“beyond wandpoint” 006 by gingerbred
Mar. 19th, 2019 03:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beyondwandpoint“11 07d Friday - On the Way to Recovery”
Severus and Hermione
Originally Published: 2017-11-09 on AO3
Chapter: 006
Pairing: Hermione Granger / Severus Snape
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
He can't use a Mobilicorpus to get her to the Infirmary. He'll have to try carrying her. He hopes he doesn't collapse en route.
"Come, Miss Granger, let's get you to Madam Pomfrey."
He'd love to immobilise her, but he's not sure he can. And he's not really sure he should even if he could given what she's just experienced. Instead he wraps his cloak more tightly about her and takes her ever so carefully in his arms. She's light; he's lucky. For once.
He wonders fleetingly if he's putting her at risk by not having Sunny take her on ahead, but knows he's really only to do that when he can't solve it any other way. Such as getting four cretins undetected into their dormitory. Actually, that was a blatant misuse he was never supposed to have resorted to, but he was simply desperate. It was crowd control, that's all there was to it. He'll sort it later, if he survives.
Resigned, he sets off. They've made it this far together tonight, and he somehow knows they'll make it the rest of the way. Her condition is not critical, on the contrary - what she really needs is time for it to pass, and he thinks, he hopes, he will be able to offer her some comfort, sadly combined with more damage control, in the minutes to come.
He hates his life more than a little.
Before things go any further, he'll voice his appeal, so she isn't left doubting his words in retrospect. Cards on the table. How Gryffindor of him. He finds just the thought of it irritating. "Miss Granger, I've stated very clearly how I feel about the events of this evening and what I believe will happen to the boys in response. I stand by that. Nevertheless, I have a request to make.
"Please know that I do not make it lightly, but I very respectfully ask that you not speak of what has transpired with anyone else until you have spoken to the Headmaster. Please consider coming to a decision with him on how this should be managed. Please. I am well aware this is an ask too far, but please, consider it."
She actually has no problem in the least with that request, and is reasonably certain that's not the potion speaking, she's just unsure how to convey that silently, so she simply nods in agreement. She would probably have wished to speak to either Professors Dumbledore or McGonagall before Harry and Ron anyway. In fact, she's not at all sure she is ready to deal with the inevitable problems that talk will cause. She'd gladly put it off. Possibly indefinitely, now that she thinks about it.
What she suspects she does have a problem with is what Professor Snape seems to anticipate will come of her speaking with the Headmaster. But she's a rational person, well, sometimes, and has no desire to put the cart before the thestral. One step at a time. While planning ahead feverishly, of course. Naturally.
And if her acquiescence to his request in any way makes her Professor... happier, although that doesn't seem to be the right word for it, after what he's done for her tonight, all the better. She's also quite sure she'd feel that way without the potion. But oddly she gets the feeling he's conflicted. As if he'd almost prefer for everything to explode. And then as if hearing her thoughts, he continues.
"Know also that any decision he would have you make will probably not be satisfactory to you. If that is the case, you may rely on me for assistance. I give you my word, they will not go unpunished. It may not be obvious, it certainly won't be publicly recognised for what it is, that's impossible particularly as the majority of them have no recollection of the events in question, but it will happen.
"I assure you the Legilimency and Obliviations I performed were quite painful; not a one of them won't wake with a splitting skull tomorrow. That's only the beginning."
And suddenly she understands both his request to the elf to remove the potions and a bit about how he works. On reflection, she isn't sure that she wouldn't prefer his approach to dealing with this to the usual methods. The fewer people that know about what happened, the more comfortable she feels. The less embarrassed.
Right now she's feeling exceedingly embarrassed. And more than a little lustful, heavens help her. Ergo much of the embarrassment, of course. She tries not to blush just thinking about it. Or him.
She nibbles her lip and steals a look at him.
There's sweat beading on his brow as they take the stairs, and she has a sudden onset of all too gender-typical panic that she's too heavy, before realising that he simply isn't doing all that well. No offence. She can tell he's quite obviously wiry and muscled, hmm, unexpectedly rather fit really, all considered, clutched as she is against his body... She licks her lips unconsciously. Well, that's obviously the potion talking. It doesn't change the truth of the thought, but it's not like her to think it. Probably. It's frightfully hard to tell at the moment.
