A Sacrifice for Love

Again, thank you for the wonderful reviews. I rush home from work every day to see what you have said about my little story. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am going to finish it and my plan is to write a chapter a night, which is cooperating quite well so far as long as I don't eat or watch TV or attempt any kind of life. I don't mind though because I thoroughly adore Snape. JKR could give him to me and I would be the happiest person alive. Read on, since I have finished babbling.

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Hermione stared at Harry incomprehensibly for a moment, looking back and forth between the others. What had she said for Harry to ask that question? She glanced down at her paper and saw the words she had written. Her face flushed.

“I..er..” she started but Pansy interrupted.

“I think he is. His commanding presence, the way he so meticulously handles his potions and that voice, it's just so sexy ... My mother says Professor Snape was quite the lover when they were students. It makes me wonder if he still has those skills. I wish I was brave enough to try... of course I’m not a Gryffindor, so I clearly lack the courage” she said in a dreamy taunting voice.

They stared at her, gaping. Draco, Ron and Harry in surprise and Hermione with barely sustained fury. He belonged to her and no Slytherin slut was going to get near him, she seethed silently. Suddenly horrified at herself, she fled the Library, not even noticing Madame Pince’s glare.

“Hermione!” Ron called out, and then flinched when he saw Madame Pince glaring at him.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Harry said quickly, hurrying after her. He knew the last two days had been hard on her and wanted, no, needed to know she would be alright. She was one of his best friends and he loved her dearly. Draco hurried after Harry, leaving Ron and Pansy alone.

Ron eyed Pansy with interest. “So you like Snape?” he asked doubtfully.

Pansy raised an eyebrow and gave him a smirk similar to Draco’s. “Of course not. I have Draco, so why would I need Snape? Draco is all I need.” She said.

Ron lifted an eyebrow. “Now why don’t I believe that? You seem so confident, suddenly, for someone who has been sneaking around, following Malfoy. He didn’t notice, but I did. If he was giving you what you need, would he be here with us? He seems quite fond of Hermione all of a sudden.” He taunted and was rewarded when Pansy flushed.

“Now me, on the other hand, I would give you everything you needed and stay at your side. You are a beautiful witch, Pansy” he said smoothly.


Harry realized Draco had followed him and stopped so he could catch up.

“I don’t understand this. She hasn’t acted this way before. I’m not sure what to do...” he admitted.

Draco considered telling Harry what was truly bothering Hermione but in the end decided not to. She had trusted him with the secret and though it was tempting, he could not betray that trust.

Hermione had run to a deserted balcony and sat leaning against the rail, looking out at the grounds below. She closed her eyes and let the warm sunlight bathe her face. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Was it possible the side effects of the potion were getting worse because she had not given in? She hoped not. She wanted to at least retain part of her sanity for her adult life.

She sighed softly. She had wanted to rip Pansy to shreds when she had said those things about Professor Snape. She had wanted to make the other girl suffer for even saying his name. She had to admit to herself that she was jealous. The damned potion had caused this misery and she had to find the antidote.

Harry and Draco watched her for a moment in silence. Both were incredibly surprised to see how beautiful she was in the sunlight. The sun made her hair a warm rich mahogany and made her skin glow. She had her face upturned into the sunlight, soaking it in, her mouth opened slightly and both men wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

Harry shook his head slightly. She had always been Hermione, his bookish, prim best friend and now he could see her as a girl. He loved Ginny, but he wondered what he had missed, not seeing Hermione as the woman she would someday be.

Draco inhaled deeply. His relationship with Hermione had always been complicated. He had been raised to hate muggleborns and had acted on that hate towards Hermione. Later, when he realized the wrongness in his actions, it had been too late to change, so he had kept on with the same hateful dealings. He wondered if things could have been different if he had actually been nice.

Just as Harry started to step forward, Draco spotted something and pulled him back. Someone else was watching Hermione too. Snape was standing in the shadows of the hallway, camouflaged by his black robes. Draco motioned to him and Harry stiffened.

“Shush, listen.” Without telling Harry about the potion, Draco told him what he knew. He told him about Snape’s emotions concerning Hermione and Hermione’s concerning Snape. He finished by telling Harry the plan he had devised. When he finished, he had expected Harry to protest but he did not.

As much as Harry hated Snape, he loved Hermione. He had seen she was hiding something from him and while he never expected it to be this, he cared enough to want to help. He considered what Draco had suggested seriously but he was still unsure. Draco could see the doubt in his mind.

“Watch this then. Watch them both.” he murmured and swept into the hall. Harry watched Snape for a moment, seeing the unguarded look on his face.

Draco glided over to Hermione. She heard the footsteps behind her and when she turned, someone grabbed her and kissed her. Their lips were warm and insistent on hers. She kissed back, not realizing who it was at first. It was one of her first real kisses in a long time, not counting the one from Snape, and she was enjoying it. She wrapped her arms around the person’s neck.

Finally, breathless, they pulled away and she opened her eyes to find a stunned Draco Malfoy looking at her. His hand reached up and touched his own lips. She smiled, somewhat confused, for he had never hinted that he wanted to kiss her.

Harry had watched Snape’s face and seen the emotions that had slid across it when Hermione had turned into the kiss. There had been anger and pain and a kind of hopelessness. Finally it had hardened and he had stepped out of the shadows.

“Please excuse me if I am interrupting something, but Mr. Malfoy, are you not supposed to be in class?” Snape said in a frigid voice. Harry winced, glad he was not on the receiving end of that anger. Draco paled and Harry bit back laughter. Either he was a good actor, or he had underestimated the force of Snape’s fury.

