Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

I'm not a native speaker of English!

Thanks a lot to my wonderful beta, saiyanwizardgurl, for correcting my mistakes.

Dear Readers,

This is a challenge fic, so please don't accuse me of being a plot thief when you read similar stories!! I already had this happen once because someone didn't read my author's note, and I would prefer that this not happen again :). Here are the challenge rules by Healer Pomfrey:

Time: Summer between Harry's first and second Hogwarts years
Place: Muggle world
Format: Oneshot
Content: Professor Snape has to check on all the students in Harry's year (not only the Slytherins), because of an outbreak of a magical disease, to which the children were exposed before going home. However, while he is checking on one of the Gryffindor students (a known Gryffindor character please, no OC), he faints (because of that special illness or any other reason) and is not able to return to Hogwarts by any magic means, so the student has to look after him and nurse him back to health by Muggle methods. If the student (he or she) gets ill as well is up to you.
Conditions: Canon up to the end of Harry's first Hogwarts year. No magical help by the students' magical family if she/he has any.
Deadline: 29th of June, 2009.

I'm not even sure if it will be accepted as an entry because it is longer than the normal one-shots for the challenges. At least I fear so. Therefore, I will update this story here on FFN as a chaptered story and just in the livejournal page as a one-shot. It will be 4 chapters.

IMPORTANT: This is no Hermione/Severus pairing. It's just a student/teacher relationship!

I hope you like it!

Sunny

Chapter 1 – Coming to the Grangers

She did not think twice before hurrying over to the bushy-haired girl that looked so lost in Diagon Alley. When Ron was hurt last year during McGonagall's giant chess game on the way to the Philosopher's stone, Molly had seen the girl visiting her son in the hospital wing. "Hermione?" Molly asked the girl when she had reached her. Hermione was crying, and she had red cheeks that stood out quite clearly on her pale face. Big black circles were around her eyes, and she looked puzzled.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked, her voice hoarse.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Molly asked, worried about the condition the girl was in. Hogwarts has Owled only a few days ago that the students had been exposed to a contagious illness during their last days at school. I wonder how they contacted the Muggle-born students. Their parents will have needed a little more than an owl to explain what to do, even if there isn't much to do except bed rest. They at least have to know that they aren't allowed to give their children any Muggle medicine.

"My parents are ill. I don't know what to do. They can't even speak anymore."

Suddenly Molly's arms where full of a crying girl. "Calm down, Hermione. I will come with you and check on them. And you should be in bed as well, my dear. Hasn't somebody from Hogwarts contacted you lately?"

Hermione's puzzled look was answer enough.

"What were you doing here anyway, Hermione?" Molly asked without waiting for an answer to her first question.

"I don't know. I just hoped to find an apothecary and ask for help." She swayed slightly, and Molly had trouble steadying her because her hands were full with bags. Molly had just finished her food shopping and was looking for Floo powder when she spotted Hermione. "We'd better get you in bed soon," Molly said and moved Hermione to the next Apparition site. "How did you get to London, Hermione?"

"The train," Hermione said absently.

"That would take us too long. Side-along Apparition is a much better option. It may worsen you condition, but taking the train would also cost you a lot of energy. I have to take the risk." The best thing to do was to take the girl to St. Mungo's and inform Dumbledore about her parents, but Molly wanted Hermione in a bed as soon as possible. She seemed to have Molus Molussus, the illness Hogwarts has warned them about, so Molly let her worry about the girl and her parents rule over rationality and Apparated them both near Hermione's home.

Hermione groaned after the Apparition, and Molly again had problems holding Hermione up. "Hermione, please, you have to stay awake. I can't Shrink my bags here because I won't be able to resize them when we get to your home. I'm not allowed to use magic there, not even to help you and your parents. I can only use magic if you are in mortal peril, and that is, thankfully, not the case."

"I'll try," Hermione said miserably.

"You have to lead me to your home, Hermione," Molly gently coaxed the girl to move.

When Molly saw Mr. and Mrs. Granger, she sighed sadly. "Did they take antibiotics, Hermione?" Molly had learned a few things while helping her sister care for Muggle-born children.

"Yes, I think so. Maybe I should look in their night tables. My mother use to put her medications in there." With that, she started to rummaging in the drawer of the night table. "Here it is. They took one pill each."

