A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left a review! I enjoyed them all! Also many thanks to my lovely beta RenitaLeandra.
Chapter 2
It seemed that the world was pain. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt before. It felt as if his muscles hadn't been used in months. Severus groaned, but it seemed that his voice wasn't working properly and it came out as a whimper.
How long has it been? He thought to himself. His last real memory, before first waking up in this nightmare, was of Potter's eyes. Lily's eyes. He hadn't been sure when he cast the spell that it would work correctly. Now, it seemed that it had.
"Severus?" A calm, soothing voice called out to him. He recognized it as Poppy Pomfrey's. "Severus, can you hear me?"
Of course I can hear you, Severus thought to himself. I may have nearly died but I certainly didn't lose my hearing. He wanted desperately to say as much, but for some reason his mouth didn't seem to be working correctly.
"Professor Snape?" A different voice now. Male. "My name is Healer Smethwyck. If you can hear us, we want you to open your eyes and look at us."
Open my eyes. Obviously, I'm going to open my eyes. But even as he thought it, his body didn't seem to obey his command. He felt the fury that came with the frustration that he, Severus Snape, the man who had fooled Lord Voldemort, couldn't even perform this one simple act.
Finally, after several long moments, his eyes cracked open for the second time since the spell had been lifted and he winced at the bright light flooding in from the windows. Again his eyes darted around to see who was there; he had no idea how long it had been from the first time he had woken, until now. It seemed that Potter and Granger were gone as was Percy Weasley. Otherwise, though, everyone else had remained. Poppy and what he surmised to betwo Healers from St. Mungo's were standing closest to him. Kingsley and Minerva were standing a ways distant, whispering quietly to each other. He wondered how long it would be before he was brought to Azkaban.
"Very good, Severus!" Poppy smiled broadly at him and he frowned. She had been nothing short of rude to him for the last year. Now, she was smiling at him as if he was her long lost child.
"Wh… wh…" Severus tried to speak but his vocal cords were as stubborn as his eyes had been. Suddenly filled with panic he struggled to sit up but the Healers were immediately there to force him back down again.
"You mustn't try to get up," Healer Smethwyck said forcefully. He cast an Aguamenti, filling a nearby glass with water. "Here is some water. You haven't used your voice in a long time. This should help."
Severus took a sip and, as he swallowed it, he began to choke. Mentally he cursed himself. What was wrong with him? His second attempt at drinking went a bit better and, after a few minutes, he was able to swallow with relative ease. Leaning back he glanced towards Minerva who was watching him intently.
"W-what… h-happened?" he managed to choke out. His voice still wasn't working right. It felt like a muscle he hadn't used in a long time. Minerva and Kingsley both moved closer to him.
"You have been under a stasis spell," Healer Smethwyksaid. "That, in combination with your severe blood loss from the snake bite, has made you extremely weak. You are exceptionally lucky to be alive."
"H-how long?" His voice was still so raspy that it was barely recognizable as his own. The Healer exchanged nervous glances with Minerva and she moved closer.
"Severus," Minerva began gentlypausing for a moment before she continued. Again, Severus was struck by her tone. The last time he had seen her she had tried to kill him. Even in all their years as co-workers, they had never been friendly enough to justify the kindness she was now showing. "It has been four months since the end of the war."
"F-four… four months?" Severus could scarcely believe it. Had it really taken that long for them to remove the spell? Although he had never actually been able to try the spell out prior to its use, he had been fairly certain that it could be easily removed. "W-why?"
Minerva looked at him, genuinely confused. "Why what?"
"Why… s-so long?"
Again there was an exchange of looks, but this time Poppy was the one to speak. "Severus, I think you have had quite enough excitement for today. Once you have rested we can speak again."
The force with which Severus reached out and grabbed a hold of the nurse's wrist surprised even him. She looked down at him with shock and a little fear evident in her face.
"Severus…" she began, but he cut her off.
"Tell… me," he repeated, his tone as forceful as he could make it. "Why?"
