Several hours passed before Severus woke up. He felt groggy and his head pounded as though someone was continually hitting him. His eyes flickered open partially and he took in the sight of the hospital wing, or at least what he could see of it from where he was, not being able to remember the last time he'd needed to come here for someone's help.
Opening his eyes more, he realized Hermione's arm across his middle and her head resting in on his shoulder. For a long time, he watched her arm rise and fall with his breaths. How strange it felt to be lying here when hours ago he nearly lost his life.
It then occurred to him that he had just renounced the dark ways in a matter of minutes...he recalled instructing Minerva to replace the wards on the school that had been taken down after the take-over at the start of the previous term. Now that he had chosen his side, the school would no longer be safe lest they put it back under the protection of good magic. Relieved to have that at least, he briefly thought about needing to research a way to actually remove his dark mark from his arm. He knew the Dark Lord would be furious at this.
As if he wasn't furious enough already...
The thought also graced his mind of how extremely lucky he was to be here, thinking, at this very moment. He almost was in disbelief that he had managed to take on five Death Eaters and come out standing.
This, however, didn't matter now as it was over...and he had more important things to worry about. With these thoughts, Severus slipped back out of consciousness, knowing everything would be different in the days to come.
Hermione awoke suddenly sometime near dawn. Momentarily, she forgot where she was but it all came flooding back to her mere seconds later. She lay her head back down gently as she had moved it a fraction to look around upon waking. Smiling gently at the sleeping man's quite serene face, she sighed inaudibly and started to barely trace around the buttons on his shirt with her index finger.
For a while she watched her hand trace a methodical pattern on the sleek, black buttons, putting her into a sort of trace, so much in fact, she didn't realize that Severus was watching too.
He had opened his eyes when he felt her move a few minutes ago but didn't feel the need to disturb the very entrancing pattern she was tracing on his chest and stomach. His attention was diverted, however, by disturbingly large color on her arm that was lying near his side. Forcing himself to become more conscious, he lifted his head with only a little difficulty to closer examine it.
"Was this my doing," he said quietly with concern, reaching up and very carefully touching it as if it were fragile glass.
Surprisingly, Hermione wasn't startled by his sudden use of speech, nor was she concerned by the bruises that he had unfortunately "needed" to give her. She simply repositioned her head to look at it as well, watching as he barely ran his hand over her arm.
"I'm not angry, if that's your question," she said, smiling, hoping he would have the sense to not beat himself up over it; the deed had been necessary, unavoidable.
"Well I should certainly hope not," Severus said in more of his usual, superior voice. "It was partially what saved us, you know..."
Hermione only rolled her eyes, trying to hide her small smile, but as always, it wasn't working. Besides, she knew Severus would be able to feel it anyways, even if she used all of her energy to hide it.
"I'm sure that was your barely acceptable excuse for an apology," she said, trying to mimic him. She looked up, laughing a little at the deep scowl that had appeared on his face.
"Oh Severus," she said in a slightly exasperated tone, "you know I would never expect you to apologize for saving my life." She smiled when he finally moved his head sideways to look at her, calculating again.
"Now I know you'll hate me for asking," she said, deciding to ruin a potentially tender moment, "but how are you feeling?"
Severus looked away, always aggravated with the fact that people actually seemed to find the need to pour over him so much...although he knew answering Hermione's questions would be nothing compared to what he was sure Madam Pomfrey was going to do when she came to check and found him awake.
With a sigh, he thought it best to just answer, not admitting that he was in no mood or state of mind to get into any arguments at the moment.
"I've been better," he grunted, trying to be quiet to postpone Poppy's arrival with the potions and bandages and Merlin only knew what else.
"Obviously..."
"Would you care for me to go into detail, Hermione," he asked sarcastically at her own sardonic tones, raising his eyebrows as she frowned, daring him to push it further.
Leaving it alone and nodding once, mostly to himself, he looked back at the ceiling, he himself trying to hide the grin this time, as she rose out of her chair, shaking her head and going to the edge of the curtain to leave and find Madam Pomfrey.
"Indeed," he muttered, perhaps thinking it was quiet enough so she would not hear.
