Misunderstanding

A/N: All things Harry Potter belong to JKR. I make no money from this.

Many thanks to my awesome beta, Southern_Witch_69! Sun, you're the greatest!

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Chapter Five

Misunderstanding

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Hermione lay in bed, smiling at the good luck she'd found herself in. She and Severus had been married for almost four months now, and not once had she ever awakened before him...until now. She lay on her side facing him, elbow propped, head in her hand. She was going to use this rare twist of fate to study her husband.

He was not a handsome man to most, she mused. His nose was too big, his hair was almost always greasy, although she appreciated the fact that he'd been washing it twice a day, once in the morning and then again before he came to bed. His teeth were a little stained and somewhat crooked, causing the 'daughter of dentists' that was forever inside of her to cringe. His skin was very pale.

And yet, there was something about him. Some sort of... sex appeal. Hermione Snape had come to the realization that she found her husband incredibly sexy. Since the night he'd walked into their bedroom and found her studying her naked body in the mirror, he'd made love to her quite a lot. They had never gone longer than three days without making love.

She smiled down at him and lightly traced his nose with her finger. She'd discovered he could do wonderful things to her body with that nose. She bent and kissed the tip. He didn't stir.

She raised an eyebrow in speculation. Hmm. Interesting. I wonder what else I could... play with?

Hermione very slowly and gently rose to her knees, watching her husband to make sure she didn't wake him. Gently making her way down the bed, she positioned herself between his legs. Looking up into his face once more, she pulled her nightgown over her head before she eased his pajama pants down, only to the top of his thighs.

She had been wanting to try this, but for some reason or another, it had never happened. Severus had sure tasted her everywhere, but when she'd start to taste him, he would always flip her over and thrust into her. Not that she minded. This was just something she'd wanted to do for her husband. Hermione knew he had to like it. From hearing Parvati and Lavender tell it, all men loved it.

She remembered one night in her dorm when those two had been very explicit. It was one of the only times that Hermione had truly listened to their conversation. They had been giving each other pointers. Being the know-it-all that she is, Hermione had remembered most of what they'd said. Now, it was time to put her 'knowledge' to use.

Taking a deep breath for courage, Hermione lowered her head and took her husband into her mouth. She suckled him lightly at first, until she heard his first deep moan of pleasure. After that, she added a little more pressure as she moved her head up and down, circling his tip with her tongue.

Is he awake yet? she wondered. Not sure, she started to nibble the underside of his penis while gently cupping his balls.

"Hermione," Severus whispered huskily as he grabbed her head with both hands.

Raising her eyes only, she looked up and found herself staring right into the black eyes of her husband. She wondered why she didn't go up into flames from the heat in those eyes. Saying nothing, she made a little humming sound with her mouth that had Severus trembling.

As he began to move his hips in time with her mouth, Severus laid his head back on the pillow. She gagged some from the movement, as she was not expecting that. He slowed his grinding a bit, but unconsciously pulled her hair tighter.

Her mouth was starting to ache, so she placed her hand on the bottom of his penis and pumped as she sucked the top. Even though she was getting tired, she didn't want to stop. It was unbelievably arousing to her knowing that she was giving her husband such pleasure.

He raised his head once more to watch her mouth on him, and then he noticed her hand creeping down her slightly rounded belly. His eyes widened as he watched her hand go under the elastic of her knickers to touch her clit. She closed her eyes as her excitement built.

Without realizing it, as she circled herself faster, she sucked him harder. When she started to shudder, Severus pulled her up and off of him. Hermione grabbed his thighs tightly as her orgasm subsided. Only after she'd come down did she realize that her husband had come with her.

Looking up into Severus' face, Hermione smiled, satisfied with herself. "Good morning."

"It most certainly is." He took his wand off the nightstand and cleaned them both. Raising his eyebrow, he asked, "What's gotten into you this morning?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to take advantage of the fact that for once, I woke up before you did. Thought I'd give you a little wakeup call." She grinned mischievously.

