Triumph Out of the Bitter Taste of Ashes

Barrie -- Absolutely not. : ) I knew exactly where your comments were directed. lol right at the characters that were being so bloody offensive. And agreed about the probs splashing out onto people not even remotely involved on either side.
Rilla -- Thank you. After I finally got it out, I kinda liked it better too. LOL
Farfie -- Thanks muchly. I\'m glad you like them.

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Chapter Twenty Four
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Their trunks and bags tossed aside and promptly forgotten, Ron, Draco, and Potter all darted outside -- the better to avoid Ron\'s mum, as far as Draco was concerned. The woman was a little barmy if you asked him, given to sudden fits of *hugging*, her eyes going all teary, like she was about to cry. He wouldn\'t have minded so much, but apparently, she\'d decided he was as much fair game as either Ron or Potter. He wasn\'t used to such casual and *frequent* displays of affection and he was not entirely certain how he was supposed to react.

Draco was allyally glad to see it happening to Ron. It meant he\'d been right about Ron\'s insecurities. It was actually funny to watch the red-head turn just as red as his hair and demand grumpily that she let him be. Underneath it all, Draco could tell Ron appreciated every moment of it -- despite the Gryffindor\'s obvious embarrassment about it happening in front of him and Potter.

He dropped a little behind the other two. They both looked like they knew exactly where they were going, which of course, was all too likely. He, on the other hand, didn\'t. He took careful stock of his surroundings, much of it not quite what he expected -- though, what he had expected, he wasn\'t quite sure. The house itself was pretty much everything he\'d come to exp exc except he hadn\'t realized that it would feel . . . homey.

The grounds, however, they were something else entirely. He\'d pictured a yard full of broken, half-rusted muggle contraptions scattered around. What he found, was a well-tended garden-like setting, although it was missing the extensive planning of the Malfoy gardens. This looked like tamed nature and, surprisingly enough, he liked it.

\"Hey!\" Potter shouted suddenly from several feet in front of him. \"What are we going to do first?\"

Before Ron could reply, his mother called from behind the three of them. \"You can degnome the garden,\" she called.

Draco smirked and couldn\'t help but laugh as both Gryffindors slumped.

\"Yes, Mum,\" Ron replied at the same time as Harry replied, \"yes, Mrs. Weasley.\"

They both turned and headed back his direction. \"The garden is behind the house,\" Ron said as the they reached him.

Draco nodded and dropped into step with them. After a couple of moments he tentatively asked, \"Is your mother always so . . . affectionate?\"

Surprise lit Ron\'s face for several seconds before he laughed. \"Not quite this much, no. It\'s just since, well, since Ginny died, Mum\'s been a little touchy.\"

\"Literally,\" Potter piped up with, grinning past sad eyes.

Ron\'s eyes misted over as well, but to Draco\'s everlasting gratitude, his friend chuckled a bit. \"Yeah,\" he replied ruefully, heading around back of the house. \"Let\'s get this over with.\"

To Draco\'s surprise, Potter walked next to him instead of Ron. \"It used to make me a little uncomfortable, too,\" he said quietly enough that Ron probably wouldn\'t hear the words. \"But it\'s surprising how quick you grow to like it.\"

Draco snorted. Somehow, he didn\'t think he\'d be \'growing to like it\' any time soon.

//And you think you\'ll even have a chance to?//

Draco frowned then, but before he could form any sort of retort, Potter took off grabbing up the first Gnome. Draco shook his head. Why were they degnoming in the winter, anyway? Nothing was growing this time of year. Watching as the two others began the chase, Draco looked for a place to make himself comfortable.

\"Come on, Draco,\" Ron yelled, having disposed of his first Gnome.

Draco shook his head, smirking. \"I\'m a guest, Ron Weasley. As a Malfoy *and* a guest, I don\'t *do* physical labor.\"

Ron and Potter shared a look that Draco could only describe as patently conspiring before they moved as one toward him, their strides purposeful. Eyes widening with a shot of alarm, Draco bit his lip nervously.

\"What are you doing?\" he asked, backing up warily.

\"The standard response to someone who isn\'t willing to do their fair share,\" Ron replied, a smirk a Malfoy would be proud of twisting the corners of his mouth upward.

\"Oh?\" Draco retorted gamely, continuing his careful retreat. \"And just what *is* the \'standard\' response?\"

The two Gryffindors grinned widely, and that was when Draco *really* began to worry.

