Part 7 - - - We're Halfway Home, folks!
"Hermione!" Ron was pounding on the door this time. "Hermione, you have to come out sometime. Look, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. You were right. Snape is on our side!" He hoped his apology and admittance to being wrong would convince her to let him in.
Hermione heard Ron well enough, but at that moment she was watching a dark, hooded figure resembling the man in question making his way toward the Forbidden Forest. Needless to say, this only made her unhappier.
Finally, deciding she should talk to someone, Hermione let Ron into the room. "No, you were right, Ron. What was I thinking? I should never have allowed myself to believe he would really allow himself to have a relationship with a student."
Ron did not like her degrading herself. "But Hermione, I saw him tonight. Professor Snape was miserable. It was like he was someone totally different. He didn't want to let you go."
"He wasn't miserable because of me. It was the Dark Mark. I saw him heading into the forest just now."
"If it was because of the Dark Mark, why hasn't he looked that way before when it's appeared?" Ron would not let her think that little of herself and her place with the Potions Master. "Hermione, I get it now. He didn't want to hurt you, but he had to . . . to protect you."
"Thanks, Ron, but you're not helping any," she said softly.
"Aw, come on, Hermione. Cheer up. He was only trying to do the right thing. At the moment, that's what I'm trying to do too. I admit I was wrong and that I can be an idiot sometimes."
"What about Draco then?" she asked.
"I apologized to him and he accepted." For good measure, he added, "I meant that apology Hermione. Anyway, I'm sorry I'm such an idiot sometimes. I was just having trouble believing someone could change that much, but it wasn't really that big of a change once I really thought about it, for either of them."
"Ron, I knew you'd come around." She hugged him. It was more for her comfort than his, but Ron gladly obliged. Once, he would have actually reveled in it, but now it was just a comfort. He knew Hermione was relying on him to be strong at the moment. Ron was not so stupid as to ruin it. She pulled away after a few minutes.
"Thanks, Ron. I needed that."
"I'm here for you if you need me."
"I know, and I appreciate it."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Harry and Draco were walking into the common room at the same moment Ron and Hermione were coming from the girls' dormitory. Harry was so happy to see Hermione he hugged her.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I was so angry with Snape and everything, I wasn't thinking, "she told him.
"That's okay, Hermione. I'm just glad to see you're okay."
She weakly smiled at Harry.
"Um, Harry," interrupted Draco, "we should probably tell her."
"Tell me what?" she asked.
Harry decided he should be the one to deliver the news. He was closer to Hermione after all. "Snape had to go to a meeting with Voldemort." Ron and Draco flinched at the name. "The Dark Mark appeared. I'm really sorry."
Hermione started getting teary-eyed, and she looked sad again. "I know. I watched him running toward the Forbidden Forest." She needed to sit down so she collapsed into the nearest chair. For a moment, Ron thought she might faint.
"Are you all right, Herm'?"
"Not really. If something happens to him . . ." she couldn't finish. All she had really been thinking about was how she and Severus had parted. She had not meant what she said. She had been so angry for making her believe they could have a working relationship when he was not willing to risk it. She had not wanted to think of it, but she needed to have an opportunity to tell him she loved him. With the appearance of the Dark Mark, her fear of losing him without apologizing was all too real. She broke down in front of a bewildered Ron, Harry, and Draco.
Ron quickly gathered her to his arms and tried to soother her. "It'll be all right Hermione. Everything will be okay."
She kept sobbing. Harry and Draco had pulled up a couple of chairs so they could sit near her. Harry was rubbing her back comfortingly while Ron just held her. Draco just sat quietly, unsure what he could do to help at the moment.
They were still sitting like that, Hermione's sobbing finally under control when McGonagall came in several minutes later.
"Miss Granger," she said kindly, "I'm very sorry. If there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied, untangling herself from Ron. He got up and found a chair for himself, which he moved so he could sit by his friends.
