16. Bottled Up

When she arrived at the door of the Astronomy Tower, slightly out of breath from the long climb, she turned the handle cautiously. The room at the top of the tower (classes were more often held in the ancient parapet above) was a notorious ‘secret’ meeting place for couples and she certainly was in no mood to walk in on a tryst tonight.



Thankfully, no one was inside tonight. A chilly wind drifted through the window into the vacant room, making a haunting whisper reverberate from the grey walls. Darkness enveloped her, the occasional beam of light dancing away. Hermione shivered and pulled her school robes closer around her as she took slow steps across the room, an unnervingly loud clacking noise coming from her black school shoes.



Staring out across the grounds in a shadowed corner of the tower, Hermione knelt down and leant on the broad window ledge with her elbows, breathing in the night air deeply. In the distance the warm glow from the lamp that hung over Hagrid’s doorstep wavered as the icy breeze blew, scattering leaves across the rustling grass. She could hear a dull buzzing in the distance. The hive of Glumbumbles was still alive and well, thriving since being placed by a bed of Fluxweed choked by a particularly barbed breed of nettle. She jumped a little when she heard a creak come from Hagrid’s hut and a large form emerge from the doorway, but then realised it was just the half-giant going to close the hive for the night. The Glumbumbles had an annoying tendency to fly away at dawn’s first light if the could, and he still had more classes to teach on their handling and habits.



The lamp outside dimmed and Hagrid’s door slammed shut.



Closing her eyes, Hermione turned and slid slowly down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. Her thoughts began to twist into more unpleasant ones and she lowered her head, balling her hands into fists. This wasn’t fair. She’d done everything that was expected of her, fought alongside the Order to ensure their survival, endured having to come face to face with Voldemort and although it seemed trivial in comparison, been a responsible student, a good friend and kept on top of her work.



Having to refuse the position of Head Girl, which she’d coveted since first year had been a wrench and seeing Hannah Abbot don the badge made it even worse. Bottling up her feelings since last summer took no small effort, more than she could have known and taking on more responsibility would have shattered her completely, if this was the state she was in now. Everything had been dredged to the surface.



Telling herself that it was far too late to be sitting in a draughty tower in the dead of night and that Harry, against her wishes, would be sitting up awaiting her return, she knew she ought to stand now, take one last look out of the window, gather her robes about her and head straight back to the opposite tower. But that meant suppressing everything again and somehow, in her mind that became more painful than having it fresh, in her every thought and waking dream.





Outside the castle, he could hear a harsh wind building up; ready to thrash the wall, trying to wake every sleeping body within with its icy gusts. Though he thought it unlikely that many of his own House students would arise. They slept too soundly for that, he suspected.



Severus Snape’s loud footsteps echoed eerily across the stone but kept him company. Normally he relished the chance to come across wandering students out of bed and cut down House points but tonight…there was an odd feeling resting on his shoulders. It didn’t seem to want to let him alone and he was forced to wander the corridors himself, hoping to tire it out of him, allowing him back to an uneasy sleep, at least.



Just as he was thinking he was truly alone out of his chambers tonight, he heard a snickering noise down the hall. Paces quickening, he gave the nearest door a rough push.



It didn’t open. Frowning, he tried an ‘Alohomora’ but the door blatantly ignored his impatience. With a stab of annoyance, he brandished his wand at it again, determined that it was the only thing he did tonight, it would be to defeat this stubborn door.



“Apenta Kravus!”



The door flew open at once, and Severus inadvertently groaned.



“You!”



‘You’ turned out to a very roguish looking Peeves, eagerly filling the ceiling lamps with ink and unscrewing them so they would easily fall at any time, over the unlucky person who tried to light them. He turned and gave the Slytherin an impish grin.



“Evenin’ Professor.” He went back to creating havoc regardless of Snape’s black frame of mind.



“I am not in the mood for this Peeves. In fact, I’d much prefer it if you could just slip out of this life for one night.”



An annoying snigger came from the poltergeist. “Ha. I’m afraid I’m going to have to plague you a little longer…Snivellus.” Laughing madly, he soared over Severus, who looked ready to cast an Unforgivable at Peeves’ name-calling, and poured what was remaining of the violet ink over him. “Don’t worry, Greasylocks, you’ll see me later. Or perhaps you should worry!”



Cursing the spirit to hell, Severus cast a quick ‘Scourgify’ and charged down the hall, looking fit to roar at the next unfortunate person or for that case, ghost, to cross his path. He knew exactly who he was looking for. Robes billowing, he entered the shadowy door next to the Trophy Room.



The Bloody Baron, despite his formidable appearance, did not possess a particularly vengeful or angry quality. He wasn’t too happy either. Centuries ago, in this very castle, he’d been left alone and unloved, destined to live out the rest of his miserable life there. Apparently he’d caught a terrible illness and succumbed to it willingly, the marks upon his tunic suggested otherwise, but many suggested he’d passed because there was nothing left for him in the mortal world.

