Five

For the entire month following Thalia DeWinter's visit to Hogwarts, Hermione found herself with little time to think on the tall woman, her mind being more vigorously engaged by pre-N.E.W.T testing and studying, not to mention the rumors flying around. The first rumor appeared to be true, that Malfoy and Parkinson had managed to do what they were planning, only to be thwarted by nature. Hermione wondered at first if it was a lie, but it was rather apparent that the other Slytherins suddenly began to treat her more meanly than they treated even the Hufflepuffs. Her heart touched by Pansy's plight, Hermione made an effort to be nice to her, though she found the girl to be insufferable.

Her plan to make friends was ruined by Pansy herself, who told Hermione "The last thing I need is pity from a filthy Mudblood like you!" one afternoon when Hermione asked her to study with her group. After that, she decided to let Pansy on her own as it was obvious that the girl would not change.

The second rumor was that Professor Snape had been asked to step down as Potions Master at the end of the year. Hermione was particularly concerned about that, especially after her conversation with him about his pending proposal. She wondered if Snape's father would still make an offer if his son had no viable means of income. Then she thought about Snape's family, and surmised that they were rich enough to support Snape and any family he may acquire without him working.

And at night, when she should have been resting because those eight hours seemed to be the only ones where she didn't have her nose in a book, she continued having a variation of the same dream over and over again. A pair of piercing black eyes would look down a long nose at her, studying her for defect. And though all she could see in the dream was the face, Hermione always had the feeling that she was naked in it, and the person studying her was looking even deeper than her skin, making sure that there was no fault to be found. The variation was that sometimes it was Snape himself looking her over. And sometimes, in her dream, he would kiss her to assure her that she was perfect to him.

The dreams disturbed Hermione, and she felt that she could not talk about them with anyone, not even Ginny. It affected her time in Potions Class as well, as she would find herself flustered easily by Snape, something that had never happened to her before. What was worse was that he seemed to know that he made her nervous, and purposely paid almost all of his attention to her. It was a situation that was advantageous to Harry and Neville, but Hermione could hardly concentrate at all when Snape would stand behind her, his chest so close to her back that she could feel his body heat. Even more disconcerting was the day that he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "A Healer will need steadier hands than that, Miss Granger."

His warm breath against her ear almost made her drop her ingredients in all at once rather than slowly as the potion recipe called for. How she had managed to keep her composure was unknown to her, but the same night, she had her most disturbing dream of all. It had begun like the others, black eyes staring down a long nose at her, calculating her body, weighing her mind, seeing all of her imperfections and justifying them. Then, with careful calculation, he drew closer, the warmth of his body caressing hers in a tangible way that made her move even closer to him, her face lifting as his hands settled at her waist, his lips meeting hers.

Hermione had awoken confused that night, amazed at how well her body played tricks on her to make her think that Snape was really caressing her that way. She could even still feel his body on hers as though the entire scene had really happened. She could even remember how his hands had felt against her skin, and his lips against hers.

The following night, she had taken a sleeping draught to keep the dreams away. It worked, but she knew it was both foolish and dangerous to take a potion to sleep every night. The only other answer was to block her dreams, but she did not know how to go about doing that.

She eventually decided that to ask for help would be the most logical step, so she stayed behind at the end of Transfiguration in order to talk to Professor McGonagall. The older witch seemed quite happy that Hermione had decided to stay after and ushered her into her office, pulling two soft chairs together for a more informal chat.

"I was going to ask you to stay after class, Miss Granger, for a few reasons, but before I begin, I would like you to tell me what is troubling you. And don't try to hide it from me, for I have been able to see for the past several weeks that you are not up to your usual standards. Not that it's affected your grades, mind."

Hermione nodded. "I've been having odd dreams," she answered enigmatically. "I was hoping that you would be able to tell me a good way to keep from dreaming at night."

McGonagall leaned forward, her face etched with concern. "I admit that you have looked incredibly tired. I wrote it off to you studying too much."

"No, my studies are not affecting my sleeping. After Third Year, I promised myself that I'd never let that happen again."

"May I ask what the dreams are about?"

Hermione met McGonagall's eyes, then quickly averted her gaze. "The dreams are inconsequential, Professor. It is the affect that they have on me that I worry about. If I cannot sleep more than just a few hours a night, you will never be rid of me! I'll fail the N.E.W.T. exams and spend the rest of my life trying to complete my Seventh Year at Hogwarts!"

