Hello everyone! Sorry it took longer than usual to update! However, thank you to everyone keeping up with my story!
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-Bella
Ch. 4 Behind Closed Doors
Hermione stands in a cemetery, surrounded by the names of those who have gone before her. The fog becomes so thick that the only visible object is her hand, which she holds in front of her face. Fear, inexplicable fear, rises within her. She instinctively reaches for her wand- which is no longer in its usual resting place.
"Hello, Ms. Granger," a familiar voice calls from the fog.
"Who is there?" Hermione frantically looks around hoping for any glimpse of substance in the nothingness.
Draco Malfoy steps out of the fog, brandishing a knife. Blood drips down its blade like rain off of a window pain.
"How about we give a new meaning to the term 'mudblood'?" Draco steps forward and grabs Hermione.
Hermione awakes in a cold sweat. Her curls furiously clinging to her face, her shirt drenched in perspiration, and fear etching its way into every crevasse of her countenance. She glances at her watch on her nightstand: five AM. Damn, she thinks. It is still too early for anyone to be awake. Despite this, she rises and goes to take a much needed shower.
The steam of the shower surrounds her as she cautiously steps out and grabs a towel. She wipes away the fog from the mirror and pauses. She stares sullenly. Hermione knows that she is no longer a child, but this woman standing before her is a foreigner. Her eyes are sunken and lackluster, that hint of gold amidst the brown is gone. Her hair is tamed, but lacking its normal subtle rebellion. Her skin-pale and clean, but possesses no inward light. She is tired; she is unhappy. Over the years she has noticed those around her taking her for granted. She saved the boys' lives countless times, assisted them with homework, and watched them like a mother hen. Her gratification: Thanks, 'Mione! You're the best! Hermione has accepted that she will remain under appreciated for the remainder of her days at Hogwarts- except Professor Snape.
Snape saw Hermione's abilities; he appreciated them and took full use of her abilities in asking her to be his assistant. What if he asks me to save his life and I can't? The thought made Hermione shiver. Shaking her head, she walks into her main quarters to change. She feels as if a walk to watch the sun rise would be very appropriate.
The fresh air hits her lungs like splashing into a pool of cool water. It feels refreshing, full of life. It is October; the air is not cold, but crisp. The leaves changing as trees begin to prepare for their yearly slumber. Hermione wanders over to the lake; she peers out as the sun shows its face over the horizon.
"Fond memories, Granger" Draco's voice causes Hermione to jump and pull out her want.
"Woah there, Granger. I am not here to kill you. If I were I would've done it already," Draco smirks at Hermione and crosses his arms over his chest.
"There is nothing in this world that can make me trust you, Malfoy," Hermione puts her wand away and retakes her seat on the grass, gazing out at the water, "Now, I would appreciate it if you left me alone"
Draco doesn't listen to her request. He sits down next to her, his arms resting on his knees.
"Don't be so uptight, mudblood. You are my godfather's assistant now. We are practically family! Although that thought makes my stomach churn," he fakes a shudder.
Hermione looks at the boy. She could see where some find charm in his antics. She has never been around him in a calm, noncombatant atmosphere. He was almost…funny. Hermione shakes the thought and stands. Draco stops her.
"Why are you up so early anyways?"
"I just woke up, like always"
"Oh, so you take wandering back to spots of romantic past?"
Hermione glares at him.
"What do you know of my past, let alone any romantic aspects of it?"
"Oh, you know," he smirks at her alarm, "the pure blood circle tell all"
Hermione's eyes widen. She calmed her wildly beating heart-she would not jump to conclusions before she is certain of his implications.
"What do you know, Draco?"
The boy stands and closes the distance, as to intimidate her. Hermione merely laughed at his attempt.
"That you may be a mudblood, but you didn't deserve what that bastard did to you"
With that, Draco walks towards the castle and leaves Hermione with wide eyes and mouth agape. After a few minutes of biting her lip and cutting off all blood circulation, Hermione follows Draco's footsteps into the castle. It's going to be a long day; Hermione sighs and prepares herself for the day ahead.
