Taught to Wed

A/N: Wow! So this chapter is even longer than the last. Who knows how long the next one will be. I probably could have made this one longer, and I’ll probably get lynched for not making it longer, but I found it to be quite the good stopping place. Thanks goes to Jeanette and Des for betaing and helping me out. And thanks goes to Ira and Jeanette for whipping me into submission…I mean for nudging me every time I was slacking off and reading or making lj icons instead of writing. Yeah, that’s what I meant. There’s some HG/SS in this chapter…sadly not nearly enough, but these things take time. Especially when I have plans. >:) Oh, and thanks are still up in the air with HP/DM…but I think things will begin to settle down pretty soon. And like I could forget, big thanks to my reviewers! (Personal responses at end of chapter) Oh and to those who haven’t reviewed but are reading it… thanks and I hope you are enjoying it! Oh and I have to split it between two chapters because it’s just slightly too long for one chapter. And rather than one chapter of 5000 words and another of 500 I just divided it in half.

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Taught to Wed
Chapter 8 – Blackmail
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“Malfoy?” Ron asked, listening to Harry shuffling around, most obviously making himself presentable.

“Shut up,” said Harry as he slipped out of bed. “Wait, you’re not shocked by that? Why aren’t you shocked?”

“Monday,” Ron said.

“Monday?” Harry asked, puzzled.

“Lunch. You were staring off into space. I told you Malfoy entered the hall and you snapped right out of your thoughts,” Ron said, holding back a chuckle.

“Oh, right. Why didn’t you say anything about it then?”

“Wanted to wait until you were ready to tell me. Didn’t need you blowing a bloody gasket.”

“So, is there any specific reason you decided to barge in here?” Harry asked, changing the subject.

“Dinner,” said Ron. “Hermione and I thought you might be hungry. Besides, maybe we can find out who your secret admirer is,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Right, because admirers really like to run off mid kiss,” Harry said sarcastically. “Oh, and can you please not mention anything about my liking Malfoy?”

“My lips are sealed. Now let’s go eat. I’m starved.” The two boys hastily exited the room.

*****

The two boys entered the Great Hall with everything but food on their minds, talking animatedly as they approached the Gryffindor table, and fully oblivious to the penetrating gaze directed their way by Draco Malfoy. Draco, for reasons he wasn’t yet willing to explore found that he was itching to hex Ron Weasley from here to Merlin’s Tower and back. Ron for his part was just happy that Harry was looking a little more relaxed, the stunned deer look after his ‘admirer’ had run off would have gone down a treat with the Slytherin contingent.

Harry meanwhile was trying to look furtively around the hall, looking for any sign that someone was uncomfortable. The problem was that as a Gryffindor, Harry was not exactly well versed in the arts of subtlety, thus his gaze never met that of Draco Malfoy, a master of subtlety.

“You two had better eat up,” Hermione stated. The two boys looked at her and nodded before digging into their food with abandon. She was quite curious to know what took them so long in getting here, but decided that she was better off not knowing. As she ate she began to look around the Great Hall to see if anyone was focused on Harry. Sure enough she found Draco Malfoy’s unwavering gaze locked onto Harry’s eating form, only looking away whenever Harry looked up. Hmmm, she thought, this is an interesting development. And he would be able to obtain Polyjuice potion. Will have to look into this further.

*****

Hermione was surprisedoveroverhear a pair of younger Slytherins on her way to class Monday morning.

\"Malfoy\'s got the hots for Granger,\" the young boy said.

\"Ewww,” the young girl replied, \"how do you know?\"

\"Didn\'t you see him \'come\' to dinner last night? He had Granger’s Weasley jumper on, and that stain, no other way it got there.\"

\"Merlin’s beard, how could he?\"

\"That\'s what everyone wants to ask, but he has a mean left-hand,\" a lewd giggle interrupted the flow, \"and no one wants to be on the receiving end of… a left-handed curse from Malfoy.\" Hermione shook her head disdainfully at the Slytherins as she turned the corner. Maybe I’d better find out sooner rather than later about Draco and Polyjuice. I’m sure it was him, she mused.

