Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. A/N at end.
Some Scars Never Fade
WendyNat
Chapter 2
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What could do this?
With a trembling hand, Hermione lightly traced the long black scar, its texture almost glossy compared to the surrounding skin. "Does it hurt?"
"It did. Now – it's like my other skin. Apart from the color." He craned his neck to look at Hermione, who was still staring at the mark on his back. "It took quite some time to heal. Poppy hasn't been able to do anything about the scarring."
"What kind of curse could do this? I've never seen anything like it before." Her voice quavered slightly. He had been grievously injured, and she hadn't even realized it. The article in the Daily Prophet had mentioned that he had been hurt, but since it was such a casual mention she had assumed it wasn't serious. She should have been there. Perhaps if she had been, she could have…
His voice cut through her musings. "Not many have. A little thing Malfoy had up his sleeve."
Hermione pressed her body against his back, twining her hands around to stroke his chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you then, Severus. I had no idea… I mean, I knew, but-"
"I've told you already – there's nothing to forgive. And there's nothing you could have done." He gently loosened her arms so that he could turn around and face her. Looking down at her, his eyes softened. "If you had been there, I would never have been able to focus." He kissed her forehead. "Harry, either, to be truthful. As much as the boy irritates me, he does appear to be loyal and protective of his friends."
Hermione sighed, pressing her cheek to his chest. "I still wish I had been there."
He shook his head again, forcing her gaze back to his with a hand under her cheek. "No, Hermione. It was for the best. Malfoy would have stopped at nothing to kill you… or worse." The last two words came out in a ragged, hoarse voice. He had seen too much over the years, too many atrocities, and the thought of her being one of Malfoy's victims… senior or junior made no difference, the thought still shook him to his core. He sighed then, and she looked at him questioningly. He shook his head. How could he vocalize his thoughts on that? He had had such hopes for the young Malfoy… the father had been a lost cause, of course, but he had thought… To no avail. I obviously read the boy wrong. And it could have cost me my life, had his aim been more precise.
Hermione gazed up at him, and finally said in a soft voice, "I hope you can tell me about it some day, Severus." She put a hand on his chest, over his heart, and continued, "I know it won't be easy, but… I would like to know. When you're ready."
Severus shuddered slightly. "I don't know that I'd ever be ready, completely." Running his hands through his hair, he moved to a chair and sat down heavily, staring at her with an unreadable expression. "But I am willing to tell you some of it. At least enough to quell your incessant curiosity concerning my scar." He then muttered something about Gryffindors that she didn't quite catch. It didn't sound complimentary.
Rather than goad him about it, she pulled the other chair close and sat patiently.
"Draco." Severus' fists clenched. "I had hoped… I had hoped that he would avoid the path his father had placed before him, but Lucius could be… persuasive. I should not have bothered with hope." Severus looked down at his fists, forcing them to relax with obvious effort. "He evidently did follow in his dear father's footsteps." Severus sighed heavily, and looked at Hermione. She was startled to see his eyes glimmer with unshed tears, and she reached over to put a hand on his arm. He closed his eyes for a moment to regain control, and continued, "After Harry defeated Voldemort… I could see he was injured. Not terribly, but he was dazed, weak. He wasn't looking… Lucius had avoided death… somehow. I saw him raise his wand, at Harry's back – so much for his vaunted pureblood honor – and I jumped. I knocked Harry back, away from the curse, and it hit me on the arm, near my shoulder. I was quite fortunate that Lucius was already weighing his options, and contemplating the future should he be captured… it was not Avada Kedavra." His shoulder muscles tensed in remembered pain. "It knocked me aside, but I was able to cast the curse he had been too cowardly to throw himself."
"But the scar isn't on your shoulder…"
He nodded, and squeezed her hand. "That wasn't what caused the scar. I didn't know Draco was still there… when… when he saw what happened… I didn't even know he was there, by the Gods. He saw me kill his own father. How can I begrudge him what he did next?" His voice had turned introspective, and Hermione wondered if he even remembered that she was in the room. She was concerned – Severus made a point of being rather precise with his speech, and this uneven, halting recount of events was very uncharacteristic. She couldn't imagine the incredible strain he must be under… hardly daring to breathe, she silently urged him to continue. He did, finally. "I heard someone scream 'Lucius!' and then there was a flash… I was lucky that I was still falling when it was cast – Draco missed his mark by a hair and it skimmed over my back. Leaving the lovely scar you see today."
"What did it do?" Hermione asked softly. While he spoke she had silently maneuvered behind his chair and now she pressed against him, lowering her chin to rest on his head.
