Help Me
Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter.
Summary- When Dumbledore sends Snape and McGonagall to Surrey to watch over a future student, they learn even the good ones can be broken. Can Snape and McGonagall save this broken child before it's too late?
Warnings- Child Abuse, Child Neglect, and Curse words.
"That old coot has officially lost his mind." Severus Snape snapped as him and Minerva McGonagall walked through the busy streets of Surrey. Both of them were dressed in Muggle clothes, Severus was dressed in a professional black business suit and Minerva was also dressed in a very professional grey business suit. Both had cast a Glamour Charm so their looks would blend in. Severus hair had been styled and cut very short thanks to the spell.
"Honestly Severus stop complaining. It's one day. We just have to go and watch over her." Minerva said leading, him to the MountCaster Elementary school. Albus Dumbledore had early that morning called both professors to his office and asked them to travel to Surrey to watch over a future student, that might be in trouble. They walked through the front doors and over to the small front office.
"Good morning. Can I help you with something?" The secretary asked with forced enthusiasm
"Yes we are here..."
"Can you wait one second?" The secretary cut Minerva off and turned to the student standing next to them
"Yes Jordan?"
"I was late this morning." The secretary smiled and handed him a slip of paper, the boy smiled and walked down the hall
"I'm so sorry what were you saying?"
"It's fine. As I was saying we are from Social Services and we were wondering if we could observe the students in the kindergarten class?"
"May I ask why?"
"Their has been and increase in abuse and neglect cases lately and we would just like to observe how they act."
"Okay give me a moment and I will check with the kindergarten teacher."
"Thank you." Minerva watched as the secretary walked away and down the hall.
"Do you think she believed that?" Severus asked
"Yeah I think she did." A few minutes later she came back
"Follow me." She lead them down an empty hallway that was full of decoration on the wall. She stopped in front of a closed bright lime green door that had the name Mrs. Rowan in black.
"Mrs. Rowan is our kindergarten teacher, she a very good teacher. I spoke with her she said it would fine it you two observed the students." She opened the door and allowed both of them to enter.
"Have a great day." The secretary walked back out the door and left.
"Hello I'm Mrs. Rowan, I'm the kindergarten teacher here at MountCaster."
"I'm Minerva McGonagall and this is my colleague Severus Snape."
"It's nice to meet you both." She said shaking hands with each of the professors. "We are just about to start Morning Circle. You two can take a seat and just observe."
"Thank you." Both professors replied and took a seat in the plastic chairs that were offered. Mrs. Rowan walked to the front of the class and clapped her hands to get the class's attention
"Okay boys and girls hand your morning activities and join me at the circle." The class obeyed and soon a circle was created by the 21 students.
"Good morning boys and girls. So today we have a fairly easy day. You all practised writing your names which were done wonderfully. Now we are doing Morning Circle, after were a going to do a little drawing project, and then it will be recess, we will do a game exercise, by the time were a done that it will be lunch and then were going to an arts and craft project. And possible end the day with a gym period outside." Mrs. Rowan looked outside it was already hot out for being the last week of June.
"Okay would anyone like to share anything, that you did over the weekend?" a few hands were raised in the air.
"Haley?"
"My daddy took me to the mall and we shopped all day."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Kyle what did you do?"
"I lost a tooth." The five year old boy smiled brightly to show one of his front teeth were missing
"Wow. Did you put it under you pillow?"
"Yeah I got four dollars."
"Okay anybody else wanna share?" They spent about 10 minutes listening to different kids sharing.
"Okay sound like you all had amazing weekends. I have a question for all you what do you wanna be when you grow up?" Severus rolled his eyes at the question.
"Bradley?"
"A policeman."
"Hilary?
"A nurse like my auntie."
"Okay Jamie?"
"A firefighter or a scientist.
"Harmony what do you wanna be?" the girl in questioned shrugged her shoulders "Do you wanna be a teacher?" the little girl shook her head. "A ballerina. You like to dance."
"No."
"What do you wanna be?"
"Different and far away." The teacher stared at the girl for a second before turning to the next student, once everyone had been asked she told the class to go back to their tables.
"Okay for this drawing project you will receive a piece of white paper and I want you all to draw something important to you. Something you really want. What are some things you could draw? Kenny?"
"A bike"
"Lucy? "
"A music box."
"David?
"I want a apple." The class laughed and went on suggesting different stuff.
