Hermione slumped over, resting her head on her forearms, which were lying on the table. Surrounding her on the table were stacks upon stacks of books. She pulled her head up and looked around her at the shelves of books in the Hogwarts library.
“Help me! Show me what I’m missing!” Part of her felt like an idiot for talking to rows of books, but another part of her just wanted answers. It was one month into her seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The last two months had been a blur.
After the reading of Dumbledore’s will, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny decided to do what Dumbledore had wanted them to do ” return to Hogwarts. The next day, they sat and figured out a plan for the beginning of their search. It had been an interesting day. Harry told Ginny that she wasn’t part of their mission and got a hand across his face, he had the red mark on his cheek for a week. They fought for most of the day. That was until Harry tried to get Mrs. Weasley on his side. She told him that Dumbledore wanted Ginny to be part of whatever they were doing or he wouldn’t have made her part of his will the way he did. Watching her, one could tell it hurt her to say this. She was giving up her youngest child, her baby for the fight. Every night the group stayed at the Burrow she gave them huge hugs whenever possible. Harry finally agreed to allow Ginny to help, but if anything became too dangerous she had to leave them. Hermione smiled at how silly Harry was, as if Ginny would actually listen to him when that time came.
The rest of the time spent there was in preparation for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, and Mrs. Weasley put them to work. Hermione and Ginny helped with the flowers, food, and dresses. The boys helped with setting up the backyard where the ceremony was going to take place. That kept them busy for the next two weeks, and then for the couple days after the wedding they helped clean. Then came the day they left, it was quiet that morning when they woke-up. It was almost eerie to hear the Burrow quiet. Mrs. Weasley tried to keep her tears at bay, but they spilled over just as the group was about to Floo to number twelve, Grimmauld Place. She had held each of them, holding on to Ron and Ginny the longest.
When they finally got to what was now Harry’s home, and where they would all be staying for the remainder of the summer, they went back over the plan.
“We need to figure out who R.A.B. is, then after we get back from my parents old home and their graves we need to find the Horcrux and destroy it,” Harry said as they sat in the kitchen drinking tea just an hour after they arrived.
“I know who it is,” Ginny said in a matter-of-fact voice. They all looked at her with a look of bewilderment on their faces. “Follow me.”
They followed her into the living room, and up to the Black family tree. She pointed near the bottom right next to where Sirius’ name had been.
“Regulus Amberlin Black,” Hermione read aloud with a gasp.
“And you said you wouldn’t need me.” Ginny shot a cheeky grin at Harry.
They left for Godric's Hollow later that night. The trip was tense and sad; Harry didn't talk much and no one else knew what to say. They visited his parent's old home, where they were killed, and then visited their graves. Hermione couldn't tell who was in more pain, Harry, for being where his parents had been killed or Ginny, for wanting to make Harry feel better but couldn't.
After returning from visiting Godric’s Hollow, they had searched the house from top to bottom, not turning up a thing. Ginny again saved them, she told Harry to ask Kreacher if there was a locket in the house. He did and in less then a minute the locket was in Harry’s hand as Kreacher mumbled about how a blood traitor shouldn’t be touching his former master’s belongings. Harry destroyed it with a flourish, obviously enjoying every second of doing so.
They spent the rest of their time there cleaning and going through the Blacks' extensive library. They searched for anything having to do with the Dark Lord or Horcruxes. Hermione was shocked at the Dark Arts books they had, most were outlawed centuries ago. They used Harry’s inherited Pensieve to go over and over all the memories they had, trying to find clues that would help them. They continued this after they returned to Hogwarts.
They used the library for research, and on the weekends went through the Blacks' library more. They were waiting for the new memories they would receive to give them an idea were to turn next.
Hermione was worn out. She went to class, did her homework, and then did research for the hunt. She had pulled many all-nighters this past month and they were starting to get her. She rubbed her eyes and looked back down at the paper in front of her.
Possible Horcrux Hiding Places:
Riddle House
Hogwarts
Chamber of Secrets
Orphanage where Tom Riddle grew up
Grimmauld Place
Trusted Death Eater homes
“Is there anywhere else you can think of?” she asked a stack of books to her left.
“No, my mind is mush,” the stack answered.
“I think we should go get some sleep, maybe then our minds will start working again.”
“Alright, let’s go.” Harry stood up from behind the pile of books and stretched. Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but bit her tongue.
“What? I saw that look, what do you want to know?” Harry squinted at her as they began to walk out of the library.
“What is going on with you and Ginny? She told me you two kissed the other day, but that you won’t get back into a relationship with her.” Hermione stared at him as though trying to read his mind.
“I shouldn’t have kissed her, it was stupid of me. Right now isn’t a good time for a romance. And if…” Harry trailed off.
“And if you were officially dating her Voldemort will try to use her against you,” Hermione finished for him.
“Yeah, it’s hard, having her within my reach yet so far away.” He sighed.
