Two chapters in one day, I am on a roll! (and also trying to avoid mock revision, yawn.) Hopefully this turns out alright, I'm worried that Snape's turning around too much, it's like a little Snape dance (which would be awesome btw). I'm sorry to anyone who loves Ron, but let's face it, he is a bit of a twat sometimes. So yeah, I spent most of today either writing or refreshing my email, because reviews and story alerts make me happy. Hint hint. I LOVE YOU
Insufferable know-it-all
She heard Snape's sharp intake of breath and the anger grow on his face. His teeth grinded as he attempted to keep himself together and, when all else failed, he turned back to his desk and began arranging everything on it, even though it was already tidy. He then put his hands on the desk and steadied his breathing, trying to forget what she had said, trying to convince himself that she was okay, that he hadn't succeeded in hurting her, but that was a lie also and they both knew it. Hermione hadn't been the same for quite a while, ever since the war had ended she had been distant and now he knew why. He wanted to ring that insolent boy's neck, he wanted to do to him what he had done to Hermione, but no, he had run like the coward he always had been, the less talented of the Golden Trio, the fiery red head that was always too sensitive for his own good.
"How many times?"
He asked her, and she murmured her answer just loud enough for him to hear.
"Just the once."
He turned his head slightly and looked her in the eyes, seeing the fear, and also the fact that she had just lied to him again. His eyes bored into her skin and she was forced to tell the truth.
"Four times. The first a week after the war had ended, after I finished with him, the latest that day that I came into class late."
"Why?"
Severus' voice broke slightly and he hated himself for that, looking back down at the worn wooden desk and telling himself that he didn't care for the thousandth time.
"You're asking the wrong person professor."
She turned and strode out of the classroom, pretending that he didn't hear his quiet whisper.
"That boy is dead."
After lunch, in which Hermione barely ate, McGonagall called the girl to her office. When Hermione entered, she saw Snape standing in the shadows taking in his surroundings and automatically knew what this was about and silently cursed Snape in her head. McGonagall looked at Miss Granger, eyes filled with worry for the girl's safety and also for the wizarding world, Ronald Weasley was more dangerous that she could have ever imagined.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
McGonagall's voice was full of sympathy, which annoyed Hermione, she didn't need sympathy, the headmistress should be angry.
"I was scared."
Hermione whispered through clenched teeth. Surely they could have figured this out on her own, she was missing Ancient Runes.
McGonagall ignored her insolence and continued.
"You know you can speak to me if you ever feel scared or worried about anything?"
Hermione nodded, although she knew she couldn't. McGonagall then motioned for her to sit down on the sofa in the middle of the room. The girl sat carefully on the armrest. The headmistress approached her and held her wand to Hermione's head.
"Do you mind if we see your memories?"
Hermione shook her head and felt a stinging sensation in the side of her head as McGonagall's wand removed the memory then her and Snape walked to the pensieve, Snape keeping to the shadows and not looking the girl in the eyes, afraid of her anger for some unknown reason. Before placing the memory in the glimmering liquid, Minerva turned to Hermione and the look on her face alone told her that the girl did not want to relive these memories. The two professors entered the pensieve cautiously and Hermione waited... and waited.
It was quite a few minutes before the professors returned. There was a look of disgust on both their faces but Snape's bordered on furious. He reached out a hand to stead himself as his other clenched into a fist. After a few minutes he stood tall and resolute.
"I'm going after him."
"No Severus, you can't! I'll call the ministry and they will send a search party, besides, I was hoping you would look after Miss Granger."
Both looked ready to protest, but Severus was first to find his words.
"Look after her? I will not babysit a detestable know it all rather than search for a boy who has used an unforgivable curse against an innocent child."
"Do not talk of unforgivable curses as if you know nothing of them, or have you forgotten, Severus."
McGonagall took a step closer to him and Snape surprised Hermione by looked slightly nervous.
"Headmistress, I don't need looking after, Ron is gone and after all, we do not need to inconvenience Professor Snape by making him babysit such a detestable know it all."
McGonagall turned to her, noticing the sarcasm laced into Hermione's latter comment.
"What if he comes back? What if you are alone and he returns, can you bear to imagine what could happen?"
Hermione looked up at her headmistress and shook her head slightly, understanding how Snape had been so terrified.
"Professor Snape, you will escort Miss Granger to her next lesson and every day henceforth you will continue to take her to and from the common room after dark or at any time in which the corridors are likely to be empty. Do you understand?"
Both of them nodded, although neither liked the terms. McGonagall gestured for them to go and they exited the door. Hermione felt tears prick in her eyes but she blinked them away. The headmistress was right, what if Ron did find her, and what if she was alone?
They walked in silence, Hermione slightly behind Snape. He kept turned his head to see if she was still there, and she always was, almost running to keep up.
"Now do you see what you've done?"
Snape turned to looked at Hermione incredulously only for her to run straight into his chest. He placed his hands on her shoulders to push her away, but not before leaning down and snarling into her perfect face.
"I have not done anything, this is of your own making. If you had only told us earlier we would have been able to catch him before he even escaped. You keeping this secret has put the whole of the world in danger as there is now a boy on the loose who is quite capable of torturing his own girlfriend without so much as blinking."
He turned to walk away, but then noticed that she was not following him. He approached her again, slower this time, cautious as he saw her ready to boil over.
"One, I am not his girlfriend."
She counted off on her fingers.
"Two, he was using the crutiatus curse to stop me from telling how badly he was treating me. Three, he is not dangerous, he just has a quick temper, I am more dangerous that he is. Four,"
Snape held a finger to her lip to stop her talking, then quickly withdrew it as he felt the electricity run down from his fingertip to his heart. He thought she didn't notice, but she did.
"I do not doubt that you are more dangerous than he is."
Snape began walking again and this time she followed with a sigh.
After class, she went up to the library. She was so engrossed in her reading that when she looked up she was astonished to see that it was eight pm already. She had barely eaten all day, and her stomach grumbled unattractively.
Snape stepped out from the shadows of the library.
"Starving ourselves now, are we?"
She jumped slightly at the sound of his monotone voice, then settled back down, not wanting to show that she was afraid. Her fear was not something she wanted Snape to know about right now.
"Are you ready to go?"
She sighed and nodded, placing the book back on the shelf and picking up her school bag.
When they arrived at the staircase, Snape turned and addressed her.
"If you are hungry, I could get the house elves to take some food to you."
She looked exasperated.
"I don't agree with house elf enslavement."
Snape raised his eyebrows at her, but said nothing of her views, knowing full well that she was ready to snap if he did.
"I have some food in my quarters if you'd prefer?"
She paused momentarily, but her stomach chose that moment to grumble. He took that as a yes and took her upper arm, dragging her towards the dungeons and she thought, what am I doing having dinner with Severus Snape, the former death eater who is constantly reminding me that I am an insufferable know it all? When did this become alright?