"Ah, Severus! So good of you to come."
"Spare me the pleasantries, Minerva; free time is not a luxury I have at the moment. Now tell me why you have dragged me out of bed in the middle of this gods-forsaken night."
Not at all offended by the Potion Master's acerbic greeting, McGonagall plunged right ahead.
"Well, Severus, we seem to be having some trouble with one of our students."
Snape just stared.
"That's what you called me here for?" he asked, disbelief lacing his tone as he started to pace angrily. "A bloody student complaint?"
"No, Severus, you misunderstand." She sighed. "It seems that one of the students has taken to disappearing. Her friends were under the impression that she was studying in the library, but when they went to find her tonight she wasn't there."
Snape waved his hand dismissively. "The impudent little chit is probably off in a dark corner of the castle with one of the hormonal dunderheads that are so numerous here. Hardly something that needs concern me, unless I happen to come across them on my rounds."
McGonagall looked grave. "I'm afraid it's a bit more serious than that. You see…the student in question is not currently in the castle, nor on the school grounds at all."
That made Snape stop pacing. "You're certain?"
"Quite. I need you to do what you can to find out where she has been going. While she's one of the last people I would suspect of wrongdoing, these are dangerous times."
All business now, Snape's exhaustion was pushed aside. There was work to be done.
"Who is she, Minerva?"
When the older witch met his eyes, he felt a small chill run down his spine.
"Hermione Granger."
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
His seventh-year NEWTS-level class was first the next day. After putting the instructions for Veritaserum on the board, he observed the students carefully. The class was small, with only five Seventh Years making the cut. Draco Malfoy had been paired off with Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw. Alice Oberton, another Ravenclaw, had quickly paired herself off with the ruddy Boy-Wonder. Only a lingering loyalty to Albus had kept him from kicking the dunderhead out of his classroom for good…while a Pensieved memory had cleared up the events at the beginning of the summer, he found himself more isolated than ever.
Then his attention turned to the lone figure at the front bench. Granger. She'd grown up in the last year or two, and though he'd adamantly deny it if asked, he knew he'd never given full credit to her abilities. While she worked alone out of necessity, she frequently finished first, and with results far superior to the rest of the class. Looking at her closely, he could see dark circles under her eyes, and noticed that her hands trembled ever so slightly.
As if sensing she was being watched, she looked up and met his gaze squarely. Her eyes…a rich chocolate brown…were haunted by unspoken horrors. Before he could do more than catch the echo of a despairing scream from her mind, she'd blinked and looked away.
Shaken, he sat down behind his desk and composed himself. 'Tonight,' he silently vowed. 'I will follow her tonight, and if she leaves the castle again, I'll know why.'
For Snape knew…the last time he'd seen a look like that in anyone's eyes, he'd been looking at himself in the mirror.
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
Severus Snape was angry. No, angry wasn't quite accurate. He was furious. How dare that irritating girl evade him for three nights in a row.
He continued to observe her in his classes, and at mealtimes. Each day she seemed a little paler, a little less herself. She moved through his class almost on autopilot. Before his very eyes, she was becoming more and more withdrawn from her friends, who were too bloody self-absorbed to notice.
Needing to take a night off from following her, he left to gather a few ingredients. During his last inventory, Snape had noticed that his willowbark supply was low. When he apparated to the grove where he normally harvested it, he got another surprise. Large quantities of the bark had already been harvested, and recently. Swearing, he gathered what he could. The next day was Saturday, and he planned to get to the bottom of this once and for all.
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
Early the next morning, Snape dug out his Invisibility Cloak. It had been one of his last gifts from Albus. Not caring if anyone noticed his absence at mealtime, he spent the day following Hermione Granger. He watched as she spent most of the day in her rooms finishing assignments. As the day progressed, she spent more and more time glancing at the clock. Around seven that evening, she put her school supplies away, grabbed a few items from her dresser, and disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later she emerged; he was surprised to see she wore Muggle clothing, which was quickly covered by her school robes.
He followed her as she stopped by the Great Hall, where Potter and Weasley were stuffing their faces and discussing Quidditch. They were dismissive when she told them she had studying to do; he had to hold back a chuckle as she launched into a detailed description of an extra credit Arithmancy project she was working on for Professor Vector. He saw her eyes narrow a bit when she saw their eyes start to glaze over, and knew she'd just ensured she'd have no disturbances for the rest of the night. How…Slytherin. Perhaps he would have to re-evaluate Miss Granger after all.
