Chapter Ten: Speculation

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Chapter Ten: Speculation

"Severus?" Hermione called softly as she exited the Floo. Not hearing any reply, she ventured into his bedroom to find it empty, the evidence of the previous night's passion not yet erased by the diligent house-elves. Settling onto the couch with an interesting-looking book, she patiently awaited his return.

An hour or so later, she woke to the sudden slam of the outer door. Through sleepy eyes she saw her lover throw his robes onto the chair.

"Are you all right, love?" she asked as she reached up to caress his frown away.

"Bloody Molly Weasley. Can't keep her nose out of other people's business," he growled.

"Perhaps she thought I needed saving," she teased gently.

He snorted. "If she'd seen you last night, it would have been me she was rushing in to save!"

"I didn't hear any complaints."

"I didn't say I was complaining."

For a few moments, there was silence as their lips became reacquainted.

"So, what do we do about Molly?"

"You do nothing. The Howler was sent to me. I will go and see her shortly and try to calm her down before she invokes any more havoc." The disarray his frustrated hands wrought on his hair would have been comical in any other circumstances.

"And the students?"

"So far, they have no idea to whom Molly was referring or whether her accusation was true."

"But they are speculating."

"If nothing further happens, the gossip will no doubt soon die down. I have been the subject of various accusations over the years, none of which have created more than a temporary disturbance. It is your reputation that concerns me. You need to return to your room and be seen by your friends." Drawing comfort and strength from her embrace, he held her tightly for a few more precious moments.

Reluctantly, Hermione took her leave, a plan forming in her agile mind as she arrived at her own room. Grabbing a quill and parchment, she slipped out of the door.

***

Severus paused, his hand raised ready to knock on the door of the Burrow. Clenching his jaw, he sealed his temper behind a wall of Occlumency. As the door swung open, Molly's automatic smile of welcome dissolved.

"You!"

"Yes, me, Molly. We need to talk."

"We certainly do. Get yourself in here, Severus Snape. How could you?" She rounded on him almost before he had crossed the threshold. "Our Hermione! After all she did in the war! We welcomed your bad-tempered presence here and at Grimmauld Place. We made sure you were fed and cared for when needed, all without any thanks, I might add. And this is how you repay us? By seducing our little girl? What manner of teacher are you to take up with your own student?"

Once Molly had ranted herself out of breath, Severus quietly began speaking. "Molly Weasley, do you truly believe for one moment that I would coerce a student for my own depraved needs? Amidst all the heinous acts I had to do to preserve my cover as a spy, have I ever given you cause to believe I would do that?"

Severus's unexpected calmness succeeded where shouting and intimidation would have failed. The redheaded witch averted her eyes. "Well, no. But how do you explain your seduction of a mere child? Ronald told me he saw it with his own eyes!"

"Hermione is no longer a child. She is nineteen years old and has experienced more in the last few years than many thirty year-olds. She is an intelligent, mature young woman who knows her own mind. Merlin knows I didn't stand a chance!" His lips quirked self-deprecatingly.

"But, Severus, she is your student. What will Minerva say?" Molly wrung her hands anxiously, still not completely convinced.

"Minerva is aware of our relationship and has given us her blessing. She has also arranged an independent assessment of Hermione's Potions work. Floo her if you do not believe me." Disappointment with her lack of faith in his integrity leached through his Occlumentic shields, tingeing his words grey and flat.

At that moment, an owl tapped on the window. Molly let the bird in and took the message from its outstretched leg. Immediately, the envelope turned red and burst open.

MOLLY WEASLEY! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO INTERFERE WITH MY BUSINESS? WHO I CHOOSE TO SLEEP WITH IS NONE OF MY OWN PARENTS' CONCERN, MUCH LESS YOURS! IF I WANTED TO HAVE SEX WITH EVERY MEMBER OF THE BLOODY CHUDLEY CANNONS QUIDDITCH TEAM, THAT IS ENTIRELY MY PREROGATIVE. AS FOR SEVERUS – I EXPECT TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE APOLOGISED PROFUSELY TO HIM FOR THE EMBARRASSMENT YOU HAVE CAUSED. HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING? IT'S TIME YOU LEARNED TO BUTT OUT!

