She went into the Great Hall picked at her eggs and saw Severus Snape eating like he was never going to again. It made her laugh.
'I bet he doesn't even know how to cook the Muggle way.' Hermione thought allowed.
She watched as he came toward her and said the delightful words "Whenever you are ready Hermione meet me my office."
Hermione was gone before Severus could even take two steps. She ran to her room, the first time she ran without fearing for her life in a long while. She grabbed her small beaded bag picked up her house keys and put them around her neck. She pet Crookshanks, Neville promised to make sure he stayed in the tower and wasn't roaming all of Hogwarts. She scanned the room one final time before closing the door and running into Professor Snape's office.
Hermione took Professor Snape's arm carefully as she closed her eyes and imagined her backyard. With a pop she was suddenly at the house she grew up in. She felt her heart raise and her smile broaden. She felt the keys still wrapped around her neck, she was in a trance so much so she was still wrapping her arm around Professor Snape. She had no apology to give as she ran to the back door.
She fumbled with the key and then gently placed it in and opened the door. Her house was exactly how she left it, or at least it looked like it. Severus had his wand at the ready and looked around as did Hermione for anything amiss.
Severus felt the dark magic in the house, not a lot, barely any really but he could feel it. Maybe someone had entered said a charm and left after thinking they got the wrong house, but then again a death eater is usually more aggressive. He was confused by the magic energy. He searched around and met Hermione at the staircase.
"I feel a dark presence, Hermione."
"Don't worry I felt it too, but it's fine, it's coming from me."
Severus was at a loss, 'Hermione Granger she used dark magic, she was just a girl the last time she was here, she should have known better, doesn't she know it messes with the magic aura you possess.' He was stunned.
"You'll see." Hermione smiled as if he already knew what he was thinking.
They made it to the top of the stairs it had an unusually long hallway with a large bookcase taking up space it also had three doors a bathroom, a bedroom and an office.
"Where is your room, Hermione?" Severus ask.
"Well if you help me move the bookcase." Hermione said as she began to use all her strength to push it to the side."
"You know you're a witch, right?" Professor Snape asked as he picked up a wand.
"Yes, but I'm in the muggle world right now and I prefer to do things as such."
Severus rolled his eyes then helped Hermione move the heavy case out of the way. When it was moved quite a distance there was no door along the wall and he was confused too by what she asked him to do. Then he heard her say slicico he gasped as he watched her point her wand to her hand, the wand carving at her flesh.
"HERMIONE WHAT ARE YOU...? Severus screamed.
But before he could finish blood was dripping from her hand at a slow rate and she put her hand against the wall in a rectangle making a door opening. After a long second, he could see the door to her room start to appear and then as she reached the bottom the floor finishing the door frame the whole thing appeared. She then lifted several charms off the door and finally opened it.
"Hermione what did you just do I have never seen that before."
Hermione smiled as she put healing balm on her hand. "I found it in a really old book behind a bunch of books in the restricted section. I really didn't want anyone to know that this is where I lived," she said.
Then it hit her, her adrenaline rush was dying down her house was fine. She flipped the light switch, success her plan had worked. She set up an auto payment with the billing companies to take money from her families saving account and it had worked. She then realized Severus Snape was in her room looking it over he saw the books she had the pictures of Harry and Ron. Pictures of some muggle friends and the minimal things she kept here over the past year. She thought back to the dreams of her in her professor. Sometimes they would take place in this very room. She quickly shut her eyes and to relax.
"Well Miss Granger, I guess The Order really didn't have to worry about you three as much as I thought." And with that Severus Snape walked out of the bedroom. He was unsure of exactly what to do next so he walked back down the steps and sat on her couch. He pulled out a journal of potions and began to read.
Hermione sat in her bed and contemplated her next move. She knew it was early, they should both have lunch, but there was nothing in the house. She should at least get some staples enough for dinner, breakfast and maybe lunch for tomorrow. She needed to do some housekeeping so her parents could come back to a home they remember. She has to buy groceries and make sure things like the cable, telephone, and whatever other non-essential things she would need to turn back on.
She headed down the stairs to see Professor Snape reading and she remembered she did keep some non-perishables in the house just in case. She wasn't sure what the just in case was but she was glad. She would be making pasta. The only drinks other than water where those of a small liquor her parents had kept for looks more than anything, She saw a white wine that she had always wanted to try but her parents never opened. She grabbed the bottle and poured herself a glass, sipping the alcohol slowly and finding the taste smooth. She quickly filled a pot with water to boil as she slowly sipped on her wine.
After about 35 minutes her pasta was ready and the sauce from the jar smelled of garlic. She mixed the two together and plated them as Professor Snape followed his nose to the kitchen. The look of the pasta surprised him he was unsure of her cooking ability, he knew of course pasta was as simple as it gets but, he was still cautious.