"Severus, you must understand, after the battle there were so many dead bodies. So many injuries. It was chaos." Poppy's voice was thick with tears and he looked at her as sharply as he could. "Harry told us you had died. He said he had been there. We didn't… we didn't think twice about it. There was so much blood, you see."
Poppy dissolved into tears and turned to walk away in order to compose herself. Severus stared up at the ceiling. There was no need for her to continue. It was all painfully clear to him now. He had been under the spell for so long because no one had checked to make sure he had been alive. He realized now that he must have been buried alive. He could feel himself begin to shake, imagining the small coffin he must have been buried in. Wondering what series of events must have come about for him to have been discovered.
"Professor Snape," Healer Smethwycksaid leaning forward, "you have been through a very difficult experience. There will be plenty of time to discuss these things at a later time. For now, you really need to rest. I am going to give you a Sleeping Draught."
The other healer, who had not yet been introduced, attempted to help lift Severus's head but he pulled away from them with a jerk. He would be damned if he was going to be treated like some helpless infant. Using all the strength he could muster, he propped himself up on one arm and took the potion from the healer. He drank it in one swallow before collapsing back against the pillow. Within moments he was once again asleep.
The next week was spent alternating between increasingly lengthening periods of consciousness and increasingly shorter periods of sleep. No matter what time Severus awoke from his latest potion, however, there was always someone there. Usually it was Poppy, sometimes Minerva or Filius. And always there was at least one Auror standing guard by the door. Apparently they were afraid of him escaping custody as easily as he had escaped death.
The new term had started and Severus now had a curtain drawn around his bed at all times. Occasionally he would hear a student coming in and Madam Pomfrey always hurrying to help them, but generally it was quiet and peaceful.
On one particularly unpleasant occasion it had been Potter and his two side-kicks that were there when he woke. He had been dreaming pleasantly, which was a novelty he had been experiencing more frequently of late, when it was rudely interrupted by the Weasley boy's incessant whining.
"I don't understand why we have to do this," Weasley said. "Can't somebody else watch over him? What if he wakes up?"
"Professor McGonagall is busy with the start of term." The voice was clearly Granger's and just as bossy as he had remembered it. "You know how much she has going on."
"Yeah, but we only get one day off a week," Weasley continued. "And I was hoping to catch the Chudley Cannons' game on the WWN."
There was an impatient sigh followed by, "Really Ron, there are more important things than sports."
"Will you two quit bickering?" Now it was Potter's voice. "You're going to wake him with all that noise."
"But it's what we do, Harry," Weasley replied good-naturedly. "It's how we express our affection."
The amused laugh that Severus heard coming from Granger's mouth made him want to grimace. Apparently the two were in some sort of romantic relationship. Why anyone would want to put up with a bossy know-it-all like her or a thick-headed idiot like Weasley was quite beyond him.
"Look," Potter said, his voice now impatient, "considering we're the ones that found him, it's the least we can do to help McGonagall out for an afternoon."
This sent Severus's mind reeling. Potter was the one that found him? It seemed things were getting worse and worse and he still hadn't left the bed. He began listening in earnest now, hoping to hear more of what had happened.
"I still can't believe it," Granger said. "I mean, what if Harry hadn't had that idea? What if Ron hadn't tripped? What do you think would have happened if we wouldn't have found him?"
What idea? Severus thought to himself. What in Merlin's name are they talking about?
"I don't know," Potter was saying. "I try not to think about it."
"And here I thought you were opposed to thinking at all." Severus had opened his eyes and couldn't help but smirk when the three jumped from the sound of his voice. Rather than appearing frightened, however, they just watched him as if he were some particularly interesting specimen.
"How are you feeling, sir?" Granger asked. She was actually moving towards him. Idiot Gryffindor! Was she trying to be friendly?
"How do you think you would feel if you had just spent the last four months being mistaken for a corpse?" Severus snapped but, rather than upsetting or embarrassing her, she just looked at him sympathetically. It was infuriating.
"You're right. I probably wouldn't be feeling so good. Would you like us to fetch Madam Pomfrey for you?"
