Severus straightened himself up to his full height his eyes lit with the fires of hell as his fist shot out quicker than a viper's strike. He took immense satisfaction in the unadulterated terror in the boy's face seconds before it met with his fist. He felt the bones crack in the other's face as he pitched sideways into the wall leaving a rather nice hole before he dropped to the floor unconscious.
Severus pant heavily and turned deliberately, shaking out his hand just a bit, he'd surely fractured something but at present, he just couldn't care. His eyes darted between Minerva and Harry before landing fully on Hermione. The girl had obviously been crying but she had gently pushed off Minerva's embrace. She took a shuddering breath before reaching out her hand towards him.
Harry leaned back in complete shock unable to fully understand what he was seeing. His eyes turned immediately to Snape as he took a step towards her. On instinct, he stood to block the man's path but a gentle hand pulled on his wrist.
Minerva had gained her senses and stood to gently pull Harry from Snape's path. The boy looked like he was about to open his mouth before her grip tightened dangerously. Harry swallowed thickly as Snape stepped directly past him without so much as a passing glance.
Hermione's fingers searched him out crawling up his arm as soon as she felt Snape's hand near her own; she pulled him closer lifting herself up. The man leaned down to her request and she wrapped her arms around his neck without hesitation. His arms wrapped under her legs and around her back automatically as he stood.
"Visiting hours are over." He hissed through his damaged throat. His eyes pierced straight through Harry, as he turned, the wall in front of him dissolved as Minerva quickly opened an arch for them to pass through.
Harry broke from his stupor lurching forward to follow and had almost made it before the arch sealed shut, nearly taking off his nose, causing him to pitch back scrambling to keep his footing. His head whipped around toward his former head of house eyes filled with confusion.
"Not a wise choice Mr. Potter." Her voice was solemn guilt falling all over her face. It wasn't the first poor decision that had been made that day. She tucked her wand back up her sleeve turning her sad and tired eyes towards Ron. What had she done?
Snape thumped quickly down the stairs wanting to be as far away as possible from the two imbeciles. The girl in his arms was dreadfully quiet her head hidden in her arms against his chest. He moved to the sitting room taking her over to the lounge. He felt her arms tighten around him as he leaned to lay her down. She made a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat and pressed up against him. Severus paused before very carefully turning and sitting down with her. He felt her relax and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
Hermione swallowed as they stilled; her arms slowly slipped down from his shoulders thankful that he hadn't forced her to release him. She could feel his chest still heaving against her, his repressed anger and pain rolling through him but she didn't want to be alone right now, and she suspected, neither did he. Her mind was swirling through so many things at once and she fully believed his control was the only thing keeping her sane in that moment.
Severus felt conflicted, he had felt such sadness coming from her when she had spoken with them. Though he knew she needed to see them; what he had feared had come to pass. He tilted his head down to look at her. He noticed just a tiny bit of blood near the entrance of her nose. She had pushed herself way too hard once again. His jaw twitched as he racked his brain for anything even remotely comforting to say.
"I'm so sorry..."
It was she who broke the silence, her voice tight as she tried to hold back her tears. She sniffled and wiped at her nose lifting her head from his chest. She didn't meet his eyes, her own filled with a deep sadness that he could feel through out her entire being.
His brow furrowed with confusion as he searched her face, "Whatever for?" His voice cracked and throbbed painfully as he pushed the words from his mouth.
"For what he said to you..." Her voice barely a whisper. She felt her words hanging in the air and felt her control weaken, slowly her entire body sagged against him, completely defeated.
Severus' frown deepened even more as he saw complete and utter defeat slowly take over her form. His jaw twitched as the words the red head had spoken repeated themselves through his mind. He wouldn't deny there was some truth in his words. In fact, if he were truly honest with himself it was one of the reasons he had come to know the girl in his arms so well. His mind recalled back, many years ago when Lily had come to him on that night. The way her beauty and peace had filled him with so much more than he deserved. The words she had spoken to him.
Hermione felt long roughed fingers gently take her chin. She resisted only for a second before allowing her head to be lifted. Her sadness heavy eyes slowly turning up to look into the face of the man she could only see in her dreams.
