DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THIS BELONGS TO ME.
"We both know it was for you Headmaster." Severus said, sitting across from the old man.
The older Professor nodded his head.
"He could have killed that girl." Snape mumbled, rubbing his forehead.
"Severus. You must try to take him under your wing now. He needs guidance."
The younger wizard snickered darkly, "Guidance on how to kill somebody?"
Dumbledore looked at Severus narrowly, not appreciating his sarcasm at the moment. "You know what I mean Severus."
"I cannot do that. In fear of him finding Miss Granger in my rooms. She stays there now, if you haven't forgotten."
The Headmaster sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"It does not matter; he does not let me assist him. He does not trust me. I have tried multiple times."
Dumbledore nodded. "It all comes down to the Unbreakable Vow Severus, you know what must happen now."
Silence.
Snape didn't say anything, just closed his eyes, excepting his fate.
OOOOOOOO
Hermione laid down, closing her eyes. It was a Sunday afternoon, and it was raining heavily outside, forming more snow.
She had read several books by now, the boredom hitting her heavily.
Closing her eyes, she tried to take a small nap, the sound of the raindrops out her window lulling her into a light slumber.
Severus was at his desk, looking over essay's for the 3rd years.
This Ridikkulus incantation was going to be hell for him. The Boggarts though, they would be humorous to watch.
He suddenly felt a burning in his left arm, he hissed and stood up, clutching his forearm.
Damnit.
Damnit.
"Granger!" He bellowed, making his way over to her door.
In an instant, she was out in the living room, looking at him groggily, "What is it?" She asked him, looking down at the arm he was clutching profusely.
"I have to go." He said, hissing at the pain that shot up his arm again.
Hermione watched as he clutched his appendage to his chest now, his eyebrows furrowed.
"I will be back when I can. You do not answer the door. Do you understand?"
She nodded numbly.
"I'll tell Professor Dumbledore then?"
He nodded to her, stepping into the fireplace, then disappearing.
Hermione sent a floo to Professor Dumbledore after he left, telling him that Professor Snape had been called.
He sent one back, telling her to inform him if anything else happened. He would notify Madame Pomfrey, encase he sustained any injuries.
Hermione sat on the couch, trying her best to read a book. It didn't work in taking her mind off of what was going on.
She was concerned.
What if he got severely injured?
What if he died?
'Don't say that to yourself Hermione.' She scolded her inner voice.
She had to try to keep her calm.
Taking a deep breath, she continued to read, getting lost in her book.
OOOOOOOO
She knew it had been hours, and he still was not back.
She conjured up some tea, sipping at it steadily. She couldn't drink this, she needed something stronger. Something that would really help quell her anxiousness.
Hermine knew that he had firewhiskey around here somewhere. She looked into his cabinets, finally finding what she was looking for.
It was a brand new bottle of Borgdin's Firewhiskey.
She opened it, smelling the cinnamon like fumes that wafted out of the top of it. It spelled bloody good. Conjuring a small glass, she poured a good amount.
Chugging back a little bit, she relished in the feeling of the warmth the drink placed inside of her.
Sitting back upon the couch, she pulled her feet up, closing her eyes.
A little bit later, she was two glasses in and she was really starting to feel it. She wouldn't lie, it felt pretty damn good.
Pouring her third glass, she suddenly heard a crack, and she looked up, coming face to face with her Potions Professor. He looked relatively unharmed.
Hermione swayed, but laid her hand on the desk.
His dark eyes found her and he took his mask off.
Her eyes followed his hand as he took it off, vanishing it to where it now lay hidden.
"Are you drinking?" He asked, his voice shaking a little bit.
Hermione giggled, but nodded her head, bringing the glass to her lips.
"I am sir."
He strode forward, grabbing the glass before she could take another sip.
"Not very mature Miss Granger." He scolded her.
She glared at him, making a move to take it back from him, but he caught her upper arm, steering her to the couch, plopping her down.
"You are not my father." She spat, "I will not be told what I can and cannot do! I'm of age to drink!"
