Of Days and Ends

Chapter 35—Abortio Infecundus Potente



Hermione jolted awake from her dream with Snape. It had been an odd dream for sure. She could still feel the warmth of the ring as it had fused their minds for that brief hour of slumber. She struggled to hold onto whatever details she could, but it was quickly becoming in imprecise memory. The clearest thing had been the look in Snape’s eyes as he pulled back to look at her after their kiss. His pupils had narrowed as he focused on something behind her. Before she could turn to see what was there, her dream faded sharply and she found herself sitting up stiffly as she tried to process her dream.



Finally, she gave up and rose from the bed. The slightest shimmer of dawn shone on the horizon, and Hermione wanted to start her day before all the eyes of the Order began bustling about and surveying her. With that intention, she walked down the stairs in her violet and gold and black, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, tartan dress that Ginny had set out for her last night and came face to face with the Original Order members sitting around the table. Professor McGonagall sat at the head of the table, with Mad-Eye to her left and Kingsley to her right. Lupin was also at the table without Tonks and Mr. Weasley was present as well and Hermione assumed that the empty chair next to him belonged to Mrs.Weasley. She was most surprised to see Mundungus Fletcher in attendance and across from him the rarely available Dedalus Diggle.



“Oh! I’m sorry! I’ll just go back upstairs and wait for everyone else to come down to breakfast!”



“Nonsense!” McGonagall said, waving her hand dismissively. “You can sit for breakfast. We trust you completely.” The elderly woman created a comfy chair at the opposing head of the table, and Hermione took it whilst Mad-Eye railed.



“Yes. Anyone that a teenage boy trusts, we should trust as well.” Mad-Eye scowled, but his scowl relaxed when Hermione shrugged and gave him a small smile. “You don’t disagree with me, do you, Miss Granger.”



“Not for that reason. It’s not a good reason to accept any person into your midst based on the words of another even in the best of times. It is absolutely foolish to do so in the worst of times. Is Harry’s trust the only reason why I’m sitting here right now?”



“Among other things.” Kingsley answered. “But we were speaking about you before you came in anyway.”



Hermione’s features hardened, “I’ll not sit through another interrogation.”



“You weren’t interrogated.”



“So yesterday was a baby shower?” Snarked Hermione.



“No, but that’s what we were talking about before you came down.” Mrs. Weasley said as she entered the room with a flock of tea cups and one tall glass of orange juice. “Here you go, dear.” She said as she plucked the orange juice out of the air and put it down in front of Hermione.



“Oh! Thank you!” Hermione responded.



The other tea cups settled in front of each person at the table, and Mrs. Weasley sat next to her husband with a smile. “We ladies think it should be held somewhere else—somewhere nice.”



“And the men think that’s too risky.” Crookshanks came to wind through Hermione’s feet and she absentmindedly bent to scratch her orange cat.



“Exactly.” Mad-Eye growled.



“Well, they aren’t completely unwarranted in that thought.”



Hermione shrugged. “In truth, I don’t want a baby shower.”



The women spluttered and objected while Mr. Weasley and the other men shrugged and said:



“Problem solved.”

“That takes care of that!”

“And we thought she’d pu’up a big squabble!”

“A wise choice, Miss Granger!”



Hermione smiled in amusement as the argument restarted and lifted her glass to her lips. A sharp burning sensation on her middle finger made her drop her hands beneath the table and yank the hot metal off of her hand as descretely as possible. There, on the inside of her band, the scales of Severus’ snake ring reformed into a very confusing message. “DRINK NOTHING!”



She looked back at her orange juice in confusion as she slid the ring back on her finger. Mrs. Weasley must have been watching her give the cup a very confused look, because she interrupted her thoughts, “Is there something wrong with the juice, Hermione?”



“Er—uh, no. No! It’s just fine. I just—well it’s just that—well…” She searched her mind quickly for a suitable lie. “Muggles, you see. Muggles believe that orange juice is too sweet for an unborn child and I, uh, just had to stop myself for a moment.”



“But you’re a witch. You know better than they do.”



“Well, I don’t know. I just, uh… think I’d better hold off on the—uh—drinks for a while.”



They all stared at her in confusion.



“I have to go to the bathroom.”



They watched her rise, and Mrs. Weasley stood as well. “My goodness, Hermione! Why, you’re white as a sheet! Sit down, sit down!”



