Chapter 18: In the Morning Light

Snape stopped suddenly and turned back. His step was quick as he took after a set of much daintier feet. He did not know what he would say when he caught up with her, but he couldn't help where his feet led him.

He saw her up ahead and at the sound of his feet pounding the granite behind her, she paused and turned.

"Professor?" She asked, bewildered as to why he was stalking after her so late at night.

"Yes. Miss Granger..." He stopped walking as he finally caught up with her. "I was only wondering-"

Her heart leapt within her chest. For so long she had refused to let herself fantasize about the man standing in front of her now.

"Never mind," Severus said, most suddenly as he walked quickly away from the now downtrodden brunette.

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He pulled the potion from his private store quite suddenly. As he swirled the sleeping draught within its bottle he allowed himself to sit on the edge of his bed. His mind drifted as it often did these days, to a small woman who had extra-ordinary powers.

Tonight had been his weakest moment regarding her. Within the dreamscape he had crossed the line of privacy and had rightfully earned the answer he dreaded hearing, though he'd admit it to no one.

Then within the waking realm he had almost lost all respectability by doing the unthinkable. He almost unmasked his feelings.

"How," he though, "could she have ever have felt anything but hatred... maybe tolerance for me?" He laughed aloud. For the first time he had opened the closet that had held so many dark skeletons. He mentally chastised himself for being so foolish.

"Well," he said, "it will happen no longer." He put the potion roughly to his lips and drank it in its entirety. "Tonight, I shall be dreamless."

IIII

She paced, obviously waiting.

"Please come, Severus," she pleaded openly. She couldn't allow herself to not be honest any longer. Hermione's heart beat roughly in her chest. Her paces counted off the seconds as they passed. She soon grew wearily of walking and took up a nice place on the ground. Laying her head down softly, she felt the tears grow behind her lids.

She began to let her mind flow to him and with him all of the anxiety that filled her brimming heart. She was tired and the weight of her lids pulled them down tightly over her brown eyes.

"This place," Hermione thought, "is becoming less like a sanctuary and more like a hell."

IIII

His eyes opened, groggily. Severus groaned as a light hit his eyes.

"Ahh... you are awake." The head masters voice came from above and Snape shifted his head in his direction. "When you missed your morning classes I grew worried because of your absence. I took the liberty of coming down here in hopes of finding the problem."

"I missed my classes?" Severus asked, slightly worried. He sat up suddenly and felt his head spin weakly.

"Not to worry, I took it upon myself to take over for the day." Albus said smiling at the dark eyed professor. "By the way, I must warn you..." he said as he picked up the bottle of sleeping draught, "to be more careful with potions of this sort. You are entitled to your privacy, but it's not like you. You have never before been so careless with such powerful magic... nor have you run from your problems in such a way." Dumbledore put the bottle down and walked to the foot of the bed. "I trust you can find your way to the Great Hall for lunch."

He began to walk away when he paused and turned back. "By the way, dreams often might frighten us, but in all reality they help us step only closer to our true selves. Do not run from them..."

With that he marched away. Snape heard his chamber door close when he finally pulled the blanket away. As he stood, his head swam. How did he know what Severus was running from?

"Occasionally," he thought, "that old man knows exactly what he's talking about."

IIII

She watched the doors of the Great Hall anxiously. Hermione hoped to see him pass through them and take his place at the head table.

"During the break, I was thinking we could all go and see Harry," Ron said near Hermione's ear. She turned to him, smiling.

"I was thinking the same thing myself." Ron, too, smiled.

"I'm glad to see you so happy," he remarked.

"Clearly," she said, glancing once more towards the door, "I have no reason to be unhappy."

Suddenly Snape's black, cloaked figure marched in, grumpily. They made eye contact from across the hall as her face lost its false smile. He gave her only a curt nod as he passed the table to take his place along with his colleagues.

IIII

"I was having the most awful dream. Voldemort... the death-eaters... they were all here... invading Hogwarts! We were all defenseless. They even took you," Harry said, looking at Ginny sadly and squeezing her hand. "But I'm sure it was all just a dream," he said not quite convincing himself.

"Oh my dear friends... I would not be so sure..."

The four Gryffindors looked up to meet the solemn eyes of Albus.

"Is it possible, Professor, that Harry's dream was foretelling the future?" Hermione asked, her dark eyes searching his for any sign of the truth. Ron watched Hermione as she asked such a question. Everyone knew that she did not believe in really foretelling the future. She thought it all a matter of chance. He shrugged off her strange behavior.

"It is Miss Granger. The very near future I am sure."

All four looked around at each other as they realized the depth of his words.

"But do not fear... for we still have each other." Albus smiled weakly, as his eyes drifted from one young face to another. He saw the fear written plainly on each.

IIII

"Let's go for a walk," Ron said suggestively, holding out his hand. Hermione placed her much smaller hand in his and rose from the chair in the common room. As they reached the castle doors she could already feel the warm spring air wafting in. She could smell the sweet scent of flowers and morning dew as Ron steered her along a marked path.

"You're quiet today," Ron noticed.

"Just thoughtful," Hermione responded as she looked up into the trees overhead. "Do you think Harry..."

"He'll be fine. I know you're worried. I am too. Especially after what Professor Dumbledore said. But the important thing now is that," Ron struggled for the right phrase. "Thank God we have each other." She saw that his eyes longed even then for everything she had denied him just the other day.

Hermione smiled up at Ron as she sat on a near rock. She knew that things were not perfect. Ron sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. Hermione tried to disregard the motion, but inside was faintly revolted by his desperation to have her near. He pulled her to him in a tight embrace and said, "Things will be all right 'Mione, I just know it."

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