Bellus Rose 4: Bright Orion

By: The Duck

A/N: I'd just like to give a big shout out to of course my lovely Beta Rube. And I just wanted to drop a hello to Serpentina Thank you very much for the comment at the end of From this Day On. It just so happens that it's 'Duck Season' where I live and everybody from my parents to my teachers want a piece of me! Sorry for the delay in this chapter but remember Art takes time people!

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It was almost 10 O' Clock at night and Hermione sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. Staring into the hypnotizing flames of a warm fire that was still blazing behind the grate casting a orange glow in the room which made it an atmosphere for warmth and shadows which were long against the stone floor. In the background Harry and Ron played wizarding chess. Yet, with all she could have been doing at the moment she chose simply to stare into the flames of oblivion. Her outward appearance to any Gryffindor looking at her was one of deep concentration and thought. Her eyes conveyed no emotion to any onlooker they simply reflected the light of the fire itself as thought she had lost her soul and became one with the flames.

Tonight she found her thoughts had taken a liking to dissecting Professor Snape. Hermione was a girl who craved knowledge like a man who has walked through the Sahara craves water. It was almost to the point of obsession and she knew that her lot in life was to find what she sought for so desperately. This man this had stood before her for seven years now and she realized only now how very like she knew about the man himself, the man. Not the overgrown bat he had been until very recently when she found herself catching a sight of a complex man she thought she knew.

She tried to shake her thoughts away from Snape but it seemed no matter how hard she tried to push the thoughts away the more entangled in them she became. Hermione craved knowledge about Snape she wanted to know him, wanted to be able to read his thoughts through those tunnels, those black holes in which she had found herself drowning in a sea of mixed emotions. Hermione's thoughts then turned away from the past of Snape and focused on the appearance of him. And without Hermione being able to control where her thoughts pulled her she soon found herself face to face with the mental image of his face. And before she found herself drowning in those dark pools once again, she finally gained control of her thoughts and emotions and shook away the thoughts. She blinked her eyes and it seemed she had came out of her knowledge induced trance.

Hermione sighed and stood from her perch in front of the warm fire. It was late she knew, but she found she wasn't very tired and she realized that sitting near the fire had made her incredibly hot and she decide after some thinking that a walk was just the thing to relax her then perhaps she could get some sleep. So with that decide she slipped her small feet into her white fluffy slippers and exited the common Room in a swish of her nightgown.

She walked the halls silently her ears open to every sound around her and her movements controlled with feline grace that even Crookshanks did not possess but luckily she reached her destination with little trouble. She pushed up the trapdoor stepped up into the cool breeze. A smile touched her lips as she gently lowered the door down and with a thump it fell into place. Just as soon as the door fell into place she heard a silky voice call her.

"Hello, Miss Granger."

She spun quickly on her heels and was meet with the eyes she had seen in her imagination not so long ago. She sighed and replied with a soft voice that was almost lost to a gentle breeze.

"Good Evening, Professor." Hermione was rather upset with this turn of events. All she wanted was to get some air and maybe do some stargazing and although she knew her relationship with Professor Snape had changed she knew better then to expect to leave without some sort of punishment. But yet he surprised her.

"Out again after curfew, Miss Granger." Hermione was barely able to keep her jaw from dropping in shock. Was that amusement she heard in his usually unfeeling voice? She soon realized she was staring and dropped her gaze to the flagstone floor.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I know it's against the rules."

She heard him release and sigh as he shook his head. Breaking eye contact with her as he turned toward where he had been sitting. When his eyes met her again he had a question in his eyes. "Well, if you planning on staying you might as wells sit down and get comfortable." He said gesturing to the stone bench behind him.

Hermione didn't quite trust her voice yet and she simply nodded. And she walked over to the bench sitting down on the bench as another breeze blew. She unconsciously hugged her arms to her chest and tried to warm himself. Snape shrugged and took the seat next to her he watched her hug her arms to herself. He slowly removed his cloak and settled it over her shoulders. She turned her eyes and watched him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief she smiled softly. "Thank you." She said quietly before she looked up to the heavens.

He followed her gaze and watched the skies. Silently watching as the moon got covered in the shadow of a cloud. It was then he searched for the constellations he knew. And a smile touched his lips as he found Orion shining brightly in the heavens. His bow poised and ready to hunt for all eternity. "Orion is bright tonight." He stated his gaze not leaving the ancient constellation. She nodded and he heard her laugh a bit. "Something amusing?" He asked raising his eyebrow a bit.

The smile never left the porcelain like features as she explained slowly. "My father always used to tell me when I was a little girl that I was a warrior. He would always say that when I was feeling confused or ever doubted the fact that I was a warrior I should look to Orion for guidance." Snape nodded before he replied. "Well, he was right to tell you that Miss Granger. For a warrior is what you are." She nodded again a tear falling down her cheeks. "Thank you," She said wiping the tear away. "It's just I have never felt like this everything is just so confusing." She stood suddenly and left after muttering a short goodbye.

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She entered the Common Room after giving the password to the Gryffindor portrait. The Common Room was empty at this early hour and she simply went up to her room and once she had closed the door she realized she still had Snape's cloak she pulled it from her shoulders and pulled the robe to her nose inhaling his scent. She smiled as she laid the cloth of the cloak on a chair sitting near her bed. She climbed into her bed pulling the covers over her thin form. Her eyes closed slowly and her breathing became regular as she descended into a deep sleep.

A/N: Thanks to all the readers who are bothering to read and review this! I'm not worthy! Sorry about the huge gaps between chapters! I finally finished this last night! I'm laid up in bed with the Flu and hopefully if I can talk my father into loaning me the laptop I can hopefully get more done soon! So everybody cross your fingers!

*The Duck*