The next couple weeks passed peacefully enough, though that didn't mean Severus was ready to let his guard down. He'd made that mistake before, completely unprepared for the incident with the snakes.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't put the memory behind him. He visited his quarters for fresh clothing or a quick shower, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep there, afraid he might awaken to another nightmare. Absurd, really. He'd never reacted this way, not even when he'd come face to face with a homicidal werewolf.
Of course, that werewolf hadn't torn his throat to shreds, nearly killing him process. It hadn't injected him with venom, scorching his flesh, his veins, every nerve ending in his body catching fire. He'd never known what it was to be helpless on that level, unable to even cry out in response to the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt in his life.
When he looked at it that way, Severus supposed he had legitimate reason to be wary of snakes. But the serpents in his room had only been illusions, wisps of magic that posed no threat to his safety. What was he afraid of? It wasn't as if Nagini herself had been summoned back from the dead.
Logic was a powerful thing, yet it failed in the face of unrelenting fear. It was that fear that drove him to prowl the halls each night, searching for any sign of the perpetrator. He wouldn't get a decent night's sleep until they were caught, but that wasn't all. He desperately wanted to be the one to find them, needed to make sure they were suitably punished.
What would that punishment entail? He wasn't sure yet, only that it would have nothing to do with detentions or House Point deductions.
"Professor Snape?"
He looked up, surprised to see Hermione hovering in front of his desk. For the past couple weeks, they'd rarely interacted, only seeing each other at meals or in class. To be fair, that had been somewhat intentional on his part – he'd known it was best to put some distance between them after what had happened in his office.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"I was wondering…" She glanced behind her, as if making sure they were alone. "Are you all right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I hope this doesn't offend you, but you look exhausted."
"Pointing out the obvious?" He shrugged. "That's hardly offensive."
"You haven't been sleeping."
"An astute observation." Withdrawing his wand, he tapped on the desk, summoning a pot of coffee. He poured himself a cup, adding a couple spoonfuls of sugar before he lifted it to his lips.
"It's the snakes, isn't it?"
"Not specifically, no. I am tired of these incidents, however, so I've been spending my evenings searching for the perpetrator."
She didn't believe him. That couldn't have been more obvious, the look in her eyes almost unbearably sympathetic.
"Honestly?" she said. "I wouldn't want to sleep in there either."
"Yes, well…" He trailed off, wondering how she always managed to make him feel so vulnerable. If she'd been anyone else, he would've shut her down without a second thought.
"Do you have anywhere to go? Anywhere that feels safe?"
"I am perfectly fine, Miss Granger. I don't need…"
"You need to get some sleep."
Again, she was only pointing out the obvious. Other than the occasional brief nap at his desk, he hadn't slept in weeks. He'd been fortifying himself with rejuvenation potions and endless cups of coffee, both of which had become considerably less effective over the past few days.
"As I said, I'm perfectly…"
"You're not fine," she interrupted. "You nodded off twice during class, and I'm pretty sure you were asleep at breakfast this morning."
He was quickly losing his patience, though he didn't have the energy to snap at her. Instead, he shrugged, pouring himself another cup of coffee as he leaned back in his chair.
"As you've deduced," he said, "I'd rather not sleep in my quarters. Those quarters have been breached not just once, but multiple times. The only way to restore my privacy, it seems, is to find the culprit as quickly as possible."
"You don't know how long that will take."
"No," he admitted. "Though I hardly see where that's relevant. I won't be able to rest until…"
"Until you feel safe."
He inclined his head, realizing it would be pointless to deny it.
"That's how it was for me," she said. "I had a lot of trouble sleeping before you moved me out of the guest wing. Now I have no issues at all."
"While that was an adequate solution for you," he replied, "we only have one Room of Requirement. Being as that room is already occupied…"
"Why can't you sleep there, too?"
He sputtered, spilling coffee down the front of his coat. It took him a minute to recover, feeling quite undignified as he cast a drying charm on himself.
"Miss Granger," he said, "what you're suggesting is entirely inappropriate."
"No, I didn't mean…" She hesitated, her cheeks turning red. "I wasn't talking about you spending the night there. I just thought you could use it for a nap every now and again. It's not like I'm always in there, you know?"
Of course she hadn't meant… he shook his head, feeling like a fool.
"That might be true," he said, "but my days are busy. I have a full class load, not to mention grading, detentions, and other responsibilities."
"What about tomorrow? I'll be going down to Hogsmeade, which means I'll be gone for most of the day."
He sipped at his coffee, forced to admit that her suggestion wasn't entirely unreasonable. In fact, he was quite sure he could get out of his chaperoning duties, considering that he'd taken sole responsibility for nightly patrols over the past couple weeks. Besides, she did have a point – he'd never felt more worn out. How much longer could he go on like this before he collapsed from exhaustion?
"Very well," he told her. "I'll take it under consideration."
Severus showed up at the Room of Requirement at 8 AM the following morning, stifling a yawn as he waited for Hermione to emerge. The previous night had been grueling, his patrols yielding nothing more than a couple Hufflepuffs who'd decided to sneak out after curfew.
At this point, he couldn't think of a single reason why he should refuse her offer. He just wanted to fall into a nice, soft bed, forgetting about the world and all its complications.
"Good morning, Professor Snape."
He stared at her in silence, struggling to make his brain function properly. Finally, he managed to form a coherent thought, turning to pace in front of the wall.
"I'll be gone before you return."
"Okay."
To his relief, she didn't attempt to prolong the conversation. She smiled instead, swinging her bag over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner.
