Hermione Snape and the Divergence Point: Volume #1

Chapter 12: Meetings in the Forest

"She did what?!" Severus hissed, fixing his eyes on the girl.

"I never would have expected such behaviour from her!" McGonagall poked her black pudding. "I thought she had more sense than that..."

Hermione did have more sense than that. If she wanted to set up Malfoy, she would have stayed behind as to not implicate herself. He turned his gaze to a rather sad looking Hagrid chasing his beans around his plate. If Hagrid truly had a dragon...that would make sense. The foolish girl would have leapt at the chance to help the man, and Potter seemed fond of him as well. Perhaps his anger should be directed at the adult that dragged the little idiots into it. How could Hagrid be so irresponsible?

"I shall have a talk with her," he said after McGonagall described the scenario in great detail. "Rest assured this will not happen again."

His eyes landed on Quirrell who fixed his gaze on Hermione and Potter who spoke in hushed voices to each other, both looking over their shoulders at every word. Maybe they were discussing the dragon, which Severus now felt was more real than Hermione had let on. How lucky were those two idiots that they didn't come across Quirrell? Who now seemed more distant and irritable. Were his plans going so awry?

He watched Hermione chase the twins out after admonishing Potter for something and he left to meet her. He had to handle this with tact, there was no way he could threaten to pull her out again when this was supposed to be her last offence. He found the tiny girl speaking in hushed voices with the two boys who exchanged a quick glance.

"Do you think it's possible?" Hermione asked.

"We'll see what we can do," one twin said.

"But can you give us any more details?" the other asked.

Hermione shook her head, checked over her shoulder and spotted him standing behind her. She froze on the spot, the colour draining from her face and her eyes growing larger. She turned back to the twins who exchanged confused glances. Perhaps they didn't know which one he had chased down. Likely the twins were brewing some kind of mischief.

"You boys may leave," he sighed. "Whatever you're scheming is low on my list of priorities today."

"Yes, sir!" they both said before scampering off down the corridor.

"Follow me," he instructed once they were out of earshot.

How many times this year had he summoned Hermione to his office? He lost count, a natural people pleaser, he never had expected her to break so many rules. Yet in her first year she had given even James Potter a run for his money.

"The good news," he shut the door behind them. "Is that I have decided not to pull you out of classes."

Hermione let out a drawn out breath, making him think she was holding her breath all the way down. "The bad news?"

"I don't believe Professor McGonagall's story," he said, examining her scarred hands. "Not with Hagrid moping about the grounds and castle. I imagine he got his hands on a dragon and charged you and Potter with its rescue?"

Hermione choked and her eyes darted around the room before bringing her clasped hands up to her face and digging her nails into the gaps between her fingers, again. Behind her hands he thought she might be biting her lip. Best not drag it out...

"I don't expect details from you," he said. "Just tell me if I'm right. And you can put from your mind any legal ramifications. I've no intention of dealing with the burden of proof."

"Hagrid didn't charge us with it," Hermione squeaked in a small voice. "When w-I found out I-I volunteered to get the dragon to the right place. He was unsure if he wanted to accept it at first. I just didn't want him to get in trouble. You and I both know how poorly he would fare in Azkaban. Hagrid's fragile..."