Hand Talk

Disclaimer: Of course I own all of these characters. I keep them locked up under my bed and feed them table scraps. NOT! If I owned these characters I would be sending these stories to my publisher (which does not exist) and not sending them to Summary: Hermione is found bloodied and bruised, without her sight and hearing. Resorting to the only communication she knows, there is only one other who understands her. HGSS

Rating: M (mature themes, violence and language)

Chapter 16

Warning: Chapter Summary may contain plot spoilers

Chapter Summary: Back to the Hospital Wing and Nicole's adapting to Castle life.

It had taken weeks of sweat, tears and tantrums but the potion was finally complete. All their time and effort contained in one simple little vial.

After the last incident involving potions they had agreed that it would be best if the potion was administered in the safety of the Hospital wing, so there she was, lying once again in the same bed she had spent so much time in.

"Are you ready?" asked Severus. She nodded taking the offered vial. Uncorking it she took a deep breath. This was it everything laid on what was going to happen next. Hermione tipped her head back swallowing the virtually tasteless concoction as Madam Pomfrey, Severus, Harry and Ron watched on.

Handing back the empty vial, she laid down. From their calculations it was suspected that it would take ten to twenty minuets of the potion to take full effect. Until then she just had to wait.

"Do you feel any different?" Severus asked.

"No," she answered, feeling on different, the butterflies in her stomach still beating furiously. Swallowing she noticed how her throat had seemed to contract with nervousness. Very quickly how ever it started to feel unusually tight, so tight it began to cut off her airway. "Severus," she called, "I can't breathe. My throat," she managed to get out as the outsides of her eyes became fuzzy, creating a very narrow tunnel vision. "Please, I can't breath."

"Madam Pomfrey, I need a muscle relaxant," he called over his shoulder. "It's alright, just stay with me," he told her.

In a mater of moments she was unconscious but breathing easily.

ooOOoo

Hermione's eyes finally opened taking in the room. She was back in the Hospital Wing, scratchy sheets, bedside table, chair, the simple items which she had come accustomed to. But now there was someone sitting in the chair. She could hear their deep breathing, the murmured conversations of unseen people, the sounds of the night.

"Severus," she croaked, the sound of her own voice accompanied by the loud crinkling of her sheets. "Severus," she tried again. This time the Professor stirred.

"Hermione," he said, the familiar voice with previously unheard kindness bringing her comfort.

"Tired," she replied, her voice scratchy and dry. Her tongue picking up the words again just like riding a bike. "Can I have some water please?" she signed, not really trusting her voice.

After a glass of water and some unknown potions she was casually conversing with the Professor, the only one currently aware that she was awake.

"Severus," she said, his name rolling off her tongue, "will I be going back to my dormitory now that I have my hearing?"

"It remains up to you. Personally I believe that it would be best for you to stay where you are at the moment as the person who attacked you has still not been found but your other Professors are insisting that you return to classes."

Hermione nodded. "I think I will stay with you then." With that she snuggled back down under the blankets and prepared to sleep. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Hermione."

"Hopefully I will be able to get some sleep with all this noise," she added sleepily.

ooOOoo

"My u ay?" whispered a little voice through the darkness.

The light of wand tip flowed through the room.

"I'm fine, Nicole. It's fine you go back to sleep," signed Hermione disentangling herself from the sheets. The little raven haired girl nodded rolling over and going back to sleep.

Every night Hermione's dreams were plagued with visions of him. He was constantly there and every night she would wake up tossing and turning, sometimes screaming. The two girls were sharing the same double bed in the guest room, one, because there wasn't enough room for another and two, because neither of them minded, but Hermione's dreams were waking the poor little girl at all hours of the morning.

Unable to rest, Hermione left the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving the girl in peaceful darkness. Settling down on the couch she made for an uncomfortable nights sleep.

"Hermione," came a deep voice through the darkness, "what are you doing?"

Hermione didn't even need to look up to know he was standing at his doorway.

"I'm trying to go to sleep."

"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked coming over to the arm of the sofa.

"I keep having nightmares and waking Nicole up," she replied drowsily, sitting up so that she could see him.

"You can't sleep out here, the couch is too small and uncomfortable," he told her.

"I'll manage."

"You take my bed and I'll take the couch," he said finally. "I won't have you sleeping out here."

Hard, lumpy couch with scratchy sheets or soft, warm bed with silky sheets? Was there really that much of question about where to sleep?

"Alright then," she said, folding up the blanket she had been using and placing it to one end as she spoke. "But you're not sleeping out here. We are old enough and mature enough to both sleep in the same bed and for nothing to happen. We have done it once before so we can do it again."

