Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it's characters, or NBC, sadly.
((But, I do have an orange deamon cat if anyone wants him. : ))
Hmm…story- wise. Just a drabble I thought of while sitting in bed one night, bored to boredom. Hope you enjoy!
Pairings: SS/HG
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Hermione Granger awoke with a start while her best female friend, Ginny, continued to sleep deeply. Looking around their room in Grimmauld Place, she squinted through the darkness and saw what appeared to have made the noise that awoke her – a heavy tome lay face down on the hard floor.
She sighed exasperatedly, muttering "Stupid book…" as she rose from her warm bed to pick up 'Quidditch: A History' from the floor and placed it with a rather loud thump on top of her trunk. As she made her way back to bed she heard the same noise again. Peering over her shoulder she saw the book exactly where she placed it. A quizzical expression popped to her face and she waited anxiously to hear the noise again.
It came seconds later and in a matter of moments she was out of the room and following a dark figure down the stairs with her eyes. The person was clutching their left forearm and staggering professionally down the inclines, hitting the wall occasionally.
Dread rushed over Hermione as she regained her thoughts and hastily defeated the stairs only to see the black cloak round the stairs leading to the kitchen. Glancing at the clock she took note that it was 1:08 and felt sorry as she chased down her prey. Halting at the bottom of the stairs she stared, tears forming in her eyes, at the sight before her.
"Severus?"
A masked face snapped to her position and saw her face just in time to follow a single tear down her lovely cheek. The man sighed heavily while pulling back the hood of his robe, followed by an evil mask, throwing the mask on to the table without a care.
"Hermione, why are you down here?" To her wonderment he looked ashamed.
Taking steps toward her professor, Hermione locked his eyes to hers, not caring that she couldn't see where she was going in the dark kitchen or that she was crying freely. Neither spoke, neither broke eye contact as she came to stop in front of him, both faces reflecting the green flames that were fighting the suffocating black of the kitchen.
"Severus…" Her eyes searched his before Hermione collapsed into his instant embrace. His head next to hers, he started crying as she sobbed his name over and over, uncontrollably.
"Severus, please…please don't go!" At this his arms tightened around her, pulling her closer. "Please…I –I…don't go…don't go! Severus…I love you…don't go."
Her harsh cried subsided minutes later as he continued to hold her.
"I promise you Hermione, I will come back. I must go, but I will come back. You–"
The two sprung apart as umbrellas hit the hollow wooden floor, and stayed silent as Mrs. Black screamed.
Hermione spoke a few seconds after the screaming witch was silenced. "Severus, what if you don't come back? What if tonight is the night he finds out about you? What if you die tonight Sev-"
Her pleading voice abruptly stopped as Remus Lupin appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh, um, terrible sorry," he said as the distressed and painfully sad face of Hermione looked to him. "Have either of you seen Tonks?"
Hermione noted that Severus's head was downcast and forced herself to answer.
"N-no, Professor. Not since this morning."
"Ah, I see." He smiled and clasped his hands together, standing there long enough to voice another question. "Hermione, are you- is everything alright?"
His smile faded as she shook her head and furiously wiped at her tears. Smiling, she responded. "Yes, Professor, everything is fine."
Glancing at the pair he nodded hesitantly as he headed back up the stairs.
Neither spoke until they heard a door close soundly. Then for the second time they caught the other's eyes and searched imploringly.
"I will come back to you Hermione. I promise." He reached over and pulled her to him, then kissed her slowly. All to soon, it seemed to Hermione, the kiss ended and she heard him whisper 'I love you' as he whirled around to the fire with his things and disappeared within the flames.
Hermione slowly sank to the ground and was engulfed in darkness, hugging her knees tightly. She then cried for what seemed like eternity.
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Later that morning, Hermione sat at the table in the kitchen, staring down the fire place. She had said very little that morning – a brief 'good morning' to Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, and Lupin, and 'Tea? Yes, thank you.'.
The deserted kitchen was clear of the morning Order breakfast rush and the three present people in the place gave no second thought as to why she was quiet and reflective. She still wore what she had on when he left roughly six hours ago – striped pajama pants and a coloured top. Somewhere in the distance she heard the mumbles of Lupin and Tonks, suddenly envious.
Everyone supported their tentative relationship, even if it hasn't started yet. But, if it came down to accepting her and Severus's relationship, would they be that accepting? She knew the three who knew her secret approved, who were Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Tonks herself, but what about Harry and Ron? Everyone presumed that she and Ron were destined, but she just didn't feel it.
Hermione abandoned her thoughts as Ginny stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Grabbing tea she sat across from Hermione, sipping it cautiously.
"Hermione, did you go to the bathroom or something last night? Because I woke up as the had – " her mother shot her a dirty look – "started wailing and the door was open, and you weren't in your bed."
"Wha…oh, yes. I did. But I wasn't the one who woke up Mrs. Black."
The two girls turned their heads as they heard a guilty laugh from the middle of the table. "Sorry girls…that was me. I came in late and tripped over-"
Her explanation was cut short as green flames erupted in the fire place and out stepped a dark figure, the very one that Hermione had been worrying over all night. The five heads turned to the noise as Hermione's eyes grew wide.
Hermione slowly stood up as Severus Snape leaned his weight into the wall and talked in a small voice, just loud enough for everyone in the now silent kitchen to hear. "I told you I'd come back, Hermione."
She choked back tears as she looked at him – tattered and torn robes, blood coming from his left hand that was clutching his upper right arm. There were also fresh cuts on his face and dark circles under his eyes.
Every thought left her head as she ran to him and held onto him dearly, too happy for tears. "I thought you were going to die Severus! With all you have been saying that has been happening – I was so scared." She sniffled as tears of relief started to for. "H-how did you make it through?"
He chuckled as he held her lovingly. "I made a promise to you Hermione, and I intend to keep everyone I make to you."
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And that is it. The loverly story I have written for your entertainment. Or so I hope.
Tid-Bit Information Time!
This story was inspired after I started writing my Lupin/Tonks fanfic, and Remus headed to the kitchen in search for Tonks. Then I got an idea and finished this before the Lupin/Tonks one.
Read and Review? You've already done one, so why not the other:
♥ - Kat ³