“But I—”



“No buts, dear! Sit down or you’ll pass out!”



Hermione looked around the table at the eldest Order members with a pleading expression as Mrs. Weasley bustled into the kitchen again. When the woman returned and placed a glass of water in front of her, Hermione groaned. “Mrs. Weasley, please!”



“Nonsense! You need to stay properly hydrated!”



“I need to use the loo!”



“Now, Hermi—”

“I just don’t really feel like water either!



“Drink, silly girl!”



“I really appreciate yo—”

“You have to underst—”



The front door closing quite suddenly made all present whirl around with surprise as Ginny, Neville, Luna, Lavender, and Lee Jordan walked into the dining room. The five of them froze like deer caught in headlights and the dining room asslembly surveyed their apparel.



“Ginny…” Mr. Weasley said as both a question and a greeting at once.



“Hi Da. We, that it to say, Neville, Luna, Lavender, Lee—”



“We c’see who’s standin’ right before our eyes!” Moody growled.



Ginny was immediately cowed. “Sorry. We—we—we—”



“We went looking for Harry and Ron.” Luna proclaimed quite simply, as though she didn’t think it a problem at all.



Everyone’s eyebrows shot up and no immediate response came. The response that was supplied was equally as unexpected as the initial proclamation. “And?” Mundungus asked. Then as all eyes swivelled around to him, he continued. “Wha’d’ya find?”



Lee answered next, “Nothin’. We tried ev’rythin’ we knew between us, an’ still,” he clapped his hands together in a finalizing way, “nothin’.”



“What spells did you try?”



“Arthur Weasley!” Mrs. Weasley interjected before anyone could answer. “They shouldn’t be treated as though they completed a mission! These children snuck out without supervision!”



“Correction, Molly, they had Lee.” Dedalus made the mistake of saying.



Mrs. Weasley’s glare was murderous, and Dedalus Diggle actually gasped and looked quickly away from the sheer intensity of it. “With the exception of Lee, whom I would have thought would have exercised better judgement. They were children who left the safety of headquarters without permission—without our knowledge! And what if they were laying in a ditch somewhere, murdered by You-Know-Who! Huh? Care to tell me how we would have even known where to begin looking for my daughter’s body? Huh!”



“Molly—” Mr. Weasley interrupted and she gave him the most pathetic, tear-filled eyes that he had ever seen.



She seemed to be struggling to regain control of herself before she finally choked out, “After I saw your brother’s body, when we thought he was dead, I thought you understood. I couldn’t—I just couldn’t bear it if my only daughter—my only…” She brushed quickly at her eyes and Ginny blinked back her own tears across the room.



“I’m sorry, Mum.”



A moment of silence passed before Kingsley gently cleared his throat. “Well, Molly is right. You shouldn’t’ve left as you did. It was careless and dangerous. Might I remind you all—and forgive me, Molly—but death would be the kindest thing that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would do to you. All of you! The ladies are not the only ones that are in danger these days.



“That said, it would be very beneficial to the Order to pick up where you left off, so we do need to know what spells you’ve already tried.”



While they talked and Hermione tried to listen, Mrs. Weasley appeared to be trying to distract herself from the ongoing discussion by pestering Hermione to drink again. Hermione distractedly declined and pushed away the glass that Mrs. Weasley kept trying to put in her hand and bring to her lips as though she were trying to coax a three year old.



Just as Hermione was reaching maximum frustration, a loud knock sounded at the door. Simply to escape Mrs. Weasley, Hermione jumped up and rushed to answer the door. Looking through the peep-hole, she didn’t see anyone and cast a series of wards and detection spells at the door, but no one was there. She put her hand to the doorknob when something else occurred to her, and she used the same spell that Snape had used months ago to make the door a one-way glass.



Sitting on the doorstep was a letter, with “Hermione” written in a very fine script across the front. When she opened the door and picked it up, it glowed blue as her only warning that she would be portkeyed away.



Kingsley, who had been walking down the hall behind her, saw her disappear and quickly cast a trailing spell on the letter. The letter was affixed in place while Hermione was transported. Her landing would be a bit rougher than usual, but at least he would be able to help her if she needed it. He cast a spell-replicating charm on the letter and watched it flare blue before it transported him. The rest of the Order stood as Kingsley disappeared, having only a moment to glance at one another before he reappeared with a bloody nose.



