Hey! I know, I'm sort of late, but I've been without Internet for 4-5 days, and it is 4 AM right now, and I just got back from a 18 hour car ride, and immediately came to update :) So be happy! I didn't forget you!
Read, review, and enjoy!
Slowly the weeks crept by. Hermione spent most of her time reading, working on taking notes for her new potion, and conversing with various house elves. Rarely did she see Severus during the day. He often stayed in his office, or stalked the halls, pretending to be looking for troublemakers, but really making sure the Carrows were keeping their wands to themselves. He would often eat lunch with her, but Hermione didn't like being forced to see the strain on his face every day. Being Headmaster was slowly wearing him down, faster than his twenty years playing spy ever did.
At nights, Hermione would wait in his chambers for him, and the moment he would get back, he would take his usual spot in the chair near the fireplace. From there, they engaged in small conversation, and Hermione usually read aloud from a novel before he turned in early.
The process would repeat itself every day, causing Hermione to slip into her own thoughts about Harry and Ron, and the mission Albus had given them.
One morning, Hermione awoke to something putting pressure on her back. She swatted it away and groaned before burying her face in a pillow. It was far too early to be up, and she was up late last night taking furious notes.
"Go away," she snapped, thinking Severus was trying to get her up.
There was a vibration in her hair…and her eyes widened. What on Earth was that? Instantly Hermione flipped over, and was met by a flash of ginger fur.
"Crookshanks?" she cried, quickly scooping the cat up and hugging it tightly.
Purring contently, the cat nuzzled her face, causing Hermione to grin widely.
"I've missed you so much!"
She pulled her eyes from the cat to stare at the man standing at the bottom of the bed, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
"You needed something to cheer you up," he said.
Instantly she dropped the cat to the bed, and launched herself at his body, forcing him to catch her.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You don't know how amazing this is!" Hermione squealed happily while still clinging to the man in black.
"Don't mention it," he muttered, going to place her feet back on the ground.
Hermione pulled back to look into his eyes before quickly kissing his cheek. The action caused him to loosen his arms around her, and his eyes to flash in a way that made her stomach flip.
"How did you get him?" she asked, pulling herself away and turning back to the cat who was anxiously standing on the end of the bed, begging for her attention.
"Minerva knew that the Weasleys were keeping him. She offered to take him off their hands…considering…well, what they are going through,"
Hermione lovingly stroked the ginger cat, who anxiously paced back and forth in order to feel her touch.
"I'd forgotten how beautiful you were," she murmured while scratching his ear.
Finally she looked up at the man she loved, seeing him studying her closely. Hermione hugged him again, this time hanging on.
"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," she murmured into his neck.
His arms instantly wrapped around her, and Hermione smiled, noticing that he didn't even hesitate at the action like he used to do. After another moment, she pulled away and casually brushed a piece of lint from his shoulder.
"Do you have to go?" she asked without meeting his gaze.
He shook his head, remaining silent. Hermione raised her eyes to his, holding his gaze evenly. She pondered how much had changed over almost a year. Never before could she hold the Potion Master's gaze as she was now, or be so close to him without feeling petrified. Now all she could feel was completely and utterly safe with him.
God, she loved him, she thought with a sigh. Hermione wanted to be in his arms forever, feeling the powerful arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the world.
A sudden pop in the room alerted them to Dobby's presence.
"Mater told Dobby to inform him if he was late to breakfast," Dobby said, looking like a frightened animal.
"I'll be eating here today, Dobby," Severus said, looking at the house elf for a moment before turning his eyes back to her.
Hermione gave him a soft smile just as Crookshanks pawed her hand, begging for attention. She turned to him with a smile before kneeling at the foot of the bed to be at eye level with him.
"You're such a good boy, aren't you?" she said softly.
Severus scoffed behind her, and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"What?" she asked when he didn't give her an answer.
"Your cat is the epitome of evil,"
"No he's not!" Hermione protested.
"Yes, he is,"
"What did he do to you?"
"He attacked my feet this morning, not to mention he has been giving me dirty looks since he laid eyes on me,"
"Well, what did you do to him?" she asked.
"Nothing,"
"I'm sure you did something to offend him," Hermione said scooping the cat up and holding it tightly to her chest.
"It's a cat," Severus said rolling his eyes.
"He has feelings too," Hermione instantly protested.
Severus shook his head and went out to the living room where Dobby had appeared with breakfast. Hermione joined him, and spent the meal slipping small scraps to Crookshanks who stayed firmly planted at her feet like a mini guard dog.
