All the way

Severus scowled as he heard the door to Hermiones room close. He was already in a bad mood because he had to cut his class short; a fourth year Hufflepuff -who should have known better- had exploded a cauldron, covering every one in pink slime and giving them purple hair where ever it touched. Luckily, Severus had been in his office.

He had sent them all up to the hospital wing half way through the lesson and come back to his rooms to find Hermione. However, she was no where to be seen. He knew she had only one class to teach today, so where had she been?

He stalked into her living room, where she was lounging on her sofa. Moving her legs out of the way, he sat down next to her. She jumped and opened her eyes.

\"Where had you been?\" He asked.

\"You would never believe it,\" She started, \"I was about to go back to bed after you went, but Minerva came down and asked me if I could cover Binns\' class because Peeves has locked him in the Room of Requirement -\"

\"He\'s a ghost.\" Severus cut in, \"Couldn\'t he just float through the wall?\"

\"Well, that’s what I thought, but Minerva said he was well and truly stuck. I had to rush to get ready -that put me in a mood- and then I found out that it was first years, Gryffindor and Slytherin. And then I found out that they are learning about Voldemort. So, I decided to do a practical lesson. First I took them to the third floor and told them about Fluffy, then I took them to Myrtles bathroom and she was quite happy to tell them about her death and me turning into a cat.\"

She rolled her eyes, \"And I was going to take them out to the Whomping Willow, but the lesson ended. The Slytherins said that they had a free period and they wanted me to carry on with the lesson, but I said no because I want to have a rest before the second years after lunch.\"

\"Those kids love you, you know.\" Severus told her, \"Almost as much as I do.\" He moved closer and touched his lips to hers, \"Almost...\"

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Else where in the castle, two red haired Gryffindors were hurrying down the seventh floor corridor. One of them kept a look out while the other walked past a bit of wall three times, muttering to herself.

A door appeared in the wall and the girl popped her head in. a second later she shut the door and it disappeared again. She nodded to her companion and the set off towards the stairs.

They froze as they heard a sound. A voice. Quickly, they darted into a disused classroom. One of them peeked around the door and then nodded to the other, then went back to spying out into the corridor. The other girl aimed her wand at a desk and muttered a spell. The desk fell to the floor with a bang.

A cackling could be heard from the hall and the girls backed away from the door. Suddenly it burst open and a poltergeist floated in.

\"OOhhhhh!\" He hooted in a sing-song voice, \"Ickle first-ies... come out, come out!\"

The girls hopped out of the shadows, \"Good work on Binns, Peeves!\" They smiled together.

\"Weasleys!\" the ghost like thing screeched. The girls nodded.

\"I\'m Patricia Molly Weasley,\" said the girl with blue eyes, \"daughter of Fred Weasley. You can call me Pat.\"

\"And I’m Andromeda Ginny Weasley,\" the girl with green eyes spoke up, \"daughter of George Weasley. You can call me Annie.\"

\"And we are here,\" The said in perfect sync, \"to carry on what our fathers started.\"

\"They told us that you, Peeves, would be more than happy to help.\" Pat finished.

Peeves looked like all his Christmas\' had come at once. He clapped his hands together and performed several back flips in mid air. He was so happy that he couldn\'t eve make up a proper rhyme.

\"More Weasley have come,
To help Peeves... err...
De dum... de dum dum...\" he finished rather lamely but the girls clapped any way.

\"Any way,\" Annie said seriously, \"we have several plans, so gather round...\"

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"
Hermione finished drying herself after her marathon bath session. She had dismissed her last class for the day and warded her rooms against Severus so that she could get ready for the party in peace.

Just after lunch Binns had been let out of his prison. He was huffing and puffing about Peeves, but the poltergeist could not be found any where.

Hermione was looking forward to the party. Not only was it a chance for her to get dressed up, but all her old friends would be there, with their families. Minerva had popped in to invite her and Severus, but Hermione had told her that Ginny had already told them about it.

Hermione put slipped her dress over her head and smoothed out the creases. She took out her wand and dried her hair, so that it fell in silky curls down her back and then piled it on her head; some curls framed her face. Opening one of her draws, Hermione pulled out a small bag full of make up. Putting it on by magic was fine, but it didn\'t have the same edge to it as it did when you applied it by hand.