“Well, wherever she is, it’s secret-kept. All we can do is hope that she’s with Harry and Ron.” Kingsley expertly directed his wand to fix his nose and the blood disappeared.



McGonagall noticed the letter. “What does the letter say?”



Kingsley opened it. “‘Hermione,



‘You are still registered, so I need you to handle a few tasks on my behalf. The south side is falling to disrepair. Access vault 1307 and take as much as you need to buy a few supplies. You are well aware of the layout and I am putting all decisions in your control. You will need Mrs. Bixby’s Grand Redefinition Book (the Ladies Edition, of course). You will also need to buy at least three liters of Bartholemew’s Powder and two pints of Essence of Chromos, but don’t allow the attendant to mix it. I’ll handle the rest. The field is also becoming overrun with Radish Newts. I’ll need you to buy the repellent.



‘I know that you will have to send someone else to buy everything, so send three different people to buy supplies, so they can’t figure out what they’re buying it for.



‘H.B.P.”



“What does it mean?” Mrs. Weasley asked the silent assembly.



No one answered.



----------------------



Her feet hit quite solidly on the ground, and her knees buckled under her. The shock of the hard landing made her crumple to the ground. When the world stopped spinning around her, she found herself in middle of the library of Snape’s home. He stood before her looking anxious.



“What took you so long?”



“What?”



“I will not repeat myself.”



She furrowed her brows. “What the hell is wrong with you?”



Snape looked her over with a perceptive eye. “Did you drink anything?”



The furrow between her brows deepened. “Why all the questions?”



“Did you drink anything?”



“What is with you?” The crease between her brows deepened painfully.



“DID YOU DRINK ANYTHING?” He stepped close; gripping her shoulders tightly, and shook her lightly.



Hermione gaped at him in shock. He had never put his hands on her before, though she knew he wasn’t trying to hurt her. She was still unnerved by it. “No. Not a drop.”



“Who tried to make you drink?”



“Mrs. Weasley.” Her voice had an airiness about it that sounded eerily like Luna as her eyes remained locked to his in confusion.



“No. No, that can’t be right.” He moved away from her in deep thought. “Who else was there?”



“Professor McGonagall, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Lupin, Mr. Weasley, Mrs.Weasley, Mundungus Fletcher, and Dedalus Diggle. Oh, and Ginny, Neville, Luna, Lavender, and Lee.”



“Lee?”



“Lee Jordan.”



Snape nodded, crossed the room, and sat wearily in the chair behind his desk. She walked to stand at the opposite side of his desk. It was a bit of a formal arrangement that made her think of her time as a student. She waited to be remembered. Snape rubbed his hands over his face before looking up. “I’m sorry, Hermione. I’m exhausted.”



“Would you like to sleep before—”



“No. You need to know. You and our child are in very real danger. The Dark Lord has asked that I...” He paused, unsure of how to scare her least. “Do you know what Abortio Infecundus Potente is?”



He should have known better. Of course she knew! She gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth and trembled. “Oh no! I mustn’t drink a thing! I mustn’t have a drop! I mustn’t—mustn’t—!”



“Wait! Hermione, wait.” His voice was so calm and reassuring that she stopped immediately. He looked at her face for a couple of seconds. The panic was still there, and she didn’t remain silent for long.



“Oh, of course I’m being silly. You have an antidote, surely—”



He shook his head and opened his mouth to answer.



“A detecting potion, then?”



“Hermi—”



“A spell? A solution? Something!”



He cupped her face between his hands as her rate of breathing increased. “Enough!” It was a command. That much was clear. “Enough. The Dark Lord made me brew it last night.”



The circles under his eyes were quite pronounced and she berated herself for not recognizing that he hadn’t slept much. She touched her thumbs to the thin skin under his black orbs and he inhaled in a long, vehement hiss.



“You try my patience, witch!” She stilled under his glare. “Now,” he strode to the desk as he spoke, lifting a book off its surface, “The potion will not only kill the child, but it will—”



“Make me infertile, yes, I’m aware.”



“—yes...” He reminded himself that she was much more competent than anyone else. Of course she knew. “Yes, so you will have to be very, very careful. If you don’t make the drink for yourself, you mustn’t drink it. If you get up or turn your head away or get distracted, you must discard it.”