McGonagall began to laugh lightly, and Hermone turned back to her with a scowl on her face.

"Oh, forgive me, Miss Granger, but that is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard! Firstly, you will not fail any part of the N.E.W.T. exams. You are too bright and have far too much natural talent to fail. Secondly, I will help you find a way to sleep without dreams, I promise. And thirdly, your dreams are not inconsequential. No indeed, dreams, especially the kind that can keep you awake, are always meaningful. I will respect your need to keep them secret, but I assure you that I will not judge you for what your mind desires while you sleep."

Hermione blushed deeply. "It's this stupid marriage law," she began. And then, slowly, the entire story came out, even the parts about Snape. True to her word, Professor McGonagall only listened sympathetically and did not berate Hermione for her improper feelings.

"And so I took a sleeping draught two nights ago just to get some peace," Hermione finished. "That's why I'm here, I don't want to have to do that every night."

"Miss Granger, you realize that you are not the first student to develop feelings for her teacher, do you not?"

Hermione nodded.

"However, I believe that your circumstance is unique, particularly due to the reason why I asked you to stay after. The Ministry has asked me to act as your liaison here, Miss Granger. You have begun to receive marriage proposals now that the end of the year is near, and I'm sure that after you take your N.E.W.T.s more will come through. But these two... there is no way around it, Tetricus Snape has petitioned you on behalf of his son, as has Lucius Malfoy."

Hermione gasped. "Lucius? Draco Malfoy?"

McGonagall held up her hand to silence Hermione. "I know, Miss Granger, but you must think clearly on this."

"Professor, I would marry Professor Snape today if it meant I would never have to see Draco Malfoy again my entire life." She met the older woman's eyes defiantly.

McGonagall only nodded. "Very well. I respect that opinion. That leaves Professor Snape."

Hermione gulped. "Must I...must I make a decision soon? Can't I have time to think about it? Or wait for other offers?"

"You may indeed. However, once you graduate, you will be pressed by the Ministry to make a decision, and as I will no longer be your Head of House, you will have to deal with the Ministry directly. I can assure you, Miss Granger, that they can be quite persuasive in these matters."

"So...I..." Hermione faltered a bit. "I suppose I should get to know Professor Snape better then."

Professor McGonagall set down the letter she had been reading over and gave Hermione her full attention. "Miss Granger, you have already informed me that Professor Snape is at the top of your list. I promise you, however, that were someone closer to you, someone you liked better, to make an offer for you, you could chose that person over the Professor."

Hermione looked down at her shoes, noticing how scuffed they were. "Harry and Ron are going to train to become Aurors. I wish to become a Healer. It is doubtful that either of them would ever make an offer to me, anyway. And Harry would be ineligible. Ron's brothers.... are nice...but they are not for me. I know no other purebloods than the Slytherines I am in school with, and I can assure you that I do not like them one bit. Professor Snape and I have been thrust together over the past few years, what with the war and all. Perhaps all I feel for him is a schoolgirl's infatuation, but I owe him and the Ministry, and those of my kind, the courtesy of at least trying to find out."

McGonagall took Hermione's hand in her own and gave her a rare smile. "You are showing wisdom beyond your years, Miss Granger, as always. I am quite proud." She then let go and handed Hermione the letter that the Ministry had sent her. "I am sure you will want to read this. It will explain a little more what my position is. I will write to the Ministry today and inform them that you will have a planned outing with Professor Snape. Chaperoned, of course."

Hermione looked at her teacher, shocked. "Chaperoned? Do you really think that we would..."

"You'll be late for dinner if you don't go now, Miss Granger. Good evening."

Hermione stood and gathered her things, questions weighing her mind. Harry and Ron were waiting for her in the Common Room, and she could almost hear Ron's stomach growling.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked. "What did McGonagall want?"

"Yeah, we've been worried about you," Ron added.

Hermione suddenly felt very alone. She wasn't sure if she could talk to her friends about this. As they walked toward the Great Hall, she decided to tell them part of the truth.

"Two pureblood families have petitioned for my hand in marriage," Hermione answered, her voice sounding slightly hollow.

