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Unexpected Obsessions	By : jillianw Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 2626 -:- 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Unexpected Obsessions
Chapter 8: Life and Death

"Ron's dead?" She sobbed like someone had ripped out her heart. She couldn't believe her best friend was dead. "Who killed them?"

"Death Eaters, we assume. Fred, George, Oliver and Angelina discovered their bodies earlier this evening."

"But I thought all Death Eaters were in custody, or had received the kiss?"

"There are still a few out there. I had no idea they would be so stupid as to think that Voldemort could come back. We destroyed his body, and Albus has his soul contained in a phial. There's no way he can come back. But I suppose they are out for revenge."

"I can't believe he's gone." She wrapped her arms more tightly around Severus, and he held her while she mourned for her loss. He knew Ron was very close to her. His family had practically raised her ever since she first came to Hogwarts. Hermione just laid there thinking of all the good memories she had with Ron. In their first year when he and Harry had saved her from the troll. That signified the beginning of their legendary friendship. And in the second year when they made the Polyjuice Potion. Not to mention when she woke up in the infirmary with them waiting patiently beside her. In their third year when he and Harry had ignored her only because she was trying to protect Harry. And then when they stunned Severus, and discovered that Scabbers was really Peter. Over the years, they had one crazy adventure after another. And most of her happiest memories had Ron in them.

She shuddered as she thought of little Demitri. No child should be put through that pain. "It's so unfair."

"I know dear. I know." She felt very tired and closed her eyes. She knew she had to keep up her strength because she was going to kill whoever it was that murdered her friends. She didn't care how she found them, she was going to kill them. Severus rubbed her back and soon he heard the labored breathing of her sleeping. He was glad that she'd fallen asleep. She truly did need her rest. This had to go down in the history books as the most horrible birthday ever. He vowed he'd make it up to her next year. She'd have the best one ever.

Once Severus knew she wouldn't wake up, he quietly moved her onto her side, and put on his dressing robe. He had to do some thinking about who it could have been. He did his best thinking while wandering the corridors, so he grabbed a thick robe, threw it on over his night shirt, and headed off into the dark castle. It was nearly ten o'clock, which signified curfew. He surely would catch a few students out that he could deduct points from. A quarter of an hour later, he hadn't seen one soul. It appeared as if the entire castle was asleep except for himself. He went to the staffroom for a cup of tea, and stumbled upon a very heated discussion between Sirius, Remus, Harry, and Albus. He was surprised to see Harry there, considering how close he and Ron were, but nevertheless he understood his wanting to avenge the death of his best friend.

"Oh, Severus. Come in, come in. I wasn't expecting to see you until noontime." Albus was always so cheery. Even if he was discussing death.

"I couldn't sleep." He was quick to the point as usual.

"Well, would you care to join us? It seems there has been a few leads already." Harry scooted over next to Sirius so that Severus could sit next to Albus.

"What sort of leads do you have?"

"Well, it seems that young Devon Carmina has disappeared." He was a seventh year Slytherin. This took Severus completely by surprise.

"You're sure he's gone?"

"Quite sure. Harry used the Marauder's Map and he's not anywhere on the grounds. Was he in classes yesterday?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't have Seventh years on Friday. But he was in class on Wednesday afternoon. And I saw him in the Common Room on Thursday evening."

"Has he been acting strange Severus?" Sirius barked.

"No more than usual. That boy has always seemed a bit off. Imagine being told all your life you will become a Death Eater. Training for it every chance you get, then one day, someone kills your Master and your entire world has turned upside-down. He was only a third year when the war ended. It devastated a lot of my students. Some more than others, but he was definitely one of the students most affected."

"Do you remember him as a student Harry?" Albus wondered if the boy had been friends with Draco.

"Not really. I only saw him a couple of times with Goyle's little sister. They were in the same year I think."

"Correct." Severus was wondering why there was a sudden interest in his missing student. Not that it wasn't important, but why him. He had known the boy was raised by his grandmother. Just like Neville. But his parents were supposed to be dead, not locked up in an insane asylum.

"Is she still here?" Albus questioned while Harry checked the map. "Yes, she's in her dormitory."

"Well, go and fetch her Remus. I still need to ask Severus a few more questions."

"Very well. But I don't know the password."

"It's Wolfsbane."

"How appropriate," Remus muttered as he headed down to the dungeons. Once he was gone, Albus told Severus of the funeral arrangements for Ron and his family. They were to be buried on Wednesday. The services would be held at the Ministry's official funeral parlor, and then they would be buried at the Weasley family cemetery. Harry was chosen to give the eulogy, and Severus truly felt pity for the man. Not only did his best friend die, but he had to address everyone and tell of his happy memories with Ron. They inquired of Hermione's condition, and Severus inquired why they suspected Devon.

