Disclaimer: I DO NOT own these characters, nor do I claim to. They are the property of JKR. I'm just using them for my own hysterical fantasy world.
Dumbledore peered over his half-moon glasses at Snape and sighed deeply. He couldn't understand why every single year a student is attacked at Hogwarts. He wondered if Durmstrang or Beauxbatons ever had this much trouble with danger. However, Severus had not yet told him about the dreams. Judging by the look on Dumbledore's face, he wasn't sure if the timing was appropriate.
"Why did Miss Granger not come to me first?" Albus asked with a hint of solicitude in his voice.
Severus shifted in the overstuffed chair across from Dumbledore's desk. He really didn't want to tell Albus that she had accused him of the attack, but knew he had to tell him everything. He wrung his hands and stared at the floor when he spoke.
"She came to me, Headmaster..." he hesitated a moment and then brought his eyes up to meet Dumbledore's. "Because she thought I was the one who had brought upon the attack."
"Severus...you can't be serious?" Dumbledore saw that he was. "I just can't imagine why..."
"Well I'm sure Harry Potter had a role in that accusation." Snape said lifting an eyebrow and curling his lip.
"Yes, but surely Harry Potter knows by now that you are only here to help the students, not hurt them. I've told him so myself!" Dumbledore declared.
"With all due respect, Headmaster, Potter is just as thick as his father was. Besides, this isn't about why she accused me or even the fact that she did...my concern is that she was attacked in the first place." He stood up and began pacing in front of Dumbledore's desk. "I can't piece it together, and believe me I've tried." Snape stopped pacing and looked at Albus in desperation. "...and it happened right under my nose..." His voice trailed off and he sunk back into the large chair, eyes turned to the bright sunshine outside the window.
"Severus, you mustn't beat yourself up like this. You need to have your wits about you if you are to protect her..." Before Dumbledore could finish his thoughts he heard footsteps coming up the massive spiral staircase into his office. He shot Snape a confused look, wondering who could have known the password, since all the other teachers were in class.
"I told Miss Granger the password last evening, so that she could come and talk with you today after breakfast." Snape said resolutely. Dumbledore nodded and put on a beaming smile for Hermione as she slowly walked into his office.
"Ah, Miss Granger, do have a seat." Dumbledore conjured a chair identical to the one Snape currently occupied right next to it. His look changed suddenly from jovial to serious. "Professor Snape tells me that a rather unsettling event has taken place. Do you care to tell me about it?"
Hermione looked nervously at Snape, who nodded her on in silent encouragement, and then back to Dumbledore. She swallowed hard and slowly spoke.
"H-how much do you already know?"
"I've told him what you disclosed to me last night, Miss Granger, but he needs to hear it in your own words." Snape did not look at her when he spoke, instead he had maintained constant eye contact with Albus, who continued exchanging looks between each of them.
"Professor Snape is right, Miss Granger. I'll need to know every single detail that you can give me."
Hermione looked solemnly at Dumbledore and after taking a deep breath, began retelling the story. There wasn't much to tell, really. The only thing she was able to go into great detail about was the pain that she had felt. As she tried hard to remember everything, she suddenly became aware of the small sore on her lip. It had gone down considerably since the other day, but she decided that it probably was worth mentioning. Afterall, it's appearance was just as much of a mystery.
"Hermione, this curse, as you call it, caused your vision to go all white?" Dumbledore implored. "Not black?"
"Yes, Sir. It was a blinding white...almost like lightening."
Dumbledore sat thinking for a moment and then stood suddenly. "If you don't mind, I would like to try and extract your memories from that evening." Seeing the strained look on her face, he added, "it won't be painful...no, no, in fact it may prove to be a relief!"
He walked around to the back of Hermione's chair and placed the tip of his wand to her temple. "Now I want you to think very hard of the very moment that you left Professor Snape's office two nights ago."
