Chapter Three

"What happened to you?"

"I'm getting tired of that question," Hermione huffed as she sat down for lunch. The entire table leaned in for a closer look.

"But what did happen?" Ron persisted, his wide eyes staring at her hair.

"I was experimenting with potions," Hermione said into her goblet, hoping that might disguise her horrible lying skills.

"We always knew you were too curious," Harry said, "you've got to be more careful, Hermione. Can you change yourself back?"

"Professor Snape graciously took it upon himself to find a cure," she said, cramming a spoon of potatoes into her mouth.

"Graciously!" Harry scoffed.

"But your hair looks… old," Ron said, his face screwed up in confusion.

"No, it doesn't!" Ginny, across the table, insisted. "It looks gorgeous on her!"

"Thank you, Ginny," Hermione said, turning her head away from Ron.

"Well… I…" he sputtered.

Hermione grinned, rather pleased that she had successfully lied to someone. She planned on telling Harry and Ron later about the truth, but the Great Hall was too public. Still smiling, she looked toward the teachers' table and found Dumbledore staring directly at her, returning her happy expression. The headmaster winked at her and looked away.

"Did you tell Professor Dumbledore?" she asked Severus later that night. It was past midnight and they were walking down the rocky ridge on the opposite side of the lake. No one would spot them from the school there.

"Yes," Severus said and easily stepped down a few feet to the next ledge, "and he's aware of everything." Hermione nodded and lowered herself down carefully after him. They reached the flat landing fifty feet below and Hermione had to stop for a breather. She didn't carry an excess of weight, but that didn't mean she was athletic. The cold air was burning her lungs.

"Are we… done walking?" she gasped.

"Yes," he answered, raising his eyebrows at her. "Don't bring your wings out yet or you'll end up stark naked, and neither of us want that."

Hermione blushed indignantly, but leaned forward as he pulled out a garment.

"Put this on," he said and held it out. She took the shirt in her hands. The soft material seemed to flow right through her fingers, and it was surprisingly light. The color shimmered between the colors of gold and white when she moved it. Hermione looked at Severus questioningly. "The emergence of your wings will tear any normal clothing away. This shirt is made from a potion, composed of only pure elements. It is the only garment that will withstand your wings."

"How long does it take to make one?" she asked.

"Several months," he replied.

"Where did this one come from?"

He only turned around, crossed his arms, and waited.

"You couldn't have told me this in the castle?" she said, glaring at the man's back. He shrugged, but Hermione could just imagine his smirk. "Don't look," she threatened and then swore she heard him chuckle.

She changed as quickly as she could until she stood in her trousers and the skin tight, long-sleeved shirt.

"You can turn around now," she said and Severus found her rubbing her arms vigorously. "It's cold."

"So it is," he smirked. "And now you simply will your wings out. It will hurt; the first few times always do, but then your body will grow accustomed to it."

He saw the anxious look Hermione sent him before she closed her eyes. It was a few seconds before she suddenly gasped and the light flashed, just as Severus anticipated. Her wings burst from her shoulder blades, not breaking the skin in any gruesome manner but seeming to simply melt out with grace. Severus stepped forward quickly when Hermione fell to one knee.

"Hurts…" she whimpered. He stood in front of her, waiting until she was ready. His eyes were transfixed on the wings. The last time he had seen eluvian wings so closely… Severus reached forward a hand and gently stroked one white feather.

"Can you stand?" he asked, pulling his hand back again. Hermione paused and nodded. He stepped away as she struggled to her feet, took a deep breath, and looked at him.

"Now what?" Hermione breathed. The pain was fading away. It stole her breath for a moment, but now she was anxious to get in the air.

"Now you do what instinct tells you," he said and flourished his wand. "I'm prepared this time and I'll catch you if you fall." She bit her lip and eyed his wand.

"Promise?"

"I don't make promises," Severus said, becoming annoyed.

"I don't like breaking bones on the ground either," she snapped. Her wings lifted a little to announce her irritation and Severus found himself amused at it. "Promise," she demanded. His eyes flickered to the tips of her wings, which were curling inward as she became more emotional, as he knew they should. When she was relaxed, they would uncurl.

"You're maddening, girl," he growled. At her darkening glare, he said, "I… promise."

"Thank you," she replied shakily. Then, without warning, Severus had to jump away as she lifted off the ground.

"Slowly!" he yelled after her. He may have to put his wand to more use than he thought.

