She Said What?

oh look. here we are back again. i\'m sure you\'ve all been chomping at the bit for it. sorry. no smut this time around either. wasn\'t in the mood. nope. sorry. maybe next time. for the record, this is not my idea..... i mean... the premise of the story is, but the characters and places aren\'t. they belong to the wonderfully talented j.k. rowling. i\'m not stealing from her, merely borrowing to try and entertain you folks. not making any money off this, either. just for enjoyment. please don\'t hurt me.

as i stated earlier, there\'s no smut in this chapter. in fact, there are very few warnings i can give, with possible exception of harry and draco in a closet. please, if the exploitation of defenceless closets offends you, read no further.

finally, if you find you like this, please feel free to let me know. i do so enjoy the feedback and knowing that i\'m actually entertaining you means more to me than just about anything.


Chapter Sixteen: Hell Hath No Fury
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione stepped into the Hospital Wing, Harry\'s hand clutched tightly in hers. It was silent and, as she looked around, she saw that there was no one in any one of the beds. That didn\'t bode well, as there was always someone laid up in the Infirmary.She glanced at Harry with apprehension in her eyes. He looked grim, but he patted her hand reassuringly before giving it a tight squeeze. She managed a smile before turning to face the room once more. Madam Pomfrey was just stepping out of her office, a very unhappy look on her face. She had her wand in one hand and a few pamphlets in the other.

\'Miss Granger,\' she said curtly, her eyes narrowing on Harry where he stood. \'Thank you so much for coming in such a timely manner. Now, if you\'ll please....\'

\'What the bloody hell is this all about, Madam?\' Hermione demanded, not moving an inch from where she stood. Harry cast his friend a quick, sidelong glance, his shock evident on his face. None of the students ever dared speak to the Medi-Witch that way. Shock slithered across Poppy\'s face for a moment before a tight mask of professional nothing took up residence there. She pointed to a bed silently.

Hermione refused to move. She was tired of having people simply order her about. She was, for all intents and purposes, a grown woman. She was married and had wild, terrific sex with a man who knew exactly what went where and how fast or hard to use it. She was of age to do as she pleased. She wasn\'t about to be bullied or ordered around by anyone. Not anymore.

\'Miss Granger, I won\'t tell you again. Come lay down on this cot!\' Madam Pomfrey ordered, a hint of anger creeping into her voice.

\'And I won\'t do so until you tell me just what the bloody hell is going on here,\' Hermione answered crisply.

\'Mr. Potter,\' Poppy turned her attention to Harry. He immediately flushed. \'Perhaps you can convince your girlfriend to do as she\'s told.\'

\'Oh, I don\'t think so,\' Harry shook his head, trying hard not to laugh. Hermione knew what he found amusing, but she didn\'t share his laughter. Poppy frowned at him and turned back to Hermione.

\'Miss Granger, as the resident Medi-Witch, it is my duty to ensure that all of the students at Hogwarts are in perfect health. Every moment of every day. You are here to be examined. I suggest you get over here and lay on this cot so that I may do my job,\'

\'And what am I to be examined for?\' Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the other woman, a niggling suspicion working its way into her brain. Ronald Weasley was going to wish he\'d never opened his damned mouth about this. She was going to ensure that he never had the opportunity to produce offspring of his own for doing this to her.

\'As the Medi-Witch of the school, it is my duty to ensure that none of my students are...\' Poppy\'s voice trailed off and she faltered, trying to find the appropriate words.

\"Are what? Not pregnant? Not knocked up? Not engaged in illicit affairs in the darkened corners of the halls? Not fucking like rabbits? Not giving in to their hormone riddled bodies and doing the horizontal twist?\' Hermione asked, one eyebrow cocked skyward in silent challenge. She thought she heard Harry choke next to her and she was sure, given the look on Poppy\'s face, that the older woman was going to stroke out on her.

\'Very well. Since you\'re being so blunt,\' Madam Pomfrey heaved a breath and moved forward. \'Yes, I want to make sure you\'re not pregnant. Given the rumors circulating and your obvious attachment to Mr. Potter here, I believe the tests are warranted.\'

\'You want to make sure I\'m not pregnant? Why didn\'t you just bloody well say so? There\'s no reason for you to go about this the hard way,\' Hermione snarled and released Harry\'s hand. Slowly, her back ram-rod straight, she marched across the floor to where Madam Pomfrey awaited her. With a jerky gesture, the Medi-Witch motioned to the cot she stood by. Hermione frowned, but laid down on it and waited impatiently for the entire thing to be over with. She had places to be and people to hex.

