Daddy Dearest - (No Update, Edit)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
*******************************

Chapter 82 ~ An Offer

Draco exited the Council chambers, walked up to Cronnie and said, "Mr. Jockrin, may I have a word with you, privately?"

Cronnie looked up at him consideringly for a moment, then rose.

"Excuse me a moment, my dear," he said to Hermione and then followed Draco into the back chambers. The Council had cleared out.

Draco offered the wizard a seat at the oval Council table. Cronnie sat down and eyed Draco as he also took a seat.

"Mr. Jockrin, after consideration of this matter, the Council is willing to drop all charges against your client in exchange for a public apology on her part and damages," the wizard said, "There is no need to make this a long, drawn out trial."

Cronnie looked at Draco, his gray eyes glittering.

"I cannot accept or decline this offer until I speak to Miss Granger, Lord Malfoy," he said evenly. "If she is willing to accept your offer, then we will pursue no further action. If she is not…then the gauntlet will be thrown down and the trial will continue."

Draco nodded. Maybe Hermione would agree.

"Very well, Mr. Jockrin. Would you agree to an adjournment and we could reconvene tomorrow to find out her response?" Draco asked him.

Cronnie nodded. Both he and Draco rose. In an attempt to suck up to the wizard, Draco said, "I've always admired your work, Mr. Jockrin."

Cronnie leveled his gray eyes at the handsome wizard. They were full of contempt.

"Too bad I can't say the same about your work, Lord Malfoy," the wizard replied.

He exited the room as Draco scowled after him.

Cronnie sidled in next to Hermione.

"The Council is willing to drop the charges against you in exchange for an apology and damages," he said to the witch. "The trial can end now if you decide to take their offer."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, then furrowed them.

"I don't want to accept their offer, Mr. Jockrin, but I am not the one paying for your services. You'll have to find out if he wants to continue. You are quite costly, you know," Hermione said.

Cronnie nodded.

"That I am, Miss Granger. I will contact the solicitor directly and find out if the third party would be willing to continue to pay my fee," the lawyer said. "If so, we are going to run this Council into the ground."

Hermione nodded as the Auror announced that court was adjourned and the case would resume tomorrow morning at nine. Mr. Jockrin and Hermione were escorted from the Council chambers. Immediately flashbulbs popped all around them as reporters crushed in from every side. The Aurors did their best to hold them off. Finally Mr. Jockrin stopped.

"The Council has made an offer to drop the charges against my client, Miss Hermione Granger in exchange for an apology and damages. Miss Granger is currently considering this offer. You'll find out her decision tomorrow when the Council does," the wizard said.

"Why are they dropping the charges? Don't they think they can make them stick?" shouted one reporter at Jockrin, who raised his bushy eyebrows.

"I don't know. You need to ask Lord Malfoy who is representing the council and prosecuting this case for that answer, sir," the wizard replied.

More questions were shouted at them as they were escorted to a cordoned off section of the Ministry where they were free to apparate. This time Hermione apparated directly into her home, having had an apparation point created attuned to her, Mathias' and Severus' signatures. She peered outside. Sure enough there were people milling about, trying to find her home. They were not supporters, judging by their signs. Hermione sighed.

She would be spending the night alone tonight, and was a prisoner in her own house. Because of the publicity she couldn't travel about in public without being mobbed or worse. Surely there were irate DKV members who would love to punish her for bringing their organization into the public eye in such a negative way. Most likely her very life was in danger.

Hermione sat down on the sofa, thinking about the day in court. Mr. Jockrin certainly knew what he was doing, and the trial was the perfect vehicle to bring out facts about the DKV and Voldemort to the public. The DKV was quick to bring down the legal axe on anyone who attempted to put them in a negative light…but since this was a legal hearing, there was nothing the organization could do. For the first time, the DKV was helpless. It would be stupid not to take advantage of this situation.

However, Hermione didn't feel that she could just continue to retain Mr. Jockrin's services without Severus' approval. He didn't say how much he was paying Cronnie, but Hermione knew it was most likely a fortune. If she agreed to the terms she was free from Azkaban, but it rankled her to have to give an apology when she wasn't the least bit apologetic for what she had done. True, it was rather childish of her…but damn it had felt good.

