Title: With Arms Not So Wide Open
Author: Kim aka kjsparkles
Email: KSparks321@aol.com
Pairing: HG/SS
Rating: NC-17 eventually, only PG-13 right now
Anti-Litigation Charm: JKR and her publishers own all the characters. I'm just borrowing them, playing, and making absolutely no money off of them.
Author's Note: I haven't had this beta'd, so if you see any mistakes, please email me. This is in response to an challenge at WIKTT, I don't know if I'll follow it exactly, but it did give me a good idea. Pretty please read and review this!!! Reviews are what will get you a new chapter, if there's no interest, I will stop writing.
Chapter 1
"Where is he? I asked you where he is, now tell me!" Hermione Granger, soon-to-be Snape, yelled at Professor Dumbledore. She jumped up from the chair she had been sitting in near the fire in Professor Snape's rooms and ran toward him.
"Now, Hermione, if you'll only calm yourself, I'll explain what is going on." Professor Dumbledore replied, trying to get the hysterical woman to listen to reason.
Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, Albus, I'm sorry, I overreacted, but I just know something's really wrong. I can feel it. I knew something was going to go wrong tonight, I told him not to go."
"I know, my dear. I have been warning him about his involvement for years, but this is something he feels he needs to do. I've told him that he has made up for his Death Eater years many times over by now, but I do not think it will ever be enough. I hoped that when the two of you realized your love, it would be enough for him, but alas I was wrong." Dumbledore replied, taking Hermione's mind off of the situation at hand. She quickly realized what he was doing and brought him back on topic.
"So, you must have come down here for a reason, what's going on?" She asked.
Dumbledore snapped himself back to the present and looked gravely at Hermione. "Yes, my dear, I'm afraid I have bad news. Hagrid was just out doing his patrol near the Forbidden Forest, and he found him. Hermione, he's hurt very badly. Madame Pomfrey is looking at him now. She will Floo us here when she's done and ready to talk to us."
Hermione fell back into the chair and put her head in her hands. Out of sheer grief, she started to ramble out loud. "He can't leave me now, it's only two months until the wedding. We've been planning for so long. I can't believe this, it can't be happening. There's so much more I need to tell him. He can't leave until I tell him, I couldn't bear him dying and not knowing."
Professor Dumbledore sat down on the chair opposite Hermione and took both of her hands in his. "There, there Hermione. He's strong, a fighter. He always has been."
Hermione looked up into those sparkling blue eyes and sighed. "I know, but it's been getting worse and worse. Every time he responds, he comes back so tortured. If it isn't physical, then it's mental. They make him participate in the worst sort of things. I hate it, I want this over with."
"So do the rest of us, my dear. That's what we have all been working so hard for the past couple of years. Harry and Ron are fighting Voldemort as we speak. They're the closest anyone's been since Lily Potter sacrificed herself. Keep believing in them and Severus, Hermione. Tonight could be the end of this all."
"I do have faith in them, I always have, but this time it may not have been soon enough, right? Did you see him when he was brought in? How was he?" Hermione asked.
"I did see him, although I could not see much due to his robes. There was blood and his face looked very bruised. That's all I know, my dear. Madame Pomfrey shooed us out right away. I'm sorry that's all I know. She'll let us know when she's ready for us. In the meantime, would you like some tea? You look like you could use it."
"I don't know if I can get anything down, but I'll try I suppose." Hermione replied.
Dumbledore was about to Floo to the kitchens when Madame Pomfrey's head popped up in the fireplace. In her usual curt manner she said, "Albus, you can bring her here now." She then disappeared from the fireplace.
He turned to Hermione, but she was already walking to the door. Dumbledore followed her up to the infirmary. Mere minutes later Hermione was face to face with Madame Pomfrey.
"How is he? What's going on?" Hermione asked the mediwitch.
"Why don't we sit down in my office, Hermione?" She replied.
"No, I don't want to sit down, I want to see him, I want to know what's happened." Hermione yelled, starting to get hysterical again.
