A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 26 ~ Repositioning

Hermione was less than happy to discover she was on Voldemort’s “to die” list. No wonder Malfoy was slinking around her, a look of malice in his eyes. On Harry’s okay, she had told Ron where he was hiding. Ron didn’t believe her at first.

“I went to Godric’s Hollow over the summer to poke about. It’s all ruins. I walked through them and everything. Now where is he, Hermione? Stop wanking with me!”

An irate Hermione finally convinced Ron she were telling the truth, having to drag him into her Head girl room and employ the magic mirror that allowed her to talk to Harry. She hated doing it because the mirror was only to be used for emergencies. Ron was hardly that. But Harry confirmed the truth.

“A bloody brilliant bit of magic there, Harry!” Ron said, impressed.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

Ron and Harry wanted to chit-chat, but Hermione turned off the mirror.

“You can talk to him when you see him, Ron,” she snapped at the red-haired wizard, pissed he hadn’t believed her in the first place.

“What’s wrong with you now?” Ron asked her.

“You never believe anything I say, that’s what’s wrong! Now get out of my room!” she fumed.

Ron’s eyes turned pleading.

“Can’t I at least talk to you about what happened…about us?” he asked her plaintively.

Hermione looked haughty.

“I’ve moved on, Ron,” she said airily, her nose in the air.

Ron scowled.

“Moved on? What the bloody hell do you mean ‘moved on?’ Moved on where?” he asked her.

“I’ve moved on emotionally. There’s…there’s someone else,” she said firmly.

Ron rubbed his hand over his face and stared at Hermione.

“Who?” he asked jealously.

“That’s none of your business. But he’s much better suited to me than you are,” she replied.

“Better suited eh? What did you do, Hermione? Shag this bloke?” the wizard said nastily.

Hermione’s eyes blazed and she grabbed the handle of her wand in her pocket.

“Get out, Ron. Now,” she hissed, “I don’t want you anymore and the first thing you say is I shagged someone else, as if that’s the only reason I wouldn’t want to be your girlfriend. You’re an idiot…that’s why. Now go before I give you an extra set of ears.”

Ron had left, angry as usual.

Now Hermione and Ron were going to be in close proximity at Harry’s house. After much arguing on Harry’s part, Hermione reluctantly agreed to pack up and stay with him. She wanted to tell the Headmistress what was happening, but Severus convinced Harry this would not be wise when he visited him the next weekend.

“Minerva has a hard enough time cutting her apron strings loose on her graduates. She will attempt to stop Miss Granger, even if she has to confine her to her rooms and ward her with alarms that ring any time she goes near the doors leading to the grounds, Mr. Potter. I know how the woman operates. Miss Granger needs only leave a note saying her life is in danger and she is safe,” the Potions Master said, “I understand she is the age of consent, so little can be done concerning her leaving Hogwarts.”

Hermione was concerned about her marks and graduation however.

“If you’re dead, you can’t graduate,” Harry countered, “You can finish up later, Hermione. There wasn’t going to be a big celebration any way. You might enjoy it more in a year or so.”

Ron thought it was cool the Dark Lord wanted to kill him. At last, he was being noticed. It was still Harry-related, but the peril was all his own.

“Wow. Voldemort wants to kill me,” Ron said with a disbelieving smile as Hermione looked at him as if he were insane.

“You say that like it’s a good thing,” she said to him, frowning.

Ron blinked at her.

“Oh no, it’s not good…but it is cool. Very cool. Too bad I can’t tell anyone about it,” he said wanting to work his perceived celebrity for all it was worth.

To Hermione this was more confirmation of what she already believed. Ron was crazy. Stark, raving nutters.

Ron was raring to go as far as leaving Hogwarts went. He was a bit jealous of Harry having all the adventure, and now he had a feasible reason to defy his parents’ wishes and hopefully get his wand dirty. If he returned to the Burrow, he’d be putting them all in danger. He couldn’t have that now, could he? No. Godric’s Hollow was the best place to be. Besides, Hermione would be around him all the time. He could work on her.

Hermione was a bit apprehensive about Ron going to Godric’s Hollow. She hadn’t told him anything about Professor Snape’s innocence or Harry working with him to destroy the Horcruxes…a position Ron no doubt believed he was going to fill when he moved to Harry’s.

“You know Ron, I’m really going to miss not being able to attend Professor Hagg’s Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It seemed like it would have been interesting,” Hermione said wistfully as she packed up.

Ron was sitting on her bed watching as she reduced her belongings. He was all packed and ready to depart. Hermione and Ron were on talking terms again after she made it clear he was not to attempt anything remotely romantic. Ron bided his time. He could act when he wanted to.

“Hell, she gave me the willies,” Ron said shuddering, remember their first class with the less than lovely witch.

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The students had all entered the DA classroom and taken their seats, looking about. Professor Hagg had cleared out the Dark Arts classroom, the walls bare except for the black curtains around the large windows. The projector was still present as were the books, but the awful images of people being tortured by curses were gone, as were the horrible jars full of creatures Professor Snape had placed everywhere. It looked rather lifeless without anything to perk it up.

