All the way IIII: Change

"You mean he...?" Hermione was almost completely speechless, "Well... I was so stupid! Sir Codagon told me he'd seen Gary with a young woman. Who was the student?"

"A seventh year Slytherin."

"Yes, alright," Hermione said impatiently, "But who?"

"Ruby Whitney." Severus informed her.

Hermione hissed, shaking her head, "That man really goes too far. Do you know what's happened to that poor girl this year? Her mother died, her brother's in St. Mungo's after drinking a strange potion, her father's sleeping with ten different women every day and he doesn't care if she see's and she was engaged to a boy that left the school a couple of years ago, but he was already married! I can't believe that any one would take advantage of a girl like that!"

Severus frowned, "Swan knew all about her problems?"

She nodded, "When you were in Australia, Ruby's class had a test and she didn't do very well. She came and told me everything and I said I understood. She said that the only other person that had understood like me was 'Professor Swan'. She said that he being so nice to her. Why didn't I notice there was something wrong? I should have thought of something like that."

Severus put his arms around her, the thought of that man taking advantage of one of his Slytherins adding to his incredible anger, "You couldn't have known. Don't blame yourself. We'll go and tell Minerva now and make sure that Ruby doesn't get into trouble."

Hermione leaned up and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth lovingly, "Thank you for not being angry with me. I'm sorry I made such a mess; you've had the patience of a Saint."

Severus smirked, watching as she shivered when his cold hand slithered under her t-shirt and came into contact with the warm skin of her back, "Only with you. Professor Gary Swan is a totally different matter; he might be dead before the day is through."

""""""""""""""""""""

Sirius heard the bathroom door open and he poked his head around the kitchen door, looking out into the hall. Eileen was wrapped in a white towel, her wet hair hanging straight down to her hips, though as it dried slowly, strands were starting to curl.

He had never realized how pale she was before. She was like her father in woman form with curly hair. As disturbing as that thought was, she was so beautiful that it was erased almost immediately.

She swept along the hall silently, until she seemed to feel his eyes on her and stopped just outside her room, turning to look at him.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing," He smiled, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get dressed," She raised an eyebrow, "I thought that was obvious."

"Do you need any help?" he asked hopefully, wandering down the hall until he leaned against the wall beside her.

"No," She said, smiling, as she pushed her hair over her shoulder, leaving her neck open to his gaze.

Fine sapphire veins weaved an intricate pattern beneath the bare skin above the towel, and Sirius found his eyes following them, his fingers itching to trace the azure lines.

He didn't dare think about what was under the towel. She may be tiny and a bit on the thin side, but whatever was between her collar bone and her stomach was definitely not too small.

But Sirius knew he couldn't have thoughts like that. Not when she was so... so her. So completely innocent looking and... So breakable and... So much like a porcelain doll.

And it made him feel masculine like nothing else ever had. It was an indescribable feeling, to watch over some one so utterly feminine and vulnerable, when he had only had to look out for himself in the past.

Eileen cleared her throat, snapping Sirius' attention back up to her face.

"Finished yet?" She asked mischievously.

He shook his head. Framing her face with his hands, Sirius leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She was very still - for a second tense - before she sighed and seemed to become more comfortable. Slipping one arm around Eileen’s waist, Sirius pulled back gently when he needed air.

"Why...?" She questioned breathlessly.

"Because I can," He whispered, his gaze roaming her face.

Slowly, Eileen raised her eyes to his, but as they locked vision, the black cloudy wonder in them turned to something else, "Sirius! Your... Your eyes!"

Sirius blinked hard and shook his head, "Sorry. Werewolf genes."

"What?" She asked, bemused.

"My mum got pregnant with me when my dad was still a werewolf." He explained, "Don't worry; I don't change into a great big howling monster or anything. I get a bit itchy at a certain time of the month," Eileen laughed, "And my eyes go all wolfy some times. Nothing too terrible."

"So there's no danger of you biting me, then?" She smirked, winding her arms around his neck.

Sirius pulled her close, grinning wolfishly, "I never said that."

""""""""""""""""""""

Severus and Minerva stormed angrily down the corridor, but Hermione was stopped by Remus.

"Eileen's back," He told her quietly.

"She is?" She had to check that she had heard correctly.

Remus nodded, "Yes, she's staying with Sirius. They're coming to see you some time, maybe tomorrow."

"You've seen her? Is she alright? Healthy? Happy? Is she -?"

"Breath, Hermione." Remus chuckled, "She's fine, perfectly fine. You’ll see for yourself soon enough. Don't worry about her; she's strong and she has Sirius to look after her."

Hermione put her arms around him, "Thanks for telling me -" She was cut off by a bang, and she stepped back, "I better go and see what's going on."

Hermione left Remus and started down the stairs. A small group of Slytherins were watching from the entrance to the dungeons, as Gary Swan's bags were thrown out of the castle. Professor Sprout was trying to comfort a hysterical Ruby Whitney, while Severus and Minerva stared daggers at the Charms Professor standing in the middle of the entrance hall.

Moving down the stairs, Hermione made her way to the Herbology teacher and the distressed seventh year. Sprout smiled gratefully and went over to shoo the other Slytherins away, as Hermione put her arms around the sobbing girl.

""""""""""""""""""""

Ruby was calmed slightly by the soothing voice of the woman that was married to her potions Professor and Head of House. Hermione was a nice lady, always listening and understanding.

Just like Professor Swan.

Ruby was so ashamed of herself; she should have known better than to get into a relationship with a teacher, but she had been so lonely and he was so nice...

Why did he have to be so nice?

The first time he kissed her, he had asked her to stay after class and explain why her marks were so poor. She had told him everything, though she hadn't meant to. It had just all come out, and she had nearly been in tears, but then he had planted his mouth on hers.

Ruby had known it was wrong, but she had been so angry at everything and everyone, she just hadn't cared. She hadn't got back to the Slytherin common room that night.

After the next Charms lesson, he had given her a detention on purpose, but by then she had realized the consequences of what could happen if they were found out. He just told her, with sugar coated words, that, as long as they told no one, they were doing nothing wrong; that it was only a bit of fun and she deserved to know what a special person she was.

And now Ruby knew he had been lying. He had never really liked her at all, she was just convenience.

Ruby buried her face in the older womans shoulder, crying harder. She was going to be in so much trouble!

"""""""""""""""""""""

Minerva slammed the front doors of the castle in the ex-Professors face. Severus breathed a nearly inaudible sigh of relief. Gary Swan could cause no more damage.

He would let Hermione deal with Ruby Whitney; he couldn't cope with hysterical teenagers, no matter what the circumstances.

Severus could already hear his wife working her own personal magic, whispering to the young woman, "Come on, Ruby. Let's go..." Hermione seemed to take a deep breath, "Let's go and... And... An -"

There was a terrible rasping sound and Severus whirled around, as Ruby screamed and caught the older woman before she could crash to the floor.