Madame Pomfrey regarded Hermione for a moment and nodded. She turned and walked toward a door next to her office, the opposite way from the student beds. Hermione turned and looked behind her. The student beds were completely empty, yet made up as if many patients were expected. Suddenly it hit her, and she whipped around to confront Professor Dumbledore.
"Why are all these beds made up? Did you say something earlier about Harry and Ron fighting Voldemort? I know I'm a bit out of it right now, but just what the hell is going on around here?" She screamed.
Professor Dumbledore stated back to her, "My dear, why don't you see Severus, then we'll discuss tonight's events."
"Fine, but don't think you're off the hook for this." She stated, while turning around and continuing toward the door. Madame Pomfrey held it open for them and pointed to a curtain hiding a bed. Hermione walked to the curtain, and pulled it open. She gasped at what she saw on the other side of it.
Severus lay on the bed, asleep, and unmoving. His right eye was swollen shut and horribly bruised. He had cuts all over his face and hands, obviously defensive wounds. The rest of him was covered by a sheet that Hermione really did not want to peel back. She walked over to a chair by his bed and picked up his hand. He remained asleep.
"So Poppy, what's the prognosis?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"The injuries you can see are only superficial, they'll heal on their own. What's troubling is his head wound. As he was defending himself, he must have fallen backward and hit his head on something hard, probably a rock. This has caused swelling in his brain. He's in a coma, Albus, and I just don't know if he'll ever come out of it, the damage may be too great." Madame Pomfrey replied in her scientific manner.
At hearing this, Hermione's head hit the bed. "Oh my goodness." She moaned. "Are you telling us that he may not wake up?"
"Yes, Hermione, that is what I said. In most cases, if he does not wake within the first 72 hours, he probably will not. There has not been much improvement since he got here hours ago, I am not very hopefully. There is nothing magical that can be done, I'm sorry." Madame Pomfrey replied as she headed back to her office.
Hermione stared at Severus for several long moments, willing him to wake up. He continued to breathe very shallow and did not move. Hermione turned back to Dumbledore and said, "So, what else is going on tonight and please tell me this time."
"It was our hope that tonight would be the Final Battle. Severus, Harry and Ron requested that you be kept out of it. Their chivalry is quite deep my dear. I was not going to go along with them, but my instincts kicked in and now I do not regret my decision. You do not belong out there tonight, Hermione, not in your condition." Dumbledore explained.
"But I could have protected him, I should have been there. Now Harry and Ron are in danger, they need me, I've always been there to help them, they've never been without me before. If I loose all three of them, I don't know what I'll do. They're all I have."
"You need to think about more than yourself, my dear. There is another life in the picture now, is there not? You need to think about the little one too."
"How did you know? I haven't told anyone, not even Severus. I just found out last week. I was going to tell him tonight after dinner, now he may never know that he's a father. Oh my God, what am I supposed to do? Raise a child alone? What about my career?" Hermione rambled as Dumbledore patted her on the back.
"My dear, those are worries you do not need right now. Why don't you sit with Severus for a while and help Madame Pomfrey is anyone else comes in to be treated. We may need some healing potions later. Be sure to treat yourself right, Hermione." Dumbledore said as he walked out of the room.
Now alone in the room, Hermione turned back to look at Severus. "Please Sev, you have to wake up. I still have to tell you that you're going to be a daddy. I'm pregnant, there's baby involved now. I wish I told you before you left tonight, but I had no idea that it was the last time I might see you alive. I love you so much. Ever since I became your apprentice, I realized what an amazing person you are and how deeply you care about everyone around you. You hide behind the mean persona, but it's only for protection, you're so scared of rejection."
She continued on, hoping to wake him up. "That's why I had to make the first move, remember? Maybe I never came right out and said this, but I faked feeling faint as I stood over that cauldron. I just wanted to feel your arms around me. They are so strong! Then I knew it was now or never so I turned around and planted one on you. Quite an ingenious plan in my opinion, don't you agree? Come on, Sev, wake up, please, tell me again how you feel about me. I really need to hear that, I need those words. Please wake up!" Hermione said as she laid her head down on the bed and fell asleep listening to his breathing.
