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Conquest Is Easy. Control Is Not	By : FlorenceWeasleySnape Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 26859 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Love is being stronger
than fear.

Conquest Is Easy, Control
Is Not, by Florence W. Snape.

Chapter 12:

It was a Portkey.
He had known it from the start. But a Portkey to where? What was Dumbledore up
to? His back ached from the Headmaster�s sudden attack; an attack that had left
him wandless. Not since the war had he felt so amazingly powerless. A wizard
without a wand was but a simple Muggle. It was of the outmost importance that
he kept his wits about him. The first thing to do was to assess the place in
which he had landed. Everything was dark except for the gentle moonlight coming
from the small window at his right. From his position he could only assume it
was a small cottage- there was a small wooden table and two small wooden chairs
nearby and an old-fashioned oven was resting on the opposite wall. The rest of
the place was covered in darkness and he wondered briefly how he was going to
procure light.

Still, why had
Dumbledore sent him here? What did he want him to understand? Why would he trap
him without his wand? At this point Severus was certain of nothing but of one
thing: Dumbledore didn�t want him to escape. Why, though?

So immerse was
Severus on the madness behind Dumbledore�s brilliant mind that he failed to
hear a whisper.

�Is there anybody
there?� Hermione asked, scared. She too had woken up in this strange place and
without her wand, �Madam Pomfrey is that you?�

�Miss Granger?�
he inquired. He was obviously going insane; Miss Granger couldn�t be here,
could she?

�Snape?� she
asked; her voice hoarse.

And then, Snape
understood. So this was Dumbledore�s plan: to trap him with Hermione and force
him to see the error of his ways. He smiled bitterly. If that�s what he wanted,
he had another thing coming. Didn�t Dumbledore know him at all? Didn�t
Dumbledore understand that he was a man who cherished his privacy above all?
What had possessed the old man to become a matchmaker? Who was Dumbledore to
twist his fate? Hermione had been fun, a fling, but nothing more. The fact that
she was with child was irrelevant: she was better off without him. Dumbledore
should know better: it was on his orders that he had spied, tortured and
murdered. He wasn�t fit to be the head of a family and especially not Hermione
Granger�s family.

�Yes, Miss
Granger. It is me,� he said standing up. �Now be a good girl and be quiet while
I try to find a way to escape this place,�

It was
Hermione�s time to smile bitterly.

�This place in
unplottable, Snape,� she said while staring at the wooden ceiling, �I was sent
here to rest, apparently. There�s a note from Madam Pomfrey on the table, if
you wish to read it,�

Severus touched
his way to the table like a blind man and grabbed the parchment roughly. Walking
to the window, he read:

Miss Granger,

It is in your best interest, and the Headmaster and
Professor McGonagall agree with me, that you rest in this cabin for the next
couple of days. We feel that with the Quidditch season at its bloodiest, you
would feel more comfortable in a place that isn�t crowded with sweaty and
hormonal teenagers.

Meals will be delivered magically to you at 8
O�clock, 12 O�clock and 8 O�clock. Heating charms will be applied to every meal
so you needn�t worry about consuming them right away. The cupboards beside the
oven have been stocked with healthy food as well. I strongly- and strongly was underlined- recommend you take great care of your
body, Miss Granger. It is in the best interest of you and your baby that you do
so.

If you need to contact me, the mirror on the wall
has been charmed to work much in the same way as Muggle telephones do: just say
my name and I will answer any questions you may have.

Use this time wisely, Miss Granger,

Yours,

Madam Poppy Pomfrey.

Severus
couldn�t believe his eyes. So Poppy and Minerva were in it as well? Had they
all gone insane? He felt anger like he hadn�t felt in years and he let some of
the frustration out by crumpling the parchment up.

�Why are you
here?� he heard her say from the bed.

