Disclaimer: The Potterverse is not of my property. We must thank J.K. Rowling for creating such a wonderful world. The story and others, however, are mostly mine.

Summary: The war was over, and although many lives were lost, one of them was just taking a nap. Literally. However, the countless casualties suffered by the magical world seriously threatened it with extinction. But the Ministry of Magic will make sure that such a thing never happens. No matter what it takes.

Warnings: Snamione (Severus Snape / Hermione Granger); Alternate Universe; possible Out of Character. My first language isn't English, it's Spanish. This may contain grammatical mistakes that I'm willing to correct. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, please be gentle (?)

Initial notes: Hi. Thank you very much for your comments, you have made me think a lot about the course of this story, in addition to "give me the green light" for what I planned to do. Without further ado, here's the chapter.

Life is a waltz

Inevitable

She had to sleep all alone that night.

She stayed awake as long as she could, while reading one of the books she took from her teacher's personal library. After reading almost half of it, she fell asleep on the couch covered in green velvet that was in his study.

She awoke about three o'clock in the morning, and after looking in the office and also the room, she realized that he had not yet returned. With a tiny grimace on his face, she went to sleep.

The next morning, when she awoke, the first thing she did was check the bed. However, there was no trace of her teacher there. That night he had not returned to his room at all.

A little rushed, she left the room and walked the halls of the castle without paying much attention to her environment, focusing only on reaching the Great Hall relatively quickly. When she was there, her brown eyes scanned the staff table avidly.

Nothing. Professor Snape's chair was empty.

She could not explain, but she could not keep herself quiet that day. She ate only toast at breakfast, and a single serving of meatloaf for lunch. She felt that her stomach had shrunk as a result of the concern.

She repeated herself again and again that she had valid reasons to feel that way. The last time her teacher was away for so long, it wasn't exactly because he was on vacation.

A tiny part of her mind still held hope that her teacher would appear in the afternoon to teach his classes so she could question him as much as she would like at the end of it. Although he probably would not give her any valid response, his presence there would be enough.

But it was not like that. That afternoon, Professor Lippert returned to the class. Hermione knew it was not his fault that her husband wasn't present, but she could not help but find annoying the almost ecstatic attitude that the man was wearing during class.

She escaped from there as quickly as she could, knowing that Professor Lippert did not have any information of her business, and if so, probably he would refuse to share it with a student.

She struggled to maintain an attitude as normal as possible in front of her friends, trying not to bite her nails as much as her jangled nerves begged her. She did a good job, she said to herself, when none of them noticed any substantial changes in her.

At night she returned to the office of her teacher almost automatically. Almost without thinking, she went to check the top drawer of his desk again, but there was nothing there this time. He tried to open the others, but noticed that they were sealed with some kind of enchantment.

With a sigh, she gave up. She took another book and went to the room, willing to wait up for him to return. Or at least, as long as she could keep her eyes open.

Severus did not return the next day. Or the next. Nor the next.

Hermione had bitten her nails to the point that now she could only bite her fingers. She felt nervous, scared... worried.

What could be taking him so long? Was he alright? Perhaps the Death Eaters had attacked him again, but this time they decided to do more than just torture him and...

She quickly shook her head, trying to calm down. It was not good for her mental health to create those pessimistic scenarios. While it was true that she could not think very positively considering the situation, she could not afford to fall into a pit because of her concern.

"I don't think anything happened to him" Ginny said with a tone that intended to sound relaxed against Harry's slightly darkened face. "Maybe... maybe he got tired of his life as a teacher and escaped to the muggle world to start from scratch."

"Hah!" added her older brother, completely calm. "I wish!"

Hermione tried not to intervene when those redheads expressed their obvious dislike for her husband. She knew that there was no need to try to change their opinions, so she abstained. Harry had begun to do the same.

"You do not know anything either, right?" he asked her at dinner, quietly.

She shook her head slightly, taking another spoonful of stew to her mouth in dismay. She felt tired, as the on her face dark circles showed. Still, she planned to stay up late once more, in case he appeared suddenly.

That night, when she arrived at his office, she felt more exhausted than ever. She felt that that fatigue was not due solely to her every day hustle among all classes and essays.

She was about to go straight to the bedroom, when her chestnut orbs stopped over the fireplace at the office. As she just saw it, the only two places where she could check to make sure that at least he was not in there came to her mind.