After two hours of putting the smallest details to her face, Hermione looked up at the clock. It was 6:30 already; the party started a 7. She went over to another draw and pulled out a small handbag to match her dress. After unwarding the door, she slipped her wand inside her bag and walked out into the living room.

Lily was sitting on the sofa, playing with a fake wand that Fred and George had given her. She wore a dress that matched her green eyes and her hair was piled on her head. She had insisted that their hair be exactly the same. The young girl looked so adorable.

\"Can we go now?\" Lily whined.

\"In a moment, we just have to wait for - oh!\" Hermione yelped in surprise as two arms snaked around her waist. Hermione frowned and jabbed one of the arms with her finger, \"him.\" she finished her sentence.

\"Yay! Can we go now?\" Lily jumped up. Hermione nodded and turned around to Severus. As usual, he was wearing his black robes, although, these didn\'t quite have the bat quality. She looked up into his eyes. They were burning with an all too familiar fire, which made Hermione tingle.

Quickly, she took his arm and they left with Lily trotting ahead. Lots of Aurors and people from the Order were crossing the entrance hall to get to the Great Hall. Hermione and Severus entered the Great Hall and immediately headed over to a throng of red heads. As they got nearer, Harry’s black hair stood out among the sea of red.

\"Severus!\" Molly broke away from her family, dragging Arthur behind her, \"It’s good to see you, dear. How are you?\"

Hermione left a bewildered Severus and went over to the younger Weasleys with Lily. She seemed a bit overwhelmed by so many people and clung to Hermione hand tightly.

\"Hermione!\" Two flashes of red skidded over.

\"Fred, George,\" She kissed them on the cheek.

\"We\'ve heard all about your History of Magic lesson.\" Fred told her. She could tell it was Fred because he wore a white shirt with his name printed on it in ten different colors. George had the same with his name.

\"Yeah, those two,\" George pointed to where Pat and Annie were talking to some ghosts, \"Loved it so much that they asked Peeves to keep ol\' Binnsy locked up permanently.\"

Hermione looked down as Lily tugged on her hand. The girl pointed to Harry, \"Is that daddy?\" she asked.

\"Yeah, why don’t you go and see him?\" Hermione pushed her gently towards Harry.

\"DADDY!!\" Lily sprinted into Harry’s arms. He twirled her around and hugged her tight. Hermione strolled over to them.

\"Hey Harry,\" She kissed his cheek, \"Is... is Ron here?\"

\"Not yet,\" Harry frowned, \"But he is coming later. I have tried to talk to him and I think it’s finally getting through.\" Hermione sighed and nodded, \"So,\" Harry grinned, \"Where\'s lover boy?\"

\"Harry!\" Hermione hissed.

\"What?... Oh! Have you split up?\" his eyes were wide.

\"No! Just... be quiet. Not many people know and I want to keep it that way until Severus is ready. Get it?\" Hermione glared.

\"Ok, ok!\" Harry put his hands up, and then sighed, \"Seriously, how\'s he doing?\"

\"He is doing fine.\" Sneered a voice from behind Hermione. She had to try not laugh as Harry’s face lost all color. He looked like a guilty school boy again.

\"P-Professor...I... that’s good, that you\'re doing fine I mean... I was just...\" Harry stopped stuttering finally and finished with a sheepish, \"Sorry.\"

At that moment, Ginny came and linked arms with Harry. They kissed and it wasn\'t a peck on the cheek. Hermione looked between the two.

\"Are you...?\" She asked. Ginny giggled and Harry blushed. Hermione squealed and hugged them both; Harry had made a mistake when he broke up with Ginny all those years ago. They were perfect together.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Severus watched from the shadows as Hermione mingled. She would walk up to a group of people, say hello, ask them how they are and then move on. Finally, he thought that she had finished and would come back to him, but something else caught her attention and she changed course.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Hermione made her way through the dancing couples on the dance floor to a lonely looking being.

\"Hello Sir Nick,\" She smiled up at the ghost, \"Are you ok?\"

\"Ahhh,\" He sighed, \"It is at parties like these when I miss being able to dance. I was quiet the waltzer in my day, you know. But alas, it is not to be.\" He looked down dejectedly.

Hermione couldn\'t stand to see him unhappy and then she had an idea.

