All the way

Hermione hurried though the dungeons to her rooms. She threw her coat on her bed and then slowly made her way to Severus\' living room.

\"Severus?\" She called out on a small voice, \"Are you here?\"

She noticed a glass on the side with drops of amber liquid in the bottom. Hemrione went over and sniffed it. Whiskey. She wandered through his rooms, calling for him.

When she was sure that he was not in she decided to wait. Hermione sat on his sofa and toed her trainers off. She curled her legs up inder her and sighed, hopefully he would come back soon.

Tired from the cold, Hermione could feel her eyelids drooping. She let them close, telling herself to just let them rest.

Severus left what he now refered to as \'Dumbledores tower\'. He had seen that Hagrid was back out in his garden, so Hermione must have left.

He didn\'t know whether he wanted to see her or not. Of course he wanted to see her, but he didn\'t think he could control his anger and hurt.

On the way back to the dungeons, Severus encountered some ghosts. They greeted him warmly, but he ignored them; he had more important things to think about than the dead who were to cowardly to REALLY die.

He walked throught the classroom, his office but stopped dead as he walked into his livivng room. Hermione was curled up on his sofa, asleep.

Severus crept closer and knelt down next to her. She had obviously been waiting for him. He sighed and looked at her face. She looked so peaceful, like a Goddess.

Tentatively, he traced her jaw line and then her lips. She turned into his touch when he held her cheek. She mewed. As her eyelids started to flutter, Severus pulled away and stood up. He moved over to an arm chair and watched as her eyes opened.

Hermione opened her eyes and couldn\'t believe that she had fallen asleep. She sat up and streched, rubbong her eyes. She noticed Severus staring at her from an arm chair opposite. He looked angry.

\"Did you want something?\" He asked coldly.

\"Yes,\" Hermione said haughtily but then sighed, she didn\'t want a fight \"You know that i can\'t stay forever, i\'m not teacher material.\"

\"No, of course not.\" He sneered. He was being really cold and it hurt Hermione.

\"Why are you so angry?\" SHe asked, \"You should be happy. You have your real home and real job back. I don\'t understand, what more could you want?\"

\"I thought that was obvious!\" He yelled, standing up.

\"Well it isn\'t!\" Hermione screamed, jumping up as well. She didn\'t want to fight and argue. She was exhausted. The past week had worn her down and she was physically and emotionally drained, \"I can\'t deal with you when you\'re like this. Come and find me when you\'re being reasonable.\"

\"\'Deal with me\'! What does that mean?\" Severus bellowed as she walked over to the door that led to her living room, \"Don\'t you dare walk away from me!\"

Hermione entered her living room and turned to close the door. Severus was coming at her fast with a snarl like death and murder in his eyes. Hermione yelped and as he drew his wand and slammed the door. She put up some quick wards and ran for her bedroom.

She had just managed to get in when she heard the other door blast off its hinges. Again she put up simple wards and ran over to the floo. She could hear him taking down her protection and lit the fire. As she heard the last ward go down, the flames turned green.

Hermione screamed as the door flew past her and shatter on the opposite wall, sending splinters every where. She saw Severus waving his hand to clear the dust and jumped into the floo. Hermione took a little too long in deciding where to go. She screamed as blood gushed from a slit in her arm; obviously Severus thought a slicing charm would slow her down.

\"Gryffindor Common room!\" She yelled and started spinning. After she got out at the other end, Hermione realized that she shouldn\'t have said where she was going so loud. Severus was sure to follow.

The fright that she had felt the other night when he nearly hit her was nothing compared to now. He was murderous and after her. Holding her bloody arm, Hermione quickly left the tower. As the Fat Lady\'s portrait was closing, she heard the floo open.

Breathing heavily, Hermione ran down the hall. She rounded a corner and heard footsteps behind her. Tears of panic and terror fell from her eyes as she flew down the stairs.

Suddenly there was a jolt. The stairs were changing. Hermione turned to see Severus standing at the top. He had missed her. As Hermione moved away from him, he aimed his wand at her.

Although Hermione was scared of heights, and moving stair ways, she managed to dodge every slicing charm he sent her way. Finally, she stopped moving and hopped off the stairs, looking back. They had moved again and Severus was sprinting down them two at a time.

Horrified, Hermione darted off again. She could hear him coming after her. This man was complicated. How could one person be so sweet and then turn so violent so quickly? It scared her.

As fit as Hermione was, she was loosing blood and was getting a stitch. She willed herself on; if he caught her, she was sure that he would hurt her more than a bloody arm and a stitch. Hermione ran into the entrance hall. She turned to see how far away he was and was hit by another slicing hex on the side of her stomach.

She whimpered and turned again, trying to fight off the dizziness that was creeping up on her. She wiped away the tears that clouded her eyes, leaving blood on her cheeks.

Hermione had never had less hope in her life, even in the final battle. She new now that she would not get far enough away, for the blood loss was slowing her down and her head was thumping. She thought about getting her wand, but remembered it was in her coat, in the dungeons. Hermione ran up the marble stair case, stumbling on almost every step.

Hermione ran down a corridor and stopped in an old classroom. She was sure she was cornered until she saw a fire place with the embers still glowing. Thanking the Gods, Hermione grabbed the small amount of floo powder and threw it in. The green flames roared and Hermione jumped in.

\"Hospital wing!\" Hermione began to spin, making her feel even more sick and dizzy. She fell out of the fire place and the world went black.

Poppy was straightening one of the beds in the Hospital wing when she heard the fire roar and a dull thud. She looked over and gasped. Hermione Granger was sprawled on the floor, covered in soot and... Blood!

Poppy rushed over and levitated the young woman onto one of the beds. She felt for a pulse and was relieved to find it, however weak. She waved her wand and Hermione was left in her under wear. She gasped and got to work at healing the slices on her side and arm.

After healing the obvious wounds, Poppy started her internal examination. She but her lip as her wand passed over the witches stomach and sighed. That slicing hex could have done some serious damage.

Once she was happy that Hermione was just unconscious, she waved her wand and a night gown appeared on her patient’s body. She pulled the covers over Hermione before she waved her wand and brought her back to the world of the conscious.

Hermiones eyes fluttered open and then widened in terror. She sat up and looked around.

\"Sshh,\" Poppy pushed her down, \"You\'re alright now.\"

\"I... I need to get out of here.\" The young witch said agitatedly. She seemed really petrified of something.

\"Hermione,\" Poppy said soothingly, \"What’s wrong?\"

\"I need to go. I have... um... stuff to do.\" She pleaded.

\"You are in shock, I don\'t think -\"

\"I need to go and see Severus!\" She said quickly, \"He won\'t be happy if you keep me. He will look after me.\"

Although Poppy thought there was something terribly wrong with the girl, she had no choice but to let her go. She waved her wand and Hermiones clean clothes appeared on her. Hermione thanked her and left the ward. Poppy hoped that she would be alright.

Hermione shuffled cautiously down to the dungeons, looking behind her for any signs of Severus any where. She couldn\'t believe what had happened; it seemed like a horrible nightmare.

Hermione couldn\'t stay so close to him tonight, she would go and stay with Ginny. She could floo Minerva from there and tell her that something bad had come up. Hermione ran to her bedroom and grabbed a night dress from a draw. She put her coat on and stuffed her night dress into a pocket. Pulling out her wand, she went back to the living room.

Slowly, she turned around, making sure that she didn\'t need anything else. Her eyes widened as she heard noises coming from the rooms next to hers. Quickly, Hermione ran into the floo.

\"The Burrow.\" She whispered and started to spin.

Severus skidded to a stop. The last time she had turned, Hermione had leaned against the wall. Severus looked at that wall. There was her tiny hand shape printed in her blood.

Severus recognized this. It was all too familiar of when the Dark Lord would have revels. For a second, Severus imagined Hermione as one of the Dark Lords new toys.

He had done it again. He had lashed out, literally, and let his anger control him. But it wasn\'t just anger; it was hurt. She must be bleeding really badly, he thought.

The thought that he did that man him want to vomit. So he did. Once the contents of his stomach were splattered all over the floor, Severus new he had to go and find Hermione and apologize, not that it would even be near to making things right.