�I had no
choice in the matter, Miss Granger, believe me. The Headmaster attacked me and
sent me here against my will. Rest assured that once I get out of here, I will
personally take my case against the Wizengamot and the Minister of Magic
himself, if necessary�

Hermione turned
her head to her right and saw his outline for the first time. He was resting
both of his palms on the wooden table now. Hermione had never seen him look so
defeated- except perhaps that night in his office when he had left her.

�I see,� she
simply said, staring at the ceiling again. She felt like crying all of a
sudden. How could her heart be so traitorous to her mind? Why did it insist on
beating hard whenever he was around? She took a deep breath and then another
and then another until he interrupted her.

�Why are you so
calm, Miss Granger? Doesn�t it upset you that we are prisoners here, that you
have no wand?�

�I cannot
afford to get upset right now,� was all she said.

�And why is
that?� he asked, knowing her answer already. Would she dare tell him?

�You know why,�
she stated as plainly as she could.

�I do,� he
said, �Foolish girl. What hope is there for you to become a Potions Mistress if
you cannot even complete a Contraceptive Potion successfully?�

Hermione
breathed through her nose one, two, three times until she regain enough
composure to talk logically.

�The potion was
in perfect condition. You should know. You brewed the base of the potion. I
only supervised the last part and I remember you giving me full marks for it,�

�I did no such
thing,� he said, fisting his robes, �Regardless, even if the potion was indeed
perfect, for it to work it needs to be taken every morning on an empty stomach.
I would have expected you to remember that much at least, considering it was
your future you were jeopardizing. You wouldn�t be so unbelievably stupid as to
assume I would marry you and raise a family with you, would you?�

�Of course I
didn�t do this on purpose!,� she said, sitting on her
bed, tears fogging her sight, �You don�t really believe that, do you?�

He said nothing;
instead he walked to the wall and switched the lights on.

�It seems we
have been condemned to living like Muggles for the time being,� Severus said,
his back to her still, �I suggest you rest, Miss Granger. Tomorrow we will find
a way to escape this place and you will need your wits about you,�

After a couple
of minutes of strained silence, Severus heard the unmistakable noise of the
sheets being moved and he knew it was safe for him to move about. Switching the
lights off, he sat on one of the chairs and rubbed his temples. This was
torture. Whoever thought the Dark Lord was merciless had never met Albus
Dumbledore.

�There�s a
third option,� she said before falling asleep, �One of the ingredients could
have been contaminated,�

�Impossible, I used
the same ingredients on several other potions and all of them are in perfect
condition,�

�So was my
potion while I was taking it,� she said, sniffing, �perhaps the contamination
process just takes longer to make itself visible,�

�Perhaps,� he
admitted reluctantly. If that were the case, he had no one to blame but
himself, �Sleep now. Goodnight,�

�Yes.
Goodnight,� was all she said before falling asleep.

***

Hermione woke
up to the smell of eggs and bacon. She smiled; bacon and eggs sandwiches had
always been her favourite for breakfast. Immediately, however, she felt
nauseous. Opening her eyes wide, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Severus
munching on some toasts before running to the bathroom with both her hands
covering her mouth.

Resting her
weight on the sink she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked atrocious.
She didn�t even look like herself anymore: her eyes were puffy,
her skin looked as pale as Severus� and she looked remarkably thin. This
couldn�t be healthy. Nauseous still, she was glad when Severus opened the door
and passed her a potion to relieve her stomach.

�Drink it right
away, you should feel better immediately�

Sitting on the
edge of the bathtub, she tilted her head back and drank the contents
completely. She felt better straight away, like she knew she would. With all
the dignity she had left, she walked to the sink and brushed her teeth, combed
her hair and washed her face. She still thought she looked hideous but at least
not as gross.

�I trust you
are feeling better?� Severus asked from one of the chairs. The cottage was
remarkably warm and she noticed right away that he had lighted a fire while she
had been in the bathroom.

�Yes, thank
you. Where did you get the potion anyway?� she asked sitting on queen sized bed
again.

