Dark Days Chapter Three - Confrontation

Jai'mea lounged in the high backed leather chair, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers out of sheer boredom. There was absolutely nothing to do. The rain was coming down in sheets, Voldemort and his inner council were having a meeting, and most of the other death eaters she couldn't stand, she could think of about two or three who she might possibly consider spitting on if they were on fire. Fawning, arrogant bastards the lot of them. Briefly she considered breaking the rather valuable crystal vase on the mantelpiece, but decided having a tantrum was far too childish. Besides which, she really didn't have the energy. She sighed audibly.

"What's wrong?" asked a voice from somewhere off to the side. It was Keria, a witch whose innocent features belied a twisted and evil mind. She was one of the few people that Jai'mea felt that she could actually stand to be around. She had been the year below her in Hogwarts and the two had become, well, as close to 'friends' as you got around here.

"Nothing," she answered sulkily.

"Yeah, okay, and I'm going to run off now and marry a muggle, come on, I know you better than that!"

"Fine then, I'm bored that's all. There's absolutely nothing to do around here."

"Go somewhere else then," said Keria unhelpfully.

"Thanks, why didn't I think of that?" she replied sarcastically. "Oh, could it possibly be because there is no where else to go?"

"Fine, if you don't want to hear my idea, I'll just go back to my book and pretend I never heard you."

"Please spare me!" she growled.

Keria lifted up her book again pointedly ignoring Jai'mea.

"Fine, fine, what's this idea of yours that's so incredibly wonderful then?"

Putting the book down Keria sauntered over to Jai'mea and perched herself on the arm of the chair, shaking her tumbling brown curls out of her eyes as she did so.

"Well, do you remember a rather charming young muggle girl in Scotland? We promised to visit her again. It would be very rude of us not to keep our word!"

An evil grin spread across Jai'mea's face. "Indeed it would. We've been awfully rude in leaving it this long anyway!"

"That's what I thought you'd say. Shall we?" Getting up she offered Jai'mea her arm and together they left the room.

Hermione was shaken awake the next morning by Cho. She looked up bleary eyed at the pretty young woman looking down at her.

"Cho? What is it? What's the matter? Is it Harry?"

"No, not Harry, but Ron's come back from Scotland with news. Dumbledore's called an emergency meeting of the Order to hear the news and decide what to do. You'd better get dressed."

Hermione groaned and dragged herself out of bed. The morning light wasn't bright enough to really hurt but still stung Hermione's tired eyes. Quickly she pulled on some pale blue jeans and a white shirt and slipped her feet into black mules. Deciding she didn't have time to wrestle with her hair as usual she merely pulled it back into a bobble and left it.

"You not coming?" she asked Cho seeing her settle down on the couch.

"Nope, leaders only, lowly soldiers like me not required."

"Lucky you." Hermione grimaced. "I'll tell you about it when I get back."

Apparently Hermione was not the only one who had tried to have a lie in that Saturday. On the way up to Dumbledore's office she met with Minerva McGonagall who looked unusually rumpled.

"Good Morning dear," she greeted Hermione, although they were both suspecting that it would turn out to be far from a good morning after the morning's meeting.

Dumbledore's office was nearly full when they entered and took seats near the back. Ron and Tonks stood at the front near Dumbledore looking oddly serious. Hermione was not used to either of them looking serious and it disturbed her when they did. Ron looked so different to the boy that had graduated only a few years ago. There were lines around his eyes that should not be there at this age and a faint scar ran from his chin to his ear. Tonks obviously never looked exactly the same. At the moment her hair was waist length brown braids with pink beads on the ends, which jingled as she moved. But she too bore signs of war in her eyes, a slight hardness and coldness that wasn't there before.

Almost unconsciously she began to look around for Severus, before she could find him though she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning she looked right up into his face. She smiled nervously at him, still feeling uncomfortable and unsure in his presence. He took a seat next to her just as Dumbledore called for order.

She missed the first part of what he was saying, she zoned out. The close proximity of Severus probably had something to do with it. She tuned back in just as he was handing over to Ron.