Hermione picked up a cushion and held it to her belly. She didn't have a job now either and that was another problem she had to face. She had enough galleons saved to be all right for a few months, plus Severus' monthly support which was a small salary in itself, but she was an independent witch and preferred to pay her own way. Severus would happily make her a kept woman if he could. But Hermione just didn't roll like that.

Well, she'd think of something.

******************************

Mathias was in his room studying when there was a knock on his door. The wizard was in his favorite relaxation garb, barefoot and in silk boxers. He walked over to the door and opened it. Andreas stood there, looking disgruntled. The wizard walked in.

"Whoever said Hufflepuffs were easy spread a lie," he said, plopping down on Mathias' bed.

Mathias couldn't help smirking as he sat down next to the wizard.

"Her name is Dana Jackson. She's an American, and comes from the South. Alabama, she said," Andreas said. "She has the most amazing twang to her voice. Very different. She's a seventh year as well," the wizard continued.

"I walked her back to Hufflepuff house. She knew who I was, and said you and I were pointed out to her as wizards that should be avoided," Andreas said with a frown. "I assured her she would never have to avoid me."

Mathias listened to his brother. He looked very disturbed.

"She wanted to know why a Slytherin would talk to a Hufflepuff. I told her it was because I thought she was beautiful. And she smiled at me, Mathias…and it felt as if my heart would burst in my chest," the lovestruck wizard continued.

Mathias rolled his eyes.

"I tried to get her to meet me after curfew, but she said she hardly knew me. I told her she would get to know me very well if she would just meet me. And she told me I was too forward to ask her to do something like that…but she still smiled at me, so I know she wasn't displeased. Then she said that I was too young for her because I am a sixth year, but I told her I am much older than my years and I could show her that too. She laughed and shook her head. I walked her to her house and asked her if I could please see her alone, and she told me if I were truly interested in her, then I would have to spend time with her and court her. I don't know if I have the patience to court her, Mathias," Andreas said, his brows furrowing. "I know what we are meant to do and I feel inside like I felt on the plain of the Dark Soul of the World."

Mathias stared at Andreas. If he felt like that, he was indeed in trouble. Mathias vaguely remembered that powerful hunger and urge to take Jasmine, and it had been overpowering.

"Maybe you should talk to my dad, Andreas. He knows about things like this. Maybe he can tell you how to control what you're feeling. Tell you what to do about it, and about Dana," the young wizard said.

"I already know what to do about Dana. It's just a matter of getting her to let me do it," Andreas breathed.

"Still, go talk to him, Andreas," Mathias advised. He didn't like seeing his friend so out of sorts.

"All right, I will," Andreas said, staring off into space. Suddenly he rose and headed for the door.

"I'll see you later Mathias," he said.

"What about studying, Andreas? " the wizard asked him as he placed his hand on the knob.

"Not tonight, my brother. I couldn't concentrate," he said pulling the door open.

Jasmine stood there, blinking at him.

"Hello little sister," Andreas said.

"Hi Andreas," Jasmine said, smirking at him. She was about to tease him about his crush on a Hufflepuff, but something in the wizard's eyes stopped her. He walked by her and headed down the corridor. She looked after him.

"Are you coming in or what?" Mathias asked her snarkily.

Jasmine's head snapped back and she looked at him. Mathias was sitting on his bed, dressed only in his boxers. But Jasmine was used to seeing him shirtless. Her eyes narrowed then widened in shock as she looked at him.

"What?" Mathias asked her, noticing her expression.

Jasmine pointed at him.

"What's that on your chest?" she asked him. "I've never seen that before."

Mathias looked down. Shit. His serpent. He hadn't disillusioned it because he was alone in his room. He looked back up at Jasmine as she entered the room, seemingly mesmerized by the raised coiled serpent that covered his torso. She sat down on the bed, and with her fingers, traced the scars that made up the image.

"This isn't a tattoo," Jasmine said as Mathias jerked slightly at the touch of her fingers moving over his skin. Her eyes met his.

"Where did you get this?" she breathed, "It's made entirely of scars, Mathias. This had to be cut into you. And it's old too. What is it, and does it mean something?"

Mathias stood up, walked over to the chair where his wife beater rested and pulled it on, covering the serpent. Jasmine's brow furrowed.

"I got it years ago," he said. "It was a kind of gift."

"Some gift. Does your father know you have that?" Jasmine asked him.

