Silence Speaks Volumes
Severus Snape is not quite the man he once was. Hermione's help keeps teaching and her intervention keeps him alive. SSHG if you squint.
"Severus?" Hermione called, routing through the typically unorganized stacks of parchment on the Professor's desk. "Severus, have you seen the-" A rolled scroll appeared in front of her face and she blinked in surprise. "Oh, never mind." She reached forward to take it but just as quickly as it came the scroll was gone again, withdrawn by a pale hand.
With a huff Hermione rounded on the spot to face Severus Snape's quiet, condescending stare. "Severus we don't have time for this," Hermione insisted, trying to snatch the scroll only to have it pulled away, beyond her reach. "The Second Year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class is due any minute."
Snape said nothing. Instead he tilted his head to one side and folded his arms, keeping the lesson plan firmly within his grasp.
There was silence for a moment as the two occupants of the Potions classroom stared at each other. Then Hermione sighed. "I know, I know" she said, admitting defeat. "I shouldn't rely too heavily on your lesson plans. 'It should act as a guideline, not an instruction manual'."
The corners of Snape's mouth twitched as he held out the scroll, relinquishing it without protest.
"Thank you," Hermione muttered, turning away to lay the plan out on the desk in front of her. She then quickly stacked the parchments she had dislodged into a neat pile and vowed to sort them out later, once the day's lessons were over. "Ok, are we ready?" She glanced up to look up at Snape but found him already striding over to the closed door, one step ahead as always. Hermione smiled fondly but swiftly schooled her expression as the door was thrown open with a dull crash.
Professor Snape stood framing the doorway for a long moment, glaring out at all the shuffling Second Years before stepping to the side and allowing them to enter. They scuttled past him without a word being said and immediately found their seats, all making sure to tuck their school bags under their desks lest they incur his wrath. Hermione had tripped over a Fourth Year's bag during her first week, almost upending an entire cauldron of boiling potion over her head; ever since then anyone found with their bag in the aisle had suffered a hefty deduction of House points.
When the last of the students were seated Snape closed the classroom door with another resounding crash, causing one young Ravenclaw boy to yelp before he quickly covered his mouth with his hands. Nobody spoke as the Professor made his way to the front of the room and positioned himself in a corner, leaving Hermione standing in the middle.
"Ok, good morning everyone," she said, surveying the rows of children lined up neatly in front of her. "I hope you're all well." A few students exchanged glances with each other and Hermione could almost feel Snape rolling his eyes at her from behind her back.
"Good, ok then. Today you'll be working from the notes you should have done for your homework. You were told to research a simple anti-itching potion, to help with bites, rashes and stings. If you did your homework correctly then you should have no problem making this potion. If you did it incorrectly, or didn't do it at all – well, we'll see." Hermione could spot more than one guilty face in the room and she knew Snape would have picked up on them as well. This should to be interesting. "The necessary ingredients have been laid out on the side." She pointed to a table, littered with various glass bottles and containers. "There are also a few unnecessary ones in there as well, so be sure you have the right ones. You have half an hour. Begin when you are ready."
Nobody moved.
Hermione sighed. "None of the ingredients are dangerous and Professor Snape and I will be here to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Her reassurance proved less effective then she had hoped it would be but the class erupted into immediate action when Snape stepped forward and pointed silently towards the table at the side of the room.
Giving him an exasperated side long glance Hermione moved around the desk and took a seat, not at all surprised when Snape came to stand behind her.
"Was that really necessary?" she asked, keeping her voice low as she watched a Muggleborn Hufflepuff girl, Nadine, trying to juggle one too many glass containers on the way back to her work station.
Hermione turned in her chair, just enough to see Snape raise an eyebrow. The tight purse of his lips told her he was trying not to smirk. She shook her head in mock despair.
"You are a bad man Severus." His eyes darted towards hers for a moment, conveying their amusement. "Go," she shooed him. "Go. I'm sure your students won't be able to cope without you peering over their shoulders, watching their every move. Merlin forbid they spend a single moment in your presence without being scared witless,"
Snape went, stalking down the aisles, his traditional black robes swirling behind him in a fruitless effort to keep up. The tension in the room shot up almost immediately and Hermione couldn't help but shake her head again, following the Potion Master's progress as he moved soundlessly throughout the room. Anyone who had thought Snape would lose his sense of menace when he lost the use of his voice had been sadly mistaken. Nagini had failed, despite her best effort, and now it was almost arguable that the students found him more terrifying now than they ever had. He had become known as the Silent Spectre rather than the Greasy Git; a title he more than willing to live up to.
Aware that her help was likely no longer required, Hermione took note of the various parchments stacked in front of her. Marking. Snape despised it and she would have happily done some to pass the time but her current (unofficial) roll as 'Professor's Voice' didn't give her the required qualifications; even though she probably knew all the answers away. Still, the least she could do was sort them out, since she was the one to have disarranged them.
