Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Matters of the Heart	By : strawberryf1re Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 34556 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe (characters, settings, etc.) ŠJ.K. Rowling. No profits are made from this work.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Rating: M – inappropriate for readers under the age of 16; contains scenes of explicit sexuality and violence.

Disclaimer: Characters and settings ©J.K. Rowling

Author's Note: College is resuming so updates will, in all likelihood, be more infrequent than in the past. Bear with me!

Matters of the Heart

K. Marie

Chapter 20

Hermione moved over to one of the chairs by the hearth and slowly lowered herself into it. She couldn't pull her eyes off of the two powerful wizards standing before her, locked in a stare. Dumbledore gestured with his hand to the couch across from her, and both men walked to the furniture. Dumbledore pointedly took the chair beside Hermione, while Severus sat down across from them.

"I suppose the first question I have addresses the issue of a student departing from your private rooms, Severus," Dumbledore began grimly, eyeing the younger man over his half-moon spectacles.

Severus bristled slightly, his dark gaze shifting from the Headmaster to the Head Girl, and back again. Hermione watched him as he was considering his answer, and the old man beside her shifted in his chair. In the silence, he turned his face to Hermione, the usual twinkle in his light blue eyes absent. She bowed her head.

"I would like to believe that, for some peculiar reason, Miss Granger required something from your private rooms for her projects – and, the diligent student that she is, she began to work very early on something she did not finish last night." Dumbledore's gaze shifted to the wizard across from him. "But I'm afraid I don't think that to be the truth of the situation, is it, Severus?"

It seemed that Severus had decided on honesty with the Headmaster. Hermione, who had only been training Occlumency for a little over a month, hoped dearly she was skilled enough with her basic knowledge to convince Dumbledore of anything Severus told him. The Potions Master lowered his eyes to his calloused hands, the bony fingers flexing.

"You had said so yourself, Headmaster. It is not unusual for a man to become intrigued by one he works so closely with, especially one such as Hermione," Severus growled.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, releasing a quiet, "Ah" as though he understood. There was a deafening silence weighing in on them, and Hermione squirmed. Panic was rising in her chest; she did not feel as though she were skilled enough to protect Severus from Dumbledore knowing the truth.

"Hermione is a very mature woman," Severus began. "She is also, coincidentally, of legal age." He added quickly, and before Dumbledore could interject, continued: "You are as aware of her abilities as I, Headmaster. You know that she has encountered many a challenging hurdle and she has overcome. She has lead Potter and Weasley to safety on more occasions than one should reasonably be expected. Sh—"

Dumbledore raised his hand in front of him, signaling Severus to silence. The Potions Master stopped speaking almost instantly, and Hermione's eyes shifted to the Headmaster.

"Are you suggesting that this relationship developed as a result of her decision?" he asked.

It didn't take but a second for Severus to answer. "I am stating that the relationship developed normally, as one would when two individuals are working so closely together," he replied calmly. "Especially considering the commonalities between both parties."

Dumbledore nodded, slowly. His gaze flickered from Severus to Hermione, as though he was trying to gather any unspoken information before making his next decision.

"This is very inappropriate, Severus," his voice was sullen with disappointment. "I should fire you." Quickly, Dumbledore turned on Hermione. "I would like to speak to you privately."

Hermione's brown eyes widened in apprehension, and she looked to Severus. With Dumbledore's eyes fixed on Hermione's face, Severus offered her an uncharacteristic condoling expression before rising.

"I will be in my office. Call to me when you are through."

The Potions Master hesitated for only a moment before sweeping off to his office. When Dumbledore heard the quiet click of the door closing, he turned to Hermione once more. Her hands were trembling and she was sweating.

"Dear girl, calm down," Dumbledore said, his voice calm. "You are not in any trouble."

Hermione's lower lip quivered as she tried to withhold her tears. Dumbledore continued: "Professor Snape was quite correct in what he said about you. You are plenty capable of making a mature decision such as this on your own. You have saved the lives of your friends on many occasions and I do not doubt you will continue to serve a vital role in their lives. That being said," Dumbledore paused. "I must know if what else he has said is true. Did you come to this decision mutually?"

Hermione nodded, slowly. "Yes, sir."

"Professor Snape did not in any way force this relationship onto you?"

"No, sir."

"He did not blackmail you with receiving a poor grade or dismissing your apprenticeship?"

"No!" she exclaimed, as though shocked he would suggest such a thing.

"He did not force himself onto you?"

To this, Hermione faltered only a moment before responding. "No, sir."