If Hermione was smart, which she was, she would go to the Hospital Wing. That\'s where Severus decided to go first. He placed his wand up his sleeve and walked slowly up. He new a short cut.

He entered the ward in his usual sarcastic demeanor. Poppy was fixing a bed.

\"Oh, Severus!\" She looked slightly relieved, \"Is Hermione alright? Did she find you? I think there was something wrong! She was cut and -\"

\"So she\'s not here?\" Severus asked.

\"No, se said she had to meet you and left with out saying another word. I think you should find her, I can tell she likes you.\"

Severus sighed and stormed out. She was probably scared to death of him now. No matter how forgiving she was, he was sure she would never want to see him again.

For a reason, other than the death of Albus, Severus Snape was on the verge of tears. He flew like lightening to his rooms, slamming the door behind him and battling with the moisture in his eyes.

He heard the whoosh of floo and ran into Hermiones door less living room. He got there just in time to see the emerald flames die.

Hermione stepped into the Weasleys kitchen. There was no one home by the looks of it.

\"GIN!\" She shouted. No reply came. Maybe they were out shopping, or went to see Harry and Ron; Mrs. Weasley liked to do that a lot.

Hermione new she was safe here. The Weasleys wouldn’t mind if she waited for them. She wandered into the living room and plopped down on the sofa. She looked at her arm. There was still a slight mark where she had been cut, but it would fade in a couple of days.

She sighed and closed her eyes. She missed Severus, the good, sweet, loveable Severus. Maybe she should have told him out right, and not waited for him to find out. Maybe she should have waited with him longer and got him to tell her exactly what was wrong.

Hermione took off her coat and started when the floo in the kitchen went. Smiling as convincingly as she could, Hermione walked slowly to the door of the living room.

Hermione let out a small gasp, it wasn\'t the Weasleys. How had he followed her? A tracking charm, duuu! Trying to stay calm, Hermione race over to her coat and grabbed her wand from the pocket. She would have to face him sooner or later.

Severus swept the soot from his robes.

\"There not home.\" Came a hard voice from the door way. He looked up. Hermione was standing with her wand by her side looking at him and trying to be strong.

Severus just blinked; he didn\'t know what to say. He really should have thought more before tracking her.

\"Hermione...\" He started, but didn\'t know how to finish.

\"Yes, that was my name the last time I checked,\" She said with more than a little coldness in her voice.

\"I... I am so sorry...\" Even to Severus it sounded lame. Hermione, holding her wand a little higher than her waist, walked further into the room and sat down carefully at the table.

\"You\'re sorry?\" Her eyes softened, \"Sit,\" She pointed to the chair opposite and Severus occupied it, \"You\'re sorry Severus? Sorry was fine the other night. Sorry was fine then because I could protect my self and because I provoked you. Sorry is not fine now. \"

She took a deep breath and fluttered her lashes to clear the tears that were gathering in her eyes.

\"I was exhausted and unarmed. One slicing hex I could have dealt with, but two... Severus, I am not trying to upset you, but I was scared. I was more frightened than when I was stabbed, or when I was having thousands of unforgivable’s shot at me in the final battle. \"

Severus didn\'t like the way this was going.

\"So this is what I’m going to do; I am going to do a term at Hogwarts, persuade Minerva to give you the job full time and then go and stay with Harry and Ron.\"

\"Supposing they don\'t want you?\" Severus said, remembering their row.

\"If they don\'t,\" She looked away from him, \"then I will come here.\"

They sat in silence for a while. Severus watched as Hermione fingered her wand nervously. He could feel her slipping through his grasp; he couldn\'t let that happen.

\"Why didn\'t you just tell me that you weren\'t staying for long?\" Severus asked quietly.

\"I didn\'t think that I would matter that much.\" She shrugged, \"I didn\'t think it would affect you.\"

\"Affect me!\" Severus couldn\'t believe this, \"Of course it affects me! I -\" He stopped himself before he said it.

\"You what?\" She whispered, her eyes shining.

\"I... I have become used to you... I don\'t... don\'t want you to leave...\" Severus said, trying to unstick the words in his throat and tell her how he felt.

