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When Chimeras Dance	By : extasssy Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 2151 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of

Chapter List
- 1-Chapter 1 - Aftermath
- 2-Chapter 2 - Waking up
- 1
- 2
IMPORTANT: Many thanks to my beta blue artemis, for all the help she’s giving me writing this story!

II. Waking Up

"'He' would like to know where the hell 'he' is!"

"Severus, you're awake!" The Minister rushed to the head of the bed, his eyes glowing with surprise and genuine happiness.

"Obviously!" growled Severus Snape, his eyes darting to Smethwyck's wand that moved from top to bottom over his body. "It’s either that, or I am talking in my sleep with more coherence than you two at the best of your waking moments."

"How are you feeling, Mr. Snape?" asked Smethwyck, checking the narrow piece of parchment that appeared from the tip of his wand.

"Like I've been chewed up and spit out by a Hippogriff. How do you think I'm feeling? I feel like shite," raged Severus.

"Well, at least we know you haven't lost you sense of humour!" The Minister laughed and for the first time Severus' eyes went to him. "Good to have you back, old boy!"

"Potter… What happened? Vol…" started Severus but Shacklebolt stopped him.

"Later!"

The two men stared at each other for a minute, eyes locked - black on black - as if reading each other's minds through Legilimency, before Smethwyck's voice brought them both to attention.

"… and you magic is almost completely restored. A couple of weeks of rest and Strengthening Potion every six hours and you'll be as good as new. Now, you should get some rest, though you are definitely better, your body is in need of sleep."

"I just woke up!” growled Severus.

"Yes, from an unconscious state very different to the sleeping one. You need rest."

"Later!” he replied, his eyes again fixed on the Minister's face.

"I see you'll need a sleeping draft,” huffed the healer. “I’ll go get some.“

And just like that Smethwyck walked towards the door without so much of a glance towards the two.

"Minister, do try and keep the anxiety to a minimum.”

The two men never heard the door opening or closing, too concentrated in the task at hand - reading each other's mind.

"Fuck, Shacklebolt, lower your walls! I can't see a damn thing," hissed Severus and made to lift himself up the bed only to realize that he could not. "What the hell? "

"Invisible restraints.” explained Shacklebolt gesturing to his torso. "You had a rough couple of weeks. I'll see they take them off. "

"Well? The walls, Shacklebolt, take down your walls!" Severus snarled.

"Ah… see there; Smethwyck said you must rest and Legilimency is known to be quite exhausting."

"I don't give a rat's arse to what that idiot said!"

"But I do! You'll have to limit yourself - at least for the time being - to asking questions. So, on with it!"

"Very well! What happened?" spat Severus keeping his eyes fixed on the man before him hoping against hope for a break in the internal walls thatprotectedShacklebolt's thoughts, memories and feelings.

"We won, Voldemort is dead - for good this time, I can assure you that - and the Death Eaters are being imprisoned as we speak. Trials are scheduled to start in a couple of days."

"Potter?"

"He was magnificent."

"So... he... he's... dead," said Severus with something that sounded as regret in his voice.

"Far from it. He's enjoying some time away from this mess at the moment."

"But..."

Severus seemed unable to find the right words to finish his thought.

"But he had to die to kill Voldemort. I am aware of that. He did. Don't know the whole story; just that apparently he’s survived Voldemort’s killing curse again. The boy’s really a bloody miracle."

"How… I mean, who died for him this time? I bet not Weasley... Granger? The chit is the suicide-for-the-greater-good type."

"In a way they both did."

Severus made to say something but the Minister’s hand up silenced him.

"No Severus, they are not dead. We were all the sacrifice needed and we have the casualties to prove it - fifty-five Order and DA members - according to Dumbledore’s portrait it was our combined trust and love for him that did it."

"Students..."

Severus choked on the thought and not trusting his voice anymore he just stared at the Minister. He hoped Shacklebolt understood him enough to simply answer his unspoken question.

"It made no difference to the Death Eaters. Once they started firing hexes and curses, they just aimed at all that moved. Adults, children, young or old, entire families if they could – Tonks and Remus for one."

A tear fell from Shacklebolt left eye and he made no effort to wipe it as he continued.

"Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey..."

