The Hepatic Hex

Chapter 10

Hermione woke with the next day, cursing the light that was flooding over her bed and threatening to gouge her eyes out with its brightness. She had only had 4 hours sleep having spent the whole of her previous evening absorbed in the texts that Artemis had sent her. Had her thoughts been focused maybe she would have finished her research in only a couple of hours. In reality, her mind was focused on one thing and it wasn’t the work that was so critical for the wizarding world.

‘Severus.’ The word had played as a mental broken record through her mind the whole night. askeasked me to call him Severus.\' The thought made her giggle to herself. She had called him Severus only in her dreams and never believed for one second that her dream would actually come true. Even though she was aware that he had only permitted such circumstance in private, she believed that maybe, just maybe, it would allow him to see past her station as a student and see her as a woman and colleague.

‘No chance of him seeing you as a colleague if you don’t start focusing on the bloody problem instead of daydreaming about all the experimental research that you would like to do with him on the effectiveness of lust potions’ She thought.

Groaning, Hermione got out of bed and showered, dressed in a plain forest green set of robes and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, before leaving for breakfast in the Great Hall.

Hermione found herself grateful upon entering the Great Hall and sitting down at her house table, that Harry and Ron were absorbed with the other Gryffindors in conversation over the wizards chess competition that would continue that day. It meant that she did not have to draw herself from her mental fantasies to engage in idle chitchat with them. Instead Hermione let her eyes wonder over the head table discreetly while enjoying her caffeine boost for the morning. All the Professors were there except Professor Trelawney, teacher of Divination, who refused to come down from her tower because she believed it interfered with the reception of divine messages that the spirits were trying to impart to her. Hermione snorted at the thought.

Looking again she noticed Professors Sinistra, Sprout and Flitwick engaged in conversation. ‘Interestinat wat would be’ she thought. ‘Astronomy vs. Herbology vs. Charms. I would love to in on that discussion.\' Next along sat Professor Hagrid engaged in deep conversation with Remus Lupin who had returned last year as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor after the death of Sirius Black in her fifth year. ’Hagrid is no doubt discussing with pride the latest of his scary magical creature babies.’ Hermione mused. ’I suppose that Hagrid reasons that because Remus is a werewolf he is interested in all of the dangerous creatures he keeps as pets. I wonder if he realizes that Fluffy still gives me nightmares. Who keeps a bloody three headed 15 foot dog as a pet anyway?’

Moving her gaze along she noticed Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall giggling and whispering to each other like a pair of teenagers. ‘How Sweet’ she thought has her eyes continued on their journey over Madams Hooch and Pomfrey to lock on a pair of onyx eyes staring straight back at her intensely.

It was him. ‘Severus’.

The look that he was giving her sent shivers down her spine. She was expecting him to scowl at her when she realized that she had been staring back at him unwaveringly, but it never . In. Instead he merely inclined his head slightly at her in silent acknowledgement before standing and exiting the hall. Hermione stared at his retreating form until she was brought out of her reverie by a familiar owl landing in front of her with a package tied to its leg.

“Your Mistress doesn’t waste any time does she Aego.” Hermione said as she handed the bird her left over bacon before untying the package that she stuffed in one of her robe pockets, and reading the letter that came attached to it.

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Dearest Hermione,

I was surprised to receive an owl from you so soon after the last. I don’t know exactly what is going on there, but it must be serious with all the queries you have sent and the help you have asked for. Usually it is the other way around. I have sent an item that may help with the research you are doing (why cayou you tell me what is going on? I am going crazy thinking that you are gravely ill or something).

I am intrigued as much as you are about why this professor of yours seems so interested in me. Maybe if you would tell me his name I could answer you - or failing that ask my parents. Seriously though ‘Moine, I need to know this person’s name for the safety of my family. For all I know he could be working for the Dark Lord and you know how imperative it has been for us to hide all these years.

On the other hand, I can’t help but notice a trace of, shall we say, possessiveness and jealousy, in the tone of your last note when you mention this person’s interest in me. It wouldn’t be that Professor of yours now would it? Ha! Like you would admit it anyway!

