Gone and Back Again

Chapter Eight

They had made their way back to the dormitory. Hermione had dressed herself and let Severus know she'd wait until she was about to go to bed for the cream. She was following him up a flight of twisted stairs to one of the boys private rooms.

"Am I not to be in the girls dorms? In the other direction? Surely you wouldn't be trying to get us in trouble"

Severus turned his head slightly, although not stopping his ascent, to answer the rather accusatory question.

"They didn't give you a bed yet, so unless you'd like to sleep outside, I was going to let you have my room."

Hermione rolled her eyes before he turned back to finally open the door. "Better watch the snark, Snape. I've learned a few hexes, and would hate to have to put you on your arse."

The giggle that left her made the warmth bloom back in his chest. He tried to recall the last time he felt the same warmth. Before Lily began to disregard him for James, perhaps. What he felt for the girl before him was different, and he couldn't quite place why.

She was now standing in the middle of his room. Where there were normally six beds in the rounded room, there was just one, charmed to be larger, against the wall opposite of the door. A large trunk sat at the foot of the bed, a few textbooks scattered on top. Tucked inside the archways that were supposed to separate each bed, were a dresser and bookshelves. She noted one of the bookshelves had a black floor length cloth covering it. Maybe a makeshift potions closet.

She watched as he made his way to the large L-shaped desk that took up a good part of the room. One side was littered with scrolls, parchment, ink, and quills. The other, longer section of desk housed four cauldrons in various material and sizes, two being stirred by charms. His scales, clean phials, knives, mortal and pestle were set neatly off to the side.

"Are these for your friend?"

She was peering into the copper cauldron, crinkling her nose at the purple concoction.

"Yeah, I guess Lily is behind on studying." He scoffed before kicking the door shut gently. "You can have the bed, and the dresser. I keep my things in the trunk, anyway."

A loud crash sounded from the common room, causing both their attentions to snap to the door.

"I'll go check it out. You can continue to settle in."

The door clicked behind him. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror that he had bolted to the door. Despite how thin he was, Severus nightclothes seemed to swallow her whole. The soft black linen caressed her skin, lulling her nerves.

There was shouting, and she quickly transfigured the bottoms to her size before flying out the door and down the staircase. When she reached the common room, she saw Lucius, clearly drunk and disheveled, pinning Severus to the tile floor. Severus had hold of Lucius wrist, whose fingers were gripping the collar of his shirt. Severus other hand was pressed against Lucius chest, keeping him at bay.

Anger from the nights prior events exploded inside of her. Her hands began trembling as she clenched her fist around her wand. A sheen of sweat formed on her body as her heart began to pound against her breastbone. Before she knew it, she charged at the boys, shoving Lucius off of Severus, and quickly aimed her wand at his throat.

She didn't know how long she stood there, panting for breath. Lucius was staring at her,, wide eyed, almost as if she were a predator watching her prey. Severus stepped behind her, an arm around her waist in case she lunged, his free hand gripping just below her wand, guiding it to her side. The low hum of his voice beginning to ground her.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, you get your arse up those damn stairs. We need to have a conversation." She huffed before ripping away from Severus and stomping her way back up the stairs.