"Here is your paper. You can draw in crayon, pencil crayon, felts, whatever." Mrs. Rowan finished handing out all the papers she came over to where the two professors were watching
"If you two want you can walk around, talk to the students or just looked at what there drawing."
"Thank you." Mrs. Rowan walked over to her desk and started to checking through a pile of papers. Severus started walking around cringing at how horrible some of these pictures were. Minerva smiled at some of the students and asked a couple what they were drawing .
"What are you drawing?" Severus asked the girl that had been called Harmony. She looked up and him and shrugged. She was sitting with two twin girls who were busy whispering while staring at her. Severus heard a couple of words the main one that came up was "freak"
"Nothing." she just kept scribbling on her paper with a black crayon
"Isn't there anything you want?"
"I wanna go to sleep." she said shrugging "I don't want anything." Minerva walked over to where Severus was standing beside the girl and she looked at the piece of paper, the black scribbles were being darken.
"Hey sweetie what's your name?" Minerva said couching next to her
"Hermione. Hermione Miah Granger"
"Hermione that's a beautiful name. My name is Minerva McGonagall and this is my friend Severus Snape."
"Nice to meet you." Hermione kept her eyes on her paper busy making the scribbles darker
"How old are you?"
"4 ½ ."
"Your four?" Hermione nodded her head. Minerva noticed something changing she stared at Hermione fingernails which were changing colours, she elbowed Severus and pointed to her own nails, he looked to Hermione's nails and watched as the changed from a pale pink to a bright red.
"I love your nail colour." Hermione looked to her nails and hide them from the two professors, she lowered her head and continued scribbling.
"Okay class it's recess time, please get your snacks and leave your work on your table for me to collect." The students all got their snacks and went outside to play. A few seconds later the bell rang annoucing recess had officially begun. Mrs. Rowan walked around collecting the activities and then she place them on her desk.
"May I ask you a question?" Minerva asked
"Certainly."
"Why is there a four year in kindergarten."
"Oh Harmony."
"Hermione." Severus corrected
"Sorry?"
"Her name isn't Harmony it's Hermione."
"Her parents asked us to call her Harmony. Something about it being easier to pronounce."
"Right."
"Anyways she is only four but she is very smart and she comes from a very well off family who insisted she start school." Mrs. Rowan turned back to her desk "If you two don't mind, maybe you should go outside and watch the students. I have some work I have to do."
"Certainly." Minerva and Severus walked outside and stood in the shaded area, from where they were standing, they could see Hermione "Harmony" spinning around on the middle of the school field, she had a huge smile on her face and her light purple dress was spinning as much as she was. Suddenly the little girl was sitting in a mud puddle, a boy slightly taller than her had push her and starting laughing, his friends who were behind him were laughing and so was everyone else that saw, Hermione looked around at all the people laughing, the boy that pushed her pointed at her.
"See you are a FREAK." Everyone started laughing harder, Hermione was still sitting in the mud she had tear running down her cheeks. Minerva and Severus walked a fast pace over to the crowd, Hermione just sat there frozen.
"Okay all of you go on. Go do your own thing." Minerva order to all the people standing around watching and some still laughing, Severus walked over and picked up the crying Hermione and carried her back inside, Minerva followed.
"Harmony what happened?" Asked Mrs. Rowan when she saw Severus carrying her inside. Hermione mumbled something
"I'm sorry what was that?"
"I said that's not my name." Hermione repeated louder
"Yes unfortunately it is."
"Come on sweetie, let's get you changed." Minerva said taking Hermione from Severus. She walked to the bathroom and told Hermione to change in the clothes that had appeared in her bag. When Hermione was all changed she was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Hermione washed her cheeks which had some mud on them, her arms and hands. Once she was all done, she took Minerva's hand and the two walked back to the classroom. Minerva barely even noticed that Hermione's nails had turned black.
"All better Hermione." Mrs. Rowan asked, Hermione smiled and nodded. "Go sit in the corner."
"But I.."
"Go." Mrs. Rowan pointed to the chair in the corner. "Excuse me I have to go round up the students."
"Hermione does your arm hurt?" Severus asked once Mrs. Rowan left, and noticed the young girl was cradling her arm.
"I hurt in when I fell." Severus walked over to the girl and touched her arm
"May I?" Hermione nodded and Severus gently felt it just to make sure she hadn't broken it or sprained it.
"She just fell on it the wrong way." he told Minerva who was brushing Hermione's hair away from her face.
"Hermione can we ask you a couple of questions?" Hermione nodded still cradling her wrist
"Do you like coming to school?"
