Winter's Shadow

Chapter 11

Figured You Out

Severus sat on Hermione's bed with his head in his hands. While Hermione said goodnight to all her friends he took the time to try to talk some sense into Dumbledore. He had to get out of that house. Dumbledore, naturally, blew him off. The tension in the house was growing and it was not exactly the tension Severus was accustomed to. If it was the tension of complete hate and fear that would be one thing--something he could handle, but the tension growing between him and Hermione was something with which he did not know how to cope with.

Hermione stepped into her room to find Severus sitting there. With his head lowered a few pieces of black hair fell across his white face. There was something inherently softened in his appearance at that moment, even if his presence was not so. Something was apparently troubling him and Hermione wondered if it was the same thing that had been troubling her lately.

With a sigh, Hermione reached down and undid the straps of her shoes, slipping them off. Placing her small hand bag on her dresser she turned back to look at the man sitting on her bed. He had heard her sigh and had watched her every move, fighting the tormenting thoughts that filled his mind.

So deep in his struggle he did not hear Hermione call his name several times nor her approaching him. Kneeling down in front of him, she tried to look at him as if his eyes would tell her all. He was still looking in the spot she had been previously. With one hand she gently touched his jaw bone, guiding his face around to her. The moment he was facing her, her hand glided gently up to his cheek.

"Severus, are you okay?" It was almost a whisper this time, but coupled with her touch it jolted him back to reality, where she was a student. The moment he looked at her though his features softened yet again.

She was not a student.

Hermione dropped her hand, wondering why she was being so physical with her professor and worried he would start his hatred spill of insults.

He didn't.

A piece of Hermione's hair fell into her face when she looked down as if ashamed of her behavior toward the professor. Without a thought, Severus reached both hands up and gently brushed the hair out of her face while taking her face in his hands. She looked up at him and gasped at finding no trace of the hated sadistic Potions Master. He began to lower his lips to hers.

"Hey, Hermione, when did..." Harry and Draco froze in the doorway. Harry's voice jerked Severus full force into reality. Hermione fell to a sitting position when she saw the change on Severus' face and felt his hands drop and saw him turn to look at the two boys in the doorway.

In his usual bat-like way, Severus swept up from the bed to the doorway. Turning back he looked at the sitting girl.

"Miss Granger, the Headmaster will be calling upon your fire place for me tomorrow. Do inform me when he does." Hermione just sat there surrounded by the light being illuminated in her room by the fantasy aura that was produced by the colors. She looked out her window and answered the moon.

"Yes, Professor, I shall inform you." Severus swept out of the room as the boys entered farther in to talk to Hermione. The moment she heard Severus close his bedroom door she jerked her head around to glare at the boys. Seeing the look upon her face they began to back up some. Rising to her feet they noticed the wand in her hand. With a wary look at her wand and then each other they began to back farther away.

Severus had just sent the owl out with his letter to Dumbledore.

"FERULA BODY! MOBILICORPUS! ENGORGIO NOSE! ENGORGIO TONGUE!"

A door slammed and Severus thrust his door open to see what was going on. He stopped with his wand in hand to see Sirius in the upstairs foyer--laughing. He was looking at Harry whose entire body was bandaged as a mummy and whose nose was steadily enlarging and Draco who appeared tied up and whose tongue was growing steadily larger by the second.

"WHAT may I ask is going on here?" Severus was in no mood. Sirius looked back at Severus and back at Hermione's closed door and then the boys.

"Well, it appears Hermione has quite a temper when it comes to these two."

With a sigh Severus pointed his wand at the boys to end the spell and returned in his room. Still laughing Sirius glanced again at Hermione's closed door.

"Hermione has grown into quite the firecracker." The boys looked at Sirius with this comment.

"You have no idea."

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Hermione did not sleep well. Severus had almost kissed her and she knew that and had to admit that she had no problem with that. The problem came when the two dolts she called friends came busting in and suddenly Severus was looking at her as a child again. With a final deep breath she got out of bed.