He allowed the shadow of a grin as she paused momentarily at the curtain, but didn't turn around and then left, shaking her head.
"Ah, good morning Miss Granger," McGonagall said brightly, walking into the hospital wing.
"Hello, Professor," she managed to get out through her extreme exhaustion, even adding a small smile.
"How is he," McGonagall inquired, glancing up at the curtain that surrounded Severus' bed, her smile somewhat vanishing. "Did he sleep through the night?" Hermione sighed a little and nodded, glancing back at the beige curtain as well.
"He's ornery," she said in a slightly annoyed tone, rolling her eyes a little.
"I can hear you, you know," came Severus' ill-tempered voice from behind the curtain where he was no doubt hanging on their every word, knowing that they were, of course, talking about him.
The two witches smirked at each other, Hermione thinking how much he sounded like a first year at the moment. Trying not to laugh, she pulled a more serious face when McGonagall cleared her throat to compose herself.
"Poppy should be up momentarily," she said more seriously. Hermione nodded and looked at the floor, arms crossed, still barely nodding to herself, the notion that he had almost just died finally hitting her, the feeling that he was alive and almost well being the only thing keeping her from dropping to the floor and crying. McGonagall saw the change and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You should eat something," she said, not really as a suggestion but as a gentle verbal push out of the infirmary. Without looking up, Hermione nodded to acknowledge McGonagall was right. She knew that she shouldn't even try and argue, even though she would obviously much rather just stay.
Hermione walked slowly over to the fireplace where she tiredly spoke her destination and flew off towards the kitchens.
For once, which surprised her a little, she was able to remain on her feet upon entering the hearth. She dusted the ashes off with a sigh and went over to wear the house elves had now found it accustom to leave plates of food for her and Draco. She had wondered how they even knew when it had first started appearing every day, but then she realized that she had a very good friend who frequently used the kitchens as his place to think lately.
Heavily, Hermione sat down at the bench off against the back wall and started to pick away at the food on the plate in front of her. Soon finding she had far too much on her mind to eat in peace, she sighed and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes for a few moments before forcing herself to get up and go back to the hospital wing.
It crossed her mind that it may have not been the smartest idea to floo back into the infirmary, seeing as she had no idea who might be in there at the moment. Nevertheless, by the time she called out her destination it was obviously too late.
Luckily, the hospital wing was still devoid of students or any other patients when she arrived, once again landing on her feet. She smiled a little in recognition of the fact that it must be because of all the floo traveling she'd been doing lately.
Another grin was brought to her face as the sounds of a very unhappy patient coming from behind the curtain at the far end of the ward, telling her Madam Pomfrey was indeed there and probably doctoring Severus against his will...or at least attempting to.
"Would it kill you to just take the potion, Severus," Hermione heard Madam Pomfrey sigh exasperatedly as she approached the curtain. When she came to the other side, she had a mind to keep herself from laughing; Severus was sitting up, arms crossed stubbornly across his chest, glaring at a little vile Madam Pomfrey held in her hand.
Hermione said nothing, only raised her eyebrows in a half amused, half questioning fashion, trying very hard to not let her smile get too big.
"Oh for Merlin's sake," sighed Madam Pomfrey when Severus refused yet again to take the potion. "I give up!" She exclaimed, suddenly striding to the other side of the bed and thrusting the vile unexpectantly into Hermione's hands before storming away.
This didn't seem to bother Severus one bit, who himself looked simply satisfied that he had managed to get her away from him. Hermione only shook her head disapprovingly, resting a hand on her hip and waiting as if she were expecting him to answer a question.
"Don't look at me like that, Hermione—" Severus tried to begin warningly, but she cut him off.
"Could you be more stubborn, Severus," she said, satisfied with how he opened and closed his mouth several times before seeming like he had nothing to add to that and gave up.
Severus cleared his throat and looked away from her, staring straight ahead of himself out the window. Hermione just sighed and sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. She fiddled with the vile in her hands for a few minutes when neither of them spoke, tapping on the glass annoyingly with her fingernails, trying to think of something to say but finding nothing.
