Chapter Five: Winter Break
Of course, Bit agreed with the idea of Snape tutoring Gwen more then any one else, much to their surprise.
So Snape and Hermione met every day during their potions class to discuss everything, and potions.
Snape on their second day of tutoring classes decided that Hermione was quite capable of passing any test given to her on the subject of potions. So they studied together, laughing, trading secrets, and over a while both started to look forward to the meetings.
Lucius however, was not pleased when he found out about the situation. Sure he and Gwen were friends in terms of an agreement, but he wanted to make sure that she wasn't a goody good.
He already had the plan laid out and waiting. It started winter break, tomorrow, when only Snape Gwen and he would be in residence.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"SO, Hermione," Snape looked up from his Artithmacy work "What do you plan on doing during your winter stay here?"
"I don't know, I have already read the entire book collection in here a million times over. Severus?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you staying?"
"Lucius." He said simply.
"That all?"
"Yeah, I guess. He probably has some weird scheme on his mind, and wants to test it."
"You should stay away from that stupid Git."
"Hermione," Severus set down his pen and put his head in his hands. "Haven't we been over this, I don't know, a thousand times?" He looked her in the eye. "I 'have to' be friends with Malfoy, it's not my choice."
"Who's choice is it then?"
"My father's. If I don't obey one of Lucius's stupid commands, not only will I have Mr. Malfoy to deal with, but my father as well. Also, if I stop being friends with him after all this time, people will notice, and they will see that I'm friends with the dream team as well, then I'll have to worry about whether I'm going to die in my sleep or not. So, do you get it yet?"
"Yes," she shrank back a bit. "Severus, do you know what a Death Eater is?"
"No, though you told me not to become one once."
"As long as you don't know what a Death Eater is, you're safe. The second Lucius knows what a Death Eater is; I want you to end your so called friendship with him."
"You can't control me Hermione." He said coldly.
Her head shot up. "What? No no!" She shook her head and her hands. "I'm asking this as a friend who doesn't want to see the you who can't smile ever again. As a friend who never wants to see demons in your eyes again. Please, promise me."
"Hermione, what if I have to become this Death Eater?"
"It's a title, not a thing, though that can be argued." She notified him.
"Just tell me what it is!" he slammed his fists down onto the table.
"Severus, I can't."
"Why?"
"It doesn't exist yet; it's like telling you of the potion that makes Werewolves tame, I told you what you will become, a teacher, and that was a bit too much." She placed her hand on his. "It's a taboo of time, I can't have you ahead of your time or you'll be miserable!"
"But you'll be here with me. And what do mean I'll be miserable?"
Hermione looked down.
"You aren't miserable are you?"
She didn't speak.
"Are you?!"
"I am. I see people I know as dead, I'm in a time where my parents are in school, I know no one in this world." A tear fell down her face. "I don't belong here, and having that feeling over you while having to lie to the faces whom trust you so much." She shook her head into her hands. "It's too much. Severus, you know I can't be here forever, I have to go home sometime."
He looked at his only true friend, who was crying now because she felt alone. Who was crying because she had to go home. He couldn't stand it. He needed her with him, before she came, he was always the Serpent who never got close to anyone, the one who hid in shadows, faithful sidekick to Lucius Malfoy, the largest bully ever to grace Hogwarts.
When she came, he became himself, he wasn't afraid to do what he wanted. She protected him. But what had he done for her? Tutored her in something she already knew back and forth? Talked to her, demanding answers from her? At least he could promise something as simple as to not becoming a Death Eater, what ever that was.
He walked up to her and put his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "Shhh, of course I know, I will miss you sorely when that comes, but until then I guess I can promise not to become a Death Eater fro you."
She put her arms around him and held on "Thank you so much!"
Severus was shocked about her sudden action but he relaxed and continued to hold her. "Your welcome, it's the least I can do, after all you have done for me."
She looked up at him with tear stained eyes. "What have I done for you?"
"Released me from the shell I was in before you arrived, Told me my future, and you confided in me your deepest secret. I feel honored; also I feel that I need to do something in return to show you my thanks."
