Chapter Nine: Painful Tears
The next morning, Hermione didn't wake for hours. In fact, she missed breakfast altogether. Dobby tried to search for her, but he never went into the room where her lifeless body lay.
Later that day, there was a knock on the door and Dobby was there right away to welcome them graciously to the home he had worked so hard to clean, despite the little improvement.
It was Drew, and he was there for lessons, but dobby had no idea where Hermione was and they both began to search for her. Drew had the feeling something was wrong when Dobby didn't know where she was. Dobby searched the lower level, and Drew decided to go upstairs. With each hesitant step he took, he felt more and more worried and anxious. He was so worried about her....
When he approached the door to the room she was in, he put his hand on the knob. For one split second, he felt he knew she was in there. He couldn't explain it, but he knew. And when he opened the door, he saw what he feared. His heart almost stopped bleeding and tears were falling uncontrollably from his eyes. Drew never cried. He was a sensitive man, but he never cried. All he could see was Hermione's bruised and bleeding body lying on top of an old desk, she looked like she was dead. Her skin was pale and dripping with blood in some places. She was clearly unconscious and looked awful. He half expected to feel for a pulse and find she was dead.
Drew approached her slowly, hoping she would wake up at any second. But she wasn't.
He finally reached her, which seemed to take forever. He lifted his hand and placed it gently on her forehead. He wiped the stray hairs off of her face and wept. He started to try to wipe the blood off of her face and body, but he thought it was too late. He collapsed to the floor and let himself go.
Up on the desk, Hermione slowly opened her eyes. She was in pain, and it hurt everywhere. It caused her great amounts of pain to open her eyes. She looked up and saw white. She made a slight groan trying to lift herself up, but it was useless.
When Drew heard the groan, he immediately jumped up to his feet and looked at Hermione. Her eyes were barely open. He placed a shaky hand on her wrist and felt a slow, but steady pulse. He was so relieved, but it still didn't take away the questions in his mind. How did this happen? Who did this? And where was Snape...?
"Hermione? Hermione?! Are you okay? What happened?" he was talking so fast, Hermione couldn't process it all. She was still bleeding all over and her entire body was sore.
"Pain..." was all she could say.
But now that Drew knew she was alive, he could cure her. He was immensely skilled in the healing area. He once was a stand in healer for St. Mungos, though he never told anyone as he was bombarded with common ailment problems from strange witches and wizards.
Drew pulled out his wand and raised it above her body. Bright rays of white hot light shot out of it and after five minutes, the majority of her cuts and bruises were gone and she had stopped bleeding. She could lift herself up with the help of Drew.
"Snape...." Was the first thing she decided to say. Drew knew what was coming and he said...
"I'll kill him..." with an intense look of anger on his face.
Drew had never been so angry. He was half crying, and half flat out pissed. Hermione was feeling a bit stronger every second, but noticed that few select bruises and cuts remained in a few places.
Drew got to his feet and headed out of the room, Hermione got off of the desk and followed. She wasn't going to let him hurt Snape...even though Snape had hurt her.
After a couple minutes of searching for Snape, Drew became so impatient that he screamed and turned to Hermione. "WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS HE?" he screamed.
Hermione didn't answer, because she didn't know either. She felt she should have been angrier with Snape for what he had done, but the truth is that she was actually a bit ashamed and sad, she thought she had deserved it....
They both gave up and Drew sat Hermione down on the couch again.
"Hermione, you have to tell me what happened. Why did he do this to you?" He asked, tears still streaming down his red cheeks occasionally.
"I-don't know." She said. And she actually didn't. Drew must have known she was telling the truth because he didn't ask again.
They sat there in silence for some time, occasionally passing a glance at one another. Drew didn't want to leave Hermione side for one second, but he had a strong impulse to beat Snape to a pulp. He knew he did this to her without question and he wanted to make him pay. Hermione wasn't at all angry however. She was depressed and felt sorry for Snape. She knew she did something wrong but she couldn't put a finger on it. After a few more moments of well needed silence, Drew turned to Hermione.
"I'm sorry he did this to you Hermione...you don't deserve this..." He said with a look of deep sadness behind his blue eyes.
"I think I did..." she said softly.
