Disclaimer: It's J.K.'s world…I just like to play in it because she has the coolest toys, so welcome to the game. And when I'm done, I promise I'll put them all away.
A/N: Here's the next chapter of Comfort From The World…so I hope that you like it!
Darkness and a chilly draft swept over the dungeons as Snape sat in his office, patiently waiting. The Hogwarts bells had tolled eight o'clock a few moments ago. His office door opened then, but there was no one stepping in. "Damn," he thought, "she must have Potter's wretched invisibility cloak." Looking down at his desk, he pretended not to notice that some unknown presence had just entered.
Slowly, Hermione unwrapped the cloak from around her body but before she could turn around to make her presence known, he acknowledged her. "You're late Ms. Granger," he said this without looking away from his desk, staring intently at the paper he was pretending to grade.
"I was under the impression this was a request not a demand. I'm here on my own time, and since it is just that, my time says I'm on time." Her voice was calm with just a hint of authority and he was mildly impressed with her sudden change of attitude.
"Very well then…" Snape said standing up. He walked around from behind his desk and stood before her then. "Hermione, if I may?" her eyes widened in shock that he had used her given name, but she nodded none the less.
Taking her hand, he led her across the room to a tall bookshelf, and stood in front of it for a moment before tapping the spine of a rather ordinary looking book. At his touch, the books began to peel away until an open archway appeared in their wake. Crossing through into the next room, still holding her hand, he smiled as she looked on in awe.
Every wall was covered from ceiling to floor with books. A roaring fire burned in a deep green marble fireplace on the back wall. The floor was a polished and smooth wood surface, except in front of the fire where there was a large black furry throw rug.
Deep in color, a comfy armchair sat on an angle, facing the fire. She was so taken in by the beauty of it all, Hermione hardly felt Snape's hands on her shoulders as he removed her robes. Being a weekend, she had discarded the traditional Hogwarts uniform for a gray, knee length cotton skirt and scrunchi white T-shirt.
He walked over to the armchair and sat down in it. She followed suite, but stood in front of him, wondering whether she should sit down on the floor. "Do tell me about your little performance this afternoon," he said softly and her heart sank. From the tone of his voice, she could tell she didn't like where this conversation was going.
"What was it that got to you the most? Those stupid muggles back home, forgetting your birthday last week?"
"How did you…"
"I know a lot more then you think, but that wasn't it was it, no. It was the fact that for your birthday your two 'best friends' got you a thong and birth control, expecting you to perform with them like some little sex toy."
Another final straw. Hermione burst into tears but Snape was too quick for her. She hadn't even seen him dart up from the chair and draw her back to his embrace. It took her a moment to realize what had happened, but she found herself huddled in Snape's lap, her tears falling into his shoulder, and his strong arms held her tight.
Never before has she felt this sensation, and she wasn't willing to give it up just to 'save face.' She knew she must look an awful mess, crying in her teacher's arms, but she had never cried in front of anyone before, and now here she was twice in one day and this time in his arms.
Weeping uncontrollably, she felt his hands gently stroking down her neck and over her hair, rubbing her back in tiny circles. "Shh…Hermione everything will be all right…Shh…let it all out…I'm here…it's ok…Shh…" his voice was soft and gentle as his dark tresses brushed her forehead. They too were soft and gentle, like his touch and words.
Her sobs became softer, as time passed, but her tears flowed her into slumber. She absently remembered her black and white saddle shoes being pulled from her tiny feet before drifting off to sleep in his comforting arms.
Feeling like she had just awoken from a beautiful dream, Hermione blinked her eyes open. Wherever she was, it was comfortable and warm. Her head was resting on something firm and she could hear extremely shallow breathing that was not quite her own.
Then she remembered. They were in his study and she had cried herself to sleep in his arms. Looking up without moving she saw that Snape was asleep, his arms wrapped protectively, but not uncomfortably tight around her body.
His face looked soft and gentle, his features outlined by the glowing fire. "In the arms of an angel," she thought, "I must have died, no one on earth could ever want to quiet my tears." Shifting her head slightly, she brought her lips to his cheek and placed the faintest, most gentle kiss upon his skin.
Snape's eyes opened and looked only as one's eyes could look after the faintest of kisses. No anger or alarm present, but a faint smile masked the curiosity he felt as he stared at Hermione, shifting his arms to wake them up.
After a brief moment of enjoying each other's warmth, stiff joints and sleepy appendages took priority to the necessity of standing. She stretched her arms up over her head, causing her spine to crack with a soft pop.
"Perhaps you should return to Gryfindor tower. It's getting late and people might begin to worry," he said softly as he cast a sidelong glance over to the large grandfather clock in the corner. It was nearly 10:30pm, they had slept for over two hours.
