Fire and the Dragon

A/N: Many thanks to all my readers. We will be coming to a close here in the next 5-6 chapters. It has been fun and challenging. Ok, next chapter, here we go!















Ch. 19 March Madness



*Tap tap tap* Hermione looked up from her papers and sighed. “All these bloody birds. Don’t people realize that I am working?” she said to herself. It was the fourth owl in under an hour.



The first one was from the ministry, informing her that they had accepted her petition to deny paternity. That one was the good news. The second came shortly after from a very distraught Molly Weasley, it was a howler telling Hermione ‘how dare she keep her and Arthur’s grandchild from them’ and she would be heading to the ministry to try and repel it.



Twenty minutes later, another owl came. It was from Arthur Weasley. He told Hermione that he understood her position and was happy that he would at least be able to spend time with his grand daughter at all, regardless of who he would be known as to her. He wrote on the end to not worry about Mrs. Weasley, even if there were something she could do about the petition, he would hold her down and that the rest of his children (minus Ronald of course) and he were behind her one hundred percent.



She wondered who this one could be from. She opened the window and let it in. She gave the owl a treat and unrolled the parchment. She breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was just a subscription renewal offer from the Daily Prophet. She threw it to the side and sat down.



She looked at the date on the paper, March 19. It had been 6 months since her attack. She jumped up. Six months?! She had not intended on staying at Hogwarts so long. She needed to get back to her work and her life.



She snatched out her bags and began to hastily pack her clothing. Would she even have a job left waiting for her anymore? She was throwing her belongings into the bags, not even bothering to fold them neatly.



This was how Severus found her when he came to escort her to lunch. He stopped in his tracks, his mouth hanging open slightly. “What do you think you are doing?” She swirled around, surprised.



“I’m leaving.” She replied calmly, and continued to try and shut her bag. As she continued to try and force her bag to close, she continued. “I have imposed on your hospitality long enough.”



Severus placed his hands lightly on her arms. “Hermione, you do not have to leave. You are not imposing upon anyone.” Hermione turned around and placed a finger to his lips. “Everyone has been so kind, especially you, Severus. However,” she sighed and clasped his hands.



“It is time for me to go back out there. Thanks to you and many others I am no longer scared. I need to return to my life.” Severus looked her in the eyes. “You can have a life here, Hermione.”



“Look around you, Severus,” she gestured with her hands. “This is no place for a baby.” Severus released her hands and shook his head in irritation. “Do not leave yet, woman. I will return.”



He went to his room to floo Minerva. “Severus, to what do I owe the pleasure of such a call?” she smirked at him. “McGonagall, come and see to your former protégé.”



There was a sense of urgency in his voice that made her stop off to retrieve Madame Pomfrey before dashing to the dungeons. When they both got there, they too stopped dead at the scene.



Hermione was in the floor crying because the bag she had finally managed to zip decided to burst open, clothing was scattered everywhere. Severus stood in the corner, shaking his head.



“What is the meaning of this, Ms. Granger?” the headmistress asked the young girl as she attempted to help her off the floor. Hermione choked out something inaudible.



“She has begun to lose her bloody mind.” Severus explained to the woman. Minerva motioned for him to hush while she tried to console the girl. After finally getting the whole story out, Minerva stood and brushed her hands on her robes.



“Ms. Granger, you are welcome to stay for as long as you like. As for this being an unsuitable place for a baby, a witch as talented as you are could easily mend that problem, even in this very room” McGonagall told her with a voice of authority.



Hermione slowly rose from the cold ground. “I appreciate that, Professor. But I need to return to my job…my savings will not last much longer and I am sure a baby needs lots of things.” She voiced the concern that had really been weighing on her mind.



Minerva smiled, she had been expecting this. “Well, Ms. Granger, you are a brilliant potions mistress. Next year we will require a new professor in the subject and you are more than qualified, should you accept.”



“And just when, Minerva, were you planning on informing me of my loss of employment?” Severus nearly jumped down the woman’s throat. His face was priceless. Minerva couldn’t help but smirk smugly.



She cleared her throat, plainly pleased with herself. “I had planned on coming to you at the end of term, Severus. But seeing as how the situation had changed…the current professor of defense against the dark arts has taken it upon himself to submit his resignation. Apparently he could not tolerate students accidentally hexing him every other class.”



Severus looked near exploding from trying to contain his emotions. Minerva interrupted his moment of triumph. “Of course,” she added, “The position is only yours if Ms. Granger agrees to take your place.” With a meaningful look between the two, she told Hermione she would be awaiting her response and left the dungeons.



Picking up some of her belongings, Hermione made her way around the room. She had much to think about. She turned to Severus, “I suppose you are going to try and convince me to take the job so that you can teach your favorite subject.” She told him coldly.



He tried to get close to her, but she kept backing away. Severus growled low in his chest, damn these mood swings. He never knew what to expect or how to confront the girl. He watched as she continued to clean up, apparently she had at least decided to stay until she made her decision.



Finally getting close enough to her to keep her still, he placed his hands on each side of her face, forcing her to look at him. “I can not deny that I have coveted the dark arts position for years.” Hermione’s eyes were locked onto his.



“Do not stay to appease me, stay because you want to.” He told her honestly. She began to bite her bottom lip, which always drove Severus crazy. “I don’t know what I want to do. I-I-I just need time to think.” She began to walk away.



Just before she was out of reach, Severus grabbed her hand. “I can’t lose you, Hermione.” He whispered. “Stay. Stay with me, stay for me.” He pleaded. “Stay for us.”



Hermione stopped walking. Her head dropped. “What is there for ‘us’ Severus? I am going to have a child that is not yours. I will probably never be able to be with you intimately without being afraid. Could you, honestly, be with someone with as much bruising as I have?”



Her hands fell to her sides and Severus slowly walked to her and placed his arms protectively around her waist. His hands rested on her enlarged abdomen.



His past was keeping him from saying everything he needed to say. If he did not, however, this woman would likely leave forever. He rested his chin on the top of her hair, which had turned back brown and curly.



“Hermione, your ‘bruises’ as you so eloquently call them, are a part of who you are. As for this child, I have fallen in love with her already.” Hermione held her breath. Such a confession from such a man was impossible, surely she heard wrong.



Severus took another deep breath before continuing. “Just as I believe I am falling in love with you.” Hermione was sure she heard accurately that time. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She turned to the man who had, surprisingly, placed his emotions on the firing range.



Black eyes met shining hazelnut ones. Severus didn’t know why he was saying so much, but something in him told him that if he did not, she would walk out of the door, and his life, forever.



He sighed, “I am not an affectionate man, and I can not promise a disgusting lovey future. I do not show my love publicly and there will be times you question it.” Hermione nodded, showing that she understood his personality by now.



“However,” he purred silkily. “There will be passion, and loyalty. I do not know how long any relationship between us would last. People will talk and many will be unhappy with our arrangement. But I will never stop loving you.”



Hermione was openly sobbing now. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his neck. When she pulled back, she was smiling. “I guess we’ll never know until we try, right?”



Severus’ entire face smiled with his mouth. He encircled her with his arms, one around the waist, the other entwining its hand in her hair, “Well then, try we shall.” He said just before pressing his lips to hers.