"Do not take responsibility for the actions of others." His thumb carefully brushed away a tear that had managed to fall. He watched her face twitch as she tried to take his words to heart. He himself had fallen victim to the aforementioned way too many times to count. He knew the weight that it placed on a soul. Even now, he could feel her pulling away from him, unable to lift the burden.
"I've caused such pain..." Her voice broke with emotions long held inside, her warm tears pouring down like a hot summer rain against his fingers.
He felt his heart wrench painfully as all words left him. What could he possibly say? What words could even hope to bring comfort to such a proclamation? She was much too clever to fall prey to false platitudes.
Hermione's eyes shut tightly, a gentle choked sob coming from her chest. She could feel the weight of her words pressing against her fragile heart and didn't stop herself from slipping away from him into her mind. His arms tightened around her sorrow weakened frame, his hand protectively holding her head to his chest as he felt her slip away from him. He had tried, but failed, to join her.
She found herself standing in the center before the cold dead fireplace, her eyes taking in the rows and rows of empty shelves. Her soul burned brightly in the space casting deep warped shadows through the shelves. She lifted her hand to her heart, her eyes turning slowly over the space. What hope could she possibly have left?
A coldness swelled against her back and she knew she was no longer alone. She didn't turn to look to see what she knew to be there. The light click of claws echoed deafeningly around her inner library as it approached. Suddenly, a bolt of searing hot lighting ran straight through her heart, like a gunshot, it pierced her entire being. It left her breathless as she turned to look down at herself, the deep red light growing brighter. A slow solid line formed straight across her heart, splitting open the hairline cracks and joining them to form a long spider webbed design. It was in that moment, she knew exactly what the creature had been waiting for all this time. Her breath came out in small puffs as the air around her grew frigid. She had to make a choice.
The creature moved slowly, standing up on its rear legs, its long torturous claws coming up to wrap around her shoulders. Its tongue curled around in front of her vision. A delicious hopeless fear flowed through its victim from its touch and it leaned in even closer its jowls smiling against her ear.
Hermione couldn't help but lean her head back from its dangerous snake like tongue, her mouth parted as she tried to keep still; her entire frame trembling from her restraint. Its weight was immense threatening to tear her completely down. Its claws scratched the surface of her soul as they curled around. She was trapped, caught in the claws of her constant tormentor. Her eyes snapped forward as a pulse ran from her center. A bright white cord, bursting forth reaching out into the darkness ahead of them. She trembled uncontrollably as she felt its cold iron like teeth pressing into her ear.
"Please don't leave me..."
Hermione's breath hitched as the voice pulsed through the thread. It wasn't a child's voice this time. No, it was the voice of an extremely vulnerable man, bravely reaching out. Her eyes snapped transfixed to the thread before her, it pulsed again a new voice joining her.
"You must promise me, promise me that you won't leave him behind..."
Hermione swallowed as she felt the tongue slowly rising to curl around her neck.
"I promise..."
Hermione's entire body jolted as the thread pulled hard against her. She felt the creature growl loudly its hold growing even tighter, the very tip of the claws that wrapped around her scratched her soul dipping in, contaminating it with its evil. It burned like cold fire. The tongue around her neck wound tighter as well pulling her head back to stare into its open jowls. The words wafted through the space as she made her choice. She felt an immense power like she had never felt before swelling in her heart. Suddenly, a brilliant light ran through the cracks of her soul, blindingly powerful. She heard the monster roar as if burned and quickly release her; running scared back into the darkness.
She blinked slowly as she realized she'd raised her hand to take hold of the thread. The power thrummed from the connection into her being, it was intoxicating. She felt herself being pulled back through the door, back through, to him.
Severus lifted his head from her forehead his hand had come to wrap around her neck cradling her head in his hand. He had felt her slip away from him but found that his entry into her mind had been blocked. Whatever was living inside her had taken control. But he wouldn't let her defeat herself. Not this way. He had pushed with all he had inside him trying to reach her. To pull her back to him. But he knew, the choice was hers alone. As he felt the thread between them grow taunt he had pulled with all his power.
