Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Living	By : ssdawn Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 31345 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Wizarding World created by J.K. Rowling. I also do not make any money from any of the stories I write. It is pay enough getting to play with these characters.

Chapter List
- 23
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This chapter starts immediately where the last one left off. An angry Hermione just left Gryffindor Tower…

Living: Chapter 24

Hermione left the common room feeling very peeved. Why was Severus discussing things with Harry and Ron and not her? Hadn't their relationship developed to a point that he would talk to her before them? Her hands were shaking so much she had to put her wand in her pocket. Her jaw hurt from clenching her teeth so hard and her heart felt like it was wanting to pound out of her chest. Why did she feel so betrayed by Severus? She tried to control her breathing and think about all of this as she made her way down to the dungeons. She really didn't want to fight with Severus, especially after the wonderful night they'd had. They had come such a long ways in their relationship. Did she really want to ruin everything over not being told something? Maybe he had his reasons for talking to Ron and Harry first.

She was appalled at her anger when she hadn't even given Severus the chance to tell his side of the story yet. This would only lead to an unnecessary fight between them. Guilt rushed over her and her need to always be in the know and to be right. It was time to grow up and let some of that perfectionism go.

When she came to Severus's door she knocked, counted to ten in her head while waiting and slowed her breathing after walking down so quickly from Gryffindor Tower. The door opened immediately with Severus giving her a deep- knowing look. She knew that he understood why she was there. Her eyes looked into his as a hint of guilt lay in his.

"So Potter and Weasley couldn't keep their mouths shut I see?" Severus asked.

"It wasn't Harry, it was Ron and it slipped out because he was nervous." Hermione explained. "When you threaten to kill someone if they blab, that tends to make someone nervous, wouldn't you say?"

Severus's lip curled up in the smug way that had almost become endearing to her. His arm swung in, motioning for her to enter. He closed the door reaching for her hand to tug her over to his leather couch. They both sunk down close together and he put his arm around her shoulders. Relief flooded through her when she sensed he was in no mood for a fight either

"What exactly did the nitwit say to you?" Severus asked as he took her hand in his, his thumb rubbing along the back of her hand. The tingly feeling from his touch shot all the way down through her fingertips. She felt comfort, and security being by his side.

"From what I could gather in his mumbling, is that there is a new Dark Lord. Is it true Severus? Please tell me he heard wrong?" Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder.

"According to Potter and Weasley, they overheard two apparent junior Death Eaters who spoke of the Dark Lord and doing things to 'The Chosen One'. They were also waiting for new orders from their Dark Lord."

"So they never said who this new Dark Lord was?" Hermione's face showed her concern as her big, brown eyes looked up at him.

The look on his face showed that he was worried too. "I felt the same way when I found out about there being another Dark Lord. The problem now will be finding out whom it is and how many followers the new leader had already accumulated." Severus said.

"Ron also seemed upset about something else they saw, but he didn't say what it was. His face was so red I knew it must have been something pretty terrible."

Severus stared chuckling, which soon turned into a full belly laugh. Hermione turned towards him to watch him lean over, hold his stomach and tears fell down his face. What in the world did she say that would make him react this way? Had he misunderstood what she has said?

"Severus, what in the world are you laughing about?" Hermione finally asked after watching the normally serious man laugh himself silly.

Severus wiped his eyes one more time, and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and blew his nose. He took one more deep breath to control himself then he settled back against the couch.

"I think I probably know the reason why Mr. Weasley was acting out like he did." His voice became more serious as he answered her.

Hermione looked at Severus and cocked her head at him. Her hand brushed up the length of his arm and started running through his hair. "So? Please don't keep me waiting."

"What they failed to mention to you, is that they thoroughly reported back to me about the identity of the junior Death Eaters and where they found them." Severus smiled as he leaned his head back, humming at the feel of Hermione massaging his head now.

"Do tell Severus, who are they and what were they doing?" Hermione's eyes lit up at who the new mysterious Death Eaters might be.

"Potter and Weasley followed them up to a now hardly used part of the castle. I don't think it's been used since the days when I was here as a student." Severus moaned again as her ministrations were helping him to relax. His hands came out to gently pull her into his chest. She laid her head against him where she could hear his heart beating. She was so glad that she hadn't come storming in like she had intended to. Every minute was precious when they could be close like this.

"Well, they both are very good at slinking about the castle. They've had many years of practice." Hermione laughed at her own words.

"I know, and you my minx were often slinking around with them." He kissed the top of her head. "When they followed them up to a room, they disillusioned themselves and heard and saw more than they bargained for."

"Enough with the suspense, tell me who it was?"

"Theo Nott and Justin Finch-Fletchley were there talking about causing problems for the 'Chosen One'." Hermione gasped at his words as her heart pounded."I can't believe that Ron was right. That means it was probably them who pushed me off the staircase." Hermione sat up to meet Severus's eyes. "Am I right?"

With an angry look on his face his brows knitted together, he nodded, "Yes, I thought the same thing. I will get to the truth and they will be punished. They also spoke of doing another mission for the new Dark Lord."