She tries to snuggle against his chest unobtrusively. She may even have accomplished it without writhing. Much. Yes, she's reasonably confident it was sort of a tucking herself better into his hold, and not an assault on his person as such. Whether he'd see it that way is another matter.
She thinks he may even have winced at the contact, and resolves to try to control her impulses more. Because that's going so well...
Focus? So objectively she knows she's fairly skinny, sure, you know, curvy, but quite thin, and she doesn't think weight is the issue here... She hasn't the faintest idea why any of that mattered anymore...
She can feel tremors going through him, they're getting worse, and she wonders what has happened to him. They don't feel like good tremors. What on earth are 'good' tremors?? She's going to hex Malfoy into next week. Later. On some level she thinks she should be more concerned, but she just can't seem to focus.
There were multiple instances of unusual behaviour on his part in the past hour, and now she's wondering about the reason for them. Where was he before? And what's going on with him? Have his eyes always been that dark? They're absolutely beautiful...
"I had to leave Mr. Malfoy's memories of the majority of this evening intact. There will be repercussions, and he will need memories for those to make sense. Additionally, the threat he represents is unfortunately greater without those memories. Do you follow? There would be no... reason for him not to attempt to repeat his actions. The motivations for it would remain unchanged."
She nods fractionally in response. She certainly has no desire for a repeat of tonight. Well... No. Not that part anyway. She doubts she'd be so fortunate to be rescued as promptly a second time. She fights down a wave of panic deciding she'll suffer Malfoy's awareness of it if it increases her safety. The effects of the potion are clearly letting up, the charcoal is obviously working, because when she thinks of him now, she thinks along the lines of putting his bollocks in a vice. Or hexing them off. Probably both. That's a far cry from the image, what, forty-five minutes ago? Certainly a relief.
She tries to picture what the Professor might mean by repercussions. She suspects that's complicated. Naturally there are always the interests of the Order to consider...
"I can only apologise again for that. Had I been able to remove them and still guarantee a satisfactory result, believe me I would have." She takes him at his word, and wonders when he has last apologised to anyone else, let alone as often as he has done in the past few minutes to her. And how often has he said 'please'?
And then she tries very, very hard not think of him begging, or on his knees before her. Preferably both. Or neither. She means neither... How in the world is she going to face him in class again?
"I also ask that if there are issues with him because of this going forward, that you not hesitate to let me know. Come to me with the problem, and he will be dealt with as best I am able within the... constraints both of my roles bring." She smiles a bit wanly and nods. "But you shouldn't underestimate my creativity. Or my determination." She's happy to take him at his word. She very much likes the sound of that, and now finds herself battling to keep her smile from showing just how much.
She chews her lip instead.
She has no doubt this has really gotten to him, and she would never have anticipated the strength of his reaction. She feels safe with him. There's no bluster here only to go on to make things worse for her. From him she senses serious intent. No idle threats.
And it's not somehow all about him, which makes for quite the change to what she's used to. He's made some promises, and she's sure he means to quietly keep them, without a single word of thanks or praise directed his way. And she is incredibly thankful. She doesn't think she'll ever forget the sight of him storming into that classroom and taking down that knot of snakes in one go. She's never felt more... relieved than she does right now.
Somewhat overcome, she finds herself nestling her face into the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms around him in something that can only be called a hug. Unexpectedly, they both find themselves getting a bit of comfort from the gesture. He pats her head gently. Fortunately the potion doesn't ruin it for them.
"Miss Granger, there's one last thing I can do for you. If in a few days you should find yourself too plagued by the events of tonight, I can offer to Obliviate any aspects you find... too much. You do not have to keep those memories while the boys escape scot-free. I can be incredibly precise and very gentle, and I can guarantee you won't wake to a migraine like some." She actually smirks at this. "But consider it carefully, because there is some safety to be had from realistically assessing threats. You shouldn't wish it all gone. But that is entirely your decision.
"If you wish for me to lift the Muffliato..." She shakes her head desperately 'No.' "Very well. Remember, just tug my lapel should that change." She smiles at that, and it isn't wan or uncertain. She sees humour in this. She's hardly forgotten the arrangement in the past few minutes, but she finds his nervous concern somehow touching.
And with that they find themselves at the doors to the Infirmary. He kicks them open and begins screaming for "Poppy!" and soon Madam Pomfrey bustles on the scene.
A/N:
Thanks so much for reading and the kudos, and I especially appreciate the comments. I really like hearing your thoughts.
Hope you're enjoying the story so far.