A/N: Eep! Try not to kill me! I may butcher some stuff, forget some things,
but please, please don't kill me!
Hermione noticed at once that the owl was Nemesis and she groaned loudly. She checked her clock. 6:45 AM. "God, Severus, send letters at less ungodly hours!" She thought. She took the letter anyhow, and opened it.
Hermione, (It read) I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from (You got that right!), but the castle has been invaded. Voldemort has somehow managed to get in, we need help. (Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't be reading this) Please come immediately. Severus.
"I'll be there as soon as possible." She muttered more to herself than anyone else. She threw some clothes on and apparated, leaving a quick note to her Gran (Gran, I've got to leave, I most likely won't be back, Hermione). She appeared right outside the Hogwarts gates. The castle looked perfectly normal.
"Dammit Severus." She muttered.
She walked up to the school to find the inside in disarray. She went straight to Dumbledore's office and asked him what she could do. And what happened.
It seemed to be that Voldemort had indeed come, and Albus had only recently 'taken care of him'. Voldemort had come through with an army of Death Eaters. They had spread out looking for everyone and it seemed Snape had had just enough time to send Nemesis the note before the Death Eaters were upon him. Most of the staff had been subjected to two of the three unforgivables. Imprius, and the Cruciatus, and Trelawney and the Muggle Studies Prof. had been put under the green light of Advada Kedarvra.
Dumbledore had confronted Voldemort and fed him some of his own medicine. He had been killed; his wand had been snapped and burned in a special potion.
Hermione sighed. This was going to be a loooong day. She didn't know if she would like the way it would end.
"Albus, is there anything I can do to help?" She asked.
He smiled, the old twinkle coming back into his eyes, "Yes, please retrieve Severus from the dungeons where he has so kindly locked himself."
Hermione sighed again. "Alright. Am I to bring him back here?" She asked.
"No. Bring him to the Great Hall. We have some deaths to morn and a party to throw." He said, eyes twinkling merrily.
Hermione dragged her feet all the way to the dungeon, most of her not wanting to see him, a very, very small part, singing with joy at the mere thought. She groaned as the door to her old chamber came into view.
As soon as she raised her hand to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal Severus. He had lost weight, and as he was thin before, he was verging upon anorexia.
"Severus!" She gasped audibly. He looked dreadful. His hair had gone lank, and he obviously had been fighting off many of Voldemort's Death Eaters. There was a large gash in his arm where the Dark Mark should have been, and a magnificent bruise was forming just above his jaw.
"Hermione." He said, before collapsing into a heap at her feet.
Hermione levitated him to the couch (the same couch where she had cried her eyes out only a few short months before), and started to mend his injuries, and there were many.
It seemed he had taken quite a beating. Two of his ribs were cracked and another was puncturing a hole in his lung. She patched that one up as well and as quickly as she could and moved on to his left forearm.
She healed it up well enough, and was pleased to see that the once very dark black magical tattoo, had been reduced to a thin white sketch looking scar on his arm. (A/N: Ok, you know how you get scratched and a white scar thing come there instead of a scab, and if you get it wet it goes away? Well, think like that except permanent.)
Severus awoke some twenty minutes after she was done.
"Morning Sunshine." She said, rather like he had once to her.
"Oh. Hello Hermione." He said.
"We need to get down to the Great Hall, can you walk?" She said, concerned.
"I don't know yet." He then stood up, stumbled and Hermione caught his arm.
"Well, you aren't going anywhere without help." She stated. He nodded. She put an arm around his waist and his arm draped across her shoulders, and they limped out of the dungeons like some lopsided bear.
Upon entering the Great Hall Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin came to help Severus to a chair. Hermione walked away to talk to Roger Vector. It seemed they were talking about Arithmancy, (The most boring subject on earth if you asked him, which, no one ever did) when Hermione broke out laughing, only to subdue into a reverie.
Only when he received a sharp tap on the shoulder, did he realize he was staring.
"Watch it Snape, that's my ward you're staring at." Minerva McGonagall had come up behind him.
"I know perfectly well Minerva. But it doesn't seem like she needs you, does it?" He said acidly.
"Severus, if I have ever had the reason to curse you into oblivion, its now." She said, but walked away, only dealing him a slap to the back of the head so that his head jerked almost into his lap.
"Sev? Are you alright?" There was only one person in the world that would dare call him "Sev".
He looked up, hair draped along the sides if his face. "Yes Hermione, I'm fine."
"I have to talk to you." She said seriously.
"Alright, but I do need help walking." He said.
She helped him up and they walked to a small corner where they might not be disturbed.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"For what?" He asked, bewildered.
"For yelling at you and kicking you out of my grandmothers house." She said.
"Then I guess all is forgiven."
"Is it?" she said, a mischievous sparkle coming into her beautiful brown eyes.
"Yes." He said and began to bend down to kiss her when --
"Severus!"
"Sirius! Harry! Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, surprised.
