Hermione sat in the teachers' lounge during lunch. She didn't feel like eating in the great hall.
"Hermione! Finally, I got a hold of you," It was Minerva. Hermione looked up and Minerva sat down.
"I know I have asked a lot of you, but could you possibly take up Defense Against the Dark Arts for Thursdays and Fridays until we find someone?" Minvera asked.
"Is Moody being difficult?" Hermione asked.
"No, It's Kingsley he can't train the boys that much anymore so Alaster is doing it. It's only in the afternoons and you would have the 6th and 7th years, you can have your own plans for it as well. It's only for a short time," Minvera pleaded.
"Sure," Hermione said, knowing she would regret it.
"Thank You so much, How has everything been going?" Minvera asked.
"Surprisingly very easy, no problems yet," Hermione told her and took a bite of food.
"Not even from the Slytherins?" Minvera asked. Hermione shook her head. Minvera shrugged.
"Enjoy it while you can I say, well I must go. Cheers," Minvera said and was off as fast as she appeared. Hermione shook her head. A bump caused her to jump and she looked around. A familiar black cat jumped on the table.
"There you are, help yourself, I'm finished," She said. Severus began to eat and Hermione absent mindedly ran her hand down his back as she read.
"I am done for the day, is there anything you wanted to do?" Hermione asked, without looking up from her book. Severus looked around and transformed, a plate of food appeared in front of him and he began eating. Hermione continued to read.
"How have your classes been?" He asked. Hermione almost dropped the book in shock.
"Are you feeling ok?" Hermione asked him. Severus glared at her.
"It's just a question, just forget about it!" He seethed and stuffed another bite of food in his mouth. Hermione looked back into her book. She watched him over the top of it. He ate a few bites before looking up to the window.
"I feel you looking at me," He said and turned to her. Hermione smiled.
"My classes have gone great so far, it's not as hard as I thought it was going to be," Hermione said. Severus didn't say anything, he just ate.
"I've got potions to make today, see you," Hermione said. She stood up but he grabbed her hand. He put the plate in her hand and transformed. Hermione shook her head and headed for the dungeons.
She walked through the halls and got a strange look from one Neville Longbottom.
"Didn't lunch just end?" He asked. Hermione blushed.
"I am making potions for Madame Pomfrey and when I make potions I tend to get a bit hungry." Hermione said. Neville nodded.
"It is so weird having you for one of my professors but it is a lot nicer than Snape," Neville said. Hermione laughed.
"Don't worry it's just as weird for me, speaking of which Why aren't you in class?" She asked.
"I'm free the rest of the day," Neville told her.
"Do you want to help me?" Hermione asked. Neville paused.
"Why not," He said and they walked together to the potions room. Hermione put the plate on the desk in her office, Snape ducked in the door, and she shut it behind him. Hermione laid out the list and she and Neville began gathering ingredients.
"Where's Harry and Ron?" Neville asked.
"Training, too busy with their own affairs to care about much of anything else," Hermione told him.
"You could still hang out with us. I actually kind of miss you," Neville told her. Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, I think I will. Maybe we can get done with these potions by time everyone gets out of school," Hermione said. Neville nodded. He walked over to the ingredient shelf and paused when he heard something in the office.
"Is someone here?" Neville asked. Hermione looked up and shook her head.
"Not that I know of," She told him and got all the utensils set out. Neville then heard it again.
"You sure?" Neville asked. Hermione looked up as Neville walked to the door.
"You know what, it's probably just Snape," Hermione told him.
"Snape?" Neville asked.
"My cat, ask Ron why he's named Snape," Hermione smiled. Neville laughed.
"Maybe he wants out," Neville said and opened the door. Hermione cringed when Neville opened the door. Neville looked in and saw Severus sitting at the desk eating in his human form. Severus froze and looked up. Neville slammed the door shut. He turned white as a sheet.
