Of Days and Ends
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
35,975
Reviews:
333
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
3
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
35,975
Reviews:
333
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
3
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters, plot, etc. from the books or movies. I also do not own the AdultFanFiction.net site. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Mandrake
A/N: Hold onto your knickers!
~~~~~~~
Chapter 41--Mandrake
“You silly, silly girl! You mixed Dittany, Skele-gro, Bicorn-Tail Essence, Powdered Root of Asphodel, and Mandrake Root. If certain potion elements bind, but Mandrake Root is the only unpaired element, isn’t it going to have dominance?”
She sobbed with heaving gasps of relief. Snape stood shirtless over her as her father supported her. His torso was bisected slightly further on his right side by a thick keloid scar. The fissure of thin, light scars criss-crossing his torso that she used to consider horrifically cruel, seemed pathetic in comparison. She stood bravely, legs trembling enough that he worried she would collapse. “Oh shut up and kiss me, Severus! You’re alive!”
“And I feel like shit.” He grumbled as he bent to place a gentle kiss on her lips. His chest ached with every movement. He was nowhere near completely healed.
“Grump.” She allowed him to kiss the tear tracks that cascaded down her face, running anew. She had been so sure that he was dead and murmured so.
“Your mediwitchery skills are phenomenal Hermione.”
“Thank you.”
“I couldn’t have been in better hands.”
Her father passed his daughter to Snape and he wrapped her tightly in his arms, despite the severe ache in his chest. “Are we safe to stay here, Severus?” Mr. Granger asked.
“No.” Snape looked over Hermione’s head. “We’ll have to leave immediately. Lucius was my secret-keeper.” Snape handed Hermione her wand and used his wand to put mobilicorpus on her mother’s limp body.
Hermione’s eyes were beginning to feel dry and her head ached, but she ignored it. “Is she okay?”
“We don’t have time to check. Paul, you need to take Elaine to Madame Pomfrey at the Tonks Family Home in Surrey.”
“I meant to ask you how you know where headquarters is.”
“It was a predetermined location. All Order members know where it is. I suppose they didn’t realize I know.”
Mr. Granger pushed tentatively on his wife’s shoulders and watched her slide easily though the air and carefully manuevered her body into the floo. When Hermione moved away from the desk on which she was leaning, she grabbed her belly and grimaced. “Just—Hermione, stay there. I remember how this goes.” Her father quickly responded as he filled his palm with floo powder.
Snape watched her parents disappear, and turned to Hermione. “Are you okay?” He asked. She was also watching the Grangers whirl away, but her head was bowed, her eyes wide, and her complexion pale.
Her nostrils flared as she collected herself and pushed away from the desk again, straightening her arms to her side. They had business to handle and she would be no use to him if she indulged in her fear and pain at such a crucial moment. She refused to meet his eyes, because she knew she was too weak to sustain her occlumantic walls against him. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know.” He looked her over. He didn’t know if he could risk not having her help, nor if he could risk not sending her to the Order immediately. “Can you last about five minutes?”
She tremored on unsteady legs and followed behind him slowly. She was in so much pain that she thought she might pass out. Black spots popped up in her vision as she raised her wand, gathering the box with his mother’s picture and the Book of Days and Ends with a light swish and flick. Snape took them and cast a few more sweeping summoning spells around the room.
“Don’t forget the separating potion.”
“Accio Cauldron. Accio Cover.” A large cast iron cauldron flew into the room, and with a delicate skill of his wand, Snape stopped it in front of him, assembled them together, and ensured a tight fit.
Hermione waved her wand across the cauldron and sent it ahead of them into the floo, using the remaining powder, and shouting, “Tonks Family Residence!”
Hermione wavered as Snape turned to face her, “Can you think of anything we’re...” Her legs gave out just as he dove forward to catch her. “Hermione!”
She quivered in his arms as she felt a contraction begin. “ahhhhhhhHhHhHHhHhHhHHHHHHHHHH!” She shrieked.
Snape was at a loss. He had never had any experience with a birthing woman, especially not in such an early stage of her pregnancy. He suddenly wished he had killed Malfoy when he had a choice a year ago.