"I know it is a bit of a shock Severus, but I have found out that he is Macnair's grandson." Harry had been helping Arthur with a few cases and they ran across the murder of Macnair's son and wife. His only living grandson had been raised by her mother's mother, and had changed his last name in order to avoid suspicion. Macnair transferred money from his Gringott's account to Devon's each September, giving him more than enough money for each term. It was the last transaction that had made them suspicious of the boy. He had received a little more than fifty thousand galleons from his grandfather. Well enough money to finish ten kids education at Hogwarts. The Goblins alerted the ministry, and Arthur had been investigating the boy since then. Unfortunately, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary, except for the boy's missing status now.

"Carmina---Macnair. I should have known. I knew Macnair's son. He was a few years older than me at Hogwarts. They thought he and his wife were traitors, so Voldemort placed the order to have them killed. A funny thing though, Macnair didn't even mourn for his son, nor did he flinch when he heard the news. It was as if he didn't care. I truly think he didn't care. Oh, the horrific tales I could tell you of his days as a death eater." Severus shuddered at the memories of the events he had been so unfortunate to witness. He wasn't chosen as an executioner by chance. The man was vicious, and had a thirst for killing. Severus knew he got off by ending another person's life. He was just sick that way.

"Well, I will talk to Abbigail Goyle and see if can can tell me anything else. Until then Severus." He was surprised to be excused so early and so easily. He thought he'd be wanted to question Abby. Albus must have known he wanted to check back on Hermione. He was feeling a bit tired himself for the day he had had.

Severus s, an, and placed a firm grip onto Harry's shoulder. "Harry, I truly am sorry for Ron's death. If there is anything you or anyone else needs, don't hesitate to owl." Harry gave him a dismal nod. "Good evening gentlemen." He left for the dungeons, just as Remus was bringing back Abbigail. He told her to tell the truth no matter what, and if she didn't, he'd bring back a bottle of truth serum to ensure she was honest. He trusted the girl, but there was still the fact her entire family had been one of the Dark Lord's most loyal supporters. She nodded furiously, and he was very happy to see her so nervous.

He returned to the dungeons, and quietly snuggled into bed beside his love. She was still asleep and he was glad she was recovering from the shock of Ron, and her appendicitis. It would take a while, but he knew she would overcome her loss, and get on with her life.

Hermione began to feel better, after a few days of lying in bed, mourning the loss of her friends. She took her potion each morning, and each day her appendicitis was less and less apparent. When she appeared into the sitting room, Severus took notice of how beautiful she looked. "I must say my dear, that you look gorgeous. Even if we are going to a funeral." He kissed her on the cheek and held her tight for a few minutes.

She was wearing a dark lavender set of robes, with a black dress underneath. She had on a black and lavender hat, with a beautiful feather in the brim. She had bought the hat and robes on a shopping spree with Ginny and Lavender back last fall. Until then, she hadn't any cause for such drab clothing. That is, until today. "Thank you Severus. This isn't going to be easy on either of us. It is very comforting to know you'll be by my side." She returned his kiss, and they left for the gates to Apparate.

Unfortunately, she and Severus were the last ones to reach the parlor. She didn't want to say goodbye. Harry did his best to be strong during his eulogy, but when he finished, hardly a dry eye was present. He told of how he met Ron on Platform 9 ¾, and then of how Hermione and they became best friends. He spoke of Ron's Quidditch obsession, which led him to being the team's keeper and captain his sixth and seventh year at Hogwarts. When he began to speak of Ron's love for Lavender, despite the unusual circumstances that brought them together, Hermione finally broke down. She clung to Severus' arm for support, and he graciously gave her a personalized linen handkerchief.

At the cemetery, Harry and Ginny, along with Hermione and Severus remained longer than any others. Severus found a distant bench to sit. He didn't want to intrude on their privacy. Once back at Hogwarts, Severus slipped a bit of Dreamless Sleep into Hermione's juice. She hadn't been sleeping well at night, and he only wanted her to get a good night's sleep.

Each evening, while she slept, he found himself spying on the students in his common room. He was looking for any indication of an attack on Ron, but unfortunately didn't find anything. Hermione had been excused from her duties, and the Gray Lady graciously filled in for her. She kept to herself most of the time over the next few weeks, and slept whenever she got the chance. Severus realized the warning signs of a deep depression, and insisted she see Poppy.

"You need to have a thorough examination. There may be something wrong from your appendicitis."

“I’m just really tired Severus. That's all. I'm sure I'll be fine in a few days. It's only been three weeks since my birthday."

