Making sure the boy who lives, actually does...

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Chapter 9: Padfoot and Moony

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In the darkness of the forbidden forest there stood three figures. One was a tall, handsome faced man with the haughty air of nobility. His figure was slim of build, his eyes were a delicate light silvery color that held a gaze that could still and cool anyone.

The other was a young man that resembled a great deal the other blonde, his face was narrow and pale, his sneer almost a habitual occurrence, only his hair was short, his face more prone to good natured mischief than carnage.

And the last was a small young man, a large stomach supported by beefy, short legs. He had a hunch; one could almost see him clutching his hands together in the front as if hiding something. His nose was long and offsetting from his ruddy features.

The three of them talked in earnest, the fat boy talking at great lh, hh, his hands whirling all around as the other two looked on in interest. They wore their cloaks due to the biting weather and looked on around in case of spies. Suddenly something caught the leader of the group\'s attention in the chubby boy\'s words. His features grew stormy and his lithe body trembled in sudden rage.

\"He did what?\" Lucius roared in the forest, his eyes glimmering in anger as Peter stood before him, shaking in anticipation of what his words would mean, and then in fear at Lucius\' response.

\"She fell...\" Peter repeated obediently. He was wearing a new cloak, trying to fit in with his new peers. James and the rest of the group hadn\'t missed him much, and he couldn\'t say he minded. He had new friends now.

\"Hard?\"

\"Very.\" Peter said lowly. \"Then Severus came and he helped her. He said he\'d help her ankle and knee. She refused at first, but he came back and carried her over to the Potions\' room to aid her.\"

\"Carried?\" Lucius said confused, \"In his arms?\"

\"Yes.\" Peter said with a grin, \"She looked worried at first but grew completely content.\"

\"Bastard.\" Lucius spat angrily, \"I can\'t believe it. Turning against us for some Mudblood.\"

\"And what then?\" Draco asked in interest to Peter, his eyes looking fiercely to the rat like man before him. This was far too interesting. Hermione and Snape. Good Lord was that ever a kick.

Peter grew quiet then, his beady eyes bulging as he looked to the ground in shame. He hadn\'t the courage to tell the truth, but knew if he lied these two were powerful. They would not stand for a traitor.

\"I couldn\'t see.\" Peter whined squeakily, \"I was afraid they\'d catch me if I opened the door, even to peer in.\"

\"Pathetic.\" Lucius said angrily as Peter lowered his head in shame. \"Some spy you are Pettigrew, can\'t even spy on two students alone in the Potions room?\"

\"I\'m sorry.\" Peter said bleakly as he looked to the two desperately. \"You told me to be here at nine anyway! -I couldn\'t stay. I was afraid Severus would be angry.\"

\"I was afraid Severus would be angry.\" Lucius mimicked evilly as Draco smirked. Peter felt his eyes welling up with tears but quickly swallowed them. Honestly, what would they think if they caught him simpering over such an occurrence?

\"No mind.\" Lucius said after a moment\'s thought. \"You did the best you could Pettigrew.\"

Peter looked to Lucius in admiration, nodding his head and looking to the two smirking blonde boys in hope. \"I\'ll do better next time.

\"Considering the facts.\" Lucius said with a gentle grin, his brilliant white teeth sparkling in the moonlight that bathed them. \"I believe it\'s quite obvious what our next course of action shall be.\"

\"What?\" Draco said eagerly as Lucius smiled at him. The boy was one after his own heart. He felt held tld trust him with anything and he would obey. Lucius took a look around their small group and with a small chuckle said the words they\'d almost been expecting.

\"It appears that it falls upon us to teach Severus a lesson he won\'t soon forget.\"

* * *

She felt her stomach bottoming out as she said the words. Words she had thought but scarcely believed she\'d say aloud. Her want had betrayed her. She didn\'t know why. She couldn\'t explain why she wanted him. She knew that she\'d found him attractive the moment her eyes lay upon him, and perhaps in the back of her mind knowing the hardships he would endure in his future she had respect and inner trust. Either which of these made her draw nearer to him, wanting to feel him against her.