Hermione wasn't expecting to rise so quickly; she was merely testing the muscles in her new appendages, but she underestimated their power. A startled yelp escaped her when she looked down and found herself a long way above the ground. The cold was completely forgotten, even though a soft breeze rustled her white hair. She flapped her wings gently, suspending herself in the same place for several minutes, and looking around. She was above the rocky drop and the lake, looking toward the school. Tilting one wing, she discovered how to turn in place to look the other way and admired the mountains hiding Hogwarts.

Severus watched very quietly, his wand held tightly in his long fingers, and he studied the image above with a foreign admiration. She was hovering against the sky blanketed with sparkling stars, but even her hair shined more brightly than them. The only competition was the moon, suspended a little higher than her head. Its light seemed to set her wings aglow, which certainly did surpass everything else in that sky.

Hermione could barely handle the bliss she was feeling. Her great wings were carrying her into the sky, where she felt like she belonged. A sense of completeness came over her; a piece of her heart fell into place that had been missing for seventeen years. She wasn't sure how long she flew above Severus' head, moving in different patterns and testing how high she would go, but he never called her down. She looked down at him once when she remembered his presence, and found his face lifted toward her, his wand held dutifully ready. He seemed to be waiting until she was ready to come down. How did he know so much? Hermione pushed the idea aside and concentrated on sharp turns.

Severus watched her descend slowly. She had been flying for nearly forty minutes, but he never felt the need to interrupt her. She neared the ground, only feet away from him, and twirled in the air before setting her feet down. There was a smile on her face that she tried to hide, but couldn't. Severus pocketed his wand and offered her cloak.

"You're crying," he simply said, crossing his arms again.

Hermione touched her face, surprised. She never realized the tears had begun to fall.

"Oh," she breathed and dried her cheeks with the cloak. Then she sighed, looked at the clothing, and then lifted her bright gold eyes to Severus.

"It's always hard for eluvian to return to their human states," he explained. "That will never leave you."

Hermione nodded sadly and the wings slowly began to recede into her back once more. Severus watched her cringe and gasp as they finally disappeared. After a frozen second of pain, she swooped the cloak around her shoulders and collected the rest of her clothing into her arms.

"Let's go back," he said.

The air suddenly seemed lighter to Hermione and she just couldn't seem to keep the grin off her cheeks. Even the rocky ledge didn't seem so bad. Severus easily stepped up the tall rocks, where she had to use her arms to push herself up. Occasionally, he would turn and make sure she scrambled up successfully. He took her elbow on the last ledge and pulled her up as she struggled.

"So…" Hermione wheezed and stumbled to catch up with him, "how did I do?"

"The ground remained unharmed," he mumbled, not bothering to shorten his strides. Hermione had to take two steps for each one of his. She laughed lightly.

"Why am I such a secret?" she asked after a moment of thought.

Severus pursed his lips together. He hadn't told her yet about the dangers.

"Will people try to hurt me?"

Why was the chit still talking? Her questions were bringing up unpleasant memories.

"Is it just between us or—"

"Think, Granger!" Severus hissed and turned on her suddenly. Hermione very nearly ran into him. "Who would want to be immune to curses? To evade death like he always has, especially when a certain someone comes to look for him? Who would capture you and happily drink your blood until the very last drop is drained from your body?"

She looked as if she had been smacked and Severus almost commended himself on the effect. It was the same look she gave him when he insulted her teeth years before.

"He's done it before, hasn't he?" she breathed, her joyful expression replaced with horror. "That's how you know about eluvian. You've seen one of me before."

Hermione watched him, looking for the truth, and saw him turn vulnerable.

"She was very old," he said quietly, although his voice was still hard. "In her hundreds, I think. The eluvia was protecting her charge, a wizard who became her husband, for a very long time when the Dark Lord took her away. I was young then and did what he told me to. I cut her every month and bottled her blood until she died. Her husband died very shortly after."

"What was her name?" Hermione breathed, her heart aching.

"Emily," he said. His rough voice almost scared her. "She always talked to me, every time I had to visit. She pitied me and I killed her in the end."

Severus turned on his heel and Hermione ran to catch up with him again.

"I don't think so; Voldemort killed her," Hermione protested.

"You don't know anything, witch," he spat.

"I know that you wouldn't hurt me," she protested.

"Sometimes I could," he scoffed and Hermione smirked at him. They pushed into the heat of the castle and paused in the hall. "She forgave me," he said and then shook his head. Hermione could tell he never forgave himself.

"Then perhaps I'm your redeemer," she said softly and then laughed at the look of disgust on her professor's face. "Goodnight."

Severus watched her trot up the stairs and then descended into the dungeons. He never wanted to tell Hermione about Emily; he could picture the old woman's vibrant blue eyes and slightly stooped back even now. It was like having a grandmother that he constantly hurt, but she never blamed him. Maybe Hermione was right, though. Maybe Hermione was his chance to make it up to that old witch he killed.

