Severus woke up completely wrapped round Hermione, he nearly jolted, but maintained composure so as not to wake her. His arms encircled her, holding her back against his chest. His pillow of curls were a tad itchy, but he didn't move. The smell of her was like flowers he didn't recognize and something so undeniably tempting that his instincts screamed woman. To think, if he allowed it, he could have this often.
Severus know that something in him was breaking, that some resolve he had clung to for the last 20 years had cracked, and it was all thanks to this bushy haired wonder of a witch. When he was bitten by Nagini, a not-small part of Severus was relieved, thinking his reward, the sweet release of death, was imminent.
When he woke up in the hospital wing his body felt filled to the brim with morose disappointment. Alive, he still had to live with his regrets, his self-hatred, his misery.
But when it came to Hermione Granger, he no longer had enough self-hatred in him to fight it. For the first time in a long time, Severus Snape had hope.
He pressed a soft kiss on her curly head and removed himself delicately from their tangle of sheets. He showered, dressed himself, and prepared coffee.
"Hermione."
She did not stir. Severus chewed his lip and tried to speak directly to her mind, but this was new to him. He had never before heard of any magic that could project one's thoughts into another's mind. His Legilimency skills were useless here.
Severus took a deep breath and relaxed his gaze, allowing his mind to seek hers out, just as he would with Legilimency. Although he was an expert at sneaking past a person's mental defenses undetected, this time he needed to make himself known.
He whispered in his mind, as delicately as he could, Hermione, wake up.
She mumbled incoherently, rolling towards him in a mess of wild curls, unfocused eyes, and a hint of smudged eyeliner. She looked radiant, even if she did fall back asleep three seconds later.
Hermione, I've made coffee. He set her cup down on the nightstand.
Hermione's eyes snapped open. "You made coffee?" Hermione asked sleepily, sitting up. "Thank you."
She took her cup off of the nightstand and sipped it, not noticing that her top had rearranged itself in her sleep and was now flashing him the curve of her breast. Severus looked away quickly and collected himself. "The shower and fresh towels are through that door, thank your time." He closed the door behind him abruptly.
When she came out of the living room a bit later, she was wearing jeans and a black shirt. "I hope you don't mind, Severus." She gestured to her top, which he saw was from his own closet.
Severus took in her smirk, she was teasing him, and he didn't mind. "Keep it, I have no shortage of black shirts." He handed her a cup. "Drink up, and then we can see Rolanda. Poppy tells me she is stable."
The brightly lit hospital wing smelled of its usual antiseptic and medicinal herbs. Hermione and Severus did not interrupt Poppy, who was a blur or activity in her pristine white robes, muttering to herself as she flitted between her workbench center of the room and her cabinets.
Behind the curtain, the patient in question laid motionless, her face smooth with the obvious influence of a sleeping draught, her shining silver hair neatly swept to the side as if it had been brushed.
Holding Hooch's limp hand in both of his was Professor Rowland, who was leaned forward in his chair. His curls fell freely over his miserable face. Severus thought it very likely he had been here all night.
"She's stable." Lucas did not look up as he addressed them. "Poppy raised her temperature. Salve for the frostbite. She'll be released in a few days, a week tops."
"I'm so glad she's going to pull through." Hermione hesitated. "Lucas, are you alright?"
He scoffed a heated, angry noise. "I'm fine, that's why she's here." He shook his head, his expression miserable. "She pushed me out of the way. It should be me."
"I'm so sorry, but you can't think that way." Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's not your fault that this happened. Rolanda cares about you, of course she jumped in."
"She always thinks she needs to be Rambo or something every time there's trouble." Lucas sniffed and ran the pad of his thumb over a small spot of bare skin that was not wrapped in bandages, just above her wrist.
"Oh, I've seen her break up quidditch fights, she's not afraid of anyone." Hermione smiled.
Severus finally spoke, a small crinkle in his brow. "Who is Rambo?"
Before either of the Muggleborns present could explain, Poppy returned to lean over Rolanda. "Do not fret, Professor Rowland. We have not seen the last of Rolanda Hooch," she said, adjusting bandages and painting a thick green gel over her affected skin.
Lucas nodded, turning a watery eye upwards. "Thank you, Poppy."
She patted him empathetically on the shoulder. "You should get some rest."
"I'm alright." He croaked, not moving from his hunched position.
"Some breakfast then?" Poppy waved her wand and summoned a full English breakfast on a silver tray, complete with tea and juice before Rowland could shake his head no. Then the mediwitch pulled the curtain shut behind her, obscuring them from view.
Poppy's eyes darted between them, a smirk formed on her lips. Severus heated under the collar, but luckily she did not press. "Severus, will you please restock my burn paste? I thought that I had another jar, but I can't seem to find it."
