A New Beginning (DH -COMPLIANT)

Chapter 29 ~ A Powerful Temptation

After a small slice of cheesecake apiece, followed by coffee, Snape and Hermione retired to his study, where the wizard took a seat in the armchair and watched Hermione pull out several of his books, sit down at his desk and peruse them as if he weren’t there at all.

The wizard couldn’t help but notice that Hermione’s shape was becoming more and more rounded each time she returned to the shelves. Not that she became fat, but her curves became more generous, more mature. She had finally removed her shawl so the wizard could see her dress clearly.

“Ah, a glamour,” the wizard observed.

It was clear that Hermione’s focus on the books was severely curtailing her maintenance of the glamour. By the time Snape approached her to end the night, she was back to her normal size and shape.

Snape couldn’t resist taking a poke at her.

”Knowledge can be a weighty pursuit,” the wizard purred at her, “But I’ve never seen its effects so . . . physically expressed.”

Hermione looked up at him as she stood at the bookshelf reaching up to put the last title back.

”What? What are you talking about Professor?” she asked him.

In answer, the Professor let his eyes sweep over her pointedly.

Hermione looked down at herself and immediately realized her glamour was completely gone and her hips and thighs were visible in all their mature glory. Her breasts, although still large, weren’t quite as perky either.

”Oh my,” she breathed, looking up at the wizard, who arched an eyebrow at her.

“I definitely prefer you this way,” Snape said soberly, “The reality as opposed to the illusion.”

He helped her put away the book.

”Well you said for me to look nice,” Hermione said.

”I meant dress nice, not alter yourself. It was unnecessary. You are equally attractive this way, perhaps even more so since I’m no young pup and appreciate a woman that looks like a woman. I imagine your husband found you attractive as you are,” the wizard said, taking his cloak and placing it around Hermione shoulders, fastening it as if this were the most natural act in the world.

Hermione sighed.

“Yes, but he had to,” she replied, “I was all he had.”

Snape smirked as he walked her to the door.

”I very highly doubt that Mr. Weasley was under any duress when it came to you, Hermione. Now let me take you home,” he said, opening the front door, walking her through and closing the door behind her.

Hermione didn’t say anything as the wizard easily swept her up into his arms, but his off-handed compliment made her feel rather good. Hermione was self-conscious about her figure, especially since she had been so slender in her youth. Apparently the Professor thought she looked just fine and she had the opinion he was being honest with her.

As they flew back toward the worksite, Snape said, “You know, Hermione, there were times when I would, in the privacy of my room at Hogwarts as a student, cast little glamours on myself. Make my skin less pale, my nose slightly smaller, even make my hair less . . . lank. Everyone would like to be considered attractive and appealing. But I never went out that way. I was who I was and it was infinitely better to be as I was, then live and have to constantly maintain a lie. Women have no monopoly on this. I have always been unattractive. I’ve learned to live with it, accepted it and then, used it to my advantage.

“Your advantage?” Hermione asked him, fascinated to know this about the wizard. He had always seemed so confident about himself. It was hard to imagine him being insecure.

”Yes, my advantage,” he reiterated, “Beautiful people are noticed more than those who are not. I was able to get away with things Lucius Malfoy couldn’t. My looks and demeanor made people shy away from me, whereas he was always admired and paid attention to. I was able to serve the Dark Lord better than he in the early days. The despot had more faith in me because of this, though he was suspicious. He was always suspicious of everyone, but my unattractiveness made me valuable to him as well as my talents with potions. Because I was treated with such disdain by others, he believed I would never serve the light. Perhaps I wouldn’t have if he hadn’t killed Lily.”

He landed and set Hermione down, his black eyes glittering as the door to the site opened.

”I thought you looked lovely tonight, Hermione. Thank you for allowing me to share my evening with you in such a manner. Good food, good drink and good company is something I’ve been deprived of for a very long time. I hope . . . I hope you might indulge me this way again without the need for it to be a “celebration” of sorts. It might be another eighteen months before you complete your next project. Far too long,” Professor Snape said.

Hermione smiled at him, pleased to have brought the wizard some pleasure. It really hadn’t been a bad night, though it got a little awkward in places, but awkward moments were to be expected when you were becoming closer to someone.

”I’d love to have a nice dinner from time to time,” Hermione said to him, “Once or twice a month sounds right. Maybe we can do it on our usual Fridays.”

