Blushes

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me. The story does. I have written this story for pleasure and am not making a single Knut out of it.

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Chapter VI

Blushes

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The time was approaching midnight, and Hermione stood shivering at the window, staring out into the dark while silently repeating the words of the note Snape had sent with Hedwig.

Gryffindor,

I have been informed you need a little help. Be in the creature's favourite hiding place at around the witching hour. Be prepared to leave. Memorise the content of this, then say aloud what both you and Peter Pan believe in. After all, we wouldn't want someone else to know what's happening, would we.

Hermione pondered over Snape's ingenuity, wondering what rescue plan he had plotted. Suddenly, the air around her was filled with palpable magic, and there was a loud whoosh.

Hermione startled. Her mind was busy, trying to figure out whether she had suddenly entered some drug-induced dream state. But no, this appeared to be reality, she thought as she heard a mournful note that made her hairs stand up.

"Fawkes?" she asked hesitantly. The phoenix, his wear none the worse since she had last seen him shortly after his human had died, blinked at her and looked carefully around the attic room.

"Oh," said Hermione, the reason for his behaviour suddenly clear to her. "It's safe, Fawkes, I did not tell anyone about this."

Fawkes blinked at her again, and with another whoosh, he was gone. Before Hermione had time to wonder how exactly Snape was going to go about the rescue mission, she heard someone stomping up the stairs. Then she heard Ron's voice.

"She has to be up there, Alastor; we've checked everywhere else."

Although relieved that she had had the sense to lock the door behind her, she knew it would not take long for the two men to knock the door down. Oh, gods, Snape, you better hurry, Hermione groaned inwardly.

If the two men managed to get in, there was no way they would let her escape again, of that Hermione was certain. She was starting to panic at the prospect of being locked in her room, constantly guarded by either Ron or Moody for days on end while more witches and wizards ended their lives because all hope for the magic to return was gone. The distinct pop of someone Apparating interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and found herself face to face with Snape.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione breathed, immense relief flooding through her at the sight of him. "I've never been so happy to see you!"

Snape smirked at her. "I'd never thought I'd hear you say that, Hermione." His expression changing to a serious one, he asked, "Am I correct in assuming that Moody has been informed of your whereabouts?"

Hermione nodded and blushed in embarrassment. "Ron told him."

"Tut, tut, Miss Granger; you should choose your boyfriends more carefully," quipped Snape.

Hermione glared at him. "Are you going to get me out of here, or do you want to wait for them to break the doors down?" she asked, her expression defiant.

The door started to rattle.

"Hold on to me. I'll Apparate us, but I wish to see Moody's expression when he sees me here, which, no doubt, will be priceless," replied Snape with amusement in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course, Snape being Snape, he could not possibly pass up such an opportunity for goading someone. "I just hope he'll never find out where you're staying," she muttered as she placed her hands on his arms.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the noise of the crashing door, and Moody and Ron tumbled inside, struggling to steady themselves. Ron, a mere arm's length away, looked first at Snape, who had his arm wrapped around Hermione, and then glanced at her briefly.

"Let her go, you bastard," he demanded angrily.

"Not this time, Weasley," Snape sneered, looking Ron up and down, his face expressing distaste. "I suggest you go and get yourself a life, you poor excuse of a human. Learn how not to betray your loved ones, instead of going by what The-Boy-Who-Didn't-Live perceived as truth," he hissed.

His grip on Hermione tightened, and with a pop, he Apparated both of them just as Moody lunged forward.

They were in the garden behind the house at Spinner's End. Hermione felt as if someone had knocked the breath out of her. Shakily, she let herself sink down on the lawn.

"Are you alright? I didn't splinch you or anything, did I?" enquired Snape.

Was that concern she detected in his voice? No, it couldn't be, she decided. It must have been due to the Moody-induced excitement that made her imagine things.

"I'm fine," she replied, although she felt anything but.

Now that the ordeal was over, the impact of Ron's actions as well as Moody's unreasonable thirst for revenge started to hit her with force. She started to shake uncontrollably and was unable to swallow the sobs that threatened.

