Goodnight, Demon Slayer

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Goodnight, Demon Slayer
Chapter One:
Reluctant Gratitude

"Ah, Severus!" greeted Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. The black shadow that was Severus Snape glided swiftly to settle in the chair next to Hermione, opposite Dumbledore. Nodding an acknowledgement to the Headmaster, Snape let his body relax in the chair and began rubbing his temples with his long index fingers.

"I had previously believed," Severus spat slowly, venom dripping from every syllable, his eyes closed in sheer and utter frustration, "that Neville Longbottom's departure from the study of Potions would result in a decrease in the number of cauldron explosions. However, there is an entire year of Hufflepuffs who seem bent on proving me wrong." With a deep sigh he opened his eyes and folded his hands in his lap. The Headmaster smiled knowingly and chuckled softly; he found it utterly fascinating that his teacher with the shortest fuse had chosen the most precise science to teach. Well, he HAD requested Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Dumbledore know his love was potion making. Glancing up, Severus caught Hermione's eye and quickly turned away from her and toward Dumbre. re. He was not quite ready to deal with all that talking to Hermione would entail.

"Severus, as you have correctly deduced, Miss Granger is now aware of the situation at hand. I am sure that you will want to discuss the matter with her, but first I must know if any of what we feared has begun yet." Closing his eyes and massaging his temples once again, Severus nodded slowly. In that instant, Hermione noticed for the first time how extremely EXHAUSTED he looked. In the light of the Headmaster's study, she suddenly recognized the lines etched across his face, the pale scars and callouses on his otherwise perfectly-formed hands, the angle at which his nose jutted (causing her to believe that it had been broken at one point), and the timy strands of silver hair at his temples. For once (not for the first time), Hermione felt a pang of sympathy for her Potions Master and soon-to-be fake boyfrined.

"Yes, Headmaster," Severus began. "Draco Malfoy has spread the rumor throughout all of Slytherin House, and they, in turn, have spread it through the school. I believe, in fact, that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasely are beating the living shit out of Malfoy as we speak."

Hermione's eyes grew wide as she clapped a hand to her now-gaping jaw. Her reaction surprised Snape, and he turned to look at her, an amused smirk playing across his features.

"Miss Granger, surely knowing all of your wonderfully *Gryffindor* qualitites, you cannot think that your best frends would not defend your honor against the boy who's been telling the whole school you've been shagging the Head of your rival House?"

"But... they're supposed to believe it's true, right?" If she was supposed to pretend she was with Severus, why would her friends think Malfoy was spreading a rumor? If this were true, her friends would be beating the living shit out of Snape.

And probably her for her poor judgement...

"Of course they're supposed to believe it's true, but without affirmation from you, why would they believe it?" Looking him in the eye for the first time since this whole ordeal began, Hermione suddenly knew her face expressed the realization she now felt.

"Of course. I'm sorry, sir," she apologized. "Are Harry and Ron going to get in trouble?" she asked weakly. All she needed was to have to tell them about Snape AND have to lsiten to them whine about detention! Snape actually snorted at the question, but Professor McGonagall answered her before Snape's normally faster-than-the-speed-of-light tongue could react.

"Fighting is never acceptable, Miss Granger. However, due to the sensitive subject at hand, I'm sure some compromise will be worked out." Snape rolled his eyes, visible for all to see.

Ignoring the childish display by Severus and heading off Hermione's snarky response at the pass, Dumbledore rose to his feet, refocusing everyone's attention.

"Now, Severus. Hermione. I'm sure you'll have much to talk about. Please use my fireplace to floo back to the dungeons where you may discuss specifics." Glancing pointedly and a little overdramaticall the the clock, he added, "Oh, dear! It appears I am overdue at the Ministry. I really must go. You two may go first, though."

Severus and Hermione both rose on shaky legs and approached the fireplace. Standing close to Hermione, Snape mumbled something she could not make out. She looked up at him questioningly, and he repeated it through clenched teeth, though she wasn't sure he'd meant for her to catch it the first time.

"He's not due at the Ministry. That's just his code for 'Leave me alone so I can shag Minerva!'" Hermione's eyes grew wide, but before she could formulate a response Snape had ushered her into the fire and they were spiraling down to his office.

