By Tegan
Echoes
Chapter 13: Friends and Enemies
"Move," Snape harshly commanded throwing her a sweater and slacks. Alarms blaring, mind whirling, Hermione pulled on her clothes and, stumbling out of bed, was immediately pushed barefoot through the fireplace, her slacks hanging loosely unbuttoned. Everything was screaming, rushing, swirling around her much faster than her mind could process, forcing her to act out of instinct rather than cognition. She felt detached, as if she were watching the crisis from a distance. She wanted to wake from this nightmare, but could not, and the black haze combined with the screeching walls and cool cement floor, confirming that she was indeed awake.
Her vision cleared, but her mind still reeled, as she entered Snape's rooms. Through the blaring siren she felt, rather than heard, something clunk against her feet, causing her to jerk backwards. She quickly steadied herself against the fireplace mantle. As her hand fell back against the hearth, her eyes shot down to the floor to see her shoes.
Without bending over, she forced her shoes on and glanced up as robes brushed against her. Ignoring her, Snape reached around and, grabbing the small can of Floo Powder from the mantle, tossed it to her, ordering, "Collect Harry, and return here immediately," and he strode towards the back room.
Hermione nodded numbly as she watched Snape walk away with confidence and control, wishing she felt as he appeared.
Now, a new fear began to take hold of her, as she thought of Harry. They were all in danger, but he was alone. A need to find him consumed her, giving her courage.
The lid rattled with Hermione's hands as she lifted it off, and awkwardly grasping the powder, she threw a pinch into the flames, and heard herself cry out, "Harry's room."
Once again she stepped through the black mist, barely registering anything, as her concern for Harry's safety grew.
"Harry!" She yelled, her eyes desperately searching his empty room, while she rushed toward the open door.
Harry ran back into the room, confused and jumpy. "Hermione, what's happened?"
With determination in her voice, she shouted, "Come with me now!"
As they tore through the flames, her world suddenly became still and quiet, so that she could now only hear their heavy breathing and the crackling of the fire. A shiver tingled along her skin, and she realized that this new silence was far more disconcerting than the blaring sounds of the alarm.
Hermione nervously looked up and saw Snape striding towards her, teddy bear in hand, his face dark and blank.
"Is it over?" Hermione asked, knowing full well it wasn't.
"Hardly," Snape replied coldly, "I only turned off the blasted alarm."
Before Hermione could ask another question, Snape's wand was drawn as he ordered, "Follow me. We need to be outside to use the portkey," and he rapidly strode past her towards the door, robes billowing out behind him.
Harry trailed behind Hermione, as she followed Snape closely.
As Snape opened the door to leave, a thud echoed down the hallway, and he lurched back, shoving her harshly into Harry. He turned and glared menacingly at the pair, daring them to argue.
"Wait here," he commanded in a low, dark voice, and crept stealthily around the corner into the darkness.
Hermione left the door slightly ajar and, positioning herself carefully against the wall, stared into the darkened hallway for what felt like an eternity. The silence now rang in her ears, and she held her breath in fear.
Through the darkness, she heard Snape shout, "Expelliarmus!" And a loud crash exploded down the corridor.
The end to a low moan brought silence once more. Hermione could stand no more and decided to act. She had just widened the crack enough to slide through, when a furious Snape burst in, slamming the door so that tremors rippled across the floor and walls, rattling the piles on his desk. Snape's knuckles were white with tension, and his face hard with anger.
He pointed his long finger accusingly at Harry. "You," he sneered through his teeth. "You and your bloody friends!" Snape shouted, enraged.
His rigid control disappeared for a moment, as he lifted a small table off the floor, toppling it over, sending glass flying and crashing against the floor and walls.
Hermione stood frozen in shock at Snape's wild behavior. She had only ever witnessed him so out of control once before, at the Shrieking Shack, when he had confronted....
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed.
Hermione looked over to see a bloody Sirius Black propped up uncomfortably against the door frame. His left eye was swollen, dark blue, and there was blood streaming down his chin from a deep cut on his lip. He touched his mouth gingerly as his eyes moved to Harry.
