Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Wandering Road	By : snarky4severus Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 4411 -:- 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
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: I called J.K.,
but she said that I couldn�t have them.
So Severus and I decided to run away and vacation on an exotic
island.

As I�ve said before, special thanks
to my fabulous Beta Olweneleanor. She is
an indulgent beta and a wonderful friend.
A shopping spree at Hondeydukes � just charge it to my account.

Chapter 9 � Trouble
in the Viper�s Pit

Severus strode down the hallway towards the Slytherin
Dormitory, his face twisted into a horrible scowl. The first night and
the miscreants are already wreaking havoc. He really knew that
he should expect no less from them, but he thought that he had trained the
prefects to handle these sorts of things. Muttering angrily under his
breath, he walked in front of a suit of armour and murmured the password to
enter the dormitory.

When the portal opened he was almost hit with a jet of blue
light. Peering in, he saw that the room was in disarray: the couches and
chairs were on fire, there were bloody and dishevelled students casting spells
at each other, and as he looked into the corner by the fireplace he saw the
outline of a student crouching in the shadows.

�You,� he growled angrily as he pointed a long, pale finger
in the direction of the hiding student. �Come here immediately.� He
looked to the rest of the battling students and stood erect, his arms crossed
over his chest, an angry grimace on his face. �Cease this
nonsense.� He frowned as he realized that they weren�t listening to
him. The little ingrates!

He pointed his wand at the group and whispered dangerously,
�Petrificus Haesum.� He smirked when all of the fighting students
went stiff and stuck together. He began to circle them, not unlike a
vulture after a kill. �I will tell you this once and only once. I
will not tolerate misbehaviour in my House. The next time any one of you
puts a hair out of line you�re expelled,� he murmured quietly. The
students, not realizing the perilous situation they were in, started yelling
explanations.

�Silencio,� he said angrily as he glared down his
nose at them. �I will not listen to your babbling � I don�t care who
started it and I don�t care who did what. You have lost Slytherin fifty
points for your horrid behaviour and you all have a week�s detention with Mr.
Filch.�

Severus studied them for a moment, hoping that the wait
would prolong his pleasure, before telling them, �The silencing charm will wear
off eventually; I do so hope that you make the best of your quiet
time.�   He smiled cruelly at them. �I will.�

After he set the common room back to its original state he
scowled at the students once more for good measure and then abruptly turned and
stalked out of the common room, heading up towards the ground level of the
castle and the Headmaster�s office. Bloody paperwork.

I hate first years; arrogant little berks. Just
because they are learning magic, doesn�t mean that they are capable of
self-defense; or for a matter of fact, they aren�t even capable of attacking
anyone. They haven�t a clue of how the world really works; it isn�t all
games and mock duels. Especially now�with the war going on. It is a shame that even my elder Slytherins
haven�t grown up.   I had high hopes for Draco, but he seems as arrogant
and cocky as Lucius himself.

Hmm� Lucius� I can only hope that this year
will hope him grow up � before he makes the same mistake that I made. He rubbed at his left arm, smiling wistfully, imagining the life he
could have had.

If only I had someone to provide an alternate to all of
propaganda that Lucius spouted throughout his Hogwarts years. Now that I do not have to cater to the spawn of the Death
Eaters, I should really pull Draco aside and tell him how his life will be �
maybe he will make the decision that I hadn�t the courage to make.

If only I could tell� But no, the older students would
scoff at him and what one does they all do� But
he realized that he would have the best chance to turn the loyalties of the
younger students; the older students have only known him as a �loyal� Death
Eater. It didn�t matter that he had only been a loyal Death Eater for
three months, no, to most people he would always be a Death Eater � it didn�t
matter how many lives he saved with his insider knowledge or how many were
helped by his willingness to self-sacrifice.

Dumbledore�s knowledge of his true role helped of course;
but thinking of the students he was in charge of unconsciously following the
evil megalomaniac made everything else seem secondary. I wish that I
could make them all understand the consequences of tying themselves to that
cause.

He mentally chided himself for thinking such maudlin
thoughts. It will never matter how much I gave up for Dumbledore and
the Order, the majority of the world will never know. The students
wouldn�t believe that I was loyal to Dumbledore and the majority of his
precious Order believes me to be a traitor anyway. Dumbledore�s opinion
withstanding, no one really cares about me, beyond my usefulness to their
cause.

As he made it to the ground level he paused at a
window. Feeling the breeze gently push his hair across his cheeks and
into his eyes, he raised a hand and pushed the hair back as he stared out into
the dark obscurity that belonged to the night. Looking at the silver moon
casting its light across the rippling lake, he wondered what his life would
have been like if he had made different choices.

He sighed in resignation. There was really no point
in wasting his time thinking of what could have been. Now was the time to
focus on what needs to be done to end this reign of horror. He would be
there at the end, one way or the other. I will see his scaly, snaky
ass six feet under, he thought resolutely, and if I can�t be the one to
do it, then I will watch him die.

