For all the times he saved me

Severus apparated outside the gates right after his shopping. Those robes he had gotten her had cost a fortune. He just kept telling himself he did it so his new aid would be properly suited for dealing with the potions. When Minerva had so politely 'suggested' she would be a good aid to help him and the wolf on their research, he had protested loudly. Honestly, that woman was becoming more and more like Albus every day. Naturally, she had insisted he would take the girl on. Like he didn't have enough problems besides having to babysit a dunderhead. He frowned. He specifically remembered killing off that stupid voice in the back of his mind telling him he wasn't doing the brilliant witch justice. It sounded like Albus. Persistent little bugger. He vividly imagined himself stomping on the voice's head (provided it had one baring remarkable resemblance to a cartoon version of Albus) with his new dragonhide boots. The imagery made him smile. Oh. His feet had stopped walking. He looked up. Ah. Home. He took his wards down. He had earned quite a few howlers with those wards. To the rest of the castle, it had seemed as though his rooms had left with him. Noone could enter, and the portraits insisted there were no rooms in this corridor. Only he and Minerva knew there were two, in fact. His own, and the potions master apprentice rooms. Those had always been empty, and he had made them his personal library. Everything, in both, adjoining, rooms, looked exactly like he had left them. Good. He dumped his cloak in the corner of the room, and lightly traced his indexfinger across the old leather spines. These books had been his friends, his family and his comfort. He picked one up, summoned a glass of Ogden's and settled in a chair by the fire.
After a few hours he heard a knock on the door to his rooms. Wolf. Without looking up from his book he opened the door wandlessly.
"Severus?" He had been right. It was the wolf.
"Library" he called back. Only Lupin knew what he had done with the adjoining rooms. On research days during the first year after the war, when he had still been living in the castle, Lupin had taken up residence in the one room of the apprentice quarters he had not modified. The bedroom. He summoned another glass for his companion. Without a word, Lupin took a book off the shelf and settled himself in the second chair. They raised their glasses at one another in a silent toast, and fell into a companionable silence, reading their books.

Hermione had arrived at the gates around 2 o'clock in the morning on Saturday. She stalked over the grounds towards the main entrance. Happiness filled her at the sight of the massive oak doors. A small tear streaked across her face. She was home.
Minerva had told her the unlocking spells to the front door that afternoon. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she made her way through the entrance hall and down the corridor towards the dungeons. She had been puzzled when she had heard she would be staying so far away from the library, but she didn't complain. It meant a roof over her head, even if it was in Slytherin territory. It didn't matter anyhow. She heard footsteps coming up the corridor towards her. Patroll. Filch rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. It seemed to take him a few moments to recognize her, but when he did, he just stalked past her without a word. Erm... right...
"And a good night to you too." She muttered.
She had been told to look for a portait of a fairy tale mermaid, one of those pretty girls with a fish tale. After seeing the merpeople in the lake in fourth year, the muggle image of them always made her giggle. Those were always a lot easier on the eyes. She passed the entrance to the Slytherin common room, right after potions class. She had turned a few corners, and finally found the portait she had been searching for. Ariel? Of course.
"Good evening" She told the redhead in the portrait.
"More like good morning, witch." The mermaid replied.
"Right. Erm, I am to take up residence in the rooms you are guarding."
"I highly doubt that" Ariel nodded to the painting next to her.
"Take it up with the landlord" She said, and turned her back to Hermione.
What a weird conversation. Hermione quirked an eyebrow. It was a good thing she was in a good mood, otherwise she would've blasted the rude fish off of her rock. But now was not the time to argue. Now should've been the time to sleep. A little reluctantly she passed on to the next portrait.
"I wish to adress the current resident of these rooms." She spoke softly, but insistently. No room for argument, no desire for being out in the freezing corridor any longer, is what her tone suggested. The old man in the picture opened one eye, snorted and swung aside.
"Good luck" He rasped, and started snoring again. A door. Naturally. She knocked. She waited. No answer. She knocked a little louder. No answer. She pounded hard enough to wake the entire castle.

They heard the portrait on the other side of the wall speak. They looked up. It had never spoken before, had it? No, not that they could remember. Severus rose quietly from his chair, placing his book on the table in between them. Lupin looked up at him for a moment, and did the same. Severus was puzzled. Was there a student out of bed? Impossible. The wards on the corridor had been spelled so only those who knew it existed could find it. You didn't just stumble onto Severus Snape's private rooms. Could it be Minerva? No, she had no clue he was in these rooms, she would've knocked on the door to his own. This was a person who was specifically looking for the apprentice quarters. Why? It went quiet on the other side. For the first time ever, he cursed himself for placing bookcases against the portraithole. He hadn't heard a word of what had been spoken. Just a murmer. From the corner of his eye he saw Lupin whip his head around towards his private quarters. A small knock sounded. Cautiously, the both of them made their way into the adjoining room. Their wands at the ready, Severus made his way to the door. Another knock. A little louder this time. He heard the wolf sniff the air. He looked at him to see if he recognized the scent. Lupin had straightened and with a smile gracing his features, he spoke. "Hermione."
Severus' eyes went wide. And the pounding on the door sounded like the witch was trying to break it down.