It took a few minutes for Hermione's world to stop spinning around. When she finally stopped feeling sick and looked at her surroundings she realized they were in a village somewhere, probably still in England judging by the miserable weather and the greenery.
Severus started walking; he'd stopped and waited, she realized, while she regained her balance. She trotted after him, nearly tripping over her own feet as she looked at the village in the half light. It was beautiful, she could tell, even with the lack of light.
It was a small village, the houses separated by trees and grass. There was a tiny corner shop and kid's bikes just thrown onto the grass of their gardens. In London where she lived, she thought wryly, the bike would now be being ridden away from the scene of a crime, the front basket filled with ill-gotten gains.
Lying in bed at home, despite the double glazing, she could hear people shouting, horns blaring, doors slamming... Here there was such an amazing silence. And everything was green and she breathed the fresh air into her lungs.
A bird chirped, breaking the silence and Hermione smiled. One day, when she was much better off, she wanted to live somewhere like this.
She noticed her Potions Master watching her. He'd stopped at a small wooden gate, almost obscured by large trees. They didn't match the rest around them, which were all trimmed and neat. This house had trees so thick and high that it was near impossible to see what was hidden behind them.
"This is why I never want to live in London," she said, sighing happily. "This place is amazing."
Severus gave her a curt nod and a look, which could have almost been interpreted as 'pleased' but only almost.
"Where are we?" she asked, as Severus opened the garden gate with a mumbled word.
No one could Apparate directly into his house. As often as he'd cursed Dumbledore for putting the same spells and Anti-apparition charms on Hogwarts, he understood the need for them.
Severus looked down at her bright, eager face. You couldn't tell that an hour earlier she'd been sobbing and threatening to kill him.
"North Yorkshire," he answered, waiting for her to go through the gate with ill-concealed impatience. He followed her in and closed it behind them both. "It's a very small place – I doubt you'd have heard of it."
"You doubt I'd have heard of North Yorkshire?" Hermione asked, incredulously.
"No, Miss Granger," he said, annoyed at her and annoyed at himself for not being clearer and for conversing with the girl in the first place. "The village is called Longley and it is Longley that I am assuming you would never have heard of."
"Oh." Hermione flushed. She had never heard of the place.
"Of all the things I know about you, your intelligence is not one of the aspects of your personality that I would ever doubt."
She stopped gazing at his garden long enough to look up at him curiously. Had that been a compliment?
He noticed her taking in everything, as eager to learn out of class as she was in it. The trees, the rare and beautiful flowers, the sanctuary he'd built himself. He loved being outside, he just hated people being able to watch him, so he'd planted trees all around the edge of his garden and had acquired some of Professor Sprout's special Miracle Grow solution. His garden was for the most part sheltered from view and it created a sort of green, tranquil paradise, for him anyway. The neighbours probably hated it, but as he'd never actually spoken to any of them, it didn't really matter.
The cottage had ivy covering all the walls and when Severus opened the door for her to enter his house, she was almost loathe to leave the garden. But curiosity got the better of her, as did Severus' not very subtle nudge between the shoulder blades, so she went in.
He reached around her to turn on the light and watched as her mouth dropped open in astonishment.
"You live here?" she asked.
Severus decided not to bother answering that question and just watched her, deriving a strange sort of pleasure out of challenging her preconceived ideas of him. Even Dumbledore had never seen his house.
The front door led straight into the front room, which was the most beautiful, cosy room she'd ever seen. The carpet was so thick she felt like she was sinking into it, and it was a gorgeous, warm cream colour. She assumed there were anti dust and dirt charms on it, because if not it would never have kept its colour so well.
There was a large fireplace, which had suddenly come to life and started crackling and burning the moment the door had been opened. The smell of burning wood wafted over to her and she had to resist the urge to just sink into the soft carpet and fall asleep.
The room was relatively small and the walls were made of an assortment of stones, all beautiful, rough and warm looking. The sofa was a deep red velvet to match the curtains, which were half drawn over windows patterned with wrought iron.
In one wall there was a stone archway, through which she could see a small room. She gasped as she realized that its walls were made entirely out of books crammed together on shelves. Severus grinned as Hermione quietly whimpered, resisting the urge to run in there and start ploughing through his collection.
He put his hand to the small of her back, making her jump. She'd forgotten he was there. She found herself being gently pushed through the archway and into the room, which Hermione had already decided was where she was going to go when she died. Sod Heaven, this was far, far better.
The only space in the room that wasn't covered with books was taken up with another large stone fireplace, a cheerful fire crackling in its grate. In front of it was a soft, fluffy white rug, perfect for curling up on with a book. The only other furniture in the room was a large, high backed rocking chair, adorned with cushions.
