Humming a gentle tune, Hermione wandered through the isolated corridors; picking absentmindedly at a loose thread on her cloak. She had actually finished her Prefect patrol over two hours ago; but kept pacing the dark hallways, her mind wide awake. She had debated going back to her dormitory a number of times; but it always ended in the same conclusion: you won't able to sleep anyway, so what's the point? Hermione didn't sleep much nowadays. Having only been back at Hogwarts for a few weeks, she had spent the last three nights in a row meandering around the caste, heading nowhere in particular. She knew it was a silly thing to be doing; but she savoured the peacefulness that surrounded her on these quiet walks. Throughout the day, Hermione kept herself so busy that she barely had anytime to herself anymore. Their classes had begun in earnest; and rather than starting the year of gently – as previous years had begun – they were all thrown in at the deep end. Hermione was just thankful she had taken it upon herself to read through all of her new textbooks for the year before term started. Unlike Harry and Ron who were completely overwhelmed by the pace with which their teachers were throwing work at them. She must admit; despite enjoying the challenge of a new school year, she felt a little suffocated. Between lessons, homework, studying for exams, Prefect duties and meetings, extra-credit work and her friends, she had little time to just be by herself. Even her weekends were taken up by various activities; that some days she found herself skipping meals just to fit everything in. Her friends had raised their concerns only that morning; for Hermione to shoot them down as quickly as they brought it up. Truthfully; she loved being busy. She couldn't imagine just lazing around all day not achieving anything. There was too much being offered to her that she certainly wasn't going to turn any of it down. That's why she relished these moments so much; a chance for her to detach from the world and its goings on without being interrupted by anyone. It was certainly a surprise that she hadn't been caught out yet though.
Turning a corridor; Hermione came upon a small alcove with a bench, sat beneath an open arch window. Breathing in the fresh air brought a new feeling of calm throughout her body; so she slumped down into a comfortable position and stared out into the grounds below. She was only on the third floor; but the view was spectacular, even under the cover of darkness. The moon sat high and full in the sky tonight; its brightness lighting up the outside world. Hermione could make out the front gates of the school, stretching out in either direction; marking the outline of the grounds. Above the tree line; Hermione saw the twinkling lights of Hogsmeade Village situated a few miles away. She could even make out a billowing plume of smoke coming from one of the many buildings. An owl suddenly swooped past the window, making Hermione jump a little. Her eyes followed it as it gracefully danced about, evidently enjoying the breeze beneath its wings.
A loud crack abruptly penetrated the silence and Hermione jumped once more, grabbing for her wand instinctively. She scanned the trees for any sign of movement, before finally settling on a black figure emerging from the shadows. The unknown person staggered, as if drunk, before making their way through the barrier to Hogwarts, slowly and clumsily. Hermione watched intently as the individual struggled to maintain balance, seeking help from a nearby willow tree. She waited, half expecting them to continue stumbling their way towards the castle. Instead, the figure stepped forward and collapsed to the ground in a heavy heap. Despite the distance between them, Hermione heard the grunt of pain that cut through the silence of the night.
She jumped up from her position on the bench and raced through the corridors, out into the grounds through the large front door. Nearing the dark mound, she slowed cautiously, lighting the tip of her wand.
Crouching down next to the figure; she placed her wand on the floor and used both hands to turn them over. At her touch; the man recoiled before emanating a groan of pain. His head whipped around and Hermione found herself staring into the dark eyes belonging to Snape.
"Professor!" she exclaimed, surprise at seeing him being the one lying on the ground in pain. She couldn't recall a time when she had seen any other emotion from the man aside from contempt in all her six years she'd been at the school.
"What are you doing here Miss Granger," he hissed, narrowing his eyes at the witch.
"I –" she began, but couldn't form the right words. There was no explanation she could give him that would satisfy. Pocketing her wand, she said, "Let me help you up."
Snape glared at his student, before coming to the realisation that he couldn't stay where he was. Hermione held out her arms, but her Professor ignored them; instead, using the tree trunk to pull himself onto his unsteady feet. Hermione, too, got to her feet, watching the black haired man.
