Something Much Darker II

“I’m waiting, Miss Granger,” McGonagall said when a moment or two had gone by with no answer from Hermione. “Where were you today? You were with Professor Snape, weren’t you?”

Oh, gods, no! Hermione thought. Say something, you ninny! “Why…why would I have been with Professor Snape? I was…I was…”

Professor McGonagall took her arm and said, “Come along, Miss Granger. The two of us will have a word with the headmaster.” She began to pull Hermione along with her, the young woman too stunned to resist.

~*~*~*~*~*

Severus emerged from the hidden entrance at the base of the Whomping Willow to see the head of Gryffindor House striding towards the castle pulling Hermione along with her. Damn it all! he thought as he shrank back into the shadows slightly. The interfering old bitch! Even from this distance he could see the fright on Hermione’s face at being caught unawares. Momentarily he considered stunning Minerva, but that action would do nothing except piss the old biddy off when she awoke, and she would likely be even harder on Hermione.

As the two figures entered the castle, he emerged from the passageway, automatically touching the spot on the trunk that quieted the tree as it began to raise its branches for an attack. He trusted in Hermione’s ability to keep their secret. She and her two best friends had been pulling the wool over their teachers’ eyes for seven years, and he was more than positive that it was Hermione’s intelligence, rather than Potter’s or Weasley’s, that had allowed them to do so. She had even fooled him, and quite recently at that. He smirked as he thought of the wine she had Dobby deliver to him.

No, he would have to trust in her to remain quiet. And even if she didn’t, so what? She was of age, she could choose who she wanted to fuck. What he had led her to believe about the parents of other students and possibly being sacked was only half truths. He could care less about what parents thought. Hardly a month went by during all his years at the school that someone’s parents didn’t want him to lose his job. But Albus would never discharge him; there was a bond of trust between them that could not be broken.

What Severus cared about was how Hermione would be treated. He knew she thought that she had suffered torment and teasing before, especially in her first years at Hogwarts. She had no idea even now how downright nasty and cruel teenagers could be. He, having spent seven long years being a target for the Mauraders and their hangers on, did understand that fact, and had no wish for Hermione to suffer the same pain merely because she wanted the “greasy haired, hook-nosed, Snivillus Snape.” After she graduated she could shout it to the world if she wished and he would hex the living daylights out of anyone who spoke against her. But as for now, that wasn’t an option.

Severus, lost in his thoughts, reached his rooms almost without noticing. He warded the door behind him as a matter of habit; his eyes fell on his bed and he smiled, picturing Hermione on it the night she had given up her virginity to him. The trunk at the foot of the bed made him snort laughter, for the sheets stained with her blood were safely locked inside. The thought of her reaction if she knew he had kept them amused him greatly, and he resolved to show them to her if he managed to get her down here again without Minerva, the apparently self-proclaimed guardian of Hermione’s virtue, interfering again.

He wondered how Hermione was faring with Minerva.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione was puzzled when Professor McGonagall led her not to Dumbledore’s office, but her own. She told Hermione to take a seat as they entered, and walked around to sit down behind her desk.

“I thought we were going to speak to the Headmaster,” Hermione said.

“Later, Miss Granger. For now, I think it should be just us females.” The Professor was silent then, simply looking at Hermione. The young witch was silent as well, knowing that the waiting was a tactic of McGonagall’s intended to make someone uncomfortable enough to start blurting out denials of whatever it was they were guilty of.

“Madame Pomfrey had to treat Draco Malfoy for a rather…personal problem a week or so ago,” Professor McGonagall said suddenly.

“Oh? What kind of problem?” asked Hermione, her heart pounding in anxiety.

“Well, it seems that someone used a Shrinking Spell on his…on his private parts. Instead of coming directly to Madame Pomfrey, he tried repeated uses of the Engorgio charm to remedy the problem. Unfortunately it had no effect. That is, until the original spell wore off, at which time his…member…swelled to five times its normal size.” Professor McGonagall’s face was a faint pink and Hermione bit her tongue hard to keep from laughing hysterically.

“But what does that have to do with me, Professor?” she asked after a few moments.

Professor McGonagall leaned across her desk, staring directly into Hermione’s eyes. “I questioned Mr. Malfoy after the incident. I wanted to know who would use such a spell against him. He admitted, Miss Granger, that he had slipped you an aphrodisiac previously as what he called a ‘joke’.”

Oh, shit thought Hermione. She knows! Outwardly, however, her face remained innocent.

“He also admitted taking you to Professor Snape instead of the hospital wing in an effort to hide his actions. Furthermore, you were seen by a house elf leaving Professor Snape’s rooms the next morning. And again on a morning two days later. Tell me, Miss Granger, did someone slip you another lust potion?”

Hermione remained silent, kept her face neutral, though she was seething now. Draco and his big, cowardly mouth!

“Why was I not informed of this event by either you or Professor Snape?” Professor McGonagall demanded. “As the head of your house, I should have been told!”

Hermione made herself count to five before she answered. “I was ashamed that I was gullible enough for Draco to be able to do that to me, Professor. That, and I didn’t want Draco to be expelled. Voldemort may be gone, but some of the Death Eaters are still at large, including his father. Draco is better off here.”

“So, you felt sympathy for him even after what he did.”

Hermione nodded.

“Then why did you use that spell on him, Miss Granger?”

“How do you know it was me, Professor?” Hermione countered.

“Don’t play me for a fool. That spell can be found in the Restricted Section of the library. I checked into it, and the book containing the spell was signed out by one Hermione Granger.”

Hermione sighed. “All right. I used it on him. I wanted revenge, but not to have him expelled. I’m sorry, Professor.”

Professor McGonagall stared at her for a moment, then asked in a low, dangerous voice, “Very well. Now…back to Professor Snape. Exactly what happened between you and him on the two nights in question?”

“He helped me,” Hermione said shortly.

“How? How did he ‘help’ you? And why did you need his help two nights after the incident with Draco?

“Answer me, Miss Granger!” Professor McGonagall nearly spat as Hermione remained silent.

“Minerva!” came a reproving voice from the doorway. Both women looked up to see Professor Dumbledore standing in the doorway. “Miss Granger is an adult, Minerva. You have no authority to badger her this way.”

Hermione felt the knot in her stomach loosen as the tension drained away. She closed her eyes for a moment in relief, a gesture not missed by either member of the faculty.

“But, Albus,” Professor McGonagall begun, only to be cut off by the Headmaster.

“I understand your concern for Miss Granger. However, as far as I can see the only rule she has broken is that she did not inform a faculty member of where she was going today. You have every right to punish her for that, but nothing else.”

Professor McGonagall’s lips tightened until her mouth was nothing but a thin white line, but she curtly nodded and said, “You may go, Miss Granger. I will inform you of your punishment later.”

Hermione wasted no time. Murmuring, “Thank you, Professors,” she left Professor McGonagall’s office as quickly as she could.

Dumbledore sat down in the chair Hermione had vacated. “Ah, Minerva,” he sighed, shaking his head.

“Albus, I know Professor Snape has touched that girl!”

“They are both adults,” Dumbledore replied calmly.

“But, sir…he’ll ruin her! He was a Death Eater; he will use her and throw her away! He has no morals, no tender emotions…”

“That will do, Minerva,” Dumbledore said, effectively cutting off Professor McGonagall’s tirade. “I know how you feel about Miss Granger. She is the daughter you could never have, isn’t that so?” He paused as his longtime friend and colleague’s face softened and she nodded. “I also know Severus far better than you, and I believe you are wrong about him. If…I say if, Miss Granger and he have begun a relationship, I do not think he is treating it lightly.”

“If he is having an affair with her…you can’t let it go on, Albus,” she nearly pleaded.

“I have no right to stop it, Minerva,” he replied, “and neither do you.” He rose and started toward the door, then paused. “I would have thought you understood young women better than this,” he added. “If you persist in interrogating her about Severus, in trying to keep her away from him, you will end in driving her straight into his arms.” He opened the door, but could not resist a parting shot. “If she is not already there.”