"YOU DID NOT!" he shouted. "Hermione...you are the most beautiful, interesting, and honest person I know...there is no way on earth that you deserved to be treated like that." He said trying to force out a smile.
"You...you think I'm beautiful?" Hermione asked, blushing a bit. She couldn't imagine anyone thinking she was pretty when she had black eyes and cuts on her body.
"The most beautiful woman I've ever met..." he said. They were both in tears now, and Hermione didn't know why. Before she knew it...Drew was moving closer to her face and his warm breath was mingling with hers.
"Thanks..." was all she could spit out.
Within seconds, Drew's and Hermione's lips met and he was kissing her like she had never known. It felt completely right to her and all of her pain and misery washed away. It was so soft and gentle and all Hermione wanted was to never let go and be with him forever.
"Wow..." Hermione said. She had totally lost herself in his kiss. Everything that was running through her busied mind vanished within a heartbeat.
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have done that..." he said and held his head in his hands, obviously ashamed at what he had just done.
"Don't say that...It was nice. It felt...." She started, but she didn't know quite how to put it.
"It felt what?" Drew asked, guessing she was going to say 'awful' or 'hideous', but she didn't....
"Right...It felt right." Hermione said with a grin.
Drew or Hermione didn't need to say anything after that. Hermione's words and smiles were enough to reassure Drew that it was ok and it was right. After all, Drew was only 7 years older than her.
But after a moment of complete bliss for Drew, his eye caught her cheek and he noticed a bruise. He saw them all over now and that a small cut on her forehead was still bleeding a bit. The memory of finding her lifeless body in that room came flooding back to him, as did his impulse to destroy Snape.
"Where is he?" He asked. His soft and gentle voice was gone. He now sounded menacing and threatening and it made Hermione feel nervous.
"I don't know...honestly, Drew." She said truthfully. "The last thing I remember was him raising his hand...and then I just...." She didn't need to finish. Hermione saw the look on Drew's face and she couldn't take it anymore.
Drew got to his feet and started racing around the house, Hermione right at his heels. He was now opening every door and cupboard and looking under furniture. Drew gave up on the first floor and raced up the stair, stepping around the broken shards of glass.
After Drew and Hermione looked around the different rooms upstairs, they finally came to Hermione and Snape's bedroom that they were sharing. Drew doubted he was in there because they had checked earlier and didn't find anyone there. Hermione was pretty sure that the potion would be wearing off now and to be truthful, she was kind of worried about Snape. She didn't know why, but as she touched a tender bruise on her forearm, she couldn't help but think it was her fault.
When Drew turned the doorknob, they both took a step in. From where they were they couldn't see anyone. But as they neared the opposite wall looking for signs of him, Hermione found him lying on the floor beside his bed, not visible from the doorway.
She took one good look at him and the only thing she could say was... "I'm sorry..." Hermione didn't know why she said that but she felt she had to for some reason...
But Snape wasn't answering. His eyes were closed shut and he was tangled in a ball on the floor. Drew moved closer to him as soon as he saw him and kneeled down to him. Drew raised his fist...higher and higher...and he was bringing it down faster and faster, although it seemed to Hermione as if it was in slow motion.
"NO!" she screamed just before his fist reached Snape's face. Drew looked at Hermione with a face of a baby whose candy had just been taken away.
"Hermione! This man beat you...he beat you....How could you not want him to deserve this?" he asked, trying to remain calm.
"I don't know...but just because he hurt me doesn't mean we have to do that to him..." she said. "He doesn't deserve it..." she trailed off. Hermione had no idea why she was saying these things; it just felt like they were coming out of her mouth uncontrollably.
"Hermione...he DOES deserve this. What did you feel like when you saw him beating you? What were you thinking at that moment?" He asked, trying to make a point.
"Like I....Like I had done something wrong...I DID do something to deserve this Drew...I just don't know what."
"Hermione...you have to trust me. You did NOT deserve this...no one would have deserved this." He said pointing to a bleeding cut on her cheek. "He's a slimy git, and he needs to learn a lesson." Drew said.
Hearing him talk like that made Hermione start to back away from him. Drew didn't listen to what Hermione had said and he was raising his fist to him again. He was seconds away from releasing terror on Snape, when Hermione threw herself on him. She wasn't going to let him to that to Snape. She had to save him...she had too...
