Hey guys here's chapter 17. It's not as long as I would have liked but please forgive me. Thank you for the reviews I love 'em. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 17: Reactions
After hearing the announcement Harry wasn't very surprised at all. Snape may be a greasy git but he was a person he would trust to protect him.
Beside Harry, Ron stood with his mouth hanging open and his eyes bulged almost completely out of the sockets. Spluttering incoherently Ron turned to the headmaster.
"Now I know you are bloody nutters." He accused.
"RONALD WEASLEY!" His mother bellowed instantly on her feet.
"Mr. Weasley" Snape said in a soft but deadly voice. "How dare you speak to the Headmaster that way?"
The twinkling in the Headmaster's eyes seemed to brighten even more as he stood holding up a calming hand.
"Severus the lad is just concerned about Miss Granger." He spoke quietly but his voice seemed to fill the whole room. "If I was in his shoes I probably would have responded in the same way."
Harry watched the scene play out in silent awe. He always knew his best friend had a quick temper but he never thought in his wildest dreams he would call the headmaster nutters to his face.
Glancing over to Hermione he noticed that she had a look of relief on her face as if she had been expecting that Snape would be the likely guardian.
"Does anybody have an objection?" Dumbledore questioned?
The members of the order shook their heads slightly. "Very good then, now that we have that arrangement settled I call the meeting to an end."
Mrs. Weasley, red in the face stormed over to her youngest son and without a word grabbed Ron by the ear, dragging him helplessly out the door.
Hermione couldn't help but giggle and soon the rest of the order minus Snape joined in as they heard the Weasley matriarch yelling at the poor boy in the corridor.
"Come along Harry we should rescue Ronald from his mother wouldn't you say?" Mr. Weasley said patting the raven-headed boy on the shoulder.
Harry nodded before turning back to Hermione. "Take care of yourself and we'll see you in a week and a half." With that he leaned in and gave the girl a gentle hug before following Mr. Weasley out the door.
The other members took that cue, slowly trickling out of the office until only Dumbledore, Snape and Hermione remained.
Tears subsided Hermione looked between the two men in the room. "What happens now?" She asked.
She turned to Dumbledore expecting the answer from him. So it came as a surprise when the answer came from behind.
"You will be staying with me for the rest of break." Severus answered. "Once term begins you will go back to your dormitory although you are welcome in my chambers at anytime."
A small smile appeared on Hermione's face as the Potions Master took a seat next to her.
"I almost forgot!" Dumbledore cried softly and began to rummage around the inside of his desk. "Now where did I put those pesky things?" He mumbled to himself.
With a triumphant "ah" the old wizard pulled a series of parchment bound together. Carefully he untied the string and set the parchment in front of Severus.
"What are they for professor?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledore smiled kindly handing Severus a quill. "These my dear are your guardianship papers.
Taking the quill Severus signed the appropriate papers becoming quite annoyed when Dumbledore kept saying "and there, and there"
Hermione watched silently from her seat her heart swelling slightly with warmth that could only be explained with the feeling of being wanted.
"Come along Miss Granger." Snape's cool, quiet voice brought her out of her reverie.
"Yes sir" She rose from her seat saying farewell to the Headmaster and following after the black billowing robes.
The walk back to the dungeons was quiet but comfortable. "Sir what happens now? I mean once school lets out…" Hermione wondered aloud.
Snape slowed his brisk walk momentarily. "We will decide when the time comes." He said.
At that point they had arrived back at Snape's quarters and he whispered the password. The guardian and ward stepped inside.
Thoughts that had once disappeared from her mind emerged with a vengeance of her parents. They were gone never to be seen again. Raw emotion pulsed through her as she took a seat on the couch in front of the roaring fire.
"Are you hungry?" Snape questioned harshly looking down at the solemn girl.
Broken from her trance Hermione looked up at the Potions Master teary eyed and slowly nodded her head as if not trusting her voice.
Silently Snape left the room but Hermione could here him call for a house-elf to bring them dinner. Slowly she rose from the couch and walked into the small kitchen where to hot dishes already set in place before them.
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Severus watched her carefully, slightly worried about the girl's silence as they had entered his quarters. Waving his hand towards the table he silently gestured for the girl to take a seat as he took his as well.
Dinner was a silent affair, the two occupants of the room ate their meal glancing up every once and awhile. Severus watched the girl pick at her food, pushing it around the plate with her fork.
"Miss Granger" Severus said irritably. "Food is to be eaten not played with."
With a scowl on her face the girl shoved a forkful of food into her mouth.
Fifteen minutes passed before Hermione sighed. "May I be excused sir?" She asked.
With a curt nod from the Potions master Hermione rose from her seat and left the kitchen mumbling goodnight before shutting the door to her room. Quietly she changed into her pajamas and lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, memories of her parents swirling around her mind's eye.
Curling up on her side more tears slipped unchecked from her eyes. Hermione cried for her parents, part of her wishing she had been with them that fateful night. Why had fate been so cruel to her? After some time she drifted off into a restless sleep still thinking of her parents.
Hermione yawned, stretching her aching muscles as the alarm clock beside her bed went off. With a soft groan she pushed the sleep button and sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Hermione dear…" Her mother called from downstairs. "Its time to get up dear, breakfast is ready."
Grumbling Hermione got up and quickly dressed before heading down to the kitchen where her parents already sat eating breakfast. "Morning mum." She yawned taking a seat at the table.
Her mother smiled taking a bite of eggs. "What are your plans for today sweetheart?" Her father asked.
Hermione shrugged digging into her own eggs with her fork. "You betrayed us."
Startled by the harshness in her father's voice Hermione looked up at her parents in bewilderment. The smile on her mother's face had disappeared replaced by an angry glare.
"You put us in danger." Her mother accused. "It's all your fault we're dead."
Eyes going wide Hermione felt tears pricking at the corners. "Mum I never wanted to put you in danger…"
"From day one you put us in danger." Her father interrupted her with an ugly scowl on his face.
Tears began to fall from Hermione's eyes. "Mum, Dad I'm sorry… I never wanted this to happen."
"Well it did." Her mother spat. "Why couldn't we have a normal daughter." She added coldly.
Hermione was openly crying now. "No, no, no, no, no, no…"
Waking abruptly Hermione sat up her body colliding with something warm, another body. Through her tears she noted that Professor Snape was sitting there on her bed and without another thought she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed.
Severus had been reading by the fire when he heard the girl tossing and turning in bed, crying out once and awhile. Marking his page he stood up and strode quickly to the guest room and entered. The girl was in the throws of a nightmare to which caused something in his heart to ache as he went to the bed gently calling her name.
When she had sat up so abruptly it had startled Severus causing him to tense when she threw her arms around his neck. Stiffly he patted Hermione's back soothingly.
"Why did he do it…?" Hermione whispered hoarsely. "Why did he have to kill them?"
Severus sighed. "The Dark Lord wanted to get to you Miss Granger."
Hermione began to cry again tightening her grip around the Potions master. They stayed like that for quite some time until at last brown eyes closed, her body relaxed. With a great sigh of relief Severus knew the girl was asleep, but he didn't lay her down. He continued to hold her, watching over her through the night.
Sorry for a short chapter. Been extremely busy. Not to mention had my foot worked on without it numbed (curses under breath) anyways I wanted to get you the reaction of the people so I hope you like.