7
Chapter 8 of 25
averygoodunAU. Fatigued, Snape makes a mistake that could cost the wizarding world everything.
AN: I'm so sorry for being late again! This week was not a good one in RL. However, here's a chapter and I promise, barring any other emergencies, that the next one will be up on Monday.
Thanks, as always, go to Ayerf and Septentrion for giving this a read through. Mistakes are still my own intellectual property.
Hermione was shaking with rage as she sat down in the chair next to Ron, automatically brushing the hair back off his forehead. She looked away, taking his large hand in her small ones.
"Oh, Ron," she sighed shakily. "I wish you were better so that I could tell you everything he said. Then you would swear and curse him, I'd tell you to be respectful, and everything would go back to normal."
She rested her chin in her hands, staring their hands. "Please get better. I know there isn't much reason to get better, not with You-Know-Who still around and the threat of torture and everything, but... I want you to get better!" She sniffed and wiped her nose with the handkerchief Snape had given her the previous night. She looked at it with a faint frown and shook her head. "I need you to get better. I can't imagine not having you in my life, Ron. What'll we... what will I do without you?"
She reached out to stroke his arm, unable to keep herself from touching him. Finally, her hand stopped, covering his hand with hers.
"I'm worried, Ron. I don't know how Harry is going to find all the Horcruxes without our help. He's stronger than either of us now, but... I think he's going to take our loss hard. I also don't know how Professor Snape is going to pull this off. Oh, he's one of the good guys, by the way. I'm supposed to be his prisoner or slave or something, but it isn't like that at all. He was the one who rescued you."
She paused, frowning.
"He scares me a little, and he's got a horrible temper, but I trust him. I'm worried that I shouldn't have told him about the Horcruxes, but perhaps Dumbledore was wrong not to trust him with that. Perhaps, with his help, we'll be able to find them all and end this miserable war.
"Of course, the scary part of his knowing isn't whether he'd betray us, because I'm sure he can see just as well as we can that he'd end up at the bottom of the lake faster than Regulus did if Vol-- if You-Know-Who found out he knows. The scary part is if You-Know-Who does find out. I'll have killed him."
"And that is why I wish Poppy didn't know about me," Snape said from behind her. Hermione screamed and jumped up, twirling around to see Snape leaning against the door frame. He looked vaguely amused at her reaction, but mostly he looked somber.
"Poppy now bears the same weight as you, knowing that lives depend on her discretion. I do trust her, probably more than anyone else in this castle, but it is unfair to burden her with the knowledge."
"It's not fair for you to bear the entire burden, though," Hermione replied, still breathing a bit hard.
His lips twitched up and he shook his head. "I don't. It would seem Potter bears a bit more of the burden than I do."
He walked forward, conjuring a chair beside hers and sat down. "The theory is that the fewer people who know anything, the fewer people will get hurt."
"That's rubbish! What about all the innocent bystanders? What about the Muggles who've been killed the last two years?"
"That is off topic as those are casualties of war. I am speaking of soldiers' lives."
"And it isn't off topic, because Madam Pomfrey isn't a soldier. She never signed up for anything."
"Until she was enlisted by knowledge."
Comprehension hit Hermione hard. "Oh."
Snape snorted. "Yes, 'oh.'" He looked away from her and his gaze came to rest on Ron.
"It galls me that Albus enlisted children in this war. And before you protest, I know very well that children are as capable of creating and fighting evil as adults. It's just appalling that it has come to that. Yet again."
Hermione watched as his face darkened, wondering what memory he was in. That 'yet again' was obviously personal. She didn't know what to say that wouldn't be inane or even insulting, so she remained silent.
Snape stared at Ron for a few minutes then shook his head and looked to Hermione. "Let me know when you are hungry."
He stood up to leave, making Hermione aware, for the first time since getting her memories back, that whether or not she was being treated decently, she was still a prisoner. Trapped and useless.
"Professor," she called out, stopping him as he made his way to the door. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
He didn't say anything but just looked at her for a moment. Finally he said, "Unless you have a secret link to Potter that I know nothing about, the only task I can give you is to tend to Mr. Weasley." He turned and walked to the door, where he paused and turned to face her again. "Besides," he said in a surprisingly soft voice, "I imagine you could use a bit of a break from worrying about the rest of the world. Focus on what's more imp... more immediate."
Hermione had the feeling that Snape was trying to tell her to cherish every moment with Ron. It was an absurd thought, though. Wasn't it? It was ridiculous to think that Snape would view time spent with an unconscious person as time well spent. Not only that, but it had sounded as if he was offering her comfort, and that was patently ridiculous.
She stopped herself there, realizing that although he had been brusque with her immediately after he'd rescued her, and harsh while her memory had been modified, he hadn't been overly cruel, and so far had done everything within his power to protect her and make her more comfortable.
What if he was offering her comfort?
