Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Broken Dreams	By : onecelestialbeing Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 34536 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I make no money from this story, own nothing of Harry Potter, haven't met any of the people (except Alan Rickman and sadly that was brief)

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I don't think I'm supposed to do shoutouts up here BUT let's say that I read each and every one of your reviews and smile like a loon and they appreciated. And no, Midnight isn't an Animagus, just a naughty kitty with a penchant for trouble. He's actually based off my sister's black cat named Midnight, whom is just as bad.

Severus was still standing in place for a while after Hermione fled. He was finally shaken out of his daze when Midnight decided to come out of hiding, rubbing up against his legs. Wordlessly picking the cat up, Severus walked over to his desk and absentmindedly set him down on top of a pile of parchment. His mind was too preoccupied to even notice that he'd taken to chewing on one of his best quills.

"Severus, my boy," he heard a familiar voice call out from behind his head.

Severus didn't answer as he sat brooding in silence, distractedly staring at the small black kitten that was wreaking havoc on his desk.

"Severus, do you not wish to speak to me?" Dumbledore's voice asked kindly.

"Not particularly, no," he curtly answered.

"I don't wish to pry, but why did you not fully explain to Miss Granger what happened?"

Severus slammed one hand down on his desk, causing Midnight to stay in place yet glare at him almost accusingly. "I'm sure, Albus. It's bad enough that I had to modify her memories, but to explain that I'd mucked up my last attempt in the process? Surely you realize that it may very well be irreparable."

"Isn't there a saying, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'? It's not as if you were able to predict the outcome of it all, but clearly you meant well."

Severus gave a scoff. "A load of good that will do me now."

"Go after your young lady then; make her see reason."

"Did you not see the look in her eyes?" he answered in a pained voice. "It's as if she hates me. What sense would it make to go after her now?"

The elderly wizard chuckled from his frame. "Miss Granger doesn't hate you, I can assure you of that. She's just a bit overwhelmed right now, understandably so. Go find her and make amends, it's not too late."

Throwing Dumbledore a sour look, Severus roughly pushed his chair back and stood up, stalking out of his office.

Once Hermione left Severus' office, she had no specific plans on where to go. All she knew was that she needed to put as much distance as possible between the headmaster and herself. She was still crying when she ran through the empty corridors of Hogwarts, dashing out through the large double doors and past the gate.

She'd gotten all the way to Hogsmeade, her sweat dampened body shivering slightly in the brisk air from lack of a cloak. The events of the past fifteen minutes made her head swim and stomach churn. She felt as if she wanted to throw up the small bit of breakfast she'd forced down that morning.

Noticing a small group walking in her direction, Hermione ducked to the side of one of the shops, trying to keep her tear-dampened face out of sight should she be recognized. Her entire world felt as if it had been shaken, turned upside down, stamped on and then kicked away.

Deeply inhaling with a shudder, Hermione forced herself to calm and attempt to rationally think about her next move. Going back to Hogwarts was out of the question, and she couldn't linger around Hogsmeade for fear of Severus finding her.

'I'll go home then,' she said to herself, thinking about her childhood home. Without a second thought she Apparated out of view.

Standing in her back garden did little to pacify Hermione. Her stomach was still in knots and the pull of Apparition made everything worse. After becoming violently sick into the grass, Hermione walked onto her deck and collapsed into a chair, desperate for the spinning in her head to stop.

When she was finally able to stand again, she walked over to the backdoor that led into the dining room. Hermione looked around before surreptitiously pulling out her wand, murmuring 'Alohomora' under her breath to open the door. Becoming agitated when the spell didn't work, she used every other spell known to break wards, each attempt fruitless as the next. Finally Hermione resorted to using her hand, twisting at the knob only for it to grow heated and burn her flesh.

Fanning her hand about and fighting back a scream, Hermione remembered that Severus had been the one to set the wards on her house. Apparently, he'd done such a corking job that even she was unable to enter. Feeling tears of frustration prickling her eyes, Hermione went back to the little cast iron chair and sat down.

Her day had started off well enough, considering that she was a nervous wreck as she deliberated over her Potions exam. But that had given her little difficulty and she'd felt a tremendous weight lifted from her shoulders once it was over with. The idea of Severus keeping his promise to her hadn't even crossed her mind, and Hermione felt her fury rising even further at the thought of letting him so close.