\"Pardon me?\" Severus said in surprise, his dark eyes chasing around her face for any telltale sign of trickery. His eyes fell victim to her own and in them he saw no anger or loathing or deceit, only desire that made her lids heavy. She let a small flicker of a smile pass her features as she took in his surprised form. The inky black eyes that stared back at her through a curtain of raven hair, his fuller lips parted slightly in surprise at her sudden request.

\"I said, I don\'t want to go.\" she responded softly although it sounded like a shout in the suffocating room. She noticed then just how stuffy it was with just the two of them and how hot she was in turn. Sht a t a small hand make its way up his chest, her fingers slowly making a trail to his pale neck.

\"No.\" he suddenly implored gently, brushing her hand away from his cloaks. His mind was whirring; something about this was going to end up badly, he knew it. He had to get away from her. \"We mustn\'t. You mustn\'t.\"

\"Why not?\" Hermione asked offended. Already the blush of timid sensuality stained her cheeks but undeterred she looked into his eyes. They were eyes that held lust, desire that she felt herself.

He felt the crackle of electricity surge through him as one gentle finger made its way across his cheeks. He kept his jaw clenched, his features stoic. He stood as still as a statue, his hands at his sides and didn\'t dare look to her face. He had to get away...but he couldn\'t.

Her finger was so soft, like a feather going about his lips then. She felt the ragged breath emitting past those soft lips and smiled serenely. His eyelids were growing heavy, his breathing becoming labored as he watched her. Her eyes were transfixed upon his lips as she touched them gently. It was as if she were blind, by delicately tracing along his features she was making a portrait of him in her mind.

She regarded him hazily as her hand finally made a way up to the back of his neck; carelessly playing with the hair she\'d always supposed would be greasy. Not at all, instead it was rather silken to the touch and she viewed as his eyelids fluttered at the sensitive contact.

Standing closer against him she raised her lips up, preparing to press them against his parted ones just then. How delightfully firm they would be under her own, how skillfully he would ravish them and leave her breathless. The scorching thought alone sent her shivering in anticipation and was mere inches away from his own yearning lips when he stepped away.

\"No.\"

Her hand fell to her side, almost still feeling his hair under its touch. She felt minimal shame in her actions, for as she had stared into his own dark pools of bottomless eyes she had seen the want mirrored there.

\"Why?\" she challenged, needing to know why he\'d stopped. She saw his gathering of conviction, the way his dark eyes darted around the room before resting on her. She saw the inner battle going on within him, and for once all she wanted to do was help.

\"I ...won\'t be able to hold back...\" He barely breathed, lng tng to her in earnest. He meant his words. The moment he met her mouth, there would be no holding back. He could only hold back his inner darkness so long. Surely he wanted to indulge her as he wanted to indulge himself. Teenage lust had a way of overriding the senses and this only heightened as Hermione drew closer to him, her words almost whispered upon his lips.

\"I don\'t want you to.\"

His lips trembled in want as their eyes locked, her hands against his shoulders as she finally pressed her lips to his own. Warmth went through them instantly, a calming sensation intertwining with the passionate intensity. They were both aware of the fierce, gripping ecstasy that occurred when their lips met, and this was enough to entice and frighten them.

Soon though Hermione felt his strong hands against her shoulders, drawing her back from their needy kisses. Her eyes drew lazily open as she swallowed slowly, her eyes finally focusing upon his sweet face.

\"I can\'t do this.\" he said somberly at first which turned to desperate agitation. \"You couldn\'t possibly understand.\"

Hermione felt her head shaking slightly in pity as she looked to him. He looked so defeated, his own head shaking slightly out of anger. He was supposed to hurt her. He was supposed to enjoy her screams. And what had she done? She\'d gone and wanted him to kiss her!

He could have left, could have laughed in her face...but he hadn\'t been able to. And now looking to her innocent face he wanted nothing more than to kiss all over, he felt a foreign feeling invade him. He didn\'t want to hurt her like the others. She was different.

