Disclaimer: I don't own the following characters. They belong to the amazingly talented JK Rowling.
Notes at end.
Stumbling In
The melting snow of late March crunched under Hermione Granger's shoes as she made her way across the school grounds. She swung her book bag carelessly because for the moment, a rare and hidden moment, she didn't care if her books fell in the snow. If her entire bag had ripped free of her hand and gone toppling into a wet pile of dirt and snow, she would have laughed and picked them up. It was one of those days that Hermione had, more often now in her seventh year than ever before, when she would realize how right everything was in the world.
She had two parents who loved her, friends that would always be by her side, and she no longer lived in fear of a horrible Dark Lord. Two years earlier Voldemort had been defeated, he had been betrayed by the very Death Eaters that he so relied on and Lucius Malfoy had cast the final curse that had ended Voldemort's reign. Lucius was now serving a three year sentence in Azkaban, though it was no longer as horrible as it had once been. The Dementors no longer held power over the prisoners, they were kept now by simple charms that no wizard could break without his wand.
Hermione hummed happily, trudging toward the school through the dreary, grey snow, happy to be finished classes for the day. Ron and Harry had gone over to the Quidditch pitch saying they'd meet up with her before dinner and she smiled fondly as she thought of her friends. Who needed a boyfriend when she had friends like them? She was Head Girl, her marks were the top of her class and in a few, short months she'd be graduating from Hogwarts and moving on to the entire world beyond.
Hermione Granger was truly happy.
She practically skipped up the front steps and nearly slammed head on into Professor Severus Snape, her potions teacher. She grinned at him, realizing even as she did it that he would take the gesture as something offensive and do something like give her detention.
Snape regarded her darkly for a moment, though his face looked softer than it normally did and there was something behind his black eyes that looked as if he were pitying her.
"Dumbledore needs to speak with you," he said, his usually cold voice smooth and soft. "He wants you in his office immediately."
Hermione nodded and bounced past Snape, turning to the right once she was inside and climbed the stairs that led to Dumbledore's office. It wasn't unusual for her to be called to Dumbledore's chambers, she was Head Girl, after all, and she had responsibilities that other students didn't. She murmured the password at the door and entered, fully expecting to see Eric DeVries, the Head Boy. She frowned briefly when she found that he wasn't there, but didn't let it spoil her mood and went to sit in front of Dumbledore's desk.
The old wizard was staring down at her gravely, his glasses tossed to the side and his fingers steepled under his chin. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else than in his chair at that very moment and the atmosphere of the room suddenly began to weight down on Hermione. As if to support her conviction that something was suddenly and very horribly wrong, Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, flew over and landed on Hermione's lap. He stared up at her sadly and let out a quavering note that seemed to solidify in the air.
Hermione turned her brown eyes to Dumbledore. "Sir?" she asked. "What's wrong? What's happened?"
The wizard sighed. "I'm terribly sorry to have to deliver this news to you, Hermione," Dumbledore began. "There's been an accident."
Hermione's breath caught in her throat and her trembling hand rested on the back of the beautiful bird. "W-what do you mean . . . an accident?"
Dumbledore's eyes closed and he heaved another sigh. Fawkes imitated this sound and rubbed against Hermione's hand. She began to pet him absentmindedly, all the while staring at Dumbledore.
"Please sir," she said suddenly, despising the begging quality to her voice. "Tell me what happened."
"Your parents, Hermione," Dumbledore said. "They were in a car accident."
Her teeth clenched unconsciously and the tendons in her neck tightened. "Are they all right?" she asked, her voice sounding fake and hollow in the room.
Dumbledore rubbed his temples, unable to find the words to tell the girl.
"They died," a gentle voice said from behind her.
Hermione turned to see Snape stepping forward, offering a hand to her. She stared at it, uncertain of what he wanted her to do. She had been unaware that he had followed her to Dumbledore's office and now . . . now he was telling her something that she didn't want to believe.
The offered hand fell to her shoulder and he squeezed it gently. "We're very sorry, Miss Granger, but your parents have died."
Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something, then licked her lips and closed it again. She stared for a moment at the hand on her shoulder, then the bird in her lap and once more at Snape's hand. Her mind whirled, her stomach raged, threatening to bring up her lunch and her joints and muscles all screaming at her to move.
Instead, she dropped her face to the Phoenix's beautiful plumage and began to cry.
* * * *
End Chapter One
Notes: Yes, I know how many fics have Hermione's parents dying, but this one is different. I promise. And no, this is not a Hermione/Snape romance. He's just ... there because what else would I do with him? He has to be in there somewhere. He's my beloved Potions Master :D
Notes at end.