"You've done more for me then you'll ever realize." She said and whipped her tears. "I probably look like a big mess, and my face is probably swollen."
"You look just fine," he whipped off a few of her tears, and her face a whole.
They both started to laugh.
That's how Remus saw them. Holding each other, and laughing like there was no tomorrow.
He had come to tell Gwen that he too was staying the winter break, but he guessed that it could wait until later.
He left with a big grin on his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Hermione walked into the Gryffindor Common room, she noticed how it felt very empty.
Usually Harry and Ron were about. Since they never went home when school was in session, she must have started to rely on them being there.
She sat in a red fluffy chair by the fire, and starred into the flames. She really missed them. In this time everyone went home it seemed. Sadly, she would be alone in the tower.
The thought made her feel even more home sick.
Even if everyone else left the school, Harry and Ron would have been with her. She couldn't go home, she just couldn't explain to everyone else why, so she said that she wanted to work on getting caught up. They all believed her.
She felt really home sick. In order to stop herself from crying, she pulled up her legs against her chest and hugged them. She then shut her eyes and tried to remember her past.
One thing she knew was that many people got caught up in their new time, that they forgot their old one. Thus making it impossible to return.
First year. She remembered teaching Ron the levitation charm. Swish and flick! She remembered the troll, how Severus saved Harry from falling off his broom, how she set his robes on fire. She laughed. She recalled reading off the information about Nicolas Flamel. The sorcerer's stone. She remembered Severus's Riddle, its logical simplicity.
Second year. She remembered meeting Harry and Ron in diagon ally. She remembered meeting Malfoy jr. aka Draco there as well. She remembered the Train ride, with out Harry or Ron, worrying her self to bits. She remembered Ginny's sorting, with out her brother there. She remembered why they weren't on the train. She recalled Harry using parsale Tongue for the first time in front of her. She remembered the rouge bludger. She remembered polyjuice potion brewing in myrtles bathroom. She remembered finding out what was in the chamber of secrets. She remembered being petrified. At this she shivered.
Third year. She remembered Lupin, she also remembered the dementors, and she once again shivered. She remembered her time turner, she remembered finding out what Lupin was, she remembered Severus teaching DADA, she remembered helping Hagrid with Buckbeaks case. She remembered finding out what or who Ron's rat scabbers was. She remembered Severus ruining everything. A tear fell down her face. She remembered saving Sirius and Buckbeak with Harry by using her Time turner. She remembered Harry's patronus.
She would have gone on if the portrait hadn't opened revealing Remus. "Remus!" she though how ironic it was that she was just thinking of him.
"Hey Gwen." He smiled at her. "Guess what?"
"What?"
"I'm staying this winter. Isn't that great?"
Gwen blinked a few times before smiling largely and running over and hugging her friend. "Thank Merlin! I thought I was the only one staying!"
"Glad you're happy, but maybe you should let go now."
"Why?" she looked up at hid oddly.
Remus chuckled and removed her arms from being around him "Snap could easily beat me in a duel."
Hermione looked at his oddly. "What has that to do with anything?"
Moony regarded his companion again before responding. "Well, he fancies you; if he learned that you were hugging me I'd be dead."
"Severus has more sense then that." She pointed out. "He knows I'm highly emotional and show it often, he would understand that I was merely relived that I wouldn't be alone this winter, so I hugged you. If he doesn't understand then I'd make him, but I doubt that a situation like that would present itself. Thus I'm allowed to hug whomever I please." She concluded.
"How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Well, you got Malfoy to be your friend, under your terms. You got Snape to come out of the shadows and show that he is in fact human, you then proceed to say that you could easily beat him into doing what ever you please, in the form of a short essay answer that a teacher would expect." He blinked at her.
"Don't ask me how, maybe it's just what needs to be done around here." She shrugged. "It's who I am."
"Good, we need someone like you around here."
And they both laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN:
Chapter five completed.
Tell me what you're thinking, and no, you aren't getting the significance of my story until later.
It would just ruin the story.
All good things come to those whom wait!
