Chapter 15

At breakfast the next morning, students were dressed for the day to go to Hogsmeade. The great hall was still buzzing over the exhibition the previous night. Students and professors had been impressed. They couldn't decide what was better: Draco's flawless-and-made-it-look-easy apparation act, Harry's awesome patronus, or Hermione's wandless magic display. Speaking of which, she walked through the doors, turned around, waved towards them and they shut.

Now she's just showing off. Snape thought in amusement as he watched her stroll to her place at the table.

Ron echoed Snape's thoughts as he said, "Now you're just showing off, 'Mione."

"I'm sorry Ron. I was just so worried last night that I might not pull it off. It was so hard to learn to do. I just need to make sure I'm not dreaming I'm doing it." Hermione replied, as she summoned the pitcher of pancake syrup to her. "Let's eat so we can head to Hogsmeade."

This trip to town, Snape didn't mind too much being an escort. It gave him a chance to "keep an eye" on the students, one in particular. He had learned some things about Hermione so far this term, that weren't displeasing to him. Putting the images of her and Victor's sexual antics in a pensive weeks ago, he reviewed to himself:

The tangibles…hmmm…let's see… she likes music, reading (obviously), daisies, chocolate and raspberries. She took up flying, and did well at that too. She enjoys and excels at potions. And she's certainly easy on the eyes…

He knew there was more to her than that, and he intended to find out.

Now the intangibles..hmm…

At The Three Broomsticks, he took a seat in a corner where he could "keep an eye" on the students. He caught the tail end of a conversation Hermione had been having with Draco.

"…and that's what fishing is. I can't believe you've never done it," Hermione said.

"And you did this kind of thing regularly?" Draco asked.

"Yes, me and Dad used to do it all the time. And the taste of the fish you've just caught, while cooking it next to the creek you've caught it in…well, it's hard to describe. You really should try it one day," Hermione replied.

A scream from outside the shop broke him from his reverie. He looked through the window up to see students and residents running from the far end of the street. Harry bolted from the shop, is friends close at his heels, all of them with wands at the ready.

"Deatheaters.." he heard Harry mutter.

The death eaters didn't hesitate. Neither did the students. Within seconds, curses and hexes were flying. Adults shouted commands, and Snape was startled when he saw Hermione stumble to the ground. She had only tripped over Ron's foot. After 10 minutes of back and forth casting, neither side wanted to give in. Draco then disappeared and popped up again behind the group of death eaters. Then Harry did too.

Harry shouted "EVERTE STATUM" as a surprised death eater went flying. In midair, Ron shouted "INCENDIO" and the death eater was bound head to toe in magically strong ropes. Snape was casting stunner after stunner until he heard "flipendo" from behind him and Snape found himself flipping through the air. Hitting the ground hard, had had the breath knocked out of him. Knowing that on the ground was the not the best place to be, he got up just in time to dodge a curse then see Hermione get hit with "Stupefy." Ron was enraged.

"RELASHIO" he yelled as flames shot from his wand. They caught the robes of the nearest death eater on fire, and that gave Ginny time to "Ennervate" Hermione. Then just as Hermione jumped up, Ginny was hit by a stunning spell.

"Ginny!" was heard from Draco who was 20 feet away. "BOMBARDA" was heard and a wayward spell blasted the wall by the fighting students.

Debris rained on Ron, Hermione, Snape and stunned Ginny. A large piece of wall caught Ron in the head and down he went. Draco and Harry were making progress with the death eaters on their end, trying to make their way to their friends. Dumbledore had showed up with some aurors, and it looked that this fight was over. But not yet. Quicker than anyone could guess, one of the death eaters Harry had been fighting disappeared then reappeared right in front of Ron, Snape, and Hermione.

"Expelliarmus" he shouted to Snape whose wand flew from his surprised hands.

"Diffindo" he yelled to Ron, who had just got up, then went down with again with huge gash in his leg. Hermione was about to cast a protection charm on the group when "Impedimenta" was heard. Hermione fought the spell, but was unsuccessful. Hermione was enraged and frustrated at the same time.

Where are the rest of the damned aurors?

Ron, Ginny, and Snape were down. Draco, Harry, and Dumbledore were down the street making their way to the embattled group. The protection spell was still in her mind when "Crucio" was heard. Hermione fell to the ground in unbearable agony. She writhed on the ground, suffering horrific torture on every inch of her body. She felt as if she was being burned and stabbed at the same time everywhere. She was unable to think or hear or see anything through the pain, unable to see that Snape in fury had recovered and sent the death eater flying through the air.

