Someone to Watch Over Me

Someone to Watch Over Me

Chapter 5 Misunderstandings

Ginny headed back to her room for a quick shower and change of clothes. Luckily, the only students that were hanging around were the seventh years that were done with finals and classes. Alice had simply waved at her from her chair in the common room.

That was one thing Ginny liked about Alice. She never asked questions. Of course, that probably had to do with the fact that her friend spent many nights away from their dorm herself.

Draco had promised to go and talk with Dumbledore about not telling Molly of the engagement.

Ginny still couldn't believe that she was engaged. Although, after hearing Draco's suggestion that the potion may still be affecting her, she was now starting to doubt her new warm feelings toward her new fiancé.

Hermione would know more, and so Ginny went to find her.

She wasn't in the room she had first moved into upon returning to Hogwarts, so Ginny decided to try the Potion's classroom. Snape should know where she was even if she wasn't there.

She opened the door to see the Professor stalking around the room muttering comments to terrified first years that were in the middle of their Potion's final.

He looked over at her and raised his eyebrows in question.

"Hermione," she mouthed, silently.

He hesitated.

"It's important," she whispered.

Finally, he nodded, and motioned for her to follow him into his supply closet.

She had expected to find Hermione organizing shelves or something. She hadn't expected him to materialize a door out of thin air and usher her through.

Ginny looked around her in awe at the cheerful room that seemed to belong to Snape.

"You expected a torture chamber didn't you?" he asked slyly.

She blushed.

"Good, then I did my job," he commented with a smirk.

"Wait here." He pointed to the chair Hermione had fallen asleep in last night, and headed for his bedroom.

Hermione was just how he left her, curled up in the middle his king-size, four poster bed like she owned it.

He'd never admit it, but he did feel a little guilty about giving her a new potion that had not been tested. This was why he'd allowed her to smash a sandwich into his face. At least, that was what he told himself.

It was also why he had carried, not levitated, her to his, not her bed early this morning. The potion obviously had lingering effects. Why else would she be dreaming about him like that?

He walked up to one side of the bed.

"Miss Granger?" he asked, quietly.

No response.

He sat down on the bed and moved up and down a little.

Hermione stirred and turned toward him, but did not wake.

"Miss Granger?" he asked a bit louder.

When that didn't rouse her either, he lost his patience. He was in the middle of giving a Potion's exam for Merlin's sake!

"Miss Granger, wake up this instant," he growled, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her, roughly.

Hermione thought she was being attacked and reacted automatically. Her fist shot out and connected with his nose.

She jumped out of the bed with a cry of alarm.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

Snape put a hand to his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

"I think you bwoke by dose!" he mumbled.

"Well, that's what you get for man-handling me like that!" she huffed.

The Professor hurried into his bathroom for tissues.

It suddenly occurred to Hermione that she had just awoken in his bed wearing nothing but a thin nightgown.

She saw her cloak thrown over a chair and quickly slipped it on.

Vague memories of the two of them naked together surfaced in her mind, and she looked at the rumpled bed gasping in horror.

She had thought she'd been dreaming, but maybe she hadn't.

Oh gods!

She stormed into the bathroom after him.

"How could you let this happen, you pervert!" Hermione yelled.

"Excuse be?" he demanded.

"I am not on any contraceptives! What if we..."

"Stob!" he pleaded, holding up his hands.

Hermione took pity on him seeing all the blood, and fixed his nose with a quick spell.

She knew that Snape was no good at healing spells, and he would never have tried to fix his nose himself.

She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"I assure you, Miss Granger, you and I did not engage in any sexual activity last night. You came looking for a sleep potion, but you fell asleep while waiting for me to bring it to you. I was already up for the day, so I moved you to my bed in order to keep you out of my way!" he growled, wiping the last of the blood from his face.

Hermione burst out laughing.

Snape rolled his eyes and stalked out of the bathroom.

"If you don't mind, I have an exam to give!" he called out as he left the room.

Hermione was on the floor now, with tears streaming down her face, shaking with silent laughter.

"Sweet Merlin! Hermione, what did he do to you?" Ginny cried, seeing blood on the floor.

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"Oh, that's too bad. I was so looking forward to sharing our happy news with Molly," Dumbledore teased, relieved to be let off the hook.

He offered the young man a candy.

"Yeah right," Draco responded with a smirk, and popped the chocolate confection in his mouth.

There was silence for a moment, each man lost in thought.

The warm summer sun coming through the tall windows against the wall gave the Headmaster's office a cozy feeling.

"So, Tom wants you to have a traditional wedding?"

"Who? Oh, yeah. Any advice on how to get the Weasley's to agree?" Draco asked.

Albus stared at the young man for a moment, considering the question.

"That would depend on how far you're willing to go to get them to approve," he said finally.

Draco thought about that for a minute, and then sighed.

"I don't want to make things harder for her than they have to be. But I hate her brothers," he admitted.

"Then I suggest avoiding them whenever possible. Convince Molly that you're in love with Ginny, and she'll keep the others off your back."

"And how do I do that?"

