wind, I swear my lips won't reveal his secret."
The parchment started to warm beneath her hand.
"By the force of the earth, I swear I will protect his secret wherever I tread."

The parchment began to glow from an inborn fire.


"By the force of the fire, I swear my heart will keep his secret."
Lines began to emerged from the virgin surface of the parchment. She could feel
their outline
rising from the smooth surface of the parchment almost like Braille.
"By the force of the water, I swear my blood will bind me to his well-being."
The lines darkened and words formed, clear and binding. Words of an ancient char
m that once
before meant the death of two people and the orphaning of her best friend. She d
id not have to
read them, she knew the formula.
Hermione took the quill Albus Dumbledore offered her. She dipped the tip into th
e ink bottle
and signed her name on the parchment in black ink.
Her part of the Fidelius Charm was almost completed.
"You'll see to it that he signs, won't you?" she asked the Headmaster and got up
form her
chair. Her throat was once again tight with despair. All she wanted now was to s
eek refuge in
the quiet of the arms of sleep. She was so exhausted her eyes threatened to fall
shut every
instant.
Albus nodded and took the parchment from her. "Of course."
Hermione placed the quill on the table. She did not watch as the colour of her s
ignature turned
from black to silver.
"Send him to me to complete the pact."
Again, Albus nodded.
Hermione crossed the office and opened the door that lead to the spiral staircas
e. Then, as if
she had only just remembered, she called him again. "Headmaster "
"Yes, my dear?"
Hermione raised her eyes and met his. There was a sparkle of hope in the chocola
te depth of
her irises. "There is a way to free him of the curse."
Albus nodded solemnly. "Yes, my dear, there is."

to be continued

Chapter 14 You Shall Perish in the Night

Hermione awoke, wishing she would never have to open her eyes again. They felt r
aw and
dry from crying herself to sleep again. It seemed to her all she ever did anymor
e was cry.
The sun caressing her face was a false brightness and she groaned, pulling the b
lanket over
her head, trying to block out the light. She could not block out the sounds of t
he birds in front
of her window, however. A pair of common swifts had nested below her window sill
earlier
this year and the grown fledglings were requesting food eagerly. Normally Hermio
ne loved to
wake to the chirping of birds. Today, however, all she wanted was quiet.
She groped for her wand and shut the window with a muffled thud, dimming the lig
ht in the
room. The soft red glow of sunlight that seeped through the tiffany window was c
omfortable
to her and finally Hermione decided to get out of bed.
Her feet hit the cold floor and a chill crept up her body. She wondered how Snap
e could stand
the coldness in the Dungeon.
Angrily she shook her head and headed to the bathroom. She would not think about
him. She
would not start the day thinking about his dark, haunting eyes boring into her p
leadingly. She
would not think about the way his silky black hair stood in a sharp contrast to
his pale, guilt-
wrenched face. She would not start the day crying over the sadness in his voice
that had
enveloped her heart so completely and she would not tremble at the memory of him
kneeling
in front of her; broken and oh-so-far away.
The hot water from the shower washed over her face, taking the salty tears with
it.
"Damn him!" she yelled and her fist collided with the wall, again and again and
again.
Her left hand hurt from the impact. But the stitching did not split open. It sto
od in sharp
contrast to her skin; a zipper of pain.
The fingers of her right hand moved to touch it but stopped short in the movemen
t, hovering
above the wound as if afraid to feel it, as if the contact would make it more re
al, more
dangerous.
He had bit down on her and held her arm in the vise of his grip. He had drunk fr
om her;
eagerly, insatiably. He had almost emptied her and then he had left her; wounded
, weak,
wasting. He had left her on the floor, longing for nothing more than a drop of h
is blood in
return to still the blood-flow and bind her stronger to him. Hermione had longed
for his curse
so strongly, at this time. Her body had still been trembling from the strange fe
elings he had
awoken. Sweetness streamed onto her thighs like honey. Her chest was heaving and
she could
not seem to get enough air. She had longed for him so strongly, known instinctly
that nothing
could quench the craving she was feeling but Severus.
But Severus had left her on the floor, bleeding. He had left her to die, knowing
about the
severity of her injury. Her best chance of healing had fled through the door in
a billow of
black robes, taking with him his precious blood that could have been Hermione's
salvation
and damnation.
He had left her with nothing but the reality of a single scar, mortal and moribu
nd.
"Damn that old fool for not telling me!" Hermione yelled again, but this time he
r voice broke
and she coughed up the water that had run down her throat. She had survived by c
hance. Her
Muggle heritage, that had been a burden so often, had saved her from death. How
could
Dumbledore keep this a secret? How could he not tell her the consequences of her
actions?
How was she to know?
And now
She loved him.
And it tore her up from the inside.
She had bound herself to his fate with the first drop of blood she had offered h
im. She could
not remember when his life had become more important to her than her own but it
had. She
could feel despair oozing from his form and it mingled with hers and she could n
ot tell the
two of them apart anymore.
When she had seen him on the floor, broken and desperate, she knew that she woul
d never see
happiness again without him. She had to reach out to the small part of him that
did not hate
her, and the touch had been a balm of peace. He had quieted. And her heart had s
topped
bleeding.

There was no question after that to go to Dumbledore and do what was necessary t
o protect
the dark man she had once feared so much. She was already lost to him.
Hermione turned off the shower and dressed carelessly into Muggle pants and a sw
eater. It
was Friday afternoon. There was no need for the school uniform. She did not plan
on leaving
her room again. She had no more classes today. She had so successfully avoided h
im the last
three days and did not want to chance running into him. She could just as well s
tudy in her
room.
She could not face him. Her heart was breaking every time he came near. She want
ed to reach
out to him but could not. She knew what she had to do but she could not bring he
rself to do it.
The potion was smart. It awakened feelings so that the victim would willingly of
fer her life.
Hermione got out her books from the school bag and piled them on the desk. Maybe
they
would be able to get her mind off him. But when she sat down and looked at the p
ages the
lines started to blur and seemed to form his face.
Only she could free him. 'Freely given,' her mind chanted over and over. She lov
ed him. She
could free him.
But it would cost her everything.
A gentle rapping at the door interrupted her thoughts and Hermione went to open
it.
"Hey, 'Mione," smiled a very enthusiastic looking Ron. His eyes were bright blue
jewels of
happiness.
"Hi."

"Can I come in?" he asked, stepping from one foot on the other.
Hermione opened the door wider to allow him in. "Of course."
Ron and Harry, who had been standing behind his best friend being blocked by his
taller
statue, entered and sat down on her bed, making the springs creak under their we
ight. The two
boys had grown a lot during the last two years, each was over foot taller than t
he young
woman.
"You okay, 'Mione? You look horrible," Harry asked and regarded her with a conce
rned
glance.
"Gee, thanks!" Hermione sat down on the desk, watching the guys with a grimace.
She
cleared the stacks of books away to have more room on the desk.
"No offence, but you look like you haven't slept in ages," Harry continued.

"You're studying too hard," Ron intercepted with a glance at the books on Hermio
ne's desk
and bedside table and shelves. Various magazines looked out from under her bed t
oo, dog-
eared and well-worn.
"Yeah," Harry agreed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew them too well to simply accept their concern
for her.
"What are you up to?"
"You're coming to Hogsmeade with us today," Ron stated with a firm grin.
"Oh, am I?" Hermione questioned a bit sharply.
"Yes, you are. You dumped us last weekend. We haven't seen you at all outside cl
ass this
week. You are coming with us," Ron demanded, not unkindly but not leaving her a
choice
either.
"You need to relax a bit," Harry pleaded her.
"Have a drink or two," Ron stated.
Hermione sighed. She was not going to get out of this one. She knew a defeat whe
n she saw
one, and drinking herself into oblivion did not seem such a bad idea at the mome
nt. "Alright,
guys. I'll come along."
Ron clapped his hands. "Wonderful!"
"Just the three of us?"
Harry nodded. "No girl-friends. Just the three of us. Like in old times."