"P-Professor? I-I think I've done this wrong."
Hermione glanced up and saw Nadine with her hand in the air, unable to raise her head as Snape turned and swooped down on her. One look at the potion told Hermione all she needed to know. She'd added the Elfroot too soon; a mistake but not an irreversible one.
Going back to her sorting Hermione separated the work from the different classes into piles. With that done she then opened one of the side draws, hoping to find something to attach them all together. Paperclips weren't very common in the Wizarding World but Hermione had bought some for Snape at the start of term, for her own benefit if not for his.
With the first draw not providing anything Hermione opened the second and was distracted from her search when a small glass vial rolled into view. Frowning, she reached down and picked it up.
"Professor?"
Hermione was only vaguely aware of Nadine's voice as she cradled the vial in her hand behind the desk, making sure to keep it out of sight. Merlin only knew what Snape would do to her if she exposed his weakness...Carefully she placed the vial of anti-venin back in the draw. If Snape had put it there then he probably wouldn't want it moved. Still – why had he put it there? It certainly wasn't the safest place.
Hermione opened her mouth, about to announce the halfway point in the available brewing time when a loud smash interrupted her. Her head snapped up
"Professor? Are you alright? Professor!"
The class had gone entirely silent and still, except for Nadine who was standing next to Professor Snape as he leaned against her table. Fragments of glass littered the stone flags, crunching under Snape's boots as he staggered forward, almost falling.
"Severus!" Hermione was on her feet and half way round the desk before she heard her chair hit the floor. She reached Snape just before he toppled over Nadine's stool. She seized him under the arms to keep him upright, inserting her shoulder under his for support. "Severus, Severus, look at me. Severus!"
His face was contorted, his eyes and teeth clenching shut as a violent spasm wracked his body, nearly sending the pair of them to the stone flags.
"Severus." Hermione grabbed hold of his jaw and forced him to turn towards her. "Severus, did you take your potion?" she panted, holding on for dear life as his limbs started to twitch. "Did you take your potion?"
His entire body was shaking but the movement of his head was just about discernable. No. He hadn't taken in. Swearing under her breath, Hermione heaved, trying to prop Snape up against the work table behind him. "Ok, stay with me Severus. Stay with me." Her eyes darted over to the desk where she knew the potion to be but even if his grip on her shoulder hadn't been so tight she couldn't have left him. Wildly her attention darted around the room, barely acknowledging the frightened gazes that met hers until she settled on the girl closest to her.
"Nadine!"
Nadine jumped, her eyes wide and panicky as she tore them away from her Potions Professor. "Y-Yes Miss Granger?"
"There's a potion vial in the second draw of the desk. Get it for me." Nadine hesitated, looking confused. "Now!" Hermione barked.
The girl scuttled away, rummaging hurriedly through the draws as Hermione finally lost the battle to keep Snape on his feet. A fierce spasm hit and his legs gave way. Hermione tried to slow his fall but his dead weight simply pulled her down with him. The only thing she managed to do was save his head from smacking into the table by inserting her hand between the two. It hurt but she bit back her cry as Nadine materialised at her side once more.
"Take the stopper out." Hermione instructed. She would have done it herself but her right arm was trapped. Nadine fumbled with the cork and for one heart stopping moment it looked as if she was going to drop the vial. She didn't though and shakily handed it over before scampering out of the way.
Hermione awkwardly turned Snape to look at her once more, careful not to spill the potion. "Severus, it's here. I've got it." He didn't seem to hear her. "Severus, listen. I've got the potion. You need to drink it."She pressed the vial up against his lips, hoping he'd open up for her. He didn't. "Severus," she pleaded. "Please. Drink."
His mouth opened on a gasp and Hermione shoved the vial inside, tipping the contents down his throat. Don't bite down. Don't bite down.
Snape spluttered and coughed. Hermione removed the vial and tossed it to one side, watching as the lines on tension began to disappear from his brow. His body slowly relaxed and Hermione used the arm stuck behind him to push forward, forcing him to sit up and lower his head between his knees.
"Breathe Severus. You're alright, you're alright," she said, taking a deep, somewhat unsteady breath herself. Her heart was beating frantically and she was suddenly exhausted. Bending down, she placed her right hand on Snape's shoulder and tried to catch his eye. "Are you alright?"
There was a pause, then she got a slow nod in return.
Thank Merlin, she thought, sitting back on her heels. "Don't you ever scare me like that again! Do you hear me? All you had to do was remember to take the potion. You're a Potions Master for Merlin's sake, if anyone knows how important it is -". Hermione stopped. Snape had turned towards her. His dark eyes were mostly covered by his hair as it fell down into his face but even so she could still make out where his gaze was directed. Hermione's head whirled round only to find Nadine still standing behind her. She was still there, as were all the other students.
