Mornin'!
I might be British but Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.
Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Each one made me squeal...Made the cat rather skittish to be honest. But don't let that stop you. :P
Hermione and Severus sat side by side on his office floor. The cold of the stone beneath them was unable to creep through their clothing by a thick dark green rug they sat on. Their shoulders were barely touching though it was enough to give comfort in a time of distress. She smiled softly to herself and leaned her head upon his shoulder, both staring at the wall opposite.
His office was dark with only a couple of candles hovering above his desk to light his marking causing eerie shadows to flicker across the room. Hermione found she loved the darkness and the security it allowed, it acted as a security blanket, covering her with shadows. It felt as though it was almost hiding her.
Her hand gripped Severus's teaching gown tightly, not trusting herself to part with it just yet. It was her anchor to the world, a comfort that there was someone who cared for her. It may not be her parents but he was here when she needed him. Severus didn't seem to mind either.
She was unsure how they ended up sitting on the floor. She turned up distressed to his office and he had comforted her. She wasn't even sure she had told him what had caused it either, what Harry had said to her. Soon silence reined the room and they slumped onto the floor, leaning against the wall behind them.
She briefly turned her head to look upon the stern man who was sat beside her. The limited amount of light caused his sallow skin seemed whiter and his eyes were closed as he breathed deeply and calmly. He looked ill, almost undead. She shuddered at the images it caused.
The peace of the room was disrupted as he quietly asked, "Would you like to tell me what caused such a display of teenage angst?" He didn't move to look at her as he breathed calmly, keeping his eyes closed in a display of trust.
"Harry said…" She whispered quietly, not wanting to cut through the silence of the office. "Harry said that mum purposely left me…Chose to forget me." She said taking in a shuddering breathe as she pushed away the urge to sob. She looked down at her hand gripping his teaching gown. He wouldn't leave her like her parents did, he believed in honour and loyalty. Her knuckles were turning white as her grip became tighter.
She watched as he sigh heavily and slowly opened his eyes, still refusing to look at her. "I see that Potter is our one of our family downfalls." He murmured, causing Hermione to furrow her brow.
She opened her mouth to ask what he meant however he continued as though he never noticed. "You know she didn't have a choice. She loved you deeply."
Hermione smiled softly, leaning against his shoulder once more. "It was just hard to believe when it was said with such venom."
His hand moved up, stroking her hair for a few moments before dropping to his side once more.
Her hand slowly loosen its grip before dropping with a quiet thud onto the rug beneath them as the silence of the room worked its magic and allowed her to calm down, return to herself once more.
"Brian has mentioned you haven't seen him in a while. He misses you. Grumps every time we pass in forest." He said with a shake of the head and a small smile.
"I admit to missing him to. I was going to see him this afternoon actually." Hermione said with a small smile. She brought out her wand from its holder, quietly whispering Tempus. "I suppose I still have time. Got a few hours of sunlight left to go see him this evening."
Her fingers began to draw patterns in the rug beneath them, the discolouration from going against the strands displayed a small roughly drawn flower. "I was researching him a few weeks ago. He's rather Arthur Dent-ish. Relatively harmless." She said with a small giggle at her own joke. She moved to look Severus in the eye again as she asked, "Do you know if he's attached to anyone yet?" Her interest glittering in her eyes.
She frowned however when a wave of emotion flickered over his face before a blank mask once more settled. An emotionless voice sneered, "I have no idea Miss Granger and I wouldn't ask either. It's considered rude to ask him about his Bairn."
Hermione's frown deepened at his odd reaction. She didn't think it was the kind of question he would be uncomfortable with, causing such a shuttered reaction. She deliberated questioning him further, it must be important as he was being so tight lipped about it. However his clenched jaw and his hard eyes stopped her from opening her mouth. She was unsure if she could take his anger at the moment so she simply breathed in deeply and sighed.
She was startled however when he got up from the floor to sit behind his desk, looking at her as though he expected her to sit in the student chair. She was unsure to what had caused the change in the man, why he felt the need to put a physical barrier between the pair of them.
She carefully got up and moved across the room to the chair, looking at him with confusion as he looked at her with a hard expression. No emotions could be seen within his demeanour or eyes. It was a look that reminded her of 'Professor Snape' not Russ who she had been talking with the last few months.
"You mentioned Draco said something to you?" Snape said with an unwavering look of detachedness.
Hermione nodded just the once and said in a quiet voice, "He said that you were protecting me and couldn't wait until it stopped so I could get what was coming to me. What does he mean Russ?"
Hermione didn't think it was possible for Severus to move less but he did. He seemed to look at her, thinking whether she could handle whatever he was about to tell her. She couldn't help be shift uncomfortably in her chair at the untiring stare he was giving her. Finally he sighed and looked at the desk for a moment.
"You know of my…Unsavoury past I assume?" He asked her in quiet voice waiting until she nodded the once. "Well when you join his ranks you are warned you will have two…'unbreakable missions'. They are missions that will change your life, something you wouldn't like and wouldn't do unless forced. I've only been given one in my service, which was when I came here to teach on his orders." He paused for a moment with a small smile on his lips. "You might have guessed that I hate children so he used his unbreakable mission to make it happen. However with these two unbreakable's, he rewards two godsends. Something of a reward: Someone he cannot touch or he can give you money, power or a woman. It makes your will bend to him, unable to break loyalty. Both of my Godsends have been used…The first was to protect my old school Friend. However because she died at his hand I was able to deflect to the light properly, I was able to join the Order."