"I'll restock tomorrow."
Poppy swept out, still smiling.
"Severus," Hermione said, "I think our next stop should be Kingsley. I want to know who they arrested last night."
Severus blinked at her phrasing, the assertion she seemed to make that they would do things together now. "As would I."
"Over here." Hermione was already pulling up a chair beside the fire in the Hospital Wing. Hermione grabbed the small bag of floo powder on the mantle and threw a handful of dust into the fire. "Kingsley Shacklebolt."
There was a short delay, and the image of Kingsley's head expressed itself through the burning embers of the hearth. "I was wondering when I would hear from the two of you."
"Happy Sunday, Minister." Hermione said, "I hope we are not interrupting."
"Not at all, just doing my endurance training. Have to stay sharp, you know."
"Very practical." Severus cut through the small talk. "Kingsley, who did you arrest last night?"
"Ah, right into it then." Kingsley chuckled. "We apprehended Malcolm Baddock, a seventh year student. No history of law-breaking of any kind before yesterday."
"One of my house." Severus nodded.
"You're not surprised?" Hermione asked, reading his face.
"I suspected something was off with him, but I did not think it was this bad." Severus nodded. "His grades have been dreadful this term. A lifelong grade grubber suddenly doesn't turn in assignments?"
Kingsley continued, "Here's what we know: Mr. Baddock and several unidentified accomplices conspired to impersonate a first-year student by way of Polyjuice potion in order to lure teachers into the forest for attack and/or abduction. He refuses to tell us who he was collaborating with."
"Half-decent plan, poor execution." Severus remarked.
"I do not suppose they were counting on your presence, Severus."
"He's is much too tall to be the person who stunned me last month." Hermione added skeptically.
"That doesn't mean he's innocent." Severus replied.
"Can we come to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to speak with him?"
"Mr. Baddock was transported to Azkaban last night, pending trial."
"Already?" Hermione inquired, sitting back.
Kingsley shook his head. "I understand it sounds harsh, but he was caught red-handed and he is of age; Azkaban was the only logical choice."
"Can you get us an hour with him at the prison?" Severus asked.
"What, both of you?"
"Yes, and it must be today," Hermione said earnestly. "We have classes tomorrow."
"You two seem to be a good team, perhaps you two can get it out of him." He smiled at the two of them, and Severus got the sickening impression that he was about to see that self-satisfied smirk on everyone's face now. "I will get you a pass to Azkaban. Report back to me, if you don't mind." Kingsley gave them instructions and bid them good luck. The fire settled back to a soft glow as his face disappeared from view.
"Let's strategize." Hermione turned to face him, her face shining with determination. "I figure there are three options. "Either he is innocent-"
"Unlikely."
"Agreed," Hermione nodded. "With means he is either caught up in the wrong crowd, or he's a baby blood-purist twat."
"Our first priority is to determine which." Severus agreed. "If he is an unwilling participant, then perhaps he wouldn't mind a sympathetic visit from his very concerned Potions Mistress?"
"Good idea. I'll start soft, offer to help if I can. If he gets defensive or suspicious, you come in with the interrogation." She pondered a moment longer. "Severus, you're not going to like, torture him, are you?"
"Why Professor Granger, I'm shocked."
She looked relieved. "You can't blame me for asking, you nearly set him on fire yesterday."
"That was different." Severus held out his arm. "Are you ready?"
"Actually, I have an idea." She summoned a basket of fresh baked goods from the kitchens and hooked it on her elbow. "If I'm going to play good cop, then I'm doing it right."
The instructions that Kingsley had left them landed them on a tall, very narrow island in the rocky grey sea. Above them, a much larger island jutted upwards and disappeared into the fog.
Severus gestured to the fog. "Azkaban is several hundred feet up."
The only structure on the rock was a small red booth, inside which sat a small wizard on a wooden stool. "Severus Snape and Hermione Granger here to see the prisoner Malcolm Baddock."
"What's your business?" Beneath his glasses, the man's eyes were sharp and shrewd.
"We are here on Hogwarts business, Kingsley has approved it." Severus answered curtly.
The old man clearly didn't like this, his chin wobbling and he raked his eyes over them. His eyes landed on her basket. "No food allowed in."
"Oh, these are aren'r for the prioniers. It's for the guards." She handed him the biggest chocolate chip muffin in the basket and smiled brightly at him. "Thank you for spending your Sunday at work so the rest of us can be safe."
The bad stared at the muffin and turned beet red. "Well…alright. Granger, you say?"
"Yes, what's your name?" Hermione asked brightly, as if he had asked her to be friendly.