"Come. Let's get you inside," she heard Snape say from somewhere above. Hermione felt herself gently lifted and carried inside, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she was safe, and she had not had to betray him to Moody. The sheer horror at the thought of being forced to betray him in return for her freedom invoked even more cries and sobs.

"Shsh, you're safe now, Hermione. Nothing happened. Moody still doesn't know where I am, and he can't use magic to track us. All is well." Soothing pats on her back and the quietly spoken, reassuring words calmed her somewhat.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "If I'd have had any reason to believe that Ron might tell on me, I'd never have gone there!"

"Of course not. Even I'll grant you more intelligence than that," said Snape.

"Wow, that is saying something." The words escaped her without thinking, and she put her hands on her mouth in horror and turned to apologise. She expected a snort, a sneer, a cutting comment, a reprimand, anything...except the reaction he delivered.

Throwing his head back, he laughed; a loud, deep, genuine laugh, one which Hermione imagined no Hogwarts student had ever witnessed. "Indeed, Miss Granger, indeed," he drawled then, quickly returning to his typical sombre self.

"You need to be brought up to date with the latest happenings, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I dare say I'm exhausted, and you probably are, too," said Snape, eyeing her.

Hermione suddenly realised just how exhausted she was. Pushing aside the curiosity his words had invoked, she got up and said, "Yes, it has been a bit of a trying day."

* * *

The sun was already high in the sky when Hermione finally woke up. She realised with a jolt that Parvati had not bothered to wake her at the usual time. Grabbing some clothes, she hurried to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Parvati was waiting for her in the room the two young witches shared. "How are you? I figured I should let you sleep after what you went through, and Severus agreed. He mumbled something about preferring you in a more stable state of emotions...not sure what he meant," said Parvati.

Hermione smirked as she remembered the events of last night, of Snape not only rescuing her but also being there to comfort her when she needed it. "Umh, yeah, I rather agree with him," she replied wryly.

"What a relief," his deep voice drawled from the door. "There I was, afraid you might have garnered a taste for becoming a drama queen."

Hermione felt herself blush in embarrassment. Parvati rolled her eyes at their former teacher. "Severus, have you gone mad? Hermione and drama queen go about as well together as you and divination," she admonished him.

"Just wanted to be certain," he reassured her and turned his attention to Hermione.

"I thought I'd better tell you before you come down that we have another visitor," said Snape. Seeing her face change from surprise to dawning comprehension, he continued, "Uh, yesterday could be declared Apparition Practice Day, you see. I now know exactly to the minute how much piano playing is required to gather enough magic for two return trips to Grimmauld Place."

Hermione held his gaze steadily and said, "Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Correct, Miss Granger," he said. "Thankfully, Fawkes arrived here hours after you left for London on Friday and has done much to heal Shacklebolt's physical injuries. However, I will require considerable amounts of magic as well as time to brew potions for both him and Draco," he finished, looking at her questioningly.

"You know, you could just ask," muttered Hermione.

"Having had a few hours to figure out the best plan of action, all while you were obliviously ensconced in the land of Nod," he continued, ignoring her remark but firmly holding her gaze, "and having been given a little guidance on the subject matter, I concluded that I need to reinstate some of the magic I utilised yesterday, which means I can't do any brewing today.

"If you brew the potions I need for Draco and our new arrival, Parvati can tend to the patients. And if she feels really generous, she might even cook a nice, hot curry to sustain us." With that said, he turned to Parvati who had been as aptly listening as Hermione.

"I'll do whatever is needed," Parvati agreed readily.

"Will I need magic for any of the potions?" asked Hermione.

Snape's readiness to set aside a day to ensure Shacklebolt's healing reassured her increasingly improving opinion of him. Despite her recent bouts of embarrassment in his presence, despite her suspicion that she was in for more of the same because he had evidently enjoyed baiting her and seeing her blush, she knew she had started to see him in a new light. Not that Hermione had ever lacked respect for him. Right from the very first Potions lesson, she recognised a very highly educated person in him...something she herself had been striving for ever since she could remember. His eloquence as well as his immense knowledge in both Potions and the Dark Arts proved him quite the scholar.

