Hermione looked from the sobbing wreck of a man, to her best friends, looking for reassurance.
She was lost, so were they, nobody could understand why Snape was so distraught. Shouldn't he be happy to be alive, happy at a second chance?
Cautiously Aberforth came over, and whether Snape now realized the aging wizard was no threat to his person, or if he was just to besides himself to care, he allowed Aberforth near enough to place a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"What's wrong with him Mr Dumbledore?" her voice choked up in spite of herself, she crouched down besides Snape's shaking frame and allowed the man to cling to her.
"I believe, he might be slightly brain damaged" Aberforth frowned. "Possibly due to the lack of oxygen and blood circulation when he was ah, formerly deceased"
"I know that!" She snapped stroking Snape's hair, which was in desperate need of a trim. Snape who on any other day would have no doubt, scorned her and assigned several detentions not to mention the loss of house points for daring to touch his frame, had his bare arms wrapped around Hermione's waist, His face pressed against her chest or more specifically and embarrassingly against her breasts, as huge racking sobs tore through him.
"What I want to know is, Why did he come to me, why hasn't he attacked me, he looked ready to kill you all, but with me"
"it's quite simple, He belongs to you know Hermione. You are his creator, you breathed life in to him, and your blood is his blood"
"Then how come he growled at you?"
"It's not my virgin blood that runs through his veins, feeding life in to him; you are literally the one person on the earth that he is able to feel some sort of connection with. Who knows perhaps in time, Severus's brain will heal itself, reform broken connections, mend all the lose wires. But the reality is that you made a pact with Death for Severus's soul. If Death had rejected the offering of the resurrection stone, undoubtedly, it would have claimed you instead"
"How come you didn't tell us that part?" Ron stepped forward looking quite pissed off.
"Because you wouldn't have allowed your Girlfriend to do what needed to be done" Aberforth turned and glowered at the boy.
In this time miraculously Snape had managed to calm himself and was now staring up at Hermione with a look of adoration, mixed with contentment.
"Basically whatever Severus manages to regain of his previous life, the fact remains that he is now and will always be bound to you, and you to him" Aberforth gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"WHAT?!" both boys chirped up from their spot on the side-lines.
"What have you done Aberforth" Hermione trembled getting to her feet; Snape managed to slip his hand in to hers and clambered up as well.
"What was necessary" Aberforth sighed warily and suddenly seemed a hundred years older, and much more like his brother then was strictly healthy.
"Now we must get him back up to the school that hole in his neck from that blasted snake is still weeping blood. Come on my boy put your cloak on that's a good lad", he crooned draping the Professors bellowing cloak around his shoulders. Snape looked wary but at with an affirming nod from Hermione he attempted an odd sort of smile, readjusted the cloak and took Hermione's hand firmly again.
"What does that creep think he's doing holding your hand in his clammy zombie one" Ron sneered in disgust.
"Leave him alone Ronald, you heard what Mr Dumbledore said, he's just like a frightened kid right now, besides isn't it good he feels safe, at least when he's like this he isn't killing anything" Hermione snapped, gripping Snape's cold hand firmly.
As if to prove Hermione's point when Ron made the fatal error of trying to grab Hermione's hand he found himself flat on his back, Snape growling down at him.
"Oh come on!" Ron groaned, stamping his fists, in to the ground.
"Ron just shut up and stay away from Hermione, unless you want to end up apart of the headless clan! And start walking would you, I'm freezing my ass off" Harry ordered helping his red head friend to his feet.
"Hey, it's okay" Hermione said softly, smiling reassuringly at Snape.
"Everything's fine" she squeezed his hand, and began to walk forward. Snape stumbled and then loped along besides her.
Chapter 3: Severus POV
Her hand is warm. I am cold and her hand is warm, it is nice. I am much bigger than her, have to watch my steps, otherwise she trips, don't mind catching her, but she looks unhappy when she falls, so I walk smaller, slow steps.
I don't like these trees, to many sounds, makes me nervous, want to protect my mate, hard when I don't know where the enemy lays. Have to watch the others too, she's not afraid of them, but I watch, if one of them makes a move, I'll kill them dead.
I know I'm dumb, I know I'm not right, when I try to talk, they all look confused, guess I'm not saying what I'm thinking.
The girl is afraid of me, but she holds my hand, she hugged me, I won't hurt her, I won't let myself.
She is beautiful, pretty smelling hair, skin like snow. her eyes are innocent, she is good, I know she's good and she is mine. Don't think she knows it yet, keeps smiling at the worried looking red boy. But she not belong to him, I am hers, she is mine, this I know.
Little one is shaking, why?
"C-cold?"
She looks at me shocked, all big eyes, and rosy cheeks.
"You spoke" She smiled and gripped my face in her soft hands.
I feel the corners of my mouth turn up to mirror hers, she's so happy.
"Say that again" she encouraged.
I have to think, concentrate really hard, think about how every letter sounds, how they are strung together.
"Are y-you …. C-c-col-d?" yes that sounds about right, still the talk of someone stupid but, words proper words.
The three men's faces loamed in mine, they, well the grizzled one and the green eyed one are smiling but the red one is smirking.
"Boy he's really dumb huh, like worse than Crabbe and Goyle dumb" he sniggered.
That hurt, don't know who Crab or Golly are but still.
"Ouch Hermione!" the dumb one yelped when she wacked him, see there now I turned it back on him, ha.
The girl was looking back at me now.
"Yes Professor, I am a little chilly" she answered.
With a nod I shrugged out of my coat and wrapped it around her like the grizzled one had done to me earlier.
"No Sir, you need this more than me, you don't have a shirt or anything"
"n-No lil- little one, y-you are c-cold, y-you need it m-more…t-than me" I declined and fastened the buttons.
"Thank you Sir" she grips my hand again.
But now I'm worried, doesn't she mind my hand being so cold; am I what the dumb one called me? A… a clammy zombie? What does that mean is there something wrong with me? Other than my being dumb that is?
No girl is strong she would push me away if she didn't want me too…. But she did at first, pointed her stick at me, strange stick, somehow I knew it could do me harm, not sure why, it was just a stick.
Finally the trees ran out, girl patted my arm and point up ahead.
"Look see we're almost there". Castle, gothic and big, in pieces, smoking.
"H-home?" I frown.
"Yes Professor this is home" she nodded, she looked sad.
"S-sev-sev-ur-us"
"Huh" she frowned confused.
"Mh-my name is-s Sev-ur-us" I force the words out, my head hurts, too much concentration I think.
"That's right, that's your name," she smiled brightly, "And I'm Hermione."
"Hu-her….har" she looks disappointed, my heart sinks, and it's just such a damn mouthful.
"Do you remember me Professor?" she asks tentatively. We had reached the front doors, well what was left of them. People were staring at me, rising to their feet.
I frowned and shook my head, "No".
"Hold on there Potter, I though you said the traitor was dead!" A tall dark boy sneered.
"What the bloody hell are you playing at, bringing him back here!" someone else shouted, a girl by the sound of it.
"Come on Hermione" the green eyed boy grumbled grabbing my other hand, he pulled us both onward.