Through the Looking Glass ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 25 ~ Home Sweet Home

Hermione happily made her way down the shifting stairwells, hurried through the narrow staircase that led to the first floor corridor and rushed down the marble stairwell, ready to turn into the narrow dungeon passageway when she ran smack dab into Filch, who grinned horrendously.

”Ah, out after curfew again, Miss Granger,” the wizard said to her delightedly, as Hermione’s shoulders slumped. Damn it. She wished he was the other Filch, then she could have hexed him, the old squib.

”I don’t think professor Snape will take another caning for you though,” the caretaker said, “so just come along and take your licks.”

”What? Snape took a caning for me?” Hermione said, surprised.

Filch frowned at her for a moment, then looked at her closely. Her hair was a wreck and she didn’t have on any makeup, but there was something familiar about her. Her surprise seemed genuine.

“Are you our Miss Granger?” Filch asked her.

Hermione nodded.

”Yes. I just returned and I had to get out of Gryffindor tower as soon as I could. I wasn’t about to spend the night there. I wanted to get back to Slytherin as soon as possible,” she told him.

”Well, welcome back. Now, let’s go,” he said to the witch, taking her arm.

Hermione sighed and walked along with the wizard. Her ass wasn’t as sore as it was, thanks to the healing potion, but it was still tender. Caning wasn’t going to help a bit. Then she got an idea.

”You know, Mr. Filch, in that other world, you’re a squib,” she said to him carelessly.

Filch stopped walking and scowled.

”What?” he snarled.

Hermione nodded. “Yes, you were. And McGonagall was the Transfiguration teacher. She looked old and pinched as a prune . . . and . . . and . . .”

Suddenly she stopped.

”What else?” Filch asked, intrigued.

”Oh, I don’t have time to tell you. I’m tired and want to get through the caning so I can get to bed. It should only take a couple of minutes, right? I’m sure the Headmaster will brief you with the rest of the staff after I report to him,” Hermione said, walking forward and pulling the wizard with her.

Filch stalled.

”Listen,” he said in a conspiratory voice, “I’m the one who decides the punishment. Caning isn’t mandatory, just the most usual punishment. How about you give me fifteen minutes of lowdown and I’ll let you go to Slytherin without your knickers coming down?”

Hermione agreed. She knew Filch was too nosey to pass up being first to get the dirt.

It felt great to be back where everything was familiar and controllable.

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

”Thank you, sir. It’s good to be back,” Hermione replied, nervously clasping her hands together. Snape was quite familiar with that action. The witch was very disturbed about something. Probably the potion.

”What potion are you in need of?” he asked her curiously, watching her eyes shift about then settle on the floor before she answered him.

”I need . . . the After Sex potion, sir,” she said softly, not looking at him.

Both of Snape’s eyebrows rose, but all he said was, “Very well, Miss Granger. Wait here and I will retrieve it.”

He billowed out the room, Hermione looking after him in surprise. Professor Snape usually wasn’t this accommodating. It was surprising that he didn’t try to embarrass her.

But Snape was deep in thought as he walked to his potions stores. How much of a coincidence was it that Miss Granger obviously had sex approximately the same time her counterpart did? Probably, not much at all since the alternate world might be in loose synch with this one. But who did she have sex with?

Could it have been his counterpart? The Hermione he engaged had said the Snape in her world was an idealist. A good man in a world that didn’t appreciate good men, believing them to be weak. As a Gryffindor, Hermione might have gravitated to him as someone safe. Could she have tried to fit into that world to the extent of sleeping with him?

Interesting. Very interesting.

Snape retrieved the potion and returned to the office. He handed her the bottle.

”Drink it all down, Miss Granger,” he told her, watching as the blushing witch unscrewed the top and consumed the contents. She handed the empty bottle back to him, still unable to look him in the face.

”Thank you,” she said softly.

”You’re welcome, Miss Granger,” Snape replied, still studying her.

Hermione was again surprised by his politeness. Snape put the bottle into his pocket, then walked around his desk, picking up a quill and tearing a piece of parchment off a small pad.

”I will give you a pass to Gryffindor, so you won’t lose points if you encounter Filch,” he said to her, starting to write.

Hermione remembered something.

