#4 ~ The \"Up Against the Wall\" Wars

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine.
****************************

A/N: I couldn\'t continue this story until I clarified some of Severus\' thought processes in chapter one, concerning his plan of action, because it is so drastic. So there is some new, additional thought dialogue written in the first chapter that might be good to reread, in order to understand his reasoning before continuing with this chapter.

Chapter 2 ~ Taking It to the Top

Hermione paced her rooms furiously. Intimacies suspended? New method of training? No sex. She seethed. This was nothing more than blackmail. What was she, a prizefighter in training? She plopped into a chair to think.

Severus was really obsessed about this. He seemed, scared, to be honest. But, the fact of the matter was not everyone could be a martial artist. She had really tried to learn the techniques he, Tonks and Kingsley taught her, but she lacked the drive to apply them. How was she supposed to fight people she knew, with the intention of injuring them? She remembered wincing when Severus instructed her to try to kick or knee him in the balls. Gods forbid. Not there! Anyplace but there! He could have been wearing a cup, but Hermione wasn’t sure if he could find one that fit him. Not a chance she was willing to take. And he had been furious with her lack of enthusiasm.

So now he had teamed up with Dumbledore to try and change the unchangeable. She just wasn’t a fighter. But she was very formidable with a wand. During the Final Battle she cut down many deatheaters before she was finally felled by a nasty hex thrown by Lucius Malfoy. She did all right for herself. And she knew a lot of spells, spells that she really shouldn’t know, spells that would protect her well.

But Severus was concerned about her not having magic at her disposal. He wanted her to use weapons too. Knives in particular. She grimaced as she remembered the half-hearted defense she put up with a rounded blade when Severus went for her. He walked menacingly towards her, arms down at his sides, his whole torso open to attack, and she poked him in the arm. He was so mad he banished her from the session, which to be honest, was fine with her.

Something about the way he looked at her when telling her about the consequences of not learning from this new method of training, made her blood run a little cold. The way he looked at her, how harshly he spoke to her. It was as if he were steeling himself, had no heart in him, no kindness. She shivered a little at the thought of him attacking her at random. Severus took her defense training very seriously. He would be attacking her in earnest. This was probably why he decided to stop their trysts. It would probably be difficult to attack a woman you wanted to have willing for sex later on. A definite conflict of interest. However, how conducive to training could it be to have a sexually frustrated student? Hermione was a real bitch when denied her vitamin F.

She shook her head. It just wasn’t fair to be put through this so arbitrarily. Frowning to herself, she stood up. She knew what she needed to do.

She walked into her bedroom, opened the closet and donned her staff robes. She was going to go to Dumbledore and protest this forced training. She’d make him see reason. She knew Severus had her best interests at heart, but this was going way, way too far.

*****************************

Hermione stood frowning in front of the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore’s office. She had tried the password, “Bouncing Sugar Beanie Babies,” but it hadn’t worked. It must have been changed. She tried a list of confections, but nothing worked. Frustrated, she wasn’t sure what she should do next, when the gargoyle leapt aside of its own accord, and Dumbledore emerged from the stairwell.

“Miss Granger!” he smiled broadly. “How nice to see you, my dear. I was just on my way to the kitchens to see if I could persuade the house elves to make me a lemon tart or two. Care to accompany me?” he asked, looking over his glasses kindly at the young witch.

Hermione would have preferred to sit in his office and talk to him, but it would be rude to say so, especially since he was on his way out, so she nodded, and together they walked down the corridor.

“Um, Headmaster, I wanted to talk to you about my combat training…” she began, deciding it would be best to dive right in.

The Headmaster looked at her sideways. “Ah, yes Miss Granger. I understand that Severus has developed a new method for you. Very good.” he replied, smiling.

“Well sir, I’m not sure exactly how good that is. You see, I’m just not good fighting material,” she said.

“Nonsense, my dear. Anyone can learn to defend himself. Or herself, in your case. Nymphadora Tonks was a real fright when the time came for her training,” he said, before leaning in towards Hermione and lowering his voice, “She’s a wonderful girl, but a bit clumsy. It took her a while to get the hang of it, but she has it pat now. She’s a very accomplished fighter. Actually trains others. If she could learn, I see no reason you can’t, Miss Granger.”

His eyes lost a little twinkle when he said this.

