Chapter Thirty-Six: Careers?

(Late May, 1996)

Severus knew something was wrong before he even went to hug her. Her lip wobbled and her hair was a mess- although he didn't mind. She looked beautiful regardless.

"Hermione what's wrong?" He asked her compassionately; he hated to see her upset. "Is it the exams?"

She nodded, and looked down at their feet, overwhelmed. Tears started forming in her eyes for the hundredth time.

"How did they go?" He said softly, as he went to cup her face in his hand.

"Badly." Was her reply, and she sniffed sadly.

"I'm sure it can't have been that bad." He replied, but she shook her head firmly.

"I missed some. Missed some, Tobias. I didn't even go to some exams!" Her voice started going higher, and she seemed more angry than upset now.

"How come?" He asked her, with his forehead wrinkled in confusion. If anyone was going to miss an exam, it certainly wasn't going to be Hermione…

"I…I couldn't take it anymore. During my Potion's exam…it was as if all the guilt I had been supressing for two weeks suddenly exploded, and I couldn't even manage to write one word on the parchment."

"Oh, Hermione…" Severus said, whilst he stroked her rampant hair.

"I only missed the last exam of Herbology and Charms. Hopefully if I did well in the other exams…"

And then suddenly, as if the realisation of what she had done had abruptly dawned on her, she let out a howl and started crying.

"What have I done?" She muttered into Severus' neck. "I thought that because Ron and Harry missed some exams, it wouldn't be a big deal if I missed some...most students missed exams this year!" She sobbed.

"Maybe they'll allow re-sits for this year only." Severus told her. "If most people have failed, then I'm sure they'll be able to re-do exams."

To this Hermione didn't say anything, she only hoped that what he was saying might be true.

"It's been hard without you." Hermione said after a while. She pulled herself away from his embrace and went to lock hands with him instead.

"For me, also." He told her honestly. It hadn't been fun being stuck in 1976 for two weeks straight.

"I wonder if…" Hermione started, but decided not to say what had been on her mind.

"Tell me." Severus urged. He hated not knowing what she was thinking.

"Hey, you've got to revise for your NEWTs!" Hermione remembered, glad that she had thought of something.

Severus groaned, she wasn't going to be able to change the subject as easily as that!

"Tell me!" He urged her again, this time more desperately.

"Well, it's related to what I was going to say anyway." She told him, and he sighed in response. "No, honestly. It was." Hermione said. "I was wondering what you wanted to do once you finish school."

Severus wasn't particularly convinced that his career choice was really what she was going to say, but he answered anyway.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. I thought I might work in the Ministry." He said to her.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It wouldn't suit you."

"Then what would?" He asked her, interested at what she might say.

"Well, I think you should be a teacher." She said, and Severus immediately felt panic erupting inside him. Was this her telling him she knew who he was?

"No!" Severus protested, hoping that it might stop her from linking him and Professor Snape. It was vital that she would never know. Vital.

Hermione giggled, and Severus snaked his arms around her back so that she was close to him, and he looked at her deeply in the eyes. She stopped giggling then, and was distracted by the intensity of the moment.

"What were you really going to say?" He asked her, and this time the thought of dodging the question didn't even cross her mind. It put her in some sort of trance, him holding her like that. It made it hard to concentrate.

"You're leaving at the end of this year." She said simply.

Her words processed in his minds for a second before he realised what she was insinuating.

"I'll still be able to see you." The words came out of his mouth without him even thinking about it.

"Only during holidays." Hermione said, in melancholy. Severus suspected she had been thinking about this for a long time.

"I'll send you letters." Severus said, and he wondered if this was a good thing. Maybe if she thought he was in seventh year, and that he would start working in a few months, she'd forget about him and so when he would finally get back to his real universe, it would be much easier for her to cope. He would have to deal with it, nonetheless.

"Yes but letters can only do so much." Hermione said in exasperation. "I need to see you!"

"What do you suggest?" Severus asked her.

Hermione then gave a cheeky smile and hesitated before speaking.

"Maybe you could…maybe you just haven't revised enough this year and you happen to fail your NEWTs. And then you'll have to re-take the year, and be with me for another year."

Severus was shocked. Was she really asking him to fail? What would her reaction be, if he asked the same thing of her?

It was only when he looked up to her face that he realised she was obviously joking. She was smiling greatly, and trying not to laugh.

"Hermione!" Severus exclaimed.

"You knew I was joking!" She giggled. She then looked at Severus for a moment and sighed. "I wish you could stay here longer though."

Severus hugged her tighter. "I wish that too."