Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter. The whole Potterverse belongs to the genius of J.K. Rowling, who is a goddess amongst writers. I seek to make no profit from this venture and I promise to return everything back the way I found it.
Unexpected Comfort
Story by Jessica Arbuckle (Jessi, Princess of Impatience)
July 3rd - undetermined, 2005
Chapter Two, Safe at Last…
She Apparated with a loud crack right outside of the gates. She swayed on her feet, tightly clutching her brother in one arm and the bag in her other hand. She belated wished she had given herself more opportunities to Apparate over long distances as she felt her vision grown dim. She hazily heard the sound of a silky voice say her name in surprise and felt arms closing around her before she collapsed.
-------------------
Severus stared down at the woman he had just gathered into his arms and felt his heart begin to pound erratically. He had not laid eyes on her in four years and he had not held her this close in… well, never.
His shock over having her in his arms was replaced by his worry and panic. He did not know why she was there, but she did not look at all well. Her gathered her up, briefly worrying even more over the fact she was barely any weight in his arms. She was thin, too thin to be healthy. His strides ate up the ground between the gate and the doors. He stopped, placing her feet on the ground for a moment to free one arm in order to pull open the heavy door. He then gathered her back into his arms and walked inside.
Inside, Minerva McGonagall was just crossing the hall. "Oh, good, Severus, I was just coming to see you… is that Hermione Granger?" she asked, startled, as she stared at the barefoot Muggle clothing clad woman in his arms.
He nodded sharply and sunk to the ground, shifting Hermione so she was propped against his chest and he could free one of his hands. Gazing at her, he could see some color returning to her cheeks and he felt a moment of relief as he gently pushed back her hair from her face. He turned his attention to pulling back the blanket of the bundle she carried. "As well as her brother," he said in surprise as he exposed the baby's face and looked him over. The boy seemed to be sleeping, so Severus once again turned his attention to Hermione.
"I'll go get Albus," Minerva said, and Severus nodded, his eyes never leaving Hermione's face as he quickly checked her pulse. He sighed with relief to find it only slightly faster than normal. Perhaps she was not ill and had just fainted.
"No need Minerva, I am here. And, I am relieved to see, so are our guests," Albus said, his eyes traveling to the still form of Hermione cradled against Severus's body, one of her arms still tightly clutched around the small form of her sleeping baby brother and the other, a brightly colored bag. He silently arched one eyebrow at Severus, who was still focused on Hermione, and then exchanged a knowing glance with Minerva.
"Severus, what does Miss Granger have in her hand?" he asked quietly, coming to crouch next to them. Severus wordlessly pulled the bag handle from her hand and handed it to Albus, finally meeting the headmaster's eyes.
At the look in Albus's eyes, Severus knew the pretense was over, if there had even been one with him. The man knew far more than he ever let on about and Severus had a suspicion the headmaster had known about his feelings for Hermione almost as soon as he himself had known. Now he knew why he had been chosen to be tonight's welcome committee. The old coot was on some kind of matchmaking scheme, he could tell. And, truth be told, for once in all the time he had known Albus, he did not care that he was a key figure in the scheme.
Albus opened the bag and removed the video camera, glancing at it curiously. "I believe this is one of those Muggle recording devices." He turned it over in his hand, looking for some way to turn it on.
At that point, Hermione awoke with a start, blinking her eyes rapidly as she immediately glanced down to the infant in her arms and then noticed the room she was in. Seeing her brother was safe and they were both in the entrance hall of Hogwarts, she began to cry softly, turning her face into the soft folds of fabric against her cheek. A hand stroked her hair as the person holding her rocked her gently. She was dimly aware it was a man, from the feel of his chest under her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt comforted, even safe, and she began to cry harder into the chest of the man holding her, not even caring whom it might be. All that she could think of was at last she and her brother were both safe.
"Hermione," a soft voice said next to her. It had not come from the person holding her and she tore her face from where it was buried to meet the eyes of Albus.
"Professor Dumbledore," she breathed. "You have to help me, sir," she pleaded. "I am going to be in so much trouble with the Ministry, but I had to do it, I had to save him."
"What happened?" another voice said, this time the sound rumbling in the chest she lay against.
"It was just awful," she began, looking up at the person who had comforted her when she cried. She stared in shock as her eyes connected with his. The person who had held her and comforted her as she had cried into his robes, that had caught her as she had fainted, and who was now looking down at her with naked concern in his eyes, was none other than Severus Snape.
Hermione closed her eyes, praying to faint.
a/n: I know it is just a short little bit of a chapter, but please R/R, I would just adore it!