"Professor?" Hermione was completely dumbfounded, something that never happened, as she stared at her former potions professor. He was alive, and looking around, and suddenly his black eyes were locked on her face, sharp and so very, very aware.
"Miss Granger?" He cocked an eyebrow, his voice strangely still intact, even after the thrice damned snake had had her way with his throat.
"Professor?"
"Yes, that much is apparent, surely I have not changed so much in these few minutes that you no longer recognize me." He sneered, Hermione blinked a few times and sucked a deep breath.
"You were dead, I ran the tests myself." She was scrambling to her feet, needing to feel the ground beneath her, the wall behind her. Anything that made her feel grounded.
"Then perhaps your skills as a medic are lacking, I would suggest you do not take it as your chosen profession." He was still sneering and Hermione pouted her lips before a frown took her face.
It reminded him of the little girl at the tree. Odd.
"Or perhaps you should be thanking me for even bothering to come back for you." She humphed and turned her back on him, her arms crossed across her chest. He took the moment her curly hair was facing him to glance at the hourglass, the grains of sand had begun to fall.
Damn. Double damn.
"You're correct, Miss Granger, thank you." He said as he pulled himself to his feet and she glanced at him as he wobbled his way to the door of the shack.
"Oh! Let me help you, men, honestly!" She huffed as she came to him and hooked his arm over her shoulder. She was small beneath him and he wondered how she honestly thought she could help him but he had to admit the weight being taken off of his injured leg was wonderful.
His eyes flicked to the top of her head and she glanced up at him for a moment before a blush took her cheeks and she looked away. It didn't take them long to make it to the castle, which had been severely damaged.
If Hermione had thought her reaction to his being alive was severe she couldn't believe the reactions from some of the others, the roar of gasps as she led him to the healers.
SSHG
"You didn't honestly give those dunderheads the option to return for an additional seventh year, did you?" Severus was staring at Minerva with pursed lips, his eyes narrowed on her face.
"Of course I did Severus, they deserve to complete their education just like every student before them." Severus shook his head, his forehead wrinkled.
Ten months, he had ten months to find his 'true love', his stomach turned, and now, now he had to head up a house full of grown students who would be returning for just one year, on top of his duties as Slytherin head of house.
Why hadn't he just stayed dead again?
He massaged the bridge of his nose and took a soothing breath.
"And there is absolutely no one else suited to supervising them?" His voice was more of a groan than a growl at this point, having been worn down from more than an hour of arguing with the Headmistress.
They'd tried to allow him to keep his position as Headmaster, he'd gracefully…Hah…declined and chosen to instead be deputy Headmaster and perhaps have another run at it in oh say…fifty years?
"Of course not, they respect you Severus, and with so many new Professors because of the war they need to be with someone they know and trust. Many of them are scared irreparably, some have nightmares, others cannot sleep." Minerva's face was soft as she spoke and Severus shook his head.
"Great, a year full of injured students. Fantastic." He grumbled, Minerva shook her head with a laugh.
"They won't all be returning, I have the short list here, there may be a few extras but this should make up all of them. Please familiarize yourself with our returning students and have a glance at their common room and dorms, we want to make sure everything is ready." Minerva pursed her lips, it was a blatant dismissal and Severus rose from his seat with a less than pleased scowl on his face.
"It is a wonder I chose to return." He snarled, Minerva just raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a coy, cat-like smile.
"Of course, of course, you may threaten to quit once a month but I'll not hear it more than that." She waved her hand at him dismissively and turned her eyes back to her paperwork. Severus swept from the room, cursing Minerva, and Hogwarts, and students, and everything else he could think of as he went.
SSHG
Hermione was a mess of nerves, her stomach twirled uncomfortably in her stomach as she sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Neville, Luna, Ginny, and Harry shared the compartment, Ron had gone off to find the candy trolley and they'd all settled into a peaceful silence.
She could see Harry falling asleep against Ginny's shoulder and the redhead stroked his arm affectionately as he rested against her. It brought a little smile to her lips and she turned to look at Neville and Luna who were caught up in a particularly in depth conversation about something called Bouncing Bibblies.
Hermione had of course read of such things but hardly had time to think about catching strange invisible little beasts when she had NEWTs to prepare for. It was the entire point of their return to Hogwarts after all.
"You wouldn't believe everything they had this year." Ron exclaimed when he burst back into the compartment and fell into the seat beside her. She shot him a glance but her eyes immediately averted back to her lap when she found him chewing a licorice wand noisily. Harry's head snapped up and Ginny shot Ron an ugly look but said nothing.
It was rare the couple caught a moment of peace with her older brother constantly breathing down their necks and Hermione felt bad for them.
Not bad enough to distract Ron the way he wanted her to – she cringed thinking about it – but enough to look at them with a cross between a pout and a frown.
"You bought enough for the whole compartment then mate?" Neville smirked as he looked up from his conversation with Luna, knowing full well that hadn't been Ron's intention. When the redhead paused, mouth full Neville let out a knowing chuckle and turned back to his girlfriend.
Hermione glanced to the ring on Luna's finger.
Scratch that, fiancé.
She wondered when Luna would announce it, or if she even would? The couple had been particularly private, not that she blamed them.
Ginny and Harry had been very public with their relationship and it only got them interrupted and talked about in the Prophet every so many weeks.
Best to keep a low profile in a wizarding world without Voldemort, the community was itching for news and nothing seemed to be worthy anymore.
"Ronald, would you please chew with your mouth closed?" Hermione huffed when they came to the station in Hogsmeade and Ron wrinkled his nose at her and shoved more candy in. As if they weren't headed for a feast in the great hall anyway.
She shook her head and left the compartment before any of them could catch up, she was already in a full cart by the time Ron made it to her and he gave her a confused look to which she only shrugged.
"What is going on with her?" Harry questioned, his green eyes wide as he watched Hermione leave in a carriage full of sixth years they didn't know. Ron grumbled something unintelligible and followed his sister and best friend into a carriage.
When they made it to the great hall he caught up with and took her hand in his with a little smile. She returned it, however reluctantly and they sat together talking until Professor McGonagall stood to make the year's announcements.
Hermione's eyes flicked to the staff table as Ron kissed at her neck and a shiver raced up and down her spine when her eyes locked with a pair of jet black, a shiver that had nothing to do with Ron's lips. His eyes bore down on her for a short while before they flicked to her handsy boyfriend and he pursed his lips and turned away.
What exactly had that been all about?
"Stop it Ronald, I'm trying to concentrate." She grumbled and he moved away with the look of a kicked puppy. At least until the feast appeared, and then he was fine again.
Hermione heaved a sigh and poked at her food. One more glance at the table found the Professor watching her again and she blushed and focused back on her plate.
What was wrong with her? He obviously wasn't looking because he was interested in her.
She stuffed down a bitter laugh, of course then, who besides Ronald Weasley would be?