Unintended Guardian

6.) I understand.

Severus' P.O.V.

We laughed a little at how cute and clumsy Hermione is. As we were laughing I noticed her trying to hide tears that had just started to form in her precious eyes. We all fully stopped laughing when she scrambled to stand and then abruptly stormed out of the room. Pomfrey tried calling her back for fear that she will hurt herself. Albus and Minerva called out also worried for the girls health. I settled with going after her to get her back in the hospital wing because she is not fully healed.

I followed after her as quickly and stealthily as I could, I almost lost her trail when I heard crying coming from the nearby abandoned girls lavatory and decided to check it out in order to see if it was Hermione or not. When I opened the door I was met with a terrifying sight.

Hermione's P.O.V:

(!Trigger warning! Split personality and voices in Italics *This one* *And this one* *And this one* And mentions of insanity and lack of mental stability and mentions of suicide, self-harm and depression.)

I have had enough of this! I have had enough of people poking fun at me! Laughing at me, teasing me, pushing me around like I'm nothing.
You are nothing! Shut up! You are worthless! Shut up! No one would care if you were to kill yourself right now you know? ..... I- I know..... Then you know what you must do, don't you? Yes. I do... Then do it! You have the blade right? Yes... Then take it! Take it and do the deed! Do it! Do it! Do it! Yes. You're right... We're always right. I shall do it then... good girl.

I did as the voices told me, they were right afterall... right? They were my only friends. My only true friends. They were there for me since the beginning of this whole witch fiasco. So they were the only ones I could trust right? So I listened to them because they were only trying to help right? And if they were helping, they were good right? So I should listen and grab the blade, and press it into my skin, and watch the blood fow freely down my arm, so carefree.

Without realising it I had already started cutting myself before I stopped overthinking things. The only reason I was pulled out of my raging thoughts was the door to the girls bathroom banging open loudly, I jumped out of fear and being startled. I looked up through hazy, tear-filled eyes and saw Professor Snape standing in the doorway, a look of pure and absolute horror written all over his face...

Severus P.O.V.

The sight was horrifying! There, the beautiful and intelligent young lioness sitting on the edge of the lavatory sink. Blood running down both of her highly slashed and cut arms. It scared me so much that I acted out of character and sprinted up to her. I grabbed the blade from her hand and threw it far away across the room. I grabbed her arms gently and inspected the wounds. I then turned on the sink next to her and levitate some of the water to her arms so I could clean the cuts. As I started cleaning them I saw her wince from the pain, I tried to be as gentle as I could. Once her arms were cleaned and rapped I trapped her between the sink she was sitting on and myself so that she had no means of escaping.

"Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Why what?" She retorted almost sarcastically.
"Don't you 'Why what?' me young lady! Why did you do this to yourself? How could you? Such a smart, talented young which-" "Because! Ugh! Why should I bother explaining my problems to you! It's not like you care!" She interrupted rudely. I could feel the rage in me build up ready to explode but I tried my best to stay calm... It didn't really work.
"Of course I care you stupid girl!" I growled. "Why else would I ask such a thing?" "Oh I don't know, maybe so that you could scold me on how stupid I am, or maybe brag about how I deserve it for being the "insufferable know-it-all" I am! Or how-!" I couldn't take her self deprecation any longer so I cut her off in the only way my brain thought of... I kissed her.

Hermione's P.O.V

I was cut off my the warm embrace of the softest lips I had ever kissed- ok sure I had kissed Victor Krum and Ron but that didn't really count. This was something different, his lips were so much softer than Victor's, and much more... experienced than Ronalds. I realised that this was my teacher, my professor no doubt, but I was more focused on the kiss than the reality of it all.

After a few minutes we parted and he rested his forehead on mine as his arms snaked around my waist holding tightly to his chest.
"Don't EVER do that again do you hear me?" He questioned, the sound of concern and something else lacing that beautiful voice of his. "I understand professor-" "Call me Severus... at least when we are alone... Please?" I was shocked by this. Completely taken aback by it. "O-Of course... Severus."

And that is how we stayed for a while longer. Just the to of us, sharing a comforting embrace and that is how I knew. He understands.