~*~

\'Well, Miss Granger,\' Poppy sighed and put up her wand, her face holding a curious mixture of relief and disappointment. \'All of my tests show that you are not pregnant....\'

\'As I bloody well told you,\' Hermione snapped and sat up, righting her clothing. Harry was sitting in a chair nearby, trying hard to keep the smirk off his face.

\'But that doesn\'t mean that I\'m through with you yet,\' Poppy snapped and leveled a glare at the rebellious Gryffindor girl. \'Seeing as you are apparently going at it hot and heavy with Mr. Potter here, I\'m going to dispense some contraceptive potions to you. One a day, in the morning. Every morning. Should you miss one, the results could be disastrous.\'

\'Even if I were to skip one, the results wouldn\'t be evident until well past the day I leave this school,\' Hermione snapped angrily, climbing from the cot to stand and glower at Madam Pomfrey with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Harry thought the gesture was so evidiently Snape and was surprised that he seemed to be the only one who noticed it. \'Which, I must say, is starting to look better and better as the days pass. Everyone in this bloody place has lost their damned mind! What I do, and with whom, is my business. No one else\'s.\'

\'There\'s no need to become hostile with me, Miss Granger. I am only looking after your welfare!\' Poppy shot back. The comment brought a snort from Hermione and Harry thought perhaps his friend was about to turn into a seriously raging bitch. Snape had been a prat to her. Ron had been an even bigger prat to her. And now the school Medi-Witch was being a prat. Add onto that the gossip flying back and forth between all the students and it was the perfect recipe for Hermione to finally blow her top and start throwing hexes around indiscriminately. At the moment, he wasn\'t sure who her first target would be. But something told him he wanted to remain on her pleasant side until this mess was all sorted out.

\'Something I\'m perfectly capable of doing on my own!\' she retorted. \'Has it not entered your mind that perhaps I knew I was not presently carrying a child because I had already taken precautions to the contrary before engaging in any kind of sexual relations? With anyone!\'

Harry made that choking sound again and Poppy had this look on her face that bespoke of her doing just that. The idea that a student would take their own precautions was something she\'d never thought of and it showed. Madam Pomfrey sputtered for an answer, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable. She recovered rather quickly, though, and her face took on a mask of professionalism that hid her true feelings. \'Never the less, Miss Granger. I am still the one in charge of your health and, as such, you will take the required potions from me. You will used them until you are out of this school. There has never been an instance of a student getting pregnant on school grounds and I intend to see that record stands while I\'m the head Medi-Witch on staff.\'

\'Get on with it, then,\' Hermione replied coldly. \'There are people I must see and places I must go today.\'

Madam Pomfrey stared a moment, then gave a curt nod and turned. She walked back to her office with a crisp step, her back as straight as Hermione\'s. It was obvious she was rattled by this encounter. Harry had to admit he\'d never seen his best friend act like this and, had Poppy not just confirmed that Hermione wasn\'t pregnant, he\'d have to wonder if there wasn\'t truth to that rumor.

When the older woman had disappeared into her office, Hermione turned and gave Harry a frighteningly calm and emotionless look. \'Ronald Weasley is going to wish he\'d never been born when I get through with him,\' she told him, her voice sounding almost cheerful.

Harry decided he actually felt sorry for Ron. He thought he might even feel sorry for Snape, for that matter.

Poppy returned in a few moments with a small box in her hands. Wordlessly, she pressed it into Hermione\'s hands. Then she laid the pamphlets she\'d been clutching when they\'d entered on top of the box and gave a strained smile. \'You are one of the brightest Witches to grace Hogwarts since it\'s founding. I would hate to see you have to put what you want aside because of a careless mistake. Please take the potions and read the pamphlets.\'

Hermione stood a moment in silence, then finally nodded her head slowly. Poppy offered a tenative smile, then motioned to the door. \'Thank you for coming, Miss Granger. I\'m glad to see that your common sense hasn\'t turned to pudding because you\'ve found someone to love.\'

Harry and Hermione both choked on that. Madam Pomfrey gave them a curious look, then shrugged and motioned to the door. Hermione shrunk the box down and tucked it into a pocket, then stashed the pamphlets in another. Harry stepped over and took Hermione\'s elbow, then turned her for the door. Poppy watched the two of them go, then shook her head. They were so young and impetuous. The fling would never last.

