The inevitable

Research with snape

Hermione sat in the Great Hall, ignoring another plate of food for the tenth time that week. She had only eaten at breakfast and the lack of food was beginning to show.

They had been back at school for two weeks and Hermione had been feeling sick every single day, but ate breakfast to prove to the Teachers and everyone she was okay.

She turned the page of her book, Hogwarts; A History Revised, her IPod blaring in her ear. When she had been living in Hogwarts during the summer, she had assisted Professor Snape and, soon, the two became inseparable. He had become one of her closest friends. That was before Harry and Ron turned on her.

Now he was the closest friend she had. Severus had charmed the IPod to run on magic, to never lose power. Hermione had been delighted and took to keeping it with her at all times.

Bon Jovi's It's My Life was playing. Hermione was mouthing the words and bopping her head.

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud

[Chorus:]
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks

[Chorus:]

Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down

[Chorus:]

It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life!

A hand landed on Hermione's shoulder making her jump. She looked up into the brown eyes of Neville. "Hermione, Professor Snape wants to see you."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Neville." Hermione smiled.

"Sure. See you later."
Hermione grabbed her bag and headed down to the dungeons, humming the next song 'Once Upon a Broken Heart' by the Beu Sisters. She knocked on Severus' classroom door and it swung open to reveal the man himself sat behind his desk, his hand raised as he had used Wandless magic to open the door.

"Hi, Sev." Hermione greeted, grinning.

Severus looked up at her and frowned. "You're getting skinny, Mya."
"Hi, Mya. Good to see you. How are you? Why, I'm fine thank you, Sev. How nice of you to ask." Hermione retorted sarcastically as she took a seat on his desk.

Severus raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "The first sign of a mad person is talking to themselves."
"Takes one to know one."
"Very mature."
Hermione retorted by sticking her tongue out at the dark man. Severus rolled his eyes and stood. "Never mind. Let's just get a start on the research for a cure."
Hermione huffed and followed him sulkily into his private rooms full of dark volumes and his most prized books. The two had been studying the dark books seeing as it was Voldemort that made the spell up, chances are, if there was a cure, it wasn't light magic.

Hermione slammed shut her twentieth volume with a growl. Severus looked up at her over the top of his reading glasses. "Why the bloody hell are we looking for a cure? We will never find one!"

"Of course we will. You just have to have hope. There will be a cure somewhere." Severus replied.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?! Why are you all so bloody optimistic?! There is no cure! If there was we would have found it by now." Hermione yelled.

Severus got up and walked round to Hermione's side of the table. He knelt down so he was at eye level with her. "Because sometimes hope is all we have left."
Hermione sniffled and tears ran down her cheeks. Severus reached up and wiped them away. "Hey, no tears. You know I hate it when you cry, Mya." He soothed.

Hermione's tears began to increase, sobs accompanying them, and she threw herself into the older man's arms.

Severus brought the girl into his lap and began to rock them, whispering words of comfort to the distraught girl. "I promise we will find something."

"You can't really promise that. No-one can. It's impossible to find a cure."

"This is the wizarding world, is it not?"
"Yeah."
"Magic itself is impossible, yet here we are. In the Wizarding World, the impossible becomes the possible."

"You really think we will find a cure." Hermione asked, looking up at her best friend with wide, soulful eyes.

"Of course I do, Mya. I don't want, no I won't, lose you now." Severus told her, his dark eyes staring into her own.

"Sev, you are the best friend anyone could ask for." Hermione whispered, hugging the man tightly.
"I know I am." Severus joked.

Hermione leaned back to look him in the eyes and smiled sadly. "You really are. Don't ever doubt that."

"I won't." Severus replied solemnly.

"Good. I have to get to bed. It's already past curfew and the Fat Lady will worry. Seriously, she really has taken me under her wing. She's like a flat version of Mrs Weasley." Hermione's voice trailed off and her face became pained at the thought of the Weasleys.

Severus cursed silently. He would kill Potter and the Weasleys for hurting Hermione if it was the last thing he did.