Confounded, Or Maybe Not

Summary: Severus loses a magical bet to Albus. The consequences? He's forced to take Argentine Tango lessons from Hermione during her summer break from University. An uneasy friendship is formed that turns into something more. What part does the Wolfsbane Potion play, and what is the mystery behind the Enchanted Leaf? Equal parts: humor, sensuality, adventure, and mystery. My answer to the codpiece challenge on Wiktt. HG/SS (Rating for later chapters)

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.

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

Chapter 44...Confounded, Or Maybe Not

"Severus, thank you, the weekend was wonderful."

At the sound of his mistress' voice, Crookshanks strolled in from the kitchen. He paused to glare at Severus before winding himself around Hermione's legs.

"Oh, Crooks. Did you miss me?"

"Hermione, we need to talk."

"Mmm, not really. God, I'm tired." Hermione dropped to the sofa. "What's there to talk about? It looks like Michael is the best choice for my apprenticeship. How early can you get here on Wednesday? I don't know what time Michael expects us, but it would be nice to have a bite to eat together before we talk to him. I really wish Ella hadn't gone to America."

Severus sat next to the witch, his countenance quiet as he watched her. "That's not what I mean."

"What do you want me to say, Severus? What is there to talk about? I don't feel the need to discuss anything at the moment." Hermione glared at the dark man.

"What are you afraid of? I don't see why you won't discuss what Trelawney told us?"

"Because it doesn't matter what we say or do. What is, is. I don't understand your need to quantify everything. This claiming is a good thing. Unless... unless you don't think that way." Her expression turned fearful. "Is that it? You're really upset by it, but too afraid to tell me?"

His need to quantify facts? If that wasn't the Quaffle calling the Snitch fast. Severus sat quietly before answering, knowing he needed to choose his words carefully lest he say the wrong thing. He could tell she was upset, but he wasn't sure what she was upset about. Was she really afraid he didn't want her? By rights he should have been the one to worry that she didn't want him. Was she really worried he wasn't interested in a future with her, or was it something else? He couldn't imagine his life without her ever again, but their relationship was still too new to ask for a commitment. Maybe she didn't want a commitment, but then why would she be worried he might reject her? Maybe that's what she was afraid of...that he would propose to her? Or that he wouldn't propose? He was never good at relationships, and now, there seemed to be no safe avenue to take. He could go on second-guessing her feelings, or they could try and talk things out.

Severus sighed, realizing he'd taken too long to answer her. Reaching out, he took her hands in his, if only to stop her from shredding the hem of her jumper as she pulled at the loose threads. "You're afraid I'll leave? Honestly, Hermione, I should be worried you'll run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. I'm hardly a prize catch. Are you looking for a... commitment of some kind? I can't imagine my life without you ever again, but this... this is still new for both of us. You need to talk to me. My mind is creating extreme situations, waiting to see if any one of them will come true. What are you thinking?"

"That's just it. I don't know what it is that's bothering me. I need a cup of tea. Do you want a cuppa?" Abruptly, Hermione pulled her hands from his and headed for the kitchen.

Severus let her go, not sure why she was so agitated, but worried by her reaction all the same. He felt an odd sense of disconnect; earlier Hermione had been thrilled with Trelawney's explanation of their claiming. Perhaps she'd had enough time to think about it and realize just what it might mean to the two of them.

She carried her grandmother's tea service in and set it on the coffee table in front of the couch. Still not meeting his gaze, she set about making them both a cuppa. "I don't know what I want. It's way too soon for either of us to think about commitment. I still have my apprenticeship to do. It was so much easier when I didn't know about this 'claiming.'"

Severus watched Hermione fidget, trying to access her true feelings. Her emotions seemed to be running ramped in too many directions for him to gauge her response. He doubted even Legilimency would help; she really didn't seem to know what was bothering her. "Are you afraid I'll propose to you?"

"What?"

"Are you worried I won't? I don't think I've ever seen you in such a state before. I'm not sure what it is that has you so upset. What is bothering you?"

"How close do you think this "claiming" is to being a prophesy?"

