Animal Instinct

Animal Instinct

Part 15

By tawnyteaser

Disclaimer: Not mine, am making no money off this.

Author’s Note: Okay deep breath in, to the person
who shall remain nameless that said I had made a big mistake in my
story. I DIDN’T. A wolf is a wolf, not a canine. Where do you think
dogs came from hmmm? As for Remus he was bitten by a lupu garu (not sure
of the spelling), that is the correct term for a werewolf, as for
Hermione the polyjuice potion incident affected her DNA, and the
werewolf bite affects her like a disease. Sort of like AIDS, there’s
no known cure for it. And if you remember reading, I never quite put a
word for what Hermione was remember when Remus said he’s smelt a were
SOMETHING. As for apparating it was left for the reader to pick up that
there are rules of magic correct, and if teachers can apparate what
makes you think that students can’t too? I’ve yet to read anywhere
that say’s students can’t if they are over 18. I’d already
explained that Hermione wasn’t part of that since she’d be turning
19 soon. Anrry rry for any spelling errors I’ve tried to catch them as
they come to my attention and whether Hermione is pregnant or not, well
I haven’t quite made my mind up yet, I’m just leaving it open for
possible chapters of fun. Oh and I know how in their second year they
studied Cornish Pixies but I thought it would make more sense if they
saved that until fourth year, when they had a little more experience,
thanks to the Lockheart incident. Oh and you think that Snape’s
becoming a little mushy? Hold onto your seats ladies and gentlemen,
tawnyteasers’ about to rock the boat.

           
The buzzing of the alarm clock woke Hermione and she smiled. She
reached out and turned it off and stretched. “Severus it’s time for
us to get up if we want to make it for dinner.” Hermione turned to
look over her shoulder and saw Severus fully dressed holding something
in his hands. Hermione blinked as she realized what he was holding.

           
“My dear Miss Granger may I inquire as to what you are doing
with 9 vials of powdered silver? And no lies.” Severus watched as
Hermiones’ eyes widened as she realized what he was holding. He
hadn’t been snooping but in the hunt for his clothes, which had turned
out to be under the bed, he had found the neatly stopered bottles and
had wondered what they were. A flick of his wand had revealed that it
was pure silver. Fear then anger had coursed through him. “I didn’t
really expect suicide from a Gryffindor, no I would have expected that
from a Slytherin. Now explain why you have them and what were you
planning to do with them, if I haven’t already guessed.” Severus
sneered and felt the walls that had slowly been coming down slam right
back up. He had thought that maybe there was something, special that
Hermione Granger had touched but now all he could think of was that she
had been indeed using him to get rid of her sexual frustrations.

           
Hermione felt her throat close as he stood there accusing her.
Her heart felt like it was breaking, shattering as at the first sign of
what seemed to be betrayal Severus immediately assumed the worst of her.
Her eyes burned but she swore to herself that she wouldn’t cry.
Composed she looked straight into his eyes, his unforgiving obsidian
eyes. “Get out.” She hissed. “I would have thought that you could
figure it out for yourself but I see you can’ tha that leaves this
matter closed.” Hermione said and wrapped herself in the blankets and
headed off the bathroom where she slammed the door.

           
Severus looked at the closed door with slight befuddlement. He
had been right hadn’t he? Why else would she have had all those vials
of silver under her bed? It couldn’t be for anything else but suicide.
He pocketed the vials and left her room, slipping into the prefects’
passage unnoticed and headed for the Headmasters office.

           
Hermione dropped the blankets and sank into the tub of hot water.
‘How dare he!’ was the litany that was going through her head. Her
head fell back against the edge of the claw foot tub and sighed. “You
should have known that it was too good to be true.” Hermione said out
loud sorrowfully. Her nails, now talons scratched thee ofe of the tub,
the slight scratching sound not even registering on Hermione. Her mind
wandered to every incident, every scene and she wondered if she had been
truly foolish for falling in love with Severus Snape. Hermione shot up
suddenly, her nails reverting as she splashed water over the edge. “No
dammit I wasn’t; the only foolish thing I did was give him my complete
trust and expect everything to work out fine. Well dammit everything
isn’t fine and now I have to worry about a suicide watch now.
Great.” Hermione knew she was crazy for talking to herself but with
the bathroom door shut Bastet couldn’t get in and the cat really
didn’t care for a shouting mistress anyways.

