Day One passed with no word from Severus. No note, no flowers, no small gifts. She had exams to occupy her.
The second day still nothing. A class project consumed her. It was near midnight before she collapsed into bed.
The third day proved equally uneventful. The middle of the week ennui had yet to set in. She was tutoring two students in Advanced Transfiguration. They were not dunderheads but they did need much handholding and encouragement.
The fourth day found Hermione glancing more frequently than usual at windows. Waiting for something she knew not what. She toyed with her dinner.
By the fifth day, a peculiar restlessness had taken possession of her body. She simply could not stay still. Even a session in the library had failed to soothe her volatile temperament. Occasionally piercing her inner composure was the thought that Severus had changed his mind.
Hermione prowled the apartment like a caged tiger on the sixth day. She paced in front of the now permanently open balcony doors. Several times she took up quill and parchment to write to Severus and each time she held back. Instead, she wrote a letter to Arthur Weasley about an unregistered animagus by the name of Rita Skeeter.
The stars twinkled in the sky when Hermione announced to her friends, "He's doing this on purpose."
"Oh, yes, he can just go to Diagon Alley and pick up a heart, a mind, a body and a soul." Madeline lay on her stomach on the sofa watching Hermione pace. "Nothing to it."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"Well, it might have been easier to move the sun and the moon for you," Grace commented from the kitchen.
"What was I supposed to do? Just throw myself at him and say all is forgiven?"
"Gods, yes!" Madeline answered.
Grace began, "He went overboard on a few things but-"
Madeline gave Hermione a sharp look. "What were you thinking giving him an ultimatum the way you did?"
Hermione protested, "I did no such thing!"
"Madeline, Severus did ask for one chance," said Grace. "She's given him that. So, it's not all Hermione's fault."
"Thank you, Grace," said Hermione.
Grace concluded with, "It took both of them to create something this horribly convoluted and emotionally messy."
"Et tu, Grace? We've talked about this for the last time. I'm going to bed. Good night!" Hermione was walking towards her bedroom when she heard the beating of large wings.
A Hogwarts owl swooped in. Hermione turned and stood transfixed watching the owl glide in and land on the couch. The owl held out his leg. With shaking hands, Hermione removed the small parchment and unrolled it.
Grace and Madeline held their breaths watching Hermione's facial expression closely. Hermione ripped the parchment in two and set the pieces on fire with a quick flick of her wand. Hermione stomped off to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her.
Grace groaned, "Not another note from Guido!"
"I really do feel sorry for him. He's in an impossible situation." Madeline stood up and stretched. "It's only nine. Want to go down to the pub?"
"Might as well." Grace put on her cloak. "Madeline, what's going to happen tomorrow? What if nothing happens."
"Something will definitely happen, Grace. Question is when."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because, roommate of mine, I am a hopeless romantic!" The two girls left the apartment. Tomorrow would come soon enough.
The next morning right after breakfast two large tawny owls carried in a large package carefully balanced inside a basket. Hermione peered at it with tired, red-rimmed eyes. She sat frozen not believing what she was seeing.
Madeline carried the package into Hermione's bedroom. Grace tapped Hermione on the shoulder gently but firmly chivvied Hermione into her own bedroom. With the package on the bed and Hermione beside it, Madeline and Grace left her to her privacy.
Hermione shed a few tears out of sheer relief. Carefully, layer by layer, she unwrapped the package. Inside was a pensieve. There was a small note attached.
It read: Hermione, you hold in your hands my body, my mind and my heart. Be the judge of what they reflect of my true self. Severus.
Hermione swirled her wand inside the pensieve. Soon she felt the familiar rush as the pensieve pulled her consciousness into its depths. She found herself standing in the shadows of a spotlight dimness all around her.
She heard footsteps approaching from different directions. She waited expectantly.
Severus' sensual voice drawled, coming closer. "You grace our presence at last."
From her left emerged Severus dressed in his typical teaching robes. "Before we commence with Severus' pensieve, we thought we would introduce ourselves. By the way, the dear boy has no idea we added ourselves to his pensieve. Please don't hold this against him. You may call me Gent."
Hermione barely registered what Mr. Professor Voice was saying. She was far too distracted by the Severus that materialized in front of her in a white open-necked shirt and black leather pants. Mr. Sensual Voice stood before her with his arms crossed giving her a cool once over. "You've called me many things, lovely one, but I prefer to go by the name of Wolf."
A small touch on her right shoulder made her turn. A shyly smiling Severus stood next to her. He was in the same outfit - dark pants and cashmere sweater- as on the night he called her bluff. Compared to the other two, this one looked decades younger, more innocent. "Welcome, my love." This voice was gentle, soothing. He raised her hand to his lips and planted a simple, chaste kiss. "I'm Prat."
Overwhelmed, Hermione could only look back and forth among the three. "Who are you?"
Prat let go of her hand and stepped back. Gent stepped forward. "We are facets of Severus' personality. He calls us his Board."
"Something like his conscience?"
"Oh, no, no, Ms. Granger. We are far baser, more primitive, than that weak and persistently useless entity. We represent Severus' motivations, needs, drives and impulses."
"His instincts?"
"More than that," said Gent.
"What are you exactly? I've never read about anything like you. Are you split personalities?"
Gent shook his head. "We are quite sane and belong only to one personality. As to our nature, we simply are what we are. We came to exist as tools to help Severus in his dealings with Voldemort and the Deatheaters. When cool intellect and detachment was required, I came to the fore. When subservience was vital to survival, Prat came into service. Wolf channelled raw disruptive emotions into less destructive actions. Over time, we became stronger and ever-present."
"What do you want with me?" asked Hermione.
"We want to apologize," implored Prat.
"We need to explain," said Wolf.
Gent raised his voice a little to drown out the other two. "We are here to clarify and correct misunderstandings and to escort you through Severus' memories. We would hate to have anything be taken out of context, Ms. Granger. We are fully versed of his intentions and therefore would be able to represent them in the proper light. Are you ready to begin?"
Hermione said, "I suppose so. What do I have to lose?"
"You have only to gain, Ms. Granger," said Gent. "Wolf, you will go first. Please escort her through the first passage. Remember the rules?"
Wolf said testily, "Yes, of course I remember them. Show her the full memory with no cuts or edits. Answer truthfully all and any questions she may have. No begging for forgiveness or leniency. No fawning either. Deliver the facts and only the facts."
Wolf stepped forward. He took Hermione's hand and led her into the darkness.
"You think he'll behave?" Prat asked.
"I highly doubt it," Gent answered.