"Creevey? But he's just a boy... not even... not…"

Once again his words drifted into nothingness as a sob escaped his lips. For the first time in too many years Severus Snape was showing emotion and hated himself for it. But still, children…

"Yes, I know! Many of them were barely of age."

Silence felt over the two men, each lost in grief. It wasn't until minutes later that Shacklebolt spoke again snapping Severus out of his nightmarish thoughts where masked, blacked-robed Death Eaters fought fifth and sixth years.

"I wonder if it’s worth it. I mean, isn’t doing anything for the Greater Good a bit too much?"

Several minutes passed before Severus found his voice again. Still, he didn’t answer the Minister. What could he answer? He’d lost track of how many he killed and tortured for the Greater Good. Yes, they were too many. Not even Dumbledore’s Greater Good was worth that much.

"Why am I here?" Severus asked suddenly as if he just noticed where he was.

"You almost died. Where else should you be?"

"I don't know? Maybe where I belong, down on level two, in a jail cell with Malfoy and Lestrange. And now that we're on that: why am I alive?"

"Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley came back for you."

"Why? They hate me... they."

"They've seen your memories."

"I see." Severus stated coldly, closing his eyes.

Remembering what he has given Potter that night in the Shrieking Shack was far more painful than his throbbing body or the headache that seemed to have escalated to heights never before reached. Why did I have to give the idiot so much of myself?

Because it was the only way to get the message across and besides you weren’t supposed to live, came Dumbledore’s nagging voice from somewhere deep in his mind. You weren’t supposed to care what you gave him.

"You've seen them too, I suppose. Is that why I'm still here as opposed to locked up?"

"That and the fact that Harry threatened to curse the entire Ministry if we do anything before he returns."

"And you're now scared of an eighteen year old? The Dark Lord must be laughing his head off," said Severus, his voice dripping sarcasm with every word.

"Let's just say some of us are apprehensive. Look at all he did. Look at the last year. That shows power and greatness. We’d be fools not to at least listen to his…”

“Power - greatness? Ha!” spat Severus. “He went through everything with nothing but luck, gifted friends and a name that opened doors. If it weren’t for Granger he and Weasley wouldn’t have survived a week out there, never mind a year, and even before that… He’s nothing, average at best, but certainly not great.”

“Listen, Severus. I know that you two didn’t have the best…”

“You know nothing!” raged Severus. “You’ve seen some memories scattered throughout almost thirty years’ worth of hate and you presume to know me, to understand me. You KNOW nothing!”

Shacklebolt seemed ready to respond when Severus let out a heavy sigh and continued in a low dangerous voice.

“Potter is exactly like his father – a self-centred idiot with no real talent and stupid spunk – with one notable difference. He’s also Lily Evans’ son. That’s what kept him alive long enough. Lily’s life, all the lives that were lost in battle then and now, all the lives I and every other Death Eater have taken, were so he could live and kill the fucking bastard. He’s not great, his not powerful, he just had a lot of powerful and great people dying for him.”

The silence stretched for the longest period yet, before Severus spoke again.

“Why am I here and what does the Great Potter have to do with it?”

“He’s working to keep you out of Azkaban.” Shacklebolt scowled like that was the answer that thwarted everything Severus just said.

"Why? I killed, injured and used the Unforgivables more times than I care to remember. Why should I not be sent to Azkaban? I deserve it and I never expected anything less. Well, that’s not true! I expected to die and be done with it, but look how that’s turned up."

"Some may argue that’s not what you deserve. I know I do."

“Yes, well not everybody had yours and Saint Potter’s imbecilic notion of fairness. It’s only just that I get sent to Azkaban for life or maybe even to death. Yes, I think that’ll be appropriate, the punishment fitting the crime and all that," replied Snape in a detached cold voice.

"Death sentences are out of the question. Hermione’d rip my head off." Shacklebolt chuckled under his breath.

"Granger? What does it matter to her? Am I her new charity case, a new branch of S.P.E.W.?"

"She's the one that healed you!"

"She’s... What?"

Severus wanted to growl and rage, but the words came out barely louder than a low hiss and full of astonishment.

"She’s just a child? How…?"

"She’s not anymore, Severus. None of them are, not in body, spirit or mind," Shacklebolt said in an undertone. "Anyway, everybody thought you were a lost cause, you know... "

"She just had to prove them wrong, didn’t she?" Severus said in a low whisper and scowled angrily.

