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Crookshanks lived on her chest for the next two hours after Harry suggested she go look for her parents. She laid on her bed, staring up at the old, worn ceiling as she gently pet the half-kneazel's back. His purrs rumbled against her chest and she sighed heavily. The half-cat growled in response to his beds sudden movements; Hermione brought her hand up and cupped it against his ear, scratching at his soft orange fur.

"Sorry, Crooks." She mumbled, continuing to stare up at the ceiling. Rain patted against the window even though just moments before it was sunny outside with the Thompson's children who lived next door were out in the yard playing with little dollies.

"What should I do?" She groaned and sighed at the same time, she stretched her back out and put her arms behind her head. Crookshanks only gave her a glare out from the side of his smushed face and turned his head back away from her. Hermione gave a light smile, petting him again as she thought.

"Reading would do me good, don't you think so?" The cat made a noise in response.

"Hmm, true. What should I read then that I haven't already?"

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Severus sat alone in Spinner's end that evening, the rain harsh against the rooftop of his home, a glass of aged wine sat next to him on the table in the study, candles floated about the room but the light and alcohol did nothing to dim his aching mind. His fingers were wrapped against his temple to calm the tempest- and not just the one outside those windows.

He breathed, his rapidly beating heart drumming against his ears, the blood of his veins coursing just under his skin.

It was all so loud, how could anyone ever enjoy the silence? It was too deafening, too heavy. It felt like an elephant against his throat, it was hard to breathe.

The wine was half way gone (not the glass, but the bottle itself) when a resounding knock echoed throughout his empty home, and he checked the old grandfather clock sitting up over the fireplace that loomed like a forgotten secret, dark in its wears and wood.

"Hermione?" her hair was a mop on her head and soaking her shirt through, her teeth chattered and her arms shivered though they were tucked into each other. Her nose was red, her cheeks were flushed, and she was panting like she ran all the way there.

"S-Severus," her teeth were chattering to the point where her jaw ached. His eyebrows furrowed together before he ushered her inside, draping a cloak that hung by the door over her frame.

"You will sit, you will be quiet, and you will get warm." He directed her as he ushered her in his study, casting a quick drying charm on her and sitting her down in the chair nearest to the fire- which was the one he was occupying moments before. The wine bottle sat forgotten and the glass lay shattered on the floor. "Then, you will talk to me."

She only nodded numbly.

A/N: Please review