"A prophesy?" For the first time in quite a while, he had no idea what she was talking about. "Is there another prophesy I don't know about?"

"I'm not saying there is a prophesy, but every time elemental magic is involved, well, look where the last prophesy got us."

"Is that what's bothering you? You think there's another Dark Lord waiting to swoop down on us?"

"The elemental magic, another Trelawney making a prophesy, unknown effects..."

"Hermione, there is no prophesy. It was my love for you, our love for each other, that evoked the magic, not some maniacal new Dark Lord. Without the pendant, I would have lost you when you fell. The Healer said it was our bond that kept you here."

"There's no new Dark Lord?"

Severus shook his head. "No new Dark Lord, though I don't know what Potter's political aspirations are. He might bear watching."

Hermione swatted his arm. "I think that was always Harry's biggest fear, that he would turn into the next Voldemort."

When he thought about it, considering the raw power it had taken for Potter to defeat the Dark Lord, the idea wasn't really that far fetched.

"Were you really thinking of proposing?"

"Not at the moment." Severus pulled her into his lap, enjoying the feel of her body against his. "Do you want me to?"

"I don't think either one of us is ready for that stage in our relationship yet." Hermione's voice turned wistful as she quietly said, "Besides, I shouldn't be the one to decide when. But maybe in the future..."

"I have no intentions of letting you go, ever, claiming or no claiming. I'll know when the time is right." Gently he leaned in and kissed the witch. "However, I have classes to teach tomorrow, and you have classes to attend. I believe we should get some sleep."

Severus' lips claimed hers, a slow, erotic kiss that pushed all thoughts and anxieties from her mind for the moment.

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Hermione managed to unpack and take care of Crookshanks in a matter of minutes. 'There's no substitute for magic when you're in a hurry,' she thought. She came out of the bathroom to find Severus already in bed making notes in a small journal. A sheet draped loosely across his lap seemed to be the only thing keeping him from her. She stopped in the doorway to watch him, a feeling of sadness enveloping her when she thought about him leaving in the morning. Tonight was their last night together until the weekend. Tomorrow night she would be crawling into bed alone...again.

"Were you planning on watching me from there for the remainder of the night, or would you care to join me?" He continued to make notes in the journal, not looking up as he spoke. He could feel the sadness coming from Hermione, something he felt, too.

"Any chance you could get our Floos hooked up?" Her dressing gown fell to the floor as she climbed into bed. "I'll bet I could get Arthur to push an order through if I asked him."

"You're not on the Floo network now. Besides, the only outside connection is in Albus's office. Do you really want to come through there every time?"

"I don't want you to go home."

"I know. I'd rather stay here, but one of us needs to be gainfully employed, and at the moment it seems that task falls to me. Have any prospects you haven't told me about?"

A quiet nox threw the room into darkness as the two settled down into the bed. "My apprenticeship with Tenbrook, I should get some type of stipend from him."

Severus pulled Hermione back against him, spooning into her back. One hand slid under 'his' pillow, the other rested across her midriff, holding her to him. "As if I trust the man. Let's just see where Wednesday gets us."

"I know you don't like him, but really, I thought he was nice."

"Yes, and Potter and Weasley are your two best friends. That just reinforces the fact that you're a terrible judge of character. It's late, go to sleep."

"I'm here with you."

"And yet again you prove my point. Go to sleep."

"Severus."

"Sleep." It was quiet for a minute, but Severus could feel Hermione holding herself still. It was obvious the witch was not winding her way toward sleep. "What?"

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

"Hermione."

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

"Fine. Goodnight." It would only be a matter of time before she spoke again; he had only to wait for her to tell him what was on her mind. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late; he did have classes to teach in the morning.

"Have you ever thought about children?"

"Children?"

Hermione shifted, turning toward him in the darkness. "Yes, children."

"Of course I think about them. Everyday, every time one of the little blighters blows up a cauldron."

"That's not what I meant. I know you're meticulous about casting contraception charms. I have to finish school and my apprenticeship. I know we really haven't talked about a future together in anything but general terms, but knowing how you feel about the students, well, we've never really talked about... kids."