Severus straightened up and stepped away from the
window. He walked down the hallway slowly, dreading the upcoming
conversation with the Headmaster. He knew that the Headmaster would
natter on and on about cursing the students. He snorted to himself.
It�s not like I killed the little blighters, just a little silencing
spell� Oh, and a sticking charm; but that really didn�t hurt them
either.

He glanced up as he realised that he had already made it to
the Headmaster�s office. He gave the gargoyle the password, and waited on
the stairs as they spiralled upwards, bringing him closer and closer to the
door.   When he made it to the top of the stairs he paused for a
moment, debating whether Albus would be more lenient now, or first thing in the
morning. After deciding that it was in his best interests to tell Albus
now, he rapped firmly on the door three times and waited until he heard
Dumbledore�s voice saying, �Come in, my boy.�

After situating himself into his favourite armchair he
looked up at the Headmaster, who was in his pyjamas with blue and gold
glittering stars flashing across the dressing gown. Albus raised a gnarled
hand and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Severus blinked and then realized that
he was supposed to be telling the Headmaster everything that had
happened.

Deciding that formality would help to favour him in Albus�s
eyes he began, �Headmaster, I had the
unfortunate task of breaking up a fight in the common room. Six first
years had the common room in a shambles; everything was either burnt or still
on fire when I broke the fight up. They were intent on blaming each
other, with no one taking responsibility, so I punished them all.�

Severus fought back the smirk as he thought of his exact
punishment.

�Is that all, Severus?� Albus prompted quietly.

�Well I did have to teach them that they needed to� stick
together.� Severus was inwardly howling with laughter.

�That seems reasonable enough.�

Severus smirked and looked at the Headmaster as he said, �I
also gave them detention with Mr. Filch for a week. All of them.�

Albus smiled indulgently at Severus and said, �So you
cursed them together? Anything else that I should be aware of?�

Severus smirked unapologetically at Albus and crossed his
arms over his chest. �Well, there�ll be less noise in the common room
this morning.�

Albus looked over his glasses at Severus, blue eyes
twinkling merrily, as he said, �Now, Severus, how many times have I told you
not to curse the students?�

Severus got out of the chair and stepped towards the
door. �This makes eighty-four times, Albus.� As he climbed down the
stairs he heard Albus� rich and hearty laughter floating after him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione rushed out of bed, stumbling across the floor as
she hurried through her morning ablutions. She threw her cloak on,
grabbed her bag, and roughly put her hair up. As she bounded down the
stairs she found herself sprawled across the floor, her books and parchments
strewn all over, looking up into the laughing face of Ron.

�Merlin, Ron. If you�re going to stand there you can
at least help me gather my things � after all it is your fault that I�m on the
floor.� Hermione glared at him and roughly began throwing things into her
bag, deciding to throw a roll of parchment at him when she heard him
guffawing.

�Oww. What was that for?� he asked as he fought
a smile from his face.

�You shouldn�t laugh at a lady � especially when you are
the cause of their misfortune,� Hermione answered quickly, quietly
schooling her features into disinterest.

�Ronald, you twit. You were supposed to wake her, not
knock her over,� Ginny said as she climbed through the portrait. She
knelt next to Hermione and helped her load her things into her already
overburdened bag.

�Hey,� Ron scoffed in indignation. �I did no such
thing � I� she ran into me.� Ron smiled sheepishly at them. �All
right, I could have helped. But, honestly, it was bloody hilarious.�

Hermione and Ginny both laughed at him. �Just go,
Ron. We don�t need any more help from you,� Ginny said, pausing to glare
at him, until she saw him leave.

�Thanks, Gin.� Hermione smiled warmly at her
friend. �Did I miss breakfast?� She asked as she looked around at
the deserted room.

�I think so; a lot of people were already leaving when I
came to check on you.�

�Oh. Well, I suppose I�d better be off then,�
Hermione said. �After all, I�ve double Potions with the Slytherins, and I
doubt Professor Snape would be pleased if I�m late.� She hefted her bag
over her shoulder and headed down towards the dungeons.

Maybe now class will be a little more bearable � after
all he doesn�t have to worry about what the Death Eater spawn tell their
parents. She laughed, frightening a gaggle of
Hufflepuff first years, and then quickened her pace. Professor Snape
is an enigma.   I wonder what he�s really like once you get past the
prickly exterior� Hermione rounded the corner before the Potions
classroom and noted with dread that the Death Eaters in training were standing
outside the door.

She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin defiantly and
strode purposefully towards the classroom.

�You think you�re clever, don�t you Mudblood?� A
portly boy snarled at her.

She turned and glared at him. �Did you come up with
that all by yourself?� After staring at him she said, �Honestly, you
irritating little ��

She was rudely cut off by a rough shove from behind.

