Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Confinement	By : Lucreace Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 14059 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I dont make money from this.

Chapter List
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Hermione focused her attention on chopping the vegetables for the stew. She could have done it with her wand but she wanted to do so with her hands. It would give her something else to focus on while this interview was conducted. She gathered her thoughts, not too sure where to start with this particular subject. Fortunately, he spoke first so she didn’t have to.
                “Have you had any contact from the school?” he said. His tone was even and firm yet filled with purpose. She swallowed, feeling all the nervousness of her school days once more. Pushing that to one side, she glanced up.
                “Nothing.” She bit back the urge to call him sir. He narrowed his eyes, scanning her face with his inky black stare. “I think it’s a little strange and I know I should write and try getting in touch with them. I was told they’d keep in regular contact and I think three days is enough to send word.” Had it only been three days?
                “Perhaps that would be prudent,” he said in his soft voice. “Tell me again what happened last night.”
                “Alright.” She began retelling the story as she moved on to cutting up potatoes for the pot. She couldn’t remember anything else, only the murmured voice and the sharp pain on the back of her head when she was struck. There was nothing else to tell and by the end of it, she knew her tone was clipped with frustration. In fact, the lump was beginning to pound once more but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Showing weakness now wouldn’t do her any good.
                “And you remember nothing else?”
                “How many times do you want me to go over it? No, I don’t remember anything,” she snapped. His eyes narrowed at her and she took a deep breath. Calm down girl, she thought to herself, he’d only trying to help. The niggling voice in the back of her mind reminded her that he probably did it to her in the first place and she took another soothing breath.
                “It’s not much to go on,” he said. His voice colder than the snow outside, “Tonight, you will set the wards with me,” it wasn’t a request and she nodded.
                “Have you any idea at all?” she asked as she tipped the last of the vegetables into the pot.
                “No.”
                She nodded her head and remained silent as she made another cup of tea. Without thinking, she made one for him too and soundlessly passed it to him. He turned his unblinking gaze to her for a moment before picking up the cup and pressing it to his lips. She watched his graceful movements, captivated for a moment. Why had she never spotted that before? Surely he’d never moved in such a way when he was teaching. Had he? She couldn’t remember it. All she could recall was the cutting remarks and the feeling of complete inadequacy as he abraded her efforts over and over.
Dismissing her troubling thoughts, she crossed over to the pot and gave it all a great stir, adding in some pepper and salt. She put it on a low heat before picking up her mug once more, all the while aware of his eyes following her movements. Turning, she was about to make a comment when he pushed his chair back and rose. “I shall find you at nine,” he said curtly.
“You’re welcome to some stew…” she said just as he was turning away.
“I told you Miss Granger, I do not require a house keeper.” With that, he stalked out the kitchen, leaving her to huff out a frustrated breath. The banished him from her thoughts and fetched some parchment and a quill – she had letters to write after all and what better time than now? She’d just begun to pen her first letter to the school when Ryan bounded into the kitchen, snow covered boots and all. Snape was going to go spare at the mud the boy had traipsed in with him. She looked from his shoes to his sandy coloured head. His pale cheeks were flushed red and his eyes twinkled with glee.
“What is it Ryan?” she asked raising a brow of enquiry.
“You need to come and see this!” he gasped. The smile on his face was wider than she’d ever seen before and it was thoroughly infectious. Placing her quill to the side and picking up her wand, she followed Ryan to the door, clearing the mud as she went with a quick cleansing spell. Outside, the kids had made the biggest snow castle she had ever seen, right at the top sat Sasha and Clarice, making miniature snowmen who lined the top. A warm smile spread over her face at the sight of such a normal activity. Maybe they were going to be alright after all! A few flakes began to flutter down from the heavy sky and she looked up.
“That’s really impressive Ryan, did you all do this?”
The kids nodded and turned back to their activity, continuing to fuss over the giant mound of snow they’d created. Hermione watched them for a while before returning to the stew and the letters she had to write. No sooner had she settled down again, Harrison, Jack and Corby came bursting into the kitchen. She heaved a frustrated sigh and looked up.
“Miss! Miss!” Corby shouted as he heaved dark hair out of his face.
“It’s Clarice!” Jack said
“She fell off the snow castle and-” Harrison.
“Now she’s bleeding everywhere and…”
Hermione was on her feet in seconds and striding back out of the house and onto the grand lawn. Clarice looked up at her from the red spattered snow. Her hand holding her nose and her great blue eyes filled with unshed tears. Hermione approached her and the girl whimpered. “Come on, up you get,” she said with great resignation. Hoisting the girl to her feet she led her out of the garden and into the kitchen. As the girl sat down at the table, Hermione went in search of tissues. Of course, she could heal the girl with magic but it was a small bump that looked a lot worse than it was, such was the case with most nose wounds.