Severus often thought that was possibly true, though the Baron rarely talked about his life. He was most often silent and staring, but he knew more about the school and it’s inhabitants than he let on. There was a strange hint of omniscience in his grey skin and curiously red eyes that most likely matched the stains on his aged clothes.



“Just the per- ghost I wanted to see, Baron.” The ghost who had been drifting along one wall solemnly, revolved round to face him.



“Indeed Severus. Why is that?”



Severus sighed. “Take a guess.”



The once grave ghost rolled his eyes. “I should have known. Any particular troubles this evening?”



“He’s just up to his old tricks. I thought the last Ghost’s Council settled this?”



“I had hoped so too. Salazar, Myrtle, Elizabeth the Grey and Sir Nicholas, strangely enough, completely agreed with me. But you know how the Friar is. All for giving undeserved chances. Along with that new Slytherin ghost. Short girl, red hair. Being murdered by a Death-Eater seems to have changed her Pureblood tune. She’s all about ‘fairness’ and ‘equality’ now.” His face screwed up in an ugly sneer. “Not that I’m a prejudiced sort of spirit, Severus, but Peeves should have been sent to Hades the second he passed.”



“He is a trial,” Severus answered, knowing full well how much of an understatement he had just uttered. The Baron snorted and then appeared to exhale noisily.



“I’ll get to it then. Frighten that damned poltergeist into giving you some peace for a few nights, shall I?”



Severus smiled. “That would be satisfactory for now.” The Bloody Baron nodded and drifted through one of the walls. Moments later, the Potions Master heard a booming voice that would have scared anyone if they hadn’t been expecting it, never mind Peeves. Smirking, he left the room and carried on walking the castle.



Sooner or later, he’d known he would reach it. The Astronomy Tower. Lips in a thin line, he set up the stairs, his steps purposely quiet. He realised that was pointless when he saw who was already up there.





Though she was cold and shivering, Hermione was drowsy and soon felt her eyelids begin to droop. Too tired to argue with her body, she began to give in and rested her head against her knees willingly. The sharp noise of footsteps jerked it back up however and with a strange bust of fear she pulled herself closer o the wall, into the shadows.



She hoped against hope it wasn’t a teacher or a Prefect. Either the Head Boy or Girl she could handle; both of them knew she’d been on the first choice list and most likely wouldn’t question her about her strange choice of location.

Realising it could actually be one of the couples she’d hoped not to interrupt, Hermione began to shift uneasily. She really didn’t need a show of affection right now.



The footsteps stopped and the door swung open. Hermione nearly breathed a sigh of relief but clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle it.



A pair of telltale black, high heeled boots came into sight, followed by a dark plum coloured cloak.



Professor Sinistra. She should have known. The Astronomy teacher had informed the class that she would be making a check on the telescopes they left set up on the constellation they were studying tonight. One of the planets orbiting by this particular collection of stars was soon going to move out of alignment and since they didn’t have a lesson that day, it was important she kept track of its path.



Hermione watched, unmoving, as the boots crossed over to one of the telescopes, and then another. The tall woman made a murmur of approval about something and took out the star chart and quill she’d been carrying.



Both Professor Sinistra and Hermione jumped in shock when the door swung open for a second time. Hermione felt her heart plummet at the voice that greeted them.



“Ursa.”



“Oh! Good evening Severus.”



Silence. Both Professors stood in awkward silence. It was obvious that neither was comfortable with each other. Hermione barely recalled her Potions Master speaking with the elusive Astronomy professor before. She did sense though, that this wasn’t the kind of person Snape would try to tick off with sarcasm. Professor Sinistra, while a rewarding, intelligent and kind Professor, gave off an air of someone who always had her cards hidden up her sleeve. She was very perceptive and knew a guilty person a mile off, especially when it was a student who had ‘forgotten’ to do his homework.



Hermione did respect her since she had at first regarded Astronomy as a woolly subject, unimportant when placed alongside the likes of Transfiguration or Charms, but Sinistra taught in such a way that it became evident that sometimes she needed to pay attention to everything around her, otherwise it would just pass her by. In Astronomy you either sat up in class and paid attention or you didn’t care and missed out. It was as simple as that.



When it became apparent neither was going to speak first, Sinistra gathered up her star chart and went back to the telescope, scratching away with her quill.



“What brings you here tonight, Severus?” she asked, squinting through the lens. “I thought you preferred the dungeons?”



“It was surprise you, Ursa, but I am not limited to those confines. Besides, the air is a lot fresher up here.”



The Astronomy professor smiled. “Yes, sometimes living so near to the Potions classrooms could be a disadvantage when one of the classes had an accident. I remember when I was in first year…you must have been in about seventh year then. Your class had some sort of mishap with Dungbombs and salamander intestines apparently. Terrible stench; we’d hold our noses going to breakfast for a week.”



