When Duty Calls

Author’s Note:

So I know I was supposed to have this out by my birthday (yesterday), but I’ve been a lazy bum lately. =( I promise to make up for it in chapter 10!

For those following my LMHG fic ‘My Best Friend’s Father’, I am so sorry for the delay! I have everything mapped out but haven’t put it to paper yet. If you have a drama llama, it will be well fed in that coming chapter.

***

Severus wasn't sure just how long he had been sleeping in his reading chair with his arms wrapped around the slumbering auror in his lap. All he felt upon waking was her jumping off of him, and heard her bumping into walls and furniture as she sprinted to the bathroom. He reached for his wand and brought the fire in the hearth back to life before standing to stretch out his stiff legs.



It was 3 in the morning and the professor wanted nothing more than to change out of his stifling black ensemble and retire to his bed. He had just finished pulling up his pajama bottoms and removing the last layer of clothing from his upper body when a loud crash from the bathroom startled him.



"God fucking damnit!" Hermione yelled as she slipped in the shower and fell to the floor. Most of mental haze from her bender had dissipated, although the rest of her body remained awkward and uncoordinated.



Severus barged into the bathroom and threw back the shower curtain worried she had seriously injured herself. The irritated witch tried to cover herself the best she could and glared at the dark wizard staring down at her. "Get out!" She yelled. She was fighting to sit up, it would be almost impossible for her to stand on her own without actually inflicting damaged.



He rolled his eyes and stooped down to take her in his arms. She swatted him away. "Professor, this is extremely inappropriate!"



The professor was quickly losing his patience. "Miss Granger." He growled. "Your view on the 'appropriateness' of any given situation is either severely skewed or I have lost all cognitive function. Because I'm fairly certain mounting your ex-professor as he sits behind his desk in the middle of a school day is far more 'inappropriate' than said ex-professor helping you off the shower floor to prevent you from further injury."





“I didn’t hear you complaining.” She snapped trying to move onto her knees and stand. He leaned down with an exasperated sigh and wrapped his arms around her middle to haul her to her feet.







“I assure you the only grievance I have is that you have yet to oblige me again.” He smirked as he used his free hand to grab a towel to wrap around her chilled wet frame.







Hermione leaned in and captured the Professor’s lips. His strong arms held her close allowing her to press herself fully to him. How long had it been since she felt so comfortable with someone, not only comfortable, but safe?







His lips moved gently with hers as he guided her to the bedroom. What was it about her that made him feel so content? As much as he tried to deny it, he loved waking up to her too hot body draped across his, her snarky little quips, the way she challenged him at every turn, and especially the way she looked at him after their lips parted.



They stared at each other for a few moments before Hermione turned away from him and walked carefully over to the dresser. Severus went back into the bathroom to clean the large puddle of water from the floor. It only took a few minutes with the aid of his wand. When he arrived back in the bedroom he saw the curly haired witch sitting cross legged on the bed staring at the memorial cards she had received that evening.



"I should have been able to keep them safe. I should have known they were going to be targets." She whispered without looking up. Severus was startled by her words. She was blaming herself for something she had no control over, causing his chest to ache. He knew that feeling all too well.



"Don't be stupid." He hissed.



She peered up at him with watery eyes and scowled. "Do you have any idea how many people I could have saved? Do you know how many bodies I stepped and jumped over to be at Harry's side? Most of those lifeless bodies belonged to people I knew. It's happening again and I'm standing by watching it happen."



The professor could feel his temper climbing. Had she forgotten who he was forced to kill, all the torture he had sat back and watched? Did she even remember how he was made to take part in the tortures of people he knew and then watch them be slaughtered?



Hermione could see his teeth clenching together and his hands balling into fists at his side. Her instincts kicked in and she moved her hand just enough to reach under her shirt to take hold of her wand.



"That won't be necessary, Miss Granger." He ground out slowly unclenching his fists. She may have still been a bit off kilter, but he knew it was still a very real probability that she could hex him. "You are speaking to a man who has tortured and killed against his will. A man who watched his own colleague slaughtered without batting an eye."



She looked down into her lap again feeling foolish. "I'm sorry professor." She whispered. "Everything is happening so fast. I wasn't there to protect them and when they're gone all I get is a piece of fucking paper Owled to me." She began to shake with angry tears sliding down her cheeks. "You would think one of my own fucking colleagues, one of my own fucking friends, would have hand delivered it at least. Do Harry and a Remus not understand that I'm a fucking human being too? When it comes to my job I have to be cold and calculated, but did they completely forget who is underneath it?"



Her body was trembling, her face red and stained with tears. Something inside of Severus Snape snapped at that precise moment. All the pain in her eyes and voice resounded deep down inside of him. She was only a girl when she was thrust forward into battle. Now a woman who had known nothing but loss and pain, who was one of the most feared and respected aurors of her time, was crumbling in front of him.



