Halloween Mix-Up

Halloween Mix-Up

by: Tassana Burrfoot







Chapter Four: Prayers







Hermione finished with the books a good hour ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, she knew she had to still wait for Snape to release her from her detention. And she definitely didn\'t want to get yet another detention for leaving too soon.



She decided to check her list to make sure she had everything. All the books that needed repair or replacing had been listed on the parchment. She had even gone so far as to make two separate columns. One for those that just needed repair. One for those that needed to be replaced.



As she went over her list, she started thinking about the electric touch she had shared with Snape. She glanced down at her hand curiously. Had he felt it as well? What did it mean?



Her eyes roamed aimlessly over the old books until they settled on the book of fairy tales. Why was a book of fairy tales in the Restricted Section? It didn\'t make any sense.



She walked over to the bookcase and pulled the old tome out. She then began flipping through the pages. Most of the stories spoke of werewolves and other beasts. Some of the stories were a bit erotic to be fairy tales. Perhaps this was why?



Then, she came upon the tale of the girl again. The girl who wanted a love but no one would have her because she was too ugly. Hermione sighed.



Hermione knew she was by no means ugly. Though she had no boyfriend, she had seen the way some boys look at her. Not to mention, she had gone to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum. That alone spoke volumes of her beauty.



At the same token, Hermione was a bookworm. She preferred spending her time reading books and learning as opposed to going out. She really didn\'t know why, it\'s just the way she was. She could spend hours curled up on the couch with a good book in her hands.



Perhaps that was why she didn\'t have a boyfriend? Boys probably thought she preferred books to human company. While that was mostly true, she really didn\'t mind other people as much. She loved Harry and Ron as though they were her brothers.



"Is that a good read, Miss Granger?" she heard her Potions professor drawl out.



She looked up to see him leaning against the door frame of the Restricted Section. His arms were crossed and he just stared at her. "Professor," she gasped, "I didn\'t hear you enter. I finished early and thought I\'d..."



"I did not give you permission to peruse those books, Miss Granger. Tell me, are you incapable of following orders as you should? Or do you prefer to cause your own forms of mischief? Perhaps you should have been in Slytherin," he sneered. "What book is that you are reading?"



She was taken aback. She wasn\'t sure if he was insulting her or giving her a compliment. Perhaps it was a mixture of the two? Either way, she answered, "It\'s a book of fairy tales. I was trying to figure out why such a book would end up in the Restricted Section."



"That is not up for you to decide," he told her. "Come, since you have finished early, I will have you do something else for the next hour."



She inwardly groaned to herself as she stood up and followed him out. He was bound and determined to keep her the entire three hours. But, she had finished the work he had given her. "Perhaps I could just leave early?" she offered. "I did finish early. And I did do a splendid job going through the books."



"That is for me to determine," he responded. "Hand me the list so I may look over it while you begin your new task."



Pursing her lips, she handed him the parchment. As they walked through the dungeons, she thought they might go to his office. He probably wanted her to clean it up. But, then they passed his office. Very well, he wanted her to clean cauldrons in the classroom...



They passed the classroom as well. Curiousity was starting to arouse her as they walked up to a door she had never seen before. Course, she had never been this far into the dungeons before either.



"Sleeping Draught," he said and the door swung open. He glanced at her. "You might want to remember that password, Miss Granger. I\'m sure it\'ll come in handy in the future."



She didn\'t understand. He led her into the room and she was surprised to see it was living quarters. A cackling fire danced merrily in the hearth and was being watched over by two hunter green armchairs. A large, green oriental rug covered the stone floor and accented the greens and silvers of the room.



"Professor, I\'m afraid I\'m confused," she said, slowly. "This seems to be your living quarters."



"How astute, Miss Granger," he answered. "You really are the brightest witch of your generation."



She easily caught the sarcasm in his voice. She looked at him curiously. "But, Professor, why..."



She never got to finish that sentence as he descended upon her. His lips crashed into hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist. With a strength she didn\'t know he possessed, he picked her up and carried her to the large green couch. Breaking the kiss, he dropped her onto it.



Her eyes were wide as she stared at him in disbelief. "I don\'t think this is exactly appropriate behaviour, Professor," she gasped.



He joined her on the couch, grabbing her legs to ensure she did not attempt to escape. It was her game, after all. She had started it. "Yes, I agree. Neither is it appropriate to give your professor such thoughts and ideas. You\'ve put a spell on me, Miss Granger. And if it is your wish for us to be together, then it shall be done," he sneered.