Just before they reached the doors to the Infirmary, both panels swung open wide and admitted the Headmaster. He smiled at Hermione and Harry as they passed. \'Mr. Potter. Miss Granger. I trust things came out well?\' he asked in a congenial voice.

\'Professor,\' Hermione snapped coldly, glaring at him before she pulled Harry past and the two of them hurried out into the hall. Dumbledore\'s chuckle at Hermione\'s curt manner followed them out into the hall and Harry was certain he heard a growl come from her throat. He didn\'t say a word to her, knowing that to do so would mean a pain worse than death. He simply allowed her to pull him along behind her as she stalked back toward Gryffindor Tower.

They were both silent as they made their way through the winding halls. Hermione was seething by the time they got to the painting of the Fat Lady. She stared at the two of them for a moment, her eyesbrows arched high up on her forehead. It was obvious she was debating on whether she should say something about Hermione\'s extremely cross attitude. But, when Hermione snapped the password to the rooms, the Fat Lady decided better of it and simply swung to the side to allow them to enter.

All noise in the Common Room came to a halt the moment the inhabitants saw the look on Hermione\'s face. From the guilty looks that quickly spread across the room, it was plain that they had been gossiping about her and Harry. She frowned heavily at them and dropped his hand so that she could toss her fists up on her hips as she glared at each and every one of them. \'Just to stop the speculation here and now,\' she snarled. \' I have just returned from the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey has assured me that I am not pregnant. Not that I thought I was.\'

No one said anything. The only noise came from Neville shifting nervously from one foot to another and what sounded like a deep sigh of relief from someone in the back. Harry thought Hermione might have gone at whoever sighed like that, but the Fat Lady\'s painting swung open once more and allowed entrance to one of the people who had most enraged Hermione. Ron stepped in, a handful of second years following him. All of the girls wore the same expression. One of childish yearning and youthful optimism.

\'RONALD WEASLEY!!\' Hermione practically bellowed, freezing the redhead in his tracks. He stared at her, his eyes wide and his face slack with disbelief. In point of fact, most everyone in the Common Room was giving her the same look. No one had ever heard Hermione Granger raise her voice like that before. Ever. So it was a shock and it showed on every face in the room but two. Her own and Harry\'s.

\' `Mione?\' Ron squeaked. The girls tagging after him squealed in fear and promptly hid behind him. If possible, his face got even paler than it usually was.

\'Should you ever again chose to open that disgustingly large mouth of yours and spout off shite about me and my personal life, I will take it upon myself to hex you with the worst thing imaginable,\' she told him.

\'What the bloody hell did I do?\' he asked, genuinely confused. Harry took a step back when he saw her eyes narrow into dangerous little slits.

\'What did you do? Because of your mouth,\' she snarled and advanced on him, one finger jabbing sharply into his chest as she spoke. \'Madam Pomfrey just lectured me on the finer points of using contraceptive potions. This, of course, came after the indignity of having her examine me to determine whether or not I was pregnant. All this happened thanks to that damned gaping hole in your face that you insist is your mouth. I am of the mind that, perhaps, its your arsehole instead because all it does is spew shite!\'

She was shaking when she was done and tears threatened to spill over her eyes. Harry stepped forward silently and slipped his arm around her shoulders. Without a word, he turned her toward the stairs and led her away from everyone. There would be more gossiping going on soon because of this confrontation. Ron, given the expression on his face, hadn\'t thought he\'d done anything wrong. There were times when Harry wondered if his friend thought at all. Ron was his best mate and had been since their first meeting on the Hogwart\'s Express. But there were times when he was as thick as they came. This was one of those times.

Harry waited until they were safely ensconced in Hermione\'s rooms before he said anything to her. Gently he settled her into a chair and then sat across from her and sighed. \'You know he didn\'t mean anything by it, `Mione,\' Harry told her softly.

\'That doesn\'t mean it hurts any less, Harry. He\'s an insensitive and uncaring git and he\'s lucky that I didn\'t hex him then and there,\' she replied, her voice becoming watery.

\'Of course it hurts. It wouldn\'t be so bad if he wasn\'t a friend. But he\'s one of your best friends and, the truth is, he sometimes doesn\'t think about what he says or does. You\'ve known this since our first year here,\' Harry smiled at her.