"I don't know precisely. Extreme pain – much worse than Crucio… it felt like my nerve endings were hissing, and everything went black." He let out a breath, and she held him closer. "I woke up almost a week later with Poppy leaning over me, forcing some vile liquid down my throat." Turning slightly, he grabbed one of her hands and pulled her around the chair and into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. "Poppy told me I very nearly died. I believe the curse causes organ failure by channeling some sort of freezing charm along the nervous system – Poppy was able to reverse the damage, but had I been hit directly… had she not appeared with the Aurors at the battlefield…"
Hermione shivered at the thought, and he tightened his hold on her. His next words were muffled as he burrowed farther into her hair. "From what Harry said, Draco threw some random hexes once I was down and then took advantage of the confusion to escape. They… the Aurors… they found him back at Malfoy Manor. No remorse… so like Lucius… Gods… he even pretended to have no memory of the events. He's in Azkaban… for life. And, Narcissa… his mother… killed herself after he was taken. Merlin help me, I thought I had gotten through to him. I tried…"
Hermione gripped him tightly, blinking back tears. "I know you did, Severus. I know."
* * * * *
"Really?"
Ron nodded sadly. He and Tonks were sitting in a meeting room, going through Muggle death certificates. To his surprise, she began to chuckle. Seeing his frown, she stopped laughing with obvious effort. "Oh, come on, now, Ron. You guys break up so often, and weren't you just complaining about how bossy she is?" Ron shrugged, slightly embarrassed. Tonks just laughed again. "You know, I think this is probably just a set up so you boys have an excuse for another bonding night. Am I right?"
Ron finally laughed at that. "Hey, the bonding ritual is very important. It's men supporting men – very deep, philosophical conversations…"
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Right. Speaking of deep, I'm going to need hip boots here shortly, with all the bull you're shoveling."
"Aw, c'mon, Tonks!" Ron managed an affronted tone. "Anyway, just thought I'd let you know… we'll be meeting at the Leaky Cauldron around dinnertime on Friday night."
Tonks blushed slightly. "That's nice. I hope you boys have fun."
Ron looked at her seriously for a moment, then winked. "I think there will be someone there who would be rather pleased to run into you again. If you take my meaning."
"Thanks, Ron, but you're not my type." Tonks busied herself with the death certificates, thumbing through them intently.
"You know that's not who I meant. Although, if you ever change your mind…"
"Not likely, Ronniekins. Now, do you mind helping me with this? We'll be here all day if you just sit there blathering," Tonks said in a cool tone, but Ron wasn't fooled. He could see the red color spreading across her cheeks and the way she was nervously fiddling with her quill. He really wanted her to talk with Viktor – they'd be great together, and they both deserved a little happiness in the romance department. For all her bravado, he could tell how torn up Tonks had been when she and Harry had broken it off. And Viktor… Ron still couldn't believe Hermione really wanted to be with that greasy bastard over Viktor.
Glancing at Tonks, he realized that she was staring at the same certificate as before, a faraway expression on her face. She was still flushing slightly. He nodded to himself, smiling, and returned to their task.
* * * * *
"Oh, settle down, Neville!" Susan Bones-Longbottom snapped, grabbing her husband's arm and turning him to face her. "You are a grown man, act like one!"
"I am acting like one! I'm complaining," Neville said with a grin, hoping to lighten his wife's mood. He breathed a sigh of relief when Susan laughed in response. He didn't want Susan irritated with him, but he was definitely not looking forward to this dinner – for some reason, Snape still made him feel like an awkward eleven year old. At least, he had the last time they had run into each other at the post-war celebration.
Susan shook her head at him. "It's been five years since you've seen him, Neville. You're a respected Ministry Herbologist, he's a respected Potions Master – it's not like he's going to give you detention if you speak out of turn, for Merlin's sake!" Susan grinned suddenly. "He may want to, but he won't. We can sick Hermione on him if he gets out of line."
Neville laughed and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Thank you. I'll remember that." When he tried to pull her in even closer, she broke away, chuckling.
"If we keep that up, we'll miss dinner," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along the path to Hogwarts.
When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione was waiting for them. Neville sighed with relief when he saw that Snape was nowhere in sight. Hermione led them to two open seats at the Head Table, and after exchanging greetings with her old professors Susan addressed Hermione.
"Where's Severus?" Susan asked. "Neville was ever so anxious to see him again." Neville glared at her, but she just smirked at him in response.
Hermione laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. Sorry to disappoint, but he'll be up shortly – he was finishing up the notes from today's session in Hogsmeade."
"How are the adjustments to the Manere coming along?" Neville asked. He had been interested in the project ever since she had questioned him about possible magical alternatives to some common herbs that were used in Muggle preservatives.
"Fairly well. We're getting close, I can feel it," Hermione said happily. "So, Neville – I'm glad to see you, but I thought Susan said you weren't going to make it. Did she drag you along anyway?"
Neville took a breath. "Not exactly. Something came up today that I needed to talk to you about." Hermione gestured for him to continue. "First off, I'd like to borrow Crookshanks tomorrow, if that would be all right."
Hermione nodded. "No problem. Did you get another bad shipment?"
Neville sighed. "Yes, I believe so. But there's something else… here, take a look," he said, opening the bag he had brought in and showing her the plant. "The leaves have some sort of substance on them… it looks like a potion of some sort. I thought it may have something to do with the loss of magical essence, but I don't have the skills to identify what potion it could be."
