Chapter 5

After dinner, Snape brought her scissors, and he sat in the chair by the table. Hermione cut his hair carefully. She’d learned to cut the Harry's and Ron's hair during their time in the tent. She clipped the hair to his neck and feathered the sides so that wouldn’t hang in his face. Even though he protested, she insisted on washing it afterwards. It was still graying, but now it was soft and shiny. Hermione loved the feel of it as she brushed it dry. She could tell he was enjoying the attention because he sat back and closed his eyes.

She then helped him run a bath and left him to bathe while she cleaned up the dinner dishes. She did them by hand the old-fashioned way, needing something to keep herself busy while he bathed. It took him much longer than she imagined it used to before his injuries.

Hermione thought about her next-door neighbor when she was just a child. One day he had suffered a stroke; after that, he’d had to have a lot of therapy, and his right side had been affected: leg, hand, and even his face had been affected. Hermione wondered if exercises would help Severus.

She used her wand to clean the bedsheets and transform the couch into a bed for herself. She was not about to stay in any other room. This little place he called home was surprisingly well lit and warm. A cheery fire blazed in the fireplace, and there was a comfortable chair across from the couch. The room was lined with shelves full of books. Hermione went closer to examine them. She ran her hand over a few of the spines, almost reverently. There were rare books she’d heard of, and many she didn’t recognize. They were full of knowledge she didn’t have, and she hoped that Snape would allow her read some of them.

He finally came out from the bathroom. He silently watched her for a minute as she examined his books. In this respect they were kindred spirits; knowledge was everything.

Hermione realized he was watching her, so she turned to look at him. His face seemed to have regained some color here in these rooms. He wore a dressing gown that went nearly to his ankles and slippers. She smiled at him and came and brushed the hair back from his face. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Snape backed up.

“Would you please help me clean the wounds on my neck?” he asked, almost embarrassed.

“Of course.”

“Do you think I will be able to help you brew a potion that will heal them?" Hermione asked as he gathered supplies and placed them on the table.

He sat in a chair, and she started to remove the old bandages.

“Yes,” he said. “I have tried a number of times, but I cannot stir correctly with this hand. It’s impossible to add the ingredients and stir simultaneously. Doing them at different times makes an inferior potion. It’s kept me from dying of infection, but it does little to heal the wounds.”

Hermione gently cleaned the wounds and re-bandaged his throat. She managed to blink away the tears stinging her eyes as she saw the full extent of the damaged tissues. In just a few short hours, Severus Snape had regained some of his humanity, and she was in place to be of service.

He stood. “Thank you, Hermione,” he whispered. “You can go take a bath. I’ve left clean towels out for you, and one of my nightshirts is on the dresser.”

“Thank you, Severus. I could use a bath after the night I’ve had.”

She found the tub had been cleaned and refilled with steaming water. She stripped off her clothes and slipped into the hot water gratefully.

She couldn’t believe all the changes in her life in the last few hours. She’d stolen into this tomb that was Hogwarts to find some tiny bit of happiness in the endless darkness that had engulfed her. Tonight she had a job of sorts, and she’d found someone who needed her desperately—the most unlikely person she would have thought of. She was amazed at how different he was now—open and able to show feelings.

Maybe all those years he’d been playing a role for Voldemort’s or Harry’s benefit. So much of his life had been lost because of Voldemort. So much of all of theirs lost. Tears stung Hermione’s eyes as a vision of Ron being struck down by a Killing Curse from Bellatrix Lestrange’s wand flashed before her eyes.

The fanatical Death Eater died only moments later when Neville Longbottom had caught her unaware with the same sword that he had just used to kill Nagini. She shook the thought away and finished her bath. She dried quickly and slipped on the nightshirt. She was only now realizing how tall Snape was as she saw the bottom pool around her feet. She used her wand to alter its size to fit her better. She cleaned and folded her clothing and stepped from the bathroom. Snape sat in the chair, staring into the fire. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and his gaze traveled over her.

Hermione felt her cheeks warm under his gaze. She suddenly remembered the huge crush she’d had on Snape back in her fifth year. It only made her blush deeper.

His smile changed to puzzlement.

She stammered, “I hope you don’t mind that I changed the size. I can return it to its original size when I’m done.”

“It looks nice on you,” he said softly.

Suddenly she was drawn to him, and she asked, “Severus, will you hold me?”