A Secret Worth Keeping

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, only those that I created myself. Please do not harm me in any way. I only do this for fun.

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A Secret worth Keeping


Chapter twenty-six: Persuasion

\"You want me to do what?\"

The silence following the exclamation loomed over them for what seemed like an eternity. Severus reached out a placating palm towards her in an effort to deflect any angry comments or hexes that she could easily throw his way. He knew she wouldn’t be overly enthusiastic when he told her what had transpired at the meeting of the DaRats and her bellow proved that.

The two young men stood quickly to their feet as they witnessed Hermione’s face darken in appearance. Neither boy wanted to be here during this particular conversation. They both had first hand experience with the temper that Hermione possessed and both wanted no part in watching it rise to the surface. Inwardly, they were thankful that the anger was turned to the Professor and not them.

\"Uh…We’ll be back later, Professor.\" Harry stuttered as he and Ron left the room at a near run with their tails tucked between their legs in imitation of cowering dogs. Funny how some men couldn\'t be intimidated by a powerful dark wizard but the temper of a mere woman could shrivel his bravery.

Hermione barely noticed her friends leave as her eyes were locked, narrowed, to Severus’s. He was standing, watching her closely, ready to duck if need be. When he realized that she hadn’t moved or uttered another word, he took a step closer. This was going to be a difficult task, getting her to accept the position he had appointed her for. He hesitantly let a hand rest on her shoulder and when she didn’t immediately shrug it off, he felt safe to continue his explanation.

\"You have to understand, Hermione. It was a necessity. You are the most logical choice for the job. Otherwise, I would not have volunteered you. You are the only one, outside of the Slytherin girls, who knows anything about the subject and can help in this matter.\"

\"I am ‘not’ certified to do such a thing, Severus. Did you not stop to think that I could cause more damage than anything? This is preposterous. I can’t do it.\"

Her voice screeched as she flung her hands around her in agitation. He had noticed in the past how, the more agitated she became, the more her hands flew of their own accord. He took a quick step back to avoid inadvertently being struck as she allowed herself to express her displeasure in her actions. He watched her face, as it seemed to convey her unhappiness and fear more so than her action or words.

Feeling that she needed to calm down, Severus finally moved, quickly snatching one of her flailing hands he pulled her close to his body. As he expected, she struggled to release his hold on her. He was sure that she wasn’t happy that he\'d managed to interrupt her rant. When he heard her groan with exasperation and her struggling ceased to a more manageable tugging, he guided her back to the sofa. She plopped down and he bent to sit next to her. He kept both of her hands in his and held them in her lap. Although he didn’t think she would strike him or run off, he did like the feel of her hand in his. Plus, it didn’t hurt to be prepared, just in case.

Once she appeared to calm down even further, he lowered his voice so that it seemed more intimate and less insistent.

\"You are the best person for the job, Hermione. You have already been through it all. You know what to expect and how to deal with it. You can be a major factor in helping them all through it.\"

Hermione\'s gaze fastened on their clasped hands as he spoke. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How in the God’s names could he expect her to do such a thing? True, she had experienced it, but it wasn’t something she was willing to divulge to anyone else. And, along with that same thought, she didn’t think anyone else would want to discuss such a topic with her. His words tickled her ears. The more he talked, the more intimate his voice became. It was really playing with her mind. But what he was saying didn’t make any sense to her.

\"I don’t know how you can say that, Severus. I ran…I hid. I did not deal with it well at all. I can’t see where you think I can do this.\" Her eyes turned from their hands to lock on his.

He reached up with one hand and traced the side of her cheek with a trailing finger, causing her to tremble. Not with passion but with knowledge that he was changing her mind.

\"You learned, did you not? You discovered things that helped you, is that not correct? All I am asking is for you to use some of your own experiences in order to help ease some pain in others.\"

Hermione sighed heavily and sat forward, resting her elbows on her thighs while rubbing her face vigorously with her hands.

\"What if I don’t want to do this?\"

\"That would be your choice, Hermione, but I don’t think you will refuse. You are strong and you are brave, despite what you may think of yourself. It is a very important part of our future, the future of the wizarding world. They need your experience. They need your help. Besides, it may not even happen. It’s just a…precautionary tactic. Just in case.\"

She fell silent for a long stretch before leaning back into the sofa, feeling extremely tired.