Severus sighed. A quiet Lumos and light filled the room once more. This was too serious a conversation for the dark; he needed to read Hermione's face, not just rely on the tone of her voice. "This has to do with 'the claiming,' doesn't it?"

Hermione refused to be swayed. "We've never talked about kids before."

"I don't know." Severus ran a hand through his hair and lay back against the pillows. "I didn't expect to live past the final battle, so having a family was never a consideration before now."

"And now?"

"And now, I suppose you want a child?" How the hell had the conversation turned to this? he wondered?

"Not now, but someday."

"Can we discuss this then?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Fine. You do realize what a terrible father I would make?"

"That's just it. I don't think you'd make a bad father."

"Yes, well, we've already proved what a bad judge of character you are."

"Severus!"

"Potter and Weasley. Need I say more?"

"Have you ever thought about having a family?" Hermione studied his profile as he struggled to answer her.

"No." Severus shook his head. Why did the most dangerous conversations have to happen in the middle of the night when his mind was not operating at its fullest? It had been a two am conversation with Lucius when he'd made the decision to join the Dark Lord. A choice he would regret to his dying day, regardless of its outcome. Things always appeared so much clearer in the light of day...when there was coffee and lots of it. "Maybe. I don't know, I suppose, a long time ago, when I was young and naïve, I thought about having a family. Life doesn't always turn out the way you think it will."

"And now?"

"And now? You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No. We talk about school, and academics, and potions, and a host of other topics. I tell you what I think and feel about anything and everything, but we never talk about what you want."

Idly, Severus stroked Hermione's back as his mind jumped dangerously from one thought to another. "Everything I want is right here," he said quietly. "Tell me something, and don't say it doesn't matter or that you've never thought about it because I know you have."

Hermione had an idea where this conversation was going. Severus seemed to become self absorbed when his thoughts turned to his past, a past he couldn't seem to come to terms with and continued to berate himself for, even after all the good he'd accomplished. She waited quietly for him speak.

"I love you. I know you know that." He held up his hand to forestall her answer, still not looking at her. "I know you love me. I don't know why, but I know you do. The claiming just reinforces that fact, but what do you think will happen, if we have a child, and it sees this?"

The air over his forearm shimmered lightly. The glamour covering his Dark Mark faded from view exposing the faded out line of the skull and serpent on his skin.

It was as she suspected. It was a road they'd been down before. "I think our child would be proud to know his father helped bring about the end of the most dangerous Dark wizard that ever lived."

"No, then you really don't understand."

"Severus, you're the reason the light won."

Sighing heavily, Severus shook his head. "And before I changed sides? Hermione, I was a Death Eater. Whatever good you think I've done can never change the fact that I joined the Dark Lord in the first place."

"And how long do you intend to play the martyr? Cause I have to tell you, it's starting to get old."

Severus turned, her comment and the anger in her tone, surprising him. "I beg your pardon?"

"We've had this conversation before. You regret your past. You're afraid I will ruin my future if we're together, which incidentally, is not up to just you alone. Kids are mean. I'm sure someone will say something. If not about you being their father, then it will be about me being its mother. And if they can't think of something to say about us, then it will be about their looks or some other insecurity the kid has. Do you think everything is so wonderful now? How many times do I have to defend myself for being Muggle-born? Or for being Harry Potter's best friend? How many people, no matter what they say, still wish Voldemort had won? Life goes on. It's time to live it. It's time to forgive yourself. You never expected to survive the final battle, but you did. Accept life for the gift that it is, and get on with living."

"I swear to God, if your eyes start twinkling and you offer me a sherbet lemon, I will hex you into next week."

Hermione laughed. "I'm not Albus, but if he's said the same thing, it's because it's true."

Severus rubbed his eyes. The conversation had taken a turn into the surreal when all he'd wanted was a good night's sleep. Albus had said the same thing to him before. So had Lupin, and Minerva, and few others that he considered more than acquaintances of a sort. "Any chance you're going to let this conversation drop and let me get some sleep?"

Hermione kissed his cheek before snuggling into his side, her leg moving across his as she shifted to get comfortable. A yawn escaped as she said, "Of course, we can talk another time. I'm rather tired myself. Just think about what I said. Nox." Once again, the room was thrown into darkness.