*****

Hermione strode determinately into the Charms classroom, her target Draco Malfoy. The look on her face, coupled with his swirling confusion about his preferences, had actually managed to crack Draco\'s normally impressive self-control; he actually twitched at her approach. Hermione sat down next to Draco with a look on her face that would have better suited a mongoose, Draco taking the part of the snake somewhat appropriately. \"I\'m a little *cross* with you Draco,\" she said with particular emphasis on the cross, \"dressing like that last night. I do hope that the conditioning of your clothes was successful.\"

Draco stared at her blankly, wondering what she was talking about. However it didn’t take long to notice the looks they were getting from the Slytherin’s whom were slowly trickling into the classroom, and thus realization struck Draco like a bolt of lightning. “It’s not what you think, Mudblood. I was just…” he said, unsure of himself.

“Oh, it’s not? Are you sure about that Draco? Are you sure it wasn’t you who used Polyjuice yesterday and left Harry mid kiss in the hallway?” Hermione asked, her eyes boring into his head.

“Well, yeah,” Draco gulped, “that was me. But it’s still not what you think. I was…”

“As far as my jumper goes, I don’t want to think about how it got to the state of disrepair that it is rumored to be in. However, I ask that you get it properly cleaned and disinfected before returning it to me,” she said, a slight look of disgust crossing her face.

“Will you listen to me, Mudblood? You won’t even let me get a bloody word in,” Draco hissed. He had almost shouted, but as it was every eye in the classroom was on them, and the speculation was bad enough, the truth would be brutal to his reputation. “And the jumper does not need to be disinfected. I’m not some muggle virus, and I can’t pass anything to you through a piece of clothing. So lay off.”

“Thank Merlin pureblood isn’t contagious this season!” she said suppressing a chuckle. “Well, if it’s not what I think, then what is it? Enlighten me. I’m sure you have quite the stunning explanation prepared,” Hermione said sourly.

“I will, if you can hold your tongue long enough,” he snapped back.

“You have my full attention,” Hermione replied just as Professor Flitwick entered the classroom and began the lesson.

“Bloody hell,” Draco replied, “We’ll have to finish this later, Granger.”

“No, we can finish it now,” she said, pulling out two sheets of parchment. She muttered \"Chaquillicus\" before passing one piece to Draco. She then wrote on her sheet, #We can talk this way.#

Draco’s was quite amused at the charm Granger had used, as her writing had appeared on both their sheets. #Where’d you learn that one, Granger?#

#I didn’t. I created it myself.#

#Yes right Mu-Granger, you just happened to create something this advanced.#

Hermione was amused to see that the words on her parchment still seemed to have that uniquely Draco-esque quality about them. #What, couldn\'t you?# she wrote unable to resist the dig.

#Very funny Granger, keep that up and I might suffer sudden memory loss.#

#Not if you want my help you won\'t.# Hermione wrote, a safe bet, if he explained, Draco obviously needed something, and if not, well the blackmail potential was still there.

#My father said Voldemort wanted me to spy on Potter.#

Looks like he needs something, Hermione grinned to herself, almost Slytherin in glee.

#There was a mix-up in who I was supposed to portray via the potion and I ended up as you.# Draco wrote, trying to imbue the written word with his disgust at portraying a Mudblood, it didn\'t quite come off. #Yesterday was the second time I had to use the potion.#

#Second?#

Damn, she would pick up on that, Draco thought as he continued writing, #I was talking to Potter in the corridor when I saw you and the Weasel returning. Needless to say I pulled the prat into the alcove and kissed him so he wouldn’t see you two. The idea being to conceal who we were from you and preventing him from finding out that I wasn’t you. Which obviously failed because you know about it.#

Hermione took a moment to process everything, #That\'s just great Draco, but Harry thinks it was just some big prank. He’s quite upset about it, and I\'m not too happy about it either.#

Draco never thoughtchmechment could grind its teeth, but his piece was doing a good job anyway. #He is?# The words slipped out before he realized that asking might reveal things best left unsaid.

#Yes.# A quirking eyebrow, at this rate Draco\'s parchment would be human.

#What\'s a little hurt to the boy who shall be worshiped?#

#Draco! You will tell him the truth, or I will make sure that everyone in Slytherin believes you are a Mudblood loving freak.# Hermione wrote crossly, given the rumors she could well make that threat come true.

Draco, his mind turning with Slytherin grace realized he could use her threat to his advantage. #I would need more Polyjuice potion and some of your hair,# he wrote.

