Chapter 11

This story becomes very adult in future chapters. Minors, please do not read.

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On Sunday, they went to visit Hagrid.  They found him sitting at his table with a piece of wood and a huge knife in his hands.  He was whittling a replica of Fang, his old dog that had passed some years before.

He put his work aside and set about making tea.  He kept sneaking peeks at Snape...who looked rather Dementor-like in his hood and gloves...out of the corner of his eye. 

Severus wanted to make Hagrid feel more comfortable for Hermione's sake, so he started a conversation with him. 

"Hagrid, do you go into the forest like you used to?"

"On occasion. My rheumatism seems to act up there more.  It's so cold and damp, you see.  But there are herbs and plants I use for my cooking that ye can't find anywhere else."

Severus said, "The next time you go into the forest on a Saturday, ask Hermione and me to join you.  There are some plants I'd like to gather for our storeroom, and there are a few that Hermione has never seen in the wild."

"Severus, that's a wonderful idea," Hermione said. "I don't have many good memories of that forest; but with you and Hagrid along, I'm sure we can accomplish a lot in one day."

Hagrid seemed quite touched that Snape would ask if they could accompany him. 

"We can go by and say hi to Grawp," Hagrid said as he picked up his whittling again.

"Grawp's still out there in the forest?" Hermione asked, going to the door and looking toward the thick, dark trees.

"He found himself a right huge cave, he did.  He mines it for gold.  It keeps him in supplies, and it keeps him busy.  He's able to carry on a right good conversation now, and he's very content there."

Hermione turned to look back at Hagrid. "I'm happy for him and you.  I know having family close by means a lot to you.  I would like to say hi."

They talked about old times much to Severus annoyance, but he sat back and let them do the talking.  Hagrid served Hermione tea in a cup so big that she had to hold it with two hands. The biscuits were so hard that she only pretended to eat them, slipping them into her pocket instead.

As they walked away, Severus could see the visit had had a good effect on her.  She seemed happier.  Maybe the potions Poppy had given her combined with the visit to Hagrid's had been just what she had needed. And to tell the truth, Severus had enjoyed being out of the castle and having a conversation with another adult...even if it was Hagrid. 

At dinner that night Severus found himself able to converse more openly with the staff.  Poppy offered to control the spell that made him visible so that Hermione could rest her powers.  Filius and he had quite a discussion about the stasis spell and some of its properties.  Filius was certain it was spell work layered with charms. 

There was a nagging suspicion forming in the back of Severus' mind when he thought about the spell and about the points in time when he had lost layers.  He had not discussed it with Hermione.  If this all had to do with emotion and relationships, he did not want her to blame herself if he remained in this state for years.

She had been busy talking with Minerva about her classes while Severus talked with Filius. When he realized she hadn't heard much of the conversation, he was relieved.  Voldemort hadn't put the spell on him; someone closer to home had done it.  

He looked down the table on both sides and studied the faces of those who had been at Hogwarts when he was "alive": Poppy, Minerva, Hagrid, Filius, and Sybil. Who would have done this to him? What had they hoped to accomplish by making that bubble his prison? It had been a ghost of a chance that Hermione had found his wand, hadn't it?

Who would have bonded him and Hermione together on purpose 15 years ago? She had been a child then.  He happened to catch Minerva looking at him, and he saw her duck away when she noticed him returning her gaze. She knows something!

When Minerva got up and hurried away, Severus knew he could not go after her without alerting Hermione.  It was unlikely she would get close enough for him to have a private conversation. Damn that old woman! he thought.  It was not rocket science to figure out who had done this to him.  He knew Minerva enough to know she might not agree with what had happened, but she would not betray the source. That old bastard. He controlled my life for years, and he's still doing it.  If he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him, he thought, his face marred with a sneer.

Severus felt Hermione's hand slip into his. "Severus, are you okay?"  She had seen anger flashing across his pale face.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and buried his anger. He nodded. "Yes, I'm okay, but it's been a long day, and I am a bit on overload. Can we go back to our rooms?"

She stood and grabbed his hand. They said goodnight to those close to them and then went toward the door. As they passed Poppy, Severus said, "Let it go, Poppy. Hermione and I are turning in."

Poppy glanced up at him and noted the stiffness in his jaw. She was about to ask what was wrong when Severus gave her a clear warning look. So she simply said, "Good night, Hermione, Severus.  Sleep well."

Hermione watched as Severus' face vanished, and then she squeezed his hand, palm to palm, and they left the Great Hall.

They walked in silence down the stairs and halls to the dungeon.  When the wards were set, Severus peeled his cloths off until he wasn't there anymore. Hermione saw the blankets on the bed fold back and then a body shape appeared under the covers.

"Severus, what's happened? What's wrong?"  She shrugged out of her clothes and crawled in beside him. "Severus, something happened. Tell me what it is."