\"You don’t know what you are asking of me.\"

\"I have a faint idea.\"

She turned her gaze to meet his again. \"Do you really think I can be of use to help them all?\"

\"Not all of them, no.\" Severus took her hand again and clutched it in his lap while using his other hand to caress her tresses. \"I don’t know for a fact that they would consider talking to you about what they have gone through, or are going through, but I wager that they will listen intently in group settings.\"

\"You are asking me to be a therapist of sorts.\" She murmured, leaning into his tender caress.

\"If that is a muggle word for it, then yes.\" His arm draped around her shoulder, pulling her more firmly against him.

\"I am not qualified. They don’t know what really happened to me...\" She snuggled closer, letting her head rest against his chest. It felt nice being against him, but she still wasn’t ready to admit defeat. \"I mean, for all they know I was willingly with Harry and the baby was conceived with love. How are they to think that I was… have… the knowledge of what they are or will be going through?\"

Severus ruffled a bit at the reminder that everyone thought that Sebastian belonged to Potter, but being the wise man that he was he didn’t linger on it for to long. He knew the truth and so did the people that mattered most. He contemplated her words before speaking.

\"Although they never need to know the true details of Sebastian’s conception, I do feel that they may only need another ear to listen to them or merely a shoulder to cry on.\"

\"But Severus, they are Slytherins. Do you really think they will pay much attention to what I say? A lowly Mudblood?\"

Severus turned to cup her face in his hand, letting his gaze linger on hers. \"You may be muggle born, but you are no Mudblood. You have earned your place among the wizarding world. Even Draco has admitted to that. So yes, I am quite sure that they will listen to you. You have, after all, had your own child. You have experiences that some of them will be forced to go through. Right now, I am asking you to just listen to them and help them through what is coming. It’s not going to be easy. The longer this battle continues, the more broken girls will need you.\"

\"Just the girls? I wouldn’t be talking to the boys?\"

\"I don’t think…\"

Hermione shook her head sadly. \"I know more than you think, Severus. I know that not only are girls forced, but the boys are forced as well. I can’t talk to them about pregnancy, but I can listen to them as well if they want. It may help.\"

Severus\' face looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. \"I will pass that along. I can not guarantee that any young men will come forward but I will let them know that you will be…available to them.\"

Hermione nodded and only then realized that she seemed to have already accepted the position.

Sex Counselor…for all of Slytherin. How completely inappropriate and insane it all is. She reached out to take his hand in hers. \"I will do what I can, but I don’t know what I can do. I’ve only had the one experience, and that is one too many. It isn’t a pleasant memory…\" She paused as she felt him trying to release her hand. Realizing how her words may have sounded to him, she strengthened her hold.

\"…No, Severus. I said before that I don’t blame you, and I don’t. I just…\" She frowned again. \"Perhaps I can gain more practical experience…if I have to. I only know the painful side of it. I have yet to experience the more… pleasurable side.\"
Severus seemed to stop breathing for a moment as his head took in what she had just spoke. Surely, she didn’t mean what he thought she meant.

\"Hermione, as much as I would love to give you that experience, that is not the reason I volunteered you for this job. You are very sensitive, intelligent and you have the knowledge to provide comfort. I’m sure out of all those thousands of books you have read in your past, you have read a few about this subject. I know that is all the knowledge you need to know just now.\"

She felt her lip tremble in relief. \"Thank you.\"

His smile graced his face once more. \"I promised you I was not going to pressure you and I’m not. Your practical experience can wait. Just…go with the flow. Use your judgement in what you tell them. You don’t have to be professional, just be a friend.\"

Hermione nodded slowly. That she could do. \"All right. I’ll do what I can.\"

Severus sighed in relief and she didn’t resist when he pulled her further into his embrace. Snuggling once more into his arms, she smiled when she felt a kiss on her head.

\"You, my love, will be the backbone of the DaRats. You will be more help than you realize.\"

\"What about any other duties with the DaRats?\"

He paused before continuing. \"I think that that is enough at the moment, don’t you? I mean…\" He raised a finger to her lips to stop her protest. \"Think about it Hermione. You can’t just go off at will any more. You have Sebastian to think about now. I truly believe that the best place for you in the group should be limited to your intellectual talents.\"

Hermione pulled back and gave him a frown. \"I don’t plan on battling anyone, Severus, I’m hardly up to par anymore with my magic. I’m not completely devoid of comprehension. I didn’t think I would be in on the actual fighting. I merely wanted to know what other roles I would be included in.\"