Stroking her hair, he told her, "I have to say, that is the best wakeup I've ever received."

She snuggled closer, taking advantage of one of the rare times that he held her while awake. During sleep, he always pulled her to him and slept with his arms around her, but very rarely did he do so while he was not sleeping.

"The best?" she asked.

"Without question. I am beginning to see the advantages of having a wife," he teased.

"Oh?" she asked as she pulled her nightgown back over her head.

"Indeed."

"Even better than say... a threesome?" She had wanted to ask him about that since she heard him and Lucius Malfoy talking about having them in their youth, but had never had the courage to do so. Until now.

Sighing, he said, "I've wondered how long it was going to take you to bring that up. I knew that you had to have heard us when you mentioned that model Lucius has been seeing."

"Yes, I listened," she admitted. There was no need in trying to lie about it now. "I hadn't planned to, but after I heard the content of your conversation, I was curious. I still am."

"You know what they say about curiosity, my dear."

"Did you have very many with Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, ignoring his slight warning.

"Hermione! I do not wish to discuss this."

"Were your threesomes with the one woman only, or did you and he have different ones?"

Giving in a little, he answered. "Mostly with just Annabelle." At her questioning look, he said, "Annabelle Avery."

"Oh. How about with Mrs. Malfoy? Did the three of you ever..."

"Only once, and we were all extremely drunk at the time. It was many years ago, Hermione. I don't want to talk about my Death Eater days."

"I have just one more question. Did you and Mr. Malfoy ever...er...do anything to each other? Did he ever..." She gestured with her hand. "Take you into his mouth, or did you ever take him into yours?"

After she'd asked the question, she wondered if she truly wanted to know the answer to it. She never could stop herself from seeking the answers to anything that she didn't automatically know. This was no different, but she admitted, if to herself only, some things were better left unknown. She just couldn't get the image out of her head and wanted to know...or she thought she did.

Severus jerked up into a sitting position. "Enough of this. There is no need for us to dredge up the past. These things happened before you and I were together, and I refuse to discuss it any longer. There are some things that a man does not care to discuss with his wife! This is most definitely one of them." He stood, pulled up his pajama pants that he suddenly realized were still around his thighs, and walked into the loo.

Was he blushing? Oh, my God. He was. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When he walked back into the room to gather his clothes before he took his morning shower, Hermione remembered what she had been discussing with Ginny the night before. They had decided that they were going to ask Severus and Draco about that night on the tower. They both really wanted to know the hows and whys of what had happened that night.

Hermione gathered what was left of her courage and said, "Well, there is another topic I would really like to talk to you about. One that I think is very important and is in no way related to threesomes. Would you please tell me about the tower and Professor Dumbledore?"

He froze. Slowly, he turned his head to face her and looked into her eyes. "No. I will not. Now, have you finished interrogating me this morning? If this is the price I have to pay for fellatio, I will gladly do without!"

She jerked back as if he'd slapped her. "Interrogating? I am doing no such thing! I just wanted to know..."

"Things that are not your business! You have no right..."

Hurt more than angry, she placed her hands on her hips and interrupted, "No right? I see." Not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes, she turned her face away. "It's just that I thought we were beginning to have a real marriage where we could talk to each other about anything. I thought you were beginning to trust me."

"Hermione," he said, exasperated, "we do have a real marriage."

She shrugged. "A true marriage where you'll only talk about certain things that you feel appropriate and the rest I'm not to bother you with?" Holding up her hand when he started to speak, she said, "I really do understand about you not wanting to talk to me about your past sexual experiences. That's okay. But I was hoping you could open up just a little about the headmaster. I know that it hurts you, you know. I wanted to help take some of the pain away. But I see now that I would be of no help to you there."

"I've never talked of it to anyone, Hermione, not just you. I... I can't."

