Last time on BIWEB:
The door opened, and McGonagall stepped into the room. "Miss Granger," she said in a quiet and kind voice. "Miss Granger, could you please sit up? I have something that I wish to tell you." Hermione rained facedown in her bed. "I know why Severus cannot remember."
Chapter Nine: Questions
Hermione instantly jerked up off the bed, her massive hangover forgotten. "What? How? Why?" she shook her head, took a deep breath, and started again. "Why can't he remember me, Professor?"
"Well, you see, Hermione, when you cast the spell, something went wrong. I'm still not sure what, but suffice it to say that about a week after you left, Severus could remember everything. His grades dropped, and he found himself drunk quite often before he came to me for help. I was surprised that he didn't go to Dumbledore, but I wasn't going to tell him no." McGonagall looked at Hermione, then down at the floor. "He told me what the spell you cast was supposed to do, but he must either have heard wrong or you did not tell him, because he thought your spell was supposed to make him completely forget forever. I wasn't sure, so I cast a spell to cover up the memories, make him remember everything but you, until they were uncovered."
"So, you can lift the spell, right?" asked Hermione hopefully. McGonagall smiled sadly. "You can't, can you?" Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes and laid facedown on her pillow again.
"I am sorry," said McGonagall. "But I know something we can do."
McGonagall summoned a potion for hangovers from her office, and while Hermione drank, she explained. "You were already on the track, asking him about your Hogsmeade visit," she said. "I believe, that since the memories are still in his head, just hidden, that if someone asked him questions about the time the two of you spent together, that eventually, he would remember."
Hermione bit her lip. "Professor, I don't know." She sighed. "Suppose he remembers, then what? It's not like no one wouldn't notice, and then there's the matter of my parents, and I think the only reason Harry and Ron have been okay with this is because he couldn't remember. I couldn't stand to choose between them. What do you think I should do?"
McGonagall smiled. "I think that you should get your friend's opinions first. Then you can tell me what you want to do, and then you, the headmaster, and I will go from there. But it is almost lunchtime, and I think Harry and Ronald will be wondering about you."
Hermione nodded. She stood up, so she was standing in front of McGonagall. She smiled, and then embraced the older woman. "Thank you, Professor." McGonagall smiled.
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Harry when he and Ron saw her enter the great hall. Hermione smiled.
"Yes. Actually, I'm better than I have been all week." She sat down next to Ron and across from Harry. "I found out why he doesn't remember me."
"But I'm not sure, you guys. I think half the reason you've been all right with this is because he doesn't remember me." Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"Hermione, you know we love you. No matter what, we'll always be friends," said Ron, smiling at her. The smile did not carry to his eyes. Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. She turned to Harry.
"Do you feel the same way?" she asked, the tears still in her eyes. Harry stared at his plate, fiddling with his fork for a long silence. "I see," she said sniffing and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Well, then. I'm glad that's settled." She smiled, picked up her fork, and began to eat.
Ron gave her a confused look. "What's settled? Aren't you going to yell at us for not being supportive?"
Hermione sighed and put her fork back down. "No, I'm not going to yell, or get angry. Because, as much as I love Severus, I know he's changed. I know he's not the boy I met twenty-one years ago. And I'm not going to jeopardize our friendship over something that might have, could have been." She looked up at them. "You guys are the best friends I've ever had, and could ever dream of having. And as much as I love him, I love you more. You're like brothers to me." She sighed, and smiled at them. "It's better to let sleeping dogs lie. It could be possible that he wouldn't want me anymore if he did remember, and if he did, what then? I'll just tell McGonagall that I think he should stay the way he is."
Two days later
"Are you sure, Miss Granger?" asked McGonagall. Hermione nodded. McGonagall sighed. "Very well. It is your decision to make. If you change your mind...."
"I'm not going to," she said. "If you don't mind, I've got some studying to do."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time:
Epilogue, telling of how Hermione dealt with her decision.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry it's not long, but I've been away too long as it is. Now I've got to wait for my mom to fix the freakin' Internet so I can post. I hope you people are happy with my decision. The alternate ending will be up soon, I promise.