"Hermione I think I saw Snape, The real one. Look!" Neville said. Hermione decided to play along and brought her wand from her pocket. She walked over and opened the door. She peeked in and saw Snape standing there. He looked at her. She mouth for him to change and he morphed into a cat and hopped on the desk and continued to eat.
"Neville, don't scare me like that. I think you had a flash back or something," Hermione said and opened the door wide. Neville looked relieved as he saw the cat.
"My imagination has always had a cruel sense of humor, aren't you going to get onto him for eating your food?" Neville asked.
"Nah, I'll just get more later, Could you see if there are any more empty flasks in the storage closet? It's two doors down on the left, " Hermione said. Neville nodded.
"Ok, I'll be right back," Neville said and left the room. Snape changed back and fell into his chair and held his chest. Hermione dropped to her knees.
"That Moronic Twit!" Severus seethed. Hermione looked up to him.
"Don't you put all the blame on him, ward the damn door!" Hermione said and got to her feet. She slammed the door shut and continued with the potions.
Neville came back and helped her. After the final school bell rang they delivered the boxes to Madame Pomfrey and Hermione went with him to Gryfindor tower where she stayed until curfew. Hermione went to her rooms and fell into bed. Severus wasn't there. She figured he was watching Remus. Hermione tossed around in her bed. She couldn't sleep, she could feel he was missing and her anxiety from having no idea what to do in DADA class wasn't helping either. She got out of bed and headed to the dungeons. She went to his office and knocked on the door. It took a minute but he opened the door.
"What?" He snapped.
"I can't sleep, I'm used to you being there," Hermione said. Severus opened the door all the way and went down the steps. Hermione followed him. He went to Remus' side and resumed what he was doing. He had Remus' shirt off and was cleaning a number of large wounds. Hermione sat on the other side of Remus. She had grabbed a warm wet rag from the end table and followed Severus' lead.
"Why can't we just heal him?" Hermione asked.
"They are cursed and contaminated with werewolf venom," Severus answered. They would have to be healed naturally.
"It's amazing he survived at all," Hermione said. Severus said nothing. They continued to clean the wounds when Severus used the back of his wrists to rub his eyes. Hermione looked at him and saw how tired he was. She took the rag from his hands.
"When was the last time you slept?" Hermione asked. He jerked the rag from her and dipped it in the water.
"It doesn't matter," He growled. Hermione rolled her eyes. They continued until the wounds were clean and they wrapped Remus' torso tightly in bandages.
"Go to bed, you have class in the morning," Severus told her.
"I don't have class until the afternoon and besides, I'm not tired," Hermione told him. Severus got up and walked to a hutch in the corner of the room. He took a small bottle from it and walked over to her. Hermione raised an eyebrow when suddenly, with speed she never realized people could possess, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and squeezed a nerve. This caused her to hold her mouth open and go limp.
"I don't care," He said and put the potion in her mouth and let go. Hermione glared at him but before she could say anything she laid across the bed and fell into a deep sleep. Severus walked around the bed and picked her up. He carried her to the guest room and laid her across the bed. He took her shoes off and threw a throw blanket over her. He walked back into his room. He then ripped a strip of fabric from his blanket and wrapped it around Remus's head, covering his eyes. Severus then sat in his high back chair, next to the bed to stay up yet again and watch over Remus.
Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in dark surroundings. A grandfather clock was tolling the time from outside the door. It tolled five times. Hermione sat up and became aware of a foul taste in her mouth. She cringed and got to her feet. She walked to the door and ventured out. She saw Severus' living room before her. The fire was going and there was a platter of breakfast food on the coffee table in front of the couch. Severus came out of his room and saw her. He wore a pair of black swimming shorts.
"Eat, we need to start looking every minute we can spare," Severus said. Hermione nodded and began to eat. Severus waited for her and when she finished she cast a anti cramping charm on herself and followed Severus.
He led her to a different set of hidden stairs. At the bottom though was water. Hermione took her jeans off and walked to the bottom of the steps. She jumped in and came to the surface.
