Scowl seem even more menacing. If Draco thought Hermione had been livid, it was nothing compared to the wrathful ire in Snape's deadly expression. The tall, dark and revered Potions Master stepped slowly toward the boy who still half lay on the floor, and Draco noticed that the stone around his neck was such a deep red it was almost black. "Don't you dare... touch her... again... Draco," he growled slowly in a voice that was unfamiliar to the boy. It sent a ripple of cold fear over his body, and that was saying something since Snape had never really frightened Malfoy before. "If you do, I vow that I will do more than just hex you all the way to St. Mungo's, boy. Consider this your only warning. Now get out!" he snarled, pointing his wand in the direction of the stairs that led back to the dungeons. The blood drained from his face, his eyes bulging. Malfoy scrambed to his feet despite
Hermione was frozen as she stood behind Snape. He was still bent in a partial crouch, his head not even turning to follow Malfoy as he ran, though his black eyes bore into the fleeing boy that was making his escape. Snape's hair seemed wilder, as if some of it standing on end. It reminded her of how Sirius had looked in his animagis form, snarling at the werewolf version of Lupin five years ago. She was half afraid to touch him, her own anger having faded some since Severus had come to her aide. But he was beginning to worry her since he wasn't moving at all. "Severus...?" she said tentatively, her fingers brushing the arm of his robes. He spun around, and she saw that his murderous glare hadn't left with Malfoy. "Are you hurt?" he demanded in an urgent growl, his eyes raking her form. "Wha--no. I mean--" He saw her wrists and he grabbed one, yanking it up so that he could examine it. His eyes darted to hers a moment later, and if it were possible, he looked even angrier. "What do you mean no?" he snapped. "I'm fine! It doesn't hurt," she hastened to reassure him, fearing that he would go on a rampage and Avada the next poor soul to come around the corner. He dropped her hand and spun on his heel, heading off in the direciton that Malfoy had gone. "Come with me," he ordered. "I said I'm fine!" she called after him since his long strides were already taking him fast away from her. He stopped and turned partially toward her, his expressions still dark. Hermione took a breath. "I'm on my way to the library to pick up a book. I was going to
Incident to the others, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that Snape was one mean son of a Horntail. "That's just Snape, isn't it?" he said. "He's not one you want to mess with." "It sounds like he had to be pretty mad to scare even Malfoy," Harry observed wisely. "He was," said Hermione. But Hermione didn't need to ask why he had been so nasty even after Draco had fled. She knew that he was very possessive of her and the fact that he had insisted to escort her to the library and back to the Tower only served as proof to her theory. XXX Snape paced angrily in front of the fireplace in his sitting room. Part of him wanted to down a bottle of firewhiskey to burn the rage out of him. Part of him wanted to march to the Slytherin Common Room, grab that blasted Malfoy brat and ring him by the
Had to let it go, at least for the time being. Hermione needed him- they both needed him- to have a level head. He would do them no favors if his ire controlled his actions. "Forgive me," he said, quietly now. He forced his expression to soften, and Hermione watched as a few of the hard lines left his face. "My temper has always been touchy, as you well know. I'm afraid that my protectiveness when it comes to you, and the closeness of the full moon, has made it even worse." Hermione looked at the clock. It was nearing nine-thirty. They still had a little over two hours to go before they transformed, but Hermione wondered if it wouldn't be a good idea to leave the castle now. They did need to make sure they were far enough away from other people. She looked through the window and saw snow accumulating on the windowsill, little flakes sticking on the diamond-patterned glass.
Can't possibly understand? Try me. If you think I'm not fully aware of the situation, by all means, fill me in." Silence. Then he said, "That book I found those two potions in -- I had another look at it again today. It goes without saying that even without becoming a werewolf, my possessiveness over you would be greater than normal simply because that is my nature. However, because I am, in fact, a werewolf, as are you, then that level of possessiveness is even greater. I am the alpha, and you are my mate. That is the way the wolves see it, and that is the way it will always be. I cannot control it. I can manage and maintain all other aspects of my now primitive nature, but I cannot hold back that high level of possession." Alright, so maybe she would never fully understand what he was going through since it apparently wasn't in her nature to be that possessive. She didn't ask why that instinct had been triggered inside him; it was