Thankful no one was up yet; she made breakfast and set to work on some more homework. The timer was heard signaling the biscuits were done as Severus descended the stairs with the boys not far behind. She stopped her homework to eat in the breakfast nook where everything was set up for breakfast.

Everyone had just settled down to eat when the owl flew in delivering a parchment to Severus. Hermione had not spoken to Harry and Draco yet and they were rather frightened at the thought of enraging her again so they kept quiet. They also figured she would be in a better mood once Ron and Ginny arrived.

Hermione refused to look directly at Severus as he read the parchment. Snape read with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Dear Severus,

I do wish you would reconsider. I believe this is the best place for the summer. However, if you insist on your departure from the Grangers the only option is Grimmauld Place. Please go with Sirius and the others tonight for their outing, it will do you good. Once you have returned for the evening you may floo to Grimmauld for the remainder of the summer.

Albus Dumbledore.

Folding the parchment, Severus placed it in his robes.

"Well, Miss Granger, after your little excursion this evening you will be rid of me to enjoy the remainder of your summer."

Hermione's head jerked up from her plate to look at the man in utter shock. What did he mean by rid of him?

"Rid of you?"

With a nod he continued.

"I shall be staying the remainder of the summer at Grimmauld place. You shall be rid of me at last and I you, so we shall both have a more enjoyable summer." Hermione just blinked looking at him.

'Of course. Why would he want to remain here?' Without the proper amount of sleep words spilled unchecked from her mouth.

"Of course. I would have a much more enjoyable summer here alone. And you I am sure would rather spend a summer in hell than with a mudblood Gryffindor." She stood up, not noticing how her use of the word "mudblood" had caused Draco to flinch. He still mentally punished himself for ever calling anyone that and especially Hermione. Sirius walked in as Hermione slowly stood from the table. "I have work to finish." She swept from the room nearly knocking Sirius on his way.

"Got a real way with women, don't you Severus."

Sirius remained in the kitchen after everyone was finished in order to clean up for Hermione. The other three had their own plans for the day. As they walked through the dining room to the stairs Draco stopped.

"I thought Hermione was finishing homework." Harry nodded his head in agreement. "Then why did she not take any books?" The three looked at the books that seemed stationary on the dining room table. Draco and Harry looked at each other and then back to Severus. With a snarl he swept passed the boys and up the stairs to his own room--he had some packing to do.

After a while Hermione went toward the bathroom in order to shower and change in hopes she would feel better and see Severus leaving would be for the best. She stopped in the doorway to see Severus standing in the room gathering his belongings.

"Miss Granger," Severus acknowledged as he swept passed her with his things. Sirius had come up the stairs and saw Hermione suddenly freeze in the bathroom door and saw Severus leaving with all his things. Looking toward Severus' bedroom door he could see the man was packing. Watching Severus move back toward his room Sirius shook his head at the man. Looking back at Hermione, who had not moved, he began to fully understand. He watched Hermione slowly walk in the bathroom. As she turned to close the door behind her Sirius saw her wipe a tear from her face.

Sirius sat in the kitchen at lunch waiting for the Severus to return for lunch. Severus entered the kitchen to see the old school rival sitting there lax in a chair glaring at him as if ready to hex him.

"You are more stupid than I could ever imagine." Severus turned to regard the man.

"Pardon?"

"Tell me, Snape, do you find Hermione's reaction to your departure one of someone who does not desire your company?"

"I see nothing out of the ordinary about Miss Granger's behavior." At this Sirius snorted.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. However, the question remains as to whether you are incapable of seeing it or if you choose not to." He was upsetting Severus in many ways.

"Black, need I remind you that Miss Granger is a student!"

A knowing smile spread onto Sirius' face.

"Ah...so that is the true origin of your departure. The Death Eaters have sucked the life out of you, Snape and you are deathly afraid Hermione can restore that part of you. A shame really. Hermione has grown into quite the enchanting woman."

Severus was enraged by this man's gall at telling him how he felt. Where did Sirius have the right and was he talking about Hermione as if she was fair game?

"Black, you are the same age as I, as you apparently need reminding."