"Bloody hell," Ron exclaimed. "Hermione, that's serious!"

"Serious?" Harry asked, confused. "How so? She doesn't have to say yes right away to the first man who comes along, does she?"

Ron turned to his two friends. "Ginny and I have come to the conclusion that Muggles wait a long time to marry each other. Haven't either of you noticed that most married wizards and witches were married young?"

"We were hoping it was coincidence," Hermione said with a forced smile.

"Well it's not. You have school at the beginning of your life, then you marry and have children and make enough money to keep you wealthy. Then you get to spend your leisure time with your husband and any grandchildren you have. That's how it goes. Wizards and witches live upwards of a hundred and fifty years. You might be able to keep a fiancée while you have your apprenticeship, but it's seriously easier to be married. Ask my dad, the benefits are amazing, and the ministry will take care of you, despite what Malfoy always says."

Hermione felt positively angry at the mention of the name Malfoy. "Malfoy! As though I'd pay attention to anything he has to say!" She turned from her friends and began to stalk away angrily, but Harry caught ahold of her arm and halted her passage.

"Hermione, what's the matter?"

Hermione briefly flirted with the idea of lying to him, but she had never done that before. "McGonagall...she's going to be my liaison while I'm still in school, and she told me that Malfoy's father sent in a petition for me on behalf of Draco."

Ron made a face. "You don't have to accept, you know. Just because someone asks..."

"It's different for you, though, Ron," Harry said. "You don't have the Ministry after you to get married, you just have your father. He's the head of your family and a wizard, and he's probably being pressured about your older brothers, leaving you out of his mind a little. Lupin has taken over my care since Sirius died, and he's my liaison. He sent me an owl yesterday morning, telling me that the Ministry is putting pressure on him to have me petition at least one girl by the end of the month."

"You haven't said anything about that!" Ron said in an accusatory tone.

"We've been studying whenever we're together, haven't we?" Harry answered back, equally aggravated.

"You two, don't go on fighting," Hermione said, placing her hand on Ron's shoulder. "Look, this entire situation is out of control. Maybe it's good that we haven't been talking about it."

Ron and Harry both looked a little guilty, and Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist.

"I think we all needed to talk," Ron decided.

Hermione smiled and hugged him, throwing her arms around his neck and practically jumping on him. Harry joined in by resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around both of his friends, as much as he could. Ron then began to teeter, and Hermione's eyes flew open as she realized what the boys were about to do.

"Look out below!" Harry yelled as he pushed against her back, and the trio fell to the floor with a 'thud', Ron taking the brunt of the fall, Harry's weight pushing Hermione against Ron's rather sharp ribcage and knocked her breath out briefly.

"What lovely, soft ground I've fallen onto," Harry commented as he snuggled even closer to his friend.

"Get off of me!" Hermione demanded, reigning in her giggles. This was something the boys hadn't done to her since their fifth year.

"It keeps wriggling, though," Ron noted, rolling so that Hermione was trapped between Harry and himself.

"Let me up or I'll hex you into oblivion."

"Did you hear that, Ron? It's like the ground is talking."

Hermione was about to spit out a retort when a silky voice said, "What is going on here? Why aren't you three at dinner?"

Hermione was suddenly aware of how improper it looked to be rolling on the floor with her two friends, especially with her robe caught underneath both her and Harry, and her skirt hiked up past her thighs. She was sure that Snape could catch a peek at her panties from the position she was in.

Harry seemed to be aware of it as well, as he let go of her hand, which he had been holding presumably to keep her from going for her wand, rather quickly and, to Hermione's even greater embarrassment, pulled the hem of her skirt down before jumping up from the floor.

"Sorry, Professor. We were just trying to cheer Hermione up."

He reached down to help her off the floor, but Snape pushed him out of the way and grabbed Hermione's arm in a vice-hard grip and pulled her upright.

"Does Miss Granger often threaten to hex you into oblivion when she is happy?"

Hermione could swear that Snape's voice sounded different for some reason, but what reason she did not know.

"It's a game we've played since first year," Ron tied to explain lamely as he heaved himself off the floor. "Hermione always threatens us when we do that to her."

Snape had yet to let go of her arm, and she found herself actually moving closer to him.

"Perhaps she does not find it as fun as you do then. Regardless, ten points each from Gryffindor for attempting to smother your classmate to death. Now go to dinner. Miss Granger, I need a word with you."