The door opened, and McGonagall stepped into the room. "Miss Granger," she said in a quiet and kind voice. "Miss Granger, could you please sit up? I have something that I wish to tell you." Hermione rained facedown in her bed. "I know why Severus cannot remember."
Chapter Nine: Questions
Hermione instantly jerked up off the bed, her massive hangover forgotten. "What? How? Why?" she shook her head, took a deep breath, and started again. "Why can't he remember me, Professor?"
"Well, you see, Hermione, when you cast the spell, something went wrong. I'm still not sure what, but suffice it to say that about a week after you left, Severus could remember everything. His grades dropped, and he found himself drunk quite often before he came to me for help. I was surprised that he didn't go to Dumbledore, but I wasn't going to tell him no." McGonagall looked at Hermione, then down at the floor. "He told me what the spell you cast was supposed to do, but he must either have heard wrong or you did not tell him, because he thought your spell was supposed to make him completely forget forever. I wasn't sure, so I cast a spell to cover up the memories, make him remember everything but you, until they were uncovered."
"So, you can lift the spell, right?" asked Hermione hopefully. McGonagall smiled sadly. "You can't, can you?" Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes and laid facedown on her pillow again.
"I am sorry," said McGonagall. "But I know something we can do."
McGonagall summoned a potion for hangovers from her office, and while Hermione drank, she explained. "You were already on the track, asking him about your Hogsmeade visit," she said. "I believe, that since the memories are still in his head, just hidden, that if someone asked him questions about the time the two of you spent together, that eventually, he would remember."
Hermione bit her lip. "Professor, I don't know." She sighed. "Suppose he remembers, then what? It's not like no one wouldn't notice, and then there's the matter of my parents, and I think the only reason Harry and Ron have been okay with this is because he couldn't remember. I couldn't stand to choose between them. What do you think I should do?"
McGonagall smiled. "I think that you should get your friend's opinions first. Then you can tell me what you want to do, and then you, the headmaster, and I will go from there. But it is almost lunchtime, and I think Harry and Ronald will be wondering about you."
Hermione nodded. She stood up, so she was standing in front of McGonagall. She smiled, and then embraced the older woman. "Thank you, Professor." McGonagall smiled.
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Harry when he and Ron saw her enter the great hall. Hermione smiled.
"Yes. Actually, I'm better than I have been all week." She sat down next to Ron and across from Harry. "I found out why he doesn't remember me."
"But I'm not sure, you guys. I think half the reason you've been all right with this is because he doesn't remember me." Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"Hermione, you know we love you. No matter what, we'll always be friends," said Ron, smiling at her. The smile did not carry to his eyes. Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. She turned to Harry.
"Do you feel the same way?" she asked, the tears still in her eyes. Harry stared at his plate, fiddling with his fork for a long silence. "I see," she said sniffing and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Well, then. I'm glad that's settled." She smiled, picked up her fork, and began to eat.
Ron gave her a confused look. "What's settled? Aren't you going to yell at us for not being supportive?"
Hermione sighed and put her fork back down. "No, I'm not going to yell, or get angry. Because, as much as I love Severus, I know he's changed. I know he's not the boy I met twenty-one years ago. And I'm not going to jeopardize our friendship over something that might have, could have been." She looked up at them. "You guys are the best friends I've ever had, and could ever dream of having. And as much as I love him, I love you more. You're like brothers to me." She sighed, and smiled at them. "It's better to let sleeping dogs lie. It could be possible that he wouldn't want me anymore if he did remember, and if he did, what then? I'll just tell McGonagall that I think he should stay the way he is."
Two days later
"Are you sure, Miss Granger?" asked McGonagall. Hermione nodded. McGonagall sighed. "Very well. It is your decision to make. If you change your mind...."
"I'm not going to," she said. "If you don't mind, I've got some studying to do."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time:
Epilogue, telling of how Hermione dealt with her decision.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry it's not long, but I've been away too long as it is. Now I've got to wait for my mom to fix the freakin' Internet so I can post. I hope you people are happy with my decision. The alternate ending will be up soon, I promise.