"Well, as Albus said Tonks and I have been up in Scotland for the past month trying to find out something of Voldemort's movements. We haven't been able to find him but what he's up to is obvious to everyone. There are no villages left there, the land is destroyed and the muggles that didn't escape to England, which is most of them, are in concentration camps. They're working on the land to feed the death eaters who apparently can't bear to get their hands dirty, and if muggles are growing food house elves are free to do other tasks. We managed to sneak inside one and they are not nice places, the muggles are crammed in tiny rooms or cages, made to suffer uncountable tortures and indecencies.
"It's like that all over Scotland and my guess is that they're about to move down into England. He's not the most subtle man in the world and his forces seem to be massed for a campaign down into the North Country."

Hermione shuddered at the thought of the conditions those muggles were forced to endure and glancing at Minerva she found that she was not the only one. All the colour had drained from her face.

The rest of the meeting was long and tedious, involving plans, tactics and the division of labour. It lasted well into the afternoon and at the end the members escaped with an exhausted willingness. Students milled around the corridors blissfully unaware of the full extent of Voldemort's work in Scotland.

Dumbledore had wanted the school to continue as normally as possible under the circumstances. Although the numbers of students attending were somewhat diminished. Children of known death eaters were conspicuous by their absence, but many others were absent also, having been sent to other schools by fearful parents.

The first year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors sat cowering in Potions classroom. Each had their head bent over a cauldron, desperately trying to be as silent as possible, while intently stirring their boil-removing potion. No-one wanted to incur the wrath of their potions master, who seemed to be in an even worse temper than usual.

Snape stalked through the room sneeringly, commenting mockingly on every slight flaw in a student's work, taking out all his pent up frustration and anger on them. He was frustrated with himself for wanting Hermione so much and angry that he couldn't control his fees. Hs. He was also confused about why she was still avoiding him. They may not have actually talked about what had happened, but they were working together again. But as soon as they were done she'd make an excuse to get out of his sight. Unfortunately he had no idea how to bring it up. He'd never had much experience of talking to women. Not women whom he felt anything like this for anyway.

He stood behind a young Hufflepuff girl to watch her work. His looming presence flustered her and she knocked over her jar of Armadilo bile. The thick sticky liquid oozed across the desk and dribbled on to the floor. The jar itself clattered to the floor and smashed all over the place.

"Miss Church!" Snape's voice was low and threatening. "I see you haven't lost any of last terms clumsiness." his voice was sneering, "Five points from Hufflepuff for your carelessness, and you will return tonight for a detention. Be here at 7:00."

With that he swept away leaving the girl to clear up the mess. Her eyes filled with tears and her classmates threw her sympathetic glances from all around the room. They were all glad to leave at the end of the lesson. When they'd gone Severus collapsed into the chair by his desk and absently rubbed his temples, he could feel a headache coming on. He closed his eyes, trying to find relief, but when he did so all he could see was Hermione's face. Immediately his eyes flew open. She was the last person he needed to think about. Yet she was always on his mind. Irritably he began to mark some third year essays before dinner. Almost an hour later he was disturbed by a knock at the door. It was Cho Chang.

"Yes?" he snapped.

She closed the door and moved closer. "She misses you." she said simply.

"What?"

"Hermione. She wants you."

"Obviously not Miss Chang or she wouldn't be avoiding me."

"She's embarrassed Snape, and she doesn't know whether she's making a mistake in trusting you."

"Well she hasn't given me much of a chance has she?"

"Go easy on her, she's only had one real boyfriend before and he hurt her badly, and she cares about you a lot. She doesn't want to get hurt again."

Severus scowled. "Talk to her Severus, please. For all our sakes!" Cho turned on her heel and marched out.

Hermione watched as two third year boys had a rather noisy play-fight in an empty classroom, and looked slightly disapprovingly at the three girls who were watching them eagerly and giggling loudly. Although she did feel a moment of jealousy, these girls could still enjoy such times without the detailed knowledge of such disturbing information as she had received.

Teaching was obviously a problem as all of the teachers were involved in the Order to some extent, which often took them away from the school for days, weeks, even months at a time. When this was the case their lessons would be taken over by a wounded member of the order, or someone not involved at the time, or occasionally a seventh year student who was particularly proficient at the subject.

