CHAPTER ONE: Stubborn and Proud

Severus laid his hand across his forehead. He was sure he was sick yet he didn't have a fever. Severus settled his eyes under a cold washcloth he had in a basin of water beside his chamber bed. He rested his head on a pillow and pulled his feverish body under his thick bed sheets. One would think they would be warm, being so thick but in the dungeons where he lived in the school, it was quite freezing most of the time. In the summer, it was a nice getaway from the scorching sun and humid air.

He heard a knock on his chamber door. He didn't want to get up so he wouldn't, instead, he picked up his wand blindly on his bed stand and opened the door. Severus, of course, couldn't see his unexpected guest, but bid them to come in. The trembling student placed her pale hands in her pockets as she gathered the courage to say a few words to the half-asleep professor.

"Pro… Pro… Professor?"

Severus grunted, he recognized the voice quickly and knew exactly to whom it belonged.

"Ms. Granger, what are you doing in my bedchambers?" He questioned, quite annoyed.

"I'm … I was umm … I was told to come check on you." the girl whispered.

"By whom?" Severus asked curiously. He was sure he didn't tell anyone he was feeling sick.

He paused in a train of thought … the headmaster. He had told the headmaster that he wasn't feeling like himself today.

"Wait, the Headmaster called you to me." He stated, already knowing the answer.

"Why yes… Oh I wonder … Oh I almost forgot you know Legilimency." the girl replied stupidly.

"I am a Leglimens, you stupid girl. But I am also merely intelligent enough to remember that I informed only one person of my sickness today." Severus declared nastily.

His voice had become more dark and annoyed within the past seconds.

"Oh." she replied, holding her head down. "Well, are you feeling better? Can I get you anything?"

"No, I am perfectly fine, you dim-witted mediocre girl." he replied sarcastically.

"Well then I'll just be on my way. It was nice to see you professor."

Hermione gathered herself and closed the dungeon door behind her.

The girl was absolutely dimwitted, thought Severus. Obviously, she could tell the sarcasm in my voice. Couldn't she have noticed the beads of sweat on my face? Severus collected the washcloth of his face and looked up to the dungeon door to make sure she had permanently left the bedchamber. He looked to bin beside him, I was rather harsh on her, but honestly, why should I care? It's not as if I will see her everyday for the rest of my life.

Severus for a long time would not notice the importance of the girl that just a moment before had stood before him. The girl would have a rather large impact on his life whether he was ready to accept the truth or not.

Hermione found her way out of the dungeons, on the verge of tears. Only her feet and mind guided her to her destination of the Gryffindor common room. She felt as though she would never understand the mind of her Professor, Severus Snape. He seemed vile and distasteful at one moment and then the next he seemed as if he was hiding something, as in a secret willing to be told. She was always searching for this "secret" through out the professor's speech and tone. Yet she always found herself wandering away from his voice and back to the meaning of what he was saying. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying underneath his voice but never what he was actually saying to her.

Later through out the night, Severus turned and tossed in his sleep. Images of the girl implanted through out his mind. Severus lifted the blankets from his fragile body and whispered an incantation. Water appeared by his bed stand. He poured half of the glass into the basin of water and healing herbs and the other half went straight down the pale man's throat. Soaking his washcloth in the basin again, he placed it on his forehead and laid, open eyed in his bed. It was then that he realized his ceiling was so high. Severus was a tall man for his age and it seemed strange to him that he had never noticed how tall he was. Turning on this thought, Severus closed his eyes and absorbed the herbs with a sad attempt to fall asleep. As Severus quaked in his troubling semi-sleep, Hermione sat on the couch in the Gryffindor common room also unable to sleep. Tears filled her eyes from a certain professor.

Snape was such a mean arrogant fool, Hermione though angrily. She had tried to help him and still he was stubborn. Why wouldn't he just let her help him? She watched the flames flicker in the fire. They burned in her mind along with the thoughts and images of dear Professor Snape. Of course, she didn't hate the man. She just didn't like him enough to care at all or at least pretend to.

Harry had woken up late that night. His scar wasn't hurting him but different pressing thoughts on his mind. There was Ginny, Ron and Hermione, all crowding his thoughts along 

with the coming summer at the burrow. Although it was only winter, Harry had wished it would pass in minutes. Harry liked the winter fine but he preferred the summer. There were so many other things to do in the summer. Hearing random shuffles, Harry let his feet follow to the sounds downstairs in the corridor. There he found Hermione sitting straight up on the red and gold trim sofa.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harry asked lightly.

They always watched over each other. Ever since their childhood adventures together, Harry and Hermione had been close. Of course, they were never closer than friends were; they felt like family when one was in need the other would watch over them no matter what happened. Ron on the other hand was obviously in love with Hermione. Harry and Ron always bickered and argued when it came to her. Ron would deny everything he ever thought of a feeling toward Hermione but Harry knew better.

"Oh nothing…" Hermione said while wiping her eyes of tears.

"Hermione, I know something's wrong."

"You do?" she asked sarcastically.

"Of course, when a girl rubs her eyes while saying 'oh nothing'. It must mean something is wrong." He said while sitting himself down on the sofa.

He laid his hand on the rest while the other hand ruffled his hair. He wasn't a great best friend for these types of moments. Sure, he had some of his own and Hermione had always cheered him up. He had just wished that he could be better at this for Hermione when she herself felt low.

"Oh truly, Harry, there is nothing wrong." She stated, staring directly in his eyes.

Harry knew she was lying to him but what could he do, force the truth out of her? He laughed at this thought but quickly turned his face into a sympathetic smile towards Hermione.

"Well okay, but you know I'm here for you, right?"

"Of course I do Harry and the same with me."

"I know, 'Mione, I know."