"That is the most accurate statement you have ever uttered concerning the field of Potions, Mister Longbottom," a cool voice drawled from behind him. Taking a deep breath, Neville steeled himself and turned around to face the formidable Potions Master. And nearly fell out of his seat at what he saw.
Professor Snape was smiling.
Neville recovered himself quickly, and answered, "I won't argue with you on that, Professor Snape."
The smile had turned into more of a smirk, and he nodded curtly as he sat down beside Hermione. "Welcome back, Mr. Longbottom, Mrs. Longbottom."
Hermione shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Severus, please – it's Neville and Susan. Don't be so stuffy."
He quirked an eyebrow at her, then leaned forward slightly to speak to Neville and Susan. "Since it appears I have been commanded to refer to you by your first names, please do likewise."
Neville couldn't quite find his voice, but Susan grinned and answered, "Thank you, Severus." To Neville's surprise, Snape smiled back. Snape smiling twice in one sitting? Unbelievable! Guess Harry was right – he just needed a good shag, Neville thought with a small smile.
His thoughts were interrupted by Snape's voice. "So, what brings you here, Longbo- Neville?" Neville filled both Potions Masters in on the situation, and they discussed possible explanations over the meal. Snape and Hermione both seemed rather intrigued by the problem. After the meal was over and most of the professors had left, Snape invited them to his chambers for tea and to continue their conversation.
Neville was pleasantly surprised by Snape's study. Seeing the look on the young man's face, Severus sneered slightly. "My apologies, Longbottom. No skeletons. So sorry to disappoint." Hermione slapped him on the arm, and he gave her an innocent look – at which she let out an irritated breath and rolled her eyes. To Neville's shock, Severus then turned back to him and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Women." Neville laughed at that, earning himself a mock glare from Susan.
Soon, they were all sitting comfortably by the fire and drinking tea, deep in conversation. Hermione snuck a glance at Severus and was pleased to see the look of surprised respect on his face. Neville was truly in his element when talking about Herbology, and she was glad that Severus had an opportunity to see another side of her friend. Eventually, after Hermione and Severus agreed to test the substance on the plant over the next week, the discussion turned to different topics. Neville and Severus were debating the best-suited herbs for healing potions, and Hermione and Susan had pulled their chairs away from the men and were deep in a conversation of their own.
"Lavender and Ron broke up? Again?"
Susan smirked. "Yep. We'll see how long it lasts this time. I think Harry is arranging a mini "ritual" for him Friday night. I'm not sure if it will actually happen – they may get back together before then. You know how those two are." Hermione nodded, laughing. Susan looked over at the men to make sure they were still involved in their discussion, and leaned over closer to Hermione. Her voice low, she asked, "Aren't you supposed to meet Viktor this week at the house?"
Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes. Wednesday or Thursday – he's supposed to owl me." Casting a quick glance at Severus, she said, "How is he, Susan?"
Susan sat back, smiling a little. "He's okay, really, Hermione. He's been getting out more – Harry's helping him with that – and meeting people. It'll take some time, still, but he's doing better."
"I'm glad. I would hate-" Hermione was interrupted by Severus' exclamation.
"Don't be an idiot, Longbottom! That would never work!"
To the women's astonishment, Neville just laughed in response. "Try it sometime, my dear Potions Master, just try it."
Severus narrowed his eyes, and nodded thoughtfully. He raised his teacup to Neville in a mock salute. "Very good, Neville. I'm glad to see you grew a backbone. I believe I will try your suggestion." With a slight sneer, he continued, "If it doesn't work as promised, however, you do realize that you will have me to answer to."
"Absolutely, sir."
"Very good."
Hermione was shocked, to say the least. She couldn't believe the two men were getting along as well as they were. Maybe there was hope for her other friends… maybe even Ron… realizing that was a foolish hope, she sighed. No. Ron hates Severus – Neville may have feared him, but Ron hates him. And fear is a lot easier to push aside than hate.
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A/N – Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Either way, review!
Yoda – Thanks for the review! I'm not going to give away much as far as plot elements are concerned, so I won't answer your question ;). (But – I really don't think you need to worry about that much…)
Andrian – Thanks!
K80 – Thanks for the compliments! Stalk all you want ;). This chapter answers some of the scar questions, but you'll have to RAFO (read and find out) about the plants…
Trish – Glad you liked the chapter!
Lizzie – Thanks for the review!
Drusilla – Glad it seemed interesting – I hope it continues to be!
PinkChubbymonkey – Thanks! I hope this update was soon enough for you ;)
Electryone – Thanks – here's some info about Snape's scar… more about the plants and attacks soon.
Onesnowyowl – Thanks for the review!
Louise Luvgood – Sorry… but nope on your guess about Voldie giving the scar :) I'm not gonna respond to your other guesses until I get to the appropriate chapter – my lips are sealed!!
Klyn – Thanks so much! Hope you liked Neville's dinner with the Potions Master in this chapter.
