Tainted Love

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, three to be exact but who’s counting? Hermione certainly wasn’t, she was keeping to herself knuckling down into her studies. She made a point of having either, Harry, Ron or Ginny as company if she needed to go the library, there was no way in hiaties she wanted to be caught off guard by Malfoy again.

In fact he was avoiding her all together, simply because he had realised that he had feelings and was still getting over that discovery. Draco wasn’t sure what to think or feel he was confused about how he should deal with these newfound emotions. Hermione was a jewel, that was a given. And Malfoy’s do everything within their power to obtain rare and beautiful things mind you he couldn’t see his father agreeing with him on this one. So it looked as though it was about time he started his own collection of rare and beautiful things… starting with a centrepiece.

Severus Snape Professor of Potions and bastard extraordinaire, was decidedly put out. He never thought he’d see the day where he would have to play… matchmaker. He was loath to think it but something had to be done, as far as he could tell his godson and Miss Grr wer were avoiding each other like the snitch would a seeker and it couldn’t be allowed to continue.

If the-pain-in-his-ass-who-lived was to finally defeat he-who-lived-to-torture-him, and finally free him from his tiring role as spy, then these two had to be together. The only problem was… it was going to have to be him who does something about it. He grimaced at the very thought of having a hand in any of this. He would very much love to banish the lemon-sucking freak of a headmaster to hiaties for this. Why oh why did he have an insatiable curios streak? He supposed it made him a good spy at the least but he was beginning to understand why curiosity killed the cat… he thought he’d much rather be dead than meddle in student dating habits.

Harry and Ron were in the boys change rooms getting ready to go out onto the pitch for practice.

“I can’t believe that slimy, worthless git.”

“I do Harry you know what he’s like, he only does it cause he can… and he hates us.”

“Well that’s no excuse Ron, Hermione wasn’t doing anything wrong as far as I’m concerned. If Snape wasn’t such a huge git all the time Neville wouldn’t need Hermione’s help!”

“That’s true, but at least Malfoy finally got his. The look on his face when Batman gave him detention for throwing that firework in Neville’s caldron was priceless, I’d give up my chocolate frog card collection to see that again.”

“Well that’s another thing isn’t it Ron? He actually gave Malfoy a detention, you’d think he would have only took points-“

“From his own house… yeah right!”

“But Ron… aren’t you forgetting who Malfoy’s dad is… Snape could get into loads of trouble with…you know for that. Wouldn’t he?”

“Yeah I suppose your right, but really he could’ve blown up thole ole classroom Harry.”

“I guess… but I still feel that something isn’t right… I mean Hermione still won’t talk about what happened while they were missing and… I don’t want to push her but… something’s just not right…”

“Come on mate she’s fine, she’s our same old ‘Mione so nothing bad could’ve happened... Right? I wouldn’t want to talk about it either if I’d spent 24 hrs alone with Malfoy. He probably just called her heaps of rotten names.”

“That’s another thing Ron… the little ferret hasn’t said boo to her since they got back.”

“Well that can’t be a bad thing Harry.”

“It’s not a bad thing… but it’s not right either, it’s just not like Malfoy to give up taunting a… mudblood… is it?”

“I guess not... No… but hey maybe ‘Mione hexed him real good while they were stranded and now he won’t even dare look at her.”

“That’s the other thing Ron… “ Harry started quietly, holding his friends eyes with his own intense green ones. “He does look at her… all the time and I don’t like it Ron… I don’t like it, not one bit.”

“Well best we can do mate is keep our eyes open, we can’t very well accuse him of anything if he hasn’t done anything. Now come on Harry if where late on the pitch Angelina’s gonna have our heads.”

Ron didn’t here the muttered “Yet” as they picked up their brooms and left the change rooms.

Nor did either boy notice one Draco Malfoy sitting on the floor leaning against the cubicle wall, with a calculative look upon his features.

Who does boy wonder and weasel man think uncle Severus would get into trouble with for giving me detention? And if they do know who’d get in trouble with… then they know what he is… but if they know what he is, why haven’t the Gryffindor goody goodies gone running to the barmy old lemon head and gotten him sent to Azkaban… unless lemon head knows… which would be why they know… which means…

Draco sat up rigidly with a vacant shocked expression on his face… thank Merlin he was alone… Malfoy’s never lose their composure.

Un… uncle Severus is a spy… for the order… or he could be pretending to be a death eater, pretending to be a spy for the order only really being a death eater, pretending to be a death eater, pretending to be a spy so that he was really being a spy on the order…

Merlin help him that didn’t even make sense to himself! He shook his head trying to clear the befuddled state his mind was in, he needed a clear head to think about this new turn of events… but why did he give me detention with Granger no matter which side of the fence he was on. After what he walked in on in the cabin, he made it perfectly clear that I should stay away from her… so who’s side is that man on and which side could possibly want me and Granger paired?

God Dammit! Hermione threw her book bag at the top of her study desk only to watch it bounce to the edge and topple over the the floor.

She gave a frustrated growl and threw herself onto her bed. Hermione held Professor Snape in high respects; sure he was unfair, bias and bigoted when it came to her and her friends. But the man possessed a quick wit, a sharp intellect and was one of the most demanding teachers she ever had. So why oh why had he seen fit to give her a detention with Malfoy the one person she had been avoiding at all costs. Surely being a spy he would’ve noticed she didn’t want to be around him and after what he discovered them doing in the cabin, you’d think he would use any means necessary to help keep them apart. Not assign them detention together, alone, in of all places the Astronomy tower cleaningescoescopes.

She groaned and rolled over to stare at her canopy, this was what she called a sticky situation. The Philosophers stone, Chamber of secrets, Sirius Black, the goblet of fire and Umbridge be damned! This was by far the worst mess she’d ever found herself in.


Professor Snape was ascending the stairs to the Astronomy Tower with a self-satisfied smirk dancing upon his cruel thin lips and two students trailing behind him. One looking sufficiently cowed with her head bent not wanting to be there. The other striding along purposefully shoulders straight head held high, looking for all the world as if all his Christmases had come at once.

Once they were at the top of the Tower Snape spun around on his heels and faced the two youths with his hand stretched out he simply said “Wands.”

Hermione’s head snapped up quicker than you could say Quidditch, she didn’t like the idea of being wandless at this point in time… alone with Malfoy. “Our wands sir?” she asked hesitantly, eyeing Malfoy with something akin to distrust.

Even Draco looked unsure at this req fro from his head of house, eyeing the potions master suspiciously. Why would he want to leave us wandless? Nevertheless he unsheathed it and handed it over with an air of smugness while he watched Snape glare Hermione into submission and said.

“Yes Miss Granger, your wand. I will not be leaving you with the option to simply flick your ever so talented wrist and have done with cleaning such delicate equipment. You will be taking the utmost care while cleaning such expensive items. I’m sure your used to doing it the muggle way are you not?”

The condescending tone he was using raised the Gryffindors hackles and she boldly stated, “Yes sir.” And slapped her wand into the greasy gits hand with a humph which inturn earned her the rising of one eyebrow as he left the room. Before leaving though he turned slightly throwing a look at the pair over his shoulder and said. “The passage will be warded against any entrances or exits until all the equipment is sufficiently tended to, once the wards release you your wands will be charmed to appear.” And continued to stride from the room with out another look back missing the disbelief written upon their faces.


A/N: Ok there it is another chapter finally..Please review I don't think there are many really following this fic... I have another chap written it just needs to be typed up... it's pretty hot to..

alicat xoxox