Mystery of You

Thanks for all the fab reviews! I've been eating them up with a ladle. Keep them coming in.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

***

Chapter Four


Hermione sequestered herself inside the isolation room that she had been given when this had all began. The thought of causing more problems had her scared and more than a little ashamed that this should be happening. She was on the verge of tears when her door opened up and who should walk into the room, but Lucius Malfoy.


“Miss Granger, you must excuse me, but you look less than well,” he told her.


Sighing she let her head fall into her hands, as she muttered, “Did you come here to make me feel worse than I already do?”


He went over and sat down next to her, but said nothing. A moment later he felt her moving a little closer to him. Lucius looked over to her. She had pulled her knees up to her chin and looked so vulnerable that it made him ache for her.


“You may not believe me, but I’m here to help you,” he told her.


“Why?” she whispered. “It’s not as if we have any great love for each other.”


“True,” he replied. “But we don’t have a great hate for each other either.” He paused. “Well, not any more we don’t.”


Hermione let out a hiccupping sob as she whispered, “I don’t know what’s happening to me. And it just gets more complicated as the days go on.” He handed her a hankie and watched as she dabbed at her eyes. “Pansy’s pregnant.”


“I know.”


“She thinks it’s Goyle’s baby, but she’s hoping it’s your son’s.” She paused. “All things aside, I thought he would have better taste.”


“He does. It’s Goyle’s child.”


“It is?”


“Definitely.”


She leaned into him more, murmuring, “Why are you here?”


“It’s like I’ve told you,” he said. “I’m here to help you.”


“How?” she whispered. “How could you possibly help me?”


“You’d be amazed,” Lucius replied. “You’ll take your NEWTs and we’ll leave here by the end of the week.”


“For where?” she asked.


“My mansion."


***


“NO!” Harry and Ron both yelled at the same time as soon as she told them where she was going and just who she was going with.


She stopped packing and looked over to them.


“You can’t go!” Harry exclaimed. “Do you hear me?”


“I would be shocked if China didn’t hear you,” Hermione said flatly.


This had them both blushing with embarrassment. But just as they were about to start again, Severus Snape walked into the room. He looked at both boys before saying, “Miss Granger, I take it that you are having difficulties packing?”


She nodded.


“Very well, go join Mr. Malfoy over at my office. The house elves will finish up with your things and I shall deal with Misters Potter and Weasley.”


She looked over to him, murmuring, “Thank you, sir.”


“You are welcome,” he replied absently, waiting until the girl was gone to begin his discussion with them. “You do realize just how much stress Miss Granger is under at the moment?” When they didn’t respond he went on with, “What she is going through is overwhelming. Miss Granger needs to train. It isn’t a want, but a necessity! Or has it escaped your notice that she has done things in well warded areas that no one least of all a twenty year old girl should be able to do?”


“Hermione is only nineteen,” Ron muttered.


“Twenty,” Severus repeated. “Nearly twenty-one as she used a time turner in the past. Or so I was informed by former Headmaster Dumbledore.” He looked straight at Harry as he said so. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Potter?”


“An entire year,” he whispered, looking over to Ron. “In our third year.”


“What? She told you, but she didn’t tell me?” Ron asked, looking like a kicked dog as he did so.


They began bickering from that moment, making Severus wish they had never had the common sense to want to continue their education after the war. There was just no justice in the world, Severus thought with a long suffering sigh.


“ENOUGH!” the loud thunderous voice hadn’t been Severus, though he would have snapped a second later if given the opportunity. No, it had been Lucius Malfoy. He stepped into the room, Hermione close behind him with her arms crossed over her chest. “This decision isn’t up for debate or vote, nor do you imbeciles have any power of veto.”


Both the younger wizards went into sullen silences, glaring at Malfoy and shooting snarls at Snape. Hermione came out from around Lucius and went over to Harry, hugging him.


“Stay safe,” she whispered to her dear friend. “Write me?”


“You know I will,” he breathed, his arms going tighter around her and not wanting to let her go. “You stay safe as well.” He kissed her forehead. “Don’t let him bully you and if you need help, send for me.”


Hermione let out a watery laugh. “Oh Harry, something tells me that I’m beyond even your help.” She kissed his cheek, letting him go.


Stepping back she looked over to Ron, wiping her eyes as she did so. He had a pestilent look in his eyes and his stance told her all.


“I don’t have the time to argue with you over what you think I did wrong yet again,” she muttered to him. “Take care. Study. I won’t be here to make you do it so you’ll have to motivate yourself. If you want to be an auror, you’ll need them…”


“Stay,” he interrupted her. “Harry and me can help you through this…whatever this is!” He grabbed her hands and that was his undoing.


Hermione’s face filled with anger. “You only want me here to help you with your NEWTs?” She yanked her hands away from him. “I know that somewhere in that thick skull of yours you care for me more than that.” She took a deep calming breath. “Really deep inside.” She grabbed him by his collar, yanking his head down. “But until that brilliant day when you actually know how to be anything more than a simpering little mother’s boy with the emotional depth of a gnat, I doubt you could care for more than yourself.” She let him go, taking another breath. “Needless to say, I really don’t like you at the moment. Write to me when you grow up.”


She was shaking by the time she turned to look to Lucius. He took her hand, looping through his own arm. He leaned down and murmured, “Come along, Miss Granger. Severus will have your things sent.”


She nodded, pulling herself up straighter as she walked out the door with the wizard. It was the moment she left that both Harry and Snape hit the back of Ron’s head with a resounding snap.


“You fool,” Severus hissed, but stopped when he noticed that the boy was slowly but surely developing a tail of a skunk and the smell that went with it. “Well, it appears that someone thinks you stink, Mr. Weasley, and I cannot help but to agree.”


***

Oh that Ron! Thanks again for the reviews, but keep them coming in! REVIEW! It inspires me. Thanks and have a brilliant day.