When she finally stopped screaming and clutched his shirt as she panted, Snape snatched their wands off the ground and swept everything they had gathered near enough to tuck under his arm as he drew Hermione close to him in preparation for apparation.
POP! POP!
POP!
POP!
POP!
POP!
POP! POP!
Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort appeared in the library of Snape’s ancestral home flanked by six of Voldemort’s finest: Bellatrix, Rabastan, Narcissa, Draco, Abraxas, and Greyback. Their robes settled into place impressively, and Snape froze in shock.
Voldemort had always been his enemy, but he had always stood firmly enough on the same side that he had an odd sense of security. For the first time, Snape was confronted with the same perception of Voldemort that most sane people had. He felt a rush of fear sweep over him as he met Voldemort’s crimson eyes and his mind became very blank with the surreality of the situation. Voldemort was in the Prince Family home.
Voldemort didn’t hesistate, and he didn’t explain or taunt. He raised his wand, aimed it at Snape’s head, and rasped, “Avada Kedav—”
Hermione lifted her wand and quickly apparated them to the front doorstep of the Tonks Family Home.
Snapped back to the present by the pressure of apparation, Snape lifted his hand and knocked on the door while he struggled to remember
“Wh—what the hell are you doing?”
“Turning you over to the Order and turning myself in. At least this way, I can be nearer to you and know you’re all right.”
“Don’t be stupid, you arse!” Snape raised a hand and knocked again before Hermione grabbed his arm to stop him. “Change into the snake.”
“Wh—”
“Now! The snake!”
Snape saw the merit in her insistence and quickly shifted form, winding behind her head and laying in a relaxed way against her chest. He was surprised that she added a glamour that turned him deep green where he was black and white where he was more silver.
It was a few moments later that McGonagall and Kingsley swung the door open in a panic, “Miss Gran—” They started at the large snake curled docily around her pregnant frame.
“I-I’m in labor!” She panted heavily. Then, suddenly realizing why they were not taking action, Hermione groaned. “The snake won’t hurt you.”
The two exchanged a look before Kingsley reached slowly forward to unwrap Snape from her body.
“No! No! The snake stays! Ahh! The snake AHHH... it stays!!!”
McGonagall waved her wand and Hermione’s body rose and flew through the house to Madam Pomfrey’s room. Inside, Madame Pomfrey was already working on her mother, but gasped when she saw Hermione and whirled around. “Take the snake outside!”
“NO!” Hermione violently shook her head. “No. I want the snake by my side at all times.”
“Oh, my girl!” Her eyes widened at the sight of the large cobra. It took her a couple of moments, but she recovered. “Has your water broke?”
Hermione clenched her teeth through another contraction. “NO!”
“Good, good.” The mediwitch said as she moved around Hermione. The first spell brought immediate relief for the next contraction.
“Oh, my girl.” Madame Pomfrey repeated.
“Is my mother alright?”
“Madame Pomfrey!” Ginny skid to a halt in the doorway, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Madame Pomfrey turned to Ginny, glanced over her shoulder to better see Hermione’s mother, and returned her eyes to Hermione as she ordered, “Put that blanket on top of Madame Granger and tuck it under her nice and tight like a mummy. I have a wet cloth by her side, and you need to dab that at her mouth to keep her lips from becoming too dry and her brow to keep it cool. When she begins to go into convulsions, let me know immediately!”
Snape listened carefully, he was very well aquainted with the effects of a long-term crucio, so he unwound himself from around Hermione and slithered onto the bedside dresser by Mrs. Granger’s bed. Ginny was tucking the bedsheets around her when Snape reared up to see over her shoulder. When she finally turned around and saw the massive cobra in a standing position over her shoulder, she screamed horrifically, setting several things in motion at once.
Madame Pomfrey jumped and misdirected a spell that ricocheted off the silver pictureframe on the wall, Ginny froze mid-scream and got struck with the curse which made her look particularly ill as she clamped her mouth shut and convulsed forward, and Mrs. Granger was awakened and began to shudder immediately.
