The Guardian of Slytherin
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
25
Views:
18,429
Reviews:
126
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
25
Views:
18,429
Reviews:
126
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. Nor do I make any moneys from the writing of this story. Though Lord knows I wish I did.
Chapter Eighteen
Thank you one and all for your support. Funny enough, I wrote this chapter a week to ten days before I received the review that started the stink about whether or not what was occurring in this story was genocide. Never let it be said that a good debate or a conflict of ideas didn't make for good drama. You'll see what I mean once you read the chapter. Thanks again.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!
***
Chapter Eighteen
When Harry and Ron lurched away from the pensive both of them were retching. Severus studied them a moment before looking over to Hermione, who was sipping tea as she was watching a storm coming in. Taking a deep breath, she made a sour face at the smell of their vomit.
“I thought they would have stronger constitutions,” she murmured, transfiguring napkins into chamber pots that she magicked over to them. “What does that say about me, I wonder?” She looked over to Severus, who was still watching her. “If I let myself feel sympathy, I do believe I would have gone mad by now.” She stood up setting down her tea. “But in not feeling a thing others might think me a socio- or psychopath”
“Stop judging yourself so harshly. You do what you must to survive,” her lover told her quietly. “Like any person would.”
“How could you?!” Harry railed.
“Ahh, he’s able to lecture,” Hermione said, turning to them more fully. “He must be feeling better, if that is the case.”
“What you did makes you no better than they are!” Harry all but screamed.
“But I wasn’t the one that did it,” Hermione reminded him quietly.
“Funny, because it certainly looked like you killing her!” Harry muttered.
“It wasn’t me,” she told him, trying as she might to get him to understand. “I was there, but I didn’t do that to her.”
“Bullshite,” mumbled Ron, who ended up having to dry heave again.
“If you cannot grasp what I’m trying to explain to you, there’s no amount of talking that I could …”
“Just tell us,” Harry whispered.
Pursing her lips she thought over what she should do. “Would you comprehend what I’m trying to say? Really?” She went over to Harry, looking into his eyes. “Even with everything you’ve gone through, you still don’t have anything close to empathy. Harry, you’ve been in my position. You tell me what I could possibly say to you or Ron who is as insensitive as a person could possibly be to have you understand?”
“You’re condoning murder!” Harry yelled.
“Murder nothing,” Ron muttered. “This is genocide.”
“Are all the pureblooded witches and wizards being killed?” Snape asked them. “No!”
Hermione went over to Severus, taking his hand. “We are so deep into the grey of the matter. There is no right or wrong where we stand. All we can do is muck through it as best as we can.” She looked over to Harry. “I’m not the one doing the killing. No matter what you may think, it’s not me. And how I’m reacting, no matter how cold it may seem to you, is the only way I can get through the day without crying all the time.” Severus pulled her closer to himself, rubbing her arm to soothe her. “And believe me when I say I was doing all that and more.” She went over to Harry. “I may not have come to live with this outrageous situation in a way any sane person would have been able to, but I am doing as best as I can with what little support I’ve been given.”
“You should have told us!” Harry snapped.
“So you could what? Lecture to me what a monster you think I’ve turned into? Tell me, Harry, during your deepest, darkest days just how sane do you think you would have been given everything people thought they knew about you or what was going on? And tell me would you have been able to pull yourself out of the moods you were thrown into if you hadn’t the friendships you did have?” He went pale at her words. “Your perception isn’t complete about this situation and no amount of explanation will work, not if you’re unwilling to listen.” Pain lanced through her head. “I need to lie down.”
With a glare, Severus took her off to the bedroom. The two left behind looked shell shocked and more than a little bereaved at feeling the loss of their long time childhood friend fully in that moment.
It wasn’t until Severus was lying down next to Hermione did he asked, “Do you think either will come to any sort of understanding about what is going on?”
She snorted dryly. “One never knows what they will or won’t grasp. And to be perfectly frank, I’m nearly beyond caring.”
***
It was Pansy that found Ron as he was trying to regain the ability to keep whatever was left within his body right where it was. He stood out on the battlements, looking out to the village far below. She stopped next to him, saying nothing at first as she absently lit her cigarette.
“Whose death did you see that has you and Potter so freaked out?” she asked quietly.
He glanced at her saying, “Bellatrix LeStrange.”
“Yeah, I heard that was a pretty bad one,” she murmured, flicking her ash to the side.
Ron studied her a moment before saying, “That’s all you have to say?”
“What should I say?” she asked him. When all he did was look to her doubtfully she added, “I’ve not only seen memories of other people’s judgments, but I was there for my own father’s as well. They’re messy and horrid and it couldn’t have happened to better people.” She took a pull on her cigarette. “They were sick fucks, Weasley. All of them were and they all had it coming, if you ask me.”
“Your father…”
“Raped without pity or forethought who just might be under him,” she said, her voice thick with repressed rage and sadness. “That included me and my sister.”
“You have a sister?” he asked, shocked, as he hadn’t heard of her.
“I had a sister,” she muttered.
Paling he asked, “Did he kill her?”
She nodded. “She had the gall to say no while he was too far into his cups to worry that there was already a marriage contract on her that would have net him a handsome vault filled with gold if the pairing had been made.” She pursed her lips, trying as she might to keep herself from crying. “She was only nine.”
“I’m…”
“Sorry?” she ventured. “Aren’t we all?” Pansy studied him a moment. “You’ve always been so lucky, Weasley.”
“Lucky?” he asked in a strangled voice. “My family is dirt poor and I was constantly made fun of because of it.”
“Yes, but you had a loving family, not to mention a father that would do anything for you.” She recalled a shopping trip once where she had seen them all together. The happiness and love that was between them was something no one could deny—money or not. “He never hurt you lot like mine did,” she replied, dropping the cigarette and stomping on it. “Tell me—do you forget about all what a gem you have with your kin because you genuinely are ignorant of that fact or is it because you’re the imbecile everyone thinks you are?”
***
Thanks for reading. Please review and have a glorious day!
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!
***
Chapter Eighteen
When Harry and Ron lurched away from the pensive both of them were retching. Severus studied them a moment before looking over to Hermione, who was sipping tea as she was watching a storm coming in. Taking a deep breath, she made a sour face at the smell of their vomit.
“I thought they would have stronger constitutions,” she murmured, transfiguring napkins into chamber pots that she magicked over to them. “What does that say about me, I wonder?” She looked over to Severus, who was still watching her. “If I let myself feel sympathy, I do believe I would have gone mad by now.” She stood up setting down her tea. “But in not feeling a thing others might think me a socio- or psychopath”
“Stop judging yourself so harshly. You do what you must to survive,” her lover told her quietly. “Like any person would.”
“How could you?!” Harry railed.
“Ahh, he’s able to lecture,” Hermione said, turning to them more fully. “He must be feeling better, if that is the case.”
“What you did makes you no better than they are!” Harry all but screamed.
“But I wasn’t the one that did it,” Hermione reminded him quietly.
“Funny, because it certainly looked like you killing her!” Harry muttered.
“It wasn’t me,” she told him, trying as she might to get him to understand. “I was there, but I didn’t do that to her.”
“Bullshite,” mumbled Ron, who ended up having to dry heave again.
“If you cannot grasp what I’m trying to explain to you, there’s no amount of talking that I could …”
“Just tell us,” Harry whispered.
Pursing her lips she thought over what she should do. “Would you comprehend what I’m trying to say? Really?” She went over to Harry, looking into his eyes. “Even with everything you’ve gone through, you still don’t have anything close to empathy. Harry, you’ve been in my position. You tell me what I could possibly say to you or Ron who is as insensitive as a person could possibly be to have you understand?”
“You’re condoning murder!” Harry yelled.
“Murder nothing,” Ron muttered. “This is genocide.”
“Are all the pureblooded witches and wizards being killed?” Snape asked them. “No!”
Hermione went over to Severus, taking his hand. “We are so deep into the grey of the matter. There is no right or wrong where we stand. All we can do is muck through it as best as we can.” She looked over to Harry. “I’m not the one doing the killing. No matter what you may think, it’s not me. And how I’m reacting, no matter how cold it may seem to you, is the only way I can get through the day without crying all the time.” Severus pulled her closer to himself, rubbing her arm to soothe her. “And believe me when I say I was doing all that and more.” She went over to Harry. “I may not have come to live with this outrageous situation in a way any sane person would have been able to, but I am doing as best as I can with what little support I’ve been given.”
“You should have told us!” Harry snapped.
“So you could what? Lecture to me what a monster you think I’ve turned into? Tell me, Harry, during your deepest, darkest days just how sane do you think you would have been given everything people thought they knew about you or what was going on? And tell me would you have been able to pull yourself out of the moods you were thrown into if you hadn’t the friendships you did have?” He went pale at her words. “Your perception isn’t complete about this situation and no amount of explanation will work, not if you’re unwilling to listen.” Pain lanced through her head. “I need to lie down.”
With a glare, Severus took her off to the bedroom. The two left behind looked shell shocked and more than a little bereaved at feeling the loss of their long time childhood friend fully in that moment.
It wasn’t until Severus was lying down next to Hermione did he asked, “Do you think either will come to any sort of understanding about what is going on?”
She snorted dryly. “One never knows what they will or won’t grasp. And to be perfectly frank, I’m nearly beyond caring.”
***
It was Pansy that found Ron as he was trying to regain the ability to keep whatever was left within his body right where it was. He stood out on the battlements, looking out to the village far below. She stopped next to him, saying nothing at first as she absently lit her cigarette.
“Whose death did you see that has you and Potter so freaked out?” she asked quietly.
He glanced at her saying, “Bellatrix LeStrange.”
“Yeah, I heard that was a pretty bad one,” she murmured, flicking her ash to the side.
Ron studied her a moment before saying, “That’s all you have to say?”
“What should I say?” she asked him. When all he did was look to her doubtfully she added, “I’ve not only seen memories of other people’s judgments, but I was there for my own father’s as well. They’re messy and horrid and it couldn’t have happened to better people.” She took a pull on her cigarette. “They were sick fucks, Weasley. All of them were and they all had it coming, if you ask me.”
“Your father…”
“Raped without pity or forethought who just might be under him,” she said, her voice thick with repressed rage and sadness. “That included me and my sister.”
“You have a sister?” he asked, shocked, as he hadn’t heard of her.
“I had a sister,” she muttered.
Paling he asked, “Did he kill her?”
She nodded. “She had the gall to say no while he was too far into his cups to worry that there was already a marriage contract on her that would have net him a handsome vault filled with gold if the pairing had been made.” She pursed her lips, trying as she might to keep herself from crying. “She was only nine.”
“I’m…”
“Sorry?” she ventured. “Aren’t we all?” Pansy studied him a moment. “You’ve always been so lucky, Weasley.”
“Lucky?” he asked in a strangled voice. “My family is dirt poor and I was constantly made fun of because of it.”
“Yes, but you had a loving family, not to mention a father that would do anything for you.” She recalled a shopping trip once where she had seen them all together. The happiness and love that was between them was something no one could deny—money or not. “He never hurt you lot like mine did,” she replied, dropping the cigarette and stomping on it. “Tell me—do you forget about all what a gem you have with your kin because you genuinely are ignorant of that fact or is it because you’re the imbecile everyone thinks you are?”
***
Thanks for reading. Please review and have a glorious day!