"I know my dear, and I understand. But, you can't mourn forever. Be it as it may, his life is over, yours is not." He hated to be so cruel, but this situation with her was not getting any better. If she didn't snap out of it soon, he was going to force her to see Poppy. Even if he had to drag her up there himself. She hadn't been eating and she kept to herself. They hadn't made love since before her birthday, and he missed holding her so intimately. On the nights he managed to fall asleep, he usually woke finding her in a chaise by the fireplace, a book folded on her chest. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he saw her truly smile. He missed the Hermione he fell in love with. This one was starting to worry him. She didn't comment on his treatment of the house elves, nor did she complain when he wore black for an entire week. This wasn't like her at all.

"That's cruel Severus." She began sobbing but he didn't regret being brash with her.

"Yes it is, but it's the truth. They're never coming back. And I'm not going to let you throw your life, our future away mourning for Ron." He placed his hand to her back, pulling her closer to his chest. He then pressed his head to hers. The tears stopped, as if she finally realized the importance of what he was saying. No amount of tears could bring them back to her. She could only hope to see them in the afterlife.

"You're right Severus. You always know what's best for me." She placed a soft kiss to his lips, which was the first intimate contact they had had in over three weeks. He pressed his thumbs to her eyes, wiping away what she swore were the last tears of mourning for her friend.

"What kind of husband would I be if I didn't know what's best for you?" He was relieved that he'd finally gotten through to her.

"You're not my husband quite yet." She flashed him a genuine smile, which melted his heart. He almost forgot how beautiful her smile was. It was something he had seen a hundred times a day before her birthday, but since then, he hadn't seen it once until now.

"Ah, only because of a piece of parchment and the highly overrated ceremony. In my heart I am. That's good enough for me." She was touched that he already considered them married. "Now, you go and see Poppy, and I'll go see if any progress has been made in locating Mr. Carmina."

"See you at dinner then? I want to owl Harry and Ginny, and see how she's doing. She had a doctor's appointment today."

"See you then dear." He kissed her tenderly, and was quite surprised when her tongue invaded his mouth. He didn't expect that. His tongue matched hers for all it was worth. When the need for air because to apparent, he pulled away only to find her nibbling gently on his neck. She had a very wanton look in her eyes, one he hadn't seen in nearly a month.

"We can continue this later, hmm?" He wanted to take her right there, but he didn't want any interruptions. If he skipped his last class to make love to Hermione, he knew someone would come looking for him. The only way to assure they weren't interrupted was to make sure all loose ends had been tied up. Teaching his class and meeting with Albus were the only two he had. Then, around seven o'clock, she'd be his for the taking.

"Yes, but I'm not so sure I can behave myself until then." She raised an eyebrow at him, which sent a shiver down his spine.

"Neither am I. I really must be going. If I stay here any longer, it would be quite embarrassing teaching a class while my erection pokes them in their backs as I check their progress."

She laughed heartily at him, and then she told him she'd see him at dinner. She left for the Hospital Wing, and he in the opposite direction towards his advanced potions classroom. After his class, he headed to the staffroom for his meeting with Sirius, Albus and Remus. There was a full moon the prior evening, and Remus along with Sirius was going to search the Forbidden Forest for any clues as to what may have happened to Devon. Sirius had also perfected his ability to talk to other animals, and was going to nose around a bit so to speak.

"Do come in Severus. We were expecting you. We've made some progress on Macnair's case, and also on Carmina's disappearance."

"Good. I was contemplating the repercussions of using truth serum on my entire house."

"I wouldn't go that far yet. But not a bad idea at all." Sirius praised him---that had to be a first.

"Well, what did Abby have to add?"

"Nothing really. You are aware that she's been living with her mother since the death of her father and brother. She wasn't aware of Devon's ties to the Death Eaters. Actually came as quite a shock to the poor thing. I dare say she will never see him the same way again."

Well. I thought there might be something between them. But I cringe at the idea of Death Eaters reproducing. I tend to shy away from anything that indicates romance in my house. I'd rather not know what goes on. What's the news then?"

"Apparently Firenz saw Mr. Carmina use a portkey the afternoon Ron was murdered. Said he came into the forest around the time we returned to the castle with Hermione. He said the boy waited for a few minutes, then touched a textbook and disappeared. He hasn't seen anything else suspicious."

"Then he had to have activated the portkey himself."

"Yes, apparently so. Do you not think he was capable of creating a portkey Severus?" Albus looked worried.

"Yes, I think he could. But, I don't know that he could kill Ron's family. The boy has certainly been trained to use the unforgivable curses, but I don't know he has the heart to do so."

"Well, we must find him and see just how much he knows."

"Well, what about Macnair's case?" Severus was getting more and more interested by the minute. If Devon had left Hogwarts to kill Ron, it was only a matter of time before he tried to break out his grandfather, oll all another one of Arthur's children.

"He's made a deal to drink Veritaserum in order to not receive the kiss."

