You Were the One I Loved
"Hermione?" Harry said gently as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Hermione sniffed, and pulled herself out of his arms. "Of
course I don't. The man I love, the man I thought loved me, the man who
I have a DAUGHTER with, just told me that all of those emotions I was
feeling weren't real."
Ron, who had been walking around the room with Emma, trying to
calm her frantic crying, stopped short. "What did the bastard say to
you?" His voice had a harsh edge to it.
Hermione sighed. "Ron, don't get too angry. I just don't want
to deal with it tonight. I can't deal with it tonight." Hermione
dropped down on the worn down couch in the center of the living room.
"Why don't you just tell me what he said," Ron said angrily. He
gently gave Emma over to Harry, where she settled in and began to
sleep. Ron sat down on the couch next to Hermione and took her hands in
his. "Please," he said, as calmly as he could manage. "I promise I
won't get angry. I- I just can't stand to see you like this." Ron had
always had a soft spot in his heart for Hermione. Even after he had
gotten over the crush he had on her in their seventh year, he could
never stand the fact that she had married Snape.
"Ron, he told me that he didn't love me. That he hasn't, in
fact, ever loved me." Hermione pulled her hands out of Ron's gentle
grasp and buried her face in her hands.
Ron awkwardly patted Hermione on the back, while Harry stood
off to the side rocking tiny Emma back and forth. "Let me get this
straight, 'Mione," Harry said, using the nickname he hadn't touched
since sixth year. "He said he didn't love you?"
"Why would I lie about that, Harry? It's not something I'm very
proud of." Hermione looked at Harry. "Look, I love you guys, and I
would just love to talk to you about the ruin my marriage has become,
but I need to sleep... and take care of a daughter," she said with a
hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"OK, Hermione, you don't want to talk. Ron and I will take
Emma upstairs, she'll sleep in my room tonight. I want you to get as
much rest as possible."
"Harry, no, she's my daughter. I want to and will take care of
her." Hermione reached for Emma.
Harry handed her over, and kissed Hermione on the head. "Good
night. We'll talk in the morning."
Ron repeated the same action. "Love you, Hermione."
"Love you too, Ron."
Hermione curled up on the couch, Emma's small body tucked into
the curve of her own. Closing her eyes, Hermione let her tears fall
into the wispy black locks of her daughter. "You can't do this
Hermione," she whispered to herself. "You can't beat yourself up about
this." But still, Hermione's mind drifted back to a time when her love
for Severus was fresh, and new, and, so it seemed them, eternal.
Hermione stretched contentedly. Today was the first day of the
winter term and she was looking forward to using her mind again. She
enjoyed the laziness of the holidays as much as anyone, but she always
found it exhilirating at the start of a new term, with time to learn
and sharpen her brain. Especially since this was the last winter term
at Hogwarts.
"Hermione, are you coming?" Lavander Brown stood at the door.
Though for the bulk of her years at school, Hermione had found Lavander
and Pavarati vapid and boring, they had actually been becoming very
close friends. "You better move it, we have Snape first hour this
term."
Hermione sighed. "Oh, what a wonderful way to start out a new
term."
"I know all your teachers are probably giving you today to
recouperate and get accustomed to the schedule again," Snape said
softly, sneering. "But I am not like all other teachers. I want you
to make an invisibility potion," He said gesturing to the long list of
of ingredients and instructions, "And I want it done correctly."
Hermione whispered furtively to Ron, "Really? Because I was
under the impression that I was to do it wrong." Ron laughed, and it
was his snort that called Snape's attention to their table.
"That's 10 points, Ms. Granger. And detention this evening."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it.
This wouldn't be the first detention she had ever had, but it would be
the one she would remember for years to come.
Turning over on the couch, Hermione sighed, and wiped some
tears away. How she had dreaded that detention. She had even talked to
Dumbledore, in hopes of getting out of it, and not spoiling her pristine record. If only she had succeeded.
"Ms. Granger, you are late." Snape looked up at her darkly. "Five points."
Hermione gritted her teeth. "I'm not late, Proffessor."
