A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Dances with Witches by Pearle

Summary: Severus Snape loses a magical bet. The consequences? The Tango! My answer to the codpiece challenge on Wiktt. HG/SS

Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc., of the Harry Potter series are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling and Co. I promise to return them when I am through. Well, most of them anyway.

~~~~~ Dances with Witches ~~~~~

Chapter 35. A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Severus came awake slowly. He massaged the kink in his back, growling as the sounds from the corridor intruded on his sleep. "What are they doing out there?"

"Good morning."

He turned toward a smiling Hermione. The last three days had taken their toll on him. He had been running on pure adrenaline, his fear carrying him along. Now that he knew Hermione was going to be OK, he gave in to the weariness that had overtaken him.

Even a full nights' sleep, something he was not that well acquainted with normally, did not fully recharge his energies. Lack of sleep and worry had left bruising shadows under his eyes, his face still looking haggard, his colouring more pale than usual. Only his eyes reflected his joy as he watched Hermione stretch.

"Good morning. You appear to be in good spirits. How do you feel?" He stood next to the bed studying her. Her colour was high, her eyes bright; it was hard to believe she had been in such dire peril for the last few days.

Hermione yawned. "As long as I don't move too much, I'm fine. Though I've really got a headache. Can you get me a potion so we can get going?"

"Going?"

"Going. Out of here. Home. I've already missed three days of classes. I need to contact my instructors and find out what assignments I missed. I wonder if Susan has the notes from Advanced Charms?" She held her head as she pulled herself up into a semi-sitting position, pain shooting through her brain. Wincing, she tried to find a comfortable position. "You don't have any headache potion on you, do you?"

"I highly doubt they're going to let you leave today. Especially if you're still suffering from the fall." Severus smiled; he had no doubt she was probably weeks ahead in all her classes already. Missing a few days would not cause any great hardship. He gave her an appraising look. "I assume you've already read your textbooks from cover to cover. How far ahead on the assignment syllabus are you? This is November. Would through the end of December be an accurate assumption?"

"That's not the point. I normally revise after each class. New material is presented, as well as assignments added." Hermione tried to glare at him, the pain in her head short-circuiting her action. "Am I that predictable?"

"You were my student for seven years. I have never known you to be unprepared in anything you undertake. I would expect nothing less than your usual thoroughness and attention to detail. It's what makes you, you." She had taken a hard hit to the head; he had expected her to have a headache, but he was not pleased to see her grimace in pain. "I don't understand why they have not given you a potion to alleviate the pain. Let me see if I can find the Healer."

A smiling witch in bright pink robes strolled into the room. "Good morning. How are we today?"

Severus glared at the young woman. "How are we? Madam, your health does not concern me in the least. However, Miss Granger is suffering from a severe headache. Why has no one administered a headache potion?"

"What a Grumpy Gus! Take a deep breath and relax. I'll just have a look at our little patient..." The young witch smiled at the dour man, not realising she was taking her life in her hands.

"What did you say?" The Potions master's eyes glinted dangerously, his hand reflexively closing around the wand in his pocket.

"Belinda, you are needed in room 10." Healer Seaton stood in the doorway of Hermione's room, his timing diverting a disaster and saving Severus from life imprisonment in Azkaban for using an Unforgivable on the young woman.

Severus glared at the young nurse as she scurried out, before turning his full attention to Hermione and Healer Seaton.

"How are you feeling this morning, Miss Granger?" Healer Seaton ran his wand over Hermione, noting the changes in her aura.

"Other than my head is killing me? Not too bad. Can I please get a headache potion so I can go home?" Hermione held her head as she eased back.

"Miss Granger, please lay perfectly still while I perform this next set of tests. Your movements may throw the results off." The Healer chanted softly as he performed a series of intricate wand movements.

Severus stood quietly on the side, his weariness forgotten. He knew the spell the Healer was casting. He held his breath, watching the man for a sign. "Any internal bleeding on the brain? Is her skull intact?"

Healer Seaton looked up. "It would seem you are rather well acquainted with medicine, Professor. Everything seems to be in order. No bleeding, no hair-line fractures, though we normally do not discuss the possibility of such in front of the patients." The wizard gave Hermione a reassuring smile. "It would seem the headache is the result of a bruise to your brain from the fall. With rest, I would assume you will be able to attend classes again on Monday, but I am afraid I must restrict your ability to Apparate for the next two weeks, longer if the headache persists. Let me see about getting you a draught to ease the pain."

"Why has she not been given one before this?" To allow someone to continue in pain when a simple headache potion would ease the ache was inexcusable.

