Somnium

The mirror told Hermione that Severus' hair had been shortened, his nose made smaller and his eyes turned to blue, but he still looked exactly the same to her, which she was glad about because otherwise she would have been confused.

The potion had changed their clothes, too, so when other people looked at Hermione, they saw a young woman with wavy blonde hair and dark green eyes, dressed in big black jeans, a black tank top and black robes.

"This is weird," she whispered, as they walked past a shop window and she caught a glimpse of her reflection.

"I know. Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere, really...what's that street down there?" Severus' eyes glittered with amusement.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Why, what is it? Dark Arts stuff?"

"No."

"Well, what then?"

"Sex shops." Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"You're joking me. I thought they only existed in Soho."

"Well, there are shops for everything else here..."

"Can we go there, then?"

"If you really want to..."

Half an hour later, they emerged from the street trying not to look too conspicuous. Hermione had the giggles; she had seen products there that she had no idea existed.

"Well, Miss Granger, now that you have indulged your childish sense of humour, where next?" Hermione took a deep breath and tried to keep a straight face.

"Let's go for an ice cream; it might calm me down a bit," she suggested. She was wrong, though - when the man behind the counter asked if they wanted extra nuts, it set her off giggling again and they left without ice creams.

They decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron, and they were just about to go in when a small girl tugged on Hermione's arm.

"Can I have your autograph?" she asked, holding out a piece of parchment.

"Er - what? Why?"

"Well...you're her, aren't you?"

"Who?"

"Venus Steorra!"

"Oh! No, I'm not her, sorry," Hermione said, and the little girl went away looking downhearted.

"Should have signed it for her anyway," Severus said, as they entered the pub.

"Oh yeah, that'd have looked good - my name instead of Venus Steorra's. I'll get a table, you get the drinks. I'll just have an orange juice, it's too early in the day for alcohol."

They sat down in a table near the door, occasionally glancing up when people came in.

"Oh no," Severus muttered, glancing up.

"What?"

"Dumbledore."

"But - we took the potion, he won't -"

"Even so, the potion doesn't last forever; a couple of hours at the most. Less with some people. We'll just try and -" He stopped. Hermione's face had gone white and rigid; her whole body shook as she fell off her chair -

***

Severus quickly knelt beside Hermione's shaking form. He turned her over so that she was face upwards; he smoothed her hair away from her face, and held her hand.

"Fight it," he whispered urgently.

"Can I help at all?" came Dumbledore's voice. Severus had no choice but to move aside slightly as Dumbledore crouched beside him, an expression of disbelief dawning on his face. Severus realised with a sinking feeling what he had forgotten - Somnium fits worked in almost the same way as the finite incantatem spell - whatever potion or charm had hold of the sufferer would be useless instantly. Hermione no longer looked like Venus Steorra's double - she was back to her old self.

"Hermione - Hermione Granger?" Dumbledore said, thunderstruck. He looked up at Severus. "Then who are you?"

"I'm...I -" Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly.

"Severus?"

***

Hermione stirred awake, and tried to recall why her whole body hurt. Her stomach muscles were aching as though she had done a thousand sit-ups, and she could hardly move her legs. Her face was tense, and it hurt to frown or even to try and smile.

"Good, you're awake," a familiar voice said. Hermione painfully looked around to see Madam Pomfrey bustling towards her, holding what Hermione recognised to be a bottle of Painkilling Potion. "Don't try and move - just drink a bit of this, and you'll feel much better."

A dozen or more questions were buzzing around in Hermione's brain, but she decided to drink the medicine first. She gratefully sipped at it, and leaned back against her pillow as the potion spread around her body, soothing her pain instantly.

"Where's Severus?" she asked.

"I don't know," Madam Pomfrey replied. If she was surprised by Hermione's use of Severus' first name, she didn't show it. "Professor Dumbledore has just been down to see you - he said he would come back in half an hour. That was twenty minutes ago."

Hermione's heart sank. She could vaguely remember Dumbledore finding out that she was with Severus - that had been just before she passed out. She could remember nothing after that.

She lay still for ten minutes, staring blankly into space, worrying, and then the door opened and in came Dumbledore, looking severe. He came over and sat in a chair by her bed.

"Professor, I -" she began, but he cut her off by holding up his hand. She fell silent at once.

"I want to know," he said quietly, "exactly what is going on between you and Professor Snape."

"We're just -" Hermione stopped. She had been about to say "We're just friends", but somehow she couldn't lie to Dumbledore. Besides, she got the distinct feeling that Severus had probably told him the truth anyway. "We're not sleeping together, if that's what you think," she said bluntly. "Well - not in that way, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we've slept in the same bed, but we haven't actually - er - well, you know," Hermione said uncertainly, feeling her cheeks grow red. "There's no chance at all that I could be pregnant, if you were wondering about that. Er - what's going to happen to Severus?" she asked, as a new thought occurred to her. "He isn't going to lose his job, is he?"

"No. He is far too much of a valuable resource for the school to lose - and besides, he is a hunted man. Lord Voldemort is not exactly happy with him. And, since I have both your assurance that nothing serious has passed between you, he will not lose his job."

Hermione felt relief and anger at the same time. How dare Dumbledore suggest that nothing serious had passed between them? Her anger quickly faded, though, when she realised that Dumbledore had said "serious" in place of "sexual".

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"Down in his private chambers, I think. I must tell you, Miss Granger, that your relationship cannot go on. You understand that it would be most improper for me to allow teachers to have affairs with students."

"I - of course." Hermione's heart sank right into her feet. To not be able to see Severus properly - they would only have snatched moments in lessons, and no time at all alone - perhaps it would be better if he had been sacked...

"I will leave you now," Dumbledore said, getting to his feet. "I daresay that Severus will be in to visit you shortly - the pair of you need to talk, after all."

He left, and Hermione closed her eyes as she felt tears brimming up. She felt as bleak and isolated as she had the night she found out about Somnium -

What I wouldn't give for a shot of Somnium now, she thought miserably, as she drifted off into a restless sleep.