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It Was Supposed to be Over	By : nmos Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 4437 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with HP/i do not make money from this.

Chapter List
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Chapter 2

Severus was sulking in the corner of the room he had died in, glaring at the blood stains on the floor. He had been so close to death: so close to nothingness. He had suffered on the floor of this miserable room for hours only to fuck it all up and come back as a ghost. ‘Nothing, not even dying, could be easy for Severus Snape,’ he thought resentfully to himself.

Snape made to hit the wall in a rage over his own stupidity, but his hand went right through it instead. He let out a scream of frustration and anguish. This could not be happening. Of all the dunderheaded things to do- he lived in a castle with multiple ghosts, for god’s sake. He had, of course, heard stories over the years of what had happened to them between death and their half resurrection. Why hadn’t he considered those stories before blindly gallivanting off into a green light? This was worse than hell, worse than any possibility that Snape had considered.

“Well, now the rumours of this god-forsaken shack being haunted will be true,” he mused aloud bitterly.

He had no idea how much time had passed between his death and his reappearance as a ghost, nor how much time had passed as he stood, several inches above the ground, thinking angrily of his new predicament. However, after not too many hours, Snape heard footsteps approaching his room. His instincts from years of spying screamed at him to hide and observe.

Looking around the room for someplace to go, he suddenly realized that now that he was a ghost he could just hide in the walls. He slowly moved into the wall, shivering at the strange sensation. Leaving as much of himself in the wall as possible, he peered out into the room.

Hermione Granger was stepping into the room, carefully closing the door behind her. Before he could so much as wonder why she, of all people, was here, she dropped to her knees beside the stretch of floor he had been glaring at for the better part of the day, and broke into silent sobs that left her gasping for breath.

As he looked her over he realized that she had dark circles under her eyes and was thinner than the last time he saw her when he had left the school after killing Dumbledore. He was surprised at how aged she looked since her sixth year.

He did not delude himself with ideas that she was truly sorry about his death in particular. He knew it was most likely some misplaced sense of Gryffindor pity for what she thought she now understood about him. No doubt Potter had showed half the wizarding world his most cherished and painful memories. He hoped she at least felt guilty for not finishing him off before leaving.

Snape watched and waited from his place in the wall. He had been no good at comforting crying students when he was made out of flesh and blood, no doubt his appearance now would only shock her into more tears. After what seemed like an eternity of watching her cry, she succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep where she sat.

When he was sure she was deeply asleep, he moved towards her from his hiding place in the wall. He vaguely wondered what it would be like to touch a person in his new state. He reached out a transparent hand to touch her hair and experienced the same tingling sensation as when he had passed through the wall. She shivered under his touch, and he withdrew his hand as he recalled that his touch would feel very cold to her.

As he watched her sleep, he thought about the display of pity or guilt he had witnessed from her earlier. Perhaps, her Gryffindor sense of loyalty to the underdog and a strong desire to see justice could be useful to him. She was incredibly resourceful and diligent in her work. If there was anyone left alive who would have the desire to help him, and the possibility of succeeding, it would be her. Perhaps if he played into her guilt and told her the little he knew about the solutions to his current situation, she could help him when she awoke.

Hermione was slowly roused from her sleep by a cold touch and the distinct feeling of being watched. When she opened her eyes they were met with the translucent, but distinct eyes of Severus Snape. She jumped up and backed away, startled at first. However, ghosts were hardly an uncommon thing in her life at Hogwarts, so her surprise quickly turned to curiosity and bewilderment.

“Miss Granger, I can assure you that there’s much less of a reason to fear me now than there was when I was alive,” Snape growled to break the silence.

“I…I wasn’t afraid of you. I was just startled,” she defended herself. “I have to say, Professor, you’re the last person I would expect to choose this path,” she bravely questioned, looking at him curiously.

He returned her seemingly innocent question with a glare. “Yes, well, there was a…mistake,” he carefully returned. He would certainly never reveal that it was his own mistake that had caused his return.