Severus didn't need this right now. He flicked his wand at the glass and the bottle, making them disappear from her presence.
"I leave and this is what I come back to?" He questioned her, his face pinching up with anger.
She sighed, crossing her arms, feeling her head swim.
"I was worried. I needed a drink."
He just stared at her, not saying anything to that statement.
Silence.
"I need to visit the Headmaster. It's late."
Hermione nodded, realizing that he had changed the subject when she brought up that she was worried about him.
It figures.
"You should go to sleep. You have class tomorrow."
Hermione just stared at him, her senses swimming with alcohol, but she nodded nonetheless.
OOOOOOOO
The morning came with a snow storm, it covered the outside with thick blankets of snow. Hermione looked out the window, wishing she could be out there to enjoy it.
Alas, she had to go to her husband's class.
She walked out into the living area, sighing, she had a headache, maybe firewhiskey really wasn't her friend. She slept well though, that was a small plus.
She walked to the Great Hall, yawning as she did so. She was terribly hungry.
Before she could grip the doors, Cormac Mclaggen appeared to her right, smiling brightly.
"Hey Hermione." He said.
Oh boy.
"H-Hello Cormac." She said nervously, she looked around, not seeing Professor Snape.
"How was your weekend?" He asked, holding the door open for her to enter the Great Hall.
'Well, I had sex with our DADA Professor, how about yourself?' She said in her mind, smirking at her sarcasm, even if she kept it to herself.
"It was alright I suppose." She answered, "Rather boring."
He took in her comment, grabbing her hand before she sat down, "I really enjoyed our…bonding in that alcove. Could we do it again sometime?"
Hermione felt a pair of eyes on her, and she knew who they belonged to.
"U-Um, I don't think so Cormac. I'm not really looking for any type of relationship right now."
His grin wavered, and she felt the guilt bubble up within her.
"I see." He said, letting go of her hand.
"I'm sorry." She said, rubbing her arm, slightly embarrassed.
He just looked at her, but he nodded. "I understand Hermione, just know that if you're ever ready, that I'm right here."
Hermione smiled at him, watching him walk away.
Severus sat at the Teacher's table, looking over the small number of students that littered the Great Hall.
It was now 8:00, the rest of the students would be hurrying in any moment now. As he dug into his eggs, he saw two Gryffindor's walk through the door.
Cormac and Granger.
What the bloody hell?
He put his fork down, feeling his anger rise as he watched the two interact.
He watched as Granger tried to edge herself away from him. That was something he supposed.
They were talking about something…he wasn't sure what though.
He saw Granger grow more uncomfortable, rubbing her arm. A nervous tendency of hers.
Being a spy, it was difficult for him to shut off the case study of everybody around him. It was quite annoying.
He shrugged off the thought, continuing to watch the two pupils. Whatever she said to him, confused him, and Snape noted a hint of irritation in the boy's body language.
He wondered what she had said.
As long as she knew her place, and he didn't have to 'remind' her, he did not care what the discussion was. He had a hunch though, their conversation was probably centered around what had happened between them on Friday.
Good.
It just showed that she was listening to him.
Tolerance.
He tolerated her.
That did not happen with a lot of people, especially the idiotic students that roamed these halls. Even most of his own house aggravated him.
Immature.
They were immature.
Hermione sighed as she ate her breakfast, turning her head to stare into the dark eyes of her husband.
She glared and mouthed to him, 'Are you satisfied?'
His expression changed to that of mockery, which only made her that much angrier. Hell, he had had his own affair, even if he apologized for it.
He apologized for it.
Not like him.
Not at all.
She furrowed her eyebrows, staring at him intensely now, his eyes were not on her anymore though, they were on the newspaper in his hand. He seemed transfixed with the article he was reading, spooning his eggs into his mouth.
Hermione needed to find a Daily Prophet herself, she wanted to read up on what was happening with the outside world.
Even though small part of her said not to, and that it would just upset her.