"You shouldn't be out here," he said, this time without much malice to his voice. It seemed all of his effort went to keeping himself upright. He started forward a few steps and Hermione followed silently, watching him intently. He caught his footing on a loose branch and stumbled to his right, nearly knocking Hermione off her feet. Thankfully, she'd been anticipating something like that happening and caught them both before they fell.
"Get off!" he attempted to growl, but hissed instead as pain shot through his body from some unknown source. Hermione stood her ground and kept her left arm securely around his waist. She was a little concerned that he seemed to be shivering despite the pleasant, September night.
"Let me help you," she said again, looking intently at his dark gaze. "Or would you rather sleep out here tonight?"
"Careful," he warned through gritted teeth, and Hermione steeled herself for a reprimand. It didn't come though; Snape merely began walking again, this time using Hermione as an aide. As he began to veer off to the left, Hermione spoke up, "The front door is straight ahead."
"I am aware of that," he bit back, irritation evident in his tone. With no explanation, she let her Professor lead her through the grounds, down the side of the castle. When he tripped for the third time, Hermione grabbed his right hand and swung it over her shoulder, holding it firmly in place.
"I can manage without!" he barked, withdrawing from her completely. Hermione, knowing exactly what would happen next, made no effort to help. Snape only managed a few more yards before toppling once more, landing hard on the ground.
"Of course you can," Hermione said sarcastically, growing tired of his bravado act. From his place on the cool earth, Snape glowered at her. It did nothing to deter the stubborn Gryffindor who grabbed him roughly and helped him, once again, to his unsteady feet, with more grunts of pain issuing from the man.
"With all due respect sir," Hermione said, determined. "You can't do it on your own."
Inwardly cursing at himself, Snape finally relented and allowed Hermione to wrap her arm around his waist and return his arm to her shoulders. Together, they carefully ambled across the uneven ground, the moonlight guiding their way. They walked on silently for a few more minutes; until Snape came to a halt next to a particularly unruly hedgerow that hugged the castle wall. Using the wall – rather than Hermione – for support, he grappled with his wand, releasing it from the pocket of his robe and pointed it at the mass of brambles.
Hermione watched in silent amazement as the hedges parted, revealing a hidden door.
Sensing her question before she said anything, Snape uttered, "Dumbledore installed it to allow me easier and quicker access in and out of the castle."
Hermione frowned for a moment, wondering why Snape would need to sneak in and out; before the realisation hit her like a ton of bricks. Thankful that her face was in shadow and Snape was otherwise occupied by unlocking the secret door, Hermione let the shock wear off. Of course! She thought, reprimanding herself. How could she not have realised where Snape had been at this hour. No wonder he was in pain.
"Are you going to stand there gawking all night?" Snape said brusquely, growing impatient.
Hermione quickly redeemed herself and climbed through the doorway, Snape slamming it shut behind. Resuming their position – with no disagreement from the Potions master – they began their trek along the narrow passageway. As they worked their way along, the once empty lamps that lined the wall, sprang to life, revealing the musky, dirty corridor. It took them roughly five minutes to walk the length of the passage, which they did so in steely silence. The only sound was the crackling of the flames; Snape was no longer grunting. They came to a halt in front of another door, identical to the one on the outside. Snape placed his palm to the oak and – with a faint click – the door opened. This one led to a channel of steep steps, spiralling gently down towards the dungeons. Arranging themselves so that Hermione was on the step below Snape, they began the tentative walk. The pair were nearly at the bottom when Snape slipped, falling heavily backwards. Unfortunately, his grip on her shoulders meant that Hermione was pulled backwards by the weight of her Professor.
"Shit!" Snape cursed as Hermione also let out a yelp of pain as she fell; landing hard on the stone floor, but not before scraping her arm across the uneven cobblestone wall. Scrambling to their feet, they finished off the final few steps – thankfully – without incident. As the final door opened, Hermione led her Professor into what appeared to be his private quarters. She couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable at entering his domain. She shivered involuntarily as she realised how cold it was down here.
Hermione helped him over to an armchair, situated by the fireplace that suddenly burst to life, as if on cue and surveyed the room. It was perfectly square and housed two armchairs with a small round table sat between. The two walls on either side were lined, floor to ceiling, with shelves holding hundreds of books; over half in various stages of distress. Hermione noticed the absence of another door. Surely this can't be it?