"The delay in administering the potion allows us to determine if something more serious is occurring. Up until last night, Miss Grange was unable to tell us how she felt. Taking a potion to relieve a symptom can mask a more serious problem sometimes. I am happy to say that is not the case here." Healer Seaton finished his exam, marking the results on a file hovering to the side. "If you continue to improve at this rate, I believe you may leave tomorrow. Provided you continue to rest, of course."

"Tomorrow!" That was not acceptable. She had three days of work to catch up on as it was.

"I'll see that she complies." Severus's tone booked no room for argument from the young woman currently staring daggers at him.

"I will forward the chart to Madam Pomfrey when Miss Granger is released. She can do the follow-up exam. I'm always available by Floo connection if you have any questions." Healer Seaton nodded, satisfied Professor Snape would oversee the recovery. He would have liked to have questioned him further about the Trelawney pendant, but the Professor had not been too forthcoming about the circumstances of its purchase to begin with; he highly doubted he would care to discuss its purchase now that Miss Granger had regained consciousness.

The Healer's belief that Severus was not aware of the pendant's "communication" properties when he'd purchased it was confirmed by Headmaster Dumbledore the first night. The Headmaster had sought him out with questions as to Miss Granger's condition. A rather informative discussion had followed, shedding light on several questions for both parties.

"You'll what?" Hermione held her head as she tried to sit up.

"Hermione, stop. Lie still until they bring in the potion." Even as he spoke, an older witch appeared in the doorway bearing a small blue phial.

"Headache that bad? Here, this will fix you up. Easy now." The witch helped Hermione into a semi-sitting position and waited while she drank the phial. "Should only take a minute to act. Just close your eyes and rest, dear."

"Thank you." Hermione gingerly lowed her body back down. Even breathing seemed to agitate the pain in her head.

The woman nodded to Hermione, casting a curious glance at Severus on her way out of the room. She'd had to trade two late shifts with Rolanda to get this rotation today. Hermione and Professor Snape had been the talk of the break room for the last three days.

Those that had seen the man -- he'd not left the room since he had brought the injured witch in Sunday afternoon -- had commented on his unusual devotion to the young woman. While speculating about their relationship, who should show up but the-boy-that-lived-to-save-the-world again! The nurse laughed. Cleo was going to be so upset she chose this week to go on holiday and miss all the action.

Severus watched Hermione's chest; her breathing had eased. The lines around her eyes had lessened as the pain receded. He settled himself into the chair he had vacated earlier, prepared to watch for any signs of problems.

"Why don't you go back to Hogwarts? Take a shower; get something proper to eat; maybe even take a nap in a real bed?"

"Trying to get rid of me already?"

"I have a date with a nice young Healer I met yesterday. If he sees you here, it will scare him off."

Severus smiled. "Feeling better, are we?"

"Yeah, the pain has died down some, but I really am tired." Hermione yawned; she'd been lying in a bed for three days, what was there to be tired about? "Go ahead. I'll be here when you get back. Where else am I going to go?"

"Are you sure? I suppose I could do with a proper set of robes." Severus brushed the crease of his trouser leg. He was still wearing the clothes he'd put on Sunday morning: a dark charcoal-grey shirt and a pair of black linen trousers, not a robe in sight. "My cleaning spell is starting to wear a little thin. Maybe next time you decide to put yourself in mortal peril I will remember to grab a set of robes."

"Severus. I'm sorry I..."

"Stop, I was joking. It was an accident. I'm grateful you're going to be fine. Magic can do many things, but it still can't unlock the mysteries of the brain. I have you back. That's all that matters." Frank and Alice Longbottom jumped into his mind. They were long-time residents on an upper floor of this very hospital. He tried hard to suppress a shudder when he thought the possibility of Hermione never regaining consciousness had been an option.

"It felt like I was floating. I could hear you talking to me, but I couldn't answer. I tried several times, but the words wouldn't come. Severus, thank you. I...I never felt like I was alone; I was scared, but I could hear you; I could feel you nearby." Hermione looked at him in wonder, awe in her voice. "You were here the whole time."

Severus shrugged, still trying to come to terms with his feelings and the emotions of the last few days. "Where else would I be? There are just a few items I need to clear up before we return to my quarters."

"Return to your quarters?"

"Yes. My quarters. You are staying with me until Monday. At which time, if Poppy clears you, I will Apparate you back to Cambridge." Where did she think she was going to go? There was no way he was going to let her out of his sight until he was sure she was well again.

