I do not own the characters, the settings or even the dust that accumulates on these proverbial potion vials. J. K. Rowling does. The only thing I own is this plot line.

The grass looked nice this time of the year, but she couldn't stop from being homesick. Stop thinking like that, she chided herself, this way is safer for everyone. Would you really want to go home and put your parents in more danger? It was nighttime, and she was by the property limits. Staring at the gate wishing it would go away. Hogwarts was always a safe haven, but now it's safe for people out, as well as in. She was one of the only people who took the headmaster up on his offer, to stay for the summer holiday.

There was a pop, and a dark figure crumbled to the ground, right outside the gates. Pulling out her wand she muttered, Lumos. What she saw shook her to the core, Professor Severus Snape. Writhing in agony and covered in blood, in his death eaters robes. She never hated the professor, but even her most hated enemy she would not wish this upon. She gasped and cried Mobil corpus, immediately his body lifted, and she directed him over the gate and laid him down on the soft grass. She stood up, pointed the wand at her throat, and said Soronous. Hopefully, she thought, it made her voice loud enough to carry to the castle.
"Professor Snape is hurt, we're at the gates! Hurry!" Quietus she ended the spell. She turned back to the Professor to see him go into convulsions.
She knelt down, and took off his mask, noticing that he was not wounded on the face. She undid the buttons on his many black layers, and realized that his face was the only part unharmed. She cast the charms, Tergeo, and Episky. She realized he had long bloody gashes starting at his neck, trailing all the way down, to below where his pants started. He looked like he was carved out of marble. So pale, The smooth expanse of his chest was white, so white in fact that he had lost all of the flesh tone. Then she heard rushed footsteps, and turned to see three figures quickly closing in upon her and the rather unconscious Professor. Albus, Minerva, and Poppy, as they'd been insisting she call them, were looking rather distraught, but were coming with force. She got up, and quickly let Poppy look him over.

"Hermione?" Dumbledore's voice brought Hermione out of her transfixed state.
"Yes, Headma… Albus?" She said, and hoped that her emotions were not plain in her voice.

"I have a great favor to ask you. I would like you to stay with Severus. Poppy is taking leave, and we have no one else capable, with the time." Hermione didn't know what to say, he liked Severus, and if he didn't have faith she could help, than he wouldn't have suggested it, but it was still something she had to argue.

"But, I cant do it, even when I tried my best it wasn't good enough. I can't…" Poppy cut off her incessant ramblings.
"Hermione, all I had to do was put the bandages and creams on. You did everything else. You also did it faster, than any other student and most of the teachers." Poppy stated plainly. "I must leave, I have no choice, and he is going to need twenty four hour care, for a fortnight at least."
Hermione blushed and really looked at the med witch, the knowledge in her eyes and was flattered.
"Fine, I'll try my best." Hermione finally stammered out.
"That is all we can ask my dear, we must leave you. We will have the house elves bring your possessions down to the dungeons, and potions for Severus." He said sounding tired, but happy. He rarely lost that twinkle in his eyes. Handing her a piece of parchment they turned on their heels, as if they were attached, and left.

A/N this is my first attempt at a fanfic, so please read and review. Anything would be welcome, the first review I'll update. (I already have most of the story written out.)