Apprentice

DISCLAIMER: Anything that you recongize is not mine it all belongs to the wonderful JKR so please dont take action against me.

On with the story....

KNOCK KNOCK

Remus opened the door very fast and after staring at them for a couple of minutes like he didn’t dare to believe his eyes Hermione found herself enveloped in Remus’s strong arms..

“Oh Hermione, I have missed you so much.”

“I have missed you too, Remus.” She whispered with her voice full of unspoken emotions.

“Perhaps it would be good idea to let the girl breathe, Remus” Snape teased the man in front of him. It was something that Hermione hadn’t heard as openly from him before, he had at times teased her, but never as openly as this.

“Severus, so good to see you again,” They shook hands, “Please, please come in.”

They entered the room and Hermione looked around. It was as she remembered it, pictures of what little family he had. She saw the chair that Harry used to sit in and gently sat down in it.

She smiled up at him, “Remus, thank you for the letter. It helped to put some things in order for me.” She crossed her long legs and brushed some lint off her black pants.

“Remus, I told her everything that happened that night.” Severus said as he took the chair across from hers.

Remus sat down next to Hermione and took her hands in his. “Just today?” he asked and shot Snape a disbelieving look, “Well it is better late then never I guess.”

“I was only ready to hear it today.” She smiled softly at Snape, “I had so strongly believed that it was Professor Snape, who did it, that I wouldn’t have listen to anyone saying something different. It made so much sense to me and it made it easier for me to deal with.” She did not hide the tears as they were falling from her eyes now, “They were my best friends and I…I loved them more than I ever expected until then and I…I wasn’t ready to just let them go.”

Remus reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks, “I can understand that, you three were my best friends too, after Sirius died. I was so afraid when I lost the two of them and that I had lost you too.” His own tears were flowing now too.

“I am so sorry, Remus I was only thinking of myself.” She squeezed his hands, “I should have been thinking of you and we should have been here for each other.”

“Hermione, sweet, sweet Hermione, I am not trying to make you feel bad. I should have forced you to talk to me. I should have been there for you, not the other way around. You were so alone these past six years and I am so sorry for that.”

“Remus, you know how to make me feel better about abandoning you and my friends…my family.”

At hearing all this Remus shook his head. “No. That’s where you’re wrong. You didn’t abandon us. You were hurting. You lost your best friends and lashed out hoping that the hurt would fade. But it didn’t, did it? It never does. You just have to learn to live with it. I am sorry Hermione…we were all wrapped up in our own grief and just gave up on you. We should’ve known better. We all lost friends and people dear to us in the past…we all learned to deal with it somehow. But you…you my dear were too young. Too young to deal with something like this on your own and for that I will always be sorry.” He took a deep breath and continued “Well I guess I just had to tell you this. And now that this is out of our systems…how about you fill me in on all the things that happened in your life?” He looked at her as if he was her Professor again and leaned back to hear the story that was her life.

The rest of the day was pleasant, they seemed to fall into an easy conversation talking about her studies and what she had planned for the future. He even got her to talk about boys and any prospects that she has. She noticed at then that Snape got very quiet and just watched her.

“There seriously is no one that is interested in me.” She sat back and looked from one man in the room to other.

“I can not believe that. Hermione you are a talented and beautiful woman, there must be someone.”

She could feel her cheeks reddening, but couldn’t do anything about it. “Honestly I spend so much time in the dungeons and libraries that I don’t go out very often and besides I would much rather sit in front of a fire with a glass of wine and read a good book.”

“Well maybe this is where you should look then.” Remus said looking from Severus, who was staring intently at her, back to Hermione, who was looking at the tea cup in her hand. “Well I think that it is time for lunch, let’s go to the kitchen.” They ate lunch together, but declined dinner when Remus brought it up.

“I am sorry, but I have a remedial potions class. And you know the Potions Master…he would not want his apprentice to skip out on her responsibilities. It would be quite an embarrassment.” She looked up at Snape a little afraid that she had crossed the line.

“That is quite true.” his glare resting on her, “It would, now move.” he gently pushed her towards the door, but he couldn’t hide the smirk and they all started laughing.

“I won’t be so much of a stranger now, I promise.” she hugged Lupin and headed out the door not knowing that it would take some time before she would visit him again. When she realised it later she started writing back and forth with him and they agreed to spend the holidays together. To her surprise even Snape was willing to come along with them.