"No the kids are mean." Hermione whispered, both professors sat couched in front of her.
"Do you like being at your house?"
"Not really."
"Do you like reading?" Minerva asked
"Yeah I love reading." Hermione said smiling
"Do you like learning."
"Sometimes. Most of the time." Minerva smiled at Hermione
"Hermione, do your parents ever hurt you?" Hermione's smiled slowly fell, but she said nothing
"Hermione do they hurt you?" Slowly Hermione nodded her head yes.
"Did they ever hurt you really badly?" Hermione lifted the hem of her black t-shirt to show them the huge black bruise on her stomach, both professors gasped
"Daddy kicked me and said I was a freak." Hermione put her shirt back down, Severus looked away form Hermione for a moment. When he turned back Hermione had tears running down her cheeks for the second time in 30 minutes.
"Oh sweetie." Minerva pulled the broken little girl over to her and hugged her, Hermione continued to cry.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Mrs. Rowan yelled when she walked in a saw Hermione being hugged by the strange Social Services person
"What is going on? I'll tell what is going on. You a the most un-observant person in the world. You are so clueless you fail to realize how many of your students are hurt. And you have little respect for the ones that are injured." Minerva said throw gritted teeth, she hugged Hermione closer once her sobs slowed down.
"Put Harmony down and get out. Get out of my classroom."
"Fine but we will be back." Severus promised, Minerva gave Hermione a kiss on the forehead
"Harmony come here." Mrs. Rowan order once Minerva put her down. Reluctantly Hermione obeyed and walked over to her. "Leave." she told the professors pointing to the door.
"Fine." Minerva and Severus walked over to the door and saw Hermione watching them, she mouthed "Help me" to them before Mrs. Rowan grabbed her and guided her to her seat.
-*****-
"We have to do something." Minerva demanded once she and Severus had returned to Hogwarts, they were in Albus office along with Poppy Pomfrey.
"How bad were the bruises?" Poppy asked
"We don't know how many. But the one she showed us was huge, black and across her stomach."
"She said her father kicked her because she was a freak. She got pushed into a mud puddle, when she was spinning around during recess, the kids laughed at her and called her a freak. Two girls were whispering about her being a freak while she is sitting across from them. The teacher was a bitch. I imagine she left fingerprints on Hermione's arm when she yanked her to her seat. We have to do something." Minerva stared at the three people in the room. "She can change her nail polish colour."
"What?" Albus asked
"When she was drawing her fingernails were pink, then they changed to red. And when she had finished changing her nails were black." Severus explained "She didn't even look at them. Which mean she either did it with her emotions or her mind."
"More than likely her emotions."
"I agree with Minerva we need to do something."
"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do." Albus said
"She asked us to help her."
"The only thing we could do is you have to adopt her." Albus looked at their faces "That's the only way you can save her."
"I'll do it." Severus said
"I'll do it too." Minerva said
"And what about during the day? When you both have classes?"
"I could watch her and I'm sure some of the other staff would be happy to watch her." Poppy said
"If you are all sure that is what you want." they all nodded "Very well. I get you both the papers and you can go get her tomorrow."
-*****-
The next day, Severus and Minerva found them self's in Glamour charms and this time Poppy was a long with them. Unlike the day before today they were dressed more casually. Severus was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Minerva was wearing a pair of dark blue designer jeans and a dark green blouse. Poppy was dressed in a dark black pencil skirt and a white blouse. They walked for a little while until they reached the place they were looking for. Once they reached the doorstep, Poppy rang the doorbell. A few minutes later a teenage boy answered the door.
"Can I help you?"
"Is your mother or father home?" Minerva asked
"Jarrid who is at the door?"
"Some people wanna talk with you mom." He called then walked past the three professors that were on the door step and down the street.
"Can I help you?" a blond lady in her mid-thirties asked when she approached
"Can we come inside?" Minerva asked
"Certainly." She opened the door wider and let them in, once she shut the door she jumped in shock when she turned and saw three wands being pointed at her.
"Stupid muggle, you should really be aware of who you let in your house." Severus sneered
"What do you want?" Mrs. Granger asked
"We want custody of Hermione." Minerva said
"And if I say no." Severus dug his wand into her throat
"I don't think you have a choice."
"Fine I'll sign the papers." He removed his wand and held a pen out to Mrs. Granger, she snatched it and signed the papers. "There she is yours. I never want to see that brat again."