She continued to eat, her thoughts fully on what Harry had said about Draco. What if he did have something to do with Katie Bell? That would make him susceptible to murder. And she honestly didn't know how she felt about that fact.
She never really figured that Draco Malfoy could commit murder.
But, she'd been wrong before.
Hermione, Ron and Harry sat in Defense Against the Dark Arts, silence between the three. Harry was scowling, Ron was yawning, trying not to lay his head down on the desk, and Hermione,well, she was dreading being here.
She was uncomfortable because now the boys knew that she was married to Professor Snape. It made the air thicker, more foreboding for her.
Sigh.
After a few moments of contemplating on what her friends might be thinking, the doors opened and the rest of the students filed in. They all wore expressions of apprehension.
Yes, it would be a long class.
"I take it everybody's essay is on my desk by this point?" The dark wizard asked the students, one eyebrow arching.
There was complete silence.
Hermione sighed, fingering the book in front of her.
OOOOOOOO
After class was over, she descended to her rooms, feeling the exhaustion settle into her bones. She sighed, as she put her hand on the doorknob, remembering the look on Cormac's face when she told them that they had no chance.
It was true.
They didn't.
Even if she wasn't married.
She didn't feel that way about him, she just needed to feel.
Feel.
Feel something.
She didn't know, she only felt confusion towards her husband. When they had finally consummated their marriage, she honestly thought that it would be dreadful, and he would be rough. It wasn't like that though. It was actually quite pleasant.
Hermione tried to let that go, tried to push that thought away.
She shouldn't be thinking about that.
It did not matter now.
This marriage of convenience, of order, was nothing more than a giant headache for her. It was wearing her down, taking all her emotions out of her.
Sigh.
Hermione just laid in bed, not wanting to do anything else.
She closed her eyes, she knew he had a few more classes that day, but they were the last thing from her mind.
It all was.
She sat up, seeing the snow fall outside. She touched the window, relishing in the coldness that caressed her fingers.
She loved the snow.
She always had.
One day. That's all she needed.
Classes could wait, her sense of normalcy was the most important thing right now, and the Professor's would understand. She had never skipped before, which was a plus in them not blaming her for not being there.
Throwing on a jacket, scarf, boots, and a few other garments that would warm her, she opened her door, peaking out to make sure Professor Snape was not there.
Merlin, she did not need a lecture.
Outside the bell tower, she stood in the weather, the little flurries falling down entrapping themselves in her hair. Closing her eyes, she took a big breath in, feeling the thin air filling her lungs.
It was beautiful.
So beautiful.
Hermione walked down the wooden bridge, looking at Hagrid's hut, maybe she would go and visit him?
That was a good idea she figured. She just needed some time away from the castle, away from the dungeons, just away from…everybody.
She knocked on the burly door, the echoing sound reverberating.
It took a second, but the door opened, and the tall man looked out, seeing her and smiling.
"Ermione!" He said, opening his door further, inviting her in.
"Hello Hagrid." She said to him, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"Come in. You'll catch your death of cold out there."
She sat in his hut, relishing in the heat that surrounded her now.
"Don't you have classes right now Ermione?"
Hermione nodded, fingering her cup of tea.
"I-I just needed a break Hagrid. I-I don't know." She finished lamely. She stared down at the table, not meeting his eyes.
"Is everything alright?" He asked her, getting up to poke at the fire.
Silence.
"It's just everything that has been happening. It's really wearing me down. T-That's all." She lied swiftly.
He turned his head to her, his eyes softening at her statement.
"Aye." He mumbled, sitting himself back down, "I understand."
They sat in silence for a bit. Hermione didn't mind, it just felt nice to be in the company of somebody that wouldn't talk about Draco Malfoy, or Snape, or anything else that invaded her mind on a daily basis.
"Christmas will be here before we know it Ermione. Want anything special?"
She grimaced, wracking her brain for something that she did indeed want.
Sighing, she took another sip of tea before she answered.
Silence.
"I want this war to stay away." She mumbled.
Hagrid looked at her, sensing he should say something. But not knowing what exactly to say.
