Hermione stood over a cauldron in Snape's personal lab, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as he watched her motions with sharp eyes. He'd begun to teach her some of the more complicated brews, testing her first on correct portions and ingredients until they were burned into her mind.
These potions could kill if the wrong ingredient was used. Explode and cause serious bodily harm for the wrong portions. She stirred, three times clockwise, six times counterclockwise and then watched with bated breath for the potion to turn the correct color.
Plum, it turned plum and she let out the breath she'd been holding.
"I did it…" She breathed, eyes wide as they came up to meet Snape's, he was watching with what she hoped was a proud smirk on his face, black eyes met hers and she was so giddy she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.
This was the most complicated potion she'd ever brewed, the most dangerous, and she'd done it right on the first try.
She was elated.
"You certainly did." He crossed his arms across his chest as he watched her, black eyebrow coming up a little at the excited look on her face.
He'd never seen anything so purely happy, he was almost certain in his life.
He'd certainly never made anyone so happy, much less been in their presence when they were.
"I can't believe it." She stared into the potion, her eyes sparkled as she watched the deep plum color swirl in the cauldron. Heat off, it was ready to be settled into vials and sent to the ministry.
She'd brewed her first ministry bound potion.
"You worked hard for it, Hermione." Her eyes flicked back up to him, amazement on her face.
"Did you just?" Her eyes watered, lips pursed as she stared into his black eyes.
"I apologize, that was incredibly forward of me."
"No!" She shouted and then adjusted her voice. "No…Please, call me Hermione." This time she was beaming at him and his stomach coiled into a tight ball inside him.
He'd made her smile…at him, wanted him to call her by her name.
They'd been working together for a month and she was so happy, so incredibly happy that he finally saw her as someone he could call by name.
She wondered how long it would be before she could call him by name. She knew it would take him awhile to become comfortable with the idea. She was fine with that, she would wait as long as she had to.
She'd developed an odd relationship with this wizard, a closeness she'd not felt to anyone- perhaps aside from Harry- in her entire life.
Even Ron didn't know her as this man did. He paid attention, knew what she liked, disliked, when she was upset.
"Okay, okay, that is enough for the night. Let us pack this one away and clean up and then bed." He smirked and walked beside her to help put away her mess. She watched him from beneath her hair, out of the corner of her eye.
She tried not be obvious. Tried to ignore the chocolate frogs leaping around in her stomach.
This wasn't the same as with Harry, this was different.
Perhaps she was getting sick?
SSHG
Severus' eyes flicked open, trying to focus in the darkness of his room. He could hear faint screaming, cries for help.
He was out of his bed before he could orient himself and dizziness swept over him for a moment, he had little time to concentrate on it as he hurried from his room, ignored his state of undress, boxers were almost shorts, right?
The sounds were coming from Hermione's room and he flicked the door open as he strode in. She was tensed in her bed, the covers wrapped tight around her legs and her back bowed.
Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were wide open, but unseeing.
Nightmares, no, this was a night terror. He'd seen it, never experienced it.
He came to her bedside and sat on the edge softly, his hand settling on her stomach and easing her flat gently. He lay beside her, hoping she wouldn't attack him when he woke her and pulled her gently into his arms. She stilled but her eyes did not close, nor did they gain the light of recognition.
"Shh, Hermione. I'm here, and you're safe, come on, wake up." His thick voice whispered as gently as he could muster, her eyes fluttered closed, open, closed.
She pulled herself into his body, her muscles going lax and a groan fell from her lips.
"What happened?" She whispered, voice hoarse and he tried to pull her back a bit to look at her. No use, she clung to the skin of his back as if he would fade away if she released her hold even a bit.
"You were having a particularly bad dream. You're okay now, I'm here." He cooed into her ear, pulled her sticky hair back from her face and stared into her eyes. They were red rimmed and swollen.
"Oh…" She rasped, blinked again and dug her face under her chest. "I was back in the manor, everyone was dead." She whimpered and he stroked her hair delicately. He winced.
"If I could have stopped you ever having that experience I would have." He sneered at the thought. She'd told him calmly one day, about Bellatrix's torture, about how she'd gotten the scar.
"You were going through so much worse." She breathed into his chest, her breath was hot on his bare skin.
"Shh, don't worry about it more, just go back to sleep." He caressed her hair, down her back and she sighed into his chest, he could feel her eyelashes flutter against his skin.
He pulled back to leave, let her sleep but she dug her fingers into his back, almost painfully. He'd been through so much worse, he would endure this, for her, only for her.
"Don't leave me, please. Stay." She cried into his chest and he brought his arms around her tighter, hugged her flush to him and caressed her hair once more.
"I won't, you're okay." His voice was husky against the top of her head, still heavy with his own need for sleep and soon, twined together they fell asleep in Hermione's bed.
SSHG
Severus woke, alone, in Hermione's bed. He could hear a shower running as his tired eyes blinked open and he sat up, tan sheets gathered around his waist as he sat up.
She stepped out, wrapped in a bath robe with her hair tied up in a towel, peach steam followed her out and she gave him a bright smile.
"Good morning." She played with the sash of her robe and slipped over to the dresser and wardrobe that held her clothing. She easily selected jeans and a blue top, her robes were draped across a chair. She gathered her undergarments more discretely and shuffled back into her bathroom. Severus watched her go with wide, curious eyes.
Was she really so comfortable with him, half naked in her bed?
What exactly was happening?
When she came back out, freshly dressed with a toothbrush between her lips and an odd look in her amber eyes he blinked up at her.
"Feeling better then?" He furrowed his brow and slipped from her bed, ignored her eyes zoning in on him as he exposed more than simply his chest.
"Much, thank you." She spoke around the brush and looked away, an attempt not to stare, though her eyes flicked back to him several times.
It almost made him feel proud. An odd sense of pride, that she would want to gawk at him at all.
"Good." He turned to walk through the room and she rinsed her mouth, caught him with a whispered 'sir'.
He turned to face her, eyes boring into hers.
"Thank you, for everything." She turned from him and he left, no need for more words.