Hermione's heart sank as the thought of leaving this warmth and comfort for her cold, empty room up in Gryfindor tower, entered her mind. "Go back to my room?" it had come out as more of a question then intended. "It's so cold and lonely…" her voice trailed off as she submitted to her fate, heading towards the door without even remembering her shoes.
A warm hand upon her shoulder stopped her halfway from the exit and spun her around to face him. "Perhaps you would prefer to spend the night here in my chambers though it's been a while since I've kept any company." The small smile on her lips could not mask the wave of relief she felt at his extremely warm and open invitation.
Snape led the way to his personal chambers, exiting through another bookcase in the study. Upon entry, Hermione was again taken by surprise. There was a large four poster bed, decked out with silver and black sheets, a matching canopy but no draw curtains around the edge of it. A small window on the opposite wall allowed the moonlight to flood in from outside.
He walked over to an oak dresser and started rummaging around. Another thought hit her. "These clothes are hardly fit to sleep in, and if I sleep in them one more time, I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do when I return to Gryfindor tower in the morning," as she spoke two pieces of clothing hit her in the chest. Catching them, she stared across the room at him, looking confused.
"You see Hermione, the world isn't quite so bad when you've got the right people helping you," she smiled and looked at what Snape had given her. A pair of Slytherin boxers and a faded Oxford T-shirt. "And they're enchanted to fit the wearer," he added.
She blushed, knowing that she was much shorter then he was and because of sexual anatomy differences, much smaller around the waist. "Do you have a place where I could…"
"Through there," he pointed to a door on the far wall, presumably the bathroom. Snape changed his clothing quickly, dropping his day clothes down a laundry chute for the house elves to deal with, as he waited for Hermione to emerge from his bathroom.
And emerge she did, moments later, looking stunning in his boxers and T-shirt that were hugging her feminine figure quite nicely. "I had no idea you went to Oxford," she said coming over and standing beside him.
"I don't ever recall you asking. And as I said earlier you have much to learn about the world, as well as myself." She blushed, realizing how little she actually knew about the man whose bed she was about to sleep in. "Now which side do you prefer to sleep on?"
She worried her lips between her teeth. "Actually…I like to sleep in the middle." Snape sighed, turning the sheets down on his bed, before walking over to the bathroom to turn out the light she had left on. When he came back, she had settled herself in the center of his bed, the sheets tucked in at her shoulders.
"Though I plan on letting you sleep in the middle of my bed, being it's your preference, I have no intentions of giving up my bed for the night. I prefer the right side and will be sleeping there rather close to you since you choose not to be a lefty."
Climbing into bed next to her, he laid on his side facing her. "Again I intend on sharing my bed, but I'm not giving it up. So please keep your appendages to yourself. I get so much as one kick and I will kick your Gryfindor behind out to the armchair in my study." She smiled and turned away from him as he clapped the room into darkness.
After more then an hour of nonstop tossing and turning, Hermione decided that it was absolutely impossible to get comfortable in his bed with him in that position. His presence was on her, but not quite touching her and it was driving her crazy. Another roll over and she faced the window.
"Professor?" she whispered.
"Hmm?" he asked sounding slightly annoyed and no where near asleep.
"Are you asleep?"
"This would be one of those times when I would normally say 'yes I was until you woke me,' but since you have yet to stop tossing and turning, I have yet to have the chance to do so." She rolled over and faced him, and he looked sincerely annoyed. "I do not intend to kick you out of my bed as you are probably thinking, but I do intend to get some sleep this evening. So if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them."
Despite the moonlight, the blush in Hermione's cheeks could be seen in the dark for a mile. "I'm sorry," she hesitated and closed her eyes. "I think I have a solution, if you're willing to try." Her voice was a sheepish whisper.
"Hermione if it will get you to stop tossing and turning, I'll hang the mattress from the ceiling." She smiled and checked a tiny giggle, she remembered hearing somewhere that he hated giggling. "Well are you going to suggest this wonderful idea of yours, or should I get my wand and start levitating the mattress?"
Another smile before her face turned pale and serious. "Would you hold me?" her words were rushed, as if she didn't want to give him the chance to say no. "Your arms are so warm and-"
"Comforting?" Hermione nodded and he sighed, sliding his body over to hers, making contact for the first time since he had climbed into bed. Snape wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her close into him, her head nuzzling against his chest. "Better?"
"Much," she sighed a peaceful sigh and situated herself against his body, touching him in as many places possible. 'Desperate for touch and intimate contact, how amusing,' he thought as he watched her slip away into a restful slumber. Lowering his face for just a moment, Snape placed a faint and gentle kiss on her forehead before falling asleep with her in his arms.