Hermione's eyes twitched under her lids, she could feel the world around her once again. The weight of his chest pressed against her side was comforting and she never wanted to leave. His soft smell came to her next, she felt him shift back slightly, his breath moving the hair on her brow. She took a cautiously deep breath before opening her eyes.
Her breath stuck in her chest as the world around her shone brightly with color. Shapes and objects clear in view. She tilted her head back in his hand her eyes instantly seeking his. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest when his eyes slowly opened to meet hers. It was like seeing him all over again. His eyes a deep onyx highlighted at the bottom with a touch of gold filled with so much concentration, such unwavering certainty, such raw power.
They waited together, transfixed, breaths held tight in their chests, for her eyes to return to their smokey white but as the seconds passed and nothing threatened to take his visage from her, she felt she could no longer hold her breath and slowly exhaled against his chin.
Her tongue came out slowly to wet her parted lips, "I...I know...what it wants..." Her words were near breathless as they filled the space between them. Her eyes flicked to his lips before returning to his eyes. She watched his brow deepen as he took in her words his lips closing tightly. She had his undivided attention, she could tell and it felt, overwhelming.
"It... wants-"
Their moment was broken as a loud explosion erupted from upstairs. The voices that had been held within the room burst forth traveling down the stairs to them.
"Mr. Potter! If you don't stop this instant I'll-"
Severus' head whipped towards the stairs his eyes narrowing dangerously. Apparently, the woman was getting slow in her old age.
Hermione couldn't help but turn her head in his hold, her eyes taking in so many things at once making her very dizzy, she held on a bit tighter to Snape as she saw a black haired wizard with glasses jumping down the latter half of the stairs narrowly avoiding a stunning hex that was aimed at his back.
"Enough!" Severus' voice boomed through the house, his throat tightening considerably from the strain.
Harry skid to a stop as he rounded on the voice his wand raised as he panted heavily, though as his eyes landed on the scene before him, he felt locked in place. The intimate embrace his former professor was holding his best friend in stopped all thought in his brain. Hermione didn't even look remotely put out as she looked at him over the ridge of Snape's hand, her own hands holding tighter to the man he had come to fear and respect later in his life. His eyes were torn back to the stairs as Minerva quickly joined them her wand raised towards Harry.
Hermione watched the exchange with wide eyes her heart pulsing through her ears. She was still trying to get her brain to catch up to actually being able to see again before she realized just whom she was looking at.
Minerva's face was tight as she panted heavily, it had been a misjudgment on her part to even turn her back for a second as she sought to Ron's removal. Now she stood, pointing a wand at a former student, it felt unbelievably wrong but she knew she had to protect Severus. She owned him that much. Her eyes shot over to the man in question.
"Enough." His words came out with a fatigued pant as he swallowed down the pain, the only indication was the twitch of his cheek as he took a deep breath. He felt so many things running through him at that moment, so many trivial things, that he had put in high regard. None of that mattered now, his secrecy, his prison, his anything. The very real possibility of having almost lost the girl in his arms to a dark force that no one in that room could even begin to comprehend had quickly sorted out his priorities.
"Sit. Down. Potter." He spat at the glasses wearing wizard.
Hermione had remained silent through it all, just watching as everyone stilled to the power of his voice. She felt a bit of a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. She felt like a field mouse being protected by a mighty lion. The power of the man who held her had never been a question to her before, but it was still amazing to see how much power he commanded with so few words.
Minerva came to her senses first, slowly tucking her wand away as she tilted her head towards Harry giving him a stern flick of her chin in warning to move with haste to heed his command.
Harry felt the world around him grow slow for a moment, he felt 1 meter tall all over again as the power radiated out of the wizard he had grown to greatly respect. He swallowed thickly as he too tucked his wand away. Keeping his eyes on Snape's as he carefully moved to take a seat in the sitting room. He kept himself faced towards him as he deliberately found his way to the furthest chair possible. It was then he noticed Hermione looking at him. Really looking at him.
"Hermione your eyes!" He couldn't stop himself.
Minerva rounded quickly, though she had chosen to take the space between the two her head snapped down as she too, looked at Hermione. Her own eyes widened as the girl smirked just a bit at her. She had forgotten too, how beautifully deep her eyes were and the ferocious fire they held within.
