Hero

Severus

And the reason that she loved him was the reason I loved him, too.

And he never wondered what was right or wrong; he just knew. He just knew.

He was hovering over the Quidditch pitch, his broom slowly sinking. A pack of werewolves prowled below him. One of them turned into Black, who howled and waved mockingly. Another beast growled, making Severus' heart race in terror. He still remembered what this werewolf sounded like, even though Black's failed attempt at murder was over twenty years ago. Severus saw Lupin down there, too, and his snarls were the loudest. His autumn fur stood up in a large ruff around his neck.

Black, still in human form, ran to the edge of the playing field. He reached into the wall and dragged a person, cloaked in Death Eater robes, onto the pitch. From the cries of terror that issued from under the mask, Severus could tell that it was a young woman. He tried to direct the broom in her direction, to help her, but all he could do was hover. He felt about his robes for his wand, but it wasn't there. Severus was horrified; he couldn't do anything but watch.

Black called to the other werewolves, who turned as one and ran toward the cloaked figure. Severus tried to think of something, even jumped from his broom and ran at them, yelling at the top of his lungs to distract them, but he was too late.

She screamed for Snape to help her as the pack surrounded, attacked, and tore at Hermione.

Severus sat up in an unfamiliar bed, shaking all over. He was frightened, genuinely frightened by his nightmare. Was it real? He wasn't sure. It had been so vivid. The dream before that was vivid, too, but of a different kind ... soft and gentle, like the touch of a willing woman. Sweet smelling ... lilacs?

Hell. How would he know what a willing woman felt like? His mind must still be addled from this evening's ... misadventures, for him to be thinking of such rubbish. Miss Granger didn't really count as a willing woman, anyway. She had touched him because she had to; no one had ever wanted to touch the broken-down, dungeon-dwelling bat.

Miss Granger.

He took deep breaths to calm himself, and cast his eyes about the hut. The sky outside the eastern window was light, but the sun hadn't risen yet. Moonlight painted a large white square in the middle of the room shining through the window that faced west. If he could just see her, he'd be able to go right back to sleep, even though the Forest pack howled out there. He needed to see that she was all right. "Miss Granger?"

Silence. Where was she? Miss Granger should still be in here. There was no way she'd be stupid enough to leave shelter, so close to the Forbidden Forest, between the rising and setting of a full moon. A sour tickle of fear uncurled in his gut. "Miss Granger?" he called again.

Fang's huff was the only reply that he got. She was gone.

Snape cursed. Why the hell would she leave? What did I say? Nothing harsher than the usual, surely ...

Leave me alone. But she refused. Where are Potter and Weasley? I was about to ask her to stay, but she interrupted

...

Oh, no.

Find Albus.

Damned foolish child, she went as soon as I was asleep!

He staggered to the door on trembling legs. Rather than compound her mistake with one of his own, he fumbled through his discarded robes for his wand. Once it was in his hand, Severus initiated a spell, uttered a message, and sealed the spell. He opened the window.

The message bubble he had just conjured would fly directly to Albus; it was fast, silent, and almost undetectable. It was an ideal spell for communication over short distances. The bubble would burst and voice itself when touched by a wand or the intended recipient's flesh, but it could audibly bash itself against a door or window for hours without breaking.

Frightened and shaking, Snape paced until he stumbled, tripping over his own two feet, and fell flat on his face. Cursing in Latin and Greek, he hauled himself to Hagrid's bed, wrapped himself in the quilt, and waited for an answer. Fang jumped up beside him, and he laid his hand on the huge dog's back, his warm bulk a comfort.