When Hermione finally realized what she had done and realized that she had just thrown herself on Snape...she started wondering what was going on with her...
Hermione...you THREW yourself on top of Snape...He's the one that hit you and slapped you mercilessly and you're trying to save him from the same thing??? She was asking herself those questions until Drew peeled her off of Snape and sat her down on the bed next to him.
"Hermione..." he said softly, "What's gotten into you?"
"I'm not sure. But all I know is that Snape does not deserve that. Even though he's been evil and..." but before she could finish, she heard rustling on the ground just next to her feet. Snape was moving.
Every muscle in his body was aching and the last thing he remembered was hitting Hermione with no intentions of ever stopping. After witnessing their moments of conversations and annoying cuddling, Snape wanted to cause Hermione as much pain as possible. That morning, they had woken up hand in hand, and he didn't think it was romantic or special, but it meant they were getting closer, something Snape hadn't experienced in a long time. But hearing how much she had regretted that moment and that it had made her cry, made him feel angry, and before he knew it, he was giving her black eyes and bruises that would just remind him of how terrible he acted. He thought they were making progress living together, but when Snape heard Hermione, he was pretty sure that he made her skin crawl.
"Snape...Professor Snape, are you all right?" Hermione asked as soon as she had heard him come to life at her feet.
He wasn't answering. He was too angry to answer. Too upset to care.
"Professor?" she tried again. "Are you okay?"
Why would she care?"Can you hear me?"
Who wouldn't hear that obnoxiously loud voice that could blast this castle to oblivion?"Snape...are you all right...please answer me..." she pleaded. She was so afraid.
Oh shut up you insufferable mudblood! I don't have to answer you...
"Please...Severus..." she whispered.
Severus...she has no right to call me that! She has a lot of nerve..
Hermione shook him. She knew he was awake and his eyes were open but he was acting as though she wasn't even there.
"Severus....answer me..." she said again.
Too much nerve I daresay. Why does she even care?"Hermione...just give it up. We should leave him alone...let him rot in his guilt. He doesn't even deserve to have you speak to him.." said Drew.
Oh stay out of it you thief! Thief? What am I saying? I loathe you Hermione.
"Okay Drew. Lets go..." she said quietly, while she got up. She cast a glance back at Snape to see if he was going to speak to her before she left. "Bye Professor.." Hermione had given up hope. He hated her. But....she had drew, and that made he feel a bit better and wanted.
Drew and Hermione sat up that entire night talking. The were cuddling on the couch and telling jokes. With every word Drew spoke Hermione felt like she knew him more an more an became so comfortable with him that she never wanted him to leave. But the feelings of what had happened between herself and Snape were still raising questions in her mind.
Drew mixed up some Essence of Murtlap to take away the sting and pain of the remaining bruises and cuts. The smaller ones were already fading, but there were some places that she feared would never go away.
During that night, Drew was constantly bringing up Snape now and then and telling Hermione how much he hated them. Hermione would casually change the subject because she was not going to defend him, but she didn't like hearing someone talk about him like that.
Whether they were discussing their starting of lessons, chatting about what was in the Daily Prophet, or telling a joke about a hag in a bar, Hermione had a little voice in the back of her head trying to figure out what she did to deserve the beating she received from Snape.
Finally, after an exhausted day, Hermione told Drew that she should be getting some rest and that they would see each other tomorrow for lessons. She would feel a bit odd getting lessons from him, with how close they had got, but she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
After Drew left, Hermione went to sit at the Dining room table to write a letter...to someone who would understand her...
Hermione drew out a piece of parchment and a quill and ink bottle. She dipped her scarlet quill into the ink and began to carefully phrase a letter to Harry.
Harry-
I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. I'll be taking lessons here for a while, but I imagine Dumbledore told you that already. The potion will be ready in a couple of weeks and then I will return. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about...something happened Harry...something odd.
I woke the other morning, next to Snape, holding his hand. We were both confused, but didn't talk about it too much.