"Unless you are volunteering for the position, Miss Granger?" This did manage to produce a flush that Severus found eminently satisfying.
"I'll go get her," said Potter, already turning away from them and walking around the curtain.
"I'll stay here with Hermione," Weasley called after him and moved closer to Granger.
"How very chivalrous of you, Mr. Weasley," Severus said dryly. "I am obviously of great danger to your little girlfriend seeing as I'm confined to a bed and without a wand."
Weasley frowned at him, but Granger developed a sudden coughing fit. As Severus glanced over to her, he was surprised to see the amusement in her eyes. Merlin! Was nothing he said effective anymore? What had happened to the world in the four months he had been unconscious?
"Really, Professor," Granger said as soon as she had regained her composure enough to speak. "Is there anything I can get you? A drink of water? Something to eat?"
As much as he hated to admit it, his throat was dry and scratchy. "If I had my wand I could get it myself," he grumbled. "However, a glass of water would be… appreciated."
The girl positively beamed with delight at his request and he did his best to snarl at her as she handed it to him. The next few minutes passed uncomfortably has both Weasley and Granger continued to watch him. He did his most to busy himself with his drink, but water could only occupy a person for so long. Therefore, he was inordinately grateful when he heard the door open and two sets of footsteps hurry towards his bed.
"Severus! You're awake!" Poppy exclaimed, rounding the curtain.
"So it would seem," Severus replied dryly and sighed as she once again pulled out her wand and began to perform her endless diagnostic spells. It seemed that the best treatment for being buried alive was to be subjected to constant tests.
"You three can go," she said glancing over her shoulder to where Potter, Weasley and Granger stood. "It was so kind of you to help out in a pinch."
Weasley left without comment, however, both Granger and Potter bade him good-bye. He wasn't sure which one surprised him more.
Severus thought that encounter would surely be the last he would see of the trio, but it was only two nights later that he woke in the night to find Granger half asleep in the chair next to his bed.
He had been dreaming again, but this time it hadn't been so pleasant. It seemed that years as a spy could not be erased by a few months of death. Just as Nagini was lunging for him, he woke up with a gasp.
"Professor?" she whispered in a sleepy voice. "Is something wrong?"
"What are you doing here, Miss Granger?" he snapped.
"Madam Pomfrey got called away. She asked if I would stay here."
"Do you really believe I am such a threat that I need to be guarded by a girl who never even managed to finish her magical education?"
"Well, I might have been able to finish it had Hogwarts not been overrun by Death Eaters," Granger replied calmly, sitting up straighter in her chair. "Is that what you think I'm doing here? Guarding you?"
"Isn't it?" Severus eyed her suspiciously. Why else would he be subjected to around the clock pestering? Granger snorted with laughter.
"Why on earth would I need to be guarding you? For all of Ron's protective display the other day, I am well aware you're not going to be hurting anyone."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because, believe it or not, the healers at St. Mungo's are genuinely worried about you. You used a spell that isn't Ministry approved and were under the influence of it for far longer than you had intended. There was some concern that there would be some lingering effects."
Severus couldn't help but stare at her, stunned. They were doing this out of concern?
"Then what about the Aurors standing guard outside?" he asked. "Aren't they just waiting for the opportunity to take me to Azkaban?"
Granger actually laughed out loud at this. Laughed. At him. "Merlin, Professor. Hasn't anyone told you anything? The Aurors are here for your protection. Not ours. And you're the last person that's going to be carted off to Azkaban. Really, if even the Malfoys managed to keep out, what makes you think--"
"Lucius escaped prison?" Severus interrupted. "How did he manage that?"
"Well, if you must know, he didn't do much at all. But considering the fact that his wife saved Harry's life they were given some leniency."
Severus's head was spinning. It was only now that he was beginning to realize how much he had missed. He couldn't imagine why Narcissa would try to save Potter's life. For that matter, he couldn't understand why Potter was still alive. Wasn't he supposed to have died? He asked Granger as much and she just smiled. Her eyes looked a little watery and Severus immediately regretting asking if it meant she was going to get emotional on him. But when she replied her voice was clear and her eyes dry.