Though battered and bruised, Sirius smiled widely ignoring Snape as he limped over to Harry and embraced him in a fatherly hug.
Unimpressed by their joyful reunion, Snape spat, "Get out of my sight!"
Snape's eyes jetted from Sirius to Harry to Hermione and back again, spreading his anger evenly.
Though Hermione was reluctant to leave, she saw no other option and stepped into the hallway feeling a bit like a traitor.
Closing the door, Hermione started as another crash emanated from his rooms.
Though Hermione's mind was still back with Snape, Sirius and Harry were now focused on each others company. As they strode down the hallway, Sirius limped in large bursts, filling the house with his laughter. Hermione watched as another boisterous roar provoked him to slap Harry affectionately on the shoulder.
By the time they had reached the library, the air was light and cheerful, not at all like the frightening experience of moments before, nor was it the tense environment of the past few days. This sudden change in mood was surreal, and it made Hermione feel unbalanced.
Hermione chose an inconspicuous chair in the corner and sat, silently watching Black with suspicion, as he sat down with a thump. Stacks of books surrounded her, but she was much more interested in Sirius' reason for arriving as he did.
She stared in silent amazement and outrage as Sirius broke out in cheer, "Did you see the look on Snape's face?" He slapped his good knee for effect and continued gleefully, "It was brilliant, almost worth being thrown across the room," and he fell back with ease, sprawling out in his cushy chair.
Harry moved to the edge of his seat with excitement and blurted out, "So what's been happening? Is everyone all right? How are Dumbledore and Professor Lupin?"
The questions flew quickly, until Sirius held his hands up in mock distress.
Pushing aside her concerns for the moment, Hermione listened, eager to hear the latest news.
For a moment, Sirius' animated features became solemn. He hesitated, clearing his throat and began slowly, "I won't lie and say everything is fine, but there haven't been any more attacks. I met with Dumbledore yesterday, and he is as strong as ever."
Hermione sighed a breath of relief, reasoning that Dumbledore must have sent Sirius, though she pondered how odd the situation had played out. Why hadn't they been warned of his arrival?
As if on cue, Harry asked curiously, "Why didn't you let us know you were coming?"
Sirius shuffled guiltily in his chair, answering coyly, "Well," he paused to smile mischievously, "I'm not technically suppose to be here, but I couldn't let my only godson spend Christmas alone."
Hermione had held her tongue reasoning that there must have been some miscommunication, and that Sirius had arrived under specific orders from Dumbledore. Now however, having heard his playful admission, she became infuriated.
Shooting up from her chair, she stood glaring down at him. "You scared us half-to-death. You could have been killed, sneaking in like you did." Her hand swung around to emphasize her point. "We thought the house was under attack. Did you ever once stop and think of the consequences to your actions?"
Sirius looked like a scolded dog as he replied, "I knew coming to see Harry would be worth the risk."
Hermione was about to snap back, but was stopped short by Harry sending her a pleading look, which begged for silence.
Grudgingly, Hermione returned to her seat. Snape could be harsh and cold, but he would never be so reckless as to endanger anyone's life. Though he thought little of small animals, he was caring and gentle with her. The episode with the mouse yesterday exemplified Snape's lack of tact and charisma, however, the moment he had realized his mistake, his demeanor changed, became softer. For all Sirius' charm, Snape possessed those qualities that Hermione found most important.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as a small present waved in front of her face.
Sirius asked lightly, "Cracker?"
Hermione looked up, realizing how little her words had affected him. To his credit, Sirius seemed to have a knack for recovering from any situation. As her hand reached to the red paper tube, her eyes watched him carefully. Every part of his body was alive and animated. His smiles jumped easily to his expressive eyes, and his long hair, now pulled back into a loose ponytail, leapt and swung with his animated movements. He was so very different from the man he had been after escaping from Azkaban. He was as different from that man as he was from Snape.
