By the time their guests had left, it was already too late for Hermione and
Snape to have their much-needed talk about the events of the previous
night. Of course, neither was particularly prepared to suffer through such
a discussion. Instead, both promptly went to bed, although it is doubtful
that either of them slept.
Around dawn, Hermione was comfortably situated in her bed, and Crookshanks lay in his usual place against her as though he'd never been gone. She was glad to have an old friend with her. Purring emerged from the beloved orange blob and she felt him vibrating comfortingly against her ribs. Crookshanks was giving her a strange look, though. almost like he was analyzing her and wondering something, instead of giving her his lazy, unconcerned cat stare.
[So you're a cat now, too?] Hermione sat bolt upright, disturbing her companion. She gaped at Crookshanks, breathing heavily. [What, don't want to talk to me?]
[I didn't know you could talk! How?] Crookshanks blinked, seeming amused. [We've always understood each other, Hermione. Or at least I've always understood you. It's only intensified because you've found your.shall we say. inner cat.] Hermione laughed, taking her friend in her arms and nearly squeezing him to death.
[I'm glad you're home Crookshanks.]
[I know-you said as much to Albus this evening.] Hermione stopped short. [You mean. you can understand me when I speak aloud, too?] Crookshanks notified her, somewhat smugly, that he understood all human speech. He instantly regretted this when Hermione tensed.
[You heard my comment about marrying the man you take a liking to, then? And what motivated that most interesting reaction from you?] Crookshanks would have rolled his eyes, if he could.
[Isn't it obvious? The poor man is falling all over himself because of you, and I dare say you're not behaving much better. Besides, I like him. He's smart, cool headed, and smells good.] Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously. [Are you saying he's attracted to me?]
[Attracted to you? The poor sod is hopelessly in love with you! He just doesn't know it yet. And you should just admit it to yourself that even when you were complaining about him to me during school you were attracted to him! Now tell me that you love him already so we can win him over!] Hermione just groaned and fell back onto the bed. "Fine, Crookshanks," she sighed. "I admit it, okay?" [But Snape doesn't love me back. You're wrong about that.]
[His heart sped up when you turned to look at him after I had bestowed my favor. He thought you didn't like him when you reacted the way you did.] Hermione buried her face in her pillow. [Why do cats have to be so damned observant? How do you know HE wasn't horrified?]
[His body temperature rose too much. Snapie boy's reaction to you smacks of something very different from horror. If you'd looked at him any longer, or in the way he wishes you would, I wouldn't have been very comfortable in the poor guy's lap. He's in a worse way than Ron is!] Hermione felt the blush creeping up her neck, and was glad her cat couldn't see her face. She forced all thoughts of Ronald Weasley out of her mind.
[I don't like Ron, either,] he commented. [I'd be rather upset if I had to share you with that one.] Hermione sat up now, and Crookshanks forced his head under her palm. He purred contentedly when she scratched his ears. [Now, Hermione, change so I can finally see the cat in you!] She changed, and Crookshanks was obviously appreciative.
[You know, if your affections didn't already lie elsewhere I'd tell you to stay a cat and run away with me.] Hermione changed back and laughed until she cried. [Crookshanks, if you were a human you'd be a dirty old man! But I love you anyway.] Crookshanks lay down and squinted at the sun shining through the window. [If I had any doubt of that, I wouldn't be here. I love you too, Hermione. You're my best friend, you know.] Hermione took a long bath before she went down to breakfast, where she found Crookshanks curled up dutifully at Snape's feet.
"Good morning," she yawned as she plopped down across from the Professor. He nodded and finished reading his Daily Prophet before folding it up and setting it aside. The meal was silent, and very uncomfortable. Each wanted to speak to the other, and each was unsure how to proceed. Finally, Crookshanks glared at Hermione and leapt onto the table. He very deliberately went to Snape's plate and took a piece of bacon for himself. Snape snorted. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Crookshanks looked at him, walked over to Hermione, and munched slowly as though daring Snape to stop him. Hermione couldn't help laughing. "What's so funny?" Snape growled, and Hermione only laughed harder.
