Severus stared at the inside of the wrapping paper for a long moment. How and where had she gotten these? And had she gotten them because she had known what he had been reading a week ago? Severus suddenly did not feel like going up to the Great Hall for breakfast. Gifts like this deserved thank you's and those were not something Severus Snape was good at.
…
CHAPTER THREE – UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Hermione smiled around the small circular table in the Great Hall where people were gathering for Christmas day brunch. A few people were wearing the gifts she had gotten them, anonymously of course, and the rest she hoped people would like. The seat to her right was hauntingly empty and she wondered if Professor Snape was going to take breakfast in his rooms. Her face slipped into a frown, surprising herself that she cared. But her mixed musings were interrupted by the double doors bursting open to the familiar sound of dragon hide boots. Hermione huffed, slamming open both doors? Really? But still she watched his progress as he descended upon the table, sitting rather stiffly in the chair beside Hermione. A plate and mug flashed into existence in front of him, the mug filling with tea while Snape helped himself to food. Hermione watched as he added a lump of sugar and a dab of cream, somewhat surprised he didn't drink it black. Hermione returned to her full plate, stabbing several pieces of egg on her plate. While she ate, she watched Snape out of the corner of her eye. He ate conservatively and properly, taking small enough bites not to have to stretch his lips round them. Hermione was glad she was too hungry to really pay attention, or she would have been transfixed.
Severus got the same feeling on the back of his neck that he was being watched and it took him a moment to realize it was Miss Granger. Was she waiting for a thank you? Probably expecting one no doubt. He scowled, grasping his mug and bringing it to his mouth. Why was she staring at him? She was not obvious nor was she really staring at him with intention, but she watched him between bites of her own food, out of the corner of her eye. It was the same way she had watched him in the library and it unnerved him greatly, people did not usually scrutinize him. He ate slower than usual, observing as people left the table to go do whatever they were planning for the day of luxury. He was grateful when Albus left, trailing after a pair of Hufflepuffs who seemed keen on finding out exactly how old the Headmaster was. When the table was relatively empty, Severus cleared his throat quietly and he noticed how Miss Granger stilled almost immediately, the path of her fork from the plate to her mouth slowed and after she took the bite she chewed with her hands splayed on the table, her head down but he could see her eyes were angled towards him.
"That was quite a collection, Miss Granger." He said quietly. He was pleased when no one glanced his way, and two more people left the table, leaving only himself, Miss Granger, and a Ravenclaw who looked like he was still mostly asleep.
"I'm glad you like it." She said just as quietly.
Severus made a sound in his throat. He felt pleased she understood his intent and he did not have to try to express gratitude any further than he had. He finished his meal, noticing that she returned to her same manner of eating. She stood up to leave and just before she walked away from the table, she looked down at him over her shoulder and smiled. Severus felt a strange squeeze in his chest at the friendliness of it.
SHSHSH
"I'm telling you, Malfoy is a Death Eater." Harry hissed vehemently for the third time this week.
"And you are welcome to your opinion, Harry." Hermione hissed back, glancing around the Gryffindor common room, "But that doesn't mean you are right!"
"But come on Hermione, the-"
"The conversation in the dungeon and the way he threatened Borgin with a werewolf? Yes, I know Harry." She also knew that he had not heard Snape's quietly uttered phrase outside of Slughorn's party. "But let's be realistic, I practically live with Malfoy, and besides seeming stressed out, he's no different and definitely doesn't floo with Death Eaters."
"Yeah well have you seen his left arm recently? No because he wears long sleeves all the time."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's the middle of winter, Harry."
"She's got a point, mate." Ron said.
Hermione sighed. "Look, I've got to go to bed, it's almost curfew."
The boys wished her good night with lazy, one-armed hugs and she gladly retreated out into the silent hall, back to her prefect's dorm. Hermione wasn't paying attention to where she was going and gasped, drawing her wand, pointing in the direction of the person she had slammed into.
"I strongly advise not to hex me, Miss Granger."
Hermione blushed and put her wand away. "Sorry, sir."