He lowered his chin just slightly to peer at her over his spectacles. She felt as though he was trying to read her, and she forced any emotions related to her assault away from her thoughts. Hastily, she brought to mind the moment she confronted him about her feelings for him.

It seemed as though he was considering something, and as he looked at Hermione, his expression changed slightly. "Are you certain he did not in any way force this upon you?"

Hermione shook her head, her mane of wild hair flowing with it. "No, sir. I came of this decision on my own, after working with him for so long so closely."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. She continued to speak: "I know it seems strange, and perhaps it is. But we work nearly every night together on my projects – and there are many to work on, as one would expect from Professor Snape. We had found… comfort in the presence of the other, intellectual adversaries that no one else could provide. I had no idea if he had begun feeling the same way I had… but I approached him anyway. He hesitated, mind you." She lowered her eyes to her hands. "He thought about it, he knew it was inappropriate, but… it was hard to ignore." She raised her gaze to meet his, steadily.

The Headmaster said nothing, but simply listened. His light eyes were fixed on Hermione's face, and she knew he was trying to discover whether she was lying. She thought of that early morning that she woke Severus to confess to him her feelings, and his hesitancy to respond. After a moment, Dumbledore turned towards the office door.

"Severus," he called.

The door swung open and Severus entered, his eyes flickering between his lover and his friend. Hermione did not seem quite as anxious, though she was still visibly shaken. Dumbledore gestured to the couch once more, and Severus lowered himself onto it. His black eyes bore into Dumbledore's face.

They were bathed in silence for a very long time. It seemed that Dumbledore was quietly thinking, his light blue eyes fixed on the younger wizard.

Suddenly, Dumbledore turned to Hermione. "It is about time you head off to class, Miss Granger."

Hermione glanced to the clock, and surely enough, he was right. She heaved a sigh of relief, glad to be excused. Standing from the chair, she bowed her head to both men, and quickly made to depart. When the door closed behind her, Dumbledore turned to Severus.

"I am very disappointed, Severus," his voice was grave. "How long?"

Severus hesitated for a moment. "Several months, Headmaster. Shortly after the start of term."

"Miss Granger tells me that this came as her decision. She denies that you forced it upon her or blackmailed her," he said, his voice quiet. "She also denies that you forced yourself upon her. I pray that she is being honest."

Severus did not answer the elder wizard. Dumbledore remained sitting across from him for quite awhile, silently. He seemed to be simply considering the situation. Severus found his apprehension rising, which seemed very unusual to the man – he rarely felt anxious about anything, but this particular situation was so uncalled for, he was so unprepared for… he knew not what Hermione had told Dumbledore, but he hoped that his answers reflected hers.

The luck of this morning. If it was representative at all of the remainder of the day, Severus found himself feeling particularly bitter. His calloused fingers were curling and uncurling into a fist.

"I hope you have protected her," Dumbledore's voice came softly. "Of all that comes with being associated with you."

A stabbing statement and it was intended as such. Severus nodded. "Indeed, I have. When she came to me, I made her aware that she is placing herself in harm's way should this ever be made public. She simply laughed, as her best friend is Potter."

"Does anyone else know of this?" the old wizard asked.

"We have done very well to keep this secret," he answered.

"What of Malfoy's accusations?" Dumbledore asked.

"I am uncertain whether they are truthful," Severus said softly. "I cannot know for certain if he is honest in claiming he has seen us."

Silence fell on them once more. Severus stood from his seat to begin pacing, his robes bustling out about his feet. Dumbledore's light eyes followed the younger man.

"Severus, I shouldn't accept this," the Headmaster said. "I should very well fire you."

Severus turned on him quickly. "There is no reason, Headmaster! She is of legal age and she is plenty capable of making this decision on her own. You know that as well as I. She is mature well beyond her years. We have kept it very secret, so much so that even her friends are unaware. There is absolutely no risk—"

"There is absolutely risk," Dumbledore replied, his voice agitated. "There is great risk to her."

"And she is quite capable of defending herself, Headmaster! You are as aware of that as I!" Severus exclaimed. "She has faced many a difficult situation, Headmaster, and she has prevailed admirably. She has great skill with magic! She—"

"Do you love her?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.

The question was so sudden that Severus nearly stumbled in his steps. He turned from the Headmaster to face the hearth, grasping tightly to the mantle as if for support, staring into the cinders of the extinguished flame. The quiet whisper of fabric told the Potions Master that Dumbledore had risen from his seat. He felt a hand softly cup his shoulder.

