Hermione sat in the forbidden forest in a clearing on her own. After the war the forest had become safe again. Students and staff alike were allowed to roam so long as they were respectful of it inhabitants. But today Hermione was alone. It seemed the only place she could truly be away from everyone and feel free and unrestrained.

And it was here that she sat in the clearing staring blankly into the woods at nothing in particular. Unbeknownst to her Severus Snape lurked in the darkness of the trees just out of sight of Hermione. He noted his student turned colleague staring into nothingness and waited for a reaction rom her.

He'd been watching her of late since she took over for Minerva. The chit was alone most of the time. She never received mail from the owls and, if not teaching, holed herself up either in a dark corner of the library, her office or rooms, or in this spot of the forbidden forest. The once happy child had grown into a sad and dower young woman.

Hermione had started teaching immediately after taking her NEWTs and passing with top marks. Harry had become and auror and was always busy and Ron had gone onto playing professional quidditch. It seemed that now that the war was truly over her "friends" no longer had time for her. Or seemed to not to want to make time for her. In fact, it was approaching the end of the semester and Severus could see this isolation taking its toll on her.

Hermione had not completely bounced back from a year on the run. She was still painfully thin and pale. Her hair was always in a severe bun and her clothes hung off her. As a student Hermione Granger didn't care much about her looks but still kept herself presentable. Now she seemed to discard that care and only did the bare minimum to function.

And so Hermione stood and in one sudden movement she curled up on the blanket beneath her and sobbed into her hands. All the feelings of loneliness and being unwanted and no one truly taking her seriously was washing over her. Now that the war was over she'd simply been discarded, deemed unnecessary if only to teach.

Severus watched from his spot as Hermione melted on to the blanket. For a moment there was silence until he could hear her sobs. Silently he crept closer to get a better view of her. She was curled up in a ball hiding her face but he could hear the racking sobs escaping her. She looked to be in physical pain. Without thinking Severus quietly swept up to her and picked her up in his arms and held her.

For a moment Hermione struggled against the sudden restraint but upon realizing it was Severus she relaxed and as he held her closer she cried even more and buried her face in his shoulder. Severus never said a word but held her close and rubbed her back. He understood this feeling all to well. Hermione had truly been left on her own. The forgotten one.

The other professors never spoke to her, Severus included. Her friends had left her by the way side and her family was all but dead. So Severus took it upon himself in this moment to be the one for her. After the war he'd seen to many of his former students left in the same state and many of them had fallen into such depression that they took their own lives or wasted away to nothing.

Severus wasn't exactly how long he'd sat there holding Hermione but he noted that the forest was near dark. Hermione had fallen sleep in his arms and judging by how quickly it was getting dark out he judged he would have to take the back entrance into the castle to avoid being seen and bring her into his rooms. Severus stood and with a wave of his hand his robes had moved to cover Hermione and her bag had flown to his hand.

He trudged through the forest expertly avoiding gnarled roots and rocks and made it to a side entrance he frequently used. It wasn't long before he made it to his rooms and with a quickly whispered password he was let into his quarters where he gently laid her down on the sofa and lit the fire in the fireplace. He took the blanket thrown over the top and covered her with it then went to change and removed his robes, boots, and jacket and sat on the floor and leaned against the sofa as he read and let the heat warm him.