SS/HG – A life debt is a serious thing

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A single shaft of light


"When sorrows come, they come not as single spies,

But in battalions!" - Shakespeared, Hamlet, IV, v"


CH. 1 – Battalions

Soft sobs gently enfolded a small, shaking lump of blankets. The blankets seemed to radiate a sense of misery into the air around them. Soft sunlight gently filled the room, and it seemed to be trying to comforting the lump of blankets. All efforts on the sunlight's part, however, were in vain. For inside the lump, was another lump which was more commonly known as Hermione Granger. Inside this second lump, a huge muscle had been pulled. It was a muscle Hermione Granger had often used, so it was quite limber and used to being abused. In this case, however, it was a new exercise for Hermione Granger, and she had never before done it. So, it was almost inevitable (in her mind), that she'd pulled this muscle.

Curled up like an armadillo trying to protect itself, Hermione tried to keep the pieces of her beating heart in one spot, so that it continued beating and she didn't die. It didn't seem to be working, though, if the pain was any indication. Briefly she wondered if one could actually die from heartache. Was it, perhaps, a heart-attack's lesser known but equally deadly sibling?

"Why?! What did I do wrong?!" Hermione wailed at the ceiling of her little flat, having uncurled, turned onto her back, and moved the blankets enough to shake her fist at the ceiling. The ceiling, not caring much for the life of the human beneath it, did not answer.

"Perhaps it's that hair, dear. Or maybe it's your figure...you certainly haven't been sparing the biscuits...." Offered her mirror helpfully, from it's spot next to one of her bookcases. Hermione promised herself that as soon as she could move without dieing, she would trash the stupid thing. The mirror, ignoring her, continued to offer suggestions.

"Or it could be those dreadful clothes! I mean, they're not even professional! You could even wear robes! But honestly, somewhat baggy and unflattering jeans, baggy t-shirts, semi-white socks, and clunky brown shoes! Do people stare when you walk down the street? It would be hard not to. You look like a charity case waiting to happen." The mirror informed Hermione, who'd slumped back over onto her side. As the annoying mirror continued to ramble on, the phone rang. Cursing whoever it was to the deepest pits of limbo and back, Hermione managed to drag herself to her feet and mope over to the phone. Picking it up slowly, Hermione brought it to her ear, only to hear a dial tone. Growling, she dropped the phone back onto it's cradle.

She'd almost made it back to her spot on the floor when the phone rang again. Only this time, it was her cell phone. Deciding that the deepest pits of Limbo were to good for whoever was bothering her now, she decided that they should be cursed with becoming Voldemort's personal pedicure slave. Envisioning the hapless caller trying to pedicure Voldemort's feet without being Avada'd or Crucio'd, she stumbled her way over to the coat rack and fished the phone out of her jacket. Flipping it open, she pressed the talk button.

"You've reached Hermione Granger. I'm not in reach of my phone right now. If you're confidant that I care that you called, leave your name and number and I'll think about getting back to you. Don't be surprised if you don't merit a callback." Hermione said into the phone, in a bored sort of tone. For a few minutes there was silence.

"Erm...hello?....very funny Hermione, I know you're there!...Pick up the phone, Hermione!....Look, we need to talk. I know you're probably pretty mad right now, but there's a good explanation, I swear!..." A loud voice from the other side of the line shouted. Hermione held the phone out at arms length and winced. The look on her face said the caller was clearly an idiot.

"Beep!" Hermione said, immitating an answering machine, before hitting the off button.

Being Voldemort's personal manicurist was too good for that berk. Of course, she knew who it was. Who else ever called her to apologize? Most of Hermione's friends came in person to discuss their problems with her, not that she usually had any with her other friends. Only her long-time boyfriend seemed to provoke the worst side of Hermione. Just today the revelation came that Hermione also brought out the worst in her new ex, Todd Semalin. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she thought about her life.