"No matter what, you do know I'll never be 'mates' with your friends?"

"You don't have to be. They're my friends, not yours. As long as you don't hex them at first sight, I can live with that. Just stop living in the past; the future has a lot to offer."

Severus could feel Hermione's body growing heavy as she relaxed. "I don't think I could change that much."

"Severus, you don't have to change. I wouldn't want you to. I love you just as you are. Billowing robes and all." The last was a quiet murmur as Hermione's breathing evened out as she fell asleep.

The future.

It was quite a while before sleep claimed the Potions master, his mind refusing to let their conversation go.

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The staff door slammed behind him as Severus made his way to the Head table. Several heads popped up across the room as he took his seat.

"Morning, Severus, I take it the symposium went well?" Albus smiled as he watched the Potions master pouring his morning coffee.

"Very well, thank you."

More and more heads, mostly female, seemed to turn his way. He could hear a distinct murmur of whispering voices growing louder as he helped himself to breakfast.

"Has something occurred that I am not aware of?"

"Good morning. I see you're back in one piece. How is Hermione?" Remus asked, claiming the empty chair to his right.

"Hermione is fine." He could just make out a phrase here and there as the voices in the Great Hall grew louder. "What the devil is going on here?"

"Yes, Heathcliff, all in black and brooding..."

Remus laughed. "I think your fan club is at it again. There is a rumor going round that you 'rescued' Hermione from some harm during the symposium. Something about a spell and an evil wizard? The wizarding world is a rather small community, you know; gossip travels fast."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He had become something of a dark mysterious hero when his twenty years of spying for the Order had been revealed. Witches that would have hexed his bits off before giving him the time of day suddenly decided the dark Potions master was a misunderstood, tragic figure that just needed the love of a good woman to heal.

While that sentiment turned out to be true in a manner of speaking, it was Hermione's love for who he really was that had made him whole, not some trumped up image of a Bronte-ian hero these adolescents had dreamed up. The Halloween feast had only added fuel to the fire. His tango with Hermione and sudden impulse to carry her away from the Great Hall conjured up images of dark knights and princesses living happily ever after in adolescent female psyches late at night when they speculated on the future.

It hadn't taken long for the female population, especially those that were his students, to realize he was still the same person...sarcastic, strict, nasty detentions and all, and move on to the next subject of their adoration.

The Symposium. Hermione. Rancine. Their confrontation. Severus shook his head. "It wasn't like that at all. I didn't do anything. It was Hermione who argued with Rancine, though I can't say I wouldn't mind pickling the man and using him for potion ingredients at some point."

"Yes, well, your fan club seems to think differently."

"What did you hear?" Severus sighed. It seemed his life was destined to resemble a really bad novel at times.

"Hermione was about to be hexed by Rancid and you saved her. Is that really the man's name?"

"Rancine, but rancid is an accurate description of the berk. I didn't do anything. They had an argument and we left. Nobody hexed anybody."

"And the wind storm that surrounded Hermione?"

"Yes, there was that, but it wasn't me." Severus eyed the werewolf. Reluctantly, he had to agree that Lupin had proved to be a competent Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor; perhaps he could shed some light on the whole 'claiming' and Trelawney disaster that was threatening his quiet existence. "What do you know about a wizard named Tiresias Trelawney?"

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While Severus was half a continent away discussing Trelawney's magic with Remus, Hermione was inundated with rumors and innuendo of her own.

She'd received Michael's owl asking her and Severus to join him for dinner Wednesday night before showing them his research facility and discussing her possible apprenticeship, just after Severus had left that morning. Her mind reeled as she tried to work out what it could mean to her future. Every so often her brain, the traitorous organ that it was, would echo a thought she'd been resolutely silencing since its inception last night – he talked about proposing to her! Marriage. Deftly, she squashed the thought and returned to speculation about her future apprenticeship. There would be time to think about Severus later when she had a clearer head. So preoccupied with trying to detect a Slytherin meaning, Severus' term, not hers, behind Michael's offer, she failed to notice the whispers around her as she walked to her first class.