"Hermione, what the hell is going on?!" Ron exclaimed.
"Hermione," Harry said, more quietly than Ron, "What did he do to you?"
"What? Nothing. Ron. Nothing is going on. Sev just needed to tell me something. Isn't that right Sev?" She said pointedly.
"Yes." Severus agreed quickly.
" 'Sev'? Hermione, you had better start letting me in on things. If you're going around sleeping with our old professors -."
"RONALD WEASLEY! I AM *NOT* SLEEPING AROUND WITH ANYONE! ESPECIALLY NOT SNAPE! AND IF I WAS, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T TELL YOU!!"
"IT'S NOT LIKE I WANTED TO KNOW! I'M JUST BEING A CONCERENED FRIEND! BUT APPARENTLY YOU DON'T THINK TO MUCH OF THEM, DO YOU?! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS GETTING A NICE LONG SNOG WITH 'SEV'!" Ron roared.
"Really? Is that all then? All you cared about in third year and up was getting yourself under my skirts as soon as possible. Don't look at me like that Ron. It was so bloody obvious that I wanted to smack you sometimes to get you to stop looking at me! At least I would have a better relationship with Severus than with you! And if yelling at me is your definition of "concerned friend" you need to get a new definition!" She stalked away leaving four very shocked men in her wake.
She avoided all of them while the party (they're celebrating the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, namely, Voldemort.), and only came back (and even then, not willingly) when the morning started for Trelawney, and the Muggle Studies Professor. Hermione stood next to Severus, head bowed in respect.
Then, "And now I am pleased to announce that we have chosen a replacement professor for Muggle Studies as the school will reopen September 1st. Hermione Granger. Please come forward."
Hermione began to walk up in a daze, she was a professor? Not yet. But she would surely except. Wouldn't she? Yes. She told herself firmly.
"Hermione, will you take over the Muggle Studies job?" Albus asked.
"Of course. I would be happy to." She said looking straight into Ron's eyes, seeming to say, now see what happens.
"Alright. Well, Hermione," Albus whispered to her after the applause had died down some, "I think, yes, I think you need to talk to Severus. You may go." She walked towards Severus, a huge grin plastered to her face.
"What are you so bloody happy about?" Severus asked, not managing to completely hide a grin.
"I'm just happy." She said.
"I'm glad you're happy." He said sincerely.
"I'm glad I'm happy too, Sev." She said, leaning against him for the remainder of the gathering. To most people they would have looked like the best of friends. If they looked closer, they would have seen that they could easily become more.
Hermione noticed at once that the owl was Nemesis and she groaned loudly. She checked her clock. 6:45 AM. "God, Severus, send letters at less ungodly hours!" She thought. She took the letter anyhow, and opened it.
Hermione, (It read) I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from (You got that right!), but the castle has been invaded. Voldemort has somehow managed to get in, we need help. (Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't be reading this) Please come immediately. Severus.
"I'll be there as soon as possible." She muttered more to herself than anyone else. She threw some clothes on and apparated, leaving a quick note to her Gran (Gran, I've got to leave, I most likely won't be back, Hermione). She appeared right outside the Hogwarts gates. The castle looked perfectly normal.
"Dammit Severus." She muttered.
She walked up to the school to find the inside in disarray. She went straight to Dumbledore's office and asked him what she could do. And what happened.
It seemed to be that Voldemort had indeed come, and Albus had only recently 'taken care of him'. Voldemort had come through with an army of Death Eaters. They had spread out looking for everyone and it seemed Snape had had just enough time to send Nemesis the note before the Death Eaters were upon him. Most of the staff had been subjected to two of the three unforgivables. Imprius, and the Cruciatus, and Trelawney and the Muggle Studies Prof. had been put under the green light of Advada Kedarvra.
Dumbledore had confronted Voldemort and fed him some of his own medicine. He had been killed; his wand had been snapped and burned in a special potion.
Hermione sighed. This was going to be a loooong day. She didn't know if she would like the way it would end.
"Albus, is there anything I can do to help?" She asked.
He smiled, the old twinkle coming back into his eyes, "Yes, please retrieve Severus from the dungeons where he has so kindly locked himself."
Hermione sighed again. "Alright. Am I to bring him back here?" She asked.
"No. Bring him to the Great Hall. We have some deaths to morn and a party to throw." He said, eyes twinkling merrily.
Hermione dragged her feet all the way to the dungeon, most of her not wanting to see him, a very, very small part, singing with joy at the mere thought. She groaned as the door to her old chamber came into view.
As soon as she raised her hand to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal Severus. He had lost weight, and as he was thin before, he was verging upon anorexia.
"Severus!" She gasped audibly. He looked dreadful. His hair had gone lank, and he obviously had been fighting off many of Voldemort's Death Eaters. There was a large gash in his arm where the Dark Mark should have been, and a magnificent bruise was forming just above his jaw.