"I'm not seeing how any of this is funny Severus." Hermione sat up straight and crossed her arms, not finding any humor in what she had been told so far.

"My dear put away your claws. Your boys caught Nott and Finch-Fletchley in a very compromising situation and could not leave at the moment. So they inadvertently were given quite the show." Severus's grin came back as he brushed her hair back behind her shoulders.

"Oh, my! I can see how Ronald would have had kittens about that!" Hermione started laughing as she thought about her very prudish and surprisingly conventional friend and how he had probably taken seeing Theo and Justin doing anything sexual together. "He reacted the same way one summer when he walked in on Luna and Ginny kissing. They were experimenting wanting to see what kissing another girl felt like. He came unglued and threatened to tell Mrs. Weasley until Ginny hexed him and bound him up in her closet."

"Why am I not surprised that Luna and Ginny did that?" Severus said shaking his head.

"It only happened that one time, but it weirded Ron out enough. He really needs to be more tolerant. How was Harry when they came back?"

"He was more worried about the fact that they were Death Eaters and not that they were lovers." His voice held a hint of mirth as he spoke.

"That's my Harry. He always seems to be more focused on what matters. Anyhow, that also means it was probably them who bashed Harry's head in." Just thinking back to that night made her shiver. They could have done more damage to Harry and to her.

Hermione stood up, walked over to the fireplace, and crossed her arms tight. "The thing that truly concerns me now though is that there are probably more than two junior Death Eaters here at Hogwarts."

Severus walked behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Once again his very presence comforted her. "I fear that you are correct my love. We have a lot more to figure out before we can confront Nott and Finch-Fletchley. We can't let them know that we are aware of what they are."

"Even though we've known them for many years, they've proven how dangerous they are. We can't let anything else happen. What should we do Severus?" Hermione turned to wrap her arms around his waist, her body fully flushed against his. She needed his consolation and the safety he could provide.

"Top priority is not letting on that we know anything about them or their missions. Then we need to see whom they are associating with. Their guard will be down so it shouldn't be too hard figuring out who their associates are."

"Do you really think it will be as easy as that?" Hermione said.

"They've been getting away with everything so far. This makes them cocky, but also careless. If Potter and Weasley were able to follow them without giving themselves away, this next part shouldn't be hard either." Severus tilted her face up his dark eyes meeting her amber ones. The passion she could see clearly, but there was more; she could see his devotion to her and keeping her safe.

She wanted to tell him how much she cared for him, but didn't want to scare the man away. Hopefully from her actions, this would be enough to convey how she truly felt. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in as her lips landed on his. His desire matched her own as his hands followed the curve of her waist and to her backside. He pulled her against him as he deepened the kiss. He felt strong. He felt safe. He felt like home. Here there was joy and acceptance, despite the craziness happening around them. She never wanted to let go of him.

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Harry sat by the fire with Ginny curled up by his side. Ron had gone to bed after being yelled at by his sister. It had upset all of them to watch Hermione go storming off to confront Snape. Harry kind of felt sorry for the bloke being on the end of Hermione's temper. He and Ron had been in that same situation too many times through the years. Harry also felt kind of helpless at the moment. Their biggest hope was having an Ex-Death Eater on their side. He was hoping that Snape would have a plan in knowing how to flush out the new Death Eaters and their new Dark Lord.

"Harry, what are you thinking? I can hear your brain grinding louder than the ticking of the clock on the wall." Ginny said in her playful way, but Harry knew that her words were serious.

"I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that there is another Dark Lord raising hell this soon after old Voldie dying." Harry ran his hands through his hair, while feeling a dull ache in his chest that had been a constant while Voldemort still lived.

"Harry, I know you always feel like you have to save the world and be the hero. Maybe this time you need to let someone else step up and take the job." Ginny's voice rose a little higher than Harry wanted to hear.

"I'm not saying I have to kill him off Ginny," he replied heatedly, "Also, its not like I wanted the job the first time around. That kind of fell into my lap when Voldemort killed my parents and gave me my lovely scar." Harry jumped up and glared at his girlfriend.

"Harry, don't be angry with me."

"Well, how do you expect me to react when you accuse me of wanting to be the hero? I never wanted any of it Ginny, and you know damn well that I didn't."

Harry sharply turned and ran up the stairs to his room. He heard Ginny calling for him, but didn't stop to answer her. Out of all the people in the world why was it his girlfriend who thought he had a hero complex? Harry jumped into bed, put up a silencing charm, and warded his bed. The only thing he wanted to do right now was get away from all of this. Why couldn't he finally have peace in his life? A panic attack hit him, and he was glad he'd put up the silencing charm as he fell apart crying himself to sleep. No one needed to know how truly broken he still was inside.

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So, we leave it here seeing how much all of this is truly affecting the trio, Ginny, and Severus. They'll be finding out more information in the next chapter as they find more Death Eaters hiding out in the castle. Thanks for following the story! Reviews are always appreciated!
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