Unintended Guardian

4.) Nightmares and comforted by the bat.

Racing down the darkened halls, I can hear them calling to me. Shouting at me. Saying I'm worthless... Useless... An Insufferable know-it-all. That name. The one He gave me. Why? Why am I never good enough for anyone? My thoughts keep swimming around me. Suffocating me in this endless darkness.

I try to run from them, and every time I feel like I'm falling behind just that little bit more. Taking one step forward and two steps back. And I know that one day they'll finally take over. One day I won't be able to fight them anymore. One day... one god damned day... I will succumb to my demons and end it. End me. And I won't be able to stop it. The creatures in the abyss around me slowly morph into more prominent shapes. I stared in blatant horror as the shadows in the inky blackness turned into my parents and school mates. They all yelled at me, telling me that I'll never be good enough, that I'm useless, worthless, a waste of space.

Then one of them turned into what I feared, wished, hoped, and begged to never happen. Severus Snape was standing in front of me calling me an Insufferable know-it-all, a dunderhead, attention-seeking teacher's pet. At that moment, it was all too much for my fragile heart. I broke down on my knees, crying, screaming no! Wishing he could take back all those hurtful words. Yet no matter how much I begged and cried, he continued to tell me how much he hated me and could never love me. I screamed louder. Then everything stopped.

I woke up to someone shaking me. My tear-swelled, puffy eyes snapped open. I shot up from my position on what I realised was a hospital bed, heaving in as much air as my lungs could take, and looked around frantically before setting my, now, tired, honey-brown eyes on the figure, clad in black, sitting on the side of my bed with a very concerned expression befalling his beautiful, pale, face.
It was Severus!
As soon as I saw him, I broke down crying, once again, pulling him closer to me and gripped onto his robes for dear life, almost as if, as soon as I were to let go he would disappear.

Snape's P.O.V

I was shaken awake by a terrified scream. Hermione was quivering, crying, whimpering in her sleep. I didn't really know what to do in this situation, but I knew she was having a nightmare. And I needed to wake her up, now!

I shook the bushy-haired beauty, hoping she would wake up soon or else I wouldn't know what to do with myself. As soon as she was awake she was in a bit of hysterics. As her honey-brown eyes locked with my inky - black ones she calmed down greatly, surprisingly, and broke down crying as she grabbed hold of my waist and cloak. She held on tightly as if I would slip away like a dream.

I had no idea what to do or think. I was shocked into silence like a stone. When I managed to snap myself out of my trance, my arms unconsciously snaked around her small frame and held her tightly against me. And from that moment forward I swore to protect her from any harm I could, no matter what, where or when.
I would keep my lioness safe. Always.