Hermione walked into the potions classroom and looked around at her students. Before her sat students from each house all in their third year, they were the students who did not grasp potion making even at its simplest level. She stepped up to the podium, “Good Evening, I trust that you all have done your homework.” She glared around the room. “Tonight we will be working on the Swelling Solution. Get out your cauldrons and ingredients.” She walked around the room as the students all gathered there stuff. “This is a very basic potion and one that you all should have mastery of, but it does take some thought on your part.” She stopped as she heard some talking behind her, slowly turning around and glaring at the two Slytherin students, “Is that how you behave in Professor Snape’s classroom?”

“No Ma’am,” They said in unison.

“Then you will not do it in mine. Five Points each for disrespect.” She continued her walk around the room offering guidance and help where needed.

“Fill a phial of your potion” she watched as the students filled them, “Now to test the potion you will pour a few drops onto your potions textbook.” She watched as the books enlarged. “Very good,” she walked around and placed a phial of Deflating Draught next to each enlarged book, “For those of you who brewed the potion correctly you will need to read the next chapter and answer the questions posed in the book and also why you need to know how to brew these potions, along with your other Potions homework. For those who did not brew this potion correctly you need to go back and reread the chapter and find your error. You will also need to come back to class on Saturday to re-brew this potion. You will also need to do the assignment that I have assigned to the others and that of Professor Snape. Dismissed.” She turned retrieved the parchment rolls with a final look at her students she went into Snape’s office. Sitting down she went to work on grading the homework. It was well past 10pm when she finished and made her way back to the dungeons.

On her way back she started to think about how much she was changing. She was gaining more and more confidence in herself. No one thought of her as an insecure person, but she was always the one who was passed up when compared to Harry and Ron. But her confidence wasn’t the only thing that was changing, so was her relationship with Snape. They spent more time together, he did not stay holed up in his room all the time now and would actually come and sit and read in the sitting room. They would sit across from each other silently drinking wine and reading.

It was on a night like this that they were sitting and quietly enjoying the fire, when he struck up a conversation out of the blue.

“You mentioned before that you had no suitors, why is that?” he looked up at her.

She coughed a little and then looked into the fire. After a while she held up her book in response, “I have always been more interested in books and learning then I was in boys and make up while I was at school. I guess that I never grew out of that.”

“Don’t you want to be married one day?” he asked while conjuring up two glasses of his finest wine for the both of them and handed one to her.

She sipped it thoughtfully, it wasn’t the first time that she had thought of this question. “I guess I do one day want to get married, but I also want to…” she took another sip “marry someone that will understand that I have my own dreams and goals in life. Dreams and goals that will tend to leave me alone in the dungeons…of this school.” She looked up at him waiting for his response.

“That man would be hard pressed to find you know.”

She nodded and finished her drink. “I am happy Snape. I am doing what I love and I am making friends here.” She looked up at him and she tried to stifle a yawn.

“I think it is time that you go to bed.”

“Yes Professor.” she said mockingly as she got up and walked across the sitting room to her room, “Good night.”

“Good night Hermione.”




He awoke to screaming coming from Hermione’s room. Without thinking he grabbed his green flannel robe and his wand and ran to her room. He threw the door open and was shocked to see one of his Slytherin 7th years standing in front of her with his wand on her.

“Expelliarmus” his wand flew to him and then he glared at the boy before he yelled, “PETRICFICUS TOTALUS” and the boy dropped to the floor in a full body bind. Hermione had stopped screaming and writhing in pain on her bed. Snape went to her and reached out to touch her and she flinched a way from him. “It is okay Hermione I am not going to hurt you.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms. It was only after she was in his arms when he realized that she was naked. He sat her gently back down on the bed. Using his wand he dressed her quickly and then he did the same for him self. He carefully lifted her back into his arms at her whimper he softly said, “Shhh Hermione, it will be better soon.”

He brought her to the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey’s skilled hands immediately. Once he was sure that she was alright there he went to his chambers and brought the boy to the Headmaster’s office. He left the boy there without paying him much attention and went back to Hermione.

He spent the rest of the night in the hospital wing holding Hermione’s hand reassuringly and caressing it gently. Madam Pomfrey pretty much left them alone all night and most of the morning.

“Severus, I think that it would be okay if you took her back to her room now.” Madame Promfrey came up behind him.

“Thank you.” he said as she left. He turned to look at her and gently tried to wake her up.

“nnnhhurrrr” was her only reply.

“Come on it is time to head back to the dungeons.” He gently sat her up as she opened her eyes. He helped her swing her legs over the side of bed and then helped her to stand up.

“I can’t…it…it hurts too much.”

“Don’t worry, I will help you.” He helped her all the way down to the dungeons, murmured the password and led her straight to the couch and made her lay down. He covered her gently with a blanket and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Once he was satisfied that she was again sleeping soundly he flooed to the headmaster’s office.

