Snape woke earlier than Hermione. The two were still wrapped around each
other, and Snape reluctantly and gingerly pulled away, trying not to wake
her. Even if Madam Pomfrey was discreet, she wasn't an idiot. One look at
the two of them curled up in each other's arms would tell her they had
become used to sleeping together. He didn't want that to get out, at least
not yet. He couldn't bear to think about what Hermione would have to go
through if students found out about their relationship. He had dealt with
all sorts of animosity and hatred for all his life, it wouldn't bother him.
'Poor Hermione...' he mused. 'It would crush her.'
Getting slowly to his feet, Snape grabbed his wand. It would do some good if he could brighten up the place before Hermione woke. With a swish and flick roses were conjured on one table, daisies on another, and mums on the window ledge. A box of chocolate was made next to the roses. Snape smiled. 'Chocolate...the cure for everything.' He took a caramel piece for himself before turning to make his side of the bed, finding it a bit difficult because Hermione was currently moving about exactly between the two mattresses.
Snape threw on his robe as voices from outside seemed to be getting closer. A new set of clothes had been brought for both him and Hermione by the houselves, and he was grateful to them. Coming out of the hospital wing with yesterday's clothes could be a trifle embarrassing. Poppy's was surely in the mix, and it sounded like a few of Hermione's friends had finally gotten wind of where she had vanished to. 'But they don't know the half of it.' Poppy, the dear woman she was, sounded as if she was trying to get the students to wait in another room. It would not look too good if Snape waltzed out of Hermione's private room, nor if they walked in to find him there with her.
Snape was jolted out of his thoughts by a soft knock on the door. When he grunted a low "enter", the head of the Mediwitch was popped into the now bright room. Poppy smiled.
"Is she...?" She motioned to Hermione. Snape shook his head.
"Still asleep. Should I wake her?"
Madam Pomfrey frowned, and seemed to consider. "No." She said at last. "The poor lass needs her rest. Severus, why don't you go get yourself cleaned up and I'll inform you when Hermione wakes up." She glanced at her watch. "Breakfast is in half an hour."
Snape's face fell. Breakfast. He could skip that; he made a habit of sporadically attending. It was what came after that irked him. Classes. "Damn."
Poppy almost read his mind. "I'm sure Dumbledore would let you take the day off. I mean really, a lot has happened to you over the course of one night!" She busied herself in opening the curtains and changing the sheets on the side of the bed Hermione had not rolled on to. Snape frowned ever harder.
"Looks like I'm going to just have to suck it up and go." The witch before him smiled. Snape didn't know what it was about her, but she somehow always made him calmer. He never talked quite harshly to her, and if he did she merely laughed at him. There was no point, she could sense his emotions. It was like they connected. A sudden urge came over him. "Thank you, Poppy."
"Oh don't go thanking me, I'm only doing my job!" But her grin was genuine, and Snape left the hospital wing in a more than considerably better mood than he'd arrived in.
*************************************************
Hermione woke with a start. 'Where am I?' It took a moment for her to recognize the room behind Madam Pomfrey's office, and that she was in the Hospital Wing.
Hermione lifted to a sitting position slowly. She could feel aches and soreness in odd places on her body. And then it all came screaming back...the Death Eaters, Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, Severus...
"Severus!" Hermione called, looking at the empty bed beside her. She knew he had been there, his scent still hung smoothly in the air. She remembered him standing there, then her other professors showing up. She must have fainted, or passed out from exertion. At least they were all right...or were they? Hermione squinted, recalling that someone had been hit.
Poppy stopped, and Hermione's voice filled the still air. She was calling for her lover. Poppy sighed, she loved Hermione dearly, and wanted nothing for her but happiness, and she felt a strong affection for her coworker Severus...but the two of them together? She knew that they would make a great pair, and that they would be good for each other, but it would be so hard for them. She shook her head. 'Let everyone else say what they want, those two should be together.' And with that she put down the tray she was carrying and headed to the room behind her office.
Madam Pomfrey poked her head in after a short knock on the door. She took in Hermione's weak smile, and gave the younger girl a hand as she stepped out of bed. A crease of worry appeared over Hermione's brow, and Poppy answered her just as her mouth began to open.
"Professor Flitwick was hit, but only grazed, actually. It was his thumb. I fixed it up right for him, and he's going to be just fine. Don't worry about anyone else dear, they're all alright." She handed her a set of robes. "Severus will be down shortly. Go on then, these are yours, Miss Weasley brought them down for you."