\"Stay here!\" She told him as she hurried over to Severus. When she got to him she pulled her wand out of her wand and cast a warming charm over herself. She stuffed her wand back in her bag and thrust it into Severus chest.

\"Look after it.\" She said quickly and then Hurried back to Nick.

\"At last, you\'re back,\" He said, \"Now as I was saying, all us ghosts wish that we could d-\"

Hermione held her hand out, \"Dance with me.\"

\"I can\'t do that Miss Granger; you will be stone cold if I try to dance with you.\" Nick gasped.

\"I cast a warming charm on myself, I’ll be fine.\" She explained, \"All you have to do is try not to float right through me.\"

\"Do you mean it?\" The ghost smiled. Hermione smiled back and nodded, \"Well in that case...\"

As a new song started, Nick put his hand over Hermiones. Instead of feeling like a bucket of ice cubes had been poured over her, Hermione only felt a slight tingle run up her arm.

At first no one noticed, but then people started to still their own dancing and watch in amazement. Hermione was sure that no one had ever danced with a ghost before.

\"Woooo!\" Hermione looked over her shoulder to see Pat and Annie clapping, \"Go \'Mione!\"

Nick was smiling and soon Harry and Ginny were dancing. As they twirled, Hermione could see Pat and Annie dancing madly with Peeves, Tonks dancing with the Fat Fryer and Remus dancing with the Grey Lady.

\"You are brilliant, my dear lady!\" Sir Nick laughed, \"No other person has ever thought of warming charms.\"

He spun Hermione under his arm. It felt weird to be dancing with thin air, but if Hermione kept her eye on where his silver hands were going, she could keep it together.

\"Sir Nick, could you do me a favor?\" Hermione asked.

\"Any thing for you, fair maiden.\" He said graciously.

\"Could you dance with Lily for a moment?\" Hermione led him over to the girl.

\"Certainly.\" Nick took Lily’s hand and they danced rather ungracefully, around the room.

Hermione was making her way over to Severus, when something else caught her eye again. She looked around and saw a flash of blonde hair dart out of the room. Hermione was about to go and investigate when she felt a hand on shoulder.

\"You do like to make people -and ghosts- happy, don’t you?\" Severus said in her ear.

Hermione shrugged with her eyes still on the door, \"It was nothing.\"

\"On the contrary, look around you...\"

Hermione tore her eyes away from the doors and looked over to the dance floor. Every ghost in the room was dancing with a person and they all looked happier than ever.

\"Listen,\" Hermione said as she took her bag from him, \"I need to go and top up my make up; I’ll be back in a minute.\"

She slipped out of the room and into the shadowed corridor. Sure that she had seen some one, she started off up the hall.
____________________________________________________

Hermione stopped. She could hear footsteps. Speeding up, she rounded a corner and reached out to grab a person’s shoulder. A boy spun around, panting.

\"Mr. Malfoy,\" Hermione frowned, \"What are you doing out here? Students were told to stay in their common rooms tonight.\"

\"I was just... curious.\" Lucius shrugged.

\"Well, come on.\" Hermione took his arm lightly, \"I\'ll take you back to your common room myself.\"

\"What?\" He said innocently as they began to walk, \"You don\'t trust me?\"

\"No.\" Hermione told him bluntly.

\"Oh,\" Was that disappointment in his voice? No, of course not. \"Aren\'t you going to take points for being out after curfew?\"

\"Do you want me to?\"

\"Of course not.\" The boy sneered, \"I just thought that seeing as you and Professor Snape are... close... that his habits might rub off on you.\"

\"Has your father ever told you about the two boys he used to hang around with?\" Hermione asked.

\"Yes, Crabbe and Goyle. Why?\" He said suspiciously.

\"Just because he spent time with them, did it mean that their dumbness rubbed off on him?\" Hermione raised her eyes brows.

Lucius thought for a while, \"No, I suppose not... I like your reasoning.\"

\"Thank you.\" Hermione smiled.

\"I expect that’s what father saw in you,\" He carried on as they crossed the entrance hall and neared the dungeons. He stopped and looked up at her, \"And your eyes; you have warm brown eyes.\" He seemed to go into a daze, so Hermione tugged on his arm and urged him to move forward.

\"We are not here to talk about the color of my eyes, Mr. Malfoy.\" she informed him.