“Yes Professor, but I had to speak with Hermione before detention so I asked Professor Binns to excuse me early. He agreed to do so.” Draco said smoothly and even Hermione, who detested lying to teachers, was impressed. She had not looked at Snape at all since he had appeared.

“And you, Miss Granger, what are you doing out of class?” Harry and Draco noticed his voice was a little softer and gentler when he spoke to Hermione. She finally looked up and felt her heart start pounding at the look in his black eyes. They burned into her and she felt they could see into her soul.

Harry felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the look on her face. He had not wanted to believe Malfoy but looking at her now, he could see it clearly. It had not been respect that had caused her to defend Snape to them so relentlessly. It had not been respect that had caused her to save his life at the cost of her own. It was not respect that was tormenting her now, it was love. Thinking about what Draco had said, he slipped away.

“I was thinking, Professor. The headmistress gave me permission to have this period to myself. I am not...” she paused as if searching for the word and didn’t finish. Draco had been watching his godfather carefully and saw him pale.

”Are you alright? Are you feeling ill?” he asked. To anyone other than Draco, Snape would have sounded indifferent but Draco thought he sounded panicky. He hid a smile.

Hermione glanced at Draco and smiled. Snape froze at the look on her face and scowled.

“Fifty points from Slytherin. Get back to the common room, Mr. Malfoy. Now.” He said. Draco glanced at Hermione and hesitated. “I said NOW” Snape roared. Draco nodded and left.

“Are you alright, Miss Granger?” Snape repeated silkily. Hermione knew he hated repeating himself, so she nodded.

“I am fine, Professor, thank you for asking...” she said softly. She turned to walk away and he grabbed her arm. She looked up at him in surprise.

“You will tell me if something is wrong?” he said suspiciously. She nodded again and started to walk away.

“Miss Granger... Hermione...”

She turned around to face him and ran into his chest. He had stepped up behind her. His arms went around her to prevent her from falling. She looked up into his eyes and was lost in their black depths.

When she gazed up at him, need overpowered his will and he bent his head and kissed her. She leaned into the kiss, opening her lips so he could plunder her mouth with his own. She moaned softly and pressed against him. Abruptly, he pulled back and stared at her in panic. She stared up at him in a bemused stupor. He saw his own horror reflected in her eyes and for the first time in his life, Severus Snape ran from a student.

Hermione stumbled to the wall and slid down it. Did he just kiss her? She reached up and touched her lips in wonder. It had been a skillful and arousing kiss, very unlike the one Draco had given her moments before. Her legs still trembled and she wondered if she would be able to make it to the common room.


Draco, disobeying his Head of House’s orders, went to the library instead. He arrived a few moments after Harry. He eyed Pansy and Ron suspiciously. Pansy was unusually flushed and Ron had a smug look on his face. He shrugged it off and turned to Harry with an unspoken question.

Harry nodded slightly. He was in. Draco considered Ron for a moment. He wasn’t sure if he could trust the red headed Gryffindor. Not yet, anyway. He would let Harry tell him if he needed to. He turned his attention to Pansy. She had surprised him when she had appeared. He had not known she was following him. And when she had said that about Snape...

“Let’s go back to the common room. We can talk there. Malfoy? Pansy? You coming?” Harry said, standing. Pansy gave him a mischievous smile.

“Not yet, Potter, but you can help me if you want.” She purred, eyeing him up and down. Draco and Ron both gaped at her open mouthed and she winked at them and followed Harry out of the Library. They scrambled after her, neither of them willing to leave her alone with Harry.

They walked to the Gryffindor common room and although the Fat Lady disapproved, Draco and Pansy were given entrance. Draco was disappointed to find it was similar to his own common room. They hadn’t expected Hermione to be there sitting in a chair close to the fire.

She looked up at them with a tear streaked face. “He kissed me” she wailed and then threw herself at Harry. He held her awkwardly and looked at Draco. He wasn’t sure what to say. He patted her back. “I’m sure it will be ok.” He said uncomfortably. Draco grinned. It looked like the Boy Who Lived wasn’t perfect after all.

Ron looked at them all in confusion. Hermione had told Draco, Pansy had guessed and Draco had told Harry. He didn’t understand. “Who kissed you, ‘Mione?” he asked. He didn’t like the smirk on Malfoy’s face.

“S-Snape!” she wailed again and Ron’s eyes widened. He felt like he was going to faint.

“Bloody hell! Why would he kiss you, Hermione?” he said tactlessly. Hermione wailed even louder and the other three gave him deadly looks. He shook his head in uncertainty.

Harry steered Hermione to one of the couches and sat her down. “What is going on, Hermione, and be honest.”

She stopped crying and hiccupped. Hesitantly she told him about the feelings she was having for Snape. She told him about the potion she had been given and the effect it had been having on her. She told him about her thoughts and about the extraordinary kiss they had shared. Ron sat stunned throughout the entire confession.

When she stopped, they were silent. She had expected Harry to vilify her and when he didn’t she realized he had grown up more than she had thought. She did not know she had Draco to thank for his new attitude.

“You must tell him. You must tell him about the potion and its effect. He will know what to do. After all what is his first rule of Potion making?” Pansy said sensibly.

“Always have an antidote.” Hermione said thoughtfully. She knew it was not his potion. It had been Amy’s but that did not mean he couldn’t help her. She decided to take a chance. She would go to him, explain what was happening to her and he could help. Maybe the potion was even affecting him, she thought, remembering the mind blowing, breathtaking kiss they had shared. That was reasonable considering he was the Potions Professor and hated his students, especially the Gryffindors.

She straightened her robes and left the common room, making her way down to the dungeons and a certain Potion Master’s office.