Chapter 41

The kitchen was dark. The sun had yet to rise for the day and the moon was saying its final farewell. Far in the distance, a bird sang the coming of the morning. But the house was still quiet.

Two sets of small feet padded toward each other. They spoke in whispers with the coming sun.

Harry awoke to Dobby standing over him. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the pale light of the early morning.

"Dobby? Whatcha doing'?"

"Mr. Harry Potter sir….Dobby has need of a word with the great Harry Potter. It is very important sir." Harry looked at the bulging eyes of Dobby and lay back on his bed.

"Well…go on then." Harry watched as Dobby shuffled his feet and stared at the rug on the floor.

"Mr. Harry Potter's friend is in trouble." Harry sat up.

"Who? Who is in trouble Dobby?"

"The 'Mione Granger sir. She…she is being in trouble. " Harry frowned and his mind immediately went to Snape. In moments, he was on his feet, his wand drawn.

"Was it Snape?" Dobby nodded his head. Harry was seething as he thought that Snape had somehow hurt Hermione. "What happened?"

"Mr. Harry Potter sir…Professor Snape has gone away." Harry stood in his bare feet and looked at Dobby.

"What? Gone? Did he take her somewhere? Did he hurt her?" Dobby started to shake and he twisted his ears painfully.

"The 'Mione Granger is at her home sir. But she is not well. She is needing help sir." Harry moved quickly and threw on his clothes. He ran down the stairs and was searching for his trainers as Dobby popped into the room.

"Mr. Harry Potter sir? Dobby greatly desires to come with you. Can Dobby come to see the friend of Harry Potter?" Harry was tying his shoes and didn't look up as he spoke.

"Yeah alright. Knock yourself out."

Hermione was fast asleep. Her dreams were as dark as her waking moments. She considered taking a dreamless draught a few times, but didn't have the energy to brew it.

She had tried to read a book the night before, to take her mind off of everything. But she remembered the book Severus had left for her, that lay on her night table next to the bed. Before she knew it, a restless sleep took hold of her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sylvester.

"Mistress, it is time to get up and out of bed." Hermione sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Sylvester was standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed and a frown on his face. Hermione appraised him and tilted her head to the side.

"What's up Syl?" Her voice was soft and emotionless.

"My misses has to get up. Shower, dress herself and drink tea. Then, Sylvester will tell the mistress, 'What is up.'" Hermione's eyebrows rose. She stared at him a moment and watched as his bulging eyes narrowed at her. "If my mistress doesn't get up…Sylvester will get nasty." Hermione couldn't help a small laugh from escaping her. She tossed the covers aside and sat perched on the bed.

"I really don't feel well Sylvester. Thank you for trying anyhow. I am hungry though…" Sylvester, in the flash of an eye, pointed his finger at the witch. A thin thread of silver light ran from Sylvester's finger, to Hermione. Like a puppet, she was forced to stand and walk to the center of the room.

"My misses is spending too much time feeling bad things. She is a strong witch, not a weak one. Sylvester is sad for his misses and knows she has hurts. But Sylvester also knows the misses is sulking. No more sulking misses! Now to the shower, or Sylvester will get very very nasty!" In a flash, Sylvester had deposited Hermione into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. He stood on the other side and listened.

Hermione stood, stunned at the elf's behavior. Her eyes found her reflection in the mirror and she gasped. She didn't realize how horrible she looked. No wonder Sylvester wanted her to shower so badly. With a sigh and a heavy heart, she turned the shower on. Sylvester heard it and nodded to himself. He was satisfied. But now…he had to go shut his fingers in the drawers.

Dobby and Harry apparated to Hermione's office. The room was filled with the morning light and the lobby was quiet. Dobby beckoned Harry through the hall door and down the hallway. They opened the door to the sitting room and entered. It was quiet in the room as well. Harry looked around and addressed Dobby.

"Where is Hermione?" They both turned at the sound of Elmer's voice.

"Well…" he started lazily. "the elf finally forced her to the shower. It's a good sign. We're all aflutter here. No more filth." Dobby looked down at the floor, avoiding his master's gaze.

"Dobby, why did you really bring me here? Is Hermione really hurt?" Dobby said nothing and Harry's attention was brought to another elf popping into the room.

"Dobby! Yes, yes, good work. Mr. Harry Potter sir, please sit down. My mistress will be right out." he clapped his hands and a tray of fruit appeared on the table. Dobby pushed Harry from behind towards the table and set him down. He poured Harry a cup of tea, trying to ignore Harry's glares.

Harry had raised the glass to his lips when the door opened to the right and Hermione stepped out. Harry's mouth fell open.

She looked as if she had been terribly ill. She was pale, thin and she moved slowly. Her hair hung wet down her back and she wore lose fitting clothes. He could tell she had been through a terrible ordeal, he rose quickly to his friend.

"Hermione! Are you alright? Is it the stuff from the papers? Ron? Ginny? Me? It will get better Hermione…bloody hell you look terrible." his eyes scanned her face and she gave him an empty smile.

"So you're the reason Sylvester did what he did?" Harry turned and looked at Dobby, who stood with his head hanging low. Harry noticed Sylvester's knuckles were bandaged. Sylvester gave Dobby a sharp poke with his elbow and Dobby jumped.

"Mr. Harry Potter sir!" Dobby said rubbing his side where Sylvester had just poked him. "Dobby is sorry he deceives you to make you come. But his friend does need him. Dobby will go and punish himself most grievously for it. But Sylvester's mistress, Harry Potter's bestest friend, is in great need. And you are the famous Harry Potter! You can fix anything!" with adoration in his eyes, he looked at Harry. Sylvester nodded his approval and beckoned Dobby to the kitchen with him.