\"My father reads the Quibbler as well, you know. He likes the pictures of you.\" he retorted as if she hadn\'t spoken, \"He withdrew his funding from the Daily Prophet because of the stories that they printed about you and Professor Snape being a couple. He was quite angry about that.\"

\"Mr. Malfoy, as nice as this little chat is, I do not care what paper your father reads, or what he does with his money.\" Hermione said, getting uncomfortable.

\"But the stories were lies.\" He went on, as if to convince some one, \"Father was very ill, but then he believed me when I told him that they were lies. Oh he was sick... He wouldn\'t talk to any one, or eat, or sleep but then I got through to him because they were lies, weren\'t they?\"

He looked up at her almost desperately. Hermione didn\'t know what to say; obviously this boy cared deeply for his father. She didn\'t know whether she could lie to his pleading eyes. Hermione looked away.

\"I told my father they were lies, but they were true, weren\'t they Professor.\" His voice cracked at the end. She looked back down at him. Tears rolled down his cheek and Hermione was sure that she had never seen a Malfoy look so helpless; obviously his father had not taught him that Malfoy’s don\'t ever show weakness in the few years that they had been together.

Like always, the compassionate Hermione stomped on the practical Hermione and she gathered the crying boy into her arms. The top of his head came up to her nose, so he was easy to hug. She made cooing noises to calm him down as she moved them over to a window sill that they could sit on.

After some minutes of gentle words, Lucius managed to calm down enough to talk.

\"That you,\" he hiccoughed and stared at her with watery eyes, \"No... no one\'s ever done that... before.\"

Hermione couldn\'t believe that, \"Where did you live before you went to your father?\"

\"A friend of my late Grandfather.\" He sniffed.

\"Late? You mean you fathers father is dead?\" Hermione asked, shocked.

\"Yes, I never knew him. He died in Azkaban two days after the final battle.\" Lucius took the tissue that Hermione offered and wiped his eyes.

\"So, what was this friend of his like?\" Hermione inquired carefully.

\"He was a complete bastard,\" he sneered, \"He hated me.\"

\"I\'m sure that isn\'t true -\"

\"It is,\" Lucius countered, \"He told me so every day.\"

Hermione felt so sad. No child should be told that they were hated; it reminded her a bit of Harry\'s situation with the Dursleys. The only difference was that Harry was known for doing something thing good, Lucius would be know for coming from a Death Eater family.

\"Is that why you love your father so much?\" Hermione said softly. Lucius nodded, staring at his hands in his lap. \"Well, now you\'re here and you can leave your past behind. You come from a very smart family, the only thing that your father and Grandfather did wrong was the way they used their brains.\"

He still looked sad.

\"Look, why don\'t you go and get changed and come up to the party with me for an hour?\" Hermione smiled.

\"I couldn\'t...\" Hermione nudged him in the ribs lightly and he looked up smiling, \"well, ok. Wait here.\" He stood up and ran off towards his common room.

Hermione sighed, Severus would not be happy, but Lucius was a child and he needs some TLC desperately. After 20 minutes Lucius strode back down the hall and held his arm out for her.

\"There,\" Hermione smiled as they walked back out of the dungeons, \"Things are never as bad as they seem.\"

They came out into the entrance hall and headed for the Great Hall. Hermione noticed, as they entered the hall, that lots of people were drunk. Very drunk. In fact the only person who didn\'t look drunk was Severus, who looked like he was sleeping on a chair in the corner. The ghosts were still dancing, but with each other this time.

Lily came running over and grabbed Hermiones leg. Her screams of, \"He\'s gonna get me! He\'s gonna get me!\" were muffled by Hermiones dress.

At that moment, Bill sprinted over and Lily ran behind Hermione, squealing. The Weasley grabbed Hermione around the waist and picked her up.

\"BILL!\" Hermione laughed, \"Put me down!\" He set her on her feet behind him and then turned back to Lily, who immediately ran back across the room. Hermione looked over to Lucius; he rolled his eyes.

\"Hey guys look!\" Bill yelled to his brothers and Harry, \"\'Mione\'s back.\"

Lucius backed away as Bill, Charlie, the twins and Harry ran at Hermione. Some fast music started and Charlie grabbed Hermione and started to dance. Laughing, Hermione was passed from man to man.