"When's it taking place?"

"Well, that's up to you. Arthur wants you to create the serum, as well as witness his interrogation. At one time, you were on the same side. You can either corroborate his story, or else dispute it."

"That would put me in a precarious situation. I don't know that I want to hear what he says. I could be held accountable for some of the instances he will speak of."

"Severus, only yourself, Arthur, Harry and Sirius will be present. Oh, and Percy. He will need to make sure you all follow procedure. I am sure nothing he says involving you will be put into the report. He will have no idea what he says, Sirius will make sure he forgets even being interrogated."

"You'd use a memory charm, in order to save me from investigation?"

"You're not my favorite person, Snape. But I'd give anything to see his arse in prison. He was one of the death eaters present when Lily and James were murdered. I'd do anything to see him get his. I'd rather see him get the kiss, I rather torture him mercilessly myself, but, if he can turn some good evidence over, then I'll gladly only use a memory charm on him."

Severus didn't know what to say. He could do it, and prepare for the worst. He'd put a lot of those memories in his Pensieve many years ago. He wasn't sure he was quite ready to relive them yet. But on the other hand, no one else could verify the stories he would tell. Nor tell of everyone's involvement. He may be putting his head in the guillotine, so to speak, but he felt he owed it to Lily as well to witness his interrogation. "Very well then. When do you suggest I leave? It will only take three hours to prepare the serum."

"I think that's up to you. I'll ask Hermione to teach your courses until you return. It will no doubt take at least three days of interrogations to find out exactly all he knows."

"I'm sure she'd jump at an opportunity to reward points to the unworthy Gryffindor's. Prepare a list of questions you'd like asked. I will record his answers, and bring back the results when I return. I shall try to leave tomorrow then?"

"That would be good. I'll notify Remus of your decision. He's a little tired from last night."

With a swish of his robes, he was gone and headed out into the castle for a walk. He wanted to think of a few questions of his own for his old friend and needed a few minutes to prepare them. After choosing his most incriminating questions, he headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. True to her word, Hermione was sitting there, waiting patiently for his return. She had a smile on her face that could have lit up the Forbidden Forest. He almost smiled himself, but quickly put on his best scowl, a display for the student body.

"Hello Hermione. Did you visit Poppy?" He sat down in his seat and placed a brief kiss on her cheek.

"Yes I did." She began eating her dinner, and he was glad to see her appetite had returned. She kept on eating for a few minutes, ignoring the looks he was giving her.

"Yes, well is there anything wrong?" He gestured his hand at her to show her what he meant.

"Yes and no." He was quickly losing his patience with her. This silly little game was pissing him off. She half answered his questions and his nasty temper was about to rear it's ugly head. He didn't care if they were in the Great Hall or not. He wanted a fully, complete honest answer. And he was going to get it.

"What is wrong with you then?" He spoke a bit louder than he had anticipated and Minerva gave him a quizzical look.

"I have gained an unsightly five pounds. Can you believe it? I haven't ate hardly a thing in the past month, and have put on five pounds." She was teasing him, and he was getting furious.

He was livid that she considered gaining a slight bit of weight such a horrific event. "I don't care if you swell to the size of Sprout. What is wrong with you?"

There's nothing wrong with me." Her last answer had done it, he finally snapped. He had quite enough of her obscurity. He dropped his fork and knife with a clink onto his plate, and Remus backed away a bit. He was on his left, with Hermione on the right. Everyone in the Great Hall looked up at them, it was truly a rare sight to see Severus lose his temper in public.

"Hermione. Either there is something wrong with you or not. You're either sick or not. I am tired of your beating around the bush. Give me an honest answer." He used the same tone he had used while she was a student. The voice he used when he wanted to scare her. Everyone was quiet waiting for her to speak. He grabbed at his apple juice, but his hand was shaking tremendously. He barely got it to his mouth when she answered him. He couldn't believe that she had gotten him this angry. He was concerned for her health, and she was acting like a three year old.

"My god Severus. I hope this child gets my temper and not yours." She was practically laughing as she responded to his outrage. It truly was a once in a lifetime thing to see him so angry in public.

"Is this amusing to you? It is irrelevant whose temper our child gets. I just want to know what is wrong with you. Can't you answer my damn questions?" Everyone else understood what she had said, but he was so angry it took a minute to sink in. He looked at her, then at her stomach, and when she nodded he dropped his glass, shattering it on the floor. It was the only time he had ever blushed in public. He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen the warning signs. He blamed himself for being so mean to her. It wasn't her fault she was crying all the time, nor her fault she was tired constantly. It was the changes her body was making to accommodate the baby. It finally had registered, You, Severus Snape are going to be a father.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. Please forgive me?"
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Unexpected Obsessions