Review!
Relena
Of course, Bit agreed with the idea of Snape tutoring Gwen more then any one else, much to their surprise.
So Snape and Hermione met every day during their potions class to discuss everything, and potions.
Snape on their second day of tutoring classes decided that Hermione was quite capable of passing any test given to her on the subject of potions. So they studied together, laughing, trading secrets, and over a while both started to look forward to the meetings.
Lucius however, was not pleased when he found out about the situation. Sure he and Gwen were friends in terms of an agreement, but he wanted to make sure that she wasn't a goody good.
He already had the plan laid out and waiting. It started winter break, tomorrow, when only Snape Gwen and he would be in residence.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"SO, Hermione," Snape looked up from his Artithmacy work "What do you plan on doing during your winter stay here?"
"I don't know, I have already read the entire book collection in here a million times over. Severus?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you staying?"
"Lucius." He said simply.
"That all?"
"Yeah, I guess. He probably has some weird scheme on his mind, and wants to test it."
"You should stay away from that stupid Git."
"Hermione," Severus set down his pen and put his head in his hands. "Haven't we been over this, I don't know, a thousand times?" He looked her in the eye. "I 'have to' be friends with Malfoy, it's not my choice."
"Who's choice is it then?"
"My father's. If I don't obey one of Lucius's stupid commands, not only will I have Mr. Malfoy to deal with, but my father as well. Also, if I stop being friends with him after all this time, people will notice, and they will see that I'm friends with the dream team as well, then I'll have to worry about whether I'm going to die in my sleep or not. So, do you get it yet?"
"Yes," she shrank back a bit. "Severus, do you know what a Death Eater is?"
"No, though you told me not to become one once."
"As long as you don't know what a Death Eater is, you're safe. The second Lucius knows what a Death Eater is; I want you to end your so called friendship with him."
"You can't control me Hermione." He said coldly.
Her head shot up. "What? No no!" She shook her head and her hands. "I'm asking this as a friend who doesn't want to see the you who can't smile ever again. As a friend who never wants to see demons in your eyes again. Please, promise me."
"Hermione, what if I have to become this Death Eater?"
"It's a title, not a thing, though that can be argued." She notified him.
"Just tell me what it is!" he slammed his fists down onto the table.
"Severus, I can't."
"Why?"
"It doesn't exist yet; it's like telling you of the potion that makes Werewolves tame, I told you what you will become, a teacher, and that was a bit too much." She placed her hand on his. "It's a taboo of time, I can't have you ahead of your time or you'll be miserable!"
"But you'll be here with me. And what do mean I'll be miserable?"
Hermione looked down.
"You aren't miserable are you?"
She didn't speak.
"Are you?!"
"I am. I see people I know as dead, I'm in a time where my parents are in school, I know no one in this world." A tear fell down her face. "I don't belong here, and having that feeling over you while having to lie to the faces whom trust you so much." She shook her head into her hands. "It's too much. Severus, you know I can't be here forever, I have to go home sometime."
He looked at his only true friend, who was crying now because she felt alone. Who was crying because she had to go home. He couldn't stand it. He needed her with him, before she came, he was always the Serpent who never got close to anyone, the one who hid in shadows, faithful sidekick to Lucius Malfoy, the largest bully ever to grace Hogwarts.
When she came, he became himself, he wasn't afraid to do what he wanted. She protected him. But what had he done for her? Tutored her in something she already knew back and forth? Talked to her, demanding answers from her? At least he could promise something as simple as to not becoming a Death Eater, what ever that was.
He walked up to her and put his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "Shhh, of course I know, I will miss you sorely when that comes, but until then I guess I can promise not to become a Death Eater fro you."
She put her arms around him and held on "Thank you so much!"
Severus was shocked about her sudden action but he relaxed and continued to hold her. "Your welcome, it's the least I can do, after all you have done for me."
She looked up at him with tear stained eyes. "What have I done for you?"
"Released me from the shell I was in before you arrived, Told me my future, and you confided in me your deepest secret. I feel honored; also I feel that I need to do something in return to show you my thanks."
