Amour

RESURRECTION

Hermione woke up with a splitting headache.She looked at the bedside table and found a tall glass of orange juice with a note sticking to it that read:Drink me.She pulled the note off with a smile and then the door opened and Snape walked in carrying a plate of food.He looked at her and said with mock sternness,"Follow the instructions, please Ms.Granger."She ignored him and got up to use the bathroom."I've got you some breakfast in bed but lets get you out of those clothes first."he said and Hermione stopped on her tracks."I-I mean,I have got you a change of clothes.They are in the bathroom."he fumbled,blushing.She blushed too and went in but as she stepped out,she swayed a little,recovering from last night's inebriation."Just drink the goddamned juice.It has the milk of the poppy in it,it'll help for the hangover."Snape said annoyed.She rolled her eyes at him but went over to the table and tipped the glass into her mouth,making sure he saw her drink.He smirked,"Good girl.",glad that for once she was listening to him.She saw that it was quite late in the day,"The last task...it's today.I have to prepare.What time is it?"she asked."For God's sake!Would you for once in your life stop worrying so much about everything else and care for yourself?The preparations can wait.Eat first."Snape said severely.She plopped down on his bed and took up the knife and fork,"It's getting more and more uncanny.How do you guess my favourite things?"She shook her head at the plate full of sausage,scrambled eggs and bread.He smiled."That's because you are my favourite person.".............................................
With the sound of the cannon,the four champions stepped inside the maze,that was the set of their last task.Hermione glanced back at Snape in the gallery before the bushes engulfed her.He had a tingling sensation that something terrible was going to happen,but he forced it out of his mind,thinking he was just being paranoid about the welfare of his lover.But halfway through,the mark on his arm started burning.He scratched at it but as he saw Dumbledore watching,he tried to pass it off as him checking his watch.But the pain shot up and he knew that it meant only one thing.He was being summoned;summoned by the Dark Lord.He started sweating.It's happening!He is calling me to join him.He has returned.Hermione..she's in danger!He tried to push his way through to Dumbledore but the crowd was just too thick.He reached him at last and grabbed at his cloak."Severus,what on earth is the matter?!""We have to call this thing off!Call them back-"but he found it hard to make himself heard amidst all the cheers,which went up a notch as two persons arrived in front of them,travelling with the help of the winner's cup which was actually a portkey.Snape breathed an enormous sigh of relief when he recognised one of them to be Hermione,but he saw that something was seriously wrong.The other person was Cedric,but he was lying on the ground,unmoving amd Hermione was crying on his chest."He is back!He's back.Voldemort is back!"she cried.They rushed towards them."Cedric....he is dead.He killed him!I..I couldn't do anything.I'm sorry..I'm so sorry."she sobbed.Cedric's parents kneeled beside his motionless body and raised a hue and cry.The entire gallery was silent,except for the cries.Snape picked Hermione up from the ground,despite her protests.They took her to Dumbledore's office where she explained everything."The cup,it was a portkey.It led us directly to the graveyard from my dreams.Voldemort had it planned all along.Pettigrew helped to resurrect him.And there were others..death eaters.But he engaged in single combat with me.But our wands sort of..connected.It...the souls of Voldemort's last victims spilled out when the spells cast by us touched in midair.My...my parents...they were there.They protected me...offered a distraction.That's how I escaped.But he is back..in full power."Hermione told them.Snape was shocked.She engaged on a one on one combat with Him at his highest power and lived to tell the tale?She survived yet again.Thank the Gods for that!"Priori incantatum."Dumbledore made a mental note."She looks pretty shaken.I'll take her upstairs."Snape said and helped Hermione up.He brought her to his room,"Stay here.I'll be back soon."He locked the door from outside and went back."It appears that Hermione and Voldemort's wands have the same core feather.They are like brothers.The incantation of Hermione worked automatically to defend her attacker.But He is really back and he will attack again."Dumbledore had his head in his hands.Snape told him about his dark mark,"I was trying to warn you about it then."he said.Dumbledore looked very worried and they discussed it some more after which Snape made a quick visit to the hospital,where arrangements were being made for Cedric's body being taken away.He went back to his chambers but Hermione was not in the drawing room.He looked inside his bedroom and she wasn't there either.That's odd.I left the office locked from outside.Then he noticed the bathroom door slightly ajar and he pushed it open,unsurely.Inside he saw a disturbing sight.The shower was on and Hermione was sitting under it fully dressed,soaking wet,her wrist bleeding freely,staring blankly at the tiles.Snape quickly turned off the tap but he was afraid to touch her.But as he hunched down next to her she clutched at his biceps."He killed him right before my eyes.Cedric wanted me to bring his body back...I could'nt leave him.I feel like his blood is still in my hands and it won't come off."she said.He took her hands in his and kissed her palms and put her fingers in his mouth and sucked."There,is that better?"he asked gently.But Hermione wasn't to be consoled this easily.He took her up and brought her inside the room.She was shaking uncontrollably so he waved his wand around her and she was dry again.He was glad he had brought back some cotton and gauze from the hospital wing and he tied her wound up."Pettigrew took my blood to concoct the potion...they tied me up and gagged me.I could'nt help it."she said,wiping tears off her face."If I hadn't let him escape last year,he would'nt have been able to do this.It's all my fault.."Snape cupped her face with his hands,"Don't dwell over the past anymore.Neither think about what has happened just now.Get some sleep."He dragged her to the bed and got in next to her,covering he up well,as she was still ice-cold."One moment Cedric was joyful about us winning the tournament and a flash of green light later,he was dead.Voldemort...he..he poked his face with his feet and turned him over.Cedric's blank eyes were staring at me..and I was tied there helpless..."she sniffed."Hush,now Hermione.Get those images out of your mind."He rocked her to sleep then.But she had a troubled sleep.At several instances she jerked awake or mumbled,"Mom,save me.." and he held her closer.But when she said,"Death eaters...they stood there..and laughed...I hate the lot of them.",in her sleep,he was insecure.Wonder how she'll react when she comes to know that I'm one of them.I dread that happening like the Doom's day..........