�It seems this
cottage has been enchanted to provide for your medical needs, Miss Granger.
Albus Dumbledore is certainly manipulative but not so reckless as to neglect
your obvious need for medicines,�

Hermione said
nothing, just stared at her flippers.

�May I ask how you
were brought here?� he inquired, taking a zip from his morning tea and
gesturing for her to sit opposite him.

Crossing her
legs exactly and not moving one inch, she said �I was told I would be moved to
a safer location within Hogwarts. They transported me while I was still
unconscious, though, so I have no idea how to get out,�

�Weren�t you
worried about your lack of a wand?� he asked, raising his eyebrow. How stupid
and trusting could she be?

�Of course I
was. I am. But Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall want the best for
me�and for my child. Not to mention Madam Pomfrey is available to me at all
times. I can hardly complain when they have been so kind to me,�

�But you
should, Miss Granger. You should be as angry as I am about this situation. They
have taken away your wand, they have taken away your freedom and yet you sit
there� completely oblivious to your predicament, grateful to the very people
you should be angry with. I thought you were more intelligent that this. I am
extremely disappointed,�

Hermione,
again, said nothing. She could feel her blood boil, her heart pump faster, her
breathing become more agitated� but she was going to be a mother now. She had
to control her temper and look after her health, no longer for herself but for
their baby. Their baby, she repeated
to herself. No, it was her baby.
Turning her head towards the window she said, �It is cold outside,�

�It will always
be cold if I am right about where we are,�

�What do you
mean?� she asked, curious.

�I believe we
are trapped inside a snow globe, Miss Granger. Outside, we are being watched by
none other than Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey, the
retirement-age Golden Trio,�

Hermione tried
hard not to giggle.

�It makes
sense,� Hermione said after a while, standing up and walking to the window she
had been looking through, �they can keep an eye on us in case anything goes
wrong. Though I don�t see how, since we haven�t got our wands,�

�There�s no
need to have a wand to harm people, Miss Granger. You, of all people, should
know that,� he glared at her.

�I do,
Professor Snape,� she said, not meeting his gaze, �I do,�

�I know you
feel better but you should try contacting Poppy,� Severus said, �not only for the
sake of your baby but also to find out more about our situation,�

Hermione
nodded. If he thought she wanted to stay here with him, he was seriously
mistaken.

�Madam
Pomfrey,� Hermione whispered to the enchanted mirror, �Are you there?�

After a couple
of minutes of strained silence in which Hermione felt the weight of being under
Severus Snape�s scrutiny, came an answer.

�Yes, Miss
Granger?� said the reflection of Madam Pomfrey, �Are you alright?�

Shoving
Hermione aside- but not too roughly, she was pregnant after all- Severus took
charge of the conversation.

�Poppy, where
is Albus? Where are we? Why have you trapped us here without our wands? If you
are an accomplice, the Wizengamot will have your head too,� Severus said
severely, �Confess now and I shall spare you when I take my case to court,�

He expected
Poppy Pomfrey to start scratching her nose with both hands, but instead she
just smiled back.

�I am afraid I
can�t do that, Severus. There is nothing to confess, really. Miss Granger
needed a better place to rest and� are you well-rested, my dear?�

�I am, Madam
Pomfrey,� Hermione said, elbowing Severus to step aside, �Thank you so much.
But I feel I would be more relaxed if I were alone. Why is Professor Snape
here?�

�Miss Granger,
a woman in your fragile condition can hardly be expected to take care of
herself alone�,� Madam Pomfrey tried to explain. However, her speech was cut
short by Severus.

�Poppy, I am
here against my will. This is kidnap,�

�I hardly think
that assisting the mother of your child would be considered kidnap, Severus,�
Poppy answered, raising her eyebrow.

Severus turned
to Hermione at once, �Miss Granger, are you so proud to carry my child that you
need to speak to the whole school about it?�

Again, Hermione
felt her blood boil but this time she didn�t do a single thing to control
herself.

