So, here's my second attempt at Severus/Hermione. And this one is a multichap!

Well, there are a lot of Challenges that will be met in this story, so here's the list:

Project PULL Week 3, OTP Bootcamp (prompt: carcass), Quotes Challenge – The inspirational, the lyrical, and the down-right silly ("Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love."), The Harry Potter 10K, The Potions competition (Mandrake Restorative Draught), Dr Who Quote Competition ("You're not gonna make the world any better by shouting at it.").

Once

By silver-nightstorm

Summary: After Severus Snape disappears from the wizarding world, Draco Malfoy finally gathers the courage to ask the one person who can possibly find the Half-Blood Prince for help – Hermione Granger. Project PULL Week 3. In progress.

Chapter One

"No."

"At least hear me out, Godfather." The blonde haired young man was whining. It had been a while since he had a proper whine.

"Do you not understand the meaning of no, boy?" demanded the tall man garbed completely in black. He stood abruptly from the plush chair he had been sitting stiffly in and moved to stand in front of the blonde. "I do not want any Malfoy charity."

Draco groaned. "Don't let your pride get in the way!" The man tried to muffle a snort, and failed. Who was Draco Malfoy to speak of pride? Draco continued as if he hadn't heard. "This isn't charity! This isn't trying to do you a favor!"

"Fine. Then this is a way for your father to regain his good standing."

"No!" Draco jumped up with this word, and looked down his pointy nose at the stubborn adult standing in front of him. He glared at the man, trying to meet the stare of Severus Snape head on. "No," he repeated, more calmly. "My father doesn't even know about this. He doesn't know I'm asking you to stay with us."

"Once again, I do not need a place to stay. I have a perfectly acceptable place of residence in Spinners End. My rooms at Hogwarts are available for me to reside in year round if I desire. I have options, Draco. I do not need your help."

Draco's shoulders slumped. He sunk back down onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. "I'm not asking you because I'm trying to do you a favor, Severus. I'm asking you because I don't know what to do anymore." The Malfoy heir looked utterly defeated. He ran his hands through his hair causing it to stick up in lopsided angles. "I need company in my home. The halls of the Manor are silent. My mother spends all of her time in her room; my father spends all of his time in his study. They don't interact; they don't even acknowledge each other when they're in the same room."

Severus looked uncomfortable with his proximity to his godson. He moved away from the distraught young man and sat down on an adjacent couch. "Your parents were never on good terms."

"At least they acknowledged the existence of the other before. For all I know now, there might only be one parent living in this house at a given time."

"Why do you think I can do anything by being here?"

"Father still blames mother for lying to the Dark Lord. He believes it was her fault that this family has been disgraced once more."

Severus scowled. "Lucius is a fool. It's his own damn fault he chose the wrong side again."

"Can't you at least…"

"Do you want me to traipse in here and act as a living announcement to your father that the reason the Dark Lord fell, the reason he lives like a pariah, is because I, and not your mother, betrayed the one thing he truly believed in? You think too much of me, Draco. I see that war has not made you any wiser. I am not that selfless."

"But you…"

"I am not that selfless."

"But I don't want you to do that," muttered Draco. "My father still considers you one of his friends. In fact, you may be the only friend he still has. If you're here, he might open up more…" Draco's voice trailed off. "It was a silly thought anyway."

"Yes, it was."

Snape abruptly stood up and walked towards the hall. Draco quickly rushed after him as he swept out the door. Just as Snape was about to apparate away, something seemed to strike the blonde watching him leave. He straightened up suddenly, and a spark ignited in his eyes.

"Godfather!" he called, causing Snape to unhappily stop in his tracks. The Potions Master wasn't rude, after all, merely abrupt, abrasive, and acrid. "Godfather! What if my father wants you to be here as well? What if he asks you to stay?"

Severus didn't even turn around. He didn't look over his shoulder. "Don't you dare," he snarled to Malfoy grounds and disappeared with a crack.