\"I knew this would happen,\" Hermione shook her head; \"I hoped that you weren\'t the type of person to get attached. What ever you think you feel towards me might not be real. I helped you in a very difficult time and just because I go away doesn\'t mean that your life will go back to the way it was. Once you start taking points from Gryffindor again, you will realize that I’m the annoying girl that I always was and, after seeing that you can be a lovely person, it would really hurt me to be around when you become conscious that I am not the person you think I am.\"

\"Hermione,\" Severus said softly as he stood up and rounded the table to stand behind her. She had her head in her hands, \"Hermione please,\" He sat next to her and pulled her into his chest, he could feel her shoulders shaking and hear her small sniffles, \"Listen to me, precious, listen to me, I am not an emotional man by any stretch of the imagination. So, isn\'t it logical that if I was to tell some one the way I felt about them -and it was a positive feeling- that I would be completely sure before I said anything to said person.\"

Severus rubbed her back gently. He could feel an incredible amount of protectiveness bubbling inside his chest. He wanted to hold her safe from everything that would do her any harm; the only problem was that he was probably the most harmful thing around her right now.

\"I didn\'t mean to hurt you; I just wanted to stop you from leaving. I acted before thinking and I regret hurting you more than anything I have ever done. Please believe me on that. I see you with so much love and attention to give to every one, and I -quite selfishly- want some. But when I have your time and attention, I start to wonder \'why?\' and \'how?’ How do you have time for every one? Why would you give part of that time to me?\"

Hermione lifted her head to say some thing but Severus put his finger to her lips.

\"No, let me finish.\" Hermione nodded, \"Because of my doubts and questions, I try to make sure that I always have that attention. I get... anxious that you will finally see sense and want nothing to do with me. I would not blame you if you did see sense, but it would hurt me more than any one would think. So, naturally, I want to keep you close. I enjoy your company; you\'re clever and compassionate, you don\'t gossip or judge people by rumors, you\'re funny and beautiful. I can only find one fault in you.\"

Hermione gave a small smile, \"Let me guess, it\'s some thing physical... the clothes I wear perhaps?\" Severus shook his head, \"Um... ok, the language I use?\" He shook his head again, \"I give up.\" She shrugged, \"Tell me.\"

\"I can\'t work you out.\"

\"What do you mean?\" Hermione frowned.

\"You mystify me,\" Severus told her, \"You can give every one a fair chance and all the compassion that you possess, but expect nothing in return. You worked on my appeal, but I gave you nothing. I am sure you have helped many more men that would have gladly married you and given you every thing you could ever want. And what puzzles me more, is that you still act like you owe some one a dept and that you don\'t find yourself deserving of the things you give to others: love and care.\"

Hermione smiled and wiped the stray tears from her face, \"First of all, every one should be given a chance, what ever they have done. In the final battle, we were given permission to use all unforgivable’s on any Death Eaters. Do you know that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn\'t cast them. I did my best, but the worst they would get was a twitch. I don\'t know what’s wrong with me, but I couldn\'t hate them. In the end, I just stunned them. I felt so angry with myself for not despising them, after all the people they killed and all the lives they ruined. But I have seen what hate can do to people; they become bitter and twisted. I don\'t want to be like that, but I was so upset because I couldn\'t kill a murderer.\"

\"Casting an unforgivable is nothing to be proud of, if you can\'t cast them, then you are a very special person.\" Severus told her.

\"I know, I know, but I felt like I should have been able to after what happened to my family and friends; I felt like people would think that I didn\'t care about them if I didn\'t hate their killers.\" Hermione sighed, \"Now, you listen to me. You have just as much right as any one to care and attention, whether it is mine or some one else’s. Just because I’m not within your line of vision does not mean that I have forgotten you. How could I forget the man that gave me a descent reason to quit my job?

Where ever you are, you should know that I will always have time for you. You don\'t need to worry that if I go away, some one else will take your place in my life because you are very special to me and there is no one like you. What ever people say about you, it will not change my opinion. Severus you don\'t need to worry, even though I may be physically gone, I will never really leave you.\"

Severus pulled Hermione into him and held her tight. He loved her so much.