Chapter 30: Comfort

Severus arrived in Bella's room and what he saw made him more upset; his wife was clinging to her mother as if she was going to die if she let go, she was sobbing uncontrollably; he briskly approached the bed.

"Severus," Hermione chocked out, she moved and when he was close enough, she clung to him in the same fashion that she had just held on to her mother.

"It's alright love, I'm here."

"No one was here Severus; I didn't know what to do… I… He," she began to cry again, letting out her fear her pain and any other emotion that she was feeling. She held on to him and forced herself to calm down, her family was here and he wasn't going to hurt her anymore. Eventually Draco, Rudolphus and Lucius came into the room.

"Rudolphus I trust that he will be taken care of?"

"Yes Severus, we just sent him back to school, Albus and Remus took him back, he will be forbidden from leaving the grounds."

"Good, I'll see to him when I get back."

"You're not going to stay?"

"I'm afraid I can't Hermione, when I got Cissy's call, I came immediately, and the Dark Lord doesn't know I left my post."

"Then you should go, I don't want anything to happen to you." She pushed herself away from him, angry at him for coming back when he wasn't going to protect her, angry at herself for being so vulnerable, and angry at Blaise for what he did.

"Hermione…"

"Severus please, I don't want to get a letter saying that my husband is deceased, please go."

Severus was hurt but he kissed her and then held her one last time before leaving again. Hermione leaned into her father and allowed him to offer what comfort he could.

"Draco?"

"Yes Hermione?"

"Thank you," She grabbed his hand and held onto it, "Thank you for coming home when you did."

"I'm sorry that I didn't come home sooner."

"No you couldn't have prevented what he did, I should have kept my guard up, he has been coming in for extra help and when he came up to me and asked for help on something we haven't covered yet, I should have known, this is not your fault Draco."

"Well it should be."

"No it's not." She pulled him to her and hugged him reassuring him that it was ok, he reacted when he had the chance, he was her hero.

"Pansy, thank you for your help too."

"Of course Hermione, Blaise is a slim ball, I'm sorry that we left you alone today."

"It's ok." Hermione offered her a small smile before hugging her too.

That night, Hermione attempted to lay by herself in a different bedroom but the memory of his body on hers caused her to wake up screaming and crying. Her mother had decided that Rudolphus could stay by himself that night and she and her daughter would sleep in the same bed in attempts to chase away the demons.

Hermione slept but mildly, her family helped her return to the school on Monday so that she was there in time for dinner, Bella and Rudolphus helped her put her things away while she showered. It was about the fifteenth times she had showed in the past 48 hours. When she exited the shower, she and her parents went to the dining hall where she was joined by Minerva and Albus. She was quiet at dinner and she hardly touched her mash potatoes, which was all that was on her plate.

"Hermione, you have to eat," Her mother said.

"I'm not hungry."

"Hermione…"

"Mother stop, I am fine."

The rest of the meal was silent, and Hermione walked back to the dungeons with Albus and Minerva, her mother and her father.

"Hermione!"

Hermione turned to the sound of her name and saw a head full of dark hair and then her world went black…

"Hermione!" Her mother shouted as Rudolphus made a move to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Is she alright?" Harry asked as he approached the group with Ron and Ginny hot on his heels.

"She's fine Mr. Potter."

"Then why did she faint?"

"Because I got dizzy." Came a faint voice.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Ron asked.

"Fine Ronald just a little light headed."

"Maybe it's from you lack of a meal?" Harry suggested.

"Thanks Mom!" Hermione said sarcastically.

"Hey I was just giving you a suggestion."

The group slowly escorted to her rooms where they all sat down on the bed with her.

"Hermione, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Ginny asked.

"Sure Gin." The group quietly left the room leaving the two to talk alone. "So what's up?"

"Pansy told me what happened."

"What happened?"

"About Blaise," Hermione got awfully pale, "She didn't go into detail but she did inform me of the events, is that why you passed out when you saw Harry?" Hermione nodded.

"All I saw was black hair; I didn't even look at the face." Hermione started to tear up, "Do the boys know?"

"No I thought it should be you that tells them."

"Ok, let me talk to Severus first."

"When does he get back?"

"I don't know." Gin understood that this was the end of the conversation and she summoned in the group. Albus had decided that she needed to see Poppy and he arranged for her to see her tomorrow.

Hermione returned to her teaching duties the next day and to everyone's surprise, her demeanor in the classroom didn't change at all, it was only when she was alone with some of the older students that she seemed different, she seemed tense.

Later that evening, after dinner, Hermione sat down and read with her parents carefully watching her. When she looked up from her book she saw that she had fifteen minutes until her appointment with Poppy, she took a shower and noticed that she had five minutes when she got out, and she quickly tidied up the house so that it was more presentable.

Poppy arrived on time and helped Hermione into the bed so that she could examine her. She was not pleased by the results, she called Bella and Rudolphus in when she was done, and Minerva and Albus were there too.

"Hermione, how many times have you showered since the event?"

"I don't know a couple?"

"Hermione, don't lie to me."

"I don't know."

"She's showered about five times today Madam Pomfrey." Bella said.

"Hermione I am limiting you to two showers a day and I am taking away your lufa and giving you a cloth."

"Any other restrictions and guidelines?" Hermione asked.

"Yes you are to eat a full meal at every meal; your nutrition is very low right now."

"Fine."

The group left the young witch to get dressed for dinner and continued their conversations.

"Poppy what did you find?" Minerva asked concerned.

