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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
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22. A sheep in wolfs clothing.
The Marauders ambled their way back to the school. James and Sirius led the group laughing loudly, as Peter hurried behind them; stuffing his face with sweets. Remus walked slowly next to Wormtail, his hands in his pockets and his feet kicking at a stone that kept crossing his path.

Harry tore his eyes from them and glanced out over fields that lined the pathways. His mood was subdued, as a deep awareness washed over him, illuminating the fact that his father and Godfather were not living up to his expectations. He had always thought that if he ever got the chance to know his father and Sirius when they were at school that all his questions would be answered. Believing they would have some proof to show that Snape had always been wrong about them, and that Snape was really the bully who would invent dark spells and hexes hoping to use them against James and Sirius.

Harry sighed, there was no doubt in his heart that he loved his family, but now he realized he valued them as adults; loving James as a father and Lilly as a mother, and Sirius as the friend he would come to be. He much preferred the few memories he had of being safe and warm with his parents when he was an infant and the friendship he had with Sirius than these new ones where he watch them bully and taunt just because it amused them.

He glanced at his father watching as he jerked a Pepper Imp out of Wormtails arms and popped it in his mouth. Harry turned his head away again as James breathed a jet of fire causing Peter to yelp in surprise. James Potter really was an arrogant prat and Sirius as well. Harry felt ill even admitting that. At first it had been so easy to believe them, listening to them vilify Snape, explaining how he was always sneaking after them and trying to get them into trouble, even if they were only a few seconds outside of curfew. Telling Harry, how the very first day they met him, Snape had told them he knew all about the Dark Arts and had tried to show them forbidden spells. How Snape would start fights in the halls when the teachers were not looking and always made it seem like they were the ones starting the fights. Harry had listened intently, hoping that somewhere he would be able to have the proof he sought after to hate Snape properly. It had never come, in the month he had been here with them he had seen them attack Snape more times, than he wanted to count, and what was worse they were now starting in on Hermione for even associating with him. Harry shook his head. It seemed to him that their goal was to make Snape�s life as difficult as possible while at Hogwarts. What was worse and made Harry feel guilty was that most of the teachers seemed to ignore all of it.

Harry shifted his eyes back to the group watching them fight each other with fake wands. It made Harry wish he had Ron back and Hermione. Harry tore his gaze from them thinking back over the day. What Sirius and his dad had done today at the Three Broom Sticks was utterly uncalled for and he was half-glad Snape was there to stop them. Harry�s shame doubled as recalled how foul he had treated her over last few weeks as well.

He had been so angry when he had seen them kissing at the Quidditch match, (had he even really seen them), or was he trying to make himself see it and letting Sirius egg him on. The whole thing was so buggered up Harry�s head hurt just thinking of it. He felt ashamed; he had always prided himself on being his own person, and not letting other people influence him too much. Harry snorted; maybe that was the crux of the problem, his pride. He could not get past the hurt he felt when he watched Hermione choose Snape over him, the misery of seeing his last best friend turn away from him in disgust. Harry felt he was no better than James or Sirius. Believing only what they wanted to believe. Acting as if what they did were just harmless pranks, never really hurting anyone, because to them Snape really wasn�t even a person. Harry wanted to retch, how blind had he been.

�Hey Evans?� James shouted flattening his hair as he called out to Harry�s mother a few paces ahead of them, walking with another group of students.

�Catch up with you guys later,� James, whispered tossing Harry his fake wand and giving Sirius a wink before trotting up the path to join Lilly.

Sirius turned back towards Harry and Remus taking another sweet from Peter�s arms.

�I wanted to tell you Granger, it�s a waste that your sister spends so much time with that ugly git. She might be a Slytherin but she�s not bad looking, I�ve tried to get her to warm up to me but that greasy prat has got her all befuddled.� Sirius smiled when Peter starting choking after trying to laugh with sweets in his mouth.

�Probably got her under a dark spell.� Wormtail rasped.

�More like got under her knickers.� Black jeered.

Harry opened his mouth, his irritation with Sirius exploding in his gut.

�Sirius, give it a rest.� said Remus his voice hard. �That�s his sister you�re talking about.�

Harry stared at Remus for a full minute before nodding at him quickly. Sirius seemed frozen in shock, Harry wondered if this was the first time Remus had ever spoke to him like that.

�Sirius, I want you to leave her alone, and ignore what I said about Snape. I want nothing to do with it,� he said, starring Sirius down.

�Harry, you can�t forget what we�ve told you. You going to let your sister��

�My sister is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. More than that, all this rubbish, you keep harping on about how terrible Snape is; well I don�t see it, not now anyway. All I see are a couple of berks taking the mickey out of a bloke just because they are bored. It�s pathetic and,� Harry felt winded, �and its cowardly.� remembering the last time he had called someone a coward. He swallowed hard pushing pass Sirius and stalking up the hill towards the school.

Sirius starred at Remus and Peter looking lost and disorientated.

�You�ve went too far this time, Padfoot.� Remus said sadly cuffing Sirius on the shoulder.