Finally, the music changed and they went back over to the table with the drinks on.

\"Well aren\'t you popular.\" Lucius drawled from behind her.

\"I\'m going to go and see Professor Snape; you can do what you like. Just don\'t cause any trouble.\" Hermione her him huff and stalk off. Shaking her head, Hermione made her way over to the corner and Severus.

Conjuring a chair next to his, she sat down and shook him lightly. He opened his eyes slowly.

\"Where have you been for...” He looked at his watch, \"an hour and a half?\"

\"Well,\" She started, \"I went to go and do my make up, but then I saw some one out of bed, so I followed them. It was Lucius and I started to take him back to his common room, but then we got talking and he...\" She dropped her voice, \"he was crying. So we had a chat and I wanted to cheer him up so I brought him up here.\"

Hermione pointed to where Lucius was standing drinking a butterbeer, alone.

\"Hermione, are you mad?!\" Severus snarled, \"I told you to be careful around him!\"

\"Severus, \"Hermione said seriously, \"Have you ever been told that you are hated by the person that is meant to love you?\"

\"Yes.\" He replied bluntly.

\"Then you should know what that can do to a young boy who needs to be given attention and who needs to be shown what’s right and wrong.\" Hermione said kindly, \"Do you want him to end up like the rest of the Malfoy men?\"

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Lucius watched from the refreshments table as Professor Granger talked animatedly with Snape. He looked angry, but she seemed to be calming him down.

No one had ever comforted him like she had tonight. As a child he had cried alone in the dark because the man he was living with didn\'t care if he was upset. Professor Granger had shown him a kindness that he had never known.

He loved his father dearly and he could now see why he would be so sad about her being in a relationship with Snape. He had been scared that his father would die from not eating, but luckily he had managed to convince him that what the paper said was all lies.

Yes, Lucius was starting to like this Professor and he definitely wanted to spent more time with her; he like her attention. All he need was some help.

Lucius looked around the room. He smiled evilly as his eyes fell upon four red heads.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Annie broke away from her family and strolled over to the drinks table. She noticed Lucius Malfoy was leaning against the table, sipping a butterbeer. Giving him a quick smile, she picked up a glass of pumpkin juice.

\"Hello,\" Drawled the boy next to her, \"Which Weasley are you?\"

\"Andromeda, you can call me Annie.\" She replied carefully. Annie had heard about the Malfoy’s, but she had learned not to judge a book by its cover from \'Mione, so she was pleasant to him.

\"Lucius,\" He held his hand out and she shook it. It was larger than hers but very soft and warm, \"I\'ve heard about your father and his brother; quite the trouble makers. I\'ve also heard that you and your cousin are aiming to be like them.\"

Annie nodded, \"Yeah, we just have to get started with the first prank and then we\'ll be unstoppable.\"

Lucius grinned at her, showing off his perfect white teeth, \"Got any plans yet?\"

Annie looked down, \"No, we need inspiration.\"

\"I have an idea that I would be happy to share,\" Annie looked up hopefully and he carried on, \"on the condition that you pretend that you made it up and that I am left out of the planning stage.\"

\"Ok,\" She agreed slowly, \"I\'ll tell pat that I made it up.\"

\"Good girl,\" He flashed a smile again, \"Right, this is your idea...\"

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Hermione finally persuaded Severus to dance with her. He was worried about what people would think, but she reassured him that she didn\'t care what people thought and that every one was to drunk to think anything anyway.

Resting her head on his chest, Hermione could feel him pulling her close. They slowly made their way around the room, weaving in and out of the other couples.

Hermione was starting to feel sleepy, when the doors to the Hall banged open. Every dancing couple, including Hermione and Severus, jumped apart and stared at the swaying figure in the doorway.

The person stumbled into the room and Hermione noticed that they were holding a bottle of some type of alcohol. She gasped as she looked up into the mans face. Ron.

Desperately, she looked over to Harry. He caught her eye and gave her a look that said \'sort it out\'. Mrs. Weasley started to walk forward, but Mr. Weasley put his arm out to stop her. He looked over to Hermione and gave her a nod. She gave a small sigh and started to walk forward.

\"Ron,\" She smiled slightly.

\"Hermione?\" He slurred. Walking forwards as well.