"Severus," Dumbledore said softly.

"Yes, Albus," Severus snapped. "I love her."

Hermione had all but run to her private rooms. Her heart was pumping so quickly in her chest she thought the muscle might explode – and her rapid heartbeat had nothing to do with her pace. She couldn't believe that Dumbledore caught her sneaking from Severus' private rooms. They weren't ready to be exposed yet.

She hoped that her Occlumency skill was powerful enough to convince Dumbledore. She had no idea how powerful a Legilimens he was, and it terrified her to think that he could have simply plucked it from her brain that Severus had raped her.

She burst into her private rooms, finally allowing her tears to fall onto her cheeks. She had been withholding her crying in the presence of Dumbledore, but now in private she couldn't contain it anymore. Her tears flowed freely down her face. The thought that Severus might lose his protection because of her horrified her, and she couldn't bear to lose him.

Despite her concern, she thought it seemed as though Dumbledore was actually considering allowing them to continue their relationship. Severus had made a very good case to Dumbledore, and Hermione hoped she only confirmed such when she spoke to him alone. She had no idea what was going on now, as Severus was left alone with the Headmaster, and it was killing her.

She knew that she would find out soon enough the results of their exposure. If her suspicions were right, his mood would accurately reflect their discussion alone. She didn't know if she would see him before lunch, but she planned on meeting with him during the period.

Hurriedly, she got into her shower, with little time to prepare before classes. The muscles of her legs ached and her heart seemed to have no intention on slowing. She couldn't get Severus off her mind, and as a result she was quite eager for the lunch hour to arrive so she could talk with him privately. She dressed quickly, tying her wet hair back into a bun, and collected her books for her morning classes.

Severus was sitting in his office, finding the thought of socializing during lunch rather detestable. His mind was whirling with events from the morning. He heard the door to his office open slightly, and Hermione poked her head around it.

"Is it alright that I come in?" she asked cautiously.

He nodded curtly and she entered slowly, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Everything was as she remembered it last, which granted her some relief. Cautiously, she lowered into the chair across from her lover, and waited quietly. His desk was littered with parchment, and the food on his plate was untouched.

Severus didn't even want her company that lunch hour, but he did find some comfort in it. He lowered his gaze to his plate once more, pushing the food around, with no intention on actually consuming any of it. Hermione shifted in her seat slightly, the old wood creaking under her weight.

"Severus, you're worrying me," she said quietly.

"There is no need to worry, Hermione," he said softly. "I am not going anywhere."

Hermione perked up at this news. Severus continued: "Professor Dumbledore has decided that you are mature enough to make this decision on your own, and he could not determine if we were lying to him about any aspect of our relationship" – Severus raised his eyes to look at her, the slightest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth – "I must say I am quite pleased with your progress in our Occlumency lessons."

Hermione smiled slightly. He continued speaking. "Professor Dumbledore wanted to make certain I understood that he did not approve of our relationship whatsoever, but he would not punish us for it."

The truth of the situation was that while Albus did not approve, he admitted he felt some happiness for Severus.

"Yes, Albus," Severus snapped. "I love her."

A moment of silence passed between them, and Dumbledore lifted his hand from the younger wizard's shoulder. He placed his hand on the small of his back, leading him to be seated once more. As both men lowered themselves to their seats, Dumbledore leaned in.

"You have loved Lily for so long, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"I still do," Severus growled, his gaze resting somewhere beyond the Headmaster. The backs of his eyes stung slightly, as though tears were trying to push their way through. "I always will."

"But Miss Granger?"

"I have come to love her," Severus hissed. He was growing irritated with this conversation quickly.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore's voice seemed almost happy. "Were I anyone else, I would not believe you were capable of loving so much."

Severus' fathomless black eyes narrowed at Dumbledore, but the elder man seemed not to notice. Silence settled in on them for a moment. In the quiet, Severus lowered his eyes to his hands, his gaze tracing the prominent veins.

"I always thought there were some parallels between both women," Dumbledore began, his voice reflecting fondness. "Ever since I first met Miss Granger, she reminded me of Lily Evans. I found no surprise that Harry had taken to Hermione as he had."

Severus' eyes flickered to Dumbledore's face, but he said nothing. Dumbledore was looking off towards one of the bookshelves, the customary twinkling in his eyes recovered.