"This is about all we had on the shelves for dinner, at least something that we would both like I was unsure of your food preferences. I have a bottle of white wine open but I could open red if you prefer."
"That will be fine Miss Grang . . . Hermione thank you." Snape said.
They both sat down and entered a silence that was quite comfortable but, neither were willing to bring up a subject. The only noise that could be heard was fork clinking on the plate. Soon Professor Snape was done and sat there finishing his glass of wine, Hermione pored him a new glass and he looked at her strangely.
'Is the girl trying to get me drunk, not that I would on two glasses but she never even ask. Hell, I could be an alcoholic did she ever think of that, well sometimes I wonder if I am, OH what does it matter one more glass won't hurt and it does make everything more . . . relaxed' thought as took a sip of the freshly poured wine.
Hermione also finished her pasta and then poured herself a 3rd glass she knew she should be careful, she didn't want to get drunk but she did find she liked the taste and the small buzz she was getting.
"Professor Snape, why did you say yes to coming here?"
Severus was afraid of this he was really unsure himself why he said yes. Minerva had trusted him with her pride student which made him happy for once. He knew that he could use a potion to reverse everything that Hermione had done to them, Hell he could even make memories up if he had too. When he was really honest though he knew he did it for her, she was a great woman who helped win the war, who trusted him even when her best friends hadn't. She was strong and pretty and she was the most intellectually matched person he had ever met, but he would never say this to her , she couldn't know because if Hermione Granger knew that there was a spark he felt although a small one that she would think of him as a sick discussing old man and that's how he felt he was.
Severus was not the man she should even blink at, he was a horrible, cruel, ruthless death eater. Yes, he had aligned with Dumbledor, only for his gain of saving Lilly which fell apart at the seams. Why he was even thinking about this he didn't know but he realized that Hermione was giving him odd look probably because he hadn't responded yet.
"Hermione, you are a fellow Order member, Minerva ask for me to help you and I knew I could." He replied.
Hermione smiled her bright smile, she looked pleased with his answer. In actuality she wasn't, she was just happy that Professor Snape was talking to her. She needed to come up with conversation because for some reason she just didn't want to say good night, spend the rest of the day quietly finding something to do. She wanted to hear her dream answer, "Because I care about you, Hermione." Come out of his lips. She knew those words would never be uttered from his lips but she could imagine.
"So are you still asking for the professorship of the DADA class?" Hermione asked as she sipped her last bit of wine she went for the bottle but stopped herself knowing she shouldn't instead she put the bottle away and went to the sink for some water. Snape smiled at her and was glad she really wasn't trying to get one or both of them drunk.
"No I do enjoy potions, I thought during the war I could help the students if something did happen to the school they could be prepared, I was a death eater I did know the plan, I could give the best moves, I could have saved some of them." He whispered the last few words.
Hermione was upset she brought this up.
"Severus I'm sorry I never really thought that was the only reason you wanted it."
"I know Hermione, well I really don't know what else to do instead of read," Severus said as he said a silent spell that cleaned all the dishes and sent them to their place. So she thought of what they could do, and an idea struck her.
"I know we can watch something on video!" Severus rolled his eyes but it had been quite a while since he saw a muggle movie and decided to agree.
Hermione was unsure of what to watch, should she go for something funny or serious. She thought about The Wizard of OZ because he had just completed it but then thought it was to soon, he would think the book was so much better. She really had no idea what to present him to watch. She finally saw a movie she had wanted to see for so long but every time she was with her family she never got around to it. "A Little Princess" She had read the classic when she was younger and when the movie came out her parents bought it for her but it was still in its plastic. She didn't care if he turned away and snubbed the movie this would make her feel better. It will help her calm down she hoped, she knew the story quite well and she knows that even though her father dies she finds another man to comfort her.
She looked back at Severus on the couch and imagined herself cuddled against him. She quickly blocked the thought from her mind. He wasn't like that, hell yes he was gentler, and he wasn't as sharp-tongued anymore but he was still the man of the dungeons, even though she knew he had a new home. He wasn't still the man who she feared most days of her life. She still respected him through and came to love him after she found out what he was doing. Her love for him isn't a romantic one, yet. She loved him for saving countless lives she loved him for being such a good spy. She loved him for never breaking a promise and she loved him most of all for being the most selfless person she knew. The thing she felt was a crush on him not romantic love, she didn't know him well enough yet. She hoped that would change. She knew this was wrong to think and very irrational. Before she could dwell anymore she picked herself up from the floor and got the VHS tape. She decided she wasn't even going to say anything and just put it in.
Severus Snape wasn't quite interested when a blue man with an arrow came in to view. He was unsure of what this movie was. 'Of course, she was watching some childish movie.' He thought. He only paid half attention until he heard the girl in the movie speak French. It was so perfect yet, the young girl was clearly British. He was confused because it seemed as though the girl was living in India her father was British yet her mother was from America who died when she was young. The complexity of the character made him follow the story.
