It's been a while since I last updated this story. I hope you are still interested in it.
And I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
"I will admit no such thing." Snape told Minerva in a low, calm voice. "I did what I had to do."
"You did what you had to do? My boy, do you really think that a simple 'thank you' and a hug can make it all go away?"
"Yes, that should me more than enough." The man replied.
"It would have probably been enough if you really meant it." Minerva told him.
"What makes you think I did not mean it?"
"Maybe the fact that we are still here? If you were sincere with her, and yourself, she would have seen it. She would have woken up."
"Which reminds me, what are you doing here, Minerva? Two people inside the girl's mind could be dangerous for her."
"I came to the infirmary because I am worried for her. You didn't even notice when I walked in so I realized you were deep inside her mind. How long have you been here, Severus?"
"I think it has been two days now. At least that is what she thinks. So in real life it must have passed –"
"Around ten minutes." Minerva interrupted him. "Does she suspect anything?"
"There are moments when she feels that something's wrong, but she really thinks that she woke up and left the infirmary. She knows that I used Legilimens on her, but what she does not know is that I am still using it. And so are you. Why is that, Minerva?"
"I told you I was worried for her. I wanted to get inside your mind, but we both know that it would be impossible. Not even the Dark Lord could get inside your mind, not without your permission, anyway. I didn't want to disturb you, but I needed to know what is happening with Hermione so I jumped in.," the witch explained.
"Fine, I understand your concern, but now you need to go and make sure that nobody interrupts me."
"No, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. What is happening with her?" Minerva asked concerned.
"She seemed to be having some sort of nightmare when I first got inside her mind. I think she had it for a while. I tried to wake her up, but to no avail. I think we might be dealing with a hag." He told Minerva.
"A hag? Are you sure? We haven't seen one in a long time."
"No, I am not sure, but that is the one explanation why she cannot be waken up. And for the nightmares. Somehow, Miss Granger got in contact with one and it is still affecting her."
"Yes, it makes sense, but the hags usually pray on children, and they do not operate from the distance. There is no hag here, at Hogwarts."
"They prefer children, yes, but that doesn't mean that they will not hunt anything else. And I beg to differ, Minerva, I think there is a hag at Hogwarts, and she is here, somewhere inside Miss Granger's mind. In one of her nightmares. Moreover, I think I know where she is and how to get rid of her. However, for that, I need you to leave. Make sure that no one gets in. We don't want it to get inside someone else's mind."
"But what about you, Severus? What if she gets inside your mind?" Minerva asked alarmed.
"You said it yourself, not even the Dark Lord could get inside my mind without my permission. Now get out."
Minerva sighed. "Alright, I will go, but please be careful and take care of Hermione. Bring her back to us dear boy." She pleaded.
"I will." Severus promised and he watched as Minerva disappeared in front of him.
Severus Snape watched how the dark clouds started to cover the half-moon on the sky. The cold November air hit him in the face and he remembered why he was there. Somewhere inside the perfect replica of the real world he was in, something was feeding on Hermione's nightmare and he had to stop it.
He ran away from the high tower and he headed to the forest. He was about to enter the Forbidden Forest when he almost tripped on something. There was some kind of dark material laying there in the grass. Snape lowered his wand. The Lumos spell made it easier to investigate the mysterious material, but it didn't take long for him to realize that he almost tripped on his own cloak.
Snape retrieved the robe and he wrapped it around his shoulders. If the cloak was there, it meant that she must be close. He started running again and soon he found himself next to Hermione. She was trying to save the dying man on the floor once more. Him. She was trying to save him. She tried every spell she knew, every charm and every technique from the muggle world, but he died once again.
Severus just watched her. He saw himself die once again. He saw how his heart stopped beating. She saw it too, but she didn't want to admit it. She didn't want to let him go. A rush of anger spread through him. He couldn't watch her anymore, he didn't want to see her like that anymore. Suddenly, he got to his knees next to her and got hold of her bloody hands. She was covered in his own blood. She was startled when he touched her.
"Professor Snape!" she cried. "I am sorry I couldn't save you, Sir. I tried, I really tried, but you die every time. I can't save you, I can't – "she burst into tears.
"Shh." He whispered as she buried her head into his chest. She was vigorously trembling.