"When I learned that you were taking on Miss Granger as your apprentice, I suspected you would come to learn the same," he said. "You were never witness to it, as a child – quite possibly because you were quite smitten with her – but Miss Evans behaved much the same as Miss Granger. I believe, if you were to have taught Lily as well, you may have referred to her rather unfondly as 'an insufferable know-it-all,'" Dumbledore's mouth turned up into a slight smile. "She was quite concerned with proving herself to be worthy of the unique abilities she was granted, especially in the face of such prejudice.

"I suspected that you would come to care for Miss Granger in a way you had never for any of your previous apprentices, though few they were. I anticipated that you would eventually find a companion in her, a friendly conversation and a very talented partner," he paused, his eyes finally falling onto Severus' face. "I did not expect this, though. I did not expect a romantic relationship to flourish so soon after you accepted her."

"I did not expect this either, Headmaster," Severus said softly.

"Do her parents know?" the old wizard asked, his tired eyes peering over his spectacles.

Severus hesitated before answering. For whatever reason, he hadn't once even considered the possibility of Hermione's parents – and if they would disapprove. He lowered his eyes. "I don't believe so."

Silence hung in the air for a moment, though it seemed an eternity to the Potions Master. He looked up at Albus. Firmly, Dumbledore placed his hand on the table that separated him from Severus.

"You are quite correct; she is very capable of making this decision. I hope you will not take advantage of how much she cares for you, Severus. It is very obvious that she loves you dearly, and I'm afraid she will show you the same loyalty she shows her friends. Her feelings for you may cause her great harm."

"I know," Severus hissed, tearing his gaze from the old wizard. "She knows, too."

"I require that you keep your relationship secret, Severus," Dumbledore ordered. "I do not want any word of this escaping. No one can know. If anyone else discovers this, I may be forced by the Ministry to take action – and I do not believe it to be an appropriate action, mind you. While I do not approve of this situation, I cannot chastise you for it either. There is, technically, nothing actionable about this. However, that does not mean the Ministry will not be forced by the hands of hundreds of irate parents. If you allow this to be exposed, I will not be able to protect you, Severus."

Severus nodded slowly. "Yes, Headmaster."

"I suspect that you have taken great care to ensure that this remains private," Dumbledore said. "As this is the first I have heard any confirmation that Malfoy's accusations were quite true." He smiled slightly. "I trust you will continue to keep this hidden from public knowledge at all costs."

"Of course, Headmaster."

She reached across his desk, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That is wonderful, Severus!"

Severus set his hands on her hips, barely returning her embrace. As she released him, she kissed him happily on the lips, seating herself in the chair once more and looking at him expectantly. He did not seem so thrilled, and as she noticed this, her expression also slowly changed.

"Severus, why does this seem to bother you?" she asked him, her head turned sideways slightly. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

Severus looked at her. "Indeed, it is what I wanted, but I was not expecting it."

"I don't understa—"

"It is good news, most certainly," Severus interrupted. "And I am quite pleased with the result. I am rather upset with the manner in which it was revealed to Dumbledore, but there is nothing for it now. Pay you no concern, Hermione. It is very good that I can remain here, and that Dumbledore agreed that you are able to make such a choice without influence. I simply prefer to have these things done of my own accord, and not by surprise."

Hermione nodded slowly, frowning slightly. She couldn't understand how he could feel so sullen with such good news. She stood quickly. "I should tell Harry!"

"No," Severus interjected firmly. "You cannot."

Turning from the door, Hermione looked at the Potions Master. "But why not?"

"No one must find out, Hermione. Not even your friends. If they discover it, there is no saying who else might learn of it. We cannot risk that, as it may essentially force Dumbledore's hand. Once you graduate, then yes – we can make it known. But only then," Severus said softly. "You must also consider your friends'… disdain for me. They may understand you are capable of such a mature decision, but they may not accept it."

"I see," she said sadly. "I understand. It's for your safety."

"And for yours," he replied, his voice short.

The soft bells announcing the end of the lunch hour echoed through the dungeons, and Hermione turned her head in the direction of the door. "I suppose I should be going."

"Indeed," Severus nodded slowly. He rose from his desk and moved towards her.

Hermione smiled as he embraced her, pressing a kiss to her mouth. She parted her lips, allowing him in, and his tongue caressed hers hungrily. Suddenly, she had no drive to leave him then. Her fingers gently grazed his groin, and he growled into her mouth.

"Not now, Miss Granger."

Hermione broke from him, her hand lingering below his belt for just a moment before she turned on her heel and left without another word. Severus watched her leave, unable to shake the feeling of dread he felt rising within him. He could not explain it, but he felt as though Dumbledore's enlightenment held nothing good for his future.
- 19
- 20
- 21
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Matters of the Heart