She'd gone to her classes at the college. Classes had been a bit of a challenge, since it was a college that was partially Wizarding and partially Muggle. Everything had to be explained in different ways, according to the knowledge of magic (or belief in it) the professor of the class had, and the subject matter. Not only that, but Hermione had been taking nineteen credits and working a part-time job as well. Basically, she'd run herself ragged. It was even worse than her third year, though. Little things like eating and being hygienic had fallen to the wayside in her attempt to keep up with her classes and still work enough hours to be able to keep her apartment, pay tuition, and for supplies for class. In fact she was so broke, that she was glad for once that Crookshanks had passed on shortly after the war with Voldemort. Not that she didn't miss the half-kneazle, but Hermione could never have afforded food or flea-collars, or treats, or shampoo for her beloved familiar.

Todd had been the one bright spot in her life. Late at night, once she'd gotten off work, he was always there to rub her back, or sit and talk. It was true they hadn't gone on a real date for quite some time, but they'd always managed to find a few seconds to text or meet briefly during the day. There wasn't a day or night that had gone by where Hermione and Todd could say they hadn't seen each other. It came as a very rude shock to Hermione when she found out that she wasn't as important to Todd as he was to her. That day the Professor of her speech class let his class out early, as one of the speakers for the day had been absent. For the first time in months, not a single pressing piece of homework was on her schedule. Work started at 5, and the Professor let them out at three o'clock.

Hermione knew Todd's schedule better than her own, so she knew he'd be at home right now. He was probably studying for his Chemistry class, since he was failing it. Or he could be watching t.v. Either way, Hermione wanted to see him. Maybe they could catch a movie, or go to the park. Some serious snogging sounded like a good idea too, though. Maybe they could do all three.

"After all, I have two hours, and if we snog while doing on of the other things...." Hermione had thought. Now she felt like shaking the past her for such stupidity. That git didn't deserve snogging. What he deserved was to be castrated. Unsuspecting, Hermione had let herself in with her copy of the key to the flat, and searched for him. He wasn't in the kitchen, the bathroom, or den. He wasn't in his bedroom, either. When she walked into the laundry room, she was not expecting him to actually be there. To her surprise, and horror, he had been. He'd been sitting on top of the dryer, with a busty brunette on his lap. Hurt, and more than furious, Hermione did the first thing she thought of. She dropped her wand into her hand from it's hidden holster in her sleeve, and hexed the git.

A small, satisfied smirk curled on her lips when she thought of the hex. Todd's friend may have been a muggle, but he and the brunette had been too occupied with other matters to pay the least bit of attention to what Hermione had been doing. It would be quite a long time before Todd ever found himself able to feel like snogging. If he ever felt like it again. The smirk vanished, though, when she thought about his call. He wasn't the only wizard who'd ever called her on her phone, although he was the only one to do so recently. He was the only one who still thought he had to be shouted to be heard over such "long distances". He was also the only one she knew who still didn't understand that only the message machines on house phones played out loud while recording their message.

How dare he try to explain away what she'd seen. Of course she'd confronted him after stashing her wand up her sleeve once more. The idiot had the gall to say it wasn't what it looked like. Picking up her cellphone once more, Hermione contemplated calling one of her girl friends to cry with. Once more, Hermione began to sob as she realized there was no one she could call. Not even guy friends, and she was almost desperate enough at this point to call one of her guy friends.

All of her friends from her first couple years of college had already graduated. Not because Hermione had been taking forever to complete all her requirements, but simply because her requirements list was so much longer. Hermione had chosen to major in more than one area. In the Wizarding world she had chosen to major in wandless magic, elemental magic, and self-transfiguration. In the muggle world, her major was communication. So her requirements took much longer than those of her friends, and she had been over working herself in order to meet those requirements and graduate some time before she was forty. In the Wizarding world it was quite normal for a witch or wizard to spend ten to twenty years for a single- or double-mastery when they were apprenticed. The college Hermione attended now was a new idea, and majoring in three Wizarding specialties, along with a muggle one, was unheard of. Hermione was determined that she would succeed, and in a good time frame. Granted she would live longer than most muggles, but she still wanted to be done with school.

