A/N: I'm well aware of the fact Draco progressed a bit quickly. I needed him to for some of the parts and did not wish to get into the specifics, as that would be a fic in itself. Anyway, we're getting to the fun part now. Don't forget to review!
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Part 6
Ron was growing restless. He wished Hermione would talk to him, but figured he would end up being cursed if he persisted. Once again, the common room was empty, so he went to dinner. The sight that met him there made him even unhappier. Harry was sitting next to Draco Malfoy of all people. However, he put on a brave face and sat down with them, much to Harry's surprise.
"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" Ron asked.
"No" and "Go ahead" could be heard.
In the next moment, however, Harry and Draco were preoccupied elsewhere. Professor Snape had just arrived for dinner. Dumbledore and McGonagall were watching him closely, as well. They had been the ones to leave him in his sad state after all. He did not appear any happier, which Draco and Harry noticed immediately. Ron had even noticed the change in the Potions Master. He was greatly surprised by how deflated Snape appeared. What happened to the confident, over bearing and frightening professor he knew? This Snape seemed . . . human.
"Harry," Ron nudged his friend, "What's wrong with Snape?"
"Gee, Ron, I don't know! What do you think is wrong?" he responded half angrily, half sarcastically.
"You can't be serious."
Draco decided to speak up. "Are you that much of a dunder head, Weasley? Even I saw it." This received stares from Harry and Ron. "Okay, it took a bit of convincing, but I realize it's always been there.'
"Do you believe us now?" Harry asked.
"I'm starting to, but I don't have to like it, do I?"
"You have to be supportive, but you don't need to like it."
"Oh, okay," Ron, replied nonchalantly. He added, "I'm really sorry, Harry."
"You should be, but I accept your apology. It's Hermione you should really be apologizing to though. She needs to hear it more than I."
"Yeah, she's gonna be difficult right now though. Still totally locked in her . . . I'm an idiot." He received a look from Draco and Harry. "Anyway, I'm sorry to you too, Draco. I just didn't expect it. I mean, you can't be that bad if you're letting Colin beat you at Wizards Chess!"
Draco and Harry just smiled at one another for a moment before the blond said, "That's all right, Ron. You always were a bit slow."
"Hey!"
Harry agreed as he was eating a roll. "It's true, Ron."
"Eh, you're right. I'm only good at creating a mess of things. Why do you keep me around, Harry?"
"You're my best friend. Besides, you've saved my life a time or two. That's what best friends do."
"Thanks." Ron blushed furiously at the compliment.
Draco had been intently watching Snape during the conversation between Ron and Harry. The Professor was getting up to leave. "Harry, time to go," he said.
"What do I do?" Ron asked. "I want to help."
Harry responded. "Apologize to Hermione, and try to get her to talk to you."
All three got up to leave. Harry and Draco were following Snape at a distance, and Ron headed back to Gryffindor Tower. Dumbledore, who had been watching everything as normal, smiled.
"Minerva, that's one disaster avoided."
"Yes, but Albus, the biggest has yet to be resolved."
"In time, my dear. In time."
"I have the feeling Severus only promised to do something to get rid of us," she felt the need to comment.
"There are other forces at work here. I trust Severus and Hermione will work out this difficulty yet today."
"You better be right, Albus, or we're all in trouble."
The headmaster just smiled.
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Normally, Snape would never admit his guard was down, but in this particular moment, he had. Harry and Draco had been following him, and he had not even been aware of it until just now. He mused as to why that might have been.
After McGonagall and Dumbledore had left him, Snape's day went from worse to worst. The Dark Mark had begun burning on his left arm. He had been summoned. Tonight was the night. He had to go or they would know for sure he was a traitor. The whole fiasco had thrown him into even more of a stupor than he had currently been. Now Potter and Malfoy were holding him up. This was not good.
"Professor Snape, Why did you do it?" demanded Harry.
"I assure you, I do not know what you are talking about," he responded cruelly.
This enraged Draco. "You do know what you did. This is a worse offense than any my father committed against me!" They saw the hurt in Snape's eyes at that moment. Lucius Malfoy was a particularly sore spot for him in more than one way. It served as a painful reminder of what he must do and why he had ended his relationship with Hermione.
"All right," he snarled angrily. "In here, let's go."
Harry and Draco were ushered into Snape's classroom. He slammed the door out of anger, pain, and regret. It was a nice release, but all to short.
"Tell no one of this, not even Hermione. Promise me on your lives."
"We promise," Harry and Draco said simultaneously.
He did not really believe them, but then again, he did not particularly care. He just needed to be rid of them to get on with his business.
Snape rolled back his sleeve, revealing the very visible Dark Mark. "This is why. I cannot risk putting Miss Granger in more danger than she already is in. If I were to die, it's better she had not gotten close. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be," he finished harshly.
Both young men were taken aback by Snape's bluntness. They had not expected it. They had not even considered it. However, they did know Snape needed to come back alive and in one piece. It was not just for Hermione, but also for everyone. Losing him suddenly seemed like to great a loss for the school and the world.
"Professor, please be careful," Draco quietly said.
Snape then did the unexpected. He hugged Draco. "I will come back. Severus Snape has not seen his last night." He then proceeded to hug Harry before leaving. Both boys stood in shock looking after the Professor's retreating form.
"Did he sound convincing to you?" asked Harry finally.
"No. In fact, I'm more worried now."