*******************************************
Please read and review!!! Thanks, Kim
Author: Kim aka kjsparkles
Email: KSparks321@aol.com
Pairing: HG/SS
Rating: NC-17 eventually, only PG-13 right now
Anti-Litigation Charm: JKR and her publishers own all the characters. I'm just borrowing them, playing, and making absolutely no money off of them.
Author's Note: I haven't had this beta'd, so if you see any mistakes, please email me. This is in response to an challenge at WIKTT, I don't know if I'll follow it exactly, but it did give me a good idea. Pretty please read and review this!!! Reviews are what will get you a new chapter, if there's no interest, I will stop writing.
Chapter 1
"Where is he? I asked you where he is, now tell me!" Hermione Granger, soon-to-be Snape, yelled at Professor Dumbledore. She jumped up from the chair she had been sitting in near the fire in Professor Snape's rooms and ran toward him.
"Now, Hermione, if you'll only calm yourself, I'll explain what is going on." Professor Dumbledore replied, trying to get the hysterical woman to listen to reason.
Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, Albus, I'm sorry, I overreacted, but I just know something's really wrong. I can feel it. I knew something was going to go wrong tonight, I told him not to go."
"I know, my dear. I have been warning him about his involvement for years, but this is something he feels he needs to do. I've told him that he has made up for his Death Eater years many times over by now, but I do not think it will ever be enough. I hoped that when the two of you realized your love, it would be enough for him, but alas I was wrong." Dumbledore replied, taking Hermione's mind off of the situation at hand. She quickly realized what he was doing and brought him back on topic.
"So, you must have come down here for a reason, what's going on?" She asked.
Dumbledore snapped himself back to the present and looked gravely at Hermione. "Yes, my dear, I'm afraid I have bad news. Hagrid was just out doing his patrol near the Forbidden Forest, and he found him. Hermione, he's hurt very badly. Madame Pomfrey is looking at him now. She will Floo us here when she's done and ready to talk to us."
Hermione fell back into the chair and put her head in her hands. Out of sheer grief, she started to ramble out loud. "He can't leave me now, it's only two months until the wedding. We've been planning for so long. I can't believe this, it can't be happening. There's so much more I need to tell him. He can't leave until I tell him, I couldn't bear him dying and not knowing."
Professor Dumbledore sat down on the chair opposite Hermione and took both of her hands in his. "There, there Hermione. He's strong, a fighter. He always has been."
Hermione looked up into those sparkling blue eyes and sighed. "I know, but it's been getting worse and worse. Every time he responds, he comes back so tortured. If it isn't physical, then it's mental. They make him participate in the worst sort of things. I hate it, I want this over with."
"So do the rest of us, my dear. That's what we have all been working so hard for the past couple of years. Harry and Ron are fighting Voldemort as we speak. They're the closest anyone's been since Lily Potter sacrificed herself. Keep believing in them and Severus, Hermione. Tonight could be the end of this all."
"I do have faith in them, I always have, but this time it may not have been soon enough, right? Did you see him when he was brought in? How was he?" Hermione asked.
"I did see him, although I could not see much due to his robes. There was blood and his face looked very bruised. That's all I know, my dear. Madame Pomfrey shooed us out right away. I'm sorry that's all I know. She'll let us know when she's ready for us. In the meantime, would you like some tea? You look like you could use it."
"I don't know if I can get anything down, but I'll try I suppose." Hermione replied.
Dumbledore was about to Floo to the kitchens when Madame Pomfrey's head popped up in the fireplace. In her usual curt manner she said, "Albus, you can bring her here now." She then disappeared from the fireplace.
He turned to Hermione, but she was already walking to the door. Dumbledore followed her up to the infirmary. Mere minutes later Hermione was face to face with Madame Pomfrey.
"How is he? What's going on?" Hermione asked the mediwitch.
"Why don't we sit down in my office, Hermione?" She replied.
"No, I don't want to sit down, I want to see him, I want to know what's happened." Hermione yelled, starting to get hysterical again.