\'He does muddle things up, doesn\'t he?\' she asked, a faint chuckle bubbling up her throat.

\'And you love him for it,\' Harry reminded her.

\'That doesn\'t mean I\'m going to forgive him this so easy. He\'s going to have to earn it, you know,\' she replied sternly, though she was now smiling slightly. Harry nodded and patted her hands.

\'You wouldn\'t do it any other way,\' he said, a smile breaking over his face.

\'Thanks, Harry. I\'m glad you were here with me today. I don\'t know what I\'d have done if I\'d had to face Madam Pomfrey on my own,\' she smiled at him greatfully.

\' I didn\'t do anything, Hermione. I think you may have given Madam Pomfrey fits, though. I don\'t think there\'s ever been a student to speak to her so in all her years here at Hogwarts. I wouldn\'t at all be surprised if she was, at this very moment, raiding Trelawney\'s stash of cooking sherry so that she can get pissed and forget that she ever called you to down to the Hospital Wing.\'

\' I was a bit on the snotty side, wasn\'t I?\' Hermione blushed as she thought on her behavior.

\'Snotty? Darling, you were a full-blown bitch and it isn\'t likely that Pomfrey or any of the paintings there will ever forget it,\' Harry informed her, a grin on his face that brought laughter bubbling up her throat to spill out into the room joyously.

~*~*~*~*~

\'You wished to see me, Headmaster?\' Severus asked as he stepped into Dumbledore\'s office. The older man was seated behind his desk, a quill in his hand as he bent over a long roll of parchment. The grayed head nodded while his free hand motioned to a chair. Severus knew he wouldn\'t get a word out of the Headmaster until he\'d finished writing whatever it was he was writing, so he sat in the plush chair and stared around the room. Each and every former Headmaster and Headmistress on the wall was eyeing him speculatively. Severus frowned at them and returned his attention to Dumbledore.

\'Good afternoon, Severus,\' the Headmaster nodded, his voice breaking the long silence. Setting his quill down, he gave his full attention to his Potions Master. There was a soft smile on his face that Severus knew was the precursor to a conversation that he didn\'t think he\'d particularly enjoy.

\'Can we skip the pleasantries and go straight to the point, Albus? I have lesson plans to make and papers to grade,\' Severus said, his voice full of boredom.

\'Very well, Severus,\' Albus nodded. He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin while giving his Potions Master a considering look. \'How is your marriage to Miss Granger coming?\'

Severus frowned, his eyes narrowing at the question. He knew that the Headmaster knew what the bloody hell was going on. Albus knew everything that happened in his school. Biting back the nasty retort he wanted to make, Severus merely crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair to glare at his employer. Albus nodded and chuckled. \'She\'s still giving you the cold shoulder, is she?\'

\'She will be serving detention with Minerva for a week because she does not wish to be in my presence,\' Severus snapped gracelessly.

\'No doubt this is brought on by the crass comment you made to her at dinner the other night,\' Albus\' eyes twinkled maniacally at him. Severus\' frown only grew. He wouldn\'t put it past the old goat to know exactly what obscenities Hermione called him in the midst of climax.

\'No doubt,\' Severus agreed in a less than civil tone.

\'Perhaps an attempt at conversation might smooth the way, Severus,\' the Headmaster suggested lightly. Severus scowled at the advice.

\'Seeing as you are now and have always been a bachelor, I fail to understand how you believe you can give me any kind of advice about my marriage, Headmaster,\' he retorted angrily.

\'This has nothing to do with being married or single, Severus. This has to do with being a person. And your wife is a very intelligent individual who needs more than physical stimulation. I\'m quite certain that the sex between you two is most intense. But that doesn\'t excuse not asking her about her day. What her favorite foods and things are. Do you know who her favorite author is? What kind of music she likes to listen to? Where would she like to go on vacation?\'

Severus said nothing, because he knew that Dumbledore already know the answers to those questions.

\'You can\'t ignore that she is a person, Severus. She needs to feel that she\'s desired for her mind as much as she\'s desired for her body,\' Albus informed him gently.

\'She is my wife. Not yours. I shall use her as I will,\' he spat angrily. He didn\'t care what Dumbledore thought of his crass words. He only knew that he was tired of being told how to treat a woman he hadn\'t wanted in the first place. Draco had been bad enough with his flippant reminders that Severus knew nothing about Hermione other than how tight she was around him. Arrogant little git. Now he had to listen to the Headmaster spout his shite about treating Hermione as something other than his own personal sex doll.

