All the Right Moves

It had been several weeks since the incident, and Hermione had long been discharged from the hospital. She went to classes, spent time with her friends, and to the outside observer seemed completely normal, but to Draco who knew better, his wife was changed.

She was getting further along in pregnancy, and stopped trying to hide it from the other students. Now rumors were rampant that was why Draco had married her. Normally that would have bothered the sensitive Gryffindor, but she seemed to not have a care in the world. Draco kept trying to talk with her, but she was unresponsive. It was like being married to a robot.

Unknown to Draco, who thought she was in the library; Hermione had a new nightly routine. Every evening Hermione went to the dungeons and spent time helping Professor Snape prepare ingredients for potions, or occasionally he would allow her to assist him if he was working on a new potion.

Professor Snape had felt exceptionally guilty that Miss Granger had been violated in such a cruel way and in her delicate condition. He had spent enough time with Draco to know that she was not the same insufferable know it all. Severus actually felt sorry for her, so when she started showing up, and wanted to assist with things, Snape allowed her. He had also stopped insulting her in class, and as a result, Neville was receiving twice the amount of Professor Snape’s wrath.

The professor had also been spending time with Draco, trying to ensure that the boy wouldn’t do anything else so stupid. Draco was also confiding in him that Hermione would not let him touch her in any way. He expected that in the bedroom, but she would also turn away from hugging, a touch on the shoulder, or even if their hands grazed when he would hand her something.

One night, while Hermione was helping him organize his private stores, Hermione’s hand grazed his while she was handing him something. Snape expected her to jump back, or flinch, but was surprised when she shivered and her eyes held something he never expected.

Hermione looked at Professor Snape and said, “Professor, I felt something just then. I don’t know why, I thought that no one would ever be able to touch me again, and yet I felt something when your hand touched mine.”

Severus looked searchingly at the girl and was surprised again at the situation. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing to her; because he knew the delicate mental state that the girl was in. He replied, “Miss Granger, I will not lie to you, I also felt something, but I don’t really think that is appropriate. You are married, and have recently been through an ordeal, and I think you are regarding me in some kind of savior context, which you will clearly snap out of at any moment…”

Hermione looked back at him with hurt in her eyes, “You are rejecting me professor?” The look on her face, and the professor knew that he was in an impossible situation. He knew what she was feeling, but he also knew if he rejected her then she may never be able to be intimate or lead a life of normalcy again.

Snape made a decision quickly; he was going to see where this went. This woman had suffered enough because he had failed to protect her. Hopefully she would stop herself. He replied to her, “No, Miss Granger, forgive me, it’s not every day that such an phenomenally beautiful woman like yourself tells me they feel something with me.”

At that Hermione closed the gap between them. She lightly stroked the Professor’s cheek. She knew how lonely he felt, and how dark his life had become. She knew if she could get past the physical act of love she may be able to be normal again, for herself, for her child, and mostly for Draco. She dreamt of his house almost every night, and she could not get past what his father had done to her, how he had left her to the devices of those penetrating red eyes. The small part of Hermione that was still there needed to know that she was capable of being normal, that she could be touched, and that she could love. She couldn’t look at Draco the same way, so she needed to fix the broken part of herself.

She leaned further towards her professor and she kissed him. The professor felt her warm lips on his and she felt so wonderful. Once upon a time he could have been lost in her touch, her warmth, but he knew this was just a situation. She didn’t really want him, she wanted some control back. She suddenly jerked back, and she looked into his dark orbs and said, “I’m so sorry Professor. I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

He looked deeply into her brown eyes. He noticed their alarm at what had just occurred, and he also noticed a slight trace of lust. It was better than how lifeless they had been as of late. He replied, “Miss Granger, it’s quite all right. I know you are going through things that you should have never had to, we are all here for you, especially Draco. He loves you, please talk to him. He will understand.”

Hermione nodded gave her professor a hug, which he was not expecting and then headed back to her common room. She wasn’t back to where she was, but she was definitely a step closer to there. She wanted to talk to her husband. She knew it was going to be difficult, but she was finally ready to go through the painful process of healing.