With a little grimace, she walked to the fireplace and pulled out her wand, using it to start burning the wood that lay within it. Despite feeling somewhat indecisive, she took a handful of floo powder from the bag resting on the fireplace.

She knew she would have a lot of explaining to do if she found him and if not as well. Still, with a slightly more determined expression, she threw the floo powder into the flames in front of her.

"Bumbibjörn's Forest!"

Hoping she had said it the right way, she entered the fireplace and let the emerald flames enfold her. When free she was from them, she was once again in the residence belonging to Eileen Prince.

She could not help coughing a little as she removed off the soot the trip had left on her. She could hear small steps approach her.

"Mistress Hermione...?"

The girl startled slightly to hear that shrill voice. As she turned, she could see the little house elf that the Ministry of Magic had "given" them on their wedding day.

"Holly?" she muttered, getting a little closer and kneeling in front of her to be on her height. "What are you doing here?"

"Master Severus ordered me to come here, Mistress Hermione" explained the elf quietly, though she wrung her little hands nervously. "Holly does not know why, Master Severus said it was safer here."

Hermione formed a small grimace, but nodded slightly. She was about to ask her to stop calling her "Mistress" when she heard more footsteps coming, but they sounded slower this time.

"Hermione? Girl, what are you doing here? And at this hour!" blurted Eileen in an exalted tone, as she was approaching with her wand held high illuminating her path. "Everything is fine?"

"I... I don't know."

Perhaps the nervousness in her voice became very noticeable, because Eileen formed sighed, giving a slight nod. She snapped her fingers, to turn on the lights of the place, waving her wand to turn its light off.

"Come with me, then" she said, gently pushing her to the kitchen. "Holly, do me the favour of preparing tea."

The little house elf nodded enthusiastically, hurrying to get to fulfil that order. Hermione sat in the same place where she had been the first time she was there, and Eileen sat down across from her.

She took one of her hands in hers, giving it a slight squeeze. In her eyes she could feel honest concern.

"What is what happens, Hermione?" she asked suddenly, cocking her head slightly to look at her. "You can tell me with confidence."

Hermione looked down, feeling a little embarrassed to get that warm attention so suddenly. She sighed, wondering if it would be the right thing to tell her about her situation. Was it worth it to worry her too? She decided that it was.

"It's... it's about Severus" she sputtered softly, glancing up to look at her again, even slightly embarrassed. "I'm a little worried about him."

"A little?" the woman repeated with questioning tone, taking the tray that the house-elf was was offering to place it on the table. "You look like you have not slept well lately... I think you're very worried. Can I know why?"

The young Gryffindor girl slightly bit her lower lip, looking askance as Holly performed a reverence for them before retiring with hasty little steps. She allowed herself to exhale a breath.

"Well... he has not been in the castle for almost a week now" she murmured, hiding a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "He left without saying goodbye, and then... he did not return."

Eileen also had a tiny grimace etched on her face as she absently stirred her cup of tea. She gave a slight nod, as if she were processing her words that way.

"Do you not have any idea where he might be?" she asked after a moment, with an apparently calm tone. When the girl shook her head slightly, she nodded again. "He did not say anything before he left?"

Hermione shook her head again, but just then she remembered the note that had accompanied the necklace she was wearing.

"No... but I'm afraid it might have something to do with the Death Eaters" she added then, noticing how the woman before her tensed slightly at her words, so she hurried on. "They are regrouping, and although I am quite sure that he would never return to them... maybe they attacked him."

"Again."

Hermione was not surprised at all. It was very logical that his teacher told his mother about the attack he had suffered previously, even if it was merely to warn her about that danger somehow.

"Why are you so worried about him, Hermione?" asked Eileen suddenly taking her completely by surprise. "Do not misunderstand me, I am too. But I'm his mother. You are his 'wife', mostly out of obligation... so I cannot understand."

The girl blinked a few times before looking away, feeling a wave of embarrassment colouring her cheeks again. She honestly did not know how to answer that question, because never before she had actually asked herself that.

Eileen Prince was right. She was married to Professor Snape only because that way both of them saved their skins of a hypothetical sentence in Azkaban. Why was she so worried then?

Also, why was it that she enjoyed sharing her time with him? Why did she feel so warm and safe in his bed? Why did his cold hands feel so warm on her skin? Why was it that his lips were so soft against hers?

Why had she felt so miserable when he had professed his love for Charity Burbage right in front of her?