"... not her!" continued Shacklebolt, not hearing the other man’s reply. "She spent the first week researching every book there is on snake bites magical or Muggle. I’ve never seen her in obsessive research mode – that’s what the boys called it – but it was kind of frightening, she never slept, never ate.

We almost got her a room here too, that or a Full Body-Bind Curse and a tonne of Sleeping Draught. It was like she was dying at an even faster rate than you were. Really frightening I tell you. Then some days after, she just left, just like that. Went out the door one morning and didn’t came back for days. Everybody thought she’d given up too and left to find the boys but she hadn't. That’s just not in her core or something because a couple of days after she left, she returned and she wasn’t alone. She had this Muggle healer with her - the best in the business apparently, some South American bloke with a funny accent.

Anyway they worked together for a couple of days and came up with something like Muggle antivenom, but specific for Nagini's venom. No one believed it was possible, but ...I don't know how she did it – and I sure as hell don’t understand what she did – but she managed it. You're alive."

"Insufferable chit."

Severus grunted under his breath sure that Shacklebolt will hear it. He was supposed to grunt, it was his persona, his role, yet underneath it all he was dumbfounded. He didn’t understand the why and the how, but to do all that… he was impressed, truly impressed.

Hermione Granger was the brightest student he ever had the opportunity to teach and he always secretly admired her for her dedication, but she never impressed him. He just wasn’t the type.

"Now, now Severus, you owe her your life."

"Ah, but you see, that's exactly my problem. I now have a Life Debt to the little Gryffindor Princess. What can be worse than that?"

"Don't worry Professor, I have no wish to collect a debt from you or anyone else and you are certainly not - how did you put it? - a new S.P.E.W. branch." Hermione Granger said from the door’s frame where she stood watching the two men.

She had been there for a while now, but they didn’t seemed to notice when she knocked, entered the room or even when she loudly cleared her throat three times in a row. So she listened patiently as Kingsley Shacklebolt told her story, but when the discussion turned to Life Debts and noticed how pained Professor Snape seemed about owing her one she just had to intervene.

"What is she doing here?" growled Professor Snape, eying her with loathing.

"'She' - I despise when people talk like I am not even in the room but I'll indulge you - is here to bring you a dose of Sleeping Draught and see how you are feeling."

Hermione closed the door and walked the other side of the bed putting a hospital standard vial on the bedside table and taking her wand out. Professor Snape's eyes darted to it and made an attempt to grab her hand, but the invisible restraints were still very much in place keeping his movement minimal.

"I won’t hex you Professor. Just need to check you vitals. And if you want I can also take off the restraints."

Hermione replied coldly not even looking at the man in front of her, but keeping her eyes firm on a spot on the wall above his head. She tried to suppress a satisfied smile as her wand moved over Snape's body and its tip glowed in at least half of dozen colours before settling on blue glow.

"Yes, I think it’s all right to take the restraints off. You aren't going to run off on us Professor, are you?" She chuckled.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" snapped Snape.

"Hermione Granger, former student, insufferable know-it-all extraordinaire. Don’t worry, when I was here working on curing you, they gave me basic Healer training. Does that cover it?” she replied with cheek.

When the professor made to speak again she held her hand out.

“Now hold still for a moment so I can get you out of those. Then you’ll take the Sleeping Draught and when you wake again you’ll be more than welcome to yell at me all you want, take House points, give me a T on my work and even assign me detention - not that it matters as we are not at Hogwarts and you are not my professor anymore - but for now, just try and rest. I promise you’ll have the chance to try to make me feel small, stupid and weak as you always did."

Hermione sighed tiredly as well as being a little annoyed. She expected him to be difficult and he was – nothing new there. So why did his tone bother her? He was just his normal ‘loving’ self.

She flicked her wand and with a nonverbal spell red cords appeared all over his body strapping him to his bed. They glowed bright white for a second before disappearing, leaving him able to move once more. Then she handed him the Sleeping Draught vial, which he accepted silently.

"Well, Severus," started Shacklebolt "I see you're in good hands for the time being. I'll leave you to rest.”

Hermione busied herself taking the professor’s vitals again when she heard Shacklebolt addressing her. She lifted her eyes to him, bypassing the professor’s body completely.