"I was already helping Dumbledore, telling him all I could about the Dark Lord, but I was unable to call myself Dumbledore's man completely because of my mark. The Dark Lord breaking a godsend allowed that. My other boon was to have you protected from him until you were of age."
Hermione watched the man who was sat across from her with a shocked expression. He spoke with such composure of his past bleakness, though his weakness was shown as his eyes never left the desk in front of him. He wouldn't show her his weakness through the sorrow in his eyes, she didn't think his pride would allow it. She sat silently, waiting and watching.
"What Draco told you was correct, the Dark Lord and his cronies are unable to touch you with cruel intentions until you are of age. Those who attacked you at the start of the summer were greatly punished by the Dark lord. Though I am apprehensive about what he will do to you when you are 17."
Hermione stared at him, rubbing her thumb over her left palm trying to keep herself grounded. She supposed this was a good thing, they couldn't hurt her until she was of age. However his school friend was murdered…And Draco is not one of the Dark Lords just yet, his father could ask him to hurt her for his own purpose. She shook her head, clearing the thoughts that seemed to be running around stinging her skull.
There was no need to panic. He only mentioned that she was his 'Godsend'. That doesn't mean anyone is going to hurt her, she can't believe she over reacted.
She looked up the Severus and smiled, "that's good to know. I will keep safe, don't worry."
Severus nodded the once, "Make sure you do Miss Granger. I don't think Potter could find his own arse without you telling him the directions." He said with a smirk, causing Hermione to look at him with slight disgust.
"Image I do not need, thank you." She said with a shudder before getting up. "Well I must depart to see Brian. I hope you have a nice evening….You never know Professor Umbridge might be in the mood for lurrrveee!" She said with a squeal of laughter, running out of the door while dodging his stinging hex on the way out.
Hermione stood just inside the Forbidden Forest looking around the darkness, unsure what she was going to do next. A softly spoken, "Brian" seemed to break through the silence of the forest so she wasn't going to bellow for him.
Hermione stood waiting for the beast to come to her and pondered when someone was going to speak to Harry about all that had happened in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. She thought that maybe Sirius should speak to him, allow Harry to know what it was like to have a father that cared. Someone to help him through his problems and to speak of his nightmares.
But what Hermione witnessed in the summer was how unstable Sirius was. He was bored, eager to run outside and he wasn't listening to the advice of the Order or Dumbledore.
Couldn't Sirius understand that he was Harry's only hope of a family. Someone just for him. She just hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid.
Her thoughts however were interrupted by the booming voice "Alright Little'un! I thought you might have forgotten about little ol' me! How you doin?"
Hermione jumped around, startled at the sudden noise. Brian only grinned broadly in response; a deep laugh aimed at the girl caused the small creatures nesting in the area to fly into the air. "I thought we were over that fear little'un! You can trust old Brian! Just a ball of fluff me!" he said with a grin, causing his long teeth to be on show.
Hermione breathed in deeply, causing the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins to slow down. She beamed to the beast, "I know that Brian! But when someone jumps out on you in the forbidden forest and you're my size, let's see if you don't squeal!" Causing Brian to chortle in laughter.
"You have a point there my lover." He said with a smile before sitting upon the floor, patting the earth next to him. "don't you worry, the ground is dry. Now what's the problem you have that same look upon your face as your Professor."
She looked at him with a small look of apprehension before exhaling a small breath. "Russ mentioned that I was protected due to his influence, because of a Godsend. Anyway, I'm just confused. If he's kept that a secret till now, what else haven't I been told?" She turned to look at him and smiled a self-depreciating half smile, "I suppose this is how Harry feels a lot of the time with everyone keeping secrets and such."
Brian breathed in deeply, before smiling softly at the girl. His burnt orange eyes surveyed her to see if she was in pain or distress automatically. His eyes soften as he took in the small waif of a girl; he had heard so much about the girl over the years. The girl might not know it but she almost felt like a grand kid to him. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her, especially as he knew the hurt it could do to those around her.
"I'm sure it wasn't malicious. Just what adults have to do to protect those in their care. Also I'm guessing he didn't tell you because you didn't ask. He's quite lateral like that." He said with a small chuckle.
Hermione shook her head and looked out into the forest, the darkness seemed to be closing in quick. She was disappointed she couldn't stop longer and talk to Brian, it seemed like she had only just turned up and it was time to leave again. And she seemed to have moaned at him as well.
It had been a busy day: First the library, then Umbridge, the fight then the afternoon with Russ. There just weren't enough hours in the day. She really should be going back to the castle for dinner but she didn't want to leave Brian so quickly.
"Naah don't you worry about your brief visit little'un, the forest is more dangerous at dusk than any other time. The beasts come out and play, all feeling rather peckish. Now back to the castle with yah!" he said with a nudge.
She got herself up and smiled softly to Brian, "see you soon Brian!" She hugged him quickly before running out of the forest, back to the castle that welcomed her with its warmth.
Hope you like it.
Reet...My lover is a brummie catch phrase. He isn't implying...that. Its like my friend or something.
Hope that isn't to much of a cliff hanger...Sorry about the previous ones, I can't help but write them. :)