"He likes you, Professor," she howled. "You've just been bestowed a great honor! He usually only steals from me!" As if to prove her point, Crookshanks helped himself to Hermione's milk. Snape glared at the cat. "I hope you're not going to drink after him." Crookshanks looked offended and puffed out his fur. Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Severus, his mouth is every bit as clean as yours." He snorted again, and looked to Crookshanks, who was now shamelessly begging to be stroked. Rolling his eyes, Snape reached out a hand and grudgingly scratched the tomcat's ears. In response, the cat purred obnoxiously.
Unable to remain comfortable with each other, Hermione and Snape simply couldn't maintain a conversation. This gravid silence increasingly weighed on them until that evening in the library, when a conversation was finally born.
"Severus?" he looked at her a little too quickly. He obviously hadn't been that interested in his book tonight. Now she felt herself become the direct focus of his attention, and the quiet intensity in his eyes startled her. "I used an unforgivable curse last night. Am I. a murderer?" His features softened, and remembering what she knew about his past, Hermione felt that Snape understood.
"Hermione, you did nothing wrong last night. In fact, you did the world a service. According to Albus, you also performed the most incredible healing magic in history. You saved both of our lives, and I." he stalled a bit, the first time she'd ever seen him at a loss for words. "I am in your debt."
[He won't thank you, Hermione,] quipped Crookshanks. [He doesn't place enough value on his own life to be grateful for it. Now, I'll just leave you two alone.]
"You aren't in my debt, Severus." When he looked doubtful, she added, "But if you insist, here are my demands: you will remain my friend, you will continue to teach me, you will let me attempt to teach you what I learned last night, and you will never, ever, tell me that what happens to you is of no consequence." His eyes took on a new level of intensity, and she could feel a denial coming. "I am not much of a friend, Hermione. And I don't live much of a life."
"Severus, I wouldn't have put so much effort into my work last night if you didn't matter to me. And even now I can't bear to think what I would have done if you had. if." Hermione couldn't say it, because she really didn't want to think about it. She looked at him helplessly, half ready to cry. His eyes were still fixated on her, and she saw flickers of emotion that weren't there long enough for her to identify them. Snape's breathing hitched, then she heard him release it shakily. Almost without realizing it, she had moved over to the couch he had been using and thrown her arms around him, burying her face in his robes. He froze for a moment, then relaxed a little and brought a trembling hand up to stroke her hair. They remained that way for a very long time.
Around dawn, Hermione was comfortably situated in her bed, and Crookshanks lay in his usual place against her as though he'd never been gone. She was glad to have an old friend with her. Purring emerged from the beloved orange blob and she felt him vibrating comfortingly against her ribs. Crookshanks was giving her a strange look, though. almost like he was analyzing her and wondering something, instead of giving her his lazy, unconcerned cat stare.
[So you're a cat now, too?] Hermione sat bolt upright, disturbing her companion. She gaped at Crookshanks, breathing heavily. [What, don't want to talk to me?]
[I didn't know you could talk! How?] Crookshanks blinked, seeming amused. [We've always understood each other, Hermione. Or at least I've always understood you. It's only intensified because you've found your.shall we say. inner cat.] Hermione laughed, taking her friend in her arms and nearly squeezing him to death.
[I'm glad you're home Crookshanks.]
[I know-you said as much to Albus this evening.] Hermione stopped short. [You mean. you can understand me when I speak aloud, too?] Crookshanks notified her, somewhat smugly, that he understood all human speech. He instantly regretted this when Hermione tensed.
[You heard my comment about marrying the man you take a liking to, then? And what motivated that most interesting reaction from you?] Crookshanks would have rolled his eyes, if he could.
[Isn't it obvious? The poor man is falling all over himself because of you, and I dare say you're not behaving much better. Besides, I like him. He's smart, cool headed, and smells good.] Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously. [Are you saying he's attracted to me?]
[Attracted to you? The poor sod is hopelessly in love with you! He just doesn't know it yet. And you should just admit it to yourself that even when you were complaining about him to me during school you were attracted to him! Now tell me that you love him already so we can win him over!] Hermione just groaned and fell back onto the bed. "Fine, Crookshanks," she sighed. "I admit it, okay?" [But Snape doesn't love me back. You're wrong about that.]
[His heart sped up when you turned to look at him after I had bestowed my favor. He thought you didn't like him when you reacted the way you did.] Hermione buried her face in her pillow. [Why do cats have to be so damned observant? How do you know HE wasn't horrified?]