McGonagall made no movement to leave, so they figured she wanted something. Harry asked, "Is there something you needed, Professor?"
"Well, yes, there is, Mr. Potter. I was wondering if any of you knew where Professor Snape might have gone. He usually lets us know when he is called, but we received no indication, and no one can find him."
Hermione was the one who replied. She somehow felt responsible, silly as that was. "I saw him go into the Forbidden Forest, and Harry and Draco saw the mark."
"He, um, showed it to us, Professor," Draco confirmed, a bit uncomfortably. For some reason, it felt like a betrayal to tell McGonagall. Probably just being in the Gryffindor common room, he told himself. He was safe from his father, and presumably, the Death Eaters as long as he remained at Hogwarts.
"Oh, dear," came McGonagall's reply. "I must tell Albus immediately. Do be careful, and don't tell anyone about any of this. I trust you four not to do anything rash. There's no telling who or what lurks outside the walls of the school. Good night, "she finished, turning on her heels abruptly leaving.
All four of them looked oddly at each other like McGonagall had lost it. Telling anyone was out of the question. Who would they tell anyway? No one who had stayed for the holidays was guaranteed trust worthy, especially considering they would have to tell the whole story of how it happened. Hermione shuddered at the thought. She would rather deal with this than the humiliation of the school finding out she had a crush on Snape in the first place and was in love with him now.
"Draco," Harry interrupted everyone's thoughts, "you'll go with Ron. Hermione, you're with me."
Ron asked first. "Where are we going?'
"We're helping look for Snape. Dumbledore and McGonagall can't do it all by themselves. Besides, we were never told we couldn't leave the castle. We were just told to be careful," Hermione answered. At least she would be doing something. Sitting and waiting had been out of the question.
"We'll meet by the Fat Lady in twenty minutes," said Harry. Hermione went back to the girls' dormitory. Harry and Ron headed to the boys' while Draco went back to Slytherin tower to get his winter robes and anything else that might be useful.
End Part 7
"Hermione!" Ron was pounding on the door this time. "Hermione, you have to come out sometime. Look, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. You were right. Snape is on our side!" He hoped his apology and admittance to being wrong would convince her to let him in.
Hermione heard Ron well enough, but at that moment she was watching a dark, hooded figure resembling the man in question making his way toward the Forbidden Forest. Needless to say, this only made her unhappier.
Finally, deciding she should talk to someone, Hermione let Ron into the room. "No, you were right, Ron. What was I thinking? I should never have allowed myself to believe he would really allow himself to have a relationship with a student."
Ron did not like her degrading herself. "But Hermione, I saw him tonight. Professor Snape was miserable. It was like he was someone totally different. He didn't want to let you go."
"He wasn't miserable because of me. It was the Dark Mark. I saw him heading into the forest just now."
"If it was because of the Dark Mark, why hasn't he looked that way before when it's appeared?" Ron would not let her think that little of herself and her place with the Potions Master. "Hermione, I get it now. He didn't want to hurt you, but he had to . . . to protect you."
"Thanks, Ron, but you're not helping any," she said softly.
"Aw, come on, Hermione. Cheer up. He was only trying to do the right thing. At the moment, that's what I'm trying to do too. I admit I was wrong and that I can be an idiot sometimes."
"What about Draco then?" she asked.
"I apologized to him and he accepted." For good measure, he added, "I meant that apology Hermione. Anyway, I'm sorry I'm such an idiot sometimes. I was just having trouble believing someone could change that much, but it wasn't really that big of a change once I really thought about it, for either of them."
"Ron, I knew you'd come around." She hugged him. It was more for her comfort than his, but Ron gladly obliged. Once, he would have actually reveled in it, but now it was just a comfort. He knew Hermione was relying on him to be strong at the moment. Ron was not so stupid as to ruin it. She pulled away after a few minutes.
"Thanks, Ron. I needed that."
