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Lendoren	By : septentrion Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 19648 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
- 42
- 43
- 44
Disclaimer: everything you recognise belongs to Jo

Story by kelokelo, chapter translated by septentrion and beta�ed by vonHardenberg

Chapter 43. The NEWTs

That evening, no student wanted to be late for dinner in the Great Hall. When the teachers arrived and took their seats, conversations stopped and hundreds of eyes turned in their direction. They especially watched the black-clad teacher who was taking his usual seat, an impassive expression on his face. Professor Dumbledore spoke. �Dear students, as so many of you have noticed, Professor Umbridge has unfortunately had to return to her previous position at the Ministry earlier than planned. Professor Snape has agreed to finish the semester with you as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He also resumes his position as Head of Slytherin House. Now, all I need to tell you is: enjoy your meal!�

The conversations between students made a rustling noise in the Hall: Dumbledore hadn�t said a word about the relationship between the Head Girl and their teacher. Said Head Girl seemed very detached from the gossip of which she was the subject. The same could be said about Professor Snape; not once did he glance toward the Gryffindor table.

Hermione was, nevertheless, happy to see her day come to an end. She was tired by all the emotions she�d felt and longed for only one thing: her rooms, her bed. As usual when she was tired, she let Severus know at the end of the meal.

�I�ll join you as soon as I can, my dear. I need to check some things for my classes tomorrow. I�m not prepared for them!�

His tone was teasing, but Hermione didn�t react immediately as usual, which told him a lot about her tiredness. Indeed, when Severus went up to the first floor an hour after dinner, he found her lying deeply asleep across the bed, which brought out of him both a tender smile and an exasperated sigh. When would she learn to keep to her side of the bed?

During the next two weeks, Hermione adjusted her timetable according to her tiredness, with her teachers� approval. They had previously met to discuss the matter among themselves. The ones who wanted to see her back quickly were the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy teachers. They knew she would receive help neither from Ron, Harry, nor even Severus, for he�d never studied those subjects. Thus she went to their classes on her first week. Professor Binns had pointed out that his subject could come last; Hermione already knew so much about it, he didn�t doubt that she could pass her NEWT. Malko had openly joked about the private lessons Hermione probably received in Potions. Filick told that, given her power, she just needed the list of spells, and that she would be able to perform them in no time. On the other hand, Madam Sprout stated that practice was necessary to succeed in Herbology, and therefore she wished that Hermione would come back to class quickly. Professor McGonagall was of the opinion that Hermione didn�t need much practice to master the Transfiguration spells, but it�d be better if she would get back soon as there was a lot of theory to master. Severus spoke last, under the ironic eyes of Malko and Filick.

�She�s already beyond me with regard to practice, even though I�m still a bit ahead of her in conventional magic, as long as I don�t give her the complete list of the spells I can cast. She�ll go through theory quickly. So, she doesn�t really need to attend my class. She can come back when she is ready.�

The second week, Hermione attended the Herbology and Transfiguration classes, and on the third week, she rounded out her timetable by attending all her classes again.

There were wagers among the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws, who had Defence together, about the teacher�s attitude when Hermione would return to that class. That day, Severus felt a bit irritated by the smiles that could be spotted on the students� faces for he could only too well imagine their reason. Homework naturally flew to his desk as soon as he came in the classroom. Hermione had taken her usual seat between Harry and Ron in the first row, just as at the time Professor Gryffin was the one to teach the subject.

Severus tackled the lesson as he was used to doing, without seeming to notice his companion�s presence. The latter was sporting a more than usually concentrated expression. The only significant difference�and it was one that everyone noticed�was that Severus called her by her first name in class, instead of her surname, as was his custom with his students. However, he spoke her first name with the same tone as with the other students. What didn�t change either was the sheer amount of homework with which they�d been burdened.

The following weeks flashed past. Revisions and catching-up occupied much of Hermione�s time and encroached upon her sleeping time, to Severus� great disappointment. He was alarmed by the way she approached her exams. He detained Harry at the end of a Defence lesson with a trivial excuse while Hermione was dashing to the library to go on with her revisions.

�Tell me what is this nonsense about the exams. Is it a special gift for me or is it customary for Hermione to make such a fuss about them?� he grumbled.

