Beltane Fire 21
Title: Beltane Fire, Ch 21
Challenge: Spring Fever
Team: The Order of the Pheonix
Rating: M
Word Count: 800
Characters: Hermione Granger, May Queen, and Severus Snape, Green Man
Summary: Hermione's rebuttal/confessions.
AN: I went back and revised the second installment. Less exciting than the new prologue, but clarity is worth the work, right?
CXXXIII
Hermione was flabbergasted. Severus thought that she deserved better?
She’d worried that he would be repulsed by her flaws. She was brusque and her memory unforgivably accurate. She wouldn’t let an argument drop if she believed she was correct. She really could be insufferable.
But this wasn’t really about her, was it?
No, she thought. Silly man.
“Will you forgive me for all of my trespasses against you? I set you on fire my first year. I stole from you in my second year. Oh, and then I assaulted you. All before I sat for my O.W.L.s.”
CXXXIV
Severus wasn’t responding, so Hermione continued to disabuse him of the notion that she was some sort of sacred paragon of virtue.
“Not enough?” she asked. “Well, let’s see. I helped two convicted criminals escape-although one was a hippogriff-using the Time-Turner I was meant to keep only for the purposes of study.”
The fingers in her hair twitched. She suspected she should stop, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Fourth year, I imprisoned a member of the press for being a hateful bitch and proceeded to blackmail her fifth year.”
A quiver of his lips betrayed amusement.
Hermione smiled. That’s better.
CXXXV
Encouraged by Severus’ almost-smile, Hermione kept talking. “Fifth year, my classmates signed my secret magical contract. Marietta Edgecombe suffered permanent facial scars when she broke it.”
She did feel guilty, but the sneak forced Dumbledore to abandon the school for Harry’s sake.
“You heard what happened to Senior Undersecretary Umbridge and the centaurs? Me.”
Severus snorted in what she fancied was amusement.
“I helped Harry break into the Ministry of Magic, leaving school on a stolen thestral. I was there when all of the Prophecies were smashed. That wasn’t a loss. Not like the destruction of all of the Time-Turners.”
CXXXVI
Through his mask, Hermione could make out what she hoped were laugh-lines around Severus’ eyes.
“I stole several books from the Headmaster’s Office before we left sixth year. I threw all caution to the wind and performed a highly illegal Undetectable Extension charm on my handbag and then wiped my very existence from my parents’ memories for their safety. That done, I masterminded the ongoing logistics of a guerilla subunit to help overthrow an oppressive fascist regime.”
She paused to lick her lips, dry from talking.
Severus said, “Is that all?”
“No, not quite.” Hermione wished he’d kiss her again.
CXXXVII
Unable to maintain her poise under his intense gaze, Hermione dropped her eyes. “As Undesirable Number Two, I was apprehended after seven months of evading the Ministry authorities. I escaped interrogation, thanks to Dobby the house-elf, who died to save us.”
The pressure of Severus’ grip on her hair increased and she hurriedly swallowed past the lump of grief that formed within her throat.
“I added fraud, larceny, and destruction of property to my offenses at Gringotts. Setting that poor dragon free was not a crime.”
Severus tilted her chin up, silently demanding that she look him in the eyes.
CXXXVIII
As he searched her eyes, the lines on her husband’s face hardened, brought into stark relief by the light from the bonfire.
“There’s a clear difference between us. Hermione, you were forced to fight for your life.”
“And you didn’t? If you won’t hold what I did against me in my youth, then you don’t get to condemn yourself. We are alike, Severus.”
He let her head go, shaking his head in vehement denial. “No, you never…”
Her voice shrill with frustration, Hermione cut him off. “I never what? Killed? Don’t be ridiculous. I was fighting for my life long before that day we defeated Voldemort. I killed. I know I killed at least one Death Eater the night we moved Harry, and I was only seventeen.”
She stepped forward, afraid that Severus was going to walk away. “The worst you did that night was give George material for a lifetime of bad jokes!”
Now it was Severus who wouldn’t look at her. “You misrepresent the facts, but to what end?”
“Severus! You and I are not exactly the same, but we are also not so very different. I’m not perfect!” Hermione gestured to herself and said, “I’m just… me.”
CXL
Severus stole a glance at Hermione.
Is he shy? That’s adorable, she thought.
He intoned, “On this, the first of May, in the year two thousand four, Hermione Granger decreed that she is not perfect.”
Hermione snorted. Check that. He’s a prat. She tried to let go of his hand, but he used his grip to pull her closer.
Severus added, “I shall write it down, lest either of us forget.”
“Why, you…!” Hermione was spluttering.
He bent his head, perhaps to kiss her, but she ducked away.
“Git! Admit it!” Hermione poked his firm chest. “I’m ace at potions!”