�I never spoke
to Madam Pomfrey about it, Snape,� she spat, �Who would be proud to carry the
son of a Death Eater, the child of the greasy bat of the dungeons? Did you know
that the students call you all sorts of names at the school? No one in their
right mind would be proud to have you as the father of their child!� she
yelled, her hands in fists, her lips shut tightly, her hair a mess.

Severus was
stunned. She had said out loud what he had thought of himself all along: that
his past made him unfit as a father and that no child of his would ever be
proud to carry his name. His lip curled into a small smile at the sight of
Hermione�s rosy cheeks. She really did look beautiful when she was angry.

�You heard Miss
Granger, Poppy,� Severus said, staring at Hermione, �I expect an explanation
from Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible,�

�I will do what
I can, Severus,� Poppy said scratching her nose, �Do take care of Miss Granger,�

Just as Severus
nodded, Madam Pomfrey�s reflection disappeared.

�Severus�,�
Hermione started to say, �I didn�t��

�Spare me, Miss
Granger,� he said walking to the door, �Soon enough you will be away from here
and you won�t have to endure my presence,�

And in a swirl
of robes, he opened the door and left.

**

It was around 8
O�clock when he returned, blue with cold and trembling from head to toe. He was
struggling with the Muggle way of life Albus Dumbledore had imposed him, but
Hermione knew he would never admit it out loud. She knew he was a half-blood so
he wasn�t completely helpless but twenty years with the aid of magic had rubbed
off on him and he was find it hard to adjust.

Not meeting his
gaze, Hermione kept nibbling on the food which had appeared only five minutes
before. He didn�t have to struggle, not really. He could just stay inside the
cottage with her, cuddling near the fire, drinking tea and eating biscuits but
she knew he would rather cut off his wand hand than spend more time around her
than was strictly necessary. Hadn�t he made that clear the night he had all but
raped her; the night he had destroyed the contract?

She still
didn�t look up when he sat down in front of her. The light of the fire was the
only source of brightness. Sitting there, helpless and in silence, she felt
slightly sad. She remembered this feeling well: before attending Hogwarts she
had felt like this often enough. Every Sunday she would climb into bed and
think about the mocking that awaited her for being different and a special kind
of sadness always seemed to invade her. Why was she feeling like this now?

Looking up at
Severus, she noticed that the small amount of light coming from the fireplace softened
his features. He looked a bit pathetic, sitting across from her and carefully
cutting his food into small but equal pieces. He looked smaller, somehow, as if
her words had deflated him. Maybe she had but she wasn�t done yet. He needed to
know.

�Look at me,�
she said, both her hands resting on the table, �Look at me, please, Severus,�

Raising one
eyebrow, he wiped his mouth and looked up.

�It�s alright
if you don�t want anything to do with this but I want you to know that I�m
keeping it,� she said with resolution, �It was wrong of me to take it out on
you this morning. I shouldn�t have. It is, partly, my mistake and if you want
nothing to do with us I will understand. After all, there is no love here, is
it? I cannot imagine what it would be like raising a child with someone who
hates the sight of us. So I�m sorry for my behaviour but you must understand
that this hadn�t been very easy for me,�

Severus said nothing;
he just sat there and stared at her for the longest time. But Hermione didn�t
pay attention to him. She felt very calm, calmer than she had felt since
finding out she was carrying Severus� baby and she wasn�t going to let him
spoil it. She had said what she wanted to say and now she was at peace with
herself. It felt oddly liberating to let him know how she felt. Sighting, she
brought the forkful of lamb to her mouth and ate.

�It is
unpleasant,� he said at last, �being an unwanted child,�

�I�m sorry?�
she asked, obviously having misheard him.

�You said you
didn�t know what it would be like raising a child with someone who hates the
very sight of you. Well, it is rather unpleasant,� he said, scowling.

�I imagine
so�,� she started to say.

