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
- 7
- 8
- 9
The following day, there were no interruptions or attacks on the large house. The snow had thawed a little during the evening and refrozen overnight, making it too dangerous to go out and play. Instead, they contented themselves with trivial games such as exploding snap. There was even a chess set in the room and some of the children played at that while they were not in lesson time. Hermione taught them using the lesson notes and plans she had been sent to the best of her ability. It wasn’t perfect but it was better than no education at all.
Over the course of the next few days, their lives took on a steady, regular pattern that was a comfort to both her and the students. Fresh lessons had been arriving sporadically, along with fragmented news of the fighting that had now taken on a guerrilla style. From what she could discern, the Order were using Hogwarts as a base yet they were effectively pinned down by the remaining forces of the Death Eaters. The castle would hold but getting supplies in and out was proving difficult. Owls were frequently targeted.
Hermione ran a hand through her hair and let out a sigh. She wanted nothing more than to return to Hogwarts and her life, leaving behind the opulent surroundings. Although they were beautiful and everyone was more than comfortable, she felt as though her life had been placed on hold. They couldn’t tell her how long she was to remain in Prince House, no one knew. She picked up her now empty cup and sighed, knowing she should make another cup of tea. The other teachers may be sending her the students work but she had to mark it all herself.
She’d seen nothing of their host since that night, over a week ago. She could only assume that he was alright, considering the wound he’d sustained. It had given her head time to cool itself at least and push her unasked for feelings for him to the back of her mind. There was the matter of her apology to settle between them but still, she found that she missed him. Not his biting comments or disdain, but the adult conversation she found lacking from the students. She would give anything to be able to chat with Ron or Harry, hell, even Draco would be better than the inane babbling of the students. Had she ever been so irritating? She poured hot water into the pot and waited for the brew to seep.
Banging from the room next to the kitchen drew her attention and she rolled her eyes. Kids! Leaving her tea, she strode to the boys room and pounded on the door. “Hey!” she barked. “Settle down in there!” There was some muffled giggling which eventually subsided. She remained at the door, listening for further mischief but heard none. Walking away, she collected her tea and returned to the awful stack of papers on the desk. The candles on the wall flickered as she walked passed them and she sighed as she fell back into the desk chair. A book lay discarded on one side of the mahogany desk, her quill waited on the other. She wanted to do neither, yet nor was she tired enough to go to sleep yet.
Reluctantly, she picked up the next paper, one of Corby’s, and began reading through it. It was drivel. No substance at all. She wondered how on earth any of them expected to pass when they turned in junk like this. “Why is this not getting any easier?” she asked herself. She scrawled her comments at the bottom of his parchment and put it to one side. It belonged in the bin but that was not for her to do. How else would he learn?
She pulled the next on in front of her but couldn’t bring herself to read it. Brushing frazzled curls from her face, she looked out of the window. Alright, it was night time and all she could see was the frame of the window on the grass but it was still more interesting than this essay.
                “They don’t get any easier.” Hermione jumped. She’d not heard anyone enter the room and she’d been caught off guard. Snapping her head around, she saw Snape leaning on the doorframe.
                “What?” she asked, a frown marring her brow.
                “Marking papers, it doesn’t get any easier and they don’t get any better,” he said inclining his head at the stack in front of her. Now that he was here, she could get a good look at him, he looked exactly the same as always. No worse for wear for the injuries he’d sustained, she couldn’t see a trace of it on him. Admittedly, it had been over a week now and so she shouldn’t be surprised. His eyes narrowed as he spotted her scrutiny and she flushed scarlet but she maintained her gaze with his, refusing to back down this time.
                “I trust that you’re healed?” she asked after a too long pause.
                He pushed dark hair back from his face. “Well enough.”
                She flicked her gaze down to her desk and back again, “There’s something I want to say to you.” Raising her eyes, she caught the flicker of confusion pass over his face before it was banished. He was impassive once more.
                “What could you possibly have to say to me Miss Granger?” he asked folding his arms over his chest. She took a steadying breath before she continued.
                “I… I want to apologise.” She blurted out before she could change her mind. Rising from the chair, she walked around it, pausing in the centre of the room.
                “For..?”
                She walked back and forth, forming her words before she spoke. This was a scenario she had played out in her mind over and over during the past week. It had not been this awkward in her head. Why should it be now? Still, she had to say her piece to try and make up for the damage she’d caused. “I’ve not been overly kind to you since our arrival and…” she paused to look at him. One eyebrow rose as she caught his face. “I should never have accused you of harming me, it was unjust and I know you’d never do something like that so I don’t know why I said it and I really do feel awful about it an-“
                “Hermione stop.” His voice was soft yet it cut through her babbling as effectively as it had when she was in the classroom. She ceased her pacing and turned to face him.