"Hermione." He said, before collapsing into a heap at her feet.
Hermione levitated him to the couch (the same couch where she had cried her eyes out only a few short months before), and started to mend his injuries, and there were many.
It seemed he had taken quite a beating. Two of his ribs were cracked and another was puncturing a hole in his lung. She patched that one up as well and as quickly as she could and moved on to his left forearm.
She healed it up well enough, and was pleased to see that the once very dark black magical tattoo, had been reduced to a thin white sketch looking scar on his arm. (A/N: Ok, you know how you get scratched and a white scar thing come there instead of a scab, and if you get it wet it goes away? Well, think like that except permanent.)
Severus awoke some twenty minutes after she was done.
"Morning Sunshine." She said, rather like he had once to her.
"Oh. Hello Hermione." He said.
"We need to get down to the Great Hall, can you walk?" She said, concerned.
"I don't know yet." He then stood up, stumbled and Hermione caught his arm.
"Well, you aren't going anywhere without help." She stated. He nodded. She put an arm around his waist and his arm draped across her shoulders, and they limped out of the dungeons like some lopsided bear.
Upon entering the Great Hall Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin came to help Severus to a chair. Hermione walked away to talk to Roger Vector. It seemed they were talking about Arithmancy, (The most boring subject on earth if you asked him, which, no one ever did) when Hermione broke out laughing, only to subdue into a reverie.
Only when he received a sharp tap on the shoulder, did he realize he was staring.
"Watch it Snape, that's my ward you're staring at." Minerva McGonagall had come up behind him.
"I know perfectly well Minerva. But it doesn't seem like she needs you, does it?" He said acidly.
"Severus, if I have ever had the reason to curse you into oblivion, its now." She said, but walked away, only dealing him a slap to the back of the head so that his head jerked almost into his lap.
"Sev? Are you alright?" There was only one person in the world that would dare call him "Sev".
He looked up, hair draped along the sides if his face. "Yes Hermione, I'm fine."
"I have to talk to you." She said seriously.
"Alright, but I do need help walking." He said.
She helped him up and they walked to a small corner where they might not be disturbed.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"For what?" He asked, bewildered.
"For yelling at you and kicking you out of my grandmothers house." She said.
"Then I guess all is forgiven."
"Is it?" she said, a mischievous sparkle coming into her beautiful brown eyes.
"Yes." He said and began to bend down to kiss her when --
"Severus!"
"Sirius! Harry! Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, surprised.
"Hermione, what the hell is going on?!" Ron exclaimed.
"Hermione," Harry said, more quietly than Ron, "What did he do to you?"
"What? Nothing. Ron. Nothing is going on. Sev just needed to tell me something. Isn't that right Sev?" She said pointedly.
"Yes." Severus agreed quickly.
" 'Sev'? Hermione, you had better start letting me in on things. If you're going around sleeping with our old professors -."
"RONALD WEASLEY! I AM *NOT* SLEEPING AROUND WITH ANYONE! ESPECIALLY NOT SNAPE! AND IF I WAS, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T TELL YOU!!"
"IT'S NOT LIKE I WANTED TO KNOW! I'M JUST BEING A CONCERENED FRIEND! BUT APPARENTLY YOU DON'T THINK TO MUCH OF THEM, DO YOU?! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS GETTING A NICE LONG SNOG WITH 'SEV'!" Ron roared.
"Really? Is that all then? All you cared about in third year and up was getting yourself under my skirts as soon as possible. Don't look at me like that Ron. It was so bloody obvious that I wanted to smack you sometimes to get you to stop looking at me! At least I would have a better relationship with Severus than with you! And if yelling at me is your definition of "concerned friend" you need to get a new definition!" She stalked away leaving four very shocked men in her wake.
She avoided all of them while the party (they're celebrating the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, namely, Voldemort.), and only came back (and even then, not willingly) when the morning started for Trelawney, and the Muggle Studies Professor. Hermione stood next to Severus, head bowed in respect.
Then, "And now I am pleased to announce that we have chosen a replacement professor for Muggle Studies as the school will reopen September 1st. Hermione Granger. Please come forward."
Hermione began to walk up in a daze, she was a professor? Not yet. But she would surely except. Wouldn't she? Yes. She told herself firmly.
"Hermione, will you take over the Muggle Studies job?" Albus asked.
"Of course. I would be happy to." She said looking straight into Ron's eyes, seeming to say, now see what happens.
"Alright. Well, Hermione," Albus whispered to her after the applause had died down some, "I think, yes, I think you need to talk to Severus. You may go." She walked towards Severus, a huge grin plastered to her face.
"What are you so bloody happy about?" Severus asked, not managing to completely hide a grin.
"I'm just happy." She said.
"I'm glad you're happy." He said sincerely.
"I'm glad I'm happy too, Sev." She said, leaning against him for the remainder of the gathering. To most people they would have looked like the best of friends. If they looked closer, they would have seen that they could easily become more.