[His body temperature rose too much. Snapie boy's reaction to you smacks of something very different from horror. If you'd looked at him any longer, or in the way he wishes you would, I wouldn't have been very comfortable in the poor guy's lap. He's in a worse way than Ron is!] Hermione felt the blush creeping up her neck, and was glad her cat couldn't see her face. She forced all thoughts of Ronald Weasley out of her mind.
[I don't like Ron, either,] he commented. [I'd be rather upset if I had to share you with that one.] Hermione sat up now, and Crookshanks forced his head under her palm. He purred contentedly when she scratched his ears. [Now, Hermione, change so I can finally see the cat in you!] She changed, and Crookshanks was obviously appreciative.
[You know, if your affections didn't already lie elsewhere I'd tell you to stay a cat and run away with me.] Hermione changed back and laughed until she cried. [Crookshanks, if you were a human you'd be a dirty old man! But I love you anyway.] Crookshanks lay down and squinted at the sun shining through the window. [If I had any doubt of that, I wouldn't be here. I love you too, Hermione. You're my best friend, you know.] Hermione took a long bath before she went down to breakfast, where she found Crookshanks curled up dutifully at Snape's feet.
"Good morning," she yawned as she plopped down across from the Professor. He nodded and finished reading his Daily Prophet before folding it up and setting it aside. The meal was silent, and very uncomfortable. Each wanted to speak to the other, and each was unsure how to proceed. Finally, Crookshanks glared at Hermione and leapt onto the table. He very deliberately went to Snape's plate and took a piece of bacon for himself. Snape snorted. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Crookshanks looked at him, walked over to Hermione, and munched slowly as though daring Snape to stop him. Hermione couldn't help laughing. "What's so funny?" Snape growled, and Hermione only laughed harder.
"He likes you, Professor," she howled. "You've just been bestowed a great honor! He usually only steals from me!" As if to prove her point, Crookshanks helped himself to Hermione's milk. Snape glared at the cat. "I hope you're not going to drink after him." Crookshanks looked offended and puffed out his fur. Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Severus, his mouth is every bit as clean as yours." He snorted again, and looked to Crookshanks, who was now shamelessly begging to be stroked. Rolling his eyes, Snape reached out a hand and grudgingly scratched the tomcat's ears. In response, the cat purred obnoxiously.
Unable to remain comfortable with each other, Hermione and Snape simply couldn't maintain a conversation. This gravid silence increasingly weighed on them until that evening in the library, when a conversation was finally born.
"Severus?" he looked at her a little too quickly. He obviously hadn't been that interested in his book tonight. Now she felt herself become the direct focus of his attention, and the quiet intensity in his eyes startled her. "I used an unforgivable curse last night. Am I. a murderer?" His features softened, and remembering what she knew about his past, Hermione felt that Snape understood.
"Hermione, you did nothing wrong last night. In fact, you did the world a service. According to Albus, you also performed the most incredible healing magic in history. You saved both of our lives, and I." he stalled a bit, the first time she'd ever seen him at a loss for words. "I am in your debt."
[He won't thank you, Hermione,] quipped Crookshanks. [He doesn't place enough value on his own life to be grateful for it. Now, I'll just leave you two alone.]
"You aren't in my debt, Severus." When he looked doubtful, she added, "But if you insist, here are my demands: you will remain my friend, you will continue to teach me, you will let me attempt to teach you what I learned last night, and you will never, ever, tell me that what happens to you is of no consequence." His eyes took on a new level of intensity, and she could feel a denial coming. "I am not much of a friend, Hermione. And I don't live much of a life."
"Severus, I wouldn't have put so much effort into my work last night if you didn't matter to me. And even now I can't bear to think what I would have done if you had. if." Hermione couldn't say it, because she really didn't want to think about it. She looked at him helplessly, half ready to cry. His eyes were still fixated on her, and she saw flickers of emotion that weren't there long enough for her to identify them. Snape's breathing hitched, then she heard him release it shakily. Almost without realizing it, she had moved over to the couch he had been using and thrown her arms around him, burying her face in his robes. He froze for a moment, then relaxed a little and brought a trembling hand up to stroke her hair. They remained that way for a very long time.