Snape rasied his eyebrow."Really? Well, my clock says you are. Really, you should work on telling time."
"Oh, that's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't know where this animosity comes from, but I don't think I can take this anymore. I respect you! I listen to you! I've done everything you've ever asked me! And still, you treat me like I'm five years old, like I could never comprehend anything at the level you can. I'm smart, Proffessor. And I don't like wasting time at detentions for things that don't even matter." Hermione took in a huge breath. She had never spoken to a teacher like that before. In fact, the whole scenario was out of character for her. She barely could look at Snape.
Snape stood up. "This insolence will not be tolerated," he said slowly, menacingly. He walked to where Hermione was standing and stood very close to her, invading her personal space. "How do you dare to speak to me in that fasion?"
She had to tilt her head up to look at him, trying to think of some smart retort. She looked into his black eyes, smoldering with anger, and something else. Hermione felt the shift in emotion. Suddenly, the burning anger she felt, the hatred, turned to incredible attraction. Snape leaned down closer to her, and kissed her, gently, softly, on the lips. Hermione was in shock. She looked back at Snape, and he seemed as surprised as she was. "Proffessor, I--" and she stepped backwards awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger, I don't know what came over me." Snape turned around, and began walking towards his desk.
Hermione didn't know what had happened either. But she did know, at this moment, with perfect clarity, that she was in love with Severus Snape. And there was only one thing she could do about it. "Severus," Hermione said softly, touching him on the shoulder.
He turned, the emotional turmoil plain on his face. "Ms. Granger-- Hermione," he said, his tone softening. "This shouldn't have happened."
Hermione shook her head, and stood close to him. "I think it was only a matter of time before it did." With that, she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and deepening the kiss.
A choked sob escaped Hermione. Remembering the sweetness of that first kiss, the assuredness she felt when she held him in her arms, only seemed to remind her of her stupidity, of her blind trust in their relationship. "Stop thinking about it, Hermione," She said aloud. And finally, after two hours of tossing and turning, her mind obeyed, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
"Hermione?" Harry said gently as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Hermione sniffed, and pulled herself out of his arms. "Of
course I don't. The man I love, the man I thought loved me, the man who
I have a DAUGHTER with, just told me that all of those emotions I was
feeling weren't real."
Ron, who had been walking around the room with Emma, trying to
calm her frantic crying, stopped short. "What did the bastard say to
you?" His voice had a harsh edge to it.
Hermione sighed. "Ron, don't get too angry. I just don't want
to deal with it tonight. I can't deal with it tonight." Hermione
dropped down on the worn down couch in the center of the living room.
"Why don't you just tell me what he said," Ron said angrily. He
gently gave Emma over to Harry, where she settled in and began to
sleep. Ron sat down on the couch next to Hermione and took her hands in
his. "Please," he said, as calmly as he could manage. "I promise I
won't get angry. I- I just can't stand to see you like this." Ron had
always had a soft spot in his heart for Hermione. Even after he had
gotten over the crush he had on her in their seventh year, he could
never stand the fact that she had married Snape.
"Ron, he told me that he didn't love me. That he hasn't, in
fact, ever loved me." Hermione pulled her hands out of Ron's gentle
grasp and buried her face in her hands.
Ron awkwardly patted Hermione on the back, while Harry stood
off to the side rocking tiny Emma back and forth. "Let me get this
straight, 'Mione," Harry said, using the nickname he hadn't touched
since sixth year. "He said he didn't love you?"
"Why would I lie about that, Harry? It's not something I'm very
proud of." Hermione looked at Harry. "Look, I love you guys, and I
would just love to talk to you about the ruin my marriage has become,
but I need to sleep... and take care of a daughter," she said with a
hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"OK, Hermione, you don't want to talk. Ron and I will take
Emma upstairs, she'll sleep in my room tonight. I want you to get as
much rest as possible."
"Harry, no, she's my daughter. I want to and will take care of
her." Hermione reached for Emma.
Harry handed her over, and kissed Hermione on the head. "Good
night. We'll talk in the morning."