"Hermione...can you really see us?"
Hermione nodded her head just a bit, though she was nervous that at any minute her sight would be taken from her she didn't want to waste the time she had. She had shifted in Snape's hold to leaning her side more against him, she was resting between his parted legs but her arms held the arm he had wrapped around to support her, keeping him from pulling away. The hand that had held her chin had fallen away when Harry had entered the room. Her eyes left Minerva's to look back at Harry.
"Harry?" Her voice unsure, he didn't look like the boy she remembered. He looked filled with confidence, a spark to the corner of his eye that held the happiness of being loved. She didn't want to reach into the only memories she had of him, neither one held anything pleasurable. She waited, for her mind to spark, to bring some new amount of information to her for her to reach for.
"Yea...that's me..." His voice was a bit awestruck as he tried to comprehend what exactly was going on. Harry glanced behind him as he saw her stare somewhere over his shoulder. Her face showing that far off look again.
Her mind was blank, more than blank, it felt completely void of all thoughts or feelings. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to find the memories she had recovered. She turned her head away from him as she let her eyes go out of focus staring into the buttons of Severus' frock coat.
"What...what is she doing?" Harry couldn't help but look helplessly confused as he looked to the man in black for answers. He had seen her do it upstairs as well before everything went pear shaped.
Severus' turned his searing gaze from the boy, his features softening as he studied the girl's face. He watched her eyes move slightly back and forth. "She's searching." He said simply his face turning hard as he raised his eyes back to Harry. "She's searching for the memories that have been stolen from her."
"Stolen?" Harry glanced between his former professors. He hadn't missed the way Snape's face changed when he looked down at his friend. It felt odd, to see something so soft on the man's otherwise ascetic face.
"There is a creature inside Miss Granger." His hands tightened slightly around her from the pain his speaking elicited.
"And it's taken her memories?" Harry interrupted making the man snarl.
"In a way, though it seems to be using them against her." Severus paused as his mind suddenly flicked to something. Something he had read, something extremely important. He glanced at the boy for a moment his eyes going wide with his epiphany, he looked down into her concentrated face again, he had to be sure. He let the silence fill the room as he gently tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted her head from his chest.
Hermione blinked slowly looking into his eyes at his unspoken question. She could feel his mind turning but it was too quick for her decipher, her tongue lightly wetting her lips again before she finished her statement from before, "My soul..." Her eyes widened as she felt his mind turn between their connection more slowly now, she tried to jump onto his train of thought.
"Miner-va." He hissed as his voice finally cracked turning him temporarily mute. He made a face pointing to the book shelf where she had moved his notes and other books.
The elder witch raised her brow as she tried to read his voiceless lips. Her eyes followed his pointed finger and her mind clicked. She moved over briskly, turning towards him as she hovered her hand over the tomes and stacks of notes waiting for him to indicate what exactly he wanted.
He sneered pointing down moving his mouth slower. Hermione shift against him slowly turning her head, "He wants his notes..." She could hear him growling loudly in frustration in his mind. It was distracting enough for her to pause her own hypothesizes.
Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously, glancing between the two of them. The man's behavior towards his best friend was alarming at best. He had only ever seen a modicum of care taken towards Malfoy and that had only been because his life had been tied to Snape's. He couldn't digest the feeling inside him as he watched a man so cold move with such care. He briefly wondered if that's how he had been with his mom. He had seen his memories of them together but even then the man seemed wary of another's caring touch. He still seemed as fierce and intimidating as ever, but in these small moments, Harry felt a sort of humanity inside the dark man. He lingered heavily on the thought his eyes turning towards Hermione.
She sat so close to him. So comfortable in his embrace. Harry was thankful that Ron was somewhere far away. He knew the redhead would have exploded at the very sight. She looked so small against him, though at the same time big enough to stand beside him. Time had not been kind to her health but even still, Harry could see the strength she carried inside her. Though, as he tilted his gaze slightly, he could see a change, a small change, a sort of hardness that came with suffering. Her shoulders weren't squared or confident but rather pulled inward protectively around herself. Her hands tight and purposed as she held onto his sleeve. Even her voice seemed to now have an edge to it. A no nonsense tone akin to the man who held her. Harry felt a small sadness at the loss. She was still Hermione, wasn't she?