\"I understand.\" Hermione said gently, looking to his pale face once more and nodding. This was for the best. He was Professor Snape for God\'s sake! What had she been thinking? She gave him a shaky smile before heading to the door, her ankle healed. \"I\'ll see you around then.\"

She didn\'t hear the answer, and felt her eyes drawing glassy. Why did she care so much for this stupid boy anyway? What had he done so special? Mended a sprained ankle? Kissed her against her will?...No, he\'d done far worse than that. He\'d tricked her into feeling something for him. His aloof quality, his unseen sensuality had deceived her. This left her vulnerable, desiring a man who she had no right to. How would she ever face Professor Snape when they got back? If they got back...

She\'d been about to raise her head defiantly and walk to the door when he suddenly grasped her upper arm. Before she\'d even stepped a foot away he was dragging her back as the pulsating beat ran through his senses. She was against his chest in a moment, feeling his bulging excitement between her legs as she trembled against his tall form. Her smell invaded him, her eyes, her touch, and her lips.

He was trembling with desire as he drew her to him closer, knocking over the cauldron and ingredients off of the potions table and throwing htop top of it. Once she was atop of it looking to him in surprise he brought himself upon it as well, straddling her under him.

\"Oh.\" was all she uttered, looking to the young man atop of her on the Potion\'s table, looking to her uncertainly as his hips gently ground into her own as if expected. Savagely he lowered his mouth, taking all of her in with that kiss. The moment they\'d made contact he heard the moan of sudden joy at his actions, there was no hindrance.

She liked the darkness.

She went to touch his hair, to embrace him as they kissed but felt as he roughly pushed her off. He had the power here. Him. Not her. Not some silly little girl. His mouth was busy forcing entry into her own, his hips slowly riding against her own as her eyes fluttered shut.

He raised her hands above her head on the table, pressing his full body upon her as she felt her breath leave her. It was a comfortable feeling, one as if they were a single being. He was surprised to see that she did not fight him.

Don\'t they always fight?

He started down her neck then on impulse, kissing her graceful, slender neck as she whimpered at the contact. It was if his lips were a whisper of tantalizing electricity against her jaw line and down her throat. He was so fiercely gentle if that was possible. He was holding back. But for only so long.

His hot and throbbing shaft was hidden under layers of clothing, nonetheless nestled within her clothed and shaking thighs as if it were habit. They moved as if they\'d been this way forever, every tilt and touch was new yet expected.

He watched her blissful expression, felt the sweet untried feel of her lips before he removed her cloak, letting it fall beside them on the floor. Still her hands stayed above her head as he fiddled with his own cloak, joining it with hers on the floor.

\"Maybe we should stop?\" she offered tentatively as she struggled to sit up, her eyes widening as she saw his cloak land on the floor with a gentle noise. She wasn\'t sure if she meant it. His eyes were gleaming ravenously and he then ignored her request, pushing her back onto the table with his chest and kissing her soundly. All thoughts of complaining soon died thereafter.

Soon his tapered fingers had made their way up her shirt, finding that tndoindoing of the buttons would only startle her into flight. No, he wanted this little bird of his right here with him. He felt her shudder as the new exploration started, her innocent curiosity aroused at the feelings of excitement gorging her.

\"Oh Severus.\" she sighed slightly; feeling as his hands deftly went up her shirt, trailing along her stomach and stopping just below her breasts. He saw her squirming about on the table and in a thrust of passionate need he cupped her left breast in his palm, kneading it as she moaned under him. She went to object for she wasn\'t that type of girl, but as he touched it, fondled it and ravished it she couldn\'t bring herself to speak.

It was delicious power he had now over the know-it-all, sexual dominance over one so uneducated in the ways of seduction. Finally it was a field in which he held all the cards.

\"You like that do you?\" He whispered wickedly into her ear, as she shuddered everywhere the moment his lip grazed her earlobe. \"You don\'t want to like it but you do. You like the darkness in me, you can\'t help yourself.\"

She could only nod, her body shuddering with every ministration to her sensitive body parts. He grinned wolfishly but she didn\'t see, for her own eyes had fallen shut long ago.

