What Should Have Been

{10}

As Severus looked at the young woman outside of his door, she took a heavy breath in and walked right past him into his flat as if he weren't already fit to be tied. Figuring that his former student must at least have something important to say, Severus shut the door and looked at the very stiff form of Parkinson.

"What is it you have barged into my dark state of being for?"

Sitting across from her, he saw the conflict flitter about her face as she went to speak.

"I have been tasked by your god-awful god-son to tell you a few things."

Leaning back imposingly, Severus raised a single eyebrow indicating she was to continue.

"Draco called me after getting back from Granger's house, and it turns out she has retrieved her memory with the help of a few aurors who figured out who erased it in the first place."

"Of course, one cannot retrieve their memories unless the spell is casted by the person who did it," Severus added, attempting to contain his joy at the fact Hermione had retained her prior four years. There was a but coming, and Merlin he could feel that it wasn't a good addition. "But what else is there, Miss Parkinson, there seems to be a heavier truth you must teach me."

"It was Granger," she whispered, probably hoping that he wouldn't hear. However, Severus may be getting a bit older in age, yet his hearing was as pristine as it always had been.

"You mean to tell me that my Hermione erased her own memories?" He asked, feeling a shake of fear run down his spine. It couldn't be, he didn't want to ever believe she would do that to him or her.

"Yes," Parkinson huffed out, shakily standing, "Now if you'll excuse me, I must--"

"I agree, you should be going," he interrupted in a cold tone. His manners were telling him not to hex the messenger, but his heart was screaming to terrorize the whole fot he wizarding world.

"Don't do anything crass like I am about to do," she muttered before huriedly apparating with a small flick of her wand.

And while he was sure that there was something she wasn't telling him with that statement, Severus Snape ignored it to do exactly what Parkinson had told him to do. He was just going to head to bed no matter how early in the evening it was. Sleeping was better than literally anything at that time. He felt betrayed by Hermione, and that wasn't event he worst of it. His heart was broken, and rage burned in him like each and every one of his nerves were on fire. Severus had felt so much better when he thought someone had done them an injustice both. Now... he now felt ruined, and even an apology from his witch wouldn't quite cut it in making him feel any better.

The war inside of him fought that maybe he'd done something to warrant this disgrace of a position, but he couldn't think of anything that he'd done. In complete agony, Severus went to bed in hopes of a sound sleep.

-

Luckily enough, Ron was awake when there was a rather violent knock on his door that aroused him from the couch. Draco had told him he was free to go, now he certainly wasn't getting arrested. That, however, did not mean he could neglect whoever was at the door.

"Coming!" He shouted and flicked his wand a few times to send things back to their original place. With a satisfied glance, Ron went to answer the door.

He certainly wasn't expecting Pansy to be standing on the other side of it.

"Hello, Weasley," she greeted much more cheerfully than she'd been last night with him.

"You can't be here," was his dumb reply.

It earned him a confused look, for sure, but the witch seemed to ignore his pale face and entered into his home anyways.