”Um, I need to see the Headmaster first. I have something for him and it’s time sensitive,” she said to the wizard, who looked up at her.

”What is it, Miss Granger?” he asked her.

Hermione blinked at him, not sure if she should tell him or not. Snape saw her hesitance.

”Tell me this instant, Miss Granger,” he growled at her, sounding more like his old self.

Hermione knew Snape could be trusted.

”It’s a message from Tom Riddle,” she said, “I have to get it to the Headmaster . . . because, because it has to be answered within a certain period of time and returned to him. He . . .he cast a hex on me . . .”

Snape frowned.

”What kind of hex, Miss Granger?” he responded, a bit of a cold feeling in his belly. Tom Riddle casting a hex on someone in any world didn’t bode well.

”I don’t know. All I know is he said that if I don’t return an answer to him in time, I’ll die,” she nearly whispered. “And if anyone tampers with it . . . I’ll die. So, you see . . . it’s important.”

Snape stared at her, then said, “Wait here.”

He disappeared into the open wall and into his private quarters. He reappeared five minutes later, in his teaching robes and boots.

”I’ve contacted the Headmaster via the Floo, Miss Granger. He’s waiting for us. Come into my quarters. We’ll take the Floo,” he said to the witch.

Hermione followed him into his austere quarters, not having time to look about as he guided her to the Floo, which still had green flames in it.

”Go through, Miss Granger,” he told her.

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

After receiving the parchment from Hermione and welcoming her back home, Albus sent her directly to Gryffindor house, asking Snape to stay as he opened the parchment. The Potions master watched the Headmaster’s expression change from curiosity to wonder as he read the first few pages. His blue eyes suddenly lifted and settled on Snape, no evidence of twinkle in them.

”Severus, I’m going to need your services,” he said to the wizard soberly.

Snape nodded slightly, as Albus handed several pages to him.

He began to read.

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

”Harry!” Hermione squealed, running down the stairs and leaping into a startled Harry’s arms, hugging him tightly as everyone stared at her. Her hair was still nice and curly, and she wore just a hint of make-up, since she was used to putting it on now. But not as much as she wore in the other world. She looked natural, just a bit augmented.

”Hermione?” Harry said as soon as he could breathe. He saw her breathless smile and grinned. “Hermione! You’re back!”

”Yes! I am, and I’m so glad. It was horrible, Harry. Just horrible,” she said releasing him as everyone gathered around her and welcomed her back. Ron tried to sneak in a kiss on the lips in the hubbub, but got a sound slap from Hermione.

”Ow! Some welcome back,” he griped, rubbing his cheek.

”I’m happy to see you too, Ron,” Hermione said to him with a crooked smile.

Everyone wanted to hear what the alternate universe was like and any difficulties she had.

”Well, Parvati tried to poison me . . . twice,” she said as the Indian witch looked at her in shock. “I think she had some issues with the other Hermione and didn’t want her to come back. She wasn’t after me, per se, but . . .”

”Oh, I’m so sorry, Hermione,” Parvati cried.

Hermione gave her a smile.

”It’s not like it was really you, Parvati,” she said, leaving out the fact she nearly killed her counterpart in return. That wouldn’t help the situation any.

”What were we like, Hermione?” Ron asked her enthusiastically. “Me and Harry? Were we bastards as Slytherins?”

”Oh yeah,” she said, reddening a little. She thought she’d keep the fact that she, he and Harry were all lovers, in every sense of the word to herself. She didn’t know how they’d handle the idea that they were butt buddies in an alternate universe. Or, maybe she’d save it for when Ron really pissed her off.

No one could get over the fact that Tom Riddle supported Muggle-Borns and didn’t like Purebloods in that world.

”Man, we need him here,” Ron said as everyone murmured agreement. “He’d probably break up the Death Eaters completely.”

”And he looks normal. No scales. And he has a phoenix for a familiar. I think its name is Fawkes too, but he’s darker, has black eyes and doesn’t sing. I got a kind of evil feeling from him. Riddle is still mean however, but not as bad as Voldemort as far as I could see.”

Hermione told them a little more, then listened to the stories about her counterpart. How anti-social she was and how she hexed all of them and got sent to Slytherin house.

”She didn’t like any of us,” Harry said, shaking his head. “She wouldn’t even give us a chance. She said she hated Gryffindor house.”