Hermione smiled and blushed slightly when the mediwitch had mentioned her lover. "Thank you Poppy."
And she left Hermione to change.
Just as she had promised, Snape was soon outside Hermione's door. Harry, Ron, and Ginny, he told her, were still at breakfast, and he gladly avoided the whole event to see her. As soon as the door had been closed and locked behind him, Hermione flew to Snape and wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you." Tears flowed from her face as Severus bent to kiss her cheek, not wanting to touch her too intimately. Even if she hadn't been fully raped, she had been violated, and it was enough to make her wary of a man's touch. He held her as if she was made of gossamer that he could not afford to break.
"I love you too Hermione. So, so much." He gave a slight squeeze of the hand around her waist, and she dropped her head to rest on his shoulder. "I'm here for you, to hold you and love you and talk about whatever you need to."
Hermione closed her eyes against him, and stroked her hands down his back. It was comforting that he was there, just to be there for her, and she felt his love roll off of him in waves. Only one thing upset her...why hadn't he actually kissed her?
"Severus." She lifted her chin to look into his deep ocean of eyes. "Kiss me." He hesitated for only a moment, and then his lips were on hers. Hermione moaned in pleasure as flesh met flesh, and he was so soft and warm against her. When he was close, when he was touching her, all thoughts of evil and Voldemort and Malfoy were banished from her mind. Deep in the back of her mind a small voice was telling her than she couldn't escape last night in her lover's arms forever, but for now it was good enough.
"Even through all that I went through last night, it will never make me shy of you. I love you, Severus, and I love when you touch me. I know you'd never hurt me like that." She spoke softly, into his ear, and a hot tear fell onto her cheek, but she had stopped crying.
Snape let Hermione pull away to look at him. A single tear from each eye was falling. One had dropped upon Hermione's cheek; the other flowed toward his chin. He drew a hand upwards to brush it away but was halted by Hermione catching his wrist. She pressed her lips gently against his cheek and let her tongue catch it. Snape smiled and pulled the young woman before him into his arms. She kissed him again, and their tongues met for the first time that day, like old friends embracing. Severus hardened under her touch, and Hermione pushed her weight into him while her fingers worked through his soft, damp hair. He smelled fresh and clean and like cologne, and she dipped her lips to play upon his neck. He shuddered with ecstasy as her fingers found the ever-growing bulge in his pants, and squeezed roughly. His breath came in ragged gulps.
"Hermione..." he panted. "Breakfast...over soon...your friends." It was all he could string together as the woman before him dropped to her knees and used both hands along his length. She paused, and Snape cursed himself for stopping her. She gave him a look of disappointment.
"Oh alright, but you better come visit me tonight, when I'm back in my own room!" Hermione stood, and pouted her lips. She loved making Snape stumble for words with her. It was a rare treat, something he never did in class, as he was usually the one making everyone else squirm under his steel gaze. She smiled, and walked out of the room when Snape managed to nod. Snape, breathing heavily, took a moment to compose himself before following her out into the main hospital wing.
*****************************************************
Dumbledore had informed the students of what had transpired the night before, leaving out many details, as Hermione learned from Harry and Ron after breakfast. The two were both ecstatic to see her, and Hermione smiled as they made their way to the Gryffindor tower to get her things for class. Dumbledore had told them only that she had been taken, and that she was in the hospital wing, and would be alright. He told them about the meeting the Death Eaters had with Voldemort, and that Snape also had been involved in being captured by Voldemort, and that he had been a crucial part in the safety of Hermione and the capture of another Death Eater. Hermione knew this to be Zabini, as Voldemort had called him. Dumbledore had informed them that there had been injuries and fatalities, and that those who were in the hospital wing were lucky to be there.
When talking to Severus, as they made their way to the great hall, he had told her that the Ministry was already at Hogwarts, and that they would be meeting with Dumbledore to discuss the body that lay waiting in the secret storage area in the hospital wing. He assured her that he would try to tell them everything that concerned them so that they would not need to question Hermione, but he told her the possibility was still there. He would not, he promised, go into detail about how she was treated if she wished him not to, and Hermione had told him that to know she was hurt was enough, and she thanked him for his discretion. She debated on telling her friends. The night was still raw and recent in her mind, and to talk about it so soon to them would hurt, but there was no point in delaying the pain. She decided then to tell Ginny, as Harry and Ron would more than likely simply do something stupid to get back at Malfoy. And while the thought of them cursing him into oblivion made her laugh a bit inside, she knew it would only cause trouble for them.