I need a safe place to sleep.
His request was somewhat different than hers. As such, he expected the room to be different, too. He quickly realized that wasn't the case, frowning as he stepped inside. Her clothing was hanging in the wardrobe, books and sheaves of parchment stacked on the desk. Even her cat was present, a large, unfortunate looking creature that was stretched out on the bed.
Her bed.
Should he go back and request another room? Probably, though he was far too exhausted to bother. He removed his boots and frock coat, partially unbuttoning his shirt before he collapsed on the mattress.
Suddenly, he was glad the room was hers. The vanilla fragrance of her hair still clung to the pillows, a sweet, comforting aroma that had become intimately familiar. Closing his eyes, he breathed it in, his body relaxing as he drifted off to sleep.
Hermione did everything she could think of to keep herself busy. After the trip to Hogsmeade, she spent a couple hours in the library, followed by an unnecessarily long dinner. She didn't return to the Room of Requirement until right before curfew, more than 12 hours after she'd left.
Was he still in there? She hadn't seen him since that morning, though she supposed he could've returned to the dungeons without her noticing.
I need a room that no one who wishes to harm me can enter.
She repeated the request in her mind, wondering whether the door would appear. If it was being used for another purpose…
Apparently not.
She stepped through the doorway, stopping to pet Crookshanks as he appeared at her feet.
"I brought you a bit of chicken," she told him. "Would you like…"
She trailed off, her breath catching in her throat as she spotted the bed. Or the man lying in it, to be more specific. Snape was stretched out on his stomach, eyes closed, lips slightly parted as he sighed in his sleep. The sound sent a shiver up her spine, a sensation she did her best to ignore as she moved closer.
Should she wake him up? Part of her thought so, convinced that he wouldn't want to be seen in such a vulnerable position. Then again… well, he had chosen to sleep in her room, hadn't he? Obviously, he couldn't be too concerned about her invading his privacy.
Deciding to let him sleep a little longer, Hermione settled herself at her desk. She tried to focus on homework, though she couldn't help glancing over her shoulder as he shifted onto his back. His dark hair was spread out across the pillow, leaving his neck exposed.
She hadn't seen it since Saint Mungo's, a rough, puckered scar where there'd once been a gaping wound. It looked much better than the last time she'd seen it, but still… she couldn't help seeing it for what it was, an unmistakable reminder of all the things he'd suffered.
Perhaps that was why she found it so difficult to disturb him. How could she when he looked so peaceful? Even now that the war was over, he rarely got to enjoy…
"It's impolite to stare."
She jumped, her eyes widening as his snapped open. Slowly, he lifted his head, giving her a measuring look.
"Why didn't you wake me?"
She shrugged. "I didn't think it would hurt to let you sleep a few more minutes."
"What time is it?"
"Just after 10."
"A.M.?"
She shook her head. "P.M."
Cursing under his breath, Snape buttoned his shirt with one hand, reaching for his coat with the other. In a matter of seconds, he was fully dressed, raking a hand through his hair as he headed for the door.
"14 bloody hours."
"You needed it."
"Yes, well…" He hesitated, one hand on the doorknob. "Good night, Miss Granger."
"Good night, Professor Snape."
Snape looked much better Monday morning, sharp eyed and alert as he stalked through the halls. Unfortunately, his newfound burst of energy didn't last. His eyes were underscored by dark circles by Wednesday, his face haggard with exhaustion when Thursday rolled around. By Friday, he was sucking down cups of coffee like his life depended on it, though that didn't stop him from nodding off at dinner.
"I'll be in the library all day tomorrow," Hermione told him. "I've got a Charms essay due Monday, and I haven't even started it yet."
Was that true? Of course not. She'd finished that essay more than a week ago. Snape didn't question it, however, obviously too tired to resist the offer of a safe place to sleep.
"Wake me at 7 PM."
She nodded, watching him disappear into the Room of Requirement before she headed to the library. Ignoring Madame Pince's suspicious look, she settled herself at an empty table, pulling a quill and parchment out of her bag.
How much longer could he go on like this? Weekend naps did seem to help, but more often than not, it was only coffee and sheer willpower that kept him on his feet. She had to do something… letting him use her room clearly wasn't enough.
Fortunately, she already had another idea, one that made her smile as she dipped her quill in the inkpot.
Dear Harry,
I hate to ask another favor, but can I borrow the Marauder's Map? I know I already have the cloak, but I really do need both. Can't tell you what for just yet, but I'll explain everything over winter break.
She received his response at breakfast the next morning, sighing in relief as she stashed the map in her bag.
Dear Hermione,
Of course you can borrow it. Honestly, I should've just given it to you when you went back to Hogwarts. Not much I can do with it here, right? Anyway, I hope you find whoever it is you're looking for. Can't wait to hear all about it.
Snape might not know it, but he didn't have to do this alone. Would he accept her help? Probably not, but he didn't have to know about it, did he? She could always work behind the scenes, hopefully bringing an end to the search that much sooner. Then he could finally get some sleep, secure in the knowledge that the culprit had been found.
She waited until well after curfew that evening, full of nervous anticipation as she put on the cloak. Tucking the map in her pocket, she cast several charms on herself before she stepped out into the hall.
Silently, she crept down the stairs, pausing to glance at the map. This was her secret weapon, one that virtually guaranteed she'd find the perpetrator. It might not happen tonight or tomorrow, maybe not even for another week or two. But soon enough, they'd strike again, unaware that she had everything she needed to expose their identity.