Lacerations of the Soul

Chapter 6

Ron walked into order headquarters ready to face the firing squad. He’d had time to think of his overzealous blowup at his former girlfriend, and while he still felt he was in the right, he knew his mother would have words for him. He was correct. His mother was waiting for him as he stepped over the threshold.

“Ron what the hell do you think you were doing? Hermione’s had a horrible shock with the death of her parents, the poor girl. Then you blow up at her over... over what exactly?”

“Mum, I walked into my girlfriend’s room intent on waking her, and she was all cuddled up under the covers with Snape! How would you react if you walked in on dad and Narcissa Malfoy? I mean really! How do you act so cool when they could have been shagging under your roof, what if it were me and Hermione or Harry and Ginny?”

“Ron that’s not what is important right now, I’m not sure how I feel about them sleeping in the same room, but the fact is this. Hermione needed comfort, and he says he gave her comfort, I’m inclined to believe him… only because she needed someone and he was there. I do not know if anything untoward transpired or not Ron, and we may never know. You can either deal with what happened or try to win her back (Though I’m not sure that will happen) you must understand you’ve seriously undermined any trust she may have had for you, by overreacting… You should have allowed her to explain the situation Ron.”

“I did, she didn’t say—“

“No you did not. Every time she tried to speak you cut her off. You were rambling on and she had no chance to rectify the situation. I don’t understand you sometimes Ronald. It doesn’t make sense to chastise her for something you don’t even know she has done. But that is in the past, what we need to do now is be there for her, no matter what she does or has done. However, I’ll let you know this. If he did do anything untoward her in my home, I’ll have words to say, THEN, and not at this moment.

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“Harry…” Ginny asked as they walked hand and hand through an almost forgotten corridor of the headquarters.

“Yes, love?”

“Do you think that Snape did anything to Hermione?” Ginny asked as she turned to look at her boyfriend, she stared directly into his green eyes and waited for his answer.

Harry always felt that she could look directly in his soul and for some reason couldn’t lie to her. “I don’t know Ginny, but I hope not… If he did I’ll have to do something very un-hero like.” He grinned at her, knowing in his heart that Hermione even in her distressed state wouldn’t do something like that with the potions master. “However I know what I want to do to you, as soon as we find a room far enough away from your mum.”

“Oh Harry!” She giggled as she kissed her neck. “We need to find that room fast.”

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“Hermione...” Severus’ voice called from the next room, she’d been standing in the foyer for a full minute, not knowing where to go in the immense space before her. She wanted to run from room to room to get acquainted with them all, but chose not to instead just opting to stand in the center of the foyer with thoughts of repayment dancing in her head.

“Yes…” She yelled back, not thinking that he might have wanted to follow him.

“Come in here.” He said this back in a rather snarky, exasperated way. She quickly shook her head and followed his voice walking into a rather large library of tomes. “These are my books, most of them, some of my more expensive books are now lost to me, as they were in my office at Hogwarts. I don’t want you in here unless I’m around. There are some very dangerous books in this library, and you would be injured if not killed just for looking at them. I’ll give you lodging and we’ll figure out how to deal with your occlumency and your situation. I can’t give you free reign of my home however.”

He was sounding like the professor she’d known for all the years at Hogwarts. She wasn’t sure she liked the change. He had been so kind to her last night… but she realized that it was probably because she was bawling. That didn’t happen all that often so she wouldn’t have to worry about him being loving towards her. He obviously didn’t feel anything for her. And she was actually quite thankful for that.

She felt overjoyed that he seemed no different than he used to be. She was so conflicted when they’d left the burrow. She thought the world of her potions master; he was skilled, knowledgeable, and quite handsome, in that dark and brooding way. She actually had a huge crush on the man, but the fact that he felt nothing for her, lightened her on many levels.

She was afraid of herself if he felt anything for her. She would be too eager, too clingy, to ready to fill his every demand. She would still help him out around the house, help with the cooking and cleaning, and there was still the repayment. Though now that she knew how he felt, that had taken a completely different meaning. When school started she’d find some way to get his books to him. She had to.

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A hand waved in front of her face. “Hermione, are you there? Where’d you go, witch?” She shook her head, her hair bouncing as she did so. Severus watched this, noticing that since they’d arrived at the manor she was as easily distracted as a space cadet.

“Oh sorry, I was just thinking, of course I’m here.” She looked up at the man who was offering her living space. “You wanted to show me to my room?”

“Rooms. You will actually have your own library to house whatever books you have brought with you and whatever you buy while you are here, you will be allowed to take it all when you leave so never fear, I just had the elves put it together..”

“Elves? You have house elves? You do treat them right, don’t you Severus? I hate that they are treated as slaves!...” She ranted for a full minute before she realized what she was doing..

“Yes I have house elves, they are treated greatly, they’ve been my elves since before I was born, and I care for them above almost anything else. They were my friends before I knew what friends were. I might be cold, crass, and unfeeling, but I do care for my house elves.” His brow furrowed… The NERVE of that Chit.

“I Didn’t mean to offend you, sir… I just… After Dobby, and Lucius, I just don’t want anyone to mistreat those poor creatures. They live to serve, I get that, but it’s just not fair!” She put her hands on her hips and pouted looking like a toddler about to throw a tantrum.

“You did offend me, but I accept your apology on the condition that you think before you speak. You are intelligent use it. Now to your rooms.” He stalked off his robes billowing behind him, leaving her to follow in his wake.

When coming upon her room her breath caught. Obviously the house elves knew what she liked, even if no one else in the wizarding world did. Her room was colored in dark swatches of fabric; mahogany was the make of the king-sized four poster bed. Dark blood red roses filled a vase on the small table in the entry way of the room, and she had to stop to smell them. Severus shook his head, noting that she like most women had to stop and smell the flowers.

The bed was covered in a dark emerald green spread that looked to be made of spun silk, there was ample sunlight filtering in from the open window, and the window treatments were the same emerald green as the bed. “Oh Severus this is lovely!” He simply nodded.

“I’m glad you approve.” And he was, he was happy that the elves had prepared such a lovely room, he was even more happy that she was all aglow, perhaps her road to recovery would be quick, and maybe his would be quicker for that.

She stared for a full moment taking in the beauty, the intricate carvings on the hearth of the fireplace that would warm the room when needed. Roses swarmed the mantle, and she smiled. She’d always loved roses.

“Now let’s continue to the other rooms.” He said this curtly ready to be away from the bed, the girl, and hidden in his own chamber awaiting the next call of the dark lord, anywhere but in her presence, he was afraid she’d start to cry and he’d be helpless but to help her. He was even more afraid to think of what he might do if she did.