“You’re not protecting her by pushing her away. You’re simply hurting her. She’s already in danger just being alive in this day and age. She’s a ‘blood traitor,’ she is the daughter of people trying to stop him. Just because of those things he would try to hurt her. Just because of those things she could die. Look, I’m not going to tell you what to do; I just don’t understand why you are putting yourself through this. Being with her isn’t going to put her into anymore danger then she already is, so go make both of you happy and push her against a wall and snog her senseless,” she breathlessly finished.
“I thought you said you weren’t going to tell me what to do,” Harry said with a grin, his grin slipped away as he continued, “I don’t know. Part of me knows all that, but part of me would never forgive myself if he hurt her trying to get to me.”
“So you would rather it be you doing the hurting?”
“I would rather she not feel any pain, but I doubt anyone will have that luxury,” he answered as they stepped up to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
“Don’t you want her to be happy, even if it is for only a short time? She is going to feel pain, she already has. Why not give her joy too?” Hermione asked as she walked through the hole after Harry gave the password. Harry stood outside staring after her, a look of deep thought on his face.
Hermione climbed the stairs to the girls’ dormitories; while Hermione went one storey higher to the Head Girl’s suite. She had been shocked when she was given the title and had almost turned it down. That is until Professor McGonagall told her that the day before he died Dumbledore he had dubbed her the next Head Girl of Hogwarts and he had been very excited about it. Class, homework, special defense classes with Lupin once a week, researching Voldemort and his Horcruxes, and three meetings a week with Prefects and professors, she was about to go mad. Not to mention that she, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were to start Occlumency in a couple weeks with Kingsley Shacklebolt.
‘A long hot bath, a nice Muggle novel that doesn’t need the use of any brain cells to read, that sounds like heaven,’ Hermione thought as she filled her bath with hot water and began taking her clothes off.
She slowly stepped into the steaming tub, as a sigh escaped her lips. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep just a few moments later.
“Excuse me, Professor. I didn’t know anyone would be in here,” Hermione said as she walked into the Potions lab just off to the side of the main Potions room.
“This is a community Potions lab, Miss Granger.”
“Of course.” Hermione sat her book bag down at a work station. “May I ask why you’re using the students’ free Potions room?”
“If you must know Professor Slughorn took over my private labs when he became the Potions professor again,” Severus Snape replied, not looking at her, but at the potion in front of him.
“Oh…” She fiddled with the ingredients in front of her and then cleared her throat. “About that day after your class when I yelled at you…”
“I don’t care, Miss Granger. I know that Gryffindors are not skilled when it comes to patience or tact,” he sneered.
“It was wrong of me to yell at you, I was angry at you for being cruel. You’re my professor, and shouldn’t have disrespected you like that,” Hermione said as she turned to face him.
“Again, Miss Granger, I don’t…” But he didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Hermione cut him off.
“After that night I thought, I don’t know… that I had almost found a kindred spirit. You’re the only person I’ve meet in the wizarding world that knew more about Shakespeare than, ‘he’s the guy who wrote about the two dead love people,’” she continued, looking at her hands.
“Two dead love people?” He looked at her, lifting an eyebrow.
“That’s Ron for Romeo and Juliet,” Hermione responded with a crooked grin.
“Well that explains that,” he quipped, turning back to his potion. It was silent in the room for a few minutes as the pair worked on their respective potions.
“What are you working on?” Hermione asked, desperate to make conversation.
“I’m making the Draught of Peace, and yourself?”
“I’m making Amortentia. I’m thinking about taking Advanced Potions classes after Hogwarts, and Professor Slughorn told me to get into any good potion program I have to be able to make it all by myself.”
“He’s right, but knowing how to make Polyjuice Potion is of higher priority. Wait, you already know how to make Polyjuice Potion don’t you, Miss Granger?” He turned to her with a twisted grin on his face.
“I…don’t uh…know what you’re talking about, Professor.” Hermione gave him the most innocent look she could muster.
“I’m a Legilimens, Miss Granger, and you’re a horrible liar. It’s a good thing Potter or Weasley do the lying for your little trio,” he hissed as he turned back to his potion.
“How does one learn that anyway?”
“Learn how to lie, Miss Granger?”
“Legilimency,” she said matter-of-factly, looking at him intently.
“You have someone teach you, like everything else.”
“I’m serious, who taught you? Why did you learn? How long did it take to master? When…”
“Miss Granger, one question at a time, why do you think I’m making Draught of Peace?” He gave her a pointed look.
“Sorry, who taught you?”
“An older Slytherin, he believed I needed to learn it, so I did.”
“Okay, how long did it take you to master?”
“About two years, but I was a natural at it. For most it takes much longer, at least six years,” he replied as he added an ingredient to his potion.
“How could I learn?” Hermione asked as she came to the edge of his work space.