Stepping out of the fireplace and brushing soot off herself, Hermione looked around desperately for Snape. Finding him still in the fireplacee ime immediately began interrogating him, all thoughts of more serious matters dismissed for the moment.

"Dumbledore and McGonagall?" she asked incredulously. Snape merely nodded, looking slightly green. He coughed, emitting a small puff of ashes. Hermione cringed as the professor strode out from the fireplace and poured himself a nice shot of firewhiskey.

"I really fucking hate flooing," he stated blurrily as if half-drunk and half-see-sick. Hesitantly, Hermione pulled out a chair.

"You should sit down, sir."

"I bloody well know what I should do, Miss Granger!" snapped the now-almost-yellow professor. Hermione giggled a bit remembering the way Bugs Bunny turned plaid when motion sick and imagined Snape's self-righteous face in a lovely tartan. Staring daggers at her, Snape poured and downed another drink and slowly stumbled to the chair she'd pulled out for him. Hermione sat in the chair facing him but waited for him to begin the conversation. Twisting her hands in her lap for what seemed like an etenity, she began to wonder if he was going to say anything at all. She suddenly felt very insecure, very young, and very, very vulnerable. She could never remember feeling this scared before in her life. Or this guilty.

Hanging her head, Hermione ran through the scenario one more time. She hated Draco Malfoy. Draco hated her so much that he cried to Daddy about the "filthy Mudblood know-it-all." It was becasue of her own actions that Draco despised her so. It was because of her own actions that Lucius had asked for her as a reward, and ultimately, it was because of her own actions that Professor Snape now had a death sentence of his own. If he was caught lying to and defying Voldemort, he would be killed. Probably tortured and then killed. It was all her fault, and the guilt was unbearable. Though she was terribly embarassed and ashamed of her reaction, she began to weep openly.

"Oh, come now, Miss Granger! The prospect of spending a summer with me cannot be worth all that."

Severus' heart lurched. He didn't really like her, but he didn't really dislike her either. She annoyed the piss out of him on a regular basis, but she was extraordinarily intelligent and good at potions. He hadn't expected her to relish a summer with him, but he hadn't expected such a fervent rejection so rapidly, either...

Most girls didn't cry until their second date with Severus.

Shaking her head violently, Hermione looked up.

"It's not that," she sniffled miserably. "You risked your life for me and you'll be risking your life every day until this nonsense dies down. I really, really appreciate what you've done, but why? I don't deserve it! I'm not worth it! You don't even like me!" Hermione cried this loudly, flinging her arms to sides, and staring him straight in the eye as if daring him to contradict her. Severus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was no good at comforting crying women.

Moving forward in his chair and reaching across the gap between them, Severus covered her hands with his own.

"Miss Granger. I do not dislike you," he stated factually (I just don't care...). "I would have done the same for any student left in my care." He watched her continue to cry and was a bit surprised when her fingers closed around his. Slowly the weeping subsided only to be replaced by...

Giggling?

"Miss Granger, in the past six years I have never even heard you so much as titter, and in the last fifteen minutes, you have giggled twice. I was under the impression that we were discussing a serious subject, but perhaps I was wrong."

"It's just that- when I'm nervous- I get- I d kno know! Really inappropriate thoughts pop in to my head. I guess it's a coping mechanism." She bit into her lower lip, hoping to suppress the laughter, but the look on his face, coupled with the image in her head made it impossible.

"And what, may I ask, is making you laugh now?" he sneered. Hermione screwed her eyes closed and tightened every muscle she owned trying not to let out a full-blown roar. Calming down enough to speak, she looked him in the eyes.

"I was just wondering... would you have said you were Neville's boyfriend?" She could contain it no longer; the laughter poured out of her, and a partiularly clear vision of a tree carved with "SS + NL 4EVA" seemed etched on the back of her eyelids. Severus did not understand what was so funny or why the top candidate for Head Girl had so suddenly deteriorated into the top candidate for Head Cheerleader, but he let her laugh herself out, noticing how she clenched his hands a split-second before a particularly strong peal of laughter. She was laughing so hard she was crying, and Snape actually smiled a little realizing that, short of his mother, no other woman had ever laughed in his company unless she was laughing AT him.

Sighing heartily and half-coughing, half-laughing, Hermione gently released his hands and wiped the tears from her eyes. The laughter had finally died down, and she looked up at Severus seriously now, although her red-rimmed eyes still occasionally flashed with barely-suppressed mirth.

"Now, are you ready to discuss this seriously?" Severus asked, his tone sharper than he had intended. Hermione's head hung once again.

"I'm sorry, Professor."

"There is nothing to be sorry about. However, if we are to be successful, we should begin using each other's given name... Hermione." She looked into his eyes, surprised by the sudden use of her given name and even more surpirsed to see him slightly smiling encouragement at her.

"Yes, sir... Severus."

"Well, it's a start," Snape sighed, visibly stopping himself from rolling his eyes. Hermione narrowed her eyes, suddenly furious.

They couldn't have saved this news until AFTER her period, could they? Now she was way too emotional to put up with any of his shit! Yes, he was saving her life, but his depended on her cooperation as well!

"Look, SEVERUS- I have spent innumerable hours trying to get my Housemates to address you properly, not to mention the fact that for six years I have done nothing but address you as 'Professor Snape' or 'Sir' when all around me have insisted that a more appropriate title would be 'Unwashed Greasy Git'- so, it may take some time before I am one-hundred percent comfort cal calling you 'Severus!'" she roared.

"Hermione, I do believe you made your point at least halfway through your rambling, and although the thought of spending a summer with me may be undesirable at best, I had previously believed you to be above name-calling." The "Greasy Git" comment had stung more than he'd ever admit.

"I'm sorry, Prof- SEVERUS, but perhaps if you hadn't stopped listening after the first half you would have known that I defended you everytime everyone called you that."

"You did? Why?" Severus looked at her, surprise and confusion evident in his gaze, but she also noticed something else there. Something she couldn't place. Vulnerablility? Hope? Gratitude? An unusual combination of all of those? Slowly, Hermione's face softened in response.

"Because I knew that despite your exterior, it must hurt being called names all the time. I know it hurts me."

Severus narrowed his eyes, somewhat confused by her admission. She had friends- lots of friends. Why would she be complaining about people mocking her.

"They call you names?" Hermione snorted softly before replying.

"Only your precious Slytherins. No one else seemed to care about my parentage or my hair or my teeth." She shot him a pointed glance at the last part, and his expression faltered slightly. He'd forgotten about that...

"Well, thank you for defending me, Hermione, but if you were looking to go down in Hogwarts history, I would have thought you'd pick a more prestigious category than being the only student to ever defend Professor Snape." Suddenly, she began to giggle again.

"Oh, no Severus. Moaning Myrtle thinks you're totally hot!"

With a slight twitch of one side of his mouth (which Hermione guessed was his attempt at a smile), Severus began discussing plans and specifics, and after about an hour, both decided to part ways before dinner. Standing up, Hermione walked over to the still-sitting Severus and placed a hand on his shoulder. Vaguely uncomfortable by her close proximity, Severus looked up into her eyes. She smiled sweetly at him and leaned in close to him, planting a small, chaste kiss on his lips. Pulling away in shock, Severus' wide eyes met Hermione's as she tried desperately to stop herself from turning the color of Ron's hair.

"Thank you, Severus. For saving my life." With that, she turned toward the door, leaving Severus licking his lips in a state of disbelief. She gazed back at him quickly, blushing and smiling shyly, and as she turned away again, she opened the door to greet the very angry faces of Ron Wealey and Harry Potter, both ready to storm the Potions Master's door.


**************A/N***********
I just have to say to deblovesdragon- NO! I do not have a Justin Timberlake obsession! He's just a cheesy name to throw in 'cause everyone knows him and has very strong feelings on him one way or another. I, personally, am a Backstreet girl... If any of you know Howie D, tell him I love him!

Sorry for lack of updates... Real life sucks, but I have vacation coming up and ALL I'm gonna do is write :)

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!