Draco Malfoy grinned as Severus Snape disapparated off of Malfoy grounds. He wasn't completely honest with Severus about his reasons for offering him room and Severus himself knew that, but Draco had gone to visit his godfather in Spinners End and he was horrified by the squalor. Even a heavy cleaning charm wouldn't have done much good. The house was barely hanging on. The Malfoy family owed Severus Snape a huge deal. If the Dark Lord had survived the battle of Hogwarts, his wrath towards the Malfoys would have been felt around the world. If it wasn't for Severus…

Draco wouldn't stand for it. Severus Snape, savior of the Wizarding World, would move into Malfoy Manor whether he liked it or not.

XX

"Hello, dear friend. Long time no see."

Severus Snape tried to slam the door shut. He did his very best, in the process forgetting that he was a wizard and relying on brute force and luck, but Lucius Malfoy managed to sneak the tip of his cursed walking stick into the miniature gap between the door and the door frame. Cursing spectacularly in his head, but remaining cool on the outside, Severus abandoned his post at the other side of the door and retreated into his home. Taking this as the best invitation he would ever receive, Lucius made his way into Snape's residence on Spinners End.

It took all of Lucius's Malfoy grace to hide the grimace that yearned to appear on his face at the state of disrepair Snape lived in. The door Malfoy had just walked through had been repainted countless times but had been given up on in recent years. Chips in the blue paint showed various colors underneath, a rainbow of reds, greens, blues, and neutrals. The dim light in the room that Malfoy currently stood in came from a single clouded bulb that was strung up to the ceiling. Every few moments, the light would flicker causing sparks to run down the wiring.

There were three chairs and a couch in the room, and they surrounded a rickety table. The rectangular table once had four legs. The surviving legs were made of some sort of metal that had managed to rust. Where the forth leg would have stood was what appeared to be a broom handle, clumsily cut to size. The couch was parallel to one of the long sides of the table. It used to be white at one point, but the years had clearly gotten to it. It was now an odd shade of grey, with many other random splotches of color scattered throughout. The cushions were completely flat and the upholstery was peeping out of the loose seams. A ragged old quilt was neatly folded and placed on one arm of the couch. Two of the three chairs were opposite to the couch. They were wooden and looked as though the slightest weight would send them toppling over. The last chair was an ornate leather number that had its back to the door. At one point in time, it must have been a real masterpiece. Now, its old glamour was replaced by shabbiness and disrepair.

Lucius cautiously walked around the leather chair and looked between the couch and the wooden chairs, trying to decide which option would be better. Coming to a decision, he gingerly lowered himself onto one of the chairs. Both the wooden floor and the wood of the chair gave creaking protests causing Malfoy to flinch at the harsh sound. A derisive chuckle pulled his attention away from the unstable chair to the man seated in the leather chair.

"My answer is still the same."

"Severus, you're being very…"

"Your son was dishonest in his motives. I will not accept your charity." Severus smoothly cut Lucius off.

"This isn't charity!" protested Lucius. He gestured to the sitting room that was barely holding itself together. "No one can live in an environment like this!"

"I can," retorted Severus. "Is it really too much for me to want some peace and quiet after all these years? I do not want to interact with people. I do not want to have friends. I just want to be left alone."

"But…"

"No. For once in my life, I want to choose to be alone. This is my decision, Lucius. Can't you respect that?"

"I can't let a friend live like this," Lucius sighed. He stood abruptly and walked towards the door. "I'm not giving up, my friend."

Lucius stepped outside the dingy little house into the dingy little neighborhood it resided in. Before he even had a chance to reach for the door once more, it slammed shut behind him.

Inside the house, Severus Snape summoned a tumbler and poured himself three fingers of firewhisky. As he nursed his glass he was deep in thought. Maybe… maybe it was time to start over.

Severus Snape summoned a suitcase. With a flick of his wand, his entire life was shrunk and packed into this one tiny parcel. For the first time in years, Severus Snape smiled. It was time to start all over.

XX

So I hope that was enjoyable. Please let me know what you think! :D