Animal Instinct

Animal Instinct

Part 18

By tawnyteaser

Disclaimer: Not mine=no money

Author’s Note: Okay okay, I’m sorry that it
seems like Dumbledore is acting out of character but face it what do
they do here in real life? If someone has made an attempted suicide,
like it seemed Hermione was going to do they take drastic steps right
away like a night spent on the mental ward at the hospital, it goes down
on record and you are never left alone by your family again, so when in
the wizarding world you take silver which is lethal to werewolves and
leave 9 vials of it under your bed I would think that Dumbledore would
take steps to make sure his student doesn’t kill herself. For the
apparating thing, thank you so much to raven, I couldn’t remember for
the life of me what the rules were so I was making them up as I went
along. So to cover up my flub how about we just say that she went to the
school gates and apparated from there? That way it kinda makes more
sense wouldn’t you say? Oh and I can’t believe that people actually
read my author’s notes! Juicy details….maybe….radefidefinitely.
Anyways carry on and CANADIANS ROCK! I am from winterpeg.(Anyone from
the same province will get the joke.) Oh 3 nights left until the big
event.

          &nb < Hermione slowly woke, her face feeling stiff from all the crying
she’d been doing last night. She buried her face into her pillows and
felt like crying some more. The whole school had turned against her it
seemed, even Dumbledore. Hermione felt the burning behind her eyes but
the tears just would not come, she had cried all she could last night.
She turned her head to look out across her room. She knew she would have
to hide the remaining silver but where? With the map? Maybe. Hermione
threw back the covers and wrinkled her nose as she saw she was still
wearing the clothes from yesterday. All she remembered from last night
was Remus holding her as she cried. Hermione let a wistful smile cross
her face. “Now there’s a man that any girl would be lucky to
have.” Hermione said softly and wished that 1) Remus was straight and
2) that she could think of him as anything else but a friend. She threw
off the offending garments and grabbed her toiletries before heading for
the shower, hoping that maybe some hot water would clear up the cobwebs
in her head.

           
Severus woke suddenly, his mind immediately kicking into high
gear. He showered and dressed and was in the great hall before many of
the students, never mind the other professors. He felt…..empty would
be the best word to say. Last night he’d resorted to taking the
dreamless sleepless potion to get to bed and he couldn’t say
why. Oh he knew why, that stupid little voice just wouldn’t
shut up. It kept on nagging him about what he’d done to Hermione. He
sighed into his eggs. Maybe the collar had been a drastic step but what
else were they to have done? Let the girl OD herself on the stuff and
then have to tell the board of directors that they’d had a student who
was a werewolf OD on silver? No that would not go over well. Severus
looked up as Remus Lupin walked in. The man looked as if he’d barely
slept at all, his eyes shadowed.

           
“Well Severus I hope that you live to regret what you’ve
done. She loves, correction she loved you, you know. And whatever love
she had for you you killed it last night when you put that thing on her.
on’ton’t expect a warm welcome from her end ever again.” Remus
hissed out between clenched teeth. He had gone back to the house that he
shared with Sirius and had sat and talked all night about what they had
done. In the end Remus felt that maybe they should have asked Hermione
to explain herself. Sirius was shocked when Remus had told him that it
seemed like Hermione was suicidal and even more shocked that Dumbledore
hadn’t even talked to her, just acted.

           
Severus choked on his eggs as Remus said that Hermione loved him.
‘Had you greasy git.’ His conscience reminded him. Severus calmly
grabbed his cup of coffee and swallowed the lodged eggs. “You seem to
be quite sure of yourself Lupin but then again you weren’t there last
night when I confronted her about them and asked what she was planning
on doing with them. So don’t presume to say that you hope I’m happy,
I’m happy that I managed to save a foolish young girl from doing
something very stupid.” Severus said and sneered at Lupin. “But then
I wouldnxpecxpect you to understand such a thing, hiding behind other
people all your life.” Severus pushed back his chair and left, his
swirling black robes making him seem like what all the students called
him…a black bat.

           
Hermione eyed the vial and then eyed the heavy collar-turned
necklace before measuring out roughly ¼ of a teaspoon of silver. She
didn’t know how the collar worked and therefore didn’t know if it
would stop her from taking the silver. After all, the collar made sure
that the wearer didn’t kill themselves, but what about doing a little
harm? Hermione shrugged and dumped the silver into a glass of water. Her
hand shook a little as she raised the glass to her mouth, but that a all. Hermione closed her eyes as she gulped the water. It would take
only a few minutes for the side effects to start. Hermione placed the
glass down on the sink and walked out towards the bed where she sat on
the edge. “So the collar won’t stop me.” She murmured out loud to
the empty room. She could feel the slow burning begin and slowed her
breathing, taking in deep breaths through her mouth as her now sensitive
nose began to burn. Slight chills raced up anwn hwn her spine and
Hermione laid down and covered herself with the blanket. Her teeth
clenched as the nausea made bile rise into her mouth. Her fingers
clenched as her nose started to bleed. Her heart felt like it was going
to burst and Hermione desperately tried to remain in control, she knew
from past experiences that the burning would continue most of the day,
along with the nausea but she would be able to handle that. She hoped.

Finally after about 20
minutes the episode past, leaving her aching and tired all over again.
Hermione wiped the blood from her face and stripped the pillowcase, she
hoped that house elves knew a secret as to how to get the blood out.
Hermione calmly grabbed her now pressed school robes and headed down
towards the great hall, her stomach rumbling even though it was still
upset. (don’t you just hate that? re sre sick but you’re hungry
too.) Hermione immediately noticed that Harry and Ron were waiting for
her and she smiled. At least they were still her friends. She grabbed
them both by the arm and together they headed for breakfast.