Challenge: Spring Fever
Team: The Order of the Pheonix
Rating: M
Word Count: 800
Characters: Hermione Granger, May Queen, and Severus Snape, Green Man
Summary: Hermione's rebuttal/confessions.
AN: I went back and revised the second installment. Less exciting than the new prologue, but clarity is worth the work, right?
CXXXIII
Hermione was flabbergasted. Severus thought that she deserved better?
She’d worried that he would be repulsed by her flaws. She was brusque and her memory unforgivably accurate. She wouldn’t let an argument drop if she believed she was correct. She really could be insufferable.
But this wasn’t really about her, was it?
No, she thought. Silly man.
“Will you forgive me for all of my trespasses against you? I set you on fire my first year. I stole from you in my second year. Oh, and then I assaulted you. All before I sat for my O.W.L.s.”
CXXXIV
Severus wasn’t responding, so Hermione continued to disabuse him of the notion that she was some sort of sacred paragon of virtue.
“Not enough?” she asked. “Well, let’s see. I helped two convicted criminals escape-although one was a hippogriff-using the Time-Turner I was meant to keep only for the purposes of study.”
The fingers in her hair twitched. She suspected she should stop, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Fourth year, I imprisoned a member of the press for being a hateful bitch and proceeded to blackmail her fifth year.”
A quiver of his lips betrayed amusement.
Hermione smiled. That’s better.
CXXXV
Encouraged by Severus’ almost-smile, Hermione kept talking. “Fifth year, my classmates signed my secret magical contract. Marietta Edgecombe suffered permanent facial scars when she broke it.”
She did feel guilty, but the sneak forced Dumbledore to abandon the school for Harry’s sake.
“You heard what happened to Senior Undersecretary Umbridge and the centaurs? Me.”
Severus snorted in what she fancied was amusement.
“I helped Harry break into the Ministry of Magic, leaving school on a stolen thestral. I was there when all of the Prophecies were smashed. That wasn’t a loss. Not like the destruction of all of the Time-Turners.”
CXXXVI
Through his mask, Hermione could make out what she hoped were laugh-lines around Severus’ eyes.
“I stole several books from the Headmaster’s Office before we left sixth year. I threw all caution to the wind and performed a highly illegal Undetectable Extension charm on my handbag and then wiped my very existence from my parents’ memories for their safety. That done, I masterminded the ongoing logistics of a guerilla subunit to help overthrow an oppressive fascist regime.”
She paused to lick her lips, dry from talking.
Severus said, “Is that all?”
“No, not quite.” Hermione wished he’d kiss her again.
CXXXVII
Unable to maintain her poise under his intense gaze, Hermione dropped her eyes. “As Undesirable Number Two, I was apprehended after seven months of evading the Ministry authorities. I escaped interrogation, thanks to Dobby the house-elf, who died to save us.”
The pressure of Severus’ grip on her hair increased and she hurriedly swallowed past the lump of grief that formed within her throat.
“I added fraud, larceny, and destruction of property to my offenses at Gringotts. Setting that poor dragon free was not a crime.”
Severus tilted her chin up, silently demanding that she look him in the eyes.
CXXXVIII
As he searched her eyes, the lines on her husband’s face hardened, brought into stark relief by the light from the bonfire.
“There’s a clear difference between us. Hermione, you were forced to fight for your life.”
“And you didn’t? If you won’t hold what I did against me in my youth, then you don’t get to condemn yourself. We are alike, Severus.”
He let her head go, shaking his head in vehement denial. “No, you never…”
Her voice shrill with frustration, Hermione cut him off. “I never what? Killed? Don’t be ridiculous. I was fighting for my life long before that day we defeated Voldemort. I killed. I know I killed at least one Death Eater the night we moved Harry, and I was only seventeen.”
She stepped forward, afraid that Severus was going to walk away. “The worst you did that night was give George material for a lifetime of bad jokes!”
Now it was Severus who wouldn’t look at her. “You misrepresent the facts, but to what end?”
“Severus! You and I are not exactly the same, but we are also not so very different. I’m not perfect!” Hermione gestured to herself and said, “I’m just… me.”
CXL
Severus stole a glance at Hermione.
Is he shy? That’s adorable, she thought.
He intoned, “On this, the first of May, in the year two thousand four, Hermione Granger decreed that she is not perfect.”
Hermione snorted. Check that. He’s a prat. She tried to let go of his hand, but he used his grip to pull her closer.
Severus added, “I shall write it down, lest either of us forget.”
“Why, you…!” Hermione was spluttering.
He bent his head, perhaps to kiss her, but she ducked away.
“Git! Admit it!” Hermione poked his firm chest. “I’m ace at potions!”