He didn’t knock as he normally would. He just strode right in and there seemed to be an instant chill in the air. He walked right to the boy who had put Hermione under the Cruciatus Curse and lifted him off his feet and pressed him to the wall.

“Why did you do it?” he spat into the boys face.

“She is a mudblood, she deserved it.” He said it calmly considered the circumstances, “She took points from my brother because he was talking in her Remedial Potions Class.”

“You vile creature, you dared to come into my personal quarters and do that to someone that I hold dear to my heart.” Albus looked at Severus at these words but said nothing,” Why in Salazar’s name would think that you could get away with it?”

The boy said nothing he just looked at him.

“What else did you do to her?”

“Nothing, I would not degrade myself by touching a mudblood, I would rather have a house elf then a mudblood. I used to think the same of you.” He spat out at him.

“You know nothing of me and just to clarify something here I have never laid a hand on her. Not because she is muggle born but because I respect her.” Keeping the boy pressed against the wall he turned to the headmaster, “What are your plans for him?”

“He is already seventeen and considered an adult. That’s why I have called the Ministry Auror’s and they are on their way to take him to Azakban.”

“Very well.” Snape turned his attention back to the boy, “Consider yourself lucky that you will only have to deal with the Dementors and not with me.” He dropped the boy to the ground in a heap and turned to leave the room.

He called for the house elves to remove the boy’s belongings from his dorm rooms. He then went to his chambers and quietly sat down at his desk and wrote a letter to the boy’s parents informing them of what was going on. As an afterthought he also wrote one to Remus, so that he would know. Once his letters were sent out he went and sat on the coffee table and watched her. There was a soft knock at the door.

“Enter.” he replied coldly and yet soft at the same time.

“Severus, how is she?”

“She is still sleeping, Albus.” He looked up at the old man and then it came pouring out of him, “He came into our personal quarters and did who knows what else to her. How could I let that happen?”

“There is no way that you could have stopped it I am afraid. I think that maybe a talk with your House is called for though and I will also be having a talk at the Great Hall. But I would also suggest changing the password more frequently and adding some extra wards around the main door as well as yours and Hermione’s rooms.”

At her name she opened her eyes and slowly sat up, she looked at both men, “Can I get something to eat?”

Severus looked over at her and quickly got her some chocolate; “It is all I have on hand, I could send for something if you would like?” he took her hand gently and was running his thumb absently over the back of her hand.

“No, this is fine for now. I will make you get me more later.” she softly laughed and they both knew that she would be okay.

“My dear I am glad to see that you are awake and well. I want you to know that the boy in question is now on his way to Azkaban. Please feel free to come and talk to me if you have the need to do so. But now I will leave you two alone, as I am sure that you two will no doubt have some things to discuss.” He kissed the top of her head and patted Severus on the back and left the room. He had seen the way he had talked to her and the way he had touched her and she reacted to him as if there was nothing the least bit odd about it. Maybe there was hope for his Potions Master after all.

“Thank you.” Hermione said looking in Snape’s eyes. She could see fear, pain and anger in his black eyes, eyes that she once thought held no emotion in them.

“There is no need for that. I am afraid that it is my fault that you are in this much pain.” He stood up and walked to the mantel and looked into the fire.

He heard her get up and turned to tell her to get back on the couch when she took his hands and lead him to the couch with her. “You could not have known what was going to happen. I do not blame you and I am glad that you were there to save me.”

He just looked at her “Did he do anything else to you?”

She shook her head and then rested it on his shoulder and he slipped his arms around her. They just sat like this for a while. She was the first one to speak.

“You didn’t leave my side did you?”

“Only when I went to Albus’s office to deal with the boy.”

“What did you do to the boy?”

“I lifted him against the wall and for the first time in years I wanted to hurt someone. I mean really hurt him. Punish him for what he did to you, but I didn’t.”

“Oh” she looked up at him, “Why…why did he do it?”

“Because you are a ‘mudblood’ and you took points from his brother in the Remedial Potions.”

“I was rather hoping that we were past that part of our world.”

“As was I Hermione, as was I.” He said sadly.

She was quiet for a while and then she asked him, “Why didn’t you leave me?”

“Because you needed me here.” He pulled her closer to him and placed a tentative kiss on the top of her head.

“Snape…” She looked up at him. There was so much that she wanted to tell him but she didn’t know where to start.

“Severus...use my name.”

She just nodded as he called for some food and the house elves came and went without disturbing the two of them. When he noticed that they were done he said, “You need to eat.”