"That's enough to put them in a coma." Molly could not explain more because Hermione had started to sob helplessly.

"No, please," Hermione cried out and threw herself on her comatose mother.

"Hermione, calm down. It's not as bad as you think it is. It's just the magical illness' reaction to the antibiotics. There is an antidote, but we have to wait until someone from Hogwarts comes to check on you. I will send for help."

Hermione looked up. "From Hogwarts? Why would someone come? You can't use magic to call them."

"I'm sure they sent someone in person to check on the Muggle-born students. They don't have to worry about the magical families as much," Molly explained calmly as she slowly approached the totally exhausted girl.

Hermione could hardly keep herself steadied. She almost collapsed over her mother.

"Come on, Hermione. Show me your room so that you can rest. I cannot do much for your parents right now, but I will try to lower their fevers with Muggle methods. They are not dangerously ill, Hermione. I don't dare to leave you alone for the next days. The illness is very unsteady in young people like yourself. Your condition can change from minute to minute. I just have to wait until someone comes for help."

"But your family – " Hermione protested weakly while Molly helped her up.

"My sister is with them at the moment, so the children are cared for. Don't worry, Hermione."

"But they will worry. They don't know where you are."

Molly slowly guided Hermione out of her parent's bedroom. "Yes, they will be worried, but taking care of you is more important right now. Maybe someone from Hogwarts will come in the next days and then he can ask for help. Now, where is your room?"

Minutes later, Molly sat in front of a sleeping Hermione. She gently bathed her face with a cool cloth. She'll have a hard time. Young people have more problems handling it than adults. If the Grangers hadn't taken the antibiotics, they would have recovered in 4 or 5 days. Now they will remain comatose until they receive the antidote. The only thing Molly had to ensure was that they drank enough water. Their swallow reflexes still worked, so she could coax liquid down their throats. Molly's sister had shown her how to mix nutrient water that helped people to survive even when it would take some time to get help. The human body could survive two weeks without food, and with the nutrient water, Molly could keep them breathing for months, but that would not be necessary. Hermione will have good and bad times for a week or two, but she won't be stable enough to leave alone, not even for a short time to contact someone.

While Hermione was sleeping, Molly made herself comfortable in the guest room. It had two beds and even a few spare clothes. In the kitchen, Molly filled the fridge with the food she had bought. With the current food supply, they could survive for three weeks. Molly hoped that she did not have to stay that long, but she would never leave these people alone. Thank Merlin, my sister taught me enough about Muggles to survive here. Hermione can show me how these strange machines work, Molly thought while eying the microwave and the stove. She spent the next hour searching for things she could use to help the Grangers with the illness. She found a thermometer and some clothes that she could use for cold compresses. Hermione's parents were not in any pain and so the compresses, regular temperature checks, and the nutrient water were all that Molly had to provide them. Hermione would need more intensive care. She would be in pain, and without the help of any potions, it would be difficult. Molly had no idea how to use the stove, and so she had to wait for Hermione to wake again before she could brew tea for her.

The first thing she did was make a fever chart for the Grangers and supply them with their first compresses and nutrient water. Then she went back to Hermione to bathe her face with a cool cloth and make a compress for her. Hermione did not wake, and Molly slept on a chair near her bed.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione said, confused when she woke up the next morning.

"Oh, dear, you finally woke up. How do you feel?" Molly asked while dragging herself out of the chair. Sleeping there had not been comfortable.

"I'm fine. What about my parents?" Hermione asked, worried.

"As I explained yesterday, Hermione, there isn't much I can do but keep them alive. They are in no pain and no mortal peril. We just have to wait for help. Calm down and let me check your temperature," Molly instructed the girl.

Hermione let her put the thermometer in her mouth. "Everything will be okay, Hermione," Molly assured the frightened child and gently ran her hand over her brown locks. "39°C. You still need to rest, but first I fear we have to take advantage of your improved condition so that you can show me how to boil water and make food here. I'm not used to Muggle machines. I learned a few things from my sister about caring for Muggle children, so I knew how to make light and how to use the thermometer, but you have to show me how to work in the kitchen and in the bath. Are you feeling up to it?"

"Sure, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said smiling. She was so happy to not be alone and to have someone who could help her and her parents.

Please let me know what you think about it! Please review!