Fly Away Home
"No, no, no, NO." Severus' voice was steadily rising. Hermione frowned and left the bedroom, following the sounds of what sounded like a panic attack.
"How did it get in here, how?" He mumbled as he tried to remember where he put his wand.
"Severus, what's wrong?"
In response, he gestured a long, elegant hand towards the bench. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Hermione walked over closer.
"Get rid of it." Severus growled, teeth clenched.
"I don't see… Oh, um… are you referring to this ladybug?"
Severus nodded, eyes wide. He didn't relax until Hermione magicked it back outside. She tried not to laugh. "What was that about?"
Severus shivered and went back to his work, trying to pretend nothing had happened. "They multiply. One on its own will just bring more and more until you're surrounded by them and they're crawling all over you and…" He trailed off and shook the mental image out of his head.
"Severus?" Hermione laid a hand on his arm.
"I had a nightmare. As a child. It rather stuck with me." Was his gruff answer.
Hermione nodded, deciding it would be best to save her laughing attack for when Severus wasn't around.
