Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

...After Happily Ever After	By : Lissa & snowblind12 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 25739 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling. I make no money off of these stories. This is just fun for me.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter Thirteen
"Wh-what did you say, Minister?" McGonagall shocked face stared at Kingsley Shacklebolt as her stiff form dropped into the chair behind the desk in her office.
"It was an ambush. Both of my aurors are dead as well." Shacklebolt looked grim and tense. "This is the fifth attack this week. I've lost three aurors and eight family members. We're putting all Muggle-born families under the Fidelius Charm. Did you send for them as I requested?"
"Yes, they should be here any moment. Why have these attacks not been in the paper?" McGonagall demanded, her lips as thin as parchment, grief filled her eyes.
"We're trying to minimize panic." The usually regal Minister of Magic looked careworn and defeated. "It has been a trying few months. We thought there was a good chance that there would be attacks last night – anniversary of Potter's deaths, end of the first Wizarding War and all, but we were not prepared for a mass attack on one residence."
There was a knock on the door and McGonagall stood, schooling her features. "Enter!" she said in a controlled voice.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione's anxious faces appeared on the other side of the door. They hadn't been called into the office all together since before Voldemort had been defeated.
"You wanted to see us, Headmistress?" Harry said cautiously, eyes flicking warily to Shacklebolt. "Hello, Minister."
"Yes." McGonagall's voice waivered and Shacklebolt gave a grim nod.
"I fear we have some terrible news," McGonagall started softly.
Hermione's blood ran cold at the sympathy in her beloved professor's voice. The three friends drew together cautiously, silently providing each other support
"I'm afraid there was an attack last night," Shacklebolt demurred gently. "There is no easy way to say this, so I'm going to come out and be blunt. Hermione, your parents were targeted, they are dead."
Hermione's knees buckled and Harry and Ron caught her elbows, pulling her into them, surrounding her on all sides. Ron looked devastated and Harry looked murderous. "What happened?!" he demanded, pulling Hermione into his arms as she started sobbing hysterically. "I thought you had aurors watching her parents?"
"We did, they are dead as well," Shacklebolt stated regretfully.
Hermione's sobs became silent as she ceased breathing, her grief choking her. Harry indicated for Ron to sit and pulled Hermione to the chair to sit with him. She was taking in nothing around her, her pain was all encompassing. After all she had done during the war to keep them safe, all the time she had lost with them. She hadn't even stayed with them for the summer! She was bursting into bits; her heart was shattering. Anguish crawling up her esophagus, choking her; crumbling her to pieces. Then she exploded. She had no words, just mournful noises ripping from her chest. She scrambled at Ron's chest, looking for purchase for flailing fingers. She gripped his robes and buried her forehead into his neck.
Ron started shaking with her, tears leaking from his eyes, holding her as tight as he could while Harry just touched her. Brushing her hair back from her face, whispering her name. Minerva slumped into her chair again, burying her face in hands. All of them aching with Hermione's agony and sorrow.
"Hermione," Harry whispered. "Hermione, we're here."
"Nooo!" The scream left her and made Harry's blood run cold at the utter desolation in her voice. Suddenly, she was thrashing out. Harry caught a blow to face and his glasses went flying. He scrambled to grab her wrists as she fought against the mind-numbing torment that was trying to destroy her very essence. He resigned himself to preventing her from hurting herself. More howling sobs cascading from her lips. Tears and mucus washed down her face, mixing and dripping off her chin. Ron conjured a handkerchief and gently cleaned her. When he'd done the best he could, Harry crushed her to him and Ron scooted close behind her, running a hand up and down her back. She struggled for a moment more before collapsing in a fresh wave of misery.
"We're here, Hermione, we're still here," he whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.
Much later the spent and overcome girl lay in Ron's arms, silent. Her eyes still streaming unstoppable tears with a vacant, faraway look. Ron had pulled her into his lap while Harry sat at their feet, rubbing small circles into her lower back.
The boys exchanged a silent look and Ron nodded, pulling Hermione closer and Harry stood and stepped back to the older adults who were murmuring in low voices to each other.
"What happened?" he demanded in a low, dangerous voice. "I don't understand how this could have happened."
Kingsley responded quickly. "As I said, we're pretty sure they were targeted. My aurors were outnumbered and taken down quickly. We think there was at least a dozen of them. They to-," he broke himself off and sent a searching glance at Ron and Hermione. When he was sure they could not hear, he continued. "They tortured the Grangers and then used the Avada curse."
"Do you know why they were targeted?"
"They left a message," Shacklebolt's voice went even lower and Harry had to move forward to hear. "They are after her."
Harry's face lost what little color it had left. "Do you know what this is about yet?"
