Severus And Hermione

Chapter 12

Weeks had passed. Hermione was going insane. They had to stay inside the entire time. She missed the sunlight on her skin. She missed the sky. The grass. The wind. Most of all, she missed the creatures and insects surrounding the castle grounds.

Hermione was reading a novel when she heard a strange whoosh.

She stood and made her way to where Severus was.

"Master, it is safe now."

Hermione hurried along. She knew who had just arrived. She walked into the living room.

"Dobby?"

The house elf turned toward her.

"Miss," Dobby greeted.
"What is the news?" She asked.
"Headmaster Dumbledore says it is safe for Miss Granger now."

Hermione felt like jumping in the air. She almost kissed Dobby with excitement.

"We can go back to Hogwarts?"
"Yes. Dobby does not lie," said the house elf.

Hermione found it strange how Dobby always spoke of himself in the third person.

"Oh, thank you, Dobby!" She said as she ran to gather her things.

"I will get Miss Granger back to school. Thank you, Dobby. You may go," said Snape.

"Dobby is only doing as Dobby is told, Master."

With that, Dobby was gone. Severus walked to the room where Hermione was most likely packing.

He watched her with amusement.

"We need to talk before we leave," said Severus.

Hermione looked at him. She charmed the rest of her things to pack themselves and sat on the bed.

"Okay. What is it?" She asked.

Severus sighed. He walked over to the vanity and sat on the small bench.

"We can't keep doing this." He said.

Hermione blinked in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.
"You. Me. We can not have a relationship whilst you are still a student."

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up as they turned scarlet.

"I thought we said we would make it work."
"We tried. I was almost too late to save you that night."
"But you made it in time."
"Only just. I can not do this. I am sorry. We will go back to Hogwarts as nothing more than student and professor. Understood?"
"No. I. Do. Not. Understand."

Hermione gritted her teeth. What had gotten into him?

"Well that is what will happen. Now get your things. We leave in five minutes."
"Sev--"
"Five minutes, Granger," he said as he walked out of the room.

Hermione sat on the bed. She felt numb. No. That did not just happen. Severus Snape did not just dump her...

She started sobbing. But he did...He just did. And she had no way to fix it. For once Hermione didn't know what to do.

A few minutes later Snape walked in, gave all her belongings to her and took her back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Once they were safely there, he walked on toward Dumbledore's office, leaving her alone in the hallway.

Days turned into weeks and the man she had once known was gone completely. In fact, he was ten times more strict than usual.

He even deducted points from Slytherin house just because Draco Malfoy had tripped while walking into class.

He had gotten out of hand. There was nothing Hermione or anyone else could do about it.

He was officially a monster. The snappy Potions master that everyone hated. Only, they might have started hating him more than before.

Hermione handed her task in. She was about to walk back to her desk when she was called back.

"You haven't finished, Granger." Snape snapped at her.
"Yes," she said,"I have."
"You have not. I will have one hundred and fifty points deducted from Gryffindor. Your house can thank you."

Hermione's blood boiled. She spun on her heel and sat down in her chair.

"What's with you, 'Mione?" Asked Harry.
"Snape said my task was incomplete. He deducted one hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor house," she spat.
"Blimey hell. What is his problem?" Asked Ron.
"Does he ever need one?" Asked Harry as he stared at Snape with a look that could have killed.

Ron shrugged. Hermione waited for the time to pass. When the end of class finally came, she was the first one out. Ron and Harry had to run in order to keep up.

Hermione headed straight to the library to do research on her Transfiguration homework.

She stayed so long she missed supper completely. Not that she cared. She wasn't hungry after her confrontation anyway.

She finished off and went to bed. Dreams tormented her all the while. She slept restlessly that night. And many, many more nights to come.

Harry and Ron tried as best they could to cheer their friend up. Nothing seemed to help.  No potion they could think of would help either. Spells were also out of the question.

Ginny tried hardest of all. Hermione was her best friend. Not even she could get her to smile.

Slowly as weeks turned into months, Hermione went back to being herself. Whenever they went to Potions though, she would have an icy expression and an even worse mood.

Ron and Harry put it down to hormonal, female things which they'd rather not mess with.

Ginny, though...She knew her friend. There was nothing hormonal about it. She wished she could help, but had no idea how to do so when she didn't even know what was wrong.

Hermione spent the school break with the Weasley family. At least she felt wanted there. She felt like she belonged. She felt loved. 

"Oh, Hermione dear," said Molly as they readied themselves for school.

Hermione turned to the woman who she had accepted as a mother during her first year at Hogwarts.

"Don't forget to keep an eye on Ginny. And Ronald. I worry when they're not home."
"I'll watch them, Mrs. Weasley."
"Thank you, dear."

Molly kissed her on the cheek and hugged her as one by one, they travelled back to their second home by green fire.

Harry was the last to arrive. He dusted himself off.

"I wish we could do that without needing a complete change of clothes after every time," said Harry.
"It would help,"said Hermione.
"Yeah, then Mum would use it all the time." Said Ron.

Ginny shook her head as her older brother and two friends carried on with their pointless argument.