"Cabello violeta." Poppy whispered as she exiting the house following Severus and Minerva. They were walking down the driveway when they heard the loud scream come from inside the house.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?" Screamed Mrs. Granger who was standing at the door, her blonde hair was now a nice bright shade of purple. The three ignored and continued their way to MountCaster Elementary.
"You turned her hair purple." Minerva asked Poppy.
"Me?" Poppy asked acting offended "Never."
"Come on." They walked up the front steps of the school and inside
"Oh you guys are back." the secretary said
"Yes we left something yesterday." Severus said "Could we retrieve it?"
"Sure. You know the way."
"Thank you." Minerva said while following Snape down the hall. They entered the classroom and saw the students all sitting around Mrs. Rowan who was reading a story. She jumped up and glared at the three walking in the classroom
"You aren't allowed in here. I am demanding that you leave."
"Not until we get what we came for."
"I'm calling the police."
"Go ahead. We are not leaving until we get our child." Severus threatened.
"You have no child here." The teacher sneered
"By law we do." He said waving the papers in her face. "Hermione come on." Hermione got up from the circle and walked over to Severus, he glared at Mrs. Rowan and picked Hermione up.
"Fine you have her now leave."
"Gladly." The three turned around and left, on the way out Minerva grabbed Hermione's backpack and brought it with them.
"Are we leaving?"
"Yes. You never have to come back here." Minerva said
"Can I look at your stomach?" Poppy asked, Hermione looked at Severus and when he nodded she agreed, she lifted the light blue long sleeve shirt and showed Poppy her bruised stomach.
"Oh my. " she felt Hermione stomach and estimated that she broke at least one rib if not more.
"Who are you people?" Hermione asked they were walking away from the school.
"You remember me and Severus, we were here yesterday?" Hermione nodded "We were gonna take you to our home. Your gonna live there. And this is Poppy Pomfrey she also lives there."
"Mommy and Daddy?"
"You never have to go back to them. I promise."
"Never?"
"Never." All three adults confirmed
"Good."
"You ready to go home?" Hermione nodded, they went to a dark back alley and apparated away.
-*****-
They appeared just outside the Hogwarts gates.
"Shh I know." Severus passed Minerva the sobbing child, he had been carrying. "It's get better." Poppy waved her wand over the child, calming the dizziness that Hermione had been upset about.
"Maybe apparating wasn't the best choice." Poppy said, the walked into Hogwarts and went straight to the Hospital wing.
"Can you sit her on the bed?" Poppy said once she came out of her office.
"How are you feeling Hermione?"
"Okay."
"I'm just gonna check and make sure nothing is wrong okay." Hermione nodded her head, Poppy did a diagnostic spell. She had been correct Hermione had broke one of her ribs, not to bad though. She quickly healed it.
"She's fine. I fixed her rib so she should be good."
"Hermione would you like to go meet everyone." Minerva asked
"Sure." Severus carried Hermione and together the four of them made their way to the Great Hall where the remaining Staff members were eating lunch.
"Ah your back. Just in time." Albus said from the table once the got there. Hermione tighten her grip a little on Severus's neck.
"It's okay." he whispered to her. "Everyone this is Hermione Miah Granger. She will be living here."
"It's nice to meet you Hermione I'm Albus Dumbledore." He introduced the rest of the staff to Hermione as she was seated at the table in-between Severus and Minerva.
"I like magic." Hermione whispered as some food appeared on the plate before her. The staff members laughed. It would nice to have some life in the castle during the boring summers.
After an exhausting day on her part Hermione was ready for bed. Severus had showed her where everything she would need was. She had spent the rest of the day just meeting all the different teachers and being in awe about certain stuff in the castle. Just before bed, Hermione had been taken to her room and Severus and Minerva showed her they quarters which would be connected to her in case she need them. Hermione crawled into her bed and Minerva pulled the covers up over her. Severus stood by the bed watching.
"If you need anything you know where we are." Hermione nodded
"Thank you for saving me."
"You don't have to worry anymore." Severus said
"I'm glad."
"Okay I think you should try and get some sleep. You look pretty tired."
"I am."
"Okay good night Hermione." Minerva kissed Hermione's forehead
"Good night."Severus said
"Goodnight mummy goodnight daddy." She whispered and closed her eyes. Minerva smiled and even a Severus lips twitched.
That night Hermione had the best sleep, it was filled of dreams about her new family and her new life.
-*****-
A.N As you probably guess Cabello violeta means purple hair in Spanish.
Thanks for reading Hope you enjoyed