"That's fine. Forget it." She turned to go use the loo before he could get into the shower. "It's just... Well, I didn't think I was just anyone to you anymore." She started to open the door.

"Hermione, wait," Severus called to her. He could tell that she was truly trying to make this a real marriage, and he discovered at that moment just how badly he wanted a real marriage with someone he could actually trust and possibly love. "Just give me time. I wasn't expecting you to ask about that. I will talk with you about it; I promise. I just need time first."

She smiled at him softly. "That's all I ask."

When she went into the loo and shut the door, Severus let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

*** *** ***

Draco stood in the doorway of his loo, watching his wife and feeling helpless. She was violently sick again. She'd been taking the Nausea Potion, and it did help some, but never the first thing in the morning. He sighed. Their sex life had been almost non-existent for the past month because she'd been so tired lately as well.

He wanted to go to her, but for some reason, she seemed to be embarrassed when she became ill. "All right, baby?"

Sitting up and resting her head against the wall, Ginny smiled weakly. "Almost. Thanks to the potion, I'm only sick about two times. Much better than the five or six that it had been before."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I suppose so." He walked to the sink to get her a cup of water. "And Granger is not sick at all, you say?"

Ginny smiled at him. "I don't know why that is such a sore spot with you, my dear. Our pregnancies are not some sort of contest. Thank you," she said as she took the glass he held in front of her.

"I know that!" he told her, irritated. "I just wonder why, that's all." He crouched in front of her, rubbing her hair out of her face. "I hate to see you suffer."

Taking a deep breath, she told him, "It's easing off now. Help me up? I want to brush my teeth and have a shower."

He took her hands and pulled her to her feet. On impulse, he hugged her to his chest tightly. "Are you still planning to go to Diagon Alley with Granger today for new robes?"

"Yes. I want something spectacular to wear for this party your father is giving us. Besides," she said as she patted her belly, "I can't really wear any of my old ones anymore."

Draco looked down at her stubbornly flat stomach. "I don't see why not. Not that I mind you buying yourself new robes, mind. I'm just saying you're not any bigger now than before."

She framed his face in her hands. "You're so sweet. I am a bit bigger, but not much. Don't worry," she said at his disbelieving expression. "Once I'm no longer sick, I will become huge, and you won't find me attractive anymore."

"That would never happen. I'll always find you attractive." He leaned in to kiss her, and she gently shoved him back.

"I need to brush my teeth and have my shower. I feel... dirty."

Laughing, he told her, "Go on then. Do you think you could eat any breakfast? I can have some brought to us."

"I could try tea and toast, as long as you don't have a lot of greasy things for yourself."

"All right," he said, "tea and toast for two it is."

Draco ordered the light breakfast from a house-elf and lay back down on the bed as he waited. He grinned when he heard his wife singing in the shower. Feeling better now, I see. Good.

Shortly after the breakfast was spread out, Draco heard the shower stop and his wife drying off and applying her lotions. It was pure lust that hit him when she walked back into their bedroom naked. He was thankful she'd gotten used to him in these past few months.

Without realizing it, he sat up and began to stroke himself over his pajama pants. It had been a long time for them, and he was painfully swollen.

Ginny stopped in mid-stride and watched her husband. She'd only ever seen him do that once before and that was on her wedding night. Then, he was doing it to frighten her. This time, whether he knew it or not, it was arousing her. It was so erotic to watch him pleasuring himself. "Draco," she whispered.

"Mmmm," he answered. "Ginny, I need you. Do you think you can..."

Ginny was at the bed in three steps. She roughly shoved him down on the bed and straddled him, rubbing her center over his erection. The only barrier was the silk pajama bottoms that covered him. She bent and kissed him, nipping his bottom lip.

"Oh, God, baby." Draco didn't know what had gotten into his wife, but he didn't mind it one bit. He groaned when he felt her trembling from her own needs.

She slithered down him and jerked his bottoms off. He understood this would not be slow and easy lovemaking. This would be frantic coupling. They were both too needy from going too long.