He then followed her as she made her way down an unused corridor, and was surprised yet again when she stopped in front of a plain door that he'd not noticed before. He watched she walked back and forth in front of the door three times before opening it. As he slipped into the room behind her, it occurred to him that this was the infamous Room of Requirement, and had to wonder what it was she needed.
Whatever he had expected to find inside, it wasn't this.
Stepping further into the room, she grabbed one of the nondescript brown satchels from a peg on the wall. Moving quickly, she began filling the bag with things that puzzled Snape further. Bandages, a few books, combs and colored ribbons, and jars of aloe all went in the bag. Ah, and it seemed he found the missing willowbark as well.
When she finished, he followed her across the room until she stopped in front of a blank wall. Shouldering the bag, she reached out and placed the palm of her hand against the stones and closed her eyes. Moments later, a door shimmered into existence. She cracked it open, glanced around, and then stepped through. Severus did the same; as he did, he felt the air around him warp slightly, and he suddenly found himself standing in an alleyway…one he was completely unfamiliar with. He stopped himself from letting out a low whistle of appreciation just in time, and wondered if anyone other than Miss Granger, faculty included, understood the true power of that room. He was shaken from his reverie when she straightened her robes and strode purposefully to a nearby flat. She entered without knocking, moving through the house until she reached a small office in the back.
The room was sparsely furnished, comprised mainly of a large desk and a few bookshelves.
And seated behind the desk, poring over an ancient-looking tome, sat none other than Bill Weasley.
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
"Hullo, Bill," she said as she took off her robes and draped them over the chair. Severus moved over to the corner, so he was out of the way.
"Back again, little Cheria?"
"We all do what we have to, Bill. You know that. How's Fleur doing?"
"She's…pregnant." His expression was torn between pride and worry. Severus understood…with the upcoming war, happiness was far from guaranteed.
Hermione, too, seemed to understand, squeezing his arm. "Congratulations, Bill," she said softly. "You'll make a wonderful father."
He covered her hand with his own. "Gods willing, Hermione, I hope I'll have the chance."
Releasing her, he shook off his melancholy and reached into the top drawer of his desk, removing a small object.
"I suppose you'll be needing this," he said as he laid it on the desk. When Hermione picked it up, Snape could see that it was a small doll.
"Thank you, Bill. You'll be gone by the time I get back, so I'll be sure to lock up."
He nodded. "Be careful, little one. I know that whatever you're doing is important to you, but I still worry."
She smiled sadly, murmured a word, and was gone.
As Bill sat back in his chair, Snape threw off the invisibility cloak.
"Where is she?" he growled.
Bill jumped two feet in the air and spun around, wand drawn. He dropped it when he recognized the intruder and sank back unsteadily.
"Sweet Merlin, Snape! Are you trying to send me to an early grave?"
"Where…is…she?" he bit out.
Bill ignored him, and said, "I wondered how long it would take for somebody at the school to notice she'd been going missing. Though I wasn't really expecting it to be you coming after her."
"Bill…" Snape said warningly.
Bill sighed. "I can't tell you."
Catching the other Wizard's quickly rising temper, he raised his hands to forestall the inevitable outburst.
"I can't tell you, Snape…she had me take a wand-oath."
When Snape scowled, he reached again into the drawer and pulled out a second doll.
"This is a duplicate of the one she uses…we made it in case there was an emergency and I needed to find her."
When Snape reached for it, Bill pulled it back out of reach.
"Would you be open to a small suggestion?"
"I'll listen," he growled.
Bill sighed. "Put your cloak back on. Don't just storm in there and drag her home. I don't know what it is she's been doing, but I know how important it is to her. Just take the time to watch, Snape; really watch her."
That wasn't what he was expecting Bill to say. And though he was loath to admit it, his curiosity was aroused. Looking at the younger man, he could see the sincerity in his eyes. With a sigh, he draped the invisibility cloak around his shoulders again and nodded sharply. Bill handed him the doll.
"The password to activate it is 'Hope'," he said.
With another nod, Severus activated the Portkey and was gone.
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
There was the sickening lurch that always accompanied Portkey travel, and then Severus was unceremoniously deposited in a cluster of scraggly looking brush. Stepping out and dusting himself off, he noticed that the temperature was markedly different…it was much hotter, and the air was dry. Looking up at the night sky, he was awestruck at the multitude of stars shining down, stars that were at the same time familiar and foreign. Making sure his Invisibility Cloak was still in place, he turned his attention to his surroundings.