"Are you quiet finished?" Snape said, snapping Hermione out of her daze. She looked over to where her teacher was sitting, and almost recoiled in shock. The dark night had disguised his appearance; but here, in the harsh glow of the fireplace, she could see how truly terrible he looked. His skin was ghastly pale that it was almost translucent; the dark bags beneath his eyes standing out vividly. His thin lips were chapped and he had a nasty gash on the top of his head, partially hidden by his lank hair.
"Do you need anything?" she asked quietly, trying to distract herself from his haunting appearance.
"Yes," he replied, and Hermione was a little taken aback by his answer. She expected him to yell at her, deduct house points and then send her on her way. "Down the corridor, go through the door straight ahead. There's a small cabinet above the sink in the corner, bring me the vial labelled 'Sanatio.'"
Hermione furrowed her brow, looking at her Professor. She was about to ask which door, as the corridor they had just come down held no other exit points.
"Just do it!" he said impatiently, stretching out his aching limbs. "I haven't got all night."
Hermione did as she was told and reopened the door they had come through moments ago. Expecting to see the bottom of a spiral staircase, Hermione was taken aback when she stepped over the threshold. The corridor seemed to have transformed – gone was the staircase. Instead, the short passage held two doors, one to the left and one directly in front, just as Snape said. Steeling herself, Hermione pulled open the door in front and was pleasantly surprised by what lay beyond.
This room was much bigger than the one she had just vacated. It was long and rectangular; with a single large table taking up most of the centre space; upon which stood a dozen cauldrons of varying shapes and colours. All seemed to be emanating colourful steam, each one different from the next. Lining all four walls were shelves and cabinets, containing mismatched vials, jars and tubs of every kind of potion ingredient. The general aroma was actually quiet pleasing, considering the amount of unusual items that was situated around. Remembering what she came in here for, Hermione headed over to the sink in the far corner and yanked opened the stiff cabinet door. There were rows of small vials, filled to the brim with a yellowish liquid, all with the same label – 'Sanatio' written in the familiar spiky hand.
Knowing how impatient Snape could get, Hermione grabbed one of the glass containers and headed back into the lounge area.
While she had gone, Snape had de-robed his travelling cloak and was sat staring at nothing in particular. She crossed the room and placed the vial into his outstretched hand. Snape uncorked the bottle and downed the small amount of liquid in one.
"You're bleeding," Snape commented once he was done, gesturing to her right arm. She lifted it up to examine the damage and saw a long gash running from her elbow to her wrist. Having been distracted by helping her Professor, she hadn't noticed the stinging sensation – up until now.
"Must've cut it on the wall when we fell," she said simply. Hermione reached for her wand, but Snape interrupted.
"Let me," he said, his features impassive. She lifted up her arm and he gently pressed the tip of his wand to her skin. Without needing to say the incantation aloud, Snape slowly ran the wand down her arm; as the cut simultaneously sealed itself. Snape cleaned up the blood with a flick of his wrist as Hermione said, "Thank you Professor."
"No need," he said sternly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"Are you ok?" she asked tentatively.
He scowled at her for a moment before replying, "I'll be fine. I've been worse."
"What was that Potion? I didn't recognise it?"
"Of course you didn't," he said, but with no malice in his words. "It is something of my own creation."
Hermione couldn't hide the look of surprise that crossed her features. "What does it do exactly?"
Snape sighed, "Do you not tire from asking questions all the time?"
"Not at all," Hermione couldn't help but say, earning an amused snort from her teacher.
"It helps me manage the pain."
"The pain of the Cruciatus Curse?" she asked, before she could stop herself. She watched as a wave of annoyance crossed Snape's features. "Sir I – "
Before she could apologise, he replied simply, "Yes."
"I thought the Cruciatus Curse didn't leave any lasting damage?"
"It doesn't, usually," Snape said. "Unless one is exposed to it for long enough."
Hermione blushed in embarrassment – both at his admittance and at remembering what had happened to Neville's parents.
"Sir, why isn't your Potion in circulation? Surely it could help others?"
"It was not designed for that purpose," Snape replied quickly, catching on to Hermione's train of thought. "Besides, it would do most people more damage than good, considering the amount of 'special ingredient' it contains."
"Which is what?" Hermione couldn't help her curiosity.