"Thank you, but I have classes to catch up on, things I need to take care of. I need to get back to my flat. I promise I'll take it easy. I can't go back to Hogwarts with you."

"There is no argument. You can and you will. I can pick up whatever you need from your flat. I'll stop by Cambridge, if you like, and alert your professors as to your condition."

Harry cleared his throat.

Severus sighed. He hadn't heard the young man enter the room.

"Actually, I was thinking I could do that this afternoon. Or if you would rather..." Harry didn't think Snape could be diplomatic under the best of circumstances. Hermione had already told him about the altercation between Snape and Rancine. Bringing those two together again would be like throwing a lit match at a Weasley Wizarding Firecracker. Just sit back and watch the fireworks.

Potter to the rescue again. Would he ever be rid of the boy? No, that wasn't fair. Wasn't he thinking yesterday he owed Hermione's return to Potter? "I suppose it would be prudent to let Pot...Harry speak with your instructors."

Hermione turned wide eyes from Severus to Harry and back again. "Severus? Harry? Am I hallucinating again?"

Harry smiled at Severus, amused that he still had trouble saying his name. "You've been practising."

The dark man ignored his comment. "Will you remain with Hermione until I return? I have a few things to take care of before bringing her back to Hogwarts." There was also a certain witch he wanted to speak to about a necklace, but there was no need to mention that at the moment.

Harry settled into the side chair. "Sure, it's early. I can speak with her professors after lunch."

"Very well."

Hermione watched the polite interaction between Severus and Harry. "Hello? Remember me? What the hell is going on between you two?"

"Going on? I merely asked...Harry..." Severus gritted his teeth; he was determined to be civil. Potter's assistance was the main reason for Hermione's recovery; she as much said it was his voice that helped her. He would never have sat reading to her if Potter hadn't told him people in comas could still hear those around them. Potter had even supplied Potions journals and texts to read. "...To keep you company until I return."

"With a little more practise, you might even be able to say my name without clenching your teeth." Harry ignored Severus's glare. "You can still call me Potter, Professor. I'd be willing to settle for just civilized between us."

Harry had hated Snape throughout his years at Hogwarts; their work in defeating Voldemort had forged a hard-earned respect between the two. Neither one was particularly friendly toward the other, but they had called a truce on outright attacks. Hermione's relationship with Snape had not made things any easier, but watching the man the last few days had changed quite a few of Harry's opinions of him.

It had shocked and amazed both Ron and him that Snape refused to leave Hermione's side. Over the last three days, Harry had brought the dark wizard tea and sandwiches when Snape refused to leave the room, instead reading almost continuously to the young witch, saying he had to be there when she woke up.

He only used the loo when either Harry or the Headmaster could sit at Hermione's bedside, claiming they were the only two he could trust to watch Hermione in his absence, and even then he was only gone minutes at a time, demanding to know what had happened while he was gone. Had the Healer been in? Did Hermione move? Was there any change? At first Harry thought Snape had gone around the bend, but now he understood just how much Hermione meant to him, that their relationship was real and not some Slytherin attempt at revenge on the dream team.

"Go ahead, sir; take your time. I won't leave."

Severus nodded. He bent over and gently kissed the top of Hermione's head. "Do not get up without assistance. You don't need another hit on the head. You may have brains to spare, but there is no need to shake them up any further. I will return shortly."

"Bat!" Hermione smiled up at him.

Severus cocked one eyebrow. "Know-it all."

Harry smiled; those were endearments?

Hermione's laugh followed Severus out the door.

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Severus straightened the collar of his shirt, aligning the top button with those of his robes. It felt good to take a hot shower and put on clean clothes. He was still worried about Hermione, but he was sure Potter would watch her while he was gone.

The partially brewed Wolfsbane potions had been placed in stasis, the ingredients and tools cleaned and put away. He suspected it had been Albus's doing. The house-elves would never have cleaned the lab of their own initiative; in fact, they were forbidden to enter his quarters without his expressed approval.

He'd made a few arrangements to see to Hermione's comfort while she recovered. A wizard Severus had never met had been taking over his classes. The man seemed to be adhering to the class schedule he had set out at the beginning of term. He had even asked Albus if the wizard could take his classes through the rest of the week so he could remain with Hermione. "I must be losing my mind," he thought. He had never allowed anyone to substitute for him. The one time Albus had taught his classes had been a disaster, and here he was asking Albus if the instructor could stay till the end of the week?

"So now what? She's coming to stay here. Do you two set up quarters together? You told her you loved her, what's the next step? Her ruddy cat is already at home here at the castle, how much longer before she calls this home, too?"This was not the deranged voice in his head he was used to hearing. This one sounded suspiciously like his father. He supposed it was really his subconscious trying to get him to face facts.

