A Looping of the Scales ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 81 ~ Realization

”Ben Weatherstaff? Oh, you have to be joking,” Hermione said to Snape loftily as they sat at breakfast with the others.

He frowned at her slightly.

”That’s the name he gave me, Hermione.”

”Well, Ben Weatherstaff is a fictional character from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book, ‘The Secret Garden.’ He’s not a real person.”

”Maybe that’s just his name,” Susan suggested, trying to keep the peace. “It could be a coincidence that he’s a gardener.”

Snape remembered the storyline of the book.

”He said he once tended gardens at a manor, and the children there did magic—“

”Severus, you can’t be that stupid to believe he’s the real Ben Weatherstaff! That’s a fairytale. Honestly, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you have a brain?”

Everyone blinked at Hermione. She was being very rude.

”I’m going to get more juice,” Susan said, rising and walking over to the fridge.

Snape frowned at Hermione, displeasure in his dark eyes as everyone else continued eating, Blaise smirking slightly.

He’d never realized what an arrogant bitch Hermione was. Draco listened to Hermione talk down to Snape with some surprise. Why was he taking that from her? Harry was shaking his head slightly as he ate his eggs. Hermione was acting like a—git. Ginny was silent, barely registering what was going on because she was so deep in her own thoughts.

”Besides, even if he were real, he’d be dead by now,” Hermione added. “He’s probably just joking with you, pulling your leg, Severus. Some people are like that. I can’t believe you’re so gullible.”

Then—she laughed at him.

Snape’s mouth was in a tight line now. He hated being laughed at.

“I can’t believe you’re so arrogant,” he said in a low voice.

Hermione laughed again as Susan set a pitcher of juice on the island and sat down, looking extremely uncomfortable as Ron raked the last of the sausages into his plate. There had been five on the platter.

Harry frowned at him. He’d only had one banger. Greedy bastard.

Hermione continued.

”It’s only arrogance if you’re wrong. I’m not wrong. Now, enough about fictional gardeners. He said he can keep a secret, so we’re fine. Now, we have to focus on getting your lab set up. I’ve already come up with the perfect design—“

”I already know how I want to set up my lab,” Snape said tightly.

Hermione snorted.

”It’ll be a disaster if it’s like your lab at Hogwarts. You have no idea about proper equipment placement. My design will have everything in the most strategic positions.”

She reached into her pocket and produced a drawing, waving it in front of Snape’s nose.

”See, it’s very easy to follow. I’m going to be working in the lab, too, and I don’t want to be running all over the place when I need something.”

Snape’s black eyes followed the waving paper. Suddenly, he grabbed it from Hermione and ripped it into little pieces.

”What are you doing? I worked hard on that!” Hermione yelled at him.

Blaise smiled broadly now. Maybe wands would come out.

”Hermione, I invited you here to work with me, not take over,” Snape said to her coldly. “I know how I want to set my lab up. You can have some input, but you’re not going to arbitrarily tell me what to do!”

”Well, you’re going to do it all wrong, Severus! You should listen to me. I’m smarter than you are—than everyone here in fact! I’m much better suited to design the lab than you are.”

Everyone blinked at Hermione. Ron frowned around his food and chewed faster so he could say something. He swallowed.

”Look, Hermione, it’s fine if you want to argue with Snape, but don’t bring us into it. We all know you’re smart. We know about your marks. You don’t have to rub our noses in it. Besides, he’s right. It’s his lab. He should be able to set it up the way he likes.”

Snape was looking at Hermione oddly. What was wrong with her? She didn’t act like this before. Like such a know-it-all bitch, bragging about how smart she was.

”Are you getting your monthly?” he asked her, thinking she might be experiencing some female discomfort or something.

”What? What? How dare you—“

Then she slapped him and jumped up from the table, running out of the kitchen.

”Looks like there’s trouble in Paradise,” Blaise said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, then scooting his stool back from the table and standing up. Ginny gave him a quick glance before looking down at her plate again, frowning slightly as he left the kitchen.

”She probably is having her monthly,” Ron said as Susan frowned at him. “That’s all I can think it could be. I’ve never seen her act like this before. She’s been annoying, spouting off facts and such, but she’s never talked down to us before. Something’s wrong.”