She quickly straddled him again, and felt his thighs shaking between her own. She looked down into his eyes, brown meeting grey and kissed him again, more gently this time.

He grabbed her hips to steady her, but she was too lost and sank down on him. They both threw back their heads and groaned in unison.

She stilled and looked down at him, never having been on top before. "Ride me," he instructed. She smiled once and then lost herself in her husband.

He watched her love him, all her inhibitions lowered. She arched back and rubbed her hands over her breasts, pulling her nipples as she rolled them between her thumb and fingers. Her flaming red hair looked like a lake of fire as it hung down her back.

She started to move somewhat erratically. Knowing she was close, he placed one hand on her thigh and rolled her clit with the other. When she came, she let out a yell of triumph that caused her husband to go with her.

"Ginny, my God! That was amazing."

"Mmmhmm," she said lazily, quite pleased with herself. She stood, found her robe, and put it on. Teasing him she said, "You're not so bad yourself. I think I'll keep you." Ginny went back to the bed and sat down beside him.

"Oh, you do, do you?" He expertly flipped her to her back and kissed her thoroughly. "Well, you're in luck because I just may let you."

She laughed. "What will you do today while I am off shopping with Madam Snape?"

Draco winced. "Don't call her that; it's not right. I'm going to go and drag Severus out for some Christmas shopping, I think. My father wants to meet us for lunch in any case." He picked up his pajama bottoms and put them back on.

She made a face at the mention of his father, but chose not to comment. "I need to get some Christmas shopping done as well." Her face scrunched in concentration as she tried to remember how much money she had. Draco read both expressions.

Sighing, he told her, "Ginny, don't worry about Lucius. I would never let him harm you. Okay?" She nodded, but wouldn't look into his eyes. He grabbed her chin and turned her to face him. "I mean that."

"I know you do, Draco. Thank you."

"And, stop worrying about money, for Merlin's sake! We have more than enough!"

"You have more than enough," she stubbornly corrected.

"I see." He was hurt, and he didn't try to hide it. "So, when your father works, and your mum stays home, well, that's just his money then? That's how your family does things, is it? Must be hard on your mother when she needs something."

"Well, no, of course not! They have an account together with Gringotts and..."

"Yes? Do go on," he urged her.

"That's different."

"How?" Draco demanded. "How is that different? Ginevra, you're my wife! Don't you think it's high time you acted like it other than in the bedroom?"

If he'd punched her, she couldn't have been more shocked. "I don't... I didn't mean... Draco..."

"Think about it. You refuse my...our...money. We hardly ever go out in public, and when we do, you never touch me. You have been to the Burrow, and I've been to the manor, but we've not gone together...as a couple, I mean...and we won't until this party."

She lowered her head, her cheeks flaming. "Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry." She looked up then, eyes wet. "I never thought about any of that. I never meant to hurt you."

"Ginny, I just think it's time we started acting like a married couple and stopped being one in name only."

"And in the bedroom," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. When he only stared at her, she relented. "Yes, I agree. And I apologize. I never meant to make it seem less. I...I care for you; you have to know that."

He rubbed her arms. "It's okay. I do know that, but sometimes I like to be told or shown."

Raising her eyebrow playfully, she told him, "You have to admit, I did show you pretty well just now."

"No complaints there, I assure you." When her stomach growled, he laughed. "Think you can eat?"

"I could, but I don't believe I want cold tea and toast."

"Oh, Dobby cast a Warming Charm on it when he brought it in since you were in the shower."

"Well, in that case, bon appetit!" she joked and got down to the business of eating.

They ate in companionable silence for a while when Ginny asked, "Draco, when you were on the tower, what stopped you from killing Professor Dumbledore?"

He fumbled with his tea before finally setting it down. "What?"

"Well, Harry said that when push came to shove, he could tell you weren't really going to do it. Kill the professor, I mean. So, I was just wondering about it."