Severus was floored when her father dies and that awful woman makes the poor child practically a slave. He saw the tears well in Hermione's eyes and he really couldn't blame her. He knew that this was unreal just a muggle story on film, but still, the emotion of the film ran high. By the end of the movie, Hermione was angry because it ended quite differently and he was quite happy that both the girls were taken away to live happily ever after. He felt weird for thinking that. He rationalized his thoughts by knowing that this was once a book, and books are quite intriguing and he left it at that.
The rest of the day moved on Hermione ordered Pizza neither really talked accept of Hermione's plans of getting her parent back.
"Miss Granger I do believe that we should sleep for the night," Severus said. He knew he wouldn't get much sleep and probably never will. Hermione knew he was right they were going to take a port key to Austalia early in the morning, She also knew that she wouldn't get much sleep she was too excited to see her parents once again. She also in the back of her mind was excited that Severus Snape would only be one room over, almost completing her fantasy of having him in the same room.
She showed her professor to her parent's room. She quickly found sheets to put on their king size bed and laughed a little when the sheets on top were black. She thought for a moment to grab the next ones down but they were floral print and she was unsure of what his remarks would be. She said a spell and quickly the sheets were on the bed perfectly she went into the closet yet again and grabbed a light blanket for the August heat. Even though the thermostat was set on 70 she knew that the older house could get drafty even in the summer and a blanket was almost always required.
"Professor, the bathroom in here is small so feel free to use the large one downstairs in the morning if you need anything help yourself. Good night." Hermione said
Severus nodded lightly and right as Hermione closed the door she heard "Goodnight Miss Granger.
Hermione smiled walking to her bed, a bed she hadn't been in for over a year now. It still looked just as it did, she knew it would, but in a weird way, it was if none of the war happened. The room being preserved was like proof that nothing had changed. Then she remembered that Professor Severus Snape was in the next room not her mom and dad and with that, she sighed and laid down in her bed.
It's been four hours since Hermione crawled in her bed yet, sleep still hadn't consumed her, she was cold despite using a charm to change a lamp into a heather to keep her warm, and then she realized her window was slightly open, She went to close it but it was stuck and growled in frustration. She laid back down still cold knowing relief was in the form of heavier blanket in her parent's room. She was unsure of what to do. If she went to go get it should she knock, or should she try to sneak in? She didn't want to call for a blanket because she had a specific one she wanted for sure and even magic wasn't always perfect especially when calling for certain items.
So she decided she would walk to the door knock lightly twice, and then enter her parents' bedroom where hopefully Professor Snape would be sound asleep and never know she was even there. As she got out of bed she stepped on a loud creaky floorboard and instantly startled herself. She was being loud and she knew it. When she got to the door she swung it out too slowly causing the creaking of the door to fill the silence of the house. She then walked across the hallway and knocked way too loudly on the door. She thought she sounded like a police officer before breaking in a door.
After her knuckles hit the door for the last time she then realized that there wasn't silence at all but noisy shouts coming from her parent's room muffled by the door between her and the noise she was hearing.
She quickly pushed the door open and was taken aback by what she heard and saw. Professor Snape was pulling at the sheets.
" No please, don't, NO!" Severus shouted.
Hermione jumped a little hearing the cries coming from her professor. She wasn't sure what to do. Then she actually heard him sobbing and whispering "Please it hurts, no, please stop."
Hermione mustered up her Gryffindor courage and went into the room and walked over to her professor.
"Professor Snape," She said hesitantly
Severus body twitched and another loud shriek filled Hermione's ears.
"Pro… Severus Please wake up" Hermione said, as she darted for the body on the bed. Hermione turned on the lamp and held him in her arms until the man awoke.
Severus was vaguely aware somebodies warm body was wrapped around him and he was very confused as to what was going on. He felt the tears still running down his face and the fact he had an awful nightmare and that he was in Miss Hermione Grangers house.
"Professor, are you okay?" Hermione ask.
Severus quickly moved away from the young women.
"I assure you, Miss Granger, I am fine, I'm sorry to have woke you."
I was just getting another blanket when I heard you, are you sure you're okay do you need dreamless drought, I have some." Hermione mentioned
"Thank you Miss Grang, , Hermione for your concern but, I will be fine."
Hermione sighed and got off her parent's bed, she then went to closest to get what she came for, semi-embarrassed that he was now awake to see her grab a puffy blanket that she had since she was little, It had 'Barbie' In bright pink letter and the image of Barbie dolls all over it. She blushed lightly as she took the blanket.
Good night, Severus." Hermione said as she walked toward the door.
"Good Night," Severus said as he turned over praying for no dreams to come.