“Oh,” she replied, looking at him with eyes full of pity. Normally Snape would have scoffed at anyone’s pity and returned a scathing remark. However, he reminded himself, her pity was, perhaps, necessary if he were ever to escape this predicament.

Playing into her guilt, Snape sneered, “You certainly didn’t look at me with pity when you left me here to die. Why bother pretending now?”

Hermione averted her eyes in shame before raising them to look directly into his. “Professor, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to show you how sorry I am for leaving you here. It was one of the countless mistakes I made that day, but I want you to know that pity is not the same as empathy. I can imagine how horrible it would be to be stuck here, not fully human, forever. If there were ever any way I could help…” she trailed off.

She had fallen right into his trap. “As a matter of fact, Miss Granger, there is a way that you could help me. However, I’m sure that you’re probably all too anxious to get on with your life. The help I require would most likely take up more of your time and effort than you’d be willing to let me have. This is not a simple good deed that you can be done with within a day to put your mind at ease that you’ve done right by the bat of the dungeons,” he taunted her.

His description of how much time and effort this task would take did give her pause. Just what was this task anyway? But, hadn’t she been unable to think of anything worthwhile to do since the final battle? Whatever this task entailed it would be worthwhile and meaningful if she were helping this man whom she had abandoned to die. It would probably be a long time until she could see meaning in taking exams and going to university anyway. “Professor Snape, believe me. There is nothing else that I would rather do. I will see this task through to the best of my ability.” She willed him to see her sincerity.

“If I could, I would have you perform an Unbreakable Vow to that effect. I have found that people can be most… disappointing. However, as it is, I am forced to take your word on it. I do find it disconcerting that you have asked no questions as to what this task entails. I believe that even a person with normal levels of curiosity would have asked what this task is by now,” he challenged.

“It seems irrelevant. I want to help you. What does it matter if it entails turning pages for you for the rest of my life or embarking on a quest to resurrect you?” she responded cheekily, smiling for the first time in over a week.

Snape, however, did not look amused. “I find it troubling that you seem to be joking about the very task with which I need assistance,” was his stony reply.

“I….Which one? Surely you can’t mean...” she stumbled out, resuming her seat on the floor to steady herself.

“Yes, Miss Granger, I do mean the quest to resurrect me. I am at an impasse that I cannot merely accept. I recall having read, in a rare book in my own collection, about theories on the possibility of resurrecting a wizard from his ghost counterpart. It will not be easy. I very much doubt that these theories are fully flushed out. Even if we figure out a possible solution, I have no doubt that it will require very complex and powerful magic. Do I truly have your word that you will devote yourself to this completely?” Snape questioned.

Hermione was at a loss for words. If the task of getting over the grief that so thoroughly consumed her did not seem so daunting, this task would surely seem impossible. However, this task involved books and research, practicing incantations, tricky wand movements, or perhaps complicated potions. On the other hand, she did not think that sheer determination would conquer the emptiness that the battle had left her with. Maybe resurrecting Severus Snape would be possible…

She was also honored that this man, who had never shown the least confidence in her abilities, was about to entrust her with a task so important to him. “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I will try my best not to let you down, Professor.”

“Very well. See to it that you don’t. We will depart for my home at Spinner’s End immediately. I trust you can manage to Apparate there?” He raised a silvery eyebrow at her.

“Yes, of course.” She started to rise again in preparation to Apparate. However, she paused when she saw his pensive look.

“You may retrieve your belongings if you like. There will be no reason for you to leave my home until we have found a destination for our ‘quest’, as you call it,” he said in a tone more gentle than he had used in the rest of their conversation.

“There’s no need,” she replied, pulling out her shrunken trunk from her pockets, for him to see. “Thank you, though, Professor.” She gave him a small smile in thanks for his kind tone, before turning on the spot and Apparating to Spinner’s End.

“Think nothing of it,” Snape said into the empty room. He headed for his home, trying to ignore the thought that her small smile seemed to erase some of the years that accumulated in the dark circles under her eyes.

A/N: again, thanks so much to my beta Carolib. and thanks for all the great reviews! :)
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It Was Supposed to be Over