Only then she managed to understand. There was only one answer to all those questions that her mind was considering, one explanation that felt too obvious, too predictable. Inevitable.

"It's because I love him."

She did not realize that those words had escaped her lips until she could see the shocked expression of the woman in front of her. She covered her mouth with her hands, as if in that way she could return her voice, or at least to prevent herself from saying anything else.

But it was already too late.

And that was very obvious on the expression that Eileen had adopted. It had gone from surprise to compassion so fast that she almost had failed to notice. She gave her hand another little squeeze, as a way of support this time.

"Sweetheart..." she murmured in a merciful tone, pulling one of her cold hands to her cheek to caress her softly. "I am so sorry."

For just a second, she wondered why she was apologizing. But she had already understood. Eileen knew, and hoped she would also understand.

Hermione could not explain it if someone was to ask her, but she could feel her heart shrank for just a second. As if a huge claw had been buried in her chest and had twisted that organ with excessive cruelty.

It was quite obvious that her teacher did not feel the same as her. Perhaps he appreciated her a little, and for that reason he trying to protect her from the threat that towered over her. But there was nothing else.

And that was a fact that probably would never change.

She could feel her brown eyes began to moisten gradually, but took care to dry her tears even before they escaped her orbs. She shook her head slightly, letting out a sigh.

"I think I should return to the castle" she sputtered in a slightly hurried tone, standing up. "I just came here because I thought he might be here..."

"You can come whenever you want" then the woman said, patting her shoulder slightly as she walked her back to the fireplace. "And if you have news, please let me know."

Hermione nodded absently, taking another handful of Floo powder. She needed some sleep soon.

That night she was responsible for collecting all her stuff, from her pyjamas to her cat, and move again into her room in Gryffindor Tower.

Severus was not there, but the simple fact of being in his room felt slightly painful, much more sleeping in his bed one more night. It was hard for her to sleep in her own bed. It was smaller, and also colder.

The next morning, she tried to prevent herself from looking at the staff table but she just could not. She could not help but wince when her chestnut orbs came upon a pair of dark eyes that seemed to be burying into her.

She looked away almost immediately, heading to the Gryffindor table for breakfast with rushed step. She knew he only needed eye contact to visit her mind, and she wasn't going to allow it.

She had to admit, she was quite relieved to see him there. For the few seconds she saw him, he seemed to have no wounds, at least nothing visible. It was as if a huge weight had left her shoulders once and for all.

"Oi, Hermione" called then Harry's voice, which managed to startle her slightly. Looking at him, she could see that he looked a little uncomfortable. "Ginny told me that Lavender told her that yesterday you returned to the tower at night... is everything okay?"

Hermione was silent for a moment, as she put some jelly on a toast. When she was sure her voice would not sound suspiciously broken, she spoke.

"Everything is fine. Perfectly fine" she said simply, giving a big bite to her toast.

He could see that Harry exchanged glances with Ron for a second, and the redheaded boy shrugged slightly. She felt lucky when they stopped talking about it, at least for the moment.

And she had kept herself quiet, if it were not for the little note that landed beside her a couple of minutes later.

-Come to my office tonight after dinner. Bring your belongings with you.

PS: Also, bring your cat with you.-

Hermione bit her lower lip, watching the small, tight handwriting of her teacher at that piece of parchment. She did not look up at him again, while seriously considering getting rid of the note and ignore its existence.

She finally decided that it would not be very mature from her, so after releasing a sigh full of resignation, she decided to meet at least part of his request.

After spending the whole day avoiding him, avoiding his gaze when she found him looking in her direction, she ate her dinner with unusual voracity. She felt hungry after eating so little the past few days. And also eating helped distract her nerves.

After dinner, she went straight to her professor's office, immediately entering the door when it opened before her. There he was, back in his rightful place. Again, the sense of relief washed over her, but it was overshadowed by noticing his expression, apparently upset.

"May I know why none of your belongings is in my room?" he asked then directly, arching an eyebrow. "And besides, why did you not bring your belongings with you now?"

Hermione frowned slightly at him, crossing her arms to reflect her expression, cocking her head slightly.

Where were you these days?" she corresponded almost automatically, trying to ignore the feeling of insecurity that was trying to get a place in her. "Why didn't you even send a letter to let me know you were okay?"

"I had to stay at the residence of someone else to not risk myself to a possible attack to my person" he explained flatly, managing to take her by surprise. "Perhaps you were worried about me?"

