Of Old Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter Five: Of Old Friends

Hogwarts looked the same as it had on the day she fled. The staircase leading up and down moved in the same silent swinging grace as before. The warmth from the flaming sconces lit the stone walls with a cast of yellow flickers. It was nice to be back among the familiar. She paused at the stairs leading up to Gryffindor house, but was gently turned towards the stairs leading down into the dungeon. For a moment she felt like she was at home, really at home.

"Come along, Hermione. You can revisit your old house in the morning. It's getting late." Severus took a step down the stairs when a bellow from above stopped them in mid-step.

"Hermione!"

Hermione looked up sharply as a familiar voice floated down the staircase towards her. She glanced up to see one of her best friends come flying sprightly down the steps heading straight for her like an arrow shot forth from it's bow. She took a timid step back and looked back at him, wide-eyed in total shock and fear.

"H...Harry?" Her voice shook as she felt the whole of her body start to tremble. He couldn't be here. Not now, this was too soon. She swung around to face the man that had brought her back to her past and cast an angry and horrified look at him. Her eyes openly accusing Severus of sabotage. "You! You liar! You said they weren't here," she hissed angrily, feeling betrayed.

Severus watched the man come bounding down the stairs, his brows furrowed together in confusion.

"He wasn't earlier," Severus whispered back, "I swear to you. Neither he nor Weasley were here this morning. The last I heard, they were still at the Weasley home. I have nothing to do with this." His words whipped around her as she felt him move back and into the shadows with the baby. Within seconds, she felt arms go around her, and she gasped, finding herself swung around and enveloped in Harry's embrace.

"Hermione! Where have you been? Ron and I have been searching everywhere for you. Not even your parents knew where you were." His voice trailed away as he finally pulled back and held her shoulders at arms length so that he could get a good look at her. He lips turned into a frown as he took in her appearance.

She felt her face flush, and her eyes fell to the floor in shame as he took his time to look over her. She knew she looked like hell and felt like a fool in his scrutiny, and she flinched when she heard him gasp softly. She jerked her shoulders out of his hands and gave him a glare.

"Harry, what are you doing here?"

The young man's gaze swept over her sunken and red-rimmed eyes, the pale face, and the unkempt hair which was haphazardly pulled back into a scrunchie at the nape of her neck. Could this be the same woman who had left in the dead of night almost ten months earlier? Something had to have happened to make her change so much in such a short amount of time. He let his hands fall to his sides as she pulled back from him.

"Geez, Hermione, you look like shit. What happened? Why did you leave like that?"

A snort of disbelief escaped from her lips as she shook her head sadly. "Leave it up to you to say what's really on your mind, Harry."

"You know what I mean." He frowned at her with a sad shake to his head.

"I know, Harry, I know." She raised a hand to his cheek and smiled tightly. "I'm sorry I left, but there were circumstances involved that made the choice for me. I had to leave. I couldn't stay, not then."

"What happened? Are you all right now?" His voice was tight coming from his throat.

His face reflecting his concern, she could see that he was resisting the urge to sweep her into his protective arms. Once a knight in shining armor, always a knight in shining armor.

"It's a long story. I'm not sure you're ready to hear it just yet."

"Try me." The young man's stance said that he wasn't budging until he got the answer he thought he deserved.

Hermione sighed heavily; he wouldn't understand mere words. Harry was a man bent on action more than words, so she raised a silent hand up to Harry's lips to stop any more questions.

"Fine, but I can't tell you. The best thing I can do is to show you," she replied sadly up at him. "Just don't judge me until you hear the whole truth." She waited until Harry nodded in agreement before turning to Severus, who had been watching the exchange silently from the shadowy confines of the wall.

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief when Hermione held out her arms to Snape. Severus approached and, without a word, handed over a bundle of blankets. What the hell was Snape doing here? Harry's mind tumbled over in confusion until Hermione, gently cradling the bundle in her tiny arms, turned back to him. He watched in surprise when, with delicate fingers, Hermione pulled the blanket away from the sleeping figure of a newborn.

"Harry. This is Sebastian. My son." Her words were almost to soft for him to make out and he had to lean closer.

"Your... your son? But when? Who? " His eyes traveled over the sleeping bundle and cautiously brushed a finger across the baby's head. Many things had gone through his head after Hermione disappeared without a trace, but this was something he had never figured on. Nothing could have prepared him for this shock. He finally looked up at her, and she could read the question in his eyes before he asked. "Who's his father?"

"It's a long story, Harry, and one that I would prefer not to go into here in the hallway." She stated simply before she glanced back at Severus. "Can we go to our quarters now?"

"Certainly." Severus nodded in agreement and swept a hand to indicated that they both walk before them. "I believe you know where the dungeon is." His voice was clipped as he saw her pull their son closer to her breast. She nodded and turned to follow the staircase down with Harry close on her heels.

"The dungeons? Hermione, aren't you going to stay in the tower with us anymore? I mean, wouldn't it be better, with the baby and all?"

Hermione shook her head and walked more quickly down the stairs. The sooner they got out of the hallway the better. "Not with this baby, Harry. Please, let's just get into our new quarters first, then I will try to answer your questions."

They walked the rest of the distance in silence. Harry cast glances between Snape and his best friend. What did Snape have to do with all this? And why in God's name did she have to live in the dungeon? That was no place for a baby. It was too cold, too damp. It was idiotic; both Hermione and her baby should be with the rest of her friends where it was safe and there was no Snape to frighten the poor thing to death. He chanced a glance back at Snape and frowned again. Something wasn't adding up right to him. He didn't have to ace Arithmancy to know that this was wrong.

This was going to be a tricky situation.

Ron was going to have a cow when he finds out that Hermione left because she was pregnant. He had always been so sure that Hermione had no boyfriend and was probably still a virgin. He himself had agreed with Ron on that point. Niether of them could have ever imagined Hermione having sex, even if she did appear more adult than they did. It just didn't seem like something she would have done. She had always been the cautious one. The one who would weigh all her options for days until she made a decision. This Hermione simply was not the one he and Ron had known.

In all the years they have known each other, none of them had ever seen her look at a boy, except for Krum during their fourth year but that was it. That was the last romance she had, well, the last one that they were aware of. Obviously, there was much more to her than either he or Ron thought.

Harry frowned in his thoughts. He just couldn't see how this could've happened. Through all her studying, he just couldn't see how Hermione could've pulled this off, even as brilliant as she was. She couldn't have pull off having a lover, then a child, and certainly not during her second to last year of schooling. There has been too much at stake for her to lose.

It just simply didn't add up.

Severus stopped them at the heavy wooden door of his domain and whispered the words that would let them in. Once inside, he lit the candles to illuminate the rooms before turning to her and indicating the baby with a curt nod.

"Allow me to put him down, Hermione. I'm sure you and Mr. Potter have a lot to discuss."

Hermione nodded and moved closer, handing the baby over to his father. "I won't tell him everything, not if you don't want me to." She couldn't look up into his face, but she felt his words on her face as he answered softly.

"Tell him what you wish, Hermione. Tell him the truth if you feel he can understand."

She then glanced up at him and bit her lip before nodding.

"Thank you, Severus, for everything."

Severus simply nodded and turned to leave the room. "I will give you the tour of your new home when you are finished here. Just call. I will be with Sebastian."

Harry watched the exchange silently, their voices too low to overhear, but something in their demeanor had him wondering something. The way Snape took possession of the baby, like it... He pushed the pause button on that thought with a shake of the head.

"Hermione... "

She turned to him and noticed an odd look on his face. With that look, she could tell that he had guessed the truth.

"Take a seat, Harry. This isn't going to be easy to tell."