\"How are you?\" She asked.

He seemed to finally decide that it was her because he sneered and took another swig from his bottle.

\"Where... is he then?\" Ron spat.

Hermione closed her eyes, she hated this. \"Who Ron?\" She asked as if her were a child.

\"Your Slimy, greasy -\" He started.

\"That\'s enough Ronald!\" Hermione snapped, \"You\'re acting like a baby -\"

\"Baby! BABY!\" He roared as he pulled out his wand and aimed it at her heart, with murder in his eyes.

People started shouting and before Hermione knew it; Lily, Pat, Annie and Mrs. Weasley were pulling her back while the Weasley men, Severus, Harry, Lucius and some other male Aurors and friends had jumped in front of her with their wands pointed at Ron.

\"You\'ve over stepped the mark Ron.\" Harry warned.

\"I don\'t understand you Harry,\" Ron shook his head clumsily; \"You should be f-f-furious!\"

\"Come on,\" Harry walked forward and grabbed Ron’s arm, \"I\'m taking you home. Drunk or not, you never, ever point your wand at your friend.\"

Hermione smiled at Harry before he turned and dragged Ron out of the castle. All the spectators started to whisper excitedly and the men put their wands away. Hermione went up to them and kissed them all, thanking them all for trying to protect her.

She came to Lucius and pressed her lips quickly to his cheek.

\"Thank you so much. 50 pints to Slytherin.\" She said softly and turned towards Severus. He was looking murderously at the door. Hermione placed her arms around his neck and kissed his lips innocently.

\"Well, that was quite eventful.\" She smiled.

\"Eventful?! Hermione, I think he could have easily cast an unforgivable on you.\" Severus told her, \"Only you would describe it as eventful.\"

Hermione shrugged, \"I\'m mad, you know that.\"

For the rest of the night, Severus stuck to Hermione like glue. She was surprise that he wasn\'t testing her drinks for poison or something. As he wouldn\'t let her take Lucius back to his common room alone, the boy had to stay at the party until Hermione was ready to leave.

Hermione, Severus, Lucius and Lily left the party at 1a.m. They took Lucius to the Slytherin common room and then carried on to their rooms. Hermione put Lily to bed and walked into Severus living room to go to his bedroom, but found him sitting on the sofa.

\"So,\" She plopped down next to him, \"did you have a good time?\"

He ignored her question. \"Did you see how many people drew their wands when Weasley drew his?\"

\"It wasn\'t that many.\" To be quite honest, Hermione hadn\'t noticed.

\"Fifteen, maybe twenty men,\" He told her, \"You were quite the popular lady tonight. I had people coming over to me while you were out with Malfoy, asking me where you were.\"

\"Hey,\" she took his face in her hands and turned him to face her, \"Now, I know where this is going and I don\'t want to hear it. They are my friends. If you don\'t like them fair enough, but I like most of them. However, that does not mean that the minute they try to stand up for me, I will run off with them. Do you understand? I love you.\"

Severus sighed, but it seemed to have sunk in. He closed the gap between their lips in a hungry, almost desperate kiss.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Hours later, Severus was happy that he had reestablished his claim on Hermione, as she fell into a deep sleep. He knew she would be tired in her classes tomorrow, but it was Friday, so she had the weekend to catch up on sleep.

Severus looked down at her. She was so beautiful and he was anxious that one day she would realize that she deserved more than he could ever give. Perhaps she would notice how much Ronald Weasley got paid for play Quiditch, or maybe she would see that one of her Auror friends was better looking, or she might find some one who actually had a personality.

Severus put his arms around her and hooked one of his legs over her hip. She was here at the moment, though, and he would make the most of it.
____________________________________________________

Hermione had breakfast in her rooms the next morning. She slipped her pink robes over a matching pencil skirt and T-shirt. She packed Lily off the Ginny, who moaned because she had a hang over.

Hermione decided to catch up on her marking as Severus had a sixth year class before her second years. She sat down at her desk in her office and pulled a stack of essays towards her.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Severus was five minutes into his lesson when there was a knock on the door. He barked for them to enter and what seemed like the whole of the first year shuffled in, looking quite sickly.

Some of them were carrying others -who looked like they had passed out- others were holding buckets and bowls full of vomit, a few of them were rubbing their heads and the rest were shivering, with blue lips.