"What is it," she finally asked of the potion she was holding. "It must be something horrible for you to make such a fuss over taking it..."
He knew she was trying to bait him into just taking the damn thing, but he wouldn't do it. He would not be weak; he refused to be weak.
"It's nothing," he said dryly, hoping she'd drop it, but he of course knew better than to wish for such foolish things.
"Nothing...really," Hermione said sarcastically. "Well then you shouldn't mind taking it then, should you?" She turned slightly to face him and slightly shook the vile in front of him, offering it to him with a mock-hopeful expression.
She was only returned a very grumpy, obvious stare, first at her, then the bottle, then back to her.
"Oh honestly, Severus...can it really be that bad?"
"Yes."
"You're acting like a child."
"Yes, I believe we've covered this before..."
"Impossible," she said flatly, shaking her head more.
She sighed again while placing her free hand lightly on his, starting to lightly play with it, and thinking to herself. At the other end of the ward, voices could be heard, seeming to be approaching. "Yes, yes, I'll be with you in a moment..."
It was Madam Pomfrey. As her footsteps seemed to move closer towards the curtain, Severus nearly unconsciously moved his hand away from Hermione's so they were no longer touching.
Hermione looked at him questioningly with a furrowed brow. Severus was looking straight ahead of him, but met Hermione's gaze when he felt her watching him. She raised an eyebrow, then glanced towards the curtain before looking back to Severus in understanding.
"You can't bear the idea that someone might see you being intimate, can you," she questioned knowingly, her face breaking into a slight grin at his even more pronounced scowl.
"Does this bother you," he grumbled, barely moving his mouth in hope that if Poppy was close, she would not hear.
"Kiss me," she whispered suddenly, sitting up a little and looking him straight in the eye. When he faltered, mostly in his expression, she continued with a small grin, leaning down again his face near his cheek. When she spoke again it was quiet, and she was ever so careful to expel her breath next to his ear, her voice calmly shuddering. "I dare you...even though they could come in here at any second. Kiss me just once."
He hadn't the slightest clue what to say to her in that instant. Not only had he not been expecting her to say anything like that, he certainly was trapped now, and he had a decision to make. In the back of his mind, he could hear Poppy moving closer. He stared at her, absolutely at a loss—something that didn't usually happen to him; faltering like this was not his persona, it did not fit.
Hermione simply waited, somewhat enjoying the way Severus seemed to be struggling internally. Her grin became more pronounced and satisfied as she heard footsteps come right up next to them, and he still had not yet moved. She pushed herself to sit up just as Madam Pomfrey pushed back the curtain.
A strange look passed over Madam Pomfrey's face as she came in but she quickly hid it. Hermione let it go though; she knew it would take some getting used to for people. She assumed McGonagall had explained what was going on to Madam Pomfrey and Hermione was fine with that, but she had to admit to herself, it was a bit awkward...of course, not as awkward as it probably was for Severus.
She looked down at his expression as he tried to recompose his face to look like his sultry self. He glared up at her slightly as he caught the small grin that was playing about her face while Madam Pomfrey bustled about around his rigid body, trying to make sure everything was ok with his condition.
"Everything seems to be in order," she mumbled, bustling to the other side of the bed and transferring some potion into several smaller bottles. She caught Hermione's eye and motioned to outside of the curtain. Hermione nodded and rose from where she was still sitting and followed, leaving Severus with a pronounced glare on his face, arms crossed, clearly knowing they were about to discuss him and his "home care".
"Make sure he takes these," Madam Pomfrey instructed quietly, both of them inadvertently keeping an eye out for the door, just in case someone was to walk in. Hermione nodded and carefully placed the vials into her pockets.
"He shouldn't be up and about either," she continued, looking irritated as though she knew no force, magical or non, in the world could keep a man like Severus Snape from being up and about. Although on the other hand, Madam Pomfrey didn't know the power Hermione held over him...of course, neither did Hermione.
McGonagall showed up some time after Madam Pomfrey left again, instructing Hermione she should take Severus back to his quarters by floo as not to attract any unneeded attention.