A smile appeared on her face. She would have her best friends back. At least for
tonight.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Ron urged her. "Get ready. We want to get drun
k."
Hermione laughed and she changed her sweater to a tight fitting shirt. She did n
ot bother
leaving the room. The two boys were like brothers to her even though Ron made sw
ooning
sounds and Harry blushed and looked away.
Her hands were working expertly on the long plait, opening it and releasing her
hair. She
threw a glance in the mirror and was satisfied with what she saw. Her usual bush
of hair had
been transformed to a mass of soft, large curls. After saying a Refreshment Spel
l on her puffy
eyes and putting on her robe she was ready to go.
"So " Ron started again when they had left the castle and followed the path to Ho
gsmeade.
"Who is the guy you've been crying over "

to be continued

Chapter 15 When Trust is All That Counts

"What the hell is this?" Severus snapped when Albus Dumbledore handed him a roll
of
parchment. He had been perfectly content brooding in his Dungeon for the past fe
w days,
making supplies of Headache and Blood Replenishing Potion that would last Madam
Pomfrey
at least two years. Then, however, Albus had sent a student, telling him to meet
him in his
office.
The poor little second-year was serving detention with Filch now for interruptin
g his privacy,
Severus remembered with a satisfied grin.
"Just open it," Albus insisted in a calm voice, not letting the grumpiness of hi
s Potions Master
get to him. He was used to the younger man's temper but he wondered what had set
him off
this time.
Severus grunted and untied the cord that held the roll of parchment together. It
was just a
single sheet. He unrolled it, less carefully then he normally would have due to
his displeasure
at being here. Then he froze.
"She didn't " He started, staring down at the words of the Fidelius Charm. He sca
nned
them quickly, knowing what they said. And then his eyes found the neat script th
at sealed the
pact. Letters, carefully scripted, read 'Hermione Granger.'
"She didn't " He whispered again, totally dumbstruck at the sight before him
Albus looked at him firmly. "You hold the proof in you hand that, indeed, she di
d sign the
contract. The contract that will most probably save your life." And, as an after
thought, he
added: "Though why she did this is beyond me."
Severus head snapped up and his dark eyes bored into pools of ice. "How could sh
e ?"
"You asked her," Albus said as though it would explain everything.
Severus was shaking. "She's not stupid. She wouldn't do something of such conseq
uence just
because I asked her."
Albus' eyes twinkled. "You are severely underestimating our Miss Granger here,"
he said
with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Severus fell silent. He gulped. She had signed the contract. She was willing to
become his
Secret Keeper. All he had to do was put his signature next to hers and the pact
would be
binding and he would be safe.
Why had she done it? The Fidelius Charm was not something to enter in lightly. H
is life
would be in her hands.
But maybe that is what she wanted. He had ridiculed her so often he could not ev
en count it.
He had hurt her. He had endangered her life. Maybe she was just waiting for her
chance to
pay him back.
"You asked her," Albus said again, suspecting where Severus' thoughts went and t
rying to
snap him out of it. "She is an honourable young woman, Severus. She wants to hel
p you."
He snorted.
"You couldn't accept an honourable intention when it bit you in your up-tight ar
se!"
Severus looked up furiously. "I do not need her pity," he spat and jumped from t
he chair,
throwing the roll of parchment at the Headmaster. "I don't want her to do this o
ut of some
screwed sense of Gryffindor sympathy "
"You will accept her gift!" Albus said, raising his voice. He hit his hands on t
he desk, making
Severus sit down with the force of it. "You will trust in her the way she trusts
in you!"
Severus lowered his gaze. "That's the problem, Headmaster. She doesn't trust me.
Not
anymore."
Albus sat down again, gathering his hands in his lap. "Oh, but she does, my boy.
She trusts in
you to overcome the shadows that have laid on your soul and to become better tha
n yourself.
She trusts in you to overcome the darkness because she needs something to trust
in in those
dark times." He pushed the parchment back to the Potions Master, along with a qu
ill. "And
you will trust her to save you."
Severus drew the parchment to him slowly. The graceful swift of her script seeme
d to be
calling out to him. Reluctantly, he picked up a quill.
He saw Hermione Granger before his inner eye, her robe tightly wrapped around th
e tiny
frame of herself, an arm looped through the handle of a basket, a tiny smile on
her lips that
almost looked inviting. Lavender. She had brought him lavender. A thoughtful mov
e of her. A
move that saved her life that night.
And then he saw her kneeling in front of him, crying.
And then her face, stricken with fear. Her warm, brown eyes huge as she stared a
t him, tried
to push him away. He could see right into her soul then. Her whole body was trem
bling
beneath his touch.
And his hand was trembling too. With hurried, shaky lines he signed his name on
the
parchment. The quill scratched the surface angrily, almost breaking through it.
Severus did not stay long enough to see the parchment begin to glow again and th
e words of
the Fidelius Charm fade back into the perfect white of the paper. He did not sta
y to watch the
parchment vanish in a haze of glitter that fell to the ground like fairy dust.
He fled from the office and stumbled down the spiral staircase in long strides,
almost running
to the Dungeon. He was glad it was Hogsmeade weekend and no students were roamin
g the
corridors. His footsteps echoed through the empty hallways.
He was walking fast. No one was around but he felt haunted, followed, watched. S
everus felt
something grip his throat tightly and he shut the door to his classroom with veh
emence,
sinking backward against its strong, wooden surface. This was his domain. Here h
e was safe.
When he opened his eyes, however, he saw the form of Hermione cowering at the wa
ll to his
right, her back pressed against the cold stone wall tightly. Her breathing was h
eavy but
Severus could not hear the sound of it. He could not hear her pleading but he sa
w her lips
move.
He blinked.
She was gone. Just a memory.
His hand sneaked out beneath his robes and touched the stone wall where her head
had been.
He could feel the sharp lines his knife had made when he had scraped her blood f
rom the
surface, collecting it carefully in a vial.

Severus' eyes focused and he saw his hand trembling, caressing the light patch o
f stone
almost tenderly. He jerked it away as if burned.
Angrily he made his way through the classroom. Her presence was almost unbearabl
e here.
He passed by the table she shared with Neville Longbottom since her first year.
Little droplets
of sweat were forming just beneath his hairline.
Severus entered his study.
And there she was again; kneeling, sobbing.
He let out a frustrated roar and raced through the chamber, entering his private
quarters. There
was no memory of her in his rooms. She had never been here. She could not follow
him into
his refuge.
Agitated, Severus crossed his living room and opened the bar, grabbing the first
bottle his
hand touched. It was an almost empty bottle of Firewhiskey. He unscrewed the lid
and gulped
down the content in a long, thirsty draught, relishing the feeling of the Whiske
y burning its
way down his throat and into his stomach with heated intensity.
Why had she signed the contract? She did not trust him. How could she, after wha
t he had
done to her. He had broken the most important bond between a teacher and a stude
nt her
ability to entrust him her safety. Severus knew he was not well-liked by the stu
dent body but
none of his students had ever had to fear him, honestly fear him.
She had seen a side of him that he had tried oh-so-hard to hide from himself. Sh
e had seen
him unleashed, instinct-driven. She had been so close to walking in the darkness
and yet she
came back to him, day after day, offering him her trust and her help and her com
passion.
He did not deserve her.
When he closed his eyes he could see the fear in her eyes again when he had push
ed her
against the wall, touched her in the most intimate places. He could almost feel
the trembling
of her tiny body beneath his the night she had offered him her blood, the night
she had
entrusted herself to him.

And he had failed her.


