Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Years of Burden	By : Polypectron Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 6695 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and SSHG is not canon. This is a work of fiction. I am not profiting from it. All characters, places, objects and realities belong to J K Rowling and the Potterverse.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling and if you don't know that they you must be really confused when you read these fanfiction stories. (to be taken in jest) The events happening during the tale are either made up of taken from the book or the movie and may or may not be in chronological order depending on

Polyplectron

CHAPTER THREE - I Am Not A Child Albus

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat outside under a large willow tree near the Black Lake. The Giant Squid was overly enthusiastic today. Snatching Grindylows as they swam by, throwing them into the air and slamming them hard against the water's surface and allowing them to float slowly into the depths below; the whole thing depressed Hermione. Not only was she already itching because the boys would not allow her to go to the library but she was exceedingly traumatised by DADA that morning.

She still could not fathom that an intoxicated and half-dressed Professor Snape had wandered into the classroom with no idea where he was. He was always so collected, so proper, so . . . . in control, but today he just wasn't himself at all. He appeared so lost, so drained, so, so very ready to give up. She looked over pleadingly at Harry who was fiddling with the spine of his Advanced Potions Making book. Ron was no help either; he was staring at Lavender off in the distance who was slowly waving him suggestively. They were both actively ignoring her. Are we really just going to sit here and not talk about this? She thought spitefully.

Hermione dropped her hands in her lap and sighed.

"Harry are we going to talk about what happened this morning in class with Professor Snape or not?"

Harry flicked open Advanced Potions Making to a dog-eared page, not raising his eyes to her, "Hermione you heard Dumbledore, we are not allowed to talk about it and although being forbidden has not exactly stopped me before I do not really care if Snape was drunk off his face. I hope he kills himself"

"Harry!" Hermione gasped at his crass, "How could you say such a horrible thing about someone? Can't you see that he is obviously suffering if he is that intoxicated in the morning? It's not a laughing matter!"

"Do you see me laughing Hermione?" Harry snapped his book shut and tucked it under his leg. He lazily pointed his wand at a small pebble close by and launched it across the lake in a small act of rebellion. It skipped three times before it sank with a dull splash, he allowed a small smile and searched for another pebble to improve his effort, "He is a horrible person Hermione, and I hate him. He deserves what he gets. If anything his behaviour will stop him from helping Malfoy. I know Malfoy is up to something and I have no doubt Snape is helping him either"

"Harry, I keep telling you Malfoy is not up to anything"

"Yes he is Hermione; he is a Death Eater just like his dad. I know it's true, or have you forgotten what he did to me on the train?!"

Hermione had heard quite enough. How could Harry just sit there and yell out these sensitive subjects in public like this? A few Ravenclaw fourth years walked quickly past them, eyeballing the trio with interest. Harry seemed to glare at them and threw a pebble in their direction. He was acting like a brat. Hermione stood abruptly; she decided she was going to go calm down in the library. Ron noticed her rising and turned to stop her.

"Where are you going then? Not the library I hope. You spend way too much time in there as it is!"

Hermione ignored him and crossed her arms.

"Come on 'Mione, you can't ignore me all day! I'm sorry about your book I'll fix it I swear just stay with us. Don't go to the library."

She huffed, "What do you care if I go to the library Ronald it's not like we are doing anything but sitting here wasting the day away? I don't know about you but I have NEWTs to study for! I'm not going to sit here and watch Harry read that evil little book OR watch you staring at that awful Lavender Brown! Have you not heard a word Harry has been saying?"

Ron blanched at her aggression. He was just enjoying himself outside with his best friends, taking in the view (Lavender) and the entertainment (Giant Squid) he did not wish to be castrated by Hermione on a nice day like this.

"What are you saying to her Harry?"

Harry pushed against the willow tree and stood over Ron with his arms crossed. His Advanced Potions Making book fell to the side of him and he addressed Hermione.

"I am not saying anything that is not warranted Hermione! Ron knows just as well as me that Malfoy is a no good dirty Death Eater and Snape obviously dragged him in on it and is helping him plot something. So sorry that I don't care that Snape got thrown out of class, the only thing good about it is we got a free period!"

"Maybe Snape being drunk has something to do with Malfoy?" quipped Ron helpfully. "Think about it, maybe the old git is getting really drunk because Malfoy is usurping his position with You-Know-Who and he is being a whimpy git about it."

"Hm, maybe you're right Ron" mused Harry, ruffling his jet-black hair, "but that doesn't explain why Malfoy helped him. If that was the case he wouldn't do anything to help him"

"I guess your right but what if he was helping him as a cover, to lead us off the trail"

"Perhaps"

Hermione's mouth gapped at Harry and Ron.

"Oh honestly you both sound ridiculous!"

"Really 'Mione? Defending Snape?"

"I am not defending him Ronald I am just saying that he is a person just like the rest of us and he is understandably under a lot of stress you know he is a" lowering her voice to a whisper, "double agent"

"If I didn't know any better Hermione, I'd say you liked him but I know that can't be right. Did you see how much uglier he was without his shirt on? Looked like a skeleton in a sausage skin if you ask me. Don't think I'll eat another sausage ever again." snapped Ron,

"That's it!" she screamed, brandishing her wand at Harry and Ron. "I have had enough of you both today, I know that Snape is a git Ron and that Malfoy hurt you Harry but this is unnecessary hatred and I can't stand here and listen to it." She bent down and snatched Harry's Advanced Potions Making book before he could retaliate, "I am taking this as well, it's an evil little book Harry it's full of very harmful spells and you shouldn't have it with you when you are feeling this way!"

Quickly Hermione picked up her shoulder back, shoved Harry's book inside and stormed off back towards the castle. To Azkaban with them! She was going to go to the library, she wasn't going to spend the remainder of the morning listening to Harry's dribble and watching Ron mentally fornicate with Lavender Brown.

She stormed passed the Ravenclaw's who passed them near the Black Lake, all though they did not look at her she could tell they strained their ears to hear the loud argument. Hermione knew they could not hear the conversation because of the wizard oathe but she still cast disapproving glares at them.

Walking quickly through the front doors, she headed towards the library. Intending to quietly lose herself in the latest edition of Transfiguring Times and cry a little. She found herself crying a little more as of late, ever since she had to modify her parent's memories. It helped her to deal with the pain of their absence and was quite the stress reliever.

Climbing the staircase Hermione passed Ginny who grabbed her by the arm.

"Hermione!" she cried, "Where did you go last night? I tried looking for you and waited in the common room before breakfast to see if you were alright"

"Oh I am so sorry Ginny. . . I was just really tired I went straight to bed"

"I am so sorry about my stupid brother Hermione, he really is a git"

Nodding Hermione went to continue her way to the library, "He is really is, sorry Ginny, I'm just on my way to the library I'll catch up with you later"

~O~

Making her way to the back of the library, nodding a small greeting to Madam Pince, Hermione sat at her usual table. Flicking her wand towards a rack near the front of the library she muttered "Accio Transfiguring Times".

The magazine floated slowly over to her, laying itself neatly on the table in front of her. Conjuring a hovering candle, Hermione sighed sadly, reading by candle light and flipping the pages, losing herself and unconsciously clutching her shoulder bag for comfort.

~O~

Down in the dungeons, Severus Snape snapped his eyes open, only to instantly regret it.

He moaned loudly and clutched his head. He could register movement around him and tried to sit up. Only to have gentle hands push him down again. He gathered it was Dumbledore as he felt his course grey beard scrap against his bare arm. His bare arm?

Am I nude?

Pushing the hands away roughly he sprung back up from his lounge chair and stood. His head spun at the change of perspective and he swayed, his body disagreeing with his sudden movements and keeled over expelling vomit all over his shag carpet.

Shit.

"Really Severus? The one thing I wanted to avoid. Mr Zabini could you obtain a cleansing draught from Professor Snape's storage."

Zabini excused himself from the room and the Headmaster turned to address Malfoy and Goyle.

"Gentlemen, I thank you for your assistance with your Head of House but he is now in my capable hands. You are excused" He shooed the boys out of the room. Both of them looked back at their Head of House who had fallen hands first into his own bile. "Twenty points to Slytherin house, oh and Mr Malfoy, it would be best to leave Professor Snape's wand with me"

Grudgingly Draco handed over Snape's wand and left the room. After they left, Zabini entered the room, handing over the vial of cleansing draught, Dumbledore accepted it, awarded him ten points and excused him from the room. He shut the doors behind Zabini wordlessly, with a curved gesture of his hand.

Snape struggled to breathe and had trouble holding up his body. His hair hung like a curtain around his face and his skin was even more sallow than usual.

"So after ingesting potion after potion you thought it appropriate to drink yourself into a stupor on an empty stomach," Dumbledore threw the draught on the ground and it fast absorbed the bile, turning it into a fine powder, which he then banished, "When is this going to end Severus? Is this what you have been hiding under those robes of yours?"

Dumbledore walked passed Snape who had his eyes tightly shut trying to steady his breathing. Flicking his wand he up righted Snape's club chair and sat in it, eyeing his colleague.

"What is wrong with you my boy? You are no use to Harry Potter if you are drunk out of your mind, you are no use to your students if you turn up to class barely dressed, you are no use to us if Tom enters your mind while intoxicated and extracts everything we have worked so hard for. Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Dumbledore took in a weary breathe, placing a wrinkled hand across his brow. He was so very tired of this nonsense. He was sick of Severus acting like a child.

"I am not a child Albus"

Looking towards him, the Headmaster saw Snape's sneering face; he had pushed his hair out of his face and was resting back on his haunches. In this position, his ribs looked hollow and his skin stretched almost painfully over his chest. Black eyes bore into Dumbledore as the shirtless man rose to his full height and cleared his throat.

"You are getting weaker Albus, I can read your thoughts," gritting his teeth, "and believe me if I wanted to kill myself, I would not be here covered in my own bile having this pointless conversation" Snape was still intoxicated but was slowly coming into himself again.

"Severus please, something is wrong with you, I am imploring you. No. I am telling you to let Poppy help you get sober and receive some counselling; no one need not know! You can't teach in this condition so I am sending you to the Hospital Wing for a few days."

"Albus I cannot go to the Hospital Wing now I have my potions class in an hour with Lily. . ." Snape frowned deeply at that, although more to himself. That didn't seem right.

Dumbledore stood and walked over to the fireplace. Noticing the bottle of Ogden's lying awkwardly against the grate in the fire pit, he grabbed a hand full of Floo Powder and threw it in the fire.

"Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey"

The Headmaster stuck his head through the green flames and had a short conversation with the woman on the other side. Snape did not catch the conversation but he gathered he would not be attending his potions class or seeing Lily this morning.

And that thought filled him with overwhelming disappointment.
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Years of Burden