"You've done more for me then you'll ever realize." She said and whipped her tears. "I probably look like a big mess, and my face is probably swollen."
"You look just fine," he whipped off a few of her tears, and her face a whole.
They both started to laugh.
That's how Remus saw them. Holding each other, and laughing like there was no tomorrow.
He had come to tell Gwen that he too was staying the winter break, but he guessed that it could wait until later.
He left with a big grin on his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Hermione walked into the Gryffindor Common room, she noticed how it felt very empty.
Usually Harry and Ron were about. Since they never went home when school was in session, she must have started to rely on them being there.
She sat in a red fluffy chair by the fire, and starred into the flames. She really missed them. In this time everyone went home it seemed. Sadly, she would be alone in the tower.
The thought made her feel even more home sick.
Even if everyone else left the school, Harry and Ron would have been with her. She couldn't go home, she just couldn't explain to everyone else why, so she said that she wanted to work on getting caught up. They all believed her.
She felt really home sick. In order to stop herself from crying, she pulled up her legs against her chest and hugged them. She then shut her eyes and tried to remember her past.
One thing she knew was that many people got caught up in their new time, that they forgot their old one. Thus making it impossible to return.
First year. She remembered teaching Ron the levitation charm. Swish and flick! She remembered the troll, how Severus saved Harry from falling off his broom, how she set his robes on fire. She laughed. She recalled reading off the information about Nicolas Flamel. The sorcerer's stone. She remembered Severus's Riddle, its logical simplicity.
Second year. She remembered meeting Harry and Ron in diagon ally. She remembered meeting Malfoy jr. aka Draco there as well. She remembered the Train ride, with out Harry or Ron, worrying her self to bits. She remembered Ginny's sorting, with out her brother there. She remembered why they weren't on the train. She recalled Harry using parsale Tongue for the first time in front of her. She remembered the rouge bludger. She remembered polyjuice potion brewing in myrtles bathroom. She remembered finding out what was in the chamber of secrets. She remembered being petrified. At this she shivered.
Third year. She remembered Lupin, she also remembered the dementors, and she once again shivered. She remembered her time turner, she remembered finding out what Lupin was, she remembered Severus teaching DADA, she remembered helping Hagrid with Buckbeaks case. She remembered finding out what or who Ron's rat scabbers was. She remembered Severus ruining everything. A tear fell down her face. She remembered saving Sirius and Buckbeak with Harry by using her Time turner. She remembered Harry's patronus.
She would have gone on if the portrait hadn't opened revealing Remus. "Remus!" she though how ironic it was that she was just thinking of him.
"Hey Gwen." He smiled at her. "Guess what?"
"What?"
"I'm staying this winter. Isn't that great?"
Gwen blinked a few times before smiling largely and running over and hugging her friend. "Thank Merlin! I thought I was the only one staying!"
"Glad you're happy, but maybe you should let go now."
"Why?" she looked up at hid oddly.
Remus chuckled and removed her arms from being around him "Snap could easily beat me in a duel."
Hermione looked at his oddly. "What has that to do with anything?"
Moony regarded his companion again before responding. "Well, he fancies you; if he learned that you were hugging me I'd be dead."
"Severus has more sense then that." She pointed out. "He knows I'm highly emotional and show it often, he would understand that I was merely relived that I wouldn't be alone this winter, so I hugged you. If he doesn't understand then I'd make him, but I doubt that a situation like that would present itself. Thus I'm allowed to hug whomever I please." She concluded.
"How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Well, you got Malfoy to be your friend, under your terms. You got Snape to come out of the shadows and show that he is in fact human, you then proceed to say that you could easily beat him into doing what ever you please, in the form of a short essay answer that a teacher would expect." He blinked at her.
"Don't ask me how, maybe it's just what needs to be done around here." She shrugged. "It's who I am."
"Good, we need someone like you around here."
And they both laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN:
Chapter five completed.
Tell me what you're thinking, and no, you aren't getting the significance of my story until later.
It would just ruin the story.
All good things come to those whom wait!
Review!
Relena