Here is Chapter Two for you guys! Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot to me and my writing partner. We will post as often as we can, we promise! - J.J
Chapter Two - Return of the One, Whom Shall Not Be Named:
Hermione gazed as her Professor was sprawled out upon the small blue sofa, his lifeless-like form cowering and shaking now and then. He looked paper-white, and incredibly ill. Hermione lazily grazed her fingers over his Dark Mark, intrigued by its powers; she had always thought it to be a tattoo-like mark, or a branding. But now she knew the reality of it.
She had become rather worried by her Potions Professor; she had never encountered such a horrific situation in Healing before. She had managed to stabilize his body temperature and now was focused on keeping his tremors at bay. Hermione used a potion to do so.
'If it were a tattoo, he could just have it laser removed, and that would solve the problems for him; without the Dark Mark there is no source of pain.' Hermione thought to herself. As if a bomb had dropped, an idea bloomed in her head she quickly got up and searched her for a book. She got hold of the book. She began searching it for answers in it.
XXX
Later that afternoon, Severus woke up. He had stopped shaking and was just coming aware of his surroundings.
"How long have you been here?" He asked his voice slightly husky. He was certain she'd spent the majority of the morning watching over him and healing him, he could feel her magic flowing through his veins. Hermione's face relaxed seeing him awake and able to finally speak to her.
"Five, perhaps, six hours." Hermione answered honestly to his question. "I believe I may have found a solution to you issue – I was looking through my book, and it occurred to me in the Muggle World tattoos are removed by laser, or light. And, since your scar is like a brand; it would suffice to say it could be removed in the same way… I think the most appropriate spell is: Lumos Solem" Hermione replied. Severus sat up and ran a hand through his hair to brush it back off his face as he considered what she was saying.
"Yes...that...that could work," he answers her, narrowing his eyes as he thought through it all. Hermione placed her arm around Severus' left one; she traced the scar gentle and smiled.
"Can I try it?"
"Yes," Severus replied, as he swallowed some courage and shuffled aside to allow her to sit beside him. Hermione retraced the scar, again, and numbed his lower arm by using a Numbing Spell.
"That should help reduce the pain, Severus." Hermione whispered ever-so-softly; she had used his Christian name to coax him into relaxing more. Severus was apparently too nervous about the next step to even realise that she had used his Christian name. His eyes were fixed on his now numb arm as he waited for Hermione to begin...
Hermione whispered: "Lumos Solem," and a bright, white beam shot out from the tip of her wand; she traced the dark edges of the Dark Mark. All dark lines began to fade and burn away, the smell of rotten flesh was released into the air. Hermione had to hold her nose not to gip and be sick; it was the revolting. Soon, the Dark Mark had evaporated, and Severus' flesh had a faint-pinkish outline of the former scar. Severus' face was screwed up in pain, she was certain he had tears forming as he remained frighteningly quiet.
"Vulnera Sanentur," Hermione began to whisper the incantation, it sounded all most like a song. It was one of Severus' own spells; Hermione was certain it would knit his skin back together, removing the pink scar he currently had. The spell worked with immediate effect, Severus' arm became a pale skin colour, with no marks upon it; the spell had also acted as a pain reliever.
"You rest up, I need some sleep myself; I am exhausted." Hermione said, she looked totally drained from the magic she had used to Heal lay back on the sofa, his free hand holding where it hurt in his arm. There was a long pause as she got up to leave.
"Thank you..." He whispered, his eyes shut tight and his voice shaky. Hermione turned to him and smiled.
"You are welcome. Rest up, otherwise I will go Madame Pomfrey style on you." Hermione smirked and turned on her heel.
Hermione was soon snuggled into a reasonably large double. Hermione had picked the largest room - a rather selfish act on her behalf, but she had picked it most to because of the view into the forest; it was enchanting.
XXX
Severus had barely moved off the sofa over the next few days. Meanwhile, Hermione had helped herself to the bookshelf and spent most of her time in her room reading. He had to admit even if he didn't like the situation: it was nice to not be alone but at the same time have space.
Once he had felt a little better he decided to get some productive work done and went down to his laboratory to brew some potions.