A spell? "But, I haven\'t put a spell on you," she argued, trying to scoot away from him.



She noticed the tent in his trousers and that made her all the more nervous. He moved closer to her and placed a hand on her knee. "Don\'t toy with me, Miss Granger. Do you think I take pleasure in thinking of my students? And yet, since you touched me, all I can think about is this."



He leaned into her and kissed her on the lips again. She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to push him away, but she might as well have been trying to push on a boulder. She kept her teeth firmly shut to block his tongue, which was trying desperately to gain access to her mouth. She felt his hand start to travel up her thigh and she threw back her head and gasped, "Professor, please!"



His lust clouded mind believed her to be egging him on. So, he gently reached between her legs and touched her knickers. He smiled seductively at her. "Is this what you want, Miss Granger?"



"No!" she shouted. She mustered up all her strength and pushed him off of her. "Think about this rationally, Professor. Why on earth would I want to torment my teacher in such a way? Especially considering I have class with him the very next day. I don\'t know what\'s going on, but I promise you, I did not place a spell upon you."



His smile turned into a scowl as he glared at her. "There\'s no need to lie..."



"I\'m not lying!" she insisted. "Don\'t get me wrong, you are a very handsome man, Professor. You\'re intelligent and you have a sadistic humor which I find amusing at times. But, that doesn\'t mean I want to place a spell on you to get you turned on to me. I\'m not that type of girl. You\'re my teacher, not a romantic prospect."



"Perhaps the headmaster will find your antics amusing, I for one, do not," he threatened.



He got up from the couch and grabbed her arm. He then pulled her towards the door. His vice-like grip pained her, but she did her best to shut out the pain. "Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled her by the arm through the dungeons.



"Weren\'t you paying attention?" he snapped. "I\'m taking you to see the headmaster. We\'ll see if he finds you amusing."



Hermione had to practically run to keep up with Snape. She knew she\'d have a bruise on her arm in the morning from his grip.



"Roasted Pecans!" Snape shouted at the gargoyle.



He threw Hermione onto the stair and followed her. He did not bother with protocol as he threw her into the headmaster\'s office.



"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore greeted from behind his desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of yours and Miss Granger\'s visit?"



"She has placed a love spell upon me, Headmaster!" Snape accused, pointing his finger at Hermione.



The girl was shell shocked. "But, I didn\'t!" she continued to insist. "I swear, I did no such thing!"



"Why would she?" Dumbledore asked his employee.



Snape glared at the girl. "She and her friends are trying to get rid of me," he assumed. "It\'s their sick little ploy to get me fired."



Hermione was now in tears. She couldn\'t believe the accusations her Potions professor was throwing at her. "I told you, Professor Snape," she tried to reason. "I like having you as a teacher. I have no desire to see you leave. I don\'t know or understand what\'s going on."



Dumbledore looked at her curiously. "Is there something more you wish to tell us, Miss Granger?"



Hermione thought on in for a moment. She glanced at Snape\'s hand and a thought struck her. "Professor Snape isn\'t the only one to suddenly gain... interest in me."



The headmaster tilted his head. "Do tell."



She sighed, "This morning in the Great Hall, Harry was avoiding me. Ron keeps giving me these weird looks. They are the same looks that Professor Snape is giving me now. When I left, Malfoy followed me and tried to kiss me. I don\'t understand."



"Do you pray, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.



Hermione was baffled by the question. She shook her head. She wasn\'t the religious sort, after all.



The professor gave her a soft smile. "Madam Pince told me she had seen you reading an old fairy tale book found in the Restricted Section earlier tonight. Have you any idea what the book is?"



Again, she shook her head. "I couldn\'t understand why a fairy tale book would be in the Restricted Section," she answered truthfully.



"You didn\'t happen to read any of those fairy tales aloud?" he prodded.



She thought it over a moment before responding, "No, I did not. All I read aloud was some silly little prayer."



"Do you remember what the prayer was?"



"Translated into English, it said, \'Dear, loving Aphrodite, hear my prayer. Grant me the gift of true love\'s fare,\'" she answered.



Dumbledore gave her a soft smile. "But, you did not read it in English. You read it in Greek," he surmised. "There is a reason that book is in the Restricted Section. It\'s a story book of the goddess Aphrodite and her deeds. The prayers within the book are actually spells, which is why we do not read them aloud. Without realizing it, Miss Granger, you did cast a spell. A very powerful spell."



Hermione gazed up at him in shock.