Author's note and disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. You know this.
Anyway, this is just a little short that I wrote. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review! Thanks!
NIGHTMARES
Chapter 1
It had been months since the war ended. Harry had defeated Voldemort. He was gone. Hermione knew he was gone, but that didn't stop her from waking up in the middle of the night, terrified out of her mind.
At first it had not been so bad because when she woke up, Ron was there to hold her...but recently they had been fighting.
She blamed herself. She knew it was her fault they were fighting. She was irritable. She avoided her friends because of what they reminded her of. She couldn't stand seeing Ron's brother without his twin. She didn't enjoy the things she'd once loved. Reading, studying, knitting...she found it impossible to concentrate on anything.
Hermione wasn't an idiot. She knew she was likely suffering from some sort of Depression or PTSD...but she wouldn't admit it, not even to herself. She was smart, she couldn't possibly suffer from something like that, she thought.
One chilly night in December, Hermione woke herself up screaming. She sat up in bed, wrapped her arms around herself, and sobbed until she calmed down. She couldn't remember the dream, only the terror and the urge to flee.
She couldn't take anymore. She needed help and there was only one person she could think of to ask. She dressed warmly and Disapparated from her Diagon Alley apartment.
She appeared outside the Hogwarts gate. McGonagall had given the trio the spell to unlock the gate and told them they could visit anytime. It was not McGonagall she was going to visit, though.
She made her way quickly across the grounds. She tried not to look towards Dumbledore's tomb but the tears came regardless and froze to her face.
The castle had been perfectly restored after the battle. No trace of the battle remained but as Hermione approached all she saw were the ravaged ruins she'd seen on her last visit. The howling wind brought the sound of Harry and Voldemort, screaming at one another in Parseltongue during their fight. Then she heard screams, young voices, students locked in battle with Death Eaters...
She ran towards the castle. Her fur-lined cloak came off and flew away in the wind. She didn't even feel it. Before she knew it, she was down in the dungeons, knocking on his door. The door opened and a tired, annoyed, familiarly surly-faced Professor appeared. Hermione instantly felt relieved and she threw her arms around him.
When the battle was over, Severus Snape had come staggering up to the castle. Madam Pomfrey had found no evidence of Nagini's fatal bite or any other physical wound. He'd told no one how he had survived.
Harry had vouched for his innocence, much like Dumbledore had all those years ago. McGonagall had welcomed him back as Potions master and he had accepted.
"Stop that at once Miss Granger," Snape said, pushing her away.
"S-sorry," she stammered, stepping away. She wiped her face on the back of her hand and looked up at him. He gazed steadily back at her.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, a familiar sneer to his voice. She suspected he couldn't help it.
"I was wondering if...if you had anything for nightmares, sir?" she asked.
"Nightmares," he repeated.
He shivered a bit and stepped back into his office.
"Come in," he said. "You're letting the cold in."
Hermione followed him into his office. She looked around the familiar room and felt comforted. It was like being a student again.
"May I ask why you did not go to the nurse? Or the hospital, considering you are no longer a student here," he pointed out.
"I don't... Can you help me or not?" she snapped irritably.
"Hmm," he said, looking at her, eyes narrowed.
He turned from her and began browsing books on his shelf.
"I'm assuming your nightmares are about the war?" he asked absently.
"I just need a potion, I don't need my brain picked," she said coolly. "...Does it matter?"
"It could."
"...Yes," she admitted quietly.
"Tell me about them," he said. He didn't sound annoyed or sarcastic like he usually did. It was a simple command and for some reason, she felt compelled to answer.
"I...can't," she said. He paused his search to glance at her, one eyebrow raised.
"I mean, I...Most of the time, I can't remember. I wake up...terrified."
"And when you can remember?" he asked, resuming his search.
"Nights on the run...or Harry getting killed. Even..."
"What?"
"Even some about...when Nagini attacked you."
He paused a moment, then pulled a book off the shelf.
"There is a potion here. I can help you brew it."
"I can do it myself," she said stubbornly.
"You are tired, little witch. You'd likely blow up your little flat in Diagon Alley."