The day proved to be humdrum and boring, much against her initial inclination. Routine is beginning to make Hermione restless. Being dinner time, Hermione enters the Great Hall and locates Harry and Ron. They wave her over and she sits next to Ginny. Without saying a word, other than giving a weary smile, Hermione grabs bread l and beings to smother it in butter.
"Everything alright Hermione," Ginny's concerned voice rings in Hermione's ear.
"Oh," Hermione scolds herself for her lack of cordialness, "yes, of course, just a rough start to the day is all"
"Rough?" Ron interjects "You want to talk about rough? Snape apparently announced that we have a potions practicum today and I haven't reviewed any brews!"
"Well whose fault is that, Ronald?" Hermione crosses her arms and gives him a skeptical, yet stern eye brow lift.
Harry snickers. He always admired Hermione. She is a sister that he never had, at times something more. She is personal, she is his family. Harry loves her, perhaps at moments he is in love with her. Her determination, intelligence, compassion, all of which makes him wants to show his appreciation for her keeping him alive thus far. He glances at Ginny, then at Ron. It is better this way. Ginny loves him, Ron loves Hermione. This is clean, this is uncomplicated. With their lives hanging in the balance every day, he rather not make a mess of their personal lives.
"Well," Hermione breaks Harry's reverie, "I better head to Snape's office. I have papers for him"
"How is that going, Hermione," Ginny ask, her voice drenched with curiosity.
"Another time, Ginny"
Hermione stands and exits the Great Hall. She had mentioned Snape's office for a reason- none of them need know that she works out of the Professor's personal office. She walks down to the dungeons, ignoring the contemptuous glares of Slyterins.
Hermione reaches the office, she stops. She hears murmured voices behind the door. She presses her ear against the door and listens, but she cannot make out what the men are conversing about. It is indeed the voices of men, one instinctively is her Professor. Suddenly, she hears a scream-Snape's scream. Without even realizing what she is doing, Hermione pulls out her wand.
"Alohamora!" The door opens to reveal a death eater torturing Snape with the Crutiatus curse.
"Filpendo!" Hermione screams as the death eater is knocked backwards into the fire. It disappears into nothingness whispering,
This is a mistake, mudblood
Hermione stood shaking and looks down at the Professor. He lays on the ground, shirtless. Red whip marks line his back, his body still twitching in pain. Sweat and blood cover his body; new scars and old seem to sear his skin. Unknowingly, Hermione begins to cry at the sight. She walks over to the now unconscious man. She instinctively goes to the closet and looks through Snape's personal stores. A healing potion presents itself.
"Thank you," Hermione whispers to no one in particular. Hermione took some sleeping draught as well.
She walks over to her Professor and kneels by his motionless body. Still breathing, thank the gods.
She conjures bandages and cleans his wounds. She figures it is better while he is unconscious. Hermione then charms his body to levitate to the nearest couch. She lays him down and places a blanket over him. She felt absolutely helpless. There is nothing for her to do but grab a book and wait for Snape to awaken. She wanders over to the bookshelf-a mixture of wizard and muggle literature. She eyes the title Wuthering Heights and gleefully pulls it off of the shelf. She walks over to a plush chair opposite of the couch and settles into her book. Exhaustion comes upon her quickly, as she reads of Heathcliff and Cathy, she quickly succumbs to sleep.
Snape awakens in pain. Memories quickly flood his mind: death eater, punishment, pain, and then…nothing. He glances down at his bandages. He quickly unwraps himself to see his wounds are nearly healed. Someone professional must've done this done this. A mass of hair shifts across from him.
"Granger," he sneers. She must've found him and taken care of him. She sighs contentedly in her sleep. He notices the book she possesses and quickly snatches it out of her hand.
Of all of the books the nit could have picked, he glowered to himself.
He gingerly opened the cover and read the inscription:
To my half-blood prince,
May you find solace that our souls are one, just as Heathcliff and Cathy, we can never be parted in this world or the next.
Lily
He shut it tersely.
"Foolish girl"
Though to which foolish girl he speaks is unclear. Snape notices the sleeping draught on the table and takes it before lying back down to sleep once more.
Thank you for reading!
-Bella