He sat back and roughly rubbed his hands over his face. "Oh, Potter said, did he?"

"Don't make this about Harry, Draco. And don't try to change the subject." She threw her napkin down testily. "If you don't want to answer, don't."

When she started to rise, he grabbed her wrist, remembering the little speech he'd just given her. "Because Dumbledore started saying things to me, and I was trying to figure out if I believed him or not."

She sat back down. "Things?"

"Yes. He was talking about protection for me, my mother. Even Father. Helping me find a way out. I knew that the Dark Lord was becoming... insane. More and more every day. With my father hell bent on doing every little thing he was told, I didn't feel like I had a choice."

"There's always a choice."

Draco snorted. "Easy for you to say, Ginevra. You have no clue." She started to speak, and he stopped her. "Your first year was horrid, I grant you, but it was nothing...nothing...compared to the real thing. You had a memory of a sixteen-year-old boy. I was dealing with a man. A monster, really, who got off on punishment and power."

She took his hand. "I'm sorry, Draco."

He shrugged. "So, when we were up there, and Dumbledore started talking, I began to hope. I thought maybe... But, then Severus... Well, you know."

"Why did Professor Snape finish it when it became obvious you were relenting?"

"That's for him to say." He looked off for a moment, lost in the memory. "Besides, if you don't get started, you're going to be late," he told her to throw off his mood. He didn't want to upset Severus with talk of the tower later.

Ginny jumped up. "Oh, no! I'd better hurry!" She leaned down and kissed her husband. "I'll see you later!" she told him as she hurried to finish dressing. She could hear him chuckling as she dashed in the bathroom.

*** *** ***

Hermione and Ginny walked down the street, laughing and talking. Happy. "Ginny, you looked absolutely gorgeous in those robes!"

Smiling, Ginny said, "Thanks. You looked great too." She looked at the ground and unconsciously rubbed her tummy. "I'm not sure about Draco's gift, though."

"Ginny, are you crazy? Having Colin make an oil painting of that photograph he had of Draco's mother is a wonderful idea! He'll love it!"

"It's just that he doesn't talk of her much. I wouldn't want to hurt him or cause him any unnecessary pain."

Putting her arms around Ginny's shoulders and squeezing, Hermione told her, "He's going to love it, I promise. I've noticed a sentimental side of him when the two of you are together that I never would have associated with Malfoy."

"I know. He treats me as if I am precious." Mrs. Malfoy smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes. "He's wonderful, actually. I never would've believed it, but he's just so... so..." She hugged her arms around her body.

"Ginny, do you love him?"

She jerked her head around to stare at her best friend. "No! No, I don't. But, well, I like him an awful lot. I think about him all the time when he's not with me. I absolutely love our intimacy."

Hermione snickered. "That sounds like love, my dear."

"What about you, then?"

"What about me?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Don't think I didn't see that lingering kiss your husband gave you before we left. You didn't exactly cringe away...as I saw you do that one time with Ron."

"Ginny!" Hermione blushed. "All right," she conceded. "I'm infatuated with my husband, too. He's just so..."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "Just so."

Laughing, Hermione said, "Let's get some lunch. I'm starved."

"I could eat," Ginny agreed. "I think Ron told me that he and Harry were going to the Leaky Cauldron with Dean Thomas, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Tonks. Something about them finishing that Auror exercise before any other team, and they're celebrating. Did you want to avoid it?"

"No, I don't. I think it's high time we made amends with the boys. Christmas is just around the corner; we're going to be at the same parties and such. Most definitely at the Burrow together. Enough time has past that those two really need to forgive us. It's almost been four months! Honestly!"

"You're right, of course. Ron asks about you all the time. He's hurting, Mione. But, I agree. He needs to start healing."

Hermione's heart clutched. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Ronald. He'd been her first love. "It's just that I miss my best mates."