Severus cast a full cushioning charm over the stone floors, one that would activate if someone fell. He was not about to risk permanent injury to Hermione again. The truth was, he liked having her here. He liked waking up beside her. He felt a sense of peace, when he'd look up from his marking, to watch her lost in her studies, a quill stabbed haphazardly through her hair, books spread out around her, parchments and ink bottles spilling out of her book bag.

He'd told her he loved her. It was probably evident for a while now, as plain as the nose on his face. Well, nothing could be that obvious. He looked around. He hoped she would call this home one day; maybe after she finished her apprenticeship.

With someone else.

The scowl returned to his face. Best not to think about that right now. He had one more "errand" to run before he returned to St Mungo's. Leaving through a side door of the castle, he walked to the Apparition point and Apparated to Diagon Alley. He had a few questions for Trelawney about the pendant she'd sold him.

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Severus Apparated to the side alley next to the Enchanted Leaf. A glance inside the store showed the main showroom empty. Through the beaded curtain at the back, a man, roughly his age, could be seen working at a desk. There was no sign of the witch that had sold him the pendant.

The wizard smiled as he greeted the Potions master. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape. How can I be of service today?"

Severus raised one brow in question. "Have we met?"

The man laughed, his manner open and easy. "No, Professor. I apologise for the familiarity, but I doubt there is a witch or wizard alive that doesn't know you, either from your long tenure at Hogwarts or the remarkable defeat of You-Know-Who."

It was one of side effects of being well-known, something that annoyed him greatly. Severus nodded. He drew the receipt for the pendant from an inner pocket. "I would like to speak with Senalda Trelawney."

The shift in the man's demeanour was less than subtle. "My sister? I'm afraid she no longer attends to business matters. Perhaps I can help you with something?"

"Your sister? She sold me an Emerald Leaf pendant two months ago. I have several questions concerning the pendant. When do you expect her to return?"

"Two months ago? That's impossible. It's been almost a year since Senalda has worked in the shop. However, if you have a problem with the piece, we will be glad to exchange it. We fully stand behind all our work." The wizard took a step back, his hand moving into his pocket as if he expected trouble.

Severus ignored the man's stance and laid the parchment on the counter. "I have a receipt with her initials on it. Do you see the date, September 15th, 2001?"

"There must be some mistake."

"There is no mistake. Your sister sold me a pendant made by your grandfather. The bloody pendant glowed for three days before it returned to normal. I need to know what it means. If Hermione comes to any danger as a result of it, you will not live long enough to regret selling it to me. Do I make myself clear?"

The man's eyes came alive. "The pendant glowed? Did anyone else see it?"

"Of course. At least half of St Mungo's was in and out of the room. What does it mean?"

The wizard smiled his first real smile since Severus walked in. "It means you have been blessed with a rare gift. Recognise it for what it is, Professor, and don't try to question it. Sometimes real magic cannot be explained."

Severus could not detect any duplicity in the comment. Even without Legilimency, he felt the wizard was telling the truth. Still... "Please tell you sister I wish to speak with her."

The wizard stood silently as he watched Severus leave. "You should never have sold him that pendant. What were you thinking?"

Senalda Trelawney emerged through the beaded curtain. "You felt it, too, didn't you? Don't tell me you didn't. It's just like Grandfather said. He'll be back."

"That's what I'm afraid of. That was a very foolish thing to do. Do you know who that was? How stupid could you be to sell the pendant to a Death Eater?" Daemon Trelawney towered over his sister, who seemed to be ignoring his anger.

"Former Death Eater. You, yourself, just said he helped Harry Potter defeat Voldemort." Senalda's eyes were bright.

Daemon winced at the casual way his sister said You-Know-Who's name. "That's not the point. What if he had tried to enslave her?"

"But he didn't. That's exactly the point. That wasn't what the magic was saying. I knew it the minute he walked in the door. It was exactly like Grandfather said. I have never felt it like that before." The pieces made by Tiresias Trelawney had always been in great demand, though few were ever privileged to receive the Emerald Leaf, his signature piece. Less than fifty were ever rumoured to exist.

Both Senalda and Daemon could feel a low vibration when they held the jewellery: the magic of their grandfather recognising the same magic in their blood as the piece's creator; it was how they automatically knew if a piece was real or not.