"I'm sure that Dobby was instructed to feed you, not the fur ball,"
"He's hungry,"
Severus stared at her across the table with the paper in his hands.
"I'm starting to think that this was a bad idea," he murmured.
"No it wasn't, if you didn't bring him, I'd be-"
Hermione cut herself off and instantly began eating.
"You would what?"
"Nothing," she mumbled quickly.
"I've learned that whenever you don't tell me something, I have reason to be suspicious,"
She was not going to tell him about her plans for the potion to help with the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. Absolutely not.
"I'm not going to tell you, and don't you dare try and sneak into my mind when I'm least expecting it,"
"Remember what I said about secrets?" he said in a slightly colder tone.
"Well you keep them from me, and I think we're getting along just fine," Hermione snapped while standing from the table.
Another house elf showed up with an envelope for Severus at that moment, preventing his snide remark.
"Go," he snapped to the elf.
Hermione turned to yell at him to be nice to the house elves but then noticed that his face had become pale and his knuckles white. She didn't move a muscle as she took in his face, watching the dark irises dart back and forth.
Finally he placed the sheet of paper down, avoiding her eyes altogether. Hermione felt her heart pounding in her ears and her breathing quicken. Not much startled Severus Snape, and when something did, Hermione knew that it was bad.
"He…he wants to see you,"
Hermione didn't need to be told who was waiting for her.
"When?" she asked barely moving her lips.
"The end of the week, Friday," he said quietly.
Hermione took a deep breath, forcing her fear inside of her. She needed to be strong for the both of them. She was scared to go, and he was scared for her to go. If Severus saw anything in her countenance, he would immediately suggest that they drop the whole thing.
"Friday is my birthday," Hermione mumbled quietly.
"The nineteenth?"
She nodded solemnly and slipped into the bedroom. They both needed some time to think and time away from one another. They couldn't feed off of each other's fear.
The days darted by, and Hermione was desperately grasping for time. Each minute that ticked by, Hermione felt her heart beat slightly harder. It was a constant state of anxiousness.
Hermione also found herself watching the nervous tendencies that Severus often displayed. His eyes would dart around the room every few minutes as if he was making sure nothing was sneaking in and invading their space. He nervously fingered the pages in his books, drummed his fingers on his knee or the table top, rubbed his face, tore his hand through his hair and often paced for hours on end.
Thursday night arrived and Severus was pacing back and forth in front of the fire with his arms crossed behind his back and his brow furrowed in thought. Hermione had a book opened on her lap, but she couldn't focus on anything but his footsteps falling on stone, then the carpet in front of the fireplace, and then stone again. Over and over she listened to the sound.
"Please stop," she finally said in a desperate tone that made him freeze and turn to her. "You're making me nervous, I'm nervous enough as it is," she barely whispered without meeting his eyes.
In a swift motion he was seated beside her, and she didn't move a muscle. She could feel it; Hermione could feel the time slipping through their fingers like the sand on the beach. She knew that this was potentially the last night they would spend together, if she made a wrong move tomorrow.
Suddenly he extended a hand to her, and Hermione instantly grasped his hand, intertwining their fingers. They sat there for over an hour, their hands resting on the couch between them, both staring into the fire, thinking about what tomorrow would bring.
"Come," Severus finally muttered, pulling her up and into the bedroom.
Hermione reluctantly got ready for bed, knowing that the sooner she would slip between the covers, the sooner the sun would rise, and the sooner they would be thrust into their uncertain fates.
Regardless, Hermione fell asleep in an instant, the stress and worry of the week finally wearing her down.
The next morning, the moment she regained consciousness, Hermione jolted up in bed, finding Severus still asleep beside her. She got ready, spending extra time on her appearance in order to distract herself. She went into the living room and straightened some books, and then straightened them again before rearranging them once again.
A knock came from the door and Hermione pulled open the picture, finding Dobby standing there with a large package.
"Dobby, why didn't you just come in?" she asked, instantly taking the package from his shaking arms.
"Dobby was afraid Master would be awake,"
"Severus? Why would you be afraid of him?"
"He often tells Dobby to not come in unless he knocks,"
"Oh, well, what is this?" she asked, eyeing the package with no name on it.
"It's Mistresses birthday gifts," Dobby said.
"Oh," Hermione said, placing the package on the table and staring at it.