\"If you want me to stop I will.\" he teased, brushing a fingertip across her erect nipple. \"Just say the word and I\'ll cease immediately.\"

\"St.....s.......oh-\"

He saw her trying to speak through the pants and shrs ors of pleasure he created. He saw she wanted him to stop but couldn\'t even form a coherent thought. He knew the talent of his hands; the hypnotic rapture of his voice and this only aided him in his conquest over the girl he was fascinated with.

He wanted to be rough with her at first, he wanted to hurt her but something stopped him. He had thought it was her eyes that did it, but they\'d shut almost as soon as they started this game.

Soon his hand made its way down to her thighs, trailing down her stomach and to her hips emitting gentle groans from every caress. His fingers were so soft and tender. His touch sent her aflame. He felt her body squirm soundly at his lower exploration, his tender stroking, but continued sucking at her lips, teasing her with his tongue and lulling her into false security before he soundly cupped her below.

He felt her moan and panicked yelp in surprit tht the contact. Even through her skirt he could tell she was ready for him. Her eyes were open now, darting around Snape\'s face as his eyes bored into her own. She soon found she was lost in his eyes, tunnels that lenly nly to liquid ecstasy and unbridled rapture.

It wasn\'t even a minute before she felt his hands sliding down the elastic confines of her panties and sliding two fingers into her. The feeling contact and rush was automatic. He\'d barely brushed her below when her hips jerked up as if being pulled and she let out a small cry. Her heart jumped along with her hips and she fell breathless.

\"Oh God.\" she cried as her face flushed. He\'d pulled his lips away from hers to see her reaction, and he hadn\'t been disappointed. He felt himself becoming unnaturally aroused at her face. The flushed cheeks, the rosy lips, the eyes that were so bright with fire and now closed in content pleasure. Slowly he went deeper, exploring her inside as one hand hit her swollen bud, emitting garbloundounds of lust from her.

She was silken inside, like a warm and silky blanket around his busy fingers. She was clenching him inside and out and he felt almost dizzy at the feel of her. It sent him off all over; his eyes captured her face and couldn\'t look away. They were glistening with sweat, a thin layer of perspiration on his forehead, as the room grew hotter. He found a most intriguing and luring place to be the hollow of her neck, it called to him but he refused to kiss it.

Her hands came up to grip his shoulders then and he did not pull away. He allowed this one indulgence as he continued watching her, wanting to replace his fingers with his member and pump into her before she fainted from his current exquisite torture below. Her own brows were furrowed in confused bliss, how could one boy feel this good? How at eighteen was he the epitome of educing pleasure? He felt so good.

She was moaninto nto the crook of his neck as he lowered himself to kiss her cheek -he had to kiss her- his fingers still splayed within her, teasing and flicking until he felt her climax. He covered her lips with his own as she screamed in his mouth, shaking all over as he withdrew his sticky fingers. He was enraptured with her; he wanted to watch her all over again.

\"Kiss me.\" he suddenly ordered trembling, his shaking lips finding her own as they ravaged each other\'s lips. He pulled back still shaking in arousal, pushing a damp piece of hair from her face as she smiled to him. He only smiled back faintly, kissing her lips all over once more.

Hermione was surprised at herself. She\'d just allowed Severus to do what theoretically; two years of dating Ron would have maybe allowed, and that was a big maybe. But with Severus it was different, it wasn\'t Quidditch and wizard\'s chess, with him it was books and knowledge. It was dark, sensual seduction. He\'d seduced her and she\'d fallen for it.

Oh God. Severus thought shakily crawling off of her with his head spinning. He lowered himself to the ground, grabbing his cloak and throwing her hers. What had happened? I was supposed to hurt her. I was supposed to...I was supposed to take her back here, pretend to be her friend and then...humiliate her. Make her hate me...so she\'d stay away from me and Lucius.

Damn. He\'d buggered up his whole plan. He looked over to her as she buttoned up her robe and straightened up in general. She took a tentative glance over at him and smiled softly as he gazed back.