College had driven the bookworm almost right out of her. Now, when she thought about reading for pleasure, it was a book of fiction that she might pick up at the muggle bookstore, or nothing at all. Not only that, but it seemed to have made her a loner, as well. Most of her friends from her freshman year had graduated, and she didn't have time to spend with friends because of her work load in both school and at her job. The only person she'd spent time with recently was Todd. Now he was gone, too. For Hermione steadfastly refused to ever see that jerk ever again. She wouldn't even talk to him, unless he managed to get up the guts to come and force a confrontation face-to-face. Knowing Todd, though, he wouldn't. If the brunette she'd seen him with was any indication, he'd already lost interest in her anyways.

"Why'd he even bother to keep up pretenses?" Hermione wondered, in an irritated way. All her friends from Hogwarts had their own lives now. Harry worked as an auror all day, and then picked up his two boys from daycare. After that, he played with them and helped them finish their homework before his wife got home. They all ate dinner together, and then had an hour or two of family time before it was time to put the children to bed. Then it was Harry and Ginny time.

Ginny worked in the Malfoy offices, working business deals for her boss on an international level. That ran from six in the morning to six in the evening. After two hours of time with Harry, Ginny went back to work until midnight. Although Hermione had visited with Harry and Ginny Potter a few times in her Freshman year, when the classes had all been really easy, she always felt bad for taking up precious family time.

Ron owled Hermione once every few months, but he was kept very busy traveling with, or playing and practicing for the Chuddly Cannons. He and his long-time girlfriend Luna Lovegood spent every single moment of his time in England together. When he was in a neighboring country, Luna often apparated or port-keyed to see him. Right now Hermione thought he might be in Moscow. She'd sent him gloves that were charmed to stay super-warm, but which were so thin they might as well have been part of your skin. It was an invention she'd made during her Christmas break, to keep herself in the habit of studying and doing research.

Suddenly her stomach rumbled, and Hermione wrapped one arm around it as though to ward off the hunger. Moping over to her refrigerator, Hermione opened it without much faith. Not very surprised, Hermione stared at the refrigerator in hopes that something would appear magically. Apparently the replenishing spell on the fridge had run its course, though, because nothing did.

"Great...and I don't have any money for groceries..." Hermione thought bitterly. It wasn't that she couldn't perform the replenishing spell, but that there had to be food actually in the fridge when the spell was cast, or it wouldn't have anything to replenish. Not only that, but Hermione also didn't have enough energy to perform magic. Right now Hermione was using all her energy just to perform and practice the spells she needed for class.

Normally Hermione Granger never had to worry about being able to do magic, because she'd always been exceptionally talented. Her body, however, had been under great stress lately. Since Hermione averaged one to three hours of sleep a night, and ate barely anything. When she did have money to put food in her fridge in order to renew the replenishing spell, it was usually only a few items. Once she'd been stuck eating tomatoes, tuna fish, 1% milk, and pickles for two months. She still avoided pickles and tomatoes.

Because of a combination of mental stress and physical stress, Hermione's magic had to be used carefully. The energy needed to use magic came directly from one's body and fat stores. So, since Hermione wasn't eating or sleeping properly, she didn't have any extra energy to spare. This made performing magic very difficult, and sometimes downright impossible.

Sighing, Hermione decided something had to give. Not only had she lost Todd, but she didn't have money for food, she was barely making rent (and it was always late), and she couldn't use magic. Hermione tried not to look at her house as she grabbed some parchment, a quill, and an ink bottle off of her messy desk. Her personal hygiene wasn't the only thing that had suffered from her busy schedule. The cleanliness of her flat could also be added to the long, and growing, list of "trivial things" that had fallen by the wayside in Hermione's attempt to survive.

Biting her lip in concentration, Hermione settled down to write a long letter. She couldn't beg for food, but that didn't mean she couldn't take advantage of an old, outstanding debt. This letter might be able to help her solve all her problems. And if not this one, than maybe the one after it.

Professor Severus Snape,

Sorry about the title, but I didn't know how you currently prefer to be addressed. I have a favor to ask of you, and was wondering if you'd see me to talk about it? I'd like to arrange a meeting with you. Please let me know when is convenient for you.

Sincerely:

Hermione J. Granger


Dear Harry,

I hope my owl hasn't come at a bad time, but...

