A/N; Sorry about the wait for this chap, I have been veeeeeeeeery ill ;(
Anyhoo am better now ;)
Thank you to all my fab-tabulous reviewer extraordinaires!
As soon as Hermione entered the kitchen silence fell on its current occupants much like a wet blanket.
Ron who was about to place a slice of toast in his mouth dropped it and stared open mouthed. It had been three weeks since Hermione was rescued and brought to Grimmauld Place, this was the first time she had set foot outside her bedroom.
"I'm hungry" she stated and took a seat at the table next to Ginny, who for her part was grinning like a maniac behind the guise of her coffee mug.
Harry made a move to open his mouth, but at that moment Dumbledore appeared in the doorway and shook his head ever so slightly that only those looking would notice.
So Hermione wasn't ready to talk. Harry was ok with that; at least she was out her room. Small steps he told himself. It would take small steps.
Ron it seemed wasn't on the same brainwave, "God's Hermione" he said munching on the toast that was in his hand, "you look like death. Your skin is all peaky and your eyes are red".
Harry opened his eyes wide and kicked Ron underneath the table.
"Oww" Ron remarked rubbing his knee, "I was just saying" he continued amidst the frustrated looks of everyone else in the room, "I know you're out of bed now Hermione, and that's great" he gave a thumbs up, "but you look like you haven't slept in ages".
Hermione stared at Ron, a glare so icy that Snape would have been proud. Molly Weasley had made her some soup and placed it on the table in front of her, "are you all going to stare at me whilst I eat?" she asked. And as if she had said some sort of magic words everyone, it seemed had other things to busy themselves with. No one looking at Hermione.
Apart from Ginny that was.
"Ignore Ron" she said, "you know what he's like".
Hermione gave her a short smile; she did in fact know exactly what he was like. His lack of emotional depth was one of the main reason she could never find it in her to see him as more than just a friend.
Hermione was grateful for Ginny; she seemed to be the only one that listened to her. Ginny knew that Hermione had cared for Snape and she was still yet to be repulsed by it. Was it such a repulsing idea though?
Her and Snape. She almost choked thinking about it now. Now that she knew her feelings hadn't been reciprocated. That he had just used her. She refused to cry again though. She wouldn't cry over him again. She had already wasted enough buckets of tears and salt over him.
She would refer to him as Snape now, a name that she thought suited him well. Cold, sharp and callus.
"Erm, if you like" Harry suddenly said trying to sound casual, "Ron and I were going to go into Diagon Alley later on. We need to stop by the ministry anyway, you know give in our confirmation notes-"
"Confirmation notes?" Hermione said raising an eyebrow.
"You know," continued Harry happy that they were finally having a sort of conversation, "for our Auror training. We start next week."
Hermione's mouth formed a tiny "o". She hadn't even thought of what she wanted to do yet.
"And Ginny's got to get her Hogwarts stuff" Harry added.
Ginny nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry dear" Molly said, as if sensing what Hermione was thinking about, "after you left Hogwarts, so to speak" she blushed, "these arrived for you". Molly rummaged through the pockets in her apron, finally pulling out a pile of envelopes. "College acceptance letters I think".
Hermione looked at the small stack with half amazement half confusion, "I didn't apply to any colleges though" she said with some sadness in her voice.
"Your reputation exceeds you Hermione" Remus Lupin said as he entered the room.
Hermione turned around to smile at him. So she was going to go to college then. Suddenly her world seemed a bigger place, "which one do I pick though" she said looking at the letters with hungry eyes.
Remus smiled at her, "any one you want, with your grades you're likely to get a scholarship anywhere you like".
IIIII
True to his word Harry and Ron started their training as Aurors exactly a week later. As they both had their apparation licences by now they decided to stay at Grimmauld Place. They told Hermione it was easier for them this way, but she guessed they were just keeping an eye on her.
She didn't really mind, not so much anymore. She had been fine for ages now. She wasn't the same Hermione she once was, but no one really was the same after they had experienced something like Hermione had. She didn't want to label it as something as flippant as love. It wasn't love. Right?
It didn't matter anyway, she told herself. Whatever it had been it was now gone. And it had taken apart of her with it.
The selfish bastard, she would often refer to him as. He had left her broken and burnt. And he didn't even care.
She would wonder sometimes, if he ever thought of her. She wished she didn't, she didn't cry for him anymore, but the pain that tore at her heart was too much to bear.
Ginny had told her that it would pass, or eventually fade. Maybe she would even become so used to it that she wouldn't notice anymore.
But what did Ginny know?
Although Hermione never told anyone apart from Dumbledore that first time, her arm would often burn. A pain like a thousand hot knives digging into her skin and tearing her apart inside out.
She didn't mind though, she secretly welcomed the pain. On the one hand a painful reminder of her stupidity to help someone that obviously didn't want helping, on the other a needed distraction from the real pain she faced everyday.