Miserably.
He had taken from her more than he should have and then he had refused her his h
elp. The
only help he could offer. His own blood. He could have ended her pain there, let
ting her take
from him like he had taken from her. But he could not bring himself to do it. He
could not
allow her to turn into what he had become.
And so he had left her, knowing she would die.
He had been surprised to see her back in class. When she walked through the door
, paler than
ever, dark-eyed, afraid, he had come face to face with the worst demon in himsel
f. The demon
that had made him hurt the one person that truly cared about him.
How could she ever trust him? How could she wilfully bind herself to him by sign
ing a
contract that forced them even closer together?
Angrily he tossed the empty bottle of Firewhiskey against the wall. Gryffindor m
orals were
all that drove her, he knew. The compassion she claimed she felt was not honest,
was nothing
more than pity at the sight of a monster. He would never have her trust. He woul
d never have
her faith.
Over six years in class he had made sure those feelings would never have a chanc
e to awaken.
And now that he longed for them, needed them he had ruined it forever.
This knowledge made his life hell. She was so close to him during the day, her p
resence was
perceptible all over the castle, and yet she could not be further away were she
in Avalon. He
woke every morning, sweat drenched and aroused, her name dying on his lips. He c
ould still
taste her in the borderland between sleep and wake when he ran his tongue across
them. She
was almost palpable just before the fog of sleep lifted and left him cold, empty
, and utterly
alone.
Another glance in his bar told him that his last bottle of Firewhiskey was lying
in a thousand
shards of glass on the floor in front of him. The drink he had was not nearly en
ough tonight.
He accioed his cloak and with long, determined strides, left his quarters and ma
de his way
through the Dungeon, leaving the castle through one of its countless bypaths. Th
e night air
was cool and fresh and he enjoyed the chill on his face as he proceeded to Hogsm
eade, a little
off the path, avoiding the students who made their way home to their Houses in s
mall,
giggling groups.
What was it with girls and giggling anyway? Hermione Granger never giggled.
He shook his head in the darkness. No, it had not been nearly enough Whiskey to
clear his
mind of her.
The buzzing of the town grew louder the closer he came and soon he was surrounde
d by
witches and wizards of all ages. He passed by almost unnoticed. One was used to
the dark, tall
teacher who rarely ever spoke a word.
He quickly discarded the idea of frequenting The Hog's Head. Too many people of
doubtful
reputation could be found there. He was in no mood to meet one of his fellow Dea
th Eaters or,
even worse, some youngsters who wanted to become so.
Throwing a glance inside The Three Broomsticks he saw that most of the students
had already
left and only a few older strangers were sitting at the bar and the tables. He q
uickly stepped up
the three creaking stairs that lead to the door and put his hand on the handle.
At that very moment the door opened and someone bumped into his chest.
"Oh!" came a squeaky voice from beneath a bush of dark brown hair. Followed by
giggling. "Oops."
"Watch your steps, young lady," he growled short-tempered, stepping back a littl
e to avoid
contact with the woman.
Two tall, slender shadows emerged from inside The Three Broomsticks, hurrying to
the
young woman's side. The light from inside blinded Severus for a moment and he co
uld not
recognize their faces.
"Are you okay, 'Mione?" asked a concerned voice and then Harry Potter looked up
and met
the astonished gaze of his Potions Master. "Oh, Professor Snape. Good evening."
Severus grunted impolitely.
Ron put an arm around Hermione to stop her from falling back into the chest of h
er professor.
She had lost balance when he had retreated, leaving her swaying. She looked rema
rkably pale.
"Sorry, Professor Snape," Harry tried to explain. "She's not feeling too well."
Severus snorted with another glance at the girl. "I can see that, Potter. What d
id you do, try to
get her drunk so you could have your "
"Don't even go there!" Harry replied angrily, cutting him off.
"Ten points, Potter," Severus retorted. "And now get back to the castle. Immedia
tely!" His
tone tolerated no protest. He was in no mood to argue with teenagers tonight. He
had come
here to forget about Hermione for one night and the unexpected run-in with the g
irl had
caught him off guard. Severus did not like that feeling. Not at all.
Ron was about to retort something when Harry interjected and pulled his two frie
nds with him
slowly. Hermione moved to pass her teacher after a moment of uncomfortable silen
ce and
embarrassing closeness, being dragged along by the red-haired boy.
Severus decided quickly he would not let her get away from him now. "Could I hav
e a word
with you, Miss Granger?"
Hermione turned to him, swaying.
"A word," Severus repeated when she did not answer him.
His voice brought her back and she shook her head slightly to clear her head. Ba
d idea.
"'course."
A rustling was heard behind her. "Uhn " Harry started awkwardly. Shall we wait f
or you?"
Hermione looked at him, then back to the professor, then back at Harry and Ron.
"No!" Hermione and Severus then said in unison.
Hermione blushed.
Severus cleared his throat and straightened up, confronting The Boy Who Lived an
d his red-
haired sidekick with his tall statue and intimidating harshness. "That won't be
necessary,
Potter. I'll make sure she gets back safely."

to be continued

Chapter 16 To Regain Eventually

"Can we take this somewhere more private, Miss Granger?" Severus asked uncomfort
ably,
watching her two friends vanish down the road and noticing the customers of The
Three
Broomsticks who stared at them impertinently.
"You, sir, are a wizard," Hermione stated slowly, drawling, and raised her hand,
poking him
in the chest. "You place one of those difi dilif defilection charms and we have
all the
privacy you want." She giggled.
Severus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The girl was a lot drunker than
she had
appeared at first sight. He had to do something about that or he would not be ab
le to get a
coherent sentence from her. He had not taken her for someone who drowned her pro
blems in
alcohol.
He smiled inwardly. Doing just that was his reason for coming here tonight in th
e first place.
Maybe they had more in common than he thought.
Severus pulled Hermione outside and closed the door to The Three Broomsticks,
manoeuvring her to the side a little so they would not block the entrance. She w
as swaying
again and he placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her against the wall so she
would not fall.
He was a tall, black barrier in front of her, making her shiver with memories sh
e could not
quite place in her inebriated state.
Severus searched for the small vial in one of his inside pockets, retrieving it
only moments
later. He had taken it with him to sober up after the indulgence he had planned
for tonight.
But it seems Hermione Granger was in more need of it now.
"Drink this," he ordered her and handed her the uncorked vial.
Hermione sniffed it. "Smells bad "
"Just drink it, Miss Granger," he growled, a little impatient.
Hermione looked at him strangely but then she lifted the vial to her face again
and gulped
down the Sober Up Potion. She made a face, handing him the empty vial.
"Better?" he asked, slipping the glass back into his pocket in a gracefully flui
d motion.
She tasted the sharp tang on her tongue, wrinkling her nose. "Tastes even worse
than it
smells."
Severus sighed. "Not the potion, Miss Granger. Your condition."
She looked flustered and nodded. "Yes, sir." Then, suddenly, she went pale.
"What is it?"
Hermione did not answer him. Instead she turned around and stumbled to the edge
of the
house, holding onto the wall with one hand, clutching the other one to her stoma
ch. She
retched loudly. Moments later the content of her stomach had emptied on the grou
nd.
Severus ran a hand through his hair again. This was a disaster. Here he was, alo
ne, with an
utterly drunk student. A female student. Without another thought he turned aroun
d and
vanished in the crowd, robes billowing behind him.
Hermione was still retching when he returned. She felt a hand on her shoulder an
d looked up.
"Eat this," Severus said and placed a small silver ball in her hand.
Hermione looked at it. It looked foreign and stood out in sharp contrast against
the black silk
of her gloves.
"It's chocolate," he explained. "Mint chocolate and some herbs. It'll calm your
stomach."

She unwrapped the chocolate ball and placed it on her tongue. It did taste like
mint. She
sucked on it swallowed. Her stomach calmed. And even better, the horrid taste in
her mouth
vanished. Hermione smiled at Severus. "Thank you."
He waved it off. "Don't mention it."
Hermione readjusted her clothes, her cheeks aflame. When Severus started to desc
end the
stairs of The Three Broomsticks she followed. She walked at his side, surprised
how easily
they made it through the crowded streets. Not once did anyone bump into them or
made them
swerve out of the way. People seemed to be avoiding Severus Snape in Hogsmeade m
uch as
they were avoiding him at Hogwarts.
Hermione looked at him and beneath his faade of severity and distance she saw the
lonely
man he was. And she wanted nothing more than to cure his loneliness.
"Will you get me in trouble?" Hermione finally found the nerve to break the sile
nce when
they had left Hogsmeade behind them and the constant buzz of voices had calmed d
own to a
low murmur.
Severus looked at her, puzzled. "What for?"

"Behaviour unbecoming of a Hogwarts Head Girl."


Severus looked at her with something that could be a smirk. "Believe me, Miss Gr
anger, I am
the last one to condemn someone for drowning their sorrows in alcohol."
A smile found her lips and they slowed their steps a little, relaxing somewhat,
now that they
were not watched by by-passers anymore. "I wish you hadn't seen me like this," H
ermione
mumbled, still embarrassed.
Severus slowed down even more and came to a halt. He found her eyes in the darkn
ess. "You
are embarrassed," he realized incredulously. He snorted, suppressing a laughter.

Hermione pouted when she saw him fighting laughter.


