I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER
A/N Thank you to everyone that has been reviewing and encouraging me to write more! Thank you for all being patient. I really do hope you enjoy this next chapter, although I do not usually do warnings but this chapter has a little bit of dark stuff. If you do not like dark stuff, dark angsty, this chapter isnt for you. I mean this is one of the reasons its an M, M for a reson folks!Right! Enjoy this next chapter and please follow and review!
much love.
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On the run up to final days before the school started for the new year, Hermione did Not see Professor Dumbledore. Apparently he always went away on holiday 3 days before school starts. However Hermione knew this was a lie and knew why she hadnt seen him, she knew he was still in the castle. She knew this moment. Everything would start to fall into place. To help the one man who risked so much last time.
The clock tower had struck 11pm when, Hermione Granger, was summoned up to the headmasters office.
When she opened the door she saw a tired looking Albus Dumbledore sitting at his desk tending to Fawkes.
He looked so tired and dare she even think it? Old, and frail.
He acknowledged Hermione with a nod of his head, and gently gestured for her to sit down.
She stared into his eyes knowing what he was going to say.
"You have told him haven't you?" She asked, with a hint of nervous uncertainty to her voice.
"Yes..." he sighed, "As much as it is a gift that you are helping us Hermione, I wish that it was not necessary to place this task with Severus, alas we both know it's imperative that he does."
Hermione looked at him earnestly.
"It is sir..."
The both of them sat in comfortable silence until Dumbledore spoke once more.
"Miss Granger, as we have discussed, your room have been moved next to Severus's. This is for your convenience, to aid him, for what I feel will be a difficult year for him."
"I believe Miss Granger it is now time for your first, of perhaps many, difficult situations for yourself. I have faith that you will make Severus see reason."
"Well I hope so Proffesor."
Dumbledore left her with a warm smile and Hermione descended down to the dungeons.
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Severus sat in his chair facing the fire in his chambers. He could usually feel the warmth from the glow of the burning embers, or the scolding sensation from the firewhiskey when he drank it down. However tonight, Severus Snape could feel nothing. He felt numb. He felt nothing like he was just existing for no reason.
Nothing mattered anymore, what was the point really of living? Oh yes to please the two masters who ruled his life and made it hell.
No one would miss him. No one would miss him if he just ended his life.
Severus contemplated deeply, about his life and choice he had made, into his glass, and swilled the liquid around, before sighing and lifting the tumbler in the air.
"Damn you Albus."
The glass dropped.
And so had his shields, releasing a torrent of emotion to come out of the private man. His knees dropped to the floor as he sobbed by the fire.
He picked up a piece of the broken glass, that was scattered around him, and began to squeeze.
He could see streaks of scarlet cover the shard and then drop onto the floor a bled into the stone floor underneath him.
He carried on watching his artistic display feeling nothing, still numb, thinking at least this would make him feel something. He want to feel pain. His pain. Somebody's pain. Anything to not feel numb. He was sick and tired of feeling nothing.
A slight tingle could be felt from the residue of the whiskey reaching his wounds. At the realisation of this sensation he was now feeling, Severus dropped the shard and curled up in the foetal position by the fire and drifted into a sleep, letting the feeling of his own tears rolling down his cheek, lulling him into his slumber.
Hermione had stood there and watched it all. The whole display. Her heart broke for this man, this man that had been put through hell. Well he may have not been awfully pleasent to her. Yet she still believed that deep down, even though he didn't know it yet, he needed her.
She listened to his soft huffs of breath as he slept. Hermione slowly creeped around his quarters and silently crouched down beside him.
She could smell the whiskey on his breath and from the floor, and suspected that he would not wake easily. So she took that risk and began tending to his hand.
The world span beneath Severus's eyes as he delved in and out of consciousness. The feeling was like nothing he had felt before. He felt like he was floating on a rickety raft on a calm, lazy stream. He felt paralysed, yet he had the sensation of numbness in his hand. It might of been from the glass, or the mass amount of alcohol he had consumed, although none of it mattered anymore.
He will wake in the early hours of the morning, with a headache from hell, all to resume his stupid, pointless life once again.
What was so different about this time? Honestly? He didnt know? He had drank himself to oblivion before, but something did feel strange. However he couldn't quite put his finger on it...
Well not a finger exactly... His hand!
In his unconsciousness he realised that his hand felt strange, it wasn't the wound, that would be a different sensation entirely!
It was impossible, but it felt like someone was touching his hand.
Hermione wiped her brow in deep focus as she wiped away Snapes blood from his hand and begun healing.
When the gash had been healed, Hermione gently placed his hand back on the ground, and finally let go of the breath she was holding. However just as the breath left her lungs, Snapes eyes fluttered open briefly, before groaning out loud.
"Granger?"
Then he quickly returned back to his unconsciousness.
Hermione then knew it was time that she retired back to her secret rooms, curious of what Snapes reaction would be tomorrow.
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The next morning Hermione woke up to the sound of a conversation. No, a heated conversation. No... An argument.
"Mrs Weasley! This is the last time I will ask! Is Miss Granger there? Well? I'm a busy man! I do not have all day woman... ARGH FINE!"
Severus's head emerged from the fireplace with a face like thunder.
Puzzlement filled his face as he sat in his chair staring at his healed hand.
How did it happen?
And why did Miss Granger, well a more mature Miss Granger, end up in his rooms.
Oh this is going to be a long day.
Suddenly the flames to Snapes room lit up.
"Erm Sir? Mrs Weasley said you were trying to find me. Have I done something wrong? "
It was Granger, time to work put this mystery!
Snape snorted his response. "Wrong? You could say that! What is wrong, is your lack of privacy Miss Granger! Just because you are apart of the presous golden trio, does not mean you can come gallavanting through the orders fireplace and come into my rooms! Do I make myself clear Miss Granger?!"
"Yes Sir... But..."
"But what Miss Granger?"
"I haven't been anywhere near Hogwarts sir. And also I only arrived at the burrow, from my parents house, early this morning. Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but are you sure it wasn't a dream?"
A dream? Was she serious?! That girl had some balls though, no one would talk to Snape like that.
He quickly cancelled the call and summoned a coffee and a newspaper, and just carried on with his day, like nothing special had occurred, for example Granger in his dreams or in his room.