"Hermione, you're back."

Hermione lowered her book bag to the table as she claimed the chair between Susan and Mark. "Yeah, the Symposium ended yesterday morning. I would have owled you last night, but it was rather late when Severus and I got back. I'll need to borrow your notes from Friday's classes so I can catch up. Did I miss anything?" Hermione looked up at her friend, noticing, for the first time, the surprise on the girl's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Are you feeling okay? We heard you were hexed."

"Hexed?"

"Professor Rancine..."

Hermione shook her head. Rancine. Was there no getting rid of that man? "No, I'm fine. I had a slight... difference of opinion with the professor, but it's all sorted out now."

Further discussion would have to wait as their professor entered the lecture hall and started speaking.

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"You are to sign nothing. An old friend of mine is a barrister in London; he specializes in 'hidden meanings' as they apply to apprentice law. I want him to review any contracts Tenbrook gives you."

"That's a branch of wizard law– hidden meanings?"

Severus shrugged. "Some of the older contracts bound an apprentice to their master by means of Dark magic, soul trading and the like. I doubt Tenbrook would be stupid enough to invoke any of the old ways, but you can't be too careful. There's something not quite right about this offer. I just don't know what it is."

"And it couldn't be that he just might want the top student in her class as his apprentice?"

"Hermione, no one is questioning your abilities. I don't trust the man."

"All right, fine. I do know enough not to sign a contract without reading it through in the first place. I'm not that naïve."

"Reading the contract is not enough. Some of the older clauses won't show up without casting the appropriate spells on the parchment first."

"That can't be binding. How can they hold you to something you didn't know was there in the first place?"

Severus smiled. "Which is why it's Dark magic. Not everything is as it seems. Apprentices were often seen as property as recently as a hundred years ago. I'm sure the university has guidelines on what is and what is not acceptable, but you never know what some unscrupulous master might slip into an agreement when you're back is turned." He helped Hermione into her cloak as they headed out the door. "I seem to recall the Wizengamot adopting a reform bill that Albus helped push through when he became Headmaster. He'd been appalled that Hogwarts apprentices where bound-over to those they studied under for up to ten years or more, lacking any rights or ownership of property until the completion of their contracts."

"Bound-over? That's terrible. Sounds more like they were slaves than apprentices." Hermione glanced at her watch. "We still have another three minutes before the Portkey activates."

Severus studied the metal ring in his hand, the Portkey Tenbrook had sent Hermione for their meeting. The irony of its resemblance to an apprenticeband was not lost on the Potions master. He could feel a line of runes etched into the back of the ring, though a series of spells revealed nothing more than encoded directions to Tenbrook's facility. As far as he could tell, everything was above board and as it should be, even the paperwork accompanying the Portkey was stamped and spelled in the proper places.

"Severus, relax, I'm sure everything is fine." Noting the timer, Hermione reached out to touch the ring.

Distractedly, Severus nodded. Despite the assurance of his revel spells that nothing was amiss, he couldn't quiet the vague feeling that something wasn't right. There was little time to speculate what that something might be as the timer counted down to zero and magicked the pair through the night air to their destination.

TBC

A/N: Yes, yes, I know an evil cliffhanging bridge-chapter by the evil author (who hasn't updated in forever), for which I'm truly sorry. It just seemed the appropriate place to stop. I'm hoping RL will continue to cooperate and allow me time write (while recuperating from the latest allergic reaction and this round of medication...two and a half weeks to go!).

A grateful thank you to my beta, the wonderful Southern_Witch_69 and her prowess with comma (or lack thereof) detection. Thank you, Sun, I'm still looking for a wholesale source to replace the commas you're using up on me.

The link to my LiveJournal is listed on my author's page. I normally will post information on updates, problems with RL, and any excuses I can come up with there. I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and warm wishes over the last few months. It really means a lot to me. My husband is doing very well, back at work and feeling good. I still have a few issues to work out, but for now, things are status quo.

Still to come, The Wolfsbane Potion, Christmas break (including breakfast at The Burrow), a talk about the summer holidays, the meeting with Tenbrook, 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