The Burning Pen

A Looping of the Scales by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 58

All recognizable characters belong to JKR. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 58 ~ Ron and Hermione Clear the Air

Hermione only saw Severus for a few minutes each day during the week. He was spending more time in his Animagus form, exploring his limits and a lot of time in the Herbology area, working with his plant in secret. But, he had also taken to leaving books out for Hermione from his library that he thought were interesting to help her study and write her papers, as well as leaving small Pensieves of his experiences as a Gryffin.

He spent his days working and reviewing for his NEWTs, but it was the evenings he enjoyed best, out flying around the countryside. The first three days, Hermione felt a bit put off by how he was acting, how focused he was on his own work, but with the books he left and the Pensieves, she began to get back into her flow.

Thursday night, when she returned to Gryffindor tower she found two bottles on her nightstand. One was shampoo and the other was conditioner. There was a simple note with them, written in tight, rather cramped and spiky penmanship.

I made these for you. Try them.

Severus

Hermione curiously opened the cap on the shampoo and sniffed it. It smelled slightly of jasmine. The conditioner did as well.

”I guess he likes the scent of jasmine,” she said to herself as she began to undress.

Hermione entered the shower and washed her hair, using the shampoo. The first thing she was aware of was a pleasant tingling on her scalp, then the rich, foaming lather. She felt something magical happening as she rinsed her hair. Then she used a dollop of the conditioner, combing it through from the roots to her split ends, which were immediately repaired. She let the conditioner set for a minute or two, then rinsed it out. She finished washing, exited the shower and dried off, putting on her nightgown.

Her hair was very clean, but still damp so she didn’t notice any change when she dried it with a towel. She’d stopped using magic to dry it, because it only made it more bushy-looking. Now it looked a bit more manageable, but it always did after a washing. In the morning when she brushed it, it would turn back into the bristly mass she was used to.

”Thanks for trying, Severus,” she said softly as she slid into bed.

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The next morning Ron, Harry and Ginny were in the Great Hall having breakfast when the doors opened. Neville was a perpetually nosy individual, so was the first to look up to see who entered.

”Would you take a look at that?” Neville breathed.

”Wot?” Ron said around a mouthful of toast then looked toward the door, as did most of the students. A piece of toast fell out of Ron’s mouth as Hermione walked toward them.

It almost seemed to be one of those slow motion, bouncy-hair commercials with the cool music as Hermione headed for her usual spot, her brown hair curling and bouncing healthily, catching little sun rays streaming through the windows. It looked beautiful, as if she’d gone to a salon or at least spent hours taming and styling it.

”Wow,” Harry exclaimed as Hermione slung her backpack on the floor and sat down between Harry and Ron as if she’d never stopped doing it. She pulled a plate toward her.

“Your hair, Hermione. It looks great!” Harry continued.

Hermione patted her hair lightly as if surprised that Harry even noticed it.

”Oh, this? Well—it’s nothing really—“ Hermione responded, smiling a bit. Then “Ow! What are you doing?”

Ron was still holding on to her hair after reaching over the table and giving it a good tug.

”I just wanted to see if it was a wig,” he said, grinning at her evilly. He knew it wasn’t a wig but it was clear Hermione came to breakfast just to show off her new do.

Hermione slapped his hand away as others around them chuckled a little.

”Of course it’s my hair, you git. Stop trying to pull it out by the roots!”

“It looks really nice, Hermione,” Ginny said as Harry stared at its lushness. “Did you finally find a charm to manage it properly?”

”No. Actually, Severus brewed a shampoo and conditioner based on my hair type. It works quite nicely, don’t you agree?”

”Yes,” Harry and Ginny replied together.

”St. Severus again,” Ron muttered.

”Oh Ron, stop being jealous,” Hermione said to him.

”I’m not jealous. I’m just tired of hearing about how great he is.”

”I didn’t say he was great.”

”Anyone who can tame that hair has to be considered great, Hermione. That’s an accomplishment, believe me. Almost NEWT worthy”

Ron had to dodge the donut Hermione threw at him, but he was expecting it. Hermione sobered.