However, what he had never displayed at Hogwarts...at least not in front of students...was his side of humanity. Hermione had known that it was there, hidden somewhere deep inside, since the end of her first year, when it had become clear that Quirrell was the culprit who was after the Philosopher's Stone and not Snape. She figured her opinion of him had started to change the moment he'd saved her life in the battle. From then on, he'd gradually risen on the scale of respect, with each little gesture that firmly put him into the species of humans...not gits, not bats, certainly not vampires...escalating last night when he soothed her with words and reassured her with the lightest of physical touches that all was well; even though he must have been far more exhausted than she, having Apparated considerable distances and tending to both Draco's and Shacklebolt's needs. Knight in shining armour. Hermione had to suppress the giggle this cliché prompted within her.

"You will soon need magic to learn to shield your thoughts. You're about as easy to read as a Muggle neon sign in Piccadilly Circus," sneered Snape.

"And most definitely not a knight in shining armour," he drawled, his eyes glinting triumphantly as she blushed. "But no, for the potions you are going to brew today, the lingering magic in my lab will suffice," he added, the glint remaining.

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Being entertained with the beauty of the compositions created by the likes of Beethoven, Schumann and other musical masters, executed with equal skill and creativity, was a highly enjoyable experience for Hermione. She rather enjoyed brewing potions in any case, but perceived witnessing the magic gently and intricately weaving itself into the ambience like a well and thoughtfully chosen gift. The more Snape had played the piano, the better Hermione was able to feel the magic. Although she was careful to utilise its availability only when required as part of the brewing process, she was certain that the apparent magic helped with simply being present. Watching the different potions in their various brewing stages while enjoying the music that drifted from Snape's Sanctuary to the upstairs makeshift laboratory, she allowed her thoughts to return to her former Potions professor. I wonder if he likes Mozart. Probably not. He surely doesn't strike me as the over-the-top-cheerful musical type, she mused. The severity of Beethoven's works seems much more fitting.

Hermione looked up in surprise when the door opened to reveal Parvati.

"You look like you've been enjoying yourself," said Parvati, smiling. Then she sighed. "Lucky you. Brewing potions all day sounds a lot more fun than looking after damaged wizards."

"I can imagine." Hermione eyed her friend with sympathy. "How is Kingsley Shacklebolt doing?" she inquired.

Parvati let out a groan. "If it wasn't so sad, I'd laugh. The stuff he comes up with, you'd think he's developed some strange paranoia syndrome." She shook her head. "He insists that the Muggle government will come after him to kill him unless we find him some special type of magnet to disable the tracking device that they allegedly implanted him with. Honestly, it's bizarre!"

"Well... at least he's stopped insisting that he should be dead," Hermione replied wryly, remembering her recent encounter with the Auror in the front room at number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Parvati inhaled sharply. "That sounds even worse." She sighed. Then she added briskly, "I just came to let you know dinner will be ready in a few minutes. How far have you got with the potions?"

"I'm nearly done here. I'll clean up and come downstairs," replied Hermione.

Dinner proved to be an interesting affair that evening. Parvati turned out to be an excellent cook, at least as far as vegetable curry was concerned, although her first taste left Hermione gasping for air. The chillies were clearly on the high end of the heat scale.

"Ah. Looks like Miss Granger has never had a chance to adjust her taste-buds to the intensity of cayenne pepper," Snape observed while evidently enjoying his food.

"Intensity?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I'd call it bloody heat!"

Parvati snickered, and Snape went into lecturing mode.

"Cayenne Pepper, typically Capsicum Annum or Capsicum Fastigiatum, is a medicinal and nutritional herb. The potent, hot fruit of cayenne has been used as medicine for centuries. It was considered helpful for various conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, frequently used to treat diseases of the circulatory system. It is even used in Muggle herbal medicine as a circulatory tonic. Rubbed on the skin, cayenne is a remedy for rheumatic pains and arthritis due to its counter-irritant effect." He stopped talking to take another bite, and Hermione was aggravated to note that the heat of the pepper left him entirely unperturbed.

