Hey everyone!
I've been crazy busy today, but it's 11:48, so it's still Tuesday!
Keep the reviews coming!
:)
The two did not speak for the rest of the day. Hermione snuck down to Severus' private lab to continue with their potion, alone. She knew the time had come to move forward with the brew, the beans were officially gone and mixed in.
The cold room, despite the constant brewing, made Hermione shiver. She lit a single candle and spread her notes out in front of her, quickly reading through the directions. Taking a deep breath, Hermione began preparations for the next step of the brew. She worked in focused silence, mixing some ingredients in a separate bowl.
"I don't know," she growled peering at her directions, and back to the mush she had in the small bowl.
Taking a small vial full of clear liquid, she slowly tipped the glass, willing a single drop out. She watched as the drop fell into the bowl. The moment the two substances touched, there began a reaction. Quickly Hermione put away the vial and tossed her notes to a shelf on the other side of the room.
Panic washed over her. This shouldn't be happening! It was only supposed to liquefy the material! Not make it bubble! The mixture suddenly popped, causing Hermione to shriek. Without a second pause, the mixture bubbled over, and all over the table. She could instantly see the black, charred table due to the mixture touching it.
"Oh no!" she cried, watching the mixture make its way towards the cauldron.
"No, no, no!"
Instinctively Hermione reached out to push the liquid away from the cauldron.
"Ow!" she cried as she was burned, but the burning didn't stop.
Hermione ran to the sink and began washing her hands viciously in the sink as tears brimmed due to the pain. Once she was done, she wiped her hands on her pants, but the burning was still somewhat present. Snatching up her wand, she pushed the liquid away from the cauldron, breathing heavily.
Once she calmed down, she vanished the mess with a single spell, sighing as the green liquid vanished from sight. It was then that she realized her hands were still slightly burning and there were small hole being burned in her jeans from where she had wiped them. Instantly she set to cleaning her hands in the sink again, but the burning did not go away, nor did her pants stop disintegrating. Hermione turned as saw that the table was slowly being eaten away.
"I don't know what to do," she moaned, holding her hands away from her body.
She looked at her ring, seeing that the metal was still intact and glimmering magnificently. She had to do it. This situation wasn't exactly life threatening…well, she didn't think so, but she needed his help desperately at this moment. Taking a deep breath, she turned the ring twice on her finger, silently praying that he wouldn't be angry with her.
A moment later, a gust of wind signaled his presence, and Hermione wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeves. Severus was instantly searching the room, wand in hand, and panic written clear on his face.
"What's going on? Are you hurt?" he asked after figuring there wasn't any immediate danger.
"I-I just had an accident…I can't stop my hands from burning," she said, looking down at her shaking, now red and blistered hands.
He quickly appeared before her and took her hands in his.
"What did you touch?" he asked, keeping his head bent over her hands, calmly but efficiently scouring the skin.
Hermione quickly explained what had happened, and his dark, burning eyes suddenly snapped to hers.
"What on Earth would possess you to touch that?" he growled.
"I don't know! It was my first reaction!"
"You're a witch, and your first reaction is to touch a mixture you are unfamiliar with?"
"I'm Muggleborn, magic is not second nature to me,"
Severus shook his head and ran his wand across her palms, causing her immediate relief.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much, thank you,"
"Anything else?"
"I wiped my hands on my pants," she replied, looking at the now slightly noticeable holes in her jeans.
He sighed and lowered himself to one knee to study her legs. Hermione looked anywhere but him due to the slight blush that was on her cheeks. Once he was done, he moved to the sink which was slightly melting due to the potion and cleared it up.
"I'm assuming the table is the worst?" he asked turning to look at the surface.
"Yes," she replied still looking at her raw hands.
Hermione watched him rid the table of the malevolent potion before looking at her wand and ring.
"Why aren't these reacting to the potion?" she asked.
"They're magical objects, the ring more so than the wand,"
Hermione studied the two for another moment before pulling her notes back out and rereading the directions. Severus appeared beside her, also reading the notes.
"What were you trying to do,"
"There's a part that needs to be mixed separate, and I did that, it's just…it didn't work,"
The two spent several more hours together, speaking civilly with one another, slowly but surely putting their argument behind them and moving on with their lives.
Severus awoke early the next morning, knowing that he'd have to spend the day in Dumbledore's office once again. Turning his head slightly, he gazed at Hermione's face as he did every morning, thinking how lucky he was and how insane she must be.
Her hands had been heavily bandaged before they had gone to bed due to the severe amount of blistering that was occurring. Severus could have healed her hand with magic, but the likelihood of infection was too dangerous to risk. Her body would have to do the brunt of the healing for now, until he deemed it safe to heal the rest of the way.
Once the musing of her insanity for staying with him, Severus moved on to the guilt part of his morning thought process.
For as long as he lived, he would never forget the sounds of her screams the first time she was called to the Dark Lord. He sat outside Malfoy Manor, with his head in his hands, digging his nails into his own scalp each time he heard her screaming. Hundreds of times Severus thought of bursting into the house and taking her away forever. He had twenty years serving as a double spy; he could easily make them disappear.
But the brave Gryffindor came from the hell hole on her own two feet, making his chest swell with pride.
