Hermione was doing something the Potion Master was not expecting. The witch, in her sizeable purple t-shirt and black sweats, was sitting on the table, reading a book on charms. Severus did his best to give the girl space. She was, after all, startling at every howl, but not from fear. He could see the visible anguish on her face. It was this muddled concept to him. Severus could understand it, admittedly, but how was it birthed? Where did this desire to shield those she cared for come from? Such an ingrained instinct that wouldn't be quenched, no matter the situation.

"Instead of gawking at me, why don't you ask?" Hermione murmured as she flipped the page.

Snape had settled near the fireplace, but obviously, even from the corner of her sight, she noticed. "Ask what?"

"Whatever is causing you to question my oddity," Hermione mused.

"You're sitting on a table," he stated.

Hermione span on the wooden surface to face him. "Yes, I am. I can hear him better from here."

Severus set down his book and clenched his jaw. "Why do you love them so deeply?"

"I don't," Hermione sighed.

"You do. It's insufferable."

She slid from her station and bound from the table. "Why does that bother you so much?"

Severus glanced over at the house-elf, cleaning the cupboards before meeting her stare. "Because they don't understand. Intelligence and fighting for a place is difficult. They all had it easy."

Hermione pursed her lips as she walked up to him. "They fought unseen wars, Severus. Each one of them had their own mountain to climb. Remus with his condition. Sirius with his abusive family."

"I had an abusive father, but you don't see me drinking like a fool," Severus hissed.

"Yes, but you had a different path you took with that. It wasn't pretty, just as their paths weren't. None of them saw betrayal because their own flaws consumed them," Hermione voiced with a grimace.

The Potion Master thinned his lips. "They aren't perfect."

"No, none of us are, as you've pointed out. We all have broken pieces, and if you stopped to see theirs, I think you might understand," Hermione responded while shifting her stance.

"I suppose that's something I'll never understand," Severus said.

Hermione sat on the bench near his chair and scrunched her eyebrows. "I'd like to think we all can be tolerant and forget the past. Our relationship was based on insults and never being enough for your classes. If I were to hold on to that bitterness, I wouldn't be able to see you as my friend."

"You believe salvation is within forgiveness? That's quite noble of you," Severus snorted.

"What do you want from me? What can I do to show you there's a reason for pain? Whatever scars, we have built a stronger foundation for our character," Hermione sighed as she reached for his hand.

He gazed down at her tanned fingers among his own. It was startling imagery of the trust and vulnerability she wanted to share. "Why didn't you want children when you were younger? Potter expressed your disinterest in it."

"I don't have a reason for that," Hermione voiced. "I just felt it was the wrong time. Ron and I, we held this severed view on life. He wanted to believe we played our part, and we should celebrate it. I felt we needed to secure the future so that no one ever had to feel what I did."

"What?"

Hermione turned her arm to show the glittering scar in the firelight. "To feel like I had to prove I wasn't a mistake or wrong. I was teased in school, growing up before Hogwarts. My mother and father are different, and with that comes a divisive look at who I was. Draco Malfoy was not the first bully in my life, but the hardest. I had to learn to stand up for others early, and in turn, books became my solace."

Severus leaned to her and scowled. "Hermione, why do you keep fighting?"

She smiled and bounced her shoulders. "Because I don't know anything else."

"You're by far the oddest creature I've met," he confessed with intensity in his expression. "I know little of conviction, but Lily was the first person I knew with it. She had this odd texture to her personality, much as you do."

"Is that why you were fond of her?" Hermione inquired.

Snape bobbed his head before exhaling. "She wasn't afraid to have her conviction, and others flocked to her steady leadership."

"There's good in everyone, Severus. We either cultivate it or stomp it out. You've always tried to convince others you have had it snuffed for many years. You've done wrong things, but you have to accept that and move on. We are in this together," Hermione finished with a smile.

His thumb ran along her forearm as he twitched his nose. "I don't understand them. I never equated friendship to their concept. It's difficult from my position to see how they could be vicious but loved."

"As were your friends," Hermione added.

"That was different."

"No, not nearly as different as their friendship. However, theirs were built off of unity, and yours fear," Hermione finished with pursed lips.

"How do you invest in a whole new concept when you were raised differently?"

"Maybe you should take your own advice and stop coddling your feelings. You're intelligent and remarkably sharp, but you take little interest in things that you don't relate to. You disregard their feelings because that's easier than understanding them."

Snape bobbed his head and breathed. "I will try. I will do what I couldn't before."

"Thank you, Severus. That does mean more to me than you know," Hermione sighed.

He gripped her arm and pulled her closer. His rather long nose had left a small gap between hers. "Tell me, if you had to choose one person to die, who would it be?"