"I found that she has rubbed herself raw where I presume he touched her, if she continues, she will have a higher chance of becoming infected in those areas. Bella I don't want to lie to you, your daughter is going to have a tough time dealing with this, Severus needs to come home so that she has someone to talk to, I fear for her mental stability right now."

"He flooed this morning, he is coming home sometime today, his mission is complete."

"Good."

"Thank you Poppy," Albus said, and the matron left. "So until Severus gets back, she shouldn't be alone."

"We have to go unfortunately, I am being summoned."

"Me too."

"Very well, you two go we will take good care of her I promise."

"Thank you Albus." And the two death eaters left the quarters.

"Albus, what are we going to do until Severus gets back?" as they stayed in the door way watching a now exhausted Hermione.

"I don't know exactly Minerva but we just need to keep her safe, that's all that matters, I know that for sure."

"Albus, we promised we would keep her safe when she married our son and we failed," Tears came to Minerva's eyes.

"It's alright dear; we will take care of her as it comes, let's sit and watch her sleep, just in case she needs us."

"I know, I am just worried about her."

"Me too." And they watched the girl sleep.

Albus and Minerva stayed in the room listening for any movement from Hermione, for the first time in a long time; she was actually relaxed and slept. They woke her in time for dinner while they escorted her, she and Minerva talked of the book that she had been engrossed in over the weekend, and the theories that were presented. Minerva argued that some of those theories were false because the ones that they had now were the ones that she was taught and in her teachings, she was told that it was physically impossible to change that theory.

"But Professor, if people said that there was no cure for the lycanthropes, then why is Severus still working on the cure?"

"That's a different subject, he can find something that hasn't been found yet, you cannot change a theory."

"You can to improve it."

"I don't think so."

"Fine I'll prove it to you after class tomorrow."

"Fine, you are on Professor Snape." Hermione smiled and shook her mentor's hand.

They entered the great hall where Hermione once again saw something she didn't expect, her husband was sitting at the table looking very sour. She froze before regaining her composure and striding toward the table, when she got there Severus stood and helped her into her chair. There were no public displays of affection shown other than the usual holding hands and there were no conversations started between the two. He finished before she did and left the hall immediately, Hermione shrugged and finished her plate before following him fifteen minutes later. However she was stalled slightly by Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table.

"Professor, is everything alright?"

"Fine Mr. Potter please finish eating."

"But Professor, it seems that you and Snape are arguing at the moment. I just wanted to make sure that you are ok."

"That's Professor Snape Mr. Potter, and I appreciate the concern but what happens between my husband and I is exactly that, if I need you and Mr. Weasley to intervene, I will let you know."

"Alright Professor, oh Neville says he misses you in the common room this year."

"And why is that?"

"Because none of us take an interest in Herbology, that was always your thing, and now he has no one to study with."

"Well feel free to have him come see me at any time he is always welcome in the classroom."

"Thank you Professor and we really liked your class on Thursday."

"Thank you Mr. Potter, have a good evening."

"You two Professor." Hermione continued on her way to her destination, the dungeons.

When she arrived, she looked everywhere for her husband, she didn't find him so she continued on to her quarters. She entered the portrait and found him sitting in his favorite arm chair with a glass of fire whiskey.

"Severus?"

"Hello Hermione."

"Are you ok?"

"Why?"

"You just seem… distant." She carefully chose her words not wanting to anger him; she was still jumpy when even Albus moved to hug her.

"Distant? Hermione I just got done with a very tiring mission, I am not happy because of the things I saw, so I am sorry if I am not receptive to you after you pushed me away."

Hermione felt as if he had just punched her in the gut, "I pushed you away because I was hurt Severus, after what happened, I needed my husband, I think the Dark Lord would have been understanding if…"

"You think he would have been understanding? He was furious Hermione, I had to tell him what happened to one of his other death eaters Hermione, and because I left my post, I got the Cruciatus curse." Hermione gasped, "Thankfully he was merciful and when I told him that what happened was an act of another death eater, he was absolutely pissed, he told me that I was to return home immediately and tell you that you are going to be summoned to the next three meetings."

"Do you have to return?"

"No my mission is done."

"So then what is the problem?"

"Are you completely stupid girl?"

"Why what did I say?" he quickly stood and stalked toward her, she instinctively took a step back.

"Do you not remember what happened last time you were crossed?"

"Of course I remember?"

"Oh so you remember losing control of your temper that easily?"

"Of course I remember!"

"Then why is this not a problem, you will be asked to kill him."

"It won't be a problem because I won't… I…Severus you don't understand." She hung her head to hide her tears.

He took a step closer causing her to back completely into the wall, "What don't I understand, Hermione?"

"Because you don't!"

"Elaborate woman, I am a trained legamins but I don't read minds like that!"

"I can't!"

"You can't what?"

"Tell you!"

"Woman I can't help you if you don't talk to me; why won't this meeting be a problem?"

"Because…."

"Because why Hermione?"

Hermione lost it, she didn't like showing her weakness that Blaise unburied, "Because every time I close my eyes, I see him, I'm afraid that he is using polyjuice potion and is acting as someone else, I don't go anywhere without fear of him being there. Even coming home today was so hard; I didn't want to see him ever." Severus moved toward her and pulled her into his arms, she was stiff at first but then she relaxed into chest and cried. "I feel so weak and dirty Severus, I wasn't strong enough."

"It's alright Hermione I'm here, and I will be with you when we go to meet with the dark lord."