As his eyes ghosted over her face, Severus immediately thought of the day she had handed him a broom and they soared far about the field. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the burning on his skin from her touch, and the softness of her lips. They had been so close to his, nearly touching, until the broom shuttered beneath them from the altitude.
That day's memory was marred with Amycus Carrow physically assaulting her. Severus nearly killed him when they had met up afterwards, but he wouldn't dare say that to Hermione. The man often asked about her, with a sly grin on his face, showing his yellow teeth. The sight made his skin crawl and his mind dart back to the woman he knew was sound asleep in his bed.
When Hermione had told him that she was watched during her sleep by that monster, Severus all but nearly killed him. He was certain that man wouldn't allow the thought of her to pass through his mind in fear that Severus would find out.
The Dark Lord posed a larger problem for the two. He had blatantly told Severus the girl would be killed if she did not present new information the next time (after the New Year) she was summoned. Severus avoided her for some time after that. How could he tell her that she was going to be killed? Severus told her anyway; perhaps her brilliant mind would concoct a plan to save them both.
He physically cringed as he thought of the events of Halloween night. Severus allowed her to see him in the worst part of each year. Every Halloween he drowned out his guilt with severe intoxication. What made him hate himself all the more was the fact that she was so gentle, understanding, and forgiving. He wanted her to hate him. Anything! Hate him for loving a dead woman, passing out drunk; hate him for causing the death of two innocent people, causing the misery of her best friend. But he did not get anything but comfort from her.
Even when they were arguing, he tried to get something out of her, anything, but all she said was that she trusted him. It enraged him further. She thought that she was being sneaky when she left the room, but he heard the whole thing, not to mention Crookshanks darted from the bedroom and straight to the door.
Severus was too proud to follow her and demand she speak to him, though her silence was nearly killing him. He was just drifting off to sleep when his ring began to burn on his finger. Without a second thought, he grabbed his wand and Apparated…to his private lab. Upon finding that she was relatively safe, his anger vanished.
Hermione had said that she tried to use her hands to stop the potion. The thought brought a slight smirk to his face. Of all things…she uses her own body. The hours of trial and error afterwards patched up their relationship and lessened the tension between them.
Severus peered at the clock on his nightstand, knowing he was going to be late for breakfast, but not finding it in himself to care. His eyes drifted once again to her peaceful face, knowing he didn't trust himself another moment alone with her. Forcing himself up, he was calmly seated in Dumbledore's office fifteen minutes later.
"Hello, my dear boy, how are you on this fine morning?" Dumbledore's portrait asked.
"How do you think I am, Albus?" Severus hissed back.
"What seems to be the problem?"
Severus remained silent with his eyes closed and head resting on the back of the chair.
"Ah, still thinking about Miss Granger? Forgive me, Mrs. Snape?"
Once again Severus did not reply, but thought of the name 'Granger', realizing how long it had been since he last heard it.
"The solution is very simple, Severus,"
"Simple?" Severus finally spoke, standing and facing the picture. "What is so simple about this?"
"You must let her go. She no doubt has a way to contact Harry, she will not be lost. If Voldemort is to keep her alive, she must be able to gain new information for him,"
"Absolutely not! I will not allow her to wander around, out there, with Wonder Boy and his sidekick! It is far too dangerous!"
"You're worried about her," Albus said with a small smile.
"How would you feel if in my position?" Severus snapped back.
"You cannot keep her hidden from the world forever, Severus,"
Oh, but he certainly could try.
"There is another thing," Albus continued.
"What is it?" Severus asked, facing the portrait once again.
"The time is drawing near for the sword,"
"Why does Potter need the sword?"
"That, I cannot tell you,"
"Of course not," Severus muttered as he sank into the chair.
"I have to say Severus; your wife is a much better conversationalist than you are,"
"I would have never guessed," Severus replied sarcastically.
"She talks very highly of you, even when talking about your negative attributes. She cares very much for you, more than she lets on I dare say, but it is written clear as day on her face. I've never seen someone so purely happy as she is,"
"I'll do what you want Albus. You don't have to try and warm me up to the task with your flattery,"
"I'm doing no such thing, Severus. I'm simply telling you not to ignore what you have right in front of your face. I believe Lily has been honored well enough throughout the years, don't you? It is time to close one door and step through another,"
"I'll honor who I damn well please!"
"Hermione is practically begging for your attention, Severus! Are you going to let something so wonderful and pure slip through your fingers! It is time that you see what Hermione is offering you! You have a chance to be happy, Severus, after all of these years, you can be happy with someone who will be equally, if not more happy with you! Do not let your past consume your future. You will be hurting more than yourself if you do,"
"And what if I die, Albus? Did you think what that would do to her? What am I to do? Lead her on and then be killed? How is that any better than what I'm doing now? It'll only make things worse for her in the long run,"
"Would you rather her have something of you to remember you by or remember you like this?"
"I can assure you; I will be gone quicker from her memory than if I was never there at all,"
"You are gravely mistaken, Severus, and it is a sad thing to see. If you could but see her when she speaks of you, you would not think so,"
The two fell silent as Severus viciously scribbled on his paper work. Around noon, Severus was interrupted from his work by a knock on his door.