Hermione lost track of time, only when Hagrid mentioning that it was growing dark outside, did she stand up and tell him that she needed to go. Dinner was probably over by now.
What did Harry and Ron think when she didn't show up?
She could explain it to them later.
OOOOOOO
Walking back up to the castle, she looked around at the woods.
The Forbidden Forest.
Eerie.
She looked at the sky, feeling the frigid air surround her again. She wished she could go home, she really wanted to see her parents and talk to them.
Tears.
What would become of them when this war started? What would become of her?
The thought of them dying made her soul shatter within her chest. Clenching her eyes shut, she got to the bridge, but stopped at the end of it. She did not want to go inside that castle, the thought made her stomach clench.
Sitting on the steps leading down, she leaned her head against the wooden beam, shutting her eyes.
OOOOOOO
Severus was angry as he stormed through his quarters, their quarters.
Where the hell was she?
What had he told her about telling him where she was going?
He sat at dinner, observing the Great Hall, not seeing her. Potter and Weasley were looking around for her as well.
She was not in her rooms. Nor was she in the library. It seemed she was not in the castle at all.
Maybe she was with that oaf Hagrid.
He stormed out of the dungeons, making his way to the belltower.
It was bloody cold.
He swiped his wand at the lanterns outside, making them light his way a little better.
"Lumos." He muttered, gliding forward, down the bridge.
He had almost approached the end, when a figure that was sitting on the steps caught his eye.
Snape knew who it was instantly.
"Granger. What the hell are you doing out here?" He snapped at her, almost shouting.
No answer.
Standing above her, he noticed that her eyes were shut, her face red, her lips blue.
"Granger!" He said, shaking her.
Nothing.
"Damnit." He cursed at her, bending low and taking her in his arms. He went back into the castle, making his way back to the dungeons.
Blast it all, she was frozen.
What the hell was she thinking? Falling asleep in a snow storm?
Flicking his wand, he banged his door open, flicking it again, starting a fire quickly.
Bending down, he laid her upon the couch, noticing no change in her frozen exterior.
Her clothes would have to come off.
He went over to his cabinet, flinging it open, riffling through what he'd need.
Warming potion.
Blood replenishing potion.
Fluid potion.
Scrambling over to her, he unbuttoned her jacket, sliding it off her person. He unbuttoned her jeans, shimmying them down her legs.
He tried to push back the feeling of uneasiness as he took her clothes off of her.
Uncorking the solutions, he opened her mouth, massaging her throat as they leaked into her mouth.
"Swallow them Granger. Come on." He said to her, trying to uncork the blood replenishing potion now.
It went down finally, and he sighed out of relief.
The other two potions went down quicker than the first one, thankfully.
He had gotten her undressed fully now, cloaking her body with a blanket.
There was nothing more he could do to help her. That didn't stop him from pacing around the room. He shakily ran his hand through his black tresses.
It was an hour later, and there was hardly any change in her. He was swearing by this point, shrugging his cloak off of his body.
He knew one more thing he could do to help her.
Pushing back the thought that this was wrong, he decided to act on his instinct.
He took her by her shoulders and put her against his chest, sliding the blanket off of her. His hands roamed her arms, trying to elicit the warmth back into her bones again.
"Come on Granger." He mumbled into her hair, his hand trailing lower now, gliding over her hips.
His eyes did not stray to her exposed areas, his mind fully on helping her out of her hypothermic state.
After a few minutes of stroking her skin, he heard a faint whimper.
His heart sped up and he looked down, seeing her eyelids flutter.
"Come on Granger. Open your eyes." He said to her, his own voice cracking.
Another whimper.
At his words, her eyelids opened heavily, her gaze going to his face. Groaning, she nuzzled her face closer to his warmth.
His heart sped up then.
Nudging her back to her laying position, he covered her with the thick blanket.
Her eyes were a bit more open now, watching him.
"W-What happened?" She asked, her voice thick and hoarse.