All of the pieces in the "enchanted" collection were imbued with a small amount of magic during their creation. Most just brought a bit of luck to the recipient, or a slightly enhanced feeling of good for a time; only a few were true representations of Tiresias's gift. The Leaf was said to recognise the pureness of heart, the pureness of the feelings for another. It only responded to those that did not have ulterior motives. It recognised the call of one heart to another before the two ever admitted feelings for each other, but it was more than that: it bonded the two hearts together.

As with all things good, there is always a potential for evil to prey on it. Somehow, someone was able to alter a pendant's enchantment. Instead of calling to the other heart, it attempted to enslave it. The wizard was partially successful in his attempt. It was only a matter of luck that Tiresias had run into the witch wearing the pendant. He could feel the evil emanating from the Leaf. It was a simple matter of trickery, convincing the young woman there was a stone missing which he would gladly replace at no charge. He switched the enchanted Leaf for a "non-magical" one. He later heard the witch had broken her engagement to the wizard and fled the country. It was the last Leaf he ever sold.

Daemon looked questioningly at his sister. "Do you know what he meant when he said half of St Mungo's has seen the Leaf glowing?"

Senalda shook her head. "Have you seen the latest issue of Witch Weekly?" She disappeared into the back, only to return with a copy in her hand.

"I never read that tripe."

"Well, this may interest you." Senalda spread the magazine across the counter.

The headline, on the front cover, screamed in large letters, "Hermione Granger, Best-Friend of Harry Potter, The Chosen One, Hurt in Freak Accident at Hogwarts".

Below the caption was a picture of Severus Snape, scowling at the photographer, and a picture of the three friends at the Ministry Awards ceremony, the photographer studiously avoiding Severus after the fiasco at the final battle.

Inside the magazine, the reporter went to extremes when listing the star players in the drama: Hermione Granger, War Heroine, Recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Current Companion of Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class was rushed to St. Mungo's Sunday after a freak accident.

The article described Hermione's condition: from her injury Sunday afternoon through her return to consciousness Tuesday night. The reporter made note of Severus's constant presence at her bedside and his refusal to believe she would not recover from her injuries. Only one line made note of an unusual necklace, a birthday gift from the Professor to the witch and rumoured to possess strange properties. The reporter went on to speculate about their relationship and their possible future together.

Daemon gave a short laugh. "Interesting. At least we weren't mentioned. We were lucky this time. I want you to stay away from them. What were you doing in the store anyway?" Senalda had been out on buying trips for the last year, saying she really didn't want to deal with the everyday workings of the store anymore.

"I stopped in that afternoon to check on a shipment that had come in. You were out. I guess I forgot to lock the door. The next thing I knew, Professor Snape came in. Considering how things have worked out, I can only assume it was fate."

"Fate. We haven't sold any of Grandfather's jewellery since he stopped designing fifty years ago. What was it doing here?" Daemon closed the magazine as he spoke and handed it back to his sister..

"I grabbed the wrong box from my house the day before. It was the other reason I stopped in. I was going to check on the order and grab the pendant."

"Well, it may have worked out for the best, but I don't want you near them again. Do you want a cup of tea? I picked up scones at that new bakery around the corner."

Senalda nodded. "Yeah, sounds good."

Daemon disappeared through the beaded curtain. He wouldn't have been so happy if he had noticed the smile on his sister's face.

TBC

A/N: Tiresias is the greatest of the Greek seers. He is infallible, always correctly interprets the will of the gods, and should never be ignored, as those who disregard his advice quickly come to learn. Tiresias was walking in the woods when he came upon two snakes having sex. He hit them with his walking stick, so they turned him into a woman. Years later, whilst walking in the woods, he once again came upon two snakes having sex. He again hit them with his stick, and this time they turned him back into a man. Tiresias thus is the only person to have lived both as a man and as a woman. This made him the perfect person to arbitrate between the bickering Zeus and Hera, who were arguing over the question "Who enjoys sex more? Men or women?" Zeus said "women", while Hera said "men." Tiresias, who had been both, was able to say "women enjoy sex more." Zeus therefore won that debate. This angered Hera, who struck him blind; to compensate for this, Zeus gave him the ability to divine the will of the gods.

Daemon is Greek meaning guardian spirit.

A grateful thank you to my beta, Nakhash, for her corrections, suggestions, and never ending supply of commas. Another set of eyes is always helpful, the mistakes, however, are still mine.

Still to come: Harry and Rancine have a run in, Severus and Hermione return to Hogwarts, the Symposium, the Wolfsbane Potion, Christmas break (including breakfast at The Burrow), and more. Enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! As always, thoughts, comments, reviews, whatever are most welcome.

Pearle