Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Making sure the boy who lives, actually does...	By : h0lden Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 9115 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Chapter 13: A silly little girl she's not

With Hermione's arms still around his narrow waist, they returned into the Headmaster's office in a strange blur of navel pulling and colors. Hermione had her face buried deeply into the chest of his robes, and Snape tried to ignore the strange flipping in his stomach. He assumed he was getting nauseas from their traveling, and so was she...why else would she still be gripping him?

She felt very frail against him, as if one shove would send her falling back at an alarming rate. He half assumed this was from her fragile state, and he looked down at the top of her dark head in question. It was a strange thing to be embraced by someone; he was still waiting for her to jump back, and was puzzled when she didn't.

Was she always this touchy with people she couldn't stand? He barely saw her embracing those two fools she was in constant company with. Snape frowned deeply, the small crease between his eyebrows deepening as he idly wondered if he should tell her to get off of him.

No words were spoken as they appeared in the office with a resounding pop that made the several parties in the room turn in anticipation. Snape was near breathless with Hermione's firm grip still around him when they made their way into the office, where the other port key resided and Snape had assumed that Granger would let go of him the minute they appeared. But they were now, currently standing in the office and Miss Granger's arms were still in a death grip around Snape's waist.

"Severus?"

Snape himself flushing and seeing the Headmaster's suddenly confused look and hearing his words; Snape scowled and pried Herm off off of him. Her hands were a deal smaller in his own, and he idly wondered if she'd felt this soft and warm to him twenty years ago. Albus cleared his throat once more and Snape dropped her hands with a brisk movement that jolted her arm.

"Do try and stand on your own Granger." Snape hissed angrily, brushing his cloak off as if she'd rubbed dirt off on him. He glanced at her severely, seeing the dim look in her eyes and then, through clenched teeth, added. "Although due to the port key system of travel, it's no wonder you're dizzy."

Hermione lowered her hands foolishly, her face burning as she looked to the ground in shame. She'd been so caught up in embracing Severus one last time -unbeknownst to him-, that she'd completely last track of the time. She was flushing red, and she wasn't dizzy from the travel, she was spiraling in confusion. She gave a small glance up to Snape's face, enough to see that he was glaring at her, before lowering her head once more.

Severus was gone.

"Miss Granger." Albus said sternly, motioning for a seat beside the drowsy Harry. The three of them felt that pits in their stomach growing, none larger than the one Draco was harboring as he sat squirming in his seat, not making the Headmaster's knowing eyes.

Why, in less than a month Malfoy'd be old enough for Azkaban...that was a realization that hit him hard after tonight's events. He had a hand in the almost demise of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He had been an accessory to almost murder. And while this had been something he'd been elated with getting away with in the past, he had seen his true colors. Huldnuldn't murder even if he wanted to. He was disgusted with himself, thanking whatever higher power there might be, that his father wasn't alive to hear about this.

"Please join us."

"Yes sir."

Before Hermione could move past him to sit in the proffered seat, Snape whirred by her with a dramatic flip of his cloak. She felt the fabric on the back of her calves, and she held in a small shiver. He moved to stand near the office door, regarding the several students in the room.

Malfoy sat on a couch near the side of s' s' desk, looking paler than usual. In fact, he was turning quite a sickly shade of gray. Potter -at this Snape sneered- was groggily balancing in another chair across from Albus' desk, his light green eyes closing every now and then. He watched with rapt focus as Hermione placerselrself delicately in her chair, her eyes watery with fresh tears.

She hated this future.

As soon as she'd placed herself in the creaking chair, she saw as Albus glanced at the three of them, a look of uncertainty on his features. He seemed truly confused at the fact that Hermione was mixed in with all of this.

"I suppose," Albus began lightly, "We should start with the basics, for your benefits."

Hermione nodded emphatically, her dark eyes calculating as she looked to Albus with a scrupulous look on her pale face. She was doing her best to ignore Snape's darkened figure in the corner of the room, possible staring at her, and this was making her increasingly unsettled. How much did he remember?

"In this present time, you have been missing little over a week."

At this Hermione let out a small gust of air, Snape held in a smirk as he absently viewed this. Of course the biggest thing on the little bookworm's mind would be how much school she'd missed.

"Also,� Albus continued, tapping his fingers absently on the desk. "Your classmates have not been informed of the real root of your sudden departure. As fa the they know, you were on a special mission issued by myself." He titled his head slightly, giving them that knowing look. "And I'll assume it will stay that way?"