He was looking down at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Hermione felt the heat of the room fall into her, relishing in it. God, she was so cold. What had happened to her exactly? The last thing she remembered was sitting on the bridge outside.
She watched him, but he still had not said anything to her. He looked uncomfortable. Forcefully so actually.
Hermione looked away, realizing she was naked under this sheet.
Her eyes widened, and she looked back up at him, "A-Am I naked?"
He nodded, his movements jerky, harsh almost.
Silence.
Hermione watched as he paced around the room, his back towards her as he leaned against his desk.
"What were you thinking?" He said, his voice quiet, brooding.
She shut her eyes again, taking a deep breath in.
"It was an accident. I-I fell asleep."
He didn't turn around, his shoulders tense.
"When I got to you. You were in a hypothermic state. If I had arrived any later, minutes later. There would have been no bringing you back." He ground out between clenched teeth.
Hermione felt her heart speed against her breastbone.
Had it been that bad?
"I-I don't know what to say." She told him, her eyes drifting to the fire.
He hadn't turned around.
He was so tense.
Hermione shut her eyes, breathing steadily through her nostrils. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps coming towards her. Her eyelids drifted open, and she saw him standing over her.
She sunk back into the couch, seeing the look in his eyes as he stared down at her.
He wanted to strangle her. His fingers clenched and unclenched at his side, his eyes taking in her startled appearance as her brown eyes stared up at him.
What bothered him the most is that he could still feel her skin on his fingers.
On his skin.
Grinding his teeth, he shut his eyes, trying to push those thoughts aside.
She still needed tending to.
"You are not to get up from this couch. I will tell Professor Dumbledore that you have fallen ill."
Hermione nodded her head, feeling the exhaustion hit her hard again.
She wasn't sure if she could manage to get up from the couch, even if she wanted to. Her eyes went back up to his again, seeing a strange flicker in his black depths. As he turned away to go back to the cupboard for a dreamless sleep potion, he felt a hand grab his own.
Her touch made him want to flinch back.
"P-Professor. Thank you for saving me." She mumbled, her hands tightening around his.
Silence.
"It's my responsibility Miss Granger." He said to her, not turning to look at her.
She smiled, expecting that. Releasing his hand, she put her arm back under the blanket, little goose pimples breaking out on her skin now.
He gave her the potion, watching her drink it and hand him the vial.
Not long after, her eyelids shut and her breathing evened out, signaling she had fallen asleep.
Taking a deep breath in, he stood on shaky legs and backed away from her.
What was this?
This foreign emotion rushing through him?
He didn't like it.
Not at all.
He didn't like that he could still feel her.
He didn't like that he had to see her naked.
She was his pupil, his student.
His wife.
No.
Not really.
Not a regular wife.
He shook his head, trying to push all thoughts from his brain, feeling his own exhaustion fall over him. Raising his wand, he dimmed the lights in the room. Looking back down at her, he flicked his wand again, summoning a pillow for her head.
OOOOOOOO
As he laid in his own bed, the events of the day rushed to his brain.
He tried to push them away, he really did. He tried not to look at his fingers and envision her naked skin beneath them.
He tried not to see her dusky nipples in his mind, or her small amount of pubic hair at the triangle of her thighs.
Damn it all.
He felt like a pervert.
She was his student.
The images would not go away though. It had been so long since he had seen a woman. The woman he visited when he left here, he had not seen her. The room they had been in was pitch black. It had been quick, nothing.
Closing his eyes, he willed his control to take over him.
He envisioned someone else.
Someone he tried his hardest to not envision anymore.
His hand though, it wandered low, grabbing his male appendage.
He was hard.
When he was imagining, he tried to not remember the dusky nipples, but instead, he tried to imagine the red-hair of another.
It didn't work.
She was starting to fester inside of him, like some kind of sickness.
When he found his release, he saw Granger's face.
He groaned, hating himself.
Hating himself.
What had he become?
What was this feeling he was having?
Another chapter, It's a little shorter than the other two I've posted.
Leave me a review. Tell me what you think!
-Heather.