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. I have bad and good news. I start with the bad news: my computer is broken. All I had written of lost, and besides I can not write or edit the right way. Nor can I answer your reviews. The chapters are likely to be shorter too, and the updates will be irregular. I am sorry. The good news is that I'll write from my phone and I will continue to update while I can. I do not know when the situation will be fixed... thanks for your understanding. Now, the chapter.
Life is a waltz
Lionheart
She did not regret the decision she had taken.
She had to admit that part of her missed the presence of her teacher in her life. Visiting his office, reading the books in his library, sharing his bed... basically living with him.
But she knew that was the best decision. Moving away from this man for a while to clear her thoughts. And perhaps, overcome her feelings.
Her friends and peers noticed the change, obviously. She could feel the eyes of Lavender and Parvati on her whenever she entered the room at night, but she tried to ignore it.
Despite doing her best to avoid it, she could not help but cast glances to the staff table. Somehow, she hoped his teacher was also watching her. But he never was.
During Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, he acted in the most natural way in the world. He remained the demanding teacher he always was. As if nothing had ever happened between them.
That hurt her. She felt that those kisses they had shared had meant nothing. That those honest conversations among them were worthless.
That, as she had suspected the night she turned away from the man, she was the only one putting something on her part in the relationship.
"I don't want to be 'that guy'... but I told you so."
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's words, stirring her oatmeal with discouragement. She snorted.
"That's not true. You did not say anything" she muttered tersely, with a slight frown. "But I guess I should have seen it coming from the beginning."
She felt a couple of slaps on her shoulder a moment later, and turned to Harry, who watched her with a tiny smile on his face.
"I think you both need time to think clearly" he sputtered, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "Meanwhile... relax. Do not let it bother you so much, okay?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow at his words, but refrained from making any comment. She knew her friend was just trying to cheer her up, although she noticed that he clearly did not know what he was talking about.
Still, she had begun to try to follow his advice. She tried not to pay him much attention.
A whole week went by, and her husband did not make any approach to her. Although it caused a pang in her stomach every time she thought about that, she became convinced that this was the end.
She could feel the stress fall on her shoulders with overwhelming force. What would she do now? Obviously they were not going to "consummate" their marriage anytime soon. Would the Ministry of Magic intervene?
Would they be sent to Azkaban...?
The pressure of all those thoughts was a constant from the moment her mind was invaded by them. And they began to affect her daily life inevitably.
Her hands were shaking slightly all the time, and she found it difficult to sleep. The most notable result was the almost imperceptible decline in her grades.
That afternoon was she felt nervous during Transfigurations class. Generally she highlighted without having to work too hard, but at that time, she was having difficulties.
She could not help but wince when she heard professor Lippert's voice indicating that the class was over.
With complete despondency, she began putting her things on her bag, looking askance at her companions start to pull away quickly.
"Hermione" then called the teacher's voice, just as she was standing up. "Can you stay for a moment?"
The girl let loose a long sigh, but still nodded, approaching the desk of her teacher wearily. He had a certainly worried expression on his face.
"How do you feel?" he asked after a moment, watching her with full interest.
"I feel great" she sputtered almost immediately, almost automatically. She was already used to say that lie. "Why do you ask, sir?"
Professor Lippert raised an eyebrow, and by the way his blue eyes narrowed, Hermione knew her lie was not believed.
"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps the way your hands are shaking all the time time gave me the suspicion" he said with a sarcastic tone, before sighing heavily. "What is it, Hermione?"
Hermione looked away for a moment, a small grimace appearing on her young face. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable, and also a little annoyed.
"With all due respect, sir, I do not think it's none of your business.
The girl thought the man would be offended at her distant tone, but with surprise she noticed that he formed a tiny smile, standing up and walking around his desk.
"It is true. It's none of my business" he said calmly, allowing one of his blond curls to invade his face. "But if those who should do something about it do not act, I have no alternative but to do it myself."
Hermione sighed. She knew very well what and 'who' her teacher meant by his words. And the worst part was that she could not contradict him.
She took a few moments before saying or doing anything else, and after a few minutes, the teacher retook the word.
