A Sacrifice for Love

When Pansy came downstairs, she was rushed by all three men, asking different questions. Finally she growled at them and backed away. She told them what Hermione had said and rolled her eyes when two of them began threatening to kill Snape.

“I’ll hex him until he is afraid to come out of his dungeons” Harry threatened and Draco agreed. Both of them made to leave the common room when a voice of reason stopped them. It was a very unexpected voice.

“No! You can’t do anything to either of them. If they cannot get over it themselves, then they will not believe that their love is true. They will wonder if it is something you made them do.”

Harry and Draco turned to Ron, mulling over his words. Finally, they both nodded, making Ron sigh with relief. If they had not decided to listen to him, he had decided to hex them. He didn’t think they would be too pleased with him then.

Although Harry and Draco had heeded Ron’s words, the next month made them regret they hadn’t faced down Snape when they had the chance. Hermione had come down the next day acting if nothing had happened but she was more aloof and fragile seeming. She did well in all of her classes, including Double Potions, but sometimes she seemed really far away.

She spent more time in the Library, if that was possible and her partner was usually Neville Longbottom. He made her smile and laugh, mostly because he didn’t know what was wrong with her. He thought her melancholy was due to her near death experience. Harry and the others were very careful about what they said to her, although she knew they didn’t mean to make a big deal of it. Neville on the other hand, treated her as he always had.

She wasn’t the only one to have changed. Snape had, if possible, grown colder and more difficult overnight. He was harsher in class than he had ever been and that was saying a lot, but he completely ignored Hermione. It was if she didn’t exist in his classroom. The other students had noticed it and most of them had decided it was because he did not like to be beholden to anyone for anything.

Hermione didn’t let it bother her. Potions was the only class she did not raise her hand in and she usually worked in silence. To the surprise of everyone, she made Neville become her partner and since then, he hadn’t blown up any cauldrons. To Neville’s delight being Hermione’s partner made Snape ignore him as well.

Finally one day, Harry and the others, minus Hermione, were in the common room and Ron blew up.

“I can’t stand this anymore. She is like a ghost and she avoids us like the bloody plague. It is all his fault and we have to do something”

Harry and Draco immediately agreed. They had wanted to do something a month before. Pansy stopped them before they left the common room with wands drawn.

“Fools. Think about this. They are unhappy because they are apart. So how do we make them happy again? And besides, do you think you three will be a match for Snape... and if you were do you think you could face Hermione after?” she asked as if they were children.

Draco grinned. “We get them together again. Gods, Pansy, I was starting to act like a bloody Gryffindor, jumping before I saw how far down it was. If I start doing that again, hex me” he said half serious. She grinned at him and turned to Ron and Harry, who had paled at the thought of an angry Hermione.

“So what can we do?” she asked them. They discussed several different plans before coming up with one that was the least messy. And if it backfired, then they wouldn’t get hurt too badly by Snape or Hermione.

First they had to get Hermione to spend more time with them. Harry and Ron went up to the Library and talked to her, apologizing for the way they had been acting. It was heartfelt and emotional but she forgave them and promised to spend more time with them. She told them she was working on a project with Neville for Potions. She seemed to be happier than she had been in a while.

The next day they put their plan into motion.




Snape began to hate his job. He hadn’t liked it much in the first place but now he despised it. Every day when she came into class, he fervently wished he had resigned the day before. With his temper always on edge he became even darker and crueler in class to students but he couldn’t bear to treat her that way.

He wasn’t sure if it had been the sobs he had heard that night as she ran from his door, or the hateful lying words that made him feel so guilty but he couldn’t bear to hurt her any more than he already had. It wasn’t her fault, he told himself, she was caught by the potion that he had given her.

So he ignored her. He pretended she was not in the classroom, which was surprisingly easy to do. She didn’t raise her hand in the classroom anymore, asking her infinitely annoying questions. She worked silently, usually with Longbottom, which made him angrier. When they were partners, it was impossible to bully Longbottom and ignore Hermione. It would have made it more obvious. He didn’t realize everyone was already aware of the way he treated her.

The day after Hermione’s friends had come up with a plan, Snape was in an even worse mood if that were at all possible. He had dreamed of her the night before. She had been riding him, her hot, wet sheathe encasing him tightly. She had moved so slowly on top of him, teasing him with that knowing smirk. He had woken alone and sticky for the fourth morning in a row.