Matilda Hagg didn’t want anything competing with her students’ attention spans. With nothing else to look at, they’d be focused on her and what she had to teach them.

Suddenly the witch strode in with a Snape-worthy billow of robes, walked to the head of the class, spun and looked at the students imperiously. She was dressed in traditional witch’s gear including the curly-toed boots and pointed black hat. Her long crooked nose, wart and pointed chin only added to the “wicked witch” look. Matilda Hagg was perfect for the DA class.

“You will each give me your names one after the other, and the seats you now occupy will be the seats you will retain for the rest of the year. I do not assign seats, but I do charm them to chafe the buttocks of those who do not belong there for that period. So I suggest you remember where you sat,” she said drawing her wand, “if you want to remain sitting comfortably that is.”

She smirked at the wide-eyed class, who began to rattle off their names, Professor Hagg flicking her wand at each desk as they did so. She really did charm the chairs.

After she finished with roll, she smiled at the class, showing her beautiful white teeth. The students were all taken aback by how pretty they were.

“Well, everyone has some good point, I guess,” Ron whispered to Seamus.

“She needs more than pretty teeth,” the Gryffindor whispered back, “A complete body makeover. Brrrr.”

Matilda’s eyes shifted toward Seamus and gave an almost imperceptible flick of her wand. The wizard was dumped noisily on the floor by his chair.

“Mr. Finnigan is it?” she asked him as he climbed back into the chair, red-faced as the other students laughed at him.

”Yes, Professor,” he replied, running his fingers through his hair, which only made it more disheveled.

”Well, try to stay in your chair for the rest of the class or you will find yourself losing points for your house,” Matilda said evenly.

Seamus nodded and didn’t say another word. Matilda turned her dark eyes back on the class. They glittered slightly

“Now, I am addressing all of you. Knowing how to defend yourself against the Dark Arts is quite important. You can keep yourself from being hurt, killed or manipulated. Manipulation can be just as devastating as the other two options if done properly. Through the Dark Arts one can be manipulated to do just about anything, even without the Imperious curse. In example…”

Matilda gestured to the back of the class with her wand and the doors opened. In walked two young men, one blonde and blue-eyed, the other brunette and hazel-eyed. They were gorgeous, tall, handsome and with beautiful white teeth as they smiled at the class, dimples in abundance. They walked up to Matilda and each kissed her on the cheek.

“Hi mum,” they said, turning and facing the class, standing on either side of the witch and towering over her.

The witches were all making googly eyes at them. Even Hermione looked appreciative. The wizards all frowned at the reaction.

“These are my sons, Amos and Andy,” Matilda said, “Nice looking boys aren’t they?”

The witches and one wizard all heartily agreed.

Matilda nodded and walked around her sons speculatively as if sizing them up. Then she looked at the class, particularly the young witches.

“Now girls...my boys are the spitting images of their fathers. Do you suppose I attracted them with my good looks?" Professor Hagg cackled as the witches in her class tittered.

The young wizards all grimaced.

"Seems like their dads could have used a couple of Defense Against the Dark Arts courses," a male student said to another in a low whisper.

Matilda once again flicked her wand. Immediately, his nose grew several inches longer.

“What is your house, young man?” Matilda demanded.

“Hufflepuff,” he said in a low voice as he fingered his nose, contrite as laughter surrounded him.

"Twenty points from Hufflepuff!" Professor Hagg proclaimed, her wand still pointed at the offender, "And that will teach you to keep your nose out of my...affairs."

The pupils all stared at the witch with wide eyes. She smirked nastily and returned to the day's lesson.

”Manipulation. You want to avoid it…trust me,” she cackled, her sons grinning broadly. They seemed to have no problem with their mother’s tactics at all. Hell, they wouldn’t even be here if she had been above board. And certainly not as popular with the witches had she chosen average sires.

Shit. Who needed Professor Snape? With her little wand flicks, Professor Matilda Hagg was already topping out the Snark meter. She finished the class, the students hanging on to her every word. Professor Matilda Hagg was a hit.

As far as getting students interested in the course, her sons did more to inspire the young wizards than the witches. Just the idea of someone who looked like that getting them to father her children through the Dark Arts made almost the entire male portion of the class open their texts and start reading the minute they returned to their houses.

There was something to be said for incentive.

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Hermione and Ron left Hogwarts on her birthday, having special permission to go to Hogsmeade under the guise of having a birthday supper. Both Ron and Hermione left notes on their bed especially charmed only to be opened by Minerva. The notes explained what they had done and why.

“Fine way to spend my eighteenth birthday…going into hiding,” Hermione griped as they walked across the grounds.

Ron was chipper and bright-eyed. He loved this. He loved the mystery and the danger…most of the danger related to his mother Molly, who no doubt would want to kill him almost as bad as Voldemort did. But he tried not to think about her wrath. Only about staying with Harry.

”Don’t worry Hermione…just think of it as establishing your independence,” he said to the witch, smiling.