Then she'd accidentally fallen into the Pensieve, only to find out something most crucial that had been hidden from her, and she felt completely lost.

'One step forward, two steps back,' Hermione bitterly thought, wiping her face against her sleeve. The day had been seasonably cool and everyone was inside of their homes, something she was thankful for. The last thing Hermione wanted to do was explain her wardrobe to the neighbors or why she was skulking about crying in the back of her house.

Hermione felt more and more discouraged the longer she sat. She was unable to get into her house, even using the spare key hidden in the hollowed rock under the step would prove pointless as the glowing doorknob threatened to melt the flesh off her hand. All of her belongings were back in her room at Hogwarts, the only thing on her person being her wand and the clothes on her back.

Reaching the end of her tether, Hermione cast her Patronus, watching as the silver otter dashed across her yard before disappearing into a burst.

A few minutes later, she was still sitting in a dazed state when Luna Apparated into the yard, immediately hustling over to Hermione.

"What's wrong?" she softly asked, noting the distressed look on her friend's face.

"Everything," Hermione answered in a small voice, wrapping her arms around her body. She felt slightly less hysterical now that Luna was next to her. Hermione thought about sending her Patronus to Ginny, but reasoned that she was most likely at the Burrow and would cause questions to arise if she suddenly disappeared. She was just thanking her lucky stars that both girls knew where she lived as Luna had been able to come on such short notice.

"Did you and Professor Snape have a row?" Luna continued, her tone sounding non-judgmental.

Hermione swiftly turned her head, her brown eyes widening at the question. She wondered what Luna knew about her and Severus, and most importantly how did she know.

"I've seen the way you two look at one another. It's subtle and no one else would notice it, but I do," she commented in her tranquil voice. "Plus I figure you're the reason that he's been nicer as of late, well, nice for him as it were."

If Hermione could have been knocked over with a feather at that moment, she would have fallen clear off her chair. Luna had openly admitted that she knew about Hermione and Severus, and instead of cringing in horror she was merely looking back at her friend, her blue eyes clear and calm.

"Yes, I guess you can say that we had a row," she finally answered. "And he's warded my house to the nines and I can't get inside! All I have with me is my muddled brain and my wand."

Her eyes welled up with tears again, and Hermione didn't bother with attempting to stop them.

"Come with me, Hermione," Luna told her, taking hold of her hand.

"Luna, I can't go home with you. You live too close to the Weasleys'. Not to be rude, but I'd rather not see Molly or Ron right now."

"We're not going to my house," she replied, urging her friend to stand up. "We're friends, right? And I wouldn't be a very good friend if I left you here alone."

At the mention of being left alone made Hermione reflect on the Pensieve image of a mauled and bleeding Severus lying desolately on the dungeon laboratory floor, kicking her sobs up into a lusty state.

"It's all right, Hermione. Let's go," Luna reassured, holding onto both of Hermione's hands and Apparating them out of view.

Hermione was still blubbering away when she and Luna landed in what looked like an ornate library. She immediately collapsed down onto a black. leather sofa, burying her face in both arms and completely ignoring her surroundings.

Luna sat down next to Hermione, putting a comforting arm around her, but she was inconsolable. Only when she quieted down some did she allow Luna to pull her to lay down on the sofa, her head resting on her lap while she ran her fingers through her disheveled curls.

Wrung out from her racing emotions, Hermione closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and causing her body to shudder. Hermione had become so unhinged that she barely noticed the creak of the library door being pushed open, followed by the two familiar male voices.

"Bloody hell...is that...Granger?" Draco asked, peering down at the rumpled looking witch curled up against Luna.

"What happened to her?" Blaise countered, seeing Hermione's damp, blotchy face.

"All I found out is she got into a strop with someone," Luna lightly replied, not wanting to spread her friend's personal business. "Then she was unable to break past the wards at her house. She was outside when I found her."

"Why couldn't she break past the wards to her own house?" Draco queried, sounding baffled.

"I don't know, Draco," Luna patiently replied. "Where is Ginny, by the way? I thought she was supposed to be coming here."

"She is. Apparently her and Weaselbee got into it again and she needed a few extra minutes."

"All right. Well can you please let her know that we're up here?"

Draco nodded his head before disappearing out of the library with Blaise.

