Disclaimer: Don't own it, not claiming to.
The night before our first day of N.E.W.T.'s, I found myself wandering the halls. I was restless and couldn't sleep, so I figured walking around the castle until my legs felt like lead weights might make me tired. I knew it would probably be better for me just to lie in bed with my eyes closed, but who really ever does what's best for them?
It was still cold in the castle corridors at night, even this close to summer, so I decided to head down to the kitchen for a cup of hot cocoa. Afterwards, I promised myself, I would go back to bed.
Unfortunately, I never made it back to Gryffindor tower that night.
As I sat at a table in the kitchen, mug of cocoa warming my hands, a peculiar thing happened. The house elves rushed to the entrance of the kitchen, as they always did whenever someone entered, and the next thing I knew Gryffindor had thirty less points and I had a tall, dark, menacing Potions professor glaring down his abnormally large and hooked nose at me.
"Back to bed, now, Granger!" he snarled, spittle flying from his mouth with the force he spat the words out at me.
More than a little frightened, I stood, leaving my mug on the table, and rushed towards the entrance to the kitchen. The house elves moved out of my way and I went through the portrait hole.
Then another peculiar thing happened. Someone outside the kitchen yelled, and there was a flash of red light. But barely half a second after the first person yelled, a second person yelled from inside the kitchen and a flash of orange light hit the red light and they both winked out of existence. All of this happened before I could even begin to reach for my wand.
However, I did manage to grab my wand out of my pocket and point it at whoever was in front of me and choke out a somewhat feeble "Petrificus Totalus." Feeble though it was, it worked, a muffled thunk being the evidence of that.
Snape came up behind me as I started to take a step towards the person, shoving me back, and then going forward himself. He lit his wand and I saw the frozen form of Pansy Parkinson on the ground, glaring as well as she could with that little pug face of hers being completely frozen.
"Um...Professor?" I said tentatively. "What's going on?"
"Stupefy," Snape muttered, ignoring me, his wand pointed at Pansy. I was startled, to say the least. Professor Snape doing that to a student? And a Slytherin no less?
"Don't just stand there, let's go," he snarled at me, starting to walk swiftly towards the nearest staircase.
"What's going on?" I asked, not moving.
"Granger! If you want to live to see the light of day tomorrow, I suggest you follow me NOW!"
That certainly made me want to move a bit faster, and I ran to catch up with him. We made it up one staircase before finding a pair of students, Slytherins, stalking down the hall towards us. Without even batting an eye, all three Slytherins present raised their wands. Snape, of course, was the quickest, casting Expelliarmus at them. He caught both their wands easily, and I assisted him by casting Stupefy on the nearest student while he did the same to the other.
"Professor, can-"
I didn't even get the words out before he grabbed my arm and dragged me down another corridor. We went through two hallways, one secret passageway, and a staircase before he pushed me inside a broom closet. For a moment, I thought he was going to lock me in, but to my relief (or possibly not) he followed me in, closing the door behind him. He lit his wand with a muttered "lumos" and I once again found myself being glared at.
"What are you doing out of bed?" he growled.
"Um..."
"What's that, Granger? Those brains of yours have finally decided to stop working?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk," I said defensively.
"Do you have any idea the consequences of your little midnight stroll?"
"Obviously not," I mumbled crossly.
"You have not only put your own life in danger, but the lives of the students we had to curse on the way here. In fact, you may have even put the lives of every student in this bloody castle in more danger than they already were," Snape said in a deathly calm, deathly quiet voice that scared me more than Voldemort ever could.
"Is there going to be an attack on the school tonight? Sir?" I asked. I realize it's a very stupid question, but when in a situation such as that one's brain usually decides to be rid of any higher functioning and one is left with nothing but basic instinct.
"I see your skills of deduction have suffered no damage," he said sarcastically. I glared at him. He glared back. For a minute or so, that was the only thing happening, but then I finally looked away, at the door.
"I have to warn Harry and Ron," I said quietly.
"You don't have to do anything of the sort. In fact, the only thing you have to do is remain here, ward the door, and hope the castle doesn't collapse. Stay silent, and whatever you do, do not leave this closet, or I swear I'll make you pay when this whole thing is over," he said in that same deathly voice.
"What about you?" I asked. Stupid, stupid, stupid...
"That is none of your concern, Granger."
"Yes it is."
He gave me one of his Looks, where he's very tempted to hex me six ways to Sunday. I shrank back a little, but didn't give up.
"Look, it's my fault you're in a broom cupboard right now, can't I help?" I said.
"You can help by staying here where I at least know where you are and know you're not being killed. It is my duty as a professor at this institution to protect the students, and as you're a student, however dimwitted you may be, I must protect you. I would rather not give my life doing it, so I'm telling you, Granger, to stay here." He turned to leave, but I put a hand on his arm. He whirled around, as well at possible, considering our location, and stared at me.
"Please, keep yourself from dying," I said, allowing a bit of concern to show.
He swallowed and nodded. "I fully intend to."
For a moment, he didn't seem like the Snape I had known for the last seven years. For a moment he seemed like a normal man, a man who was afraid of death, afraid of what might happen, just plain afraid. For a moment, he seemed to snap out of his misanthropic bastard persona. For just a moment, a mere moment, he seemed like someone who needed warmth and compassion just as much as a normal person. I guess that's why I kissed him. It wasn't passionate, it wasn't deep, there was no hugging, and there was very minimal tongue, but it still made my heart flutter, whether from fear of the consequences or something else I wasn't sure.
Then the moment passed and he pushed me away. He looked backat me once before closing the door. I listened to his footsteps fade, and then I was alone, cold, a bit frightened, but determined. Determined to fight for what I believed in and to help Harry achieve what he was meant to achieve.
So I waited for five minutes to pass, then ten, andthen left the broom closet to go back to Gryffindor tower and tell Harry what was going to happen.
A/N: Let me know if you think its total crap. I can still change it, even though the next (and last) chapter is up.