\'Using her is a very bad idea, Severus. Miss Granger won\'t like that at all,\' Albus warned.

\'Mrs. Snape,\' he emphasised the words harshly. \'Will have no say in what I do or don\'t do to her. She is bound to me, marked as my property. She knows this. She has known it since the very beginning.\'

\'Do not treat her with any kind of disrespect, Severus,\' Albus intoned lightly, though there was seriousness to be heard in his voice. \'Should you do that, I will not hesitate to get involved. You do not wish to upset me too much.\'

Severus said nothing again, wondering if Dumbledore actually thought he was serious about this. He knew well and good that Hermione was her own person and he\'d never do anything to upset her, no matter his dislike for her. He\'d obviously done or said something wrong already, because she was denying him sex. She was mad as hell and he couldn\'t figure out what had sent her off the deep end. Women, he decided, were fickle creatures and best avoided when they were hormonal or thinking or making pie.

\'Thank you for the sound advice and unwanted warning, Headmaster. I shall, of course, go back to my little corner of the dungeons and ponder what the bloody hell I have done to warrant such cruel punishment as to be forced into marriage with someone who obviously finds me repellant,\' he stood. Dumbledore smiled at him again.

\'Severus, I highly doubt that Miss Granger finds you repellant. If she did, nothing you could have done short of using Imperious on her would have swayed her into your bed,\' Albus looked at the Potions Master over the rim of his half-moon spectacles, his eyes once more twinkling like stars on some kind of narcotic. \'All I\'m trying to tell you is that perhaps now is the time to start thinking upon her as a person and not a body. She\'s obviously as willing to get naked and do the nasty as you are. But do you not think she needs more?\'

Severus choked at the coarse phrasing Albus used and was unable to respond, giving the old man the opening he was looking for. \'Think back to when you were young. You wished to be seen for the sum of your parts. Not the outer packaging. You were, and still are, bitter and disappointed because no one saw you for the person you were inside. Hermione is much the same. She has been the Know-It-All Gryffindor for seven years. Perhaps she simply wishes to be Hermione Granger now. Perhaps she might even wish to be a wife to you. In every capability that goes with that title.\'

Severus stared at his employer, his brain too befuddled at being handed marriage advice from an old goat who\'d never entertained the thought of taking a wife to make any comment straight away. Slowly, his mind began working again and the Headmaster\'s words seeped into the crevices of his gray matter and shock registered. Surely Dumbledore wasn\'t suggesting that he?.....

\'Good day, Sir,\' Severus snapped when the meaning became clear. He turned on his heel and marched out the door without uttering another word. Dumbledore\'s chuckles followed him mercilessly down the spiral staircase.

~*~*~*~*~

The door to the brooms cupboards was shut. Not that it mattered. It opened and closed on silent hinges as if by magic. Luckily, there was no one there to see it do such a thing. As soon as the door shut, a soft voice murmured a silencing spell and a locking spell. A pair of candles flared to life to illuminate the two young men facing one another. Harry smiled and folded his Invisibility Cloak up, setting it on a stool next to the door. Draco sneered at him a moment in typical Malfoy style before his face softened with his own smile.

\'This sucks. I\'ll be so glad when we finish school,\' Draco complained. Harry smiled, because he\'d heard it every other time they\'d met. He knew that it was something he\'d hear until they were finally out of Hogwarts forever. A pair of blankets were already spread across the small square of floor. Harry motioned to the blankets and watched as Draco settled down on them rapidly. His smile turned into a grin and he joined the blond on the floor. Wordlessly, Draco rolled Harry onto his back and settled himself on top of his lover.

\'Are we impatient?\' Harry asked, slipping his arms around Draco\'s neck.

\'Always. You know you drive me to distraction,\' Draco replied, his Malfoy arrogance shining through in his voice. Harry gave him a soft smile and stroked some of the soft white strands away from the pale face above him. Draco noticed a hint of reservation in Harry\'s face and sighed. \'Alright, Potter. Out with it. What bug has crawled up your arse and died?\'

\' I know this is supposed to be our personalt time together, but I was hoping we could talk.\'

\'You want to talk about Granger, don\'t you?\' Draco sighed, his voice now heavy with disappointment and deep dislike.

