Dreams and consequences

Chapter 7.

The carriages back to the Hogsmeade were quickly filling. Hermione boarded a carriage with Harry, Ron and Ginny and Neville. They were a bit crowded, but couldn’t bear to be apart this one last time. Hermione looked at her friends. How she would miss them. Of course she would owl them, and visit, but it wouldn’t be the same. She was going to miss Hogwart’s as well. She had learned so much it would be difficult to adjust to being a young adult witch. She listened to the boys talk, letting their voices lull her. They were not the voice she longed to hear. Her late night finally catching up with her, Hermione dozed, dreaming of her kisses with her professor.

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The Headmaster summoned Severus into his office. He also sent a summons to Poppy to bring Miss Granger to his office. A short while later, she appeared.

“I am sorry to say, headmaster, that Miss Granger is not in the hospital wing.” Poppy said quickly, “Sir Nicholas tells me that he saw her boarding the carriages to Hogsmeade.” She wrung her hands her worry obvious. Albus looked at Snape, and unspoken though the words were, his meaning was clear. Silently Snape rose, and left.

Severus flew down the stairs, wrenched open the doors to the great hall, and ran towards the gates of the school. Once outside them he apparated with a tiny pop to Hogsmeade station.

Scanning the throng, he spotted Weasley, hard to miss at well over six feet, and hair that color. Trusting that wherever Weasley was to be found, so could Miss Granger, he headed purposefully in their direction.

Students parted like the proverbial sea at the furious approach of their most feared professor. Quickly, Snape came abreast of Weasley, Potter and the Granger girl and stopped their progress.
“Miss Granger, did you forget that you were to stay at Hogwarts?” he asked. Never had his fury been directed solely at her. If looks could kill, she thought, I’d be dead.

“I didn’t know, I thought...” but what she thought, she did not say. The look in his eye was enough to silence her. She turned to her friends. “I am sorry , I’ll be staying on at Hogwart’s for awhile. I’ll owl you, shall I?” With some quick hugs she said her good-byes.

Hermione walked along the dusty road alongside professor Snape outside of Hogsmeade Station. It seemed that her mind was clearer, and she realized with a start that her parents would be expecting to meet her at the train station. She cleared her throat and stopped walking abruptly.

“Professor, “ she began, “I need to let my parents know that I will be staying on, they will be worried about me...” her voice trailing off uncertainly.

“The headmaster has been in touch with your parents, and they are not expecting you.” Snape disclosed reluctantly. He slowed his stride to match hers.

“Can we go to the post office, so that I can send them a letter? If I don’t, they will be ever so worried about me.” She asked with pleading eyes. “Look, I’ve got a tape of the graduation ceremony that I promised to bring with me. Let me send it so that they can see it, please.” Her voice had gone quiet, her steps ending abruptly near the bookshop in town.

With a groan that he stifled, Severus looked at her from the corner of his eye he could see that she was determined to have her way. He conceded to going to the post office with the most put upon expression. He grasped her elbow and steered her down the street to the post office and escorted her in. He waited while she wrote out her message, attached the recording and her letter to a large brown owl, paid the clerk, and sent the bird off to her home in London.

Hermione was thrilled to be in the grip of the man she wanted so passionately. Her feet flew to keep up with the pace he hat set. No sooner had they reached the stile at the end of the lane when she could no longer stop herself. She could see that they were utterly alone. Climbing up on the stile so that she could see him eye to eye, she looked at him, her eyes meeting his bravely.

“I’ve graduated, sir. I am no longer your student.” She looked at him waiting for his acknowledgment. She licked her lips nervously, her pink tongue wetting her dry lips, leaving them moist and shining in the afternoon sunlight. Severus heard her words, and the meaning behind them. He would like nothing better than to give in to her, but it would be his ruination. He looked deeply into her eyes, and was touched at the honesty that was shining through them. He leaned in, his lips close to her ear and whispered quietly in her ear.

“Miss Granger, “ his voice slid along her nerve endings, a caress of a lover, if she ever felt one. “Do not presume to impinge upon my good nature. I have conceded much, due to your fragile mental state. Do Not Push Me Any Further. Are we clear?” At her mute nod, he continued, “Good.” With a haughty sniff he passed through the stile and headed towards the forbidden forest.

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