Kiss The Serpent

Disclaimer: Have transfigured J K Rowlings characters for the duration. Don’t own anything here but the plot…and I’m not even sure I own the plot.

This story is Pre-HBP. Sorry but I cannot live in a world without Dumbledore, so that makes this AU. Technically all fanfic is AU though (IMO) so there you have it.


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Chapter 3 Sunday Night

Hermione was livid.

How dare he! It’s not as though I exactly want to either marry or sleep with the man, but his life is on the line, for goodness sake. And he rejects me! Nasty, snarky, stupid bastard! He looked down that long nose of his in absolute disgust as though I had just crawled out from under a rock. Well that is the last time I will ever offer to help HIM.

She paced restlessly around her bedroom in Grimmauld Place.

I was just offering to help. Stupid man has to lose his virginity to someone and…Dumbledore explained to the whole room and…Molly wants to force him to marry me and…he knows he’s not exactly my choice of lover and…everyone was laughing and…he must have been as embarrassed as hell.

Hermione stopped pacing and sank onto the bed, her face in her hands.

Gods, if it were me, I would have Avada Kadavra’d myself.

He’s a grown man who hasn’t got one woman in the world who wants him for himself. He had to stand there in front of a roomful of people whose first reaction was to laugh at him while his most private affairs were aired to the world. And then I get up, act like I am doing him a favour and expect him to be grateful! The poor man doesn’t even like me, not to mention the fact that I am his student so he will probably never see me as his equal. Circe! No wonder he rejected me. We were all discussing him as though he wasn’t even there. We certainly weren’t taking his feelings into account. He would have rejected anyone under those circumstances.

Hermione groaned into her hands.

It’s different for a woman. A woman who is a virgin is seen as pure and innocent. A prize to be won and cherished. But a man who keeps his virginity is seen as less than a man. Nor is he attracted to me anyway. It’s easy for a woman to lose her virginity, she just needs an aroused male. But a man needs to BE aroused, and Professor Snape would probably rather shag Buckbeak than me!

Her thoughts suddenly moved in a completely different direction.

Shag Professor Snape? Have SEX with the evil bastard of the dungeons? Oh Circe, what was I thinking? I should count myself lucky that he rejected me! Gods, what if he had said yes? I’m not sure I could actually have gone through with it.

Hermione didn’t have a ready answer to that. Her sense of honour and commitment to the cause was substantial, but to surrender her body to a man who, for half of her life, had done nothing but torment and hate both her and her friends…it didn’t even bear thinking about.

Physically, Professor Snape was hardly her dream man either. He stood almost a full head taller than she was, since she was only 5’ 5’. And that appearance of height was accentuated by his thin frame. His hair was as black as pitch, which only served to make his pale skin appear even more sallow than his hiding in the dungeons made it. The one attractive thing about him was his eyes, she mused, deep black pools that could spark with such emotion. Pity that emotion is usually anger where I am concerned.

Yes, perhaps it is a good thing that he turned down my suggestion. Particularly since Mrs Weasley seemed intent of having us married off.

Hermione worried at her lower lip over the thought of married life with the brilliant but temperamental man.

Life certainly would be anything but dull.

Well, I will apologise anyway. He deserves that at the very least, she thought, cringing at the memory of her parting taunt. I can’t believe that I insulted him on top of everything else he had to endure tonight. I’m no better than Fred and George. Honestly, I MUST learn to control my temper.

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Hermione made up her mind to speak to Professor Snape as soon as possible. Glancing at the clock, its hand was pointed at ‘should have left by now’, and she realised just how late it was. They were supposed to be returning to Hogwarts tonight, ready for the first day of classes in the morning. She knew they wouldn’t exactly leave without her; still, hopefully her embarrassing little tantrum hadn’t delayed them either.

Hermione opened the door to her room and heard voices in the entrance below. The meeting would have finished ages ago and people must be departing for home. Peering over the banister she saw Professor Snape speaking to Professor Dumbledore in hushed tones.

Taking her courage in both hands, she quickly moved down the stairs and found herself standing behind them as they stood at the front door. Professor Snape was obviously preparing to leave.

She interrupted them before her nerve failed.

“Excuse me, Professor Snape, may I have a moment of your time?” she asked in a subdued voice.

Both men turned to face her - one with a smile, one with a scowl. Snape did not quite meet her eyes.

“Ah, Miss Granger, the others have already departed and I was just coming to fetch you myself. However,” Albus inclined his head towards Severus, “since Professor Snape is just now returning to Hogwarts, I’ll let him accompany you, shall I? Excellent!” he exclaimed, not giving either of them a chance to protest. “I’ll see you tomorrow at Hogwarts.” Passing Hermione, he patted her arm and whispered, “goodnight, Miss Granger, and good luck!” And with that he disappeared into the rear of the house.

