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This Is The Way The World Ends.	By : tulipsaside Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 7312 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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 12. Today and Tomorrow Become One, Everything Has Come Undone.

Hermione was exhausted by the time her last class had ended. All she wanted to do was go to her rooms and fall dead asleep across her bed. However, she was to meet Harry in a few minutes to go to their meeting with Dumbledore. She was taking the stairs two at a time trying hard not to jostle into any of the other students on their way down to dinner in the Great Hall. Not for the first time, since coming to Hogwarts, did she silently wish for a lift. Her knee was aching and the bag on her shoulder was digging into her skin from all the weight of her books.

She rounded the corner on the sixth floor, deciding to take a short cut and avoid another flight of stairs. A bright light blinded her before she heard a loud bang. She blinked her eyes a few times trying to see where the noise had come from.

There just a few paces around the corner from where she stood was Severus, hanging by an ankle in mid air. He was thrashing around and trying to get his fist to connect with either Potter�s or Black�s head. He did not look particularly fussy as to which one.

Hermione groaned, "did they ever give him a break?"

Sirius� head turned swiftly, his wand jerking toward her quickly before casting "Expelliarmus." Her wand flew out of her hand, the movement causing her to stumble, twisting her already tender knee. She let out a gasp as she lost her footing, causing her to fall backwards. Her head connected with the hard stone corner of the wall with a sickening thud.

"Hermione!" Severus shouted. There was another bright light and he landed in a pile of robes.

James and Sirius rushed over to her, ignoring Severus, as he hurried to untangle himself.

"Get away from her." He hissed pushing Potter and Black away from her limp form. Blood was starting to matte in her hair.

"It was an accident." Sirius whispered, looking down at Severus as he kneeled in front of her checking her pupils and pulse.

"Isn�t it always, Black? A joke, a mistake, can�t you ever own up to your actions?" he sneered, running his hands under her neck.

James grabbed the front of Severus� robes. "Shut your slimy mouth." Sirius pushed James out of the way with a panicked look in his eye. "I can�t get expelled, Severus." he said seriously.

Severus looked at him, with revulsion. "Still always thinking of yourself? She could die!" Severus shouted.

Black said nothing, still looking at him with wide terrified eyes.

"Get out of my way." He said, heaving Hermione into his arms carefully and heading toward the hospital wing.

Sirius called after him. "What are you going to say happened?"

He ignored them, disappearing around the corner and out of sight.

Severus kicked the door open to the hospital wing, "Madame Pomfrey!" he bellowed.

The petite Mediwitch bristled out of her office looking bewildered. "What in the world? What has happened?" She asked, gesturing toward an empty cot for Severus to lay Hermione down on.

Severus hesitated for a moment, "It was an accident she fell and hit her head in the corridor, near the corner�s edge. I think she may have a concussion, but I couldn�t detect any neck injuries." He said quietly.

Pomfrey ran her wand over Hermione�s head, and neck, ignoring Severus. He moved further back out of the way, watching Hermione�s chest rise and fall with each breath. It seemed that nothing else was as important than fixing his eyes on the measured rhythm of her breathing. If felt as if something terrible would happen if he tore his glance away, even if only for a second.

The door thudded open again, before Harry and Dumbledore strode through.

"Hermione," Harry called, rushing to her side.

"Please Mr. Granger, you must allow me room to work." Simpered the tiny witch.

Harry fell back next to Severus, glancing up at him as Dumbledore walked quickly over to where they stood.

"What happened, Severus? Sirius told me he saw you carrying Hermione down here." Asked Albus, starring at Severus suspiciously.

"I was coming around a corner, we collided and she fell before I could catch her." He said simply still not taking his eyes of Hermione.

Harry growled. "How can something like that cause her to fall hard enough to do this kind of damage?"

Severus shook his head. "Her head caught the bottom ledge of the wall."

Albus looked over to Hermione; her hair fanned out under her, slick and stringy looking. The white of the sheet drenched in blood, looked vulgar under her head.

"Madam Pomfrey says she�ll heal. Though, she needs to give her a blood-replenishing potion."

Severus nodded quickly, still gripped with the panicky need to make sure she kept breathing.

"Come, let�s give her some privacy," said Dumbledore, with a hand on Harry�s shoulder, who started to follow the Headmaster out.

