A/N: I am truly sorry this took me almost a full month to upload. I know you probably don't want to hear my excuses, they're probably boring anyway. Thank you to those who are still with the story and hopefully I can make up the distance between updates with more chapters faster!
TEN
Shit!
Hermione flung her body to the side, hitting a bookcase, but dodging the blue-lighted spell. She sent a silent Incarcerous back to him, which Remus nearly avoided. The ropes bound him by his ankles. Another silent spell, this time Levicorpus, yanked him up be the rope on his ankles. An Expelliarmus disarmed him, sending his wand into her waiting hand.
She slowly walked forward and stood in front of him. "And this is supposed to be where I either incapacitate you or kill you." She set his wand down on the floor and stepped back to her place, casting a Finite Incantatem over him.
Remus landed with a thumpon the floor. He picked up his wand and turned to find Hermione once again robed and looking out the window. "Thank you for the demonstration, Professor Granger."
She faced him and bowed her head. "It was the least I could do, Professor Lupin. I apologize if I have injured you in any way."
"You did not, Professor Granger."
"Wonderful. Now, if you'll excuse me, Madam Pomfrey needed a batch of potions by the end of the day." She bowed her head slightly and left the room, robes sweeping out behind her in true Snape fashion.
Her other demonstration classes went exceedingly well. Her potions classes, however, were a disaster. All four Houses lost a combined total of 769 points with Gryffindor and Slytherin in the lead for point loss. While the other professor's wondered what had gotten into Gryffindor's Golden Girl, Hermione wondered why everyone was hell bent on pissing her off every second of the day. Little did she know, her bubble of semi-happiness was about to become glass and shatter.
The Feast had begun normally with Albus's usual announcements. Bored, Hermione sipped her pumpkin juice.
"Would everyone please bow your heads for a list of those who have fallen to Voldemort's forces and join me in honoring them?"
Hermione did so, her interest peaked.
"Thankfully, there is only one name to read, but that doesn't make the loss any less painful to bear." Albus looked at the parchment, although everyone who was still looking up at him saw he was only stalling. "Tonight, we honor the life of Severus Snape."
Hermione's heart stopped for a few beats and her head snapped up, shock clear on her face. NO! This can't be right!
"He may have had a reign of terror over the students, but to those who were close to him, he was a good friend and protector. He may not have shown it, but he loved those closest to him dearly."
It so quiet a pin could be heard if dropped. Then, suddenly, it was like an explosion went off as the Potions professor's chair hit the wall when she pushed it back. To her credit, she kept her mouth shut and stormed out of the Great Hall through the staff entrance. Once in the corridor, she ran.
She ended up in her chambers where she succeeded in destroying everything her hands came into contact with. Sinking down to her knees, she wrapped her arms around herself and screamed, long, loud, and hard until she saw black spots in her vision. She bolted to the bathroom and threw up, lying on the floor when it was over.
He's not dead, he's not dead, he can't be dead… he promised to come back for me… he promised!
On the bathroom floor passed out is where Remus found her an hour later after the students had all gone to bed. Careful not to wake her, he picked her up and set her in her bed, pulling the covers around her. Knowing she would probably want to be alone, he left, looking back only once and knowing her heart would always belong to someone else.
When Hermione woke, she had a horrid taste in her mouth and was warm, but still shivering. The events last night flooded her and she gave in to a new round of tears. She knew she had to get up and go to her seventh year Potions class since she had missed breakfast.
As they filed into the classroom, Hermione held her steely disposition as best she could, though her voice still shook.
"C-classes will be cancelled until further notice. I-if any of the Slytherins, or even Gryffindors though I know you all hated him, wish to come and speak with me, I will gladly receive you. You are dismissed."
They slowly made their way out and she noticed Draco hadn't said anything… at all.
"Draco, wait. Everyone else out."
She waited for the door to be shut before speaking again. "He was your godfather, was he not?"
Draco winced. "He was. Closest thing to a real father I ever had. Why's he so important to you all of a sudden?"
"It wouldn't be so sudden if you knew what had happened when I took the Apprenticeship. I love him."
"Did he return your love?"
Hermione nodded and wiped away a tear. "He did. And asked me to marry him the day before he left. I never thought my worst nightmares could be brought to life until now."
"Do- do you have anything else of his? He'd be mad, but I want something to remember him by."
"Follow me."
Instead of walking, they took the classroom entrance to his chambers.
"I'm reluctant to give away his things, but the wards will now recognize you as well. You may come here as long as you never disclose its location to anyone."
Draco looked around, noticing a woman's touch in the decorations and order of the room. "I won't tell. Did you live here, too?"
"Only some days. Others I had to be in my own chambers just in case anyone came looking for me. It's odd how childhood enemies can become civil when a mutual loved one comes into play."
"I think the key term being childhood. We're adults now and should start acting like it." He held out his hand to her. "Truce?"
She took a deep breath and placed her hand in his. "Truce. I don't want any more fighting. Not after…"
They sat on the floor in front of the fire the rest of the day, ignoring the classes Draco still had. Now that Hermione was a professor, he top of the class. One day would hurt his grades.
They talked, they cried, they felt… even if it was pain.
"Why did you look like you wanted to kill the Headmaster?" Draco asked.
"Albus has had it in for Severus ever since he started spying for him all those years ago. He used his life as if it were a toy to be played with. I simply pointed it out to him. I wanted to go in Severus's place, but he wouldn't let me…"
They both looked up as the clock struck 10.
"Oh… you'd better get back to your dorms before you're out after curfew." She stood and walked him to the door. "Thank you for staying."
"I didn't really want to be alone, either. I can't believe he's really gone…"
"He'll always be in our hearts. Won't he?"
Draco nodded. "He will and I would have been honored to have you in the family, however dysfunctional."
Hermione smiled a sad smile. "See you tomorrow, Draco."