"I understand that you may feel uncomfortable in this environment. After all, I'm your teacher and you are my student" he said, leaning back a little on his desk and cocking his head to look at her. "Maybe we should change the environment. We can go to the Three Broomsticks. A butterbeer could relax you."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. Not even in her most strange and bizarre dreams she would have imagined that a teacher, especially Lippert, would invite her to drink with him. She made a small grimace.
"As friends, obviously" he added, noticing that her silence was beginning to spread over a couple of minutes. "You're a married woman, after all."
"What about you, Professor?" she said, watching him intently as he began to gather his things on the desk. 'You're a married man, aren't you?"
Lippert laughed under his breath at her question, and surprising her again, shook his head.
"No, I'm not" he then said, straightening up and hanging his bag over his shoulder. "I am a sterile man Hermione. I can not fulfill the purpose of the Required Marriage Law and they cannot put me in jail for something that is beyond me to solve."
Hermione looked shocked at that revelation. It was not something she would have expected or wanted to know but she not necessarily felt uncomfortable talking about it.
"According to what I have read, there is a special potion that allows infertile men and women childbearing" she sputtered after a moment, leaving the classroom with her teacher
"You probably did not read the part where its high price and extremely difficult preparation are indicated" the man said with a slight shrug. "Only a true eminence could create a perfect potion, and yet there is a huge risk of failure."
The girl herself was surprised to feel comfortable enough to talk with her teacher that way.
With an almost imperceptible smile on her young face, she decided that perhaps a trip out to the Three Broomsticks would help her relax.
"So you won't apologize to Miss Granger?"
Severus could not do much more than let out a snort full of irritation. It was his turn to patrol the corridors of the castle. He did not feel tired, but very frustrated.
"Is that even a legitimate question?" he muttered, rolling his eyes as he continued walking in the dark. "It's late at night. She's probably already asleep."
The man did not even bother to give him a look, but he could imagine how the person in the portrait shook his head slightly.
"Besides, you promised not return to follow me around the castle" he continued, finally seeing sideways, watching him pass without difficulty from portrait in portrait. "Should I remove the frame you left in my office?"
"But Severus, I'm not following you" said Albus Dumbledore, with a slight shrug and a quiet smile. "I'm just making company. In addition, I have the feeling that Miss Granger is not sleeping yet."
The professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts could hide the curiosity he had felt at those words. He decided to wait a couple of minutes in silence before attempting to find out more.
"Why would she not be in her bed, like the good girl she is?" she murmured, with a ring full of sarcasm in his voice as he turned in a corner.
But Dumbledore did not answer, but began to move from portrait to portrait even faster, as if trying to get away from him.
Severus almost felt relieved, but he could not. He had no time for such a thing when he noticed that the nursery lights were on. That could only mean that an emergency had occurred.
He told himself that it was not important, at least not for him, and he has to continue his patrol so he could later rest once and for all. However, he could not stop his footsteps when they headed there.
Indeed, several teachers were there, along with other nurses, surrounding one of the beds. Sighing heavily, he walked into the place with long strides.
"Horace" he muttered as he stopped at a safe distance, with whom was his Potions master in the past. "What happened this time?"
The man flinched slightly at his abrupt appearance, but a moment later sighed, rubbing his walrus mustache nervously.
"It's Leonidas. He's been attacked, and it looks pretty ugly" reported Slughorn, and Severus rolled his eyes, downplaying and willing to withdraw from there quickly. "He is lucky that Miss Granger was there with him..."
Only then he stopped in his tracks. He came back with a confused expression on his face, giving him the appearance of being lost instead.
Without hesitation he advanced, asking permission with murmurs and making himself a space in the small crowd, even closer to the bed. Indeed, there was Granger.
Right next to Lippert, while he held her hand tightly, as Madam Pomfrey was cleaning a wound in his right shoulder.
"... as I was saying, we were suddenly attacked. They are wearing masks, but I'm sure they were Death Eaters."
Headmistress McGonagall rubbed one of her wrinkled hands in her face, letting out a long sigh full of fatigue to the voice of her student.
"Miss Granger, could you tell me exactly what you were doing outside the castle at this time of night?" she said a firm tone, crossing her arms at her again.
