Chapter 4: Wash off the Sin

"Hermione..?" she didn't respond to his voice, "GRANGER, SNAP OUT OF IT!", Snape bellowed finally caching her attention, she was looking up at him with glazed eyes that definitely showed all the emotion that she had held inside, he could see anger, hate, disgust, sadness, and finally the emotion that shown the most was disbelief. He could tell that she did not understand why Dumbledore would not inform her of this whole ordeal before hand.

"You are going to have to pull yourself together if we are ever going to be able to come thru with Dumbledore's plan, you cannot sit here all day and question it. It will do you no good, now get up and theres a lavatory you can go get yourself cleaned up in, then we shall discuss this whole ordeal." He pointed to the door that was on the right of them, 'I did not notice that before,' She thought. 'But I suppose that after the battle, I do look a right mess, and should probably do as he says.' With that thought she got up and went to the door.

Hermione opened the door to a room filled with burgundy tile walls, and polished porcelain sink, shower, bath, and toilet. She could not believe that the greasy old professor lived with a burgundy bathroom! The softness on her feet made her look down to a soft rug on the floor, that was a cream color 'Well at least he has good tastes, I won't have to live in the dingy cold all my life' She almost smirked at the thought. Wait, why was she thinking like this, she did not want to live with him, but at the time it seemed all that she could look forward to was knowing that she would be safe, or at least she hoped. She knew obviously by Snape's lack of reaction to the news she had just found out, that her old headmaster had already informed him of this.

'Must be nice to be able to prepare yourself' She thought, as she gazed into the mirror that was located above the sink. She almost did not recognize Hermione Jane Granger. She had blood caked all over herself, along with a mixture of dirt from the battle, but she knew the blood was not her own, but that of the lives that she had taken. Looking at her face, you could tell that she had not had proper rest in days, she had bags under her puffy eyes, her lip was cut, it was caked brown from the dirt and dust of battle. Her hair which had tamed down from the bushy frizziness, was a mess, instead of its soft golden brown curl that it had since its taming, it was knotted, frizzed at the ends, like a big ball of string on her head. Reaching up, she could barely get her thin, bruised fingers thru her locks.

She looked down at her clothes next, and decided to take them off and get in the shower, that was an easy task, considered that were basically ripped to shreds, 'I just hope that Professor Snape did not notice that you could basically see my whole body, I would not want him getting any ideas at this point in time' this thought ran thru her head, but after it did a realization came back to her ''...your heir will be the only wizard who can destroy Voldemort...'', 'Oh no, I'm going to have to let him see my body anyway, according to Dumbledore, we will produce an heir. Well, I hope it happens soon after we marry, I'd like to keep the greasy bat's hands off my body as much as humanly possible, the sooner we conceive the better.' she concluded.

She opened a door, that was near the bath and got out two soft cream colored fluffy towels, that she would use after her bath and layed them on the edge, she turned on the hot taps, and watched as the bathtub flooded itself. She was almost wondered what it would be like to flood into herself, and forget all the losses she had suffered, all the blood that had been shed at her hands.

Hermione quickly left her daze as she noticed some vanilla and sugar scented bath beads at the other end of the tub, she took some and threw them in. She turned the taps off, and went into the tub and soak, promising herself that while she was in there she was going to wash off the past, and be prepared for the future, any last tears, second thoughts, or doubts, would leave her after she exited this room to go back to her new life.

A/N: Hey guys, I'm sorry this story is all about what is going on inside Hermione's head, but I think that for this story, emotion, and the past, and her thoughts should be understood. I read many stories and do not understand what is going on in the character's head. I like detail, and I plan on using quite a bit. I'm sorry if this makes the story slower, or if it makes it seem as though I spend to long on one part of the plot. Also, if anyone would like to be a beta for me, I would greatly appreciate it. Just contact me, thru a review and I will get back with you. R&R please.

-Jess