A/N: Wow, I really thought I would do one chapter from Snape's perspective...15,000 words later. I also thought I would have second year done in about 10,000 words, 12 at the maximum. This is going to be a lot longer than I initially thought and will be incredibly slow burn, she has like five years of school left and then some. So, be in for the long haul, I guess. Thanks for 100 Kudos and all your lovely comments they mean so much to me.
Chapter Thirteen
Hermione's arm fell to her side with a thud; her entire body felt like lead, as though her bones had been replaced with metal. She willed herself to open her eyes; they too felt as though they had been sutured shut. It was bright, too bright...she felt dizzy. Then something blocked it, and she could no longer feel her eyes burning with light, some kind of dark shadow. A face began to materialize before her, and Hermione realized what the shadow was. It was Snape. He looked awfully concerned and distinctly unkempt...unkept for him that was. His hair was lank, looking to contain a good deal more grease than usual, and his face was paler than she had ever seen it. But he smiled. Severus Snape smiled at me, Hermione thought excitedly, vaguely returning it until it hurt her mouth. She was glad he was the one to find her; wherever she was, it felt as though she had been there an eternity.
"Welcome back, Miss Granger." Hermione didn't think she'd ever heard him speak so gently. All she wanted to do was fall asleep listening to that voice; it felt so incredibly safe.
"Hello there," She answered weakly. Snape's face lit up before he caught himself, and a swift mask moved into place. He cleared his throat.
"You need to drink this as well; it will relax your muscles and stop them from being so sore." He moved closer, helping her sit up to swallow the potion. She grimaced. "Unfortunately, sugar renders it useless". Hermione chuckled, and Snape allowed his heart to sore; she was coming back slowly. "I will leave you to rest; after some sleep, you should feel better."
"Sir, I don't understand," Her voice rasped, and he handed her the glass of water on her bedside table. "I will explain later, Miss Granger. You will not be in any danger, but I do need you to rest now; you will be able to understand when you wake." Hermione nodded.
"Of course, sir, I trust you." She settled back into her pillows and was asleep almost immediately, colour already beginning to return to her face.
Snape turned to find Madam Pomfrey watching him from the last bed, an unreadable expression on her face.
"Are they alright?" He inquired. She nodded.
"They will all be fine after some sleep; I believe they should be able to catch the train tomorrow with the rest of the students."
"Excellent," Snape replied. "How long will they sleep for now? I thought perhaps I should return and explain to them all what exactly is going on."
"It will depend on how long they have been petrified for. Those that were attacked more recently will wake earlier than those that have been here much longer. "
"I see. How long do you believe the most recent will be asleep then?"
"I can't be sure; it should be until late tonight at the very least."
"Well then, shall I come back, explain how it is they got into this position, and then you can release them to their houses?"
"That sounds like an excellent plan Severus, although I might get them to wait and go all together, I don't like the idea of them wandering about alone in the castle. They will probably all feel rather vulnerable after such an experience." Snape nodded.
"I agree. Please floo me when the first person wakes." Poppy nodded as he turned to leave, a nearly imperceptible spring in his step.
When Hermione woke several hours later, the hospital wing was dark save for a warm beam coming from Madam Pomfrey's office. She felt much better but, recalling how she came to be lying in the hospital wing, was very curious about the outcome of the supposed Heir of Slytherin. Gingerly climbing out of bed, she turned to meet Madam Pomfrey hurrying toward.
"Get back into bed, Miss Granger. You may feel strong enough, but I would like you to rest while you can."
"Of course," Hermione answered, "But I was wondering what has happened, how long I've been petrified for? Professor Snape said he would explain, but he isn't here...obviously." Poppy tried to hide a smile at the murmur of disappointment in her tone.
"He was to return when you woke; I shall floo him after you eat this." Realizing she was indeed famished, Hermione surveyed the tray she handed her, laden with soup and delicious looking bread.
"Thank you," She replied before beginning to devour the food.
Snape stepped out of Madam Pomfrey's office a few moments later to find Hermione eagerly finishing her first meal in a month. As dire as the circumstances might have been, Snape was very grateful she was okay.
"Good evening, Miss Granger." He said, returning her smile with a rare one of his own. "How are you feeling?"
Hermione smirked, "How polite you've become." Snape gave a small chuckle.
"I'll take that as a good."
"How long have I been here?"
"About 23 days and things have changed considerably in that time if you'll let me explain." Hermione nodded. "You and Penelope were the last to be petrified; the others will be as fine as you and should wake soon," As he said this, Madame Pomfrey moved to Penelope's bedside, greeting her with the same meal as Hermione. "Unfortunately, Ginny Weasley was taken into the Chamber today..." He paused as she gasped in shock; he didn't want to tell her she must leave forever. He sighed heavily, "The train will leave tomorrow morning. I'm afraid Hogwarts is closed." She stared at him, speechless as tears filled her eyes.
"But- what-" She stuttered breathlessly, "What am I supposed to do?" Her voice came out a whisper as she tried to calm her frantic breathing. "Where do I go? Just leave the Wizarding World altogether; what about my education," Her voice cracked. "What about our lessons?"
