Chapter 4: Deepest Darkness
"I knew it. It's not possible" Hermione smiled in satisfaction. "Thank you!" Hermione spat out as she rose to leave.
"Now wait. I said it's highly unlikely." Lavender said giving her a quizzical look. "People can meet each other on a dreamscape, say, like two dreams colliding. But there are always reasons for it."
"That's why I said it's impossible. He and I... we'd have no reason to meet on this so called 'dream scape,'" Hermione said defiantly.
"Who are you trying to meet? Maybe we can help!" Paravati said excitedly.
"Look... this is very helpful and everything... but do you two possibly have a book I could read more about this in? It's kind of personal." She said looking at the floor embarrassed.
"Always turning to books... one day they won't be able to help you...But here." Lavender picked a book of the nearly empty shelf.
Hermione looked at the title.
Dreams: Your guide to your reality!
By: Kathy Towers
"Thanks... really. This is so helpful!" Hermione said and she flew from the room.
IIII
He went about his day as normal as possible. Trying not to let his mind drift into that oblivion of dreams was harder than he thought. His first class of the day was Hermione Grangers, and it made him completely uncomfortable. He noticed that she was more silent than normal. Her hand did not shoot up above the rest, and her potion failed to reach the soft pink it was supposed to. But he did not reprimand or embarrass her. Her behavior was strange... but his was stranger.
The Slytherin boys did not smile obnoxiously as they normally did, They chattered amicably between themselves. And Snape did not care; he was tired and did not feel like dealing with those awful brats. Granger was on his mind and he needed to figure out why.
IIII
Maybe she was just seeing him too much. He'd given her quite a lot of homework and on top of three hours of advanced potions... it could all just be taking its toll on her. After reading Kathy Towers' book, Hermione came no closer to figuring out this mystery. She couldn't exactly come out and ask Severus Snape if he'd been dreaming about her. That would be absolutely ludicrous. But oh how she wanted to know!
The sight of him that morning had put an ache in her belly. She yearned to know why her subconscious had been producing images of Professor Snape. And then, at the sight of his tired eyes, and weakened stance... maybe they had been intercepting dreams.
It all seemed so surreal. So unlikely really. She was a normal seventeen-year-old witch... why would she continually want to be with her best friends sworn enemy in the deepest of dream worlds?
She thought of his face. His rough hooked nose that often turned up at the sight of her. The deep, black eyes that she could often feel burning into her back as she mixed her potions for him. That shoulder-length, greasy black hair that covered his face in the most haunting way... He often resembled a ghost... Not exactly attractive. What drew her to him?
IIII
He glanced at his warm bed longingly. He decided grading pop quizzes could wait. Sleep was more important now that he rarely received worthy amounts. He whipped his wand towards himself and watched as his robes fell away and only his black, silk boxer shorts remained.
His startling white skin was so distinct under the black shorts. But his eyes had always been drawn to the darker sides of the color spectrum. White was reserved for the innocent. Never once in his awful life had Severus considered himself innocent... he had merely seen too much.
He wondered why, deep in his cold heart, why he really wanted to go to sleep. Was it honestly to try and rest his tired limbs? Yes, of course that was it. But maybe, there was also the chance he would not be alone again. Even if his dream realm company was that insufferable know-it-all... It was better than being alone for another night. Just one more night out of hundreds.
IIII
She wondered aimlessly on the deepest of fogs. She gasped for breath, but the air was too thick. Breathing had become just one more task too hard for her small body to do. please, she thought, I don't know the way out.
She took one last deep breath before breaking into a sprint. Her heart was beating fiercely and her brown locks flew in every direction. Lost in nothingness, and no way out. Tears began to build up against her eyes. Welling ominously and threatening to spill over against her pale cheeks.
She couldn't breathe. Her lungs weren't working. She collapsed on the ground but the air was no clearer. Once more her mind begged,
Please! I can't find a way out on my own!
Suddenly a force much stronger than Hermione yanked her from the dank and dirty ground. Pulling her to her feet and forcing her to run aimlessly once more.
Her feet dragged beneath her, tiring from fatigue. That same forced dropped her arm and feel beside her. She took quick ragged breaths... but the air still did not fill her lungs with the oxygen she needed.
She squinted her eyes trying to peer through the fog at who may have tried to help her. She could only make out the features of a man. Strong, even in a relaxed sitting stance.
She mentally praised him for trying to help her. And then through the fog, she heard his voice commanding her.
"Lie down. It may help you breathe. Don't worry. You're save now. Relax." His voice was filled with its own fear, but also so strong and familiar.
She knew it was Severus. For once it sounded beautiful. She followed his instructions and lay down on her back. She felt him lie next to her and began to breathe deep once again.
"Thank you." She whispered before closing her tired eyes.
He knew she wasn't listening but he thanked her too.
IIII
Hermione woke up that morning relaxed and ready to start the day. It was Friday morning and she had the most resounding memory of the previous night's dream He had been there, laid down with her within her deepest fears. She had to know if he was really there, or if she only wished to find a confidant in her own unknown world.
Walking to class that day, she felt relaxed and confident in herself. That was the first time she had in a number of weeks. Hermione know she'd see him this morning in his usual, closed off way, but she felt she needed to see him. The real him in anyway she could.
Skipping breakfast did not settle well in her stomach. Twice now because of this man her schedule had been interrupted. She didn't really mind. She wanted to get to class early.
Hermione tried the dungeon door but of course it was locked from intruders. he must not be in yet. She took a seat against the brick wall, anticipating Snape's entrance. Would he look at her with any sort of recognition? would he, in some way, let her know it was real? or would it forever be a puzzle?
She hated that she had begun to doubt herself for the sake of a man she once hated. But why had she hated him? He was smart, that was a good thing. Yes, he had tampered with the dark arts, but if Dumbledore had believed that he had learned the error of his ways than she could too. But there was that little matter of hatred. Professor Snape hated her with the deepest passion, and until recently she would have responded likewise. She positively hated this new Hermione. The one that questioned everything she had come to know as truths in the past seven years.
Severus Snape was one nasty individual. She could not let herself become attached to such a hateful man just because of a few mere dreams. But was it because of the dreams that she was becoming attached?
Hermione knew in her heart of hearts that she longed for his companionship because she saw in Severus the same outnumbered loneliness she had known all her life.