Harry burst out laughing when he saw the grumpy expression of his teacher and raised his hand to stop any protestation. �Sorry, Erwin, but we�re rather glad you�re the one to take the brunt of it this year. For the first time, we can breathe during the exams time.�

Severus sighed deeply, shaking his head. �I can�t believe it! How can she push herself like that?�

He cast a dark look at Harry, who was still laughing, and motioned him to go away. He�d tried to make Hermione see reason as best as he could, but she couldn�t help it, panic had the better of her. She was so afraid to fail! When she yelled this at Severus, he had been speechless. Her, to fail? He was growing more and more impatient to see the end of the exams, and resume a normal life�normal according to his standards, at least�with her.

The atmosphere in their chambers the first day of NEWTs was positively electric. Hermione expected Severus to be more understanding, while he was more than fed up by her unfounded�according to him�anxiety. Alas, she only had one exam per day for the five days (theory the morning, practical the afternoon), which meant one subject less to revise for per day. Severus wished it would have been two subjects per day so that Hermione would be finished with her exams sooner.

The first day was for Transfiguration. Severus thought he�d seen the worst of a revising Hermione, but he was wrong. Hermione had refined her skill to redo the theoretical exam over lunch to mastery. She was doing it now, aloud, with Harry and Ron, and through her link with him. He wasn�t far from grabbing his own head between his hands, like Harry and Ron were doing. Malko and Filick, seated beside him at the high table, asked him about his apparent bad mood.

�She�s redoing her exams, question by question, and panics about what she thinks to be wrong answers. You laugh now, but don�t forget that your companions-to-be won�t have taken their NEWTs either when you meet them.�

Filick openly laughed, but Malko looked a bit more embarrassed.

Severus teased him. �Would you be hiding something, Malko?�

�Let�s go into the park later?� was his only reply.

�Three p.m.,� Severus said. �Hermione will have her practical exam at that time, I will have peace.�

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The three teachers met in the park as agreed, rather far from the students for fear of being overheard. Malko said at once, �I�m lucky. I�ve found out who my companion was a few days earlier. She�s here, at Hogwarts.�

The others smiled: at least, there was good news for the Community.

�What worries me is that she�s only in her sixth year, and so,� he grimaced, �she still has one year before she can take herNEWTs.�

�I hope for you that she has chosen fewer classes than Hermione.�

�By chance, she only has five. I�ve used the same tactics than you did; I�ve sent her dreams, but I think it won�t last long, given what the students know about the Lendoren now. Well, in just a few days, I�ll be able to take her to the Silvery Circle, at least for most of the holidays. No, what I worry for is next year. I really don�t want to be far from her for a year.�

�If you�re still the Potions teacher next year, you can use the first floor rooms. They are very comfortable, you can take my word on it,� Severus said to him with a grin.

�What about Dumbledore?�

�Tell him the truth. He�s always taken our side and made everything he could to protect us. It would be ungrateful to try and hide him a relationship such as yours. Well, now, you tell us her name.�

�Emma Kargling, Ravenclaw.�

�Small, blonde, incredibly shy? Not interested at all by potions?� Severus said sarcastically.

�Exactly. She gave up potions after her OWLs, which means that I don�t teach her. And � very much to my taste physically. I think that I can deal with her shyness. Well, I�ll go and see our Headmaster to hear his opinion about this and what he proposes that we do.�

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After dinner, Severus went to Hermione�s rooms before she came to put away everything concerning Transfiguration. He didn�t want to hear a word about this subject. He welcomed her with a smile but rolled his eyes when he saw her anguished face. She tried to reach for the Charms books to revise for the following day. He collared her without further ado and fell with her on the bed.

�No my dear, no last minute revision. I know you�ve spent your time before and after dinner in the library first, and then in the Gryffindor common room to work for your exams, but now, it�s time to go to bed.�

�But, no, I must ��

She couldn�t finish her sentence: Severus had put his lips on hers. There was only one way to have her relax: to make love to her. He was persuaded that she would easily fall asleep afterward, and that would benefit her much more than last minute revisions. The latter usually increased confusion in the students� head. She protested a bit in their link, but less than what he did expect.

He did the same the following days, after successively Charms, Herbology and Potions. Hermione had guessed his stratagem and was trying to stay as long as possible in the Gryffindor common room. However, Severus personally threatened to fetch her there around eleven p.m., and she yielded to him.