So she would talk to Ginny in private that night. It would be good to have someone to talk to, and then she could be with Severus, and if she still needed someone, he would be there for her. A smile curved on Hermione's lips as the three of them, she, Harry and Ron, entered Transfiguration. She had Potions to look forward to next.
Getting slowly to his feet, Snape grabbed his wand. It would do some good if he could brighten up the place before Hermione woke. With a swish and flick roses were conjured on one table, daisies on another, and mums on the window ledge. A box of chocolate was made next to the roses. Snape smiled. 'Chocolate...the cure for everything.' He took a caramel piece for himself before turning to make his side of the bed, finding it a bit difficult because Hermione was currently moving about exactly between the two mattresses.
Snape threw on his robe as voices from outside seemed to be getting closer. A new set of clothes had been brought for both him and Hermione by the houselves, and he was grateful to them. Coming out of the hospital wing with yesterday's clothes could be a trifle embarrassing. Poppy's was surely in the mix, and it sounded like a few of Hermione's friends had finally gotten wind of where she had vanished to. 'But they don't know the half of it.' Poppy, the dear woman she was, sounded as if she was trying to get the students to wait in another room. It would not look too good if Snape waltzed out of Hermione's private room, nor if they walked in to find him there with her.
Snape was jolted out of his thoughts by a soft knock on the door. When he grunted a low "enter", the head of the Mediwitch was popped into the now bright room. Poppy smiled.
"Is she...?" She motioned to Hermione. Snape shook his head.
"Still asleep. Should I wake her?"
Madam Pomfrey frowned, and seemed to consider. "No." She said at last. "The poor lass needs her rest. Severus, why don't you go get yourself cleaned up and I'll inform you when Hermione wakes up." She glanced at her watch. "Breakfast is in half an hour."
Snape's face fell. Breakfast. He could skip that; he made a habit of sporadically attending. It was what came after that irked him. Classes. "Damn."
Poppy almost read his mind. "I'm sure Dumbledore would let you take the day off. I mean really, a lot has happened to you over the course of one night!" She busied herself in opening the curtains and changing the sheets on the side of the bed Hermione had not rolled on to. Snape frowned ever harder.
"Looks like I'm going to just have to suck it up and go." The witch before him smiled. Snape didn't know what it was about her, but she somehow always made him calmer. He never talked quite harshly to her, and if he did she merely laughed at him. There was no point, she could sense his emotions. It was like they connected. A sudden urge came over him. "Thank you, Poppy."
"Oh don't go thanking me, I'm only doing my job!" But her grin was genuine, and Snape left the hospital wing in a more than considerably better mood than he'd arrived in.
*************************************************
Hermione woke with a start. 'Where am I?' It took a moment for her to recognize the room behind Madam Pomfrey's office, and that she was in the Hospital Wing.
Hermione lifted to a sitting position slowly. She could feel aches and soreness in odd places on her body. And then it all came screaming back...the Death Eaters, Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, Severus...
"Severus!" Hermione called, looking at the empty bed beside her. She knew he had been there, his scent still hung smoothly in the air. She remembered him standing there, then her other professors showing up. She must have fainted, or passed out from exertion. At least they were all right...or were they? Hermione squinted, recalling that someone had been hit.
Poppy stopped, and Hermione's voice filled the still air. She was calling for her lover. Poppy sighed, she loved Hermione dearly, and wanted nothing for her but happiness, and she felt a strong affection for her coworker Severus...but the two of them together? She knew that they would make a great pair, and that they would be good for each other, but it would be so hard for them. She shook her head. 'Let everyone else say what they want, those two should be together.' And with that she put down the tray she was carrying and headed to the room behind her office.
Madam Pomfrey poked her head in after a short knock on the door. She took in Hermione's weak smile, and gave the younger girl a hand as she stepped out of bed. A crease of worry appeared over Hermione's brow, and Poppy answered her just as her mouth began to open.
"Professor Flitwick was hit, but only grazed, actually. It was his thumb. I fixed it up right for him, and he's going to be just fine. Don't worry about anyone else dear, they're all alright." She handed her a set of robes. "Severus will be down shortly. Go on then, these are yours, Miss Weasley brought them down for you."
Hermione smiled and blushed slightly when the mediwitch had mentioned her lover. "Thank you Poppy."
And she left Hermione to change.