She closed her eyes tightly and concentrated with every bit of energy she had. It seemed lately, all of her efforts had been spent on just trying to do something as simple as remembering. She rewound her thoughts back to the moment when she had asked Snape about the charmed door, how he had shown her how it worked, and how she had told herself that she wanted to make nice with him so that maybe one day he would show her how to do the same thing. She heard Dumbledore make a sound of recognition behind her and slowly felt as if her hair had been lifted away from her head. She started to open her eyes, but Dumbledore murmed, "keep them closed just a bit longer, Miss Granger." After a few seconds, and feeling a very strange, yet miniscule tingle near her temple, she was told to open her eyes. She saw the remnants of her memory hanging like a silver thread from Dumbledore's wand. He dropped it into the Penseive on his desk.
"I think it's time you each take a second look at this night and I my first." Dumbledore lead the journey into Hermione's memory by way of the Penseive. Each of them landed with a soft thud onto the floor in Snape's office. Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. She'd heard Harry talk about his experiences in the Penseive, but she herself had never used one. The scene was like a play that she was the star of. It was all too surreal, as she watched herself walk through the door of Snape's office into the Hallway (and the three of them followed her out). Unfortunately, from that point on they were only able to see what Hermione had seen. The damp stone corridor, the stairs, the railing, and the pure white light. All three were then violently chucked back into Dumbledore's office again, topling over each other.
"That's some memory, Miss Granger. I'm not sure I've ever been tossed from the Pensieve quite so hositiley before." Dumbledore rasped, sitting up and straigtening his glasses. He looked over at Snape. "Severus we could take your memory from that evening, as well, but I'm afraid it probably won't offer us much insight since you were not in the corridor when the event took place." He stood, dusted off his ornate robes, and reclaimed the seat behind his desk. "But just to be sure, you're certain you saw nothing?"
"Yes, Headmaster, of that I am certain." Snape uttered lifelessly, as he also regained his seat. A thought crossed his mind and he squinted up at Dumbledore. "Perhaps if I tried Legilimens? "
"Ah, it's a novel idea, Severus. Sadly, you would only see the same scenario we just witnessed. The only difference is that you would understand Hermione's own thoughts...which she has already disclosed to us. Also, I would be required to return the full memory to Miss Granger, and at the moment, I would like to keep it in my Penseive for further review...just in case. That is, if you don't mind, Hermione."
She certainly did not mind. She was rather relieved to be free of the memory. She still had the memory of watching the memory, so it was still there...but the pain she felt during the initial attack was something she now could no longer recall. She shook her head to show Dumbledore that he could keep the awful recollection as long as he wanted.
"I'm sorry that we weren't able to solve this problem immediately," Albus lamented, "but I assure you Miss Granger, we will get to the bottom of it."
"Thank you, Professor," was all she managed to say. She knew he had done all he could, but it didn't stop her from feeling a little disappointed.
"In the meantime, I suggest that you both stick close together." Dumbledore spoke softly to Hermione. "Your attacker will not know about this meeting, and therefore will not be know that Professor Snape is well aware of what has happened. He is highly trained in defense tactics and will prove to be your best ally during this time." He looked over at Snape. "And you, Severus, are to remain on constant watch over Miss Granger. Normally, I would suggest that Harry keep a close eye on her, but perhaps this time it would be best if he kept his focus elsewhere. The boy already has enough to deal with as it is."
"Yes, Headmaster." Snape gave a short, respectful bow. "Three evenings out of the week have already been set aside for Miss Granger's apprentice work with myself. How do you suggest I keep a close watch on her during the remaining four nights?"
"I will leave that for the two of you to decide," Albus answered, patting Hermione lightly on the shoulder. "How are the apprentice lessons going so far?"
"Quite well," Snape answered before Hermione could speak. "Miss Granger has proven herself worthy of my talents." He raised an eyebrow and...there it was again...that wicked smile that unnerved her.
"Hermione?" Dumbledore urged her to answer his previous question.
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore. I am learning quite a lot." She wasn't really sure how to answer. Right now her brain was too busy still trying to process the fact that Snape had suddenly become her full time body-guard, whether she liked it or not. She certainly hoped that all in all, it would be the former.
