A Sacrifice for Love

Sorry it's been so long... I have been sick and then work has been insanely hectic. Hope you like it. Don't forget to review. When you do, it's like Christmas all over again.

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He stared down at her for a moment in disbelief and then he sneered.

“There is no need to lie, Miss Granger. It doesn’t matter. You threw yourself at me and I took what you offered. It wasn’t even that good.” He said coldly. He slammed the door shut in her face.

She gaped at the door. That was not the reaction she had been expecting. She raised her hand to knock on the door and then his words registered on her brain. Her arm dropped and tears filled her eyes. No, this was not what she had expected at all. She turned and fled.

Harry, Draco, Ron and Pansy were all sitting in the Gryffindor common room when Hermione came in. Her face was streaked with tears. Harry and Ron jumped up.

“What happened, Hermione?” Harry asked almost frantically. So many bad things had happened.

She gave him a vague look and shook her head. “I fucked Snape and he said I wasn’t good. I’m always the best at everything I do. How can he say that?” she said in a dazed voice. She shook her head again and rushed up to her room.

The four in the common room gaped at her retreating figure with mixed emotions. Harry went to follow her, with Ron on his heels but when they reached the staircase, they ran into an invisible wall.

“You fools, the spell doesn’t allow boys in the girls chambers.” Pansy snapped and then pushed past them and went upstairs. She wasn’t sure what she would find or what reception she would get. She and Hermione had never been on the best of terms.

She found Hermione sitting on the edge of her bed, her arms still wrapped around the book, and tears running down her face. Hermione tried to smile at Pansy, but failed.

“Er... was that true, what you said?” Pansy asked uncomfortably.

Hermione laughed, a painful mirthless sound. “Oh yes, I was drunk on Firewhiskey, if it makes you feel better.”

Pansy shook her head. “No, I meant, did he really say that?”

Hermione sighed and wiped her face. “Yes, he did.” She admitted, fully expecting Pansy to laugh at her. Pansy did not.

“Then he is a fool, for lying to you. I can’t imagine you being bad at anything, except flying” Pansy said lightly. Hermione gave her a genuine smile.

“I am good at flying, not like Harry and Ron, but well enough. I don’t really like Quidditch that much though” she confessed. She could tell Pansy was surprised and was a little surprised herself. This was the first time they had ever had an actual conversation if that is what you could call it. It was more than a little awkward.

“Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you.” Pansy offered. Hermione gave her a thoughtful look.

“No one can help but I will tell you anyway. Snape used a potion to wake me up” she said, bending the truth a little bit. “When I woke, I started feeling things for him. I thought it was because of the potion so I tried to find the antidote in this book. First I had to find the potion. I knew the ingredients and all but...” she paused and looked down at the book with a small smile.

“Well, last night I shagged the professor and I told him the potion made me want him.”

Pansy gasped at that part. She knew how sensitive Snape was, how he protected his own feelings behind a wall of ice and that it must have almost killed him to hear that. She knew from what her mother had told her, and what she had seen herself that Severus Snape never let anyone get close to him, even just for sex.

Hermione gave her a wry smile. “Well come to find out, the potion he gave me was similar to a Pepper up Potion. Designed to give me energy and the only know side effect, was cheerfulness. It wasn’t a Snow White Potion at all.” said, tonelessly. “I went to tell him. To tell him that my feelings were my own, that I loved him and-and-and” she began to cry again.

Pansy hugged her, thinking that they had made such a mess of things. Gryffindors and Slytherins just did not belong together at all. She shook her head slightly. Most of them, she amended to herself. She and Ron were perfect together.

“Well, you have both made royal mistakes. Just give him a couple days to calm down-“

“No! I won’t do it. I can’t. I can’t bear it now, how could I in a few days? He will just reject me again. I won’t. Please go now, I want to be alone.” Hermione said forcefully, pulling away from Pansy. Pansy nodded and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a vial and handed it to Hermione.

“It is just a sleeping draught. I found that sleep heals. I had a hard time when my family was killed. If you need anything let me know.” She said before walking out of the dorm room.

Hermione stared at the bottle in her hands, wondering if she should trust Pansy. Deciding she didn’t care if it was a sleeping draught or even poison, she opened the vial and drank the liquid. It actually had a light sweet flavor and immediately, Hermione could feel herself drifting off to sleep.

Soon she became aware of her surroundings. She was in the Great Hall in the middle of the night, almost like when she had been a spirit.

“You couldn’t even do one thing for me. I asked but I should have known a Gryffindor wouldn’t be the right person for the job.” Said a scathing feminine voice.

Hermione turned to find Amy standing behind her. “I- I tried”

“You didn’t. You were so bent on finding the antidote to cure something that didn’t exist. I told him the potion was a Snow White potion so he would kiss you, you stupid bint. I told you it was nothing, just something to make you feel good. I was talking about the bloody cheerfulness. I told you and now look what happened.” Amy ranted.

Hermione scowled. “How was I supposed to know what you had planned? ‘Find him happiness’” she mocked. “How was I supposed to know what you planned? I woke up feeling... feeling things about him all of a sudden. I thought you had tricked me” she screeched.

“Well you don’t have to worry about it anymore because there is no way he will find happiness with you now. You ruined it. You can skip off into your life with Potter and Weasley and not look back.” Amy snarled.

“I can try. He broke my heart, Amy! I loved him!” Hermione said and as she said the words she began to cry. Amy stared at her impassively.

“Like I said, just walk away and don’t look back. You don’t owe me anything anymore. I absolve you of your obligation. I will find else he can love. He would have gotten bored with you anyway.” She said silkily.

Hermione stared at her with shocked eyes. “Yes,” she said tonelessly and Amy knew she had won. Hermione would not chase him now. Hermione began to fade as she began to wake and soon she was completely gone. Amy stared at the place she had been with a smirk.

“That was harsh, wasn’t it? I thought you wanted them to get together.” Amy turned to find a handsome young man behind her.

“I do, but she ruined everything with that Snow White Potion nonsense. I thought she was supposed to be the brightest witch in ages? I just don’t see it.”

The young man smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Of course you don’t. She isn’t a Slytherin. If she was, you would have said she was bloody brilliant.” He teased. She tossed her head angrily.

“After this mess, I wouldn’t. I would say she belonged in Hufflepuff, but even I wouldn’t insult them that much. Maybe she does belong in Gryffindor.” She smirked at him.

“Well, then what are you going to do?” the young man asked curiously, ignoring the implied insult to his House.

She smiled and took his hand, kissing him on the lips. “Oh no, I’m not telling you. I still have my plans.” She sighed suddenly.

“He loves her so much, doesn’t he?” she asked, somewhat plaintively.

The young man pulled her close and kissed her. “Well he is not the first Professor to fall for a student or likely the last. Let’s just hope they are both alive when he realizes it.”

Amy laughed and they disappeared.

Hermione woke, feeling drained and upset. She would get passed this, she vowed to herself. She would not let him ruin her last year at Hogwart’s. A grim smile passed her lips.