“Still, you shouldn’t ever ask a woman if she’s having her monthly,” Susan said softly. “It’s insulting, especially if she’s mad about something.”

”I’ll keep that in mind next time,” Snape said, his cheek red and stinging. He slid his stool back and stood up.

”I’ll be down in the cellar,” he said to everyone. “Unpacking.”

”We’ll join you in a bit, Severus,” Harry said to him, giving him a small, supportive smile.

“Thanks,” Snape replied, leaving the kitchen.

“Wow, Hermione certainly was acting like a bit—“ Ron began the moment the door closed.

Susan stopped him.

”We’re not going to sit here and talk about Hermione behind her back, Ron. So, just stop now,” Susan said, her brown eyes hard. She hated when people did that.

”I was just saying—“

”Don’t.”

Ron looked exasperated as Susan scowled at him.

”All right, but could you make me some more bangers and eggs, Susan? And maybe some beans?”

Harry looked at him incredulously.

”Ron, you just ate all the bloody bangers. Hardly anyone else got any,” the boy who lived said angrily.

”I’m hungry, Harry,” Ron whined. “It’s like I’m bottomless.”

Susan stood up and walked over to the fridge.

”If you keep eating like this, Ron, we’re going to have to restock soon,” she said, opening the door and taking out more bangers and eggs.

”That’s all right. It’s on Draco’s dad’s tab anyway, isn’t it?” Ron asked, looking at Draco, who frowned at him.

”Yes, it is. But that doesn’t mean you can tear through the food like you have a tapeworm, Weasley, which I suspect you have. You’re a pig,” the pureblood said. “I’ve never seen anyone eat like you. You’re worse here than you were at Hogwarts.”

”Well, it might have something to do with all the extra activity,” Ron replied, cutting his blue eyes at Susan and grinning a bit lasciviously. Susan blushed but didn’t say anything.

Draco shook his head and stood up. The last thing he wanted to imagine was Ron humping his fat cow of a girlfriend.

He left the kitchen.

Ginny stood up.

”Susan, I’ll wash the plates left behind,” she told Susan, who thanked her.

”Wait a minute,” Ron said, plucking Hermione’s cold half-eaten banger off her plate. He shoved it into his mouth as Ginny shook her head. Harry was looking at him with a disgusted expression.

”You’re such a glutton, Ron.”

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Once outside, Hermione stalked across the grounds. She was still angry at Severus for tearing up her lab plans and asking her if she were on her period in front of everyone. Git!

Last night, while Severus slept, Hermione woke up with an urge to draw a lab design. She got more and more into it and was very proud of the finished product. She was sure Severus would never come up with such a perfect layout of equipment and would appreciate it. It all seemed to make so much sense, then.

And when he told her about the gardener, Hermione just felt he was being so thick, so—dumb. It was just so obvious, she had to say something. He had to be smarter than to believe he met a fictional character. His gullibility was funny to her, hilarious in fact.

When he tore up her design, she was furious! He didn’t even look to see how perfect it was. How well thought-out and perfect. He just—dismissed it as if he were smarter than she was and could do a better design. Well, he wasn’t smarter. She was currently the smartest witch in the wizarding world. She should be listened to and looked up to. People should hang on her every word—

Hermione stopped walking. This wasn’t her. She didn’t think like this. Of course Severus wouldn’t want to follow her plans. He knew what was best for his brewing techniques. She didn’t have any right to try and take over and force her ideas on him. Suggestions, yes. But to order him around? No.

And bragging about how smart she was? She’d never done anything like that before. There were things more important than books and cleverness, and she’d always believed that, even when she was cramming for the NEWTs and holding everyone at bay.

And she’d slapped Severus. He did deserve it, but she had brought him to that point, laughing at him and calling him stupid in front of everyone. That was so not like her.

Hermione stopped and sat down on a large, decorative rock to think. It was as if she were acting like another person. She rubbed her temples and stared across the landscape, not seeing it at all as she focused on her actions.

The demons of Boleskine House were insidious, but they were confined to the house itself, and their influence lessened when a person left the house unless the corruption had completely settled in. So, Hermione’s head was clearing.

For the demons, that probably wasn’t a good thing.

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Severus, Harry, Ron and Blaise were unpacking boxes of equipment when suddenly the cellar door flew open.

”Severus! Come outside!” Hermione called down.

