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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
- 15
- 16
- 17
Chapter 15. It Would Not Have Worked Out Anyway, It Is Just Another Lonely Day.

Severus stopped in the middle of a long hallway, across from the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy. Had Hermione, not have been to the Room of Requirement before, she would have thought Severus had lost his mind as he paced, three times in front of the empty wall, his hands balled into fists and a look of deep concentration on his face. At the end of the third turn, a door appeared in the middle of the previously vacant wall.

"Severus." she whispered, infusing her voice with enough shock to appear amazed at what had just happened.

"I had only just found it last year," he said, gesturing her inside before him.

Hermione walked in slowly and was stunned; the room seemed to be no bigger than a small sitting area. Hermione had only ever seen this room as the practice location for the D.A., where it was tall and wide, full of places to sit and shelves full of books to read. Now, the only furniture that occupied the room was a small camp bed with a side table and a wooden chair. There were potions vials, a washbasin, and a few clean cloths set neatly on the table, along with a spare uniform. Other than that the room was completely empty, though Hermione noticed, there did not seem to be room for much more.

Hermione turned to Severus. He looked somewhat uncomfortable and agitated, when he caught Hermione looking at him he cleared his throat and shut the door.

"I had asked for the room to be a place where you would be safe and where I could heal your injuries," he said, sounding annoyed, as if this was not how the room should look like.

Hermione smiled, "Thank you," she said, some of the fear already draining from her now that she knew she was a good distance away from Potter and Black.

Severus moved further into the room, he seemed very bothered and restless, as if he did not want to be there.

"I am sorry for inconveniencing you, Severus. I understand if you have to get back to class," she said, embarrassment rising to her face.

Severus turned to her, his arms crossing over his chest.

"It isn�t an inconvenience," he said gruffly.

"Well you seem as if you�d like nothing better than to run clear from this room?" she asked feeling her anger starting to rise, while she was thankful that he had helped her earlier, she hadn�t asked for him to bring her here.

He watched her silently, before standing straighter and letting his arms fall to his side.

"This is my room," he said, "Or rather it looks like my room at fathers� house."

Hermione almost let her mouth drop; he lived like this at home?

"It wasn�t always quite so sparse," he said sourly moving over to the side table his hand touching the edge. It looked like he was not going to speak again but then he said very quietly, "My father made me dispose of the majority of my possessions after my mother left."

Hermione did not know what to say, "I�m sorry" seemed a bit lacking.

"Severus," she started to say.

"You need to have your back looked at." he said, clearly not wanting to talk about his miserable life at home.

Severus turned toward the wall to give Hermione some privacy. She began removing her cloak and vest, pulling her left arm out of her sleeve. Noticing how much blood had covered the back of her shirt, she wrapped the rest of her blouse around her chest and abdomen.

"All right," she said as she sat down on the bed.

Severus turned to her and inhaled quickly.

"Is it that bad?" she asked trying to keep the apprehension out of her voice.

There were two deep cuts running parallel to each other down the middle of her back in between her shoulder blades, blood still flowing.

"They will suffer like this," Severus said fiercely. "If I have to invent the spell myself, then so be it, but they will know this cruelty personally."

Hermione gasped. Sectumsempra that is why he invented it, because of Potter and Black, because of her. Hermione had always thought the Half-blood Prince had a cruel sense of humour, that he invented such curses and hexes out of boredom, though coming to know Severus, as she did; she now understood that it was not.

She felt the cool cloth against her back, making her aware of how painful the cuts were. Slowly he wiped and cleaned her wounds, with soft slow movements, rinsing the cloth after every stroke. She felt a stinging that made her wince.

"Wound cleansing potion, without billywig, regrettably." he said.

She smiled, his hands were soothing, precise and skilful as he slid the fabric across her back, finally taking a dry cloth and patting her skin. She thought briefly that the room might have it right. It was not his old room that made her feel safe. It was Severus. She felt his wand against her back, as he began whispering a spell that sounded like a song. She could feel her skin knitting back together, itching as it closed.

"You have some blood near your abdomen" He said softly handing her a clean wet rag, before turning again to face the wall.

She began scrubbing at the spots on her stomach and chest where the bloodied shirt had stained her. Hermione pulled on the fresh white blouse at the end of table, becoming nervous with each button she fastened. She ran her hands across the pristine shirt, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles as she walked up to where Severus stood.

She placed her hand lightly against his back, whispering, "Thank you, Severus. I don�t even want to imagine what could have happened, had you not arrived when you did."

Severus had yet to turn, but Hermione could feel him tensing under her palm.

"Hermione, things would have never progressed as far as they have, had you not been caught in the middle of this dispute." He had not turned from the wall but his head bent slightly toward her while he spoke. "I take full responsibility for your injuries."

"Severus, this isn�t your fault. If I blame anyone, besides Potter and Black, it is Dumbledore. He has let things go beyond that of a normal rivalry." Hermione had slipped through the gap in between him and the wall.

Severus stared down at her eyes fiercely. "Be that as it may, you should not have to endure the repercussions of such animosities."

Hermione was aware of how warm the room was feeling, she felt nervousness in her stomach and was finding it hard to concentrate on anything besides how close Severus was to her. She needed to leave; she needed to be in the coolness of the hallway, and clear her head.