"No." said Severus.

"Severus," he said firmly, "you�ve done all you can. There�s no need to stay."

"I�m not leaving," Severus said fiercely.

Dumbledore opened his mouth but shut it quickly, he looked to Harry who was staring at Snape.

"If he gets to stay, then so am I," said Harry.

"Madam Pomfrey, these boys wish to stay, they give me their word that they will stay out of your way." Dumbledore gave Harry and Severus one last look before departing from the room.

When the door clicked shut, Harry whispered, "Severus, what really happened?"

Severus drew his lips into a very fine line. "Exactly as I have said."

"I don�t believe you," said Harry.

Severus spread his bloodied hands out before him and shrugged, his eyes still fixed on Hermione.

"I think they were messing with you again and Hermione got caught in the middle," said Harry watching for some sort of reaction.

Severus ignored him as Harry watched him for a moment.

"Why cover for them, why not tell the Headmaster?"

"I would have been expelled," answered Severus.

"Not if you hadn�t started the fight, you can�t be kicked out of school for self defence."

"I have been attending this school long enough to know its politics, Granger. You have only been here a little over a week. So believe me when I say, I would have been expelled and Black and Potter would have gotten away with a mere detention. They have done worse before and received far lesser punishments." He had said this all slowly and very quietly still keeping his eyes fixed to the cot Hermione lay on.

Harry let his eyes flicker to Hermione. "Do you think she�ll wake soon?" His throat was thick with concern. Harry looked back to Severus, noticing his eyes had yet to leave Hermione�s small form.

He looked to Hermione again then seemed to steel himself before saying. "If it wasn�t for you, I think she would have died." said Harry.

Severus continued to ignore him. Harry watched him closely before quietly saying, "I�m sorry for all the things they�ve done to you, and I know that might not seem like much coming from me." He swallowed slowly. "I just think things might have turned out different for you if they had left you alone." Harry kept glancing back between Snape and Hermione, wondering if she would wake up any moment and reprimand him for speaking so cryptically about Snape�s future.

"You don�t need to apologize for something that you had no hand in." Severus spoke softly.

"You�re right I don�t. Though I hope one day you can look back on this and remember that I at least tried."

Severus suddenly tore his gaze from Hermione and stared at Harry.

"What..." Severus started to say, before Hermione opened her eyes wide and gasped, starring at both of them.

"Hermione," shouted Harry.

Madame Pomfrey turned quickly striding over to where Hermione lay.

"Miss. Granger, you are very fortunate there was no swelling," she spoke sternly as if was Hermione�s own fault for falling.

"You may leave when you drink the entire contents of that vial," she said pointing to a headache potion on the bedside table. " I feel your knee was damaged more so than anything, so it shall be tender for a few days, therefore no strenuous activities and I want you right back here if you feel dizzy or nauseous," she finished, giving Hermione a dour frown before turning around and heading for her office.

Harry walked slowly to the bed before sinking down at the end. "How are you feeling?" he asked tentatively.

Hermione picked up the vial and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Like I split my head in two," she teased.

She turned to Severus who was still standing near the wall. "Thank you," she said.

He nodded once before turning to leave.

"You don�t have to go," she called quietly as his hand reached for the door.

"I�m sure you want your privacy," he said softly before heaving open the door.

She stared at the door for a few moments before Harry�s voice called back her attention. "I don�t think you should go with us," he said faintly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "I�ll be fine," she spat.

"Hermione, I can�t lose you. Not after everything that has happened," he said earnestly.

She seemed to soften a bit. "Harry, we discussed this before, I had my chance to turn back, and we�re in this together now."

He drew in a shaky breath, "I knew you�d say that. You�re too stubborn for your own good."

She smiled and threw back the covers swinging her legs around. She set her feet down carefully easing herself up supporting her weight on her right leg.

"Think they�re still serving dinner?" She asked.

"I doubt it, though I wonder why Madame Pomfrey didn�t bring you a dinner tray. She usually never lets a student leave without droning on about how malnourished they are." He shrugged, "We can sneak down to the kitchens."

"I don�t think I could handle the walk." She said, staggering toward the door.

He nodded, "Well then, let�s get you to your rooms and I�ll go have them send you something up." Harry took her arm and helped her out the door.
- 12
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- 14
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This Is The Way The World Ends.