All things Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling
A DESPERATE NEED PT 2
Hermione appeared in the centre of her bedroom at Grimmald Place, she glanced around. Everything looked just how she had left it months ago. Stepping into the alcove she placed her bag on the bed.
Barely having time to open it as she heard the sound of someone apparating behind her. She turned to see Ron stood in the middle of the room looking part shocked and part angry.
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he shouted.
"Wha…? How did you know I was back?" she asked.
"I set the room to let me know when anyone entered it." He replied "No one has been allowed in here since you left, so when the alarm went off I knew it had to be you."
Hermione jumped at the sound of her bedroom door being opened and banged against the wall. She could not see who was there from where she was stood but an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Weasley what on earth is going on?" The deep, unmistakable voice confirmed Hermione's fear that Severus was stood a few feet from her. Her stomach churned at the thought of seeing him but at the same time her heart ached with the desperate need to see him.
"It's none of your business, Snape" Ron retorted as he crossed his arms defensively. "We need to be alone, so we would appreciate if you would just bugger off!"
"We?" Severus questioned.
Hermione took a deep breath and stepped out of the alcove.
"Hello Severus." He was stood in the doorway, one hand on the door handle, the other raised slightly was holding his wand. Wearing a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, his sleeves casually rolled to his elbows. His fitted black trousers tucked into a pair of three quarter black boots.
Once again Hermione found herself struggling to breathe, as she watched Severus face. For a brief second emotion flickered across his face before being masked behind the familiar façade he usually wore. Had it been pleasure at seeing her or maybe relief at her safe return but the fact that it had been there at all made her heart melt. So much for being able to control her feelings, she thought to herself.
"It is good to see you, Hermione." He said. "We have all been concerned about you."
"I'm so sorry to have worried you all." she apologised.
"We looked for you but you were nowhere to be found. You are very good at concealing your whereabouts." Severus said.
"I have had a lot of practice, remember." Hermione gave him a small smile. "I just had to get away for a while."
"Why? What was so bad that you could not come to anyone of us for help? He asked.
"While this is all very nice, watching you two catch up." Ron interjected angrily "I think you will find I told you to bugger off, Snape!"
Severus stepped forward anger etched on his face, his wand raised toward Ron.
Hermione walked in front of Severus and she gently placed her hand on his arm. His eyes found hers and the intensity of his gaze reached down through her body and pulled at her core. She could smell the familiar aroma from his clothes. Realising that it was the smell from the potions storeroom that lingered on his clothes. She knew why that small room at Hogwarts was her favourite place there.
"Please, Severus." She said gently. "Maybe you should go."
"If you are sure?" His voice tight with suppressed anger. He looked towards Ron as he still spoke to her "Should you need me I am just across the hall."
He lowered his wand and with one last glance at Hermione he turned and walked from the room.
Hermione watched as he walked across the hall, she slowly closed the door and turned back to face Ron.
"Well?" Ron was the first to speak "Do I get an explanation, then?"
"Oh god, Ron. I was so confused, I was trying not to hurt you but I can see now that no matter what I did you would be hurt." she said.
"For God's sake Hermione, just tell me what is wrong." He shouted at her. Hermione flinched at his anger in his voice. She knew that he had every right to be angry with her and she knew she needed to stay calm.
"Please, Ron." She spoke softly to him. "I came back to put things right, please let me try to explain things."
He stood silently, staring at her and waited for her to speak. Hermione was not sure if it was worse than the shouting. She knew that there was no easy way to tell Ron of her feelings and to try to sugar coat it would only make things worse.
"I left because I realised that I had fallen in love with other man." She said simply.
"You've been cheating on me?" he said "After everything we have been through."
"No! It's not like that." Hermione struggled to find the right words. "He has no idea how I feel and probably never will. We are friends and that is all but I can't be with you when I love someone else. It's not fair."
"But I love you." Ron said simply.
"And I love you Ron I always will" Hermione replied. "But we are not in love."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"No, I know now it is not." She tried to think how she could make him understand. "Have you ever wondered why in all the years we have been together we have never gotten past kissing? Why we have never slept together?"
"I thought we were just waiting until we were married." He replied.
"Oh come on Ron. You don't really believe that!" She gave him a wry smile. "I know Ginny told you about me and Viktor and you and Lavender were the talk of the school. Face it we were never right together, everyone wanted us to be together and we just fell into it."
"No, we love each other." Ron stepped towards her.
"Be honest with me Ron. While I was away, were there any other women?" Hermione watched as his face reddened, he ran his fingers through his hair. She could see that he was very uncomfortable.
"I'll take that reaction as a yes, shall I? Don't you see Ron that's not right." She tried to explain. "The way I feel about the other man is not right. We are not right as a couple, we tried but I think we are better as friends."
"Friends?" Ron said bitterly. Hermione watched as his shoulders dropped. She could see the hurt in his eyes and her heart ached at the fact she had done that to him.
"I have hurt you so much and you are angry right now but with time I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends again." She reached out to take his hands in hers but he pulled away from her.
"I know that this is going to take a bit of getting used to but I know what's right for you." She said looking him straight into his eyes "You have to let me go."
He walked toward the bedroom door, his hand hovered over the handle and he looked around at her.
"Will you answer me one thing, Hermione?" he asked.
"Of course, if I can." She replied. "I owe you that."
"This other man. It is not Harry is it?"
"No, Ron." Hermione could not believe that even after all this time the old rivalry Ron felt toward Harry was still so close to the surface. "It's not Harry."
She saw the relief on his face and without another word he turned, opened the door and left the room.
Through the open door Hermione could see Severus sat in his room. The door to his bedroom was open and he had turned a chair to face toward her room.
He was sat in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. In one hand he held a crystal glass, lazily swirling the golden liquid inside it around. He raised the glass to his mouth and emptied the contents in one gulp. Slowly standing he rose from the chair and placed the empty glass on the table beside him.
Hermione watched as he made his way across the landing toward her room.