“DAMMIT!” Madame Pomfrey shouted. She couldn’t leave Hermione yet, but as she looked over her shoulder at the convulsing woman, it was obvious that the massive King Cobra had taken action as Snape wound his long, slender body around Hermione’s mother’s body. His reptilian form was not built to constrict his prey, but he used his massive weight to the best of his ability. As a cobra, he weighed about 14 stone. “Whatever you are, thank you.”
Snape could see Hermione’s right eye just beyond Madame Pomfrey’s curvy form as she worked. He could tell another contraction was going to begin as her pupils constricted and her eye widened, but this time, it was a small contraction and she only moaned before sagging limply on the bed.
Between Madame Pomfrey, Snape, and Ginny, they were able to take care of both Hermione and her mother. Her father came to stay in the room with them when Hermione was proclaimed stable. Ginny was replaced by Mrs. Weasley around lunchtime and Professor McGonagall around dinnertime. By the time Hermione felt well enough to stand, Madame Pomfrey had returned from breakfast the following day and immediately pushed her back down. Snape, who had been curled comfortably like a pillow beneath her head, stirred.
“I’m afraid that won’t do, Missy.” She offered her a cuppa.
“I—considering what I just went through, I would prefer not—”
“I could get a cup for you, my dear.” Her father offered.
“No, Da, this is something I have to do for myself. You know, magic...” She offered in explanation, and he nodded, sinking back down to his seat beside her mother, sliding his knuckles against the back of her hand and watching the sensation ripple through her body in a rolling tremor.
He had been told that her mother would be awake by lunchtime, and advised by Hermione not to leave her side if he could help it. Everyone in the Order were extremely surprised to have seen him alive, but McGonagall immediately took action, moving him to be under guard and questioning by Tonks and Remus who happened to be visiting. Meanwhile, her mother had immediately been moved to Madame Pomfrey.
Madame Pomfrey interrupted Hermione mid-explanation. “You can drink now. Surely you’re parched.”
Hermione looked back at Snape who slithered into her lap. “What do you think?” She asked him as she ran a hand over his sinewy, scaly body.
Snape rose to look in the cup before striking it out of Madame Pomfrey’s hand with a hiss.
“Well, he’s made his decision.”
“Indeed.” Madame Pomfrey replied, looking down at her water-drenched front. “Well, I suppose you can do it yourself.” Everyone knew how paranoid she had become. “However! You want to be very careful, because you could very easily go into preterm labor, and 26 weeks is simply not enough to work with. If you feel anything out of the ordinary: a contraction every 10 minutes or more often within one hour, watery fluid leaking from your vagina, menstrual-like cramps, low, dull backaches, pelvic pressure that feels like the baby is pushing down, abdominal cramps that may occur with or without diarrhea, unusual or sudden increase of vaginal discharge, or blood from your vagina, come to me immediately... if not sooner.”
Hermione nodded put a spell on Snape to make him lighter and scooped him up around her shoulders.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” Madame Pomfrey stopped Hermione as she walked to the door.
“Oh, uh—I don’t really know yet, I don—”
“No, no, no... The snake.”
“Oh! It’s a—uh—It’s a boy.”
“And is it an animagus or a real snake?”
Hermione paused half a beat too long, but when she opened her mouth to answer, Madame Pomfrey raised a hand to stop her. “It’s alright. I won’t make you lie to me.”
Snape listened carefully, feeling a bit guilty that she had to be so secretive for his safety. Never before had he ever had to depend so fully upon someone in his life. He deeply wanted to find some way to make it worth her while.
“Hermione.” Madame Pomfrey added, making Hermione step back to see into the room. “You shouldn’t have sexual intercourse for the rest of you pregnancy.” She pointedly looked between Hermione and the snake, poised upright on her shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: So... yeah. Snape’s alive. Cool, huh? Well it was for me. I know it wasn’t pretty for you all.
I would like to say a special word of thanks to my top reviewers:
1-- catysmom
2-- Queen_Celestia
3-- meankitty69
4-- slytherin-princess
4-- johanna3030
5-- Lady_of_Clunn
6-- pstibbons
7-- sslover
8-- openthedoor
9-- Sureves Epans
9-- JunoMagic
9-- doodle/deaudle
9-- lilmisblack
10-- Jen618
Also, everyone give a light round of applause to randc, annie, Lady Kara Thrace, and devsgma… our newest reviewers! Hello!