With a pop, the Howler disintegrated and fell to the floor. Molly sat down with a thump on the nearest chair and fanned herself with her apron. "Well. I see that young lady certainly does know her own mind. I just hope you know what you are doing, Severus."

He inclined his head slightly. "I do. However, your interference has caused immense unrest and speculation amongst the student body, which is precisely why we were keeping our relationship secret. The senior students have their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s very shortly, and we did not wish to distract them. Thanks to you, our efforts at discretion were in vain."

"I... I... didn't think," she muttered.

"Clearly."

"I'm sorry, Severus. My actions were rash and unwarranted."

"I think you owe Hermione an apology as well. She was very distressed today, and your son's behaviour is not helping."

"Yes, of course, Severus. I have one question, if I may?"

He raised his eyebrow in query.

"Do you have honourable intentions towards her?"

"Indeed I do."

***

Severus arrived at the gates of Hogwarts still bemused by his witch's actions in his defence. While the look on Molly's face at the mention of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team was priceless, he wasn't sure he approved of that particular assertion. He would need to have a few quiet words with Hermione regarding her turn of phrase.

Upon entering the castle, Severus immediately became aware of a change. It was subtle, but there nonetheless. Students, who had previously quailed before him and ducked out of his way, were turning to watch his progress through the corridors. It was most disconcerting, seeing younger students giggling as he passed, with the occasional blush from senior girls and looks of newfound respect from the boys. He donned his most intimidating glare, but they appeared immune. Apparently, discovering the Potions master had a sex life had diminished him to the status of a mere man, rather than the source of terror he had been before. He was not sure whether he approved of this new development; it could completely ruin his reputation.

At the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmistress's tower, he snarled the password and entered the staircase with a sense of relief. At least here there were no youthful eyes watching his every move.

"Ah, Severus. I am pleased to see you. How was your meeting with Molly?" the headmistress asked as he entered her office.

"How did you know?"

"I have just had a Floo call from her, apologising profusely for her precipitate behaviour. I was able to clarify a few things regarding my staff and students' personal business."

"The full, Professor McGonagall treatment?" Severus smirked, having been on the receiving end of one of Minerva's lectures rather more often than he would like to admit.

"Something like that, Severus. I have something else to discuss now you are here. I was summoned to an emergency Board of Governors' meeting this morning regarding the delicate situation." She rolled her eyes.

He sat down suddenly, certain his career was at an end. The Board were not known for their forbearance with regard to perceived indiscretions at their school. However, he was equally certain that he held not one iota of regret for his relationship with Hermione, only hoping she would be treated with leniency and allowed to sit her N.E.W.T.s.

"So, how bad is it?" he finally asked, puzzled at the smile on his colleague's face.

"Oh, stop catastrophising, Severus. Once they realised the relationship was consensual and the student in question was of age and not one of their precious daughters... or sons," she laughed as Severus winced, "they lost interest. There was the odd comment as to whether, 'getting laid regularly would improve the old bat's temper,' but other than that things went remarkably well. On the whole, the Board seemed to be of the opinion that as a hero of the war, you could do what you liked, with whomever you wished, as long as it was not illegal and behind closed doors. However, there remains one significant problem," she added.

"The students," he stated baldly.

"Exactly. With examinations next month, we cannot afford to have them distracted by speculation about the identity of your paramour. Would you and Hermione consider making an announcement to clear the air?"

"Certainly not, Minerva. We are entitled to our privacy. If the student body knew, our every interaction would provide fodder for the many gossips in the castle. It would be intolerable!" He stood and paced around the room. "Surely this will die down. We simply need to load them up with enough homework to keep their little, busybody minds concentrating on something other than my sex life."

Minerva chuckled. "Leave it to you to find an excuse to dole out more homework, Severus. But remember, the more essays you expect the students to write, the more you will have to mark."

"There is that."

"I just ask you to consider it. Talk to Hermione."

"I shall. And thank you, Minerva, for your support. It is much appreciated."

The headmistress smiled to herself as the taciturn wizard turned to leave. Little did he realise the positive impact Hermione was having on his demeanour.