"...You know where I live?"
"McGonagall mentioned it. Now, get these ingredients," he said, opening the book and passing it to her.
"Yes sir," she said obediently.
Chapter 2
Once Hermione was fully awake she was thrilled to be brewing a potion with Snape. He had been her most brilliant professor at Hogwarts. Surly as he was, she'd always admired him.
She found it easy to do the tasks he told her to do. Crushing, chopping herbs and ingredients. She did the prep work while he worked in the potion. He kept a close eye on her, something that made her nervous, but it was also something she was used to. She kept her focus and performed perfectly. Even Snape couldn't find fault.
After about an hour, he stepped away from the cauldron.
"It needs to simmer for half an hour," he said to her. "Then it will be ready... Would you like some tea?"
"...Sure. I mean, yes sir. Thank you," she replied.
Snape snapped his fingers and a house-elf appeared.
"Some tea, please," he said to the elf.
"Yes Master Snape," the elf said. She disappeared with a crack and suddenly Hermione was not seeing Snape's office. She was seeing Dobby, lying in the mud, with Bellatrix's knife sticking out of him. Blood pooling around him...
"No..." she said, knowing what came next.
She was thrown backwards in time. Lying against a cold slab, with Bellatrix's face above hers. Then torture, liquid fire through her body. She tried not to scream, but whimpers escaped and finally she couldn't help it. She screamed.
"Miss Granger! Miss Granger!"
She could hear someone calling her name, someone familiar.
"Hermione, you are okay!"
She blinked a few times and her vision faded. Snape's face appeared, a look of uncharacteristic concern on his face.
"Hey...you're okay," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. The hand n her shoulder brought her back to reality and she realized she was backed against the wall, wand in hand.
"Give it," he said gently, covering her hand with his. He pried her death-like grip off her wand and took it from her.
"Easy, kid," he said gently. "Sit."
He led her to the chair in front of his desk and she sat down.
The elf reappeared with the tea. She placed the tray on the desk, then left. Snape poured Hermione a cup and she accepted it with shaking hands. She tried to take a sip, only to spill tea down her front. Snape put a hand on hers to steady her and pushed the cup to her lips. She drank deeply.
"What happened?" he asked her, setting the cup aside.
"...You know what happened," she said, knowing he had to have used Legilimency on her.
"You need to tell me," he said calmly.
"No," she said, standing to leave. "I don't."
"Stop," he said, pushing her back down into the chair. She glared up at him defiantly.
"You are not stupid, Hermione Granger. You know what's wrong with you," he said softly.
"No," she said, shaking her head.
"I believe you are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."
"No...I mean, that's...," her face paled as she spoke. "I know better. I'm too...smart for that, sir."
"PTSD is not privy to logic, Miss Granger. It is exempt from reason. Nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, paranoia... You are not the only one who suffers from them," he said.
She looked up at him, surprised. He met her gaze steadily.
"You're shivering," he observed quietly.
"C-cold," she responded.
"You have no cloak or jacket."
"I must have forgotten."
Snape got his cloak from the hook by the door and draped it over her shoulders. She fastened it and pulled it tight around herself.
"Can I ask you a question, Professor Snape?" she asked.
He grunted indifferently and pretended to check on the potion.
"...How did you survive?"
"What?"
"How did you survive? We saw Nagini bite you, we saw... I saw you...die."
Tears filled her eyes and she had to look away from him. She heard him walk back over to her.
"Hey," he said, forcing her to look up, finding him quite close. "I'm not dead."
She laughed shortly and in a surprisingly gentle motion, he wiped her tears away. He jerked his hand away suddenly and turned away from her.
"...Fawkes..." he muttered.
"Sir?" she asked.
"Fawkes, the Phoenix. Dumbledore's bird. He came back to save me," he said.
"Phoenix tears," she said in quiet awe.
"I was lucky," he said.
"I think it was fate."
"I am not so foolish to believe in that, Miss Granger," he replied shortly. "There's no...reason."
"No reason for what?"
"No reason for me to have lived!" he exclaimed suddenly, startling her.