"Hermione," Harry's voice interrupted her reverie. He too looked different, his face was tanned and weather-beaten and he had grown considerably. His hair however was still the same unruly mop and his extraordinary green eyes were unchanged.

The sound of his voice made her jump and she spun round to greet him.

"Jumpy today aren't we?" he asked sounding amused.

To be honest she was, although she wasn't sure quite what was causing it, possibly the fact that she hadn't sorted her problems with Severus. She kept expecting to bump into him in the corridors and the thought made her nervous. She wondered what Harry would think if he found out how she felt about him? What would his reaction be? He and Snape had never exactly been friendly. But if Cho knew would he? These thoughts passed through her head in a matter of seconds, before she answered;

"Sorry, bit out of it there."

"I noticed…" is Cho still in your rooms?"

"Probably, she was there when I left. Want to come up? I'll make us a cup of tea."

"Sounds good, where's Ron? He'll probably want to come see you too."

"Talking about me again?" asked a voice as the lanky red-head approached.

"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione and rushed to give him a hug.

"What's this about tea anyway?" he queried looking slightly embarrassed.

"Come on up." Hermione led the way up towards the Gryffindor Common room near where her quarters were.

Cho was laid on the sofa asleep. Harry put his finger to his lips and indicated everyone to be quite, before tip-toeing towards her. Then he pounced on her and tickled her ribs. "Argh!" She woke up with a scream. Then seeing who it was she lashed out and hit Harry playfully, "Bastard!" Harry grinned and flopped down next to her, narrowly missing her legs, she moved up and hooked her legs over his, refusing to sit up properly. Ron rolled his eyes and wound his tall frame into the armchair while Hermione went into the small kitchenette to put the kettle on.

The conversation turned to work as Ron and Harry filled Cho in on the bulk of the meeting, but Hermione's mind wandered. She didn't really want to hear any of this again and she had other more pleasant things to think about. Namely Severus, it was strange to think of him in this way. For years he had been a feared and hated teacher and then a friend, but she was still unused to thinking of him in a sexual way and some of her thoughts actually made her blush. Unfortunately for her Ron noticed.

"Hermione? What's up? What are you blushing for?"

This simplicity of his question made her blush even deeper.

"Somehow I don't think that our Hermione's mind was with us just now." Said Cho grinning. Harry and Ron looked puzzled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Harry.

Hermione sent Cho a glare that plainly said, 'I will kill you if you say a word!' Cho grinned at her. Ron and Harry glanced between each other completely baffled.

"Let's just say that Hermione's…"

"Yes?"

"Cho…!" Hermione scowled at her.

"What!" exclaimed Ron. "Is something wrong?"

"No," said Cho, "I'd say that something is actually very right…"

Hermione blushed to an even deeper crimson than she had ever believed possible.

"It's a man isn't it…?" asked Harry, light suddenly dawning on him.

She looked away. "Oooh, who is it? Come on Herm spill." Said Ron.

"Honestly Ron you sound like Lavender!" moaned Hermione.

"So I'm right then?" asked Harry, "Come on woman you can't not tell us now."

"Can't I?" she asked mischeiveously. Stalling, hoping to change the conversation.

"No you can't, and don't even think of trying to change the topic of conversation…We'll find out sooner or later."

"Can we guess?" asked Ron. Cho laughed. "What's so funny?"

Hermione leaned back resigned to letting them guess. That went on for about half an hour, their guesses getting wilder and wilder until they all ended up laughing. But then;

"I bet it's Snape, they have been friends for a while now." said Ron shuddering. "Sorry but that still seems unnatural."

A change came over Hermione's face, she turned pale as snow.

"Oh no! It is as well. Hermione! He's old enough to be your father!" Ron's face was disgusted.

"Tell me that's not true Hermione," said Harry, "You know that he's a complete bastard. Look at how he always treated us." He looked faintly sick.

Hermione didn't quite know what to say. "I…well…it's just…we haven't; not really…"

Thankfully Hedwig fluttered in then with a letter for Harry. It was from Sirius. He read it through quickly, "I'm er…going to have to go. Need to speak with Sirius. Ron?" The two friends got up and left quickly. Hermione looked helplessly at Cho.

