Summary: Another Death Eater bites the dust.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy this little getaway from reality.

Chapter14

Severus looked up as there was a tapping on his window. He rose to let the owl in, removing the missive attached to the owl's talon. He opened the message and read it quickly.

We have located Samuel Rookwood. Meet at the Ministry tomorrow at noon.

Gawain

Severus Evanesco'd the note and returned to his desk. He'd been marking essays, but now he couldn't concentrate. Perhaps a walk would help. He left his classroom and began meandering the halls. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he really wasn't paying attention to where he was going. That was why he was surprised when he found himself facing the Transfiguration classroom door.

He shrugged and knocked.

"Come in!"

Opening the door, he found Hermione doing much the same as he had been doing before escaping his classroom. She looked up from the essay she was grading and smiled at Severus.

"Hey, I was just thinking about you," she said.

He arched a brow at her. "Is that right? Why ever would you be thinking about me?"

She shook her head at him. "Don't sound so surprised. I was wondering if you were chaperoning for the Hogsmeade trip on Saturday."

"I am. Are you also?"

She nodded. She chewed on her lip for a second. "Would you like to grab a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Aren't you having your friends Apparate over for a visit?"

"Yes, but they can only stay for a little bit. I thought we might meet at two?"

Severus nodded. "That sounds acceptable."

She grinned at him. "Great. I'll see you there. Now, what brings you here?"

He shrugged. "I needed to take a break from grading. I got an interesting Owl."

"Do tell," she said as she motioned to the seat in front of her desk.

Severus settled in. "Evidently, the Ministry has tracked down Samuel Rookwood. They want me to meet there tomorrow at noon to help capture him. I suppose I'll ask Minerva to cover my classes in the afternoon."

Hermione frowned. "Must you be involved? Can't they just capture him themselves?"

"Possibly, but part of getting out of my prison sentence was to promise Kingsley I'd help capture the Death Eaters that were at large. After Rookwood, there's only Dolohov."

"I still think they should leave you out of it."

"Well, thank you for that."

"How long do you think it will take to apprehend him?"

"I can't imagine it will be long. The planning takes the most time. We'll probably have a meeting right at noon, then go capture the felon."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know how you can be so flip."

"I am used to being put into situations that I am not comfortable with. I have found that it's easier for me to make light of it than to freak out and hex everything in my path."

Hermione snorted. "Yes, I can see how that might be for the best."

"I will admit, there is only so much knowledge and previous preparation can do. The actual battle is always a surprise, and that can be deadly."

Hermione met his gaze. "Well, don't get killed, okay?"

"I will try my best."

ooo

Severus stumbled into the school. Hermione happened to be hurrying by on her way to the library when he entered and almost fell to the floor.

"Severus!" she cried as she ran to him and supported him. "Let's get you to the infirmary."

"I don't understand it. I felt fine when I left Rookwood's home. I am getting weaker every minute, though."

Hermione gave him a concerned look. "What happened?"

"I was hit by a curse. It cut my arm, but it was easily healable, so I didn't think anything of it. Now, though… that can't be the only thing the curse did."

Hermione used wandless magic to open the Infirmary doors.

"Poppy!" she called out as they entered. She settled Severus on the nearest bed as Poppy came out of her office.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I was hit with some kind of curse. It cut my arm, so I healed myself, but I am feeling weaker and weaker as time goes on."

Poppy waved her wand over Severus. "How long since you were cursed?"

"It was about thirty minutes ago."

"Hermione, would you go into the office; in the cabinet behind my desk is a purple potion. Bring that here, please."

Hermione rushed back to the office as Poppy kept taking readings.

"Clever curse, really," she remarked. "The cut is just to distract you while the actual curse works to weaken your magic."

She cast a few spells on Severus, looking at him expectantly when she was done.

"That feels a little better."

By then, Hermione had returned with the potion. Severus only glanced at it before downing it.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Magic strengthening potion," both Severus and Poppy answered in unison.