“You would need a teacher who could handle your verbal onslaughts and one who is advanced in their knowledge of it,” he replied, not looking at her.
“Will you teach me?” At this he looked up at her, staring at her with those dark unreadable eyes.
“I doubt you would want to spend more time with me then you have to, Miss Granger.”
“When you’re being nice, like now, I actually like you. That didn’t come out right, but you understand what I’m trying to saying, right? Anyway, I want someone who is gifted with it, not just knowledgeable and you just said you are a natural at it.”
“You have an amazing gift of painting people into corners, Miss Granger,” Severus snarled, exasperated. “But, I will not teach you.”
“Why the bloody hell not?”
“Ten points from Gryffindor for inappropriate language, Miss Granger. And you would need special permission from the Headmaster, and he doesn’t like students learning something that powerful until they have finished Hogwarts.”
“Then I will just have ask him, won’t I?” she retorted as she walked back to her work table to work on her potion.
“Even if you got his permission, you still need someone to teach you, Miss Granger,” he sneered, shooting her a glare before turning his attention back to his potion.
“Why won’t you teach me?”
“Because I value my sanity. I already have to live with your incessant questioning during my N.E.W.T. class, the last thing I need is more of you,” he disparaged.
“What ever you say, professor,” she simpered in a sing-song voice that made his hair stand on end. She was obviously up to something.
“This is outrageous, Albus! There is no way that I will teach her Legilimency,” Severus Snape bellowed as he stood in the middle of Albus Dumbledore’s office, glaring at the headmaster.
“I believe that Miss Granger is fully capable of keeping good grades and taking Legilimency classes at the same time. And you, Severus, are the only who is gifted enough in it to teach it,” Professor Dumbledore calmly replied.
“Why don’t you teach her?” One could literally see the smoke rising from him as he glared at the headmaster, then at Hermione who sat in a chair just an arms length from him. She tried to give him an innocent look that read, ‘I had nothing to do with this’, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew she had everything to do with this.
Hermione shot up out of the tub with a jolt; the water had gone cold.
'How long have I been asleep?' She threw on her robe and walked into her room. 3:13 AM, her clock read on her side table. Quickly drying herself off, she put on an over-sized t-shirt with a Muggle band on the front as her pajamas. She climbed into bed and soon fell back to sleep.
"Legilimency is an art form, it takes great levels of concentration and calm," Severus explained as he paced in front of her in his empty Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "There is no foolish wand waving in this discipline."
He took a seat across from her and took a deep breath; she mimicked him. He raised an eyebrow at her, she lifted hers in return. His eyes rolled as he straightened in his seat, Hermione, again, did as he did.
"Will you stop that?" he demanded while glaring at her.
"Well, you're not telling me what to do. So, I'm just doing what you do," she retorted.
"Does that mean if I jump off the roof you will too?" he mocked, his glare softening a little.
"Um... no."
"Pity," he sneered. "Very well, let's begin. Close your eyes, and relax, take deep breaths."
She did as she was told allowing his deep, rich voice to calm her. Hermione allowed her mind to wander, exploring the day before, she stopped herself from giggling when a memory of Ginny getting angry and telling Ron to go snog Harry popped into her mind.
"First, you must learn to control your own mind before you can learn to peer into others. Keeping your emotions in check is key to control. Don't allow yourself to be pulled into an emotional current. Try to put the thought you want the person trying to get your mind to see at the front of your mind. Now open your eyes." He looked into her soulful brown eyes and peered into her mind.
'Isn't this Occlumency?'
"Nice, Miss Granger, nice. Very few are able to project a thought like that." He grudgingly admitted.
"Thank you, Professor. But isn't this Occlumency?" Hermione inquired again.
"If you can't shut your mind down to intruders, then you can't become the intruder yourself."
"Right, of course, I'm sorry for interrupting." A look of concentration graced her face again. "Please, continue the lesson."
He glared at her as he continued. "All right, let's continue the breathing exercises..."
"It's time to get up, time to get up!" Hermione felt herself being pulled from her dream as her wand kept screaming at her to wake. 'Learning that Alarm Charm sounded good at the time, but now it's just getting annoying,' she thought as she sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes, trying to wake-up. Memories of her dream came back
"I forgot about that; he was so angry, he looked like he was going to explode," she started giggling. The giggle soon turned into a sob as other memories assaulted her. Her eyes closed, as she remembered his voice and began doing as it told her. 'Close your eyes, and relax, take deep breaths.' When she started to feel better, she got out of bed and thought of him as she got ready for the day.
A Forbidden Connection by whittyleah
Chapter Notes: Thank you, Ginny_W and Claraminutes for being amazing betas!
I am not JK Rowling! If I were JK, I won't be wearing twelve dollar Super Wal-Mart jeans. Super Wal-Mart, where, while you get your tires rotated, you can buy a bra, tomatoes, a blender and a fish.
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