Ron repeated the same action. "Love you, Hermione."
"Love you too, Ron."
Hermione curled up on the couch, Emma's small body tucked into
the curve of her own. Closing her eyes, Hermione let her tears fall
into the wispy black locks of her daughter. "You can't do this
Hermione," she whispered to herself. "You can't beat yourself up about
this." But still, Hermione's mind drifted back to a time when her love
for Severus was fresh, and new, and, so it seemed them, eternal.
Hermione stretched contentedly. Today was the first day of the
winter term and she was looking forward to using her mind again. She
enjoyed the laziness of the holidays as much as anyone, but she always
found it exhilirating at the start of a new term, with time to learn
and sharpen her brain. Especially since this was the last winter term
at Hogwarts.
"Hermione, are you coming?" Lavander Brown stood at the door.
Though for the bulk of her years at school, Hermione had found Lavander
and Pavarati vapid and boring, they had actually been becoming very
close friends. "You better move it, we have Snape first hour this
term."
Hermione sighed. "Oh, what a wonderful way to start out a new
term."
"I know all your teachers are probably giving you today to
recouperate and get accustomed to the schedule again," Snape said
softly, sneering. "But I am not like all other teachers. I want you
to make an invisibility potion," He said gesturing to the long list of
of ingredients and instructions, "And I want it done correctly."
Hermione whispered furtively to Ron, "Really? Because I was
under the impression that I was to do it wrong." Ron laughed, and it
was his snort that called Snape's attention to their table.
"That's 10 points, Ms. Granger. And detention this evening."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it.
This wouldn't be the first detention she had ever had, but it would be
the one she would remember for years to come.
Turning over on the couch, Hermione sighed, and wiped some
tears away. How she had dreaded that detention. She had even talked to
Dumbledore, in hopes of getting out of it, and not spoiling her pristine record. If only she had succeeded.
"Ms. Granger, you are late." Snape looked up at her darkly. "Five points."
Hermione gritted her teeth. "I'm not late, Proffessor."
Snape rasied his eyebrow."Really? Well, my clock says you are. Really, you should work on telling time."
"Oh, that's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't know where this animosity comes from, but I don't think I can take this anymore. I respect you! I listen to you! I've done everything you've ever asked me! And still, you treat me like I'm five years old, like I could never comprehend anything at the level you can. I'm smart, Proffessor. And I don't like wasting time at detentions for things that don't even matter." Hermione took in a huge breath. She had never spoken to a teacher like that before. In fact, the whole scenario was out of character for her. She barely could look at Snape.
Snape stood up. "This insolence will not be tolerated," he said slowly, menacingly. He walked to where Hermione was standing and stood very close to her, invading her personal space. "How do you dare to speak to me in that fasion?"
She had to tilt her head up to look at him, trying to think of some smart retort. She looked into his black eyes, smoldering with anger, and something else. Hermione felt the shift in emotion. Suddenly, the burning anger she felt, the hatred, turned to incredible attraction. Snape leaned down closer to her, and kissed her, gently, softly, on the lips. Hermione was in shock. She looked back at Snape, and he seemed as surprised as she was. "Proffessor, I--" and she stepped backwards awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger, I don't know what came over me." Snape turned around, and began walking towards his desk.
Hermione didn't know what had happened either. But she did know, at this moment, with perfect clarity, that she was in love with Severus Snape. And there was only one thing she could do about it. "Severus," Hermione said softly, touching him on the shoulder.
He turned, the emotional turmoil plain on his face. "Ms. Granger-- Hermione," he said, his tone softening. "This shouldn't have happened."
Hermione shook her head, and stood close to him. "I think it was only a matter of time before it did." With that, she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and deepening the kiss.
A choked sob escaped Hermione. Remembering the sweetness of that first kiss, the assuredness she felt when she held him in her arms, only seemed to remind her of her stupidity, of her blind trust in their relationship. "Stop thinking about it, Hermione," She said aloud. And finally, after two hours of tossing and turning, her mind obeyed, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.