"Hermione." Severus sounded strangled as if her name was catching in his throat. He stepped closer, moving his hand up to her neck; she felt a wave of heat as his body came near.

Hermione�s head felt heavy, her stomach seemed full and empty all at once.

"I can do nothing for these," he whispered, deeply. She could feel the presence of his touch as his hand hovered just out of reach.

Hermione felt her eyes close; his whole presence seemed to be pulling on her, like a great magnet in the centre of his chest drawing her toward him.

Severus� hand quivered right above the top of her shirt collar, his eyes fixed heatedly on her face. With a tentative finger, he made the faintest of touches down the length of her throat.

Hermione felt the touch so brilliantly, as if it had been magnified by a thousand. Her eyes snapped open and heart thudded painfully in her chest.

Severus seemed to recoil, as if he too had been shocked. He took a step back and a deep breath.

A bell sounded, loudly in the room, making Hermione jump.

"I would prefer to walk you to class," he said straightening up and smoothing down his robes, his voice low and steady. "I would not put it past, Potter, to try again."

Hermione nodded; "If it isn�t too much trouble," she said walking slowly toward the door.

He followed her out, the door shutting and disappearing behind them.

Severus had not spoken to Hermione the entire walk to class, more than that; he had not even glanced at her. She thought briefly that yesterday, this might have given her cause for concern, but now after what had happened in the Room of Requirement, or rather, Hermione thought mockingly, what hadn�t happened, she was quite relieved. She didn�t even know what to say, let alone have the capacity to speak it. She continued the hurried pace to Defence Against the Dark Arts class feeling like she had lived two days already instead of just an afternoon.

Rounding a corner, Hermione stopped suddenly, feeling the colour drain from her face. Sirius and James stood there with Harry, Remus and Peter leaning their backs against a wall outside of class. Severus seemed to notice Hermione�s disappearance from his side, because he too stopped and turned back toward her.

"Hermione, I will not let them touch you." He said this so frantically she was taken aback at the steeliness in his voice.

He began walking again, before Hermione�s hand shot out gripping onto his arm tightly.

They neared the class just as Black, and Potter turned toward them. Hermione saw that James had a bump near the top of his eye. He shot her a look of contempt before turning back toward Sirius. Harry, however, glared at her outright, glancing from where Hermione�s hand was gripping Severus� arm securely. Hermione had the briefest of thoughts that Sirius and James had already told Harry their erroneous accounts of what had happened. Merlin only knew, what they might have told him.

Severus placed his hand on top of hers before looking down at her. She let her hand fall away.

"Thank you, Severus."

He nodded, pulling his bag more firmly on his shoulder.

Harry seemed to take their separation as his cue that he could address her.

"Are you still going to the meeting with the Headmaster?" he said stiffly keeping his voice low.

"I am." she said.

His lips thinned before he said, "He asked us to meet him directly after dinner," he looked to Severus, "That is if you think you can manage to walk there without your guardian."

"Harry, I would rather you didn�t speak about Severus like that, if it wasn�t for him..."

"So its Severus now, is it?" he spat before glaring at Hermione. "You need to figure out your priorities� Hermione. You�re forgetting your place, and what we�ve lost in coming here. This is someway to treat Ron�s memory."

What little colour had returned to Hermione�s face drained rapidly.

"Harry!" she gasped, but he seemed to have said his fill because he had turned from her and joined Remus and James in a joke Sirius seemed to be telling.

Hermione could feel the tears beginning to pool in the corner of her eyes as Severus stepped closer to her.

"Are you all right?" he asked gently.

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes glassy. "No," she said simply before ducking her head and rushing into the classroom ahead of everyone.

Severus followed her but met with a sharp blow to the ribs instead. He spun around and seen James with his wand out, standing with Harry and Sirius.

"You might be safe now, Snivellus, but you won�t get away with that little stunt you pulled," said James moving slowly toward the door.

"I want you to stay away from Hermione," said Harry, his voice as cold as ice, as he and Sirius passed Severus on his way into the class.

Severus watched as they all made their way into class before he too entered.

"Ten points from Slytherin," said Professor Meadows as Severus stepped over the threshold, he did not even bat a lash as he moved purposely into the room, intent on the empty seat next to Hermione, in the back of the class. He could see where her head was turned toward the wall occasionally using the back of her robe to wipe at her face. He sat down heavily, pulling out his books as the Professor began writing the notes on the board.

Hermione was furious with Harry, she could understand his anger about her friendship with Severus, even go as far as to admit that he had every right to be upset at the argument she had with James, but he had no right to tell her she was marring Ron�s memory. She had loved Ron, had grieved terribly over his death, had even blamed herself for not finding a way to save him, she would never replace him, could never. Then for Harry to take the sides of complete strangers over her own, while they may be his future family, he didn�t know them. He didn�t know what kind of people they were, how they had changed as adults. He didn�t even ask for her side, didn�t care about what really transpired. She wanted to scream. These boys were not the same men they knew from their own time.

Hermione hung her head. She felt so alone here. She glanced to Severus sitting to her left. His head bent over his desk scribbling hurriedly across the parchment. What she would give to be able to confide in him, to have someone on her side to help carry the burden.

Hermione took in a shaky breath, determined not to let Harry�s hurtful words bother her a moment longer. She had a dangerous night ahead of her that needed her complete focus.
- 15
- 16
- 17
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This Is The Way The World Ends.