Hermione cautiously pulled on the holiday tube, fully aware that Sirius was inclined to play jokes. Though the prize did not immediately explode, it was very silly indeed, as she read Wally's Instant Wart Kit.
She heard a crack and looked over to see that a package of gobstones had spilled out onto Harry's lap. Hermione cringed, not wishing to participate in any game that could spray her with the most vile fluid.
Before she even had time to reply, Sirius was gallantly tossing her and Harry two brightly colored packages.
Hers was a small rectangular box, covered in stars and bells, but Harry's was larger, causing Hermione to wonder how she hadn't noticed the box before. She quickly decided that he must have enlarged it while she was focused on her cracker.
Turning her attention to the Christmas present, Hermione thought back to the watch on her nightstand and smiled. Slowly tearing open the bright wrapping, she found that her box contained a small wizard camera.
Images of Harry and Snape at each others throats, while she snapped pictures, ran through her mind, and she grinned, lost in her thoughts. It was strange how even through such lively distractions, her thoughts kept returning to Snape.
As she inspected the camera, Sirius said, "It's to keep a record of my favorite people while we're apart."
A gasp caught her attention, and she looked over to see Harry pull a piece of long silvery fabric from his box. He quickly exclaimed, "You found my dad's Invisibility Cloak!"
"I thought you'd be wanting it back," Sirius smiled down at Harry.
Harry beamed with gratitude, and ran the cloth between his fingers.
And so, the reunion continued. Sirius strode the length of the room filling the air with his laughter, spreading his energy.
Sirius' lack of concern for his poor judgment shocked Hermione. Though Harry was happier now than he had been for some time, Hermione could not join in their merriment, and her mind drifted.
Whatever she thought of Sirius' actions, he definitely loved Harry, and she suddenly longed for the company of her own family.
At least she still had a family waiting for her. Harry had never really known his parents, and Snape had suggested that he had cared little for his before their deaths. Neither man had a true family, and for once, Hermione felt very fortunate that her situation was not worse.
A boisterous laugh interrupted her thoughts as she caught the end of Sirius' wild tale. "It was almost as bad as the time we snuck a dungbomb into his book bag!" He roared with laughter.
Knowing that she was neither in the place nor with the man she truly wanted, Hermione excused herself and made her way up the stairs to her room. The moment she had locked and warded her door, she tossed some Floo Powder into the fire place and asked uncertainly, "May I come over?"
Hermione stared expectantly into the fire, seeing nothing but flames. After a short pause, that felt longer, Snape's voice echoed back, "Do as you wish."
Taking a deep breath, she stepped through and once again was standing in Snape's rooms. Though nervous, she was not nearly as stunned or afraid as she had been earlier, when he had pushed her through. She brushed the soot away from her face and hair and, sitting down, looked over to see Snape standing by his desk, intensely focused on a small mirror.
"It seems the headmaster is not answering my call," he said dryly, not looking at her.
Absently, he laid the mirror on top of a pile of papers, and came towards the sofa.
"Why are you here?" He asked coldly.
Hermione paused for a moment formulating her response. She was sure he would scoff if she admitted her concern or affection, so she settled on, "Sirius and Harry needed some time alone to catch up."
Snape growled, "That arrogant fool has no idea of the danger he has put us in by visiting." He paused flopping onto the soft cushions, "but why would anyone so self-involved even bother to consider consequences?"
Hermione listened silently, not knowing what to say.
"His stunt almost caused me to completely destroy all of our work. I was just barely able to stop the timer on my Self-Destruct Spell."
He moved to the edge of the sofa, resting his elbows on top of his spread knees, as he stared down at his clasped hands.
Hermione longed to touch him, but wary of his reaction, she remained still. He continued, "Dumbledore never listens to reason when it concerns his precious Gryffindors. He may be convinced of Black's innocence, but I am not."
He breathed out heavily, adding, "Black may be able to play it off as a joke, but I have no doubt that he meant for me to die, or at the very least to become infected when he sent me to face that werewolf." He sighed and rested his head in his hands.
He tilted his head to her and implored, "Do you see?"