I hope that my gifts provide you with some answers. Please owl me again soon. It is so very important that I know the identity of this person – especially if he is the one you have fallen for. I only want to keep us all safe.

Hope to hear from you soon.
Your friend as always,
With Love,

Artemis.
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Sighing Hermione tucked her letter away in her pocket and sent Aego on her way, before rising and heading down to the dungeons. On her way she thought intently on what Artemis had written. Hermione knew of course that Severus Snape was not one of Voldemort’s monsters- well hadn’t been for about 20 years anyway. What would be his interest in her then if not for the benefit of relaying information to his now former Master though? Shrugging at the thought she decided that it would probably be for the best if she told Artemis that it was indeed Professor Snape that was asking after her. She thought that it might help her concentration if she also had someone to talk to about her feelings for the man she was working in such close proximity with. Its not like she knew who he was anyway. Artemis wouldn’t judge her like she expected Harry and Ron would if she told them she was in love with the ‘greasy, over-grown bat, bastard and Master of all things slimy’ that all the other students (and staff for that matter) saw him as.

Hermione also thought that maybe it was in Artemis’ own best interests that she enlighten her as to the situation the wizarding world was facing. Living solely amongst Muggles she would not have been exposed to the infectious curse that was spreading like wildfire throughout their population. Informing her of the problem would ensure that she would not be tempted to come into contact with anyone from their world and keep her safe. Hermione realized that she should have told Artemis the problem as soon as she became aware of it. If Artemis had become exposed, she would have felt at blame. Yes, tonight she decided, she would owl her friend and come clean about everything. Everything.

Hermione was so deep in thought over all this that she did not notice the parchment of Artemis’ letter fall out of her pocket as she hurried on her way. Nor did she notice the darkly clad figure step silently out of the shadows and pick up the correspondence and she most certainly didn’t notice when he opened the letter and read it’s contents. If she had noticed she would have seen a myriad of emotions pass over the face of her Potions Master.

He had left the Great Hall in well-hidden urgency when he had realized that he had been staring at Hermione and she had caught him at it. Once he had stepped outside the teacher’s entrance door though he had become conscious of the fact that she had been staring back at him. He had shrunk back into the nearest darkened corner of the entrance hall to collect his thoughts and mentally chastise himself for behaving as a school boy when he noticed her walk out of the hall so close to him that he could smell the vanilla and coconut scent that was distinctly Hermione.

Then he observed something fall from her pocket. Parchment. It smelled of owl. ~‘Of course’~ he thought ~‘probably from that friend of hers’.~ He knew that it was morally wrong to read the correspondenceotheothers. He knew that Hermione would see it as an offensive invasion of privacy if he did so. He should really just give it back to her unopened and unread. The Death Eater im tim though screamed at him to stuff the morals involved and read the letter. This internal battle of conscience lasted only a moment though. He was so desperately intrigued with Artemis De la Rosa and her relationship with Hermione Granger that he uncharacteristically let the Death Eater’s opinion override his sense of gentlemanly sensibility and read the note with interest.

If anyone had been watching him as he read they would first have seen a smirk cross his face as he read the firsw liw lines, thinking about how typically “girly” it was. Next they would have seen concern, closely followed by anger from embarrassment as he struggled with the thought that Hermione had told her friend that he had been asking about her. The anger slowly built to raging disbelief that her friend seemed to think that her family may be in danger from him. ~’Well she doesn’t know what your name is yet.’~ The thought caused him to calm slightly. The girl was right, for all she did know he could be trying to find out about her to relay information to the Dark Lord former.

Lastly, if anyone had been watching Snape as he finished the letter, they would have called the “Daily Prophet” to come and photograph the sour Potions Master as for the first time in history, he publicly displayed that he was capable of more than just scowling. As he completed reading the letter, his jaw dropped and he looked about in utter shock and bewilderment.

‘Possessiveness and jealousy, …Professor of yours… the one you have fallen for.’ He read the lines over and over again. ‘It can’t be possible.’ He thought, but was secretly hoping that the assumption he had made, that he was the Professor she had fallen for, was correct.

He pocketed the note and let the first true smile in 30 years cross his face as he walked lightly but determinedly, to his dungeons. Today was going to be a good day.