"Me too. Poor Hermione. Poor Snape. Poor us. Poor everyone . . ."
"Yeah," Draco agreed sadly.
End Part 6
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Part 6
Ron was growing restless. He wished Hermione would talk to him, but figured he would end up being cursed if he persisted. Once again, the common room was empty, so he went to dinner. The sight that met him there made him even unhappier. Harry was sitting next to Draco Malfoy of all people. However, he put on a brave face and sat down with them, much to Harry's surprise.
"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" Ron asked.
"No" and "Go ahead" could be heard.
In the next moment, however, Harry and Draco were preoccupied elsewhere. Professor Snape had just arrived for dinner. Dumbledore and McGonagall were watching him closely, as well. They had been the ones to leave him in his sad state after all. He did not appear any happier, which Draco and Harry noticed immediately. Ron had even noticed the change in the Potions Master. He was greatly surprised by how deflated Snape appeared. What happened to the confident, over bearing and frightening professor he knew? This Snape seemed . . . human.
"Harry," Ron nudged his friend, "What's wrong with Snape?"
"Gee, Ron, I don't know! What do you think is wrong?" he responded half angrily, half sarcastically.
"You can't be serious."
Draco decided to speak up. "Are you that much of a dunder head, Weasley? Even I saw it." This received stares from Harry and Ron. "Okay, it took a bit of convincing, but I realize it's always been there.'
"Do you believe us now?" Harry asked.
"I'm starting to, but I don't have to like it, do I?"
"You have to be supportive, but you don't need to like it."
"Oh, okay," Ron, replied nonchalantly. He added, "I'm really sorry, Harry."
"You should be, but I accept your apology. It's Hermione you should really be apologizing to though. She needs to hear it more than I."
"Yeah, she's gonna be difficult right now though. Still totally locked in her . . . I'm an idiot." He received a look from Draco and Harry. "Anyway, I'm sorry to you too, Draco. I just didn't expect it. I mean, you can't be that bad if you're letting Colin beat you at Wizards Chess!"
Draco and Harry just smiled at one another for a moment before the blond said, "That's all right, Ron. You always were a bit slow."
"Hey!"
Harry agreed as he was eating a roll. "It's true, Ron."
"Eh, you're right. I'm only good at creating a mess of things. Why do you keep me around, Harry?"
"You're my best friend. Besides, you've saved my life a time or two. That's what best friends do."
"Thanks." Ron blushed furiously at the compliment.
Draco had been intently watching Snape during the conversation between Ron and Harry. The Professor was getting up to leave. "Harry, time to go," he said.
"What do I do?" Ron asked. "I want to help."
Harry responded. "Apologize to Hermione, and try to get her to talk to you."
All three got up to leave. Harry and Draco were following Snape at a distance, and Ron headed back to Gryffindor Tower. Dumbledore, who had been watching everything as normal, smiled.
"Minerva, that's one disaster avoided."
"Yes, but Albus, the biggest has yet to be resolved."
"In time, my dear. In time."
"I have the feeling Severus only promised to do something to get rid of us," she felt the need to comment.
"There are other forces at work here. I trust Severus and Hermione will work out this difficulty yet today."
"You better be right, Albus, or we're all in trouble."
The headmaster just smiled.
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Normally, Snape would never admit his guard was down, but in this particular moment, he had. Harry and Draco had been following him, and he had not even been aware of it until just now. He mused as to why that might have been.
After McGonagall and Dumbledore had left him, Snape's day went from worse to worst. The Dark Mark had begun burning on his left arm. He had been summoned. Tonight was the night. He had to go or they would know for sure he was a traitor. The whole fiasco had thrown him into even more of a stupor than he had currently been. Now Potter and Malfoy were holding him up. This was not good.
"Professor Snape, Why did you do it?" demanded Harry.
"I assure you, I do not know what you are talking about," he responded cruelly.
This enraged Draco. "You do know what you did. This is a worse offense than any my father committed against me!" They saw the hurt in Snape's eyes at that moment. Lucius Malfoy was a particularly sore spot for him in more than one way. It served as a painful reminder of what he must do and why he had ended his relationship with Hermione.
"All right," he snarled angrily. "In here, let's go."
Harry and Draco were ushered into Snape's classroom. He slammed the door out of anger, pain, and regret. It was a nice release, but all to short.
"Tell no one of this, not even Hermione. Promise me on your lives."
"We promise," Harry and Draco said simultaneously.
He did not really believe them, but then again, he did not particularly care. He just needed to be rid of them to get on with his business.
Snape rolled back his sleeve, revealing the very visible Dark Mark. "This is why. I cannot risk putting Miss Granger in more danger than she already is in. If I were to die, it's better she had not gotten close. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be," he finished harshly.
Both young men were taken aback by Snape's bluntness. They had not expected it. They had not even considered it. However, they did know Snape needed to come back alive and in one piece. It was not just for Hermione, but also for everyone. Losing him suddenly seemed like to great a loss for the school and the world.
"Professor, please be careful," Draco quietly said.
Snape then did the unexpected. He hugged Draco. "I will come back. Severus Snape has not seen his last night." He then proceeded to hug Harry before leaving. Both boys stood in shock looking after the Professor's retreating form.
"Did he sound convincing to you?" asked Harry finally.
"No. In fact, I'm more worried now."
"Me too. Poor Hermione. Poor Snape. Poor us. Poor everyone . . ."
"Yeah," Draco agreed sadly.
End Part 6