Against His Nature

CHAPTER 18

“I’m assuming from that expression he’s found a potential mate?” Albus sat down on the armchair opposite his guest who politely declined all offers of tea and biscuits.

“He has.” Octavia nodded sharply but didn’t elaborate. Already Octavia could feel Albus’ prodding his mind for information but 60 years of occlumency training kept his mind well sealed from the headmasters wandering gaze.

“Well? Who is it?” Albus snapped a little abruptly when he hadn’t successfully invaded the Vampire’s mind like he managed to do with most everyone else. Octavia remained passively silent his expression not giving anything away. Like Snape, Octavia had practiced his mask of indifference and could affectively hide even the most disturbing of emotions.

“If it’s a fellow professor I’m sure I can arrange a little leave for the two of them to further the romance?” Pressing for information Albus pushed on, desperate to see even a flicker of emotion of Octavia’s face.

“It’s not a professor.” The reply was cold and meaningless.

“Well who then?” Octavia could see the elder wizard becoming frustrated. It was easy to see how Severus had fallen under the man’s thumb for so many years, prodded and manipulated into doing almost anything for the headmaster.

“It’s a student.” Had he wanted to Octavia might have spared a sick smile at the expression on the headmasters face at that admission. It was obviously not in Albus Dumbledore's plans for his Vampire in residence to find a mate among the student populace. “Don’t look to horrified Albus, surely you weren’t as dense as to believe Snape would take a mate that was less than perfect and equal to himself in power? Young blood will keep his healthy, and increase the changes of producing strong offspring.” Albus didn’t like what he was hearing but Octavia ignored the elder wizards darkening expression.

“Are they in Slytherin?” Albus’ tone of voice had turned just as cold as Octavia’s currently was.

“Surprisingly not.” Octavia huffed offering his own slight surprise at Snape’s choice of mate.

“I don’t believe I’m going to like the answer to my original question am I?” Octavia rolled his eyes as Albus rose from the armchair and strode over to the fireplace where he paced past the warm flames twice before pausing to hear Octavia’s answer.

“I doubt many will like the answer Albus but considering the circumstances who are you to speak out against it having encouraged Severus to stop taking the potion in the first place.” This fact caught Albus off guard and his hard expression softened a little having obviously now realized his mistake. Octavia took a small pleasure in seeing the ‘famed’ Albus Dumbledore momentarily unseated, questioning his own decisions.

“He is bound by a ministry contract not to engage in relationships with his students. I demand you tell me the students name at once so I may protect them from him.” Octavia shook his head hardly believing Albus’ about face.

“No Albus, I have no intention of telling you this students name. The longer you are kept in the dark, the less likely you are to interfere.” Octavia stood up from the armchair and walked towards the window his cloak drawn around him. “Since Severus is now mostly in control of his instincts I see no reason why I need to continue to report to you about his activities. I shall stay in the area if only to lend my support to my student in this pressing time.” With a mildly polite incline of his head Octavia stepped out of the window and with a gust of wind disappeared into the night sky. With Octavia gone Albus collapsed back in his armchair and hung his head in his hands. If the Ministry found out about a student teacher relationship, they would doubtlessly start investigating Severus’ past. If it came out about the Order, the Vampire and even Harry’s prophesy there would be a lot of people going to Azkaban in the very near future.

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Harry sat in the library opposite Hermione. It was quiet and dark the library having mostly emptied of students as the curfew neared. Harry however was hurriedly working to finish his Potion’s Essay that was due tomorrow morning. Hermione although reluctant had offered her expertise for the evening and Harry was glad. Hermione and Ron had had a falling out over the weekend. Draco had succeeded if only for a little while. Ron was very much aware of the blonde now, as well as Hermione’s actions. Try as they might though, Ron and Harry had had no luck trying to convince Hermione that Draco had her under a spell. The girl might be smart but she was stubborn and pigheaded when it came to issues she believed she was right about.

“You need to note the author here, and the page reference here.” Hermione was quietly showing Harry how to reference his books correctly, the boy eagerly sucking up the information in the hopes of getting a good grade this time. Not that it usually mattered how hard Harry worked, Snape never saw fit to give him anything above a pass.

“So how was the weekend with Draco?” Harry cautiously broached the subject Hermione and Ron had refused to talk about all day. Hermione’s lips tightened and her scowl returned to her forehead as she continued to point to various references Harry was fixing on his parchment.

“Pleasant.” Hermione replied sharply choosing to ignore Harry’s questioning gaze.

“Did it help with your assignment? I mean having his extra knowledge and stuff?” Harry pressed trying not to sound as if he was fishing for information for Ron, who would undoubtedly drill him as soon as he got back to the dorm. Harry finished his references and with a sigh of satisfaction rolled his finished essay up and put it into his school bag for tomorrow. Hermione sighed heavily as she sat back in her chair and stared at her best friend.

“I think he likes me.” Harry raised a surprised eyebrow at Hermione’s comment but chose not to reply the girl obviously wanting to get something off her chest. “I might have been under a spell….” Hermione looked guiltily up at Harry who rolled his eyes and shook his head. They’d been trying to tell Hermione that all weekend but the girl had remained insistent that she wasn’t. “…but,” Hermione cut Harry off before he could scold her. “I think the reason he did it was because he genuinely likes me and if he hadn’t I might not have noticed him in that way.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you Hermione. This is Draco Malfoy we’re talking about, he doesn’t do anything that’s genuine. He’s a sneaky, low bastard that considers nothing below doing to get what he wants.” Harry insisted in a loud whisper as he stared at Hermione who seemed torn between the truth and something else.

