Disclaimer : Many Of The Characters Including Severus Snape and Hermione Granger obviously DO NOT belong to me. Everything Harry Potter Related belongs to JK Rowling. I only get to build on the foundations that have already been set. There is no intention of copyright.

Prologue:

My story takes place while Hermione is in her sixth year at Hogwarts. The story before now is how it has happened in JK Rowling's Books. However in my story i want to display many different sides to Severus Snape, build on some of my favourite characters and of course create a romance between Hermione and Snape. ( My Favourite Characters) In this story there is no book that claims Snape is The Half blood prince, no horcruxes and no deathly hallows. Voldemort is back as we all no and now the wizarding world are aware because of his appearance at the great battle within the Ministry.

It is love

Chapter 1: The Last Night

"Pack" Hermione said as she flicked her wand at her trunk. She watched as all her school supplies flew into order and landed neatly inside it. Her books had a little trouble fitting but she had used an extension charm so they just about managed. She smiled as the trunk lid shut and locked firmly into place. Finally she was going back to school. The summer holidays had been awful. Harry was angry about Sirius death and had been taking it out on everyone, he was snapping at her and Ron every five minutes and if he wasn't he was sulking. She also knew he was blaming himself for the cock up that had happened at the ministry. Ron was on edge because of this behaviour, he was trying to comfort Harry but was getting no response, so he spent most his time outside working on his quiddict skills. Ginny was depressed because Harry had barley spoken to her, Hermione could tell she was hurting, her love for Harry was very strong but he was keeping his distance, his way of trying to protect her. Grimmauld Place was as dark and dingy as ever, the portrait would screech out whenever one of the order members passed it, Kreacher the house elf skulked around muttering nasty words and every member of the order seemed to bring more bad news. Hermione was glad to be leaving. It was late now and she could hear the light snores coming from Ginny's bed. Two hours or so had passed she was still wide awake. "Lumos" She muttered as she decided to get up and go down to the library and do some reading. Once at the stairway she muttered "Nox" and out went the light coming from her wand. She crept passed the sleeping portrait doing her best not to wake it and she did a sigh of relief when she reached the corridor at the bottom of the stairs. Heading towards the library she stopped just outside the door. She could hear the distinct voice of Albus Dumbledore talking to Arthur Weasley.

"Please go wake Molly, Arthur, it seems we will be needing her help" Arthur didn't reply but was heading for the door. Hermione panicked creeping further down the corridor and hiding in shadows of a corner. She watched as Arthur left the room and headed towards the stairs, he never even bothered to look back. Thinking it was only Albus in the room she walked in. She stopped dead in her tracks. Dumbledore was stood over a large black shape that seemed to be covered in ripped robes and was bleeding severely. Moving closer she saw the man was unconscious.

"Miss granger it is a little late, can I ask what you are doing up at this hour better still can I ask why you are wondering the house?" His voice was calm but very crisp. He was not in a good mood and with good reason. Staring at the limp less figure on the floor she ignored his question and asked one of her own.

"Sir will professor Snape be alright?" her voice coming out as just a whisper.

"Yes but he is very hurt Miss Granger, I'm afraid he has been hit with many dark curses"

Just then Molly and Arthur Weasley came running through the door.

" Oh Albus" Molly Said and she bent down to take another look at Snape. She used a summing charm and quickly began feeding a red coloured potion into his slightly a jarred mouth.

"Hermione what are you doing up?" asked Mr Weasley.

"I couldn't sleep so I figured a bit of light reading would help, I'm sorry" she was now staring at the floor not knowing where to look or what to do.

"Miss granger since you are awake and have now witnessed this, may I ask of your assistance?" Albus voice was softer than before.

"Mine Sir?" She said with confusion.

"We will need all four pairs of hands to help"

She watched as Molly kept feeding Snape the red potion, now that she had got a closer look she could see it was some kind of pain relief but she had never seen one made so strong before. She watched her headmaster's incredible magic. She watched as he sucked some of the dark magic from Snape into his own wand. Seeing the Black smoke like lines coming from Snape and going into Dumbledore was incredible. It was having no affect on the old man at all. Magic Hermione had never seen or heard of, She would ask him about it at another time.

"Begin healing him Miss Granger" she followed this command. She thought to herself this is why Albus was in charge of the order. Even in situations like this he thought logically and stayed calm which seemed to calm the others around him.

"Episkey" and she held her wand over Snape's stomach. The spell she was using was nowhere near as powerful as Dumbledore's but he was already using other spells to try and wake the professor. Molly continuously fed him the pain relief, And Arthur was removing the ripped cloak and his black leather boots. As Hermione hovered her wand over different parts of the mans cut and burnt body, Healing some of the visible marks, she had just got to his shoulders when he opened his eyes. There in that split second she saw the agony, the pain and the hurt that this man was in. She saw his vulnerability, she felt his loneliness a way she never seen this particular teacher it didn't go with his characteristics.

He was not awake but appeared better, his breathing was rapid but noticeable. He was no longer bleeding.