Severus tried to steady himself, waving a hand. "You are embarrassed!" he repeat
ed out of
breath.
"Glad to amuse you," Hermione snapped.
Severus placed a hand on her shoulder, composing himself. "You're a piece of wor
k, girl.
After all you have seen me do you are embarrassed. By something as insignificant
as being
drunk. Believe me, Miss Granger, you have nothing to be embarrassed about."
The frown on Hermiones face vanished and was replaced by a small smile. "Well, t
hinking
about it, you haven't displayed perfect gentlemanly behaviour either," she conce
ded.
"Far from it!" Severus smirked but his eyes showed something else.
Hermione met his gaze and the intensity of it rippled through her body in hot wa
ves. "So," she
asked with a dry mouth. "Where are we going now?"
"I thought I'd take you up on your idea. I am, after all, a wizard," Severus rep
lied dryly.
Hermione choked. "I'm sorry about that "
"Stop apologizing, for Merlin's sake," Severus but her off and picked up a slow
pace again,
breaking the eye contact. He drew his wand and placed a Silencing Charm around t
he two of
them, then some form of Deflection Charm to shield them from prying eyes. "So ha
ve you
told Potter and Weasley what they have set out to find out."
Hermione looked up startled. "How did you ?"
"You have not been behaving like you normally do. Even those two dunderheads not
iced,"
Severus snorted, surprised by her lack of insight into her own behaviour. "I'm s
ure your two
friends are wondering what's wrong with you. I bet that's the reason they took y
ou out to that
pub tonight."
Hermione furrowed her brow,. "Am I really that transparent?" She sounded a littl
e hurt.
Severus pretended not to notice. "So I am right, am I?"
She nodded miserably. "They asked about you."
Severus turned around sharply, his eyes tiny slits of strain. "About me?"
"Well, not really about you," she tried to calm him quickly. "They think some gu
y's
responsible for me not behaving like I normally do, like you so eloquently put i
t. They kept
pestering me about it the whole evening."
The tension was audible in his voice. "So what did you tell them?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing. Let them believe I'm some love-sick t
eeny girl.
I couldn't care less." She heard him exhale but she did not turn her head to loo
k at him. He
did not need to know that she meant what she had said. That she was indeed sick
with love.
"Do you mind if we sit down," Hermione inquired after they walked side by side f
or a while,
neither talking. She found it increasingly difficult to see the roots and holes
on the ground to
avoid stumbling. How he managed to glide gracefully next to her was beyond her.
Severus nodded curtly.
Hermione directed her pace to the right, expecting him to follow but she stopped
when she
could not hear his soft footsteps and the rustling of robes anymore.
"Where exactly do you think you're going?" Severus asked with a slight edge to h
is voice.
His eyes were rooted to a spot just above her shoulder.
"The Whomping Willow. Why?" Hermione's lips twitched into a smile. "No one will
walk by
there accidentally, Professor. There's little chance we get stumbled over."
"There's no way I'm going near that tree," Severus exclaimed coldly, still not a
verting his
eyes from the dark, gnarled figure of the ancient tree.
Hermione laughed lightly and picked up his hand, dragging him with her. "Oh, com
e on, the
tree won't hurt you. I promise I won't force-bind you to it again." She walked a
few steps,
pulling him with her. Then she slowed down. She looked at their entangled hands;
black glove
in pale hand. Then she looked up at him. What had driven her to touch him! He wa
s her
teacher!
"Sorry, Professor" she mumbled hastily, trying to retreat her hand.
Severus' grip tightened, closing around her fingers. He was by her side, then, w
alking next to
her. He did not say anything but his eyes told her that it was alright. He let h
er lead them to
the Willow and when she stopped to take her shoes off, he kicked his off too. He
silently
watched her move at his side, stomping her feet in something that resembled a da
nce, and the
way the tree reacted to her slender movements. Soon they were sitting on the gro
und, resting
against the bark.
Severus was still holding her hand in his. His fingers were gliding over the sil
ky material.
"You are still wearing them," he said after a while and his voice was a mixture
of guilt and
surprise and something else entirely.
Gently, Hermione entangled her fingers from his. She slid the gloves off and put
them on the
ground next to her. Then she returned her left hand into his grasp.
Severus ran his fingers across the scar that was still red and prominent on her
wrist. When he
touched the stitches it tickled. "I've never seen anything like it," he admitted
.
Hermione regarded him carefully. "A Muggle remedy. It was the only thing that wo
uld help.
It was a close call."
Severus raised his eyes from the wound he had inflicted and looked at her. "I'm
sorry."
She tried to smile reassuringly but failed. "Why didn't you stay to help me?"
Severus averted his eyes.
"You could have helped me. You could have saved me." The addition 'I did it for
you' went
unspoken.
Severus gripped her hand in both of his, pressing them to his chest. "I couldn't
have saved
you, Hermione," he exclaimed. "Anything I could've done would've made it worse "
"Your blood "
" would have doomed you to an existence of darkness," he said passionately. His e
yes
bored into hers, unrelenting. "I couldn't do this to you. I couldn't drag you do
wn."
"But you could leave me to die ?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. She d
readed
the answer. Did she mean so little to him, that he would simply have let her die
? Was she
nothing more than a comfortable means to a necessary end? Was she nothing more t
o him
than a willing donor?
Severus raised her hand to his lips, pressing them to her skin tenderly. She tas
ted exactly like
he remembered, sweet and pure. His eyes were so full of battling emotions they w
ere almost
flooding over. "It was the most horrible thing I ever did. It broke me seeing yo
u like that. I
cannot forgive myself for doing that to you! You gave so much to me and instead
of thanking
you I hurt you. I wanted to help you, believe me, but I didn't know how Everythi
ng is
better than what I am now. Even death!"
Hermione raised her right hand to his face too, caressing his cheek. She was sha
king. "That's
not true!" she exclaimed. "That's just not true. You are a wonderful man!"
Severus snorted. "You're just saying this because I'm your teacher and can take
points if
you're telling your true opinion."
Hermione bent towards him. "Actually I should not say this because you are my te
acher!" She
stroked her hand down his cheek one more time and then took his hands in both of
hers. She
entwined their fingers, palms facing one another. "Why do you think did I return
to you?
Again and again." She smiled but her eyes were more serious than ever before. "N
ot
everything is dark, Professor."
"Severus."
She smiled. "Severus."
Heat begun to build where their hands met, flooding their bodies in rippling wav
es. Hermione
moved closer to him, sitting on her knees. Their entwined hands were pressed aga
inst her
chest. Her heart was pounding heavily. "My fate to your fate," she whispered but
her words
seemed to carry over the grounds for the promise in them was loud and hope was a
ll around
them.
The heat between them was almost radiant now.
Severus looked at her entranced. He was being burnt in her grip but he did not j
erk his hands
away from her. A light reflected in her eyes that was all trust and warmth and l
ove.
"And my fate to your fate," he echoed her words, binding them together, activati
ng the power
of the Fidelius Charm. He had avoided her for days, refused to accept her gift,
her trust, her
caring. And now he completed the pact and nothing has ever felt more right than
this. He was
so close he could see tiny specks of light in her eyes, where the stars reflecte
d in the night of
her gaze. His lips graced hers ever so lightly.
Severus leaned towards her, intensifying the contact, pressing his mouth to hers
in a dry,
desperate kiss that was all chaste and innocent and did not want to be.
He closed his eyes when they broke the kiss and held his breath. "You have no id
ea how long
I've longed to do this," he finally whispered.
Hermione smiled and her hand came up again to meet his face, to caress the soft
stubble that
grew on his cheek. "And you have no idea how much I've wanted you to do it." She
rested
her forehead against his.

Severus could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke again. "I wonder if the
Fidelius
Charm worked the same way for the Potters and Pettigrew."
Severus laughed; a low, vibrating tone that carried deep in his throat. "That is
a picture I don't
want in my head."
Hermione laughed and it was a light, clear sound.
"Where does that leave us now?" Severus asked into the comfort that enveloped th
em like a
warm blanket now. The cold of the night was forgotten and so was the loneliness.
Hermione closed her eyes, feeling his breath on her face and his arms around her
body. "I
don't know," she whispered. She did not care, as long "Together," she promised.
"We'll
find a way."
Severus closed his arms tighter around her, pressing Hermione into his chest. He
could feel
her heart beating loud. Or was it his? "Together," he agreed and pressed his lip
s against hers
again.
This time their kiss was all but innocent.

to be continued

Chapter 17 Walk Me to the Door

"Someone will see us," Hermione panted in between kisses but her body betrayed t
he concern
in her voice and pressed into his eagerly. She could feel the taut muscles of hi
s body playing
against hers.
His lips were hard and demanding on hers and her breath was coming in quick, des
perate
gasps on his skin. "You are right," Severus breathed against her ear, his finger
s drawing
butterflies on her back. "We should stop." And his lips were on hers again.
Hermione smiled into his mouth. "You are impossible, Severus Snape," she teased
him,
placing two soft, quick pecks on the corners of his mouth before she wiggled fre
e from his
grasp.
Severus smirked. He held her hand still in his, refusing to let her leave. "And
you, Hermione,
are irresistible."
She laughed lightly. "Whatever," she said flippantly. "I really should get up to
Gryffindor
Tower, you know. It's getting awfully late," she tried to convince him, amused b
y the thought
that it was her who had to be the voice of reason.
Severus' scowled, his lower lip protruded.
"Don't pout. That's not becoming," she laughed.
Severus joined her, low and rumbling. It was good curfew had long passed. His la
ughter
carried far in the empty hallways. Though it was doubtful a student would recogn
ize the
sound for what it was would they come to hear it.
Hermione withdrew her gloves from the pocket of her robes and pulled them on aga
in. The
material slid up her arms easily.
"So " Severus asked when they slowly made their way through the dark and silent
corridors. "What are you going to tell Potter and Weasley?"
Nothing but their footsteps and the rustling of robes disrupted the silence. The
carefree
atmosphere that had surrounded them just moments ago had been replaced by someth
ing
thicker, darker. Hermione looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.
Severus smirked inwardly. She was definitely spending too much time with him. Sh
e was
picking up his habits. "They won't let you off the hook that easy. They'll want
to know why I
requested to speak to you. What will you tell them when they ask about this meet
ing?"
Hermione halted her steps rose onto her toes, whispering in his ear. "I'll tell
them I discovered
that you, sir, are far more adept at kissing than scowling."
Severus growled. "You wouldn't "
She laughed. "Of course I wouldn't." She stopped when they were standing in fron
t of the Fat
Lady. The portrait was eyeing them curiously but when Severus stared at her with
a dark,
sinister gaze she averted her eyes quickly, busying herself with the hem of her
robes.
"I can handle Harry and Ron, don't worry about that. I'll tell them about a Poti
ons project or
something like it."
Severus' hand was sneaking up to her mouth, caressing the lips. They were swolle
n, red, and
smeared. "You should do something about that." He could not bring himself to sou
nd
concerned. The sight of the dishevelled young girl was too much for him. So was
the thought
that he was the one responsible for it.
Again, Hermione laughed. "I got away with the gloves. I don't think sore lips wi
ll be a
problem."
Severus fell silent. He held her hands, now once again clad in black silk, tryin
g to prolong the
moment. He wanted to tell her not to return to her tower, to come with him and e
nd what they
had begun tonight. Now that he had held her in his arms he was reluctant to let
her go again.
"Promise me something, Severus," Hermione pleaded in a whisper. She was afraid t
o let go of
his hand, to end this night. She dreaded what tomorrow would bring.
"Anything," Severus said.
"Be careful tomorrow "
"How do you " He was stunned.
She smiled sadly. "I am far more observant than you give me credit for, Severus.
I think I
know why Malfoy was here on Monday. And I don't believe he destroyed the potion
accidentally. I don't want you to " She fell silent, then looked up at him. "Just
be careful,
okay?"
Severus' mouth went dry. All he could do was nod.
Hermione smiled and rose to her toes again. She pressed a last, fleeting kiss on
his lips and
with a solemn "Solstice" to the Fat Lady she slipped through the portrait hole.