She had decided to forgo perusing a career in magic's for the time being. She wanted to go to a muggle university. Hermione had many ideas on how modern medicine could be used in effect with healer's techniques, and with the war fast approaching; she thought there was no better path for her.
McGonagall highly approved of course, and on occasion, before the new term started she would visit Hermione with masses of books and texts on healing, potions and Herbology, all subjects that would come in useful in her research.
It was only when Ginny moved out and back to the burrow the week leading up to the new school year did Hermione feel the loneliness hit her. Harry and Ron had left earlier that morning to go to the ministry. Apparently there was some new information regarding the location of several Death Eaters.
Hermione didn't mind them going, but she felt terribly lonely in the big house without them.
She was sitting on her windowsill watching the autumn leaves fall from the trees outside when she felt the stabbing pain in her arm again. Although after a while it was reduced to nothing but a dull throb, it stung initially. Hermione hissed out in pain.
She decided to busy herself with organising the bookshelf in her room. Since McGonagall's visits it had filled up quickly. Hermione had now quite an impressive collection. It calmed her to take out the books and organise them in different ways; dates, alphabetically, size, subject.
It was only when she had almost finished did she notice, or rather feel someone watching her.
It wasn't Dumbledore, he had returned to the school two weeks ago to put affairs in order and prepare for September. McGonagall was also at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron at the ministry and Ginny and the rest of the Weasley's at the burrow. It was possible that it could be Remus, he sometimes hung around Grimmauld place (she wasn't really sure he had anywhere else to go), but he wouldn't just stand there and not say anything.
There was nothing else for it, Hermione climbed down from the ladder attached to her bookcase and turned around to face the doorway. No one.
That was…strange.
Feeling a little nervous now she felt for her wand, it was safely tucked into her pocket. "Hello" she called out, "Remus?"
No one answered but there was a knock from the hallway. Someone had bumped into the table there.
"Hello?" she repeated taking out her wand and looking out her bedroom door.
Someone was downstairs; she could hear them trying the handle on the drawing room door.
Why would someone be trying to get in there?
With blood pumping in her ears like drums and her wand hand as steady as she could hold it, Hermione crept down the stairs.
IIIII
"I would like to offer you your job back"
"I never knew I lost it"
"Under the circumstances surely you thought-"
"I do not Presume Albus, you know that"
"I do"
"If I may be so bold to ask-"
"Severus don't, you know I cannot give you that job"
"Who will it be this year then?"
"I have an old friend who has agreed to fill the post for one year"
"A year?"
Dumbledore nodded his head, "do you wish to know how Miss Granger is doing?"
Severus stiffened, subtly, but just enough for Dumbledore to notice. "She is well I presume?"
"I thought you didn't presume"
Severus made a growling noise.
"She is…Coping"
"And can I see her?"
"It's not appropriate Severus you know that"
"Then we have noting left to discuss"
IIIII
Hermione lowered her wand and signed, "What are you doing here?"
Blonde eyebrows rose, "I was checking on you, but then you noticed me and-".
"How did you get in here, it's under the fidelius charm".
"I was given this". Draco searched in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of parchment with the headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix are situated at number 12 Grimmauld Place on it.
"Who gave you that?" Hermione said snatching it from his hands.
"Who do you think?"
Hermione frowned, "he needn't bother have you come over to check up on me. I don't see why he is so concerned in the first place"
"Really? You'd be surprised"
Hermione looked doubtful, "if Harry or Ron catches you here, you're a known Death Eater you know".
"Really? Am I? Jeez I never knew" he replied sarcastically.
"What do you want" Hermione said rolling her eyes.
"Aside from checking-how did he put it, 'if those dunderheads haven't killed her yet'- I'm merely snooping around. Do you know that I could rise quite high in The Dark Lord's ranks for detailing him on this place" he said whilst lifting up an old book and blowing off the dust.
"Leave that alone" Hermione said marching over and taking the book off him, "as you can see I am very well and alive, so you can sod off now", she told him as she put the book back in its rightful place.
Draco raised his hands, "fine, fine, I'm going, I'm going" as he marched over to the front door he turned around to her one last time, "he does miss you, you know that right?"
But before Hermione could answer him, he has already started walking off up the street.
Hermione sighed and let her head fall against the door. Did he care for her? She didn't think it was likely, if he did then why wasn't he here, why'd he send Draco?
Then it hit her, Draco hadn't been lying when he was 'snooping around', how stupid had Hermione been, the part about Sev-Snape wanting to check on her must have been a cover.
Hermione took in a deep breath, turned around and opened the door. She could see him at the end of the road, his blond hair standing out like a sore thumb in the grimy street. With precise accuracy she pointed her wand at him, "Obliviate" she whispered.
A/N; I feel I am being a bit too hard on Hermione...What you think?
Please review :D