I own nothing! Just playing in J. K. Rowling's amazing universe!

Hermione's POV
Hermione Granger was standing outside the gates of Hogwarts, staring up at the looming, magic castle. She had arrived one week before the school year started because she couldn't stand being by herself in her home anymore. Minerva had told her it was no problem if she wanted to arrive early. She shivered. Memories of the war flashed before her eyes. Memories filled with blood, pain, loss and grief. She remembered how frightened she was while trying to stay calm in the face of war. Calm on the outside, but on the inside, it was like someone had replaced her blood with liquid, icy terror. She heard the Dark Lord's magically enhanced voice roaring towards them all.

"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me."

Suddenly even more vivid images flashed inside her mind; Bellatrix Lestrange. Malfoy Manor. Someone was screaming. Maybe it was herself. Lestrange's cackling, manic laughter was everywhere. The laughter stopped, and she could hear Bellatrix' footsteps come closer. Bellatrix' voice was furious when she spoke next.

"You're lying, filthy mud-blood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault in Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth! What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife! What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

Hermione's world disappeared to be replaced with nothing but pain. It felt like fiendfyre roaring through every cell in her body. She hoped death would come soon.

Hermione was abruptly snapped back to reality. She was on her knees on the wet ground, her breath coming out in painful sobs. I'm having a panic attack, she realized, trying to fight back the feeling of utter terror that was threatening to consume her. It felt like she was slowly being crushed by Devil's Snare. I can't breathe, I can't breathe! I'm going to die! The rational part of her recognized the last thought as completely irrational, but still broke what little control she had left. She desperately clawed at the neck and chest of the robe, breath coming out in smaller and smaller gasps as the panic built.

Severus' POV
He apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts just as a something fell to the ground right in front of him. He was slightly dizzy after the apparition, but still had his wand pointed steadily at the mystery person in under a second. The person did not seem to have noticed him. He relaxed slightly. Who is this? He thought to himself while stepping closer and bending over the gasping body.

She had her head down so he couldn't see her face. He saw hair though, Brown, curly, frizzy and wild. Hermione Granger. The Insufferable-Know-It-All. Of course. Though, he had never seen her like this. Hermione Granger was always in control. Even as a little girl she was in control.

He remembered an instance where he had yelled at her in potions class, accusing the 12 year old girl of choosing the wrong ingredient in a potion, causing the potion to discolour. She denied, and he'd lost his temper. Towering over her with every bit of his terrifying Potion Master-Death Eater persona. His yelling was so loud that he could hear a small biiip in his ears when he calmed down.

Every single student, (And probably some of the teachers) would have shattered under it, but not tiny Know-It-All-Granger. Shaking with fear, she slowly lifted her chin and looked him dead in the eye. It wasn't even a hateful or rude stare, she just held his gaze. He had to admit, he was bloody impressed as he looked down at her. She winced slightly, but did not move when he bent over and whispered in her ear.

"10 points to Gryffindor."

Her jaw dropped. Before she could react or say anything further, he leaned down to her ear again.

"But I swear this to you Miss Granger. If you ever mention this to anyone, EVER, I will not hesitate to kill you in your sleep. . . Are we clear?"

She nodded in panicked agreement, and he dismissed the class, and swept out of the classroom with his black robes flowing after him. A bit later that day he had realized she had been correct about the ingredient. The discolouring came from the cauldron not being properly cleaned. He should have recognized it instantly. Severus Snape felt embarrassed. Damn child.

Could it be her? Deciding to find out, he knelt down beside the girl. It was her. He touched her shoulder, and she snapped her head up. He waited to see how she would react when she started crying. Breathless, gasping, desperate sobs that sent tremors through her whole body.

"Miss Granger." No response. "Miss Granger!" Clearly she did not know he was there, nor did he hear her. It didn't seem like a good idea to use force to snap her back to reality either. He was a bit at a loss. He shouted some more, grabbed his wand and cast the spell Poppy Pomfrey used to diagnose patients. He found nothing. Starting to feel more desperate he sat down in front of her, and his knees touching hers. Feeling uncomfortable about being so close to a student, he tensed. The girl in front of him was gasping for breath that didn't come. Severus Snape swore under his breath. On an impulse he moved closer to her, placing his hands on her arms. That did actually get a slight reaction from her, but not enough.