\'Yes. I\'m worried about her. You know Snape better than I. Is he going to be good to her?\' Harry asked, concern in his voice. Draco sighed again, then rolled off him and settled onto the blankets next to him.

\'Snape is a complicated individual and I won\'t say one way or the other how he\'ll treat her. He\'s just as lost as she is, I\'m sure. Remember that he\'s never been in a situation like this before. But, in my experience, he isn\'t unnecessarily cruel.\'

Harry snorted at that comment, earning him a grin and a light punch to the ribs.

\'Seriously, Harry,\' Draco shrugged, tucking his hands under his head. \'Given enough time, I think Snape will come around. In fact, this might perhaps be the best thing for the both of them. Granger isn\'t completely ugly. She does have a decent figure. For a girl, mind you. But I believe its their intelligence that sees them suited so well to one another. They both need to be stimulated mentally as well as physically.\'

\'Don\'t I know that. Half the bloody time, I haven\'t got the slightest clue what the hell she\'s going on about. At least Snape is smart enough to understand her when she goes off on one of her tangents,\' Harry sighed, rolling his eyes at the memories of encounters from their first year as they surfaced once more.

\'Which she\'s bound to do,\' Draco pointed out evenly. \'She simply has to be right all the time.\'

Harry jabbed Draco in the ribs for his comment, which was followed by a muffled \'ooof\' and a slight giggle. \' Is that all you have, Potter?\'

\'No, it isn\'t. I\'ll show you just what I do have,\' Harry snarled and rolled over on top of Draco.

\'Looking forward to it, Potter,\' Draco drawled in a low, sensuous voice. As one, the candles went out and their soft sounds of joy filled the silence of the closet.

~*~*~*~*~

\'Come in, Miss Granger,\' Professor McGonagall\'s voice called out almost the exact instant she finished knocking on the door to her Head of House\'s private offices. Gingerly, Hermione swung the door open and stepped inside. Like the woman who presided there, the office was stern and tidy. There was little that was out of place and Hermione thought that there wasn\'t a mote of dust alive that would withstand Professor McGonagall\'s almost military tidiness. Books stood neatly at attention on their shelves while small knick knacks were set precisely in place. The windows were dark, given that it was now past nightfall and several fat candles glowed in the room to give it soft light.

There was a stern expression on the Deputy Headmistress\' face as she watched Hermione approach her desk. Hermione stopped before her and waited in silence, deciding that she didn\'t want to know what she\'d been called up to McGonagall\'s office on a Sunday night for. She stood as still as she could, trying hard not to shift nervously. She\'d rarely been to this office in all her time at Hogwarts and it was a shame to think that she would start now, when the end of her time here was so close at hand.

Minerva knew she was nervous but, to her credit, Hermione didn\'t fidgit. That was a good thing, as the older witch did so hate those nervous chits and their tendency to shift uncontrolably. She settled her quill down on her desk top and folded her hands primly before her. She was certain that her reasons for sending for her best pupil would shock the young woman right out of her knickers. If she was still wearing them. She knew well enough that Severus would find ways to keep Hermione from being fully clothed when he had an agenda. And sex was enough for him to suddenly find one.

Severus Snape was the epitome of a sneaky Slytherin.

\'You know that Professor Snape has assigned a week\'s detention with me, do you not?\' Minerva asked without preamble.

\'Yes, Professor,\' Hermione nodded.

\'They don\'t start until tomorrow, but I thought that I would perhaps call you up here tonight to let you know what I expect of you during your detentions,\' Minerva made her voice as stern as she could.

\'Yes, ma\'am,\' Hermione nodded again, suddenly feeling rotten because she was certain she had disappointed Professor McGonagall deeply with the recent turn of events.

\'Tomorrow night, at exactly eight o\'clock, you will present yourself at this door. Do not bring any books or other supplies with you. You may dress casually. Would you like tea, or would you prefer something else? I shall have the House Elves make a small snack and bring up some refreshments for the two of us.\'

Hermione stood speechless a moment. Was she hearing this right? Was Professor McGonagall having her up for.... tea? She finally managed to stammer out a reply. \'Oh....erm... tea would be perfectly fine, Professor.\'

\'Good, Hermione. Any particular kind?\' Minerva asked, one eyebrow lifted as she awaited an answer.