The three of them nodded humbly, even Draco who never agreed with anything the Headmaster said. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and made an unreadable face. Surreptitiously he looked to the photograph hidden in his desk drawer and let out a small sigh of relief. Hermione and Harry stood smiling with Ron in the photo, waving to the camera, and -most importantly- fully intact. Distracted a moment he looked to the half hidden Snape in the shadows of the office.

"Severus? Was there anything you wanted to ad?"

Snape didn't answer; he mere nodded in that cryptic way of his and sauntered over to the desk, facing the students with that predatory, and all too familiar sneer. Hermione was sure not to look into his eyes as he spoke, she was far too pained this evening as it was, but the fact that he was much closer than before was causing her heart to speed up dramatically.

"You three have been erased from everyone's memory in the past." Snape promised lightly, looking into the faces of his students and holding in a grimace. He noticed the normally noble Granger was looking to the floor. Undeterred and uncaring he continued breezily soft. "I cast the spell on those at the dance, and the remaining few in the shrieking shack. No one will remember you."

Severus will.

Hermione internally stopped herself from pursuing that thought further. It was stupid. Severus was gone, and in his wake stood Professor Snape renowned for his cruelty. She let her head raise then, her dark eyes glossy with unused tears. Her dark eyes searched the face of the man who wasn't looking at her, but glaring at Harry.

"Thank you Severus." Dumbledore said with a small smile, seeing the bitter man's sardonic gaze. "Have a pleasant evening."

"What's left of it." Snape added with a bitter curling of his lip. His dark eyes swept the students once more, resting a moment longer than usual on the Granger girl before sweeping out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

Hermione felt a bit more relaxed then with him gone, her mind still whirring as to the knowledge that Snape may know more than he was letting on. Did he know of his past rendezvous? Or had he managed to avoid those? Perhaps he was just waiting for the perfect moment to humiliate her...yes, that seemed his style entirely.

"And now.mblembledore said as the door slammed shut, leaving a horrid echo sound. His eyes fell on the worried students then, and all three of them acquired simultaneous winces at the words to come.

"For your punishment..."

In truth, the punishment for Hermione was really, nothing. She told her side of the story, Harry and even Draco verified that she tried everything to get Harry to stop, and then get them back, and in the end she was let off the hook. Although, she remembered a strange bemused look coming over Albus' face halfway through the talk, she ignored it.

She was moderately worried that Albus might had talked to Snape during their missing, and perhaps found out about what she and Severus jr. had been up to. Would Snape really confess to such altercations? This was after all, his younger self. But, Snape did really have a giant sense of duty when the time came.

The only drawback to this whole escapade was, she'd broken her time turner, and Albus was adamant about not reimbursing her -"They've proven to be much too dangerous, Miss Granger."- And even though she knew he didn't mean dangerous in her hands, she was still offended. This meant she'd have to drop some over her classes, how would she ever choose? She loved each and every one of her classes, -even potions to a certain degree- how could she choose which ones to drop?

She had then waited patiently for Harry who awaited his punishment. Seated next to him she was privy to the various blinking motions of his light eyes, the way he was leaning slumped in his chair, and wondering if she should take him to Madame Pomfrey after his punishment. He didn't seem too fazed with his punishment, and this worried Hermione even more.

Dumbledore in his usual, fatherly way to Harry though, decided that since the whole thing hadn't been done out of cruel spite -at this he had glanced at Draco briefly- his punishment hadn't been half as severe as Hermione had originally thought. Three months of detention, (only fair in her mind) No access to Hosgmeade until after Christmas (Expected) and a warning of expulsif Haf Harry ever did anything so dangerous -without proper cause- again.

He'd ended the small speech with, "Mister Weasley most disconcerted at your departure. I advice you tell as las little as possible, but in time, do check in with him. And now if you'd be so kind, Miss Granger, please take Mister Potter down to the Infirmary. I'd like both of you looked over just for safety's sake."

As Hermione and Harry had shakily stood and made their way out the office door, considering themselves to be beyond lucky, Hermione couldn�t help but overhear Dumbledore saying softly;

"And you, Mister Malfoy shall stay behind. We have several things to discuss."

Hermione didn't bother looking back.

* * *

In the end, Madame Pomfrey had decided that Hermione, Harry and Draco (if he ever arrived) should spend the night in the Infirmary, for observations sake -"Just to make sure you won't disappear on us overnight!"- Although Hermione thought them to be useless. Plus, after her Polyjuice potion incident in her second year, she wasn't too excited at the prospect of wearing those horrid nightshirts and sleeping on those scratchy cots.

Hermione also thought the whole ervaervation' to be just plain stupid as there was no documented way they could just transport back into the past if not with the aid of a time turner or something very magically potent.

