Be Careful in the Dark

When she woke, she was curled in a warm embrace. She and Snape were spooned up together, legs intertwined, and Hermione took a moment to enjoy the illusory feeling of safety and comfort that being snuggled with a warm body brought, even if the warm body belonged to Snape. She kept her eyes closed and her breathing even. A slight hitch in Snape's breathing made her unsure as to whether or not he was really asleep. The hand wrapped around her middle moved up and gently stroked a strand of hair out of her face and then Snape jerked his arm out from underneath and bolted from the bed.

"Wake up, Miss Granger!" He snarled over her.

She turned and blinked up at him. Where the hell had Mr. Grumpy come from?

"We are leaving in twenty minutes. I suggest you get dressed." Snape sneered down at her, very much like his old self. Hermione snorted at him and he reared back in annoyance.

"I have no clothing, Professor. We can go now if you like."

Snape pointed one bony finger at her the chair and Hermione noticed a small stack of clothing.

"Dress yourself." Snape said tightly and strode from the room.

"Are you always this cheerful in the morning?" Hermione called after him.

"Miss Granger, you have no idea." Then he slammed the door behind him.

Grumbling to herself, she got dressed. Jeans, t-shirt, robes, and no underwear. That bastard had probably done it on purpose. Free-balling was not something she enjoyed when she was wearing denim.

She stomped down the stairs and stopped short at the sight of Snape sitting on the leather couch, hands in his head.

"Professor?" She asked hesitantly.

Without lifting his head, Snape spoke.

"Miss Granger, you must forgive me for my earlier temper. Beyond the student-teacher relationship there are other factors that require me to behave a certain way." He looked up and met her eyes and Hermione was surprised to see sadness in his eyes. "Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded hesitantly. "I think so." What is he on about?

"I will not behave differently that I have previously because I would never have gone on this rescue mission. I will deny that any of this ever happened if you ever bring it up, even in private. Am I clear?"

Her answer was halfway out of her mouth before she realized she'd been played, almost from the beginning. That rat bastard. Once she said that she was not going back to Hogwart's, he must have known she would seek comfort. He must have known that he would have to break character for a while since, at a minimum, he would need her to trust him enough to tell him the whole story. His annoyance, hesitancy, and disgust had been calculated so that he could gather information and offer comfort without changing their relationship an iota. And she had bought it hook line and sinker. God damn it! In fact, she’d helped him! She’d snuggled up to him, hoping to make him think she was more fragile than she was. He’d snuggled up to her, hoping to earn her trust so he could get what he needed from her. Incredible, just fucking incredible. An idea started sprouting in her head.

"Is something wrong, Miss Granger?" Snape had asked, looked down his nose at her. Hermione started and realized she'd stopped halfway through her sentence. She swallowed to wet her dry throat and began again.

"I understand your position perfectly, Professor Snape. I don't expect anything to change."

Snape nodded and directed her to the fireplace.

Come the end of her seventh year, Snape was getting a new student. Whether he liked it or not.
------

Her return to Hogwart’s was strange and she felt disconnected from everything. Snape apparated her directly the infirmary. Dumbledore greeted her, pulling her into her embrace. Hermione startled to sniffle. Madam Pomfrey clucked over her like a hen who’d lost a chick as she healed Hermione’s bruises.

Dumbledore, with a soft sigh and a sympathetic eye, began to question her about her “ordeal.” Hermione stuttered in response.

“Perhaps this could wait. Ms. Granger has given me the details.” Snape said, his pale face expressionless.

Dumbledore’s eyebrows jumped in surprise.

“I see. Well then my dear, shall we return you to your quarters?” Dumbledore did not wait for her response but headed out of the infirmary and towards the Head Girl’s suite. Hermione trailed behind.

“You have company, Miss Granger. Don’t be startled.” Dumbledore said to her quietly, as he stopped in front of the Head Students suite. Hermione just blinked at him. He guided her inside and Hermione found nose buried in Ron’s chest.

“Ron…” She squawked around his broad shoulders. “Ron… I can’t breathe.”

“What? Oh, sorry.” Ron stepped back but he kept one arm around her shoulders.

“I’ll just leave you kids alone.” Dumbledore said and backed out of the room.

Harry just stood in the middle of the room, arms folded over his chest.

“Are you ok? Did they… did he?” Harry choked on the words. Hermione stared at him. He did not look like himself. His green eyes burned into her, like ice. His face looked so thin, so drained, so adult. Where was the boy who was one of her best friends?

