To be together

Chapter 1:

It was then 5am. Severus Snape had been tossing and turning for hours. Slowly, he ran his hand through his long, dark hair, and sighed a deep sigh.

The insomnia was getting worse.

Voldemort's meetings were becoming more and more regular, his nights were becoming later and later in order to catch up on the work he missed for the gatherings and his left forearm was constantly twinging. Dumbledore was beginning to ask for more and more of him, he knew very well that this series of events could end in a loss of trust from either side of the war, or worse, murder on his part. A low growl escaped his throat as he remembered that it was once again Monday, and that he had to coach the many dunderheads that graced his presence for another five days before he could escape back to his own world that was his private potions labs. He sighed again and swiftly sat up and swung his legs off the edge of his bed.

Running his hand through his hair again, he stood up and strode into the adjoining bathroom, shutting the door behind him with considerable force. He washed and got dressed into the usual billowing, black robes, before leaning against the sink and gazing at his own reflection in the mirror. He looked pale. Paler than normal. The bags under his eyes were getting bigger and darker as well. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before straightening out and striding out of his chambers.

Deciding that it was too early to even think about breakfast, he slowed his pace and started letting his feet carry him away. A small gust of icy, cold wind that blew his hair out of his face quickly brought him back to his senses. He glanced around cautiously in search of the source of the wind, when he remembered that there was a small door shortly down the corridor, one that he had forgotten about and not used since his own time at Hogwarts, and that it had been left open.

"FILCH!!" he bellowed, striding towards the door with the mindset to slam it shut, before his eyes caught sight of a blip of white in the sprawling lawns of green. He pushed the door open slightly more, focusing on the blip. Squinting, he managed to make out that it was a person lying in the grass. 'Which one of the clowns has managed to do something as stupid as this??' he thought angrily.

Forgetting his call for Filch, he burst out of the door and hurried down the lawn to the person he assumed to be a student, preparing to scold them and give them detention for the rest of the year. As he got closer, he made out a head of curly brown, atop a long white night gown, clinging to a small body from the wetness of the grass. He gulped as he realised who was lying in the cold, autumnal frost.

Hermione Granger.

He sped his pace, nearly running towards her, as he reached her, he skidded to the floor beside her and reached out to feel for a pulse in her wrist, but immediately recoiled with a gasp as he felt how icy cold her skin was. It was only then that he realised that the tips of her fingers and the corners of her mouth were a purpley-blue. He glanced at her bare feet noting that they were the same. Recollecting himself, he reached out again, feeling the wind nipping at his exposed skin.

His breath hitched as he prayed to feel her pulse.

Letting out a sigh of immense, yet temporary, relief, he thanked the Lord that he could. But it was slow. Slow and weak.

Swiftly, he cast his patronus and watched his beautiful, silvery doe slip out of the end of  his wand. "I need assistance, come quick." he said in low but urgent voice, with that, the doe galloped off back up to the castle. He was not going to let the only person who stood a chance of receiving an O in her N.E.W.T level Defence Against the Dark Arts examination (in his eyes) die in front of him, especially not the girl who excelled in every other class as well, including his beloved potions. Especially not the girl who reminded him so incredibly much of his Lily.