"Let's just say, the Muggle drug is illegal for a reason."
Hermione gasped, which earned a snort of indignation from the man. "Oh do get down from your high horse," he added, "Not everyone is as innocent as you."
Startled by his confession, Hermione could only stare at the Potions master. Sensing that he wasn't going to elaborate further; Hermione risked asking another question, "Sir, what happened tonight?"
Snape looked intensely at Hermione, almost as if deciding whether to answer truthfully or not. With a sigh he said, "Nothing out of the ordinary."
He made to get to his feet and Hermione instinctively reached out to help. This time, Snape batted her hands away and stood, a lot more steady than he had been ten minutes ago. "I am good at what I do, Miss Granger," he said, referring to his potion. Almost as if proving a point to Hermione; he walked progressively across the room to where a bottle of Blishen's Firewhiskey stood. Uncapping the bottle, he poured himself a shot and downed it in one, before filling his glass up again.
Hermione almost felt as if he had forgotten she was there; until he turned and asked, "So Miss Granger, what exactly possessed you to wander around the grounds at midnight?"
Hermione blushed, unsure of what to say. Snape waited, watching her intently.
"I don't sleep much," she said simply, deciding the truth was the better option. "The walks help me clear my head?"
"Walks?" he queried, picking up on her use of the plural.
"Yes sir."
"You've done this more than once?"
Hermione paused, a beat too long. "Yes sir," she said again, bowing her head.
"I should deduct at least fifty house points from you Miss Granger," he began, taking another swig of whiskey before re-filling his glass. "And sentence you to at least a months worth of detentions. Being a Prefect doesn't give you the right to walk about the castle after your patrols have finished."
Hermione at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Sir I – "
"I don't want to hear your excuses," he cut her off. "I won't however, be issuing you with any form of punishment tonight."
Hermione snapped her head up to look at her Professor, unsure of what she just heard. Was he being serious?
"But Professor, I don't understand – " Snape held up a hand to cut her off once more.
"Had you not been disobeying school rules," he began, keeping his voice steady. "You would not have found me this evening. I would no doubt still be struggling to reach my rooms."
Hermione looked into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity there. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot before finishing off his tumbler once more. "And I thank you for that."
She raised her eyebrows in astonishment at the sign of gratitude coming from her normally stoic teacher. She also couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face.
"This doesn't mean I'm giving you a free pass," he said quickly, trying to bring back some semblance of his character. "If I catch you out past curfew from this day on," he sneered, mockingly. "Let's just say you'll be in detention until you graduate. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," she replied, cheekily.
"Good, now off you go," he said, putting his glass down on the side and practically shooing her out of the door. He indicated for her to go through the door to his private lab; and led her out the other side, bringing her into the potions classroom that she was familiar with. Hermione didn't notice Snape grab a vial from his laboratory until he thrust it into her hands. She turned the glass over and recognised the purple fluid instantly. She turned and looked up at her teacher, who was watching her with an unreadable expression upon his face.
"I thought only Madame Pomfrey could administer this?" she asked, inquisitively.
"She is," Snape said, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "You're not the only one who disregards school rules."
Hermione couldn't help but chuckle as she placed the potion in her pocket. "Thank you sir," she said, smiling.
"Get some rest," he said, kindly. "I want you awake and alert for my lesson in the morning."
She smiled again in reply, before nodding to her Professor and turning out of the classroom.
"Oh Miss Granger," Snape said, leaning against the door frame. She whipped back around and noticed he looked a little awkward as he fidgeted, placing his hands in his pockets. "I trust you won't disclose the events of tonight with anyone?"
Hermione smiled reassuringly at her teacher before replying, "Of course not, your secret is safe with me."
He believed her. Hermione watched as he turned away before calling out, "Professor?"
"More questions Miss Granger?" he asked, in a mock tone, the hint a smile toying at the corner of his mouth.
"No questions sir," she paused before continuing, "Just don't drink too much tonight, after all, we students need you awake and alert for class in the morning."
Turning away before she could see his reaction; Hermione smiled to herself and closed the classroom door, making her hasty way back to her dormitory where she looked forward to a few hours of undisturbed peace thanks to the small vial of 'Dreamless Sleep.'
Snape watched the witch close the classroom door, and let the smile spread wide across his face.