Sorry for the delay! Things have been super busy lately, but I plan on posting a lot more now that things have calmed down. Enjoy!
The knock came earlier than expected. Severus flicked a lazy eye to the clock on his desk. She was twenty minutes early. The heels of his dragon skin boots clicked on the cool stone floor, every noise he made reverberating in the cold gloom of the dungeons. Sometimes he missed living aboveground but more often than not the shadows and isolation suited him better than the cozy glow of the rest of the castle. It wasn't as if anyone liked him skulking around up there anyway.
He swung the door open and was met with a rather flustered-looking Hermione Granger, her chestnut curls straining against the ribbon that was desperately attempting to hold them back. She looked changed somehow, different from the bright-eyed and eager student he was used to. Her face held the weariness of war, her arms crossed firmly across her chest. She was nervous, something that Severus had never known in her.
"Good evening sir," She said, casting her gaze to the floor.
"Miss Granger. You may come in." Snape watched her as she tramped across his office to perch in the purposefully uncomfortable oak chair he kept for visitors. "I'm afraid I do not have much for you to accomplish tonight. I thought you might enjoy grading third-year essays."
Hermione snorted. "Why would I enjoy that?"
"Do not act as if you do not love correcting the mistakes of others." He replied, merely raising an eyebrow as she avoided his eyes, cheeks flushing.
"And you don't? You thrive off of correcting others. The whole castle loathes you because of it." Hermione rummaged through her bag, pulling out her favorite quill, regardless of her apparent disdain of judging her classmates.
"I believe there are a number of people who do not completely loathe me; my house for one." Snape slid the parchment over to her, smirking as her eyes already began dancing across the paper.
Hermione ignored him, choosing instead to cross out an entire paragraph. Severus took the opportunity to study her more closely. Her eyes were swollen, red-rimmed, and desolate. The faintest hint of a scar rose above her collar, a scar he knew split down her chest. The battle at the ministry had not been kind to her- he'd made sure to hex Dolohov as many times as possible for hurting one of his students, regardless of how annoying she was. He insisted on treating her himself. There was no one as familiar with the dark arts anyway and those idiots might have let her die.
For a moment he thought her already dead. Dolohov had reduced her to ribbons, what was left of her chest stained her cotton nightgown a deep crimson. Severus spent hours healing her, his voice growing hoarse and alien with every incantation. Twelve hours and half his blood replenishing potion stores later, she was put back together. He hadn't seen her since.
"It's rude to stare, sir." Hermione murmured, her eyes not leaving the essay she had practically destroyed with corrections.
Snape cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair and gazing up towards the stone ceiling. "My apologies, Miss Granger. I only wondered how you've been feeling."
Hermione sighed, finally abandoning her merciless slaughter of poor first years. "Not you too."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"That's all anyone asks me. How are you? What's wrong? I don't have an answer. I don't particularly want to find one either." Hermione stared at the older man before her, daring him to continue whatever this game was. Severus Snape didn't care about anyone's feelings. Especially hers.
Severus cocked an eyebrow, gazing at her for a moment too long. "Have you been sleeping?"
Hermione opened her mouth to fire off an insult but thought better of it. Why was he doing this? She expected something else from him. She thought he'd prod her, ask her about her scars, ask if she'd been eating or any other ridiculous questions that the adults in her life incessantly asked her. "No."
"Neither do I. I have something that may help." Snape turned to the glass cabinet behind him, wordlessly undoing the wards before retrieving a large amber bottle. "Dreamless sleep. Be careful with it, it can be addicting. A few drops every night should do."
Hermione stared at his outstretched hand before gingerly retrieving the delicate vial. "Thank you, sir."
Snape shook his head. "It is a small thing. Should you need more, I will brew it for you."
"I don't know what to say. This is very kind." Hermione fought the urge to cry. The tears were never far away these days. She sobbed in broom closets, the prefect's bathroom, before dinner, beneath the covers, anywhere she could find and often for no apparent reason. Snape's office was not exactly a welcome place for teen tears though, and she was determined to succeed in her apprenticeship, even it was a thinly veiled attempt for her professors to keep an eye on her.
"Say nothing. I do not have time for my apprentice to fall asleep and cause her cauldron to explode," Snape said curtly, careful not to betray his emotions. He couldn't remember the last time anyone thanked him for anything. Not that he deserved anyone's gratitude, but a little was nice.
"Of course, sir. I understand," Hermione said, carefully tucking the bottle into the inner pocket of her robes.
"You may return to your dorm, Miss Granger. My first years have suffered enough at your quill." He stood, shuffling the freshly graded essays before tossing them into a drawer.
Hermione nodded, tucking a stray curl behind her ear before heading towards the door.
"Miss Granger?"
"I thought you said I could go? Or did you want me to terrorize your second years too?" Hermione said with a waspish grin, adjusting her leather satchel on her shoulder.
Snape snorted, crossing his thin arms across his chest. "No. Meet me in my classroom at six o'clock on Wednesday. Don't be late."
"I wouldn't dare, Professor." She hurried out without another word, allowing herself a small smile, the first smile she had in weeks. Maybe this was the distraction she needed, even if it was with her surly potions professor. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe.