Hermione was looking down at a very injured Snape and didn't even consider the fact that whatever got him was still lurking in the shadows. She knelt next to him and placed a shaky hand on his neck to look for his pulse. Still a heartbeat, thank goodness, she thought to herself.
'Headmaster?' She whispered, 'Can you hear me?'
She lit her wand and gasped when his dark eyes met hers.
'Miss Granger. Not safe. Go.' Snape struggled to speak and Hermione moved quickly to perform a diagnostic spell over his eerily still body. She found that a huge chunk of his arm had been ripped away and several of his ribs were broken.
'You cannot move, sir. You're badly hurt, but don't worry I'm going to get you out of here safely,' she smiled warmly down at him, not sure whether he was conscious enough to recognize.
He tried again to speak, 'You give everything for me. You prevented my death once already. You cannot deny Death my soul again.'
Hermione clenched her jaw tightly, 'No. I will not let you die. I will not be forced to face my worst fear here alone. We never even talked about why this is my worst fear. You can't do this to me! You can't leave me!'
She had started to shout, pleading desperately with the man lying in front of her. 'Why can't you see that I need you? I always have. You have been the reason that I was able to carry on when all I wanted to do was give up. This is my fault. I should have just told you when I realized it. Headmaster, I had already bonded to the bird this morning. I saw it outside, but recognized it only as a peacock, not a magical creature. If I had just told you then you wouldn't be on the ground of the Forbidden Forrest half dead again.'
She reached into her cloak pocket at pulled out her beaded bag. She pointed her wand into it and called, 'Accio Blood Replenisher'. In an instant she had a vial in her bloody hands.
'Here, sir. Drink this, it'll help.' She carefully poured the vial into Snape's mouth and then ripped a sleeve off her sweater and tied it tightly around his upper arm to control the bleeding. After a few minutes, she finally saw his face regain a little of the color that he had lost.
'Expecto Patronum,' she flicked her wand and commanded the silvery otter to send word to Professor McGonagall and Poppy in the infirmary. She worked quickly and placed a ward around their area to keep anyone or anything out except for the two she had just called.
The entire time she worked, Snape stared at her in breathless admiration, almost as if she was a figment of his imagination. As soon as she had finished the wards, she knelt back down next to him and placed her hand on his cheek.
'You're not going anywhere, sir. Death will have to find someone else in your place.' Hermione sat down behind him and placed his head in her lap, gently playing with his dark locks. 'I need you to keep talking, Headmaster. I don't want you to fall into unconsciousness. Please.' She continued stroking his hair and waited for some sort of reply, which came minutes later.
'Miss Granger,' Snape wheezed, 'I do think now is the best time, if any, to convey to you how appreciative I am for what you did.'
Hermione went to shush him, afraid that he would over exert himself, but he caught her hand to stop her.
'Let me finish.'
He took her hand and placed it on his chest, never letting go of it and continued in a small voice.
'All my life, I never had anything meaningful to live for. I only had the son of an ex best friend, and even that wasn't exactly the life I had planned for myself. I never believed I would ever make it out alive once Dumbledore was gone, and even then I do not believe I wanted to be alive. Why would I want to live in a world where I was considered a traitor to some and a pathetic excuse for a man to the others? I was no hero. I'm still no hero. I did what I had to do. You did not.
You were not told to follow the path set forth by Potter and his sidekick- you chose that. You also did not have to save me. Why you did, I will never know, but I am finally glad that you did. I plan on making up for the years I tortured you as a student, so that you can see just how truly brilliant you are.' He slowly tilted his head backwards so his eyes could search her features, 'Hermione, you have nothing to fear. I will never leave you.'
Hermione's heart could have burst right out of her chest at the utterance of those words, especially the use of her first name. She tried not to cry, but the tears came naturally after months of holding everything inside.
'I saved you because even though you never gave me the time of day, I don't think I could have lasted a day knowing that you weren't there to ignore me. I feel strangely connected to you, like I have to do my best because anything less than that would let you down. I know this sounds silly, but even though I don't really know you, I feel like you're the only one who knows me.' She stopped and looked at his face, searching for a sign of disgust. She didn't find it.
