A/N: Please review. Please, please, please. (Gives puppy dog eyes.) Hope you like this chapter.
Chapter Three: It's Amazing What You Will Tell Someone Who Doesn't Care.
Hermione had been worrying unnecessarily. Dumbledore was right, there really was not much need for a protector these days. So far she had only ever experienced the electricity twice, so she avoided contact with Neville and Harry, and felt lucky that they weren't very tactile people.
Soon they got into their school routine and everything was back to normal, and it made Hermione feel much better.
Their routine was broken suddenly by an appearance of Harry's godfather. Sirius Black was yet to be pardoned, but he was secretly working for Dumbledore and every so often he made an appearance in the school, usually at night when no one would be up. He'd sneak in and wake Harry so that he could spend some time with him.
"So how are things going then?" Harry asked referring to the work against Voldemort.
"Not so good, every move we make he's ready for. It looks as if we have a traitor in our midst."
That was all it took to bring Harry's dormant paranoia to life again. Those few words from Sirius got Harry playing detective again, and pointing the finger at anyone he didn't like. First up Professor Severus Snape, Potions teacher, ex Death Eater and the founder of the We Hate Harry Potter club.
"I bet it's him," Harry said, Ron nodded but Hermione rolled her eyes. "I mean he was right in with Voldemort, he might not be on our side after all."
"Oh please," Hermione cut in startling Harry and Ron out of their conversation. "How many times are you going to this. Nearly every year you try to blame him for something and every year your wrong. Okay so Snape's not a nice bloke, in fact he's a complete bastard, but that doesn't mean that he's Voldemort's spy."
Her two friends were standing there giving her a strange look, then their eyes shifted to look over her shoulder.
"He's standing right behind me isn't he?" She asked.
"Yes, he is," a deep, silky, dangerous voice came from behind her. She turned slowly, and looked up. She had expected him to look angry but in fact he didn't seem to have any expression. His face was completely neutral, his eyes still not radiating any emotion, his lips didn't look as thin when he wasn't angry, they were still nearly non existent.
"Sorry professor," she started but he cut her off sharply.
"I don't nee to hear about it, just go away before I take points of each of you."
He walked off, the students standing in the hallways making way for him. Harry and Ron turned to Hermione.
"Well done, Hermione," Ron said, "we have Potions soon as well."
"Don't blame me, I was defending him, you were the ones saying he was in league with Voldemort," Hermione said crossing her arms over her chest and giving the two boys a disapproving look.
"Can you stop saying that name," Ron said covering his ears.
"Don't be sad, Ron," Harry said walking off, Ron and Hermione trailing behind him.
Harry and Ron went off to Divination, leaving Hermione on her own. She had tried to take all the subjects that were open to the students but after a near emotional breakdown she had to give up one. She had chosen to drop Divination, and Professor Trelawny had not minded in the least. So she now had a free period.
In the corridor near the transfiguration classroom a young girl was standing looking completely lost. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears any second, so Hermione thought she'd better help, she was Head Girl after all.
"Are you alright?" She asked in a soft voice so she didn't scare the girl any more.
"I was supposed to give this to Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing, but the staircase moved and now I can't find my way," the girl said, clutching a bottle of something or other to her chest.
"Oh right well, don't worry you'll get used to this place, I'll show the way."
The young girl followed Hermione to the hospital wing. Hermione went further in to see if Madame Pomfrey was about.
She was in the office in the back and she could hear her talking to someone so she thought she'd better wait.
She was talking to a man, the voice was familiar.
"You can't keep on like this, Severus," she said, "you should get yourself looked at properly."
"I can't, I don't have time, besides the potion stops the pain. I'll be fine," he said in reply, and Madame Pomfrey made a huffing noise. "I am the best monitor of my own health."
"Oh don't give me that, you wouldn't admit if you were dying," Madame Pomfrey retorted.
"Just leave me alone, Poppy," he said back, but it wasn't in his usual sneering voice, it was more like a plea.
He walked out of the office and Hermione tried to pretend like she wasn't listening.
Snape saw her standing by the door and he gave her a suspicious look.
"I'm beginning to think you're stalking me," he said in a bored tone.
"No, I was just, er," Snape chuckled lightly as she stumbled over her words. Hermione did a double take at this.
"I was only joking, I know you're not really stalking me," he chuckled again, "the very idea is ridiculous."
He walked off again and Hermione was stood there amazed that Snape had laughed and had even made a joke. Putting that with the conversation she had overheard in Madame Pomfrey's office, she decided that her Professor was not a well man.
Once the young first year student had got everything sorted out, Hermione went to the common room and finished off her Arithmancy homework. This was turning out to be a most bizarre year, and she had a horrible feeling that it was about to get worse.
When that period was over there was the dinner hour and then another two lessons. Hermione met Harry and Ron in the great hall and they looked thoroughly depressed after their Divination lesson.
"Honestly though, telling poor Neville that he would be put in mortal danger. The poor bloke isn't gonna sleep for weeks," Ron said shaking his head in disbelief.
"I can't believe Dumbledore lets her teach here, she obviously a fraud," Harry said piling mashed potato onto his plate.
Hermione wasn't listening. She was looking up at the staff table. Snape was sitting at the end, rubbing his right temple with two fingers, his eyes screwed shut in what looked like pain. Madame Hooch was sitting next to him, she looked at him and placed her right hand over his left, which was resting on the table. He looked up at her and said something, she said something back but he shook his head in a dismissive manner and stood up, exiting the hall via the door at the back.