"Bullocks! It's freezing, It wasn't this cold last night," Hermione said and got out. Severus just looked at her.
"This water doesn't get any sunlight, cast a warming spell on yourself, get back in, and follow me," Snape said and got in without flinching. He had a string around the handle of his wand. He lit his wand and put it around his neck. Hermione took a breath and got back in. She dove under the surface and put a bubble head charm on herself. Severus just took a deep breath. Hermione followed him out a hole and into the lake where the water began to get warmer. She followed him to a small hole in the rockscape. He squeezed through and when Hermione followed him she couldn't help but feel a bit claustrophobic. She stayed with him. He swam up to an air pocket. He took another breath and they both began to search in different directions.
Hermione held her wand before her, lighting her way. She hoped Severus was ok. She knew she couldn't hold her breath that long. The bubble-head charm was working nicely for her. She squeezed through an opening and found a cavern. She looked around the cavern and found nothing. 'How far could he have hidden the locket? I mean he was in school, how long did he have to explore these caves?' Hermione asked herself and went back through the opening. Hermione looked each direction and cursed. 'Scratch that, how much time did he have to get lost in these caves,' Hermione thought. Hermione chose a direction and hoped it was right. She ended up getting more lost. She came upon dead end after dead end. She found multiple air pockets but no comb.
Hermione remained lost for quite a while. She reached out with her hand to pull her along the cave bottom and the rock her hand landed on ripped open her waterlogged skin. She didn't feel it now and it didn't bleed, but she knew it would hurt later. She also began to feel as though she wasn't getting enough oxygen. Hermione stopped and floated in place. Her eyes were growing tired from being open under water so long and her body was just feeling heavy. She felt like crying. She had always hated the feeling of being lost or alone and now she was both.
A few minutes passed. She suddenly felt something around her bicep. She looked and it was Severus. She reached forward and held him around the neck. He put an arm around her and pulled her through the water. He brought her to a cavernous sized air pocket. He pulled her out of the water and laid her across the rock. He dehydrated her skin to normality and her hand began to bleed profusely. He said another charm and it healed her. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. She felt as though she chugged a gallon of water on an empty stomach. She also felt unbelievably tired.
"I don't feel so good," Hermione said.
"I'm not surprised. You were supposed to recast the spell every hour to keep from killing yourself" He said. He said a spell and Hermione felt the pain slowly melt away.
"Thanks," Hermione said and sat up.
"Did you find it?" Hermione asked. He shook his head.
"Are you sure it's here? I mean, I just got lost. It would have probably taken me a day or more to find my way out if I got out at all. A student doesn't have that kind of time to waste to try and hide a comb," Hermione said.
"He didn't hide it when he was a student, he found these caves when he was a student," Severus told her.
"Come, it's time for lunch," He told her and pulled her into the water. He held her hand and pulled her along.
The two of them ran back to the potions room. Severus went into his room and Hermione stood by the fire. He came back and gave her a set of clothes.
"Thanks," Hermione said. The outfit consisted of a black shirt and black trousers. Hermione magiced them to fit her and changed. She walked into Severus' bedroom. Remus was still out.
"How long before he wakes up and what is with the blind fold?" Hermione asked. Severus just looked at her.
"I don't want him getting involved, when he wakes up I am dropping him in the forest for him to find his way back," Severus told her.
"That's horrible," Hermione told him. He didn't seem phased.
"I'm going up to lunch," Hermione said and left the room.
She took one step out into the hall and was greeted by a crying Tonks.
"I have been looking for you all over, did you fall asleep down here?" Tonks asked. Hermione nodded.
"He's not back yet," She told him.
"I don't know what to tell you Tonks, you just have to trust that he's ok," Hermione told her. Tonks nodded and wiped her eyes.