Hermione fidgeted in her chair, trying to keep her attention fixed on McGonagall, but her gaze kept sliding to the window. The sky seemed to be calling her. She wanted nothing more than to release her wings and take off into the blue.

"Hermione," Harry whispered, touching her arm. "We're supposed to be transfiguring our chairs. Stand up."

"Sorry!" she squeaked, torn from her reverie.

"What's wrong with you lately? You've been sick and changed and now you don't pay attention," he continued. Hermione bit her lip. It was time she told them.

"You and Ron follow me after class; I've got something to show you," she said shakily.

McGonagall gave them a sharp look and Hermione instantly fell silent. She wasn't sure how they would take it.

"Come on," she said after class, Harry and Ron close on her heels. She led them into the Forbidden Forest, since students were walking around the lake.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked after twenty minutes into the Forest. They all had their wands raised, just in case.

"Somewhere where I can't be seen. This is very secret; no one can know, understand? You can't tell anyone!" she hissed, looking at them to emphasize the importance.

"O-Okay, Mione," Ron said and Harry nodded with a stunned expression.

"Alright then. This should be good," she said, looking around. The clearing was large enough for her wings. "Ron, have you ever heard of eluvian?" she asked.

"Yeah, they're in a lot of children's stories."

She smiled at them gently, motioned for them to stay put, and backed away. Then she removed her robes, leaving the eluvian shirt beneath, and took a deep breath.

"Don't be scared," she said.

She felt a rush of release as her wings melted from her shoulder blades. It hurt slightly this time, but not nearly as bad as before. Hermione watched her friends' faces as her wings grew out completely and flexed. They seemed in awe.

"I-I…" Hermione stuttered. She didn't know what the silence meant. Did she disgust them? "I would have told you earlier but I didn't know what it meant either. It happened on my seventeenth."

"That's bloody amazing," Ron said, his mouth hanging open.

"Can you… fly?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but I don't think I should. Its daylight and someone might see me," she replied, twisting her hands together. "What… What do you guys think?"

"Well," Harry said, "can you explain? What else can you do? It doesn't hurt you, does it?"

"Because we can find a cure if it does hurt you," Ron continued.

Hermione smiled softly. They all relaxed as she told them about eluvian, explaining the wings and blood resistance. She let them know that Voldemort could use her and, without asking, they both swore vehemently to protect her. Then she explained her duty to protect and heal a person.

"Eluvian don't choose the person. It's random," she said.

"Who is it?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing.

"It's Professor Snape," she blurted quickly.

"What!" Ron snapped. "It can't be him; you've got to change it!"

"I can't, Ronald!" Hermione growled. "This is how it is! I didn't ask for any of it!"

"You could if you wanted to!" he yelled. Then, with red ears, he turned and walked away. Harry and Hermione, her eyes full of tears, watched him until he was out of sight.

"Harry, please," she sniffed.

"It's alright; he'll come around," Harry said quietly.

"You understand, don't you?" she breathed.

They stared at each other for a moment. Hermione tried to bare her soul to his green eyes. He was her best friend; she didn't want to lose him.

"You do look beautiful," he said quietly, his eyes sweeping over her wings again.

"Harry, please don't leave me," she whimpered. His eyes widened for a moment and then he hurried toward her, his arms wide. Hermione fell into his embrace blissfully. There was someone to hold her. Someone to tell her it would be alright. Someone she didn't have to save, but would save her.

"I'm not going to leave," he said, as if he were surprised she would even think so. "We'll always be friends, Hermione. Ron is, too; he just needs time."

"Thank you," she breathed. She pulled her wings back in, feeling the slightly painful sensation as they disappeared. Harry picked up her robes and waited while she threw them on.

"Come on," he said, throwing his arm around her shoulders, and then, "I'll bet Snape loves the idea of you saving his life all the time."

"Oh, yes, he just cherishes the idea," Hermione giggled.

Harry and Hermione made their way up the lawn to Hogwarts, Hermione holding the hand hanging around her neck. Nothing had changed between them. Being an eluvia was never going to change their friendship and neither would it change Harry's view of Snape. Hermione shook her head at another greasy head joke while Harry laughed and they mounted the stone stairs leading into the school.

Dislcaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, but I do own eluvian!

Aw, Harry's such a good friend. Next chapter, things get more interesting with Hermione and Severus! Now... I've put up three long chapters in a few days, so REVIEW... please. I don't feel like I'm getting my credit here!

Thanks to all my loverly reviewers!

Love!

Soline

PS Yes, I changed the title. I didn't like the first one much, and "Angels Fall First" fits much better.