�I am not
saying this to state the obvious,� he interrupted her,
�You are making the right choice. I often found myself thinking, when I was a
child, of the reasons behind my mother�s inaction. Surely she couldn�t love my
father so much as to endure his abuse, day in and day out. Surely she couldn�t
love my father so much as to ignore the way he always looked at me, with
disgust. You are making the right choice, Hermione. You may not think so now
but in the future you will look back and you will remember this very moment as
the best choice you�ve ever made,�

Why was he
telling her this now? Hadn�t she told him that they expected nothing from him;
hadn�t she freed him from all future responsibility? His reassurance that he
would make a hideous father only made her feel worse. Surely she had said so,
but did she really mean it? Could she really make it without him, when she
loved him so much? His rejection stung badly.

�Would it be so
bad?� she said, fighting back tears, �seeing us everyday?�

�Excruciating,�
he honestly said, looking straight into her big brown eyes.

�I never knew
you hated me this much,� she whispered, standing up, �I mean,
I knew you didn�t love me. I was there, so it was convenient to fuck me. I know
how practical you are and I�m sure seducing former students falls under the
same criteria as the rest of your life. But I never thought that the sight of
me repulsed you so much. I never thought that it would be disgusting to look in
the eyes of the baby you helped to create,�

�

Severus knew
that she was baiting him. She wanted him to react, to contradict what he had
just said. She had misunderstood his words but he would never correct her. She
was choosing the right path, a path that would take her away from him; a path
that would lead her to a happier life.

�Answer me,
Severus,� she said, walking to where he was and grabbing his collar with both
hands, calmness forgotten, �tell me that you are repulsed by me� that you hate
your son� and I will leave you alone, I swear I will... just tell me, please�.
Just tell me that you want nothing to do with us�,� she was crying now,
desperately so, clinging to his clothes like there was no tomorrow. And when
she looked up at him, when she looked into his eyes, he knew he was helpless.
Cupping her face with both hands, he whispered the only thing that he knew was
true, regardless of the consequences.

�No,� he said,
inches away from her mouth, �you don�t repulse me, Miss Granger. In fact I�,�

But suddenly he
couldn�t see because a mass of brown curls had clouded his vision. He had hair
in his mouth, under his nose, against his eyes; there was hair everywhere but
he didn�t mind it in the least. It smelled of her and the softness of her body
pressed against his was heaven. He had missed this, gods, he had missed this.

�I love you,
Severus,� she confessed between sobs, �I don�t want to do this alone,� she
said.

It was the
strangest thing. He didn�t remember shoving a Bezoar down his throat but that�s
what it felt like when he swallowed. Feeling Hermione�s arms around his neck,
hugging him so tightly he thought he was going to choke, was painful. Her tears
against his neck felt like acid on his skin. And her words sounded like a
silent prayer. �Don�t leave me,� she kept repeating. And it somehow soothed his
soul. �I won�t,� he said. And he wouldn�t. Not really. Not now that he had
discovered, with Hermione in his arms, that he was capable of being someone
else, someone better.

As he carried
Hermione to the small bed against the wall, Severus Snape knew that he was a
new man and that a better life was possible. At least for now; at least till
morning.

***

A/N: This is not the
ending, don�t worry! I am not so sure about the quality of this
chapter�especially that last part� but I wanted Hermione to �clean� Severus in
a spiritual sort of way and I think that it came across okay�sort of� maybe
not! You tell me about it! I love reviews. I have them for breakfast. They are
yummy!

You will probably like
chapter 13 better- I�m totally pimping it right now. It will have a bit of
smut� and a couple of important plot-twists that have been hinted in chapter 11
and 12� so you will like it! Stay tuned because the story is only�what? 3
chapters away from the ending! Can you believe it? What??! You don�t think I
will write the chapters soon enough, you say? Well, there�s only one way to
speed up the writing process and that is� reviewing! So do it and be the next cool
kid on the block! ;)

Florence
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Conquest Is Easy. Control Is Not