When Ginny finally arrived via Floo Network to Malfoy Manor, she ran straight up to the library when she heard about Hermione. "What happened?" she asked, sitting down on the opposite side of Luna, staring down in alarm at Hermione.

"I think she should be the one to tell you that," Luna said, her voice barely higher than a whisper.

Just then Hermione's amber eyes fluttered open, and she sat up to find Ginny and Luna peering intently at her.

"Hermione love, are you quite all right?" Ginny asked concernedly.

"No...not really," she croaked out, slowly shaking her head.

"Come along then, let's get you sorted. You can tell Luna and I all about if you want, or you can stay completely silent. I promise we won't be insulted."

Hermione managed a wry smile, allowing Ginny to help her up as she followed her and Luna out of the library. She was led to a lushly decorated bedroom, although suite was probably a more suitable word for it. A huge four-poster canopied bed dominated the large space, a chaise across from it. A small table with chairs stood by the large bay windows, and there was a low burning fire at the hearth.

After all three witches had taken off their shoes, Ginny told Hermione to get on the bed, only for her to protest.

"But my dress is filthy," she argued. "I can't lie down like this."

"Oh please, as if we don't have wands," Ginny scoffed, giving her friend a little shove. "Up you go, come on then."

Hermione was too worn out to challenge Ginny, and climbed onto the massive bed and crawled towards the center. Luna and Ginny flanked her on either side, all three of them reclining back amidst the overstuffed pillows.

"It feels odd laying down fully dressed like this," Hermione mumbled.

"Oh stuff it, Hermione. Besides it's not as if Draco gives a nifler's arse about us being fully clothed and in bed. The picture of the three of us like this now would most likely make his jaw hit the floor, in fact, if he was to walk in right now."

Right on cue, Draco knocked at the door and entered, Blaise behind him. Just as Ginny predicted, his grey eyes went slightly wide at the sight of the three witches pressed against one another beneath the duvet.

"You lot having fun?" he smirked.

"Why, are you jealous?" Ginny shot back.

Little by little, things began clicking into place in Hermione's mind. "I'm actually trying to wrap my head round the idea that I'm in your house and in this bed, Malfoy," she began. "But after the day that I've just had, I guess nothing should surprise me."

"By the looks of it, Granger, your day was pretty rough," he replied.

"That's the understatement of the year," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Draco, if you're done interrogating us, can you please have a house-elf bring some tea?" Ginny cut in.

Hermione's eyes widened at the bossy tone that Ginny was taking with the younger Malfoy. She'd also just noticed how Luna and Blaise were casting one another furtive glances.[2]

"Anything you'd like, Miss Weasley," he drawled. "Perhaps you'd like me to polish your broom for you? Clip any loose straws and such?"

"Draco, I'm going to clip you, you cheeky thing," she laughed. "Now you and Blaise get out; we need some proper girl time."

Draco grumbled halfheartedly but ambled out of the room, muttering a reply underneath his breath. A few minutes later the house-elf appeared, bearing a tray with a teapot and assorted biscuits.

"Hermione, love," Ginny began when she noticed her friend's eyes beginning to water again. "Is it that bad? You didn't even notice the wall-to-wall bookshelves in that monstrosity of a library, and that's not like you."

Hermione attempted to laugh through her sorrow, taking the offered handkerchief that Luna conjured out of thin air for her. "Thank you," she croaked, wiping at her face with it. "I rather not discuss it, not now at least."

"That's all right," Luna told her.

Relieved that her friends weren't going to press her for more information, Hermione took a deep breath and turned to Ginny. "Should I even ask why I'm in Malfoy Manor right now? Hell, why we're here? Surely Mr. Malfoy is going to come storming in, ready to poke us with that walking stick."

Ginny gave a small laugh. "No, I promise you he won't," she said reassuringly. She then flashed her wrist at Hermione, gesturing to her gold and emerald bracelet. "I'm very much welcome here. Besides they're gone on holiday."

"You and Draco?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "How in bloody hell did that come about?"

"Heh, I'm not the only one," Ginny snickered. "Luna there and Blaise seemed quite cozy with one another as well."

"I don't think Blaise fancies me like that," Luna loftily replied.