His conversation with Voldemort the night before sprang to mind suddenly. Voldemort had said something about Lily Potter, about Snape having a penchant for Mudbloods. She ran through several theories, and although it seemed unlikely, the one that made the most sense in her current dealings with Snape was that he had been in love with Lily Potter.
Pondering it further, she realized that his loving Lily made a lot of things fall into place. Like why he hated Harry so very much. Why he did his best to protect Harry, despite hating the sight of him. Why Dumbledore trusted him. Why his patronus was a doe...
She released a big, heartfelt, romantic sigh. It was worse than Romeo and Juliet, because at least Romeo got the girl, however briefly.
Ron gave a low moan and she immediately turned her focus onto him. He wasn't moving much, but it looked like he was starting to get agitated.
"Ron?" she whispered, careful to keep her voice down.
He tried to blink his eyes open, but the sleeping draught Madam Pomfrey had given him early in the morning was still holding on.
"Shh, dear," she cooed, brushing a few stray hairs off his forehead. He calmed down, although he was still obviously trying to open his eyes.
"Don't strain yourself, Ron. It's better if you keep your eyes closed. It's better if you look like you're unconscious."
A miniscule line formed between Ron's eyes as his facial muscles tried to frown.
"I imagine you're wondering what's going on. We're safe at Hogwarts now, although we're not out of danger yet. Professor Snape saved both of us."
His eyelids struggled to pop open in shock, but Hermione shushed him again, stroking his hair comfortingly.
"Don't worry, he's on our side. I haven't asked for the details, but he sent us the sword. He will do his best to keep us safe, just as he's been trying to keep all the students safe. Why else do you think he sent Neville, Ginny and Luna into the forest with Hagrid last autumn? He knew they'd be safe with Hagrid."
Ron's movements stilled, and she didn't know whether he had gone back to sleep again or not, but she continued talking, relaying the entire story, ending with her latest theory.
"We were, once again, so wrong about him. He and Harry, they're the heroes. It's too bad their relationship is so lousy. Imagine what strength Harry would have gained having Snape as a mentor as well as Dumbledore?"
She paused, observing Ron closely. She smiled tearfully at him, knowing he was now definitely asleep.
She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Rest well, Ron." The words, 'I love you,' hovered on her lips, but she held them back, hoping there would be another chance to tell him how she felt when he might remember it.
Giving his head one last caress, she got up. Turning, she was startled to find herself being observed by Snape.
He nodded to her and left the room, leaving her to follow in his footsteps.
When she reached the office, he was already seated. He scowled at her as she took a seat in what she now considered to be 'her' chair.
"Romanticism will get you killed, Miss Granger."
She frowned, confused. "Sir?"
"'What ifs' and 'should have beens' lead down a murky path of sentimentalism. Sentimentalism leads to the creation of scapegoats, and scapegoats tend to be killed off. Hence the Muggle-born Registration Committee."
She snorted, and his scowl grew darker. "By your logic, sir, it won't be me who will be getting killed off. I would be the one doing the killing."
His scowl retreated slightly as he snorted in turn. "Yes, well, evil overlording has a fairly high mortality rate, as well."
"Well, given the choice between being a sacrificial scapegoat or an evil overlord, I might just choose the evil overlording. At least that way I might have a chance of making some social changes before being overthrown."
His lips quirked up into something resembling a smile. "Yes, I can just imagine what your regime would be like. Booksellers of the world would be very happy indeed."
She snorted again, rather embarrassingly loudly. His lips twitched up again, and he leaned back in his chair looking almost relaxed. She marveled that this was the same person who had bullied them for the last six years.
"You must hate teaching very much," Hermione heard herself say. She immediately clapped both her hands over her mouth, horrified by her gall. She was highly surprised when Snape did not scowl, but merely raised a mocking eyebrow at her.
"And it has taken you this long to figure that out? For shame, Miss Granger. I thought you more intelligent than that."
Stunned, she eyed him warily. "Who are you and what have you done to Professor Snape?" she asked, only half joking.
He did scowl at that. "If you would prefer--"
"Oh, no nononono," Hermione said, interrupting him. "It's not that at all! I just... You must admit that you've put up a very... erm..."
"Greasy? Monstrous? Vampirical?"
"...Hateful persona, so forgive me if I'm having slight difficulties adjusting to this other you. This other you who rescued me, then Ron, is looking after the safety of the students, and whom I am immeasurably grateful and indebted to."
His frown increased as he observed her. "And that brings us back to the dangers of romanticism."
She smiled nervously and blushed as she exclaimed, "Oh, don't worry about me forgetting your less than stellar traits, or your role or anything. I just want you to know that I am grateful for all that you have done for us. Thank you."
He continued frowning, but the lines around his mouth eased up a little. He cleared his throat discreetly, looking almost embarrassed. "You are welcome."
He then tried to distract her from his reaction by conjuring a delicious smelling lunch that didn't include berries, nuts or fungi.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Shelter
177 Reviews | 7.21/10 Average
Beyond awesome!!
I really liked the gradual shifting of Severus & Hermione's emotions & perceptions of each other, thank you for sharing!