"I'll kick him in his knob when he gets back if he doesn't at least ask you out for coffee," Hermione told her. Tonks laughed
"What is it you see in him?" Hermione asked and took Tonks arm as they walked towards the great hall.
"He's kind and gentle, He'll take care of you and you can feel that, not to mention he's cute and got a nice ass," Tonks replied. Hermione seemed to choke of thin air.
"And how do you know that?" Hermione asked.
"I walked in on him getting in the shower, luckily enough though he didn't seem to notice so I got away with it," Tonks said. Hermione shook her head.
"Bullocks, he had to have known. He's a werewolf, he can't miss much," Hermione told her.
"Well then he had to of enjoyed it," Tonks laughed. Hermione laughed.
Hermione sat down at the table in the great hall and was surprised when someone other than Tonks sat next to her. She looked up to find Harry.
"Good Afternoon," Hermione said.
"Hi, what are you doing today?" Harry asked her.
"I am teaching Dada for the 6th years then I am going swimming, what did you need?" Hermione asked.
"Ouh Dada, could I sit in, maybe help? Reminds me of the D.A." Harry said. Hermione smiled.
"You can teach it for all I care, but I have the 7th years, our classmates, tomorrow," Hermione said. Harry thought for a moment.
"I'll do it, but that's not what I came for. Do you know where Dumbledore's pensieve is?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head and took a sip of pumpkin juice.
"What do you want that for?" Hermione asked him.
"To review everything he showed me and to see if Snape's memories are still in there," Harry said. Hermione looked at him.
"I know they probably aren't but it's worth a try," Harry told her.
"Harry I want to seriously talk to you about this, what are you wanting to find out about him?" Hermione asked him.
"I really don't know, Maybe something that could give me an advantage," Harry told her.
"The only thing that will give you any leverage with him is practicing and becoming as fast as you can in dueling. Speed is everything! You said he blocked your spells before you could even think them. Imagine if he decided to disobey Voldemort and just kill you. You would have been dead before you even saw him turning on you. All you need is practice." Hermione said.
"That's most of the problem, no one is willing to practice that quickly with me." Harry told her.
"They more than likely think they will get going so fast that they may hurt you," Hermione said.
"That's not going to help me," Harry replied. Hermione thought for a minute.
"I have an idea, but you have to give me a while to brush up on my dueling skills ok?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up at her.
"You want to duel with me?" Harry asked.
"Something wrong with that?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.
"You won't hold back?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head.
"Not a bit," Hermione told him.
"Thanks, would you mind if I go swimming with you? I have the day off and Ron was forced to visit his mother," Harry said. Hermione laughed.
"Sure, be prepared to get waterlogged, I am actually treasure hunting in the caves under the castle." She told him. Harry gave her a strange look.
"Alright, Today after shool, I'll meet you in the dungeons and yes I will take over the 6th and 7th year classes for you," Harry said. Hermione smiled and hugged him.
"Thank You so much," Hermione said and began to eat her lunch. Harry ate with her.
After Lunch Hermione went downstairs and into Snape's quarters. She knocked on his door and he answered a moment later.
"Today after school you can't come searching with me, Harry is and could you start a batch of polyjuice potion?" She asked. He just looked at her.
"Pardon?" He asked.
"Harry needs a better dueling mate, no one is willing to go all out on him. I was thinking you could make the polyjuice potion and be me a few days a week for him," She explained.
"I would kill him and you know it," Severus told her.
"No you won't, will you do it?" Hermione asked. He hung his head and groaned.
"Fine. If he gets hurt however I don't want to hear a peep out of you," He growled at her.
"As long as you act like me and not you, it's alright. Another thing! Don't hurt him too badly," Hermione said to him.
"I thought you didn't want anything held back," He said with a smirk.
"Smart ass," She answered him.
"What am I supposed to do with the rest of the day?" Severus asked.
"Make polyjuice potion, I'm going to go watch Harry teach," She said and turned away.
"Pardon?" He asked. Hermione didn't answer and just left.