"Oh, dash it!" Hermione proclaimed, crumpling her letter to Harry in her fist. Asking Severus to pay back his life debt to her, for saving him from Nagini's bite, was hard enough. Asking Harry for help, even though he was her friend, was too much. Hermione was the one who was supposed to have all the answers and have everything figured out, not the other way around. Besides, she already had to pay for one owl...and she would probably have to scrimp on her parchment and ink to pay for it. Considering parchment, paper, and ink were the the only things she spent her money on besides rent, it was quite a sacrifice.

Quickly Hermione tied her note to Severus closed with a piece of string she'd saved from an experiment in her science class last Monday, Hermione wished she had some real wax to seal it with like normal. It was pretty sad that she didn't even have wax to seal her letters. Having finished that, Hermione redid her pony tail and slipped out of the house with her keys, a jacket, and her last couple euros in her pocket.

Once again Hermione marveled at how lovely it was to be so close to campus. All she had to do was walk around the corner, and she was at the owl office. She waited impatiently for her turn at the counter, almost bouncing up and down on her toes while she waited in line.

"May I help you?" The teenage boy behind the counter asked in a bored, nasally voice which instantly made Hermione want to cringe. He thought he had problems!

"Yes, please. I'd like to send a letter to Severus Black, at Spinners End." Hermione replied, trying her best to be polite.

"Certainly. That will be ten Euros, or ten sickles." The boy informed her. Hermione's heart sank. She didn't have ten Euros! Or ten sickles. How was she supposed to get her letter to Severus?

"Thank you." Hermione replied, fishing in her pockets as though she thought she had it. Pretending to look startled, Hermione gave the boy an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry...I seem to have misplaced my sickles..." She grumbled, digging deeper into her pockets. The boy rolled his eyes impatiently, obviously having seen such a predicament many times before. When the customers behind her showed signs of anger, Hermione shook her head in a sad sort of way and smiled apologetically at them, too.

"Sorry, I seem to have left my money in my other pants. Guess I'll have to come back later." She sighed in a sort of put-out way, as though she couldn't believe her own foolishness. Withdrawing herself from the counter, Hermione left the small office. Once she was outside she let the apologetic, sad look drop from her face. A sort of hopelessness replaced it. Checking her watch, she saw that it was quarter to five. She'd cried for a long time, then. Opening her cellphone, she was glad she'd charmed it to work without a plan, when she'd been a freshman. Otherwise she wouldn't have it. Just one more thing she'd have to do without. She started to dial Todd's number, to ask if she could borrow his owl, and stopped.

The reminder that she couldn't borrow Todd's owl because she'd just dumped him, was not pleasant. Not only because she was still hurting, but also because she still didn't have a way to owl Severus.

Not a single idea came to Hermione as she tried to think of a solution to her dilemma. Normally she wouldn't have asked Severus for help, as she'd always thought him irresponsible. But there really wasn't anyone else she could, or would, ask. Finally, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she decided she'd have to call in sick to work. Hermione Jane Granger had never taken a sick day before, she couldn't if she wanted to continue paying rent, taking classes, and buying supplies for her classes. This was bigger than that, though.

If food and rest were not available, Hermione felt she would die or explode. Worse, she actually felt like giving up! Hermione Jane Granger did not give up! Except lately it'd seemed like everything was piling up around her, and it kept growing higher and higher until she could drown in the essays, classes, fees, bills, and work. Flipping the phone back open resolutely, Hermione dialed her boss's number. After the third ring, he picked up.

"Hello, Gordon here." He said. Hermione felt like crying. Again.

"Hi Gordon. I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but I'm feeling really sick today. Could you get someone to cover my shift, please?" She asked softly, not having to strain her voice to sound sick.

"Of course! I hope you get well soon. I don't think I've ever seen you so sick you wouldn't work! Don't worry, I'll have Sirina come in. She's wanted to try being a server for a while now anyways. Do you think you'll need more than one day?" He asked, concerned for her immediately. A small smile graced Hermione's face for a moment. Working and doing school all the time was really hard, but she had a wonderful boss who actually cared about his employees.

"I...hope not. You might want to have someone on call, just in case." Hermione replied, worriedly. Gordon laughed.