She had never cared about her Professor's welfare. She didn't even like the man, he had made her cry on numerous occasions and never missed a chance to put her down and make her feel small. Yet she was slightly worried about him now, she didn't understand why, she didn't care why, her life had been turned upside down this year so her perspective on life was a little different.
They ate their dinner then left for the dungeons where they would have their Potions lesson. They walked down the long dimly lit corridor towards the classroom, all the Gryffindors sticking close to each other not daring to venture down alone.
They got to the door but it was locked. This was strange, the door was rarely locked and Hermione had seen Snape leave dinner early, so he should be here.
They stood outside talking quietly, no one really wanting to disturb the quiet of the dungeons. They saw a tall blonde haired boy come towards them and the trio groaned in unison, this was to be their first encounter with Draco Malfoy this year. As he got closer it became clear that he was not going to come and harass them at all. He just said,
"Alright Potter?" And he and his friends went to stand closer to the door.
They looked at each other in amazement.
"What is wrong with everybody this year?" Hermione asked, more to herself than anyone.
At that moment the door opened and their Professor stood in the doorway looking more dishevelled than ever, his clothes looked a bit crumpled and dusty, and he looked quite tired.
"Come in," he snapped sounding more irritable than ever.
The class walked in and Hermione couldn't help but notice that there were broken vials and bottles that looked like they fell off the shelf.
"Be careful of the glass, I've sent for a House Elf to clean it up," he said seeing the direction of Hermione's gaze.
'This is getting weirder' Hermione thought.
He set the class a writing assignment and sat behind his desk writing and marking papers. He dismissed the class a bit early but nobody complained. The class left all feeling happy that they had got out and not a single point had been removed from Gryffindor house. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones to realise how worrying this was. But Harry and Ron had little time for the man so they spoke about their concerns but left it at that. Hermione couldn't stop thinking about it.
That night the three friends were sitting in the common room when Hedwig flew in and dropped a letter on Harry's lap. He read it and as soon as his face lit up Hermione and Ron realised that it was from Sirius.
"Is he here?" Ron asked and Harry nodded.
"He wants us to meet him at Hagrid's hut. We can go tonight, you coming Hermione?" Hermione thought about it but she had a lot of work to finish so she had to decline.
Ron and Harry left under Harry's invisibility cloak, leaving Hermione alone with her work. After about half an hour Hermione realised that she was regretting not going, she thought about how much fun they were probably having, listening to Sirius' hilarious stories.
She threw down her quill and left through the portrait hole. She realised the danger of leaving without the invisibility cloak, for even though she was Head Girl with the threat of Voldemort over all of them she was no longer exempt from the curfew.
She tried to tread lightly so that she wouldn't make much noise and she always looked around corners before she turned them.
As she was tiptoeing down the corridor she heard a creak in the floorboards behind her. She spun round and was face to face with Argus Filch the caretaker.
"Well, well, well," he said in his oily, creepy voice, "Head Girl disobeying the rules, tut tut."
He led her down the stairs to the dungeons. She knew where he was taking her. To the one person who dealt the harshest punishments.
He knocked on the door to Snape's office and they heard a mumbled, "come in."
Filch opened the door and they saw Snape sitting at his desk.
"I caught this one sneaking around. Head Girl, Gryffindor, disobeying the rules," he smirked. Snape looked up his expression neutral yet again.
"Thank you, I'll deal with this," he said to Filch who gave Hermione a disgusting smirk and said,
"Good luck," shutting the door behind him.
"Maybe I was wrong, maybe you are stalking me. You were going to see Black I presume?" Hermione nodded. "Go away, I can't be bothered with detention," he said waving his handed to dismiss her.
She was just about to go and thank whatever higher being there was that she had no detention, when curiosity got the better off her. She plucked up every bit of Gryffindor courage she had.
"Sir," she said and he looked up, "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but is there something wrong?"
"What makes you ask that?" He asked leaning back in his chair.
"Well, erm, you haven't given me detention, today you took no points from Gryffindor despite the fact that Lavender and Parvati were talking incessantly throughout the lesson you look worse than ever, no offence, so well….."
"You think there is something wrong with me?" He asked cutting her off. She nodded. "You are quite right," he said and she stood there expectantly.
He sighed he may as well tell her. He would tell Albus but he didn't want to worry him, he'd made Poppy swear she wouldn't tell him anything she thought she knew. He needed to tell someone, and she is a perfect choice.
"You see, Miss Granger, I'm not sure how much longer I have left to live," he said and she was taken aback, "you are aware of the after effects of Cruciatus and Imperius?" She nodded. "Well it seems that I am paying for the mistakes of my youth. Cruciatus can send you made, I'm not sure which is worse, madness or the pain."
Hermione felt very sorry for him. Many believed that he had not paid the price for those mistakes he mentioned, they felt he should be in Azkaban right now, ut it seemed like he was being punished enough.
"I have good days and bad days. Today was particularly bad."
"Why did you tell me this?" Hermione asked softly.
"Besides the fact that you asked?" She smiled at his slight joke and nodded. "Because it's amazing what you'll tell someone who doesn't care," he said and Hermione felt this unusually heavy feeling in her chest. "Is that all, Miss Granger?"
She nodded and left saying good bye. Once outside she leant on the door and took a deep breath.
"But I do care," she whispered, "I don't know why, but I do."