"I'll be by to...check on things," she said, glancing to Severus and pulling a more terse face as he raised his eyebrows at her slightly for suggesting he needed to be 'checked up on'.
Although she wasn't sure how she managed to pull it off, Hermione got them both safely back into the Headmaster's quarters through the fireplace. Not to mention she landed them both on their feet...she was soon to be a pro at this.
Madam Pomfrey had supplied Severus with a walking stick, which he first refused, but then caved when he tried to stand and was unable to hide the fact that his legs were nearly useless without one.
Hermione walked him carefully over to the armchair on the other side of the room and helped him ease into it. Severus was grateful no one else was in the room to see him so weak, not even Draco.
He watched Hermione as she started to walk across the room.
"You're angry," he stated, waiting as she hesitated where she stood, observing her, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Tell me."
"Why would I be angry," she sighed, turning around to see him watching her, that calculating look back on his face again.
"The hospital wing..." he offered, waving his hand slightly, referencing to her persuasive techniques from earlier and the fact that he had not found the courage to do what she asked of him.
"I'm not--" she started, but was interrupted by the concealed door opening as Draco appeared from his room. The subject was dropped there, however Severus had every intention of getting some answer out of her when they were truly alone.
Draco glanced from Severus to Hermione, seeming unsure of what to say. "McGonagall told me some Death Eaters showed up," he finally settled with, trying to sound more concerned through the blanket of obvious depression that was engulfing him at the moment. This obviously had not been the best time for a massacre of Death Eaters. He then paused, thinking hard as he stared at the floor for a few moments. Hermione and Severus watched him, knowing he was trying to say something—or at least piece together something to say. As he began to try and explain, stuttering and spitting at his words slightly, Severus held up a quiet hand to stop him.
"There will be no apologies," he said somberly. "From anyone," he added, with somewhat of a sideways glance at Hermione. "What's done is done."
Draco's expression relaxed slightly and Hermione barely nodded in a silent agreement. She was feeling too many things at once to decipher, but one she knew she was for sure not feeling was regret. She did not regret the death of Lucius Malfoy, although Narcissa's was tragic and unnecessary. There was no need to regret what Severus had done the night before—she was proud, if anything, of what he'd been able to do. She imagined he had more or less had some kind of 'friendship' with one or more of those Death Eaters and knew what a sacrifice he'd made in killing them, not just to his personal self, but in doing this he had completely destroyed an image of trust he had spent years building up to Voldemort—something that was now completely useless to gain information from since he was surely wanted dead at this moment and of course no longer a part of the inner circle.
With several decisive nods, Draco finally decided his time to be best served back in the solitary confinement of his room and commenced to retreat there. Hermione followed him with her eyes, contemplating going to talk with him. She hadn't gotten the chance to during the previous evening.
Severus, although himself was thinking he needed to spend more time with Draco to talk with him about what had happened, was glad for the renewed privacy to clear up these discrepancies with Hermione.
This hope was slightly dashed, however, when Hermione stood still for a few moments time before walking in the direction of the door that had just quietly closed shut back into the floor.
"And where exactly are you going," he asked silkily, annoyed she wouldn't stay put long enough to get some answers out of her. He pretended to examine his fingernails on one hand as he awaited her answer.
"He needs someone to talk to," she answered, devoid of the obvious tones that he knew would normally be there were this not as serious as it actually was.
"And you think that person is you, do you?"
Hermione stopped in front of the invisible door, turning to face Severus slowly upon hearing what he'd just said. "Yes," she stated assertively, placing a hand on her hip. He raised his brow at her tone of voice out of habit. He instantly regretted it as her expression soured.
"Don't you dare look give me that look as though I am a student in your classroom," she snapped, pointing a finger at him and glaring. "This is not the classroom, and yes, Severus, I am going to talk with Draco because I already told you...this is not a time for him to be alone. He needs—"
"What? A friend," Severus nearly mocked of her, but kept his sardonic tone down as to not upset her further.
"Someone to trust," Hermione simply stated after a momentary pause at the shock that he was even questioning this after she had already explained it to him last night. "And don't you dare mock me—you know why I feel this way."