Severus could tell by the finality in her tone there was no room for negotiation and at this time of night he really was not up for an argument. "Fine." And together they made their way into Severus bed chambers where they slept peacefully.

This was the arrangement they kept. Each night after putting Nicole to bed, Hermione would make her way into Severus's room snuggling down under the covers with him for a nightmare-less sleep followed by a morning of rather compromising positions, from Hermione sleeping on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around her, to him spooning her, to the both of them in each others embrace. It seemed that no matter how far apart or which way they went to sleep, their bodies instinctively found each other during the night. Which, despite their outward reactions, they both enjoyed.

ooOOoo

Together with Harry, Ron and Nicole, Hermione made her through the tightly packed corridor. At the moment the two boys were waiting for Hermione to catch-up, little girl on one hip, bag swinging next to the other. When she finally caught up, Nicole slipped to the ground taking her free hand as to not be swept away by the crowds.

"What took you so long Hermione?" asked Ron.

"You boys walk too fast," she told them standing on tiptoe to try and see how thick the crowds were.

"Okay, but why were you carrying Nicole?" asked Harry.

"Because her legs aren't long enough to keep up with ours," she replied, the irritation in her voice oblivious to Ron.

"Why do you have to drag her around everywhere?"

"Because, Ronald," she said slowly as if to talking to a four year old, "there is no one else who can look after her and I can't seem to recall anyone else who can communicate fluently in sign language."

"Why can't she just stay by herself?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" she asked, stopping in the middle of the corridor. "She is three years old Ron. She is not capable of looking after herself for six hours a day!"

Turning on her heel she continued towards the classroom, Nicole nearly jogging to keep up. Once they had turned the corner she slowed a bit for the small witch, her emotions clouding her eyes.

Why did Ron always have to be so insensitive? Always pushing, nagging. Never knowing when to give-up.

Something bushed against her and Hermione almost screamed. It was like fire against her skin. It was him. Wand drawn she looked around wildly in the crowd for him, but there was not sign, his magic mixed in with the flow of everyone else. Pocketing her wand, she continued to the classroom, the little girl holding her hand slightly confused by her actions.

"Ron, I'm sorry about how I acted before," she told him as the quartet entered the classroom, taking their customary seats at the back of the room.

"I'm sorry, I was being a prat," he mumbled, glancing at Harry who nodded inconspicuously.

"Apology accepted," she finally said, slightly stunned by his unusual admission. Harry definitely had something to do with this.

ooOOoo

Nicole had nearly been there a week and was easily slipping into Hermione's schedule. She would be up early, dressed and ready to go to the hall for breakfast. After that she would follow Hermione around to her classes, making sure she kept quiet and out of the way. Whenever she had potions, she was allowed to spend her time in Uncle Severus's office, playing with her dollies until Hermione had to go again. Some lunches they went to the Great Hall again where she would watch her Uncle up at the High Table, other times the three of them would have lunch at Uncle Severus's house. During classes she would sit and play with her dolly, the noise of the students having no effect on her.

Only in the crowded hallways between classes was she frightened of the other students. There were just so many and she was afraid of getting lost but Hermione always held her hand and whenever they were running late she would pick up Nicole like a seasoned mother and hurrying along to class.

In most of Hermione's spare time they went to the library, where they had to be super quiet or somewhere to play, lots of the time in the school grounds. She liked it when Harry and Ron would play too. After school, the raven haired girl would go back to her Uncles house where she would play with him or Hermione before tea and bed.

Most of the students just accepted the little girl like one of the other students. There were a few who expressed their disliking for having a little girl wondering the halls but their protests met deaf ears, literally and figuratively speaking.

She liked this routine and she liked Uncle Severus and Hermione and sometimes Ron and Harry, but not all of the time.

ooOOoo

"What do we have now?" asked Ron stepping out of Charms.

"Potions," supplied Hermione.

"Oh great."

"Don't be so negative," she told him. The little girl at her side tugged on her robes, trying to get her attention.

"Yes, Nicole?" she signed.

"I need to go toilet," she replied.

"Boys, I'll see you in class. This shouldn't take long. We need to make a pit stop at the little girl's room." Both boys gave her their farewells before heading off.

"Alright, let's go," she told her, taking her hand and leading her to the lavatory.

ooOOoo

"Do you need any help?" she asked before she went in.

"No, I'm a big girl."

"Alright then." Hermione turned to the mirror on the wall, watching the door close. She loved the little girl and didn't know how she was going to cope when she left. After that she would be going back to her own rooms with only Lavender and Pavarti to talk to when they weren't spending their nights with their boyfriends.