"We have found no trace of any previous missing Muggle-born witches or wizards," the Minister looked haunted. "We've lost fifteen since August. Eight of them children under the age of eleven who were slotted to attend Hogwarts. The rest young adults in their late teens, early twenties. Two witches in their early 30s. Most female, but two twenty-year-old males have disappeared. They are simply vanishing."
Harry felt like he was going to be sick. "She must be protected! She will not be taken."
"She's safe at Hogwarts," McGonagall insisted. "Professor Snape will continue to keep a close eye on her."
Harry knew about this arrangement and nodded. "I agree he's the most qualified in this school to keep her safe, but what about when she's not here?"
"I think it's best she stays here through the end of the school year, maybe even through the summer," Shacklebolt returned.
"She'd be safe at the Burrow for the holiday's," Harry protested.
"She'd be safer here, under Professor Snape's watch."
"You don't think she'll want to be around loved ones over the holidays?" Harry countered, his patience slipping. "Her parents are gone. I know what it's like to not have a family. Holiday's only became great again when I found the Weasley's. She's going to need us."
McGonagall's lips pressed into a tight line again. "We have a few weeks to figure things out."
"What about funeral arrangements?"
"It's best that it's done quickly and quietly," Shacklebolt insisted.
"She'll need to bury them to help her heal."
"I agree, Harry," McGonagall sighed.
"How will this be explained to the Muggles?" Harry's questions were surprising Shacklebolt.
"You're going to make one hell of an auror, Potter," he said gruffly. "It will be written off as carbon monoxide poisoning. The house will be repaired and staged as soon as the investigation is over and we will phone it into Muggle law enforcement."
A curt nod from the black-haired boy was all that was returned. "Ron and I will stay with her in her dorm tonight." It was a statement, he was not asking permission. McGonagall nodded.
"I expected nothing else," she agreed.
"You stay with her, I'm going to get Ginny and Lizzie," Harry told Ron after they settled the shell-shocked Hermione on to her bed. "She's going to need us all."
It took him very little time to find Ginny, who paled so much her freckles stood out like black spots on a Dalmatian. "I'll get Lizzie," was all she said, after giving him a fierce hug. "I'll meet you in Hermione's room."
Lizzie was horrified. All she could think was it could have been her family, all her little siblings gone in the blink of an eye. Ginny stood with the shaking girl for a while, hugging her while she sorted her feelings. The guilt of her gratefulness that it was not her family was a bit overwhelming.
After about ten minutes, she turned wide green eyes to light brown. "Snape?" she questioned as both girls quickly made their way out of the Hufflepuff dorm.
Ginny and Lizzie both knew every detail about Hermione's relationship with Snape. All they had to do was listen to their friend talk about him to know she was completely in love with him, even if she hadn't said the words aloud.
"I can't imagine there's anyone else she would want right now," Ginny said hesitantly.
"How are Ron and Harry going to react?" Lizzie whispered.
"I think they would do anything to help numb her pain," Ginny breathed, trying to stop the tears from collecting in her eyes. "Harry was a mess when he came to find me."
"What if they don't react well?" Lizzie asked.
"I'll hex them both," Ginny said fiercely. "I know she's going to want him."
Lizzie nodded her agreement. At the stairwell to the dungeons they paused. "You go on," the blonde said to Ginny. "I'll get him."
"He doesn't know we know," Ginny reminded her. "You're going to have to word it carefully so you don't freak him out."
"I'll be fine, I promise," Lizzie assured her. "Just get up there by her. I'll be there soon."
Ginny raced to the grand staircase while Lizzie descended into the bowels of Hogwarts. Too quickly she found herself shaking at the doors to the Potion's classroom. She raised her hand and knocked firmly.
"Enter." Came a cool, detached baritone. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Snape looked up, a small grin on his face, expecting to find Hermione. Instead he took in an ashen faced Lizzie Williams who was standing frozen in his doorway.
"Can I help you, Miss Williams?" His tone was bored, disinterested, the smile quickly hidden and his normal collected demeanor put back into place.
"Yes, sir," Lizzie said quietly. She crossed the room, and much to Snape's surprise, she placed her palms face down on his desk and looked him straight in the eyes.
"I know about you and Hermione," she said quickly, her nerves making her unnecessarily blunt. Snape's face drained.
"Are you threatening me, Miss Williams?" His voice was grave and Lizzie was appalled.
"No, sir!" she exclaimed, stepping back quickly, horrified. "I'm doing this wrong."
"What exactly are you trying to do?" he demanded menacingly, standing.
Lizzie swallowed hard and her eyes rose to meet his again. "She needs you," she whispered.
"What do you mean 'she needs me?' Where is she?" His voice was dangerous, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lizzie thought she saw a glimmer of panic.
