Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I don't own anyone. Man, that gets more
depressing every time I type it.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. A whole .3 of
you. But you 3 are greatly appreciated. Keep um comin!
Ch. 2
Turn Ups, Turn Down
His breath was caught in his throat as she spoke those words to him. It repeated in his mind, like an echo. An echo he wanted to hold close to him, and keep it held there forever.
"There wouldn't have been anything to save if you weren't so strong. Voldemort would have finished you if you didn't believe you could live." Severus said. Hermione looked into his eyes. It seemed like a dark veil had been lifted from his face, revealing a genuine, beautiful, and caring human being. During her seven years at Hogwarts, she had never seen this side of him, but now that she did, she liked it.
"Thank you. But really, you saved my life! Thank you." Hermione said, smiling. Severus didn't say anything for a while.
"The Ministry sent this for you. It's been sitting on here since yesterday." He finally said, picking up a small box from a table on the far side of her room. He handed her the box, which she opened, exposing a plaque. Gold plated on rich, brown wood.
"To Miss Hermione Granger, Auror for the British Ministry of Magic, who showed great bravery in facing, and helping defeat, Lord Voldemort in the War against the Dark Arts. She also caught many Death Eaters, making her department of work, look very good.Miss Granger is deeply respected and thanked by the entire Ministry. -Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic." Hermione read. She didn't smile, instead she put the plaque down, face first, on her bed.
"There's another one coming. You get the First Class, Order of Merlin." Severus said.
"I don't deserve any of this!" she almost shouted. "I didn't help defeat him, I almost got killed. Like that's anything great."
"I think what you did was great. You captured so many Death Eaters. You undercut his power more then you think."
"If anyone deserves this, It's you. You made plenty of captures plus countless potions to help our side. What you did was great." Hermione said.
"I got one too. So did Ron and Harry. That one's for you". Severus smiled, which lit up his whole face.
Hermione had a sudden rush of bravery. "Severus?" She asked. "Once I'm out of here, would you like to go for coffee?" Once she said it, she regretted it. The bravery had all gone, and she was left with her old professor staring at her, blankly. Little did she know, he wanted to say yes, but was terrified.
"I don't think that's the best idea right now." Severus said, quietly. "And I really need to be going."
"Oh, of course. Thanks for stopping by." Hermione said, trying not to show her disappointment, but she was pretty sure that wasn't working. Severus exited her room, and softly shut the door, but he stopped a few steps from it.
"What is your problem?!" He said to himself. "She's not your student anymore. She's a beautiful woman, and you just turned her down." He purposely hit the back of his head on the wall he was leaning against. He turned to go back to her room, but his pride stopped him.
Back in the infirmary room, Hermione laid quite still, staring a the ceiling.
"How stupid can I be? Severus, liking me? Please Hermione, I thought you were smarter then that. Now you've gone and gotten yourself upset over someone you didn't have the smallest chance with. He probably still sees you has his student." She whispered, forcing herself not to cry, even when she felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn. She turned away from the door, and eventually fell back asleep.
At least one person got sleep that night. Severus lay awake for hours, not being able to fall asleep. His guilty conscience was keeping him awake. He couldn't shake off him turning down Hermione. Now, he felt he had to live with his stupidity. But, in those hours, he had a lot of time to think. He thought about how all of his life, he's been alone. He has never met anyone he thought he could love. Until now.
Around 3:00 am, he decided, tomorrow he would go back to the infirmary and apologize for saying no to Hermione. He would ask her if the offer was still open. His mind made up, he was free to sleep.
Around the same time, Hermione awoke suddenly from the nightmare she had been having, about her parents death. In her dream, she was going home to visit her parents. As she drove in sight of their house, she saw the Dark Mark floating above her parents bedroom. She quickly got out of her car, and ran towards her house. Her legs seemed to move so slow as she trudged up the familiar stairs and down the hallway to her parents bedroom. She threw open the door, to find Voldemort standing over the body of her parents. A cry erupted from her throat as she backed into a wall, not taking her eyes off of her mom and dad. An eerie voice cut in, forcing her to look at the speaker.
"Your alone now Hermione. No one wants you now. The only one's who did are dead now. Your alone." Voldemort said, looking exactly as he did when she last faced him. He laughed at her, mocking her terror.
Now awake, Hermione sat up in her bed in the infirmary, and pressed her hands over her face. She finally let the tears flow freely, feeling defeated. She cried like she did when she was a young girl. The words of Voldemort flooded her brain. She truly felt alone. She missed her parents more then she could explain. They were always there for her, they supported her, and accepted her being a witch with open arms. Now they were gone from her life, forever, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Eventually, she laid back down, falling back into a fitful sleep, almost hoping she wouldn't wake up in the morning.
Hermione finally woke up a few hours later as the sunlight invaded her room and her slumber. She decided she couldn't stay in the infirmary an longer, so she got up, and went to find Madam Pomfrey. Hermione finally convinced her that she was well enough to leave. She packed up the few thing she had with her and left, to return to her apartment.
Severus drove back to the Infirmary, where he'd left Hermione the day before, and walked quickly up to her room. He stood outside her door, trying to calm himself down. He was anxious to apologize. He knocked on her door, but no one answered from inside. He knocked once more, then opened the door a few inches. He couldn't see anything, so he opened it fully. Quickly, his anxiousness turned to disappointment, when he saw Hermione was gone, as were her things. He quietly shut the door, and walked somberly back down the hall.