"Like hell he doesn't," Ginny retorted. "Anyway, Draco and I sort of came as a surprise. I'd seen him right before the start of term, shopping in Diagon Alley. Actually, we'd literally crashed into one another, and I was ready to hex him when he knocked my ice cream right out of my hand. The blonde prat was about to walk away until I threatened that if he didn't buy me another to replace the one that had fallen on the ground, I'd send a Bat-Bogey right in his direction."

"That sounds like a promising start," Hermione wryly interjected.

Ginny shook her head, giving a small laugh. "I'm telling you, nothing happened then. Oddly enough he was a perfect gentleman, siphoning the ice cream stains off the front of my robes with his wand before walking me back to Fortescue's."

"Really, Ginny. And no one had anything smart to say?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "I'm of bloody age; what could they tell me? Don't talk to Draco Malfoy? He's not the same git that he was before, to tell the truth. But then again, I guess none of us really are."

Hermione and Luna were silent, both in agreement with her statement.

"You still haven't told me how you two started dating," Hermione said.

"Oh," Ginny sniffed. "Well, obviously it was hard to during the school term, but he'd sent me an owl asking if I wanted to meet him in Hogsmeade at the weekend. Honestly, I was hesitant at first, especially considering that damned book with his father and then everything I was going through with Harry. But once that was over with, I relented."

"How did you go around without anyone seeing you? You know your classmates are gossips; they'd give Rita Skeeter a run for her money."

"They'd go where no one would find them," Luna answered for Ginny, whom leaned up slightly, peering over Hermione to shoot her a crooked grin.

"Precisely," she beamed. "Stealth is apparently one of Draco's fortes. He'd taken me to places that I hadn't even known were in the area. We both wanted to keep things under wraps for obvious reasons, but we still had fun. It was a bit of a refreshing change from Harry's doom and gloom."

Hermione was unable to bite back the laugh that erupted from her mouth. She loved Harry - he was her best friend for the past eight years - but she understood all the same. "You still didn't tell me how we ended up here."

"Oh! That's simple," Ginny replied. "Draco simply asked me if I wanted to spend some time with him over the summer hols. Honestly, we've been seeing each other for the past few months, but a few hours skulking about isn't exactly quality time, if you know what I mean."

"Ugh, I think I know...but I'm not sure if I want to know," Hermione grimaced.

"Oh shush," Ginny retorted, nudging her foot beneath the duvet. "It's not like that, not yet at least. He said his parents didn't mind if he had company, and Draco said I could stay in this room if I wanted to spend the night."

"And Molly is okay with this?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed.

"It's not as if I'd exactly broadcasted my whereabouts, Hermione," Ginny flatly replied. "Besides, I told Mum that Luna and I were taking some well needed witch's time away from home. Actually, Fred and George know where I am, but they won't say anything. Not with the fodder I hold on them."

"They don't mind that you're dating Draco?"

"Well...they weren't exactly keen on the idea, but they said as long as I'm happy. But they did slip round one Saturday afternoon whilst we were out, only to tell Draco that if he hurt their baby sister he'd reap the consequences."

"I think they meant it, too," Luna replied gravelly. "They told Blaise the same thing about me, but I'm not sure why."

"Damn, Luna, because it's clear as day that the bloke fancies you!" Ginny snapped. "Take off your damn Spectroscopes, why don't you?"

Hermione turned her face, burying her head in the pillow and laughing at their banter. She'd still felt the hollow sensation in her chest but being near her friends slightly filled the void.

Luna had shot Ginny a dirty look, which was nearly comical as it contrasted to the sweet look on her innocent face. "My Spectroscopes are in my bag," she replied in a huff. Still glaring at Ginny, she then turned to Hermione. "Are you feeling better now?"

Hermione drew in a deep breath before answering. "A bit, yes. Although it would be nice if I could get into my house."

"Why can't you get into your house?" Ginny asked.

"Remember when the headmaster came round to collect me when Mum died? Well, before leaving, he warded my house to the point that I can't even get inside. I knew I should have used my own wand, but oh no, he insisted that his wards were better. Now I'm bloody locked out, and the rest of my belongings are back at Hogwarts."

"All right, Hermione. All of this isn't adding up for me," the redheaded witch replied. "Why did you leave school in the first place?"

Damn. "I suppose it wouldn't, but I really can't say anything right now. I promise when the time is right, I'll fill you in."

"You aren't in any sort of trouble, are you?" Ginny asked, her voice going a bit high.