Remus watched as Hermione
walked in, her arms entwined with y any and Ron’s and smothered a
smile. Hermione was a true Gryffindor and she was handling the situation
with all the aplomb that she had. Her eyes though…that was what Remus
was worried about. They were shadowed, still the muddy brown from
yesay, ay, they gave no sign that she was happy to be here and once
again Remus was plagued with doubt. Maybe Severus had been right. Remus
sighed and quickly finished his own breakfast. He needed to see Hagrid
and see if the man had made the chains yet. Remus sd agd again. He
didn’t know how Hermione would react when she learned that she too
would have to be placed in chains, even if she did take the monkshood
potion.

Hermione ate quickly her
mind brainstorming, thinking. She hadn’t been able to send the owl
like she wanted and the note sti still in her robe pocket. “Harry
wouou mou mind if I used Hedwig to deliver a note?” Hermione asked
quietly, not wanting to alert anyone else of what she was going to be
doing.

           
Harry looked down at his plate. He had been told by the
Headmaster that if Hermione asked him for the use of his owl he should
go straight to Dumbledore, but Harry hadn’t been told why and that
really irked him. “Sure Hermione, she’s upstairs in her cage
sleeping but I’m sure she won’t mind.” Harry said just as quietly.
He ignored the look that Ron shot him. All three finished their
breakfast and headed back upstairs. Harry had planned on walking beside
Hermione but Ron grabbed his sleeve and tugged. Harry waved Hermione on
and stopped.

“Have you lost you
fucking mind! Dumbledore specifically asked that we don’t allow
Hermione to use our owls and what do you do? You let her use your bloody
owl!” Ron shrieked out in a whisper.

Harry glared at Ron.
“Did you ever wonder why? I have and he wouldn’t tell either of us
why we couldn’t. So until they do Hedwig is at Hermiones’
disposal.” Harry said and shrugged off Ron’s hand before continuing
on to the common room.

Hermione looked around the
dorm carefully. She pulled out the envelope and scanned what she had
read. “This needs a little bit more added I think.” Hermione said to
herself quietly and using Harry’s quill and ink added a few more
lines. Hermione nodded with satisfaction and nudged Hedwig awake. The
owl blinked and hooted. Hermione offered her a treat and immediately the
owl was ready to work. Hermione offered the letter to Hedwig and opened
the window. The owl flew out, her white body becoming lost in the
clouds. Hermione hadn’t had to tell the owl where to go and for that
she was thankful. Her letter was sent and hopefully within a week she
would have a reply. Hermione sighed and left the boys’ room and headed
towards her room to gather up her books. Potions, Transfiguration,
Arithmancy and Double Care of Magical Creatures, followed by Herbology.
“Thank goodness they let us have lunch.” Hermione muttered and
stuffed the first three period books into her bag. Her quills, ink and
extra parchment went in there as well. She shrugged the bag on and
patted her cat on the head before grabbing her wand and heading
downstairs.

“All right now what’s
the matter?”

Harry and Ron both turned
to look at Hermione who had appeared at the foot of the stairs.
“Nothing.” Was the response from both boys who followed Hermione,
both exchanging glares.

Severus took in a deep
th ath and mentally prepared himself for the class ahead. Student slowly
filed in silence reigning as they took their spots. The trio came in as
one and not one looked at as as they too took their spots. Severus
ignored the lump that rose and turned to the board where he began
writing down the ingredients for today’s potion.

Hermione stared down at
the scarred wooden desktop. Her partner once again was Neville although
thanks to extra tutoring sessions over the summers he had turned out to
be an alright potions partner now. He still quaked when Snape walked by
and made snide remarks but was okay as long as Snape didn’t.

Harry ignored Ron.
Friendship means sticking together through the worst of times and
Hermione had not tattled on them through all the scrapes they had gotten
into, so why Ron was acting like Harry was betraying the school Harry
had no idea.
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Severus turned around and
took a deep breath in. “The ingredients are up on the board, gather
what you need and follow the instructions. At the end of class bottle it
and then write down on the piece of parchment what potion you just made
and the properties etc. Well get to it!” Snape walked to the back of
the classroom where Malfoy and his two goons were sitting. “Mr. Malfoy
though my association with your father and as head of your house can
usually get you out of some trouble I suggest if you go about
challenging other students of….well less desirable backgrounds you do
it in a place where you cannot be caught.” He whispered into
Malfoy’s ear. Severus knew that he shouldn’t be egging students on
but it would look out of character for him if he left it with the rebuke
that he’d given Draco. A sinking feeling in his stomach made him wish
otherwise as Snape watched his students eyes focus on Hermione’s bent
head. “Yes sir.” Was all Draco said and Severus walked back up to
the front of the classroom where he sat down in his chair and bent his
head to grading the papers in front of him.

Hermione mechanically went
through the motions of making the potion, she could feel eyes on her but
didn’t let that bother her. She had to get this done with her usual
perfection and write up a brilliant paper. style=\"mso-special-character:line-break\">

Harry breathed in a sigh
of relief as potions finished. It seemed like it had been a double class
even though it had been only a single. Next up for Ron and him was
Divination and he knew that Hermione had Arithmancy. “See you later
Hermione.” He said as Hermione went right, down another hallway where
Harry and Ron went straight. He was rewarded by a small smile and
frowned as he stopped and watched until Hermione disappeared around
another corner. Harry was aware of Ron beside him and turned to look at
his friend.

“Sorry mate.” Was all
Ron said and slapped Harry on the back before grinning. Harry grinned
back thankful that Ron had come to his senses.

More fun, and a little bit
of tension between the trio. Hmmm what could Draco be planning and when
is he going to get back at Hermione? Reviews or flames, both welcome.
Any other Canadians out there? Can I get a hell ya? Oh 19 to be up soon,
anyone got any ideas for chapter titles?