Hermione harrumphed as Filch crabbily opened the gate.

“Be sure to get back here at a proper hour. I need my beauty sleep,” he groused as the pair walked through. Ron made a choking sound that made the sour squib looked even sourer.

”He needs to go into hibernation…and it still won’t help,” Ron quipped.

Hermione couldn’t help smiling. Ron was funny. She had always liked that about him.

They stopped outside the gate, linked arms and disapparated.

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Ron was livid when he found out Hermione went to meet Professor Snape alone, yet amazed that the snarky wizard contained the soul fragment of Albus Dumbledore. Hermione had been right. There was something going on.

After his ire died down, Ron apologized to Hermione for not believing her.

“I’m really sorry, Hermione. Snape seemed like the kind who would turn on the Headmaster,” the wizard said as Harry looked on.

“Professor Snape is a hero and has always been a hero. You and Harry never believed the Headmaster when he said he could be trusted,” she snapped at him, “Every torture he suffered, he suffered for the wizarding world.”

”I believe him now,” Harry said, thinking about Snape blocking the skeleton’s deathblow. Harry would have been cut in half length-wise, “Snape saved my life.”

”Yes he did, and I imagine more than once. You just got a chance to see him in action this time,” Hermione said, the image of the dark wizard filling her mind again. She felt a bit warm at the thought of the Professor.

Harry, Hermione and Ron had a bit of cake in celebration of her birthday, then retired settling into their rooms for the night. Severus had once again captured Hermione’s imagination and her libido. She lay down on her back in her bed, hiking up her nightie and breathing his name like a prayer.

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In Voldemort’s stronghold, Severus paced in his rooms restlessly, suffering from cabin fever. It had been over a week since he had left it…the last time being when he visited Harry. Finally, he could take it no longer and walked out into the throne room, approaching Voldemort, who was sitting on his throne as always. The wizard didn’t actually sleep, but had moments of stillness where his mind relaxed and his body operated at half capacity, saving energy and therefore power. He also became quite sluggish when it was cold, like most reptiles. He kept fires burning at all times because of that.

“My Lord, may I speak with you?” Severus asked, bowing low before the despot.

Voldemort’s crimson eyes brighten as he roused, his body revving up.

”What is it, loyal servant?” the dark wizard asked him.

“My Lord, I wonder if I might leave the stronghold for a few hours and walk about the moors. I am feeling constricted. I need a change of scenery,” Severus said.

Voldemort looked at him and sighed.

“Ah Severus, I understand completely. There are nights I too would like to leave this place and walk about in the open air, but I must stay here or the stronghold would become detectable. Only my constant presence feeds the magic that protects it so strongly. Yes, you may go. Gaze at the stars for me while you are out,” the Dark Lord said wistfully.

“Thank you my Lord,” Severus said with a low bow.

He disapparated.

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Severus had intended to go to the moorlands where the ruins of the church he and Harry had visited rested. It was a beautiful, open yet secluded landscape where he could breathe. But somehow, he ended up at Godric’s Hallow.

He let himself in to find the house rather dark. Yet, Dobby greeted him.

”Hello Professor. What is you doing here this hour?” the house elf asked him.

”I am simply stretching my legs, Dobby. Have Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley been settled in?” he asked.

“Yes sir. They is in their rooms, they is. Mr. Weasley is asleep,” the elf said, his eyes resting on the Potions Master.

“And Miss Granger?” the pale wizard asked him.

“No. She doesn’t sleeps,” the elf replied.

Dobby knew exactly what Hermione was doing. Thinking about the Professor.

Well, it was her birthday.

“Do you mind if I get the layout of the house, Dobby?” Severus asked the elf, who shook his head.

“No sir. You should know it, sir,” the elf replied, “Just in case.”

“Thank you,” Severus said to the elf, walking through the living room and down the hall.

He passed two doors, one on the left and one on the right. Heavy male snores were coming from them.

“Potter and Weasley,” the wizard said to himself. There was a bathroom on the right also, then another doorway at the end of the hall. Presumably that was Hermione’s room.

Severus looked at the door for a moment, then turned to go when he heard a small sound issuing from the room. Curiously, he walked up to the door and listened. He heard Hermione, sighing and groaning, her voice sharp and needful. Sexual.

The wizard stood there, listening, an indescribable look on his pale face.

”Professor…oh Professor,” Hermione hissed.

Severus swallowed, then looked toward the doors behind which Harry and Ron slept. The snores were still sucking up decibels. After a moment of indecision and listening to Hermione masturbate a bit more, he pulled out his wand.

“This sounds extremely interesting,” he said to himself. Then he pointed his wand at the lock.

”Alohamora.”

In his bed, Ron suddenly snorted and rolled over restlessly, throwing the covers off his body and wriggling uncomfortably.

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A/N: A bit of transition and time moving in this chapter. Ooh…Alohamora eh? Lol. Is that lemon I smell? Ooh, and something a little sour too. Maybe Ron? Rofl. Thanks for reading.