Then just like that, it was all over. The ones still standing made their way to the hurt ones, reviving Ginny and healing Ron. All they could do was watch as they knelt by Hermione as the crucio spell effects subsided. Harry was stroking her head while Ron held her hand. She was still tucked into a fetal position, shaking uncontrollably, hands digging into the earth. Her tears were flowing, but no sound was coming from her. Snape had been hit with crucio many times, and his heart broke for her knowing the agony she was in. There was no potion or counter-spell for any of the unforgivable curses. At that moment he would have given anything for one. After a couple of eternal minutes, Hermione whimpered then tried to sit up.

"I can't move …" she croaked.

"Shh, it's alright. Don't try," Harry soothed.

"Yeah, just try and relax Mione," Ron assured.

Rolling on to her back, sniffling and shivering and dazed, she said,

"I'm so tired Harry."

Dumbledore spoke up, "We need to get the injured students to the infirmary immediately."

To the astonishment of small group gathered, Snape marched to Hermione and gently picked her up.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Cradling her in his arms, he hurried towards the direction of the castle. He looked down to say something to her, but she was already asleep.

She fell asleep in my arms. Too bad it had to happen this way.

Snape deposited her to the infirmary then quickly walked to his own room, unable to avoid the stares he was receiving.

"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," Ron said.

"He was carrying, no, cradling her" (earning a snort from Ron) "and it seemed it was like he was concerned?" Harry ventured.

When Snape got to his room, he noticed a strange scent on his robes. It was certainly nothing he owned. He put the robes to his face and breathed deep. He picked up a smoky smell (from the fight), a dirt smell, then ever so faint, the smell of lavender.

Sunday morning, the school was still abuzz from the attack in Hogsmeade. Equally intriguing was the talk of Snape, whose spark of caring towards Hermione was probably a big surprise as the death eaters. The topic of gossip entered the great hall for breakfast, arriving with his usual glare. He sat to eat, not looking around or speaking to anyone. Hermione limped slightly coming through the doors, taking her place at the table.

"Alright there 'Mione?" Harry asked noticing her grimace a little as she took her seat.

"Yeah, it's probably just a residual effect from the crucio," she replied.

The morning post then started arriving and Hermione's heart froze as Pavel, Viktor's hawkish-owl landed on her shoulder. Giving him a treat, he flew away again. She took the parcel, left the table and swore she could hear her heart beating in her chest.

They never saw Hermione the rest of the day. They knew she would most likely be in her room. Sunday evening arrived and the usually punctual Hermione had not arrived to tutor her first-year group. They sought out Ginny, the prefect they could find and asked about "Miss Granger."

"She didn't show?" Ginny asked them. "That's odd. I'll find out and let you know later. You had best head back to your common rooms."

Ginny headed towards Hermione's room.

By coincidence, McGonagall was heading to Hermione's room as well. After passing through the common room, they got to her private door.

"Conclave" McGonagall muttered and the door opened.

The room was dark, the fireplace was lit, and Hermione was sitting in a large chair by the fire.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked.

There was no answer. They approached the chair and discovered why she was so quiet. A half-drunk bottle of fire whiskey was on a table next to the chair, a small glass sitting in her lap. Unconscious, her chin was slumped onto her chest and she was snoring.

"What set this off? Hermione doesn't drink this stuff," Ginny asked.

"This, I suppose," McGonagall pointed to a parcel from the Krums.

Dearest Hermione,

We were going through Victor's belongings and thought you would enjoy the memories of letters and pictures you two shared. He also included you in his last will and testament, enclosed here, so please peruse it at your convenience and feel free to consult us or the solicitor listed. Pavel is yours now. Please keep in touch.

Sincerely, Nikolai and Tatiana Krum

The trail of letters and pictures led to the fireplace where she had been burning them apparently while drinking, until she passed out. She was still holding the last letter she had written him. Harry, Ron, and Draco entered the room as well.

"Where did she get the bottle?" Ron asked, getting a poke in the ribs from Harry.

A loud lingering snore from Hermione prompted Harry to say,

"We really should get her in bed."

She was limp as a rag doll when Harry picked her up and laid her in bed. McGonagall took the bottle of fire whiskey and ordered everyone to get to their rooms. Looking back one last time at Hermione, she rolled her eyes at another loud snore, she left the room.

When it rains it pours, so the saying goes. she thought sadly.