The Crush – Part Nine
A/N: Again I have received wonderful feedback for this story and nobody can imagine what that means for me. I write this story for your entertainment and mine of course but I publish it for others to read. Praise (and boy there was enough of that ;) and criticism is both welcomed especially when I make so horrible mistakes like the last ones that have been pointed out. Thanks for not flaming so.
Of course the remark of the two centuries was a mistake but I simply confused the two words century and decade. Really embarrassing was the one that was pointed out to me by watcher8. Of course you can't apparate into Hogwarts! I would flame myself if I could. Well I found a way to deal with that mistake and don't ever hesitate to point such crucial mistakes out to me.
This is beta'd now and I want to say a big thank you to Rachel who took on the job. The story is soo much better than before because of her input.
And in the same moment Severus and Hermione were back in the clearing. Confused, Hermione looked around. Why weren't they inside in the hospital wing?
"You can't apparate into Hogwarts," came Albus Dumbledore's soft voice.
Hermione spun around and looked at the headmaster desperately.
"Please, you have to help me. Professor Snape is injured and if I don't get him to the hospital wing soon he will die."
"I'll take care of that Albus." Minerva McGonagall stepped from behind the headmaster's body and conjuring up a stretcher, carefully placing Snape on it. He was pale as a corpse now and Hermione had no idea if he was still alive. As fast as possible, Professor McGonagall disappeared towards the entrance to the castle.
Dumbledore extended his hand and, like a child, Hermione gripped it tightly wanting to be led for a change. After the last few weeks and the horrible evening she'd had so far, she felt as though she wanted to curl up somewhere and die.
"No need for that Hermione. I am sure Poppy will be able to help him."
She hadn't realized she said the last thing out loud and blushed.
Slowly the two of them crossed the lawn and stepped into the castle. Instead of going to the hospital wing like she had hoped, Professor Dumbledore led her to the tower where his office was.
Sure. He wants to know what you were doing outside and how you got there in the first place.
Not knowing really what to do, other than telling the complete truth no matter how impossible it sounded, she sighed as they entered the small, comfortable office and she sank into a chair.
"Lemon drop?" As the girl shook her head he popped one into his mouth and then looked at her gravely.
"Hermione I have to ask you this and I expect an honest answer." After she nodded her affirmation, he continued. "What were you doing outside at this time of the night?"
Somewhere in the back of her mind she noticed that it was almost the same as what Professor Snape had asked her and truthfully she gave Albus the same answer.
"Professor Snape called me." When she saw no disbelief on the headmaster's face she continued, letting her mouth keep going and going. She told him about the late night study session and the voice she had heard, the open restricted section and the whispering book, and how she had found the professor outside on the brink of death. When she began to describe the horrible wounds, tears were streaking down her face and she began to sob after she had described the burned out mark on his left upper arm.
Patiently the old wizard waited until she had collected herself and then handed her a tissue to dry her tears. His eyes looked warm and comforting and she smiled a little.
"As I don't have to tell you that travelling with this book was quite dangerous, I am glad you found Severus. He would be dead if you hadn't heard the call."
"May I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"Why did you come out? How did you know we were there?"
Albus Dumbledore smiled now.
"I put the wards up around Hogwarts that prevent apparating. When somebody tries to apparate but fails, I am notified. I even know who tries to apparate inside and when I realized it was you and Severus, I came out instantly."
They were quiet for a moment until Hermione's curiosity got the better of her.
"Who do you think did that to Professor Snape?"
Again the older man looked grave and sighed.
"There is really only one wizard powerful and cruel enough to do such a thing."
"Voldemort." Hermione's voice shook with anger when she whispered the name.
"Yes I would think so. More even so I know that the mark was burned out. He probably found out that Severus works for the Order of the Phoenix and wanted to make an example of him. He was surely meant to be either dead or at least so gravely injured that he would be of no use to us in the future."
"His hands."
Albus nodded. "Exactly. The hands, the eyes- even if he survives I am afraid that he will be not able to either work as a spy or as a potions master."
Again she felt hot tears of anger and rage in her eyes. Somehow she knew that that would be hard, if not impossible, to take for the Head of Slytherin. Then a wave of compassion overwhelmed her and she had to grip the sides of her chair to not run out immediately. She wanted to be at his side when he woke up. First of all she had to know that he would survive.
"Can I go and wait until he awakes?"