The common room was almost empty. Only the chairs nearest the fire were occupied
with two
silent, unmoving bodies. A board of Wizard's Chess was standing in between, half
played.
The small stones were impatiently waiting for someone to make a move, occasional
ly clearing
their tiny throats, eying Ron, then Harry, then Ron again. The two boys had fall
en asleep in
their chairs.
With the smile still on her lips Hermione went over to them, taking her cloak of
f on the way
and letting it drop to the ground. It smelled of Severus, of herbs and earth, an
d she was afraid
the boys might make a connection. "Wake up, guys," she said and watched them sti
r to life
again. She sat down on the armrest next to Harry, gazing down at him.
"You back?"
She nodded. "You know, you didn't have to wait up for me."
"It's way past midnight. We were worried," Harry said, rubbing his eyes. His hai
r looked
even wilder than normal, as though it had been subjected to hours of finger-pull
ing and
ruffling it.
"I was with a teacher," Hermione explained. "I was quite safe."
"You were with Snape!" Ron retorted, making a face. Disgust weighed heavy in his
voice.

"He's still a teacher. I couldn't have been safer if I'd been with Professor Dum
bledore,"
Hermione tried to reason calmly. She was tired and exhausted and did not want to
argue. All
she wanted to do now was curl up in bed and replay the evening, to fall asleep w
ith the taste
of him on her tongue.
Ron, however, had no such reservations. He sat up straighter in the chair. "He's
a Death Eater
and "
"Was!" Harry interjected, tired and grumpy. "He was a Death Eater."
Ron looked at him sceptically.
Harry sighed. "Wake up, mate. He's with the Order now. He's loyal to Professor
Dumbledore."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever! He still has that mark, doesn't he? Evil d
oesn't wash
off that easily."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Stop being stupid, Ron. Just because he's not the fri
endliest
teacher "
Amused snorts from both of them.
" doesn't mean he's evil." With a sigh, Hermione got up. She knew she should stop
defending him. She had never shared Ron's negative opinion of her Potions Master
, but she
had not stuck for him either. It would most certainly arouse suspicions would sh
e start now.
"I'm going to bed, guys. I'm way too tired to argue right now. All I want now is
to fall into
my bed."
Harry got up from his chair too.
The chess pieces started protesting loudly. Ron picked up a box from the floor a
nd collected
them, putting them to rest for the night.
"How are you feeling anyway?" Harry wanted to know, when he felt his head pound
from the
sudden movement. His mouth felt like an ash-tray and he had not drunk nearly as
much as
Hermione had. She had been quite drunk when they left her with the professor.
"He gave me some Sober Up."
"Did he get mad?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't believe it." He really would not. If she
told him that
she had seen Severus Snape laugh with her, he would have her sent to St. Mungo's
immediately.
"So what did Snape want, anyway?" Harry asked, watching Hermione pick up her clo
ak from
the floor and folding it over her arm.
"Talk about a Potions project "
Ron snorted behind her, catching up with his two friends when he had put the che
ss set away.
"On a Friday night! That's just like him. Just because he doesn't have a life do
es not mean
he's got the right to deprive everyone of theirs."
Hermione interjected. "It's extra credit work. I asked for it."
"You nuts?" Ron asked shocked, but Hermione could tell his anger had subsided. "
You work
harder then any of us and now you're doing extra credit work with Snape. I don't
understand
you, 'Mione."
Hermione muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Boys" when she left
Harry and
Ron standing at the bottom of the stairway and climbed up the stairs to the Head
Girl room.
"Hey, 'Mione," Harry called after her.

She turned around.


"You never answered our question."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Who's the guy you're so mad about?" Harry grinned broadly.
Hermione broke into a smile. "Good night, guys."

to be continued

Chapter 18 The Worries That Keep Us


Awake

"I trust you have been enjoying yourself, old friend?"


Severus reluctantly averted his eyes from the darkness and stood back from the w
indow,
turned to come face to face with the white haired ex-Slytherin. A curt, almost i
mpolite nod.
"Yes, Lucius. It's quite an entertaining party. You lived up to your reputation
of Britain's
best host once again."
A thin-lipped smile appeared on Lucius Malfoy's mouth. "Glad to hear that," he d
rawled,
giving the Potions Master an appreciative look. "You have something in your face
," Lucius
mentioned and grinned slightly and made a short, light movement to his lips.
Severus raised his hand to his own mouth. When he withdrew his fingers he saw a
little blood
smeared on the tips. "Oh!" He remembered biting the girl, which had not at all b
een planned,
but it had helped to make his performance more believable to his fellow Death Ea
ters.
It was all he could do to force himself to ignore the blood that had pulsed from
her innocent
throat. The amber pendant warm and soothing on his skin had finally given him th
e strength
he had been so close to loosing. And loosing was not an option amidst hooded fig
ures with
curious eyes, one more deadly than the other.
"You've always liked to bite," Lucius teased, when he saw Severus stare at the d
roplet.
Severus looked at him sharply, trying to make out the meaning behind the words.
What did
Lucius know? He must have found the deceased vampire on his grounds. How much di
d he
deduce? Finally, Severus settled to shrug his shoulders. This was not the first
time he had
participated in one of Lucius' parties. And it was surely not the first time he
had bitten a
victim.
"Why don't you come and have a couple of drinks with us?" Lucius asked, trying t
o lure the
darker man back to the party.
Severus glared at him, trying hard not to let his disgust show. He forced an apo
logetic smile
on his face. "I'm sorry I must decline. I have lessons to plan, still, and I am
expected back at
the castle." His hands were buried deep in his black robes. This occasion had no
t required him
to wear his Death Eater gear but he now wished he had. The robes he was wearing
now he
would burn as soon as he returned to Hogwarts. Spells had been able to clean the
blood away
from them but he could still smell it.
"What a pity," Malfoy said and his lips twitched. "But at least you have been ab
le to release
some pent up energy at the festivities. Some of the men had doubted you would "
The sentence hung heavy above Severus' head. He forced his lips into an evil smi
rk.
"Wouldn't have wanted to miss out on it," he promised with something that he hop
ed
resembled a drawl.
"The strain you must be under at Hogwarts "
Severus rolled his eyes. "Those inane mudbloods really get to me, my friend. It
was quite
satisfying to get back at one of them." His lips forced into a grin and his eyes
flashed with
something that could pass as lust.
"My son told me that you appeared quite stressed lately," Lucius inquired, letti
ng his eyes
probe the face of the Potions Master.
"As you said yourself, pent up energy. It's not so easy to get some enjoyment ri
ght under the
old fools' nose," Severus smiled apologetically.
"In that case; glad I could be of service to redeem this situation," Lucius grin
ned and bowed
courteously.
"Redeem you did, my friend", Severus said and nodded. "But I really must be goin
g now."
Lucius clapped is glove-clad hands together. "Well, then I'll return to the fest
ivities. They'll
be waiting for me."

Severus nodded curtly.