"No, no," Hermione hastily amended. "Nothing like that, but I just want to go home and sort out my thoughts."

"All right," Ginny replied. "But if you need me, I'll be here to listen. As for now, maybe we can ask Draco to owl Snape, asking him to fix the wards on your house? Or maybe his mum or dad can do it; I'm pretty sure they still talk to one another regularly and I doubt they'd mind."

"That would be great. Thanks Gin," Hermione said, bringing a hand up to rub at her now mildly pulsating forehead. "We've been jawing on for so long, I hope the teapot is still warm."

"It should be," Luna told her, flipping back the duvet and gliding over to the table. "Yes, it still is. Shall I pour you a cup?"

"Yes, please," Hermione answered, crawling out of the large bed with Ginny trailing behind her. "So, Luna," she continued once they were all seated at the little table by the window. "You and Blaise Zabini?"

Luna's cheeks glowed as she stared down into her teacup. "There's nothing going on between us."

"Such denial, and from a Ravenclaw no less," Ginny jibed, poring over the selection of biscuits. "Why don't you just go up to him and kiss him?"

"Ginny!" Hermione laughed. "Well that's not very subtle, is it?"

'As if you could talk, practically throwing yourself at Severus the way you've been doing.'

"Well, why not?" Ginny asked, gesturing at her with the crescent shaped part of her half bitten biscuit. "If one thing I've learned so far is that life is short. You might as well go after what makes you happy while you can. Why aimlessly dither about?"

Hermione became intently focused on the steaming liquid in her cup, feeling as if Ginny's words were directed towards her predicament. "So is that what you did with Draco? Just waltz up to him and snog him senseless?"

Ginny had shoved the rest of the biscuit into her mouth and was now brushing away crumbs from her lips. "Well," she began after swallowing. "Our first kiss, he called me Weaselette and I called him ferret. Then we just sort of went at it."

"How romantic," Hermione dryly stated. "If you two marry, that's the one story that you simply must share with your children and grandchildren."

Ginny shrugged as she picked up her teacup. "Who said our relationship had to be conventional? He can still be a pompous toerag and knows that I'll call him out on it in a heartbeat. Golden boy, or golden-haired boy, no one is exempt."

Hermione looked towards Luna, feigning mock aggravation and exaggeratedly rolling her eyes. "You do know that she's mad, don't you?"

Ginny lobbed a biscuit in Hermione's direction before standing up. "Let me go explain the situation to Draco," she said, ducking the arm that had flown out to swat her. "He'll probably just let you have one of these rooms until we get you sorted with your house."

"Only if he doesn't mind, Ginny," Hermione called behind her as she walked out of the room. She personally didn't have anything against Draco and his family, yet it was still surreal to be sitting in their lavish manor after being insulted by them for most of her life.

"Are you going to patch things up with the professor?" Luna asked Hermione once they were alone.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to steel herself as she thought about Severus. "I don't know, Luna. He hurt me, and I can't even begin to explain how."

"I'm sure it wasn't done purposely," Luna replied sagely. "Professor Snape might seem a bit abrupt, but he's not malicious. Remember when I was at Shell Cottage and I'd gone back to Hogwarts? Even before then, I always had the idea that he was on our side. But of course, everyone thinks I'm mad."

"I'd say you have more an avant-garde way of looking at things," Hermione offered. "But I wouldn't say that you were ever mad."

"That's very kind of you," Luna replied easily. "At least try talking to the professor. You two seem at peace when you're standing next to one another. Daddy told me he felt the same way about Mum; that he was always at peace when she was nearby."

"All right, Luna. I'll try," Hermione assented. "As long as you'll try to pluck up the nerve to talk to Blaise-if that's what you really want."

"I suppose. All right, perhaps later."

The bedroom door suddenly opened and Ginny ran back inside. "So Draco said he doesn't mind if you stay over tonight, or tomorrow for that fact. Blaise asked if you were also staying," Ginny added, throwing a wicked glance at Luna whose face reddened again. "And he says he'll send Snape an owl, asking him to remove the wards on your house."

"Blimey, does that mean he's going to tell him that I'm here?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I suppose..." Ginny trailed off. "Why?"

"Nothing," Hermione said dismissively. "I'll thank him when we see him later."

