𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 II SS/HG ✔️

Pains

Hermione sat up. Either Severus had the light lower than usual or—

Her vision was still ruined.

Severus heard her erratic breaths. He walked into her line of sight.

Hermione felt around for her wand on the bedside table.

She thought Severus held something out to her—but when she reached towards him, he grabbed her hand and helped her up.

"I had an idea," he sighed, terribly put out he had to pause his busy toilette to help her. He led her to the washroom door then disappeared into the sitting room.

Hermione took it slower than usual. Perhaps he brewed something, for he was not in the bedroom when she opened the door. Fingers trailed from his bedside table, down to the bed, until she got to the bureau.

Her hairbrush skittered away when she tried to grab it. In front of the mirror, but blind, she started at the bottom of her hair and worked her way up. Classes today included Muggle Studies (she never took notes anyway), Transfiguration (maybe Professor McGonagall would understand, or maybe go over the lesson again one night?), and—Potions.

"Bollocks," she muttered.

Footsteps crept closer.

"More Strengthening Solution?" she asked, cautious.

"No." He set another bowl (or the same bowl, she couldn't tell the difference) on the bureau. He gestured for her to face him (probably) so she did.

Eye drops again.

"The house-elves spent far too much time stoking fires during a blizzard and it hurt their eyes," he explained as his hand curled around the back of her head.

"So this is for house-elves?"

"If I were you, I'd be more concerned that this recipe hasn't been used since the 1700s."

Hermione tried to draw away but he kept his hand on the back of her neck. He tipped up her chin with his thumb.

Her heartrate exploded. Despite how thin he was, he was stronger than her.

"You're a berk." Tears brimmed in her eyes.

Bastard. She was—in t-shirt and panties. Half-blind. In his room, where no one could hear her if this went pear-shaped; if he wanted to use his strength or magic to overpower her.

Instead of an apology—or any warning—he dripped the antique potion into her eye.

It felt more like bath water. He did it to the other eye.

They waited. The strain of movement dimmed. The room remained blurry.

"Again or wait?" he asked.

God, she didn't know. "One more."

…

After she put on her uniform, she came back and he applied the rest to her eyes since no adverse reactions became apparent.

When the potion was gone, she was able to see his face. His eyes were narrowed.

"Can you see?"

She peered around the room. Crooks was an orange blob on the pillows. Even in front of the mirror, Hermione couldn't tell the features on her own face.

"Somewhat."

"If you don't vomit, or start impulsively cleaning, we'll do it again later." Severus took the bowl, presumably back to his lab.

He was still a berk. This must be repayment for their healing session after the Ministry was ransacked.

…

So, of course, Severus decided to be a right bastard the next time she saw him.

The gang had taken turns walking with Hermione from class to class, once they learned what Carrow had done. Her vision seemed to improve throughout the day, but not fast enough. Hermione spent Muggle Studies with her eyes pointed towards the blurry blackboard. Transfiguration was a reading-heavy day, much to Hermione's relief.

Lunch was surprisingly hard. How others found out about her ailment, she wasn't sure. But bits of parchment and food were pelted her way—and feet were thrown out—from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin tables.

That…stung. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw attacks were entirely unexpected.

Ron, Harry, Luna and Ginny surrounded her as they headed to Potions. And that's when Severus laid into her.

Luna and Ginny had each brought extra supplies from the cabinet for Hermione since it was still hard to see.

"Is the walk too far, Miss Granger?" His taunting drawl slipped from somewhere over Hermione's shoulder.

"No, sir." She turned to him. She could not make out his expression from this distance. "I am having trouble seeing today and have been tripping a lot, sir. I don't want to drop anything."

The Slytherins tittered.

"In that case, Miss Granger, you will have to leave. This potion is far too advanced if you can't even manage walking."

Hermione kept the tears back. The draft whistled through the quiet room.

"Yes, sir."

She began to pack up her book. Severus strode past her to his lectern. As he explained the day's potion, she realized it was the asthma potion—the very same thing she had mastered last week.

Hermione slowly exited the classroom and shut the door behind her. She had used his syllabus when creating their work schedules. This was not on the list until January.

He was still a berk.

But a berk that was trying, in a berk-y, roundabout way to be nice. (Maybe.)