Hermione had enough of being copped up in the house; she decided to go out into the woods. The surroundings of the large oak trees and various other trees. She positioned herself at roots of a large oak tree. She had brought a sandwich with her and sat watching the birds hover in the pastel sky, hovering weaving between the spindly branches. Hermione heard a few crunching noises in the background - situated behind her - Hermione snappily turned her head to see who it was. Severus Snape emerged from the trees and bushes, and was starting to look healthier, more like the old Snape.
He made his way over to the Oak tree where Hermione was nestled under and sat beside her. Hermione gazed over at Severus a little shocked to see him sat beside her.
"Hey," Hermione said dropping her book, and meeting Severus' raven gaze. "Hello," Severus replied with an almost smile, almost.
Severus wore a white buttoned shirt with his black trousers and shoes, the sleeves tied back on his shirt to let the fresh air to his fresh scar.
He leaned back on his hands, stretching body and relaxing in the rays of sun that broke through the gaps between the branches of the tree. Hermione's eyes scanned down his long, lean legs then up to his shirt.
"You know you look healthier... And happier," Hermione said her observations and leaned a little closer to him, as she had cramp in her leg.
"Ah, jeez! Cramp..." She groaned in a splitting groan. She leant her head right into Severus and brought her legs up to her chest, squishing her breasts.
"Why is it so painful?" She asked groaning more. Hermione felt Severus' chest move quickly and turned to see that he was silently laughing, not directly at her though.
"It gets worse as you get older," he replied in a humorous tone. Hermione continued to groan out loud and elevated her leg closer to her chest and squishing her breasts further.
"Love how you find this amusing, meanwhile, I am seventeen years old; not old at all - and you are not either!" She burst into a fit of giggles, rolling onto his chest more. Severus flinched away from her, standing up and holding his chest as he panicked.
He turned back round to face her: "Sorry," he mumbled.
"I...I'm used to being alone," he said slowly, carefully choosing his words but knowing that she would understand anyway. Hermione stretched her legs out again and simply nodded.
"Would you like me to leave you alone then, Sir?" She asked in a tense tone. She was a little offended by his outburst, but she had seen the panicked look within his eyes.
"No need, I was the one who interrupted your privacy, I came out here to thank you for...helping me," he replied.
He turned on his heels and swiftly made his way back to the Safe House. Hermione simply relaxed against the oak tree stump.
'What is it with that man? One minute he is so relaxed, the next-next he turns into old Snape!' Hermione's thoughts exclaimed with annoyance.
After an hour she approached the Safe House and began to cook some dinner for her and Severus.
Severus came downstairs as Hermione had finished dinner, his hair was a little damp and he smelled of soap as he had been in the bath for a while. He made almost no noise at all and took a seat at the table, almost scaring her to death when she turned around and saw him sitting there.
Hermione's eyes were wide open and looked as if they would fall from their sockets - he had startled her that much.
"How do you do that?" Hermione asked a little sheepishly. Severus' aroma began wafting up her nose - mint, herbal soap, lemon grass shampoo and stale nicotine.
'God! He smells good, hmm.' Hermione thought, as she stared at him.
"As I said earlier, I am used to being alone," he replied a little softer this time - he seemed more relaxed from the bath. Hermione turned around to the stove, she dished up her and his dinner - they were having stew. She then took her seat next to him and began to eat it.
"But, that is rather like an oxymoron, Severus... You are used to being alone, yet you have been surrounded by near a thousand people in that Castle. And, you want to know something: I really like your company, you know. It is nice. Nice to meet someone is intellectual enough to strike a good conversation; yet is quite happy to sit in silence in the same room, while I read." Hermione smiled, she then began to focus her eyes solely on Severus. She spoke again, "also, Severus. You make me laugh." Hermione vocalised blushing as red as a tomato. Severus began to eat the stew, feeling a lump at the back of his throat, he sipped a glass of water then lifted his head to meet her eyes.
"Your company is also appreciated, not as bad as I was expecting," Severus admitted with total honesty.
He had to admit that things hadn't been too bad, the girl had respected that he needed some privacy, and living with someone who had a brain, and knew a thing or two about healing certainly wouldn't hurt for a man in Severus' condition. Hermione continued to blush.
'Take that as a complement from him. Gosh, sat right next to him he smells intoxicating!' She thought.
"Thank you... Severus, you know Harry spoke to me about you; he said you were 'a good man', and that I should trust you - did he know about this arrangement ?" She was puzzled.