"I'm here for you if you need me."
"I know, and I appreciate it."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Harry and Draco were walking into the common room at the same moment Ron and Hermione were coming from the girls' dormitory. Harry was so happy to see Hermione he hugged her.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I was so angry with Snape and everything, I wasn't thinking, "she told him.
"That's okay, Hermione. I'm just glad to see you're okay."
She weakly smiled at Harry.
"Um, Harry," interrupted Draco, "we should probably tell her."
"Tell me what?" she asked.
Harry decided he should be the one to deliver the news. He was closer to Hermione after all. "Snape had to go to a meeting with Voldemort." Ron and Draco flinched at the name. "The Dark Mark appeared. I'm really sorry."
Hermione started getting teary-eyed, and she looked sad again. "I know. I watched him running toward the Forbidden Forest." She needed to sit down so she collapsed into the nearest chair. For a moment, Ron thought she might faint.
"Are you all right, Herm'?"
"Not really. If something happens to him . . ." she couldn't finish. All she had really been thinking about was how she and Severus had parted. She had not meant what she said. She had been so angry for making her believe they could have a working relationship when he was not willing to risk it. She had not wanted to think of it, but she needed to have an opportunity to tell him she loved him. With the appearance of the Dark Mark, her fear of losing him without apologizing was all too real. She broke down in front of a bewildered Ron, Harry, and Draco.
Ron quickly gathered her to his arms and tried to soother her. "It'll be all right Hermione. Everything will be okay."
She kept sobbing. Harry and Draco had pulled up a couple of chairs so they could sit near her. Harry was rubbing her back comfortingly while Ron just held her. Draco just sat quietly, unsure what he could do to help at the moment.
They were still sitting like that, Hermione's sobbing finally under control when McGonagall came in several minutes later.
"Miss Granger," she said kindly, "I'm very sorry. If there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied, untangling herself from Ron. He got up and found a chair for himself, which he moved so he could sit by his friends.
McGonagall made no movement to leave, so they figured she wanted something. Harry asked, "Is there something you needed, Professor?"
"Well, yes, there is, Mr. Potter. I was wondering if any of you knew where Professor Snape might have gone. He usually lets us know when he is called, but we received no indication, and no one can find him."
Hermione was the one who replied. She somehow felt responsible, silly as that was. "I saw him go into the Forbidden Forest, and Harry and Draco saw the mark."
"He, um, showed it to us, Professor," Draco confirmed, a bit uncomfortably. For some reason, it felt like a betrayal to tell McGonagall. Probably just being in the Gryffindor common room, he told himself. He was safe from his father, and presumably, the Death Eaters as long as he remained at Hogwarts.
"Oh, dear," came McGonagall's reply. "I must tell Albus immediately. Do be careful, and don't tell anyone about any of this. I trust you four not to do anything rash. There's no telling who or what lurks outside the walls of the school. Good night, "she finished, turning on her heels abruptly leaving.
All four of them looked oddly at each other like McGonagall had lost it. Telling anyone was out of the question. Who would they tell anyway? No one who had stayed for the holidays was guaranteed trust worthy, especially considering they would have to tell the whole story of how it happened. Hermione shuddered at the thought. She would rather deal with this than the humiliation of the school finding out she had a crush on Snape in the first place and was in love with him now.
"Draco," Harry interrupted everyone's thoughts, "you'll go with Ron. Hermione, you're with me."
Ron asked first. "Where are we going?'
"We're helping look for Snape. Dumbledore and McGonagall can't do it all by themselves. Besides, we were never told we couldn't leave the castle. We were just told to be careful," Hermione answered. At least she would be doing something. Sitting and waiting had been out of the question.
"We'll meet by the Fat Lady in twenty minutes," said Harry. Hermione went back to the girls' dormitory. Harry and Ron headed to the boys' while Draco went back to Slytherin tower to get his winter robes and anything else that might be useful.
End Part 7