Snape nodded.

”Yes. You having to argue with me on a full stomach might make you sluggish and give me some advantage,” the wizard said with a smirk.

”It won’t help you, believe me,” Hermione replied with a grin. “It will only give me more energy to bash your erroneous assumptions.”

Snape arched an eyebrow at her.

”Indeed?” he asked her.

”Indeed,” Hermione said firmly.

Hermione was silhouetted in the light of the open doorway, standing before the wizard. Suddenly, she did something impulsive, but something she thought was fitting considering all the trouble the wizard went through tonight. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

”Thank you for everything, Professor. Good night,” Hermione said, walking into the building.

”Mrs. Hermione Weasley has entered the building,” the female voice said, the door closing behind the witch. She had forgotten to give him back his cloak. That was fine.

Snape stood there, watching as the door closed, then brought one pale hand to his cheek, surprised. He hadn’t expected that. The place where Hermione’s lips had pressed against his skin still tingled.

Yes, that had been quite unexpected . . . but welcomed. Very welcomed.

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Rod became even more of an outcast in his own house, thanks primarily to Freud. Tom was furious with the wizard.

”Why don’t you turn him to ash?” the spirit demanded.

”He doesn’t have any power over me. I’ve made it through Hogwarts without any write-ups or incidents. I’ve never been taken before the Headmaster. I want to leave here with a good record. It will make up for my lack of grades when I look for a job. I’m not going to let Freud ruin that, no matter how much of an asshole he is,” Rod said calmly.

Voldemort had to give Rod credit. He did have some selfishness in him as well as ambition. Too bad it wasn’t for power. Since getting his wand, it seemed as if the boy’s desire for respect from others diminished. It was as if he had found his own self-respect and felt how he saw himself was what really mattered.

It was absolutely frustrating.

But Rod was getting some respect, if not from the Slytherins. It was easy for those of the other houses to see that Rod just didn’t fit in Slytherin house. While they weren’t overtly friendly, Rod didn’t go through what he used to, being buffeted about and teased. They couldn’t tease him anymore anyway. He was doing good spell work in his classes now and his grades improved. He still wasn’t top of the class, but he worked hard. He also exercised great restraint and presently, others saw this wasn’t a weakness but a strength. Most would probably be expelled dealing with what Rod dealt with due to his own housemates.

Even the Head of Slytherin, Alistar Darke called Rod in to take him to task for not being more house-oriented.

”Mr. Dormers,” the dark-haired wizard said to him, his gray eyes narrowed, “You act as if Slytherin is not your house. You do not associate with your housemates, you do nothing to garner points for our house or make others lose points. Your wand work has vastly improved, yet you don’t use your talents to advance us at all. Where is your loyalty? Where is your pride? You are a Slytherin.”

Rod looked at his Head of House.

”I’ve never felt like a Slytherin or been treated like one since I came here almost seven years ago, Professor Darke. I’m treated like dirt, still. Why should I do anything for this house when I’ve never been wanted? I’m here, but I’ve never belonged here. I have to think about myself, not Slytherin house,” he said.

Professor Darke considered Rod. It was disconcerting to see how self-oriented he was, despite not being a proper Slytherin. Something must have rubbed off.

“You should feel some gratefulness, boy. Didn’t we house you for all this time?” the wizard asked him.

”Professor, I remember you arguing right in front of me when I was presented to you. You didn’t want me in this house. You said I was no Slytherin. As far as my housing goes, if I didn’t work, I wouldn’t be here. It has nothing to do with kindness or acceptance on anyone’s part. I’m here because I work hard to stay here,” Rod said honestly. “If anything, everyone’s done what they could to make me quit. You keep me in the first year dorm. I’m about to graduate, and I’ve never seen the inside of another room. Year after year I’m with children. Eleven year olds. Why should I do anything for any of you?” Rod said to him, angry now.

Professor Darke didn’t have a response for the boy. He had clearly been mistreated and although he never complained, he was bitter about it. The wizard couldn’t blame him for not lifting a finger to aid Slytherin house in anything.

”Very well, Mr. Dormers. You are dismissed,” Professor Darke said.

Rod left, letting the door slam behind him.

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Tom proved his usefulness to Rod three weeks later. The spirit had told Rod about what lay on the other side when he sent him back. The darkness and the loneliness. Rod agreed to let him stay with him if he didn’t constantly criticize him. There were a couple of times Rod sent him back, but finally the spirit learned to hold his tongue. It was terrible being controlled by this goodie-two-shoes Hufflepuff. But it was either Rod or outer darkness.