She nodded.



“It sounds simple, but it’s not, I assure you. Learning to distrust people will be just as difficult for you as learning... to trust again has been for me. More importantly, however, you cannot let on that you know. This is absolutely imperitive! The Dark Lord knows that I was against the idea.”



“Severus! You didn’t!”



“I—you don’t understand.”



“Don’t I?” She asked.



He didn’t answer. “You have to be getting back.”



“Not by portkey again. The one you made to get here made me land so hard!”



“Oh. Where’s the portkey?”



“I...I don’t know. What happened to it?” She looked around her, but saw nothing.



Snape knew. “Hmm... well, they probably put a tracking spell on it. It was just a shopping list of things I need for repairs on this house. You’ll help me later, right?”



“I really don’t know anything about spells for home repairs.”



“Would you like to?”



“I would love to.”

“Alright. Good. Well in the mean time, be safe at the Order and remember not to drink anything you didn’t make yourself and watch your drinks!”



“Oh no you don’t! You brought me here.” His eyes rose to meet hers. “Surely you didn’t only intend to scare me and send me on errands.” She stepped forward and pivoted to face him directly again.



He didn’t answer. He looked down at her as she fidgeted micronically under the intensity of his scrutiny. Was she instigating sex? “What are you insinuating, Miss Granger?”



She stepped flush to him and stroked a hand through his locks that had grown greasy from leaning over the cauldron for hours. “I’m suggesting that you satisfy a niggling little craving before I return to the Order.” She was nearly whispering.



“Hmm...” His lips met hers and as her hand came down to stroke the front of his trousers, he immediately began to get hard. “I thought you’d be afraid to make the first move again.”



“Then what sort of Gryffindor would I be?” She gasped as his lips found the pulse-point on her neck, “I have desires too.” She spread her legs outside of his and pushed him back to the desk, climbing up on her knees and rubbing herself against the bulge in his pants. His zipper dragged roughly over her clit through her thin purple panties and he drew his wand and flicked it at her body, grinning as the dress ripped down the middle, dividing the Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes Logo in a jagged half.



He chuckled lowly at her outraged shriek and smothered her protests with a passionate kiss. When he pulled away, he murmured against her breasts between kisses. “Do you want me to stop?”



She unzipped his black slacks and popped the button open in response. He wore black briefs beneath and she freed him from his underwear with excitement. Her hands pulled at his shirt, unbuttoning without care.



Snape rolled his eyes as she reached the midway point and used his wand to make the infuriating cloth disappear. His pale, muscular chest seemed to glow in the light afforded by the floor to ceiling, slim windows between bookshelves and she ran her fingers over the tiny, peaked nipples. Then he made his underwear disappear while leaving his pants on.



Hermione snorted and Snape quirked his eyebrow. Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise and she giggled openly. “Wow...talented!” She giggled again. “And so sexy...” She kneeled up, giving room for him to sink into her body and closed her eyes to savor it. His hand on her hip, stopping her, and making her eyes fly open. “Wha—”



“Look at me as I enter you. I want to see your eyes.” He couldn’t explain his desire to read her, and as she instinctively threw up her Occlumantic shields and fixed her eyes to his, he was suddenly crestfallen. He didn’t correct her. He simply watched her mouth drop open and eyebrows draw up in the center as she fought to keep her eyes centered on his.



When she was fully sheathed around him, she smiled. “How’s this, Professor Snape?”



He looked up and down her body, one hand moving absentmindedly to stroke her tender clit. “Mmm... acceptable, Miss Granger.”



Her sly smile fell.



“I will reconsider that judgement if you perform to the best of your ability. Do you understand?”



“No, sir.” She said with wide, mock-innocent eyes. He would have been better prepared for anything but that. Her golden orbs glittered as she fought to control a laugh when she felt his member twitch within her. “What sort of performance should I do?”



It wasn’t long ago that she was in exactly this sort of predicament, he reminded himself. The memory made him twitch again. “Follow me, Miss Granger.” With hands on the broad bones of her hips, he guided her movements gently.



She rocked and raised her hands from his chest to her thighs to her stomach to her breasts to her neck to her lips to her hair, which she lifted slightly before she stretched her arms over her head and let them float down behind her, using them for greater leverage and a different angle.