'Hermione, how did you know you were bonded to the bird?' Snape asked quickly.
'As soon as I saw the picture in the book. I tried to rationalize it, but then I remembered wishing for help with deciding which assignment to do first, and then was interrupted with your letter.'
'Ah, so your wish was granted when my letter conveyed the sign that you should complete Potions first. Interesting. Miss Granger, I do believe there is something else you should know about this bird,' Snape said softly, 'Even with its death, the bond isn't broken until the person's purest desire is fulfilled.'
Hermione gasped. Oh no, I don't even know what mine is, but I can bet it has something to do with him, she thought.
'Unfortunately,' he continued even softer, 'many people deny what their hearts are truly seeking and end up living miserable lives. Yes, the bird grants wishes, so to speak, but they always have a common goal of acquiring that one desire. So if you deny it, you'll always be reminded of that which you will not admit to.'
He watched her face become paler than his.
'You mean to tell me,' she sputtered, 'that I need to figure out what my deepest desire is and do something about it? What if I can't? Then what, I'm doomed?!' She was starting to panic.
I know he has something to do with it, but he'll never want me in the way that would break the bond- never.
He twitched his head, 'Yes, I do. You need to be honest with yourself and those around you, or suffer dearly.'
She moved their hands, still connected, from his heart to his cheek. 'I do believe I already know what my heart seeks the most.'
She heard his breath hitch a tiny bit before he let out an almost inaudible, 'yes…?'
'Headmaster, I do believe that-,'
'Miss Granger! Release your wards!' It was Professor McGonagall.
Bloody brilliant timing, Hermione noted.
She waved her wand, allowing the older witch to run through to where she was on the ground with Snape, and commanded, 'What on Earth happened here?'
'Professor,' Hermione started, 'I really think we should get the Headmaster to the infirmary before I start the story. I have given him a blood replenishing potion, but he still has several broken ribs.'
McGonagall eyed the two before speaking, 'Yes, Poppy is waiting for his arrival. Now Miss Granger, please repeat after me. Humano locomoto.'
Hermione did as she was told, and the two witches were able to levitate Snape easily and transport him inside the castle to Poppy.
After some unsuccessful attempts to get him through the doorway (and some colorful words on Snape's part), he was finally placed on a bed in a secluded room. Poppy started flitting about the room, and then beckoned for the other two witches to follow her out. As Hermione was about to leave, she felt a hand grasp hers.
'Miss Granger, you cannot expect me to last through Poppy's intensive care without you finishing your thought from the forest.' Snape looked at her desperately.
Hermione bit her lip and looked down at their hands. You can do this. He must have some idea anyway. Just do it. It's not like things could get any worse.
She started slowly, 'Headmaster. I do believe that,' she paused and took a deep breath before continuing, 'I am most certain that my deepest desire is,' she looked up at the man lying before her, 'you.'
With that one last word, she managed to unclasp her hand from his and dash out of the room in one giant bound.
Desperate to return to her rooms, she found a concerned McGonagall and Poppy eyeing her curiously and waiting for some explanation.
'Headmaster Snape was attacked by an animal in the forest while we were searching for the fleur de Lune, a rare flower that only blossoms in the moonlight, for a Potions project. I requested his assistance and he grudgingly agreed,' she turned to Poppy. 'I gave him a blood replenishing potion and tied off the bite, but a quick diagnostic spell alerted me that he has several broken ribs. I apologize for my terseness, but I am horribly tired and a bit shaken.' She stopped and glanced at McGonagall, who replied.
'Of course Miss Granger, you need some rest. I am so sorry you had to see that, but grateful you were able to help him. Here,' she handed Hermione a vial, 'a small dosage of Dreamless Sleep should help you tonight.'
Hermione took the vial with a nod and headed out of the infirmary and to her rooms.
Once there, she stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself in her blankets. Now I suppose I just wait for my expulsion, she sighed. She reached over to her nightstand, where she had placed the vial, and downed the contents in one gulp. She was going to need it alright, just not for the reasons McGonagall thought.