Apprentice

DISCLAIMER: Again nothing you know is i mine but the great JKR I own nothing but the plot


Chapter four

They awoke and hazily remembered the day before. “How are you feeling?” He asked her.

“Sore, so sore, please tell me that it will go away.”

“In time and with movement.” He slid out of bed and offered her his hand. “Lets get you moving. And I believe that Albus said that we have to go to breakfast.”

He left the room to let her shower and change by herself. When they both were finished they met out in their sitting room.

“Does everyone know?” she looked down at the floor “I don’t want to embarrass you.” She was afraid that he would really feel this way and that thought scared her.

“Only those who absolutely needed to know.” He slipped his finger under her chin and lifted her face so she could see him, “And you could never be an embarrassment to me.”

“Then why didn’t you tell anyone? And isn’t it just too funny that the apprentice of Hogwarts Potions Master, who’s known to be one of the most powerful witches, can’t even defend herself against a seventeen years old boy?” her eyes held unshed tears that she refused to let fall.

Severus sighed. “No it is not. Hermione you are a great witch and very much capable of defending yourself. You proved that in the damn war more than once. Don’t beat yourself about something like this. How could you have known, I ask you? You were asleep and even if you weren’t there would have been nothing you could have done. Believe me when I tell you that there is nothing you can do once you’re under the Crutiatus. Not until the wizard who cast it lets it go. And even then there are only a few wizards who are mostly Aurors who can get their body and mind under control fast enough to react. It was not your fault. If you want to blame anyone then blame me, because I was so stupid to install only weak wards. Wards a seventeen years old was able to evade. And I didn’t tell anyone, because I didn’t think that you would want people to know.” He was slightly flushed and breathless at the end of his speech. Before she could answer he just offered her his arm and she accepted it silently, “I think that it is time that we head up to The Great Hall.” He added and they headed up to the Great Hall. She had her hand in the crook of his arm the entire time and made no move to remove it until they reached the Great Hall.

The rest of the week seemed to pass without incident. They made progress in the potions that they were working on and the remedial potion classes were catching up to their respective classes. The student whose brother had attacked Hermione was removed from her class and was now being tutored privately by Snape.

The next week everyone left for the holidays and only then did Severus allow her to venture out on her own again. She took full advantage of her free time and left for Diagon Alley to get some Christmas shopping done. She then went to Hogsmeade with two red roses and went in search of Harry’s and Ron’s graves.

Once she found them she was happy to see that they were next to each other. She laid the roses on top of the stones and then sat with her back against Harry’s stone, pulling her legs under her. “Merry Christmas boys. I know that I haven’t come to visit and that you guys are probably upset with me for not doing so. But it wasn’t until recently that I have been able to get a handle on what had happened.” She paused as she took a deep breathe, “I now know that you both didn’t leave me here to fend for myself. That you left me in very capable hands.” She couldn’t continue as a sob escaped her, “I am happy now. For the first time since we first met on the train that first year I am truly happy. I know that it was not your guys or even my fault that we grew apart like we did and I am so very sorry that it happened. I used to think that it was the reason why you two left me that night.” She shifted in her position and pulled her legs and arms closer to her body, “But thanks to Severus…yeah I know, but he told me to call him that…I see now that you both were only trying to make sure that I went on to live a happy and long life. Thank you both for that. And I am sorry that it has taken me so long to come to realize it and I am sorry that it has taken me so long to come here.” The tears were now freely falling, “I love you both more then you could ever have known. I would do anything to have you both back here in my life.” She had nothing left to say but she didn’t want to leave just yet so she pulled her winter robes tighter around herself and just sat there in the graveyard.

She almost didn’t see the movement, but out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of black. She stood up and pulled out her wand and shouted “SHOW YOURSELF!!!”

The man that stepped from the shadows surprised her more then she ever thought possible. It was Severus and he was carrying flowers. He walked to the graves and laid them down on each and then stood and removed his winter cloak and wrapped it around her. “I come here a lot. Mostly the start of term, Christmas and their birthdays, as well as their death date, but I don’t normally run into anyone else.”

“I had no idea.”

“I felt that I owed them at least that.” he wrapped her in his arms, “How are you?”

“I am better then I thought that I would be. But I am chilled to the bone. I think that I am ready to leave. Please can I have minute alone though?”

He silently walked away and waited for her to finish. “I love you Harry.” she leaned down and kissed his stone. She then turned and did the same for Ron, “I love you Ron. I promise to come and visit you boys more.” She turned and headed toward Severus.

When she reached him he offered her his arm and she slid her arm into his. Once they made it to their quarters she sat in a chair in front of the fire wrapped in a blanket shivering.

“Why on earth did you sit there for so long?”

“I felt like I was at home there. I haven’t felt that in a long time.”

He went to her and pulled her up to her feet and into his arms. “I wish that I had told you sooner. Or that I could make you feel at home.”

“Severus, I do feel at home here.”

Severus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto the couch with him, where they snuggled into each other arms. For quite some time they just sat there in each other arms looking out into the fire until they both fell asleep.

A/N: Well Hermione\'s speach was hard to write how do you say good bye to your best friends? She finally told Severus that she feels at home with him and he is making more public gestures with her. I hope you enjoy and leave a review they make me smile and giggle Peace and love