"Her parents were murdered last night," Lizzie said in a rush. "She in her room with Ginny, and Ron, and …" She broke off as she watched the professor stride quickly to his classroom door and leave her without a backwards glance.
She rushed to catch up. "What happened?" Snape commanded as he stalked down the hall. Lizzie, who was so much smaller, practically running to keep up.
"I'm not sure, sir," she could barely catch her breath. "I don't have the details."
Silence prevailed as they blew through the castle, receiving startled looks from the occasional students who were wandering the corridors on this cold Sunday in November.
At the door of Hermione's room, Snape paused and took a deep breath. He needed to see her, but he had to be honest with himself – he wasn't ready for Potter and Weasley to know about their furthered relationship. He would do it for her in a heartbeat, but what if she wasn't ready for them to know?
The Williams girl seemed to have read his thoughts. "I know she wants you sir," she whispered. "Ginny and I will help with the boys."
He gave a curt nod and steeled himself. A moment later he was pushing into her room, his eyes sweeping the scene.
Hermione was curled into Weasley, who was sitting in the middle of her bed Potter was on her other side and Ginny was at her feet, all three just watching and occasionally touching the silent, vacant looking girl. The noise of him and Miss Williams entering the room made them all look up in surprise.
"Why are you here?" Potter's voice was not rude or condescending, merely inquisitive. Snape didn't hear him, he just locked eyes with the bushy haired Gryffindor that was becoming the focal point of his life.
Seeing him brought a wave of relief to Hermione beyond what she could have expected. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes again and she gasped. He searched her eyes for a few seconds and she knew what he was asking. Do you need me? Is our secret safe with them? She nodded as the sob broke and pushed herself into a tall kneel, pulling away from Harry and Ron who looked stunned and bewildered.
"Severus," she whispered, reaching for him as Snape crossed the room in three long strides and pulled her roughly into his arms as a sob shattered the air. Harry and Ron looked stricken and relieved at the same time. It was the first word she had uttered in over an hour.
"I've got you," he murmured low into her ear, his heart seizing as another dreadful cry wrenched from her core. He didn't meet either boys' eyes, simply stared at Ginny, who did not look surprised to see him. Her eyes met his with a gratitude he did not expect. As Hermione clung to him, arms wrapped so tight around his shoulders it was almost suffocating, the rest of the Golden Trio slowly scooted off the bed and stood, warily circling the two.
"Did she just call him Severus?" Ron asked in strangled voice.
"What is going on?" Snape heard Harry say in a low voice, addressing the room at large. He tried to ignore their whisperings.
"They're gone," Hermione breathed brokenly into his shoulder between sobs.
"I know," Snape answered, pressing a kiss into her hair. "I'm so sorry, love."
"Love?" Ron choked, throwing a horrified glance at Lizzie and Ginny who were huddled near the door, trying to give Hermione some privacy.
"Did he just kiss her?" Harry demanded, his voice starting to sound dangerous.
"Harry, calm down," Ginny said softly, crossing the room to grab his arm. Lizzie also dragged Ron and they moved into the bathroom, the girls wanting to give the couple some privacy.
Harry couldn't seem to rip his eyes away from the two, his face turning an ugly shade of puce. He growled when Snape dropped another kiss on her forehead, his hands sliding too close to her bum.
"Harry!" Ginny insisted, pushing him into the bathroom.
Harry rounded on the girls and a shell-shocked Ron, who was gaping at Snape and Hermione over the tops of everyone's heads. Ginny pulled the bathroom door closed firmly and turned, leaning back against it.
"You're not going to cause a scene." She waggled her finger at Harry in a very Mrs. Weasley-ish fashion.
"What the hell is going on, Ginny?!" Ron demanded.
"SHH!" Both girls hissed together, glaring at him. Lizzie crossed her arms. With her being so petite, her anger would have been funny if it weren't for the lethal look on her face.
"Muffliato," Ginny muttered, pointing her wand to the door.
"They're seeing each other," Lizzie stated as if it was a natural thing for their best friend in the world to be with Severus Snape.
Ron went green and Harry paled. "What do you mean they're seeing each other?" Harry voice was deadly.
"She's in love with him," Ginny whispered and Lizzie gave her a cautious look.
"She's…in love…with…Snape?" Ron gagged as if he was going to toss his cookies and Harry looked thunderous.
"He's taking advantage of her!" He insisted, trying to get around Ginny who planted her feet and raised her wand threateningly at him. His eyebrows shot up into his hair.
"Stop, Harry," Lizzie insisted. "He's not, he loves her, too."
At the same time, Ginny snorted. "When has anyone ever taken advantage of Hermione Granger?!"
"Have they told you this?" Ron's whispered could barely be heard.
