Chapter Eleven: Remorse and Admission
Severus Snape threw the brandy down his throat. How could he have been so stupid? In a matter of several hours, he had just lost the two people in the world that he cared most about. Rayna could be dealt with later. He ached for Hermione. He threw the brandy glass against the wall. It shattered. He picked up the bottle.
*
"Is here all right with you?" Ron asked Hermione as the reached a cozy, unused classroom. Hermione nodded. Ron continued. "First off, I think I owe you an apology for how I've been acting."
Hermione withdrew her hand from Ron's. "How's that?"
Ron swallowed and grinned. "Like a jealous bugger."
Hermione laughed out loud. "I wouldn't quite say that."
Ron was serious once more as he again clasped her hand. "We need to talk."
*
Smash! The empty brandy bottle joined the glass in shards on the floor. "What do you want?" Snape hissed at the unwelcome visitor to his office.
Sirius Black looked almost timid as he stood before the obviously furious Potions Master. "I wanted to see if maybe we could, er.... set aside the issues we've had in the past." He held out his hand.
Snape looked at his arch rival with his hand outstretched in what he assumed was a gesture of comradery. A delirious laugh filled the room.
*
"What do we need to talk about, Ron?" Hermione asked, her eyes warm, but cautious.
"I think you know by now." Ron swallowed and looked down at Hermione's hand, clasped in his own. "We've been friends for seven years now. For me, there's always been something else between us. I love you, Hermione."
*
Severus Snape and Sirius Black looked around the room, bewildered. Neither had ever seen Rayna laugh like this. It was almost a cackle.
"You two have tried this before, remember? Several times" she was cut off as Severus' mouth bore down on her own in a crushing kiss.
*
Hermione gasped as Ron leaned in and kissed her. Caught up in the moment, she responded. Their tongues touched. Hermione drew back. She had felt nothing. This wasn't what she wanted.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, idly twirling a strand of her bushy hair around his finger.
"This isn't going to work, Ron."
*
Rayna squeaked under the kiss. Her hands found Snape's shoulders, and she pushed him away. There was fire in Sirius' eyes.
Rayna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You're drunk, Severus."
Sirius stepped forward. "He bloody well better be!" he hissed. "She's told you it's over, mate." Sarcasm and ice ran from the last word. He stalked towards the door and slammed it behind him. With a piercing look at Severus, Rayna followed. Severus could hear their brief words and the smallest hint of a sigh from Rayna as they, presumably, made up.
*
Ron looked stunned. "Why not? Can't you feel it, Hermione?"
Hermione hesitated. "Yes-yes, I suppose I can. But you know how we are. After a week, we'd get into a huge row and it would all be over."
Ron leaned forward in protest. "I promise it wouldn't be that way, please, just give me a chance!"
Hermione placed a finger on his lips. "It would be that way, and you know it as well as I do. I don't want to lose your friendship. It means a lot to me."
Ron smiled weakly. "Is there any chance you'll reconsider?" Hermione only smiled. He held out his hand. "Shall we head back, then?"
*
The next morning was dreary. Hermione chanced a fleeting look at the staff table, and was shocked to see Snape's red, bagged eyes. He looked slightly nauseous. She leaned in to Harry, Ron and Ginny.
"Look at Snape!" she whispered, motioning to the staff table. They all looked. Ginny smiled and winked at Hermione. Harry raised his eyebrows at her, then kissed Ginny on the forehead. Ron punched her playfully in the arm.
"Aww, look, 'Mione, he misses you!" He teased.
Hermione elbowed him back. "Shut up!" she said, possibly a bit louder than was necessary.
*
At the staff table, Hermione's near-shout had wakened the Potions Professor out of a trance. He looked toward the Gryffindor table and was shocked to see Hermione giggling as Weasley tickled her. He got up and strode toward them, in time to see Hermione push Ron into Luna Lovegood, whose pumpkin juice was spilled. Perfect, he thought, smiling to himself.
"Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley!" He said authoritatively as he reached them. "This kind of roughhousing is not permitted. Five points each from Gryffindor." He proceeded out of the Great Hall.
Hermione froze for a split second, then followed Snape out. "Professor!" she choked when she caught up.
Snape allowed himself another private smile. "Miss Granger, do I need to take another ten points for you arguing with me?"
"No, you do not, but"
Snape cut her off by holding up a hand. "Ten points. Do not argue again or it will be fifty." He turned and continued walking as Hermione fumed. She walked hastily until she had passed him, then abruptly turned.
"Can we talk, Severus?" She asked. The sound of his given name escaping her lips touched his very heart.
"Hush!" he whispered, looking around, and then he pulled her by the front of her robes into the nearest classroom.