#Why?#

#Because I have no intention of making a public spectacle of myself. Take it or leave it Granger.#

#I think I’ll just leave it Draco. You can tell him face to face. I have nothing to lose in this situation.#

#Ha! Since you’re so good at Blackmail, you should know that the other party wouldn’t make demands if they didn’t have a means to obtain them. You will help me out, Granger, unless of course you want the school knowing about your sordid affair with Professor Snape.#

#There’s nothing of substance in that threat,# Hermione wrote nervously.

#Oh but there is. I told you that it was my second time using the potion that I kissed Potter. I never told you what happened the first time. Let’s just say I had a very close encounter with the Potions master.#

#Very well, Draco. You’ll get your potion. But if I find out that you didn’t tell Harry the truth, then you’ll be very sorry. There are other charms that I’ve created that could leave you in quite the undesirable position.# Just as Draco was preparing to respond, Hermione recited, “Incendio,” instantly causing both parchments to rapidly burn into piles of ash. Surprising, for if Flitwick had noticed detention was likely the least of their worries; however Flitwick noticed nng ang amiss, continued with the lesson.

*****

“Oh, stop your pouting, Harry. You know there’s nothing going on there,” Ron said reassuringly.

Still Harry could not turn his eyes away from his best friend and his crush bickering across the classroom from him. “There’s got to be something going on there, Ron. I don’t even know why I bother to waste my time liking him. He’s obviously into girls,” Harry said dejectedly.

“What makes you say that?”

“I saw him making out with Pug-face when I went to get the Veritaserum,” Harry said, his eyes drifting back to Draco and Hermione.

“Harry,” Ron said chuckling, “hate to break it to you, but if I kissed Parkinson, I’d turn gay.”

“You can’t just turn gay, Ron,” Harry said, shooting his friend a menacing look.

“I know, but if you could… kissing Pug-face would definitely be the cause of it.” Ron looked eagerly at his friend, “Besides, what makes you so sure they weren’t playing a game too? I mean Draco could have just as easily walked in on Neville kissing that house elf. And I know Malfoy’s not dumb enough to believe that Neville would give up my sister for a house elf. So what makes you think he’s dumb enough to kiss Parkinson?”

“I hope you’re right,” Harry said wistfully.

*****

8 September 1997

Slept horribly last night. Would have slept well if Zabini hadn\'t been so kind as to collect me for dinner. I was quite nearly asleep when he barged in, catching me still flushed and half naked from my earlier ministrations. Needless to say after a quick cleansing charm I slid my trousers and robe on and followed him to the Great Hall. Would have been good if I had: one, realized that I was still wearing Granger\'s jumper, and two, that there was a rather large white stain on it. However, did not realize and thus received several strange looks from my fellow Slytherins.

Dinner could have had redeeming qualities, but it didn\'t. I kept finding myself gazing at Potter, and found him looking frantically at everyone but myself. Then Granger gave me this questioning glance. I only noticed it out of the corner of my eye due to the fact that I was transfixed on Potter. Was quite curious as to what she knew, or thought she knew. Not so curious now though. She knows more than she’s letting on to. Doesn’t matter though, as I have managed to get my way, sort of.

I have no clue what I’m going to say to Potter later. I have no clue what I want to say. I will just have to take things as they come. It’s not a good tactic going in without a plan, but what choice do I have? I know that Potter wouldn’t go along with my plan anyway. He’s the take control type… much like Granger. Must be a Gryffindor trait.

Still mad at Father. He sent me a package with the morning post. It’s a new mirror; just like the one I smashed the other day. It’s still sitting in the box and is resting under my bed. He still has a lot to do before I forgive him for this deception. And until I decide to forgive him, he can forget any communication from my end of things.

Would it kill Granger to hurry up? She said she’d have the potion to me before dinner. It’s little over an hour until dinner and I’d rather like to get this over and done with. As much as it joys me to prance around as Granger, I’d rather not have to do it when the halls are crowded with students going to the Great Hall.

*****

Hermione hid outside the potions classroom, waiting for Severus to leave. He had been quite upset in class today and was most likely going to go to the library and pick some obscure potions ingredient to assign 12 inches on tomorrow to the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Sure enough, just moments after class ended, Hermione watched Severus emerge from the potions classroom and begin his trek up to the library. When he turned the corner, Hermione quickly crept into the classroom, making her way to the back, and into his office. She reached the door to the potions storeroom and began searching the shelves for Polyjuice potion. Just as she found a flask of it, she felt a presence behind her.