"But, Snape, I am not the old man you are." Sirius left him standing in the kitchen.

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Snape sat in the back seat with his arms crossed. They were all taking two cars out due to the number of people going. Apparently Harmony had a car also and was taking Ophelia, Ron, and Draco. Sirius smiled at Snape as he climbed in the front seat waiting for Snape and Harry to get in back. Hermione had not acknowledged Snape's existence the rest of the day and had no intentions of doing so now.

Dinner passed uneventful. Once again they all went dancing because Ron and Ginny had never really been out to such places. Like last time, Severus spent a good bit of the night in the shadows of their table watching the others dance. Hermione had not spoken to him at all and she was making every effort possible to not have to sit at the table with him alone, even if that meant dancing with some jerk. Fortunately she did not find herself dancing with too many jerks thanks to Sirius. Most of her dancing time was spent as his dance partner.

Finally a few of them decided to sit the next one out. Upon sitting, Sirius took everyone's drink orders. He stood up to go order the drinks and told Hermione he would be right back. Sirius glanced toward Severus and noticed that he was indeed watching through the corner of his eye. Sirius smiled and leaned over to kiss Hermione on cheek as he had always been known to do. This time however he watched Severus for a reaction. Severus' eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath as if willing himself indifferent. With a satisfied grin Sirius went to acquire everyone's drink.

Finally the song was coming to an end.

"Snape aren't you going to dance," Sirius asked knowing very well that he was not. He received a glare for an answer at first.

"I believe this little...outing...will need to end shortly as I would like to be settled in at Grimmauld place for a decent sleep." He was looking at Sirius when he said this, but his eyes shifted unconsciously to Hermione.

'Did her face just fall when I said that?'

Sirius watched Hermione's face change completely and saw a shadow of the girl that was crying in the bathroom earlier. Narrowing his eyes at Snape he took Hermione's hand.

"One more dance, Hermione." Then he bent over in Snape's ear. "Are you blind, SNIVELLUS?" Everyone left Severus there to go dance.

Severus' eyes narrowed as Sirius looked at him with smirk. Reaching his arm around Hermione, Sirius placed his hand on her lower back pulling her body closer to him.

"I like your pants around your feet

I like the dirt that's on your knees

And I like the way you still say please

While you're looking up at me

You're like my favorite damn disease."

Snape's anger was growing. He did not feel that Sirius was dancing with Hermione appropriately. Sirius noticed him stirring in agitation. This did nothing, but egg Sirius on further. Pulling Hermione even closer he continued dancing with her.

"I like the freckles on your chest

And I like the way you like me best

And I like the way you're not impressed,

While you put me to the test

I like the wine stains on your dress"

Sirius was not improving his dancing according to Snape.

'Why doesn't he just snog the girl in front of everyone.'

"I love your pants around your feet

And I love the dirt that's on your knees

And I like the way you still say please

While you're looking at me

You're like my favorite damn disease

And I hate the places that we go

And I hate the people that you know

And I hate the way you can't say no..."

Sirius had "conveniently" danced Hermione closer to where their table was. Fed up with Sirius and Hermione's display on the dance floor, or so Snape saw it, he stood to approach the couple to separate them. Sirius noticed this, however, he also noticed Professor Dumbledore appear out of the darkness and call to Snape.

Snape whipped around.

"Headmaster!"

"Severus, it is of an urgent matter that I speak with you."

Sirius watched Snape approach Dumbledore and the shadows of the tables swallowed them.

Remembering Snape's desire to reach Grimmauld place at a decent time, everyone exited the dance floor to prepare to go home. Snape looked rather paler than usual and was rather rushing them about.

"Potter, you and Malfoy are to apparate immediately to Grimmauld Place with your things and that includes Black. Weasley, you are both to apparate home immediately." Hermione looked at him apprehensively.

"Professor," her address stung him slightly, "I noticed you speaking with Dumbledore. Is something the matter to cause this sudden departure? What is going on?" Snape looked at the smart girl.

"Just do as you are told, you silly girl. I have no time for such questions."

"Figured You Out" by Nickleback.