***

After siphoning off some of her anger into the Howler, Hermione wandered around the castle, ears alert to any comments regarding the events at breakfast.

"Who do you think it is?"

"Someone very brave, or very crazy, to be shagging Snape!"

"Or desperate. Perhaps it's that Brown girl from Gryffindor. She doesn't seem very choosy."

"No, she is with Ron Weasley. What about Luna Lovegood? She is loony enough."

"Loony? I suppose she's more likely..."

She heard a number of suggestions, all ridiculous in her estimation, but thankfully her name was not mentioned. Who would expect the school swot to be the woman who had tamed the beast? Her peers were having enough trouble imagining Professor Snape in the throes of passion, much less any of their fellows participating.

"I think it is someone from Slytherin. Those girls are weird."

"Who said it was a girl? The Howler just said he was shagging a student."

"You mean?"

"Why not?"

Hermione chuckled to herself, imagining Severus's reaction to that rumour.

"What do you think he's got, Terry?"

"I dunno. Perhaps he's hung like a hippogriff. Must be something if he can get more action than we can, Ern."

"Maybe hanging around those Malfoys taught him a thing or two. I hear they are a very kinky family. What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall..."

You'd be a dead fly, Terry. Trust me.

"You know, Lav, he does have a very sexy voice, now I think of it. And those dark eyes; you could drown in them."

"Mmm, I know, Parv, and imagine what he could do with those long fingers. Sends a shiver down my spine just thinking about it."

"Well, I think he wears those robes all the time for a reason. Perhaps it is to hide the enormous bulge in his pants..."

"Hannah! You didn't just imagine Professor Snape's...?"

"Why not, Suze?"

Keep your grubby little minds out of my wizard's pants!

Suddenly, a flock of angry canaries appeared out of nowhere and chased the four girls back to their respective common rooms. One very satisfied witch emerged from a nearby niche and headed off to her room.

***

"I don't know how you do it," Hermione announced as she stepped into her professor's quarters late that evening.

"Do what, exactly?" he enquired, glancing up from his marking.

"Go from being the evil, points-docking, bat of the dungeons to the latest pin-up boy in the girls' dormitory. All with one ill-conceived Howler," she growled, seating herself in the pin-up boy's lap.

He groaned, resting his head against her shoulder. "Don't tell me they actually have pictures."

"Dennis Creevey managed to find one Colin had snapped sometime last year. You were in the process of berating a poor first-year for some, no doubt imagined, offence at the time. They think it shows your sexy, bad-boy attitude," she explained.

"What do you mean, imagined? Impertinent wench!" He proceeded to show her how he dealt with such cheek. Mostly, his technique involved lips and tongue. After a few minutes of stress-relief, he raised his head. "You removed the picture?"

"No. Why deprive them of their fun? After all, at least they aren't all out there baying for your blood, dearest. Besides, it's about time the students got over their fear of you."

"That's right. Ruin my reputation, woman!"

"As long as they keep their hands off my wizard, they can look all they like. Even a few of the boys are interested," she teased.

"Thanks. Now, you have me worried."

"Don't worry, my love. I'll watch your back... and your arse... and your..."

"That was what started this whole situation, miss."

Hermione wound her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "And I don't regret it one little bit. Now, I think we need a little exercise, my Spartan."

Much later, after they had regained their capacity to process rational thoughts, Severus murmured, "Minerva wants us to announce our relationship to the entire school to stop the speculation. I told her it was unnecessary, but I did promise to discuss it with you."

"I agree. I would rather maintain some semblance of privacy. Hopefully, that idiot friend of mine keeps his mouth shut."

"Indeed."

***

A/N: Special thanks to Sampdoria, who thought Hermione should send Molly a Howler. This story is dedicated to the esteemed leader of F.A.R.T, Robbi, whose encouragement, nay, nagging, turned this story from a vague idea to an actuality. However, any expressions of emotion emanating from Severus Snape are entirely my idea. She made me clarify that. Of course, my dear friend, ladyinthecloak, bossed the commas into submission and tidied up any mistakes. Thanks, girls!