**

Severus stormed toward Hogsmeade. A bright, cold December day, he wrapped his cloak firmly around himself. The light dusting of snow across the ground didn\'t nothing to impede his progress, but it did make him careful, not wanting to fall on the slippery ground. Just minutes before, he\'d been safely ensconced in his chambers when he\'d been summoned to the headmaster\'s office. Apparently, Miss Granger was nowhere to be found and Minerva had gone into a nearly hysterical fit upon discovering that fact. The girl was not in the school nor anywhere on the school grounds.

As far as *he* was concerned the chit had probably just gone off to be by herself, and he had told Minerva so in no uncertain terms. Unfortunately, the headmaster seemed to think Minerva might be right to be worried. Consequently, Severus was out here, against his better judgement, hunting down a bloody student! He would have apparated to Hogsmeade to cut his search short, but with his luck it would end up prolonging his search instead, because he would miss her in passing. Too much of his time had already been spent on one Miss Hermione Granger lately.

//Is that the party line?// asked a dark sarcastic voice deep inside of him.

He snorted, shaking his head. He supposed it wouldn\'t hurt to admit that he, too, was worried. It\'s not like anyone *else* would ever know. As much as Granger had annoyed him over the years, she had never simply taken off -- at least not without the instigation of her two Gryffindor *pals*. Conscientious and orderly to a fault, if Miss Granger had left for something insignificant, Severus suspected she would have notified someone. If she had left *voluntarily*, obviously it was for something she felt the need to keep secret, and that did not sit well with him.

Last night\'s conversation came back to haunt him, her last question weighing heavily on his mind. She had told him of the muggle ability to abort an unwanted pregnancy much later than was available in the magical world. It wasn\'t often he came across something they were better at, but as much as the idea that there *was* something, right now it was one more concern he didn\'t need. What if that\'s what she\'d left to do? She had been gone for hours, from all available evidence. What if something had gone wrong? For all he knew the blasted muggles had botched it all up and she was dying somewhere.

She couldn\'t be located magically. She\'d left her wand in her room -- Minerva had found it, encouraging her belief that something ill had befallen her favored student.

**Bloody inconvenient is what it is!** he thought angrily, his anger safely reignited. \"Bloody stupid to leave her wand behind. Idiotic!\" he muttered under his breath. \"Never leave your wand behind.\"

It was at that moment that Granger came into view. \"Irresponsible child!\" Severus snapped, striding forward.

Miss Granger snapped her head up, staring at him in shock. \"What?\" she asked.

\"The entire staff went into an uproar when you were discovered missing, *Miss* Granger. Do you have absolutely no consideration for anyone here that you would simply take off without word to anyone?\" he demanded angrily, scowling at the thoughtless student in front of him.

Miss Granger drew herself up, her shock disappearing as rapidly as pride and anger replaced it. \"I was unaware,\" she said stiffly, glaring back at him, \"that I was required to report my every move.\"

\"Well, now you know,\" he snapped back, reaching out to grab hold of her arm. \"We need to get back to the castle and let your head of house and the headmaster know you\'re not lying somewhere injured.\"

Granger wrenched her arm from his grasp, surprising him with the unexpected move. \"I was already headed back to the school, Professor,\" she informed him angrily, her voice almost a growl. \"Perhaps you would care to go ahead and pass on the *good* news. I will follow behind at my own pace.\"

\"I will do no such thing, Miss Granger,\" he retorted silkily, sneering down at the student that *dared* to speak back to him. \"You are in no condition to be--\"

\"I\'m *pregnant*, Professor, not sick! I\'ll go where I please!\"

\"While you are a student at Hogwarts, the staff are responsible for your well being,\" Severus retorted sharply. Didn\'t she understand how much she had scared them all? Scared the headmaster and Minerva anyway. \"You will--\"

\"Be leaving the moment I have my trunk packed, Sir.\"

\"What?\" he demanded, stunned. He hadn\'t expected that and to his great surprise -- not to mention discomfort -- he realized he didn\'t like the idea one bit. Miss Granger, however, had already started to walk away. Scowling darkly, Severus hurried after her. She was *not* going to drop that bombshell and simply walk off scot free! \"What are you talking about, you silly child?\"

Rounding on him hotly, Miss Granger\'s glare turned hateful. \"I am *not* a silly child, Professor, and I will not be taken to task like an unschooled 1st year! If I am not to be treated with the respect I have *earned*, then I will leave. Simple as that.\"

\"Would you have taken off without word to anyone, were you at home, Miss Granger?\" he sneered, seeing only her rebellious stubbornness, treating everyone who cared about what happened to her with reckless disregard.

