I'm baaack! I had a great time on vacation but really didn't get a chance to write a lot. I worked on this on the airplane and then pretty much completely rewrote it. It may be a few days between uploads as school starts on Monday. But I will try to get some writing done in between all the other things I have to do. Please keep reviewing...they are my lifeline and inspiration to keep going. If I don't think anyone is reading my stuff, it's hard to get motivated to keep writing!
As soon as Ron disappeared, Severus felt the woman beside him go limp. Hermione had held her own against the raving redhead and had managed to pull herself free from his grasps, hopefully forever. Now, however, that the threat had passed, all of the fighting energy fled from her limbs. Severus held her a little tighter, instinctively knowing she would be grateful. Had he not had Hermione clutched tight to him, Severus might have gone off after Ron to make sure he didn't do something stupid.
Hermione trembled at Ron's last words to her, both out of anger and out of guilt. No one would want her now and the only person that seemed to want her had insulted her and run off. The realization that she and Ron were through hit her like a freight train and she sagged under the emotional burden. Instead of falling to the ground, Hermione felt herself being held up by a pair of strong arms. At first, she bristled at their confining nature, but she quickly got the sense that these arms would not harm her, but protect her instead. Knowing she was safe for the moment, she clutched at the dark robes, buried her face into the wonderful scent she had come to recognize as uniquely Severus, and released all the tears and emotion that had welled up inside her.
Severus adjusted so he could fully wrap both arms around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. He hadn't held anyone this close to him willingly since the night Lily died and it brought some conflicting emotions to mind. Hermione reminded him so much of Lily and yet she was vastly different. Both witches were wildly inquisitive and brave to the point of insanity at times. They had both been charmed into loving two men Severus abhorred. Hermione, however, had never turned her back on him, even when sanity suggested it would be wiser to do so. She was the one who knew how to heal him the night Nagini had almost claimed his life. If nothing else, comforting and protecting her now was the least he could do.
Soon, it became rather difficult to stand holding onto each other with little energy left. Without breaking contact, Severus eased Hermione down so that they were sitting together on the stone courtyard. Hermione still convulsed with tears and didn't want to be alone for a second. Without realizing what he was doing, Severus pulled Hermione so she was sitting across his lap with her face laid against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. One hand had a mind of its own and began stroking her soft brown hair as her sobs receded to silent tears. Severus noticed she would glance nervously at the courtyard entrance, as if worried Ron would return to "claim" her. Wanting to reassure her that the worst had indeed passed, he bent his head towards the crying woman and placed a soft kiss on her forehead just under her hairline and murmured "shhh…it's over. I've got you. You're not alone. I'm not going to let you go. You're safe, darling."
Hermione's mind wouldn't stop racing with the scene that had just played out before her. She never knew Ron was capable of being THAT much of an ass. His words still stung, yet she held fast to her convictions. It was over and she knew it. Still, she wouldn't put it past him to return and try to get his way again. That scared her. Yet, it was over. She sobbed with pent up hurt, anger, and mourning as she felt Severus's strong arms envelope her and pull her close. Hermione curled into the warmth of his arms, instinctively knowing he would protect her as she cried for the scene that had just happened, along with the mourning of the end of a relationship and friendship, but mostly cried for the hurt she felt at the words Ron had hurled at her. She clung to Severus and let everything out as his hands stroked her hair and held her close, murmuring softly. Her mind didn't register all the words he was whispering into her hair but she felt the caring and warmth behind them. She let that feeling cocoon around her as they sat and rocked back and forth in the courtyard.
The couple sat and rocked wordlessly for quite some time. Neither of them noticed the passing of time until they were startled by Minerva's return from her shopping trip. "WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?" Minerva demanded to know as she took in the sight of Severus and Hermione wrapped up in each other. "I told you to look out for her, not snog her in the open courtyard." Minerva's eyes were furious as she briefly jumped to the wrong conclusion. Stepping closer, she then noticed the angry and concerned look in Severus' eyes, along with the sobbing form of Hermione on his lap.
The sound of the headmistress' return brought the pair to their feet with Severus helping Hermione stand shakily. Severus simply replied, "Mr. Weasley just left after Hermione refused his obscene advances," causing Minerva's face to immediately contort with anger and concern for Hermione's well-being. With a nodding of understanding, Minerva dropped her bags in order to help Severus guide Hermione towards the school.
As they moved, Hermione was grateful for Severus' strong arms helping her. The conversation between her and Ron continually replayed itself in her head and she feared Ron would come back as he had threatened to do. She hardly noticed where Minerva and Severus were leading her, but honestly didn't care. She was too shaken up. Once the trio got Hermione back to the safe confines of the castle, Minerva instructed Severus to take Hermione back to her chambers while she checked on Ron's physical and mental state.
Halfway back to Hermione's North Tower apartment, Hermione stopped walking and turned towards Severus. Severus stopped and sensed he should wait on Hermione to make the next move. With a huge sigh that did little to mask the emotions swirling inside, Hermione gave a false laugh and said, "Well, I guess it really is over." Severus said nothing, giving her the time to process the past few hours. A few more silent moments passed before Hermione looked at Severus as if she had just noticed he was there. "You don't need to walk me back. Don't you have somewhere to be?" She asked him.
"Yes I do. Right here making sure you're going to be okay." Not knowing where the compulsion came from, Severus reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Hermione's face and his thumb caught a stray tear that had fallen from her eye. Instead of pulling away, he left his hand there as she stared up at him with hurt, scared brown eyes. He held her gaze for a moment before pulling her into his arms and holding her close once again. Hermione felt safe and secure for the first time in a long time. Her mind whirled with a million different thoughts but those could wait. Right now, she just needed to be held. She had no more strength left to fight.
Hermione also realized she was losing the strength to walk. The afternoon had sapped her emotionally and physically. She stopped at the base of the staircase and leaned against the cool stone wall for a moment. Severus stopped as well, wondering if Hermione was really as okay as she claimed to be. Hermione waved him off with a weak hand saying, "don't worry about me, Severus. I'm going to be okay. Just need to rest for a moment." Her weak voice belied the Gryffindor courage she tried to portray as she willed her body to move. Severus didn't even give a conscious thought to what he was doing as he reached down and lifted the witch into his arms as if she weighed nothing and set off up the stairs. His only verbal acknowledgement of the situation was to chide her for not eating more because she felt lighter than a feather to carry. Severus carried her up the stairs with ease as she held onto him tight. Once in front of her apartment, he gently set her back on her feet and asked her if she needed help getting inside.
"No, I think I will be okay now." Hermione turned to go in and then hesitated before turning back. "Thank you for being there today. I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry I never noticed before how caring you can be underneath the tough persona you try to portray." Severus took a step towards her as if to help her inside but Hermione stopped him again. This time, he felt the right thing to do was to leave her be. Before she shut her door, he said, "take it easy. I'll make sure no one disturbs you and we'll check on you in a bit. And if I ever get my hands on that boy, I will personally see to it that he pays dearly for the way he treated you. You deserve so much more than that." With that, he turned and walked down the stairs in search of Minerva.