Disclaimer: HP is not mine.

Summer Camp

Hufflepuff Cabin

Week 1: Dodgeball

What is dodgeball about except the art of avoidance. Task: Write about avoidance

Optional prompt:

4.(time of day) sunset

365 prompts collection: 36. Separate

Word count: 1176

Betaed by Eben, thank you so much:), my muse

Severus Snape was a master of many trades, but one that he particularly excelled in was avoidance. Hermione knew that it was because deep down, despite everything he'd said and done, he was scared of how the relationship between them was changing. And what that might entail. Dumbledore had asked them to work together, yes, but the professional relationship they started with and the friendship they were now working on, were two separate things. Somehow, she could feel that he hadn't had that many friends in his life.

He had this wall put up, a wall created specifically to keep people out. Hermione had seen through the cracks, but it seemed he was filling them up. For two weeks he had avoided her like plague. He would set up what she had to do, and instead of working side by side, he'd just leave instructions and go. All her letters were answered in the shortest ways possible and he barely looked in her direction any other time they would meet. Hermione could see that he wasn't coping well and this avoidance he was doing wasn't helping. They needed to talk, for both of their sakes.

And that brought her to her sneaking in attempt. It was sunset, the dinner would almost be finished. She planned to ambush him as he came back from the Great Hall. She'd just taken a few bites and left in order to be at his quarters in time. She was still keyed in from when Dumbledore had requested that she had access to Snape's private lab in order to help him find a cure for his hand. They hadn't found one yet. But that was something they couldn't work on until they sorted the change in status. She and Snape were… friends now. Or at least she liked to think so. The past two weeks have been confusing. It all ended tonight however. It had to.

They couldn't work together tiptoeing around each other and it benefited no one. Most of all themselves. At how the world was going, everyone needed a friend in their lives, including him. And Hermione found it great to have someone that she could actually worry about and talk about the possible doomed future without panicking Harry and Ron.

His quarters were just as ever. The fireplace had been recently lit, probably by the house-elves. It was warm and fuzzy inside, not at all as she'd initially imagined his rooms to be. But then, he wasn't what she'd thought either. Hermione settled on the couch in the living room and proceeded to wait.

Few minutes later, she heard the door open and stood up to greet him. He looked shocked upon seeing her. It was nice to see him for once this unsettled.

"Miss Granger! What are you doing here? I didn't request your help tonight in the lab."

Hermione huffed.

"I know you didn't. You haven't requested my help for the past month! Apparently you don't need it anymore despite November being the month with most students sick and a lot of explosions in the classroom! Professor, you're overworking yourself and you don't even have time anymore to work for Dumbledore's request! We need to talk."

He turned away from her. She could see she'd hit a nerve, and she knew she had to be careful in the discussion. Since June, she'd had time to see that if she spoke a little too much sometimes about certain things, he'd become upset and shut her down.

"Miss Granger—"

"I was Hermione last month. I haven't been Miss Granger since mid August."

"Hermione, then," he said, turning back to her," I don't know what to tell you. It's just…"

"You're scared."

"Excuse me?"

"You're scared of actually having friends. You've been avoiding me for weeks. You're avoiding me now! And you're behaving ridiculously close to a teenager!"

"I am not!" He snapped and she looked pointlessly at him.

"Then don't pretend you don't know what I am talking about. You cannot avoid me forever."

He grabbed a chair and plopped in front of the couch, sitting down.

"I didn't intend to. And I'm sorry. You're half right."

"Half?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I am scared of having friends. Or more precisely, I am scared of messing up and losing friends. You. I'm losing Albus."

"What do you mean? We still have time to research."

Severus shook his head and for the first time looked her in the eyes. Hermione could only see despair in those onyx eyes. Maybe, there was more to his avoidance then she'd assumed initially.

"It doesn't matter. We're not going to find anything in time. He's used his magic to hide how much damage actually it has caused to his body. He did it, right before he called me that night. We've been chasing false hope. He wants to die so I could blend in better in the higher Death Eater ranks. He also wants to save Draco. He knew he wouldn't find anything, but he let us do it; he let me do it so I could have a clean conscience when I kill him."

Hermione walked closer and kneeled in front of his chair, putting her hand over his.

"So what if he did? What if he's worse than he let us believe? That doesn't mean we cannot find something. And even if we don't, you wouldn't kill him. This curse is killing him. There's a chance he might not even make it to the date he wants, unless we do something. I wish you wouldn't have avoided telling this sooner."

"So you could storm into his office and give him a piece of your mind?"

"That too! Look, I've been worried for such a long time that you're closing off because of our relationship changing and you've been worrying about the Headmaster. We're a team and we're supposed to act like one. If we work together, we may manage at least to bring him to die when he wants. So his death can be useful in his eyes, even if just as painful in ours. Or we may find something to save his life, the manipulative old man. And thaw his plans out of the window."

Severus looked at her and nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry. This year hasn't been the easiest."

"Hmmf. You've been absolutely terrible in class. So… you telling me that now? You think I haven't noticed?"

And then, to her surprise, he started laughing. Hermione had to suppress a chuckle herself. However, on the inside, she wondered how much more had Dumbledore hidden from them and why had he decided to bring them together to work for a cure that he knew wouldn't be found. Severus could have done the work alone.

Soon, she'd go up to that office and get her answers. But until then, she'd work with her friend on something that he valued. Even if she wasn't sure it was really worth it any longer. Avoidance wouldn't be an answer anymore.