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Adjustment	By : MariaTeresaQuintanar Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 22820 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not make any money from the writing or posting of this story.

Chapter List
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Hello one and all! Here's the next chapter. Please if you could, enjoy with a lovely drink and snack (author giggles). Then if you could, take the time to review. Thanks for reading. Have fun.

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Chapter Thirteen

            “How on earth would you be able to tell that the person Draco told was an Unspeakable?” Lucius asked, sounding put out that she might deduced something that he hadn’t personally figured out.

            “The spell worked used to date is unparalleled to any I’ve seen outside of the Department of Mysteries,” Hermione pointed out. “A spell that can completely blind without leaving a trace of the spell used? A tracking spell that can attach itself to a patronus, for Merlin sake! Those are bloody well genius.”

            “You don’t have to sound so thrilled,” Draco pointed out to her.

            “I’m not thrilled, but admittedly I am impressed,” she murmured. “It’s hard not to be.”

            A snort came from Severus. “I came up with better spell work in my school days.”

            “Yes, I know,” she replied. “And that is why no one will outdo you in my mind.” Sighing dreamily, Hermione added, “You have a mind that is complex and diversified, your magic is powerful, and you screw…” She looked over to find him blushing, finishing with, “Needless to say, I’d be a fool to look elsewhere.” Blushing as well she said, “The combination of spell and potion work gives us direction as to where to look next.”

            “Why the Department of Mysteries?”

            “Diversification in tracking charms is encouraged from the start of the Unspeakables training. As for the potion, it’s part of the history of dark potions lecture the head of the department gives every year.”

            There was silence among the men for a time before Lucius inquired, “You were once an Unspeakable, Miss Granger?”

            She looked over to Severus, who nodded to her. Taking a fortifying breath, she said, “Yes, I was an Unspeakable for a time. It was for three years as a matter of fact.” Her normally open face seemed to close up in that moment. “It wasn’t…” She cleared her throat free of the emotion she could feel building up there. “…what I thought it would be like.”

            Draco snorted. “Just because they didn’t think you were the best of the best…”

            “On the contrary, they were quite impressed with my work,” she told him. “I was able to develop some of the same spells used today as a form of protection against the Cruciatus.” She took a drink of the water. “It wasn’t my work they had a problem with. The head of my division was a relative of Dolohov’s. He blamed me for the fact his cousin was on the run or dead and proceeded to attempt to make my life—all of it—a living hell.”

            Severus watched as she pushed aside her plate that was still mostly full with a frown, but said nothing.

            “After a year, I had ground down my teeth to the point my father gave me a lecture every time he saw me about the dangers of not wearing my bite guard to bed. This on top of the already painfully long speeches he would make about my mother being an ice bitch and how I shouldn’t emulate her in the slightest. After two years, I had an ulcer and a nervous tick that developed in my cheek that seemed to pop up every time my mother mentioned my father and the ‘whore’ he had married after her. After three years I was losing my hair, I was no longer even close to being on speaking terms with either of my parents, and was at that point I was starting to hunch thus looking like Quasi fucking Motto. That on top of smoking enough to keep the tobacco industry in business on my own.” She looked directly at Draco, who was looking stunned by this point. “We all have had burdens over the years. I just don’t make it a point of speaking of mine much.”

            “Why stop speaking to your parents?” Lucius asked quietly.

            “They hated each other and they no longer trusted me,” she muttered, tears now forming in her eyes even as she stood. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’ve lost my appetite for food and talk.”

            “Coward,” Lucius hissed, stopping her in her tracks. “You’re a relentless bitch on a bone when it comes to me and my grief. And yet you can’t even speak of your parents…”

            Spinning around, Hermione’s eyes narrowed in fury as she went over to the older blond and hissed, “Tell me, Lucius, just how brave do you feel knowing that your wife was killed because of you?” He sucked in a harsh breath at her words. “Now imagine that times four. My mother, my father, his new wife and her child from another relationship all dead because an asshole with power wanted to make my life hell.” Standing up straight, tears now flowing freely. “Now try to imagine not being able to do a damn thing about it because everyone thinks you’re making it up in your head out of guilt that you divorced yourself from your parents.” She fisted and unfisted her hands over and over again. “I never had a complete claim of bravery, but even the bravest have their limits.”

***

            It was the smell of tobacco that drew Lucius into the lounge. It wasn’t until he heard the quiet female sniffle that he knew he had found Miss Granger. He cleared his throat, calling her attention to himself.

            “Lord Malfoy,” she said after a moment. “There is a chair approximately ten steps away from where you are.”

            “The wingback chair in front of the fireplace?” he inquired.

            “Exactly,” she told him, watching as he went over to the chair in question. Once he was sitting, she murmured, “Well done, sir.”

            He snorted. “I am not a child in need of praise.”

            “No, that you aren’t, but encouragement doesn’t come with an age limit attached.” Hermione leaned back in the chair she was sitting in, watching as Lucius sat ramrod stiff. “What is it you wish to speak of, sir?”

            “When did your parents…when did they die?”

            She put out her cigarette. “Six years ago. It was what made me quit working at the Department of Mysteries. I was sure of who did it. There was even an underreported trial that went nowhere in convicting the man.” She went over to the wingback chair next to Lucius’s and sat down. “Tell me about the attack.”

            Lucius went stiffer in the chair, saying, “I don’t wish to speak of it.”

            “And I don’t wish to hear of it, but something occurred to me when I was thinking of your blindness earlier.”

            “What would that be?” he sneered.

            “That it is categorically impossible for a magical being to use magic and there not be any sort of residue of the spell left behind. How else would a spell still be in effect later on? No, that supposed residue is the actual spell still doing its work. Which means that what they used to blind you could very well be something muggle enhanced by magic to be much stronger than it would have been otherwise.”

            “And if that is the case?” he asked. “What then?”

            “You’re going to have to go to a muggle doctor,” she stated. “They would be able to assess your problem with more understanding of what muggle device was used on you. We’ll be able to find answers from there.”

            “I’m not going to any muggle doctor! They are nothing but barbarians!”

            “I’m sure after five minutes in your company, they won’t have anything nice to say about you either. But you’re going, Lord Malfoy, even if I have to knock you out cold and tie you up to do so.” She stood up, straightening out her casual sweater. “If you think I won’t, think again. You’d be able to ask Severus, but he’s currently tied to my bed. Excuse me, I need to let him go before he starts to think I forgot him there.”

TBC...

***

Once again, another chapter done with. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy lives to read my little fanfiction. It does mean more than I can express. Please if you could, review. I rely on those reviews to keep the story on the straight and narrow, as it were.

Time for Famous Last Words: Movie Addition! The answers to the last one were "Frida" using the artist's own words, the woman was played by Salma Hayek, and the film was directed by Julie Taymor. The answer to the bonus question was Diego Rivera. A spa day (goodness don't you wish the prizes were real?) goes to Kaida who not only got all the answers, including the bonus question, but was the only one to do so!!!! If I missed you, I'm sorry.

Time for the next quote! "Gaff had been there and let her live. Four years he figured. He was wrong. Tyrell had told me Rachael was special. No termination date. I didn't know how long we'd have together. Who does?" Here's your clue and a question--Do androids dream of electric sheep? There you go. Thanks for everyone that's been participating in the game. You guys have been making it fun to come up with all the quotes. Have a great day everyone!
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