"Really?" Severus asked sounding rather surprised, his eyebrows raising as he looked up at her.
"No...I...There is only myself, Minerva and Albus who know about this arrangement," Severus stammered.
"Yes, he did. Oh, I see. Well, at least that is cleared up." Hermione smiled at him again, before going to wash her dishes, she had not known what else to say to him so stayed quiet.
After she had done the dishes, Severus approached her with a quill and a scrap of parchment.
"Here," he said bluntly as he handed them to her.
"You can write to your parents," Severus explained, watching her eyebrows knit together in a moments confusion. Hermione's features all connoted confusion.
"I only saw them a few days ago, Sir. Why would I want to write to them so soon?" She queried him in a soft manner. She began to scribe her Mother's and Farther's names on the parchment. "Because they won't be able to contact you after this, I am sure your parents will want to send you birthday and christmas presents, so I would like you to tell them to address them to me, as I didn't have time to explain this to them before, I also want you to send them this..." Severus paused as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small stone.
"We will need to activate this first of course," he added. Hermione scribed all this onto her parchment and looked a little happier at Severus; she was glad he thought of her parents.
"You really are lovely. What - how am I going to 'activate' that stone?" Hermione asked him. Looking surprised, Severus carefully placed the stone in her hand.
"You don't know what it is?" he asked her, looking at the stone in her hands and slowly pulling his hand away from hers, his fingers brushing hers, not purposely. Hermione's fingers reached out to grasp Severus' hand, as she audible gasped.
"It's a Blood Stone - isn't it?" She said a little sorrowfully, her hand began sweating. "I have heard stories about these a people have bled to death; why would you suggest that for me?" She said squeezing his hand more nervously.
"This should put your parents' minds at some rest, it will tell them that you are still alive," he answered, adding a small smile afterwards. "Severus... It won't kill me, then?" She looked down at her feet and felt ashamed for being so stupid. "No, you just need to make a small cut, just the tiniest drop of blood, that's all," Severus answered calmly.
"Would you like me to do it?" he asked, sensing her nervousness. Hermione met his eyes again.
"Please, please. I am not very good with... The concept of pain; as you saw earlier when I had cramp," Hermione began to giggle. Severus nodded and slowly pulled out his wand, using his other hand to wrap around her wrist as he steadied her hand.
"Are you ready?" he asked her, his voice gentler than usual. Hermione reluctantly nodded at him.
"Yes, Severus," She replied to him very gently, she reached for his other hand and squeezed it. Severus took a moment to take in the fact that she had used his Christian name and was so natural about it, as if they were some sort of friends rather than student and teacher.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked up at her now sure eyes, full of trust and confidence in him and had to stop himself from smiling back at her before moving his wand to make a tiny cut on her hand and slackening his grip around her wrist to move his hand off it.
"Thank you." She muttered in a more relaxed tone. She had not expected it to be so quick and painless. She watched the stone turn cloud, then blood red. Hermione then placed the stone in the envelope with her letter. "There is an owl upstairs in my room, it is Professor McGonagall's, so will probably treat you a lot kinder than what it treats me," Severus told her, pocketing his wand away.
She allowed a small giggle to erupt from her thin, red lips.
"Has the owl got a name – and don't take it to heart, it is a Gryffindor thing." She then gave Severus a smirk.
"Not that I know of, it probably does. I never asked that question," Severus answered honestly and snorted at her comment.
"I wouldn't take it to heart."
"You never know, Severus. You might have felt victimised by a pretty, little Gryffindor owl," Hermione could not contain her laugh any longer, she burst into a fully-fledged soft giggling and had to hold herself up, by propping her head against the counter. Severus rolled his eyes, and smirked at her.
"And that is the last I am going to let you get away with for today," he replied with a slight tone of humour in his voice.
"Go and send the letter," he added. Hermione shot an innocent look to Severus, she then smirked and carried the letter upstairs to the beautiful Tawny owl. Hermione sat and petted it for a while, her long figures running along its dark brown feathers. Before long the owl flew off into the dark night's sky, flapping its large wings as it went.
Hermione's thought then dawned on how Severus had been with her today: kind, caring, funny, allowed her to joke with him and he had compassionately thought of her parents.
'What a wonderful man he is.' She thought stepping away from the window and shutting it tight.
XXX
The following day, they were both woken by the sound of knocking from the door. The knocking was loud and sounding like thunder cracking in a distance.