Stumbling In
The melting snow of late March crunched under Hermione Granger's shoes as she made her way across the school grounds. She swung her book bag carelessly because for the moment, a rare and hidden moment, she didn't care if her books fell in the snow. If her entire bag had ripped free of her hand and gone toppling into a wet pile of dirt and snow, she would have laughed and picked them up. It was one of those days that Hermione had, more often now in her seventh year than ever before, when she would realize how right everything was in the world.
She had two parents who loved her, friends that would always be by her side, and she no longer lived in fear of a horrible Dark Lord. Two years earlier Voldemort had been defeated, he had been betrayed by the very Death Eaters that he so relied on and Lucius Malfoy had cast the final curse that had ended Voldemort's reign. Lucius was now serving a three year sentence in Azkaban, though it was no longer as horrible as it had once been. The Dementors no longer held power over the prisoners, they were kept now by simple charms that no wizard could break without his wand.
Hermione hummed happily, trudging toward the school through the dreary, grey snow, happy to be finished classes for the day. Ron and Harry had gone over to the Quidditch pitch saying they'd meet up with her before dinner and she smiled fondly as she thought of her friends. Who needed a boyfriend when she had friends like them? She was Head Girl, her marks were the top of her class and in a few, short months she'd be graduating from Hogwarts and moving on to the entire world beyond.
Hermione Granger was truly happy.
She practically skipped up the front steps and nearly slammed head on into Professor Severus Snape, her potions teacher. She grinned at him, realizing even as she did it that he would take the gesture as something offensive and do something like give her detention.
Snape regarded her darkly for a moment, though his face looked softer than it normally did and there was something behind his black eyes that looked as if he were pitying her.
"Dumbledore needs to speak with you," he said, his usually cold voice smooth and soft. "He wants you in his office immediately."
Hermione nodded and bounced past Snape, turning to the right once she was inside and climbed the stairs that led to Dumbledore's office. It wasn't unusual for her to be called to Dumbledore's chambers, she was Head Girl, after all, and she had responsibilities that other students didn't. She murmured the password at the door and entered, fully expecting to see Eric DeVries, the Head Boy. She frowned briefly when she found that he wasn't there, but didn't let it spoil her mood and went to sit in front of Dumbledore's desk.
The old wizard was staring down at her gravely, his glasses tossed to the side and his fingers steepled under his chin. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else than in his chair at that very moment and the atmosphere of the room suddenly began to weight down on Hermione. As if to support her conviction that something was suddenly and very horribly wrong, Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, flew over and landed on Hermione's lap. He stared up at her sadly and let out a quavering note that seemed to solidify in the air.
Hermione turned her brown eyes to Dumbledore. "Sir?" she asked. "What's wrong? What's happened?"
The wizard sighed. "I'm terribly sorry to have to deliver this news to you, Hermione," Dumbledore began. "There's been an accident."
Hermione's breath caught in her throat and her trembling hand rested on the back of the beautiful bird. "W-what do you mean . . . an accident?"
Dumbledore's eyes closed and he heaved another sigh. Fawkes imitated this sound and rubbed against Hermione's hand. She began to pet him absentmindedly, all the while staring at Dumbledore.
"Please sir," she said suddenly, despising the begging quality to her voice. "Tell me what happened."
"Your parents, Hermione," Dumbledore said. "They were in a car accident."
Her teeth clenched unconsciously and the tendons in her neck tightened. "Are they all right?" she asked, her voice sounding fake and hollow in the room.
Dumbledore rubbed his temples, unable to find the words to tell the girl.
"They died," a gentle voice said from behind her.
Hermione turned to see Snape stepping forward, offering a hand to her. She stared at it, uncertain of what he wanted her to do. She had been unaware that he had followed her to Dumbledore's office and now . . . now he was telling her something that she didn't want to believe.
The offered hand fell to her shoulder and he squeezed it gently. "We're very sorry, Miss Granger, but your parents have died."
Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something, then licked her lips and closed it again. She stared for a moment at the hand on her shoulder, then the bird in her lap and once more at Snape's hand. Her mind whirled, her stomach raged, threatening to bring up her lunch and her joints and muscles all screaming at her to move.
Instead, she dropped her face to the Phoenix's beautiful plumage and began to cry.
* * * *
End Chapter One
Notes: Yes, I know how many fics have Hermione's parents dying, but this one is different. I promise. And no, this is not a Hermione/Snape romance. He's just ... there because what else would I do with him? He has to be in there somewhere. He's my beloved Potions Master :D