Turning around slowly she came face to face with a very angry potions master. “And what exactly, Miss Granger, are you doing in my private storeroom?” he asked, raising his eyebrow slightly as if in challenge.

was was obtaining Polyjuice potion, sir,” she said, not hesitating in the slightest.

“So I see being a cat for two weeks was not enough to deter you from experimenting with this potion.”

“It’s not for me, Professor.”

“Oh? And whom may I ask are you stealing such an advanced potion?” he asked. “I hope it’s not for Potter, he should really knottertter.”

“No, Professor, it’s not for Harry. It’s for Draco. He really needs it.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Granger, I cannot allow you to give it to him. Not if he’s going to be you again.”

“What don’t fancy confusing him for me again?” Hermione said teasingly.

“No, Miss Granger, while that has the possibility of being a factor in this decision, it is not my reasoning. His use of the potion is quite dangerous.”

“How so?” asked Hermione, now quite curious about what could be so threatening that Severus would not allow it.

“You are familiar with what Polyjuice does. It affects the body’s chemistry. This includes DNA and hormones,” he said. Hermione’s jaw was slightly agape. “Don’t look so surprised, Miss Granger. I am quite familiar with muggle sciences, especially with their connections to potions use. As I was saying, the potion affects hormone levels. The differences between these levels in males and females are quite great. And thus by changing sex, one would be increasing the lesser hormones, thus completely throwing off a person’s chemical balance. Are you following me, Miss Granger, or do I need to clarify further?”

“No, Severus,” she said, testing his name for a reaction. She did not receive any. “I understand completely. If Draco continues to take this potion then his chemical balance will be equivalent to a female’s.” Hermione smiled for a moment as she thought of some of the consequences of that little fact, Draco with PMS, ewww. She continued, “However, I do not understand what long term effects this will have.”

“Have you heard the muggle term Transgenderism?” Hermione nodded. “Well, Polyjuice has been used for this practice here in the Wizarding world. Draco is on his way to becoming a female with his use of it. If he is in need of more then I know he’s already used it a couple of times, as there was enough in that bottle to last him a few hours. Granted it would take daily doses for quite a long time for the change to be complete, but that doesn’t mean its effects aren’t still hazardous to his health. Especially if the hairs he used where from around your last menses.” Hermione grimaced. “Don’t look so disgusted, Hermione, it’s just at that time your hormones are at their highest levels. Hence the moodiness.”

“You sure seem to know a lot about females, Severus.”

“Of course, I am a potions master. I have to know these things.”

“Well, since you know that it won’t be too damaging to allow Draco one more use of the potion, will you let me take it?” she asked coyly. I’m going to get this one way or another. I am not letting Draco spread rumors about Severus and I to the school.

“Miss Granger, I am afraid, flattery will get you nowhere,” he said grabbing the flask out of her hands.

“Severus, I absolutely need to get this to Draco. He needs it one last time, and he said if I didn’t get it for him, he’d tell the school about us,” she pleaded. When all else fails, blackmail works, even if it comes in the form of begging.

Severus was beginning to look panicked, “Very well then Miss Granger, but I ask that you do not allow him to blackmail you into this again. As discussed-“

“Yes, I knew you’d understand, Severus. Thank You,” she said taking the flask back and leaning in for a quick peck on the lips. She scurried off, potion in hand before her actions registered to either party.
**
**

What in the bloody hell was that for? Severus thought. Surely she did not mean to kiss me. She was merely acting last week in front of Lucius. And he is not here. There’s no need for her to carry on this charade when there’s no one to carry it on in front of. It was just a mistake.

Oh, but what a mistake it was, he thought as he made his way into his office, sitting down at his desk. I really wouldn’t mind her making it again. If only it weren’t a mistake. If only she fehe she same for me as I am feeling for her. Such beauty would never have interest in me.

I must push these thoughts away. They are unhealthy and will cause me to lose my position. As it is, Dumbledore is not happy about the charade. I know he would not be happy if it were more than that. There is no point in dwelling on this.

What about the vision? Surely there was reason for that. Knowing my luck it was merely acquired so that her life would be safe. The fates are not kind enough to bless me with something as happy as this. Besides there will be no need for this charade to make it through to the end of June, Voldemort should be defeated by that point.

Severus, old man, just give it up. There’s no point in all this wishing and daydreaming. It’s never going to happen.