Hold Me Close

Temptation

Hermione trudged back up to the castle. She knew Severus had wanted her to stay with him, and, badly as she wanted to stay with him, she just could not. She was going to stay the night at Hogwarts, have breakfast with Ginny, and then she was off to The Burrow, where she was to meet up with Ron and Harry so they could go to Godric’s Hollow. She figured since she told Ginny her primary purpose for returning to Hogwarts was to visit her, she needed to actually visit with her.


She followed the familiar path up to her former Head of House’s Private chambers. She thought that given the hour, well after eight, the professor would most likely be in her rooms.
Hermione knocked softly on the door, which was answered moments later by Minerva McGonagall, in her standard tartan dressing gown and cap.


“Yes, Hermione?” The older woman said, startling Hermione with her use of Hermione’s given name.


“Sorry to bother you, Profess--er-- Minerva,“ Hermione said quietly, “But I was wondering if you would tell me the password to get into Gryffindor Tower. You see, I plan to leave in the morning, just after breakfast, and I wanted to say goodbye to Ginny and my friends in seventh year in case I don’t get the chance to before I leave.”


“Why, yes, yes of course, Dear. The password is Cornish Pixie,” Minerva said, smiling.


“Thank you,” Hermione said, returning the smile. She turned to walk the path to Gryffindor Tower. It was going to be very weird for her, seeing her old classmates in the common room studying or doing the homework she would be doing if she were still a Hogwarts student. She would never again be a Hogwarts student. Hermione brushed the thought aside as she approached the painting of the Fat Lady.


The Fat Lady did a double take when she saw Hermione standing before her portrait.


“I haven’t seen you yet this year, Dear, are you well?”


“Yes, I’m fine, thanks. I actually need to get into the common room,” Hermione replied.


“Ah, yes. Rules are rules, though. Password?”


“Cornish Pixie,” Hermione said confidently.

The portrait swung open, allowing her entrance through the portrait hole. For a fleeting moment, Hermione imagined how difficult it would be to maneuver a large, pregnant belly through the opening.


There were a few students in the common room, mostly mere acquaintances. Hermione sat nervously on the arm of one of the overstuffed armchairs, waiting for Ginny, or another sixth year girl to pass through. Just then, portrait hole opened, and Lavender Brown clambered through it. Hermione paled. Lavender had been convinced the previous year that Ron had been cheating on her with Hermione, and Hermione had been the one to get the brunt of her anger.


Lavender scanned the room until her eyes landed on Hermione. Her face twisted into a frown of anger.


“What the hell are you doing here, Granger?” she asked Hermione, hands on her hips. At that moment, Ginny walked down the stairs.


“She’s with me,” Ginny said, eyes level with Lavender’s.


“Students aren’t allowed visitors during the week,” Lavender said, matter-of-factly.


“I am well aware of the rules, Miss Brown. It may interest you to know that Prefects are given certain royalties, one of which is an exemption to the no visitor policy. I suggest you leave my guest alone,” Ginny said, in a voice Hermione had never heard before.


“I didn’t know you got made prefect,” she said, grinning at her friend.


“Well someone had to replace you, silly. You were supposed to be Head Girl from what I hear, but they gave it to Cho Chang when you told McGonagall you weren’t coming back. Gryffindor still needed a prefect though,” Ginny said, smiling back. “Just promise you won’t let Fred and George know.”


“I promise,” Hermione said, giving Ginny a hug.


“You have to come upstairs,” Ginny said, in a mischievous tone Hermione was all too familiar with.


Hermione was right to think Ginny was up to something. Lain out on the four poster bed was a buffet of Butterbeer, mountains of Honeyduke’s sweets, and several cakes and pies likely brought in by house elves. Hermione’s stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten for most of the day. She took two pumpkin pasties and three cauldron cakes. Ginny handed her an open Butterbeer. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took some of the sweet buttery liquid into her mouth.


Two seconds later, Ginny had been sprayed in the face with butterbeer, as Hermione remembered that butterbeer contained alcohol, no matter how little.


“Why the bloody hell did you do that?”


“I uh, just remembered a very funny joke I heard the other day, and It made me laugh,” Hermione trailed off.


“Well, what’s the joke? Come on, share it with us,” Ginny pleaded, Butterbeer in her hair.


“Oh, um, well I really don’t remember it,” Hermione said, tucking into the glass of pumpkin juice she had just poured herself.


“Oh. Uh, Hermione, aren’t you going to drink your Butterbeer?” Ginny asked, looking at her suspiciously.


“Oh, I completely forgot about that,” Hermione lied. “Well I’ve grown rather fond of this glass of pumpkin juice, so I think I will just drink this for now.”


Hermione was beginning to sweat. She did not like the number of questions being pointed at her. What if the girls noticed her belly had gotten rounder? She had to get out of there.


“Girls, I am terribly sorry, but I really need to go and get some sleep. I have a big day tomorrow, want to be rested up for it. Ginny darling, it was so nice to see you, and I will talk to Harry about being more considerate,” Hermione said, smiling kindly.


“Awww, ok ‘Mione. Tell the boys I said hello will you?”


“Yes, I most certainly will. I may see you in the morning before I head out if you are in the Great Hall for breakfast,” Hermione said, turning to leave the sixth year girls’ dormitory and head back down to the dungeons, to sleep in Severus’ bed.


When Hermione entered the bed chamber, she saw movement in the corner. Severus stepped out of the shadows. Hermione gasped.


“How in the name of bloody hell did you get into the castle?” she hissed. “What on Earth are you doing here?”


“There is a secret passage that allows me to come into these chambers undetected by the wards. I always put up my own wards to keep others from entering through that way, and they were still in place, which led me to believe no one has discovered the passage. I am supposed to be keeping night watch in Surrey for signs of Potter alone, but I paid Goyle to do it for me so I could spend the night with you,” Severus told her.


“Severus, I--”


“It is quite alright. I do not expect you to do anything, although I think the both of us could use a warm body to sleep next to tonight,” He said, longing in those eyes of his that had become so much bleaker since the death of Dumbledore. Hermione had never seen this man with such sorrow apparent on his face. She supposed it was only around her that he let his guard down.


“Promise me you will be gone before dawn,” Hermione said.


“I promise I will be gone before dawn,” Severus said, walking to embrace her.


Hermione grabbed her nightgown and headed to the restroom to change into it. She knew if she changed clothes in front of him, she may not be able to stop him….or herself.


When she was changed, she saw that Severus had taken the initiative to ready for bed as well, sitting on the bed in his black silk boxer shorts. He beckoned for Hermione to come to him.


Hermione walked over to the bed and allowed him to wrap his arms around her, holding her close, and the pair fell asleep entangled together, both dreaming of a time that seemed farther and farther away with each sunset.


A/N: I hope you like that chapter…just to forewarn you, the lime with Ron is fast approaching, will either be in next chapter or chapter after, I am going to make it mostly implied, as we don’t really want to see those two together, but it is, however, important to the story, so I cannot cut it out. PLZ R&R lemme know if you like it, and if I should keep writing it.