"They'll get used to the idea, just give them some time," She said.

Hermione nodded glumly and watched her leave. Listlessly she got up to wash the cups. She'd hoped that they wouldn't take it so badly. It was this very thing that gave her such doubts about her and Severus. "This is what I was worried about Cho, Harry and Ron have been my friends for a long time, what if they don't accept how I feel for Severus?"

Cho took Hermione by both arms and spun her around, looking earnestly into her face she said, "They will, they were just shocked. And besides, if they value your friendship at all then they won't let something this petty drive you apart. Besides, your private life is none of their business!"

"It's not just that it's…Well you know what happened with Viktor. What if…"

"Stop right there! You cannot live your life by maybe's! Not all men are like him. Trust Severus, go talk to him!"

Hermione gave her a despairing look.

"I can't!"

"You can!"

"Come with me?" Hermione pleaded.

"As if! I do NOT want to be caught in the middle once you two get going. The sexual tension is killing me from here!"

Hermione blushed, cursing herself for not being able to stop her embarrassment from showing.

"Please?" She begged.

"Hermione stop it! You have to talk to him by yourself. You know that! Now go!"

"Okay, I can do this!" she made her way to the door, and then turned back. "What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't! Go! Where's the calm collected Hermione we usually have?"

"She left about the time you told me to go talk to Sev."

"There you go! You can laugh about it so it can't be that bad!"

"Fine." A Pause, "See you later," said Hermione in the tone people usually reserve for a trip to the dentist.

Cho smiled as Hermione trudged from the room and got up to help herself to another cup of tea.

It was hard to know where to start. How do you instigate such an incredibly awkward conversation? Hermione gazed around the room, looking everywhere except at Severus. Her eyes took in the immense bookcases which filled two of the walls, the ornate oak cabinet which housed his personal potions ingredients and the large fireplace which burned constantly to warm the chill dungeon. She remembered the first time that she had seen that room. It was not long after she had finished school and joined the resistance and she had fallen instantly in love with it. She had spent many happy hours sat in silence with Sev, both reading through the great variety of books in his collection. All of that took up about three seconds and then she was left wondering what to say again.

"Hermione why don't you sit down?" said Severus a bit more sharply than he intended.

She shook her head, refusing the offered chair. "I need to talk to you," she faltered.

"We had already established that much I believe…."

"About what happened at your home a few weeks ago," she interrupted. Then she faltered again. He shuffled awkwardly in his seat, a scowl adorning his face. If he wasn't usually paler than the moon that comment would certainly have made him so.

"Yes. I'd like to apologise for that. It was quite unintentional; I had no desire to make you feel embarrassed or awkward around me and I certainly didn't want you to feel that you needed to avoid me. It won't happen again."

His face was calm and collected as ever, only his clenched fists belied the words he spoke. Even as he uttered them his brain screamed at him to stop. To tell her how he really felt and he tensed himself, fighting to keep under control.

"Oh…oh I see…." Her face fell and her voice trembled. Something inside was screaming at her but her brain would not or could not respond to it, even if it actually understood.

Severus heard the tremor in her voice and he looked up. Filled now with doubt, had that been disappointment in her voice? No, impossible! But Cho had said that Hermione was missing him…Was she really?

"Well, I'll just go now," she murmured.

"What was it you wanted to say?" he asked struggling to keep his voice steady. Had he just thrown away a chance of happiness?

"It doesn't matter," she said in a voice that was scarce to be heard and turned to leave.

His heart wanted him to just reach out and stop her. To utter one word that would make her stay, find out why it was that she sounded upset. But his lips remained firmly closed. He could not bring himself to believe that she could ever love or want him and he would certainly not force himself upon her. How could a man such as he make her happy anyway? She deserved so much more.

Just then he felt an immense pain driving through his left forearm. He drew in his breath in a sharp hiss and clutched at his arm knocking a pile of papers to the ground.
Hearing this Hermione turned back and gasped in shock as she saw Severus double up in pain.

"Severus what's wrong?" she cried. In an instant she was by his side, her eyes full of concern. His breath was coming in short ragged gasps.

