Pensieve
The watcher pulled her face from the Pensieve and looked blankly at Hermione. The older woman pulled another small bottle from her pocket and peered at it's contents sadly.
"You know Min used to be infamous for her temper.. I think this was the first time I actually gave her a run for her money." Hermione spoke through a little smile while running her fingers through her silver laced brown locks.
"I don't understand Grandma.."
"You will understand Amelia.." She stated while pouring the silvery liquid into it's bed of marble and motioning for the young girl to duck foreward..
The night was a long and drawn out occassion. Severus was unable to help himself these days, it seemed the more sleep he settled in the more vicious his dreams became so for quite some time he sat by the bed, watching the girl sleep. The swelling of her eyes and cheeks sufficiently went down over the course of a few hours. With a warming charm, he assumed, she was sleeping comfortably.
Three days passed. They seemed to bleed one into the other while the girl rested in his bed. Albus came every night followed by a silent Minerva who, since their small chat, didn't raise her line of vision to his. The little regret Severus had about that night had blossomed but being a proud man he wouldn't say a thing. They simply inspected her for any further injury, charming away any discomfort they thought of and left. Usually by this time it was nearing two in the morning; and on this night when all was quiet and the only sound heard was Snape shifting uncomfortably in his chair he forced himself still by a quiet murmer in the darkness.
"Where am I..." Her voice was low and gravely. The dark eyed man could barely make out the question. Hermione opened her eyes and looked through the black to see small glimmers of silver and green. She knew these rooms.
"You're in the dungeons." Severus replied dully. While hiding his concern he flicked his wand and a few small lamps around the room began to illuminate. He watched her eyes adjust but the air of confusion remained consistant behind the chocolate orbs.
"Why am I here," Hermione began as her eyes skimmed the room and landed on the Potions Professor. "I should be dead."
"I rescued you." He replied simply. Anger simmered gently under the skin of the young woman. Severus felt the change before he saw her rip the black douvet off of her body and climb from the bed. At first, it was almost like watching an infant mare, learning how to use it's new legs as she clutched at the bed half dragging herself upward though soon she became nearly unstoppable.
"Where the fuck is my wand Snape?" Hermione hissed throwing a glare in his direction. If someone had stupified him it would have explained his stillness. She closed her eyes and let the energy pool in her head making a clear picture until it vanished in seconds. The brunette nearly stumbled to his wardrobe and wrenched open the doors all the while a stunned Severus sat watching in the corner of the room.
"Miss. Granger your language befits that of a follower of the dark lord.. perhaps you spent far too much time in their presence." In mere seconds of speaking however Hermione was clothed appropriately and wicked in temper, pointing her weapon of choice at Snape's chest.
"You should have left me where you found me!" The girl yelled in fury, her eyes ablaze as she quitted his quarters and strode to the surface.
Hermione took her time ascending the stairs to the great hall. She knew this school back to front, front to back even though it was an upside down place.. the space itself was her home. At least it used to be.. She thought to herself. The place didn't change, it never changed and yet it was ever changing with it's portraits running to and from each other. It's corridors mixing, matching and mingling. And yet.. she knew exactly where to go... where she had been. The last place she wanted to be is where she stood with her wand raised.
"Grant me passage." The gargoyle looked down at her with a mocking expression before ruffling it's stone wing feathers. The sound was a kin to bricks being rubbed together; all in all quite irritating.
"That's no password..."
"Grant me passage or I will grind down every inch of you..," Hermione warned through gritted teeth. "When all there's left is a pile of sand where you now stand, I'll happily walk over your remains to my destination." The Gargoyle appraised her and for a moment she thought fear had sparked behind the stoney expression. He turned, wings raised, granting her an entrance to Dumbledore's study which she took with little hesitation after skimming the dimmly lit hall.
The room, his study, looked as she had left it. Little whizzy things still whizzing and floating around. Books as high as the eye could see clean and well kept. Not a speck of dust on the varnished tables. It looked like nothing had happened.
"Miss. Granger?" Minerva peered down at her with surprise lining her face as she stood at the top of the stairs behind the Headmaster's large oak desk. Momentarily Hermione lost herself once more in the presence of the woman. Her eyes were glossy with worry, her skin looked pale which oddly paired with her hair that was slightly disheveled and poking out of her bun. This appearance aged the woman greatly. Frankly Minerva looked like shit... if only she could care enough to ponder it more.
"I have come to see Dumbledore so if you could direct me to him I'd be.. grateful." The voice seemed foreign. Almost too low and a little too articulate. Minerva swept down the stairs fluidly until she was nearer to the girl who visibly tensed, fingers twisting tightly around her wand. Hermione looked as she always had even if a little thinner than before. But for some reason her eyes had lost their warmth, her face was white as snow. Minerva wondered breifly how one could look so strong.. and yet appear so delicate.
"You have no need for defense here Hermione you're safe now." The professor made an attempt to be tender, reaching out when close to rest a hand upon the girls shoulder perhaps to give her some grounding but she'd have none of it.
"I was safe where I was thank you," Hermione flinched from the hand and turned her back to the professor. "I'll return later when he is available."
"Hermione please.. What is this?" Minerva swept her hand in the air behind the young woman's back and the student watched as the door dissipated behind a long column of books. She turned on her heel to face the one who sealed off her exit, nostrals flaired and quite visibly angry.
"You have no right to hold me captive whether it's for a minute or a lifetime now return that door McGonnagall."
"Hermione.. have you lost all sense of authority? How dare you speak to me like this.." Hermione's wand shot a jet of yellow light in the older woman's direction which she waved by in suprise. Then another. And another. Before they knew it spells.. curses were being thrown around the office. Both women over taken by their own fury directing all their discomfort towards each other ripping the office to shreds. Since the women were almost equally skilled neither truly got harmed.. which couldn't be said for all of Albus's nick nacks. When both, teacher and student, where out of breath, stumbling, and trying to find comfort they finally quit the battle.
"You know every time I thought I was going to die.. I damned you," Hermione whispered as her wand lay at her feet forgotten and her forehead rested upon the cold leather spines of the books on the shelf she rest against. "Every time I closed my eyes I saw yours and all I wanted to do.. was escape." Minerva sat in what once resembled an ornate leather chair. She showed no care as it smouldered, only listened to the soft voice she used to remember as tears stung her eyes.
"They could have killed you.."
"Don't you realize.. that was the plan?"
TBC...