Harry turned and helped Hermione sit. He poured her a cup of tea and looked at her closely. Dobby said Snape did something. Harry wanted to know what it was badly . But Hermione looked as if she would fall to pieces at any moment.

After what seemed an eternity, Harry couldn't control himself anymore. He had watched her sip her tea and stare off into the distance for a long time now. This was so unlike his long time friend. He couldn't imagine what had happened, that involved Snape, to cause such a reaction.

"Hermione?" she turned to look at him then and he saw such sadness. He knew that sadness very well. It was an emptiness. A void in someone's soul. What had happened here? "Hermione? What happened?" She dropped her eyes and he saw silent tears begin to fall. He shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Seeing women cry was his least favorite thing in the world.

He waited as she dabbed her eyes on her handkerchief and then gave an empty laugh. She met his green eyes with her sunken and dull brown ones.

"Harry, it looks as though our house elves have conspired against us. They obviously thought I needed to see you. Which is true. I miss you so…" she dabbed her eyes again. "But, things are very different now Harry. I'm different now. There is so much I feel I need to tell you…"

"Then tell me Hermione. Tell me what Snape has to do with all of this too." She turned her head away from him and began speaking while her eyes sought something far away.

"I requested his help with a potion Harry. He came to help me brew the potion and was working as my employee. We were very successful…the potion worked. Then…then everything changed. Severus is a good man Harry." she stopped stalking and looked at him. "The papers got it partially wrong. We were never engaged, but we were together."

Harry's mouth hung open for a moment. Ron's face flashed across his mind. He could only imagine the look of horror on his friends face if he knew. Then, he understood all of it. It was Ron who somehow found out and then…so Snape was right? Snape had come to Harry for his help for Hermione because he cared for her. Things he said now started making sense. But Harry never suspected that they were carrying on together and that Hermione could possibly feel this way about him as well.

"I know what you're thinking Harry. I know how you feel about him. But things are different now. The potion we developed is amazing. You will know about it one day. Just trust me that he wanted to do something good before…" her face tensed. "but after the papers and everything Ron and Percy told them…it did too much damage. He left me Harry. He left so I could have a normal life without him messing things up. He left because he cared about me." Harry was too stunned to say much. He had a hard time thinking Snape cared for anyone. But remembering the night he came to his house, Snape's face reflected emotions Harry had never seen pass through his eyes. Especially in Harry's presence. He now saw Hermione felt the same.

"Well Hermione, he's right you know? I mean…you two couldn't have a normal life together. Everyone hates him-"

"Everyone does not hate him Harry! I certainly didn't! Sylvester and Elmer didn't! When we were at the Ministry in Belfast, they treated him with kindness and respect, despite your Ministry representative being there to sabotage his efforts. Our efforts. He deserves people to respect him. You may not believe it Harry, but he did save us . Many times. Especially you."

"I know all that Hermione-"

"No! You have no idea what it does to a person. What its done to him! To have everyone hate you, talk about you, whisper behind your back-"

"Hang on! You're describing half my years at Hogwarts Hermione. I know what that feels like."

"Then you know what Severus feels everyday. But he doesn't have friends who love him and who stand by him. He is alone. Except for when we…when he was here with me. We had each other when neither of us had anyone else. Everyone had turned away. Even you…" she began to cry and Harry sat back. His best friend in the world loved Professor Severus Snape.

"Hermione, where did he go?" she shrugged her shoulders and wiped tears from her face with the back of her hands. Harry reached over the table and held Hermione's damp hands in his.

"'Mione, first, I want to apologize to you for the night I came here. I was stupid. I should have known you needed someone as brilliant as you are." Harry gave her a lopsided grin. She smiled a weak smile at him. That was as far as Harry was willing to go when it came to Snape. Harry knew he was brilliant and that was probably one of the reasons for her attraction to the greasy git. "All this stuff with you, me, Ron and Ginny, it has gotten out of control. But I can try and fix it Hermione."

"Ginny too?" her eyebrows raised. She wondered if this would be when Harry was honest with himself about her. Though Hernione was angry at the witch and hurt by her words and actions, she had always believed Harry loved the red head devil.

"No." Harry shook his head. "Not about what you think. I don't love her. Maybe I did a long time ago, but not anymore. Too many memories for me. I think I need a clean slate, you know? Meet someone who is a little like you and a little like Ginny, all rolled into one girl. Ginny needs something else too, though she doesn't know it yet."

"What about Ron?"

"Ron will come around. He was just jealous, I guess. You know he has always fancied you. But I'll set him right. We need each other Hermione. All of us. None of us know how to be, without the others. It feels like…like you're missing a part of you. I love you 'Mione. As a friend mind you." he wagged his finger at her as she laughed.

"I love you too Harry. As a friend." he reached out and hugged her tightly for a moment and kissed her cheek.

"It'll get better Hermione. I promise. We won't leave you again. I'll talk to Ron, make him apologize. Then we can figure out what curse we can use on Percy. Then…I will talk to Ginny. Alright?" he smiled, hoping this would make her feel better, but he saw her eyes were still void of the sparkle he knew so well.

"Thank you Harry." Hermione did feel better. The absence of her friends had made the last week that much more unbearable. But the hole in her heart was not going to be restored by Ron or Harry. Severus was the only one who could heal that pain. But at least, she could spend time with her friends, and hopefully in time, find a way to move on.

Harry left Hermione's later in the morning, confused but resolute. He had told her he would talk to Ron and Ginny and attempt to bridge the distance between them all. For all of their sakes…they needed each other.

But before he did, he had to find someone else first.

A/N: OK...on with it! Thanks for the reviews guys!