A Likely Story

Chapter 16 of A Likely Story

Hermione was very pleased that Geneva students got a week longer for their Christmas holiday than Hogwarts students did. It meant she could stay at Snape Manor an extra 5 days before she had to be back to begin classes again. She found herself fiddling with her engagement ring almost continually, a habit Severus seemed to find extremely amusing. It was hard to keep track of the days. She thought it'd been only four days since Christmas, but she wasn't entirely sure.

Sex had been interesting. Of course, she'd known it was going to hurt, she just hadn't realized that anyone could make it feel so good before that point. He'd been more attentive and gentle than Lavender's first had been, and Parvati's as well. (She'd had the misfortune of being their roommate when they were deflowered. There was no escaping the intimate details.)

Severus had found it interesting as well. He understood, now, how she could have mistaken his desire for commitment as a proposition. Though he was certainly more experienced than she, he'd never felt the emotional connection with his other partners as he had with her. He'd never looked at sex as a commitment before this week. It had been an eye-opening experience.

He found that it was not so urgent, anymore, that they spend every moment together. That, he supposed, was due to the engagement. It was a relief, in some ways, that he could work on his antidotes while she read without feeling as if he was neglecting her. It made the time that they did spend together still more important to him. He was also pleased that she was making herself at home in the Manor. In only a few days, she'd gone from feeling like a guest to being the undisputed Mistress of the household, and no one was happier about it than Severus. In spite of the many unpleasant memories this house held for him, it was beginning to feel like a home for the first time in his lifetime. He smiled to himself, grinding more tadpole tails distractedly, and imagining that Hermione was on her way to tell him he'd been in the lab long enough.

But Hermione was not on her way to the lab. Instead she sat in the library, holding a book that she was sure was very informative, and daydreaming about the previous several evenings' activities, when she heard the unmistakable sound of a door slamming. Knowing that Severus had retreated to his potions laboratory, she went downstairs herself to investigate.

What she saw when she arrived nearly made her scream. Instead, remembering herself just in time, she drew her wand and advanced. How a Death Eater had found his way to them, she didn't know, but he was absolutely not going to get past her.

There was a very good reason why she needn't have bothered to defend herself. The man was curled on the floor, just inside the doorway, pressing hard on a gash in his forehead with one hand as he grasped his injured leg with the other. As she approached him, he whispered hoarsely. "Lupso? Lupso, help me!" An instant later, the Elf appeared.

Wordlessly, Lupso healed the young man in several places before pulling his mask aside to look at the cut on his forehead. At this shock, Hermione gasped, getting the attention of both of them. "Malfoy? What are you doing here?" Her wand, which had dropped slightly, rose again and pointed unwaveringly in his direction. He winced.

"Looking for help," he admitted grudgingly. "Though if I'd known you were here, I'd have tried the Longbottoms'."

"What do you know about the Longbottoms?" She demanded, stepping closer. All the while, Lupso continued his ministrations, offering neither protection to Draco, nor explanation to Hermione.

"Everything. It was my information that sent you all out of Headquarters," he whispered. "OUCH!" He swatted angrily at Lupso, who bobbed his head in contrition, his ears drooping a bit.

"You're our spy?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't really care if you believe me, but I need to get to Hogwarts as quickly as I can. I wasn't in any condition to apparate, so I used the emergency portkey Uncle Severus gave me when I was young. Lupso's always been able to fix me up before. As soon as I can walk, I'm gone, alright?" He winced again as Lupso moved his dislocated knee back into place. Hermione couldn't help but be impressed that he wasn't screaming, all things considered.

"What message do you need to get to Dumbledore?" she asked.

"The Dark Lord is on his way," Draco answered quietly. "Hogwarts is empty of students, for the most part, and if no one shows up to protect it, it will be empty for a long time to come. If he takes over the school, it'll be nearly impossible to kill him. The place is just too well protected. Potter needs to be waiting for him tonight."

If nothing else had convinced Hermione that Draco was telling the truth, the sound of Harry's name, spoken without the usual contempt, finally did it. "Lupso, go get Severus. I'll finish with Draco's leg."

The Elf blinked at her for a moment before disappearing. Draco just looked at her in shock. "He's here?"

"Yes," she answered shortly, her eyes dropping to his leg. She cast a quick charm to make sure it had been correctly repositioned, then a spell to knit the torn muscles and ligaments that accompanied that kind of injury, followed by a spell to block the pain.

"Thanks," he whispered, his surprise over her sudden acceptance of him overriding his usual ungrateful demeanor. She smiled at him. A moment later, Severus appeared with Lupso, demanding explanations.

It seemed like only moments later when they headed to the apparation point, single file through the path in the snow. Hermione was grateful that Severus had made no argument about her coming along. He understood that if everyone important to her was fighting, she had to fight as well. Very little was said between them until they were nearly outside the Manor's apparation wards. Then Severus stopped abruptly and turned to Hermione as Draco continued on, oblivious. "Whatever happens tonight, I'm coming back here," he said, his voice quiet, but intense.

"Then so will I," she responded, a bitter smile playing around the corners of her lips. He looked deeply into her eyes for another moment before taking her hand. They hurried to catch up with Draco and disappeared from the dark path with a resounding CRACK.

~FIN~