This morning he had her seventh year class for two hours. They came in, most of them on time. Those that were not were deducted House points immediately. When Hermione had come in the door, she was with Malfoy. He had his arm linked with hers and she was smiling up at him. They were talking in quiet murmurs and she laughed at something he said.

Snape felt his stomach tighten and it took all of his will power stay in his seat and not beat the snot out of the blonde brat. When Malfoy kissed her cheek, he saw red.

“A hundred points from Slytherin.” He snarled, to the surprise of almost everyone there. Only four faces didn’t seem surprised, or all that unhappy, despite two of them being in Slytherin.

“But why, Professor? Who did something?” Pansy called out, tentatively.

He turned a fierce glare in her direction and was pleased when she shrank in her seat.

“For forgetting your House pride and consorting with Gryffindors” he growled. Suddenly there was a noise from the door. The classroom went deadly silent. No one dared to breathe much less talk. Snape turned and saw that Longbottom had been late and was trying to slip in unnoticed.

“A hundred from Gryffindor as well having such a dunderhead as Longbottom.” He said. Neville paled and looked up. This was the first time Snape had said anything to him for almost a month.

“And I think you will be working alone, today, Longbottom. I believe you have held on to Miss Granger’s coat tails long enough. She will not get you a passing grade.” He said in a low dangerous voice.

Neville immediately nodded and moved to another desk. He gave Hermione a frantic look but she smiled slightly and nodded encouragingly. Snape, again, pretended he did not see her. He began to pace the front of the classroom, his cloaks billowing behind him, lecturing on the potion they were about to prepare.

The students were listening intently and finally he waved his wand and the instructions appeared on the board. He did not miss the look of relief on Longbottom’s face when he saw what potion they were brewing today. He frowned and looked at Hermione. She had already begun her preparations and was not paying attention to anyone else. Snape turned back to Longbottom and saw he was doing the same. He sat at his desk and leaned back in his chair. The Memoranda Potion was difficult and quite explosive at several different stages. He fully expected to be entertained.

He watched all of the students, not surprised when Potter and Weasely’s potion failed before they had gotten to the fourth stage. They were both hopeless at potions. His eyes turned unwillingly to someone who was not. She was almost finished, which didn’t surprise him.

He examined her for a moment. She was paler than normal and her eyes had dark rings around them, like she hadn’t been sleeping. She also looked like she had lost weight. He cursed silently to himself. He needed to find the cure for the potion soon. He had searched all the books he could think of and none of them mentioned a Snow White Potion.

He watched everyone carefully and became unsettled when he saw Longbottom hadn’t melted his cauldron yet. In fact, it looked as if he was brewing it correctly. He immediately stalked over to him and pointed his wand at him.

“Who are you?” he demanded. Neville looked up at him with surprise and no little amount of fear.

“N-Neville L-Longbottom” he stuttered, looking at Snape as if he were insane.

“Impossible” he growled, disbelievingly. The others in the class gaped at him.

“Class dismissed.” He snarled. They didn’t waste any time gathering their things and racing for the door. Potions had become even more unbearable in the last month or so. Neville didn’t move. He was frozen by the anger that Snape was demonstrating and, of course, because of the wand pointed at his head.

“Who are you?” Snape repeated. “The real Neville Longbottom would have melted the cauldron at the second stage when Root of Carrow was added.”

Neville stared at him in astonishment. Snape did not think he was himself because he hadn’t messed up. If he hadn’t been so scared of the man in front of him, he would have laughed.

“I have been tutoring Neville for the last month. This is one of the potions we have gone over together.” Hermione said from the door. She had left with the others but had decided to rescue Neville.

Snape stiffened and turned his head to the door. She stood there like an avenging angel, ready to carry her charge away from the evil villain. Neville had been watching Snape carefully. He wasn’t going to take his eyes from the man in front of him and so he didn’t miss the expression on Snape’s face when he saw Hermione.

Neville had not thought he could be any more stunned than he was already but he was. If he wasn’t mistaken, he had seen a certain look pass over Snape’s face when he saw her and he had seen that look before. It was the same look Harry had for Ginny and that Ron had for Pansy. Was Snape in love with Hermione? He didn’t have time to ponder on the question because Snape had moved away.

“Very well, Mr. Longbottom. It looks as though you have a reprieve. Go!”