"I don't know. Take a love potion?"

Draco glared at him.

"I've already told Molly and Arthur that you've joined the Order."

The young man looked up at him surprised.

"I thought I'd break the news to them slowly. They might be more receptive than you think."

Draco got up and started pacing.

"June will be over in a couple of weeks. We've only got until September. The sooner we get this out of the way, the better."

"Graduation is next Friday. Perhaps you can arrange to meet with Molly and Arthur afterward? I'd be more than happy to let you use my office. I'll also make sure that Ginny's brothers are otherwise occupied. In the mean time, you should think about getting her a ring."

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"You broke his nose?" Ginny asked, shocked, as she helped Hermione make Professor Snape's bed.

"Yes, but I fixed it!" she said, fluffing a pillow.

"Why are we cleaning? Why not just let the house elves do this?" Ginny grumbled, trying to smooth out the comforter.

The other girl ignored her.

"Why were you looking for me, anyway?" she asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about the potion I took," Ginny said, feeling sick again as she thought of the previous night.

Hermione frowned at how pale her friend had become.

"What about it? Draco behaved himself, didn't he?"

"Oh, yes. Perfect gentleman!" she blushed.

Hermione dropped the pillow she was holding and rushed over to the other girl.

"Are you still having lingering feelings for him?" she demanded.

"Well, I... I think I might," Ginny answered, honestly.

Hermione's grin lit up her whole face.

"That's great! Oh, Ginny I'm so happy to hear that!"

"Why? Is that normal?"

"See, that's just it. I didn't know. Professor Snape and I have been working on this potion practically all year long, but we never tested it until last night. After the potion wore off, I still couldn't stop thinking about him! I was even having erotic dreams about him!" she beamed.

"Over sharing," Ginny said, disgusted.

"Sorry, but now that you're noticing some lingering effects too, it has to be the potion."

"It does?" Ginny felt disappointed, although she wasn't sure why.

"Well, it probably does. I'll know for sure by tonight."

"How?"

Hermione grinned at her mischievously,

"I paid some seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins to test it. Don't tell Snape!"

"Hermione! You can't test potions on students, that's worse than what Fred and George did!" Ginny admonished.

Hermione wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Fred and George were paying first and second years to test products. The students I asked are at least seventeen, and have already completed their NEWTs."

Just then Ginny's stomach growled, reminding her that she'd skipped breakfast.

Hermione smiled at her.

"Go eat; I'll finish here on my own. Just be sure to come by the potion classroom at about nine tonight. I ought to have the results of this experiment by then."

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Ginny didn't see Draco at lunch, and was a little relieved. She didn't like feeling this way, and knowing that it was just a potion. Part of her had hoped that she really was starting to have feelings for her future husband. It would definitely make things easier.

Yawning, she finished her lunch quickly, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower to have a nap.

She opened the door to her dorm room to see Draco passed out on her bed.

Her heart started to beat faster, and she felt all tingly at the sight of him. Awake, Draco Malfoy was very hot. Asleep, he was irresistible.

Ginny felt a pang at the thought that she might not feel this way in a few days.

Deciding to enjoy this while it lasted, she slipped into the bed, curling up against his side.

She saw a smile spread cross his face.

"I'm not quite asleep yet," he mumbled, not moving.

She leaned over him, feeling bold, and claimed his mouth with her own.

He rolled over onto his back, and pulled her up onto his chest.

"So it's not the potion that's doing then?" he asked, hopefully.

Ginny sighed.

"We think it is."

She then proceeded to tell him about her conversation with Hermione, and the experiment.

"Oh."

He sat up, suddenly, making her fall back on the bed.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"I can't do this, Ginny. Not while you're under a potion. It's not... not real."

She sat up so she could face him, starting to cry.

"What if I never feel this way about you again?" she whispered.

He lifted a hand to wipe away a tear.

"I promise to do my best not to let that happen," he told her, serious.

Ginny nodded.

"Will you hold me while I sleep?" she asked, afraid he'd say no.

He smiled.

"I can do that."

He lay back and wrapped his arms around her.

She drifted off, feeling much the same way she had that morning.

Safe and warm.

That Draco Malfoy could inspire these feelings within her was surreal.

Before she lost consciousness, she prayed that Hermione was wrong, and that it wasn't the potion that made her feel this way.

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Hermione sat at a desk in the potion's classroom, staring at her research in disbelief.

At nine on the dot, Ginny came strolling in, a small smile on her face. The look on Hermione's face stopped her in her tracks.

"What? What did you find out?"

She couldn't help the hope that bubbled up inside of her.

"I was wrong, sort of." Hermione shrugged, and threw her quill down in defeat.

"What were you wrong about?"

Ginny had to resist the urge to shake her.

"Okay, look. The way we're feeling now, is the result of the potion. However, according to my data," she gestured toward the big pile of parchments, "the feelings only remain after the six hour time period if they were already there to begin with."

"So, what does that mean?"

"It means that you were already falling for Draco before you took the potion. And I... I was already lusting after Snape."

End Chapter