"Yes." This time, she ventured to lightly touch his arm. "I agree that his behavior today was appalling. I'm sure Harry would see it as well, if he weren't so thankful to have someone who cares around."
Snape muttered sarcastically, "Poor Potter, not satisfied with the whole world's love."
Hermione looked earnestly into his eyes and said, "No Severus, on this you are wrong. The Dursleys treat him horribly."
Snape huffed, "I'm sure no more than he deserves. He is always breaking the rules without thinking of the consequences, just like Black."
"He's not like Black. Harry would never be so thoughtless as to play a dangerous practical joke. The only person he endangers is himself."
"And anyone around him," he quickly interjected. Snape gazed deeply into her eyes and simply stated, "I would not wish to see you hurt."
Hermione's heart quickened and her breath quivered as she watched his hand move to hers. Instantly, and the moment before they touched, he jerked back as Dumbledore's voice suddenly called out from the corner of the room.
"Stay here," Snape murmured in a low voice that was almost a whisper.
Hermione sat frozen, fearful that Dumbledore would sense her strong emotions through the mirror, as she heard Snape walk to his desk and pick it up. In his most dangerous voice, Snape began, "Headmaster, it seems we have a visitor."
Hermione stared into the fire as it danced and played in front of her, while the two men conversed in the background. She could sense that though controlled, Snape was still very angry from his earlier encounter with Black.
"Ah, I see Sirius has decided to join you for a few days, regardless of my instructions."
"So you did not send him?" He asked in a voice that would have made a lesser man stammer with fear.
Dumbledore however, directly answered, "No, I most certainly did not."
Hermione's breath caught in her throat, as she anxiously waited for his reaction.
After a tense pause, Snape darkly replied, "I see. And you intend to do nothing about it?"
The old man's voice became lighter, as he asked, "What exactly would you like me to do Severus?"
"To begin with, you could get him the hell away from here. My work is sensitive, and there are far too many people here already."
She heard a sigh, and Dumbledore answer, "Severus, please be patient. He's there now, and I'm sure his presence is good for Harry."
Hermione could feel his frustration, as he sneered, "I want it noted that I do not agree with this decision."
"It is duly noted. Now then, is there anything else that needs immediate discussion."
Hermione heard Snape grumble a sharp, "No," and the men said their goodbyes.
A moment after the room went quiet, Hermione moved, leaning her chest against the sofa back, and watched as Snape placed the mirror deeply within the wall. His arm fell, up to his elbow, into the apparently solid wood. When his hand reappeared, the mirror was gone.
Without looking at her Snape said, "We need to resume our research."
Hermione stood up and replied, "I should probably go back around if I'm to help you in the laboratory for an extended period of time. Would you like me to bring some breakfast along?"
Snape nodded wearily and turned to watch her leave. Though Hermione did not see as she stepped into the fire, his eyes softened with gratitude, betraying his feelings for her.
** I used the idea of holiday crackers from POA. I did some research, but was really only able to find the American version of British crackers, which explained them as being little paper tubes that crack open when two people pull at either end of the tube. I hope I did the tradition justice.
** Thank you Severely Snaped and cosmoballerina(I love you two!), LoPotter, Morghaine(I hope you get your website running soon, so that all your wonderful NC-17's will have a home), Squirrel, Beth Ann, enlightenedkitty, Hermione Malfoy, Molly of Ozz, iceheart-04, and Kylee.
**Nicolette- I don't want to make Snape sappy, though very soon he will be expressing his thoughts and feelings more to Hermione.
**littlemandyralph- I really want to add more Dobby. He's such a fun character to write. (Soon, I hope)
**Fleab- I think Snape would think very little of harming mice, but this should not reflect on the way he views human life. I don't think he enjoyed killing the mouse, in fact, I don't think he thought much about it at all.
**Alia- You're right that most people would have talked their feelings out in more detail, but for better or worse, I've written Hermione and Snape as very private, closed people. I want to start making them open up to each other more, and plan to build on the incident in Chapter 12 in the near future.
**Veresna Ussep- I think you are right about Hermione.