"Please, Hermione, I'm just going through my own sort of PMS.  I'm tired of being trapped here."

Severus felt Hermione's body jerk like she'd been hit. He felt her turn over and move away from him.

"Damn it!"  he swore. "I did not say I was tired of you.  I'm tired of being manipulated by someone.  I can and would be here, with you, on my own, Hermione." He turned and took her in his arms and held her close. "I want to be with you.  But I want to be with you on my own terms, not because I can't move more than 15 feet from you."

She lay against him, hearing his words, knowing in her head that what he said made sense. But all she felt was, He wants to be free of me.  She forced herself to relax against him, but she laid awake a long time, and he knew because he was awake, too.  That was a given, but they didn't talk. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, Hermione fell asleep, and Severus did too.

*****

Monday arrived, and Hermione groaned as she woke.  She'd only been asleep a few hours, and there was so much to do.  She crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom, dragging a half-asleep Severus with her.  He sat on the floor next to the bathroom door with his knees drawn up and his head in his hands.  He couldn't bear another week of silence that might well loom before them.  He would have to try to talk to her more tonight.  He could kick himself.  He was so bad with words.  He always let his mouth open before thinking about what he was saying...or more how it sounded to Hermione.  She was still out of sorts, and she would have taken anything he said badly.  Hopefully, in a day or two, she'd be over this cycle, and they would have a better chance to understand each other without the emotional overload. 

So with all this before them, they ended up in the classroom with Hermione teaching and Severus sitting at the desk, hooded.  Today's lesson included a recipe for a perfume.  It was going to be given to an Old Witches Home in Hogsmead.  Hermione had a firm belief that if one was going to brew something, it needed to be used by someone if at all possible. Each group of students was making a different scent. 

As classes started after lunch that afternoon, Severus was only half watching. He believed that the dunderheads shouldn't be able to mess up a perfume recipe, and there wasn't anything dangerous that could cause an explosion.  He was poking a pen at the parchment before him, just fiddling away the time, when that old nerve on the back of his neck tickled him.  His head came up, and he saw Hermione about ten feet away, turning to lean over Scorpius' cauldron. His eyes caught Scorpius tucking a vial into his pocket.  He was on his feet and leaping the entire distance in a bound.

"Hermione!" he screamed as he pushed her away and with his other hand backhanded Scorpius, knocking the boy out. His nose caught a whiff of a dangerous chemical, and his lungs burned. He grabbed at his chest as his entire internal system came back to life with searing pain. 

His vision faded as he heard Hermione scream, "Oh God, Severus, not again! Potter go get Poppy. Run!"

He saw her anxious face hovering over his. "Silica," he stammered out. "Pop...py."  He coughed and blood issued.

Hermione went to her storage room and got the antidote, but she knew it would not heal the damage done.  She realized when she came back with the antidote and saw more blood that another layer of the spell was gone, and that meant he was in more danger than ever.  His lungs and organs were subject to the full damage of the inhalant.

"Ferryman, run up to Professor Flitwick and have him come immediately. Then alert Headmistress McGonagall...and get Filch," she cried as she poured the potion into Severus' mouth, knowing it would stop the poison's progress but not the damage and its effect. "Why didn't you just call out a warning, Severus? I can't live without you. Hang on, please," she pleaded, her tears splashing onto this face.

Severus felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest, and he struggled to get air. He felt her hands on his face, and her tears were salty against his lips. He heard children crying and others shouting angry words at Scorpius who was now awake and struggling against Albus and James, who were holding him down.

"It was for the Mudblood! It was for the Mudblood," he repeated. "He deserves the pain, but I thought he couldn't be hurt.  That's for my dad, you bastard, and my grandfather.  I hope you die!"

As Severus' vision faded, he heard someone's fist meet up with Scorpius' face, and the boy was silent. 

Severus felt Hermione's cheek against his. "I love you, Severus. Stay for me, stay with me..."

Then blackness took him.

Poppy burst into the room, and Hermione choked out what had happened.  Filch was right behind her, and he grabbed Scorpius by the arm.  He took the boy's wand from him and dragged him from the room. For an old man, Filch's grip was like iron.

Poppy brandished her wand, Aerineus. Severus' chest raised and lowered as swollen lung tissue shrank enough to temporarily allow some oxygen into his lungs. She began a diagnostic right there, and colors and chanting filled the room.  All the students had pressed themselves against the walls and were watching in silence. Some had their fists stuffed in their mouths to stifle their cries.  Many had grown to like, or at least respect, the invisible man.

Minerva and Filius arrived together and took charge of the students.

"I need to get him to St. Mungo's. This is more than I can handle here.  Darby!" she called. 

Darby the house-elf appeared.