Madame Pomfrey regarded Hermione for a moment and nodded. She turned and walked toward a door next to her office, the opposite way from the student beds. Hermione turned and looked behind her. The student beds were completely empty, yet made up as if many patients were expected. Suddenly it hit her, and she whipped around to confront Professor Dumbledore.
"Why are all these beds made up? Did you say something earlier about Harry and Ron fighting Voldemort? I know I'm a bit out of it right now, but just what the hell is going on around here?" She screamed.
Professor Dumbledore stated back to her, "My dear, why don't you see Severus, then we'll discuss tonight's events."
"Fine, but don't think you're off the hook for this." She stated, while turning around and continuing toward the door. Madame Pomfrey held it open for them and pointed to a curtain hiding a bed. Hermione walked to the curtain, and pulled it open. She gasped at what she saw on the other side of it.
Severus lay on the bed, asleep, and unmoving. His right eye was swollen shut and horribly bruised. He had cuts all over his face and hands, obviously defensive wounds. The rest of him was covered by a sheet that Hermione really did not want to peel back. She walked over to a chair by his bed and picked up his hand. He remained asleep.
"So Poppy, what's the prognosis?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"The injuries you can see are only superficial, they'll heal on their own. What's troubling is his head wound. As he was defending himself, he must have fallen backward and hit his head on something hard, probably a rock. This has caused swelling in his brain. He's in a coma, Albus, and I just don't know if he'll ever come out of it, the damage may be too great." Madame Pomfrey replied in her scientific manner.
At hearing this, Hermione's head hit the bed. "Oh my goodness." She moaned. "Are you telling us that he may not wake up?"
"Yes, Hermione, that is what I said. In most cases, if he does not wake within the first 72 hours, he probably will not. There has not been much improvement since he got here hours ago, I am not very hopefully. There is nothing magical that can be done, I'm sorry." Madame Pomfrey replied as she headed back to her office.
Hermione stared at Severus for several long moments, willing him to wake up. He continued to breathe very shallow and did not move. Hermione turned back to Dumbledore and said, "So, what else is going on tonight and please tell me this time."
"It was our hope that tonight would be the Final Battle. Severus, Harry and Ron requested that you be kept out of it. Their chivalry is quite deep my dear. I was not going to go along with them, but my instincts kicked in and now I do not regret my decision. You do not belong out there tonight, Hermione, not in your condition." Dumbledore explained.
"But I could have protected him, I should have been there. Now Harry and Ron are in danger, they need me, I've always been there to help them, they've never been without me before. If I loose all three of them, I don't know what I'll do. They're all I have."
"You need to think about more than yourself, my dear. There is another life in the picture now, is there not? You need to think about the little one too."
"How did you know? I haven't told anyone, not even Severus. I just found out last week. I was going to tell him tonight after dinner, now he may never know that he's a father. Oh my God, what am I supposed to do? Raise a child alone? What about my career?" Hermione rambled as Dumbledore patted her on the back.
"My dear, those are worries you do not need right now. Why don't you sit with Severus for a while and help Madame Pomfrey is anyone else comes in to be treated. We may need some healing potions later. Be sure to treat yourself right, Hermione." Dumbledore said as he walked out of the room.
Now alone in the room, Hermione turned back to look at Severus. "Please Sev, you have to wake up. I still have to tell you that you're going to be a daddy. I'm pregnant, there's baby involved now. I wish I told you before you left tonight, but I had no idea that it was the last time I might see you alive. I love you so much. Ever since I became your apprentice, I realized what an amazing person you are and how deeply you care about everyone around you. You hide behind the mean persona, but it's only for protection, you're so scared of rejection."
She continued on, hoping to wake him up. "That's why I had to make the first move, remember? Maybe I never came right out and said this, but I faked feeling faint as I stood over that cauldron. I just wanted to feel your arms around me. They are so strong! Then I knew it was now or never so I turned around and planted one on you. Quite an ingenious plan in my opinion, don't you agree? Come on, Sev, wake up, please, tell me again how you feel about me. I really need to hear that, I need those words. Please wake up!" Hermione said as she laid her head down on the bed and fell asleep listening to his breathing.
*******************************************
Please read and review!!! Thanks, Kim