Walking downstairs, with his wand in hand for protection, Severus answered the door where he was greeted by Albus. Albus was wearing a garish purple robe and his usual half-moon glasses.
"Hello, Severus. How are getting along with Hermione?" He questioned in a gentle tone. "Dumbledore, I wasn't expecting you. Granger and I aren't getting along as badly as I expected," he answered honestly, a small smile twisting his lips.
"Severus!" Albus scolded, then added, "You can use Hermione's Christian name, and not refer to her as 'Granger', but I am very pleased to here you two are getting along. Judging by the smile on your lips something's occurred?" Albus gave Severus a rare smirk, before sitting himself at the darken wood dinning table.
"Hermione managed to remove my dark mark," Severus replied and showed Dumbledore his arm . In a moment of euphoria Albus stood from his seat and hugged his former spy.
"I am ecstatic for you, Severus! What a marvellous girl she is - where is she? I must thank her from me!"
"I believe she is reading upstairs," Severus told him.
"I...I've never felt so...free. how is the war progressing, Albus? Is there anything I can help with?"
"I can tell you are, I am very glad for you, honestly. Call her down for me? The War... Well, Harry has become very stubborn and defiant; while Voldemort is going more insane by the minute." Albus replied to his ex-Potions Professor.
"I didn't think that was possible," Severus replied to what he said about Voldemort.
"There's nothing I can do to help?" He asked again, he knew the old man wouldn't admit he needed any help, but he'd been so bored just recently it had to be worth asking.
"It is possible. His days are now limited; we are getting there, Severus. Best thing you can do is brew me this potion?" Albus asked - he passed Severus a piece of paper with a complex potion on it. Severus squinted his eyes as he read the piece of parchment. Christ Dumbledore's handwriting really was awful.
"This seems easy enough," Severus confirmed and pocketed the parchment.
"I will go and get Miss Granger," Severus said. "Are you reading it correctly? Infernum in Utre is not an easy potion, Severus; it is very dark..." Albus replied.
"Please do."
Severus barked a laugh, standing at the top of the stairs.
"Dumbledore, you forget I am a Potions MASTER, and an ex Death eater. It is easy enough for someone of my expertise," he replied and went to fetch Hermione. Hermione rubbed her eyes, she had still been fast asleep and rapped her dressing gown over her night-dress.
"Severus... Why am I being dragged out of my lovely dreams?" Hermione said sleepily. "Dumbledore is downstairs and wishes to speak with you," Severus replied.
Hermione groaned, "Oh, okay." She pouted and stepped down the stairs to face Albus.
"Hello, Sir!" She grinned at him. "Good morning Hermione," Albus beamed.
"I apologise for waking you this early in the morning," he added, glancing around as Severus had seemed to of disappeared. Hermione glanced around to see where Severus had gone, and she deduced: up to his room.
"It is fine, Sir, completely. What can I do for you ?" Hermione quizzed.
"Professor Snape told me that you managed to remove his Dark Mark," Dumbledore said, sounding rather surprised still.
"Is this true?" He asked. Hermione inclined her head downwards.
"Yes, sir. I did some research on it, and found the right spell; the Dark Mark had been making him severely ill!"
"I see," Albus replied.
"And what about Severus, how has he been treating you?"
"He's been wonderful! Not like I thought at all." Hermione smiled softly in the memory of him holding her wrist, the tingle the skin-to-skin contact had given her. Dumbledore looked very pleased to hear this.
"Good news, how would you like to come back to the order with me, so you can catch up with Harry and Ron?" He suggested.
"Yes, I would like that very much, Sir." Hermione replied, she then disappeared upstairs to get her day-clothes on. She came back downstairs clad in - a brown, large jumper (slightly too baggy on her) and a pair of dark denim jeans. Within seconds her and Dumbledore had Apparated to Grimauld Place.
XXX
In the labatory, Severus was almost in a trance as he made the potion Albus had requested for.
Within a few hours, the potion was finished and Severus was putting the vial in his cloak pocket when a crashing sound came from in the kitchen...
There was a green flash, which blew the front door off its hinges, with sheer ease. The wooden floor lay flat on the kitchen floor, when scarily-pale feet stood upon it and ragged, ripped robes tread upon it.
"Hello... Severus!" Hissed a venomous voice.