           
Severus whispered the password and walked up the stairs briskly.
He hoped that he would find the Headmaster there, that way they could
have a word in private. Just because he liked to embarrass student a
a
regular basis didn’t mean that he wanted announce a student’s
planned suicide. He knocked on the office door and was rewarded by a
‘enter’. Masking his face Severus entered and put every thought,
every feeling he had ever had for Hermione Granger away in the farthest
corner of his mind. His heart was now again a block of ice, a solid
stone. You could be sure that he wouldn’t let Hermione through his
defenses again, oh no.

           
Albus looked up from the book he was reading. He was startled to
see Severus there. “Well now Severus dinner is only in a half and
hour, whatever is the matter?”

           
“Albus I’m afraid that I have to tell you some bad news.”
Severus said, and placed the vials of powdered silver on the
Headmasters’ desk. Severus ignored the little voice that was telling
him what he was doing was wrong. The voice wasn’t always right.

           
Hermione slowly climbed out of the tub, her body still slightly
aching from all the ‘exercise’ she had been doing. She briskly dried
herself off and grabbed some clean clothes and brushed her hair. She was
on autopilot, her mind valiantly trying to organize her muddled
thoughts. She was wondering how on earth she was going to manage to
smuggle another 10 vials of powdered silver in. “Wait a bloody
minute!” Hermione said all thoughts screeching to a halt. “9 vials.
He said 9!” Hermione shouted triumphantly and went to her underwear
drawer and pulled out a nearly full vial of the powdered silver. This
was the second day of her experiment and so far the only side effects
she had felt were increased blood pressure, slight nausea and a little
bit of dizziness. Hermione knew that it would be getting worse as she
increased the dosage so she was prepared to get a time turner on the
black market. With the time turner she would be able to get to class,
appear well but still suffer through the aftereffects. After all how
hard could it be to get one? Hagrid had gotten a hold of Fluffy and
other things…and they had to have come from somewhere right? Hermione
fingered the Tiger’s eye. The Marauder’s Map was safely hidden so
there was one item down, two items to go. Hermione eyed the vial of
silver; she needed more and would have to think of how to get more but
for right now she would use what was on hand.

           
“So you see Albus I’m worried that Miss Granger might be
contemplating suicide.”

           
Albus ran a tired hand over his face. His blue eyes were murky
and no twinkle to be seen. “If you are indeed right then there must be
steps to assure us of Miss gersgers’ safety. What are you suggesting
Severus?”

           
“A collar of some sort, one that restrains the wearer from
doing harm to themselves.” Severus said quie rem remembering how the
Dark Lord had used such collars on his victims to make sure that they
didn’t kill themselves before he’d finished with them.

       &nbsbsp;bsp;  
Albus looat tat the man standing before him. The years had not
been that kind to Severus Snape. His eyes were hard and flat and
betrayed no emotion. “If you can assure me that Miss Granger will not
suffer wearing it then you have my permission to put it on her.”

           
“Albus I might need some help restraining her while it’s
being put on, might I suggest Lupin? He might as well help.” Severus
was relived to see the Headmaster nod. Severus wasn’t happy but he
knew that he couldn’t just stand by and let Hermione kill herself.
“Can we do this before dinner? I don’t want to leave anything to
chance.” Severus said quickly.

           
Hermione walked down the main hallway, her mind focusing not on
dinner but on how to send the message via owl without tipping anyone off
to what she was doing. She was just past the DADA classroom when she
felt herself being grabbed. She relaxed thinking that it might be
Severus, after all she could smell him, but she could also smell Remus!
When that fact clicked Hermione made every move to try and get away. She
turned her eyes to Remus’ apologetic ones and the turned to look at
her former lover who was holding a collar in his hands. “So you’re
going to collar me now is that it?” Hermione said scornfully.