�Watch it Mudblood � you don�t really want to get in my way,� Draco
said menacingly as he leered at her. The group of Slytherins laughed
loudly. �Although, Father does say that the best way to teach Mudbloods
their proper place is to�� Hermione stood quickly and shoved her wand into his
windpipe. As he blanched she threatened him quietly, �You really
don�t want to be on the business end of this wand � I�ll do what I have to,
consequences be damned.�

�Lovely,� Professor Snape drawled, as he came into
view. �That�ll be ten points from Gryffindor for fighting in the halls.�

Hermione shut her mouth, instead choosing wisely only to
glare at her Professor.

�Shouldn�t you be in your classes?� He
questioned menacingly. The crowd quickly dispersed as the Potions
students made their way into the classroom.

Hermione muttered under her breath as she sat heavily in
her seat. Sparing a warm smile for Neville, she pulled out her parchment
and quills and awaited the beginning of class quietly.

I really thought that he would be different� she thought despairingly. She snapped to attention as
Professor Snape pointed his wand at the board. �You have until the end of
the period. Begin.�

Hermione immediately focused on the task at hand; first
reading the directions twice before writing them down on her parchment.
She then went to gather the necessary ingredients and set to work.
Letting the quiet of the classroom calm her, she methodically prepared all of
her ingredients and gracefully stirred her potion until it was the right
consistency and colour.

Nodding to herself, she began to bottle a sample of her
potion and clear her workspace. Sparing a glance for Neville, she was
quite pleased to see that his potion, while not the exact hue of red, seemed to
be close enough. Probably added too much powdered bicorn horn, she
thought absently.

After placing her sample on Professor Snape�s desk, she
left the classroom.

She hadn�t even realized that she was walking, when she
ended up at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

She sat on the bench, idly wondering where the day went,
eating her meal and letting the meaningless conversations of her friends wash
over her. Looking around the Great Hall, she realized that everyone
seemed more subdued than usual; the usually boisterous Hufflepuff table was
almost silent in the muted dining room.

She glanced over at her boys and gave them a grim look.

Harry took the initiative and spoke. �I suppose that you
want to do it tonight then?� His green eyes implored her to take mercy on
him.

She smirked mischievously and rubbed his hair, messing it
up further. He scowled half-heartedly at her, while Ginny, Ron and
Neville laughed loudly.

She glanced up to the Head table and saw him. She saw
him scowl at his dinner and look up. She blushed and put her head back
down.

Ron coughed discreetly, catching her attention.
�Sorry.� She smiled sheepishly. �We should do it tonight. But
I really don�t think that all of us should go. After all, it would look a
little bit suspicious.� Neville visibly deflated in relief, while Harry
and Ron were trying not to look inordinately pleased.

�Don�t be so smug, you prats,� Ginny admonished.
�Hermione didn�t say who should go.� Hermione laughed with Ginny after
seeing the boys visibly blanch.

Harry and Ron looked at each other mischief gleaming in
their eyes. �Neville,� Harry began, �how about you go?�

Ron smirked and added helpfully, �Yeah. I mean you
are still in his class, after all.�

�And you did agree with Hermione that it was a good idea,� Harry
added as he gave Ron a high five.

Neville ran a shaky hand through his hair and Hermione took
pity on him. �Listen, you two,� she admonished gently. �It�s well
past time to grow up and move past your childish prejudices. I realize
that you don�t like Professor Snape.�

At this, both boys opened their mouths to argue.
Hermione put her hand up and said, �No. I understand that the feeling is
probably mutual, but the fact is we are in the midst of a war. Whether
you like him or not isn�t relevant. He is our ally and his knowledge is
something that we need.�

She paused and gave a weak smile. �Every edge, right
guys?�

Neville answered first. �Right.� Hermione
smiled at him and reached across the table to pat his hand. �See you two
� Neville is afraid of Professor Snape and he�s man enough to do what needs to
be done.� Hermione mentally applauded herself for that not so discreet
barb against their male egos.

Harry stared at her for a moment and Hermione looked at her
friend, the resolute resignation of this situation shining in his eyes.
His voice was firm, when he said, �I�ll do what I must.�

Hermione leaned over and kissed his cheek. �I know
you will Harry, but not alone.�

Hermione sat back as her friends took turns comforting
Harry. They all understood the situation, but no one could really
understand the way that Harry felt; to have your life dictated by the words of
another. It was a disheartening thing. Harry�s life would not be
his own until Voldemort was no more.

Hermione glanced up, grateful to see the boy�s return to
their Quidditch conversation. She whispered conspiratorially to
Ginny. �Get Luna � It�s time.� Hermione smirked at her and Ginny
flipped her hair over her shoulder and trounced over to the Ravenclaw
table. Good. She�d done her part, now all that was left to do was to
wait for him to be alone� and then they would strike.

A/N: Thanks to everyone that has
taken the time to read my story and sharing their thoughts. Read and review please � Flames will be used
to roast marshmallows.
Next chapter: The
girls corner Severus and a plot is hatched in the Slytherin corridors.
- 8
- 9
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Wandering Road