Who would have known that Severus Snape, Potions Master and Lord of the Dark, Dank Dungeons was such a comfort craver. Everything in his house so far had texture and warmth and everything that could be comfortable was so comfortable you'd never want to get up again.
How could he leave this place to live in Hogwarts' miserable, cold dungeons?
Severus smiled as Hermione ran her hands almost reverently over the spines of his books, taking each one in with an amazed look on her face. He'd once heard her tell Harry that her parents had never let her keep many books around, saying that it would clutter up the house. He'd been so shocked and disgusted by what he'd overheard that he'd nearly offered to let her peruse his private collection in his quarters, before thinking again and deciding that it was a ridiculous idea.
God, it was amazing to see someone as in love with reading as he was, he thought.
Severus noticed Hermione staring at him and he searched her eyes for a reason.
"You're smiling," she said, gazing at him.
He raised his eyebrow at her.
"I do smile occasionally, Miss Granger. Would you like to sit down and peruse my books, while I try to find Dumbledore? He's away from Hogwarts on business at the moment, but he should really attend to your matters as soon as possible."
Hermione walked towards him and touched his hand.
"Professor, could I... I mean..."
Severus knew what was coming. He knew when he had seen the look in her eyes when she'd seen the garden that this was Hermione's Heaven. Now she wanted to see if the rest of it met with her fantasy.
He shouldn't have been surprised really, he thought to himself as he watched Hermione struggle to get the words out, realizing that she knew how difficult it would be for him to let someone into his house like this, let alone give them a guided tour.
Hermione was a lot like him – she had a passion for books and learning and she kept her real self from the world almost as much as he did.
"Hermione," he said, knowing he was using her first name, but then again they were in his home, not his Potions classroom. "I don't want to hurt or offend you, but..."
She immediately nodded, understanding and only slightly taken aback at the use of her first name. This was the man who usually snarled her name just before he deducted points from her house.
"Of course. I understand," she said, touching his hand again. "It's difficult letting people see any part of the real you, isn't it? And this house is as far from your Severus Snape, Potions Master persona as you can get."
He just looked at her, uncomfortable with the way she understood why he didn't want her seeing his house and uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him.
"Don't get me wrong, Miss Granger," he said, looking down into her intense face. "I am not some incredibly nice man trapped in an Evil Potion's Master's body, I am the person everyone thinks I am. This is just a side of me that I keep from the world in order to survive."
She noted he'd changed the way he'd addressed her again and realized that the barriers, which had been lowered slightly, were right back up where they were before.
"I think it's been so long that you don't know who you really are," she said, moving her hand away from his and leaving the room through the large stone archway. "But when Voldemort is finally defeated, you're going to have to find out."
"What makes you think he'll be defeated, Miss Granger?"
"Destiny, Severus, destiny," said a voice which was far too deep and old sounding to be Hermione's.
Severus had been about to draw his wand instinctively, when he realized that the man who had appeared in his fireplace was Albus Dumbledore. He immediately loosened his grip on his wand.
Albus stepped out of the grate in the living room and Hermione immediately ran towards him, her arms outstretched to give him a huge hug. Albus and Hermione had become closer over the last year or so and she even occasionally went up to his office to play Muggle chess, or to talk. The fact that her headmaster shared her opinion that Wizard Chess was barbaric had delighted her.
Severus watched with a degree of jealousy at the amount of affection Hermione Granger had for her headmaster. He didn't think anyone had ever hugged him like that, or had ever been as delighted to see him. In fact, the last time he had been hugged properly was the night his mother had died nineteen years ago, when she had hugged him goodbye.
"Are you feeling better, Hermione?" Albus asked, tipping her face up to see her properly. "I'm so sorry we couldn't stop Draco and his father from committing such a sickening crime. If there is anything at all I can do?"
Severus wondered briefly how Albus had known where his house was, and how he had known what had happened at Hermione's house. But then, he always seemed to know everything, didn't he? Bloody man. He felt himself go slightly hot at the thought that he might somehow know about Hermione's little display in the bathroom.
Hermione was thinking the same thing. She hadn't known what had possessed her to act like that, whether she was just rattled by the fact that he seemed to be so emotionless and so unaffected by her, or if she had just been through such a trauma that she had gone briefly crazy. Ron hadn't even seen her naked, much to his frustration, and they'd been going out for five months.
"I'm fine," she said, smiling at the headmaster. "Professor Snape has been looking after me."
Albus gave the man in question a knowing look, then turned back to Hermione.
"Professor Snape has explained the situation?"
Severus nodded, thinking that he should probably invite the Headmaster to sit down, but then again he really didn't want the two of them staying in his house any longer than necessary. He was already feeling open and exposed after Hermione's candid evaluation of him.
