Chapter Three: He Was Supposed to Be Helping
Severus slept difficultly that night. He tossed and turned several times. He awoke once to the sound of his own cries. In his dreams, he relived the night when he saved Hermione's life.
The sun was threatening to rise that morning. It had been a long night of casting spells and hexes to fend off the enemies. It all lead to a long line of innocent people waiting to be killed. Molly and Arthur were the firsts to go, followed by Charlie, Bill, and Fred. They saved George a while so he had to live a good half hour without his twin. Ginny was gripped to Ron as Voldemort fought with Harry.
The attack had been a giant surprise at the Burrow. The Weasley's were outnumbered four to one by death eaters. Harry was trying his best to defeat Voldemort while the rest of the people there for Easter Dinner were being slaughtered one by one.
Severus and Remus were sent off to the Village to pick up some form of muggle liquor to celebrate the occasion. When they returned they saw the place glowing from spells. They hid behind the broom shed and watched as half the people were murdered. Remus sat there dumbfounded while Severus searched his mind for all the different ways they could ever possibly save their friends.
The plan was to get to one person and quickly apparate away. They both knew it would only work once. Remus knew exactly who he would be saving. Severus quickly decided as well. On the count of three, they apparated in to save them, and apparated away to Hogwarts gates. They took their struggling victims inside the grounds and let them catch their breath.
Tonks was crying terribly into Remus' arms and Severus noted that Hermione wasn't breathing at all. He quickly rushed her to the Hospital Wing and that was where she woke up. She was all alone, and she had no memory of what happened at all.
That same day, after saving Hermione and alerting the Order to the Weasleys' house for backup, they found that Voldemort had successfully been murdered by Harry. Harry lost his life as well, due to an unknown curse thrown at him by one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. The rest of the Weasleys were found murdered. Fleur, who had still been in France with her family, was left a widow with an unborn child on the way. Hagrid was later found murdered, unmistakably, in the gardens.
Severus never really cared to remember most of what he dreamed about, but he was forced to relive it due to Hermione. Remus had suffered enough as well. He and Tonks had a son that summer. When he was only five years old, Sirius Lupin was admitted to Hogwarts. He is currently the youngest ever student to attend Hogwarts.
Severus woke himself awake at around four in the morning. He struggled to keep his eyes closed any longer. He threw on the usual black robes and walked into his lab. He quickly gathered ingredients and began to concoct a potion he knew would help when he couldn't sleep later on that night.
Hermione fell asleep on the floor that night. She had wrappers littered around her head and her breath was extremely smelly as she forgot to brush her teeth after eating so many sweets.
First thing she did was rush to the bathroom, rinse her mouth, brush her teeth, and hop into the shower. The water was lukewarm, like she always liked to take her shower. By the way the sun was adjusted in the sky, it appeared to be around eight in the morning.
After stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and proceeded in drying her hair. Muggle appliances didn't work inside Hogwarts walls so she used a drying charm. After taming her extensively messy hair, she heard a subtle knock at the door. She was still in a towel, nearly naked, but decided that it probably wasn't going to be a student knocking at her door today as most were on Christmas break.
She walked out to the door and made sure her towel was wrapped tightly around her and pulled it open.
Before her stood a tall, thin, man. He wore the expression of a deer in the headlights and quickly turned away when she spotted him looking at her chest area.
"May I help you, Severus?" She asked amusedly.
"One wonders when would be a good time to talk." He was now covering his eyes.
"Don't be silly. You've seen a woman before."
"You aren't a woman, you are a co-worker, and I am not comfortable talking with you in this attire, or lack thereof."
"Calm down. I am going to go and change. I'll be back in a few."
Severus noted, aside from her distinct womanly curves, that Hermione seemed to be gaining weight back. Her hair seemed more tamed, and she had a glow about her skin. He wondered what could have brought about such a change, but realized that it must have been the chocolates.
About four minutes later, Hermione walked out into her living room wearing a pair of muggle jeans and a tight-fitting, light yellow, long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she had applied a bit of makeup.
"Before you get started, I am sorry about last night."
"Are you sure that the pumpkin juice wasn't alcoholic?"
"I don't need alcohol to get drunk. Chocolate usual does it for me."
"I see." He readjusted himself in his seat to be a little more comfortable. Hermione was lounging on her couch with her feet in the air and her hands beneath her head. "I wanted to make sure that you were doing better."
"Are you really concerned, or are you sick of having nothing to do on the holidays? I would say I am in the latter."
"I am concerned." He said professionally. "And I told Poppy I would be checking on you."
"Great. I'm a charity case. I wonder if that has ever happened before?" She began to twiddle her thumbs.
"Has it." He said, almost as though he wasn't really listening, but just patronizing.
"What?" She sat up on the couch and tucked her feet below her. "Of course it has! If not by you in initially saving my life, for god knows what reason, but by universities giving me full tuition, or by every restaurant I walk in to. 'Here, you have whatever you want, on the house.'" She scoffed slightly. "You think I enjoy that much? And of course I am bitter about it! Hell, I believe that Minerva gave me this job solely by charity."
"I didn't mean it like that. I was saying that not as a question but as an afterthought. And you know very well that you are more qualified than any other person around here to teach that class. It's not my fault that people think of you as some charity case. You know for certain that I don't pity you."
"Why? You never answered me. I want to know why you saved me. I am calmer, more awake, and I won't criticize you. Please just tell me." He looked at her and his former professional expression had changed to that of quiet anger.
"I had to choose. It was you, Ron, or Ginny. Fred was gone, Tonks was going to be rescued by Remus, Percy looked like a ghost and had absolutely no hope. Ron wouldn't have ever been happy again if he lived and you didn't. He was absolutely head over heels for you. Ginny was the same with Harry. She wasn't exactly healthy looking either. I logically figured you were the most capable to survive happily." He said without a trace of emotion. He looked blankly towards the wall.
Hermione's face contorted with sadness and tears began to fall from her face.
"I did love Ron." She said quietly, almost angrily.
"And that is why you feel so badly about understanding my logic. I am right! I knew that you would surpass all of the others emotionally. I didn't think that you would have this much trouble, but I knew that if I had brought back any other, they would have been gone long ago." He stood from his seat with the same blank expression.
"You are evil." She wiped a tear from her eyes and stood from her seat. "I wish you would have left me." She stood from her spot and went to her bedroom. Severus exited the room quickly and walked back down to his dungeons.
AN: Okay, it's kind of silly that Remus and Tonk's kid was allowed to go to Hogwarts when he was only five... but I thought it would be really cute to have him be present for Hermione's boggart lecture. Besides, I bet that if they did have a kid, they would be that smart. I am a bit of a rule bender, but I still hope you will enjoy. Review if you like. I would love to hear what you think. ;P