“But, Headmaster, I don’t want to…”

Albus cut her off, a sternly looking over his glasses at her. Hermione had forgotten how imposing the powerful wizard could be.

“Miss Granger. Severus is right when he says you are in real danger. What I am about to say to you has to remain in strictest confidence. I am sure I can trust you to keep it to yourself.”

Hermione nodded. “Of course, Headmaster.” She felt her stomach knotting up.

Dumbledore looked at her a bit sadly. “Miss Granger, Voldemort’s demise has made life in the wizarding world safer overall, but there are still loyal deatheaters out here who wish to take revenge on those they feel responsible for the thwarting of their Master’s plans for domination. We in the Order have not ceased being vigilant in pursuing these rogue minions of the Dark Lord, and they have not ceased their slaughter in the name of Voldemort. We have intercepted a list of targeted individuals, and it is quite a list, a list on which you figure prominently, about fourth from the top of a total of two hundred intended victims.”

Hermione gasped, covering her mouth.

“Severus is aware of the list, but not of your prominent placing. He himself is second on the list, while I have the dubious honor of being the first. Harry is third, and it goes on from there. The deatheaters are not going through the list in order, being guided by opportunity rather than following a plan of attack. More than thirty people on the list have been killed, before we acquired it, and we lost seven more, this week alone. And those we lost, knew of their danger. But still they died.”

Albus sighed.

“These deatheaters are opportunists. And they are intelligent, for the most part. Two of the victims were killed at their desks inside the Ministry, and the culprits escaped. Another was murdered while hiding in a safehouse that was supposed to be unplottable, and the murderous also made it away unscathed. Several died from receiving unsolicited gift packages that exploded with such force that the building was blown to bits. Many more were abducted…we still can’t find their bodies…”

Here Albus looked at her pointedly. Hermione dropped her eyes guiltily.

“Is there something you would like to tell me, Miss Granger?” Albus asked softly, his blue eyes hardening slightly.

She looked up at the Headmaster, but couldn’t bring herself to tell him about her abduction. She had a feeling he already knew. She remained silent. Albus sighed again.

“Miss Granger, I must insist that you participate in the training program Severus has laid out for you, no matter how difficult or even painful. You are valuable to the wizarding world, and to us, my dear. What you have done for Severus alone, places me in your debt. His soul was dead, because of what I put him through all those years, and you resurrected him. If anything were to happen to you, Miss Granger, he would return to the darkness, and I am sure that this time, we would not be able to bring him back to the Light. You must live, Miss Granger. We cannot allow your reticence to keep you from surviving. You have a destiny, my dear…other than the one you’ve already fulfilled.”

“You know?” Hermione breathed, staring at the Headmaster as they walked toward the portrait of fruit that would open the hidden door to the kitchens.

He looked at her kindly and said, “Gods bless those heroes who are unsung, who secret the great deeds they’ve done…yes I’ve known from the first, Miss Granger. Harry was the instrument of Voldemort’s death…but you were the power and cause behind it.” He eyed her with a smile.

“There is still much for you to do,” he said softly, “and although I am not comfortable with what Severus has planned for you, for your safety and survival I find myself in agreement…that desperate situations require desperate measures. And I will not interfere.”

The Headmaster stated this firmly, as to leave Hermione in no doubt that she was at the mercy of Severus Snape, a mercy that was in all probability, non-existent. She could not look for help from any other quarter than her own dubious strength.

“I trust I have answered all your questions suitably?” Dumbledore asked as he tickled the pear, which let out a high-pitched giggle before swinging open on the kitchens, and a group of waiting, bobbing, smiling house-elves.

“Yes. Yes you have, Headmaster. I thank you,” Hermione replied in a distant voice.

“Will you join me in the kitchens? I’m sure the house-elves will prepare us an excellent nosh,” Dumbledore said, smiling down at the elves, who were literally trembling to be of service.

She shook her head. “Ah, no thank you, Headmaster. I’m going to return to my rooms, to think about what you’ve told me, and what to do next.”

Albus nodded. “Very well, Miss Granger. Be safe,” he added meaningfully. He then walked into the kitchens, where he was instantly mobbed by a cluster of small, excited bodies. The door closed and Hermione headed back towards the dungeons.

She returned to the main corridor and turned to the dungeon entrance. She was so lost in thought that she was unaware she was being followed.

******************************
A/N: oh oh. who dat?!