He had no idea what to do. Severus Snape was at a dead end. He could not shake the girl; she was obviously having a panic attack. War trauma, he thought. It seemed likely; she had been in the middle of everything after all.

He could not do a side-along apparation with her in this state, and he could not carry her because she would probably twist and turn so much that he would drop her. And he wanted to spare her snapping back to reality just to find herself in the arms of Professor Snape. He assumed she hated him, and did not want her waking up from one horrible nightmare just to open her eyes and look up at another. He visibly flinched at the picture in his mind of her in his arms.

Suddenly he realized she was a bit calmer. Her breaths went from being violent, desperate sobs to fade more and more in to something that resembled a human being breathing. He wondered what caused the sudden change when he noticed what his hands where doing. They were stroking the girl's arms. From shoulders to elbow, and then up again. He looked at her face, obviously calmer. In a desperate move, he moved even closer and made a decision. He pulled her closer, putting his arms awkwardly around her and started stroking her back. That did the trick. Suddenly it was like she started to let the pain and terror go, and relaxed her body. He released her from his arms and moved back.

When he moved away she opened her eyes and looked at him.

When her eyes met his, he braced for her reaction. Would she panic again maybe? Or yell? He had no idea. Over the years he never truly managed to figure out how this girl's brain worked. Like that time when he unleashed all his fury on her, expecting her to back down in fear, then rewarding her house points, before threatening to kill a 12 year old girl in her sleep. And all in the span of 45 seconds. And then later when he found out she had been right, he realized how much courage it had taken her to stand up to him and not back down again. Severus Snape, Potion Master, powerful wizard, one of the best duelists in the world, one of the strongest occlumens alive, not to mention his skills with the dark arts, Death Eater, member of the Order of the Phoenix, double agent and murderer. Severus Snape had been utterly impressed by a 12 year old girl.

He looked at her, waiting for her to do something. Anything at this point. She still just stared at him, frozen in place. He sighed. Making his face go blank and unreadable, a skill that had saved his life on many occasions. He didn't want her to look at him with disgust in her eyes. He was too tired. With the two wars he had lived through, the two masters he had served, his job as a professor, the double life he lived, Severus Snape was tired.

He opened his mouth to say something, and she screamed. He sighed inwardly and braced himself for her attack when she launched herself at him.

"Miss Granger, please calm down, you are safe, I'm not going to.."

He made an umph sound when her body slammed in to his. The force of her made him fall back from the kneeling position he had been in. He ended up landing on his behind in the wet grass. She followed suit and ended up crashing on his lap, actually straddling him. This situation got more unreal by the minute. He waited for her to attack him in some way, but that never happened. Her screaming turned into babbling, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. Her body was now pressed against his, and he realized she wasn't attacking him. What he thought was screams of terror, actually was squeals of delight. Never had anyone squealed in delight from the sight of him. He was too stunned to react or talk. "Severus! Is it really you?" She cupped his face with both hands and looked him in the eyes. Severus? She called me Severus? Severus Snape's world was again turned upside down by this girl he couldn't figure out. He had no idea what to do, and tensed up.

Hermione's POV
Hermione felt his body tense. He was rigid in her arms. Next she realized what she was currently doing. Oh Gods. She instantly recoiled and got up from the ground. She reached her hand towards him in a gesture to help him up, but he ignored it. "Oh Gods, I'm sorry Professor Snape! I'm just so happy to see you alive and well. Minerva told me you survived the battle, but it's such a relief to actually see it for myself. I'm sorry sir." He looked furious. After staring at her for a moment, he turned away. "You need to get to the castle. Move, Miss Granger." Then he swiftly walked towards the castle, away from her. She froze for a second, and then ran after him. "Professor, I'm.." "I've heard enough of your useless jabbering Miss Granger. Be silent and get to the castle." He made no attempt to slow down, or listen to her. She decided to keep her mouth shut. When they reached the castle, he strode away from her towards the dungeons. She sighed and started walking towards Gryffindor Tower.