\"Miss Gr-\"

\"Hermione.\" she corrected him gently, giving him a shy smile and sliding off of the desk. \"I think its only fair you call me that.\"

\"Mmm, Hermione.\" he said gently. The way he said her name even beckoned to her. illyilly Hermy-own-ninny from this polished young man, he was raw animal passion and she hadn\'t even seen the tip of the ice burg.

There was an uneasy silence, a silence that would of course follow an intimate act that the two had shared. It wasn\'t childish kissing and groping, he\'d brought Hermione to a scream of pleasure that she didn\'t know existed within her. She looked to his confused face, wanting to speak and finding only one topic in her mind since her chat with Lily involving Severus.

\"Are you doing to the dance?\" Hermione suddenly asked, her cheeks tinting pink at his look of surprise. Was she serious? She wanted to know if he was going to the dance?

\"I-\" he started when the door swung open to reveal Sirius and Lupin peering inside.

Hermione drew beside Severus who drew out his wand; her heart was jumping until she realized who it was. Severus lowered the wand but kept it at his side, glaring at the mongrels that dared to interrupt Hermione and he.

The two young men peered into the darkness only lit by candles. Lupin was sniffing the air in confusion and Sirius was squinting and let his eyes fall on the two lovers in the darkness.

\"Hermione?\" Siruis uttered in surprise, \"What are you doing here?\" His eyes soon fell upon the other party in the darkness. \"With...is that Snivellus?\"

Severus glared at Sirius and Lupin, his eyes flaming. Hermione went to grasp his arm when he brushed past her and the boys without so much as a look over his shoulder and out the door, slamming it behind him.

\"What are you doing here?\" Hermione suddenly asked angrily, looking to the two of them in anger. How could they be so cruel to him? Unless they\'d been sent. \"Not spying I hope.\"

\"Oh no.\" Lupin said honestly, \"I...\"

\"Lupin...was sent her to grab.... something.\" Sirius interrupted, dodging the question with clumsy effort. Lupin himself stared at the ground, looking nervous and bashful. Hermione knew they were here for some werewolf potion they\'d been working on, for a full moon wasn\'t that far off.

\"Listen.\" Sirius said in perplexed wonder, gripping her arm in question. \"What were you doing with Severus? Alone? Here in the dark? He\'s dangerous.\"

\"You barely know him.\"

\"We know enough.\" Lupin said warily.

Hermione glared at the two of them for breaking up their meeting. Honestly, hadn\'t they anything better to do? She shuddered at the knowledge that Snape and she had been quite intimate on the table she was standing next to, and she suddenly went scarlet as Lupin sniffed the air around him, looking puzzled.

Hermione -not in the mood for answering any questions- suddenly threw her hands exasperatedly into the air and marched out the door, preparing to head back to the common room without a word.

\"That girl\'s mad!\" Sirius said to Lupin as the door shut behind her. He began rifling through the cabinets, looking for the serum as Lupin stood silently. \"Alone with a Deatheater? She\'s bloody insane!\"

\"All the same,\" Lupin said as he looked knowingly to the door, his face furrowed in thought. \"I think we should keep an eye on her.\"

* * *

\"This is too much.\" Hermione thought in a haze as she made her way back to the common room. She was still shaking from their encounter, her body still quivering at every moment she remembered his touch.

\"I can\'t believe I-\"

\"Hermione!\"

Hermione held in a groan as James came over to her in that sauntering fashion. He looked merrily to her, alone without any of his faithful followers. She vaguely wondered if he\'d been following her.

Oh don\'t be silly. a voice inside her said, He\'s got better things to do than follow you around. He probably wants to know if you know where Lily is.

She made a small smile, hoping to hide her disdain. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to have a nice long bath and mentally berate herself for being a wanton tart in the Potions room with Severus.

\"Oh hello James, Lily is in Hogsmeade I believe.\" she said hurriedly, attempting to brush past to the common room.