"When did this happen?" Harry fell onto the edge of the tub, flabbergasted.
"No, I don't think they've realized it yet," Lizzie said softly, eyes wistfully gazing at the door. She caught herself and turned back to the group. "You should have seen the look on his face when I told him what had happened, though. He was in a dead panic. Practically ran all the way here."
"I think it started this summer, you both know how often she visited him at the hospital," Ginny continued. Harry gave one sharp nod and Ron looked crestfallen.
"Why didn't she tell us?" Harry's hurt voice came out soft.
"Honestly," Ginny snipped, rolling her eyes. "And how well are you taking it right now? In this desperate time of need for her? If we hadn't been here to corral the situation – what would you have done?"
Harry winced at the truthfulness of her words.
"He's a teacher, though." Ron was still visibly shaken, face still an un-godly shade of sick. "She's a student. This is just morally wrong."
"She's nineteen-years-old, you guys," Lizzie huffed. "And more than mature enough to make her own decisions."
"Ron's not wrong," Harry stood, he understood Ron's discomfort all too well. It was Snape. No matter how wrong they had been about him during the war. "He's old enough to be her father."
"But he's not her father," Ginny said pointedly, eyes narrowing. "Pull it together, Harry. She's going to need him right now."
"She has us," Ron insisted, pallor turning from green to red as his anger started catching up with him.
"And she loves us," Lizzie stated simply. "But she's in love with him."
That drew Ron up short, the same words Hermione had used on the playground in June reversed. He deflated like a stuck balloon and Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat. They just wanted her to be happy.
Snape did his best to block the whispered conversation around him and focus all his attention and energy on the broken woman in his arms. She felt so frail like this, which was wrong, Hermione Granger was not a frail person.
"They're gone," Hermione breathed brokenly into his shoulder between sobs.
"I know," Snape answered, pressing a kiss into her hair. "I'm so sorry, love."
"It's my fault." She gagged on her worlds, more sobs blubbering into his shoulder.
"No, no." He dropped another kiss onto her forehead and smoothed his hands down her back, stopping just above her bum. He heard a growl, but ignored it. Miss Williams had said they would take care of the boys. He continued to focus his attention on Hermione. Petting her back with sure, sympathetic fingers. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the bathroom door click close.
If Hermione heard the Weasley boy shout, she didn't indicate it. She just continued to lay limply in his arms, tears now silently shaking her body.
A soft buzzing sound came from the direction of the bathroom door and he was glad one of them had thought to cast a Muffliato. "Come." He whispered to her as the sobs trickled to sniffs. He helped her off the bed the rest of the way and led her to her couch. He sat and reached out for her. She looked at him with so much sadness mixed with gratefulness his chest constricted painfully. She moved into his arms quickly, curling into him. He ran his wand down her nose and her sinuses cleared. Then he conjured a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her face.
"Thank you," she murmured, her sigh stuttering with the aftershocks of her tears. He trailed gentle fingers down the side of her face and she leaned into them, relishing his touch. She turned her face to them and kissed his fingertips, sliding her own hand up and lacing her fingers with his, pressing it to her cheek. "Thank you for coming."
"Nothing could have kept me away," he assured her, brushing his thumb under an eye to catch a wayward tear. He leaned to her and caught a tear from her other eye with his lips. She relished in the affection and brushed her nose against his, sighing, it was just what she needed in the moment. She angled her head and caught his lips.
He kissed her back gently, knowing it was the comfort she was after. He broke it after a short time and tucked her curly head onto his shoulder. She closed her eyes and snuggled in. It was then he realized they had an audience.
Weasley stood behind the group, hands clenched with a murderous look on his resigned face. Potter looked a strange combination of bewildered, regretful, and relieved. However, it was the soft smiles on the girls' faces he needed to relax.
"Ron," Lizzie said softly, taking his hand gently in hers. "Let's go get some food from the kitchens," she suggested. "We all need to eat. It will be easier for Hermione if we stay in here and keep things private for her."
Ron grunted, looking like he wasn't about to go anywhere. Snape narrowed his eyes at the redhead as he slipped an arm protectively around Hermione's slender waist. The grunt of disapproval from the boy almost made him laugh, would have if the situation weren't so dire.
"Ron," Lizzie insisted. He turned glaring eyes on her. "C'mon." She was successful in pulling him out the door. "We'll be back in a few." She called over her shoulder.
The room returned the silence, Ginny and Harry sat close on the edge of the bed, watching him and Hermione covertly while chattering to each other softly. It wasn't long until Snape felt the last bit of tension leave Hermione's body, and he knew she was asleep.
"What happened?" He demanded, capturing Potter's attention. The boy exchanged a look with his girlfriend before answering.
- 13
- 14
- 15
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...After Happily Ever After