In Demand

But now I


BUT NOW I\'VE GOT SOMEONE WHO CARES FOR ME

 

The days passed by slowly at the castle.  The staff was walking on eggshells.  Those who knew exactly what had
transpired between Sirius Black and Hermione Granger did not speak of it.  Those who didn’t know,  got the distinct impression that they
didn’t want to.
 
Hermione had immtelytely noticed that Sirius was gone.  She repeatedly pushed everyone she could
find as to his absence, but each time was just told that he had left and would
not be returning.  Hermione came to
the only conclusion that her insecurities would allow her.  “Sirius left because of me.”

 
She replayed their final encounter in the Common Room over
and over.  “You’re just a kid,”
haunted her dreams, awake and asleep. 
Realization dawned on early one morning in July.  “They all think I’m just a kid.  No one will tell me where he’s gone, I’m
too young to handle it.  Things are
about to change.”
 
She stepped in front of the mirror with her wand.  A whispered charm and the baggy T-shirt
she was wearing began to shrink and mold to her form.  Another charm and the jeans she wore
shrank upwards to just below her buttocks, revealing very long and shapely
legs.  A very careful use of Glamour
Charm and the dark circles and sallow cheeks were gone.  Her unruly hair was quickly tamed and
drawn back at the nape of her neck.
 
She appeared at breakfast, born anew.  Harry’s mind grasped frantically at the
sight of the woman who sat beside him. 
He chose his words carefully so as not to offend her,
“Wow, ‘Mione you look great, but don’t you think it’s a bit
overdone for hanging around the castle?”
 
“I just felt like I needed a change,” she replied, carefully
lowering her voice to a purr.  She
tilted her head to the side slightly and gazed across the table at the thin man
sitting opposite her.
 
 Remus Lupin’s
gaze followed the line of her neck appreciatively, but very quickly looked away
under the heat of Severus Snapes glare. 
“Morning Hermione,” he mumbled before guiltily looking at his plate.  The rest of the staff very quickly
followed suit, confused by the sudden and radical transformation, which sat in
front of them.
 
Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore exchanged very
worried looks.  It was obvious to
them that Hermione Granger was struggling with some sort of inner demon which
was eating away at the very soul of the person she was.
 
Albus had to make a painful decision.  “Minerva, Severus, Miss Granger, I would
like to have a word with you after breakfast.  Severus, may we make use of your
office?”
 
Carefully hiding his confusion, Severus Snape inclined his
head in agreement. 
 
Following the meal, the four of them descended the stairs to
the potions classroom.  “Miss
Granger, if you would be so kind as to have a seat, we will be with you
momentarily.”  Albus gestured to a
seat in the front row. 
 
After the door to the Potions Master’s office was closed and
warded against sound, Albus turned to his colleagues.   “I believe it is obvious that the
time has come for Hermione to learn the true circumstances of her
relationship with Sirius Black. 
I believe she has come to the erroneous decision that she is to blame for
what occurred.”
 
Severus snorted at this and sat down hard in the chair behind
his desk.  Allowing himself an
unguarded moment, he closed his eyes, bowed his head, and ran his fingers
through his black mane.  “Weertaertainly know that’s not the case.”
 
“And we certainly are aware the blame does not lie with you,
either, my dear boy.”  Minerva laid
a hand on his shoulder, only to remove it quickly as he flinched at that slight
touch.
 
“If I may be allowed to continue,” Albus said quietly.  “Since the person most affected by this
situation other than Miss Granger is you, Severus, it seems that you should be
the person to share those memories with her.”  He walked around the other side of the
desk, opened the bottom drawer and pulled out Severus’ student pensive.
 
Horrified, eyes wide, Severus looked from the pensieve to the
person holding it.  “Surely you
can’t be serious.”
 
“I assure you I am most serious.  She has every right to know the game
that Black was playing with both of you. 
Either you will share the contents of this pensieve, or I will.  If she continues with this self-hatred
this whole situation has created, she will be useless to us.  Also, you are very aware of how
susceptible the pull of dark magic can be on someone who views themselves as
reprehensible and inconsequential as she does right now.”
 
“You don’t pull any punches, do you Albus??  Very well, I will open my memories to
her and lay them at her feet.  He
grabbed the pensive from the Headmaster’s hands and set it in the middle of the
desk.  “Now get out and give me a
few minutes to compose myself.”  He
was infuriated that he had been backed into this corner and that the Headmaster
had dredged up his past.  He
mentally flogged himself constantly for the acts he had committed, both as Loyal
Deatheater and as spy. Now, one of the few people he actually called friend had
used it against him, in favor of the confused young woman who sat outside the
door.
 
