A / N : Thanks for all the great reviews guys! Sorry I didn't post yesterday I'm feeling a little under the weather and wasn't able to get onto my laptop. *hands out cookies to everyone reading* Enjoy!


-CHAPTER THREE-

Talking

A month later and Hermione had been given her own rooms. For the first two weeks in her room, she started to have nightmares and pictures of Ron and Harry appeared whenever she closed her eyes. She tried to cover up her sleepless nights, but eventually, even the glamours she had started to wear weren't working as well as they should. She knew some of the teachers could see through them, but she had yet to have a single one of them comment on it. She guessed that they just thought she was working too hard as was her norm. She had yet to see Severus since her glamours had started to weaken, so she wasn't sure if he would be able to see through it. She would know after her next lesson ... potions.

Hermione sat in her usual seat and worked as hard as she usually did, but she struggled to keep her mind on the job at hand, as both Harry and Ron were sat on the desk next to her. Ron used to be her partner and then she had Harry, but now, no one wanted to be her partner in anything, which suited just fine as long as no one was talking to her. At the end of the lesson she realised that she was still brewing. She looked up at Severus who nodded at her and she carried on, it didn't take her too long, but the fact she didn't finish her potion first had hinted at Severus that she wasn't herself. She walked up to the front when she had bottled her potion and placed it on the desk.

"Is something wrong Hermione?"

"I'm fine Severus."

"Come on." Severus stood and held her hand, leading her through to his private chambers, her book bag following behind them. "Sit down; I'll go make us some tea."

Hermione nodded and curled up on the sofa, kicking her shoes off and curled her feet under her. She starred into the fire trying not to close her eyes, fearing she would see the faces she had been seeing since she moved out of Severus' chambers. She didn't notice when Severus sat next to her until he gently pulled her into his arms and softly whispered to her.

For hours they stayed like that; Severus holding Hermione close and soothing her as she cried. She eventually cried herself to sleep, it started off peaceful as all of her others, but it soon turned upside down. She started to scream but she soon woke up in Severus' arms. She turned and buried her head in his chest as he once again soothed her.

"I can't do this any more Sev," Hermione gasped.

"Can't do what?"

"Stay quite. I want to tell you everything."

"Are you sure, Mia?"

Hermione nodded. "Have you got a pensive?" Severus nodded. "Can I just put my memories in there for you to see?"

"Of course." Severus stood with Hermione still in his arms and took her to his study. He sat her on the loveseat and pulled his pensive out of the cupboard under his desk.

Five minutes later and Hermione and Severus were plunging into Hermione's memories, hand in hand.

~o~o~

Hermione was sat in the common room looking over her mid-year grades with Ron hovering over her shoulder.

"Bloody hell, what did you do to get a 'O' from Snape? Shag him?"

Hermione turned to Severus as the rest of the memory played out.

"You earned that Outstanding."

"I know. This was the first time that Ron and Harry started. I've left out the little ones where there were just insult thrown at me when it was just the three of us."

Severus nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close and waited for the next memory to play

~o~o~

Hermione was sat in the library working through her homework when she was interrupted by Ron and Harry. Harry pushed her head down hard onto the desk she was sat at and Ron knelt down in front of her.

"Why have we failed our homework with all of our teachers Hermione?"

Hermione didn't say anything and Harry took a hold of her writing hand.

"Answer him," he growled.

"They can tell what is mine and what is yours."

"Then make it more like ours," Ron growled.

Harry twisted her right wrist for a moment before they stood, threw their work onto the desk and walked of. Hermione rubbed her head and wrist; knowing that it would hurt to continue working; but also knowing that she had no choice. So, she put her head down and started to work quickly on her work and then started on the large pile that the boys had left her to work on.

"Well that explains why I thought I was reading three essays from you."

Hermione giggled. "I couldn't stand being used like that, but I was too scared to do or say anything." A tear slipped down her cheek and Severus pulled her into an embraced and held her until the third memory start to play.

~o~o~

Hermione was pushed into an empty classroom and a hand over her mouth muffled her scream. She was pushed to the floor and kicked several times before having a load of papers thrown at her.

"This is the last time I'm going to warn you about our work Hermione," Harry growled down at her. He kicked her once more in the ribs and stalked off.

Hermione groaned and turned over the empty her stomach. Once she had gained enough strength, she cleaned the floor and her robes, collected the papers and sat herself at a dusty desk to start work. She stayed there all night hunched over a desk, only moving once or twice to stretch her back and ribs.

Hermione sobbed and had turned around when she saw Harry enter the room. Severus wrapped his arms tightly around her as he watched everything unfold in front of him.

"Shh, I've got you love, I've got you," Severus whispered. "We can leave the rest for later if you wish."

"No, there's only two left," Hermione managed to get out between sobs.

As the second before last memory started to play, Hermione stayed facing away with her face buried in Severus' chest.

~o~o~

A slamming of a door jolted Hermione from her book. Harry and Ron started shouting at her because they had gotten detention from Professor McGonagall. She closed her eyes and waited for the hit but it never came. She opened her eyes and screamed when a stunner hit her. Another came shortly after and threw her off her chair and knocked her unconscious.

The memory skipped forward six hours and showed Hermione waking up in her bed, quickly checking that she had no extra bruises. Her chest hurt so much, but she couldn't go any where, she had to work; she had to keep Harry and Ron happy.

Sighing, she tried to stand, but her legs gave in. She let out a groan and summoned her wand. She healed what she could and stumbled to the shower.

Severus gasped at all the bruises, scars and fresh wounds that covered her body. He didn't think that anything she had endured had been this bad. He tightened his grip on Hermione slightly and let one of his own tears fall down his cheek and get lost in her silky hair.

"Why didn't you tell me," he whispered wishing that he could have saved her from her pain.

Hermione just clung to Severus tighter as the noises from her last memory started.

~o~o~

It was pitch black and Hermione was sat outside by the Black Lake. She was softly singing to herself. She didn't hear or see the too black figure approach her. It wasn't until one was stood either side of her that she noticed.

"You filthy little mudblood."

"I'm sure no one will miss you."

After several stunners to the chest, Hermione was thrown into the freezing water, she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

The memory faded and Hermione and Severus found themselves back in his study. Hermione started to cry even harder and Severus planted a kiss to the top of her head and held her close.

"Feel a little better now I know?"

"Yes," she whispered still trying to slow her tears.

To Be continued ...