~~~~~~~
Chapter 41--Mandrake
“You silly, silly girl! You mixed Dittany, Skele-gro, Bicorn-Tail Essence, Powdered Root of Asphodel, and Mandrake Root. If certain potion elements bind, but Mandrake Root is the only unpaired element, isn’t it going to have dominance?”
She sobbed with heaving gasps of relief. Snape stood shirtless over her as her father supported her. His torso was bisected slightly further on his right side by a thick keloid scar. The fissure of thin, light scars criss-crossing his torso that she used to consider horrifically cruel, seemed pathetic in comparison. She stood bravely, legs trembling enough that he worried she would collapse. “Oh shut up and kiss me, Severus! You’re alive!”
“And I feel like shit.” He grumbled as he bent to place a gentle kiss on her lips. His chest ached with every movement. He was nowhere near completely healed.
“Grump.” She allowed him to kiss the tear tracks that cascaded down her face, running anew. She had been so sure that he was dead and murmured so.
“Your mediwitchery skills are phenomenal Hermione.”
“Thank you.”
“I couldn’t have been in better hands.”
Her father passed his daughter to Snape and he wrapped her tightly in his arms, despite the severe ache in his chest. “Are we safe to stay here, Severus?” Mr. Granger asked.
“No.” Snape looked over Hermione’s head. “We’ll have to leave immediately. Lucius was my secret-keeper.” Snape handed Hermione her wand and used his wand to put mobilicorpus on her mother’s limp body.
Hermione’s eyes were beginning to feel dry and her head ached, but she ignored it. “Is she okay?”
“We don’t have time to check. Paul, you need to take Elaine to Madame Pomfrey at the Tonks Family Home in Surrey.”
“I meant to ask you how you know where headquarters is.”
“It was a predetermined location. All Order members know where it is. I suppose they didn’t realize I know.”
Mr. Granger pushed tentatively on his wife’s shoulders and watched her slide easily though the air and carefully manuevered her body into the floo. When Hermione moved away from the desk on which she was leaning, she grabbed her belly and grimaced. “Just—Hermione, stay there. I remember how this goes.” Her father quickly responded as he filled his palm with floo powder.
Snape watched her parents disappear, and turned to Hermione. “Are you okay?” He asked. She was also watching the Grangers whirl away, but her head was bowed, her eyes wide, and her complexion pale.
Her nostrils flared as she collected herself and pushed away from the desk again, straightening her arms to her side. They had business to handle and she would be no use to him if she indulged in her fear and pain at such a crucial moment. She refused to meet his eyes, because she knew she was too weak to sustain her occlumantic walls against him. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know.” He looked her over. He didn’t know if he could risk not having her help, nor if he could risk not sending her to the Order immediately. “Can you last about five minutes?”
She tremored on unsteady legs and followed behind him slowly. She was in so much pain that she thought she might pass out. Black spots popped up in her vision as she raised her wand, gathering the box with his mother’s picture and the Book of Days and Ends with a light swish and flick. Snape took them and cast a few more sweeping summoning spells around the room.
“Don’t forget the separating potion.”
“Accio Cauldron. Accio Cover.” A large cast iron cauldron flew into the room, and with a delicate skill of his wand, Snape stopped it in front of him, assembled them together, and ensured a tight fit.
Hermione waved her wand across the cauldron and sent it ahead of them into the floo, using the remaining powder, and shouting, “Tonks Family Residence!”
Hermione wavered as Snape turned to face her, “Can you think of anything we’re...” Her legs gave out just as he dove forward to catch her. “Hermione!”
She quivered in his arms as she felt a contraction begin. “ahhhhhhhHhHhHHhHhHhHHHHHHHHHH!” She shrieked.
Snape was at a loss. He had never had any experience with a birthing woman, especially not in such an early stage of her pregnancy. He suddenly wished he had killed Malfoy when he had a choice a year ago.
When she finally stopped screaming and clutched his shirt as she panted, Snape snatched their wands off the ground and swept everything they had gathered near enough to tuck under his arm as he drew Hermione close to him in preparation for apparation.
