AN: The story takes place in Hermione's seventh year at Hogwarts, there will be seven chapters that will be posted soon. If someone would like to beta the other six chapters please email me. Thank you.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended, I only own the plot.
"Always in My Mind"
"When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change;
at such moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready.
The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.
A week is more that enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny"
Paulo Coelho
1. The spell gone awry.
She had agreed to go along with the silly incantation because she did not trust any of the people involved in the spell. They had told her that they were able to perform it. She had snorted, a binding spell was no easy thing and to complicate the matter Ron, Harry and Ginny were all very sloppy in their charm classes.
She sighed, she was Head Girl and she should have stopped them but as usual, she was torn between loyalty to the school and to her friends. The decision had been easy to make when Ron had made his puppy eyes and pleaded with her to –please-please-please- not turn them in and to come along.
She had been –in like- with Ron for a long time and she knew deep down that he felt the same, only that he was too shy to even invite her out for a date. So, she was waiting patiently for him to declare himself and to make all her dreams come true.
Love. She was not sure what it meant yet but she had always thought a lot about it. She knew that she liked Ron but she did not know passion and desire. She had to admit that she had always been too busy with books and homework.
She mused, it was strange that she was thinking about love at that moment while she was going to perform an obviously not functioning spell. She came out of her reverie when they arrived at the spot chosen for the spell.
They were near the Forbidden Forest, they wanted to make a binding spell that would let each of them to be able to track down the other everywhere. Harry had worked out the idea because after losing Sirius he was very concerned about the safety of his friends.
She knew she should have researched it before agreeing, but she had been so busy and she decided to trust her friends. Hermione was as well very sure that nothing was going to come out of it.
She would have time to contemplate her stupidity after the event that occurred that night.
They were in a circle and they started to chant and to repeat an old formula which they had before memorized. Harry had told Hermione that she was going to be the last to repeat the chant. After that they had to take out their wand and to connect them.
Hermione had just finished repeating the words of the spell, she took her wand out and when she tried to connect with the others she was pushed back by a sudden ‘pop’.
Her wand had connected with another one and had made an eerie white light.
When she opened her eyes she watched in horror to whom the wand belonged.
Severus Snape had just Apparated in the centre of their circle and Hermione’s wand had just connected with his one.
He looked at her curiously with a mixture of annoyance, shock, anger and pain. He tried to say something but he just fainted on the hard ground.
Hermione did not lose precious time, she shouted at Ron to go and fetch the Headmaster and to Harry to get Madam Pomfrey.
She swiftly took her Professor’s head on her lap and waited for the help to come.
Ginny was white as chalk and tried to say something, ‘Hermione. Do you think…?’
But Hermione whispered, ‘Not now Ginny.’ On her pretty face was evident a slight feeling of fear for her Professor’s health and anger at her stupidity for having followed her friends in this madness.
Ginny tried again, ‘But Hermione, do you think the spell…?’
Hermione shushed her and looked down at her greasy Professor who was now connected to her in a way that she still did not know. The spell had provoked something but she was not going to know the extent of it until much later.
Professor Snape suddenly opened his eyes and tried to move away from her, but she firmly held his head and said, ‘Sir, you should not move. I have called the Headmaster and he is coming. Please, we are trying to help you.’
He was weak and the tone of her voice was very serious. He knew that all this little Gryffindors were aware of his job as a spy and the aftermath of the Cruciatus curse left him with no energy. He fainted again with the memory of the face of a worried Hermione Granger.
The Headmaster, together with the mediwitch took the Potion Professor straight to the infirmary. He told the four of them to see him after breakfast the next day, he was very curious to know what they were doing out there.
Hermione was worried sick about the whole incident, but Harry reassured her by saying that the Headmaster’s eyes were twinkling.
Hermione felt even worse, it was not a good sign.
…The consequences of the spell…
Hermione could not sleep that night, every time she tried to close her eyes the scene of Professor Snape Apparating into the circle, their wands connecting and making a white light, made her open her eyes quickly.
She was angry with her friends for risking her Head Girl badge, she felt dumb for not knowing what the spell was about and finally, she was terrified to talk with her Potion Professor about it all.
In the infirmary a very weak Severus Snape opened his eyes and met the worried look of Albus.
‘Severus, how do you feel? You gave us quite a scare yesterday night.’ Albus whispered.
Severus tried to reply but came out a very hoarse sound, ‘I am alive and it is enough for me.’
Albus was saddened by his answer, Severus did not have any hope for is life and Albus wondered many time how could he have failed this child so gravely. Then, a ray of hope shone through, yesterday night the spell had connected Hermione Granger and Severus Snape and if he played well the cards, it would result in a wonderful chance to save Severus.
Severus saw the twinkling in Albus’ eyes and asked, ‘Why are your eyes twinkling old friend?’ And then he remembered the night before and sneered, ‘What were the four brats doing in the Forest?’
Albus sat near the black haired man who was like a son to him and sighed, ‘Apparently, Harry took his friends out to create a kind of tracking spell, but you apparated in the middle of the incantation and your wand collided with Miss Granger’s one.’
Severus’ face showed a mask of indifference and asked, ‘So, what happened? Did you dissolve the spell?’ Anyone who did not know Severus Snape would think that he was uninterested but by the twitch under his left eye, Albus could see that he was starting to get concerned and angry at the whole situation.
Albus smiled, ‘Not yet, I will have to discover which spell it is and what are the effects of it. After that, we will be able to study the possible solutions.’
‘Possible solutions?’ snarled Severus, ‘I will tell you what the solution should be, kick the four demented children out of this school and erase this spell!’ and then started to cough.
Madame Pomfrey run to his side and gave him a potion, Severus did not want to take it, but after another bout of cough and at the appearance of a searing pain through his body, he reluctantly took the Dreamless Sleep potion with the addition of a calming drought.
Albus rose from the chair and before leaving replied, ‘Sleep now, my child. I will talk to you when you will feel better. I will take care of everything. Do not worry.’
Severus, seeing the twinkling, got even more worried. He had always known that his friend was a meddling wizard, therefore, he had to be very careful.
Both Severus and Hermione did not know what was awaiting them.