Severus paused looking down at her smirk. He tilted his head before just conceding to her. His jaw snapped shut as he allowed her to speak for him. His eyes snapping towards Harry's, his scowl even deeper as he watched the boy try to figure out what exactly they were doing.
"The ones..." She paused as he tried to describe what they looked like. "The ones with red pen. Should be inside the book called Dark Creatures an Encyclopedia from East to West..."
Minerva turned scanning the shelf for the requested text. While Hermione sat up straighter in Severus' hold. She felt suddenly over run with an overwhelming feeling. A thirst like nothing she'd ever felt since waking.
Harry's eyes watched their faces shift with a conversation that was only heard between the two of them. Hermione's soft face turned hard, her eyes locked and focused. Harry would have sworn all the way to his death bed that he saw the bravest, cruelest, most dangerous man he'd ever known give his best friend and constant pain in the potions master's side, a genuine smile in return. He blinked dumbly as the millisecond of the moment disappeared.
Hermione gently pushed against Severus' thighs and he shift taking her under her arms, she helped him set her back off his lap against the back rest of the lounge. Her legs dragged over his lap just a bit before she curled them underneath her while Severus moved to make space for them. Once they had settled into their respective spaces Minerva offered out the book to Snape.
Severus felt the young woman lean against his shoulder as he opened the book. He turned through his marked pages pulling out the scraps of notes looking at each one quickly before tossing it to the ground. Hermione's eyes moved just as fast as his as she took in the pages he had marked. Brilliant, unequally brilliant; she had known her former potions master was well read, but it took more than being well read. It was more important on how you put that information to use. A lesson she had come to understand only recently, that he had repeatedly sought to teach her in her youth.
She jumped just a bit as he flipped past a page, "Wait!" She reached around his arm turning the page back. Severus made a noise in the back of his throat but she hit his chest to silence him. She leaned more over his shoulder her finger running down the page.
Severus let out a snort, of course, she was a speed reader. She hit him once more hearing his thought as she shifted her finger to the next page.
Both Minerva and Harry had come closer, Minerva had a soft knowing smile on her face, while Harry just looked completely bewildered. She'd hit him, twice, and the grump of a man hadn't even so much as glared at her. Harry blinked slowly as a sudden realization came to him. His entire body started to fill with mirth and he couldn't stop himself from laughing during the tense situation. All eyes shot to him accusingly.
"I'm sorry, really! It just...I don't know how long Hermione's been blind bu-"
"Since she woke." Minerva interjected the force of her voice pushing for him to get on with it.
"But what's the first thing? The first thing, Hermione does?" He paused waiting for the others in the room to share in his observation. A hope filled his words as he tried to hang onto the feeling that the Hermione he knew wasn't completely gone. Minerva caught on slightly a smile threatening the corner of her mouth. Snape just narrowed his eyes but he too felt like he understood the boy's observation. Harry looked to Hermione a broad smile on his face hoping to bring one to her own, "She reads a book." There was a tense silence as Harry waited for Hermione to smile, to laugh, to join in on the hilarity of the situation with him.
Hermione's eyes searched his face narrowing slightly, her jaw twitched as she felt overwhelmingly ashamed. A pain, an old pain, rose inside her chest washing over her face and through her body losing all the excitement that she had built up. She slowly pulled her eyes from Harry's, looking down at the book.
Harry's heart sunk straight to his feet as he watched his best friend sink down inside herself. He could see the pain his words brought and his smile fell. He understood right then, that he had lost her. That the friend he had come to love and appreciate was not there with him. That this woman in front of him was just an outer shell of someone that he used to know. He felt Minerva's hand wrap around his shoulder giving it a light comforting squeeze.
"There..." Hermione's voice was much more solemn as she pointed to a page number referencing another creature in the book. She pulled back her hand long enough for Snape to turn to the required page. She noticed that his hand was darkly bruised and must have been throbbing in pain. She glanced at his face seeing the light tick near his eye as he pushed the pain away. She wanted to fix it, she wanted to make it right. She felt directly responsible for his suffering and that feeling settled heavily in her stomach. Her hand twitched, wanting to take the injured one in her own, but she stopped herself her jaw going tense with her restraint.
