The Winter Here Is Cold And Bitter…

A/N: Thanks to those who left me the lovely reviews! Keep 'em comin'! I LOVE reviews!

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One winter evening, Snape barged into the infirmary carrying an unconscious young man in his arms. Auror Carson was at his heels and told Hermione he had released the charm for their treatment. She had thought things just could not get any worse for them until she saw Snape standing before her with what looked like a dead body.

"My God, Severus!" she exclaimed. "Bring him in here and place him on the cot!"

She made quick work of the young man's clothes to ascertain his condition. He was terribly cold. "Hypothermia," she mumbled. She looked at his white hands. They were frozen to the touch. She quickly started to unwrap the boy's feet.

"What are you doing?" Snape hissed at her.

She continued stripping his feet. "I am checking for signs of frostbite, Severus." She felt his bloodless feet. "Well, might as well try and see what can be done." She grabbed a pail and returned with some fresh snow. She grabbed a handful of the snow and started to gently pack it on the boy's feet with it and wrapped his feet back up with clean cloths.

"Severus, I want you to do to his hands what I'm doing to his feet. If we're lucky, we may be able to save his hands and feet from frostbite."

"Why are you not performing a Warming Charm on him?" he snapped. "He is freezing to death, you stupid girl!" he hissed while looking over his shoulder to see if Auror Carson could hear him speak so disrespectfully to her.

Hermione was unfazed by his tone. "Professor, his condition is so advanced that if I were to introduce warmth on his extremities it would ensure the loss of his limbs. Utilizing the snow out there to protect his hands and feet seems odd, but ironic as it seems, it is precisely what he needs to preserve them. Then after a while, heat can be applied...in small increased doses."

She grabbed her wand and said, "Ennervate!" The boy woke up and was disoriented. Soon though, the feeling of pain in his bloodless feet caused him to groan and moan.

"What is his name?" she asked absentmindedly as she continued to wrap his feet.

"Theodore Nott," he mumbled.

"No!" Hermione said in disbelief.

"Why do you find that so hard to believe, Miss Granger?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Nott went to school with me...sure he was a real prat, hanging about Draco, but he wasn't a Death Eater!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, but his father was, and when he was hunted down by the Aurors after his escape during the final battle he was being hidden by his son."

"And now look at him!" Hermione said angrily.

"Pity for only non-Death Eaters, Hermione?" he said with a biting edge.

"Theodore is so young! I-it's just not right!" she stammered out.

"So, it is perfectly acceptable for older men to be treated like vermin...save the young, but fuck the others? Does that explain your logic, Miss Granger? Is that your motto? I know it's all the rage with our blessed Aurors!" he bit out at her, his anger rising. He knew he was being a bastard, but he was so afraid. He had found young Nott unconscious and unresponsive to his ministrations to rouse him. He truly thought he was dead. He hated this whole place and damned it to hell, along with Robards and every bloody Auror here! But instead, what was he doing? Yelling at his beautiful Hermione!

Auror Carson spoke up. "Look, Snape, I give you a lot of leniency because of Potter and Miss Granger here. I don't like most of the shite going on here either, but if you don't stop bickering with Miss Granger, I'll put a Silencing Charm on you! I'm not going to let you ruin my career and lose my job for me!" he yelled.

Snape backed down and mumbled his apologies. That just made Hermione angrier. She started talking out loud, mostly to herself, just to vent her rage.

"Of course I don't think what is happening to any of you is right! I hate all of this! And what I hate the most is this!" At this she stood and directed her ire right at Auror Carson. "Severus Snape can say anything he damn well wants to say, you stupid prat! He can kowtow and play your humiliation games outside this infirmary, but this is my domain when Pomfrey is gone. And if he wants to call me an 'insufferable-know-it-all' or a 'stupid little girl,' he can! Because that's the Professor Snape I know and want to talk to! Now, have I made myself clear?" She didn't know what else to say. She felt like an idiot and was certain Snape thought she was mad as a hatter.

Auror Carson backed down and whispered, "Alright, fine. But you keep it low key. It's not my business if you want to be insulted by that right bastard!"

She glanced up at Snape. He had an expression she couldn't place. It probably was a positive one, since he had barely ever shown her those! Damn right, he is a right bastard! But he's my right bastard, and I wouldn't want him any other way! she thought. I can't believe I'm thinking this way about Professor Snape! I must be barmy.

She swept back down to her patient and finished wrapping up Nott's legs in cold, wet cloths. She then turned to her former teacher. "Right, now, Severus, your turn," she urged.

He stood in his pitiful rags and crossed his arms across his shoulders. "Whatever are you babbling about, Miss Granger?" he said coldly.

Hermione was tired and in no mood for his penchant for drama this night. "Get in the cot, and take off your shoes, or whatever the bloody hell is left of them. I want to check you for frostbite as well!" she ordered.

He reluctantly obeyed. All of a sudden, Nott came to his senses and started moaning in earnest because of the pain. Hermione rushed to his side and spoke to him calmly. She couldn't hold his hands, because they were wrapped in the snow-packed cloths, so she stroked his face.

Snape watched Hermione intently as she tried to soothe the suffering young man.

"Theo, it's Hermione Granger. You are in the infirmary. You have frostbite. Now I know it hurts, but it is a good sign that your circulation is returning! Okay? I'm going to give you a Calming Drought, but I can't give you a Sleeping Potion or a Pain Potion, because your pain will help tell me how good or bad the damage is. We're just going to have to do this the Muggle way."

"It hurts...so much!" he moaned.

Hermione continued to stroke his face and forehead. "Welcome the pain, Theo. It means you'll be able to keep your fingers and toes. Try to relax. When I'm done with Professor Snape, I'll come back, and I'll help you get through the pain...just hold on, okay?"

"Okay," he managed to grit out between his clenched teeth.

After she administered Nott a Calming Draught, she checked Snape's hands and feet. His feet weren't so bad. They were extremely cold, but there was no frostbite. Snape watched her as she deftly washed, stroked, and massaged his feet with her small hands. It had been so long since he had been touched so intimately. Come to think of it, he doubted whether any woman had ever touched him as sweetly and with as much care as she was at that moment. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch. He was reacting again to her touch but he could have cared less. He imagined what those pretty little warm hands could do to other areas of his body, and he desperately wished she would slip her hand inside his pants and stroke him. He looked at her with pure lust as she began to bundle his feet in warming cloths and tucked him in some heavy blankets. She was too focused on her work to look at him to see how desperately he wanted her. She murmured a Warming Charm over his feet so they would stay toasty. She gave him a Sleeping Potion and told him to sleep well.

Snape was ensconced in warmth and hovering over him was his beautiful Hermione. Her wavy and curly hair was escaping her bun, falling into her face. Her face was shiny and oily, and she smelled so sweet and musky at the same time. Her perfume and the day's sweat lingered on her after a hard day's work. He had never seen a lovelier woman. He gazed on her neck and collarbone that was exposed to him as she leaned over him to tuck him into his blankets. He wanted to run his tongue along that collarbone and taste her. He watched her as she sat with Nott and whispered to him, stroking his face and the stubble on his head where there once had been hair. He watched the outline of her body as she moved to make Nott more comfortable. He would never tell her how good it felt to snark at her and to have her defend his right to do it. He wanted at that moment to grab her and kiss her until she begged for more. He sank into unconsciousness with the picture of her hovering over him in his mind. Beautiful Hermione. His Hermione.