"I want you to lie down, Severus. You're going to need to be monitored for a couple of hours to make sure we've reversed the curse fully."

He lay down, and she cast a few more spells over him. He glowed blue for a moment while she did so.

"Okay. It's good you got here when you did. Had you waited even another half hour, it wouldn't have been reversible and would have killed you within twenty four hours. I'll check on you in an hour, but call me if anything starts feeling worse."

Severus nodded, and Poppy headed back to her office. He looked over at Hermione and was shocked to see she was batting back tears.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

She sniffled but didn't say anything.

"Hermione, why are you crying?"

"Merlin, you almost died not six months ago, and you could have died again."

He turned his head and stared up at the ceiling. "I doubt many people would care one way or the other."

"That is so not true, Severus Snape!"

His eyes were drawn to her again.

"You are my friend–and Jonathan's friend–and Minerva's friend–and…"

"I get it," he said.

"Well, you're not an island, Severus! There are plenty of people who care about you."

He reached out and Hermione's hand met his. He grasped it and gave it a squeeze.

She squeezed his hand back, and in that moment his ideal woman turned from a woman with ginger hair to one with brown curly hair. He was reluctant to let her hand go for fear that he would never hold it again.

"Thank you for being here," he said. "I'm still planning on meeting you at the Three Broomsticks tomorrow."

"You better be! I'm looking forward to it."

He was still very weak, but he managed to grin at her. "I will be there. I promise."

ooo

A little while after Hermione had left him, Jonathan burst into the infirmary. He rushed up to Severus' bed.

"Hermione said you almost died," he said as his eyes roved over Severus, making sure he was in one piece.

Severus sighed. "I was hoping to escape without anyone else knowing."

Jonathan pulled up a chair and settled in. "What happened?"

Severus explained about Rookwood being apprehended. "I was hit by a spell which cut open my arm. I didn't think much of it once we had secured Rookwood and simply healed the wound. Evidently, it was a cover for something more insidious that was draining my magic. If I had waited too long, it would have killed me."

Jonathan shook his head. "I'm glad you got back in time." He was quiet for a minute. "Do you think maybe you should pull back on going with the Aurors? Isn't it enough that you find where the Death Eaters are hiding?"

Severus' eyebrows knit together. "I told Shaklebolt I would capture these four men. There's only Dolohov left. I'll see this through."

"Well, be careful, yeah? I'd hate to lose a friend."

Severus smirked and nodded. "I'd hate to be lost. Now can we change the subject? Between you and Hermione fawning all over me, I'm eager to talk about something other than my death."

"Sure, I wanted to ask you about a curse I found in an older textbook in the library…"

Jonathan stayed for a while keeping Severus upbeat and engaged as he healed.

ooo

Hermione stormed into the Three Broomsticks. Looking around. she spied Severus and headed over to him. Throwing herself in the chair across from him, she huffed.

"Erm… something wrong?" Severus asked.

"You bet something's wrong! Ronald Weasley is lucky his head is still attached to his body!"

Severus looked at her with concern. "What did he do now?"

"Well–" Her eyes narrowed. "He tried to slip me a love potion in a chocolate. Luckily, I noticed the candy smelled odd."

"Hermione, that's very serious. You could have been hurt. If the Auror department knew he did that, he could lose his position."

She bristled. "I'm tempted to out him."

"What did you do when you figured it out?"

"Let's just say he'll not be sitting for a while."

Severus smirked. "I still think you should report him. What did the Boy-wonder say?"

"Harry," she huffed, "didn't say anything. I mean he looked shocked, but just rushed off with Ron and his flaming arse."

"You didn't."

"I did. And I'll do it again if he tries anything like that."

Severus looked at her with concern. "His actions seem to be… extreme. Do you think you should be worried?"

Hermione's shoulders sagged. "I honestly don't know. My gut tells me that I should. I mean, he was a victim of a love potion himself, if you remember. I don't understand why he would ever think to use one."