Hermione found herself suddenly alone with the dour Potions Master and was not really certain how to begin, now that she was here.

“Well, Miss Granger, I would like to get back to Hogwarts… before Christmas, if possible.” It was only April.

“Professor, before we go, I wanted to apologise.” The words almost tumbled out. “You were put in an awkward situation tonight. I had no right to add to your discomfort, nor should I have overreacted the way I did. You have every right to decide the path your life should take and …” her voice trailed off. “We were…I was very rude to you. I’m sorry.”

Snape stood unmoving in the shadows, his eyes intense upon her. This young woman had surprised him twice tonight. Satisfied with her sincerity, he nodded curtly and disappeared through the front door. They would be apparating back to Hogwarts.

Hermione decided to leave things alone before she made matters worse. She was surprised he hadn’t shouted at her. Grateful for small mercies, she turned and reached for her traveling cloak before following him out into the night.

After a few minutes walk, in which she struggled to keep up with his long strides, they reached the apparition point that was concealed in a darkened part of the street.

When he stopped, Hermione tentatively wrapped her hands around his arm. No one had ever been required to side-along apparate with Professor Snape before and she felt uncomfortable about touching him, particularly after tonight’s meeting.

When he did not Apparate them immediately, she looked up at him in silent question. Looking bored, he muttered, “Miss Granger, unless you wish to end up with various parts of you splinched between here and Hogwarts, I suggest you hold on a bit tighter.” His voice was both impatient and annoyed. “You made one attempt at getting your hooks into me this evening. Consider this as a second opportunity.”

Hermione was annoyed and embarrassed by his words, and she bit her tongue firmly to stop herself from retorting that he would hardly have done her a favour had he accepted. Silently, she gripped his arm more firmly, opening her mind to allow him to direct their re-location.

Side-along apparition was unpleasant at best, but the squeezing sensation was amplified by the knot in her stomach. When they reached the Apparition point outside of Hogwarts, Hermione was worried that she would lose her dinner all over Professor Snape’s immaculate shoes.

He strode off the moment she released her grip on his arm, and was almost 20 metres away before he realised she was not following him. With a long-suffering sigh he returned to her side, taking in the green tinge of her face and the way she was clutching her stomach. He rummaged in the folds of his cloak and brought out a small opaque vial, which he uncorked and held out to her.

She looked at him uncertainly.

“If I planned to poison you, I would certainly not do it when the Headmaster had personally entrusted your care to me,” he pointed out when she hesitated to take it from him.

She took the vial with trembling fingers and swallowed its contents, closing her eyes in relief as the anti-nausea potion swiftly took effect.

“Unless it was an accident, of course,” he drawled. “One never knows what you’ll find in a Potions Master’s pocket. You really are too trusting, Miss Granger.”

Her eyes flew open in alarm, but he was already walking away.

Hermione watched his retreating back, realising he had just had a small joke at her expense. At least she hoped it had been a joke. She scurried after him, needing to run to catch up before his darkened silhouette disappeared completely into the shadows of the night.

She fell into step beside him, and neither of them spoke for the duration of the walk back to Hogwarts, both of them deep in thought.

Finally they reached the castle, and moved into the Entrance Hall, Hermione still a few steps behind. It was dimly lit by candlelight. The students were in their dormitories or common rooms as it was almost curfew. Hermione immediately made towards the Grand Staircase when his voice halted her, echoing into the silence of the empty foyer.

“Miss Granger, the Headmaster has helped me to see the …benefit of the suggestions made this evening, despite the fact that you are still my student,” he said. His voice was strangely polite in contrast to his earlier remarks.

Hermione turned back to him; the intensity in his black eyes seemed to fix her to the spot. She waited for a long and surprisingly breathless moment for him to continue. There was an odd depth to his gaze that she had not seen before. His eyes were normally so cold. This man managed to move from one extreme to the other in the space of a heartbeat.

“Therefore, Miss Granger, perhaps you would consent to be my bride?” The unwilling request was made as though her answer was actually of no consequence, yet she knew what asking it must have cost him.

Hermione’s heart pounded in her chest as the reality of the situation came crashing down over her senses. Marry him? Oh Gods, that is what she had suggested to do, wasn’t it? Marry him. And share his bed.

All her doubts and fears rose up to battle with her deep sense of honour. She realised that the cost of her refusal might well be his life.

She studied him, half hidden in the shadows. He held himself with careful dignity, and she realised just how much of a mystery he was. She had always liked a good puzzle.

Lifting her chin, she made her decision and hoped that it wouldn’t be one she lived to regret.

“Professor Snape, I’d be honored.”

It was almost worth it just to see the shocked expression on his face.

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A/N: As always, please review