Severus acknowledged the apology with a small dip of his head. "You are cutting it close to curfew." He drawled, pinching his thin, curving lips together.
"Er, ah yes, sir. I was just on my way-"
"Keep going then."
"Yes, sir."
Severus watched her retreat and thought she still appeared tensed for battle. It seemed a rather odd thing considering this war was really only just beginning for her.
Hermione barely made it to her dorm in time and was surprised by another mysterious note hovering elegantly on her pillow. She opened it carefully and her eyes widened.
Tomorrow. Don't forget. 10pm.
Hermione nearly had forgotten about spying in on the Headmaster and the extendable ear that had been gifted to her for that purpose. She wasn't sure about the time though, 10pm was after the curfew to be back in the dorms. Maybe she could get Harry's invisibility cloak without a fight or too many questions. That would do nicely.
The next day, Hermione asked for Harry's cloak after their last class and he gave it to her with a raised eyebrow but remained silent. She was grateful because she only thought of the excuse of going to the Forbidden Section of the library after she had already returned to her room. She finished her homework with time to kill, so she decided she would get organized. She changed into jeans and a dark colored sweater and tied on her muggle trainers, which were practically silent against the floors of the castle. She shrunk her book bag and placed the extendable ear inside, as well as some spare parchment and a quill just in case she needed to write anything down. Feeling ready and anxious, Hermione left early, throwing the invisibility cloak over herself in the common room.
Hermione felt a kind of relaxation walking in the beautiful empty halls while it was quiet and cool. She was glad she had Hogwarts, since certainly nowhere else felt as safe or homey. She slipped through the hallways with confidence, managing to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris. She was heading straight down the hall toward the imposing gargoyle guarding the entrance to the spiraling staircase when she heard the familiar sound. Hermione's head spun around to see Snape striding at her, his robes in full billowing mode; she slipped out of the way and watched as he approached the gargoyle.
"Candy cotton." He said scathingly and Hermione bit back a giggle.
She waited until the stairs retreated up and then back down before jogging over to the gargoyle and whispering the password with a little more enthusiasm. The stairs dropped her off on the small platform outside of the thick office doors. Hermione settled in a corner, where she would hopefully not be tripped on and sent the extendable ear squishing underneath the door.
"You must do it when the time comes, Severus."
"I cannot." Hermione thought she heard the firmness in Snape's voice wavering.
"You would risk the soul of an innocent boy?"
Snape scoffed. "You don't expect me to survive, do you?" His voice was bitter and the only answer he received was silence. "You ask too much!" His voice had cracked and Hermione's jaw fell open, Snape's composure was coming completely undone.
"Now, Severus-"
"Enough you old fool! I refuse to do this, I cannot."
"I'm afraid, either way, Severus, I will die. Whether by my cursed hand or that of the boy."
"So you ask me to kill you?"
Hermione gasped and hoped they could not hear her. Why would Dumbledore ask that of him?!
"It is my last request."
Snape snorted derisively. "That's just unrealistic, you will always want more and expect too much out of people."
"We have to win a war."
"And you think using people, manipulating them, letting other people die for you is the way?"
There was a lull in the debate. "When the time comes Severus, it must be you."
"Delusional wanker." Snape mumbled.
Hermione gasped again but her reaction was pulled up short when she heard the movement of boots and she quickly retracted the ear, curling tighter into her corner. The door burst open so explosively Hermione thought it was going to whip off its hinges and kill her. But the massive thing withstood the force of Snape who marched down the stairs even as they descended for him. Hermione waited a moment, to be certain Dumbledore wouldn't follow. She raced down the stairs, nearly tumbling out into the hall where she could see the black robes of her professor waving at the other end in either a good-bye or beckoning manner. She chased after them, trying to maintain her quiet footsteps but the long strides of the professor were too quick and eventually Hermione gave up. What had she just overheard? It didn't feel real.