He continued, in the typical manner that enabled him to hold the attention of an entire classroom full of pupils, "Cayenne contains a resinous and pungent substance, capsaicin. This chemical temporarily stimulates release of various neurotransmitters from nerves, leading to their depletion. There can be little doubt that cayenne furnishes one of the purest and strongest stimulants that can be introduced into the stomach. It is said to have been used with success in curing diseases that had resisted all other remedies."

He looked gleeful, Hermione decided, but nevertheless, she found the subject highly fascinating and said so.

"If you are interested, I have Dr John Christopher's book entitled Capsicum on the shelf over there. Feel free to read it," he offered and then added menacingly, "in your free time, Miss Granger. After you study the Reich works."

Then, as if there had been no interruption, he returned to the characteristics of cayenne pepper. "Cayenne pepper is extremely pungent and, when taken, makes the mouth feel as if it is on fire; this, however, lasts but a few minutes, and I consider it essentially a benefit, for its effect on the glands causes the saliva to flow freely and leaves the mouth clean and moist."

Unbidden and unexpectedly, the low sound of his quiet, deep, penetrating voice sent shivers down Hermione's spine. Don't blush, don't blush, don't blush. She learned in that moment, however, that blushing was not within her capabilities of control.

"Miss Granger," Severus Snape intoned softly, "is the subject of Capsicum giving you discomfort, or have you, perhaps, uncharacteristically allowed your mind to wander off into more dangerous fields?"

Hermione fervently wished for the ground to open up and swallow her, but even in the only place that continuously upheld its magic, her wish was entirely ignored.

Damn that man for noticing her weakness. Her eyes firmly adhered to the floor, she replied, "No, neither."

"Pray tell, what is the cause of this rather noticeably changed... complexion? Is it, perhaps, the heat of the cayenne itself?"

She straightened herself, gathered the courage to look at him, and stated boldly, "That is for me to know; and I thank you for desisting your amusement at my cost."

Snape smirked. Sighing mockingly, he said, "Be like that, Hermione; spoil my fun." Whether or not he would heed to her demand remained to be seen.

Both witches rolled their eyes at him as they stood up to clear the table.

While Hermione and Parvati busied themselves tidying up the kitchen, Severus disappeared to check on Draco and Kingsley who had eaten earlier and were now fast asleep, courtesy of their drinks having been laced with a dose of Dreamless Sleep. Considering both wizards' somewhat questionable states of mind, Severus was unwilling to share with them any new insights he was hoping to gain at the impending visit from Red Cloud. It was safer to have one depressed wizard and one recently mind-controlled one firmly established in the land of Nod rather than potentially sneaking around overhearing things not meant for their ears.

Snape's next task was to choose a bottle of something he could enjoy sharing with his female housemates. By the time he returned to his sanctuary, both witches had made themselves comfortable, and three glasses were sitting on the table, waiting to be filled.

They sat, contentedly sipping the 1990 oak-aged Rioja for a while. Red Cloud must be near, realised Hermione as a feeling of warmth and comfort washed over her. Now familiar with the scenario, she sank deeper into her chair as Snape said quietly, "Greetings, Red Cloud. We are ready to listen to your wisdom and insight."

The candles that bathed the room in a soft light seemed to suddenly brighten as Red Cloud made his presence known.

"Dark Man, I am happy that all is well again and your rescue operation was a success. The Auror needs neodymium magnets on his arms, shoulders, and neck for some days in order to disable the electronic chips his employers implanted in him. Do not, under any circumstances, allow him to leave this house until they are completely disabled. We can uphold the energy that shields this house from dark forces, but we cannot presently extend it to other areas."

Hermione and Parvati were fascinated by the conversation that followed between Severus and his spirit guide, with Red Cloud giving his charge precise instruction as to the locations of the microchips as well as Kingsley's health, emphasising the need to rid the Auror's body of parasites.

"He'll take less time becoming whole again if the healing is not hindered," he stressed.

Eventually, Red Cloud's attention focussed on Parvati. "The Auror will heal under your care, never fear. Trust your instinct and be rewarded with his full recovery."

Parvati was so much in awe of being addressed by the spirit guide that she was unable to do more than nod in reply.