He pushed her aside making her stumble into the wall and then staggered over to the potions cupboard. Clumsily he fumbled with the lock and dropped the key twice before he managed to get the cupboard open. Then he unlocked a second smaller door at the bottom right hand side of the cupboard. From here he drew a slender black bottle with a lead stopper and took a measured amount of it. Having done this much he leaned wearily against the wall and slid slowly down to the ground. Carefully Hermione took the bottle from Severus and put it back in the cupboard, locking both doors. Then she sat down and took his hand.

"Severus what was it? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing," he said shortly, snatching his hand back from her gentle grasp.

"Severus that was not nothing! You do not just double up in agony for no apparent reason!"

"I said it was nothing," he snapped glaring at her.

"And I know that you're lying. Tell me what it was, I want to help."

"It's none of your concern!" The scowl he wore deepened and his voice shook with anger.

"None of my concern?" Hermione's voice was dangerously quiet. Her eyes filled with the sudden anger of worry and she stood up and backed away from him. The she began to shout, "Severus Snape I think that it is my concern. When my best friend suddenly collapses in agony I tend to worry. Forgive me for having feelings. I realise that you conquered yours years ago but the rest of us are not so perfect."

"Hermione…" he tried to interrupt but she was in full swing now.

"And don't take that tone with me! I'm not a child any more. I'm a grown woman and I don't appreciate you treating me like a little school girl." she paused, gasping for breath and at present too angry to continue her tirade.

Severus stood up, he now towered above her. Hermione had not grown since she was about 14 and stood at a mere 5' 4" whilst Severus himself was over 6'. He turned immediately away to hide a bemused expression, had she just called him her best friend? Hermione however took it as a gesture of sheer arrogance and fumed.

"Fine, be that way. No wonder you never had any friends if this is how you act towards them. I'll be going now, wouldn't want to meddle any further in your precious business."

She turned her back on him and began to stalk cat like towards the door. Before she could reach it he was there. He caught her arm and held her back.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," he said simply. She did not reply and would not look him in the eyes. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"No you shouldn't," she agreed. Her eyes were filled with emotions, concern, upset, love. Looking down into those eyes Severus had never felt so ashamed of himself.

"Will you forgive me?" he asked, suddenly sounding much more like a sheepish schoolboy than the hard, sarcastic dry humoured potions master she had come to love.

Smiling faintly she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, feeling that she couldn't bear to remain angry at him. They stood gazing at each others for what seemed like an eternity, then emotions overcame Severus and he sought silent permission with his eyes even as he stooped to kiss her upturned lips.

Hermione felt his lips brush hers, they felt tentative, unsure. For a moment she stood there bemused, not reacting to his kiss, but gradually she began to respond, welcoming his tongue as it slipped cautiously between her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her hands in his silky hair. He pulled her more tightly against him as the kiss became more passionate.

Eventually they pulled apart slightly and gazed once more into each others eyes. Hermione smiled and leaned into him, resting her head on his broad chest. Severus looked down at the tiny woman in his arms. All thoughts of his recent pain had disappeared. He could not remember ever feeling so happy.

Jai'mea leaned into the girls face and brushed all the hair from her cheeks. "Shush shush little one," she crooned in a falsely caring voice. "It's okay…" she leaned down to lick away the dried blood that caked her pale cheek. Fresh tears sprang to the girl's eyes and she turned her face away. But Jai'mea brought her mouth down to the girls in a crushing kiss biting through her lips to draw blood.

Standing back she began to fondle her wand like a knife, muttering obscenities at the cowering girl. "Crucio!" Great cuts opened up over the girl's body and she screamed loudly, her cries echoing in the tiny room. Then with a wave of her wand she healed up the wounds and knelt back down to caress the girl's body with her hands.

"My but you're a pretty one aren't you? Quite fine in your day I dare say. Won't be so pretty when I'm done…"

With another wave of her wand she began to heat up the blood in her veins and until the girl screamed again and then brought it back down to normal.

Keria was leaning outside the dungeon listening with a gleeful smile to the activities inside. But she soon grew bored and began to leer at the guard beside her. She moved across to him slipping her hands inside his robes. They slipped back into the darkness and soon the girls agonized screams were joined by the screams of pleasure of Keria.