Lucius accompanied Severus through the room and he stopped at the door, watching
the
darker man take his cloak from a house elf and put it on. Lucius put a finger to
his lips,
apparently in thought. "Do be careful when leaving the grounds," he advised.
Severus' hand lay on the handle. An eyebrow was raised questioningly.
"I have a couple of creatures running loose you wouldn't want to run into. A new
shipment
arrived just a few weeks ago. I didn't show them to you when we last met, did I?
"
Severus tensed and shook his head. "You haven't mentioned them."
"Well, you must come over and have a look at them. Pity the most precious of the
m has
deceased after our last gathering." Lucius eyes bored into Severus' but his face
gave nothing
away. "I found it dead in the garden after the last gathering."
"Pity," Severus agreed. "I'm sure you paid a lot of money for it."
"I did, old friend," Lucius nodded with a grin that made the hair on the back of
his neck rise
in protest. "You know I'm terribly fond of my own private guardians."
Severus nodded. "I remember that ghoul you got last year "
"Wonderful little soldier, that one."
"What was it this time?"
"Avery stumbled across a lair of vampires during his trip to Romania. He was so
kind to bring
some back for me." Lucius eyes lit up with passion when he talked about the crea
tures.
"Wonderfully loyal, once you got them tamed. And so easy to keep. But I fear som
e
unsuspecting soul ran into one of them. Poor thing. Those vampires sure are dang
erous.
Maybe I should put a warning up."
Severus, once again, answered with a curt nod only. He was not at all comfortabl
e with the
turn this conversation was taking. And he did not like the looks Lucius was givi
ng him.
"Wouldn't that defy the cause of getting them in the first place?"
Lucius laughed wholeheartedly. "How true, old friend, how true."
"Good night, Lucius." And with that, Severus was out of the door.
"Severus!" Lucius called after him.
Severus barely slowed down his steps.
"Do not forget the Gathering tomorrow evening."

Severus snorted to himself. How could he? The abnormity that was burned into his
arm would
remind him of it. "I'll see you there," he called over his shoulder. He only dar
ed to exhale
when he heard the front door fall shut behind him.
With steady steps Severus crossed the Malfoy grounds, listening into the night f
or a sign, any
sign of a pursuer.
The darkness seemed to withdraw from him. He could hear rustling in the trees bu
t when he
turned his head he could not see what had caused it. Or more exactly: who had ca
used it. But
he could feel them.
Then he reached the end of the grounds and turned around to look at the Malfoy m
anor a last
time. Eyes seemed to follow his every move. Eyes that knew the same curse he did
.

Apparating back to Hogwarts had never felt so good.


Even the air felt different when Severus Snape reappeared at the periphery of th
e Hogwarts
grounds. The night was less dark and the breeze carried the promise of tomorrow.

Tentatively he made a few steps toward the castle that was bathed in the cold li
ght of the
moon. Few windows were still lit. The dark ones spoke softly of sleeping childre
n and safety.
They were the reason for him to leave, moon after moon, when the mark on his arm
started to
burn. They were the reason for him to pretend and fight still after all this tim
e. And they were
the reason why he had not taken a fatal potion already.
His feet carried him down the familiar path towards one of the hidden doors that
led to the
Dungeon. He entered and shivered at the stale air that awoke memories of the Mal
foy
Dungeon, where tonight's entertainment had been provided. A shiver ran down his
back icily.
Severus hurried through the long corridor that passed the library and led to his
private
quarters. He took off his robe. He could not stand the stale smell that emanated
from the cloth.
There was little chance of him running into students at this hour and so he open
ed the buttons
at the lapel of his button-up shirt.
He almost hurried past the library without noticing the light.
A light whimpering made him stop and turn around and stare at the door. Everyone
was
supposed to be in their Dormitories. Whoever had dared to break in to Madam Pinc
e's
sanctuary would pay dearly.
With a scowl he wrapped the robe around himself once again and stepped into the
library. At
first he could not see anyone. A shelf full of books blocked the view to the tab
le with the
burning candle.
Softly, feline-like he advanced.
"WHATEVER DO YOU THINK " Severus begun to thunder but he stopped abruptly,
when he had rounded the shelf and recognized the student.
Hermione woke with a start and almost fell off her chair. She stared at him, wid
e-eyed and
panting.
Severus stared at her with equal surprise. "Of course," he breathed, relieved. "
Who else would
be at the library at this hour?"
Hermione smiled at him as soon as the shock of his yelling had worn off. "I must
have fallen
asleep "
"It appears so."
"I was waiting up for you." Hermione tried to explain and the lines of his face
softened. "I
knew you would come this way "
Severus watched her as she rose from the table and went to him.
Her hand caressed his cheek tenderly. "I'm glad you're back," she breathed befor
e burying
her face in his chest.
Almost automatically his arms closed around her. He was shaking, seeking support
from her
warm, feminine form that pressed against his body.
Hermione could detect the smell of blood on his clothes and she bit her lip to s
mother a sob.
She felt him shaking, holding on to her for dear life. "It was bad," she asked b
ut it was more a
statement than anything.
"Yes," he breathed and rested his chin on her head, closed his eyes. The scent o
f her hair was
innocent and pure and strong enough to take his mind off the blood and the fear
that had
inflamed his nostrils only hours ago. "Yes," he sobbed again.
"Does Malfoy know?" she whispered.
Severus shook his head. "If he did, he didn't show. He questioned me, but no mor
e than the
others. I managed to prove my loyalties "
"Oh," Hermione said in a small voice. She took his hand and pressed it to her li
ps. Her eyes
were wet with distress and she did not want Severus to see her tears. She could
not imagine
what he had been forced to do tonight and she did not want him to think she was
condemning
him for it. "I'm sorry," she whispered and kissed his hand and rubbed her cheek
against his
palm.
Severus glared down at her. How could she kiss him? How could she stand to touch
the hands
that had murdered tonight. The hands that had taken the life of another blameles
s young
woman whose only fault was that she had been born to non-magical parents. He tri
ed to
withdraw his hands but Hermione held on to him.
"You did what you had to do," she said firmly and raised her eyes to his. Even h
is gaze
seemed to be trembling; far off and wounded. "You survived." Hermione pressed he
r mouth
to his in a short but frantic kiss. "You're back. It's over," she tried to calm
him.
Severus avoided her gaze.
"How long " she asked. Tears were rolling down her cheeks in perfect, salty dropl
ets. She
looked at him with her brown, warm eyes and wished she could take away his sorro
w. It was
edging deep lines into his face; harsh and unforgiving.
"Tomorrow," he said and disentangled himself from her grasp. "The Dark Lord will
call
tomorrow." And then he was gone.
to be continued

Chapter 19 To Do What It Takes

Tomorrow.
Hermione stared at the ceiling, unable to find sleep. The moonlight shining thro
ugh the tiffany
window danced across the wall in small rays and her eyes followed their tracks
absentmindedly. The reflection became paler and paler as the moon started to des
cend.
Tomorrow.
Her mind chanted his last words over again. The air had been thick with his desp
air and
disgust. The words had reverberated in the emptiness of the library like an omen
. Ominous
and foreboding.
Tears rolled down her face, burning tracks sideways on her temples, vanishing in
the mass of
her hair that spread out on the pillow like a veil.
He had been so without hope. She had not known how hard the role of a spy was on
him. She
had never seen him after her returned from a Gathering but for the night he had
been bitten.
And then the worry for his health had overshadowed her perception. The residents
of
Grimmauld Place had cautioned her and the boys to be kind around him, to respect
his
sacrifices, but none of them had truly understood the nature of them.
Now Hermione had caught a glimpse of the abyss he had been walking for years. He
willingly
went to Voldemort's side, call after call, and exposed himself to torture, horro
r, and death. He
protected the lives of countless students and nameless Muggle-born witches and w
izards and
in exchange he gave his soul.
The curse of the Nosufur-Atu had only been the last terror he had to endure. And
it had taken
the last of his humanness, the last of his hope.
Tonight Malfoy had not found out about Severus' change. Tonight he had escaped u
nscathed.
But how about tomorrow? And how about the day after that? And after that? Tonigh
t he had
come back alive but it would only be a matter of time before something would hap
pen. Even
the Fidelius Charm could only do that much. Someone would expose him to the sun
unknowingly or lure him with blood. There was so much blood these days.
Her throat clogged up when Hermione remembered the broken man who had cowered at
her
feet and felt too disgraced to even beg for her forgiveness.
She had known that she would help him, then, with a vehemence that startled her.
She had
known her fate.
Severus was important to the good cause. Probably the most important source of i
nformation.
And information was the one thing that stood between the light and the dark at t
hose times of
war. Dumbledore, Arthur, Ron, Harry, even herself would have long been dead if S
everus had
not supplied them with the information that had enabled them to prevent attack a
fter attack.
Hermione lifted her trembling hand in front of her eyes and watched the dark sca
r on her wrist
glow in the blue light of the moon.

She had given her blood for him.


