Family Matters
By Aurora
Chapter 3
Hermione hurriedly tugged on her transfigured black robes as she made her way to meet Snape. She defiantly didn't want to be late on her second day back. Not a good impression on him. Not that she really knew why she cared at all what he thought. As she neared the familiar passage to the Potions Classroom, she felt the memories flood her.
They filed out of the classroom for the umpteenth time that year. Neville had detention again as was still cleaning his cauldron as class ended. Harry had come up to her and smiled, asking her to the Yule Ball. She had accepted of course. Why wouldn't she? He was her boyfriend after all. But it was custom to be asked and so he did.
"Such a long time ago…"she whispered to herself as she stared at the tables and snuffed fires.
She walked over to Snape's desk and saw some of his notes sitting on top next to his quill. She picked them up and scanned them briefly, remembering his fae-like script from her papers those years ago. She scanned his desk again after placing the papers back to their rightful places and saw his wax and seal next to his unlit candle. When she picked up the brass seal in her hand, she immediately remembered.
She turned the cream envelope over in her palms, feeling the roughness of the parchment on her hands. She stared at the deep green seal on the lip of the envelope, containing whatever an epistle for her. It was of a delicately shaped S that was elegant in style and long and wispy in shape. It almost seemed to slither across the wax, with its many tendrils and curls branching off of it with curved ease. She knew who it was from and she also knew that whatever it was, it was not pleasant.
She broke the seal then and opened the letter, unfolding the page in silence. The only sound was the crackling of the stiff paper as she smoothed it out on her desk.
As she read she began to tremble and by the time she was done she was shaking violently. Unconsciously she got up and began to walk. By the time she made it to her destination, silent tears had formed and slid down her cheeks leaving a trickled path of wetness there. As her feet shuffled in the doorway, he looked up to see her tremulous form and immediately went up and over to her.
She dropped the parchment to the floor and wrapped her arms around him sobbing. He cursed himself and tried to whisper soothingly to her.
"I thought it better this way. Thought you might want time to yourself. I guess I was wrong."
Nothing was said then. She just cried into him and he let her.
Her parents were dead, and the war was just beginning.
Her reverie was broken by the sound of Snape clearing his throat.
She absently wiped at the rebellious tears in her eyes before turning to him.
"Are you ready?" she croaked rather weakly.
He looked at the seal in her hand and her misty eyes and remembered himself.
She quickly put it back in its place on the table.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently.
"Yes, quite. As good as Ill ever be I guess." She said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well then, I guess I am ready as well. Shall we?"
She nodded quickly and began to precede him.
But a sudden thought caused him to reach out and touch her arm.
"Hermione…"he began, but she shrugged him off.
"Don't. Not now, not yet."
He nodded his assent and followed her.
Soon they were by the forbidden forest.
It hadn't occurred to him that he had just been following her. How had she known he would double apparate with her?
"Hermione, how did you know this is where we would be going and that we were going to apparate?"
She turned and smiled at him.
"Because I know you hate to Floo almost as much as you hate weekly staff meetings."
She had remembered that?
"So, lets do this. Where do you want me to hold on? I really don't feel like splinching today."
"My hand is the best bet. Don't worry. I haven't splinched in the last few days…."he said with a small smile at the end.
Before she could reply, they were gone in a pop.