"But sir-" she protested.
"No," he said, rounding on her. "You don't understand, don't pretend you do my little know-it-all. There's no reason for me to have survived so I can have what? This? My miserable, pathetic existence as Potions Master. Alone in this room, every night...alone..."
"You don't have to be alone," she murmured, looking up at him. "You choose to be alone."
"No one believes I'm innocent," he continued ranting, as if he had not heard her. "No one ever will. I killed my best friend for gods' sake! I deserved to die!"
"...I've always believed you were innocent," Hermione said quietly. He stopped ranting abruptly and looked at her.
"Why am I saying this to you? We aren't friends. We don't even like each other."
"I've always liked you...admired you. You're the most brilliant professor I had. You didn't treat me like everyone else. You made me strive to do my best, better than my best, all the nights I stayed awake all night reading Potions textbooks..."
"Really?" he asked, smirking slightly.
Hermione felt herself blush.
Snape's watch beeped, alerting them both to the potion. Hermione stood, Snape's cloak falling around her shoulders.
"We need a few ginger roots, thinly sliced, then it will be done."
"I'll get them," she said, hurrying to the cabinet.
She came back to the desk and began slicing them. Snape came to stand behind her, observing her work. Her breath caught in her throat but she kept her hands steady. His closeness made her nervous, she wasn't sure why...or at least, she wasn't sure she liked the reason.
Suddenly, he put his hands over hers.
"Thinner slices, Miss Granger, you want them to dissolve," he said quietly, his voice near her ear.
"okay," she said, throat dry.
He guided her hands in the cutting and Hermione felt her body grow warm.
Oh no, she thought, flooded with embarrassment. This was Snape. She shouldn't be feeling like this because of Snape!
She was a master at keeping her hands under control, despite her feelings. She was used to Snape trying to break her down in the classroom. She could handle this.
She straightened up a bit and felt his body in contact with hers for just a moment. Her concentration shattered when she brushed against something hard. Her hand slipped and she just missed cutting both their fingers. He withdrew his hands.
"Careful," he told her, stepping away.
"No," she said aloud accidentally.
" 'No' what, Miss Granger?" he asked, looking at her.
"I'm sorry...sorry sir. I don't know why I said that," she said, face burning.
"You didn't want me to step away?" he asked, a smirk spreading across his face. He'd read her mind, of course he had, she knew that. Damn him.
She didn't respond to him but scooped the sliced ginger roots up and dumped them into the cauldron. She watched them dissolve.
"What are your plans for finishing school, Miss Granger?" he asked randomly.
"Um..." she said, turning to face him. "I don't really know. I decided to take a year off just to...relax I suppose. But that's not been going so well."
"You and Mr Weasley?"
She eyed him, suspicious.
"Why are you asking?" she tested.
"Merely curious," he said calmly.
"We're not...I haven't seen much of him lately," she said.
"Interesting," he said. "Your potion is ready."
"What? Oh," she said, turning back to it. She got the ladle and Snape handed her a goblet.
"You should be observed for the night. I could wake Madam Pomfrey-?"
"No," she said quickly. "Please...I don't want anyone else to know."
"What are you suggestion, Miss Granger?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
Was he testing her? What was she suggesting? She thought quickly.
"I have a couch and an armchair. If there's any way I can convince you...I know it would be dreadfully inconvenient..."
"Hmm...I suppose you would think it nice of me to help you?"
"Well of course sir. You've been so nice to me already, I hate asking, but I just..."
"You'd rather keep your condition a secret."
"Yes."
"...I will do it," he agreed.
"Really?" she asked delighted.
"Don't make a big deal of it," he warned.
"Okay. Okay...thank you sir."
"You need help... Believe it or not, Miss Granger, I am trying to do good now."
She nodded slowly.
Chapter 3
They arrived at her apartment via Floo Powder. Hermione entered first and used her wand to light the lights. She placed the goblet of potion on the coffee table and turned to face Snape as he came out of the fireplace. Snape looked around her apartment curiously. He smiled his small smirk.
"What?" she asked.
"Even more books than I expected," he said.
