Chapter 73: Infringement Of Order

The Tent, Uncharted Forest, Unknown World...

The tale tell sign of someone interfering with his wards had jolted the werewolf Potions Professor from his contented slumber. His obsidian eyes had been focused in the blanket of darkness that surrounded them, a tell tale sign that it had been much too late in the day for anyone to be traveling about in the darkness. The faint silvery glow of his eyes had enabled him to see that Hermione has still been fast asleep. The witch had been quite worn out from the night's previous antics and showed no signs of rising early. The Potions Professor moved through the darkened tent noting that Draco had been snoring up a storm as well much too contented in his slumber on the count of his full belly.

Unwilling to venture into Lupin's territory, Snape noted from the soft snores coming from their side of the tent that Tonks had been in bed and the whiff of wet dog had been the tell tale sign that Lupin was with her. Apparently, satisfied that everyone whom had been among him before he turned in to bed had indeed been in bed, Snape made his way out into the crisp cold of the early morning. The dew had made the ground soggy as his pale bare feet pressed against the surface of the forest floor.

The unwanted stench of what appeared to be wizard had gotten his attention near the western barrier. His wards were much too powerful for the average wizard to break and it seemed to give whomever was trying to pass them great pause. The longer Snape assessed the likely candidates to attempt such a thing the more it became apparent that the early morning had brought with it a new set of problems as the occupants of the tent found themselves awakening to what appeared to be a demonstration of power on the part of The Ministry of Magic to keep the half-bloods in line and root out all the unregistered inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest.

As the group of weary witches and werewolves slept, a small band of barrier officers had taken an interest in the magical signatures coming from the eastern quadrant of the forbidden forest. A covert group was dispatched to investigate the magical anomaly and had stumbled upon what appeared to be the outline of a ward. Upon further readings it had come to the attention of the groups leader that the powerful magical signature belonged to none other than Severus Snape, resident Potions Professor of Hogwarts.

Dolores Umbridge had taken a special interest in the dour wizard since her time at Hogwarts as High Inquisitor.

She had her suspicions that Snape was much more than a common mongrel in men's clothing as many of the other werewolves had been that she had come in contact with, and as such, she wished him captured for inspection before making an example of him before the entire wizarding world. To say the toad-faced harpy had bore a grudge was an understatement.

A snap of a twig had gotten the rather jumpy guard's attention and they waved their wands at their very shadows. Snape watched them with apt curiosity as they managed to fail quite a few times at cracking his wards. One of the rather unfortunate guards made the mistake of crossing a tree that had been marked by the werewolf and it prompted Snape into action.

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The Tent, Uncharted Forest, Unknown World...

Hermione awoke to find herself in bed alone as she looked around for her lover and found him gone. His side of the bed had been cold suggesting he had been up for quite some time despite the hour. Suddenly fearing he had succumbed to the call of Luna once again, Hermione quickly spelled on some attire and raced out of the tent into the open morning air.

She had been quite relieved when she noted the fully dressed Potions Master carrying quite a few logs for a fire as he neared the tent. His eyes had a trace of something wild behind them as he greeted her and taking in the scent of jasmine from her hair.

"What are you doing up so early?" asked Snape with an arched brow.

"Looking for you." replied Hermione seemingly inspecting him as she watched him sit the logs down in a bid to scoop her into his rather impressive looking arms.

Snape lifted the witch with ease pressing his pale lips into her soft pink ones.

"Here I am." he said with something of a sly smile as he held her close to him.

She took to stroking his sallow pale cheek before they exchanged another series of kisses. He had loved the way she tasted noting with vivid detail the distinctive flavor of her lips on his own as he continued to gain the upper hand in the exchange. The young witch had been caught off guard when she felt his tongue slip into her mouth and dance along with her own.

Hermione pulled back with an inquisitive expression on her face.

"That's different." she said noting the strange glow behind his eyes once more.

"Is it?" asked Snape seemingly amused.

"You've never...well done that before." she said rather nervously.

"Mmmm." he replied as he continued to look her over. "Should that be a concern?"

Hermione shook her head not knowing what to make of the subtle changes in her wizard. She attributed it to his beast side seeping into his mortal form.

"Only a little." she replied.

"Make note of it then." he said holding her tight to him as he spelled the logs toward the tent. "For now...it is far too early for you to be moving about in this cold, delectable little witch of mine."

With that, The Potions Master carried Hermione back into the tent. Unbeknownst to her and the inhabitants of the other corners, Snape had easily dispatched the pesky barrier patrol units sent his way.

Their severed remains had piled below the camp grounds as he buried them from view and ensured no one would trace their whereabouts especially a aptly curious Hermione Granger.