"Take us to St, Mungo's," she ordered the elf.  He reached out and took Severus and Poppy's hands. At the last moment, Poppy latched onto Hermione, and she felt herself drawn with them. 

At St. Mungo's Hermione staggered and hands steadied her.  Severus was already being placed on a gurney and rushed away.  She realized they were now more than the 15 ft apart. She ran after them, following Poppy, who was shouting her diagnosis and trying to explain why Severus Snape was suddenly alive but looked like a ghost and why it was important that Hermione come with them. She hadn't realized the limit spell was gone with the inner-layer spell.

St. Mungo's used some machines in dire cases, and this was one.  Severus was placed in an oxygen chamber with a spell to send oxygen by osmosis through his flesh to give his body the oxygen he needed to live.  Hermione watched the frightening treatment, held up by Poppy, who stood with her against the wall of the treatment room.

More potions where administered, and finally the Healer looked around with a sigh. "I think he'll make it. We will have to see if there are any problems once he wakes.  He was without full oxygen for some time.  Madam Granger, you may have saved his life by having the knowledge and access to the potion that stopped the damage. In a few more moments, his lungs would have been useless. The healer reached out and touched Hermione's arm.  "Are you okay? Did you get any odd effects from the potion fumes?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, nothing."

Poppy introduced them, "Healer Barnamais Hookeneye, this is Hermione Granger.  Hermione, Barnamais and I went to Hogwarts together and later Healer University in Paris.

Hermione shook the man's hand. "It's good to meet you, sir.  Thank you for saving Severus for me.  I do not think I can live without him. This spell picks the darnedest times to change."

The Healer shook his head. "It's a very odd spell, if I understand it.  There is an encasement of spell work around his heart.  From what Madam Pomfrey has told me, he's advanced through a number of layers of this spell. Since he is still invisible, I would assume once this last layer is dissolved, he will become visible."

The Healer motioned toward a chair by the chamber.  "Madam Granger, please sit and try to relax. We have done all we can for Mr. Snape, and he must fight to live.  Perhaps he will hear you if you talk to him.  He will be moved to a bed of his own when we see he's cognizant and getting adequate oxygen."

Poppy pushed Hermione across the room to the chair by the chamber.  "Try to rest." 

Hermione nodded, not sure she could speak.  Her eyes were glued on Severus' face, and she moved the chair so she could reach his face and caress his cheek.

"Severus," she said softly, brushing his hair back from his forehead, "I'm here. I won't leave you even if I could. Please, get better, please," she begged, laying her cheek against his.

The Healer stood with Poppy and watched the young woman. "I knew Severus before the war.  He often supplied us with rare, difficult potions.  He really doesn't look like he's aged; in fact, he looks younger.  How's this possible?"

Poppy motioned for him to follow her into the hall. They stood watching their patient through the observation window.  "The spell had a stasis charm. He has not aged since the day he was placed in that bubble, which is the day we thought he died. Hermione found him in the bubble," Poppy explained.

"For him to still be alive is huge!" the Healer exclaimed.  "How do you keep him visible?"

Poppy shared the spell with him.  She had known this man for years and believed him to be trustworthy.

"I will have Madam Granger let the spell go, and I will take over.  I have several key nurses here I trust with my life, and they can help maintain the spell.  This will give Madam Granger a rest." He watched Hermione as she kissed and caressed Snape's face. "Do you know who put this spell on him?"

"I have my theories about the spell.  I think I know who did it, and he did have Severus' and Madam Granger's best interests in mind.  It was a plan for matchmaking with very disastrous results.  I think the spell caster assumed the layers would fall away with emotional stages of commitment.  But disaster has always followed these two, and the learning process has been more difficult that the caster could have imagined."

The Healer looked interested. "You think this was a matchmaking plot?" 

She nodded, still watching Severus and Hermione. "Yes, Hermione and Severus are intellectual equals; she was but a child at the end of the war.  You can see how devoted she is now to him; each layer has fallen as he has given unselfishly of himself, thinking only of her best interest.  He is being taught to love, rather cruelly, I'd say, but maybe that's all Severus has ever understood.  Does the end justify the means?" she asked, glancing at the Barnamais. "If I am right about the original caster, I think his intentions were good.  He loved this man like a son, as I do."

The Healer looked at her with dawning clarification, nodded and whispered, "We all know, now, who pulled Severus' strings. I will not tell a soul."

She said, "Good, it is best they figure it out for themselves. I'm going to go back to Hogwarts and take one of your traveling Healers with me.  He or she can stay there when I come back to spell Hermione.  She will need some rest."

Barnamais nodded. "I will go take over the spell.  I will let you know when he awakens. Then we can talk Madame Granger into taking a rest.  It was good to see you again, Poppy."  He walked back into the room with Hermione and Severus.

Lisa, thank you so much for the beta work you do for me.

Becky, thank you for your help and support.