Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's world! Not mine!
Chapter 2 – A Bridge Of Memories
Severus glanced at the clock on his mantle for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the last five minutes. Hermione would be there in about ten minutes. He continued to tap his foot impatiently on the floor. Sitting back in his armchair, he closed his eyes and began to think. And thinking led him to think on the memories of what had happened after that horrible night…
Five years ago…The light was the first thing that he could remember when he woke up. It was almost like he was being born. The bright light was so intense…
Severus blinked a few times before a shape in the middle of the light began to make sense – it was Harry Potter.
Groaning, Severus attempted to speak, but Harry stopped him, "Sir, you shouldn't speak. Your throat is still healing."
Harry looked highly troubled. He turned his face away and glared at something that Severus couldn't see, "…I don't know why we're helping you right now. You betrayed us. You will probably end up in Azkaban once you're done healing and-"
He was cut off as Severus quickly grabbed Harry's arm and forced out the words that were rough like sandpaper, "P…Potter…wand…memory…" he released Harry from his vice-like grip and put his finger to his head.
Harry looked confused but seemed to understand after a few moments. After taking out his wand, Harry tentatively handed it to Severus who pointed it to his head, and took out a silvery almost gas-like strand that was a memory. Harry looked around and found some vials. He grabbed at one before hearing Severus's voice, "You…more than…o-one."
So, Harry grabbed a whole handful of the vials. Upon returning, Severus grabbed at one of the vials and immediately put the memory into it. This continued until there was something of a small collection of Severus's memories in vials on a stand. Severus attempted to speak again, "Head…Master…p-pens-" Harry stopped him by holding up his hand and gave a hard look at his old Potions Professor, "Don't talk. I'll go to Professor McGonagall right away."
And with that, Harry turned his back on Severus and left him in the bright empty space of the Hospital Wing.
Severus opened his eyes and frowned. Potter had forgiven him and had felt terribly guilty ever since that day in the Hospital Wing. Knowing what Harry knew now tore him apart inside. Ever since that day, Harry wrote a letter to Severus every year on October 31st, the anniversary of his parent's death, and apologized. He would apologize up and down and sideways about how horrible he felt for everything wrong that ever happened since they had known each other. And after every apologetic letter that Severus had received from the boy, he would respond by telling him that he forgave him. After all - the boy had helped to save his life.
Aside from Harry learning the truth about Severus and his intentions, Professor-now-Headmistress McGonagall had also seen the many memories of Severus's past through the pensieve. After some court trials with the Wizangamot, Severus was cleared of all and any charges that were set against him.
Frowning, Severus stretched more in his chair, setting his arms on the armrests and closed his eyes once more…
Two years ago…Suddenly there was a loud banging noise on his office door. Severus looked up from his massive amount of essays that he had been grading and grumbled, "Either come in or leave me alone."
The last person that Severus had expected to see this day happened to be standing in his door way, drenched with rain and what seemed like extra moisture around her red rimmed and slightly baggy eyes. Severus stood up from his desk, a look of shock replacing the look of distaste that had once been on his face when he thought that a student had been knocking, "Ms. Granger? What –"
"He cheated on me," Hermione cut him off, her voice shaky but firm.
Severus dropped the quill that he had been holding; he had been shocked into silence. He slowly moved to be in front of his desk, long black robes hanging on his body like bat wings. Hermione looked up at him, "I…I decided to come to you. Ron went to Harry so, I-I…I don't-"
Suddenly, Hermione had found herself in Severus's arms, her face up against his chest, one of his hands at the middle of her back and the other at the back of her head. He was whispering what sounded like comforting words softly in her ear.
She wept.
Severus opened his eyes and frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. He hated that particular memory. True, it was the moment that brought them together as close friends and eventually as a couple, but he hated that she had to suffer so much before becoming happy again.
After that day when Hermione caught Ron with that knit-twit Lavender, snogging in what was Hermione and Ron's bed, she packed up a simple suitcase with her clothes and left. She has still not spoken to the Weasley boy since that day.
