As always: This has been checked on a spell checker, but it has not been beta'd. So I'm sorry if something is spelled wrong or doesn't make any sense.

Warning: This chapter contains bits of language that might not be suitable to persons aged thirteen and younger. Read at your own risk.

Chapter Three:
I Think About It Every Single Day

Severus Snape paced in front of the fireplace in his private quarters, wearing a hole in the carpet as he walked the same line over and over again. There was far too much going on in the wizarding world that was required of him; and it was driving him bloody mad. He didn't even honestly wish to do any of it.

After everything he had done for the ungrateful beings that inhabited his world, they still expected him to stand around and clean up their mess. The mess that they themselves had caused by not protecting themselves and killing Tom Riddle when they had the chance. He would help them, of course, but he wouldn't be happy about it. In fact, he would only be doing it for them.

The Golden Trio

The man who had come to be known as the bat of the dungeons had made a promise to protect Harry Potter, famed leader of the Golden Trio, anytime and in any way that he could. For Lily's sake.

He hadn't known it at the time, but it was now obvious that by promising to protect the son of the woman he loved, he had inadvertently promised to protect the people closest to the boy also. There were far too many people that this entailed, so he had made it his life's work (since the children first came to Hogwarts) to protect the famed trio. The three most important students to ever pass through the halls of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter, the boy who just wouldn't die, was at least not quite as bad as his father had been, much as it pained Severus to admit. He had a kind heart towards almost everyone, as long as they didn't prove to him that they didn't deserve it. He was strong and smart, though not nearly as smart as his best friend. He was also quick, though of course Quidditch had helped him with that. Even when others chose to pick on him, he didn't usually fight back – and he almost never started the arguments. Quite unlike his other best friend.

Ron Weasley was the other male figure in the trio. He had just recently made the papers about his tragic death at the hands of an unknown masked killer. Of course, by that description alone people would assume (correctly) that it was a Death Eater that had murdered the boy. Severus knew the back story as to why he had been murdered and them posted outside of the witch's home. He had planned that part of it. He didn't wish to reflect on that now, though.

The last member of the Golden Trio, the only female of the group, and the only person who could irritate Severus as much, if not more, than Lily Evans-Potter had been able to do, was Hermione Granger. With her knowledge on almost every subject you talked to her about, and her opinionated ways, she was easily the most infuriating person he knew. But despite that he also knew that she had a heart of gold. He could tell that just by watching her with the dunderhead, Neville Longbottom. She always made it a point to help out those who she could. Even those who needed the help but didn't wish to ask for it.

It wasn't until someone had brought it to his attention that he was going to need to do double duty more so now than ever to try and figure out who had murdered the girl's boyfriend that he realized how much he had hurt her. He hadn't thought about it at the time. Not until now.

They were torturing the redhead, hearing him screaming to either let him free or to end the pain. But they did neither. Not at first. They had been trying to get information out of the boy who had been walking out of a jewelry shop in London before they caught him and brought him back to their "lair." He was strong, and he didn't give up any information on anything the Order of the Phoenix was up to. The last thing they had asked him was where "the mudblood bitch" lives. He wouldn't give that up either.

Severus wouldn't have admitted it on the promise of death, but he was proud of the boy. He was proud that he wouldn't spill any information about his friends. When they finally gave up asking him about the information, they killed him. Then they carved the words, with a renewing spell, into his abdomen and left him in the middle of London. Thankfully no one was around.

When all the other Death Eaters had left, Severus picked up the boy and apparated him to Hermione's front door, figuring she would rather be the first to see him than all of London. It wouldn't have gone over well if she had found out about it from a newspaper clipping written by Rita Skeeter.

But now, Minerva and Molly were both up his ass telling him that he needed to fix it. How the hell was he supposed to fix something that had already happened? He was not going to use a time turner, the effect would be much worse. No. They didn't want him to fix it by finding a new place to put Ron's body seeing as he was already buried. No. They wanted him to find a way to calm Hermione down. To get her happier since it was "his people" that had caused this wear and tear of her emotions.

He had growled at them, told them there was no point, but they hadn't listened. He had tried to reason with them, tell them that she wouldn't trust him even if he could find a way to help her out. But again they hadn't listened. He had fought them long and hard, told them that it was useless. The Dark Lord would have that much easier a time in finding her if he were to start hanging around her more often.

And they still hadn't listened.

They had fought hard against him too, telling him that he need not worry about the Dark Lord because if they had sent Ron's body to her house then he must already know where she lives. They had told him that there was nobody else who could make her feel better the same way he could, that he was unique in that way. When asked just what they meant by unique way of making her feel better, they had happily responded that he wouldn't take her emotional bullshit. He would challenge her mentally (and possibly physically) and he wouldn't let her fall down into a puddle of tears at every turn.

Little did they know that the tears still hadn't come.

A/N: You guys are amazing. 'nough said. Seriously though, I'm sorry it took me so long to get this out to you. There has been a lot going on this week and last week that it taking up a lot of my time. In other news:

2angelwings: I finally brought in Snape. I hope I'm sticking with a bit of the same dark tone that you liked before. Sorry if I'm not, I'll try and be better. lol
notwritten: thanks. For sending that exact same message to both of my stories.
RedsAttic and jessirose85: Thanks so much guys.

It really means a lot to me when you guys review. Lets me know I'm doing something right.

xoxo.