When she returned, most of the bleeding had stopped and the girl and stopped her snivelling. She handed her the tissues and Clarice plugged her nose with it. It made the usually striking girl look ludicrous and Hermione couldn’t hold back a laugh. “What?” the girl whimpered.
“Oh it’s nothing really. You just look a bit silly with tissue hanging out your nose…” she gave Clarice a flat look. The girl looked momentarily outraged before a grin spread over her face. Moments later, they were both laughing and giggling at the whole situation.
“I’m sorry Miss,” Clarice said.
“What on earth for?”
“I’ve dropped blood over your letters…”
Hermione nearly swore but kept her anger hidden. It wasn’t the girl’s fault at all; she shouldn’t have left the letters lying around. She brushed her hair back from her face and gave a little shrug. “I can rewrite them; they’re not that neat anyway.”
Clarice smiled and gave a little shiver, “Can I stay inside now?”
“Of course. Why don’t you set the kettle to boiling and I’ll fetch everyone in, they’re bound to be cold and needing a hot drink.” She rose and called the kids into the kitchen. It took them all a minute or two to shed their shoes at the door, but once that was done, they piled in and waited for the drinks to be made. They all had a slightly blue tinge to their lips but their cheeks were rosy and they chattered away as Hermione and Clarice made cups of tea. Shortly afterwards, she sent them off for a shower and a change of clothes before dinner.
After they’d all eaten and were settled doing their reading in the study, Hermione saw to the kitchen with Jack and Ryan. Eventually, everything was as it should be and they too settled down. Hermione picked up a book on the crafting of healing draughts that she’d not spotted before and opened it. It was full of the fluid, angular writing of the former Potions Master. The notes were almost as interesting to read as the rest of the book and his improvements on the draughts were many and the hour ticked away as she read. Slowly, the children took themselves off to bed, knowing they had work to do in the morning.
The clock on the mantelpiece chimed nine and she looked up. There he was, bundled in a heavy cloak and walking boots for the weather outside. “Make yourself ready Miss Granger; I do not like to be kept waiting.”
Nodding, she replaced the book on the shelf and collected her outdoor gear. She was just pulling her thick coat over her shoulders as she reached the door. Once her shoes were on, she straightened and indicated she was ready. Without a word, he left the house and she scampered after him, feeling every bit the startled school girl once more. As she walked alongside him, she found her nerves tremble further rather than calm themselves. What in Merlin's name was wrong with her? Not a sound was made other than the crunch of the snow under their boots as they walked to the place where the first wards were set. He set the first one and she the second. They continued to leap frog over each other until they reached the place she'd been attacked the night before.
Hermione almost tripped over him when he stopped abruptly. He held his hand out and gestured for her to be silent. She froze. Was it the same as what was there the other night? Maybe it wasn't him that had done it after all… She felt a small flicker of guilt as her wayward mind told her this may be part of the ruse. Dismissing that thought as paranoid and not a little bit delusional. Her eyes flicked to the concealed shrubs, the same rustling sounding that she had heard the previous night. "There is nothing there." There was a finality to his voice that brokered no argument.
"Can't you hear that?" she said despite the warning in his voice.
"There is the wind Miss Granger, nothing more. Whatever hit you yesterday is not there any longer."
"But –"
"Only the wind." The irritation in his tone was undeniable and she fell silent.
"Did you do it?"
This time, he whirled on the spot to face her. The cold glint in his hard black eyes made her regret the words in an instant. "Miss Granger," this time, his tone matched the cold surrounding them and she shivered, "I will not stand here and be accused of such a nonsensical crime. You know full well I wasn't here." He advanced towards her and she instinctively took a step back.
"Professor…" she muttered.
"No, not any more. How can someone as bright as you not get that through her thick skull. You are here in my home, I suggest you begin to respect that or you will find yourself tossed out with nowhere to go." With that, he turned away from her and stalked off over the snow. A hot flush coloured her cheeks but she resisted the urge to stride in the opposite direction. Instead, she walked a few paces behind him, checking and applying her own wards in a sullen silence. She watched his broad back, cloaked and robed entirely in black and wondered once more what it was about this particular man that made her feel like nothing more than a bumbling, foolish school-girl rather than the strong, powerful witch she knew she was. She knew she was being childish but she didn't seem to be able to stop herself. Drawing a deep breath, she picked and probed at the disquiet as they continued their circuit around the perimeter of Prince House.
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Confinement