Hermione and Severus walked out of the Great Hall having finished lunch already. They were heading to the dungeons to start on some homework when Harry barrelled into the castle. He spotted Hermione and gave her a small smile walking up to her slowly.

�Could I talk to you for a moment?� he asked softly.

Hermione was tempted to tell him no, �Alright.� she said nodding to Severus, �I�ll meet you in the common room?�

Severus seemed reluctant to leave, �I can wait, if you like.� he asked giving Harry an apprehensive glance.

Hermione smiled sincerely at him, �I won�t be long,� she said following Harry as he moved out of the walkway and closer to the wall by the foot of the stairs.

Hermione looked at him expectantly. �What do you want?� she said trying to keep the hurt out from her voice.

�Hermione, I�m sorry,� said Harry his head shaking slowly. �I�ve been terrible to you.�

Hermione bit her lip overwhelmed with relief. �Harry.�

�No Hermione let me finish. I should have never said those things about Ron or treated you so awful when you told me of what James and Sirius did to you.� Harry looked at her his face full of self-loathing. �And today in the Three Broomsticks, I should have never let them get away with that. I�ve been horrible to you and to your friendship.� he finished.

�Thank you for apologizing.� she said softly.

�I know it hasn�t changed what�s already happened, but I�ve told Sirius to lay off Snape. I know I�ll never really get pass what he has done, but� Harry sighed, �It hurt Hermione. It hurt to see you choose him.�

�Oh Harry, I didn�t choose him over you, it�s not a competition. I can�t only be either your friend or his,� she said huffily.

�I know that, and I�m not trying to make excuses.�

Hermione was silent for a moment, chewing her lips in between her teeth.

�Harry, I think you should apologize to Severus. The way you attacked him last weekend was appalling. He did nothing to warrant that and I was so ashamed of you. I know you�re better than that.�

Harry closed his eyes, �I don�t know if I can, Hermione. Its�� he turned from her piercing gaze starring at a suit of armour next to them. �I know he�s not the same Snape, but I just can�t seem to separate them at the moment. I�m not going to bother him anymore and I�ll make an effort to keep the others away from him, but I can�t.� he sighed. �I understand he�s your friend, or whatever, but to me he�s still a murd-�

�Shh!� hissed Hermione glancing around at students walking up the stairs.

�Harry, thank you for your apology, but it doesn�t mean much if you�re not willing to make amends. Be the bigger person, you�re so upset at the way James and Sirius are acting, then show them what it means to be a honourable wizard.� she said giving him one last look before descending into the dungeons.

Harry watched her go, realizing that if he wanted his friend back he was going to have to apologize to the one wizard he hated more than anyone did.
Hermione stepped through the portrait hole and into the empty common room owing to the fact that, the majority of the Slytherins had yet to return, they were most likely either heading back from the village or dinning in the hall.

She spotted Severus sitting at a desk nearest the fireplace. His shoulders bent over his book and his hand scribbling furiously over a long roll of parchment. He looked up at her as she moved further into the room.

�Everything alright?� he asked laying his quill down and sitting up straighter in his chair.

She nodded, �He wanted to apologize.�

Severus raised a sceptical eyebrow.

�I�ve explained to him that while his apology is appreciated he needs to follow through and make amends to you as well,� she said leaning on the table next to where Severus sat.

Severus looked at her, �There is no need,�

�Yes, Severus, there is. He has attacked you, ridiculed and been decidedly foul to you for long enough. I will not accept his apology until he�s given you one as well.�

Severus snorted crossing his arms over his chest and giving her a sidelong smirk, �Yes well, while we�re waiting lets see if we can get the House-elves to consent to clothes?�

Hermione looked at him sharply, �Don�t think I haven�t thought on it.�

Severus bit his cheek to keep from laughing at how dejected she looked. He uncrossed his arms leaning in closer to her.

�You�re making it quite a challenge to concentrate on my Potions essay,� he said silkily reaching out timidly with the pad of his finger and dragging it down the inside of her wrist where it leaned against table, supporting her weight.

He watched her skin shudder, amazed at how it prickled with chills.

�I wouldn�t want your work to suffer.� she said apologetically but made no effort to move away from him.

Severus gave her a small smile, scooting closer to edge of his seat.

�It is a very complex assignment, you know,� he said mischievously sitting up taller bringing his head level with hers.

Hermione nodded, reaching out to caress his shoulder, �I understand, and I really don�t mean to be such a bother.� she said, adoring how cheeky he was being, trying to get a snog out of her. She could see a slight grin hiding about his lips.

�It is most discourteous of you. Interrupting my studies with such blatant impropriety,� he said softly, his mouth parting slightly as he advanced on her.

Hermione turned slightly towards him the tendrils of her hair brushing against his cheek; �What ever can I do to rectify my indiscretions?� she whispered her lips barely touching his.

�I�m sure we can reach,�

The common room door creaked open forcing the two away from each other. As a few third years came in. Hermione moved to take a seat across from him pulling her books from her bag.

She looked up at Severus he already had his head bent back over his books but lifted up just a fraction to give her a cheeky smirk.

�Blatant impropriety, indeed.� she whispered before dipping her quill into the inkwell.
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This Is The Way The World Ends.