It Starts With A Dance

Oliver's week of house arrest passed without incident. As Severus was in charge of his confinement, and didn't want to teach flying lessons himself, Oliver still performed in his official capacity. By the end of the week, Hermione had not one but three owls from Tobin MacCair. She smiled as she recognized the small barn owl that belonged to Tobin, winging its way through the Great Hall, over the students heads, and landing in front of Oliver.


"Hullo, Mealey!" Hermione said as the owl preened while Oliver read Tobin's letter. "Does your mistress want to come here?"


Olive blushed and shook his head before he realized that Hermione was referring to Mealey's owner, not the love-struck girl form the Ministry.


"So, did Tobin help you while you were confined at the Ministry?" Hermione said, her interest piqued. Severus put down the issue of 'Potions Gits Weekly' or whatever he was reading down so he could listen better. "Did she feed you ickle bits of food?"


"Hermione. Stop that. Are you the one that invited Tobin here?" Oliver said, folding his letter and sliding it under his plate.


"Perhaps. She wants to learn more about how Tonks and I became Aurors," Hermione offered. "And I figured that an extra mind wouldn't hurt in the hunt for your puppeteer. Besides, she was there with you when he slipped you the potion."


"Hermione, perhaps I would rather she not be here simply because of that. She could be a target, too," Oliver said, annoyed. He didn't often get annoyed with Hermione, so he obviously cared for the younger girl.


"I'm sorry, Oliver. But it can't be helped. She's already been invited, and I won't turn her away. And if you want to keep her safe, she couldn't be safer anywhere else," Hermione said softly, and Oliver nodded.


"I know. But I'm still angry that you did this without my consent."


"I know. Guess we all need to get to class, then. See you at dinner, Oliver," Hermione said, getting out of her seat.


"Won't you be here for lunch?" Oliver asked, stunned by her demeanor.


"No. Severus and I are having lunch in the labs. So we can find a way to trace the potion."


With that, Hermione left the hall for her classroom, praying that her students would behave without too much tooth-pulling.

555555

Phantasma Lestrange was getting on Hermione's nerves. The girl was too clever, and too . . . something. Hermione couldn't put her finger on it, but the girl chilled her. From her changeable eyes to coquettish mannerisms, the girl would be trouble, no matter what.


"Phantasma, I have a project for you. It involves working with a classmate. I've noticed that while your written assignments are of a high caliber, your practical maneuvers are lacking. I've arranged for you to study with Tonks and Wally Longbottom. She'll teach you to duel and help you hone your skills," Hermione said, and she knew in her heart that she was doing that to get the unsettling girl out of her hair.


"Yes, mud~ I mean, Professor Granger," Phantasma dropped a bare curtsy and trotted out, leaving Hermione wanting to smack her.


"I think you need something to eat, my dear," Severus's silky voice flooded Hermione head, and she groaned. He liked to invade her mind whenever possible, from summoning her to his chambers to making naughty comments during staff meetings. Tonks and Minerva seemed to enjoy her responses, but Remus just looked sympathetic.


Hermione threw things into her bag and left her classroom, charming the doors locked after herself as she made her way to the labs in the dungeons.

55555

Severus was bent over a cauldron when Hermione arrived. She dropped her bag and crept up beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She inhaled his musky, male scent, and thanked whatever gods there were that she had him. She wasn't sure when she'd decided she wasn't ever leaving him, but it must have been recently. Or perhaps it was during that first dance. It didn't matter to her.


Severus stirred the contents of the cauldron and sighed, giving himself over to her embrace. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe and away from the world, away from all the prying eyes and loose lips. Make her his, take her to his family manor. He just had to wait until she was ready.


"Severus, what is this potion supposed to do?" Hermione said, peering into the cauldron.


"Wolfsbane, for Remus. I can't think of any mere potion that could help us find Oliver's puppeteer. Other than the one that told us what potion was controlling him," Severus said, savoring the feel of her arms around him, her hands reaching up and kneading his shoulders and back. "I decided that making a useful potion was better than wracking my brain for a potion that doesn't exist."


"How can a counter or tracer potion not exist?" Hermione said, concerned.


"Black water can only be countered by physically removing the potion. I don't know why the counter doesn't exist, or why there is no tracer. But Hermione, the potion itself isn't supposed to exist. I think we have to study his memories and glean what we can from them," Severus said, turning in the embrace and holding her tight against himself.


"What do we do, other than that?"


"We wait."