"Out of who?" She blinked while recovering from their close proximity.

"Us."

"I wouldn't be able to choose," Hermione whispered.

"And why not?"

Hermione scowled as she stared into his dark eyes. "That's a simple answer. No one given a second chance should ever have to give that up."

"And who would you give your life to?" He breathed.

Hermione swallowed. "All of you. Severus, I brought you back, it would be wrong to choose just one of you to live."

It was an odd circumstance. Here she was, years passed her days of Potion Classes and insults, and now this. Severus Snape, the baneful professor of her youth, kissed her. It was this different energy and emotion within the act. He wasn't delicate nor forceful, but this interesting in-between— and she liked it.

What did this all mean? Well, for starters, the stuffy man wasn't awkward as she had perceived. Wildly and unabashed in his direct intention. No tongue, nothing fussy, but completely all-consuming.

They parted, and Hermione took ownership of her body once again, pulling it from his grasp. "Oh," was all she managed.

Severus arched an eyebrow as he tidied his jumper. "I had to see for myself," he mused.

Hermione managed to shake the shock from her system and held out her hand. "Wait, I can't keep up with all these changes. I'm confused," she professed.

"You've been saying that plenty, but I think everyone's been quite clear," he said before reaching for his glass. "Didn't Black give you some spiel about being entirely submerged in this?"

"No one has once asked me what I want," Hermione huffed.

"Oh, are you positive?"

She glared at him while crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes."

"I beg to differ," he retorted.

"You haven't," she insisted.

Snape arched an eyebrow as he sipped his drink. "Then what do you want, Hermione Granger?"

Hermione opened her mouth a couple of times before snapping it shut with a sneer. "To fix this crisis."

"Why aren't you listening to me? I told you how to fix it, and you run off to Draco Malfoy's behind our backs."

She groaned as she tossed her head to the ceiling. "Is nothing sacred anymore? Yes, I went to Malfoy's after work these last couple of days. I'm trying whole-heartedly to fix this, Severus."

"Tell me the truth. Is it because you're so afraid to connect with us? You're scared to feel anything on the off chance that it will be swiped away from you like our deaths?"

Remus's howl echoed from the top floor, and Hermione glanced over with a pout. "He sounds so sad," she whispered.

"I give you permission just to be yourself, Hermione. I believe that is what you need to hear," Severus declared.

Hermione snapped her vision back to the Potion Master. "I am being myself."

"No, you're what you think we need you to be — the savior to Lupin. The hard to reach prize for Black. My equal in wit and sharped-tongue retorts. I'm releasing you from these tasks. We don't need this witch who shows how pliable she can be. We need you," Snape announced as he set his glass down.

"But that is me, Snape," Hermione hissed.

"Then what are you holding back?"

Hermione stared at the fire, crackling nearby. "What if this isn't real? What if I find the solution and the intention is finished, only for you each to fall back into your own lives? I can't take on this world alone any longer," Her voice was a shuddered sigh.

"Then stop trying and let us shelter you, Hermione. I keep telling you to rest your wand for a moment. Just enough to let someone fight for you. You'd discover that those who want to rise to your critical caliber, will."

"Will you promise to be here still when the dust settles?" Hermione questioned as her eyes wandered to his face.

"I promise," Severus echoed. "We shall be your pillars should the world quake."

Hermione held out her hand with a smile. "A promise given is a promise you must follow through, Severus."

"And you'd be surprised," he paused while taking her hand. "It is the easiest one I've ever made."

"That means no skipping out on Molly's party," she reminded him.

Snape groaned and rocked his head as their hands shook. "Yes, I realize this." He halted their hands and frowned. "You promise to let me help you through this? We only go deeper from here."

"I promise," she responded and bounced their hands. "I will truly halt my agenda to keep you sheltered from the task."

"And we will assist you in the decisions made from this task."

Hermione pulled her hand away, but her mind collected the words carefully delivered. Something. He was admitting to something. She couldn't identify what, but it was secretive. If he had known what's to do for this potion, would he have told her? Severus would have, wouldn't he?

"Why don't you get that house-elf to make you up a small bed by the fire. I'll keep an ear out for trouble," Severus announced with a nod.

"Alright," Hermione replied, and Rally bound over.

Even as the house-elf was situating the witch, there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind. It was as if he told her but hadn't. Her eyes shut while resting against the pillows, but her thoughts whistled through her. A train traveling on a track goes one direction unless a lever is pulled. Had this lever been pulled? Her last thoughts were of the train bringing her Teddy home. That left a smile on her face. It could wait until after. Yes, it would be best to shelf until then.