The clock on Severus's mantle chimed softly letting him know that six in the evening was finally there. Hermione was supposed to be there by now.
Severus stood up and stretched. He seriously hated that Hermione had this effect on him; making him anticipate her arrival and distracting him from his work. He had a huge backlog of essays to grade on the theory of why the Wolfsbane Potion was necessary in the Wizarding World. He could have gotten a good chunk graded today but he had been too excited to sit down and focus on anything.
While pacing around the small living room in his chambers, he stopped to look at his left hand. The small silver ring shined a little bit in the soft candlelight that lit up the room. The smallest of smiles danced across his lips as he remembered five weeks ago.
Five weeks ago…Hermione was cleaning up the dinner plates, taking them to the small sink area against the wall near the small dining table. Severus grumbled softly, "The house elves will take care of it. You needn't bother yourself."
"Severus," Hermione sounded annoyed and disappointed, "you should know how I feel about the labor of house elves by now."
All that came, as a reply was a simple, "Hnn."
This sent up a red flag, "Severus, what's wrong?"
Silence.
She put the dirty plates into the sink, washed her hands then proceeded to sit herself next to Severus at his left side on the small dark green velvet couch. Severus was sitting hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his chin perched on his balled up fists, his face with a look of seriousness and…sadness? He wore his usual black robes that hugged his slender form. The fire that burned in the hearth made his usually very pale skin seem like it had an unearthly glow.
Placing a gentle hand on his left bicep she almost silently whispered, "Please tell me what's wrong?"
Without moving his head, Severus moved his obsidian eyes to gaze into Hermione's chocolate ones. After a pause that seemed like a century, Severus sat up straight and turned so that he was facing the object of his affection more directly. His voice was strained, "Please answer me truthfully, Hermione. Do you really want to be with me?"
Hermione's eyes widened, her mouth fell open a little and her eyebrows came together causing a confused yet almost upset look, "Why on earth are you asking me this?"
"Because," he swallowed; his mouth felt so dry, "we rarely get to see each other, we are both still fighting with our own personal demons…and from what I understand, the Ministry doesn't look too highly on our relationship."
Hermione sighed, a small smile on her face. She looked up with that small smile, causing Severus to raise an eyebrow, "You should know by now," she took both of Severus's somewhat large hands in her rather small ones and her smile grew, her eyes sparkling, "We both help each other all the time whenever we need each other in our times of need. The Ministry's opinion on who I decide to date doesn't matter to me."
Severus frowned a little bit more, "What about the serious lack of time with each other?"
Hermione's smile stayed where it was, "I have a small plan. I don't know if it will work, but if it does then we'll be able to spend a whole lot more time together."
Something that seemed like hope fluttered across Severus's face, "I know how you are so I wont ask details but," he paused and then gave Hermione's hands a small squeeze, "what do you mean by 'a whole lot more time together'?"
"I mean," she had to hold back a small giggle, "that I'll be visiting more often. For now, that's all that I'm willing to share," Hermione moved to lean her head on Severus's shoulder.
Severus automatically moved to put his arms around her torso and held her so that her back was to his chest. He breathed in her scent before continuing in a lighter sounding tone, "I'm sorry that I'm being such a fool about this."
Hermione put her hands over his, which were placed over her stomach, "Oh, don't worry yourself about it," at the same time as she spoke, she slipped something cold and metallic over his left ring finger; such a smooth movement that he almost didn't notice it.
After seeing what it was, he raised an eyebrow, "What, exactly, are you playing at, love?"
Giggling lightly, Hermione moved her head so she could gaze up into Severus's face, "Just letting people know that you're taken. Nothing more," innocence shone in her eyes.
Severus rewarded his affectionate bushy haired paramour with a small squeeze of a hug before drifting off. They were both tired, apparently, since right before Severus drifted off into dreamland, Hermione could be heard snoring softly, half her face resting against his chest.
Severus was brought out of his reverie when his fireplace suddenly glowed green with flames and out of the green flames came the one and only person that he would ever favor with a true and genuine smile.
