AN: Hey all, me again. I expect you're getting sick of hearing from me by now! Anyway, as promised, here's there first SS/HG interaction after the big reveal. Enjoy.
Severus paced back and forth across Dumbledore's office, running his hand through his hair every so often as the stress got too much for him. 'This is unbearable,' Snape thought angrily. 'I can't just sit here waiting for news.' He stormed over to Dumbledore's hidden liquor cabinet and poured himself a healthy measure of scotch to calm his nerves. He was still mad at Albus for forcing him to come back to the school and not allowing him to go to the Department of Mysteries to find his daughter. Logically, he knew that Albus was absolutely right; him turning up to fight for the Order would jeopardize everything they had worked for the past decade and if he revealed to the Deatheaters that Granger was his daughter he would make her a very big target. Nonetheless, right now he was finding it hard to think of anything past his desire to personally go and make sure his daughter was safe. After all, he'd only just found out that he had a daughter, he wasn't going to let her die on him now.
But, Albus had been adamant that Severus could not go, and when he told Severus that their argument was only stopping Albus himself from going to the aid of their students, Severus finally relented and agreed to wait for their return to Hogwarts.
Still, it felt like torture, waiting there alone, not knowing what was going on at the Ministry. At least before he'd had Fawkes as company, but about ten minutes ago, the magnificent bird had disappeared in a flash of flames and smoke, leaving Snape to wallow alone.
Suddenly, the flames of the fireplace turned green and a plethora of wizards and witches in varying states of well-being poured out. Moody was one of the first through, followed by Lovegood and a bloody-nosed Longbottom, and he began to inform Snape of what Dumbledore was taking care of at the Ministry. Severus was instantly distracted though, when Lupin stepped out of the fireplace carrying an unconscious Hermione Granger. He stepped over to them immediately, his heart beating wildly as he looked at her blank, pale face.
"Hermione needs to see Poppy right away. She was hit by Dolohov with some sort of curse." Remus said gravely.
"Give her to me." Severus snapped. "I'll take her down to the hospital wing."
Lupin looked rather taken aback by this, but transferred her carefully into Snape's arms nonetheless.
Once she was safely in his hands, Snape turned and exited the office quickly, walking briskly towards the infirmary. He clutched Hermione close to his chest, knowing that he never wanted to let her go. He was sick with worry about her condition, but at the same time was desperately relieved that his daughter was alive and was in his arms for the first time.
Hermione Granger.
His daughter.
"Severus?" Snape heard Albus approach behind him but didn't turn away from Hermione, whose hand he still grasped tightly between his own. "How's she doing?" The old man asked kindly, placing a wrinkled hand on his shoulder.
"She still hasn't woken up. Poppy said we just have to wait, that she'll wake up in her own time, but it's been over 36 hours now and she hasn't even stirred." Severus replied, his voice strained with exhaustion and worry.
"Have patience, Severus. She'll wake up when she's ready." Severus only nodded in response, Poppy had told him this repeatedly, albeit rather confused as to why the Potions Master was taking such an interest in the recovery of this one student.
"Her friends are very worried." Dumbledore continued. "They were rather agitated when I spoke to them earlier; something about how their evil Potions Master wouldn't let them visit their friend in the hospital wing." He said pointedly.
Severus scowled. "She's not well enough for visitors."
"And yet, Poppy tells me you've barely left her side since she was admitted." Remarked Albus.
"I am not noisy or boisterous." Severus countered. "Potter and Weasley, on the other hand, are loud, irresponsible and reckless, and should be nowhere near someone who needs peaceful rest, especially when that someone is my daughter."
Dumbledore nodded understandingly. "Very well. You really should get some rest though, Severus. Hermione will still be here when you wake up."
They remained in silence for a few minutes, just looking down at the fragile girl, tucked snugly between cotton sheets and blankets. Dumbledore was just about to leave when Severus spoke again.
"Albus, what if she doesn't forgive me? Or worse, what if she does forgive me and then I screw it up?"
"Severus, you're a good man and Hermione is an intelligent girl. The two of you will work this out together. Just…give it time. Be patient."
Right. Thought Severus. Patience. He could do that.
Hermione rolled over in bed and then groaned in pain. Her chest really hurt but she couldn't quite remember why. Slowly, she pushed her body back so she was lying flat again and blinked her eyes open. Looking around blearily, Hermione established that she was in the hospital wing. This wasn't particularly surprising given her aching body and pounding head, but Hermione was surprised when she looked to her right and saw her potions professor asleep in a chair by her bed. His body was slumped down into a cosy looking armchair, which had presumably been transfigured from the rickety, wooden chair which usually stood in that spot. His cloak was draped over the back of the chair and he slept with his black frock coat open, revealing the white shirt beneath. Hermione tilted her head curiously at him. She couldn't remember a time when Professor Snape looked this vulnerable; he was only ever defensive and in control. Now, however, he didn't have his guard up; his mouth had fallen open slightly and his forehead was creased into a troubled expression.
Hermione turned away and looked back up at the ceiling. She really didn't want to be here when he woke up. She knew he wouldn't be pleased that she had kept her discovery from him. She knew he'd be mad about the way he'd found out. She knew he wouldn't want to be burdened with a daughter and she knew she couldn't take the rejection.