Snape took her head into his hands and forced her to look at him. "Miss Granger, look at me!" he told her and she lifted her eyes from the ground to look into his eyes. "You are wrong." He continued. "You did save me. I am alive because of you, because of what you did here, that awful night. This, all of this, what you are going through right now is because of me. Because of my stubbornness, because I am too proud to tell you that I am extremely grateful for what you did. So thank you, Hermione, thank you for not giving up on me."
Hermione's tears have stopped falling. "But I don't understand, how can you be alive if you just saw you die?" she asked and she turned her attention to the man on the floor, but before she could lay eyes on him, the man in front of her turned her head towards him once again.
"No, you did not see me die. I am here, I am alive, this is just a nightmare and you know it. Think about it, don't you remember the night you kept my heart beating?"
"But you died moments ago, you – "
"Hermione, please try to remember. I am not dead. You saved me." He interrupted her.
Hermione watched him for a second. He seemed real. However, so did the one on the floor. Except that, the Snape in front of her was alive. Could it be true? She really saved him? No, he died moments ago, she couldn't save him.
"You are lying here, on this floor. And you're dead. This is just me, imagining things. Things I wish they were real. "She tried to convince him, the figment of her imagination.
"No, listen," he told her while he took her hand and put it on his chest"can you really not feel it?"
Hermione watched as his chest rose and fell while with her right hand she could feel the steady beats of his heart. Just like before, when they were on the tower.
"The tower." She said, her hand still on his chest.
"I'm sorry?" he didn't know what she meant.
"We were at the tower minutes ago. I ran off because you said that you used Legilimens on me and I was afraid." She told him.
"Afraid of what, Miss Granger?" he asked concerned.
She looked him in the eyes; she didn't want to answer that question. "I was at the Ball, I felt sick, but you were there. I stayed two days at the infirmary and then I felt better. The dreams have –"
"What dreams, Miss Granger?" he asked, already knowing the answer. She was finally remembering.
Hermione turned to the man on the floor. "The dreams about you dying." She whispered as she turned to look at him.
"They obviously haven't stopped. That is why I'm here, to help you stop them."
"But how?"
"By helping you remember. This is only a dream, a bad one. What do you do when you realize you are having a nightmare?" he asked.
"I try to wake up."
"Then do it. Wake up, Miss Granger." Snape whispered in his low voice.
Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on waking up, but something bothered her. "Will I remember this?" she asked.
"Do you want to?" Severus inquired.
Hermione thought about it for a second. She liked the side of Snape that she was seeing and she didn't want to forget that she has seen it. She started to feel dizzy. "I don't – "she started, but before she could finish, the darkness swallowed her.
Severus watched as she collapsed in his arms. "Of course she wouldn't want to remember a nightmare like this." He thought and he put her down easily.
He got to his knees and watched himself on the floor. He looked dead, but he knew better so he kicked him. Himself. "I know what you are." He whispered. "No point in hiding anymore." He kicked again. "Show yourself to me."
Snape was about to kick the creature again, but he saw her opening her eyes, still looking like him. She had an insolent smile on her face. On his own face.
Severus caught the creature as she shot a glance at Hermione, then everything happened in a second. The hag, still in his own form, jumped towards the girl while Severus got hold of his wand and cast an unforgivable on it, wiping it out of existence.
When Hermione woke up, all of her friends were standing next to her bed.
"Hermione!" Ginny jumped from her seat when she saw Hermione opening her eyes.
"Ginny? What happened?" Hermione asked confused.
"Don't you remember?" Ginny asked as she glanced worriedly at Draco who was sitting on the other side of the bed, next to Neville.
"Remember what? What happened, guys? Why am I here?" she asked even more worried.
"We were at the Ball and you blacked out." Draco told her.
"Hermione, what's the last thing you remember?" Neville asked.
Hermione tried to look back at what happened. She couldn't remember passing out. "I remember reaching the Great Hall with Ginny, and then feeling dizzy. Then everything went black. And then this." She told them.
"You don't remember Professor Snape?" Ginny asked.
"Professor Snape? No, what should I remember?"
"Well, he got to you before you collapsed, but you were already in some kind of daze so no wonder you don't remember. He's the one that bought you here." Ginny told her.
Hermione tried to remember Snape bringing her here, but she couldn't. All she could remember was him looking at her from across the room in the Great Hall. Then nothing.
"How long have I been gone?" Hermione asked.
"About six hours I think." Draco informed her.
"You opened your eyes once, right after Snape left and then you slept until now." Ginny continued.
"So I slept for six hours…" She tried to remember if she dreamed of him again, but she couldn't. Has she finally stopped dreaming?