Hermione's evening at Malfoy Manor proved to be easier than she'd anticipated. They'd all been served dinner by a house-elf in a vast, stark looking dining room. Thankfully the fare had been sumptuous, and their wine glasses kept refilling themselves. Draco and Ginny had been bantering back and forth, making Blaise, Hermione and Luna laugh at their witty repartee.

Once dessert was over with, they'd all gone to Draco's wing of the house, the girls perched on the thick rug in his ornately decorated sitting room.

"Malfoy, I didn't know you were this funny," Hermione told him after he'd finished relaying one of his anecdotes.

The blonde wizard merely smirked down at her from his armchair near the hearth. "Maybe I'm only funny because of the three bottles of wine you lot sucked down at dinner."

"Oh shut it, Draco!" Ginny snapped breathlessly. "We did not have three bottles of wine."

"Yes you did, Weaselette," he countered with a playful tone to his voice. "I bet you can't even feel your face right now."

"Yes I can!" she replied vehemently, poking at her cheeks with the tip of her pointer. "Oh damn...no I can't."

Hermione and Luna broke into loud giggles, Blaise and Draco chuckling under their breath.

"It's all right," Draco told her. "You've graduated, you're on holiday, and you're meant to be having a piss up. Hell, Blaise here got into my Dad's firewhisky one summer, passed out next to his bed and all."

"At least I didn't go arse over elbows, Draco," Blaise shot back. "I think we proved that I can hold my liquor better than you."

Draco arched one pale blonde eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Apparently so," Blaise coolly replied. "Brandy or firewhisky?"

The corner of Draco's mouth turned up. He stood up, walking over to a small cabinet and perused the insides. "Firewhisky it is," he replied, withdrawing a crystal decanter holding the dark brown spirits. "I need to pick up another bottle of brandy."

"Don't tell me you two are about to play drinking games," Ginny chided from the floor.

"Is that the drunken pot calling the kettle black?" Draco retorted as he conjured a pack of cards.

"If you pass out, I'm going to charm your nails pink," she threatened. She and Hermione then began laughing hysterically, remembering one holiday at Grimmauld Place when Fred and George had snuck a bottle of wine from the pantry.

Ginny and Hermione had been on the way to their shared room when they noticed Fred tiptoeing about, putting a finger to his lips and motioning for the girls to keep quiet. He'd then opened the bedroom door, revealing a loudly snoring George, draped haphazardly across the bed. His arms were sprawled out, both of his long legs dangling off the edge of the bed. Ginny had been about to ask what he'd done to their brother when Fred picked up George's left foot, bearing rainbow colored toenails. His hands had been also jauntily made up, and the three had clamped their hands over their mouths, falling over and snorting with laughter. George had stayed asleep the entire time, never once disturbed by the cackling of the three at his head.

"Weaslette, even on my worst day and after going on a bender, you'd never be able to pull that off."

"If you say so Draco," Ginny warned ominously. "But I think you're forgetting that I have six brothers, none of which have ever caught me."

"Listen, you two," Hermione interjected. "If you're planning on carousing about, let me know so I can go hide someplace safe."

"Don't worry, Granger," Draco reassured. "Ginny is just talking rubbish." He then poured two small glasses of firewhisky, handing one to Blaise and setting the pack of cards between them. "You know the rules; and no cheating."

Blaise smirked at his friend. "I suppose you're the kettle now."

Draco and Blaise had gone for an hour with their game, and were completely pissed. Draco had gotten uncomfortably warm after three shots and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing an ample amount of his fair skin. The girls had laughed at the two wizards as they loudly threatened and swore at one another, at the same time finishing off another bottle of wine. Ginny was chewing on her bottom lip, practically peeling the rest of Draco's shirt off with her brown eyes.

Blaise, on the other hand, was easily perched back on the couch, seemingly unfazed even though he'd take two more shots than Draco. Before things could get completely out of hand, Ginny snatched the bottle of firewhisky away from Draco, dashing out of his sitting room to go hide it, explaining that she didn't want the two of them to get sick.

"Bloody hell, that's disgusting!" she'd exclaimed after tasting a small sip. "How can you two drink that?"

"It's an acquired taste," Blaise droned, beckoning a smiling Luna to come sit by him.

"Well it's not my cup of tea," Ginny replied. "It's right disgusting; I'd much rather wine."

"And I'd much rather a Weaslette," Draco said, tugging her in his direction. "Even if she steals my drink."