\'No. Nothing in particular,\' she answered with a little more speed than previous. The shock was beginning to wear off and it left her in a state of confusion. \'Erm... Professor?\'

\'Yes, Miss Granger?\' Minerva hid her smile.

\'Just what am I to be doing during these detentions?\' Hermione asked.

\'You and I will sit down and discuss your future. And the current turn of events in your life,\' Minerva told her in a voice that let Hermione know exactly what they would be discussing. They were going to talk about her farce of a marriage to that asshole Snape.

\' I see,\' she replied.

\'Hermione, Severus is not the evil, sadistic bastard everyone believes him to be,\' Minerva said, only to chuckle at the look she received. \'Alright, he is. But there is a heart in there. Somewhere. Under all the cobwebs and the dirt and the smelly potions residue, there\'s a heart.\'

\'And you\'re going to tell me how to find that heart?\' Hermione asked skeptically.

\'Oh no, dear. I\'m going to tell you how to make his life a living hell. Its what he deserves for being such a shite,\' Minerva said, a gleam in her eye that made Hermione smile.

end chapter sixteen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a big round of thanks to my usual crew. they all know who they are and they know that i can\'t do any of this without their constant support and well-wishes. they know i love them deeply and i appreciate all they do for me. big hugs for them all.

i am my own beta and i try very hard to catch my mistakes, but i\'m only human. hopefully, there are very few. please don\'t hurt me for them.

finally.... a round of thanks to my readers.

to Pam: i\'m glad you\'re enjoying this. i hope you like this chapter, too.

to LariLee: its amazing that Draco is right, isn\'t it? and the fact that he pointed it out to Snape without getting hexed is simply astounding. hopefully, they\'ll both find ways to work that whole \'only a shag\' thing out between them. perhaps Minerva will need to speak to Severus...... now there\'s an evil thought. i\'m glad you enjoy this and i hope you continue to read. i\'m waiting for you to update yours. i do so love them. and its nice to know that i\'ve got character development going on. thanks, hon.

to Tris: hope you like this one, too. thanks for reading.

to Christy: i\'m so glad you liked the chapter. i hadn\'t thought of going further with Harry and Draco\'s relationship, but perhaps i will now. i like the idea of their lives running parallel to Hermione and Severus\'. hmmmm.... i think it might be at least one more chapter before there are lemons, but they will make a come back. you\'ll just have to wait and see.... .:evil grin:.

to Jul: glad you liked that chapter. hope you like this one, as well.

to funky_faerie87: did this chapter live up to your expectations? i\'m anxious to see how Snape goes about being a real husband, too. and i just had to have Draco be the arrogant prat we know he is. this fic is so AU, but its been so enjoyable for me to write. i hope its as enjoyable for you to read.

to Bambu: though the relationship between Harry and Draco is serious, i interjected it as a form of comic relief. Ron provides some... but the idea of Draco walking up to the dreaded Potions Master and just dispense advice to him was so appealing. now it seems as if everyone is in on it. i\'m glad you find the characters real. i\'ve done the best with them that i can. there are times when i wonder, though. hope you like this chapter, as well.

to WILDKATBLU: how\'s this chapter?

to queenp: hopefully this chapter answered your questions. there has to be some kind of stopping point. a cliffie to draw you back, doesn\'t there? i hope you like this one, too.

to forge_underhill: thank you for the compliment. i\'m sure they\'ll have angry sex soon. just be patient.

to Lutra: i don\'t know what chapter that was in and i probably wasn\'t thinking when i put it in. i do know what starkers means and it likely just slipped my mind. but i\'m glad you\'re enjoying this and, as i\'ve told others, all will be revealed later in the story.

to Reikon: i know you and at least one other author or two has bookmarked me. i just don\'t see me as being that good. but that\'s me. somehow, purple gray sludge works for Draco despite his being a Slytherin. i\'ve been told i\'m good at descriptions. and i\'m sure, being that Snape is Snape, he\'ll come up with something sneaky to get her to talk to him and shag him again. and now you have me completely embarrassed. a minor deity? wow.... i\'ll just wibble on the floor for a while before i gather my thoughts again and get back to work. hope you like this chapter.

to SteffieSnape: glad you like my evil torture of Severus. he does need to learn patience. and he does need to learn that Hermione is more than a skirt with removeable knickers. but i love him being snarky so we\'ll see how long it takes him before he breaks and puts an end to the situation.

to lol: yes, i plan on continuing. hope this works for you.