Can't hide these feelings
He thought Potter would listen, he thought Miss Granger would have made him see reason but he was wrong, at least he managed to alert the order, he sent a Patronus to Moody and flooed to the headquarters.
As soon as he arrived at Grimmauld's place the idiot Black was sipping coffee in the kitchen, Snape was livid "Are you even aware what your dunderhead of a godson is up to? He took Granger, Weasley, and the rest of his posse, they are on their way to the ministry. The dark lord has planted a vision in his mind that they got you!".
It took him a moment but soon Black was on his feet wand in hand, while the rest of the order came through. Snape couldn't go with them, so he just watch them leave with hope that all will end up fine.
It took some time but he received Dumbledore's Patronus to come to the ministry as his position as potions master can help.
The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and burnt magic. Severus Snape, cloaked in his familiar dark robes, surveyed the aftermath of the battle at the Department of Mysteries. The corridor echoed with the distant shouts of aurors, the oppressive weight of the Dark Lord’s shadow pressing down on everyone even though he was already gone. He moved with purpose, his steps quick but measured, scanning the casualties with a practiced eye.
Then he saw her: Hermione Granger, sprawled on the floor, her body battered and bloodied a scar from her chest to naval. His breath caught in his throat. Despite everything—the need to maintain his façade, the fear of revealing his true loyalties—there was a part of him that cared deeply for this young woman. He had seen her grow from a bright-eyed first-year into a formidable witch, her intellect and courage surpassing even his harshest expectations.
He knelt beside her, his heart pounding in his chest, not from exertion but from an emotion he had long fought to suppress. His hands, though steady, trembled slightly as he checked her pulse and performed a quick diagnostic spell. Relief washed over him as he detected a faint, but steady heartbeat. Following the others who took the group of kids back to Hogwarts he took Hermione with him and apparated away.
Years of observing Hermione had led him to this moment. From her first year at Hogwarts, he had been acutely aware of her potential. Her intelligence, her dedication, and her insatiable curiosity had always impressed him. But to maintain his position and keep his true allegiances concealed, he had to be harsh, even cruel. It was a painful necessity.
He recalled their early encounters: her initial bravado in class, her relentless questioning, and the way she constantly saved Potter and Weasley. How she solved his puzzle on the third floor corridor in first year, how she was smart enough to use a mirror in second year, though unpatrifying her was accompanied with gut wrenching screams. Despite his outward disdain, he was often struck by her brilliance. But the truth of the matter was, he had to distance himself, for her safety and his own. He always knew Voldemort’s return was imminent, and he could not afford any distractions, especially not in the form of tender feelings toward a student.
As he worked to stabilize her, his mind was awash with memories of her. Her earnest face, the way she would furrow her brow in concentration, her laughter echoing through the corridors—it was as though he had been trapped in a perpetual battle between duty and desire though at first, she was a child, the desire was purely platonic, to encourage her, to say a good word, but she has grown and his feelings have started to change, slowly but still. And now, as he hovered over her, trying to counter the curse, fucking Dolohov, he'll make him pay, the emotional dam that he had kept firmly in place began to crack.
When he had finished, he sat back, the enormity of the situation sinking in. He could no longer deny that he harbored feelings for her, feelings he had been fighting to keep buried. The war was not just a conflict of magic, light vs dark; it was a war of the heart. And now, with her vulnerable and unconscious before him, he felt the full weight of his suppressed affection.
***
Hermione had always been aware of Severus Snape’s presence, the dark figure that loomed over Hogwarts like a shadow. From the moment she had seen him while waiting for the Sorting Hat’s decision, she had sensed a complexity within him. Though she was wary of his harsh demeanor, she couldn’t help but be intrigued by the depth of knowledge he possessed.
Her mind often wandered back to their early encounters. Something was captivating about the way he spoke, his eyes piercing through the veil of pretension to see the truth. She recalled his cold demeanor, his biting remarks, and the way he seemed to hold a deep well of sorrow behind his stoic facade.
Now when pain blinded her and all was dark memories of him came unbidden. The stern gaze he would cast in class, the rare moments when she caught him lost in thought, the way his lips curled into a reluctant smile when he thought no one was looking—all these fragments of her past with him now played like a reel of film in her mind.
As she lay there, her consciousness slipping in and out, she heard his voice, low and resolute, “No one will harm you again, Hermione.” It was a vow, a promise that echoed through the haze of her pain. His words wrapped around her like a protective blanket, stirring a mix of relief and confusion within her.
She couldn’t fully grasp the implications of his presence or the depth of his feelings, but one thing was clear: Severus Snape was more than just an enigmatic professor. As she drifted back into unconsciousness, she wondered what his true intentions were and why he had made such a solemn promise.
The days pass in a blur, not fully awake, reality and dreams merge and Hermione feels as though she can't fully grasp what is and what is not. The pain was constant, weak with all the potions but still there, the scar still bleeding at times. She thought she heard Professor Snape talking next to her, each night after Harry and Ron left she heard him, but it was probably just a dream.
Finally she was free to leave, and as the year drew to a close and after recent events, she chose to stay with her parents only for a few days and then go to Grimmauld Place.