Sunlight was peeking into the room around the curtain edges and Hermione looked at the clock on the bedside table next to her, which read 6.00. That meant she could go up to Gryffindor Tower now, have a shower and be dressed in time for breakfast in the Great Hall.
Slowly, Hermione sat upright, her chest protesting every movement. She swung her legs to the side, off of the bed and pushed herself up onto her feet. The stone floor was cold on her bare feet and, after her head had acclimatized to its new height, Hermione began searching for some footwear. In the cupboard beside her bed she managed to find some fluffy slippers and also found her cloak folded neatly inside awaiting her departure from the infirmary. She pulled the cloak on over her night gown and was just turning to leave when she was startled by a voice behind her.
"And just where exactly do you think you're going?"
Hermione spun around quickly, causing her to wince as pain flared again across her chest. Professor Snape stood in front of the armchair where he had been sleeping a moment before, his lips pursed in disapproval and one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"P-Professor Snape! Er – I was just going to g-go up to my – my dorm…" She said nervously.
"Miss Granger, you are in no position to go anywhere. You will get back into bed and you will stay there until Madam Pomfrey says you are well enough to leave."
"Honestly, Professor, there's no need. I'm fine, really." Hermione responded hopefully. She really hated being stuck in the hospital wing.
"Miss Granger," Snape drawled dangerously as he moved towards her. "You were hit by a curse that would have killed you had Dolohov not been silenced when he cast it. You have been unconscious for two full days and you are clearly still in pain. You are most certainly not 'fine.'" He said sharply.
Hermione didn't say a word as he approached and gently put a hand behind her elbow so he could pull her back towards the bed.
"You will get back into bed." He said, his voice much softer but still firm.
In silence, she allowed him to remove her cloak and then pull back the blankets on the bed so she could get in. She did so obediently, without making eye contact. Once she was sat up in bed she looked down at her hands which were nervously smoothing out the blanket beneath.
"Don't worry, Professor, you can leave, I won't be offended. I realise you'd rather be elsewhere. I mean, you're probably tired or…hungry…or busy. I'm alright on my own anyway." Hermione said quietly.
She'd expected him to nod and leave briskly after that, so she was startled when he suddenly moved to perch on the edge of the bed. He twisted his body to face her and reached out, placing his fingers beneath her chin and tilting her face so she was forced to look at him.
"Hermione," he said in a tone of voice gentler than she'd ever heard him use. "You're my daughter." He stressed. "There is nowhere else that I would rather be than here."
Hermione didn't know where they came from but suddenly tears were flowing freely down her cheeks and she couldn't seem to stop them falling. She wiped at the tears hopelessly with her hands and sniffed ungracefully. Then suddenly her face was resting on his shoulder and she was wrapped in his embrace while he hushed her and tenderly stroked her hair.
"Shh, it's okay. Don't cry."
They stayed like that for a while as Hermione calmed down and then pulled apart. Severus moved back and transfigured the armchair into its original wooden form before dragging it closer to the hospital bed. Nervously, Hermione looked up into his eyes, unsure of what to say.
"Hermione, why didn't you tell me?" Severus asked earnestly.
She looked away, unable to meet his eye.
"Hermione?" He pressed.
"I thought you hated me." She mumbled quietly.
Severus shook his head dejectedly. "Hermione, I've said some horrible things to you in the past. If I could go back and change it now, I'd do so in a heartbeat. There are things I never should have said, even if you hadn't turned out to be my daughter. Please believe me when I say that I am deeply sorry."
Unable to accurately express how she felt, Hermione only nodded.
"When I told you – showed you." She corrected. "I – I thought that you didn't believe me, or else refused to accept it…Refused to accept me."
"Hermione," Severus responded seriously. "I didn't mean what I said in Umbridge's office. I had to keep my cover but I swear to God I never meant it. Hermione, you're my daughter, of course I accept you. I love you."
Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears once more. "You love me?"
Severus' mouth lifted into a small smile. "Yes. Don't ask me how it's possible to suddenly love another human being so unconditionally so quickly. But I know for a fact that I do. I've been going out of my mind waiting for you to wake up."
Hermione beamed back at him and leaned forward to embrace her new found father, only as she did so her chest protested sharply and Hermione yelped out in pain.
Severus immediately helped her to lay flat and frowned disapprovingly at her. "You've been moving around too much. You need to be resting, not jumping about." He said sternly.
"I was hardly 'jumping about.'" Hermione reasoned.
"Nor were you sleeping like you should have been." He countered. "Go back to sleep now. You have a few hours before Madam Pomfrey makes her rounds. I'll see you again when you've awoken." With that he turned to leave but he stopped when he heard her speak again.
"Thank you, Professor."
Severus felt himself smile again. "Sleep well, Hermione."
AN: N'aww a bit of sugar and sweetness for you there, but fear not angst-lovers of the world, there's still a bit more tension, drama and arguing to come.
That's your lot now until Monday. Trust me I will miss it just as much as you, but I shall sustain myself on all the reviews you give me :) Btw I am still intending to reply to some of the reviews from the last chapter I just haven't had time as yet.
So, have a good weekend everyone (I know I will, I'm seeing Les Mis in the West End! ;D ) and I'll see you all soon. x