Hermione: Love
Chapter 28 of 31
AnastadneHow what was lost might be found... if she's very, very lucky and very, very good.
ReviewedA/N: Ari here. We're back (finally - sorry; I had a witches' weekend to attend). Special thanks to Lady Karelia for beta-reading and to iTunes for saving the Walking Shadow playlist entitled "Dark Angry Death Eater Against The Wall." This chapter is dedicated to all the Witches of Hogsmeade.
Oh, and Ana? Tag :)
Hermione watched horror-struck as Severus fell, his body twisting to the hard floor, Dumbledore’s frame splintering beneath him.
The roaring firestorm of the box’s charm collapsed inward on itself, falling with Severus, leaving behind it a silence that tasted of ashes.
Above Severus’s head, the case stopped spinning, hung suspended, and fell, cold, hard, and solid, cracking the stone beside his outflung hand.
A year – a moment – more – less – and she was at his side, choking on her own breath as with trembling hands she sought the answer she dreaded she’d find.
Time. She needed time.
She cast the cage.
---
The glowing cage lifted Severus and the case off the floor to hover silently at her shoulder. His eyes were closed, but his gloved hand still covered his heart. Alive, then.
Her mind raced through memory – the Occulto Quod Requiro box would disintegrate upon the death of both casters. Her throat tightened, and she forced her eyes upward toward the case.
Intact. For now.
Dumbledore’s voice roared from the canvas flopping madly on the floor.
“Accio BASTARD!” Hermione yelled, and the canvas flew to her outstretched hand.
She slammed it to the desktop. “What more must he do?”
---
Dumbledore’s portrait glared at her. “This is not your affair.”
Hermione forced her unruly mind to order. “Agreed. It’s yours. I know his secret. You heard me say it – that he kept hope alive that someday he might again know love. We all know it. What are you holding over him that he prefers death to honesty? What more have you done to him?”
Dumbledore was damnably serene. “Have you considered, Miss Granger, his reticence may stem from your presence, not mine?”
“Our touch ignites the very air.”
“So I noticed,” Dumbledore intoned blandly. “And yet you still call him ‘Professor.’”
---
“Oh.” Something very small pierced Hermione’s heart from within. “Oh,” she said again.
Although her logic insisted that of course she did and, further, that he called her “Miss Granger,” she stuffed logic into a corner and, clutching Dumbledore’s canvas in her hand, turned to the motionless wizard hovering darkly beside her in his golden cage.
“I –”
Dumbledore interrupted, “Before you proceed –”
“Now what?” Hermione snapped, her eyes wild.
“I must remind you that you are Head Girl of this school and that we portraits are duty bound to inform the Headmistress of any improper attachments on your part.”
---
“I’m acting in the service of truth against an arcane and probably forbidden spell gone seriously wrong, the origins of which lie years before I was even born. Other than Professor Sn- … Severus’s destroying his former office, what makes our actions any different from the battle of Hogwarts?”
“Love.”
Hermione shot the portrait a withering glance. “As opposed to… what? Wasn’t love how Harry defeated Voldemort? Didn’t you spend years beating that idea into his head?”
“Not this kind of love.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re jealous.”
Severus’s voice rasped faintly from the cage. “Leave the girl be, Albus.”
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Latest 25 Reviews for Hide and Seek
112 Reviews | 7.83/10 Average
Please can you add the final chapter or direct me to where else it can be found. We are compiling a list of alternative links for all of the OWL fics due to OWL closing at the end of this month, and I can't find anywhere else that has the full completed story. Thank-you.
Wow, can't wait to see what happens next!
woo
So glad you guys have come back to this story! The way you both play off of one another is such fun to read. I too cannot wait for the next chapter (but I guess I'll have to, won't I? Darnit...) :D
Wow...can't wait for the next chapter.
creepy!
Can one punish a portrait by destroying it?
Are you still working on this story? This isn't quite the end to my opinion, although their using first names is undoubtedly a breakthrough.
Oh good grief. *pulls hair in frustration* more please. btw did you know that clicking where the arrows that send you to the next chapter should be send you absolutely no where. I clicked and clicked in desperate hope.
You gotta be kidding. Why, oh why must you torture us so? Are we not faithful readers? More now, please. (I did say please.)
Burn, Dumbly, burn!
Oh, she'd better say yes!
What a horrid cliffhanger! I insist on believing that things are not as dire as they seem, and that Hermione's love for Severus (coupled by feeding Dumbledore's portrait to Fang 
) will win the day.
But I still want to find out rather quickly.
Oh no, please say he'll be ok.
Oh Gods! Quite dramiatic! What havoc and distruction love has wrought upon the office!
Finally, someone is burning the portrait! Give him hell, Hermione! Make him talk. Justice will be served with a side-order of fries and a fizzy drink, methinks...
We need new chapters. We are fresh out, so I am ordering more. How much for overnight delivery? Two-day? 
Go get him, Severus! Dumbledore's on the run now... grab him, Phineas Nigellus! Put him in a half-nelson! Don't let him leave the room! 
I await Hermione's response breathlessly.
A short chapter, but a powerful one. I can't wait to see how this is going to play out.
Go, Severus! Burn the portrait! You can do it! It will make us all feel better! The readers are behind you all the way!
Burn the portrait, Hermione... go on... you know you want to... and so do we! Do it for the readers! Or at least get Phineas Nigellus to go over there and beat Dumbledore up properly. This is an excellent time to see if one portrait can give another one a black eye or two.
Finally, a visit to Dumbledore for Hermione! I hope she punches his painted nose...
Tell us what it is!!!! 
Of course she used his! Obviously she holds him in high regard, despite (or because of) everything. Now the question is... is her regard for him high enough to fix things which seem to be going rapidly pear-shaped? I think Hermione's feelings for Severus are going to be paramount in importance for this, depending upon what it turns out to be.
I can't believe I've missed these new updates! And I've been keeping half an eye out, too! (obviously I should have used the other half as well...) On the other hand, it means I can find out where they're both going immediately, which is good. Isn't it?
Sounds like things are getting pretty hairy right now... but what the heck's going on with Severus. Somehow I'm sure that hexing Paint-Boy would make things better. Perhaps something fitting and appropriate given the circumstances...
*Works on a spell to transfigure Portrait Dumbledore's background into something from Dante's Inferno*
Sounds like things are getting pretty hairy right now. Hexing Paint-Boy into oblivion certainly couldn't make things worse, now could it?
Oh, Dumbledore left his portrait? or did he jsut flee to another? I think he did leave it for a reason, but was surprised by the recipient? hummm
OOooooo! O_o. pouncing onward ---
About time he stood up for himslef!! Whoot Severus - zap him!!