As soon as the page was opened she leaned forward again running her finger down, pointedly ignoring everyone else. She finished it quickly turning the page to follow the passage when she stopped her eyes going wide. The following page had a full-size artist's sketch of the referenced creature. She felt a cold fear wash down her spine. It was nearly exactly as she remembered it to be. Its long claws, lanky arms, and muscular legs. Its eyeless, earless skull and wide mouth filled with sharp teeth. Her eyes flicked slightly to a small footnote mentioning that the image of the creature above was highly speculated as it was exceedingly good at concealing its identity. A light burning sensation started to roll over her eyes though she resisted the urge to rub at them, she felt her teeth grinding.
Hermione sat back slowly her mouth tight as she digested all the information she'd just collected. Why wasn't she dead? Her eyes daringly looked back towards the book a deep shiver rolling through her once more. Something was missing from the picture. It wasn't the right one, but it was close. She leaned back searching for the missing piece. She chewed her lip just a bit her eyes twitching from the swelling burning sensation as she sorted through all the new information.
Severus had quickly read what she had and paled considerably, he slowly turned the book towards the other two letting them read for themselves what creature the former star pupil of Hogwarts just identified.
Harry and Minerva were a bit slower than the other two but they went still as they finished soon enough. Minerva's eyes instantly went to Severus. Had she just personally condemned the man to watch someone else he had come to care for die painfully in his presence? She swallowed thickly barely whispering his name as her face fell with regret and sorrow.
"The Jenshenken?" Harry said slowly trying to pronounce the foreign sounding word.
Hermione frowned at him, "'ee'" she paused, "Jeensheekeen." she corrected. Her throat grew tight as she said its name. Harry gave her a perplexed look to which she rolled her eyes bringing up a hand to rub at one, "It's Japanese." she muttered dismissively.
Harry was watching Hermione's face, she of all of them didn't look scared or even the slightest bit put off by the information. In fact, she looked even more determined. Like something had re-lit the fire inside of her. He remembered her that way, whenever there was a puzzle to be solved. It was always that look. That keen mind turning and processing faster than he ever could.
Hermione paused in her calculations and her rubbing as she felt the room grow heavy around her. She raised her eyes blinking to clear her vision setting her sight onto the three sets that had slowly come to settle on her. She furrowed her brows slightly in confusion between all three of them before leaning forward snatching the book from Harry. "No one plan my funeral just yet." She snapped a very Snape like venom in her tone as she pulled the book back to her. She pulled out a page of Severus' notes covering the picture her eyes going to the next passage.
"The Jinshikin..." She muttered to herself the feeling of a hand tightening around her throat becoming noticeable. She turned back a page having noticed something seemingly insignificant. "No, that's..." She moved the pages back and forth for a moment before jumping toward the back of the book. Severus noted she had gone to the darkest section and the feeling in his stomach grew worse as she chewed her lip.
"Japanese..." She blinked slowly as her brain realized she wasn't able to read the text. "Why is it in Japanese?" She curled her lips turning to the next page looking for a translation. There was none. "Ugh, what kind of encyclopedia doesn't have a translation index?" She was getting huffy now as she turned the pages back and forth threatening to tear the book. Severus dared to put his hand over hers stilling her instantly. He held up one finger for her to wait before reaching to the back of the book pulling out his notes containing what he had been able to translate. He tilted his head offering them to her with a raised brow.
Hermione smiled absently thanking him under her breath. She pulled the paper closer squinting more, the light seeming to grow dim around her. She licked her lips and straightened herself up looking down at Severus' translation with renewed concentration.
"The Jinshikin, " She paused pulling a thick breath in pushing against the tightness in her throat. She raised a hand absently massaging the muscle. "A distant cousin to the British Dementor. They're part of the Japanese demon classification known as Yurei Kami...They travel in packs of 6 to 8 that are lead by..." Her voice died in her throat as she found herself unable to say the next word aloud. She made a bit of a face glancing between Severus' written translation trying to compare it to the original text. Her face fell as she realized exactly which creature had taken residence inside of her.