Neville didn’t hesitate but grabbed his things and ran. When he got out of the room, he noticed Hermione was gone. He stopped and considered what he had seen. Or what he thought he had seen, because he wasn’t sure he believed it anymore. It had to have been his imagination. No one would ever believe it anyway.


Hermione wasn’t stupid. She knew what her friends had planned. It wasn’t hard to figure out over the next few days. Whenever there was a chance Snape was going to be around, Draco acted like he was courting her. He was sweet and considerate and she didn’t mind for two reasons. One, she liked Draco and the attention and two, she loved seeing Snape’s face when he saw Draco hanging on her.

There was no way Slytherin was going to win the House Cup this year. Snape had taken too many points from Draco for so many things but for only one reason, his attention to Hermione. Hermione didn’t consider this as proof Snape had feelings for her. It was just another way for him to make her feel unwanted and hopeless.

With that in mind, she threw herself into Draco’s arms at every opportunity. Especially if the Potions Professor was nearby. She never let it go further than kissing with Draco although Draco said some naughty things that hinted to the others that they had done more. It was only said when Snape was in hearing range.

Draco was obviously pleased with it. He had a crush on Hermione and when she acted like this he could almost pretend it was him she had feeling for. Harry and Ron were not sure it was working. To them, it looked like she was trying to get back at him for what he had done. The plan had been to make Snape jealous enough that he would finally tell Hermione that he loved her.

Pansy knew it wasn’t working at all. She could see that Snape was becoming angrier and more hurt with every action and so was Hermione. She hid it well but Pansy could tell that every time he turned away or took points from Draco that it hurt her. She thought he was doing it because he didn’t want her to be happy. She didn’t see it was jealousy.

Pansy finally decided to take matters into her own hands. She had thought the plan might work but she should have known better. It was men that had come up with the plan. Something more drastic had to be done. That night when everyone had retired to the common room, she slipped out and made her way to Snape’s office.

During her first six years at Hogwart’s she had found Snape had a routine. It wasn’t obvious to most people but then most people didn’t bother to wonder about the Potion Professor’s life. Each night he would grade the multitude of essays in his office until after curfew and then he would stalk the halls, looking for students.

She opened his office door and slipped inside.

“How may I help you, Miss Parkinson?” he asked without looking up from the essay he was reading.

“Petrifictus Totalis” she said using the body bind spell. Snape’s body stiffened and straightened. She winced when he fell out of his chair.

With the help of the levitating charm she moved him upright and winced again at the look in his black eyes.

“I apologize, Professor, but I didn’t think you would sit through what I have to say. First, you have been a complete and utter ass. Hermione Granger, the girl who gave her life for you, is not completely miserable because of you. Did you wonder why she did that? Why she threw herself in front of the Killing Curse to save you? Well, we all did and the only conclusion I can come up with is... She loves you.”

She held up her hand “No, no, don’t deny it. You think it is because of the potion. Well I have seen the research from the potion and I can tell you, the A.S. Studying Potion would not make someone fall in love with you. Not hopelessly like she is. And no she isn’t seeing Draco. That was just a plan to make you jealous.”

She laughed. “I do think perhaps Hermione belongs in Slytherin because the way she is doing you is just so sly and cruel. Do you really think she actually kisses Draco when you aren’t skulking around? Not that he doesn’t wish, but she had better taste than that.”

She watched him for a moment, seeing he wasn’t quite as angry as he had been, and that he was actually listening. She sat on the edge of his desk.

“She was coming to tell you she loved you, that it wasn’t the potion. She couldn’t face her feelings so she blamed it on the potion and you had to be a stupid git and tell her she wasn’t a good shag. You are just lucky she didn’t fall into someone else’s arms so she could prove you wrong.”

“We know you love her. We see it in the way you look at her, the way you avoid her, the way you get so angry with Draco. We see it and she doesn’t. Now, she sees someone who only wants to hurt her. If you want her, then you will have to fight to get her back. If you need help, then I would suggest you begin to ask her friends who know her so well.” She finished softly.

She looked in his eyes and saw he looked thoughtful. She grimaced and raised her wand.

“Finite Incantantrium”

He surged to his feet and grabbed her by the throat.

“If you ever do that again, Pansy Parkinson, I will make you wish you were never born. Do you understand?” At her nod, he let her go. “Get back to your room” he hissed.

She nodded rubbing her throat. As she was leaving his office, he called her name.

“Pansy? ... Two hundred points to Slytherin for that remarkable show of Gryffindor courage.”