Chapter 77: Opposite Ends Of The Spectrum

{A/N: Here's Another Update...}

My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.

{"Somehow I couldn't stop myself, just wanted to know how it felt, too strong I couldn't hold on...Yeah, Yeah...Now I'm just trying to make some sense out of how and why this happened...Where we're headed, there's just no knowing...Yeah, yeah...And then I crashed into you and I went up in flames...Could've been the death of me, but then you breathed your breath in me...And then I crashed into you, like a runaway train...You will consume me, but I can't walk away...."} Crashed, Daughtry

The Dining Hall, 12 Grimmauld Place, Muggle World...

Hermione Granger had not quite over come her shock at finding out that Severus had been at the scene where the death eater rally resulted in the mass murder of an entire town of defenseless Muggles and the fact that he had done nothing to stop it had been most surprising. Snape had often accused her of having a "romanticized" view of him and his position as a spy, but she never considered the very real world consequences of what that life entailed. She saw him return beaten and blooded from many a summons from the despot but forget that he had been in the company of very real murderers whom had a seemingly unquenchable appetite for brutality and they hated the lack of purity of magical blood among their own wizarding kind there was no limit to their shared hatred of those born without it. As the shock gave way to reason and then finally concern, she realized her folly in this particular situation. When Sirius so callously made her privy to the goings ons of the death eater revels, she had only been thinking of her parents. Two clueless Muggle dentists so far removed from the exploits of the magical world that they knew nothing of the danger she had been in let alone that she was forced to protect herself due to the arrangement of a marriage to her Potions Professor of all people.

Desperate for a bit of solitude following the news, Hermione fled to the dining hall. It was empty as the meetings had all been adjourned given the late hour and the darkness provided ample cover for her increasing volume of tears that flowed down her cheeks. She had not meant to get this upset, let alone be this upset in front of Severus given what he endured after returning from the revel but her concern for her parents had prompted her outburst. While she found herself unable to help that she'd fallen in love with the dour man that lurked in the shadows of corridors and passed out detention slips like candy at a clown party, she wasn't all that privy to the darker portions of his nature. A glimpse of the "Mr. Hyde" that lurked when he'd been among those of Voldemort's ilk had made her skin crawl and her blood run cold.

How, she attempted to rationalize, was the almost boyishly awkward bloke whom barely concealed his youthful confusion when teaching the same monster welcomed among the ruthless and twisted death eaters when they hunted down innocents and caused harm?

"Sirius had no right to spring that on you." said a voice from the doorway.

Hermione had been startled out of her thoughts as she looked up to find a very empathetic Arthur Weasley standing amid the shadows. It appeared he too needed some time to get past the events of the latest round of reports and investigation.

"Mr. Weasley." said Hermione wiping away her tears and attempting to present herself as casually as possible.

"There is no need to be modest around me, Miss Granger...I know all too well what you are dealing with." said the tall red haired wizard. "Tonight you got a glimpse at how very real this war is, more so than before and you are well aware of the cost."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"If I may, you shouldn't be so hard on Severus...he walks a fine line as it is and it's quite clear that your arranged marriage has had an effect on him." said Arthur Weasley getting the young witch's full attention. "His life is not an easy one nor has it ever been but he elected to take on the burden of being our collective eyes and ears without thanks or reward...he is among peers who see even him as beneath them in terms of their perverse interests in blood purity."

Arthur sighed and she noted that this war was taking something of a toll on him as well despite his cheerful nature most nights. When it came down to it, Arthur Weasley was terrified every time a report came in among the deaths in the wake of the death eaters' latest murder spree. He had become fascinated by Muggles and their mysterious ways and thought they added a peculiar bit of sensibility to the world, wizarding or otherwise. There was also his unstated concern for the dour Professor, he had not stated it aloud but he'd been very grateful to Severus Snape for his contributions to their war efforts, there weren't fighting blindly in the dark while their enemy advanced due to the poor bloke's sacrifice of time and service while he risked his life day in and day out only to be scorned and ridiculed by those around him.

The heavy shuffling of feet at the door gave them both the indication that someone had arrived. Given the drunken rambling that could have potentially awoken the whole house, they knew Severus Snape had returned and he'd been accompanied by Remus Lupin.

"You should see to him." advised Arthur hoping that she'd get passed this one night and at least follow the inclinations of her heart as apposed to letting Sirius Black cloud her mind with his hatred based accusations.

