Parting Is Such Shit, Really

A/N: Please forgive the brevity of this chapter. It was necessary and I hope you will see why.

Severus was leaning on the door of Hermione’s room, watching as she packed her bags.

‘Are you planning on coming back at all?’ he grumbled at her.

‘If you promise not to hex me as soon as I walk through the door, then yes. I’m not taking everything, Severus.’ Hermione folded another t-shirt.

‘What if I want to let out your room?’ he asked her.

‘You won’t,’ she laughed, ‘but if you decide to prove me wrong, owl me, and I’ll get Ginny to collect everything. Then you will never have to see me again.’

Severus said nothing and continued to stare at her.

‘What time is your train?’ he said, for the sake of something to say.

‘Still two o’clock this afternoon. I’ll have time for lunch.’ She smiled at him.

‘Point taken. I’ll see you in the kitchen.’ Severus slipped off quietly to prepare the sandwiches.

Hermione paused as he left, and her heart leapt into her throat. All in all, it had been a nice two weeks. She had been able to put off thinking about leaving until last night, when she had finally started her packing.

The only thing that had irritated her was that Severus had purposely avoided any further compromising situations, or promising situations, as she preferred to think of them. She had been sure he would have kissed her if Ginny hadn’t interrupted them, but every time she had broached the subject, he had started to talk about other things. Any time she had managed to wheedle her way closer to him, he had found a way out of it.

Hermione zipped her bag closed, grabbed it and her rucksack, and carried both down the stairs, leaving them near the front door. Then, she walked into the kitchen where Severus was sitting waiting for her, a large plate of sandwiches between them.

‘Funny, I don’t feel hungry, suddenly,’ she murmured as she slid into her usual seat.

‘Neither do I,’ he replied softly.

‘Will you be okay, Severus?’ Hermione asked him.

‘Will you?’ he answered her, his eyes raised questioningly.

‘I won’t know until I get there, I suppose. I’m looking forward to the course, though. I checked my curriculum. Some of the Potions stuff seems quite complex, so I might need your help.’ She smiled at him.

‘That would be cheating, Miss Granger.’ He stared at her just like her old Potions master, and she laughed lightly.

‘This is really hard,’ she whispered, staring him in the eye.

Severus held her gaze and nodded. ‘Yes, it is.’

‘I have a term break in about two months. I’ll come back then, if I can,’ she said.

‘I will look forward to it,’ he said.

Hermione glanced at her watch.

‘I have to leave,’ she said, pushing her chair back a little and standing.

Severus stood, and they looked at each other for a moment until Hermione walked towards the front door.

Hermione turned to Severus and smiled a watery smile; tears fell down her cheeks slowly.

‘Look after yourself, then,’ she said softly.

‘And you,’ he murmured, his face pale and his jaw set.

Hermione lifted her rucksack and put it over her shoulder, shrugging it to get the weight just right.

‘I’ll owl you as soon as I get there. I promise,’ she whispered. She took a step towards him and almost choked on the sob that escaped her throat.

She threw herself at him, and he caught her in a tight hug, closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo for the last time. Hermione sobbed into the front of his shirt, and then she took a deep breath, pulling away. She grabbed her bag, and without looking back, she opened the front door and left, letting the door slam shut with a bang.

Severus stared after her for a moment, and then he stepped back and took a seat on the bottom stair. He felt the pain in his gut rising, the tears burning his eyes, and the sob wrestling with his courage as it tried to work its way out of his mouth. His courage won this time.

Later, when Severus went to bed, his courage lost.