Just as she had promised, Snape was soon outside Hermione's door. Harry, Ron, and Ginny, he told her, were still at breakfast, and he gladly avoided the whole event to see her. As soon as the door had been closed and locked behind him, Hermione flew to Snape and wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you." Tears flowed from her face as Severus bent to kiss her cheek, not wanting to touch her too intimately. Even if she hadn't been fully raped, she had been violated, and it was enough to make her wary of a man's touch. He held her as if she was made of gossamer that he could not afford to break.
"I love you too Hermione. So, so much." He gave a slight squeeze of the hand around her waist, and she dropped her head to rest on his shoulder. "I'm here for you, to hold you and love you and talk about whatever you need to."
Hermione closed her eyes against him, and stroked her hands down his back. It was comforting that he was there, just to be there for her, and she felt his love roll off of him in waves. Only one thing upset her...why hadn't he actually kissed her?
"Severus." She lifted her chin to look into his deep ocean of eyes. "Kiss me." He hesitated for only a moment, and then his lips were on hers. Hermione moaned in pleasure as flesh met flesh, and he was so soft and warm against her. When he was close, when he was touching her, all thoughts of evil and Voldemort and Malfoy were banished from her mind. Deep in the back of her mind a small voice was telling her than she couldn't escape last night in her lover's arms forever, but for now it was good enough.
"Even through all that I went through last night, it will never make me shy of you. I love you, Severus, and I love when you touch me. I know you'd never hurt me like that." She spoke softly, into his ear, and a hot tear fell onto her cheek, but she had stopped crying.
Snape let Hermione pull away to look at him. A single tear from each eye was falling. One had dropped upon Hermione's cheek; the other flowed toward his chin. He drew a hand upwards to brush it away but was halted by Hermione catching his wrist. She pressed her lips gently against his cheek and let her tongue catch it. Snape smiled and pulled the young woman before him into his arms. She kissed him again, and their tongues met for the first time that day, like old friends embracing. Severus hardened under her touch, and Hermione pushed her weight into him while her fingers worked through his soft, damp hair. He smelled fresh and clean and like cologne, and she dipped her lips to play upon his neck. He shuddered with ecstasy as her fingers found the ever-growing bulge in his pants, and squeezed roughly. His breath came in ragged gulps.
"Hermione..." he panted. "Breakfast...over soon...your friends." It was all he could string together as the woman before him dropped to her knees and used both hands along his length. She paused, and Snape cursed himself for stopping her. She gave him a look of disappointment.
"Oh alright, but you better come visit me tonight, when I'm back in my own room!" Hermione stood, and pouted her lips. She loved making Snape stumble for words with her. It was a rare treat, something he never did in class, as he was usually the one making everyone else squirm under his steel gaze. She smiled, and walked out of the room when Snape managed to nod. Snape, breathing heavily, took a moment to compose himself before following her out into the main hospital wing.
*****************************************************
Dumbledore had informed the students of what had transpired the night before, leaving out many details, as Hermione learned from Harry and Ron after breakfast. The two were both ecstatic to see her, and Hermione smiled as they made their way to the Gryffindor tower to get her things for class. Dumbledore had told them only that she had been taken, and that she was in the hospital wing, and would be alright. He told them about the meeting the Death Eaters had with Voldemort, and that Snape also had been involved in being captured by Voldemort, and that he had been a crucial part in the safety of Hermione and the capture of another Death Eater. Hermione knew this to be Zabini, as Voldemort had called him. Dumbledore had informed them that there had been injuries and fatalities, and that those who were in the hospital wing were lucky to be there.
When talking to Severus, as they made their way to the great hall, he had told her that the Ministry was already at Hogwarts, and that they would be meeting with Dumbledore to discuss the body that lay waiting in the secret storage area in the hospital wing. He assured her that he would try to tell them everything that concerned them so that they would not need to question Hermione, but he told her the possibility was still there. He would not, he promised, go into detail about how she was treated if she wished him not to, and Hermione had told him that to know she was hurt was enough, and she thanked him for his discretion. She debated on telling her friends. The night was still raw and recent in her mind, and to talk about it so soon to them would hurt, but there was no point in delaying the pain. She decided then to tell Ginny, as Harry and Ron would more than likely simply do something stupid to get back at Malfoy. And while the thought of them cursing him into oblivion made her laugh a bit inside, she knew it would only cause trouble for them.
So she would talk to Ginny in private that night. It would be good to have someone to talk to, and then she could be with Severus, and if she still needed someone, he would be there for her. A smile curved on Hermione's lips as the three of them, she, Harry and Ron, entered Transfiguration. She had Potions to look forward to next.