"I know. I miss them, too. Oh! I forgot! I asked Draco about the tower this morning. He talked of it some, but not much at all. Just basically said that Dumbledore started offering him a way out, so he stopped to consider. That's when...er...Professor Snape...well...you know."

Sighing, Hermione agreed, "Yes I do know. Severus wouldn't speak of it all when I asked. But he did promise that he would in time. I have to settle for that. I'm just so impatient!"

Laughing out loud, Ginny told her, "That's an understatement! Remember that time..."

"Well, well, well," a voice drawled out. "What have we here?"

They were across the street from the Leaky Cauldron, standing in front of an alleyway. Both Ginny and Hermione felt prickles of fear rising inside them.

"Excuse us, Flint," Hermione said as politely as she could manage. "We were just going to meet Ron and Harry for lunch." She pointed across the street.

"Oh, I don't think so," a voice sounded behind Ginny. "We want a word with Mrs. Malfoy here, you see. Although, seeing you with her is a pleasant surprise."

Ginny spun around. "Nott! Whatever you have to say to me, say it, and then leave me alone!"

Rubbing his chin in thought while ignoring Ginny, Nott asked Flint, "Marcus, do you think there'd be room? It'd be one for each of us."

"Sure, there's room. But I want her," he whinged as he pointed towards Ginny. "I want Malfoy's woman."

Ginny fought the nausea rising. "I don't know what the two of you are talking about, and I don't care. I've had enough, and we're going. Come on, Madam Snape," Ginny said, wanting to sound braver than she felt.

"Snape? Did you call her Snape?" There was a look of pure glee in Nott's eyes. He turned to Hermione, considering her intently. "You married old Snape, did you? What? Did he rape you and knock you up?"

Before she could think, Hermione reared back and slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you speak of my husband that way!"

Suddenly, Hermione found her throat enclosed in Nott's hand and herself being shoved back into the alley. "Grab Weasley, Marcus!"

"Oh, with pleasure!" He grabbed Ginny's arms so that she couldn't go for her wand and began pushing her into the alley. He glared as she kicked his shins. Shoving her against the wall, Flint told her, "I'm only gonna say this once. If you try something like that again, I will hurt you."

Ginny rubbed the back of her head because she'd rapped it on the wall when Flint had shoved her. He pocketed her wand along with Hermione's, which he'd caught when Nott threw it to him. "What's going on?" Ginny demanded. "What do the two of you want with us?"

"Several things," Nott started as he slightly loosened his grip around Hermione's neck. "Revenge, for one thing. Money for another. Oh, your husband will pay dearly to get you back, a tasty morsel like you." He turned to Hermione. "Not sure about yours, though."

Hermione shoved his chest, and he stumbled a few steps back. Smirking, he warned, "Oh, I do love it when they fight. All of that shaking and trembling!" Without taking his eyes from Hermione, Nott said, "Marcus, ward the entrance to the alley. And place a Notice Me Not Spell. I don't know that I want to wait until we're home."

"Oh, yeah." In his excitement, Marcus fumbled the spell a bit. He started towards Ginny. "You know, you sure was the topic of many a fantasy in the House of Slytherin, especially your husband's. I wonder if he ever got around to doing all those things he used to say he wanted to do to you?"

She started backing away, a look of disgust on her face. "Sorry, can't say the same for you. I'm not sure I even knew you existed while I was in school."

"You little bitch!" Marcus drew his wand and hit Ginny in the center of her chest with a spell that knocked her off of her feet and a few steps back. When she hit the ground, she cut her shoulder on a rugged bit of metal.

"Ginny!" Hermione cried out and started to go check to see if she was okay. Hermione screamed out in pain when Theodore grabbed her shoulder and clamped down as hard as he could with his teeth.

Hermione elbowed him hard in the stomach. That caused him to release his grip on her.

