Chasing Destiny

a/n - thanks for the reviews guys and to the question of hermione forgiving sev after all he has done, well she'll have done her share of stupid things by the time this fic is over and in a way he was only trying to save her from even more heartache... in a way! once again thanks!!







At breakfast, Hermione endured smirks from Draco and looks of sympathy and support from her friends. Dumbledore made a short announcement on behalf of professor sprout saying that the students who poured potions on her plants would be found out and punished as Professor Snape would be investigating the dead plants and determine the potion and its purpose.



Snape had heard her moan on and on about the potions until he had agreed to investigate for her. He hoped to catch Draco out before the end of the day or at least he hoped that someone else would. This happened at midday when a house elf came running into the dungeons where Dumbledore, Snape and Sprout were discussing the dead plants.



“Headmaster, Headmaster. I is finding this in Mister Malfoy’s room. Under his bed it was. Fringy was just cleaning when he found it sir.” The small elf held up the packet of Drasen root at arms length.



Dumbledore took it from him recognising it immediately as a dark root and exited the room. Later that day, Draco was suspended and sent home to his father.



Severus had decided that he needed to speak to Hermione and tell her what had happened. Anything was better than her blaming herself and thinking he had rejected her.



He stood outside the Gryffindor common room and paced. He had no idea what he was going to say but he knew that he had to say it before she remembered and things got worse. Harry and Ron came up behind him.



“Snape.” Ron said with pure loathing.



“That’s Professor Snape to you Weasley.” Snape sneered. “I need to talk to Miss Granger.” His eyes narrowed. “Fetch her.”



“Why? What do you want from her? She’s been through so much lately and I don’t think a lecture from you would be welcome.” Harry sneered up at his most hated Professor.



“You will watch your lip Potter. Fifty points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn to a Professor, now go and get Miss Granger.



“Tell us what you need to tell her and we’ll inform her when we see her.” Ron offered, not budging an inch under Snape’s glare.



“It is between Miss Granger and myself. I doubt she’d be very pleased if she knew that you kept her from information she has been longing to find out.”



Harry’s eyes widened. “You know what happened to her don’t you?”



“I wish to speak with Miss Granger, Mr. Potter.” Severus replied.



Both boys sighed and Harry seemed to stop Ron from saying something else. They whispered the password to the fat lady and the door to the Gryffindor domain swung open. They disappeared inside and reappeared with Hermione in tow. She whispered something to the boys for a while and they stopped in their tracks looking very upset and went back inside.



“What did you say to them?” Snape asked as they started down the corridor.



“I told them to leave me alone and if they really cared about me then they would go inside and start their transfiguration essays so that we could discuss them when I get back.” She smiled. “They haven’t even got to be in for another week and I accidentally told them that they had to be an extra foot than needed too. They could do with the practice.” She smiled to herself nervously.



“A Slytherin would have taken a foot from it not added one.”



“Well its good for my friends that I’m not inclined that way then isn’t it?” She looked at him quizzically. “What is it that you wish to discuss?”



“I wish to talk about that night with you.” They were approaching his classroom but to Hermione’s surprise, they went straight past and entered Severus’s private rooms. She had been there many times of course but not since the night in question.



“What's going on Professor Snape?” Hermione questioned as he took down the wards. She stood at the doorway and from the look on her face, she was refusing to budge until he explained his actions.



“I know more about that night than I told you. I led you to believe a lie and I know who it was that hurt you.” Snape sighed as her face seemingly broke down with confusion etched all over. She nodded and entered the rooms sitting on the leather sofa in front of the fire. It was where she had always sat to do her work in the evenings. Severus had always sat on the floor by her feet and watched her as her nose wrinkled when she took in the information. He had loved that part of their evening almost as much as he had loved holding her in his arms when they slept. It had been so domestic in the midst of the war and helped him to get through with the promise of a lifetime like that when it was over.



“Well?” She bought him from the memory in a second. He sat next to her on the sofa and turned to face her.



“I haven’t been honest with you Hermione. I have led you to believe that what happened to you repulsed me and that I was ending our relationship. This was a lie. A lie of omission through my own cowardice and fear of loosing you forever.”



“Fear of loosing me? How?” She looked into his eyes and he looked away. Unable to watch her reaction, he stared into the fire and spoke.



“That night, Lucius bought me to the place he was holding you and told me that the Dark Lord wanted a new and rare ingredient for an elixir he was creating. He told me that he needed the blood of a girl taken by rape and he needed a fair amount. It is a prime ingredient in many dark potions and I didn’t think twice about the truth of his request.”



He chanced a look at her. She seemed to be deep in thought and he continued. “I told him that it was very hard to come by and very expensive. What I would manage to obtain would most probably be tainted or fake anyway.” Hermione nodded knowing this from some of the Advanced Potions texts she had read.



“Lucius said that he already knew this and they had another plan. He asked me to follow him to another room and I saw a bundle of robes on the floor. I immediately recognised them as Hogwarts and knew what he was about to do.” Hermione gasped and looked at Severus staring into the fire.



“Did you know that it was me he was going to use?” She asked.



“No. Not at first and that’s not all of it. The thing is, he didn’t do it. Instead he indicated for me to. When I asked why, he said that Narcissa would know if he had been with another woman and the Dark Lord agreed that I should do it, so…”



He took a deep breath and faced her.



“So I did.”



An – Dun dun dun! I am so deliciously evil that I decided to leave it there! Review and I might reward you with the next chapter soon since it is already written and waiting!