If Hermione wasn’t mistaken, Snape’s lips turned slightly up at the corners. “You remember that?”



“Yes. Amongst other things,” she paused in her stargazing to glance back at him.



“I don’t recall seeing you a lot that year.”



“Well I was only a first year and you had other things happening to notice us. Seventh years tended to be a source of terror for even us tiny Slytherins,” she let out a soft laugh. Hermione, still hiding in the shadows, raised her eyebrows. So Professor Sinistra had been a Slytherin and at school with Snape, if only for a short while. Snape made a vague noise, signifying the conversation had come too close to something and was over.



Straightening up, Sinistra adjusted the telescope and folded up her parchment. “Well, everything seems to be in order up there.” She tucked away her quill and started towards the door, but then stopped and laid a hand on his shoulder.



“You’ve just got to remember to check down here once in a while too.” With a gentle smile, she nodded at him and showed herself out. For a while, Snape just stood there staring at the closed door.





Finally, he lowered his eyes and crossed over to one of the tower windows. Ursa Sinistra had always made him feel uneasy. Her strange, silent way of watching people, gave one the uncanny feeling that they were being discerned, and most accurately. She had been just the same as a student, at least as much as he could remember of her as a first year. Ursa had been tall for her age, pale and skinny, with long, dark hair. She was always quiet and mostly alone, but unlike Severus, the majority of the House seemed quite civil towards her.



She was an odd woman, to be sure, but one to be trusted.



Severus reached up to rest a hand against the window, leaning further out over the sill as he did so. The grounds were dark and the only sound was the wind picking up, rustling leaves and making the lake stir on the surface. He closed his eyes, allowing the breeze to sweep over him and moving the hair away from his face.



He was quite alone. Or so he thought. Severus stiffened suddenly at a tiny noise behind him. As if someone…or something, had just shifted slightly, trying not to attract his attention.



His silent, demure self was banished. Severus Snape, sharp, suspicious denizen of the dungeons emerged.



“Who’s there?” he barked, his features drawn. He wasn’t in the mood to be disturbed.



Silence. No one answered him, but he was more than sure that was just a decoy.

“I know you’re there. Reveal yourself!”



The soft, scared sounding voice that answered him, sent him reeling.



“I hoped you wouldn’t hear me.”



Her. But what was she doing up here? At this time of night? She wasn’t the type of break the rules so deliberately like this, and if she did, she wouldn’t get caught.



Giving him another shock, Hermione Granger’s head appeared out of thin air, but he tried not to show it.



Neither moved. He continued to stare at her and she dropped her eyes. He watched as the Invisibility Cloak (Potter’s, presumably), was pulled away from her shoulders, revealing her simple school robes. She clutched it to herself tightly.



“What are you doing up here Miss Granger?”



He was just thinking she was going to refuse to look at him at all, when she quickly turned her eyes to his. Her answer was just as curt as his question.



“I wished to get some fresh air, Professor.” She spoke in a short, clipped tone. “Is that a crime by your standards now?”



Severus had to admit he was taken aback by her defiant voice. “Don’t be so impertinent, Miss Granger.”



He observed her closely. She’d obviously been curled up, perhaps even asleep up her, Merlin knew why, before Sinistra had come in. Hermione’s chestnut hair was tousled at the back and her robes slightly wrinkled from sitting on the floor.

He took in a breath. He was about to do something horribly foreign to him. Professor Snape was about to let a student off for rule breaking.



“On the condition that I never find you up here again at this time of night, Miss Granger, you may stay longer up here tonight. But never again. You understand me? I think that is more than fair.”





Hermione gaped at him, unblinking. Was she supposed to feel grateful? Honoured? Was this supposed to be fairness?



He was watching her again, looking as though he thought he had just done her a wonderful favour. Right now, she couldn’t give a damn how many times he’d saved her- last time she’d tried to approach him he’d acted like a complete prick and humiliated her beyond belief.



Furious, she burst out, “Don’t you dare!”



“Excuse me?” He was incredulous. She could feel the anger bubbling up even more at his sneering expression.



“This isn’t funny! You can’t…jerk people around like puppets!”



“Miss Granger, what-”



“First, you tell me how you ‘understand’ me and want to help me, then you consider me an ‘irritation’, and now, now you’re telling me this is being fair?”



Glaring at him and ignoring his interruption, she continued.



“I know some people might allow you to string them along by their emotions, but I for one am not about to be shamed by a prematurely aged prick like you!”


Snape opened his mouth again, but she beat him to it. “Congratulations! You made me feel like a fool.” She stepped closer to him, too wound up to stop now. “And anyone who makes me feel like that can forget about getting any of my time again, until I receive a bloody apology!”


“Miss Granger!”


“Which I’m sure isn’t a problem for you!”

Eyes blazing, she threw on the Invisibility Cloak and he heard the door slam violently in reply.


A/N: Thanks to all reviewers. My computer is still being a pill, so bear with me on all my ongoing stories.