Snape could see her beginning to panic; tears streamed down her face as she tried to hide it in her knees clutched desperately to her chest. Very aware of Madame Pomfrey, Snape leaned forward gently and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Everything will be all right, Hermione. There are other schools, other teachers, you will most certainly continue your education. This is just a... obstacle towards that. Wherever you go, I am sure you will be able to fulfil all your dreams, perhaps more so. You can still graduate early do all of that."
Hermione shook her head, curling in tighter; she whispered, almost inaudibly, "but you won't be there. None of you will be."
Snape almost felt his heart break for the girl; she looked so very vulnerable. He was unsure how exactly he should answer her statement, for it was correct; he would likely never teach her again no matter how much he might enjoy it. Snape patted her hair awkwardly.
"You can go back to Gryffindor tower now if you wish to, or you may leave tomorrow morning. Your things can be packed for you; no need to worry over them."
Hermione felt as though she had run a marathon and did not enjoy her apparent habit of running from awkward interactions with the Potions Professor, but under no circumstances was she going to hang around while he explained the school's depressing fate to everyone else. Wiping her face, Hermione got out of bed with as much dignity as she could muster and put on her shoes.
"Thank you, Professor; I appreciate it. And everything else you have done for me this year." He nodded, not knowing how to respond as she made her way around him and out the door.
Shaking himself slightly, Snape moved to Penelope's bedside, preparing to explain the student's fate several times more. However, he suspected they would not be quite so difficult.
Hermione took a moment in the corridor to compose herself before walking through the portrait hole. Chaos was probably the best way to describe it, she thought. Students running around everywhere, some crying, some laughing, everyone trying to pack and drinking in their last moments in Hogwarts. The Gryffindor's were overjoyed to see her, eagerly asking about her experience petrified and how she felt now. Trying, as subtly as she could, to tell them all she was exhausted, Hermione eventually managed to detach herself from her peers and made her way glumly to her dormitory for the last time. There was a lot of screaming upon her entry; she had never been overly close with Parvati and Lavender, but she supposed, when there was no guarantee they would ever see each other again, they would want to know she was all right. Hermione sighed; she felt overwhelmed. Too much had happened too quickly. The last thing she knew was that the monster was a basilisk, and then she was waking up in the Hospital wi- her thoughts cut themselves off as she realized she had not told Snape about it.
Letting out an audible gasp, she turned on her heel and ran back down the stairs. She stopped abruptly in the doorway of the hospital wing several minutes later, reeling slightly as she tried to avoid running into Professor Snape leaving.
"Miss Granger. Are you alright? What are you doing back here?"
"Sir! It's a Basilisk in the Chamber; that's what's doing this."
"I-" Snape had to catch himself, revealing he knew of her secret. "Miss Granger Minerva is just about to alert the students; Miss Weasley has been saved. The work of your find friends yet again." Hermione looked at him dumbfounded as McGonagall's voice once more reverberated through the castle, ordering them all to the Great Hall for an impromptu feast.
"Oh...well, I suppose I should go to the hall," She stumbled back slightly, and Snape gripped her arm, spinning them around and into the hospital wing.
"We might just have Poppy check you over first; I believe she said rest and no exertion, and you've clearly done neither and have, in fact, done the exact opposite." Hermione bristled as she shook his hand off before realizing his tone had no malice. What on earth had happened to this man, she thought; he's acting awfully peculiar, and it has only been a month since I last met him.
Hermione allowed her thoughts to drift as Madame Pomfrey looked her over, occupying herself with Colin, who was just finishing his dinner, having been the last to wake.
"You're fine; just don't go running anywhere. Your muscles are already weakened from the lack of movement." Hermione nodded absentmindedly, wondering how exactly the boys had managed to save Ginny.
"Off you two go to the feast now; I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will have somethings to say." Hermione energetically hopped off the bed and hurried to the door.
"It won't go anywhere, Miss Granger. Stop running about." She turned and dramatically offered him the door, suddenly too thrilled to care about formalities.
They reached the feast reasonably quickly thanks to Snape's longer stride, and Hermione was delighted to see Harry, Ron, and Ginny seated at the Gryffindor table, attacking the feast and though it genuinely would be their last. Losing all sense of propriety, she ran towards them screaming.
"You solved it! You solved!"
They crushed her in a hug, all very thankful they would be back together again at Hogwarts.
The feast passed in a bizarre blur of blissful happiness; everyone was in their pyjamas, and it went on for several hours. Hermione listened raptly as Harry recounted the story for the third time that evening, believing the four hundred points they received were well deserved despite the number of rules broken. She supposed after making the Polyjuice potion, she could not hark at anyone for rules broken. Hagrid arrived at half three just as McGonagall announced that exams were cancelled for the year – news that left Hermione slightly dismayed. But, she tried to reason with herself, to catch up was probably enough work to sustain her for the next month of classes.
On Wednesday, they were to resume, giving the students time to recover from their night of festivities – and the numerous celebrations that continued the following day. The days were warm for the beginning of June, and the trio enjoyed their time lolling near the lake with the other students. Hermione was drinking in all the stories of the past month she had missed – all of them dissolving into laugher as Ron dramatically retold Harry and his most recent trip into the Forbidden Forest.