He was on the edge of a small village, and from the looks of the small ramshackle homes, it was a poor one. Examining the dust at his feet, he picked out another pair of footprints that were leaving the grove he had just exited. Following their path, he found himself in front of a building on the edge of town. A small painted sign on the gate identified it as the Ray of Hope Orphanage.
Snape frowned. This was, quite possibly, the last place he expected to find Miss Hermione Granger, the Know-It-All of Hogwarts. What on Earth was the chit doing here? Cautiously opening the door, he slipped inside.
Looking around, he caught his breath. The innocuous building and sign outside had in no way prepared him for the inside. Narrow beds stretched from one end of the room to the other, each one occupied. But these were not only orphaned children; Snape had heard of places like this. This was a place that gave refuge and care to children who had fallen victim to wars and disease. Women wearing white smocks moved among the beds, and he assumed they were members of the staff. Most of the children sported bandages, and several were missing limbs. Some were sitting up in bed talking to the other children nearby, but others just lay there, completely unresponsive.
He found the reason he was here moving from bed to bed, changing bandages and administering the meager medicines the facility seemed to have. For the girls, she took the extra time to brush and braid their hair, tying it with the colorful ribbons she'd brought along with her.
Snape watched her work for three hours, before one of the other women reminded her to take a break. He followed her as she wearily left the building and sat on an overturned bucket outside.
He was trying to figure out how to make her aware of his presence when she leaned back and stared directly at the spot where he stood.
"If you wanted to know where I was going, you could have just asked," she said flatly.
He jumped. She couldn't possibly…
"Yes, you insufferable man, I know you're there. Now do me the courtesy of taking off that bloody cloak."
Snape was too stunned to do anything other than obey. He knew some people, like Albus, or Moody, could see through the cloak, but he didn't think…
As if reading his thoughts, the edges of her mouth curled up slightly. "No, I can't see you when you're wearing the cloak. But I've spent six years in your classes, and recognize your scent. You've always smelled like Potions ingredients." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I always knew when you were close by. Just like I knew you'd been following me these last few days."
She opened her eyes and fixed him with a steely glare. "McGonagall put you up to this, I suppose?"
Speechless, he nodded. This was not the girl he knew…that girl was the brains of the Golden Trio, sidekick to the Brat-Who-Lived, and an obnoxious, bushy-haired know-it-all. The person sitting in front of him now was a woman. One not afraid to speak to him as an equal. A woman who had seen more of the world than she cared to, but was stronger for it.
She shot him an amused look. "I'm surprised, Professor. No shouting? No scathing commentary on the futility of this venture? No threats of expulsion for leaving the school grounds? I expected better from you."
Her words spurred his brain into action, and he finally found his voice. Opening his mouth to let fly a suitably biting retort, he was unable to stop the words that came out instead.
"Why are you doing this?"
"To…understand," she said softly, staring at the ground. His silence prompted her to continue.
"We're growing apart, the boys and me," she mused. "Oh, I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn't expecting it quite this soon. I just…needed to do something that would make a difference, even a small one."
"If you wanted to look after orphans, Miss Granger, there's an excellent specimen back at Hogwarts. I am certain he would be most…receptive…to your attentions."
She sighed, obviously trying to articulate her motives, and frustrated at her inability to do so.
"Harry and Ron…to them, the War is just some grand adventure. When we were made full members of the Order last term, it was like their birthdays had come early. Neither one of them seems to realize…"
She looked up, meeting his eyes. "It's going to be bad. Even if we win, the cost is going to be high. People are going to die. Friends, teachers…but also innocents, Wizarding and Muggle alike. Families are going to be torn apart, and places like this one will spring up all over Britain."
Her intense gaze shifted to the stars.
Before he could reply, the door banged open and another of the orderlies rushed out. She was momentarily startled to see the company her friend was keeping, but the urgency of her message overrode the surprise.
"Cheria! You're needed inside…it's Joshua."
Hermione paled, then jumped up to follow the woman back inside, Snape at her heels. She stopped outside a small door where an older woman stood.
"Abigail, how is he?"
The woman, obviously in charge, looked down at Hermione sadly.
"We have done all we can, Cheria. He is asking for you."
Hermione swallowed hard, then squared her shoulders and stepped inside. After an appraising look, Snape was allowed to enter as well.
Stepping through into the small room, he blinked rapidly to help his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. When his vision cleared, he saw Hermione moving over to the single cot occupying the room. He could hear the labored breathing of its occupant.
"Joshua, sweetie? I'm here."
"Cheria," a reedy voice whispered. "I knew you'd come."
