Witch Hunt

19

Hermione dropped the scroll in her hands as the fireplace flashed bright green. Her fingers were trembling as they came up to her mouth to hold back a sob.

What?

He was going to marry Kate after all. Gods, she was a fool. Why hadn't she attended the damned ball?

Strong arms wrapped around her then and she openly sobbed into the thick wool coat against her face. "How did you get here so quickly?" She blubbered, confused as she sniffled.

The warmth of him against her nearly sent her into hysterics again. His sandalwood scent cut through her tears as he held up a handkerchief. She wiped her eyes with it and leaned into him again, gripping his coat, as if he might disappear if she blinked too long. He hushed her softly, holding her close as he swayed. He pressed his lips to her head and breathed her in, sighing against the wilds of her hair. "My little witch needed me," he replied quietly, his arms tightening around her still. "I came as soon as I read the letter. I had hoped you were still here."

She looked up at him and he brushed away her tears with his thumb, one hand coming up to cup her face. Her lip wobbled and she sniffed. "I'm so sorry," she whimpered. "You must have been so embarrassed."

He nodded, his brow furrowing, though he kept his tone gentle. "I was, Hermione," he said honestly. "I was very put out. I understand now that it was too much too quickly for you. You should have said this to me. We could have compromised."

Her hands flattened against his chest and she patted the dark fabric, smoothing it out. "Do you love her?" she asked, her voice small. She tried to avert her gaze, to look anywhere but at his face. She settled on his buttons, tracing them with one finger. 

With the hand on her face, he forced her gaze upward, giving her no choice but to meet his eyes. His were dark and all-consuming. The young witch thought she would get lost in them if he stared at her for too long. There was anger there, though there was also what was becoming a familiar kindness. A kindness that had long been hidden away behind a heavy mask of indifference. A necessary evil during his time as their teacher, as he had to protect them from too many different kinds of evil. Her heart twisted, realising it would no longer be familiar to her, as she would lose him to that other witch. The witch he had been living with for years, the witch that had pulled him from the Shrieking Shack. The witch who would take the credit for saving him.

His finger brushed her cheek. "You saved me, dear girl. You know this, I know this. That is all that matters." 

Her face flushed. "I told you it was rude to do that," she said quickly, disappointed that he had changed the subject.

Snape chuckled, tucking her under his chin. "And I told you that your head was noisy. Did you forget already, little bird?" he paused, squeezing her. "I do not love her. I never have. Not in the way you think."

The brightest witch of her age frowned. "Of course you love her. I saw it in the photograph-"

"Katherine?" he could not hide the shock from his voice. "Do not be absurd. I fought her tooth and nail regarding the entire situation. She brings out the worst in me." He was thinking of earlier, just then. The way he had insulted her and got physical with her. He had not been able to control his temper. He saw red and acted. Those were not the actions of a man who had been quiet and careful for nearly two decades beneath two megalomaniacal wizards. It was not how he was. 

He pushed away the thoughts, focusing on the girl in his arms. She wiggled against him, pressing herself closer still and he smiled. "I wish we had had more time together," she admitted, tearing through his heart like a dull knife. 

He kissed her head again. "I would still marry you, Hermione. I would choose you if there was any other way,"

"But..." she interrupted, unable to look at him. Her ear was pressed to his chest and she listened to his heart. It skipped a beat and she selfishly hoped he was in as much pain as she was. 

He sighed, his arms impossibly tight around her now, settling on her lower back. "But I will not send Katie to prison. Not after what she just did to protect me from the same fate. She thought your rejection of the invitation meant a rejection of our marriage. She feared for my safety."

Forcing herself to meet his eyes, she tried to memorise every bit of his face, in case his new wife would not let her see him again. "We will remain close, yes? I would like for us to be friends."

His thumb brushed her lower lip and his eyes turned sad. He dipped his head, catching her mouth with his own. He kissed her oh-so-softly and slowly and Hermione knew she had begun to cry again. A single tear, not her own, fell onto her cheek and rolled down her face as he leaned away, grabbing her face in both hands. "Little witch," he breathed, his voice deceptively emotional. "We were never meant to be simply friends."

His lips found her forehead for a fraction of a second and her eyes slid shut as streams of fresh tears poured from them. When she opened them again, he was gone.