James made a face and nodded. \"That\'s nice.\" he commented hollowly, wondering if he\'d motioned Lily. Hermione sighed softly, wondering if he\'d get the impatience in her tone.

No use. He was still grinning, still smiling merrily at he she she frowned. It was then she realized that in order to get through to this boy she\'d have to be about as subtle as a bludger to the head.*

\"Where\'s Harry?\"

\"Asleep I think.\" James said gently, \"He was pretty tired today.\"

\"Mmmm.\" Hermione said dly.dly.

\"So,\" James said coming close to her in the hallowed hall as she tried to walk faster. It was like trying distance oneself from a leech attached to the skin, it was proving to be quite impossible!

\"What are you doing here at this time of night?\"

\"Nothing.\"

\"It\'s fairly late.\"

\"You\'re right, it\'s pretty late.\" Hermione commented lamely as James gave her a confused look. \"We should really be getting to the common room. Don\'t want to be caught up past curfew.\"

\"Do you have a date for the dance?\"

Hermione felt a small smirk cross her face. \"No James. Lily doesn\'t have a date. You could ask her yourself you know, I\'m sure she\'d say yes.\"

\"Lily?\" James asked confused.

\"Yes, Lily.\"

\"I wasn\'t talking about Lily. There\'s something I wanted to ask you though.\" James said tentatively, grasping her arm and slowing her. She turned to him in surprise, what could he want?

\"Yes?\" she snapped impatiently.

\"Would you go to the dance with me?\"

Hermione gaped at him a full moment. This was beyond wrong. He was supposed to ask Lily- that was probablw thw they got along and then fell in love even deeper than now. They\'d marry out of Hogwarts, have Harry and he\'d defeat Voldemort. Why was James buggering it up?!

\"What?\" Hermione asked in confusion. \"No, this is wrong. You\'re supposed to ask Lily.\"

\"I don\'t want to ask Lily!\" James said lowly. \"I\'m asking you!\"

\"No no no.\" Hermione said waving her hand. \"You ask Lily. You and Lily fall in love. You have a baby.\"

\"What?\"

\"Just...just listen to me!\" Hermione said with panic in her voice. \"Ask Lily. You must.\"

\"Oh Hermione.\" James said gently, drawing near as Hermione looked to him in confusion. \"If you\'re nervous about dating me it\'s alright, I know I\'m popular and so on.\"

\"What?\"

\"But don\'t be intimidated.\" James continued on honestly, \"I\'m just as normal as anyone else here. I\'m not some sort of demi-god or anything.\"

\"I\'m sure you\'re not.\" Hermione said flippantly, brushing past him when he grasped her around the middle. He swung her around as she protested, trying to squirm from his grasp as he gazed down at her.

\"Don\'t fight it Hermione.\" he said lightly, \"I\'m handsome and charming, you\'re brilliant and brave, we\'re a perfect match.\" he quickly pressed his lips to hers as her stomach dropped.

This was nothing like kissing Severus. She tried to push James\' muscled hands from her, noting he wasn\'t half as pleasant feeling as Snape and wasn\'t succeeding in getting away from him until a gasp emitted from their right.

\"I thought you were supposed to be my friend!\" came an angry shout from Hermione\'s side. She finally broke away from James\' kisses in time to see a flash of long red hair go sailing around the corner.

Lily had seen them.

* * *

Severus shakily made his way back to the common room, thankfully he\'d gone rather calm all over by the time he reached the portrait and held in a breath of worry. What if Lucius was there? Would he be able to smell the mudblood on him?

It was fairly empty as he entered, and he found it was rather cold inside, the fire had been turned off. His wand was still at his side after he\'d drawn it on Sirius and Remus. Buggers.

I\'ll just go to bed. No excuses tonight. he thought wearily, trailing a finger on the common room sofa as he walked by it slowly. He had a pit in his stomach, something that made him pause a moment before he was hit.

The green flash enveloped him, stinging him all over as he was hurled against the common room wall, hitting it with a smack that knocked out pieces of plaster from the coated walls.