For the next hour, Hermione Granger and Severus Snape both did something they had never done before. They had a conversation. She sat and explained everything he had missed in the previous four months; from the death of Voldemort to the moment thatRon had tripped and dropped his coffin, effectively saving his life.
Severus spoke very little, interrupting only when he was told something so outrageous that he couldn't help but question it. Such as when she said Potter had wanted to bury him next to Dumbledore. He was not sure what to think when she explained how much her friend's opinion had changed since the end of the war. In truth, he had very little recollection of giving Potter all those memories of his relationship with Lily. The realization that the entire wizarding world was aware of his feelings towards her made his face burn with embarrassment. Granger, to her credit, tactfully avoided the subject beyond explaining what was said during the final duel between Potter and Voldemort.
Eventually the conversation began to wane and Severus noticed Granger's eyes begin to droop. Outside, the sky was beginning to lighten and he wondered just how much sleep she had got that night. It couldn't have been comfortable in that chair.
"Miss Granger," he said and Hermione, who had just dozed off, jumped awake. "I am sure I'll be fine until Madam Pomfrey returns from wherever she has gone off to. There is an Auror standing by who, I'm sure, will alert anyone should I decide to go off and die again."
He could tell the girl wasn't sure if this was his idea of a joke, but she gave a strangled laugh. "I don't think anyone is worried about you actually dying. Especially since you never did in the first place. But I wouldn't want to risk Madam Pomfrey's wrath if I were to abandon my post."
Severus couldn't help but agree to that. "Very well," he replied with a careless wave of his hand. "Stay, if you insist. But no more of your incessant talking."
It was a sign of her exhaustion that she didn't even take exception to his remark and, instead, curled up in the chair and dozed back to sleep. He, too, laid back onto his pillow and he marveled for a moment at the oddity of three of his most hated students actually doing what they could to help him; even going so far as to concern themselves with his burial. It seemed like an incredibly intimate act. Something a family member or close friend might do. But then, he had no family or friends. As much as he loathed the idea of Potter being anything other than the spoiled attention seeking child he had always took him for, he had to wonder if perhaps the boy was a bit more like his mother than what he had thought. It was this thought that he fell asleep to and, an hour later when Poppy Pomfrey returned to the hospital ward, she gave the two sleeping forms a curious look but did nothing to disturb them.
Severus remained under the custody of Poppy for another two weeks, doing little but exercising his weakened muscles, eating as many fattening foods as she could get down his throat and sleeping away twenty years worth of exhaustion. Finally, neither he nor she could take his constant presence there any longer and he was given permission to go home.
Going home was a curious thought to Severus. For virtually his entire life he had considered Hogwarts to be his home. But now, with Horace Slughorn still teaching Potions and Minerva in her rightful place as Headmistress, there was no place for him here. It felt a bit odd to him, as if he were a wayward teenager who had just been kicked out by his parents. He had never contemplated what he would do if he was not teaching; he had never expected to live long enough to see the end of his service to his two masters.
When the day of his release finally arrived, he woke early, dressed quickly and walked out of the hospital ward with little fanfare. Poppy had been a little tearful and she gave a stammering apology for her behavior towards him since Dumbledore's death. Severus had responded with only half-hearted scorn and the fond smile she gave him a moment laterjust made him roll his eyes. He was just walking out the doors when he ran into Minerva.
"Oh, Severus!" she said in mock surprise and he rolled his eyes yet again. "Are you leaving?"
"You know very well I am leaving, Minerva, and I don't doubt that Poppy just Floo'd you that I was preparing to depart."
"Well, you really didn't think you would get away without me saying good-bye,did you?" Minerva tried to look hurt, but the teasing gleam in her eyes gave her away.
"Minerva," Severus sighed, "we can hardly claim to be good friends. I would not even classify us as friendly acquaintances… considering your attempted murder of me."