"Sounds like he wants you back."

Hermione's eyebrows knit together. "That may be, but a love potion? I just don't understand why he would do that."

"He's a selfish brat. All he ever did as a student was whinge about not being the center of attention."

Hermione opened her mouth to refute his statement but then closed it again. She studied Severus before speaking.

"I think with all his siblings, he didn't get much attention."

"I didn't get much attention as a child either. You don't see me whinging about it."

Hermione gave him a sorrowful look.

"Hermione, don't pity me, please. Yes, my childhood was difficult, but the last thing I want is for you to feel sorry for me."

"I…" she stammered. "I didn't mean…"

"Just, don't. I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity," she retorted. "No one should have to live the childhood that you did."

"Yes, but many do. I am not unique. Look at Potter."

"It's infuriating," was all she could say.

Severus calmed down a bit. He cleared his throat. "I appreciate you being concerned for me, but all of that happened a long time ago." He arched a brow. "A very long time ago."

Hermione chuckled. "You don't bring up your age often."

He shrugged. "I'm trying to embrace my younger self."

"Do you find it difficult?"

"Sometimes. I find it's easy to fall back into old habits. I try to remember that I'm starting over when that happens."

"If it means anything to you, I think you're doing a brilliant job. I have really enjoyed getting to know this part of you, Severus."

"Thank you. I'm glad my efforts seem to be paying off."

Hermione looked at him shyly. "I know we're the same age, but technically, we're not. We spend a bit of time together. Do you… hate that because I'm so much younger than you?"

"Hate it? Are you serious? I find you refreshing. And yes, there's a difference in age in our psyches, but to be honest with you, you're very mature. Jonathan asked about this a while back, and I told him much the same thing."

Hermione smiled in relief. "Good. I hate being a nuisance."

Severus snorted. "You are not a nuisance. By far, the opposite."

"I'm glad because I enjoy your company too."

At that point, their meals came, and they were engrossed in eating for a while.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "I was so exasperated with Ron, that I forgot to ask you how you are feeling?"

Severus looked up at her as he chewed a bite of his Yorkshire pudding. "I have recovered completely."

Hermione relaxed. "That's good. You worried me."

"I worried myself. I'm usually not that obtuse as to miss a hex like that."

"It was supposed to make you feel like you had overcome it. That's the insidiousness of it."

"Yes, but I should have known…"

She gave him a withering look. "Severus, you're the most powerful wizard I know, but you're only human."

"Hmmph."

She grinned and shook her head at him. At that point, Jonathan walked into the pub. He saw them right away and made his way over.

"Can I join you two?" he asked.

"Of course!" Hermione offered. "How are you, Jonathan?"

"Good! I just spent a bit in the bookstore. I found a great spellbook that I can incorporate into my classes."

"Brilliant," Hermione mused blandly.

Jonathan looked at her. "You seem less than your usual chipper self, Hermione. Is everything all right?"

She huffed. "I barely escaped being poisoned with a love potion."

Jonathan's eyes grew wide. "Who on earth would be stupid enough to try that on you?"

"Ronald."

"He doesn't get the hint, does he?"

"I'll give him the hint," Severus muttered.

Jonathan turned to Severus. "Sounds like he's not long for this world."

Hermione shook her head at him. "No, Severus. Just leave it be. I've already taken care of it."

"I know, but…" He looked away. "Nevermind. I just hate that he thinks he can do something like that to you."

"It's foul," Jonathan agreed.

"I know it is. Hopefully, his flaming arse will remind him of that whenever he tries to sit."

"You didn't," Jonathan exclaimed.

"I did."

"Merlin, remind me never to get on your bad side!"

Severus smirked, and Hermione chuckled. "You definitely need to tread lightly, Jonathan," Severus mused. "Both of her friends understand. I think they call you… scary is it?"

Hermione blushed and looked at the table.

"I'll make sure to remember that."