"Ella" Dumbledore spoke the word aloud. Before Hermione could even question a house elf had appeared. "Ella please could you transfer professor Snape here to one of the empty beds upstairs, stay with him, lock the door and I shall be up shortly." taking a look at the sleeping man, Hermione could see the house elf was as shocked as she was but within seconds both Snape and Ella were gone. She looked around the room waiting for someone to speak. "I think it is time for bed Hermione" Mrs Weasley said.

"Yes"

"Miss Granger, I think Severus would like for you to keep what you witnessed to yourself as would myself. And thank you it was far easier having more hands to help"

"yes professor and I wouldn't tell anyone, I hope he will be alright, Goodnight" She looked into her headmasters' twinkling blue eyes, she could clearly see he was worried by what had happened but didn't know what else to say. As Dumbledore stared back into her brown eyes, he could see that they were truthful and more importantly caring. Albus had not known anyone to show Serverus this much worry and care in a long time.

"Bed Hermione Dear" and she was rushed out the room and watched as she went up the stairs by Mrs Weasley. She lay down in her sleeping bag and thought for a very long time about Severus Snape. About his Characteristics, his personality and how little interaction he had with others. For some strange reason it bothered her that he was lonely and hurt. She put it all down to being a Gryffindor and fell asleep. Weaving in and out of dreams about her potions teacher.

Chapter 2- A Conversation

Now aware that Dumbledore was watching him, He opened his eyes. The small amount of sunlight that was now peeping in from behind the curtains stung his eyes and his right one filled with water. His whole body was aching and he struggled as he tried to sit up. He could feel the burning pain that was searing through his arms and legs. Looking around the cobwebbed and dusty room he muttered more to himself than to Albus;

" I take it I am still within headquarters?" he didn't sound too happy about this and would of given anything to be back in his own home. To Severus being hurt was weak and he didn't like the idea of people seeing him when he was in this state.

"Yes Severus, I think it's best if you stay where someone can keep an eye on you, you are safe here, Molly can help you if you need it and you can rest up " Albus spoke with concern in his voice but Severus ignored it.

"I can take care of myself Albus," Pausing for half a second he then muttered

"After all it is you who I am doing the spying for" There was a few moments of silence between the two men, Dumbledore was watching his fellow colleague and his most loyal subject and hated what he saw. He could tell that Severus had been ill before the attack, but finally he spoke.

"I need to know what happened last tonight" Those dark iris's were looking up at the old man with such loathing but he simply nodded his head.

"The dark lord is not happy about the way the attack on ministry went, he is happy that he is once again is the most feared man within the wizarding community but he is not happy that Potter had so many friends. He was expecting Potter to be alone when he got there but instead he found many of his followers hurt by mere children . He wants them gone. Albus those kids are his next targets." Severus stopped after wincing slightly he took a deep breath in. He could tell at least two of his ribs were broken.

"I figured Tom would not like the fact that Harry has friends, it is something that Tom has never had, nor has he wanted. Tom considers Harry to be like him, orphaned, grown up in the muggle world, left to be treated unfairly, he does not understand how Harry has managed to turn his bitterness into happiness. I still however don't understand how you ended up hurt and unconscious outside the orders front door?" Lying flat on his back Severus stared up at the ceiling. Dumbledore could tell that he was protecting himself and respected the fact that the man in front of him would avoid eye contact when speaking of an attack.

" The dark lord wishes for me to kill Potters friends using any way that is possible, when I told him that I couldn't do that he did not wait for any reasoning and hit me Cruciatus curse. After a few hours of this he then had Nagini bind her scaly body around which crushed mine and held me in place. He shivered at that part.

" He then invaded my mind, believing I was a spy for you. It took a lot of my strength to keep your secrets hidden but I managed it. The burns that I'm now feeling are from Dolohovs personal curse antonin."

Snape stopped and smirked to himself at this. He thought about what the dark lord was doing to him right now. Voldemort was even more angry about what he did. What a fool Snape thought. Voldemort was allowed to torture his followers but he considered Snape to be his most loyal and brave as he was deceiving Voldemorts worse fear Albus Dumbledore so he would not allow anyone else to cause harm to him.

" So turning his anger onto Dolohov, He apparated me to just outside of Surrey, I used my last bit of strength to get here

Albus was now looking sad his sparkling blue eyes had lost their sparkle.

"I'm very sorry Severus, I never meant for you to come under any harm and I misjudged Tom. I did not think that he would harm you. I'm entirely grateful for what you to do for the order Severus and you are a valued member. I Shall check on you this evening, for it is nearly dawn and now have lots of preparations to ensure all my students arrive at school safely."

"this evening, you mean I'm not coming back to Hogwarts today?" Severus said with a lot acidity and a small bit of dejection in his voice.

"You must rest Severus, you are injured and I shall visit you tonight, if you need anything in the mean time, your house elf will be here" With this he fluffed Severus's pillow and headed for the door.

"Take care" was the last thing he said. Severus watched as his long purple cloaked slid across the floor and out of the door. He listened as Dumbledore went down the creaky old stairs and then he sighed. He was alone at last and this was how he liked it. Pulling his wand from his bedside table he pulled back the covers to look at what damage had been done and began healing himself.