”Speaking about Severus, I wanted to talk to all of you about something concerning him,” she said in a low voice. “He might need our assistance after graduation.”

“Why?” Harry asked as Neville sidled closer. Hermione frowned at him and pointedly cast the Muffliato charm so neither he nor anyone else would hear their conversation.

Hermione explained to them about Lord Malfoy’s offer of patronage and how Snape accepted it and would be living in the Boleskin house. She paused dramatically after she said it, but Ron, Harry and Ginny just stared at her blankly.

”Aleister Crowley?” she pressed. Still, blank stares.

”Gods, don’t you people read? Aleister Crowley was a sorcerer who once owned Boleskin house. Either he was a very good sorcerer or a very bad one, because the house is supposed to be chock full of left-over demons and other dark creatures. Severus is dead set on staying there and I think he’s going to need help binding all those ‘things.’ So, do you want to help us do it?”

Ron frowned at Hermione.

”Did Snape actually say he wanted anyone to come and bind demons, Hermione? Or is this something you came up with?” he asked his former girlfriend.

Hermione’s eyes shifted guiltily.

”No. Absolutely not. I have other plans for my summer,” Ron said, then he looked over at the Hufflepuff table dreamily, where Susan was chatting with her housemates. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with binding demons.”

”I think you’d rather be binding Susan,” Ginny said to her smitten brother.

”Working on it, at least,” Ron said with a sigh. “She’s absolutely perfect.”

Ginny and Harry looked very uncomfortable. Ron and Hermione had just broken up and he was praising Susan right in front of her.

Hermione did feel a twinge of something. It wasn’t exactly jealousy, more like incredulity that he’d be so willing to commit to a witch he barely knew.

Harry and Ginny discretely exited the spell so they wouldn’t hear the argument that was bound to ensue.

”Ron, you’ve just started dating Susan and you’re already considering Binding? You barely know her. You’re always rushing into things,” she chided him.

Of course, Snape confessing his love to her within just weeks of being youthened didn’t register as rushed at all. Everyone knew how obsessive he’d been about Harry’s mother, so it was just his nature to fall head over heels in love with Gryffindor witches. Sort of. Well, it was a workable theory anyway. But Ron? No. He wasn’t that way—he just didn’t think things through when strong emotions was involved--

“I’m not rushing into anything. I know a good thing when I see it, Hermione, and Susan’s a good thing.”

”Why, because she cooks? That’s nothing to base a relationship on, Ron. There are other areas you might not be compatible in. You have to take time before you make a commitment. Get to know her before you think about binding with her.”

Ron frowned at her.

”I’ve known Susan since we came to Hogwarts, Hermione. She’s a nice witch. She can cook, but there are other things about her. She’s thoughtful for one thing, and kind. She’s smart, too. She helped me figure out some things about my Animagus form and everything. And, we’re compatible in other ways too—“

Here Ron looked a bit goofy.

”Wow, are we compatible,” he said again and Hermione looked rather shocked.

“Ron, you and Susan couldn’t possibly have—have shagged already?” she asked him incredulously.

Ron looked at her and reddened slightly.

”Yeah, we did. But under extenuating circumstances,” he said quickly. “There was a—a situation. I’d eaten something I shouldn’t have, and it was an aphrodisiac. A strong one. If I didn’t get relief, it would have been terrible. She did it to help me, Hermione.”

Hermione just blinked at him, a strange feeling welling up inside her.

”And it was fantastic. I’ve never felt—“

Ron suddenly stopped, realizing he was comparing Susan and Hermione sexually.

But he’d already said enough.

”So, she was better than I was,” Hermione said quietly.

”Well, I didn’t exactly say that, but—shagging was never that good, either with you or Lavender, Hermione. I’m just being honest—“

Hermione felt highly insulted.

”Well, maybe if you had been more creative, and not acted like a nervous prat, I would have been more—more reciprocal and enjoyed it better,” she snapped back at him.