For a moment the headmaster hesitated but then decided that it was probably a good idea if the girl was at Severus' side when he awoke. He had his own ideas about the two and their relationship, but this was neither the time nor the place to discuss this.
"Alright. I wanted to have a look at him as well, so if you please, follow me."
Together they exited the office leaving Fawkes in his cage where he continued to sleep.
Two hours later Severus still had yet to wake up and slowly horror began to creep into Hermione's heart. What if he never awoke again? What if he just stayed like this without opening his beautiful eyes again? What if the world never heard the biting sarcasm again as Professor Snape held one of his potions classes?
The whole room was dark, only lit by a few candles and a light blue shimmer was coming from one of the cabinets. For a moment she wondered what was inside the cabinet, but then all thoughts about that left her mind as she felt a light squeeze from Snape's right hand, where she had taken his lifeless figures into her warm ones.
Her eyes flew to his face and she saw that now his eyes were open, but still looked horribly blank. Poppy had healed all of his inner wounds and cured most of his broken bones, but even so, she had informed them with a trembling voice that she had no idea how his fingers would look once, and if, they healed. She had given him a healing potion that contained a painkiller and something to make him sleep.
"Hermione?" His voice still sounded so strained and so lost that she had to push back another round of tears. She had to be the strong one for now.
"Yes, it's me Professor." She squeezed his hand back and before she lost her nerves, she bent down and breathed a kiss on his forehead.
"Then it wasn't a dream. That you were in the clearing."
"No. You called me."
He shook his head. "No. You said that before, but how could I have done that? You were sleeping in your dormitory."
"I was in the library." She felt guilty; he was one of her teachers after all.
"What for?" He sounded firm now, and still kept her hand in his.
"Late night study session."
"What happened?"
She sat down next to his body on the bed and carefully brushed a strand of hair back from his face.
"I heard your voice whispering my name and the restricted section was open. A book there was glowing and as soon as I opened it, I was transferred into the clearing."
He looked worried now.
"A teleporting book? Never knew that we had one in the library here." He paused but then he sounded angry. "That was very foolish to do, Ms Granger. You had no idea who wanted to teleport you; you didn't even know it was a teleporting book. You could have landed anywhere, including many places you rather shouldn't be. A typical Gryffindor trait."
"But I saved your life!" Anger built up inside her. She hadn't expected gratitude, not from him, but at least something like appreciation of her actions. He sounded as if she had done something horribly wrong. Maybe she had, but that had saved him from death.
"I can't remember asking you to do so." Now the ice was back. He withdrew his hand from hers angrily.
"I don't care! I am glad I saved you and I am glad I used that book. You could be dead by now and I would never have the chance to-" She was interrupted by Madame Pomfrey's stern voice.
"Quiet down, both of you! This is a hospital wing, not a common room. You, Professor Snape, owe this young woman here a thank you, because if it weren't for her, you would be dead by now. And you, Ms Granger, should be a bit more patient with him. Screaming won't solve anything with this ill tempered, stubborn man."
"I heard that." Snape's voice sounded again tired. "And Poppy now that you are here, could you please remove the bandages around my eyes. This darkness is getting rather tiresome."
Hermione saw Madame Pomfrey pale and felt her own heart breaking all over again.
"There aren't any bandages around you eyes, Severus." Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway and Hermione wondered how long he had been standing there.
It took a second for the words to sink in, and then for another second, Snape wasn't able to cover up his emotions. Sheer horror and desperation consorted his features but then a mask of ice covered all of that.
"I see." The voice was bare of any emotion. But then he turned and looked into the direction of Hermione next to him. "Tell me again why you feel you deserve some gratitude, Ms Granger? For saving me from death? What do I get in exchange for the peace of death? A life where I can't see and where I can't even use my hands. Thank you indeed, Ms Granger, for your Gryffindor courage. I am eternally in your debt."
Before anybody could say or do anything, a sharp slap was heard as Hermione's hand connected with Snape's cheek.
"Never speak like that again, as though your life is worth nothing. You may not value it very highly, but there may be others who do." With that, she got up and left the room, hearing Dumbledore's calm voice from inside. She was quite proud of herself, and now that she was alone, tears were flowing down her cheeks.
[Ehem… I am not going to say I am sorry. I am not. Hope this was as angsty to read as it felt writing it. I like them all to suffer some before I let them see the light. You have to see complete darkness to value sun. I guess.]