Mathias shook his head.

"No. Up to this point only Andreas knows about it…and now you," Mathias said.

Jasmine looked at the pale wizard. Gods, he was so mysterious.

"How did you get it?" Jasmine asked him.

Mathias looked at her.

"I'll tell you one day. Not now. I don't want to talk about it now," he said, his nostrils flaring a bit. "And I don't want you to tell anyone."

Jasmine frowned at Mathias. He always thought she would blab about things. She wasn't like that anymore.

"I won't…but," she began.

"Listen Jasmine, you have secrets you don't want to tell me…it's only fair that I have secrets too," the wizard said.

Jasmine fell silent. He was right, of course.

"All right. I'll wait for you to tell me…but the serpent…it's very sexy, Mathias. Witches would go wild over it if they saw it," she said softly.

Mathias looked at her.

"Does it make you go wild?" he asked her silkily, his dark eyes seeming to go darker.

Jasmine felt a pulse below her navel as she met the intense wizard's eyes.

"What? No. No. Not me, Mathias. I meant other witches," she said lightly. "I'm used to you. I don't think about you that way. We're the Dark Trio, remember?"

Mathias continued to look at her. Finally he said, "Yes, I remember, Jasmine."

Then he noticed she had a piece of folded parchment in her hand. It had a seal on it.

"What's that?" he asked, his eyes flicking toward the parchment.

Jasmine looked down at the parchment as if seeing it for the first time. She unfolded it.

"Oh, that's why I came to see you," she said, her eyes growing dark with worry.

She handed the parchment to Mathias, who read it, his eyebrows lifting.

"A subpoena?" he asked her.

Jasmine nodded.

"It was on my bed when I returned to my room this afternoon after class. Your mother's lawyer is calling me in. I have no idea why. I'm scared, Mathias," she said in a small voice.

"Just tell the truth, Jasmine. You do that and you'll be all right," Mathias said, trying to comfort the witch.

He didn't blame her for being scared. Her father was the prosecutor. His daughter being called in by the defense was sure to make him angry. But she had to go. But why would he want Jasmine?

"Yeah, I guess that's all I can do," she said, trembling a bit. She needed comfort and looked at Mathias, who placed his hand on hers.

"It's going to be all right, Jasmine," he said soothingly.

She looked so helpless. Mathias wasn't used to seeing Jasmine looking this way. She was always so sure of herself and in control. Before he knew what he was doing, Mathias leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. Jasmine seemed to melt into him, her lips moving against his for a moment, before she suddenly pulled away and stood up.

"What do you think you are doing, Mathias Snape?" she seethed at him.

Mathias looked up at her.

"I don't know. Kissing you?" he replied, his dark eyes looking a bit confused at her reaction. It felt like she had kissed him back.

"I'm not that kind of witch," Jasmine said, snatching the subpoena out of the wizard's hand. "We are friends and that's all we'll ever be. Don't think you can use those eyes, and that voice and that…that serpent to sway me. There are plenty of witches you can explore your growing urges with. Don't play with me, Mathias, or you'll end up with shriveled raisins where your balls should be!"

Jasmine stormed out of his room, her ponytail bouncing as she stomped away. Mathias stared after her, completely at a loss.

He stood up, walked over to the door and looked down the corridor in the direction the witch went. She was gone. Mathias closed the door, walked back over to the bed and sat down on it. He didn't know why he felt he should kiss Jasmine, but he couldn't help himself. It seemed like she accepted his kiss at first, then suddenly…just…just changed her mind about it. He didn't understand.

Jasmine said they would always just be friends, but she was supposed to be his First. If she wasn't interested in him, how could that possibly happen? Mathias knew one thing. He wasn't going to be like Andreas, all tied up in knots over a witch. He had more dignity than that. If Jasmine didn't want him, he wasn't about to throw himself at her. He refused to give her any power over him.

Mathias fell back on the bed and scowled.

Lady Jasmine Narcissa Malfoy wouldn't have to worry about him kissing her again. First or no First.

****************************
A/N: So Draco put the cards on the table. Hermione is worrying over her situation. Andreas is lamenting Dana's uncooperativeness and his own randiness. Jasmine's been summoned to court, and Mathias kissed her only to find out she apparently didn't want to be kissed. :::shaking head::: Things are moving along. Please review.