Hermione turned her back on both couples, facing towards the warm hearth. Watching as the flames licked at the soldering log, she couldn't help but feeling like a third, or rather fifth wheel. The imbibed wine managed to numb some of the angst that she was experiencing over Severus, yet there was a faint trace that still lingered about.

After the quiet murmurings between the other four continued, Hermione feigned a yawn and quietly announced that she was going to bed.

"Do you want me to walk you up?" Ginny asked, about to pry herself away from Draco.

"No, thank you," Hermione told her. "I'm all right, just tired. Early morning and all."

"Goodnight, Hermione," Luna beamed, her and Blaise now holding hands.

Hermione trudged up to the bedroom that Draco had showed her to earlier. It was similar to the one that Ginny was using, yet held less charm now that she was alone in the enormous space. Changing out of her grey apprentice robes and draping them over an armchair, Hermione crawled into bed and huddled beneath the duvet.

It hadn't mattered that she'd had more than her usual share of wine; sleep refused to come her way. In fact, Hermione's inebriated state made her rehash everything that happened up until coming to Malfoy Manor. Silent tears made their way down her cheeks when she thought about how she'd left Severus alone on that dreadful night.

Everything sort of made sense to her at this point - the reason for her reoccurring dreams and such. Hermione remembered telling Ginny that she just pictured blood being on her hands in her dreams, but was unable to place whose it belonged to or where she was. Now Hermione knew that it had been Severus'.

The fact that he'd also been helping her, Ron and Harry during their year on the run also explained why she subconsciously felt that he was completely trustworthy. Still, if he'd Obliviated her, it didn't explain why she could only partially remember things when she was asleep. She didn't recollect one single event of Severus helping her in the woods, the only muddled event in her mind being that of his attempted murder in the Shrieking Shack.

Hermione was drunk, alone and now sobbing hysterically beneath the duvet in the darkened room. Even though she was completely beside herself, Hermione still yearned for Severus' physical presence. It was as if his arm around her waist with her head nestled into her chest, served as her security blanket. She needed him to sleep, hell, to function properly.

Even the high quality sheets that Hermione was lying upon felt foreign without the familiar scent of sage and sandalwood, along with a lingering trace of her vanilla body cream.

Hermione felt utterly and completely lost. Part of her wanted to go back to the school, demanding an explanation from Severus whilst slapping the usually present smirk off his face. Her other half wanted to dive beneath his robes, burrow in his arms and remain there.

Hermione didn't realize that she was crying in a fitful sleep when a hand came down on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Luna asked after she'd gently shaken her awake.

Hermione shook her head, unable to speak. Without another word, Luna lifted the duvet and slid into bed next to her friend. Her presence was a slight comfort and soon Hermione was able to stop crying.

"How did things go with Blaise?" she asked between sniffles.

"He kissed me," Luna replied without overture.

Hermione smiled, glad that her friend was happy. "And then what happened?"

"I kissed him back, until Draco threw a pillow at us. Ginny yelled at him and said to leave us alone."

Hermione turned over onto her back, wiping the remaining moisture off her face while laughing weakly. "That sounds like Ginny," she chuckled. "I hope everything met your expectations."

The grin on Luna's face was nearly visible in the dark. "It was very nice. It wasn't nice when Draco interrupted us, but Blaise cast a tickling charm on him before we left to go for a walk in the garden."

"I still think it's comical that we all ended up with Slytherins, even if I'm in a strop with mine right now."

"I'm curious...if you don't mind," Luna shyly began. "I mean, Professor Snape's moods seem so mercurial at best, so I wonder how you two came about..."

"You know, I've asked myself that same question countless times," Hermione answered. "But to be honest, it just sort of happened. I've always thought of him as brilliant, despite his everlasting asperity and a visage that could curdle milk." She then fell silent, thinking back to the weekend they'd spent at her house."I did notice that my nightmares stopped whenever I'd slept next to Severus. Now that I think about it, I believe his did as well. Maybe I was drawn to him when I returned to apprentice, and I just hadn't realized it."

Luna took in that bit of information yet didn't comment on it. "I still say you should talk to him, when you're ready that is."

Hermione nodded her head, falling silent. Luna was done talking, opting to leave her friend to her thoughts. The crackling of the low burning hearth filled the room, both girls lulled to sleep by its sound.
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Broken Dreams