As Long As You Need Me

Chapter XXIX

Snape entered his office, back from teaching yet another class of over-inquisitive students. He was sick of answering everyone's concerns regarding Hermione.
"What happened to your intern?"
"Where's Ms.Granger?"
"Is she ever coming back?"

At first he used to take away house points from the nosy bastards or behave shortly with whoever even took Hermione's name. Now, he only just gave a vacant stare and continued what he was doing or simply walked away after a prolonged awkward pause. McGonagall had also perhaps requested the staff not to disturb him with further questions. He had grown tired of everything. And if possible, more sad.

"She's gone. She left. She is not coming back."- was his last reply and he hadn't been bothered again.

He took out a bottle and glass, sat down in his armchair, poured himself a drink and downed it in one go. He had again taken to giving himself an alcohol-induced coma every night and this was just him getting started.
If you love someone, let them go and see if they come back.
"Bullshit." he grumbled aloud to the room and gulped down another peg.

He remembered when he seemed to be always fuming with rage, deducting marks left and right, setting harder and harder detentions and snapping at whoever tried to approach him. He used to pace his chambers like a caged beast, unable to think of a way to channelise his anger.

While on his third glass, he thought back upon the day when he had stormed into the Malfoy Manor to confront the woman who, according to him, was one of the reasons for Hermione's change of mind.

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"Malfoy!" Snape thundered, entering the lavishly furnished drawing-room, his robes bellowing behind him.

The master and mistress of the household had just sat down for tea and they jumped in shock with this sudden arrival. They exchanged a glance and stood to greet him. Lucius spoke, "Severus, what a pleasant surp-"

"Stop it. Just don't!" Snape warned. "I'm here to have a word with your spouse."

Narcissa Malfoy gulped but tried to maintain the facade of fearlessness. She glanced at her husband and said in a rehearsed manner. "It was time you paid us a visit anyway. Why don't you take a sea-"

"What the fuck did you tell her? Hunh? What did you do? Why did you have to meddle with her mind?" Snape was not in the mood for chit-chat.

She was dumbfounded in the face of such direct accusation. Lucius came to her rescue, "Come now, Severus. She was merely being protective of you."

Snape glared at him. "It was none of her business. Why the hell did she even talk to her?"

"She was merely educating her about the...consequences."

"Exactly what do you mean by that?"

Lucius gave a hollow laugh but Snape's sense of humour wouldn't budge. He raised an eyebrow as the blonde stammered on. "Uhmm, you know, she-"

"Do you always let your husband speak for you?" Snape turned to the witch. She pursed her lips and slithered out from behind her spouse. "I- I...warned her about such a scandalous relationship and...and said that you were probably not thinking straight when you agreed to enter into one."

Snape stared at her silent, listening to her explain.
"Listen, we get it. You needed a wench." Lucius sneered. "But that little floozy-"

"She left me, you know." Snape said in a choked voice, continuing to speak to Narcissa, choosing to ignore Lucius's last comment. He believed, being a woman she could understand how calling a member of her own gender names that demean them, can hurt them. Narcissa didn't know that Hermione had left and she didn't know how to feel about that; she certainly didn't know what to say to her friend, especially after watching him nearly break down in front of them.