\"What is this?!\" He yelled at them and they cringed away from the noise.

\"Madam Pomfrey sent us down here.\" a person said.

\"Some one put something in our drinks, but it’s only our year.\" another person carried on as the first was violently sick, setting others off.

\"She said to get you and Professor Granger to get us an antidote.\" One of the Weasleys finished.

Severus growled, \"Follow me,\" and he added as an after thought, \"Don\'t get anything on my floor!\"

He ushered them into Hermiones office, where she was grading papers.

\"What’s all this?\" She looked worriedly over the ill students.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

\"Let them explain!\" Severus sneered as he slammed her office door.

\"Annie? What’s going on?\" She asked the girl as she held her head.

\"We couldn\'t tell Professor Snape, but last night we got a load of Skiving Snack Boxes from dad and we shared them around this morning. The only thing is that Dad forgot to put the antidotes in. We need you to make them for us.\"

Hermione sighed and stood up, \"Every one follow me.\" She took them to her rooms and the all oohed and ached as they entered her living room. Hermione stood on her coffee table so that she could see them all.

\"People with Head Aches, please take the people who have fainted to my bedroom and put them on my bed, then wait with them.\" She pointed to the door and waited until the group of students had gone.

\"People being sick, go to my bathroom.\" She indicated to another door, \"And the rest of you -with fevers I’m guessing- sit here\"

Hermione rushed to a cupboard that held her sheets and pulled some blankets out. She went back to the living room and gave each of the shaking pupils one.

Hermione frowned, she would have to go to Fred and Georges shop to get the antidotes. She couldn\'t make it herself; she didn\'t know which ingredients or how long it took.

\"Stay here and do not open the door.\" She told the students in the living room as she warded them in.

Quickly, Hermione flooed to their shop in Diagon Ally. She stepped out into the shop and hurried up to the desk. Luckily, Fred was talking to the girl on the till.

\"Fred Weasley!\" She glared at him, \"I need antidotes for your Skiving Snack Boxes and NOW!\"

Fred was trying hard not to smile, Hermione could tell. He pulled a box from under the counter.

\"Are the girls alright?\" He asked as he pushed the box to her.

\"It\'s not just Pat and Annie,\" Hermione informed him, \"It\'s the whole bloody year and they\'re all in my rooms!\" Fred burst out laughing and doubled over.

Scowling, Hermione took the box and went back through the floo. She gave the antidote to the people with fevers, then the people vomiting, then to the people with head aches. She sent them all into the living room so that she could help the people who had fainted with out choking them. She had found that they were disorientated for about a minute after waking.

Finally, she came to the last person. Lucius. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him into the sitting position and tipped the potion down his throat. Hermione massaged his neck so that he didn\'t chock and slowly, he opened his eyes.

He looked around and frowned.

\"Where...?\" He seemed to get distressed.

Hermione stroked his hair, like she had with the others, and shushed him. He crawled into her lap and snuggled into her. Carefully, she stood up and shook him lightly.

\"Come on,\" She cooed softly, \"Wake up.\" Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his head. \"Follow me.\" Hermione led him to the living room with the others. She stood on the coffee table again.

\"You were all very lucky that it was Professor Snape that was teaching and not me, because you would have all had detentions if he had been forced to look after you, \" She started, \"5 points from each house for stupidity.\" Hermione gave them a smile to let them know that she wasn\'t really angry. She jumped off the table and opened the door that led to the corridor. She was about to tell them to go when the all froze.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and out into the hall. Minerva stood there scowling.

\"Professor Granger, why are these students not in class?\" She said sternly.

\"Peeves decided that it would be fun to liquidize some of the products from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes and spike the first year’s drinks.\" Hermione lied convincingly. She could tell that the students were holding in sighs of relief, \"I had to go and get the antidote from Diagon Ally.\"

\"Oh,\" Minerva nodded, \"I will go and speak to Peeves then. Make sure they get to their next lessons. Good bye.\"

Hermione shut the door after the Head Mistress and turned to the children, frowning. They all looked ashamed, \"That’s the story,\" She opened the door again, \"Stick to it.\"

They thanked her as they shuffled out. Hermione shut the door and sighed as she realized that she had the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff\'s for their lesson.