As she rode him, he watched her, and committed to mind everything about her. She’d wake up one day and realize that she had allowed herself to be used by a Death Eater monster. Then what would he do? He shivered. He had to remember this. He would have to remember her as she was then.



“Severus?” She slowed, “Are you okay?”



Her voice brought him fully back to the task at hand and she gasped as he thrust up into her suddenly, “Fuck me, Hermione.” She began again, but he stopped her, lifting her to her feet as he stood, and turned her to bend over his desk.



Looking back over her shoulder, she smiled and wiggled her arse cheekily.



He chuckled lightly as he pushed slowly into her tight pussy. Over and over he gripped her hips and steadied her so she couldn’t push back against him. He resisted her to tease her slowly and gently. When she finally huffed with frustration, he allowed a small smile to curl one side of his lips and thrust deep, hard, and fast into her.



The slur of words that she exhaled was his fodder and he continued to thrust with vicious emphasis into her. “Hermione,” he grunted suddenly, “I—I can’t last much longer!”



She was nearing her peak, but it sounded like Snape was much closer, so she flattened herself on the desk suddenly. He slipped from her sheath and she twisted between his arms to face him. “Let me catch up.”



He would have been embarrassed but her honesty was appreciated and her confident sexuality was much too alluring to spare more than a thought for his own ego. He watched her grab his penis in one hand and use the head to stroke her clit in light flicks. “Oh wow...” She sighed. It didn’t take her long before she was shuddering and nearing release. Snape took his hard cock from her hand and thrust into her roughly.



The noises she made were loud, fitful shrieks of pleasure and his name rolled off her tongue more than once. When she started to clench around his cock, he found himself hunching over her and moaning uncontrollably. She gripped him around his shoulders, dragging him down for an incredible kiss as he emptied himself inside her.



It was always good sex with Hermione, and this time was no exception. Her head lolled back when the pulsing in her sex slowed, and he was surprised to see her nose rosy and tears brimming behind her long lashes. She looked down and didn’t meet his eyes until he raised her chin. As her eyelids lifted, two, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”



He smiled smugly; an odd sort of male pride thrilled him. He had managed to make her come undone. When her lips quirked sheepishly, he moved in for a tender kiss as his flaccid penis dropped from her opening, spilling his fluids on the floor and the edge of the desk.



He stitched the front of the dress together with a simple sewing spell to Hermione’s amusement. He was always surprising her. She didn’t know that he could use a sewing spell, and so well!



Later, she followed him down into the kitchen where he cut off a massive corner of the cake her mother had made. Her parents were off in the gardens somewhere. Hermione was curious about the scowl that followed that information, but refrained from asking about it. She followed him to the fireplace where he put the plate of cake in her hand and sent her off with a gentle kiss on the lips and a promise to stay in touch.



She had been gone for nearly a full hour and a half, so she wondered what state of worry they would be in. She was surprised to see that only Ginny, Luna, and Lavender sat in front of the fireplace when she stepped out. The three girls looked up at her with equally surprised and interested looks.



“Hi.” Hermione said. “Are they angry with me?”



“No.” Lavender supplied before the other girls could begin. “They seem to get that you’ll be disappearing from time to time.”



Hermione nodded. Just as McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley entered the room.



“Oh Miss Granger, good, you’re back!” Professor McGonagall exclaimed. “Listen, we were wondering who H.B.P. is.”



Hermione blanched and swayed on the spot. “H-how—”



Mrs. Weasley pulled the letter from her apron pocket and handed it to her.



Hermione blanched further and Ginny rose to offer her seat. How could Snape have been so stupid?



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A/N: You have to know! All of you must know! I have moved on to University now! About time too! I’m a creative writing major and I shall be filling you in on how I’m doing from time to time.



Because I have a new computer and haven’t moved my reviewers list over yet, and I don’t want to recount it at the moment, I will tell you the name of the next chapter instead. The next chapter will be called: New Age Feminism (The Lestrange Account).



Love you all! Love you all! Love you ALL!!!!!! With an extra special thank you to Lady_of_Clunn, MJL, Chocolate Secrets, catysmom, sophiebelle, Mistress Malfoy, emer from Ireland, and MewMew2.



PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!! Those of you who don’t write, I can’t begin to tell you how much your reviews mean. Also, feel free to critique me on anything. Any critiques at all will be a basis for careful thought and learning.



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