Hermione watched helplessly as Ron and Harry made their way down the stairs, both stealing glances back at her every few moments, as though Snape would harm her in some way. He still hadn't let go of her, though.

"This way, Miss Granger," he said quietly, tugging her arm gently until they were in the shadows.

"Professor," Hermione began before he could say anything, "I want you to know that what you saw was very innocent. They're just my friends, and they were trying to cheer me up."

"Then you've received word of my father's petition?"

Hermione gave him a confused look. "Well, yes, but that wasn't why I needed to be cheered up. I also got one from Malfoy."

Snape raised an eyebrow at her. "And this is how they cheer you up?"

Hermione wished desperately that she could read his mind at this moment. "I know it wasn't very dignified..."

"Indeed not." Then, to Hermione's great surprise, Snape let go of her arm and took her chin in his hand instead, searching her face. She held her breath. Dear Merlin, it was just like her dream! He began to move towards her slowly, and soon she felt his breath on her face. "You've been behaving oddly in Potions class lately. Why is that?"

"I-I don't know, sir." She had to will herself to take a breath.

Snape continued to study her for what seemed like hours, and then as quickly as he had appeared, he seemed to disappear, leaving her alone in a corner of the hallway, the shadows covering her confusion.

~*~*~*~

Why Snape had decided to go looking for Hermione was beyond him, but he wanted to warn her that his father had made a petition for her hand. He had not expected to find his father's choice match rolling on the floor with two boys, her skirt hiked up so high that he could see her pink panties and the outline of her butt cheeks. When Potter pulled her skirt down for her, it seemed to Snape to be an intimate gesture, something that only a lover would do, not just a friend.

But she had insisted that they were just friends, and as he pulled her face up to meet his, to look for confirmation of that in her eyes, he saw it to be true. He also saw desire there, and he was taken in by it. Hermione Granger's innocence was compelling, and for a moment, he almost found himself drawn into whatever spell she seemed to be able to weave around him. He could feel it whenever he stood next to her in class; her body seemed to be crying out to him.

Thankfully, he was the older and wiser one in this match, and he would be able to control himself and her if it came to it.

Still, as he left her, he felt compelled to look back at her, to see if she was looking at him. He didn't, though. He just continued to walk to the Great Hall, unaware of whether she followed him or not.

He stalked into the Great Hall and made his way directly to the head table, taking his seat next to McGonagall.

"Where is Miss Granger?" the older woman asked suspiciously. Snape wondered how she knew that he had been talking with her, but her place at the Gryffindor table was conspicuously vacant, and Harry and Ron were giving Snape accusatory looks.

"She and I had a short chat. I thought she was behind me."

"Well you were apparently wrong. What did you two speak of?"

Snape raised his eyebrow at her. "I did not injure her, Minerva."

"Severus, do not play games with me."

"My father sent a petition to the Ministry of Magic on my behalf for Miss Granger. I merely wished to speak with her about it."

McGonagall gave a brief and not-too-detailed account of her own conversation with Hermione. Snape did not like the sound of dating a student, but the situation was unique given the current law. Besides, after one meeting, Hermione would probably decide to send a refusal to the Ministry.

"I suppose I'll look for a safe place for us to meet once or twice," Snape conceded to McGonagall. "There's a Hogsmeade trip coming up soon. I'm sure there's someplace private we can go."

McGonagall gave Snape an incredulous look. "As if I'd trust you to make the arrangements. Really, Severus, leave the romance to me."

Snape felt suddenly shocked. "Romance! Good god, woman, what are you on about? She's my student."

"She's also a woman now, and ready to graduate at the top of her class. You can't tell me that you haven't noticed her transformation."

Snape looked over to where Hermione was now sitting, her hair falling down over her shoulders, hiding her face from him.

"I've seen it so often in so many students that the mystery has all been taken away from me."

As though she could sense his eyes on her, Hermione turned her head and gave him a quizzical look before turning back to the person sitting across from her. Snape gulped audibly.

"Severus? Did you hear me?"

Snape turned to McGonagall. "Very well, you make the preparations. Just tell me when and where."

Suddenly not hungry, Snape stood from the table and retreated to the blessed quiet darkness of his chambers in the dungeon.

TBC