She was a bit angry with Harry for losing her the time turner privilege, but she assumed as with anything in life, this was probably for the best. He also didn't seem to be in the mood to do any talking, he seemed bone tired.

After several minimal tests administered by a bloodshot eyed Madame Pomfrey, and a labored inspection of the groggy Harry who kept slipping into a sleep like state, they'd been given nightshirts to wear, and ushered into the stiff but warm beds of the Infirmary.

Harry had fallen asleep within minutes, the impact of the day and something else evidently weighing on his mind. The Infirmary had been empty save for the both of them, and with the lights off and Madame Pomfrey gone, the whole place was rather looming, hollow and a bit chilly even under the legions of blankets Poppy had smothered the both of them in.

Hermione had crawled into the uncomfortable bed -noticing it was still as scratchy as she remembered- and looked to the ceiling for the better paf thf the evening. She still fiercely blushed -even though no one could see her- at the memory of hugging Professor Snape so tightly this evening...He hadn't pulled away instantly.

It'll do no good to dwell on thoughts like that. she told herseirmlirmly, shaking her head slightly. But as with most thoughts that really stir a person, they didn't leave her.

She rolled onto her side, her dark eyes narrowing in thought as she pursed her lips at the darkness. She couldn't help but remember how she'd marveled at embracing the normally stand offish Professor. It had been on impulse that she'd done such a thing, almost a good bye. But she'd felt the broadened chest against her cheek, noticed that he no longer smelled of the outdoors and a special brand of soap.

She also remembered that in the past she'd noticed that Snape had dark brown eyes, but that his pupil just took up so much of his eyes that they appeared black. She'd noticed this again as she stared at him before he pushed her away and humiliated her.

She felt her chin quivering as she looked out into the darkness, her entire body shaking with unused tears. In time she felt the small droplets making their spiraling trail down from her eye to her cheek and then silently onto the pillow she rested her head on.

She let her lips form the name she could never speak of again.

"Severus."

* * *

"Hello Ron." Hermione said pleasantly the next morning, her uniform now on and breakfast on a tray on her hospital bed. She'd gotten up rather early, not wanting to miss the day, and hoping that Madame Pomfrey wouldn't want to administer new tests.

Ron waved from the door and gallantly came over to her bed. "Hermione! I was so worried."

Hermione smiled, leaned over and embraced him tightly to her a moment, realizing just how much she'd missed her redheaded friend. It had only been a week to Ron, but to Hermione and the rest of them, it had been over a month.

Hermione absently noticed Ron was reluctant to pull away from the embrace and internally let out a sigh. She had hoped that Ron would get over this schoolboy crush of his on her.

"Where were you two!" Ron managed to make out in that usual manner of his. His hands going all over the place in that twitchy manner of his. He sat on the edge of her bed, looking to her in wonder. "I came back and you were gone."

Hermione didn't say much of anything; instead let her dark eyes fall to her folded hands. She was going to make sure she obeyed Dumbledore's orders; she didn't want him to further distrust her.

"I can't tell you Ron."

She heard Ron sighing fresideside her bed in the chair he'd pulled up and inwardly winced at the prospect of being grilled. She had often been on the receiving end of Ron�s frequent �come on and tell me� speeches, and she wasn�t a big fan of them.

"You know, I'm not completely thick Hermione."

That was a surprise.

Hermione's eyes darted to meet Ron's as he leaned back smugly in the chair. His light eyes twinkled in a manner sickeningly like a joyful Albus, and a look Hermione could only take as being supercilious. She folded her arms over her chest and gave him a withering look.

"And just, what is that supposed to mean?"

Ron leaned forward, his hands on his knees and his mouth turned up in a puzzled fashion. "Hermione," He finally started after a moment's deliberation. "It was me who found you were missing in the first place, me who found the disappearing pictures."

Hermione remembered Albus explaining about the pictures. She'd been most eager to find oow tow they'd known where they were. Plus she'd been on the look out to see if Albus let it slip that Snape had informed him of anything odd. He hadn't.

"The Headmaster didn't tell me much," Ron continued on haughtily, as Hermione stared at him. "But I'm fairly capable of drawing my own conclusions. You went back into the past didn't you? The only question is why did you bring along Malfoy?"

Hermione felt her worry rising, although it wasn't as if she'd told Ron. He'd merely come to his own conclusion that happened to be accurate. Deciding that she'd have to swear Ron to secrecy, she told him everything. Well...almost everything.

She left out falling in love with Severus Snape.

In the end Ron's eyes had gone as wide as dinner plates as Hermione stifled a giggle. The blue of his eyes a mere dot in the enlarged eyeballs in their sockets. In he end he let out an oh so articulate; "Woah..." and shook his head muttering something about Malfoy.