Infuriated that she'd hit him, stopping his favorite form of torture, Theodore roughly grabbed Hermione and spun her around to face the wall. He grabbed both of her hands and clamped them both in one of his. Using his other hand, he shoved her into the wall, bent down, and bit her hip as hard as he could, causing her to scream out in pain.

"Let her go, you oaf!" Ginny demanded. She struggled to rise, but Marcus held her down. "Get off!"

"Oh, no. I'm going to enjoy this." Marcus leered.

Ginny began to buck wildly, finally realizing what he intended to do. "No! Don't! Noooo!"

"Stop squirming!" He grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the ground. "I mean it! Stop it!"

Hermione wasn't sure how long he'd been biting her. She only thought of her baby. Tears sliding down her face, she began to fight wildly when she realized her friend was about to be... raped. "Get off of her!"

Marcus began to laugh, but he was cut off before a sound even left his throat. Suddenly, he was lifted off Ginny and thrown to the ground. Soon, Theodore followed his friend. "What the bloody hell do you two think you're doing?" Ron yelled as he towered over the two men. "That's my sister!"

"And that," Harry said as he pointed toward Hermione, "is mine." Picking a man at random, Harry pointed at Nott. "You! Explain. Better make it good; your life is depending on it."

"Nothing to explain, mate. We've been seeing these two on the sly for a while now. They wanted a go, they did. As she likes it a bit rough, I was just giving it to the Mudblood right and proper...just the way she was begging me to," he taunted.

There was a fist in his face before he could blink. "You watch your filthy mouth!" Ron turned to Hermione. "All right?"

Hermione only shook her head, not wanting to speak. Once she did, she'd not be able to control the tears.

Suddenly, Tonks stumbled into the alley. "Say, we wondered where you two got to. Did you find out who was screaming?" Suddenly realizing there were other people in the alley, Tonks said, "Oi! Hermione, Ginny! Didn't see you there. All right? We heard what we thought was someone screaming when we walked by, but for some reason couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from. We could tell some sort of Notice Me Not Spell had been placed; we've been trained in that sort of thing you know, and..."

"No, they're not, Tonks," Ron interrupted. "They've been attacked by those two imbeciles!"

Tonks went from a concerned and talkative friend to a concerned and competent Auror in seconds. Assessing the situation, she said, "Okay. Potter, you and Weasley stay with the girls and check for injuries, shock, and the like. Thomas, Kingsley and I will take this lot to the Ministry. Looks like we'll be able to keep this under wraps thanks to that half-arsed Notice Me Not. I don't see Creevey lurking around."

"Right. That's good. We'll be there directly." Harry looked down at Ginny, who was too stunned to stand. He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to help her up. They followed Ron and Hermione out of the alley.

Tonks took the first aid kit out of her pocket and spelled it back to its original size. "Here's some Pain Potion for them. Have them get pictures of the injuries as soon as possible for evidence if it's needed. Especially before they are treated."

"All right," Ron said. "We won't be long. Um, is this safe for pregnant women?" He handed Hermione the potion, and when Tonks nodded that it would be safe, she drank it.

Harry framed Ginny's face in his hands and bent his head close to hers, checking her pupils. He was worried that she might have a concussion.

Ron simply gathered Hermione in his arms after the other Aurors left to try and squash her trembling. He'd seen that bastard biting her like some sort of wild animal. He began to gently rub up and down her back.

Before he knew what was happening, Harry had been sucker punched in the face and knocked to the ground. "What the fuck?" He rubbed his hand under his nose to wipe the dripping blood.

Harry looked up to see Draco Malfoy looming over him. "Oh, this just perfect! What is your problem, Malfoy?"

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps the fact you were about to kiss my wife right here on the street?"

Ron turned slightly to give Malfoy a piece of his mind, but found himself face to face with Snape instead.

"How touching. Lover's reunion?"

"Severus, this is not what it looks like." Hermione was surprised her voice was so calm.