           
Remus checked the shudder that ripped through him at the girls’
ice-cold voice. He had been told of why his assistance was needed and
had agreed horrified at what Hermione might do. But still, looking at
that collar, something akin to what a dog….wolf might wear brought icy
shivers down his spine. He could feel the calmness of the body he was
helping to restrain and wondered.

           
Hermione closed her eyes. Defeat. This was the final nail in the
coffin of their relationship. By putting that collar on Severus would be
severing all ties, all memories that they’d had together.

           
Severus swallowed and told himself that what he was doing was for
the best. Just because Hermione was pleading with him with her eyes
didn’t make a difference. He grabbed the gold collar more firmly, and
walked the few steps towards her. His hands shook as he reached up and
wrapped it around her throat. With a faint ‘snick’ the clasp locked
shut, only to be opened by him.

         &nbnbspnbsp;
Hermione sagged. Her heart breaking, shattering as the weight of
the collar sunk in. She didn’t know what the collar was for, but
obviously it had something to do with Severus’ misinterpretation of
the silver vials.

           
Remus started as he felt Hermione sag. He gently let her sit on
the floor. “It was for your own good you know.” He said quietly. He
didn’t know what had happened een een these two that now made them
seem like strangers.

           
Hermione clenched her hands. “For who?” She asked quietly and
shook off Remus’ hands. She got to her feet, her body feeling as if it
had been in a fight. She couldn’t look at either of them without
wanting to say something she knew she’d regret. “If you’ll excuse
me I have to go to dinner.” Hermione quietly said and left the
classroom.

           
Severus felt his breath catch as he watched Hermiones’ once
vibrant eyes dim to a muddy brown, no life seemed to spark there. He
wondered, maybe he had jumped to the wrong conclusion…but maybe not.
Severus shook himself mentally and composed himself. He wn’t n’t be
fooled by her acting, why else would she have had the silver in her room
in such form, and quantity if she didn’t want to kill herself?
“We’d best get to dinner.” Severus said stiffly and nodded towards
the open door.

           
Remus nodded his head and slowly made his way out the door trying
to ignore the shiver of…..something that raced down his spine. He
followed the swirling black robes towards the great hall but his
appetite was diminished.

           
Hermione ducked into the girl’s washroom and looked at the
collar in the mirror. It was made of gold that she was sure of; only
pure metal gave the best protection/base for spells/charms/hexes. The
collar itself was pretty bland and Hermione took out her wand. If she
was goto hto have to wear this ugly thing she might as well make it look
pretty. She fingered the Tiger’s eye and wondered. ‘Well it’s
worth a try.’ Hermione thought and used her wand to transfigure both
the necklace and collar to become one. The once round collar became a
work of twisted ropes of gold that formed into a vee, where her
Tiger’s eye now hung. Her heart was still broken but Hermione would
save her tears for when she was alone and not expected at dinner.

           
Severus watched carefully, as did Remus and Albus as Hermione
walked into the great hall. Her steps were slow and unhurried and Snape
barely concealed his snort as he saw what she had done to the collar.
Typically female to make something that was supposed to look ugly into
something tasteful. ‘You have to a she she did a good job.’ His
inner voice said and Snape really did have to admit that.

           
Remus looked at Hermione Granger and wondered if there was anyway
that she would trust him now. Her eyes were still the same, but there
was no inner light, nothing to make her stand out like she had this
morning. “I hope you’re right Severus.” He said quietly to the man
beside him. He was rewarded by a sneer.

           
Albus wondered if Hermione was a good liar. When he had talked to
her on the first day back she had assured him that she hadn’t planned
on doing anything foolish but now with the evidence that Severus had put
forward he just wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

Sorry I know. I don’t know how to spell dammnit?
Jeez the spell check is no help on it either. Anyways thanks to all the
people who have reviewed, this story isn’t going anywhere I’m just
kinda busy right now so updates will still be coming, though maybe not
as fast as usual. Reviews, flames, whatever, just so long as I get
feedback.