Ch. 2
Turn Ups, Turn Down
His breath was caught in his throat as she spoke those words to him. It repeated in his mind, like an echo. An echo he wanted to hold close to him, and keep it held there forever.
"There wouldn't have been anything to save if you weren't so strong. Voldemort would have finished you if you didn't believe you could live." Severus said. Hermione looked into his eyes. It seemed like a dark veil had been lifted from his face, revealing a genuine, beautiful, and caring human being. During her seven years at Hogwarts, she had never seen this side of him, but now that she did, she liked it.
"Thank you. But really, you saved my life! Thank you." Hermione said, smiling. Severus didn't say anything for a while.
"The Ministry sent this for you. It's been sitting on here since yesterday." He finally said, picking up a small box from a table on the far side of her room. He handed her the box, which she opened, exposing a plaque. Gold plated on rich, brown wood.
"To Miss Hermione Granger, Auror for the British Ministry of Magic, who showed great bravery in facing, and helping defeat, Lord Voldemort in the War against the Dark Arts. She also caught many Death Eaters, making her department of work, look very good.Miss Granger is deeply respected and thanked by the entire Ministry. -Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic." Hermione read. She didn't smile, instead she put the plaque down, face first, on her bed.
"There's another one coming. You get the First Class, Order of Merlin." Severus said.
"I don't deserve any of this!" she almost shouted. "I didn't help defeat him, I almost got killed. Like that's anything great."
"I think what you did was great. You captured so many Death Eaters. You undercut his power more then you think."
"If anyone deserves this, It's you. You made plenty of captures plus countless potions to help our side. What you did was great." Hermione said.
"I got one too. So did Ron and Harry. That one's for you". Severus smiled, which lit up his whole face.
Hermione had a sudden rush of bravery. "Severus?" She asked. "Once I'm out of here, would you like to go for coffee?" Once she said it, she regretted it. The bravery had all gone, and she was left with her old professor staring at her, blankly. Little did she know, he wanted to say yes, but was terrified.
"I don't think that's the best idea right now." Severus said, quietly. "And I really need to be going."
"Oh, of course. Thanks for stopping by." Hermione said, trying not to show her disappointment, but she was pretty sure that wasn't working. Severus exited her room, and softly shut the door, but he stopped a few steps from it.
"What is your problem?!" He said to himself. "She's not your student anymore. She's a beautiful woman, and you just turned her down." He purposely hit the back of his head on the wall he was leaning against. He turned to go back to her room, but his pride stopped him.
Back in the infirmary room, Hermione laid quite still, staring a the ceiling.
"How stupid can I be? Severus, liking me? Please Hermione, I thought you were smarter then that. Now you've gone and gotten yourself upset over someone you didn't have the smallest chance with. He probably still sees you has his student." She whispered, forcing herself not to cry, even when she felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn. She turned away from the door, and eventually fell back asleep.
At least one person got sleep that night. Severus lay awake for hours, not being able to fall asleep. His guilty conscience was keeping him awake. He couldn't shake off him turning down Hermione. Now, he felt he had to live with his stupidity. But, in those hours, he had a lot of time to think. He thought about how all of his life, he's been alone. He has never met anyone he thought he could love. Until now.
Around 3:00 am, he decided, tomorrow he would go back to the infirmary and apologize for saying no to Hermione. He would ask her if the offer was still open. His mind made up, he was free to sleep.
Around the same time, Hermione awoke suddenly from the nightmare she had been having, about her parents death. In her dream, she was going home to visit her parents. As she drove in sight of their house, she saw the Dark Mark floating above her parents bedroom. She quickly got out of her car, and ran towards her house. Her legs seemed to move so slow as she trudged up the familiar stairs and down the hallway to her parents bedroom. She threw open the door, to find Voldemort standing over the body of her parents. A cry erupted from her throat as she backed into a wall, not taking her eyes off of her mom and dad. An eerie voice cut in, forcing her to look at the speaker.
"Your alone now Hermione. No one wants you now. The only one's who did are dead now. Your alone." Voldemort said, looking exactly as he did when she last faced him. He laughed at her, mocking her terror.
Now awake, Hermione sat up in her bed in the infirmary, and pressed her hands over her face. She finally let the tears flow freely, feeling defeated. She cried like she did when she was a young girl. The words of Voldemort flooded her brain. She truly felt alone. She missed her parents more then she could explain. They were always there for her, they supported her, and accepted her being a witch with open arms. Now they were gone from her life, forever, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Eventually, she laid back down, falling back into a fitful sleep, almost hoping she wouldn't wake up in the morning.
Hermione finally woke up a few hours later as the sunlight invaded her room and her slumber. She decided she couldn't stay in the infirmary an longer, so she got up, and went to find Madam Pomfrey. Hermione finally convinced her that she was well enough to leave. She packed up the few thing she had with her and left, to return to her apartment.
Severus drove back to the Infirmary, where he'd left Hermione the day before, and walked quickly up to her room. He stood outside her door, trying to calm himself down. He was anxious to apologize. He knocked on her door, but no one answered from inside. He knocked once more, then opened the door a few inches. He couldn't see anything, so he opened it fully. Quickly, his anxiousness turned to disappointment, when he saw Hermione was gone, as were her things. He quietly shut the door, and walked somberly back down the hall.