The young Gryffindor girl was silent for a moment, trying to process the ease with which he seemed to be acting at that time. It did not go at all with the eager expression he was wearing on his sallow face.

She wondered for a second if she should answer his question with honesty or not. Embarrassment began to become slightly visible on her face, so she looked away.

It was now or never.

"Yes. I was worried about you. Very worried about you" she admitted after a moment, raising her gaze once again, feeling a little more confident to do so. "So much that I did not sleep very well. So much that I wasn't eating enough. So much, I visited your mother in a vain attempt to find out if you were there. So much..."

Her voice trailed off for a moment, watching the expression on the man in front of her change very gradually. His features seemed to soften slightly at her, increasingly as she spoke.

"So much so that I finally realized that the other night, I did not tell you the truth" then she continued, swallowing dry in an attempt to get rid of the lump in her throat. "The answer is yes. I am in love with you."

She could feel the embarrassment grow immensely, but still she remained as firm as possible, refusing to look away for any reason.

She knew that what she had said was probably what he would never want to hear. But she also knew it was true, and if she was not honest about it, she probably would explode because of frustration from one moment to another.

She waited patiently, but he said nothing. He just watched her in silence, with an expression that made him difficult to understand. She could not guess whatever he was thinking even if she tried. She sighed.

"I know you do not love me. And I know that you're not even trying" she sputtered, trying to keep her voice from breaking, as she was removing her necklace. "And so I think it would be best for us to take some distance from each other at the moment."

"Hermione" he interrupted her then, coming closer just a couple of steps, with that same unreadable expression on his face. "Put the necklace back on."

Hermione bit her lip a little, feeling her body began to tremble slightly. Once again she felt her heart was wrung tightly. He had not even denied her words...

"No" she muttered under her breath, leaving the necklace abruptly on his desk, making a huge effort not start to cry at that moment. "I can protect myself."

"Hermione..."

"No!"

The girl turned around a moment later, wiping an eye in an attempt to hold back the tears. She didn't want to cry because she was sad, she wanted to cry with rage. Rage for having unconsciously given such dedication to a relationship that she trying to keep afloat herself.

She could feel his footsteps approach her, and the ghost of his hand trying to land on her shoulder, but she pulled away before he could touch her, turning back to the door.

"I'm going to ask you to stay away from me, Professor Snape" she whispered, trying to sound nonchalant. "If you want to rethink your intentions regarding this relationship at some point, I'll be willing to listen. Until then…"

She did not bother to complete that sentence, because she knew that was not necessary. She just left the office and walked away with rapid pace, feeling the angry tears slipping from her eyes and running in her cheeks.

Perhaps she had made a mistake, but it felt like the right decision.

Endnotes: DO NOT HATE ME! (?)

I know what happened in this chapter probably did not leave you very happy... but it's part of the plot. I, personally, I feel quite satisfied with the result.

That being said, it's time to answer your reviews!

Scintilla of Myself: Oh, no, Charity is a canon character in the Harry Potter universe :) I'm glad you liked it! And yeah, he can be kinda cruel sometimes :P Thanks!

BookwormFOREVER15: Thank you! I know… I swear, when I read your review I thought you were reading my mind XD I like your idea, I'll see if it fits the story later (or maybe another?)

Jedilogray: Hahaha, that's great! :D

lozzy035: I know, right? He can be a little sweet sometimes, I guess. Hope you liked it!

roamingbecca: Awww, I know :') I'm trying not to force Severus to love Hermione just yet. He has a lot of pain from the past. It's easier for her, she's young and still discovering the concept of "love".

mini pony lover: Thank you for reading and commenting! :D Thanks again, you're very nice.

Sassyluv: More than that, I'd say… I know, that was the intention actually, hehehe.

Uncle Voldy: Thank you very much!

Special Thanks to…

… LoveForMocha and monicao4 for adding this story to favorites!

… Bethany friemann, Luciferslady, zxlitexz, LoveForMocha, nikisweet, HallowRain8587, cndreaderinhk and Uncle Voldy for following this story!

… those who read but never comment. Did you know that according to the internet, if a cat lies on their back in front of you it's because they trust you, as in this position they could not defend themselves from an attack? (?)

I think that's all for now. Again, thank you very much for reading and commenting. I cannot believe I have such wonderful readers. Take care.

Read you soon!

_- * -_- * -_ KovatePrivalski97 ._- * -_- * -_