The girl was about to respond, but only then noticed the presence of her husband in place. He was staring at her with a serious expression on his face.
"Minerva, I fear that I am who should take that responsibility" interrupted Lippert, letting out a small gasp when Pomfrey began to bandage his wound. "I convinced Hermione to accompany me to the Three Broomsticks... she has been very tense and anxious lately. I thought it would help her relax a little."
Hermione was still completely silent, obviously avoiding the gaze of her teacher on her nervous expression.
Headmistress McGonagall gave another sigh, one in which denoted the great weariness she felt.
"It's too late. You'd better go to bed, Miss Granger" she ordered then, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Tomorrow I want to see you in my office. Saving a teacher from an attack does not exonerate you from your actions."
The young Gryffindor girl breathed a small sigh of resignation, but nodded slightly, turning to her ailing teacher with a grimace on her face. He patted her hand gently.
"You were very brave, Hermione. Thank you."
She only gave a slight nod at that, and released herself from his grip, before proceeding to walk away, heading for the exit.
She walked as quickly as she could, with rosy cheeks. It was the first time she was face to face with Severus, and it was in the hospital, taking the hand of Professor Lippert.
It wasn't the best imaginable scenario, honestly.
She had no intention of talking to him at the time, and so her legs were trying to move as quickly as was possible without having to start running. She let out a little scream when her arm was caught in a firm grip.
Soon her back hit one of the walls of the castle abruptly, and when she tried to complain, a cold, thin hand covered her mouth quickly.
When she looked up, she wished he hadn't. The dark eyes of Professor Snape seemed to sink into hers without difficulty.
"I need you to answer me a little, teeny question" hissed the man before her, in a low, barely audible tone. "If you know perfectly well that you have a group of dark wizards behind your steps, it is coherent to abandon the only safe place that you have?"
Hermione had not ceased to be move during his short little speech, frowning and trying to break free from his grip. With effort, she managed to remove his hand from her mouth.
"And do you care?" she snapped impulsively, as if spitting out those words. "Now that you know someone attacked me, you come to play as the 'responsible' husband?"
"What the hell are you...?"
"You know it! For a whole week you saw me fall increasingly under stress in a pit... but of course, it was necessary that someone else did something about it so that you could react, right?"
Severus furrowed his brow slightly, and wasn't quick to respond, as his instinct it indicated. He had never seen her act like that, or he would have expected it sometime.
He was impressed.
"Let me go" she continued, shifting violently to break free. "Let me go at once!"
With a grunt, he finally meet the demands of the young woman. She rubbed her wrist with her free hand, as she looked up with a frown.
"You don't care about what happens to me, Severus, you know it. Stop lying to yourself" with exhausted tone she muttered, shaking her head slightly. "If you protect me, it's only because you're afraid... I'll end up like them."
Just a few words were enough to shake the foundations in that impenetrable wall that he had formed to protect his expression. For a moment, he did not know what to say.
The indirect mention of Lily and Charity had hurt almost as much as a Cruciatus curse on his body.
"How dare you...? How dare you compare yourself with them?" he muttered then, narrowing his black eyes at her, his expression hardened instantly.
"You compared me with them when you thought I needed your protection" she corresponded, raising her index finger to poke his chest briefly, accusingly. "But I will never, never be like them."
"Of course not. Especially because I will never love you like I loved them."
The expression on the face of the girl before him was distorted at the moment those words escaped from his thin lips. She was hurt and could not and would not hide it.
Severus forced himself to straighten up and walk away from her, the more quickly and indifferent he could conceive. She had hurt first him, and deserved the same. .. right?"
He refused to question that thought, and without giving her time to make up a decent answer, her turned away from her with long strides.
While he lost himself in the darkness of the castle, he cursed the silence of the night by allowing him to clearly hear a sob behind him.
Endnotes: Finally I finished it! Ah, yes, DON'T HATE ME! (?)
I am sorry. It broke my heart while writing it. But it is necessary, believe me it is.
And it shall be rewarded , trust me (?)
Anyway, I think that's all. Thanks for reading, and understanding my situation. Take care.
Read you soon (or when we can)!
_- * -_- * -_ KovatePrivalski97 ._- * -_- * -_