He knelt down on one knee in front of her, moving his hands up to cup her face and bring her eyes to his. "Stop this." He breathed. "For now just live in the present and come to bed. We can at least get a few more hours of sleep before the band of buffoons come for us."



She cracked a small smile and leaned her forehead into his. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and stood to walk over to his side of the bed. When she made her way off the bed to the bathroom the professor let out a growl. "What have I told you about wearing Potter's jersey in my bed?"



She shook her head with a smile still wiping wetness away from her cheeks. "Oversized shirts make the best night attire, when one is feeling like an over sensitive prat."



"If the over sensitive prat wants to wear an oversized shirt she has full reign of the wardrobe." He said sitting up against the headboard with his arms crossed. He didn't expect her to actually rummage through the drawers and pull out a worn black button up shirt and retreat into the bathroom.



When she came out it took everything in his power not to let his mouth pop open in shock. Seeing her clad in nothing but her knickers and his shirt made his mouth go dry. She noticed his reaction and spun around to give him a full view.



He turned his head away and extinguished the wall sconce on his side of the bed trying to hide his reaction. She stifled a laugh and followed suit slipping into bed beside him. "Goodnight." She whispered laying her head on his bare chest. "Goodnight." He replied with a content sigh.



***



"Professor? Hermione?" Harry called out standing in Severus' sitting room tapping his foot impatiently. The wake wasn't until 9 in the morning, but Harry arrived at 7 to check in on Hermione. He felt awful for not delivering the sad news personally.



Severus slid out from under the sleeping witch and walked out of the room quietly without even grabbing a robe to see who would be stupid enough to come into his personal chambers unannounced. His eyes settled on the messy haired auror and he felt his anger already bubbling to the surface.



"What do you want, Potter?" He hissed crossing his arms over his bare chest.



Harry was taken aback by the professor's rumpled appearance. He had known the man for a decade and it was off putting to see him without his traditional garb. "I'm here to escort Hermione to the wake." He replied without a break in composure. "Where is she?"



"Miss Granger is sleeping." The professor growled. "She was up half the night thanks to your blatant disregard of her feelings."



"Excuse me?" Harry said narrowing his eyes.



"You heard me, Potter." He spat. "Two people she knows are murdered and you didn't even have respect enough to come here and deliver the news yourself. No, she had to read it in a coronary report."



"Not that it's any of your business, but I was busy." Harry bristled.



"It is my business." Severus snarled rounding on Harry. "When a witch of that magnitude falls apart on my bathroom floor it becomes my business. Pull your head out of your ass, Potter. Think about someone else for a fucking change."



Harry froze. Was the professor chastising him for not being there for Hermione? Did he really take care of her? Why was he so upset about a person he claimed to dislike?



"You can see yourself out. I'll send her to you after she wakes." He said in a clipped tone turning to renter the bedroom. Just as he reached the door the floo activated.



"What's taking so long?" The disgruntled red-headed auror sniped. "Remus wants us to stop by the office before..." His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Severus. "Where is she?" He asked taking a large step towards the professor.



"She's sleeping and you will do well to keep your voice down. If you wake her there will be consequences." Severus whispered dangerously.



Harry was rooted to the spot as he watched the two wizards come nose-to-nose with each other. "Sleeping?! Bullocks! What have you done to her, you slimy old git?!” Ron yelled.

The bedroom door opened and Hermione entered the room groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes. “What the fuck is going on?”

The room went silent as everyone’s eyes locked onto her. Harry’s eyes were wide with shock. There stood one of his best friends, wearing nothing but a button up shirt that had to belong to the surly wizard standing next to her. He felt uncomfortable looking at her and instead turned his gaze over to Severus.

Ron’s face turned a violent shade of red as he took in the sight before him. He felt his stomach lurch. “Looks like you had fun last night.” He growled at the curly haired witch.

Hermione’s heart leapt into her throat as she looked down finally noticing that she was still wearing the professor’s shirt, then a wave of anger crashed over her as she took in what Ron was trying to insinuate. “Maybe I did.” She replied crossing her arms with an eyebrow raised. Severus gave a satisfied smirk upon hearing her retort.

“I knew it!” Ron yelled stepping around the professor. “I take it you’re proud to be a whore now, are you? That’s all you will be, a dirty fucking whore!”

Severus spun around, grabbing Ron by the throat, and slammed him against the nearest wall. “You will hold your tongue lest you want it ripped from your ungrateful mouth.” The professor hissed shoving his wand against the auror’s throat. “If you ever speak to her that way again, I will make you rue the day you entered this world.”

Harry couldn’t believe what he had just heard and seen. The red-head was way out of line, and now he sincerely feared that the surly wizard was going to severely injure him. “Professor stop!” Harry said sternly walking over to him.

“Do it!” Ron gagged. “Come on you great dungeon bat! Azkaban misses you dearly.”

The floo activated again. Remus and Minerva bustled out of the fireplace and stopped dead in their tracks.