”Her world is very different than ours, Harry. Slytherins there are worse than here I think. Hexing is allowed, and you only get point loss when you don’t do extra credit. Instead of losing points and detention for breaking rules, you get tortured. I think caned mostly. I almost got caned, but professor Snape took my punishment for me.”

Everyone gasped.

”Professor Snape? Are you sure?” Ron asked her. “Things were pretty turned around there.”

”I’m sure. He was a Gryffindor and the Transfiguration teacher. His animagus form was a black cat with a white face and white paws. Professor McGonagall was the Potions mistress. It was so weird.”

”I’ll say. It must be good to be back home, Hermione,” Ginny said to her with a smile.

”You have no idea,” she agreed, hugging Harry again.

Her life had changed somewhat because of her short time in the other world, but still much of it remained the same. She had her friends and they would always be there for her. She also had her memories of her first time. It had been wonderful in and of itself. It was everything else that sucked. But . . . now that she was home again, it was all right. Nothing was broken, and she’d always remember the kind, passionate but callous professor Snape of that world.

As she walked with the rest of her housemates down to breakfast, Hermione began to feel a bit better. Everyone made mistakes, didn’t they? It’s what they learned from them that mattered the most. Some things had to be let go.

Unfortunately, when she looked up at the dais and saw professor Snape sitting there, looking back at her, she knew not everything would be let go. He’d be a constant reminder of her night with his counterpart for as long as she lived.

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

Albus made a formal announcement that Hermione had returned, to cheers and applause from everyone except Slytherin. Draco looked at her with narrowed eyes, thinking how she’d take the knowledge that her counterpart had let Snape fuck her. The Slytherin was in sour grapes mode now, not sure how he felt about what transpired, but rather angry he didn’t have a chance to find out. He felt cheated. He wished Granger could have stayed away a bit longer. Well, he’d take it out on her anyway as soon as he got the chance.

After breakfast, Hermione was called to the Headmaster’s office. Professor Snape was there, as well as Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Albus got right to the point.

”Miss Granger, at precisely six o’clock this evening you will return to the room off the third floor corridor and the Mirror of Erised. Your counterpart will be waiting for you. You will exchange places. She will remain in the room while you will be met outside the room by Tom Riddle himself and give him my answer. He will accept the information, remove the spell from you, and you will re-enter the room and return to us. Is this understood?”

”Yes, Headmaster,” Hermione said.

Snape could see the witch was brimming over with curiosity.

”Ah, Headmaster . . . what did the message say?” she asked him, hoping her status as courier-under-duress would make her privy to at least some of the information.

”I’m afraid the nature of the message must be kept under tight security. Suffice it to say, Miss Granger, it is very important. That’s all you need to know at this time,” the old wizard said softly. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more. Be here at a quarter to six to retrieve the missive. Professor Snape will escort you to the mirror and stand watch outside. You may go.”

Hermione glanced at Snape, who looked at her steadily, then left the office, her belly all aflutter because of both the wizard and her upcoming return to the alternate universe.

”That’s quite a brave young lady,” Kingsley said. “She didn’t protest at all.”

”Gryffindors are born martyrs. They don’t have sense enough to protest,” Snape sneered.

But he was just being contrary for the sake of it. Miss Granger was indeed a brave witch.

Albus looked at Severus.

”You haven’t protested either, Severus, and it is a far more dangerous role that you will play,” the Headmaster said.

Snape snorted.

”I learned long ago protestations don’t work with either you or the Dark Lord, Albus. The best I can do is carry out my missions as expediently as possible, hoping I will survive them,” he replied coldly.

Albus nodded gravely. The Potions master was only speaking the truth.

”But, if you pull this off, Severus, your life of expediency may well be over,” he told the dark wizard.

”Let’s just hope my actual life remains intact, Headmaster,” Snape answered, his face contorting slightly.

“If you act with your usual deviousness, it should. Tomorrow evening you will spend a few hours with Miss Granger, finding out as much as you can about that world in greater detail. Make sure you grill her thoroughly, Severus. It means the difference between success and failure. You must get Voldemort interested by the established date.”

”I’ll do my best,” Snape replied.

******************************************
A/N: Thanks for reading.