Amour

HURDLES

As the green flames died down around her ,Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in a completely different place.But this wasn't the place they were supposed to go."Oh,I warned them I wasn't sure about this..."Hermione mumbled as she climbed out of the hearth and dusted herself.The Weasleys apparently thought it was a much shorter way to reach Diagon Alley by floo-powder and had pushed her into their fireplace,ignoring all her protests that,being a muggleborn ,she hadn't done this before.She remembered saying the name of her destination correctly,as per instruction,but now she found herself standing in a shabby old shop,full of strange and clandestine products.She was curiously looking around but when a skeletal hand tried to grab at her,she ran for the door and came outside.She realised she was in a very different kind of society as everywhere people wearing withered,dark and dirty clothes,with gnarled and blistered faces caked with dirt,passed by her.Some tried to sell her peculiar items while some others called her to enter their parlours.But everyone was eyeing her in a manner that she found uncomfortable.She tried to find her way out but was in a fit of despair as wherever she went she found either a dead end or more adjacent houses.Dear God.I'm lost!In the meantime,some men slowly encircled her and started laughing in a boisterous manner."Hello,sugar buns!""Not lost are you,my dear?""Come with us,we'll show you the way."They cat-called.Hermione clutched at her sweater tightly and warned,"Go away!Don't touch me,please."But her voice lacked the conviction she wanted to have.Just when they were closing in she heard a booming voice go,"Get away from her!"and the crowd departed to show Severus Snape with his wand out.Hermione felt the life returning to her body.Thank the Lord!...........................................
(Snape's Pov)
Snape just finished a drink with Lucius Malfoy.He never liked these meetings but he had to keep up appearances if he wished to continue what he was doing.They parted ways and Snape turned to Knockturn Alley;he despised the roads and the people here but it was a shorter way to Diagon Alley,through a magical pass.New term is about to start.Can't wait for it to begin!What,really?This year there won't be any patronus practicing classes with Hermione to look forward to.What is she doing now?Probably boarding the Hogwarts Express along with her friends.But as he turned the corner,little did he expect to see the very person he was thinking about.He heard manly laughter and saw a girl being eve-teased by a group of men.Merlin's beard!Its Hermione.What the hell is she doing here!?Seeing that she couldn't perform magic outside school he took out his own wand and shouted,"Get away from her!"They dispersed,succumbing to the glare he gave them and retreated back,snarling.Hermione's face was white as a sheet and she looked at him eyes wide open.He put his wand back in his pocket and came forward, about to check after her,when she suddenly threw herself at him.She hugged him furiously,all the time muttering,'Thank God.'Snape stiffened at the contact and was so shocked that he couldn't move for several moments.Then seeing that she still didn't let go of him,he brought his hands around her body,barely touching her.Hermione finally let go with a jerk,only now realising she was hugging a teacher and Snape awkwardly let his hands fall,not knowing what to do.She looked extremely flustered,having hugged him and stammered,"Oh my G-God!P-Professor I'm s-so sorry.It's ju-just that I was so s-scared...I thought I was l-lost.And these people...then I saw y-you and I was so glad.Thank you so much Professor Snape.I didn't mean to..."Snape also coloured."Its okay,calm down Hermione.You are safe now.First tell me what you are doing in a place like this?"Hermione explained the situation to him,repeating again that she didn't know how she wound up here although she had pronounced the name of the place correctly.Snape thought about it sometime but then shrugged it off,believing there must've been some mistake.Together they walked over to Diagon Alley from where they boarded the Knight bus ,after Hermione got her school books and other necessities.Snape had offered to take her to the station so that she could board the train to Hogwarts with the other students.They hurried since they were already late.Snape stood protectively around Hermione, shielding her from the other passengers and saw her smile out of the corner of her mouth.As they came to King's Cross station,Hermione swore ,looking at the clock.There was barely any time left and she took a running start at the wall in between platforms 9 and 10 but as the clock struck the hour,she crashed into the wall along with her trolley.Snape rushed after her and picked her up."Are you okay?What happened?Did you hurt yourself?"Hermione nodded,rubbing her head.Snape inspected the side of her head where a little bump was forming but she clutched his hand in terror."The magical gateway is sealed.We can't get through.The train has left;I missed it.How am I going to reach Hogwarts in time?"Snape pulled her to a shadowy place,out of sight and said urgently,"All right listen.I'm going to apparate us over there.Put one hand on your luggage and hold onto me, tight."Hermione did as she was told and was about to ask what he was doing when Snape apparated.Apparating for the first time, Hermione lurched forward, shocked by the jolt with which she was being carried from one place to another and clutched Snape tighter.Seeing that she was afraid,Snape also held her close but within a second it was over.Hermione's trolley rolled out of her hands as she fell on all fours on the Hogwarts grounds.Her body quivered as she felt like wretching.Snape bent down to soothe her."It's quite allright to feel like vomiting the first time you are apparating.You feel a bit dizzy.Are you okay?"She pushed herself up the trunk of a tree,saying,"Yeah yeah,I'm fine."Suddenly a huge branch of the tree came out of nowhere and hit them in their midriffs and they went flying backwards and landed several feet apart.Before Snape could bring himself back on his feet,disoriented with this sudden attack,he saw another branch coil itself around Hermione's legs and flinging her up.Then Snape realised that they had apparated right next to the Whomping willow!Hermione hadn't let go of the branch and it was desperately trying to throw her away.Snape pointed his wand at it and said,"Imorbulus" and the tree stopped dead but Hermione's arms slipped and she came crashing into Snape,who went down too,unable to avoid the collision."I'm sorry Professor Snape."Hermione mewled,still over him.He looked into her eyes and said,"Don't worry about it,I don't mind."Breaking the eye contact she quickly leapt up off him and helped him up too.Snape dusted himself and saw she had cuts all over her face and hands and her lip was bleeding."Your lip...."he took out his handkerchief and dabbed at the blood with it's end and was glad Hermione didn't draw away.Se took it from him and held it to her mouth,muttering a 'Thank you'."You should better give a visit to Madam Pomfrey."Snape suggested as they made their way to the castle gate.Hermione made an agitated sound,"First I get lost in one hell of a place,then I get blocked to enter the platform containing the train to Hogwarts and then I almost get killed by a freaking tree!Now I have to endure Madam Pomfrey fussing over these little scratches like I'm a child.This day couldn't get any worse!Clearly someone doesn't want me in Hogwarts this year."