“No, Harry. I’m fine. I swear.” Hermione spoke carefully. Harry did not seem to be himself.

He walked towards her and Hermione had to fight off the urge to back away. He looked dangerous. He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a silver bracelet with a green stone. He held out his hand.

“Give me your hand, Hermione.”

She found herself doing it before she could even really think. She looked to Ron and noticed on the arm that wasn’t wrapped around her shoulders a similar bracelet. His stone was brown. She looked to Harry. He too had one, only the stone was blue. Harry slid the bracelet across her wrist. It was cold and began to slither around her wrists, settling with a hiss and pop.

“Harry, what is it?”

“This way, we’ll know.”

Hermione looked at Ron who just shook his head. His lips were pressed together in a thin line and he tightened his fingers on her shoulder.

“Know what, Harry?” Hermione asked, embarrassed that her voice shook as she asked it.

“If you’re in danger,” Harry traced his fingers up her hand and over the bracelet. “The stones are linked. If any of us are hit with an attack spell, it will activate a locating spell in the other stones. Same thing if one of us is physically attacked. You can also activate it if you press down on the stone and think ‘danger.’ The other two people wearing the bracelets will be able to use the bracelet as a portkey.” Harry let go of her hand.

“Harry, where did these come from?” Hermione asked.

“I made them.” He looked at her but his eyes were unfocused.

“When?”

“Last night. I’m just going to check on your room.” He turned and briskly walked up the stairs.

“My room?! Ron, what is he talking about?” Hermione asked, chills moving up her arm from the bracelet.

“I’m not sure. He’s been gone completely barmy, completely. I don’t think he slept the two days you were gone and he was serious about making those bracelets. They just… popped into existence. They work just the way he said too. We tested them this morning.”

Hermione stared at Ron. His usually open, freckled face was pinched and tight. He too looked older. They were all older. Hermione sighed. Wizards didn’t just run around popping things into existence. It was dangerous. It took an incredible amount of power. Wizards who were unsuccessful usually ended up a scorch mark on the floor or wall.

“Talk to him, Hermione. He won’t talk to me. I tried.” Ron let go of her and Hermione nodded.

Hermione walked up the stairs carefully. She peeked into her room to find Harry halfway into her armoire.

“What are you doing?” It came out more sharply than she intended.

“Making sure there isn’t a secret passageway.” He stepped out and closed the door before getting down on his hands and knees to check under the bed.

“A secret…” Hermione spluttered. She walked up and grabbed Harry by the arm. “Stop it. Have you lost your mind? Not only am I fine but I got snatched out of Hogsmeade. There aren’t any secret passageways.”

“I know. I don’t think you should go there anymore.” Harry stopped peering under her bed but refused to get up.

“Harry, I’m fine.” She got down on her knees, trying to get him to look her in the eye. “Nothing happened to me worse than bruises. I’m not going to stay cooped up here. You can’t make me.”

“How the hell did he get you anyways? I mean, in public? What the hell were you doing?” Harry was finally looking at her but he was also yelling.

Hermione slapped him, rage flashing through her. “This is not my fault Harry James Potter.”

“I know!” His face was pale, guilt and anguish written in every line. “I didn’t do anything when Draco, when he… I just stood there. I tried to think. I tried!” His voice broke and his lip trembled. “When they took you, I thought… that’s it. That’s the end. I failed.” Tears started to pour out of his eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her lap and sobbed, deep, wracking sobs of pain and anguish. Hermione stared at his back, completely shocked. Then she began to rub his back and rock, crooning nonsense under her breath.

“I don’t think I could stand it if Ron died. But if you did…” Harry lifted his head and turned tear stained eyes on her. “I think I would stop breathing.”

Hermione’s breath caught in her throat. He leaned forward, lips brushing against hers and again, with more desperation. He returned to his position, arms wrapped around her and face buried in her lap.

“Harry…” She paused. What she should say was something comforting, a lie, tell him everything would be ok. “There are no guarantees in life. In ours, especially. I believe that we will each do as we must and in the end, hope that means we all survive. But no matter what happens, I expect those who live to honor the memory of the ones who didn’t by living their life. I mean, really living it.” Harry shook his head into her lap. “Come on, I think its time for you to rest.”

She shifted her body and Harry disengaged. Hermione guided him to the bed and pulled away. She started as he grabbed her arm.

“Please, don’t leave.” He whispered.

“I’m just going to tell Ron everything is ok, and then we’ll both come back. We’ll both come back.”

Harry nodded. Hermione walked from the room. As she reached the door, she looked back. Harry was already asleep.