Severus made an ill attempt to show a sign of defense, which in turn only made Hermione rise more. "And you think you'd be better suited to talk to him, do you now? Is that it," she seethed as she shook her head, going once more to open the door to Draco's quarters.
A pause.
"Yes." His voice was more subdued than before.
"Oh really," Hermione said straightening up again, not able to resist sparing with him over this. "And how exactly do you fit better for this job than me?"
There was no pause this time.
"My mother died at the hands of my father," he said flatly without missing a beat in the argument in a quieted voice, hinting at cruel remembrance, shooting her a look straight in the eyes.
Hermione's face fell, cursing herself internally for not even realizing this was something Draco and Severus now had in common. "Severus, I didn't—I'm sorry..."
"No," he said dryly. "The last thing I want from you is sympathy."
Hermione's defenses instantly went back up as he said this. "Very well," she retorted with a voice cold as stone. "You don't have it then." And with that she turned and wrenched the door open and went inside, practically slamming it behind her.
When the door above her head was closed, Hermione stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment or two and took a deep, calming breath before taking the rest of the stairs down into the room.
She was first taken by surprise at the largeness of the room in front of her eyes. At first, she found herself staring and being actually quite amazed at what had been under her feet this whole time.
There was a bed on the far side of the room, which hadn't been made. A door also sat next to that which she assumed was a small bathroom. She smiled slightly at the thought that she had been totally off with the idea of where Dumbledore's second secret had been. This had to be it...unless, of course, this was something Severus had created. With that thought, her smile faded slightly, her mind being brought back to the unfortunate reality that he was still upstairs and she was still furious with him.
"What are you doing down here," came Draco's voice from behind her. She turned around as he emerged from a dark shadow next to the staircase. He looked so sullen, so completely down and not himself at all which frightened her a little. This whole thing had caused him to be thrown out of one reality and into another; one that was frightening for anyone.
"I wanted to see how you were," she said cautiously, choosing her words very carefully as not to upset him any further.
"Why," he asked, not sourly, but with hardly any emotion at all. He was in such a depressed state, there was really no emotion left to decipher except that of sadness and regret.
"Because," she said quietly, daringly approaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder when she reached him. "I know how you feel..." Draco looked up at this. "...And now is not the time to be alone," she finished sincerely, carefully watching the expression he held on his face, and more importantly in his eyes.
He seemed to study her for a long time, contemplating. "I don't want to talk about what happened at the manor anymore," he finally said, a twinge of hate and remorse in his voice. Hermione shook her head.
"You shouldn't have to," she agreed quietly. "Just talk," she said after a few moments of silence. Draco looked up at her again.
"Talk..." he trailed off questioningly.
"Yes, talk." Hermione smiled a little, waiting for his response, hoping it would be positive. Draco seemed to be thinking again, trying to decide whether she was trying to trick him or something; he was probably wondering why in the world she would have the desire to come down for a chat...
Something changed in his eyes though after a few minutes. It was something Hermione had certainly never seen from him before...it was acceptance. He nodded a few times, having made up his mind that this would be a good thing.
It was nice—the two former bitter rivals talked for hours about everything: the past and what spun the hate they all had created for each other. Draco tried to explain it was his family...Hermione knew that already and she understood. She could forgive...they were young, and stupid then. "Funny how circumstances change...how feelings change," she said with a small smile and a nod.
"I was incredibly big-headed," Draco admitted, shaking his head as he remembered the past.
"Brought you back down to earth when I punched you that time though, didn't it?" Hermione teased with a smile, playfully giving him a jab with her elbow.
Draco breathed a chuckle. "I was so embarrassed, you have no idea," he admitted. "You can't even imagine...I had been bested by a Gryffindor—a girl Gryffindor at that!
But I deserved it, I suppose," he said, nodding to himself. Hermione shrugged. "It's funny what we'll do for acceptance in a group of friends," she said. "Or to remain the leader..."
Draco nodded in silent agreement, still obviously recalling the past quite vividly through his mind.
But Hermione could remember it very well too.
And now with it clearly behind them, the future was starting to look brighter.