“You should take a mouthful of Sleeping Draught too, Hermione. You look horrible!"

"Thanks Minister!” She smiled at him. “Though it seems you need it just as much. When's the last time you slept?"

"Don't mind me. I'll sleep when it's over," Shacklebolt said with a tired smile of his own.

"When will it be over?” Hermione’s smile disappeared as she whispered her question low enough for nobody to hear it, yet she was sure the professor had heard her. She caught him glancing up at her as she spoke, still she chose not the acknowledge it. Biting her lower lip she eyed Shacklebolt with exhausted eyes and.

“Get some sleep, Minister!"

"Sure thing, Hermione!”

The Minister stated towards the door when Hermione lowered her eyes again and resumed muttering diagnostics spells. The results seemed to improve from minute to minute.

“Well, good night you two."

Before she could reply the door was already closing behind Shacklebolt retreating figure letting the room fall into complete silence.

Severus Snape stared at the closed door for a while before remembering the other occupant of the room and the vial of Sleeping Draught clutched in his hand. He turned to look at the witch that was fussing around him, taking diagnostic readings every couple of seconds, then shifted his eyes to the grey Draught in his hand.

"I’ve made it myself professor. It's one hundred percent safe. You know I can brew that stuff in my sleep with both hand tied behind my back. Though I understand not trusting hospital potions.“ Hermione said with a tired smile but directed at the glowing want tip, not at him.

She still wasn’t looking at him and for some unknown reason it annoyed him. She took the time to turn him into her Mother Theresa project, so she might just as well look at her work.

"All potions here are of my own creation. And I certainly trust those more," drawled Severus, looking at the girl clearly for the first time in more than a year.

Shacklebolt was right. She wasn't a child anymore.

Hermione Granger, the insufferable know-it-all looked like she had aged at least a decade since before Dumbledore's death - the last time he had seen her up close. Oh, he had seen her in the Shrieking Shack - tears running down her blood stained face, hands shaking when she handed Potter the flask to gather his memories, sobs escaping her dried looking lips - but he haven't seen her like this. She was tired then too, but not like she was now. Not with her cheeks almost completely black from lack of sleep and her eyes bloodshot and weary. No, she wasn't even remotely exhausted back then, yet now it was a wonder that she was still standing.

"Transfigure yourself a chair or something," hissed Severus. "You look like you're about to collapse any minute now."

"Take your potion and don't worry about me. I'll still be here when you wake up and you can torture me then."

She sighed passing her wand one more time over his neck and almost as an after though she added: “I’m fine!” just as Severus growled: “Why you little... "

But then he never got the chance to finish his thought as Hermione Granger let out a loud sigh and collapsed over him.

“Shite! Miss Granger! Miss Granger, wake up! Wake up! Damn it, girl, I told you!” Snape bellowed, trying in vain to lift the girl by her forearms. He couldn’t do it, he was too weak.

“Fuck!”

He tried again and even though he’d seen books that weighed more than she did, it was no use. He just couldn’t lift her. Still he managed to get a hold of the girl’s wand and with one swift move and a howled “Expecto Patronum” that took almost all of his energy to produce, a silvery mist the shape of a doe emerged from the glowing tip of the wand.

Replaying again and again the message in his head Severus whispered "Tribuo Nuntius" the incantation for the messenger patronus. A stream of bright white light shot from the wand hitting the doe square in the chest. The instant the light touched the doe, it disappeared through the door as if it was nothing more than an immaterial illusion. Only then did he left his aching head fall on the pillow, not letting go of either the girl or her wand.

Severus Snape stared at the girl – no, the woman – draped over him, observing just how much younger she seemed in sleep.

That’s better! He agreed remembering her from her school years.

She didn’t look like that child anymore, but at least she looked close to her true age now. Not like before when she seemed to be a nineteen year old that looked and most certainly felt at least ten years older. So this is how Hermione Granger, the bane of his existence and the brightest witch he had ever taught, matured.

Not bad, Granger! he thought staring at her. Wait, what? Where did that came from?

Severus never got to examine his last raving thought – never, not in a million years or under any kind of torture, would he admit to others or to himself that he found her attractive – because before he knew it he was drifting away to join her in unconsciousness.
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When Chimeras Dance