"Of course I would, honey. How are you feeling?"
"Tired," the boy said. "I just want to sleep."
"Then rest, love," Hermione crooned as she gathered the frail boy into her arms and started to rock him gently. "I'll stay right here with you."
"Cheria?" he said a few minutes later. His breaths were becoming more unsteady.
"Yes Joshua?"
"What's Heaven like?"
Hermione closed her eyes tightly, and Snape saw a single tear slide down here cheek.
"It's a beautiful place, Joshua, full of happiness and sunshine. Nobody fights, and there are no wars. If you want, you can run and play all day, and you never have to worry about anything ever again. Nobody ever goes hungry, either, because the angels bring you whatever you want to eat. Fresh pears, Joshua, and warm, soft bread. Not only that, but your mum and dad, and your brothers are all there waiting for you."
"I hope if there are angels in Heaven, they're nice like you," he sighed.
"Sleep, my brave little warrior," she whispered. Still rocking him, she began to hum softly, a melody full of promise and light.
She held him gently as he fell into a fitful sleep.
She held him as his body suddenly went rigid as he convulsed and choked, his small hands clutching at her stained apron.
And she held him as the last breath rattled in his small chest.
When he was finally still, she raised a shaking hand to gently close his lifeless eyes.
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
When the two women Snape had met entered the room, Hermione had just finished arranging the small still form on the cot. Abigail's gaze moved from Hermione to the bed, then over to Snape. A moment of understanding passed between them.
"Hermione, it's time to go home," he said softly. She nodded, still numb, but made no move to leave.
Sighing, he took her arm and guided her out of the room, and out of the building. She gave no outward sign of distress, but because of his grip on her arm he could feel the tremors shaking her body with more and more severity. Stepping into the clump of brush to hide them from prying eyes, he hesitated for only a moment before pulling her close and activating the Portkey.
When they arrived back at Bill's office, Hermione began pacing.
"I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Professor. I suppose it was my own fault for not saying anything to Professor McGonagall to begin with, but I didn't want to worry her or the boys needlessly."
"Miss Granger," he said, trying to interrupt.
"I understand if you have to assign me detention, or something, for leaving the school. It won't happen again, really, I'll just…"
"Hermione," he said, taking her by both shoulders and forcing her to look at him.
The tremors he had noticed earlier came back with a vengeance, and he watched her bite her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Unused to such strong expressions of grief, he did the only thing he could think of…he gathered her into his arms.
She stiffened at first, his actions were so totally out of character. Then, almost of their own accord, her arms snaked around his waist. Burying her face in his chest, she cried. For the first time, she allowed herself to cry for the indignity and injustice of it all. She cried for a world that left children to die alone in a strange building. She cried because she knew there would be more of it. And she cried for the knowledge that she carried.
Hermione wasn't sure how long Snape just stood there and held her. He didn't move, and didn't offer her any false platitudes…he was just there. And it meant the world to her.
When she finally pulled herself together and stepped back, he was looking at her with a strange expression on his face.
Clearing his throat, he held out a hand to her. "We must get back to the castle, Miss Granger."
As they walked out into the night, she looked back up at the stars. "Run for me, little Joshua…be carefree and think of me."
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
Exiting the Room of Requirement, Hermione expected Snape to send her scurrying off to Gryffindor tower. Instead he motioned for her to follow him as he stalked down the hall. Making their way deep into the bowels of the castle, Hermione found herself in front of a door she'd not seen before.
"This is my private office," he said by way of explanation. "I expect you back here tomorrow night after supper. I noted that your willowbark supply was running low, and since you were so zealous in your harvesting at the grove I normally frequent, we shall have to visit another."
"But…but…what will you tell Professor McGonagall?"
"The truth…or a close facsimile of it. I found out that you were working unsupervised on an extracurricular Potions project, and have decided to step in as a mentor of sorts."
He smirked at the stunned expression on her face.
"Come, Miss Granger. I believe there is work for us to do."
XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOXXOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX XOX
I would like to tell all of you how much I love my bestest friend, Lone Butterfly...this was originally her bunny, but she was wonderful enough to let me play with it. Of course, there was the not-so-unspoken threat that she would BEAT me if I didn't finish and post it. With such ahem encouragement, I got it written and to you, dear readers, in three days! Chris, darling, you make my world a happier place. Stay tuned, because the next thing I post (within the next few days) will be a BIG SURPRISE, and fun for everyone. Be sure and tap the pretty button to leave me a message, because they make my otherwise boring day more bearable.