\"That is all for now. The group is still new and we have a lot to discuss still. However, now that you are up to par about the last meeting, you can attend the next one with more knowledge.\"

She smiled teasingly. \"You are not banning me from any of the meetings then?\"

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her gently, which she welcomed. \"As if I could. I have learned a great deal over thst sst seven years too, you know. I know better than to say no to you about anything.\"

She managed a bright smile and reached up to cradle his face between her palms. She studied him for a moment before tentatively pulling him into a deeper kiss. He allowed her to guide the intensity of the kiss, not daring to let his emotions take over and scare her off again. He moaned as he felt her tongue sweep over his lips and he slowly opened his mouth to her. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before she dared to explore the inside of his mouth. Her arms reached up to encircle his neck and he moved a hand to her waist, pulling her close. He felt himself being pulled and persuaded his body to lean forward, allowing her to pull him on top of her. Without breaking contact, he found himself laying over her on the sofa, their kiss deepening even more. It felt nice; it felt right with their bodies making total contact. To his joy, she didn’t seem too concerned as his hand gently stroked her side. She was too into the kiss to think clearly.

When she broke the kiss, her face was flushed but her eyes danced in her excitement. To his chagrin, he realized that he must be crushing her and started to pull back but her arms around his neck kept him in place. There was the look on her face that made his heart suddenly soar. It wasn’t a look of fear, but of something else. Something that made him think that they had just taken a huge leap forward in their relationship.

\"We should stop now.\" He murmured, bending down to claim her lips again.

\"Yes…\" She replied huskily as his lips crushed hers with a more determined kiss. To which she could only moan in appreciation.

In the nursery, an incessant cry began.

\"I don’t believe this…\" Severus moaned, breaking the kiss and bending his forehead to rest against hers. \"He does have wonderful timing.\"

Hermione grinned and pushed against him to sit back up, smoothing her clothes back down. Amazing how rumpled one could get just from kissing. \"I think he has good timing, Severus.\" She giggled at his frown before going to retrieve their son.

When she left, Severus leaned back into the sofa, trying to keep the grin off of his face. The kiss was incredible, and she seemed to be receptive to him. Perhaps things were progressing along for them.

Perhaps things would turn out all right after all.


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A/N’s and acknowledgements:

Ancientgirl: I love a gently Snape. However, I tried to keep him as much in canon as I could without being to fanon. (I think that’s the word) I think my muse is really on the roll now. I hope to have more up shortly.

Azulkan2: LOL. Moi? A stinker! Maybe…heheh

Deb: Frank (my muse) gave me a run for my money trying to track her down, but I have her chained up now and she is grounded until she helps me with a few more chapters. Hermione will be starting to think along the lines of intimacy soon, her new job with the Slytherins will be herding her thoughts along those lines. I’m glad you liked the lullaby. It took me a while to create it. I love writing poetry and I tried to keep it in the form of a lullaby. Glad you liked it. I try to counterbalance the angst in my stories with some humor.

Ladydeathfaerie: My wonderful beta. And don’t fret, your ‘She said what?/ is coming along beautifully. It has plenty of reviews and hits. I love it…and you know my favorite of your stories, ‘Bound in Leather’ is absolutely outstanding.

Snapeaholic: LOL. It’s amazing what one squiggly little person can change a giant heart of a man, isn’t it?

Jordy: Clairvoyance! Its fate, dear. I think she handled his news pretty good, don’t you?

Midnight tiger: Glad you liked the lullaby. Wrote it myself. love to write poetry, felt almost the same. More is coming soon

Spaz141: baby number four? Holy cow…congratulations Hon! A baby at 45? Man…impressive and brave!

Ashley: LOL, not really.

Lana Manckir: Hope yodn’tdn’t wait to long.

LadyJenny: Glad you found more of the story. I hope you continue to enjoy this little fic of mine.

PotionsMistressM: Heheh, There you go Mistress, kisses just for you! Hope you enjoyed them. I hope you didn’t wait to long for this chapter. I look forward to more of your stories as well, you have some great stories out there.

Crudedly: Nope, I didn’t write it at that point. Hope you didn’t wait to long for this chapter.

Illnevertell: There is nothing wrong with bad boys. LOL. I tend to go for them as well. Hope you liked this latest chapter.

Ash: Here you go. I hope this chapter answered some of your questions. I like Draco in fanfictions, however I heard that JKR doesn’t intend for him to turn out good. sigh…but at least in our stories he can be turned to the light. Right?