Broken Angel

Prologue

“Mommy! Mommy, help me, help me.” The screams reached her ears and she whirled around, looking for her daughter, running into the other room. There were three masked hooded figures, standing over her husband. Ron lay on the floor, bloodied, his chest slashed multiple times. Her daughter, her precious baby girl, was being held by another Death Eater, and she was struggling to get free and screaming for her over and over. Soon she was screaming in pain, and all she could do was watch. She couldn’t help her. She couldn’t save her baby. She couldn’t even close her eyes.

Hermione Granger woke up with a start. She was in St. Mungo’s. she had been there for two weeks. They had wanted to keep her longer, insisting she was on the point of a breakdown, but she refused. She was being released tomorrow. She hadn’t spoken to anyone other than Dumbledore, who had come to offer her a job at Hogwarts and living quarters. It wasn’t the type of job she wanted now, months ago she would have been thrilled, but not now. But she needed to do something, something to distract her and keep her occupied.

She rolled over and stared at the clean, white wall in front of her. Tomorrow she would go to Hogwarts, and the following day, begin her new position as an assistance, in order to earn her teaching credentials. She closed her eyes and dreamt of her daughter. She dreamt of her screams.
****
Chapter 1 :An Announcement

Severus Snape entered the Dumbledore’s office and went and stood besides the other teachers. After he took his place, Dumbledore stood up and began to speak, “You all heard about the double murder at Hermione Granger’s house two weeks ago. Her husband and daughter were murdered at the command of Voldemort by Rasbatan, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus Lestrange. I have offered Miss Granger a position here at the school, where she can earn her teaching credentials. She will be Severus’s assistant. Her quarters will be next to his. Severus, is this alright with you?”

“No Albus, but I doubt that will change your mind.”

“You know me too well, Severus. It will not. Now, she will be arriving later today. That will be all, this meeting is over.”

The teachers turned and left, leaving Severus alone with Dumbledore. He took a seat across from his desk

“She will be staying with you Severus.”

“I surmised as much after that meeting.” Replied Snape.

“Ah, well we have a problem Severus.”

“What is that, Albus?”

“Your tendency to be unnecessarily cruel and sarcastic. Miss. Granger has been through a terrible ordeal, and the healers at St. Mungo’s believe she is on the verge of an emotional breakdown. I would like to ask you to not do something to intentionally upset her Severus, she has been through enough.”

“It is not my job to mollycoddle her Albus. As long as she does her job and does not pester me, I will say nothing to her.”

“Please Severus, just try.”

Scowling, Snape stood up. “If that is all…”

“It is.”

Snape turned and swept from the room. He returned to his quarters, poured himself a scotch and sat in his armchair, trying to remember what he had heard about the attack on Miss. Granger’s family. Rasbatan and Bellatrix had been bragging about it at a recent revel. He remembered the conversation, and thought back to that day.

“That certainly was fun, Bella.”

“Yes, I did enjoy hearing that mud-blood’s screams while we killed her daughter. The husband didn’t seem to bother her much, filthy blood traitor.”

“I enjoyed killing the half-blood; we should have forced the mother to do it, now that would have been enjoyable.”

Bellatrix let out a maniacal laugh and said “Perhaps with her next child…”

That was all he had heard before they drifted away, and he had been left wondering who it had been. Thinking about the situation, he felt something he rarely felt before for anyone. Pity. Compassion. He cared.

He stood up suddenly and threw his glass against the wall, where it shattered into pieces. Repairing the broken shards of glass, he realized they were similar to Miss. Granger. He wondered if she’d ever be put back together, or if she’d remain broken. Then he set out to meet her.

***

Hermione walked up to the castle gates, and stopped outside of them. They were locked. She wondered who would be coming to open them. She leaned against them, closing her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to take this position, but there was nothing else for her to do. She didn’t want to go stay with Harry and Ginny, or at the Burrow. She couldn’t be around them now, even if they were family. In a way, she was glad to be back at Hogwarts. It felt like home, it always had, after her parents had been killed during her fifth year. She smiled then, her first smile since that night. Brianna was with them. Her baby girl. A tear fell from her eye, and she quickly brushed it away. She heard footsteps approaching and quickly stood up and turned to face whoever was coming.

