Chapter 8: Trust
It was late October when Severus entered their chambers looking harassed, "What's the matter?" asked Hermione. "Malfoy's just paid me a visit in my office," he muttered. "Oh," said Hermione, "what did he say?" He sat down on the bed and thought for a minute, then sighed, "Almost more than I wish I knew. The Dark Lord's back to full strength; the Death Eaters are meeting. Tonight."
Her stomach felt as if it had frozen, and she clutched his arm, "Don't go. Don't do it. I can't let you go; it'd be suicide." "Not necessarily," he said, sounding worn-out, "I have my ways of getting back in. Besides, Malfoy's put in a good word for me ever since I...I married you." She ignored that for the moment, said, "What time tonight?" "Nine," he replied, "it's going to be all night. I might not be back in time for class tomorrow morning." "Tomorrow's Saturday, Severus," she said weakly, "don't worry about it."
He shrugged and said, "I have to start getting ready. He'll call us shortly." "Do you...do you really have to go?" she whispered, afraid for him. He nodded slowly, "Yes." "Why?" "Because it's what I have to do," he said firmly, standing up, "and the conversation is closed. I have to get ready now. Keep an eye on Adrian. I'll be back some time in the next day or so."
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, looking down, but said nothing; she really didn't want to be married to a corpse. A hand touched her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to see that he had knelt down to her eye level, "I'm coming back. I always do." "I never said you wouldn't," she said wryly; he smirked, "No, but you were thinking it. I'll be back later."
He turned and swept out of the room, and Hermione knew he was leaving the grounds to Apparate. She stared at the door for a long time, feeling tears brimming in her eyes, and finally she fell back onto the bed and sobbed aloud. Voldemort was killing everything she loved; first her parents; now he was going to take Severus away from her.
And silently she knew, deep down, that her brother would be next.
"Not Adrian," she said out loud, "not him. Not him or Severus. Over my dead body." 'I'm sure he'd love to arrange that,' said the one half of her brain. She sat up slowly and wiped away some of her tears, and tried to think of something wonderful, something happy, but found she could not do it. She just hated Voldemort too much to think straight.
Slowly she lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over her, still fully dressed, but she didn't care; she stared at the canopy for over an hour before sleep began to blur her eyes, and she slipped into a warm balmy darkness.
It was four in the morning, and Hermione awoke at the sound of a thump. She leapt out of bed, wand clutched in her hand, and slowly she opened the bedroom door to discover that Severus was staggering to get up from the floor.
She let out a cry of surprise mixed with horror and helped him up and into the bedroom, where she lay him down. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he grumbled, "I'm just exhausted. Just let me sleep." "You're not hurt at all?" she asked worriedly. "No, I'm fine," he said, "I'm just so tired I can barely-" He yawned, "-Can barely see straight. Just let me sleep, please." She nodded, "All right."
She went around to her side of the bed and was about to ask him what happened when a loud snore interrupted her. She glanced at him; for once he wasn't concealing the truth from her. He really was tired. 'And thank God that's all,' she added silently, slipping underneath the covers. She put out the lights, and a minute later, she too was ensconced in sleep.
It was late October when Severus entered their chambers looking harassed, "What's the matter?" asked Hermione. "Malfoy's just paid me a visit in my office," he muttered. "Oh," said Hermione, "what did he say?" He sat down on the bed and thought for a minute, then sighed, "Almost more than I wish I knew. The Dark Lord's back to full strength; the Death Eaters are meeting. Tonight."
Her stomach felt as if it had frozen, and she clutched his arm, "Don't go. Don't do it. I can't let you go; it'd be suicide." "Not necessarily," he said, sounding worn-out, "I have my ways of getting back in. Besides, Malfoy's put in a good word for me ever since I...I married you." She ignored that for the moment, said, "What time tonight?" "Nine," he replied, "it's going to be all night. I might not be back in time for class tomorrow morning." "Tomorrow's Saturday, Severus," she said weakly, "don't worry about it."
He shrugged and said, "I have to start getting ready. He'll call us shortly." "Do you...do you really have to go?" she whispered, afraid for him. He nodded slowly, "Yes." "Why?" "Because it's what I have to do," he said firmly, standing up, "and the conversation is closed. I have to get ready now. Keep an eye on Adrian. I'll be back some time in the next day or so."
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, looking down, but said nothing; she really didn't want to be married to a corpse. A hand touched her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to see that he had knelt down to her eye level, "I'm coming back. I always do." "I never said you wouldn't," she said wryly; he smirked, "No, but you were thinking it. I'll be back later."
He turned and swept out of the room, and Hermione knew he was leaving the grounds to Apparate. She stared at the door for a long time, feeling tears brimming in her eyes, and finally she fell back onto the bed and sobbed aloud. Voldemort was killing everything she loved; first her parents; now he was going to take Severus away from her.
And silently she knew, deep down, that her brother would be next.
"Not Adrian," she said out loud, "not him. Not him or Severus. Over my dead body." 'I'm sure he'd love to arrange that,' said the one half of her brain. She sat up slowly and wiped away some of her tears, and tried to think of something wonderful, something happy, but found she could not do it. She just hated Voldemort too much to think straight.
Slowly she lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over her, still fully dressed, but she didn't care; she stared at the canopy for over an hour before sleep began to blur her eyes, and she slipped into a warm balmy darkness.
It was four in the morning, and Hermione awoke at the sound of a thump. She leapt out of bed, wand clutched in her hand, and slowly she opened the bedroom door to discover that Severus was staggering to get up from the floor.
She let out a cry of surprise mixed with horror and helped him up and into the bedroom, where she lay him down. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he grumbled, "I'm just exhausted. Just let me sleep." "You're not hurt at all?" she asked worriedly. "No, I'm fine," he said, "I'm just so tired I can barely-" He yawned, "-Can barely see straight. Just let me sleep, please." She nodded, "All right."
She went around to her side of the bed and was about to ask him what happened when a loud snore interrupted her. She glanced at him; for once he wasn't concealing the truth from her. He really was tired. 'And thank God that's all,' she added silently, slipping underneath the covers. She put out the lights, and a minute later, she too was ensconced in sleep.