Whew! What a battle scene - I'm still catching my breath! And while my inner fangirl was looking for a kiss between our protagonists, my inner critical reader realizes that this is the best way to end the story. Hermione's need for shelter is over, and they can leave the future to another day. :D
Absolutely top-notch story!
With apologies for not posting a review until this far along, I just have to say how much I love this story, the way you've rewritten DH, and the pacing that seems very, very right.
I've been moved to laughter and tears so many times already. But this chapter and the last, where Snape and Hermione have begun to realize the changes in their relationship, and just how important they are to each other, have simply been joys to read.
And those cliffhangers you keep insisting on inserting at chapter end - I'm so glad I'm reading this as a completed work!
Congratulations, by the way, on being featured on the SSHG Quiz as a prolific author - that was my impetus for looking through your stories. I know I read Marry a Choice and Dying in the Cold in my lurking days, and I'm sure I've read others, but it's so wonderful to find some really high quality sshg stories that are still new to me, like this one. :D
Excellent story! I was hooked from the first sentence. Please, please! Sequel! Glad I found the story on the SSHG Quiz. Love your work.
Excellent story babe. Thank you so very much for writing it.
Loves you, Sonia :)
p.s. I told you I would get to reading this eventually, and today seemed like the perfect day!
Ah! A lovely story. I've been away from reading it for a few months as I worked my way through life and the Exchange. It's great to be back, and to see updates to my favorite fics. This is such a well written story. The characters really have life to them. And watching them as they change is great. Thank you for sharing.
I really enjoyed reading this story - a true alternate universe with believable characters. Your writing was excellent and just drew me in from the beginning. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story.
I waited until the end to review, mostly because I waited til the end was posted before I read...but I'm regretting that wait. I think it ended wonderfully, what a lovely story and alternate to the actual book. Thank you for sharing!
I've really enjoyed this story. I like how you developed Hermione and Severus' relationship. Interesting battle scene. Thank you for a wonderful story.
This is such an enjoyable take on the story. I am wishing this was the true story. I like these people all working together. Amazing work!!!
An epilogue, please? If not, thank you soooo much for sharing Shelter with all of us. It has been an intense ride, but each update has been such a joy to read. I really loved how you handled the developing relationship between SS and HG, which is full of possibilities for the future, but based on a very solid, mutual trust and (perhaps) reliability. I will miss this very much.
Very nice tale about deception all in the name of trying to do what is right while placating the wrong.
You had me a bit worried there at the end with the Dementors, but all worked out ok. I kind of like the open ending. All I needed to know was that they lived and remained friends. Nicely done.
What a great story! You definitely have a way with words and descriptions.
I really enjoyed reading this and I hope you continue to write more stories.
Thanks for sharing your work!
Am I terrible to say that I'll take the loss of Hagrid over Severus any day? Nicely done there, even if they still have to look for the stupid snake. A boar is a good choice and it is better than a hedgehog, LOL!
Epilogue,please?
Another wonderfully written and plotted story from you. I hope you enjoyed writing it as much as I enjoyed reading it! I think the ending was very true to the burgeoning friendship between Snape and Hermione -- here's hoping for a continuation! Keep up the great work.
Well done! I'm sorry Minerva died, but she was always a brash Gryffindor and she died fighting baddies and protecting her cubs. Snape's new Patronus is interesting -- a wild boar, a dangerous fighter. Very impressed that Severus was first to launch his Patronus, leading the others in casting theirs. Yay for the victory! And yay for Severus and Hermione having an open ending. THANK YOU for writing. Happy Thanksgiving!
That was a good ending. It's too soon for them to be anything but friends, but you left it open for our imagination. :)
Definitely left open for a sequel. Is that what you had in mind?
Most of the deaths you left rather ambiguous which I like (that way I can pretend they were just hexed unconscious).
I thought the new patronus was appropriate. After all, the boar is Hogwarts mascot and Severus had become the students protector with Albus gone.
A good read. Thanks.
Merci beaucoup. Félicitation pour la scène finale . J'ai toujours été frustrée que Severus ne donne pas la pleine mesure de son talent sur le champps de bataille.
Quite a realistic ending, actually. For a moment there, I was afraid you were going to have them all killed off by Dementors. I prefer what you actually did.
I am exhausted. There were so many things happening at the same time that I'm in awe that you were able to write it so well that it made sense. Well done!
I was so worried when Severus wouldn't wake up. Thank goodness that he finally did. I don't think I could have stood it if anything had happened to him or Hermione.
Go, Neville! Bellatrix got exactly what she deserved.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this story plays out, but I've enjoyed reading it so much that I'm not looking forward to the last chapter.
Beth
I like a strong Molly who isn't a cariacature of everyone's worst in-law nightmare. That was a brilliantly bloody battle. Whoo, I'm alliterative tonight. Good chapter, I am both looking forward to and dreading the end.
LUNA!!!! Ack!!! And what was that spell that knocked Severus for a loop??