Wednesday afternoon brought Hermione back down to the dungeons, slightly more excited than she had been for all her other classes.
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," Snape was at his desk, marking as usual.
"Hello," she replied cheerfully, "how are you?"
"I am well, thank you, how has it been back in the world of the living." Hermione set her bag down and sat on top of her desk, smiling widely.
"It has been lovely thank you, everyone has lots of stories to tell me." Snape hummed as he scrawled something at the bottom of the essay.
"Yes, somehow, that doesn't surprise me." Clearing his desk with a neat wave, he looked up to see her watching him very intently, her hand mimicking the movement. He smiled.
"I thought we would do a calming drought today; they're exceptionally useful." She nodded eagerly. "They're moderately difficult, but I think you should be able to handle it; unfortunately, a bit like cheering charms, they do need the brewer to be perfectly calm. Do you feel up to it?"
"Yes, definitely." Hermione jumped off the desk and moved behind it to set up her cauldron as Snape – having placed the instructions on the board – fetched the ingredients she would not have in her kit already.
"Thank you," she said as he placed them on the table, mildly surprised at him being so considerate. He began to set up a cauldron beside her.
"Occlumency is particularly good for Potions such as these, but you won't be able to learn it for a few years."
"What is occlumency?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It is a very advanced form of magic which essentially involves compartmentalizing your Mind's Eye and then erecting shields to protect it from invasion. It takes a great deal of meditation to construct and then practice to be able to maintain it under the pressure of a legilimency attack which is the process of attempting to 'read a mind' as the muggles call it."
"That sounds fascinating sir, do they teach it at Hogwarts? Can I learn it? It sounds so useful?"
"Hogwarts doesn't teach it, but I may be able to teach you in a few years if you aren't too preoccupied with your other studies."
"That would be amazing." Hermione considered for a moment, "Would it make emotions and stuff more...straightforward, I suppose? Does it make things easier to identify and deal with because they are neatly sorted?" Snape stopped chopping the crocodile heart for a minute, not expecting her mind to immediately go there.
"It does... to a degree. But it is unwise to process complex emotions or events with occlumency; it can distance a person from living a little too much."
Hermione hummed thoughtfully, "Can you tell?"
"Hmm?"
"If a person is occlu... using occlumency, can you see it from the outside?"
"It is usually difficult to notice a practised occlumens when they are occluding. Usually, the only tell it their eyes, but naturally, most people aren't exceptionally observant of the eyes."
"Does the Lavender go next, sir; the board is a little hard to read?" Snape nodded. "Does it make them look blank?" Snape started at her question again. Had she noticed? She had, he remembered the letter very clearly. She had just blamed him for them.
"Um...they can look like that; yes," he responded awkwardly.
"Interesting," Hermione muttered, trying to focus on the potion and not his brewing. "Why are you brewing this as well? I've never seen you brew anything."
"I brew the potions for the infirmary," he said.
"Oh, that makes sense." Snape nodded. "You should give demonstrations; it is very useful being able to watch someone make the potions rather than just reading about what you are supposed to do and what it should look like," Hermione said quietly.
Snape continued chopping, pointedly ignoring the comment.
The following hour passed in peaceful silence as they brewed together. The potion was undoubtedly more complex than most of what Hermione had brewed, and her hands were still a little stiff, but she enjoyed the process all the same. Snape seemed to think it was passable for a first attempt.
"Did Madame Pomfrey give you another dose for your muscles?" he asked, noticing her increased concentration as her hands started shaking while trying to fill a vial with the potion.
"No, was she supposed to?" Snape began walking back to his office.
"I gave all the others a vial as they left for when their muscles eventually acted up. I'm surprised you went this long without going to the hospital wing." Hermione looked down at her hands, trembling slightly.
"I didn't notice, I mean, my legs were sore, but my hands are usually like this. Maybe not that bad now that I think of it." Returning, he handed her a small bottle of potion. "Thank you, sir."
"If it continues too long, go and see Madame Pomfrey. She will sort you out." Hermione nodded and handed him her own vial. He inspected it closely.
"It's very good, Miss Granger. I would say you could probably drink this, but I would give it a few more tries first." she nodded again and began to pack her things.
"Thank you, sir. See you tomorrow."
"Likewise, Miss Granger." she left.
Snape sighed; he had been so nice to her. She must be damned confused by now; he would have been at least. The last three days had been filled with conflict for Severus. Happiness at her being alive and him not being responsible for the loss of yet another brilliant witch, and shame at the reality of what he had done. Anxiety too, for how was he to tell her he had read the equivalent of her personal diary and then emptied his veins because of it. Well, he definitely would tell her the last part. Maybe on the final day of school, they ended on a Wednesday after all. Then at least she could consider the incident over the break and decide what she was to do about him, how much she should hate him. He absentmindedly bottled the potion, added it to his private storeroom, and then made his way back to his office to finish grading papers. Why did he need to be so stupid as to open the bloody box? Couldn't you just have been content knowing she wanted to hide something? He thought disparagingly. Suddenly the end of term could not come soon enough.