Chapter 2: Murder

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Chapter 2: Murder

Hermione and Severus were startled awake by loud banging on the door to their chambers. Groggily, Hermione threw on her dressing gown and answered the door. A very unnerved Minerva McGonagall stood on the threshold.

“Minerva, come in!” exclaimed Hermione just as Severus emerged from the bedroom.

“To what do we owe this unbearable disturbance?” Severus asked with as much disdain as he could muster through his sleep roughened voice.

Minerva sat down heavily in the armchair by the fire. Taking a deep breath, she said, “As Headmistress, it is my duty to inform you that a student was found brutally murdered a few hours ago.”

Stunned silence pervaded the room.

Hermione recovered first and asked, “Who, Minerva?”

Looking first at Severus then at Hermione, Minerva replied, “Anna Bloom.” The Headmistress got up to pace. “She was found in the unused classroom next to the Potions laboratory,” she explained.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Anna was a fourth year Gryffindor. She was a good student but quite shy; Anna had one good friend that Hermione had noticed. The girl always hung around with another fourth year by the name of George Epps.

“That poor girl,” said Hermione through her tears.

Severus looked up at this. He had been standing against the doorway looking irritated. Now he came into the room and watched Minerva’s face. She was following his movements with her eyes.

Hermione, meanwhile, had seen the look of unease pass over Severus’s face. It was subtle, merely a slight tightening of the corners of his mouth and a flash in his eyes. She only noticed because she had watched this man for four years.

“Severus, what time did you end your rounds last night?” asked Minerva as calmly as possible, sitting back down in the armchair she had just vacated.

“Just after eleven o’clock is when I got back to these very chambers.” Looking at Hermione, he said, “My wife can confirm my presence.”

Hermione nodded and looked away from his intense gaze.

“Headmistress, Severus returned just after eleven last night, and to my knowledge has not left these chambers since.”

Hermione noticed Severus move slightly in response to her statement. It seemed almost like a nervous twitch that he hadn't caught in time to control.

Minerva sighed. “All right, I’ll keep you up to date on any information we gather. Is there anything else you’d like to share while I’m here?”

“Actually, yes. Lucius Malfoy came by my office around eight o’clock. He was looking for Severus. Though Severus says that Lucius never spoke to him,” Hermione added in a rush.

Minerva turned her questioning gaze to Severus, who said, “Hermione mentioned Lucius when I got back to our rooms, but I had not seen him on my rounds. I just guessed he didn’t want to waste his energy on all of the stairs.”

Minerva smiled at that. Hermione knew that Minerva felt the same way toward Lucius as she did.

The Headmistress got up from the armchair and moved toward the exit. “Thank you for your time, Severus, Hermione. And sorry about the ‘unbearable disturbance.’”

Severus bowed his head in recognition of his words and moved to open the door. Minerva walked through and with a crisp nod set off down the corridor.

“Severus, did you see anything out of the ordinary on your rounds last night? I know you mentioned Anna and her friend being out after curfew,” Hermione asked her husband after Minerva left.

“Nothing any different than usual. Though most students tend not to get caught twice in one night,” Severus answered.

“Who else was on rounds last night?”

“Argus; he and I always have rounds together.”

“Maybe he saw something,” Hermione stated hopefully.

“He didn’t mention anything when we met just before our shift ended. His mangy feline had sniffed out some people loading the second floor bathrooms with Dungbombs, but that was the most important thing he relayed to me.”

Hermione got up suddenly and made her way to the outside door.

“Wife, you will not go barrelling out to wherever dressed in naught but your dressing gown!” Severus snarled as he moved to block her path to the door.

Hermione shot a glare at Severus, then seemed to notice that she was indeed wearing nothing but her dressing gown. Smiling sheepishly, she turned and hurried to the bedroom to change.

Severus followed her, asking, “What was so important that you forgot about your state of dress, or undress, as the case may be?”

“I was going to make sure Minerva knew to talk to Argus.” Severus raised an eyebrow at her. “Not that I’m undermining how Minerva runs this school; on the contrary, I just thought with everything she may not have remembered the schedule of Argus’s rounds,” Hermione tried to explain.

“Hermione, this is not one of your many adventures as a student. You have no need to go rushing out to save the world as you did with Potter.” Here Severus stopped short.

Hermione looked at Severus with a determinedly calm expression. Harry Potter was a bit of an unmentionable name in their household. During the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort, Severus made it a point to continue his protection of Harry. Despite that protection, Harry refused to forgive Severus for killing Albus Dumbledore. Harry was one of the most vocal about ‘Snape’s true loyalties.’ Needless to say, that was a sore subject for the both of them. Taking a deep breath, Hermione sat down on the bed.

“You’re right. I just feel helpless, and it’s in my nature to act first.” Hermione heard Severus mumble something that sounded like ‘Gryffindor fools,’ but she chose to ignore him.

“I feel so helpless. With Voldemort gone, things were supposed to get better. Now this happens. I have a terrible feeling about this,” Hermione admitted.

Severus sat down beside her and took her hand in his. This was a testament to how unnerved he was. Hermione knew that her husband was a very closed person; for him to take her hand, he had to be more upset than he would like the world to believe.

“We will have to let the bumbling idiots at the Ministry do their job and hope they have someone competent running the case,” Severus said.

Hermione leaned into him and took comfort in his closeness, silently vowing to do anything she could to help the Headmistress.

Author's Notes: Many thanks to Zen Lady and Potion Mistress for beta reading. All further mistakes are mine alone.

All feedback is welcome and appreciated.