But he had given so much more.
And he deserved so much more.
He deserved another chance. He deserved a life that did not consist of darkness
alone. He
deserved to wake up in the morning and not fear for his life.
She could not free him from Voldemort's grasp. That was not in her power to do.
But it was in her power to free him of the curse.
It had been smart not to put a warning with the Anatithenai Potion, Hermione tho
ught again.
A nescient soul was so much easier to lure into the trap. The feelings would go
unnoticed,
unrecognised until it was too late.
She had surrendered to the power of the potion and now she knew what was needed
to relieve
him of the curse. And now she knew why so few had ever been relieved from it. It
was not a
sacrifice to offer lightly.
Hermione had bound herself to his blood with the first drop she had offered him.
She stared at
the scar on her wrist and it blurred behind the tears that dwelled out of her ey
es; hotter, faster,
more desperate. She had bound herself to him and now it was time to free him.
Freely given in an act of love.
Hermione whipped the tears from her face and swung her legs over the bed. She st
eadied
herself, drawing a deep breath, before she got up and pulled her robe over the w
hite panty and
undershirt she wore to bed. She did not bother to tame her hair; it framed her f
ace like the
mane of a lion.
She laughed harshly when the shadowy reflection in the mirror caught her eyes. G
ryffindor
courage she needed indeed.
Barefoot and silent she made her way into the common room and went to the stairw
ay that led
to the Boys Dormitories. She tiptoed upstairs on the very left side of the stair
case, not wanting
to wake the alarm. She found Harry's bed without a problem.
"Harry," she whispered and touched his shoulder.
He stirred
"Harry, wake up," she whispered again and closed the drapes so no one would see
them.
Harry opened his eyes. "What are you "
Hermione placed a finger on his lips. "Shh, don't wake the others."
Harry nodded and Hermione withdrew her finger again. The boy scooted up against
the
headboard, fumbling for his glasses. He put them on, pushing a stray lock from h
is forehead.
"So what are you doing here?" he said in a hushed tone.
"I just wanted to tell you, that you're my best friend and that you are very imp
ortant to me
whatever may happen." Hermione whispered and her eyes were pleading to him.
Harry looked at her, confused. "You're important to me too, 'Mione, but what "
"I just wanted you to know that."
"Why now? What ?" Harry fell silent. "What do you mean 'whatever may happen'? Wha
t
are you planning to do?" he breathed when it dawned on him that she would never
wake him
would it not be important.
"I've got to do something, Harry " She started but somehow the words seemed insig
nificant
and stale. How could she convince him? "Someone needs my help."
"Who?"
"A friend."
Harry watched her. He saw her robe fall open in the front. She was wearing nothi
ng but
underwear. His eyes grew bigger when they fell on her bare arms. His hand grabbe
d hers and
drew it closer to his face. "What in the name of the Sorcerer's is that?"
"That," Hermione said, drawing a deep breath. "That is the reason why I must go.
" She
scooted to the edge of the bed, squeezing Harry's hand in hers.
"Who did this to you?"
"I cannot tell you," Hermione pleaded. "Please, trust me."
"Do you want me to come?"
She shook her head. "No. I must do this alone." She opened the drapes a little b
it, sliding out
half-way. "I want you to remember something."
Harry gazed at her with big, green eyes.
"Whatever you'll hear tomorrow, whatever is said " A tear rolled down her cheek a
nd
Harry moved towards her a little bit. Hermione shrunk back. " it was my choice."
With that she slipped from his bed and ran to the door silently. She could hear
Harry open the
drapes and whisper her name but she was down the stairs before the urge to look
back
overwhelmed her. From the foot of the stairs Hermione looked at the door to the
Boys
Dormitory. Tears welled up in her eyes again. "I'll miss you," she whispered and
wiped the
tears away angrily, making her way to the Portrait Hole.
The Fat Lady glared at her when she woke her and requested to get through but He
rmione
ignored the portrait's lament and left Gryffindor tower for what she knew was th
e last time.
She wondered at the lack of sadness when she walked the empty corridors, spirall
ing ever
downwards. She would not see any of this again. Should it not make her sad?
Hermione knew that tonight's sacrifice would be her last one. The blood that wou
ld be shed to
save him would take her life with it.
She had seen him drinking from her before. He had been so thirsty. She had never
seen
anyone so thirsty. She had barely been able to stop him then but tonight she wou
ld not be
able to.
Her hands were trembling slightly when she pushed the door to the Potions Classr
oom open.
It did not creak. The silence inside was almost deafening.
Light fell through a gap from his study. She tiptoed across the icy Dungeon floo
r hastily; her
robes rustling in the movement, a breeze making them billow and shake. Carefully
,
soundlessly she slipped through the gap into Severus' private study. She advance
d to his desk
silently.
Severus was sitting at his desk. Parchments and books and quills littered the fl
oor at her feet.
He must have swept them from the surface of the desk in an angry movement. Now h
e was
still. His head was resting on his arms, the black silky hair falling forward, h
iding his face.
Her legs were shaking as she saw him raise his head, locking his eyes to hers wh
en he noticed
her. There was surprise there but also a sad residue of a memory she could not r
ead. The same
residue that had lead her to this decision.
She could see the vial in front of him, beckoning her. Hermione let her eyes res
t on it for a
second. It would be so easy. Just a few drops.
But when she met his gaze again she knew she could not do it. The light of the t
orches played
with his raven hair, shone in his eyes, and she knew she had to save him.
Whatever the cost may be.
Hermione passed the desk and stood next to him, extending her hand. "Come with m
e," she
said in a voice that was all but steady.

Severus' eyes wandered to the empty vial, then back to the young woman beckoning
him to
follow her. "You are early. Monday "
"Not Monday," she said. "Now."
"But "
"I can help you," she promised and took hold of his hand, entwining her fingers
with his.
Warmth spread through their palms and mingled in a heat that almost glowed in a
pure white
light. "Come with me, Severus. Trust me."
And with that, he rose.

to be continued

Chapter 20 The Sound of the Sun Rising

When she saw Severus shut the door to his bedroom Hermione took her wand out of
the
pocket of her robes. "Silencio," she said in a voice more steady than she felt.
"What is this all about " Severus wondered. "Why are we in my bedroom?"
Hermione stepped forward and he shrunk back from her. "I told you," she said cal
mly, taking
his hand tenderly and entwining their fingers. The heat blazed up again and Herm
ione closed
her eyes and felt it pulsing through her body. The light enveloping their hands
was not as
bright anymore as it had been when they first touched, ages ago beneath the Whom
ping
Willow; now it was a warm and shining shield that pulsed on the skin.
"I hope it always feels like that," she whispered in something of a moan.
His cheeks flamed when he heard the roughness of her voice. It shot right throug
h his body
and intensified the heat of the contact of their hands. "What are you "
Hermione smiled, her eyes still closed, her head lolling on her shoulders. "I wi
ll help you,"
she moaned again and then she let go of his hand and let her robe fall and pool
at her feet. She
looked at him, expectantly.
Instead of walking to her, he lingered, letting his eyes slowly take in her appe
arance. His eyes
roved over her body, making Hermione aware of just how little clothing she was w
earing. She
shivered involuntarily, the thin undershirt did not provide much protection from
either the
cool air or her not-so-cool perusal.
Severus opened his mouth to speak again, but she shook her head. "Don't talk." W
ith that, she
stepped forward, brushing him in a haze of brown hair and sweet perfume.
His pulse began to beat double time as he turned to face her. She was stunning .
.. but
different. Her lips seemed redder, almost swollen and her hair was even more unr
uly than
usually, as if she'd been sleeping.
"I don't know what you are playing at," he started, his voice deep with arousal.
He could not
fight his body's reaction to the sight of her. "This will not happen, Hermione.
I will not take
"
"Accio Pendant," Hermione said and made a swing with her wand.
The buttons of his shirt sprung open as the amulet rose from his chest and the s
ilver chain
opened, speeding through the air right into Hermione's hand. She let it slide th
rough her
fingers and the amber pendant hit the ground in a thud that was swallowed by the
thick carpet.
"Don't talk," she repeated, her voice shaking.
Severus' cock lurched forward, hardening at both her words and her appearance. T
his should
not, could not be happening. Not to him, not with her ... It was one thing to ki
ss her, but
something else entirely to share her bed.
He stood, dumbstruck as she moved forward, closing the short distance between th
em.
Hermione stopped inches from him, one small hand going out to rest against his f
lat abdomen.
"I know you want me. Now, you know I want you ..." With the slightest push, she
had him
against the door, her hand skimming down to the waistband of his pants.
He couldn't hold back the groan of pleasure that tore through him. He raised his
hands to grip
the soft white flesh of her arms, intent on pushing her away. Instead he drew he
r closer,
slamming her full length against his body as his head lowered to her. His mouth
captured
hers, biting at her lips before his tongue slid inside, swallowing her moan.
Hermione smiled into his mouth. She had known he would not be able to restrain h
imself
without the pendant. She had to help him and she would not let his damned sense
of honour
stop him.