“As you wish, Severus. 
After you Minerva.” Albus opened the door for Professor McGonagall and
slipped out himself, shutting it quietly behind him.
 
“Professor Snape will see you in a few minutes, Hermione”
Minerva said softly.  “It’s time you
got a few things straightened out and we feel it would be in your best interest
to let Severus handle it.  He will
call for you when ready.”
 
“Don’t look so frightened, dear girl, he is not monster.  Far from it.”  The older wizard put a comforting arm
around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.  “I’m leaving you in good hands.”
 
“Come Minerva, I hear the squid is quite active today.  Care to take a walk by the shore?”
 
As the two old friends ascended the steps to the first floor,
Minerva turned to Albus.
 
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
 
“No.  All I do
know is Hermione Granger isn’t the only person in this castle whose soul is
being eaten away with self-loathing. 
Perhaps, together, they can find a middle ground, a safe place where they
can relax and enjoy themselves.”
 
WROTE MY NAME IN SILVER SANDS. 
 

The classroom door had
no sooner slipped shut, than the door to the Potions Master’s office swung
wide.  “Come in Miss Granger.  Take a seat.”  Severus gestured to the chair opposite
his own.  Sitting in the middle of
the desk was an hourglass shaped bowl, filled with some sort of silver
sand. 
 
“Do you know what this
is?” he asked.
 
“It is a pensieve, a
sort of recording device for the memories of its owner,” she replied evenly, not
wanting to give away her confusion.
 
“Very good.  This pensieve has been altered as
well.  It also allows me to see what
the students of this school are doing, just by speaking their name into it.
Obviously, it has been very useful in keeping an eye on the goings on of my
Slytherin House.”
 
Hermione smiled at
this. No, the Slytherin’s were not a house that could be trusted to their own
devices.  Someone responsible had to
keep an eye on them.
 
“It has been decided
that some of the memories contained in this pensieve are to be shared with
you.  You are aware of the animosity
that surrounds Sirius Black and myself, as well as the history behind it??” he
quizzed.
 
“Yes, professor.”
 
“Very well then.  Go to it girl.  I’m sure you are aware of how this
works.” 
 
Severus laid his
fingers on the base of the pensieve. 
Hesitating only briefly, Hermione did the same.  Inside the bowl, the sands started to
spin and whirl.  Hermione found
herself being pulled from one group of memories to another starting from most
recent to earliest.  Severus’ mind
controlled what memories she was allowed to see and denied access to those she
wasn’t.
 
Hermione quickly
absorbed all she saw.  From the
episode which resulted in Sirius having his nose broken and being thrown out of
the castle, to what he saw at the top of the Astronomy tower.  She was made aware of the inner struggle
he experienced, the need to protect her and the recognition that she was an
adult, capable of making her own decisions.  She saw him keeping watch on her through
the pensieve, making sure Black stayed in line.  She heard a conversation that had taken
place early on the morning after the leaving feast.  The conversation whereervaerva had asked
him to watch over her and protect her from Sirius.  She saw the bits and pieces that she had
lost; of the night she and Harry had gotten so drunk.
 
“He carried me to my
room and took care of me.”  An
embarrassing realization swept over her. 
Her eyes met his, “Oh Gods, I puked on you.”
 
Severus chuckled
briefly and motioned for her to finish watching.  The last vision was that of Minerva
whispering in his ear, “make sure she gets to bed safely.”
 
The sands stopped
whirling and they became aware that during the journey, their fingers had found
each other around the side of the pensieve.  Both pulled their hands quickly to
selvselves as they tried to reconcile what had been viewed.
 
Severus spoke
first.  “You see Miss Granger, Black
was just seeking revenge on me.”
 
Hermione countered,
“Was he right, do you have a thing for me?”
 
Severus paused to
collect his thoughts before answering such a delicate question.  He wasn’t quite sure he knew how to
answer that question honestly.  But
he certainly didn’t want to add anything more to the burden she was already
carrying.  “I assure you that I do
care for you.  You have been a
magnificent potions student.  The
best I’ve ever had.  Beyond that, I
find that you are intelligent and find your company most intellectually
stimulating.  My interest in you is
purely academic.  You do understand
that nothing that transpired is your faultn’t n’t you?”
 
She smiled sadly at
this.  “I appreciate your candor
Professor.  I am now aware of the
way Sirius manipulated both of us. 
I am also aware that, although quite well educated in most subjects, the
opposite sex is quite a mystery to me. 
This is a situation I will remedy. 
I will make sure, should the situation ever arise again, I am prepared
for whatever the next man, wizard or muggle, throws at me.  I have some thinking to do. I do
appreciate what you have shared with me tonight.”
 
She was gone, leaving
Severus Snape to stare after her, trying to unlock the meaning of her words.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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