Snape frowned and didn’t answer her as he kept unpacking.

”Severus! I need to talk to you,” Hermione called again. “But I have to do it outside. Please!”

”I’m busy,” he called up.

”Oh, Severus. I’m sorry for what happened at breakfast this morning, but please, come outside. I have to tell you something important. It’s about the demons.”

”There aren’t any demons,” Snape said, but he stopped unpacking, as did everyone else.

”But there are. I’m nearly certain. Please, come outside.”

Snape walked up the stairs and looked at Hermione with a frown.

“What?” he said snarkily.

“Severus, I think there are demons in Boleskine house. I think they aren’t the kind we’re used to, but something else. Something sneaky, that influences us. That brings out the worst in us. Severus, you know I’d never just try and take over—or call you stupid, or laugh at you. Not normally.”

Snape’s frown lessened.

”You haven’t before—“ he said softly. “Especially laugh at me. You—you reminded me of Lily a bit—“

”But I’m nothing like Lily. You know that, Severus. There’s something going on here. Think about it. That wasn’t me at breakfast. I’d never put down my friends or embarrass you that way. I’m sure there’s influencing going on. We need to examine everyone, to find out if they are—are changing in some way—“

”I’ll be right back,” Ron called up. “I’m going to get a sandwich.”

”Ron, you just finished breakfast an hour ago,” Harry complained.

”Weasley,” Snape said suddenly. “He’s eating like crazy, becoming more of a glutton than usual.”

”Gluttony,” Hermione said softly. “One of the seven sins. And me, that was arrogance. Pride.”

Snape blinked at her.

“Sins?” he said.

”Yes, of course. Don’t you see? Crowley was working with the forces of Light and Darkness. These aren’t garden variety demons, the kind that leap out of books and carry you away, or even elemental demons. These demons are—are forces of evil. They are faith-based. There are different rules for them. We couldn’t detect them with our magic because they aren’t magical beings. They’re supernatural. There’s a difference.”

Snape stared at her, then looked back at Boleskine House. Suddenly, it had a rather sinister aura that hadn’t been there before.

”We have to set everyone down and find out if they’ve been experiencing anything, any feelings out of the ordinary—and—and we need to get sand from the Loch,” Hermione told Snape.

”Sand?”

”Yes, and spread it over the terrace. That’s what Crowley did. If there are demons here, or any supernatural forces, they are supposed to leave footprints.”

Snape looked doubtful. Footprints?

“I’m telling you, Severus, there’s something evil in this house, something our magic won’t work on. And we won’t be able to work here until whatever it is, is banished.

“But you said our magic doesn’t work on them,” Snape said to her.

”No. We’re going to have to use Crowley’s magic. We’re going to have to finish the Abra-Melin ritual the Muggle way. Either that, or find another location,” Hermione responded.

Snape looked around the beautiful grounds, then back at Hermione.

”I don’t want to leave here,” he said softly.

”Then, we won’t,” Hermione said, giving Snape a small smile before walking up and embracing him.

”Blech,” Blaise said as he looked out at them. “What a wimp.”

Harry craned his neck and saw the couple hugging, and smiled.

It seemed they’d made up.

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”I warned you that consorting with those beneath your social strata would be a trial, Draco,” Lucius Malfoy said through the magic mirror his son held in his hand. “They don’t show proper deference for their betters. They believe we’re all ‘equal.’”

Lucius wore a look of distaste as he said the word.

“You’re absolutely right, Father. The Hufflepuff wouldn’t even fix me a meal last night. Weasley told me to do it myself. Can you imagine?”

Lucius shook his head.

“Barbarians,” he replied. “I will work on getting you a personal servant, Draco. But House-Elves won’t set foot in the place. Have you seen anything?”

Draco shook his head.

”No, there aren’t any demons,” he answered.

“Strange,” Lucius mused. “But I will try and get you a servant immediately. No Malfoy—cooks.”

”Thank you, Father,” Draco replied and the mirror went dark.

He was supposed to be helping unpack boxes, but—that was manual labor. He knew he’d said he would help, but really, that wasn’t the type of activity that a wizard of his background was supposed to indulge in. When his servant arrived, he’d do the work.

Pampered.

Spoiled.

Slothful.

Perfect.

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A/N: Good old Hermione. :) Thanks for reading.