Hermione took a moment to gather her thoughts. Arthur was right by all accounts. Severus had enough to deal with, without her second guessing him at every turn. He was risking his life in more ways than one even when it came to her...it stood to reason that he could hardly be in a position to challenge anything the despot did and to whom it was done to.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

The Basement, 12 Grimmauld Place, Muggle World...

Severus Snape's drunken state was quite the sight as he lied sprawled amid broken glass and spilled firewhiskey shrouded via the darkness of his temporary quarters in Sirius Black's mansion. His mind had been a blur of nameless faces and torment beyond comprehension as his memories of the revel began to recede. The pain twisted faces melted away and he took notice of a lone Hermione Granger kneeling beside him in the darkness. There were tears streaming down her cheeks and he realized quite soon that he was completely naked and cut by glass. She did her best to awaken him, his groggy state leaving a lot to be desired upon seeing her.

"Fuck..." groaned Snape attempting to navigate the spinning of the room despite being flat on his back on the cold stone floor.

"Severus..." she began her voice reflecting a bit of sorrow and a pity all at once.

"What are you doing here?" he growled not at all wishing to have it out with her in his current condition.

Hermione sighed knowing all too well that this recent bout of turmoil had been her doing.

"I'm sorry." she said softly. "I...it wasn't fair of me to hold your responsible for what was out of your control."

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Life isn't fair, Miss Granger how many times have I explained this very thing to you?" he replied.

He had reverted back into his Potions Professor persona it seemed and it made this all the more awkward to deal with. Still, Hermione was determined to reach her Severus no matter how long it took.

"You've been drinking quite a bit." she said observing the broken glass around him.

Snape did his best to ignore the blood and pain from his most recent injury hoping she'd leave him to his misery in peace. Hermione had other plans however as he felt the tell tale signs of a healing charm sweeping across his exposed pale flesh.

"I didn't request your assistance." he growled struggling to get to his feet but still feeling the effects of his recent drinking binge.

"I know." replied Hermione evenly. "But I am not going to sit idly by and watch you destroy yourself, especially if it's because of me."

Snape rolled his eyes once more.

"This may come as a further shock to your very Gryffindor sensibilities, but not everything in this world revolves around you." he said bitterly. "I've already informed you that I need to be alone when I return from a summons...there is more to it...in a bid that I cannot focus...if I let the slightest indication of emotion slip and he senses it...that will be it for me...he will have me eliminated and you are jeopardizing my ability to focus on the current tasks at hand."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione unsure if she understood what he was saying.

"I can't afford to be distracted by your sensibilities witch, there are things that I must do in order to survive long enough to pass along information and complete my objective." replied Snape. "I told you from the very beginning, you were going to know firsthand what it was like to live in the world beyond your romanticized views it is a dark and murderous place none for the faint of heart to venture and there is nothing remotely heroic about it."

Hermione said nothing as she dared to approach him, even in this state and wrap her arms around him. She'd been determined, he had given her that, sadly he knew all too well that she wasn't in the least ready for what was to come, let alone capable of dealing with the true ramifications of being his wife.

"I never wanted this for you." Snape admitted. "When you first arrived I saw potential in you...but never...never once did I imagine you'd have to endure the ramifications of my past."

Holding onto the dour wizard, and hearing the familiar beating of his heart seemed to give Hermione a measure of peace about all of this. She came to the conclusion that she wanted him to do whatever it took to survive, the wizarding world meant little to her in the wake of the war and she had loved her parents dearly but to lose Severus...she didn't know if she was capable of surviving that even in the most optimistic case.

"I love you, Severus." she said softly as the tears began to run down her cheeks and against the flesh of his exposed chest.

"You shouldn't." replied Snape knowing all too well that this whatever this was would not end well for either of them in the long run. Still, he held out hope that there had been some sort of plan in place and that Potter's status as "The Chosen One" had not been just Dumbledore blowing smoke up the clueless boy's arse. He wanted to believe there was a way they could have a future together with no wars or obligations to Dumbledore between them.

With a flick of her wrist, Hermione cleared away the blood and glass from her husband's drunken escapade and he allowed her to see him off to bed.

"You need rest." she said examining him as she had before.

"So do you." he replied with a bit of his boyish nature returning.

Her Severus was back and she couldn't have been more pleased.

As they reached the bed, he scooped her into his waiting arms and pulled her down with him. Despite everything that happened and the added risk of being seen together by anyone in the house, neither of them cared at that moment what went on in the outside world. Their main priority had been each other for the remainder of the night.