Hermione nodded, smirking a bit at her friend's reaction then stopped as she wondered about Draco. Although he was a bastard, he hadn�t killed her. He could have, for all he knew, he�d have gotten away it. it. But he hadn�t. He had a shred of decency within him and Hermione was grateful.

Idly her eyes slipped over to where Harry was suddenly waking up, stretching soundly and making small grunts as he rose himself to a sitting position, reaffixing his glasses. Hermione frowned, seeing that her friend still had that vacant look in his light eyes. Strange.

"I'd better go see Harry." Ron said with a small smile to Hermione. "And don't worry, I won't say a word to anyone."

With that he gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and headed over to where Harry sat, blinking at the dim light in the Infirmary. Hermione smiled in relief, suddenly very glad to be back in the future. She looked to her breakfast plate, and grasping some toast spread a thin layer of marmalade on it for flavor.

As she ate her toast she wondered what today would hold. If she remembered correctly, it should be Sunday. The library would be full, as would the common room. She looked to the window across from her bed and saw rainy day they were having. She found she was suddenly irritable, but she had a feeling it wasn't on account of the weather.

"Miss Granger." came the silken purr a few steps away. Hermione in sudden frightspedsped and in the process began coughing as some unfelt crumbs made their way into her windpipe.

After an unflattering moment of hacking and coughing into her hand, and many gulps of water later, she was done. What was Snape doing here?

"Finished?" he mused lightly.

She let her dark eyes drag to that of her Potion Professor's face. He looked so dark in contrast to the lily-white complexion of the Infirmary. As she let her eyes rest on his own she felt her breath leaving her. Oh my... It was if she was falling for him all over again. It didn't matter that he was twenty years older, or if he was a surly bitter and openly rude man now...she'd known better.

"Hello Professor."

"Since you don't appear too busy this morning, Miss Granger." Snape said with a hint of bemusement. "You won't mind coming to my office."

Hermione suddenly felt her body tensing, her fingers grasping the edge of her bed sheets as she stared at him. Why would Snape of all people, want to be alone with her in his office? On a Sunday no less?

But still, Hermione was still a student, and Severus was now a Professor. She had been brought up with manners and respect for one's teachers. Now as she gingerly slid off the bed, she looked to his pale face and nodded respectfully, trying not to stand too close to him.

"Yes sir."

Snape looked down at her with a single raised eyebrow, impressed that she wasn't being strange like last night. Turning on one heel he moved for the door to the Infirmary, not waiting to see if Hermione caught up with him in time.

As Hermione gathered her things and raced after the Professor already out of the room, Ron at Harry's side, watched with a wary eye after witnessing the altercation between Hermione and Snape. He had a feeling Hermione hadn�t told him everything.

He was suddenly very suspicious.

* * *

"Do hurry up." Snape said over his shoulder as they rounded on his office door. Hermione had been jogging for the better part of their time walking to his office together, and Hermione was getting tired.

"Sorry sir."

Finally outside his office door, he unwarded it and preceded Hermione into the office, his shoulder a few inches from her lipshe dhe did so and his footsteps the only sound in the dark room lit only by a few candles.

It smelled like something familiar, something nice smelling and comforting, but Hermione couldn't recall what it was. She looked into the barren room, suddenly very worried at what was to come next.

�Oh stop acting childish.� Snape snapped, seeing her worried state at the doorframe, the light behind her giving an almost unearthly glow about her. �Close the door behind you and be quick about it. I haven�t all morning.�

�Yes sir.� She mumbled softly, preparing to close the door behind her, and in the process sealing off her freedom. Now it was just she and Snape, alone in his increasingly stuffy office. She willed herself not to break down and tell him everything about the past. She stopped herself from throwing herself into his unwilling arms and kissing him until she was breathless. What would be the point? He�d growl, deduct points and humiliate her. Why make her last year here a living hell?

Instead Hermione stepped tentatively into the foreign office and looked around it absently, trying to appear aloof whilst she took in Snape's dwellings. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness in a few moments and she realized his office was what she had rather expected it to be like, in her mind.

It was dimly lit, but the room was dark in itself. Dark walls, dark books, dark carved wood on chairs and bookcases and desks. Why, Snape was almost a walking shadow in this place. His lank frame was ensconced in the inky pool, his face and hands the only brightness in the room.

Hermione viewed as he lit a few more candles with his wand, those long and masterful fingers. Hermione swallowed thickly, fanning herself lightly with her hands as she looked to the art pieces on the walls. They were mostly dark shades, very vivid in description and detail though, almost as if they were photographs.