                “I am truly sorry,” she whispered as she looked into his black eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, she hadn’t realised that this apology had meant so much to her until she made it. Slowly, he nodded his head.
                “I forgive you.” His voice was barely audible but she caught his words as though he had shouted them. She let out a sigh and a smile graced her face for the first time in almost a week.
                “Thank you.”
                “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he said before turning on his heel and leaving. It was only after his footsteps had receded down the hall that she realised he had used her given name. She sank back into the chair and wondered what on earth that might mean. He had never used it before! Was he coming to tolerate their presence? See her as an actual professor rather than a student? The questions rocketed around her brain as she resumed her marking. She rolled her eyes at herself. This was ridiculous, was she so desperate for his approval that she would analyse every encounter they had? No, she would not behave like a love-sick idiot. Picking up her quill, she threw herself into her marking with renewed vigour, banishing him from her thoughts.
The next day marked a change in their routine. During the mid morning lesson, there was a pounding on the door that was answered by the house elf. Moments later, loud voices of two familiar aurors sounded in the hallway. Harry and Ron were led into the classroom where they stood watching. As soon as Hermione realised that her two friends had come to visit, she stopped speaking and dismissed the class.
                “Merlin’s beard Hermione!” Ron said, “What’s it like staying with him?”
                “It’s not as bad as it seems,” she said, leading them through to the kitchen. Automatically, she made them all tea before sliding on to one of the kitchen seats, “He leaves us alone mostly, tell me about what’s going on though. That’s far more exciting than anything I can tell you.”
                “Hermione, it’s awful.” Harry said flatly, “There are so many of them!”
                “Giants and all sorts,” Ron added. Hermione placed her mug on the counter and looked at them seriously.
                “What do you mean? I thought it was just a few Death Eaters.”
                “So did we.” Harry said. Hermione looked at him then, really looked. His eyes had dark circles underneath and the whites were bloodshot, he looked beyond tired. Both of them did, their clothing was crumpled, their hair unkempt – more so than normal and there was an ugly looking bruise on Harry’s cheek.
                “What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes widening.
                “They’re determined to kill us all, try and bring him back again.” Harry said. The weariness of battle crept into his voice and Hermione swallowed, realising how lucky she was to be out of the war and on the fringes.
                “Don’t worry ‘Mione, they won’t win.” Ron said. She smiled at his attempt to reassure her and nodded.
                “If there’s anything I can do, you’d tell me?” she said, sipping her tea. Both of them exchanged glances before looking at her again. “What?”
                “Uh, the visit isn’t just for fun Hermione,” Harry said.
                “There, and I thought it was my winsome personality you’d come to see…” she said drily. Ron looked at her concerned for a brief moment and Harry merely smiled awkwardly.
                “Look, we need somewhere to freshen up, we can’t get back to Hogwarts due to the heavy fighting and…well. Could you speak to Snape for us?” Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes at them both.
                “What makes you think he’s going to listen to me about it?” she sighed.
                “You’ve been in the house for a fortnight Hermione, you’ve more of a chance than anyone else and… well, he isn’t exactly going to be pleased about seeing either of us, is he?”
                Hermione ran a hand through her thick hair and pushed it back from her face. What the boys said was correct, he wasn’t going to be pleased about seeing them. Then again, he wasn’t really pleased to see anyone, or so she thought anyway. They looked at her expectantly and she did the only thing she could, she capitulated. “Oh all right!” she said, “I don’t know where he is right now though.”
                Both of them relaxed when she agreed and a small smile crossed her face, they were her friends after all and they were fighting for the safety of all of them. What else could she do? Besides, Severus had agreed to help the school hadn’t he? Surely he wouldn’t begrudge some of the Order Members dropping by in times of need. She drained her mug, rinsed it in the sink and replaced it back in its place before letting out a sigh. “I’ll see if I can find him,” she said before leaving the two boys sat at the table.
                She had an inkling of where he would be and although he had requested they not set foot in that part of the building, she felt this warranted an exception. Striding along the corridor as though she had every right to be there, she approached the heavy wooden door that barred the east wing. Stopping short of it, she drew in a breath and paused before knocking. She let her hand fall back to her side and swallowed, what was the worst that could happen? Raising her hand once more, she rapped on the oak door and waited for a response.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Confinement