He hesitated, "Oh, uh. Robert."
"Nice to meet you Robert. Am I on the list?"
"Yeah I see you. This way," he said, directing them to a portkey. "Make sure you save a croissant for Larry at the front desk. Poor bastards on weekends all month."
Severus looked at her amazed once they had landed at their next checkpoint. "I can't believe that worked."
"I think that kindness is often the correct tactic."
He smirked, "Maybe to start."
"A true Slytherin if I ever saw one."
As they landed in the lobby of the prison, the horrifying coldness of the place made itself known to them. Severus had been here a few times before Kingsley had banished the Dementors, and although it was still the least cheerful place he could think of, their absence made the place much more tolerable.
"Good morning. Larry, right? Robert downstairs mentioned you like croissants." Hermione was standing in front of the security desk, holding her box of pastries.
Larry perked up considerably and let them through to the hallway that housed Malcolm.
Hermione stopped in front of the cell door, ready to go in. He took her hand quickly. "Hermione, be careful. Use our connection if you need me."
She nodded to him and he held the door open. A loud wind whipped through the cell through the small high windows. Hermione walked in, holding her basket as Severus leaned against the wall on the other side, listening.
"Malcolm?"
A groan emitted from the cell, cutting through the white noise of the wind.
"Malcolm? It's Professor Granger. I hope you don't mind that I've come to see you."
"Professor?" A shuffling noise.
"How are you holding up?"
He sniffed. "It's so awful here. I didn't sleep at all last night. These people just wail and scream. The Dementors may be gone, but these people are still haunted."
"I think you may need a bit of chocolate." a moment later, "Here, chocolate muffin."
"How did you get that in here?"
"Don't worry, just take it."
"I didn't expect any visitors."
"Did they treat your injuries?"
"Just a concussion."
"Were you burned yesterday?"
There was no answer.
"Oh damn! I should have brought you your school books so that you could stay occupied."
"What, so I can sit for my N.E.W.T.S.?" He huffed a laugh, "I appreciate the visit, but there is no helping me."
"Oh no, Malcolm, don't say that." Her voice came out fearful. "You're so young, and you have a clean record. I'm sure they won't keep you here long if you cooperate."
"Is that why you're really here for, my cooperation?" He stiffened. "If you're here for answers, you're wasting your time."
She expertly sidestepped Malcolm's bait. "Do you need me to contact your family for you? You're going to need a spokesperson for the trial."
"It's fine."
She tried again, "What's your defense?"
"No defense."
A beat. "None?" And when he did not answer, "Malcolm, I'm sure this wasn't your plan; you're not a killer."
"You don't know me."
"No, but I do know that your marks have gone down the toilet since term started, despite proving yourself to be both highly intelligent and diligently studious in previous years." Hermione sighed, "That doesn't happen for no reason. Maybe if the judges knew the circumstances-"
His voice was cold now. "My actions are my own."
Careful, he's getting angry.
"Malcolm, you can recover from this." Hermione said.
"I can't. You don't understand."
"Then please explain it to me."
Malcolm said nothing. Severus waited for several moments, and he took as his cue.
Malcolm's eyes widened as Severus stepped around the corner. "Mr. Baddock."
The boy shook, "Professor Snape."
"There's no need for such formality. You are no longer my student." Severus said coldly, squatting down near Malcolm huddled form, casting a dull shadow on him. "You may have missed the transition, it happened when you attacked my outnumbered party in the woods yesterday."
Malcolm opened his mouth and closed it again, looking off to the side.
"That was you, wasn't it, Malcolm?" Severus moved in closer, stepping into his power of intimidation. "Did you perhaps think you could kill me?"
He whimpered, "P-please."
"Please, what?" Severus asked calmly. "Are you ready to explain yourself?"
"I can't." His nose ran as he turned away from Severus' icy glare.
"Tell me, Malcolm. What was the plan in the woods yesterday?"
He shook his head again.
"Why did you try to abduct Professor Granger?"
His eyes shot wide and he looked over to Hermione, brow furrowed in confusion, and then lowered his head in shame.
He didn't know about the abduction, she thought.
Agreed. "And why did you attack her in the corridor last month?" he asked.
Malcolm's face was now so red with restraint that he looked physically ill. He only shook his head violently.
I think he's under some kind enchantment to keep him from talking. It looks painful.
Severus stood, recognizing that Malcolm could offer them nothing by way of explanation, he headed for the door without a backwards glance.
Hermione took one last look at Malcolm and knelt down next to him, handing him an extra cookie. "I know you don't believe me now, but trust me when I say, you'd be amazed at the dark places a person can crawl their way back from."