POP! POP!
POP!
POP!
POP!
POP!
POP! POP!
Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort appeared in the library of Snape’s ancestral home flanked by six of Voldemort’s finest: Bellatrix, Rabastan, Narcissa, Draco, Abraxas, and Greyback. Their robes settled into place impressively, and Snape froze in shock.
Voldemort had always been his enemy, but he had always stood firmly enough on the same side that he had an odd sense of security. For the first time, Snape was confronted with the same perception of Voldemort that most sane people had. He felt a rush of fear sweep over him as he met Voldemort’s crimson eyes and his mind became very blank with the surreality of the situation. Voldemort was in the Prince Family home.
Voldemort didn’t hesistate, and he didn’t explain or taunt. He raised his wand, aimed it at Snape’s head, and rasped, “Avada Kedav—”
Hermione lifted her wand and quickly apparated them to the front doorstep of the Tonks Family Home.
Snapped back to the present by the pressure of apparation, Snape lifted his hand and knocked on the door while he struggled to remember
“Wh—what the hell are you doing?”
“Turning you over to the Order and turning myself in. At least this way, I can be nearer to you and know you’re all right.”
“Don’t be stupid, you arse!” Snape raised a hand and knocked again before Hermione grabbed his arm to stop him. “Change into the snake.”
“Wh—”
“Now! The snake!”
Snape saw the merit in her insistence and quickly shifted form, winding behind her head and laying in a relaxed way against her chest. He was surprised that she added a glamour that turned him deep green where he was black and white where he was more silver.
It was a few moments later that McGonagall and Kingsley swung the door open in a panic, “Miss Gran—” They started at the large snake curled docily around her pregnant frame.
“I-I’m in labor!” She panted heavily. Then, suddenly realizing why they were not taking action, Hermione groaned. “The snake won’t hurt you.”
The two exchanged a look before Kingsley reached slowly forward to unwrap Snape from her body.
“No! No! The snake stays! Ahh! The snake AHHH... it stays!!!”
McGonagall waved her wand and Hermione’s body rose and flew through the house to Madam Pomfrey’s room. Inside, Madame Pomfrey was already working on her mother, but gasped when she saw Hermione and whirled around. “Take the snake outside!”
“NO!” Hermione violently shook her head. “No. I want the snake by my side at all times.”
“Oh, my girl!” Her eyes widened at the sight of the large cobra. It took her a couple of moments, but she recovered. “Has your water broke?”
Hermione clenched her teeth through another contraction. “NO!”
“Good, good.” The mediwitch said as she moved around Hermione. The first spell brought immediate relief for the next contraction.
“Oh, my girl.” Madame Pomfrey repeated.
“Is my mother alright?”
“Madame Pomfrey!” Ginny skid to a halt in the doorway, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Madame Pomfrey turned to Ginny, glanced over her shoulder to better see Hermione’s mother, and returned her eyes to Hermione as she ordered, “Put that blanket on top of Madame Granger and tuck it under her nice and tight like a mummy. I have a wet cloth by her side, and you need to dab that at her mouth to keep her lips from becoming too dry and her brow to keep it cool. When she begins to go into convulsions, let me know immediately!”
Snape listened carefully, he was very well aquainted with the effects of a long-term crucio, so he unwound himself from around Hermione and slithered onto the bedside dresser by Mrs. Granger’s bed. Ginny was tucking the bedsheets around her when Snape reared up to see over her shoulder. When she finally turned around and saw the massive cobra in a standing position over her shoulder, she screamed horrifically, setting several things in motion at once.
Madame Pomfrey jumped and misdirected a spell that ricocheted off the silver pictureframe on the wall, Ginny froze mid-scream and got struck with the curse which made her look particularly ill as she clamped her mouth shut and convulsed forward, and Mrs. Granger was awakened and began to shudder immediately.
“DAMMIT!” Madame Pomfrey shouted. She couldn’t leave Hermione yet, but as she looked over her shoulder at the convulsing woman, it was obvious that the massive King Cobra had taken action as Snape wound his long, slender body around Hermione’s mother’s body. His reptilian form was not built to constrict his prey, but he used his massive weight to the best of his ability. As a cobra, he weighed about 14 stone. “Whatever you are, thank you.”
Snape could see Hermione’s right eye just beyond Madame Pomfrey’s curvy form as she worked. He could tell another contraction was going to begin as her pupils constricted and her eye widened, but this time, it was a small contraction and she only moaned before sagging limply on the bed.
Between Madame Pomfrey, Snape, and Ginny, they were able to take care of both Hermione and her mother. Her father came to stay in the room with them when Hermione was proclaimed stable. Ginny was replaced by Mrs. Weasley around lunchtime and Professor McGonagall around dinnertime. By the time Hermione felt well enough to stand, Madame Pomfrey had returned from breakfast the following day and immediately pushed her back down. Snape, who had been curled comfortably like a pillow beneath her head, stirred.
“I’m afraid that won’t do, Missy.” She offered her a cuppa.
“I—considering what I just went through, I would prefer not—”
“I could get a cup for you, my dear.” Her father offered.
“No, Da, this is something I have to do for myself. You know, magic...” She offered in explanation, and he nodded, sinking back down to his seat beside her mother, sliding his knuckles against the back of her hand and watching the sensation ripple through her body in a rolling tremor.
He had been told that her mother would be awake by lunchtime, and advised by Hermione not to leave her side if he could help it. Everyone in the Order were extremely surprised to have seen him alive, but McGonagall immediately took action, moving him to be under guard and questioning by Tonks and Remus who happened to be visiting. Meanwhile, her mother had immediately been moved to Madame Pomfrey.
Madame Pomfrey interrupted Hermione mid-explanation. “You can drink now. Surely you’re parched.”
Hermione looked back at Snape who slithered into her lap. “What do you think?” She asked him as she ran a hand over his sinewy, scaly body.
Snape rose to look in the cup before striking it out of Madame Pomfrey’s hand with a hiss.
“Well, he’s made his decision.”
“Indeed.” Madame Pomfrey replied, looking down at her water-drenched front. “Well, I suppose you can do it yourself.” Everyone knew how paranoid she had become. “However! You want to be very careful, because you could very easily go into preterm labor, and 26 weeks is simply not enough to work with. If you feel anything out of the ordinary: a contraction every 10 minutes or more often within one hour, watery fluid leaking from your vagina, menstrual-like cramps, low, dull backaches, pelvic pressure that feels like the baby is pushing down, abdominal cramps that may occur with or without diarrhea, unusual or sudden increase of vaginal discharge, or blood from your vagina, come to me immediately... if not sooner.”
Hermione nodded put a spell on Snape to make him lighter and scooped him up around her shoulders.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” Madame Pomfrey stopped Hermione as she walked to the door.
“Oh, uh—I don’t really know yet, I don—”
“No, no, no... The snake.”
“Oh! It’s a—uh—It’s a boy.”
“And is it an animagus or a real snake?”
Hermione paused half a beat too long, but when she opened her mouth to answer, Madame Pomfrey raised a hand to stop her. “It’s alright. I won’t make you lie to me.”
Snape listened carefully, feeling a bit guilty that she had to be so secretive for his safety. Never before had he ever had to depend so fully upon someone in his life. He deeply wanted to find some way to make it worth her while.
“Hermione.” Madame Pomfrey added, making Hermione step back to see into the room. “You shouldn’t have sexual intercourse for the rest of you pregnancy.” She pointedly looked between Hermione and the snake, poised upright on her shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: So... yeah. Snape’s alive. Cool, huh? Well it was for me. I know it wasn’t pretty for you all.
I would like to say a special word of thanks to my top reviewers:
1-- catysmom
2-- Queen_Celestia
3-- meankitty69
4-- slytherin-princess
4-- johanna3030
5-- Lady_of_Clunn
6-- pstibbons
7-- sslover
8-- openthedoor
9-- Sureves Epans
9-- JunoMagic
9-- doodle/deaudle
9-- lilmisblack
10-- Jen618
Also, everyone give a light round of applause to randc, annie, Lady Kara Thrace, and devsgma… our newest reviewers! Hello!