The Crush – Part Eight

A/N: Definite warning for this chapter. Very dark topic, graphic description of injury and if you want to, keep your tissues ready okay? Now I know why I rated it R.

The next four weeks passed almost in a haze. Hermione was busy preparing for her exams and studied almost night and day whenever she had a minute to spare. Sometimes she was able to drag Ron and Harry along but if they were busy she went alone to the library. For hours she sat there her nose in a book only interrupting when she had classes or one of the boys reminded her that there were things like meal times and sleep.

Contrary to what everybody believed it wasn't purely the fear of failing the exams keeping her in the library but mostly the fear of having one moment to herself in which the horrible truth that she would never be anything other than a student to Severus Snape would have to be faced. So she worked so much that she slept never more than three hours and fell asleep as soon as her body touched the bed.

The potion classes were worst. Professor Snape kept to his word and treated her like he had always done. He was still ill tempered and these days even his Slytherin students were in danger of getting detention. The only thing that had changed was that Hermione never raised her hand again in potion class. When he asked her a question she answered without looking up.

It was one evening and Hermione was still in the library buried in a book about some ancient goblin battle when she suddenly felt a slight breeze caressing her ear. She remembered feeling something quite similar at one time with the potion master but quickly chased away that thought. There was no window in the library and the door to the hallway was still closed so she wondered where the air had come from.

Again she felt the soft tickle against her neck and this time she made out a very faint mumbling. As she strained to understand she realized that the door to the restricted section was leaning open and a soft light was bathing the inside into a warm cosy shimmering.

There- she held her breath to make out the words and then she heard them.

"Hermione." It was whispering her name!

But why and who was whispering? It sounded almost tentative as if the other one was not sure she would even hear him or if she wanted to listen. But there was an urgency in the voice, something bordering on desperation and it was filled with more pain than Hermione had ever known could exist in one person alone.

"Yes." Her voice trembled and she felt a bit stupid whispering back in the empty dark library but something inside told her to answer.

Probably my Gryffindor curiosity. Snape would love this.

Quickly turning her thoughts into another direction and ignoring the sharp feeling of regret washing over here at the thought of his name she waited for an answer.

"Go inside."

For some reason she knew that the restricted section was meant. Even so there were probably thousand reasons why she should ignore the voice she got up and without picking up her things stepped into the restricted section. The light came from one of the back rows where she knew the darkest volumes Hogwarts possessed were locked away and none of the teachers were even allowed to read them. You had to get an official permission by Dumbledore to get access.

When she reached the row to her surprise the shelves were open and the glow came from one of the books. With trembling hands Hermione gripped the book and slowly began to open it. It was a very old volume, leather-bound and without a title, and for some reason she felt as if it was talking to her. This time she heard the voice a bit better and for a moment she thought she knew who it was. But then the knowledge had passed and she shrugged it away.

"Open it."

She opened the cover completely and felt the strangest sensation, a felling like being pulled into a thunderstorm. It felt a bit like travelling with floo powder did. No it felt exactly like travelling with floo powder. But there was no chimney and no powder.

And then she was outside. Soft wind blew through her hair and she felt goose pumps on her arm when she saw where she was. In the distance she saw the shimmering silhouette of Hogwarts- she was standing outside the Hogwarts grounds! Somehow the book had teleported her here.

It was a very dark night without even a flicker of star light. The moon was covered completely by clouds and it felt almost like it would be raining soon. The air was humid and if you strained your ear you could hear far away a rumbling of thunder.

Then she saw the figure and heard the voice again- this time clearer than ever.

"Help me."

And then she recognized the voice which had sounded so familiar. If it hadn't been filled with so much pain maybe she would have recognized it sooner but there was no mistaking it now that it caressed her like the silken touch of satin. It was the voice of no other than Severus Snape, Potion Master at Hogwarts.

Hurriedly she ran to the figure lying nearby and to her horror it was indeed the potion master. He was covered in bruises and cuts, with blood flowing freely and soaking the grass beneath him. His robe was shredded and his hair looked like it had been burned at some places. The only thing she saw in the semi-darkness was that he looked paler than ever and that he was left here to die. Nobody would be out here till next morning and by then he was sure to be dead.

Carefully she touched his shoulder with her hand and he flinched. He curled even tighter into a ball and the breathing grew more ragged. She had to do something or he would die. She had to get him into the castle. But how? She couldn't carry him that far and she had to get him to the hospital wing fast or he was gone forever.

That made up her mind. She didn't have her apparating licence so far but she knew how to do it. Of course she had no practice but it simply had to work.

Slowly she bent down and cupped his bruised cheek. After a couple of seconds he stopped shivering and then she slowly caressed the soft skin. She had to wake him up somehow because he had to apparate himself. She could direct it for him but he had to make the initial effort.

"Professor Snape? Severus?" He stirred and she gasped when he opened his eyes. They were completely blank like he was not even seeing her. Severus Snape was blind!

"Hermione? Is that you?"

Gulping down tears and saving them for later she gently bend down and breathed a kiss down on his slowly blue colouring cheek.

"Yes it's me. I am going to help you Severus." Her voice was quivering and she noticed that she had to hurry or she would be in a complete state of shock without being able to do anything besides crying probably.

He tried to raise his hands as if he wanted to verify for himself that she was really there and that was the moment she saw that his hands, the pride of the glorious potion master, the hands with which he brewed potions to perfection, were broken in almost every place possible. Then she saw the part of his arm where the dark mark had been as he uncovered it by raising the hand a little. It was gone, burned out only leaving a dark, bloody whole. She felt like she was going to be physically sick in a moment.

"Severus, can you apparate yourself?"

His face turned into a pained grimace but he nodded.

"Yes. But I am not sure how far." The breathing grew even more laboured as the hand fell back down to the ground.

"You don't have to do it very far. We are outside Hogwarts and I have to get you to the hospital wing." The tears were beginning to fall now but why hold them back? He couldn't see her anyhow.

"Outside Hogwarts. What are you doing here at such a time?" A bit of the old ice crept into his voice reminding her of the professor.

"You called me." As it seemed like he wanted to protest she interrupted him. She had noticed his lips turning more and more violet and that his skin appeared completely without any blood. "But we have to hurry. I touch you at your shoulder and we apparate okay?"

He nodded obviously very tired without even trying to argue with her. That worried her more than anything.

Determinedly she softly touched him at his shoulder that looked like it was smashed and closed her eyes. She tried to imagine the hospital wing to get them there safely. It was more difficult to apparate inside than outside.

"Say the destination out loud. That usually helps." His dark eyes were for once without any trace of sarcasm or venom. Before she could close her eyes again he raised his hand again touching her leg as she knelt next to him. "In case I forget it later or don't have the chance to say it for some reason: I didn't mean what I said in my chamber. I can't stop thinking about you Hermione and only to protect you from me and my life have I restraint from talking to you. You mean more to me than my own life, more than anybody has for a long time." He closed his eyes then and softly said: " Now or I won't make it!"

And with that she closed her now tear filled eyes letting the moisture trailing down her cheek and with a strong 'Hospital wing' they disappeared from the clearing.

[Wow- it's amazing where a story takes you if you just let it stroll around. I wanted to write a make-up scene in the library and see where we are now. Should I let him die or live? Hm… tricky one really. What'cha thinking? Reviews please]