Dumbledore sat down anyway, oblivious of Severus narrowing his eyes at him pointedly.
Hermione looked at Severus with an eyebrow raised.
"Sit down, miss Granger," he said, before sitting down stiffly next to her.
"You have some choices Hermione," Albus started to explain, looking at her seriously.
"We cannot risk uncovering Severus as a spy, and because of that, we cannot outwardly stop Draco from carrying on with his 'project.' Unless of course, it becomes obvious what he is trying to do. Then we could take action without involving Severus."
"Lemon drop?" he offered, pulling a white paper bag out of his pocket. Both Hermione and Severus shook their heads in a slightly bemused way.
Him and his bloody lemon drops. Severus wondered briefly what would happen if they suddenly stopped manufacturing them. Albus would probably become frail, weak and powerless. They were very probably the source of all his powers.
Hermione shot Severus a quick smile, as if reading his mind. It took some willpower not to smile back at her.
This situation was not a smiling matter, he reminded himself, glowering viciously at the carpet.
"You could pretend to be falling into Draco's trap, but that could be very dangerous for you and anyone around you," Albus carried on, noticing the looks between Hermione and Severus but choosing not to comment.
"You could stick it out until he makes a mistake, and then we could involve the ministry," he suggested.
Severus and Hermione both made dismissive noises and Albus eyed them both, a bemused smile upon his face this time.
"I'm sorry Headmaster, but I think the chances of the ministry being any help with that cretin in charge..."
Albus stopped Severus mid sentence with a quelling look, but Hermione nodded her agreement.
"We could spirit you and your family away, until this is all over. That is another option," Albus suggested, as if Severus had never spoken.
"I'd have to miss my final year, sir. Not to mention the fact that I don't like running away," she said, her jaw set.
Severus sighed. "Miss Granger, I don't think you have quite grasped the horror of what the new Death Eater's victims have to go through, from the moment their names are written in blood. If you had, you wouldn't even be considering staying in the country."
"Severus, please do not try to sway Hermione's decision," Albus admonished.
Hermione got to her feet and paced.
"So my choices are to leave for at least a year, which would look pretty suspicious anyway, right? Or to stay and let Draco 'recruit' me and become a spy, which might end in me being killed. Or to stay and wait for Draco to make a mistake, which may not happen."
"You really don't know Draco Malfoy, do you?" Severus said dryly, then quietened at a stern look from Albus.
She turned to Severus and dropped to her knees in front of him, making his eyes widen in surprise.
"If I leave, you'll be punished, won't you?" she asked. "They won't know it's you, but there will be suspicions and you'll be punished."
Severus surprised himself, and her, by reaching down and taking her hands in his.
"Miss Granger, I knew from the moment I joined the Death Eaters that I was putting my life on the line, just as I knew when I decided to help The Order of Phoenix that the risks would be even greater then. This is not your fight and was never meant to be your fight. Anything that happens to me is not your responsibility."
She looked up into his eyes, almost teary with emotion and lack of sleep. Who would have thought that this man who terrorized every student in Hogwarts, would be so incredibly brave and unselfish? She felt her heart ache for him and the life that he was being forced to lead.
"You'll be free one day," she said, her face close to his. "I just hope you can remember how to fly."
Severus stared at her, at a loss for words. Albus pretended to be hugely interested in the speck of dust on the sleeve of his robes.
Hermione got to her feet, gently releasing Severus' hands.
"I'll stay, Headmaster," she said, resolutely. "I will stay and see what happens. If Malfoy trips up, then fantastic. If not, then I'll just have to deal with that when the time comes, won't I?"
"Oh, for God sake," Severus jumped to his feet. "Bloody Gryffindor courage! You have a way out, for the love of Merlin, take it!"
"I'm not leaving other people to shoulder the blame for my cowardice," Hermione said, glaring at her Potions Master.
"My parents can be protected, can't they?" Hermione asked her Headmaster, who was trying to blend into the background while they argued.
"Of course, Hermione," he said, giving her a half smile. "This isn't the first time this has happened. Severus, you have accommodation for Hermione tonight?"
"Could she not go back to Hogwarts with you, Headmaster?" he asked, biting back a growl of frustration, ignoring Hermione's hurt look.
"It would be preferable if she stayed in your protection for a day or two..."
"A day or two?!" they both exclaimed at the same time, both glowering at the beam on Dumbledore's face.
"Then it's sorted," he said, in a cheerful tone. "I will see about delaying your parents return from their lovely holiday in Whitby and you can use the next twenty four hours to make up your mind."
"I must be heading back to Hogwarts. It's light outside now and I've not had a wink of sleep. Think carefully Hermione."
"Albus..." Severus said, in a warning tone. But Albus had already disappeared in a blaze of green flames.