He looked below him, seeing as Lucius stood below him with his wand raised. Seveus noted he was several feet in the air, looking down was bringing back horrid memories. Lucius was sinister, looking up to Severus with clear pleasure written on his face.

\"What are you doing?\" He bellowed to Lucius. \"Let me down at once!\"

\"Not so fast, friend.\" Lucius said sardonically, \"We have some matters to discuss.\"

Snape felt his stomach drop, for her knew what was coming next. He and Hermione had been seen. How foolish of him to assume that they weren\'t being watched the entire time.

Lucius had planned on making his friend suffer but had held back. Severus was powerful; it wouldn’t be surprising to see if he knew more than Lucius when it came to dark arts and hexing. Still, Lucius didn’t want to find out the hard way.

Instead the spell he summoned held Severus pinned against the wall, his wand having fallen from his grasp as he went sailing through the air against the wall.


\"So Severus,\" Lucius spat angrily as he paced in front of the binded Severus. \"My faithful follower of darkness. A source tells me that not only were you seen consorting with the Mudblood Granger, but that you humiliated yourself by offering your services.\"

Severus said nothing, his dark eye regarding Lucius lazily at the man pinned against the stone wall. Lucius saw the lack of fear there; saw no pounding pulse underneath the invisible fingers that held his neck in place.

\"We\'re to be injuring the pathetic creaturveruverus! Not healing her!\"

There was heavy breathing from the blonde counterpart of evil, his silvery eyes flaring a moment before Severus took a breath. He was confused at the feelings stirred within him. Usually he and Lucius\' laughed at the mudbloods of the school, they had been a team. Now in pursuing the Granger girl he\'d made a rift, he was alone. Alone was never safe. He cleared his throat a moment, unsure of what he was to do. It was either Lucius and power or Granger and perhaps sex. Clearly he was ready to speak, and Lucius -past the point of complaining and instead just confused- was ready to listen.

\"Are you quite done?\"

\"For now.\"

\"Do you think me soft?\" Severus sneered, \"You believe me to have fallen weak?\"

\"Yes.\" Lucius hissed angrily. \"Why, if I didn\'t know better I\'d say you were kissing her.\"

\"Indeed I was.\" Severus said in a tight voice as his mind went back to the room. Kissing her neck, kissing her lips. The way she\'d held him, the way she\'d kissed him back. Forget her. She\'ll only hold you back. Power. Po Pow Power.

\"What?\" Lucius said, scarcely believing what was being said.

\"Is not the first step in attacking an enemy, finding its faults?\" Severus said silkily, \"It\'s easier to attack something when weakened Lucius, even you know that.\"

\"And I\'m sure you\'ve found something of interest?\" Lucius scoffed angrily, sulking at the prospect of being shown up. \"Through these kissing games perhaps? I fail to see how that could ever assist us in the future.\"

\"Because of those, \'kissing games\' as you so call them.\" Severus said haughtily, \"You\'ll be interested to note that her wand is faulty and that she\'s beginning to trust me.\"

\"A faulty wand and the trust of a Mudblood. That\'s a laugh.\"

\"Don\'t you see, fool?\" Severus said angrily, \"She\'ll do anything I say.\"

\"What?\"

\"I lied to her.\" Severus said with a horrible smirk, \"I told her that I was jealous of her scholastic ability and that explained my cruelty. She confessed she was \'sorry\', so easily she submitted to my kisses and lies. It was almost laughable. She cares for me.\"

A bit of color seemed to come back to Lucius\' face as Severus recounted his story, his fists losing their clench as he slowly lowered Severus from against the high wall with his wand.

\"Truly?\"

\"Look at her the night of the dance.\" Severus said with an oily smirk, \"See the devotion so clearly written in her eyes. See the way she watches me. She\'s fascinated with me, she wants me.\"

\"You?\" Lucius\' scoffed as Snape\'s teeth grinded into one another as he stepped onto the ground; he made a show of brushing off his dark cloak before surveying Lucius with a sneer.