***

Severus Snape walked down towards the gates of Hogwarts. The wards and enchantments protecting the school were strong, and no one could get in, with out having the gate open and set to admit them. He rounded a bend and the gates came into view. Leaning against them was a woman with long, curly, slightly frizzy hair. She heard him approach and quickly straightened up and turned to face him. Her eyes were empty. There spark that had once been there was gone. They were outlined by dark circles, she probably wasn’t sleeping well. He reached the gates and tapped them with his wand, and the opened slowly.

“Miss. Granger,” he began, “If you would tap your wand on the chains they will remember you and next time you will be granted admission.”

She tapped her wand and he muttered something. The chains glowed for a moment, and then it faded. Hermione stepped through, and he closed the gates behind her, which immediately clicked shut. Then turning they walked back up to the castle in silence.

When they got to the entrance hall, he turned to her and said “Your sleeping quarters will be in the dungeons next to mine, since you are my assistant. Follow me, I will show you your quarters and my private lab.”

He turned then and walked down the slippery stairs that led to the dungeons. She followed quietly behind him, and he found it unnerving. He was so used to the know-it-all, asking questions that the silence felt odd.

They arrived at a picture of a blonde maiden on a unicorn, playing with her long hair. “Tulips,” he muttered, and the portrait swung forth to admit them into a sitting room. It was decorated in beiges and whites, with beautiful mahogany furniture.

“You may decorate as you wish,” he said to her. “Through that doors,” he pointed at the first one “is your bedroom, and through that one,” he pointed at the other, “is the bathroom. You may unpack later, now I am going to show you my private lab, where you will be brewing.”

She followed him to another portrait, next to hers, and he muttered his password to low for her to hear. The portrait swung open and they walked into his office. There were two doors in the room, and he went through the second, motioning for her to follow. She followed him up and found herself in an enormous laboratory. It was immaculately clean, and had cupboards stocked with different potions, and ingredients. She took everything in then turned back to Snape.


“Sir, when the Headmaster offered me the job, I accepted, but he never told me what it entails.”

“Miss. Granger, your job details are as follows, to brew al potions for the infirmary, to teach remedial potions to all dunderheads who are failing my class, to teach some classes and substitute if I am unable to, to assist in harvesting certain ingredients, and to sometimes assist me in brewing master level potions.”

He expected her eyes to light up at the final one, but she merely nodded obediently, and stayed quiet.

“You may leave and get unpacked. Your first day will be tomorrow. School starts in several days, and Poppy needs her stores replenished. Tomorrow you will be brewing potions for the infirmary. Good-night.”

“Good-night sir,” she said, then exited the room. Hermione returned to her quarters. Taking her trunks out of her pockets, she enlarged them and began to unpack the first ones, which contained clothes and books. She arranged the clothes in her closet and the books on her bookshelves, which covered an entire wall. Then she opened her second trunks, which contained toiletries, and pictures. She took out her picture of Brianna, taken a week before her death and traced the little girl’s smile with her hands. She set it up next to her bed, and changed into her pajamas, a pair of flannel pants, and a short camisole. Then she lay in the bed and hugged the picture to her. That was how she fell asleep.

“Hermione! You can’t leave me! What about our daughter?!?”

“You will still see her Ron, but I cannot stay with you while you cheat on me every chance you get. I thought you loved me, but apparently I was wrong. You have until tomorrow, then I want your things and you out of my house!”

“Hermione please,” he begged. “Give me another chance!”

“How many chances have I given you all for the sake of our daughter? Enough is enough! You always swear this is the last time, you always swear your going to change but you don’t!”

“You bitch! You will not take my daughter away from me!” He screamed advancing towards her, “You WON’T!” he reached out and back-handed her into the wall, then stormed from the room. “Brianna!” he bellowed. “Come down here and talk to daddy.”

She heard her daughter run downstairs, and squeal “DADDY!” Then she heard something else, from outside. A series of Pops!

Hermione bolted up in bed and looked around frantically. After several moments, she settled back down into the bed, crying silently and pressing her daughters photograph closer to herself.