Friday would be more complicated for them; it was the Defence exam day. The practical test was to take place in the presence of the teacher, that is to say Severus. Hermione particularly dreaded the examiners� comments. She�d been spared until now, but she still was hesitant to be left alone. She gave a hard time to Harry, Ron and Ginny, until Ron and Harry were called. She jumped when Severus called her by her family name�the first time in months�and couldn�t help but cast him an anguished look. He remained impassive and kept his promise not to contact her at all through their link during her exams. She noticed she was the last to take the practical; she was now alone with the examiners and Severus.

She cast effortlessly every spell that the examiner asked her. The examiner told her then, �Thank you, Miss Granger. The exam is finished. Now, tell us, just out of curiosity,� she said, including the other examiners in her request, �your magic is based on the elements, isn�t it?�

�Yes,� Hermione answered.

�How many of them can you master all in the same time alone?�

�Two or three, depending on what I�m to do.�

�And � how to put it? � when you�re with Professor Snape?�

Hermione blushed but clearly answered, �The four of them.�

�At the same time?�

�Yes.�

�Professor Snape, we�ve already established Miss Granger�s grade for this subject. Would you be agreeable to show us how you work together? It�s only to satisfy our own curiosity.�

Severus knew that the examiners judged the students only by their performance, and never took into account the gossips, whether they were real of not. Therefore, they�d been impartial with Hermione; she�d been examined just the same as the other students. That�s why he asked Hermione through their link, �It is up to you, my dear. I think that they�re sincerely curious, and that their curiosity isn�t unhealthy. They�ve seen what you can do when you�re alone. Now, they want to see the difference when we�re together.�

Hermione didn�t answer, but he felt her link them together and was staggered by the power he could feel emanate from her. She�d recovered well since the incident with Umbridge; he could feel it clearly. She encouraged him to seek what would relax them more: two unicorns chasing each other around a course decorated with fire circles, which were crackling and radiating warmth. The examiners� faces were astonished. Those unicorns looked like they were made of flesh; they were so consistent. They also knew that the Lendoren preferred physical contact for their magic, that made them more powerful. Yet, there were at least ten metres between the teacher and his student. Well, perhaps teacher and student weren�t accurate names anymore.

The two unicorns bowed to the examiners after two minutes of the show, then they disappeared, as did the fire circles.

�This is stunning. I�ve heard a lot of things about you, but nothing was near that which I�ve seen. Miss Granger, I wish you all the best. You don�t need to worry about your grade for this practical exam.�

Hermione thanked her and left the room without looking at Severus. The examiner remained thoughtful for a while. Then, she spoke to Severus. �We haven�t seen half of your power, have we?�

�Not the tenth would be correct,� Severus said softly. �All the more because we were far from each other.�

�I understand better why your Community remains hidden. If a certain kind of people would know about how powerful you are, they�d be too much tempted to try to use you for their own goals.�

�You�re probably right,� Severus answered.

�What about this castle defences?�

�When she�s finished with all her NEWTs, and after she�s recovered from the exams, then we will take care of them, and not before.�

Severus� determined tone let the examiner know that nothing would make him change his mind on this matter. The only one who could have reached this achievement had just left the room.

Answer to reviews:

catysmom: thank you.

firewall: Gryffin and his companion died in the battle. Severus was told when he awoke. He will be missed.

the election interested people here too: a lot of people went to vote last week. Next month will be the election for the new Assembly.

Thank you for your review.

Anon: thank you.

Citten: I live in France. This story is nearly finished, only three chapters remain fater this one.

kateri_anne_shale: I do my very best to write proper English, but sometimes, my best is not enough. At least, it seems understandable enough ;)
I'm conscious that there are some inconsistencies in this story, such as the one you've pointed. But it isn't my story, so I just went along with the translation. I'm sorry I can't clarify this for you. As it is, the original author has accepted to shorten her story because the translation was starting to take too much of my time, I couldn't as well tell her she had to rewrite entire parts of her story. Thank you for your understanding and thoughtful review. I like attentive readers.

MB: I'm glad to hear that your finals weren't that bad. Here is the update you were waiting for ;)

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Lendoren