\"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would have!\" she snapped. \"At *home* I am trusted to know my own mind, and to inform someone if I am in any danger!\"

\"You didn\'t inform anyone here, Miss Granger! I see you wish to be treated with respect, but do not return the favor.\"

Granger actually growled at that -- *growled*. \"Oh!\" she exclaimed, stomping her foot. \"I just went to the bloody library! Why would I need to tell someone about *that*?\"

\"The library?\" he exclaimed, his anger fading away in his shock.

Blinking, visibly changing mental gears, Granger stared at him a moment before replying. \"Yes,\" she said slowly, \"the *library*. Is that really so surprising?\"

\"Hogwarts\' library is *far* superior to the one in Hogsmeade, so yes, I\'d have to say it is.\"

\"The muggle library, Professor. What I wanted to research, I couldn\'t find at Hogwarts or Hogsmeade.\"

**

Draco gulped in huge gasps of air as the two Gryffindors finally decided he was *allowed* to breathe. He hadn\'t realized that he was that bloody *ticklish*! No one in his memory had *ever* tickled him before. It didn\'t take him long to figure out it was an effective \'attack\' device, however. It left the target unable to move properly and unable to bloody *breathe*!

\"Are you two *quite* finished?\" he demanded huffily.

\"Depends,\" Ron retorted, grinning broadly.

\"On?\" he returned warily.

\"On whether or not you\'re going to come down off your high horse and help us with the degnoming,\" Harry inserted.

Draco glared. \"Of course not,\" he retorted.

The two moved toward him, intent sparkling in *both* their eyes. Draco yielded quickly. \"Alright! I give.\"

\"Dinner!\" Mrs. Weasley shouted, interrupting the byplay.

Draco jumped up from the ground, grinning triumphantly. \"Saved!\" he exclaimed happily, darting quickly away. He could hear both Gryffindors grumbling behind him, but that only made him grin more widely. Maybe this break wouldn\'t be a total waste after all, he thought as he slipped inside the house. Only time would tell.

**

Hermione shifted uncomfortably as she made her way out of the headmaster\'s office and down the stone stairway. Misunderstandings had been cleared up, and fences mended -- some before they\'d even reached the school. That\'s not what made her nervous right now. She\'d confided in Professor Snape both her reason for going to muggle Londonnd* nd* what had happened when she been there. She\'d been as dispassionate about it as she could be, but she knew some of her distress had shown through. What surprised her about it all, was that Professor Snape hadn\'t sneered at her, telling her she was being an ignorant *Gryffindor* for feeling so confused about it all. In fact, for Professor Snape, he\'d been downright polite. Of course, if she hadn\'t known him for the past seven years, she wouldn\'t have thought so.

Unfortunately, that had opened up new avenues in her mind and she\'d gotten a brilliant idea -- well, it had seemed so at the time. Now, she wasn\'t so sure, but she wanted to ask, anyway. She *really* didn\'t want to have to do this alone. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back against the hallway wall and waited. Professor Snape had yet to leave the headmaster\'s office. She just hoped she didn\'t have to wait long. It had been a very long day, and she wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and sleep.

Thankfully, she didn\'t have to. No sooner than the thought crossed her mind than the gargoyle slid open again, revealing Professor Snape. He immediately strode past her.

\"Professor Snape,\" she called out, wincing when he started, spinning around to face her. She hadn\'t meant to startle the man.

\"What?\" he demanded sharply.

Almost changing her mind on the spot, Hermione squared her shoulders and plunged ahead. \"I have a doctor\'s appointment tomorrow, in muggle London,\" she explained and was heartened to see a spark of interest -- quickly hidden -- flash in Professor Snape\'s eyes.

\"What of it?\"

\"I would appreciate it very much if you would see fit to accompany me.\"

\"What?\" he asked, shock evident in his flat tone.

\"All the literature suggests taking someone with you. I thought maybe--\" Hermione\'s words cut off as Professor Snape lay a hand on her shoulder. She blinked up at him in surprise. A long silent moment passed before he replied.

\"I would be honored, Miss Granger,\" he said. Then, suddenly seeming to realize he was still touching her, snatched his hand back, spun around and began striding away. He made it only a few strides before he faltered to a stop and half turned back around. \"What time is the appointment?\"

\"Two oclock,\" she replied evenly.

\"I will meet you in the front hall at precisely one oclock,\" he replied, nodding once, then disappearing around the corner.


TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: It does an author good. : )~
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com


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