TBC
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers!
Severus Snape threw the brandy down his throat. How could he have been so stupid? In a matter of several hours, he had just lost the two people in the world that he cared most about. Rayna could be dealt with later. He ached for Hermione. He threw the brandy glass against the wall. It shattered. He picked up the bottle.
*
"Is here all right with you?" Ron asked Hermione as the reached a cozy, unused classroom. Hermione nodded. Ron continued. "First off, I think I owe you an apology for how I've been acting."
Hermione withdrew her hand from Ron's. "How's that?"
Ron swallowed and grinned. "Like a jealous bugger."
Hermione laughed out loud. "I wouldn't quite say that."
Ron was serious once more as he again clasped her hand. "We need to talk."
*
Smash! The empty brandy bottle joined the glass in shards on the floor. "What do you want?" Snape hissed at the unwelcome visitor to his office.
Sirius Black looked almost timid as he stood before the obviously furious Potions Master. "I wanted to see if maybe we could, er.... set aside the issues we've had in the past." He held out his hand.
Snape looked at his arch rival with his hand outstretched in what he assumed was a gesture of comradery. A delirious laugh filled the room.
*
"What do we need to talk about, Ron?" Hermione asked, her eyes warm, but cautious.
"I think you know by now." Ron swallowed and looked down at Hermione's hand, clasped in his own. "We've been friends for seven years now. For me, there's always been something else between us. I love you, Hermione."
*
Severus Snape and Sirius Black looked around the room, bewildered. Neither had ever seen Rayna laugh like this. It was almost a cackle.
"You two have tried this before, remember? Several times" she was cut off as Severus' mouth bore down on her own in a crushing kiss.
*
Hermione gasped as Ron leaned in and kissed her. Caught up in the moment, she responded. Their tongues touched. Hermione drew back. She had felt nothing. This wasn't what she wanted.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, idly twirling a strand of her bushy hair around his finger.
"This isn't going to work, Ron."
*
Rayna squeaked under the kiss. Her hands found Snape's shoulders, and she pushed him away. There was fire in Sirius' eyes.
Rayna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You're drunk, Severus."
Sirius stepped forward. "He bloody well better be!" he hissed. "She's told you it's over, mate." Sarcasm and ice ran from the last word. He stalked towards the door and slammed it behind him. With a piercing look at Severus, Rayna followed. Severus could hear their brief words and the smallest hint of a sigh from Rayna as they, presumably, made up.
*
Ron looked stunned. "Why not? Can't you feel it, Hermione?"
Hermione hesitated. "Yes-yes, I suppose I can. But you know how we are. After a week, we'd get into a huge row and it would all be over."
Ron leaned forward in protest. "I promise it wouldn't be that way, please, just give me a chance!"
Hermione placed a finger on his lips. "It would be that way, and you know it as well as I do. I don't want to lose your friendship. It means a lot to me."
Ron smiled weakly. "Is there any chance you'll reconsider?" Hermione only smiled. He held out his hand. "Shall we head back, then?"
*
The next morning was dreary. Hermione chanced a fleeting look at the staff table, and was shocked to see Snape's red, bagged eyes. He looked slightly nauseous. She leaned in to Harry, Ron and Ginny.
"Look at Snape!" she whispered, motioning to the staff table. They all looked. Ginny smiled and winked at Hermione. Harry raised his eyebrows at her, then kissed Ginny on the forehead. Ron punched her playfully in the arm.
"Aww, look, 'Mione, he misses you!" He teased.
Hermione elbowed him back. "Shut up!" she said, possibly a bit louder than was necessary.
*
At the staff table, Hermione's near-shout had wakened the Potions Professor out of a trance. He looked toward the Gryffindor table and was shocked to see Hermione giggling as Weasley tickled her. He got up and strode toward them, in time to see Hermione push Ron into Luna Lovegood, whose pumpkin juice was spilled. Perfect, he thought, smiling to himself.
"Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley!" He said authoritatively as he reached them. "This kind of roughhousing is not permitted. Five points each from Gryffindor." He proceeded out of the Great Hall.
Hermione froze for a split second, then followed Snape out. "Professor!" she choked when she caught up.
Snape allowed himself another private smile. "Miss Granger, do I need to take another ten points for you arguing with me?"
"No, you do not, but"
Snape cut her off by holding up a hand. "Ten points. Do not argue again or it will be fifty." He turned and continued walking as Hermione fumed. She walked hastily until she had passed him, then abruptly turned.
"Can we talk, Severus?" She asked. The sound of his given name escaping her lips touched his very heart.
"Hush!" he whispered, looking around, and then he pulled her by the front of her robes into the nearest classroom.
TBC
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers!