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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 4

Hermione awoke early the next morning, slightly disoriented by her change in location from the Weasley residence. As she recalled the events of the previous day and what this new day held in store, she sat up briskly and turned to place her feet on the cool hardwood floors. Standing up, Hermione abashedly realized that she had not felt so driven since the war ended.

The worthwhile tasks that had required her attention after the war, such as finding her parents and reversing their memory charms or being some source of help and comfort to survivors who had lost more than she, had seemed daunting. Sure, finding Wendell and Monica Wilkins would not be impossible. Hermione was resourceful. She knew their aliases and the country that they had relocated to, even if only Remus and Tonks had known the particulars of their new residence. She was sure that with a little detective work she would be able to find them.

However, once she found them she would have to face the parts of the task that made it daunting. She would have to see what her parents’ lives looked like without her. Once she reversed the charm, she would have to explain that she had violated their memories and implanted false dreams in their minds, forcing them into this alternate reality for an entire year of their lives. To protect them, of course! But while they may be able to understand and forgive her, they would not be able to forget. How could their relationship ever be the same after that kind of betrayal? Then, she was sure, to top the horrendous experience off, would come endless concern and questions for their skinny shell shocked daughter who had seen her friends and teachers slaughtered on the battlefield.

Helping Snape would be comparatively easy. She had already been forced to face him after leaving him to die. So helping him research, even an unsolvable puzzle, seemed preferable to having difficult conversations with her parents and the others she had gravely disappointed or failed.

Hermione headed out of Snape’s old bedroom in search of the loo. Finding the door cracked open further down the hall, she stepped inside and faced the mirror. She looked worse than she had expected. Her hair was notably greasy, which somehow didn’t stop it from remaining frizzy. Her face was skinny in a hollow way, revealing dark circles under her eyes and some mild acne at her temples. She removed the clothes she had slept in last night, and started to run water for a shower.

____________

From downstairs, Severus heard the shower start. He was glad she was up early this morning so that they could get started, and only slightly annoyed that she was wasting time with personal hygiene. From her appearance and general attitude yesterday it was clear that she had not adapted well to life after the battle. Hopefully this renewed interest in soap signaled that she was returning to herself somewhat. Not that he particularly cared for her when she was being herself, but depressed people were not nearly as good at research.

Severus idly waited for the sound of the running water to stop and soon heard the creaking of the stairs that signaled Hermione’s arrival downstairs. Looking over at her from his spot where he had camped out near his selected books, he acknowledged that she did look slightly better in her Muggle jeans and t-shirt, her still-wet hair tied back into a ponytail. Meeting her eyes, he realized that he had been giving her appearance a once-over and hoped she didn’t read anything into it.

“You’re looking more rested,” he said as a concise greeting and explanation.

“Yes, I am feeling better than I have been,” she admitted.

“Good,” he stated. “Then we can get started right away.”

“Right, of course.” She started at his abrupt beginning to the work, looking around the vast library as if hoping for an obvious starting point to make itself known.

At that moment a sharp rapping at the window directed both of their attentions. An owl for Hermione had made its way to the window, a note clasped in its claw. Hermione walked over to the window and let it open ajar for the owl to soar through. When the owl offered its note to Hermione, she removed it and quickly read the short slip of paper to herself.

“It’s from Harry,” she offered to the room.

“I do not care about your personal correspondences,” came Snape’s automatic sneering reply. Immediately he regretted this quip. First of all, he had told himself that he would try to be courteous to her. Second, it wasn’t even true in this case. He was both, curious about the fate of the-boy-who-apparently-continued-to-live, the outcomes of the final battle and concerned about what she would tell the boy. Severus’ personal privacy had likely been violated after his death, since it was clear that Hermione no longer viewed him as a villain. He did not want news of his current personal predicament to reach more people than it had to. The sooner he could regain his life so that he could properly die, the better.

“Really?” Hermione looked up from the note. “I thought in this case you might have an opinion on what I should or shouldn’t tell him.”

Snape looked away, annoyed. Was he that transparent? Well, these days, he supposed he was…

“I had told him that I was going back to my parents’ house for some time alone. He was just checking in to make sure I had gotten in okay and to ask when I would be coming by the Burrow next. Can I tell him where I am?” she asked.

“No,” he said gruffly.

“Okay, I’ll respect your privacy,” she replied, remembering her promise to herself to stay on his good side today. “I do have some…things that I was supposed to do abroad. I could tell him that I am taking care of that business to avoid any problems with him showing up at my obviously vacant house?” she offered, thinking guiltily about her abandoned parents.

“That seems acceptable,” came his brief reply. Thinking he would not add anything more, she turned to write her brief reply to Harry’s note. However, she hadn’t finished the loop in the ‘y’ of “Hi Harry,” before he added, “Potter survived the battle, then.”

It wasn’t quite a question, but it obviously required some kind of explanation or response from her.

“Well, yes. Mostly.” She set the note aside temporarily. His usually dark eyes, now pale, were looking at her expectantly, so for the first time since the battle she attempted to retell what she could of it. She was surprised that it did feel okay to tell him what happened. He was not the easiest person to talk to usually, and this was not an easy subject. But, Snape, who had risked his life time and again for them all before finally dying for the cause, deserved to know. And that made her feel strong enough to tell him how Harry had gone into the forest alone. How Hagrid had carried his apparently lifeless body from the edge of the woods but how miraculously only the Horcrux had been killed. How the battle had ended in not only Voldemort’s death, but Fred’s and Remus’ and Tonks’ and Colin’s and Lavender’s and even Crabbe’s.

When she finished they sat in silence for a few moments before Severus glimpsed the clock on the mantel. It was nearly noon and they had lost a whole morning. Severus was frustrated with himself. He didn’t need to bother himself with what had happened after his death. It was after his death, so how could it possibly concern him? He had been curious, but surely he could have sated his curiosity with the answers to a few simple questions: Potter survived? The Dark Lord is dead? You are sure you have destroyed all of the Horcruxes? There shouldn’t have been a need for a four hour long retelling of the details of the final battle. It was none of his concern because, hopefully, soon he would finally and truly be dead and then he wouldn’t care about anything ever again.

“Well what are you waiting for?” he snapped. “Write your note, eat something, and then come right back here so that we can get started!”

Hermione jumped at his sudden change of demeanor. “Right!” she said and quickly scribbled an explanation to Harry before sending the owl on its way.

A/N: I know it's been years since I've updated. I'm really sorry if anyone was annoyed. I don't really have an explanation, but I have thought about this story from time to time and I have a plan for where I want it to go. Also, if anyone wants to beta read for me, especially if you pay careful attention to sentence clarity and flow, let me know in the comments, since this chapter was not beta-read.
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It Was Supposed to be Over