She started to shake at the intensity of their contact. She had unleashed a mons
ter and she
could not stop him now. It was the last night of her life. She would not let fea
r take it over.
She leaned into him fiercely, determined that she would get the most out of what
was to be
her first and only experience of love.
Severus was barely aware of her hands running along his sides, the nails digging
just a little
too deeply into the muscles there. She felt good, so wonderfully good pressed ag
ainst him.
His. His woman. One of his hands went to her back, sliding along the exposed ski
n as he
pushed her shirt upwards. She arched against him, flattening her breasts against
his chest, her
hands sliding around to grip his ass as she ground herself against him.
"Fuck!" He finally lifted his mouth from hers, sliding his other hand into her c
url and pulling
her head back and away. "You better be sure of what you want, little girl," he g
rowled at her.
"Because once I make you mine, there's no going back." To emphasize his words he
bucked
against her, stabbing her belly with his cock.
He had no idea how right he was.
Hermione's nails sunk into his ass as she glared at him, chocolate eyes flashing
with molten
heat. "Never been more sure of anything!"
At her words, he sunk the hand on her back into the flimsy material of her shirt
and tugged,
ripping the fabric until he could peel it off. Then he pushed her back, drinking
in the sight of
all that creamy skin clad only in a pair of milky white panties that screamed of
innocence.
She stood there proudly, her hands going to her hips as she thrust her bare brea
sts toward him,
the rose coloured nipples hardened into points. "You just going to look, or are
you going to do
something." Her voice was slightly mocking as she challenged him and so he misse
d how it
trembled and broke.
In two steps he had her, his arms going around her waist as he pressed her backw
ards until her
ass was against the back of his bed. He trapped her there, his arms on either si
de of her as he
bent his head to hers once more. His tongue snaked out to trace her full bottom
lip before his
mouth moved to her ear. "You better watch that mouth, little girl. You keep talk
ing, and you'll
end up with it wrapped around my cock." His teeth closed on her earlobe, nipping
it lightly.
She shuddered, her hands shaky as they reached out to push his pants down past h
is hips. She
shuddered again as her hand came into contact with the hard length of his cock,
her fingers
straining to wrap around it almost instinctively.
The fluid motion hid the shaking of her hand well. She was light headed. She cou
ld not focus
on the words he panted and the way his eyes locked with hers. She stared at his
chest, bare
and pale, and the fact that the pendant that was the only thing between life and
death was in a
heap at their feet made her sob.
His cock began to thrust roughly into her hand as his mouth moved down to her th
roat. He bit
down hard, making her cry out before he soothed the spot with his lips.
He had not penetrated the skin. Not yet.
Then he moved lower, scattering bites and kisses along her shoulders and collar
bone before
capturing a nipple between his teeth. He held it there, flicking the hardened bu
d with his
tongue and finally fastening on and sucking.
She went wild under his mouth, surging up to urge him on. "Now. Please, Severus,
please."
She felt her whole body scream his name and every thought fled from her mind and
she did
not care about what would come in the end.
He ignored her at first, his mouth going to her other nipple to give it the same
treatment. Then
she felt one of his large hands sliding down between her legs to cup her vulva t
hrough the
soaked fabric of her panties. One blunt finger slid underneath the fabric, pushi
ng against her
clit. His mouth returned to her ear as he started to make small circles around h
er clit. "Take
off you panties and lay down on the bed. NOW!" He suddenly pulled his hand away
and
stepped back.
She obeyed his command blindly, not even sure how she managed to strip away the
panties
and lay back on his bed. She felt him nudge her legs apart with his own, and the
n his erection
was digging into her thigh, the head slick with his pre-come. One of his hands c
ame up to rest
on her waist as the other dipped back between her legs, parting her lips as slid
ing against her
clit again.
Hermione closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto the pillows. Her perfec
t white throat
was exposed and vulnerable and she felt the pulse beating against her skin fever
ishly, begging
to be released.
She would not be able to stop him from drinking once he bit down. He would empty
her, he
would drink her in and he would be released from the curse and she only hoped sh
e would
still be there to see him when he realized he was safe. She could die in peace t
hen.
And then his cock was there, the head positioned against her quivering flesh. He
stayed like
that for long moments, his fingers tugging at her clit while the head of his coc
k barely
breached her, tantalizingly close.
Her hands gripped the fabric of the blankets as she tried to rock herself forwar
d and impale
herself on his erection. He laughed, pulling back each time she rocked toward hi
m. "So
sweet," he whispered throatily, his eyes fixed on her eyes, then on the nape of
her neck. He
could almost taste the pulsing rhythm of her throat.
Then he slammed into her, burying the entire length of his cock into her wetness
, making her
scream out as he filled her. She was so tight, so hot and wet around him.

Severus froze. He peered down at her, sweat dropping from his forehead onto her
stomach
like tears. "I didn't know " he breathed and stopped moving altogether.
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the pain to subside. Tears were r
unning
down her temples and she tried to steady her breath, tried to force herself to r
elax. 'For him,'
she tried to remember.
Something trickled onto her thighs.
Blood.
Hermione's eyes flew open.
Blood given in an act of love.
"Accio pendant," she mouthed silently and the silver chain found her fingers and
they
wrapped around it tightly, holding on to it for dear life. She would not have to
die! She could
save him and she could save herself.
A smile found her lips.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked.
Hermione closed her legs around his hips, drawing him nearer. "No," she said, ta
sting salt on
her lips. "Everything's fine."
Severus bent down to kiss her cheeks. He gathered her tears with his tongue and
when they
kissed again, it was all salty and wet and slow.
Hermione closed the chain around his neck. He raised an eyebrow at her when he f
elt the
amber on his skin again, but Hermione only smiled and kissed him tenderly.
Then he started to move in her again and there was no pain this time but a sweet
stickiness
that flowed over her like honey. She felt the waves of pleasure began to spill o
ver with each
thrust, her body torn between the sensation of his fingers on her clit and his c
ock inside her.
Breathing became difficult. The light of the torches reflected in the pendant th
at was swaying
back and forth between them, trying to match the frantic rhythm. It glowed in a
deep gold.
And an inborn fire became undone.
Severus collapsed on top of her, panting heavily against her neck. His head was
cradled in the
hollow of her throat. His raven hair was tickling her shoulder.
Hermione leaned into him. She turned her head and kissed the crown on his head,
smiling
drowsily.
Severus lifted his head and searched for her eyes. "You alright?" he asked, his
voice
tentatively. He had not wanted to hurt her. When he slid out from between her li
ps he could
feel the stickiness of virgin blood cling to her skin.
Hermione once again kissed his forehead and her hands were placed on both sides
of his head.
She guided him downwards, her secure gaze never wavering from his irritated one.
"My
blood," she whispered hoarsely.
His eyes travelled downward across her flat stomach, the patch of curly hair, th
e milky white
of her thighs that was smeared with red. Virginal blood. He looked at her.
"Drink," Hermione urged him.
A tongue sneaked out, tenderly, and tasted the salt of her skin. His eyes never
left hers while
he licked her legs clean. Her blood was sweet and ran down his throat in warm, s
atisfying
sips, filling his stomach with a warm pulsing.
When he was done he moved up to lie beside her again.
Hermione drew him closer. Her lips brushed his gently and she could taste himsel
f on her, and
when she whispered her breath caressed his face. "I love you, you know that?"
Severus' eyes locked with hers. They were pools of black and she found herself r
eflected in
the obsidian surface again and she liked what she saw.
Hermione took his hand and stood from the bed with shaky legs, taking him with h
er.
Barefoot she tiptoed to one of the windows that were draped with thick, heavy gr
een curtains.
He was following her, obediently, his mind pondering what she had just said. Had
he heard
her correctly? Did she love him?
When she turned around, a bright smile found her mouth. One of her hands flew up
to his
face, resting on his chin. A small smear of her blood was on there still and she
wiped it away.
She moved her hand upwards and she let her hand rest on his cheek. "Do you trust
me?"
Severus found his mouth dry. All he could do was nod.
Hermione squeezed his hand tightly and slid her arm around his naked frame. Thei
r bodies
came into contact, still heated and slick from their lovemaking. She fit into th
e curve of his
body perfectly.
Hermione leaned her head sideways, resting it against his shoulder. She smiled.
Her left hand
rose in front of her, the red scar clearly visible on her wrist. Her fingers gri
pped the green
material and she paused a moment.
Then, with a sudden yank, she tore off the curtain and green velvet pooled to th
eir feet like the
ocean.
Severus tensed at her side.
The sun was streaking through the window, bathing their naked bodies in the gold
en light of
the morning.
For a moment, there was a stunned quiet.
Not even breathing.
Then a bird broke the tense silence with its light, cheery song.
Severus gathered Hermione in his arms. He kissed her feverishly and together the
y listened to
the sound of the sun rising.

The End

A/N: This is the end, my friends. Never thought I'd make it this far! Thank you
all for staying
with me all through this story. It's been a pleasure writing it despite my lack
of time or
maybe because of it. Reading your reviews has been a reward on its own. I've nev
er expected
such a feedback. Wow!
I think you all are glad I did not kill Hermione. I really planned to at first.
When I started this
story the whole plot was meant to lead there. And when I was there, in the room
with the two
of them, watching them make love, I simply couldn't do it.
I don't know yet if there'll may be a companion piece to this one. I did, howeve
r, leave some
smaller plot-holes so I might pick those up if I decide to continue this one day
.
Ta Ta
dryade

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