AN pt.1~ Terribly sorry for the delay. This chapter is a bit more serious than the last two. I just can't seem to shake off this weird mood I'm in, so it's translated into this. Hope you like it.
Hermione knew her behavior lately had been irrational, and a little unsettling to her friends, but it was her way of attempting to keep from falling into the pit of darkness that breathed down her neck. On nights she was able to catch a few minutes' rest she was thrown into nightmares. The most prominent of her nightmares were of Bellatrix Lestrange torturing her, and hid the evidence of her sleeplessness with glamour charms.
No longer could she hide behind stacks of books and escape reality like before. Instead, she took to exploring the castle during the night, reveling in the solitude and comfort of the building that had been her home for many years. On this night her feet guided her to an unused corridor that ended at a set of stairs. Slowly, she ascended the stone stairs and found herself atop a tower on the south-eastern section of the building. Hermione gazed up at the clear dark sky that was illuminated by the full moon.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as her thoughts wandered over her friends and how happy they seemed to be since the threat of Voldemort was gone. Harry and Ginny were back together, and Ron was tentatively trying to win her own affections. He didn't understand that she was different. She wasn't that same girl after they'd been held captive at Malfoy Manor.
"Miss Granger, what a surprise," a silky drawl said.
Hermione snapped out of her thoughts, and spun around with her wand in front of her. She staggered back a few steps until she bumped against the metal railing. It took her a moment before it registered in her mind at whom she was pointing her wand at.
She lowered her wand and replied in a measured tone, "Yes it is, Professor Snape."
"What are you doing up here in the middle of the night?" he questioned, taking a step towards her.
"I would think it'd be obvious why I'm out here in the middle of the night, Snape," she coldly replied, turning her back on him to gaze at the night sky once more.
Immediately, he was behind her and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him. She glared at him as his other hand took possession of her right wrist. He glared back, but she kept herself from flinching under his harsh gaze. In the back of her mind, she noted that while his grasp on her wrists was tight, it wasn't painful in the slightest bit.
Snape lowered his head, bringing it to within a few inches of her own while he sneered, "Need I remind you Miss Granger, that while you are of age you are still a student here, and I will not tolerate your insolence."
"Please excuse my rudeness, then, Professor," she replied in a flat voice. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get back to my room since you have pointed out that it is the middle of the night and I have classes in the morning."
She tried to pry her wrists out of his iron-tight hold, but he made no move to release her. Instead, his black eyes locked with her brown ones, as though searching for something. Her gaze held nothing but pure defiance for the situation she was in. Snape slowly brought his hands up to her shoulders, still holding her in place. Hermione's heart started beating erratically as his hands set off electrical jolts through her arms.
"Remove the glamour, Hermione," he ordered.
Slowly, she shakily raised her wand to her face and canceled the charm. Her eyes held dark rings, giving her face a haggard look. Snape gently cupped her chin in the palm of his hand, which shot a thrilling jolt straight to her stomach, and tilted her head back to get a better look at the few scars and the bags under her eyes.
"When was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?"
"A year or so," she replied in a small voice, trying to calm her nerves.
"That is unacceptable," he stated. "Why don't you go to Madam Pomfrey for a bottle of dreamless sleep?"
"I…I didn't think about it," she said as they locked eyes once more.
Without thinking, Hermione leaned in and brushed her lips over his. He stood in shock for a moment before pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. They stood there completely lost in each other for a few minutes before he came to his senses and pushed himself away from her. They were both flushed and gasping for air as he walked to the other side.
Hermione shivered at the coldness that came from the loss of his warm body pressed against hers, but her eyes were still glazed over from desire. He met her eyes swiftly before turning his back to her and staring out at the sky.
"I suggest you go back to your rooms before someone else catches you out at this time," he said, not turning around.
She stared at him for a moment, feeling tears pricking the back of her eyes.
"Goodnight, Severus," she whispered before running down the stairs.
Severus listened to her fading footsteps, gripping the railing until he knew she was gone. He hung his head as he tried to work out what had just occurred.
"Goodnight, Hermione," he said as he left the tower to return to his own quarters.
AN pt2~ So, yeah. I have no idea as to what I was trying to achieve with this chapter, but I'm hoping my muse will come back around with something a bit better for the next one. I am always up for suggestions from you, since I live to please you all. SO if there's anything that YOU want to see in this, feel free to email me on here! A big thanks to my reviewers and everyone who has this story on their fav's and alerts lists.
Also, Golden Years is NOT abandoned. I have quite a few chapters written out, but haven't had the time or patience to type it up. Never fear, the next chapter will be up by this time next week. I promise!
Remember to Read and Review!