Title: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Author: Rose With Thorns
Rating: T
Summary: It appears that Hermione Granger, the brightest mind of her age, found a loophole in the Unbreakable Vow…
!HBP SPOILER ALERT!
The room was dark, and other than the sound of his breathing and the air-conditioner, silent. Light from a lamp on the street outside peaked through the curtains slightly, leaving a small sliver behind on the chair next to him and the floor. It was the most peaceful moment she had had since the night of the raid.
She moved across the room silently, knowing exactly where everything was in the dark. Of course she knew; this was her room. She'd spent many a night in here, in that bed, surrounded by her books and chemistry sets. How many summer nights had she left her Uncle's dinner table and wandered up here, in the same fashion, and collapsed onto the bed?
"Didn't Poppy tell you I should be left alone to sleep?"
It was spoken too softly to jar her. His voice was not that of someone just woken, but that of someone who wished to have been asleep, and simply couldn't. She made her way to the chair. From here she could see him; there was a small gash along his jaw, the bags under his eyes were too distinct, and she knew his right arm was broken. The latter injury was the very reason he was awake now. She'd witnessed enough broken limbs to know Skele-Grow was not an entirely pleasant experience.
"You weren't asleep, and I promise not to fuss over you while I'm here. I just supposed you might want some company."
He sat up, with some sign of unease. Guilt squirmed in her stomach- an almost constant feeling now. If only there'd been another way…
He was studying her. She could feel it, just like she always could. She could literally feel his head move, cocking just so, eyes meeting hers. His glittered in the dark. The light from outside playing on his face only enough to allow the little bit of a lop-sided smirk to show.
"I take it Minerva talked Harry into staying for the year?"
Spoil her news, then.
"I could have come to say 'goodbye', you know," she put in for good measure.
There was a sharp, quiet laugh. He settle back onto the pillows. "You wouldn't, if that was the case."
Damn him, he could read her like a book. Her cheeks felt painfully hot.
"Minervaoffered him the same sort of position as me."
"So you won't be Head-Girl, I take it, Miss Granger?"
He hadn't meant it to be hurtful, even if it was a little. She'd chalk it up to the amount of potions for pain he'd taken. Hermione swallowed, then shook her head with a bitter smile.
"No…and it's Hermione, seeing that we're colleagues now." Could she hope for it? Their growing friendship had been bound by the limitations of titles this past year. Perhaps things would be different from now on.
"But we're not. Not with the way things have to be now." He sighed and closed his eyes, his one arm going up to cover his face. "Potions nearly finished it's purpose. We'll talk more in the morning when I've gotten some sleep."
Hermione nearly did leave, but then his arm caught her eye. "He really thinks your dead, doesn't he?" Just smooth, pale flesh remained.
Apparently he wasn't lying when he said he was exhausted. His breathing kept a steady beat as he quickly fell into sleep. Hermione couldn't stop herself from brushing a stray lock of hair out of the man's face, her fingertips lingers for the briefest of instants on Severus Snape's bare left forearm.