"Dobby collected them all and put them together for Mistress,"
"Thank you, Dobby," she said smiling at the elf.
"Not at all, and happy birthday," he said with a bow before disappearing.
Hermione turned to stare at the package. She felt as if it were going to attack her. She didn't want to see how many people cared for her, it would only remind her of what she had the potential of losing.
She stepped forward and tore the paper away. Instantly she saw packages wrapped in different colors with many different designs.
Picking up the smallest, appearing to be a box, was a parcel wrapped in newspaper. A note was attached to it, written in a familiar scrawl. Eagerly she tore open the paper and sat down.
Hermione,
I was so glad to receive your letter; it has been lonely since I left home. Tonks is staying with her parents…we're going to be parents, can you believe it? The thought scares me half to death. What if I pass my problem down to him? I'd never be able to forgive myself.
Living underground isn't the best thing in the world. Those of us who won't join the other side are forced to live in exile. I'd stay here forever if it meant Tonks and our baby will be okay. Bill said that I could stay with him and Fleur, but I wouldn't want to impose on them.
I have the feeling that the worst is yet to come. After the wedding, most of us were tortured and questioned, but we stayed strong. Shortly after, things for my kind became difficult, and the day after Tonks told me we were expecting, I was forced to leave to protect her and our child.
Enough about me, how are you holding up? I hope Severus is taking good care of you. Things are going to become more dangerous than you've ever known before, and you need to be ready for that.
I'm afraid I can't say much more. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy birthday.
Your friend,
Remus
Hermione fell into a chair choking on her tears. It only reminded her of what she had the possibility of losing. With fumbling hands she peeled away the newspaper and found a small wooden box. Opening the lid, she found a beautiful quill; the stark white feather was perfect in every way. Gently she ran her finger over the silky feather and sighed. It was the most beautiful quill she had ever seen before.
Placing the box down, she looked at the other packages. One was clearly a Weasley package. Hermione opened that one next and was met with one of Molly's knitted sweaters she had always loved. Quickly she pulled it over her tank top she usually wore to bed and smiled at the warmth. Hermione wondered how on earth Molly had managed to get this package to her. Regardless, she was happy. There was a small box of candy along with a birthday card that literally sang to her. She instantly slammed it shut in fear of waking Severus.
There was another package wrapped in plain paper, and Hermione worked on that one next. A note slipped out, written in green ink.
Hermione,
I know you must be getting restless sitting around, so I took it upon myself to give you something I know you surely must miss.
Minerva
Hermione looked down and nearly squealed in excitement. There was a stack of textbooks along with the 7th year curriculum. Minerva had even gone as far as getting the schedules for each of the classes to inform her when they would be covering certain material. Even if she couldn't be in class, she could at least learn the same material. Instantly she set to flipping through the books and quickly scanning though the material. It certainly would give her something to do while she sat around here doing nothing.
Hermione lifted her eyes to glance around at the table littered with paper, notes, and gifts, and couldn't believe that so many people cared for her. All in the same moment the task that was at hand came crashing down on her. Suddenly the wishes of a happy birthday faded and washed away from her thoughts.
It wasn't until Severus emerged from the room dressed in his impeccable attire did Hermione finally come back to the present.
"Good morning," she mumbled jumping up and cleaning the table while secretly wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Morning," he muttered taking in the scene before him while adjusting his cuffs. "What on Earth are you wearing?" he asked after another moment.
"It's from Molly," she said stacking her books and avoiding his eyes.
"Of course it is," he muttered before sighing deeply.
Hermione's hands were shaking and her heart was pounding quickly in her chest. She knew the time was coming. She could practically feel Voldemort breathing down her neck. Swallowing deeply, Hermione clutched a textbook to her chest.
"What-what time?" she asked quietly.
"After dinner,"
Hermione nodded and scooped up her books before hiding out in the bedroom. She was resolved to stay there the rest of the day and bury herself in 'school work'. For hours she poured over textbooks and parchment littered the bed and floor around her, but she still furiously scribbled notes while hunched over.
Severus left shortly after he spoke to her in the living room, and Hermione felt herself grateful for the fact. She had spent numerous times hunched over the toilet, breathing heavily with sweaty hands.
Hermione knew that the time would come eventually, but still, she prayed that time stopped at some point, preventing her from leaving.
But the more she wished time to slow, the faster it seemed to creep by. The moment she heard the portrait swing open, Hermione wished that she could just disappear off the face of the Earth. Her heart was pounding loudly and her head was spinning.