The elderly witch had the grace to blush at his remark and she now seemed to be fumbling a bit with her words. "Well… yes… I did want to speak to you about that."
Severus raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue, while enjoying her obvious discomfort.
"I know that apologizing isn't really enough. But I am sorry that I… misjudged you."
Severus considered her words for a moment. "You believed me to be a Death Eater who had murdered Albus Dumbledore and then usurped your position as Head of this school because of my connections with the Dark Lord."
"Well… yes," Minerva said awkwardly.
"Then you were correct," Severus replied. As Minerva opened her mouth to protest he interrupted her. "You did not misjudge my actions, Minerva. Only my motives. I do not require an apology."
"Well, if you will not accept an apology, perhaps you would at least accept my thanks?" Minerva asked. "I know now that things here at Hogwarts would have been far worse if it had been someone other than you as Headmaster."
Severus marveled at the strange turn of events and struggled with himself. His instinct was to, at the very least, turn and walk away as quickly as possible. But he couldn't quite bring himself to do so. Instead, he said quietly, "Thank you for your appreciation." And then he turned and walked away as quickly as possible.
It was early enough in the day that he could move through the halls without worrying that he might be spotted by the students. The story of his survival had finally shown up in the Daily Prophet the week before and he had no desire to be stared and pointed at. Especially since he no longer had the ability to deduct House points.
In fact, he saw no one until he had left the front doors and was walking down the steps at the front of the castle. It was then that he noticed someone walking towards him. Someone small in stature with unusually bushy hair. Hermione Granger. Severus sighed to himself. He was seeing entirely too much of the young lady these days.
"Hello, Professor," she said with a smile as she reached him. Her cheeks were red from the cool breeze and her hair looked windswept. Severus thought it made her look even younger than she was.
"I cannot believe it is purely coincidence that I am meeting you now, Miss Granger," Severus grumbled. Her smile brightened and she turned to walk with him.
"No. Professor McGonagall told me you were being released this morning. I thought you might like some company."
"What in the name of Merlin gave you that idea?"
Granger shrugged her shoulders and he noticed as they walked that they were going past Dumbledore's tomb. Next to it was the tomb that was supposed to have been his. He stared at it, feeling perversely fascinated by it. Granger noticed the direction of his eyes and slowed her step.
"Would you like to see it?" she asked gently and Severus looked at her with alarm. He had never considered actually going up to it. "It's going to be removed soon so I suppose this is your last chance."
Severus snorted. "What an appealing idea."
For all his sarcasm, though, his feet turned in that direction. They walked in silence towards the two tombs until they were finally standing directly in front of what would have been his final resting place. He had to admit, that it was tastefully done. No flowery phrases that expressed inappropriate sentiments. The tomb itself was relatively nondescript and plain. Much like something he would have chosen himself. It took several minutes before he even noticed the carving of the doe.
For a moment, he felt his throat constrict with the pain of suppressed memories and he closed his eyes until he could regain control over his emotions. Granger must have noticed his reaction because he felt a hand on his arm. He jerked away from the contact and glared at her. As his eyes fell on her though, he noticed she was holding out a flask filled with a filmy, silvery substance. He recognized it immediately.
"Harry thought you should have them back. He wanted you to know that no one else has seen them. I can assure you that I never have."
Severus grabbed the flask from her outstretched hand and held it protectively in his own. He had not allowed himself to contemplate what had happened to those memories he had shared with Potter and he was inordinately relieved to have them back in his possession.
"Thank you," he murmured. With one last glance at the carved doe, he turned away from the tomb, Granger continuing to walk with him. When he reached the gates to Hogwarts, he paused and turned to look at her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
She took a deep breath as if bracing herself for something before she spoke. "Severus Snape," she announced, "I would like to be your friend."
She sounded as if she was announcing her candidacy for Minister of Magic and Severus snorted with amusement. "I don't need a friend," he responded curtly.
"I beg your pardon, but I think you do." Granger did not seem the least bit put off by his attitude. "Everyone needs friends and, by my count, you haven't had one in a long time unless you count Dumbledore and I don't think you do."
