A/N: hand3, you're so good to me! Your reviews and encouragement make me so happy and I'm going to write a story linking this and Normal and I think you'll like it. I may also write a sequel to Normal…
Magicmare—you're a Godsend! Thank you so much for the support and feedback. Priceless, I tell you.
Here's the second to last chapter (sad I know). I've jumped into the tie-in fic I'm writing, but it'll take about two weeks for me to get it up and going (finals and all).
Enjoy!
--Aimes
Two and a half hours later, Hermione slumped at the kitchen table. It doesn't get better with the retelling, if you know what I mean. I swear I think I feel the scars on my back burning. Amongst other things. She absently rubbed at her fingers.
Remus sat to her right, looking drawn and exhausted. His eyes were haunted by what he'd seen.
Snape sat to the left, expressionless but paler than usual.
"I think we're finished," he said in a low voice.
"That's for damned sure," Hermione replied tiredly.
"Gods…" Remus mumbled in a strangled voice.
"God had nothing to do with it," said Snape. "Trust me, I was there."
Hermione began to tremble. Come ON, Mya. How do you hold your own and spit at the guy who's torturing you and turn into a mess when it's over? A bit late, don't you think? In response, her body trembled harder. For the first time since her return, Hermione began to cry with abandon. She let herself collapse onto the table as her body racked with sobs.
Remus and Snape reacted instantly, both moving over to her. Snape began to stroke her hair, while Remus held her hands. Remus looked up at Snape and nodded. Snape lifted Hermione into his arms and she clung to him, but did not let go of Remus' hand. They took her upstairs and set her down in bed and still she clung to them.
Snape looked at Remus, somewhat startled, and Remus shrugged. He transfigured all of their clothes into pajamas and climbed into the large bed, moving to the far side while Snape lay down on the other side of Hermione.
She lay curled on her right side, facing Snape. She buried her face in his chest and clutched at his hands. Remus spooned against her from behind, murmuring gentle words in French to calm her. Hermione released Snape's hand long enough to pull Remus' arm around her waist, then sought out Snape once again.
Her body was racked by dry, shuddering sobs for a few more minutes before her exhausted body succumbed to a dreamless sleep.
Remus looked at Snape over the top of Hermione's sleeping head.
"She should never have had to do that," he said softly.
"No," said Snape in just as soft a tone. "And she was right in any case. There was nothing particularly useful."
The men shared a haunted look for a moment, then broke eye contact and settled into sleep. Remus moved his hand from around Hermione's waist to touch Snape's forearm for a moment and squeeze it gently, then returned to his original position and fell asleep. Snape stiffened for a moment then relaxed, sliding into sleep as well.
Hermione woke in the morning feeling like her face was swollen. Ugh, this is why you don't cry, darling. You must look like a grizzly bear stung by bees. Funny, kinda feel like it too.
She opened her eyes and stared at Snape's black pajama clad chest rising and falling rhythmically. Why Snape and not Remus? Ooh, that was petulant, Mya. She shifted and felt the presence behind her. Oh.
Snape and Remus snapped into wakefulness simultaneously. Snape tightened his grip on her hands and Remus tightened his grip on her waist. She grinned suddenly.
"Wow, I get to wake up between two handsome men. How many women fantasize about this?" she teased.
"How are you feeling, Hermione?" asked Remus in a gravelly, sleepy voice.
"Like roadkill that's been attacked by bees."
"Funny, that's how you look," responded Snape. Hermione punched him lightly in the chest.
"Bugger off," she said lightly, stretching, catlike, then snuggling back down. "Mmmph…still tired…" she murmured.
"Go back to bed, sweetheart," Remus murmured. "We'll watch over you."
"Yes…" Hermione drifted back to sleep with one hand atop Remus' and her body snuggled tightly against Severus.
"Are we really going to stay here till she wakes up?" asked Severus.
"No, we're going to wait till she's completely asleep, then get up and hope one of us happens to be in the room when she wakes."
"Ah. Of course."
"Actually, I have to be out of here in an hour, so it'll have to be you," Remus said, disentangling himself from the sleeping Hermione.
"I believe I can handle it," Snape said dryly.
Remus went to the bathroom and got dressed. On his way out, he looked back at Snape, who had taken up a position on the couch, reading. "She sounds a lot like what Rain would have been like," he commented and pointedly ignored Snape's glare as he left.
Hermione woke…normally. Wow. I'm just waking up normally, no nightmares, nothing. Amazing. And good, since I return to Hogwarts tomorrow. She eyed the pensieve on the nightstand.
"I hate them too." Hermione looked up, startled to see Snape watching her, and smiled.
"Thank you for watching over me," she said softly.
"You are too strong for your own good sometimes, Miss Granger. It was a relief to see you give in to the emotion."
"What are you talking about? You had to sleep with me almost the entire time I was at Snape manor."
"And yet, come morning, you were calm and collected. You never faced your fears but at night."
"I suppose that was the point of seeing Elena."
"How did that go?"
"Well, I think. I felt…I feel good. I feel relieved and unburdened. Most of all I feel like I could face down Dayrin or take a lover and not be…well I'll always be haunted, but not incapacitated by it."
He nodded. "That is reassuring." He waited a beat. "Come tomorrow, we return to our roles as Professor and student. I shall show you no particular favor, on the contrary, I shall possibly be crueler than ever. I trust you understand the reasons behind my behavior, however," he hesitated, "If you should ever…need me. Please come to me. I am here for you, Hermione, as I have been throughout."
She grinned and climbed out of bed, approaching him with purpose. "Thank you, Severus. For everything. I've said it before: I would not have survived without you. You were my personal angel, my only proof that God existed. You still are. I have no family left, but I would be proud to call you mine." She took his face in her hands and kissed him on both cheeks, the forehead, and gently on his lips. Then she released him and turned to go. He caught her wrist and pulled her down to him, crushing her in a hug.
"I would be honored to call you my family, Hermione," he said softly. She smiled up at him.
"I'm glad we're decided then, Severus. Be warned that this means you will receive a Christmas gift from me no matter how cruel you are to me. But it may not be nice!"
He laughed and pushed her off him. "Go take a shower." She stuck her tongue out at him and raced into the bathroom when he raised his fist menacingly.
Hermione took a quick shower and pulled on the jeans and blouse she'd brought into the bathroom. She walked out of the bathroom and glanced at Snape who was still on the couch, reading. Gotta pack all your stuff, Mya. Get to working. She pulled out her duffel bag and began to pack things.