They both sat there in a comfortable silence and ate the food in front of them. When they were done she looked up at him, “I would like to go for walk around the grounds.” She then got up and slowly made her way to her room and changed her clothes. When she came out she was surprised to see Severus standing there with his winter cloak on and holding hers out for her.

“You don’t have to.” she said as she slipped into her robes.

“I know, but I want to.” Was the only thing he said and he offered her his arm and headed outdoors. They acknowledged some students along the way, but for the most part remained quiet until they were outside and walking around the grounds.

“You know when I decided that this is want I wanted…I mean to be your apprentice. I never thought that you would be so willing to take me in.” She softly said not looking up at him.

“When I first got your owl, I didn’t think that I would take you in either. There is just so much that goes along with being an apprentice and we have not always gotten along. I didn’t know if you could move past what it was like to be my student all those years ago.” He looked out over the lake, “Furthermore I was afraid that you wouldn’t be able to handle the idea of being alone, even though I was with you kind of.”

“Well I have always been alone.”

“Maybe, but you have always had friends. How could you have been alone?”

“Ron and Harry were my best friends and for some time I fit into their world. After a while, I guess around the middle of our 3rd year, I no longer fit in the way that I once did. They had their own lives, what with Quidditch and girls, I didn’t fit in. I was often ignored unless I was needed to study or get them out of mischief or something. And the girls in my class were always too vain and worried too much about what they looked like and the boys that they liked. So I spent a lot of time in the library alone.” She took a stabilizing breath, “Reading up on Potions and that is where I found that I fit in. No matter how much you seemed to hate me, I felt most at home in the dungeons with you.” She sat down gently on a bench and looked out over the snowy white grounds.

“I never hated you, you know. I was more or less annoyed that you continued to help your friends after I told you not to. Or that you always seemed to have the answer.” He sat down next to her following her gaze.

“I always had a hard time not helping my friends. And if no one else knew the answer I couldn’t sit on it.” She looked out over the frozen Black Lake.

“I always thought that you were happy. I even thought that you had some boy who you were seeing.” He reached out to brush a stray curl out of her face before he even knew what he was doing and dropped his hand back in his lap.

“Nope, not unlike Harry’s, my years here were not always happy.” She turned to face him, “I was always happiest in the dungeons.” They looked at each other silently and then she said, “I am cold and tired. Perhaps it is time to head back to the castle.” He just nodded and they stood up and turned toward the castle.

He wrapped a supporting arm around her and they started back to the castle. Once they made it back to their quarters she changed into her red flannel pyjama bottoms and a black tee shirt. She curled up on the couch wrapped in a green blanket with a muggle mystery book. Snape set to work on changing the password and adding additional wards around the quarters. When he had finished he came and sat next to her.

“The new password to the main door is ‘unhappy’, the password to your room is ‘dark arts’ and the password to my room is ‘light’. But you are of course free to change your password anytime and you don’t have to tell me.”

“No I feel safer knowing that you can access my room should the need arise.” She leaned against him and put the book down on her lap, “Why did you choose those words as the passwords?”

“Well we both had so much unhappiness in our life and I am still trying to find my place in the world of the light. The Dark Arts if I am right you have always had an interest in, so I thought that it was fitting.” He allowed her to rest on him without any objections.

Her breathing evened out and she was enjoying being curled up next to him. She was tired, so very tired, but the thing was that she did not want to leave the safety of being next to him. He picked up the book that was lying neglected in her lap and started to read it. It wasn’t that bad for a muggle book.

She had told him so much about herself today and had instilled so much trust in him. She could tell that it had unnerved him a little and she wondered if anyone had ever opened up to him like she had today. But that wasn\'t all. She was as much at ease with him as he was with her. This she could tell was still new to him. In the years after Voldermort’s fall from power she could see that he had softened up some as there was no reason that he had to be a cold bastard any more. But he still was a cold bastard most of the time.

“Hermione, I think that it is time that you go to bed.”

“Severus, I don’t want to sleep alone tonight, please stay with me?” she softly asked him into his shoulder.

He said nothing, but gently lifted her up into his arms and headed to her room. He laid her down onto her bed and used his wand to change into some night clothes and then quietly slipped into bed with her. She curled up to his side and drifted to sleep. He allowed his hands to hold her close and get lost in her curls. Soon enough he was drifting to sleep as well.

A/N: I am so sorry for the delay please dont be mad at me. RL got in the way. I would again like to thank my wonderfull beta Constance. I know that her RL got in the way too. I have a few chapters to post today so I hope that will make you happy.

Peace and Love