Anyway, later that day, my new teacher, Drew Davis, showed up. He's so sweet, and I think we've kind of developed something...we were talking about Snape together on the couch, and then we saw a picture fly down the stairs and land nearly by us. I told drew to leave incase it was something he didn't need to see...and it wasn't Harry...
Snape cornered me onto a desk near my room, and...
She paused, she didn't know exactly how to word it without making Snape sound terrible...because he wasn't...
And he well kind of gave me what I deserved...I got hit a couple of times and some marks here and there...well it wasn't that bad. I woke up the next morning and Drew was there. He was going to hurt Snape, Harry. I wouldn't let it happen. I deserved what I got. But, I've been thinking a lot lately Harry. You were the one I could tell all this too because I trust you. I'm feeling something for Snape, Harry but I don't know what it is. I don't hate...I think its totally opposite of that. I'm not saying I'm in love with him, but it's a feeling I've never felt before. I just needed to get this off of my chest Harry. Thanks. Could you write back soon?
Love from,
Hermione.
She folded the letter in half and headed upstairs. She was too tired to mail it now, it had been quite a day.
When she got up to the room, she laid the letter down on her nightstand and tucked herself into bed, and closed her eyes right away. The dream she would have that night was just adding to her confusion.
She was in a room by herself, until Drew apparated next to her. And two seconds later, Snape apparated on her other side. Hermione began kissing Drew, but Snape was pulling her away. Snape wrapped his arms around her and held her gently in his arms. Hermione told Drew to go away and he got angry. Snape told Hermione to leave because it was going to get ugly. Drew and Snape were fighting and then...Drew turned into Voldemort. Snape grabbed Hermione and they ran away from him. And when they reached safety...Snape kissed her...
She woke up before Snape that next morning and decided to get an early start on the day before her lessons. She got dressed into her robes and pulled her hair back. She decided to add some information about her dream to her letter to Harry, just so he would know everything and be able to give her the best advice. She folded the letter again and set it back down on the nightstand.
Hermione headed down to breakfast right as Snape was waking up. Snape was starting to feel increasingly worst lately and really felt that the potion Hermione was preparing would never work. He was experiencing white-hot pains every time he moved and the room was blurry. He was sweating and shaking non-stop.
Snape reached for the glass of water that Dobby usually left him on his nightstand, but instead, his hand caught a piece of parchment, which fell under his bed. He didn't think about it at all...probably just a spare piece lying around.
After breakfast, Hermione went to check on the potion, something she hadn't needed to do for a while. No more ingredients needed to be added, it was just left to brew for a little under two weeks, and then it would be completed.
After a dull morning, and a dull headache, Hermione went to the living room to wait for Drew, and he was right on time. He gave her a brisk kiss on the lips and Hermione blushed. She kind of assumed they were dating now...but she didn't want to ask in case she was terribly wrong.
"How's my girl this morning?" He asked as he looked at her black eyes, which were healing much faster now.
My girl...surely he wouldn't say that if he didn't mean...it must be true then.
"Just fine." She said and put her arms around his shoulders and gave him a long, sweet kiss.
Drew blushed a bit as well. He had secretly been hoping that she felt the same about him as he did about her, and now, his hopes were confirmed.
That day, they talked about every one of her classes and what they were supposed to be working on, and Hermione got caught up quickly. She got two essays done with the help of Drew (and a few playful kisses in between...) and got the rest of books and things she would need for the work she could do on her own at night. She was so relieved to be back on schedule with her classes.
After lessons, Drew and Hermione had a late lunch together and chatted for a while. Snape didn't make any appearances and unless you knew he was there, you wouldn't know that there was someone else in that house besides Hermione and Drew. Dobby showed up a couple times to clear their lunch things and just tidy up.
Drew left right before dinner, and Hermione went upstairs to mail her letter, but she couldn't find it. Snape was fast asleep, (breathing roughly) and she guessed that Dobby probably mailed it for her. (What a nice elf! She thought to herself.)
Hermione lie down on her bed, and fell asleep instantly.
The next couple of weeks went by so fast for Hermione. Their lessons were a breeze and Hermione was actually ahead of everyone else at Hogwart's now. She did her essays early, and turned all of her work in for top grades. The potion was brewing beautifully, Dobby was cleaning the house so well that it looked completely new, but Snape...Snape was getting worse by the minute.