Rod had gone to clean the Thestral stables, then had to prune some of the low branches on the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest. Voldemort was with him as he walked across the grounds. It was late evening, the sun sinking in the sky.

Tom was immediately aware of three other human presences. He was sensitive to such things. He divined the presences were hidden in the forest, very close to the perimeter and waiting.

”Rod, stop a moment,” Voldemort said to the young wizard, who scowled. He wanted to get the pruning down and back to the castle before dark.

”Why?” he asked the spirit.

”Someone is hiding in the forest. Wait here,” the spirit said, walking into the woods. He saw Freud Backerbone and two other seventh-year Slytherins with their wands drawn, waiting to ambush Rod. His time had come.

Tom returned, looking delighted.

”You are about to be ambushed, Rod. Your friend Freud and his cronies are lying in wait for you,” the spirit said.

”I’d better go then,” Rod said, getting ready to turn.

”Wait! Wait, Rod. Don’t run away from them,” Tom hissed at them.

”I’m not running. I’m avoiding them,” the wizard replied.

Tom’s eyes narrowed. Now was the time to make the offer he had been considering.

”Listen to me, Rod. If you fight them, and beat them, I will teach you a spell no one else knows, a very powerful spell,” the spirit said.

”Yeah, I bet. Something to hurt people I suppose,” Rod said.

Rod realized early on Tom was very into power and control . . . but no one was perfect.

”No. No, not this spell. Rod, you don’t have a broom do you?” he asked.

”You know I don’t. That’s not something I could barter for,” the wizard whispered, the sky darkening.

”With this spell, you wouldn’t need a broom. With this spell, Rod . . . you could fly under your own power,” the wizard lisped, “If you battle these boys and defeat them, I will teach it to you. No one your age can do this magic.”

Rod looked very interested.

”Fly?” he asked the spirit.

”Yesssss!” Tom hissed, “I can teach you the spell, Rod. All you have to do is stand up for yourself and teach them a lesson. You can do it. Think. Think of what that ability will mean to you. There would be no limitations. You could travel anyplace by air. Now that is power, boy! Don’t be a fool.”

Rod looked at his friend and saw he meant what he said. He licked his lips. Fly? Without a broom? Wow, that would be fantastic. He narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the forest. Now that he was concentrating, he felt as if he could feel Freud and his friends.

“All right,” Rod said, pulling out his wand, “I’ll do it. But you’d better teach me, Tom, or I’ll send you back into the dark for good.”

Voldemort’s face contorted at this threat. He didn’t like it, but swallowed it down. If he could get Rod to accept this power, there was still hope he could be turned to darkness after getting a taste of what it was to be different. Special.

”I will teach you. Now go!” the specter hissed.

Rod headed for the perimeter of the forest, wand out and ready as Voldemort smiled lasciviously. He disappeared between the trees. In a moment, hexes flew, flashes of power flying between the trees, ricocheting off trunks as the point of origin moved from place to place. After about two minutes of this, there was a hoarse cry, then another, then another.

Silence followed.

Then Rod emerged, his face perspiring. He began to run toward the castle, Voldemort following.

”I’ve got to get someone,” the boy panted, “They’re hurt.”

”What? You’re going to get help for them?” Tom said incredulously.

”I can’t just leave them there. I have to tell someone or they might die,” Rod responded, picking up speed.

Die? Just what did Rod do to them? Voldemort wished he could go see, but he could only go so far from Rod’s presence.

”Aren’t you afraid you’ll get in trouble?” Tom said to the wizard.

”Yeah, but they tried to ambush me. It was self-defense. I might get in some trouble but if I get them help, it probably won’t be so bad,” Rod panted.

Well that did make a twisted kind of sense. If he had meant to harm them, why would he get help for them? Rod was smart in his way, though Voldemort would have let them die.

But the spirit was sure of one thing as Rod bolted up the steps and pulled open the double doors to enter the castle. Power certainly was seductive.

Even to a Hufflepuff.

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A/N: Ooh. A peck on the cheek for Snape. Some action at last!!! Rofl. I know, I know, that’s not the kind of action we’re looking for. Heh heh. But I’m working at it. Voldie really knows how to tempt, doesn’t he? Thanks for reading.