“I know that Harry and I don’t really trust him but when he kissed me….” Harry’s expression told of his surprise, his mouth gaping like a fish as he stared wide eyed and slack jawed at his best friend. Hermione pointedly ignored him and continued on regardless. “…something happened that doesn’t happen when I kiss Ron.” Harry was still speechless and didn’t even both to try and fathom a reply. In the silence a small blush crept up Hermione’s cheeks, her nervousness unusual in the face of a usually confident young witch. “It felt dangerous Harry, it gave me a thrill, an excitement I don’t get even when Ron and I….” Hermione paused and shifted awkwardly in her seat. “…Well you know when we mess around and stuff.”

“You’re going to dump Ron aren’t you?” Harry managed to whisper around his still stunned expression. Hermione sighed and nodded quietly.

“Don’t judge me Harry, you did the same thing with Ginny. She didn’t excite you, well neither does Ron to me. He’s safe, comfortable and too damn sweet. Yes that’s what I want in the long run, but right now I want to see what else is out there.” Harry sighed heavily as he watched Hermione twist her hands nervously in her lap. Reaching over Harry grabbed Hermione’s hands in his own and squeezed them tightly.

“Do whatever you want to Hermione. The ministry is forcing us to do things we don’t want to, you’ve got every right to live life how you want to live it. So what if you break Ron’s heart, that’ll make three of us going against what we’re supposed to do.” Hermione smiled brightly and leaned across to kiss Harry’s forehead.

“Thank-you Harry, I’m sorry it didn’t work out with Ginny.” Harry shrugged his shoulders and turned to get his book bag from the floor.

“Well if Draco can cause excitement in you with just a kiss, there’s hope for me yet….” Harry’s laughter died on his lips as he looked up from his bag to come face to face with Severus Snape looming over Hermione’s shoulder. Harry froze and instinctively swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he sought out the potion’s professor’s eyes. The fear that had risen so quickly died the moment he realized that Snape’s eyes were the dark onyx pools they were supposed to be.

“Potter, Miss Granger curfew passed over half an hour ago.” Snape’s voice was it usual even and icy tone.

“Sorry sir, we got caught up in our homework we were just leaving.” Hermione was already out of the chair her books shoved haphazardly into her bag desperate to avoid a detention. Harry was slower off the pace, put off by Snape’s piercing gaze that hadn’t left him once. All week Harry had avoided passing conversation with Snape, and it seemed strange to come face to face with the wizard he’d been trying so hard to avoid.

“You have thirty seconds to be out of my sight Miss Granger or I will see you in detention tomorrow evening.” Snape’s commanding voice wasn’t to be ignored and Hermione instantly turned heel and took off scrambling from the library at speed. Harry stumbled over his own feet as he too made to run but was stopped by a firm hand grasping his shoulder.

“Professor?” Harry glanced at the hand on his shoulder and then up into Snape’s onyx eyes. Harry’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched Snape lean down the elder wizard gently nuzzling in to Harry’s neck and inhaling deep on the boy’s scent. “Can you not smell me like a piece of meat?” Harry pushed Snape’s hand off his shoulder and stepped away, already drawing his wand as he put a few steps distance between his potion professor and himself. Snape sighed heavily and hung his head a little, his gaze dropping from Harry’s in what Harry might have described as shame did he not know how proud and defiant the Vampire before him was. “You’ve been doing it all week, standing close to me during class, making a point of walking past me to get to your seat in the great hall at meal times. What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

Harry had had enough. He’d put up with Snape’s odd behavior all week and he was rapidly loosing patience. Whatever Snape was up to Harry wanted it to end now and he didn’t care if it caused him a years worth of detentions with Filch for being rude to Professor Snape.

“If you’re trying to intimidate me with this whole ‘Vampire’ shit then it’s not working. I know you’re not allowed to touch a student Dumbledore told me. And if you’re trying to make a snack out of me think again because I’ll curse you with everything I know.” Harry puffed out his chest in defiance as Snape’s lip curled in irritation the wizard obviously returning to his usual menacing self after a momentary slip.

“Don’t think yourself that important Potter, I’m merely scenting you out for experimental purposes. It’s been a considerably long time since I had the displeasure of being aware of people’s unique aromas and yours is quite feral compared to the others around you. I’m simply working you out on a whole new level.” It was a lie but Severus was confident the boy hadn’t seen through it. “Now I suggest you too follow Granger’s lead and return to your dorm before I remove fifty more points from your house total on top of the ten I’ve already deducted for your disrespect of a professor.” Harry opened his mouth to shout a protest but was silence as Snape raised his wand threateningly. With a glare Harry turned and disappeared from the library leaving Snape to breath out unsteadily and collapse against the table edge.

The boy smelt divine and made Snape shiver from head to foot. He was intoxicating and Severus hadn’t even realized he’d been lingering too often over Harry’s desk in class or detouring round the castle just to catch the scent of the boy-who-lived. Shaking his head Snape took a moment to recover his sensibilities before rising to his feet. Snape needed room to think, and space to breathe he also needed the help of Octavia if he was ever to conquer this problem. Making up his mind Severus headed back for his rooms to collect his cloak, he had almost twelve hours before dawn to free himself for a little while and he fully intended to make good use of the hours given to him.

TBC>>>>>