SHSHSH
Hermione waited months for another letter, or for anything of significance to happen, but besides Harry stalking Malfoy on the Marauder's Map, nothing really interesting occurred. Hermione was under the suspicion that as Malfoy appeared less put together and more stressed, Snape looked more sleepless. She wondered if the two were related.
"Have you noticed, Professor Snape is behaving funny?"
Harry and Ron exchanged bewildered glances. "It's probably just Voldemort's hex."
"What?" Hermione asked, exasperated.
"Dumbledore told me they've never kept a DADA professor for more than a year after he denied Riddle the spot. Now that Snape changed classes he's-"
"Totally buggered." Ron said with a grin around his bites of potato. "Be gone end of the year and we won't have to deal with him anymore."
Hermione made a face. She had the feeling that at the end of this school year, everything would be different. It wouldn't matter who was and wasn't teaching.
"So, er, Hermione," Harry interrupted her thoughts. "We need your help."
Hermione glanced between the two and realized Ron didn't know what Harry was talking about either. "With what?" She whispered.
Harry leaned in and the other two copied him. "Dumbledore and I figured out what Riddle was up to, why Voldemort can't be killed."
"Why?" Hermione hissed excitedly.
"Horcuxes."
"Whats?"
"Exactly! I don't know what they are other than dark magic, so we need your help to look."
Hermione sighed, feeling determined. "I can try."
"Thanks." Harry said with a small smile.
"Anything for my favorite Boy Who Lived." Hermione grinned.
Only a few hours later Hermione was the most frustrated she had ever been. Not a single book she had looked through discussed horcruxes except a passing mention in an autobiography. She had shuffled through most of the library, using a spell she had discovered that let you search for words in a book but all in all, it was feeling fruitless. Defeated, she retreated to her usual table with the last large book she was going to look through tonight.
"Honestly…" Severus mumbled as he looked down at the Gryffindor sound asleep at the library table, her arm across a huge book, and her head on top of it with her curly hair spread out in wild waves. Her other hand rested on the table, her fingers weakly curled around her wand.
"Miss Granger." He said sternly. "Miss Granger wake up or I must deduct house points and give you detention." Severus sighed and pursed his lips. Reaching out, he grasped her shoulder in his hand. "Miss Granger, now."
"Notyetplease," She slurred, "Fewminutes."
"Wake up." He demanded again.
After some silly moaning noises and a mumble he didn't understand, she opened her eyes partially and blinked up at him. "Oh, professor. Hello."
"Miss Granger you need to return to your rooms."
"I'm in my rooms."
Severus sighed. "Why would I be in your rooms?"
Granger giggled. "Naughty."
Severus' eyes popped for a moment and he removed his hand from her shoulder. "You are in the library."
"Oh, bollocks." She sleepily clapped a hand over her mouth. "Woops, sorry."
"Miss Granger, come with me, I'll escort you back."
She stood unsteadily. "You are nice."
"I am not nice, Miss Granger."
She grabbed her things, glaring at the large book and leaving it behind. She stumbled towards the exit and Severus shadowed her.
"Nice sometimes. But good."
"Good what?" He vaguely hoped she would not remember this because he was finding it somewhat entertaining, if not a little sad that she thought he was nice.
"Good you. Good person."
He sighed. "You are wrong."
She made a weird scoffing sound and stumbled again. Reluctantly Severus grasped her elbow to help her keep her balance. "Don't have to be rude. 'Sides the letters told me."
"Told you what?" He had no idea what she was talking about and wished she would just walk faster.
"That you're good."
He scoffed this time. "What letters?"
"The magic ones."
Severus rolled his eyes and gave the grouchy portrait guarding the prefects' dorm the password and ushered the swaying Miss Granger in. "Go to bed Miss Granger."
She giggled and blinked at him.
"What?" He snapped.
"You're almost in my room. Naughty."
"Oh for Merlin's-"
But she turned and weaved her way into her room, shutting the door with a satisfying clicking sound, leaving Severus standing in the doorway. He sighed heavily, pinched his nose, and decided he definitely needed a drink to sleep. As he walked up to his office, he decided he would assign Miss Granger detention in the morning.