The deep voice started again. "Gryffindor, you have shown your loyalty to my protegé, and for that, I am grateful to you. You have taken on a tremendous task, which not only requires you to utilise your intelligence beyond limits because, in reality, there are no limits to such, but it will also force you to throw away an entire belief system you and most others have been led to think of as fact. And the only likely reward will be a spiritual awareness unmatched by anyone else so young. You have free will, as you know, so you are free to turn your back and live your own life however you wish."

His words rang into the ensuing silence, until Hermione answered.

"I believe..." She took a deep breath and continued, "My individual needs are taking a back seat at the moment, and that's fine. My conscience tells me to do what I can in order to help restore the magical world. Learning about..." She stopped as she realised that Parvati did not know yet about the death of her best friend. This would not be the right moment to tell her. Hermione continued, "Hearing about the suicides, all the despair that the loss of magic has caused... I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I walked away," she finished.

"You may, at one time or another on this journey you have embarked upon, curse your conscience for its discomfort or think back longingly to the days when ignorance was bliss," Red Cloud said. "But you will learn that neither is true; knowledge...true knowledge...yields power, whereas ignorance inevitably results in fear. And it is your conscience that will lead you to your own powers of magic...the true magic of the universe."

Hermione took in his words. Even if she did not comprehend all Red Cloud had said, she was instinctively confident that one day, she would.

"And that, my dear friends, is what I came to share tonight. May your days be filled with joy. Until we meet again."

Red Cloud's presence slowly faded, leaving three members of the human race deeply relaxed and content with themselves as well as each other, yet with much to consider.

* * *

As much as Hermione loathed the prospect of being the one to inform Parvati of Lavender's death, she felt compelled to do so. Even if she did not share her copy of The Quibbler, which she would consider unfair in its own act, chances were that Parvati would find out in any case, possibly at the wrong time or place, Hermione figured.

Strangely enough, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt who helped Parvati overcome her grief. Snape had obtained the neodymium magnets...Hermione had no idea how he had managed that; she had never heard of them until Red Cloud's mention...and he had plastered them on the Auror's arms, shoulders, and neck as advised by his spirit guide. Gradually, Kingsley was coming out of his state of stupor, remorse, and paranoia and beginning to live again. Parvati concentrated wholly on his healing, determined to ensure that at least one person would not follow the path Lavender had chosen. It was her own contribution to the Spinner's End residents' joint venture, putting all effort into the healing of one being. For her, his recovery, his becoming whole again somehow gave meaning to Lavender's suicide. She found it no less painful, but at least a meaningful loss became easier to bear, if with time.

Days turned into weeks, September passed almost unnoticed by Hermione, as gradually, her time spent making potions for Draco and Kingsley shifted back to time spent researching Wilhelm Reich's idea of orgone and, eventually, experimenting with orgone.

Time went by unnoticed by Parvati. She busily divided her waking hours between caring for Draco and Kingsley and creating the cosmetic potions that Severus sold to his Muggle acquaintance. The customer base was growing slowly but steadily, with each and every buyer enthusiastically returning for more of the same product or for different ones to try.

For Severus Snape, September passed unnoticed, too. Gradually, the level of magic that had existed the day before he'd Apparated twice was achieved once more. And gradually, he started to spend less time playing the piano and more time looking into ways to heal Draco's depression and joining Hermione in her orgone experiments.

Many evenings were spent in Snape's sanctuary over a bottle of wine while they discussed their progress. Often, Red Cloud communicated with them on such occasions, often to share his wisdom, occasionally to inform them of the well-being of other individuals such as Pansy and Seamus, rarely to give a snippet of what was to come, but always leaving behind a soul-deep contentedness. On one occasion, Red Cloud informed Severus that someone "on our side" was on his way to Spinner's End. As the divine being deemed that this was all he needed to know, he did not divulge any more insight, and Severus knew better than to ask.

Therefore, Severus Snape was nowhere near as surprised as his female housemates when one day, in the middle of dinner, the bell rang.

Outside stood Charlie Weasley, carrying a large, bulky package.

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A/N

Grateful thanks to Notsosaintly for cleaning up my writing and for being a sounding board whenever I need one.