"Ha," she said sardonically. "...Feel free to pick one if you to to read. I can't imagine you want to stare at me sleeping all night."
"Thank you," he said and began pursuing the shelves.
Hermione went into her room to get comfortable. She changed into black pajama bottoms and a blue sweater. She came out of her room with her pillow and blanket and made her bed on the couch. She got the goblet of potion and drank it all. She immediately began to feel drowsy.
"Sleep well, Miss Granger," Snape said, sitting down with a book. She got comfortable, closed her eyes, and immediately fell asleep.
She awoke a few hours later with a gasp, her eyes filled with the terror she felt. She jumped up wildly, looking for her wand. Someone grabbed her and she screamed.
"Calm down, Miss Granger. You're alright," Snape's voice said.
Slowly she quit struggling and looked up at him.
"It didn't work," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "The potion didn't work."
"Please...don't cry," he said, awkwardly stroking her back.
"What if nothing works?" she asked, sniffling.
"Something will," he said soothingly. "There are other things we can try. Come, sit down."
He sat down with her on the couch. He pulled her blanket over her, keeping an arm around her. She leaned into him, taking comfort in him. Her tears subsided and soon the warm feeling came back to her.
What am I doing? She thought. Think logically. This is Snape. He's a teacher. I'm a student... but I'm not really a student. Not anymore.
"We could be friends," she said aloud.
"What?"
"You and I...There's no reason we could not be friends," she said.
"...I think you have more than friendship on your mind, Miss Granger," he said, smirking.
Her face flushed.
"How do you...You shouldn't read people's minds. It's rude," she retorted.
"I wasn't reading your mind. I was reading your body language," he said, laughing. "But I'm...flattered."
"Really? Is that all?" she asked, gazing up at him.
"Hmm..." he said, looking back at her, no longer laughing.
Hermione took a chance – what's the worst that could happen? - and closed the distance between their lips in a kiss.
Much to her delight he did not pull away. He kissed her back and when she parted her lips he slipped his tongue in eagerly. Her body responded to his enthusiasm and before she knew it, she was straddling him on the couch, his hands on her waist.
She refused to break the kiss. They were both breathing heavily. She deepened the kiss and buried her hands in his hair. She'd always really liked his hair. She took even more pleasure in running her fingers through it. Judging by muffled moans and his throbbing erection, he was enjoying it too.
His hands found their way under her sweater. She wasn't wearing a bra and when his rough hands brushed her nipples she nearly had an orgasm. She broke the kiss in a gasp.
"My God," she groaned, grinding against his leg.
"Little witch..." he growled. "What are we doing?"
"I don't...don't know..."
"You're humping my leg," he said, smirking.
She hit him lightly then leaned to kiss him again. The kiss quickly grew heated. Hermione didn't stop until her hands were on his pants zipper. He had his hands on her ass and was about to take her shirt off when he stopped too. Their eyes met. They could each tell the other was thinking, calculating.
"Fuck it," Snape breathed and kissed her again.
She stood long enough to get her pajama bottoms off then she was undoing his pants. She took a moment to admire his cock – thick, pale, and at least 10 inches long. While she was admiring him, he slipped a finger inside of her. She whimpered and bucked against his finger.
"Why are you so wet, little witch?" he teased.
"Don't you know, sir?"
He groaned and she felt his cock throb. She knew he wouldn't last much longer. She angled herself above him and he guided himself into her. She was so close...just a little more...
"Slow down!" Snape said suddenly. "Easy..."
She was still for a moment, letting him get used to the feeling. She couldn't wait any longer. She plunged down, feeling his cock stretch her. The mix of pain and pleasure made her cry out as she began to climax. Her walls squeezed him and load of cum burst forth out of him, filling her.
They stayed in that position, coming down from the high. He began to get hard again immediately. He put his arms around her waist, lifted her up, and carried her into the bedroom...
Chapter 4
"That was fast. I'm sorry," he said, laying her down on the bed.
"That was...amazing," she breathed. "Possibly the best orgasm I've ever had."
"Only possibly? I'll have to try harder," he said with a smirk.
