SUMMARY: Hermione looses her two best friends in the war against Voldemort. Because of this, she becomes depressed and flees from the world she loves. To London she goes and chooses to live as a muggle. Six years pass. Hermione slowly begins to forget how to use magic. Will the staff of Hogwarts be able to teach her again before the damage becomes permanent?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
PAIRINGS: Hermione Granger, Severus Snape (eventually); Rated M
A/N: Thank you to iloveseverussnape, bRaTsKi, Kelly Roxton, Fuuruma, TheWolfInTheShadows, Katyes, billiejoe, lump, and cordyangel for your reviews.
CHAPTER FIVE
What could possibly happen to me? A bodyguard is completely unnecessary, Hermione thought as she and Snape walked down the cobblestone paths of Diagon Alley.
The streets were of course, filled with noisy shoppers. Hermione saw small groups of witches and wizards going in and out of the different retail stores. She could see others purchasing various items through the store windows. Things like cauldrons, books, and broom sticks were amongst their many parcels.
Meanwhile, walking next to Severus Snape, wasn't her idea of a great and exciting outing. The silence between them was murder. You could cut the tension with a knife. Hermione recalled Dumbledore's words: Severus, would you be so kind as to accompany Ms. Granger to Diagon Alley?
Why would Dumbledore ask Snape, of all the people in the world, to go with her? Hermione would have rather gone with Draco Malfoy. But what could she do? She had no choice but to bite her tongue and allow him to go on as her company. Snape didn't seem to like the idea either. Though the entire time he said nothing, Hermione saw a couple less than friendly glances come her way.
Hermione didn't no why she needed an escort anyway. It's not like it was her first time going to Diagon Alley. She had been there dozens of times before. It may have been six years, but Hermione knew her way around, for such a place as this was impossible to forget.
"Well," said Hermione, "here we are." Hermione hesitated a moment, but placed her hands on the door knob. She had hoped Snape would wait outside, but her wish wasn't granted. He followed, hot on her heals. As Hermione walked a couple steps forward, she was immediately hit with a strong mist of dust, causing her to coughed loudly. Oddly enough, the dirt didn't seem to affect Snape.
"Mr. Ollivander?" choked Hermione, through the small dust cinders floating through the air. "Mr. Ollivander?" Whipping around the corner, on a bookcase ladder, came Mr. Ollivander, nearly falling to the floor. Ollivander never forgot a sale, so naturally, Hermione and Snape needed no introduction.
"Severus Snape. Hermione Granger. What do I owe this visit?"
"Mr. Ollivander," said Hermione, "I need to check the lost and found."
"Ah, lost a wand, I see." Ollivander climbed down from the bookcase ladder and walked behind the main counter. He bent down and picked up a dusty brown box and set it down on top of the counter. Hermione walked forward. Snape followed. "Well, let us see what we have here." Both watched as Mr. Ollivander rummaged through the box of wands. There were so many. So many shades, so many sizes. She wondered who they all belonged to. Only moments later, did he look at Hermione.
"Ah! Your wand." he said with a smile.
My wand. She had almost forgotten what it looked like. The deep brown color was enough to make her cry. Why had she ever left it behind?
When Hermione reached out to take it from Mr. Ollivander, something happened that she did not intend. Her wand shocked her. It was more than a simple electric charge however. Her wand literally spurt sparks at her fingertips. Hermione tried again. She reached out to take her wand once one, but it reacted in the very same way.
"Are you sure this is my wand, Mr. Ollivander?"
"Yes, positive." Ollivander said, exchanging a curious glance with Snape.
"Okay. Then why is my own wand attacking me?"
"Apparently, it is angry with you." he chuckled lightly.
"What?" Hermione said in disbelief.
"Your wand is angry with you, Ms. Granger." Ollivander repeated.
"Very angry with you indeed." added Snape with a smirk.
"You always have to add something, don't you? said Hermione, turning her gaze to Snape. "This is ridiculous. Since when does a stick have emotions!"
At that moment, Hermione's wand leaped from Mr. Ollivander's hand, floating in mid air. Unexpectedly, Mr. Ollivander, dashed behind his counter. The wand had the nerve to cast a spell of it's own. It sent a bright blue lightening bolt toward Hermione. Thinking fast, Snape pulled her flush against him, protecting her from the high voltage, that instead, went through the shop window.
Once the danger was gone, Hermione and Snape immediately let go of one another as if they both had some contagious disease. Hermione mumbled her thanks.
"All wands," said Mr. Ollivander, as he reappeared from behind the counter, wiping off the dust from his clothes, "have emotions, Ms. Granger." He picked her wand up cautiously. "I'll find you a spare box."
Upon Mr. Ollivanders return, he handed Hermione a box, which contained her more than angry wand. She hesitated taking it at first, thinking it would burst into flames at the press of her touch. Hermione never knew wands could produce their own magic. She never knew they had emotions either. This posed a huge problem for Hermione. If she was unable to touch it, how was she suppose to do magic? Her wand was furious with her. She couldn't get near it without loosing a finger. If it hadn't been for Snape, she probably would have died in Ollivanders.
Hermione glanced at Snape out of the corner of her eye. The black figure was emotionless. The same old Snape, she thought. The thank you she mumbled earlier, was sincere. She meant it. As they walked down the street, she wondered if he had heard it.
"Um, thank you," Snape looked at her, "for um, pulling me out of harms way earlier at Ollivander's."
"I heard you the first time, Ms. Granger." he said as he turned his gaze from her.
"You did?" Hermione said, a little bewildered. He heard me. "Well, I wasn't sure if you did. I just wanted to make sure." He gave no reply. Hermione sighed.
"Something wrong?" Snape asked. He sounded as though he didn't care.
"Do you have any idea why my wand has turned against me?" she asked hopefully as they continued to walk down the main street of Diagon Alley.
"Don't be silly. It has done no such thing." he said. "Your wand is...unhappy with you because you have abandoned it."
"And because I called it a stick." she added quickly. "Is that even normal behavior?"
"I have never seen a case like it." He looked at her. "But, I'm sure Dumbledore will be able to help."
"What if he can't-"
"I've never known you to be so negative, Ms. Granger." Snape interrupted. "If you want things to turn around for the better, you need to think more assertively. Constant doubting will get you no where."
Snape always had a way with words. Who knew those words could actually be words of wisdom and kindness? If Hermione had never met him before, she would have thought Snape an understanding person, rather than a confusing teacher, who resided in the dungeons of Hogwarts.
"I suppose your..." she trailed off suddenly, as her eyes fell upon two old 'acquaintances' from the past.
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