Hermione sighed. What was really happening between her and Severus? Where they really still teacher-student? She always called him by his first name in their…no, his…Chambers. Was that acceptable for a teacher? No, definitely not. They were more than that, friends of the sort. She might even be as adventurous as to say close friends.

Relationships. They were everywhere in her life and at the moment constantly changing. She was drifting away from Harry and Ron. Their time apart had done their friendship damage. Her and Severus were, well, complicated, friends but more. Like shag buddies as Lavender once called them but totally nothing like that. Boys, boys just ignored her. To most she was just the brainy, bushy haired brunette. Nicole. Nicole was special to her. She put the spark in her day really. A little girl whose spirit never seemed dampened. It was like a mother-daughter bond really, now that she thought about it.

An assault of her senses broke her from her train of thought. He was there, right outside. How could she have not sensed it?

She could practically see the dark like smoke passing under the door, infecting the bathroom. Before she knew it her wand was in hand, her bag fallen to the floor and she was facing the door from her position near the sinks.

Slowly the crack between the door and its frame increased as he stepped into the room. Soon it was fully opened.

For the first time she fully saw her attacker. Spotless Slytherin robes from neck to floor hiding the mark she knew was there. His wand stood out from the sleeve of his robes, its handle hidden along with the hand holding it under the black robe. He was tall. Not overly, just tall enough to look down on Draco. His frame was hidden by the voluminous folds of fabric but she already knew that he was skinny. He was deceptively strong, playing chaser for the Slytherins. Although some may consider him an unlikely choice as a chaser, they were running low on new stock. His features were rabbit-like, sharp and alert. His hair brown, like her own but darker, cut short with a slight wave to it.

This was who she had feared this was him.

"Ah, Hermione Granger," he called as though joyed to see her.

Hermione stood statue still, ready to move a moments notice. She had the advantage. She could see the magic leaping around the wand and she knew it would change before he even moved to cast a spell.

"I've been a little busy lately. Not had the time to come and see you," he smirked, a sardonic smile gracing his lips.

The worse thing was not his smile, but the situation, the fact that they were alone but she knew him. He was in the same classes as Malfoy. He was a loner. Not because he was shunted but because he was bigger than everyone else in sense of ego. More terrifying than Malfoy, because unlike him, he didn't need big oafs to belong, to feel superior, he knew he was. He was smarter, stronger and like Draco had connections, one of his most useful being his father in the high ranks of Death Eaters.

He hated the man and loved him in the same breath. He had murdered his mother before his eyes and through her weakness she served to make him stronger.

He was her worst nightmare that had just come true. He was Theodore Nott standing right before her in an empty girl's bathroom off a deserted hallway. She was alone and he had her.

ooOOoo

Authors Notes: I now major cliff-hanger. I know it's been a while since I have updated but I hope these new chapters make up for it, I've been working very hard. Just to let you all know I did pass that maths B exam, 32.5/33, A, A, A+ and an A for Communication and Justification (the highest you can get). So yeah, I passed.

I was very good and planned ahead a few chapters which should make them come faster.

As always, thanks for the reviews. They keep me wanting to continue writing which is always good. I hope I kept up to your expectations and met them when I return again.

The Final Poll stands as:

Draco Malfoy (or a Malfoy) – (27)

Theodore Nott – (11)

Anyone Else/Other (no names, just general) – (8)

Blaise Zabini – (5)

Draco's Cronies – (2)

Marcus Flint – (2)

Percy Weasley – (2)

Draco's evil Twin – (1)

Victor Krum – (1)

Avery – (1)

Nagini – (1)

McCormac – (1)

hmm...: Chapter Summaries are there for my benefit really. When I get a question, I sometimes have to go back through and find the answer if I have forgotten. I also find it a way of sort of keeping everything tidy.

kariakanna: Yeah I know they are a bit OOC, I just find them hard to write but this is a Hermione/Severus fic so that hopefully won't be too much of a prob.

deppforever07: Severus is still a DE undercover. He pulls all these cockandbull stories out about why he is doing what he is doing and gets away with it.

Nore: Just so you know Nott Senior isn't an executioner even though I like to think he has those tendencies. McNair was the executioner for the ministry I think.

Veriea Fornnan: Bravo! "exicutioner big-ass blade" haha, that's funny. But rust so you know Nott Senior isn't an executioner even though I like to think he has those tendencies. McNair was the executioner for the ministry I think.

OCP: ah, possibly, but no.