She looked to his face, seeing that he was staring at his desk. And for a brief moment, she almost saw the young man of her dreams, over his cauldron peacefully adding ingredients and seeming so very in his element. She almost saw the sweet grin that Severus had acquired sometime in their brief �relationship�, and she almost felt the warm arms of him as she told him to be careful that one night. She still loved him.

She viewed him looking to his desk more thoughtfully and arranging ps ons on it in a slow and languid fashion. Hermione thought this odd on his part, for when Snape called you to his office, it was for a reason. If she didn't know better, it would appear he was trying to stave off the inevitable speech he had in mind.

"Take a seat." he suddenly ordered gruffly, placing himself in the chair behind his desk and motioning idly to the chair across from the said object. Hermione nodded and placed herself in the creaking, and very uncomfortable chair. She had been expecting such. Snape didn't seem the type to approve of visitors in his office staying for long bouts of time.

She didn't move and didn't speak, for she didn't feel the need. Instead she looked to his desk and at the papers, and the inkpot that held his dark quill. She saw the various papers with large D's and F's on them, and she still refused to meet Snape's eyes, even when she felt he was staring at her.

Snape looked to Hermione uncerly, ly, wanting to study her a moment without having to listen to her talk. But it seemed she was more comfortable under his gaze, and instead of rambling on in fear she was silent, looking everywhere but at him.

It was odd to be like this with her, for he knew that twenty years ago they had shared something special, evidently. Well, special to her anyway. But now she was a student, and a frighteningly smart one at that and he was worried after last night.

He'd had quite the dream -no, memory- that had unsettled him greatly. It had been the cause of him fetching Hermione this morning, and would be the root of their surely uncomfortable conversation afterward. Well, uncomfortable mostly for her.

The memory had been of the night he'd traveled back to save the three twits. If memory served, he had been nudging Miss Granger with the tip of his wand, down the long tunnel to the Shrieking shack. They talked, and suddenly he felt his heart overflowing with something he didn't understand. He suddenly didn't care if Lucius berated or hurt him, and he wanted to let Hermione go.

She had wanted to save Potter Then that Malfoy had come onto the scene and buggered up everything. Snape remembered as his younger self bound Hermione to the wall, saw the panic and fear in her eyes as he -knowingly with Hermione's faulty wand- pointed it at her pale face.

But it wasn't any of this that truly startled him, it was watching her face and her eyes as she'd called out; "I love you." to him, and meant it. He felt that she meant it. Even alseep anvingving the dream, Professor Snape had felt his breath leave him at the words.

He'd caught up with Lucius, Peter and Severus later that evening, whilst Hermione and Harry had been in the Infirmary. Deciding that everything needed to be dealt with, he'd cast a small memory charm on them, as he had with Sirius and later, Lupin. But how had he these memories, if his younger self had been under a memory charm?

Professor Snape watched Hermione as she sat across from him, her dark hair almost covering her face. He'd never really seen her as anything but annoying, but after the onslaught of memories, he saw just how brave she was. She had almost given up her own life to try and save Harry's. She'd trusted Snape when no others would, and most importantly, she'd loved him.

This was causing very strange and unwelcome feelings to stir within him.

It would have been all too easy to crush Hermione Granger, for when it came to situations regarding that of the romantic persuasion, it was strikingly obvious that she was so very green. He could have laughed in her face, and told her that he remembered what had happened. He could have acted disgusted and told her she was pathetic for falling under such an easy trap. He could have told her that he remembered everything and that she should be ashamed at what had happened and that no matter what, he'd never loved her. But he didn't.

Because it wasn't true.

Instead he leaned forward in his chair, folded his hands on his desk and stared very hard into the face of Hermione. He'd sat down in this meeting to make her more at ease. When she felt his gaze on her this time, she managed to raise her head and meet his dark eyes. How would he phrase it?

"Miss Granger." Snape said lightly, looking to her thoughtfully. His eyes were narrowing, and his lips were pursing in thought. Oh those lips of his. Hermione felt her heart beating unnaturally fast, and jumped painfully as he spoke the words she'd been praying he wouldn't all along.

"Why did you fall in love with me?"
__________________________________

author's notes:
I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've been on a job search, and just yesterday found out I have one! huzzah! Anyway, thanks for your patience.

At Kajisgirl's request, I made this chapter a bit shorter than usual. If that's the format everyone likes, I don't mind doing so in the future. Thanks for all the reviews!

Thanks to all the reviewers out there! cheers. holden.

12

13

14

You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Making sure the boy who lives, actually does...