"Silence!" He turned back to Ron, who still had his arms around Hermione. "It would behoove you to remove your hands from my wife, Weasley," Severus said in a voice so low that Ron had to strain to hear him.

Dropping his arms, Ron turned to stand fully in front of Severus. "I'm not going to try to explain this to you because frankly, I don't give a rat's arse what you think, but..." Ron stepped back as Severus stepped forward.

"Did I ask you to explain anything? I have eyes."

"Severus, honestly, this is not what you seem to be thinking." Hermione turned at the sound of Harry yelling.

"Are you mad? I was not about to kiss anyone! Good Lord, Malfoy!"

Suddenly, Draco lunged, and Ginny quickly stepped between him and Harry, placing a hand on each of their chests. "Stop this!" Then she made the grievous error of turning to Harry and placing both of her hands on his chest.

"Harry, please don't do this. Let me talk to him. Please."

Draco's lip curled as he clinched his fists. "Take. Your. Hands. Off. Of. Him. NOW!"

Ginny jumped and Harry snarled. "Let me tell you what happened, you great git!"

"Oh," Severus interrupted, "we can see perfectly well what was happening." Turning to Hermione, he said, "Let's go." When she simply stood, shocked to the core, he yelled, "MOVE!"

"Now that'll be enough of that!" Ron said with more bravado than he actually felt. There was just something about Snape that made his skin crawl. "I'll not stand here while you speak to Hermione that way!" Turning to Draco, Ron said, "And you watch how you speak to my sister, Ferret!"

Walking up to Ron until they were almost nose to nose, Severus demanded, "And just what are you going to do about it? I will speak to my wife anyway I choose, boy. She is no longer any concern of yours."

"That's a lie. She's plenty of my concern."

When Severus started to move, Hermione finally snapped out of her daze and spoke through her pain that had lessened somewhat since she'd taken the Pain Potion. "Severus, have you lost your mind? I don't know what exactly you think was going on, but..."

He rounded on her, and she took two full steps back. "You will not speak to me right now. Get back to the castle; we will discuss this in the privacy of our home."

"Yes," Draco agreed. Grabbing Ginny's arm a bit roughly, he said, "Let's go."

"Don't grab her like that, Malfoy!"

"Harry, it's fine. Really. I'll go home and explain things. It'll be okay."

Harry wasn't so sure. Neither was Ron. Those two Slytherins looked ready to kill and to kill the wrong people. "Maybe we should go back with you so that we can explain."

"You'll do no such thing!" Severus bellowed. "What you will do, Weasley, is stay the hell away from me and mine. I will not warn you further. Come near her again, and you'll regret it. Tremendously."

"Now see here, Snape..."

"That goes for you, too, Potter. Just give me a reason," Draco threatened.

"Yeah, you're pretty tough punching a man when he doesn't see it coming."

Draco turned quickly and accidentally knocked Ginny back. Without even glancing at her, he told Harry, "Fine, let's go. You can see it now!"

Without warning, Ginny bent over and retched. Falling to her knees, she bent further and folded her arms across her tummy. Draco sneered. "Don't pull that shite here. Get up, and let's go."

Ron started towards Draco, and with tears running down her face, Ginny stood. "Don't. Ron, I want you and Harry to go. This is just making it worse. Hermione and I need to speak with our husbands. Please."

Without saying another word, Ron turned and nodded at Harry. They turned and walked away, knowing if they didn't go, there would be more trouble.

Hermione turned to her husband and put her hand on his arm. "Really, there is an explanation for this."

He shrugged her hand off of him. "I don't want to hear it. Let's go."

Ginny turned to Draco, but he cut her off before she could speak. "Leave it. Not a word."

The two couples went back to Hogwarts in total silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

---

Christy's Notes: Oh, boy! What a fine mess this is!

Misunderstanding is a song sung by Genesis from the year 1980.

Southern's Notes: Good grief. One step forward, ten steps back, eh? Pricks if you ask me. I wish Harry or Ron had kicked some arse.