"Excellent, indeed." Albus patted her on the shoulder once more. "Now that we've worked out this much, I suggest you both get on to your classes." He turned to faced Hermione directly, put both hands on her shoulders, and softly spoke. "Don't you worry about a thing, Hermione. We will catch whoever did this to you, mark my words. I am leaving you in the hands of someone who I have the utmost trust and respect for in this school. Professor Snape, although a hard-nosed teacher, has nothing but your best interest in mind. Trust him, Hermione. Trust him as though your life depended on it." She returned Dumbledore's strong look and nodded.
"I will, Professor Dumbledore."
"Right then. Now I must insist that you go to class. Minerva will begin asking questions if you show up late, and it's best that this situation remain between the three of us for now."
"Yes, Professor." Hermione shouldered her bag and began walking down the spiral staircase. When she reached the bottom she looked up at Dumbledore, still in his office, and called up, "thank you for all you are doing." When she saw him nod, she excited his office and made her way to Transfiguration class.
When Dumbledore turned back, he saw that Professor Snape had moved over to the window and was staring dazedly out across the grounds.
"Severus...I get the feeling you're not telling me something." Snape didn't turn around, instead he just continued gazing out the window. "Severus...I need you to talk to me. What happened...what happened to Hermione...it wasn't your fault. There's no way you could have known. There's nothing you could have done." Snape still kept his focus far away from the moment. His mind was heavy with guilt and confusion. Guilt for what happened to the girl, confusion for why he cared so damned much.
"Albus," he said softly. "Why do you trust me?"
"Severus, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
"Look at me, Albus." Snape finally turned to face him. "I am the most hated person in this school. I joined ranks with the most vile wizard in history. I've tortured people." His face suddenly darkened. "I've killed people...and yet...you trust me."
"You have also saved people."
"Albus, you know as well as I that saving a life doesn't make up for taking one."
"Severus Snape, I would trust you with my own life. I have my reasons and do not need to explain them. You are an honorable man who has made mistakes. I've told you time after time that in my eyes you are completely forgiv..."
"I've had some disturbing dreams." Snape said sharply, cutting Dumbledore off mid-sentence. The man loved dancing around his questions. He wondered if this was how Dumbledore talked to Potter. "...and in one I'm standing over a dead body." Dumbledore didn't seem to flinch like Snape had thought he would. Instead, he just seemed intently interested.
"When?"
"Last night, after I discovered what had happened with Miss Granger."
"Do you think this dream is a premonition, Severus?" The question irritated him to the core. He hated this. He hated how Dumbledore always made him solve his own problems by asking a series of probing psychological questions.
"I don't know." He said sourly. "But for all of our sakes, I sure as hell hope not." Suddenly he wanted to leave. He was sure Albus's next question would be 'and how does that make you feel?' Ugh.
"Follow your instincts. Your mind holds more secrets than you can imagine, but in order to unlock them, you mustn't read too deeply." Dumbledore said matter-of-factly. Snape stood gaping at him. What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Honestly, I wonder sometimes why I even bother coming to him for advice. It's like talking to a sodding sphinx.
"Right. Well, I'll be sure to uh...look into that." He swooped around toward the spiral staircase. "I must be getting to class. Wouldn't want to rob those brilliant minds of an education."
"Severus, there's one last thing." Snape stopped and gave him a look the clearly said what now?
"I think you know what I am referring to." Again, with the non-direct answers. But Dumbledore was right, he knew.
"The girl?" Snape answered pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, squeezing his eyes shut. He suddenly felt a headache coming on.
"Yes, Severus. The girl. You have to protect her." Dumbledore returned to his seat behind the desk. "I think you are the only one who can."
Snape nodded silently, in an almost dazed-like state. Without another word he turned and cascaded down the stairs and out of the Headmaster's office. He didn't know why, but somehow he knew that Albus had been right. He was the only one who could help her.
Problem is...he didn't know why.
I am sooooooo sooooooooo sooooooooo sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I've been traveling around visitng family for the Holidays and I also just started a new job, so my freetime has been considerably lower. I hope to update MUCH sooner next time. Please read and review if you get the chance. I'm excited to know what you think. Also special thanks to Kelly for her encouragement! I really needed it!