He moved down between her legs and she bashfully tried to close her legs.
"Oh now you're shy? I don't think so, little witch. Spread your legs," he commanded, his voice reminding her of his lecture voice. She swallowed nervously and obeyed. He licked along her slit then paused.
"You're bleeding," he said. "Did I hurt you?"
"N-not really," she said. "I mean, it was worth it, you're just..."
"Just what?"
"So...big," she said, blushing.
He smirked, pleased, then went back to work between her legs.
He licked and sucked her swollen, sensitive clit, making her squirm. She moaned when he flicked his tongue inside her. He thrust his tongue in and out and nuzzled her clit with his nose.
"Oh my god!" she cried, clutching the bed sheets.
"Not God, Miss Granger," he murmured from between her legs.
"Close enough, Professor," she replied. He looked up at her, a wicked gleam in his eye.
"You can call me Hermione, considering your face is buried in my...in me," she said, blushing harder.
"You are right, Hermione," he said slowly. "You may call me Severus, if you like."
"I think you like my calling you professor, don't you sir?" she teased.
It was his turn to blush. He thrust a finger inside her roughly and she moaned aloud.
"Cheeky little witch," he murmured before licking her clit again. "My little know-it-all."
She reached down and buried her hands in his hair. He sucked her clit hard until she was on fire, ready for her orgasm.
"Please...Professor Snape..." she groaned.
"Tell me what you want Miss Granger," he said. "Hermione..."
"Please sir...I n-need your...need you inside of me," she said, squirming.
He came up and kissed her.
"I said slowly," he said firmly.
"I don't want slow, I want your cock," she said boldly. "Professor."
"I've had enough of your cheek, little witch. I think you deserve a punishment," he said, pulling her over his lap. Before she could protest, he brought his hand across her backside. She let out a yelp of surprise.
"Did you like that?"
"Y-yes sir," she admitted.
"Good girl," he said and swatted her again. A tingle went through her clit every time his hand hit her backside.
He spanked her until her ass was red, then he laid her across the bed and kissed the heated flesh.
"You liked that?" he checked again.
"Surprisingly...yes."
"Yes sir," he teased, swatting her lightly.
"Yes sir," she repeated. She grinned wickedly as a thought came to her. He seemed to like being in control. What would happen if she took that away from him?
She slipped off the bed and got between his knees.
"What are you-" he began but stopped when she took him in her mouth. "Oh God!"
She licked up and down his shaft, tasting herself on him. Then she took as much of him in her mouth as she could.
"N-no, don't- don't-" he stammered. She looked up at him and his body spasmed.
"Hermione don't, I can't," he pleaded, pushing her away. "I'll...cum."
"Oh," she said, grinning up at him. "Well that's kind of the point."
"I will...on my own terms, little witch, come here."
He pulled her up and laid her across the bed. He stood behind her and flipped her over onto her stomach.
"Ready?" he asked, kissing the heated flesh on her ass again.
"Yes please," she begged.
He spread her legs and slid himself inside her.
He tried to keep his thrusts slow but Hermione didn't want slow. She made her own thrusts back onto his cock until his speed matched hers. She didn't cum until she felt him explode inside of her, the warmth spreading through her. She let out a cry as a powerful orgasm ripped through her.
He held her close as they both came down. Their heavy breathing returned to normal. She waited for him to say something, but he just pressed a kiss onto her damp forehead. Pretty soon he was snoring and Hermione smiled to herself. She was glad he was comfortable enough to sleep next to her. She told herself she had no regrets and she hoped he didn't either. She began to feel drowsy and soon she was sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Chapter 5
Hermione woke up to sunlight streaming through her window and an arm around her middle. She smiled and decided not to move so he could sleep. But he was already awake.
"Any nightmares?" he asked, startling her.
She rolled over to face him.
"None," she said.
They gazed at one another silently for a while.
"I think I didn't have any nightmares because you were here," she said quietly. "I wish you could always be here..."
"I could be...if you want me to be," he replied softly. Hermione smiled and kissed him.
"I'd like that," she said.
THE END