\"I\'m glad to see you haven\'t submitted to the weak side Severus, for I have a plan in store for that special little Mudblood.\" he was grinning mercilessly, \"Draco and I conversed about it. He hates her almost more than we do.\"

\"Oh.\" Severus said warily, not liking the glint in his blonde friend\'s eyes.

\"Yes.\" Lucius said eagerly, \"If all goes to plan let just say we won\'t have to worry about that filthy mudblood anymore...It was Draco\'s idea as well, he\'s very bright.\"

\"Well then.\" Severus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. \"How could anything possibly go wrong?\"

\"Indeed.\" Lucius said ignoring the sarcastic tone.

\"Well comrade, mark my words.\" Severus said smoothly, deciding to appeal to Lucius when he was in a better moon. \"A few more days of dark seduction and Hermione Granger will be putty in my hands. And then...\" he drawled, the words echoing around them before the silence.

\"Then we will have our revenge.\"

* * *

Albus stepped back to his desk, a few hours having passed since Snape came to see him. It had been decided that to keep things to minimal suspicion, Snape would leave tomorrow.

He couldn\'t very well use a time turner as the three students had, for odds of him finding the exact date, month and time that they were was beyond his traveling talent. They would inevitably be in different spheres of time, and Severus for one didn\'t want to dwell too long.

Dumbledore had come into action, claiming that he would get into contact with his younger counterpart, have a port key set up between the worlds and Severus would travel through it, grab the students and rush back.

\"And what if I get splinched in such a risky endeavor?\" Snape had asked snippety, \"I hardly think half of my body would be enough to intimidate those three to coming back to the future and severe punishment.\"

Albus had set his mind at rest, claiming that all would be taken care of in due course, and that in reality it wouldn\'t take him more than a few hours out of his busy schedule. Snape had reluctantly agreed, knowing too well what would occur if he didn\'t act.

So it came as a rather rude shock as Albus sat down at his desk after getting into contact with his younger counterpart when he -rifling through the photo\'s with the now almost-completely erased Harry- that his eyes detected another worrisome event.

\"It can\'t be.\"

He squinted into the photo, looking for what he saw to be missing and held in his breath. No no no. He shook his aged head, his lips in a tight ring of displeasure.

\"Oh Merlin.\" He\'d moaned lowly, lowering his face in his hands as he summoned Severus. It\'d taken a few moments before the swift steps of Snape were outside his office before he glided in like the man of the hour.

\"What\'s the problem?\" He asked sleepily, for it was drawing rather late in the evening. His hair was in minor disarray, and his cloaks were put on haphazardly. Looked like he\'d fallen asleep in the Potions class again.

\"I\'m afraid your scheduled departure of Friday is unacceptable Severus.\"

Severus rolled his dark eyes and stifled a yawn. \"Honestly Albus this is ridiculous.\"

\"You don\'t understand.\"

\"You\'re right, I don\'t.\" Snape snapped irritably, and then remembering his place he curbed his rude tone. \"What\'s the problem?\"

\"Something of the most severity, which I believe your younger counterpart is responsible for!\" Dumbledore said to Severus panicked as he thrust another photo into Snape\'s waiting hands.

The younger man sneered at Albus\' words as his blurry eyes became accustomed to the glossy moving photograph. Albus was panicked, his blue eyes having none of their twinkle when he spoke.

\"Just look at that.\"

Snape reluctantly looked to the photo of the ed Hed Harry hel held in a breath. There stood Ron, waving to the camera and looking none too different than the other times they\'d looked at the photo. Harry was a mere shadowy outline himself -as expected- but as Snape looked to the last of the group he felt his breath leave him.

Hermione was disappearing as well.

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author\'s notes:

1.) Thank you for all the reviews, it seriously makes me want to expand more on this story.

2.) * \'Subtle as a bludger to the head\'. Okay, I read this in some fan fic what seems forever ago, I laughed so hard at it I nearly fell off my chair (don\'t judge me) and therefore felt the compulsion to add it in my story. Sadly it\'s been so long since I read the story that I\'ve forgotten the title and author. Full credit goes to whoever used it first.

3.) The bunnies are still here.

cheers. holden.