”What? What do you mean more creative? You were a bloody virgin, Hermione. What did you expect me to do? Climb all over you like you didn’t have any feelings? And reciprocal? How would I know you’d be willing to—“

Suddenly, Ron stopped talking and stared at Hermione, who began to flush

”You’ve shagged Snape, haven’t you? He’s your boyfriend,” Ron said accusingly.

“No, he’s not my boyfriend,” Hermione replied, her face crimson under Ron’s blue eyes.

”But you’ve shagged him,” he declared.

Hermione didn’t answer him.

”Oi. You tell me not to rush into anything and you go and cock your legs for Snape in just a couple of days. Nice, Hermione. Really nice. And he didn’t even have to make a commitment to you.”

”It’s not like that, Ron,” she said softly, but Ron’s eyes were accusatory.

”You didn’t have time for me, Hermione but made time to let Snape put your heels in the air,” he said. “It’s your right to do it. We aren’t together anymore, but you really have a pair, Hermione. I’m not looking for someone just to shag. I’m looking for a wife. I’m willing to commit myself to a witch. Is Snape? No. And you just let him have his way—“

”It’s not Severus. It’s me. I don’t want a boyfriend, Ron. Just—just someone to be there when I need him. There’s no commitment because I don’t want one. You know I don’t, Ron. There’s so much I want to do, and a committed relationship would hold me back from that,” she said. “I’m sure Severus would commit if I wanted him to, but I don’t want him to do it.”

Ron stared at her for a moment, then he let out a long sigh and his eyes softened.

”We had it all wrong from the beginning, didn’t we, Hermione? What we wanted was the complete opposite of what we both needed. I need someone who wants to settle down and have a solid family life. You need someone who is just as driven and ambitious as you are. I wouldn’t want what you and Snape have, because there isn’t any future in it,” he said.

Hermione didn’t say anything.

”Hermione, I care about you. I’m always going to care about you. But, I’m worried that you’re never going have the normal things in life that make it good and worthwhile. One day, you’re going to wake up surrounded by all your accomplishments, and realize you don’t have anything in your life that matters.”

”You don’t know that, Ron,” Hermione said.

”No. I don’t. But Hermione finding someone to love and love you back is more important than earning eleven NEWTs and having a great career.”

”There’s plenty of time for love, Ron. I’m young, too young to tie myself down with someone when there’s so much I want to do. I need to be free in order to pursue my dreams. I think companionship and friendship is more important than love right now.”

”So, that’s what you and Snape are? Friends?”

”And companions, yes. It seems to be working for us, too,” Hermione said, not adding that Snape believed himself to be in love with her. Ron would have taken that and used it against her.

”So Snape thinks the way you do, does he?” Ron asked her.

”Basically. Yes,” she replied, trying not to shift her eyes.

Ron studied her.

”Well, I hope you both will be happy, Hermione. But do me a favor—“

”What Ron?” Hermione asked him.

”Don’t try to dictate to me about love when you have no understanding about it, all right? What I want and what you want are completely different. You might be intelligent Hermione, but in some things, you’re not smart at all,” Ron told her firmly. “Susan’s worth pursuing seriously. You’re—not because you’re in a completely different place. Hermione’s World. One day, you’re going to have to leave that planet because it only has a population of one. Now, I have to go and walk Susan to class. I’ll see you later.”

Ron pulled out his wand and removed the Muffliato spell. He looked at Harry and Ginny.

”I have to go wait for Susan,” he told them. “I’ll meet you in class, Harry. Bye, Ginny.”

And he left the Great Hall, Hermione looking down at her empty plate.

”Are you all right, Hermione?” Harry asked her.

She looked at him and sighed.

”I’m fine, Harry. Just fine.”

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A/N: I kind of rushed through this chapter a bit. I’m babysitting the twins (7 weeks), Trinity (11 months) and little Terrill (3 years) so I have my hands full. I started this chapter this morning and finally managed to finish. I’ll be up to my neck in diapers and bottles for the rest of the day. Sigh. Well, it’s all part of being grandma, isn’t it? Thanks for reading.


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