Severus stared hard at her. "What makes you think you know so much about my personal life, Miss Granger?"
"I told you that Harry put me in charge of your… arrangements. Well obviously I wanted to do as good a job as I could--"
"Obviously," Severus interrupted.
"…and that meant finding out as much about you as possible. I talked to most of the professors and Dumbledore's portrait and it seems that you were never really friends with any of them. For obvious reasons I couldn't interview some of your other… um… associates. But I'm willing to assume that they weren't exactly friends either. This leads me to believe that you have had precisely one friend in your life."
It seemed the girl had done her homework. Severus never stopped to consider his lack of personal relationships, considering his work as a spy. And now that he thought back on it he realized that Granger was right. Lily Evans had been his only true friend. That did not mean, however, that he was interested in starting a friendship with her.
"Miss Granger," he said as patiently as he could manage, "I am not a half-giant nor a werewolf. Please spare me your pity and your friendship."
Rather than appearing put-off, Granger gave him a speculative look. "I'm fully aware of what you are and are not, Professor. And I might remind you that both Hagrid and Remus have had more friends than you. As for my pity, yes, I'll admit, I do feel sorry for you."
Severus felt his face burn with embarrassment and he turned away from her. He wanted to lash out at her, to remind her that he was not someone who would tolerate other people's sympathy. But she did not give him the chance to speak.
"How could I not, Professor? After all that I have learned of you, I would be heartless to not have sympathy for everything you have gone through and, after all, that is what friends do isn't it?"
"As you have so tactfully pointed out, I would hardly be the best judge of that." Severus was torn between his natural indignation at this humiliating topic of conversation and a certain amount of admiration that she was speaking so openly to him.
"Perhaps you're right," Granger said with a sigh. "But that doesn't change the fact that I would like to get to know you better."
"And what if I told you that I am not planning to stay in Britain?" Severus asked. In truth he had not yet made up his mind, but leaving the country was an idea that held a certain amount of appeal. He was surprised to see that Granger actually looked dismayed at the thought.
"Surely you're not going to leave right away."
"I suppose not," Severus conceded. He still needed to put his affairs in order and figure out how exactly he was going to make money. He certainly didn't have a secret vault somewhere just filled with Galleons.
"And in the meantime? Would it be so terrible to have some company every once in a while?"
Severus considered this. Would it be so terrible? If he was being entirely truthful with himself, he would admit that even he got lonely sometimes. Even years after Lily's death, there were moments when he would think fondly back to those days when he had someone to confide in. Someone who actually understood him, rather than making judgments based on his family or House or clothes. He could not imagine that person being Hermione Granger, but as she had not-so-tactfully pointed out, there weren't exactly people lining up for the job either.
"Very well," he said with a sigh. "It is clear that you aren't going to leave me alone. So if you must bother me, then at least it will be on my terms."
Granger smiled at him as if he had just given her some precious gift and, for a moment, Severus felt pleased with himself. It was rare that he actually made someone happy.
"Well, don't get used to it," he grumbled, crushing down any positive emotions as quickly as he could. "As soon as I can, I plan to leave this Merlin-forsaken country. I have no desire to have my every move reported about in the Daily Prophet."
"Oh, very well," Granger smiled and then sighed. "But perhaps I could help you. I have some excellent contacts in the Ministry these days."
"As long as you're making yourself useful," Severus replied.
"All right then." They had reached the edge of Hogwarts property and Granger had turned to look at him. "I'll give you your peace and quiet now. But I'll stop by in a couple days to see if there is anything I can do."
"Exactly what makes you think you know where I live?" Severus demanded. Surely his home was not common knowledge. Even Dumbledore didn't know exactly where it was. He was not going to get his answer, though. Instead the girl turned and walked a short distance away, obviously preparing to Apparate.
"Good-bye, Professor," she called with a smile and, before he could even think about responding, she was gone with a small pop.
Severus frowned to himself. He wasn't sure what he had just got himself in to, but he had the sneaking suspicion that it was more than what he had bargained for.