Hermione's lungs felt like they were about to explode. She had been pursuing one of the house elves accompanying the Dark Wizards. For three hours. The little blighter had sensed someone following him and had disapparated multiple times, and Hermione had barely been able to keep track of him. She had only managed it by sprinting out from her hiding place and diving into the vortex that was left behind for two to three seconds after a disapparation. She had lost track of all the places they had passed, but now they were somewhere in the outskirts of London. And the elf now seemed convinced he was no longer being followed. Finally. I don't think I'm in top shape at the moment. She lay on her belly in some bushes, gasping for air, observing the elf waddle into a small, run down building between the trees.
She pulled out her wand, and cast her patronus. "Go..ha…ha…tell Severus that I finally pinned down their…ha…ha…hideout. Kindly…ha…ha…ask him..ha…to get his scholarly ass over here now." The silver otter swirled around her once, then bounded away in a trail of silver light. After checking to make sure the elf was still inside the run down building, she rolled over onto her back, getting her breath back and staring into the night sky. Severus and her had been trailing the Death Eaters for another two weeks before they were able to get another sighting. The group had been continuously visiting squib homes. Since squibs weren't registered with the ministry, Severus and her had had no way of anticipating the attacks. Many squibs had refused the offer put forward by the Death Eater, and had met the fate that Appleby had been spared.
Hermione had been increasingly frustrated as the Death Eaters eluded them again and again. All they were then able to do was obliviate the muggles and sift through various forms of wreckage in the search of clues. But that was no the only reason she was close to screaming in frustration. The tension between her and a certain dark haired professor had risen to a breaking point. She often caught herself fantasizing about him, what it would be like to kiss him, or touch him, and each time it became harder to prevent herself from telling him she was attracted to him. There is not point in telling him how I feel, she thought, he is not interested anyway. I'm not really very pretty with my hair and teeth. And he's older, so he's probably had many beautiful women…
Her musings were cut short by the appearance of the object of her fantasies, who had been waiting for her notice while interviewing some witnesses of the latest squib killing. He gracefully kneeled down beside her. "Detention, Ms. Granger. You do not address your better like that." She laughed, having expected this. "Sir, the elf I've been trailing has led me to what seems to be a hideout. She rolled onto her belly and pointed to the small wrecked house, more a shack than anything, with light now emanating from its solitary window. He found his gaze drawn from the house to the back of Hermione's head. There were leaves trapped in her bushy hair. Without thinking he reached out and snagged several, making her start in surprise. "Sir?" she asked, craning her head around to look at him.
Bloody hell, Severus, control yourself. He cleared his throat. "I was simply ridding your impossible hair of a tangle hazard," He growled, "If anymore volume is added to that mane of yours I fear the Death Eaters will not recognize you as human." She frowned. "Very funny," she said, and immediately retaliated. "At least my hair is clean, unlike yours." He looked at her dangerously. "Sir," she added in a mocking tone.
They're banter was cut short by the emergence of a cloaked man from the shack. The figure pulled off his mask. "Avery," breathed Severus, close to her ear. They huddled together beneath the protective fonds of the bush. A second figure emerged, without the mask. "Nott," Severus whispered. "All supposed to be in Askaban." They stooped to talk to a third, much smaller figure. It was the elf Hermione had been chasing. The elf pointed in their direction and squeaked something in an animated tone. Avery and Nott began to approach the bush they were hiding in. "Shit," Hermione hissed, "The elf led me here on purpose, he knew he was being followed. The rest of the group must be somewhere else!" Before she had finished her sentence fully, the red jet of a stunner scorched the ground only centimeters away from her nose. "Time to go," she said.
Severus grabbed her hand, and they dissaparated, leaving the Death Eaters to uncover only bare ground where they had been laying. They landed in a heap in a clearing further back, where they had planned to camp for the night. It was about 3 km from the spot they had discovered the Death Eaters. Severus quickly got up and warded their campsite. Then he turned to his companion. "Congratulations, Ms. Granger, you have managed to make our job even harder than it originally was! Now they will be expecting someone to follow them and will send word back to the Dark Lord that they are being pursued! You foolish girl, you've just made this a lot more complicated." He stormed, towering over her. She scrambled up from her sitting position and yelled right back at him. "I honestly thought that elf didn't notice I was still there! I followed that dammned creature for 3 hours! 3 hours of running and jumping into worm holes, I am so sorry that I just did more than you have been achieving the last two weeks! We had to get somewhere with this mission!" She was breathing heavily by the time she finished. She had given her best effort today and now he was accusing her of sabotaging the mission?
To her surprise he just ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "My apologies, Ms. Granger. I am sure you are even more pleased than I am to extend this mission further." He uncovered her backpack from its hiding place under several logs, and proceeded to set up the tent. She hesitated for a second, then walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him freeze. "I'm sorry as well. I should have checked more carefully. We will try further tomorrow." She said to him, and then went to make a fire.
Later, after dinner, it began to rain.
Hermione heard the pitter patter of the rain drops as they hit the roof of the tent. She lay awake and could not sleep. Thoughts of the day turned around and around in her head. Eventually she decided to sit outside for a bit, and watch the sky. It was getting warmer now, spring was on its way. She leaned against a tree trunk in her pjs and a sweater, cast a warming charm for protection against the chilly breeze, and just sat and thought. About their mission, but mostly about Severus. He was opening up more and more, he had not insulted her earnestly in a long time, and she found herself liking him more and more.
Severus could not sleep either. He heard Hermione leave, and knew he should stay inside and leave her be. But he wanted to know why she wasn't asleep. He put on a pait of black muggle jeans and slid a sweater over his blue t shirt. He went outside, and saw her leaning against a broad tree trunk, looking at the stars. He sat beside her. "Can't sleep either?" She asked softly, still looking at the sky. "My thoughts can't seem to quiet down," he replied.
She looked at him. "Do you think we will ever catch them? We have been trailing them for a month. They seem to be after the entire squib population of Britain. I can't make sense of it at all." He could hear how frustrated she was. He hesitantly put his arm around her. He wanted her to be her usual perky and positive self. She looked at him in surprise for a moment, then leaned into him and slid and arm over his stomach. She now nestled into his side, and he could smell the fragrance of her hair. "This is sure a compromising position for a student and a teacher to be in," she murmured teasingly. He ignored her comment. He didn't want to think about the fact that this was wrong. Not when it felt so right.
She fell asleep that night to the smell of potion ingredients and the steady rise and fall of Snape's chest.
I am probably going to regret this later, she told herself, before her eyes closed.