Hermione swore under her breath once more and could have sworn Snape's convenient cough was to mask a weak snort of laughter.
Pushing herself to her feet she surveyed the room just as she had previously that lesson. Unsurprisingly the reading she got from the Second Years was somewhat different to what it had been.
"Class is dismissed," she announced calmly. "We will repeat this lesson next time so if you didn't do your homework before, Cassius," she said, picking on one of the boys who had looked somewhat guilty before. "Then I suggest you take this opportunity to get it done. Now, pack up your books and go."
There was an immediate scramble for the door as everyone grabbed their books and bags in a hasty effort to leave.
"Oh and one more thing," Hermione said, just as the first student reached for the door handle. They all turned to look at her.
"If one word of this gets out, if I hear one, single whisper of what happened here today from anyone, every single one of you will be serving detention for the rest of your time at this school. No exceptions, no excuses. Do I make myself clear?"
She was met with pale faces and gapping mouths.
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Miss Granger," was the hurried response.
"Good, you may go now." The classroom was empty of all students in under five seconds, all except for one. "Yes Nadine, is something wrong?"
"N-No Miss Granger," the girl stuttered. "I just – well I wondered if – I mean." She seemed to realise she wasn't being very clear and stopped in order to collect herself. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked. "Should I go and tell Madame Pomfrey? Or Headmistress McGonagall?"
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise and saw Snape cock his head in Nadine's direction, apparently not having expected this type of behaviour either.
Smiling knowingly, Hermione put a gentle hand on Nadine's shoulder and started to lead her over to the door. "That's very kind of you Nadine. If you can I'd like you to go and tell Madame Pomfrey that Professor Snape forgot to take his potion this morning and will require a check up later on."
"Yes Miss Granger, I'll go right now." She hesitated just inside the door. "Erm, Professor?"
On the other side of the room Snape turned to look at the young girl. His face held no malice, no dark scowl, only a mild curiosity.
"I hope you feel better." And with that Nadine was gone, tearing down the dungeons corridor like a rabbit with a fox on its tail.
Hermione and Snape exchanged bemused glances for a long moment. Then Hermione smiled and made her way over to the prone Professor.
"Looks like you have an admirer Severus. Can you stand?"
Between them they managed to get Snape seated on a stool. Hermione then went around the room with her wand, clearing away all the ruined potions that had been left on heat along with all the ingredients. She Vanished away the broken glass and spilled liquids Snape had knocked from the desk and then came to kneel down in front of him.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, placing her hands gently on his knees. "I can have Madame Pomfery come down and look at you now if that would better. Should I cancel the rest of your lessons or would you prefer to have the students work on written theory? I'm not allowed to supervise the practicals without you here but if I get them to work from the text book then-."
She was rambling and she knew it. Snape silenced her with a look.
"Sorry," she muttered, reaching up to brush the damp hair from out of his eyes. "You scared me Severus. You promised you wouldn't do that to me again after the last time."
Her hands returned to resting on his knees and Snape covered them with his own.
"I know, I know." She sighed." It's not your fault. I forgot to ask if you'd taken it this morning so I can't exactly lay the blame, can I? I still think Poppy's idea was the best. If we just get the house elves to put it in your coffee every morning..."
Snape's brow creased in a scowl.
"At least you'd never forget to take it. I know you Severus; you can't function without your morning caffeine. I guess it's just a case of which would offend you palate more: drugged coffee or broken glass." Hermione then made a show of extricating her left hand from beneath his and holding it up. There was a jagged white scar across three of her fingers that even to the untrained eye could be identified as a set of human teeth. "It might also be nice if you stopped to consider me in all of this; I only have so many fingers I'm willing to sacrifice. You nearly bit clean through last time. The Healers at St Mungo's gave me very odd looks, Merlin only knows what they thought I'd been up to. "
Snape rolled his eyes in an exaggerated gesture, having heard the tale before but he still reached out and took hold of the offered hand. He squeezed it gently and Hermione winced. His eyes asked the question his mouth could not.
"Had to save you from hitting your head, think my fingers might be a bit tender for the next few days."
Something soft and rarely seen ghosted over Snape's dark features as he stared intently at the small hand in his. He ran his thumb, almost reverently over Hermione's bruised knuckles and then, without warning, he raised them to his mouth.
It was a surreal moment. He softly kissed her fingers, touching his lips to each of the scars and when their eyes met nothing was said.
They let the silence do the talking.
Author's Note: This was originally written as a scene meant for a longer piece of FanFiction. I didn't really have anywhere to go with that piece so thought I'd post this as a standalone. If there are any bits that don't make sense then please let me know, hopefully I covered everything but everyone makes mistakes.
Anyway, please tell me what you think. Especially about the ending; I'm not sure whether I'm happy with it or not. Other people's opinions are always useful.
Nightzchild