"Honey, you've worked every single day since you started here. It's a restaurant, not a hospital. If you don't show up, we'll call someone in. You make it sound like it's life-threatening. Get some rest and come back when you feel better." He ordered, before hanging up. Leaning against the convenient wall of a building behind her, Hermione tried to plan out her next move in her head.

The first step would have to be to clean up. Briskly trotting back to her flat, Hermione took out some of her nicer clothes, all that remained of her clothing from before college. Drawing her wand, she hesitated for a moment. Closing her eyes, Hermione assessed how much energy she had in her body.

"Best not to chance it. If I want to make it to Spinners End in one piece, that is. I still might not...that hex earlier today took a lot out of me." She thought grimly. Grabbing the clothing, Hermione walked quickly to the campus gym. Once inside the girl's locker room, Hermione went to one of the girls at the counter.

"Hey Laurie. Sorry to bother you, but...I've run out of laundry money for the month and I've got a special date tonight....Can I toss this in with some of the school swim suits and teeshirts that need washing? I'll take care of putting the load in and switching it." Hermione asked, knowing Laurie wouldn't refuse Hermione if it was for a 'special date'. Laurie wasn't her friend, but they had an understanding.

As long as she didn't abuse the privilege, Hermione was allowed to do the girl's laundry for the gym and Laurie would look the other way when Hermione put some of her own clothes in too. While the clothes washed, Hermione checked out a towel on her student ID card and went into the showers. With the hot water spraying down on her, Hermione felt almost human.

Quickly she scrubbed away the months worth of grime. Squeezing some soap out of the dispenser on the side, she quickly lathered it into her hair. It was only hand soap, but it would help clean and that's all Hermione cared about. She took her time in the shower, since the washer took about thirty minutes for each load.

When she heard the buzzer go off in the other room, Hermione trotted across the tile floor to the laundry room. Slipping inside in nothing but her towel, she switched the load into the dryer. Spying a small comb that had been dropped on the floor, Hermione thanked whatever powers were looking out for her, and prayed that there wasn't lice or something equally disgusting on the comb. She went back into the shower room and stood beneath a hand dryer that had been mounted high enough for someone to stand under it.

While the hot air cascaded over her head, she combed out her long hair. Hermione had always kept her hair long, but it used to go only to her shoulders. Now it hung down to mid-back, because Hermione couldn't cut it herself and couldn't pay for a hair cut. Long, dull, syrup colored strands appeared as Hermione worked her way around her head. Her hair had calmed down a lot since her Hogwarts days. In fact it'd calmed down a lot since she'd last seen her friends from Hogwarts and the Order. Idly she wondered what they'd think of her now. Having finished her hair and still having a good ten or fifteen minutes until the dryer was done, she walked over to a mirror in one of the bathrooms and looked at herself.

A short, skeletal-like girl with long, dull hair stared back at her from weary dark eyes. Huge dark shadows under her eyes and cheek bones reinforced the skeletal look. The dirt that had collected on her skin had lent her its color before. Now her skin was unnaturally pale and so dry she thought it might start flaking off at any moment. Her lip was still bleeding. Wiping it with the tips of her fingers, she stared at the blood, almost uncomprehending...when had that gotten there? Had she ever bitten through her lip before?

"Bzzzzzzz!" Called the dryer's buzzer. Back in the laundry room once more, Hermione slipped into the still-warm black skirt and the soft polyester top. Then she grabbed all the suits and tee-shirts from the dryer and put them in the 'clean' laundry basket. She also slipped back into her flat black shoes. Grabbing her keys and the last couple euro's from her pants pockets, she stuffed the clothing behind the washer where no one would find it.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione looked at her watch again. It was six thirty. She turned where she was and concentrated as hard as she could on Spinners End. Hermione felt some of the last dregs of her energy being pulled from her, but the leave had been smooth. Hopefully the arrival would be, too.

Yay first chapter! This one's been sitting on the shelf for awhile, because I couldn't decide where I wanted to go with it, and because finals stink! So I hope you enjoyed it, because it's my plot bunny right now. So leave a review if you liked it, or send me a review if you didn't because as we know, stories live on review!

Wingz