Chapter 4

The next morning Hermione woke with a start. She slowly rose into a sitting position wondering where on earth she was. Looking around she spotted Minerva sitting in a comfy chair by the bed.

"Sleep well dear"

"Yes thank you" Hermione answered in a shaky voice."Um…Where's Rose?"

"Oh don't worry about her sweetheart; she was hungry so Severus took her to the Great Hall to get some breakfast."

"Severus, as in Professor Severus Snape?"

"Of course dear, how many other Severus' do you know?"

Panicking Hermione tried to get out of the bed "I have to go to her, what if he hurts her?!"

"Hermione calm down child, why would you think that he would hurt her? If he was a threat in any way I would never have kept him as a teacher let alone Deputy Headmaster."

Calming down slowing catching her breath she realized that she was over reacting, not all men were like her husband. Then a sudden thought hit her, Snape was just as short tempered as her husband. What if he lost his temper with Rose and start hitting her?

Trying to get up again Hermione looked towards Minerva " I have to get to the Great Hall, Snape's got a horrible temper what if he loses it and hits her!?!

She was yelling now but she didn't care, she needed her baby, she promised herself that she would keep Rose safe and she could not keep her safe if she didn't know where she was.

Minerva opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by someone else.

"Mrs. Hurst, I have no intentions on harming your daughter, she was hungry so I took her to get some food. The only reason why I took her out of the room was because after her injury yesterday, she broke three different bones, now that they are healed she needs to practice walking again. I figure the best way to do so was to allow her to walk to the Great Hall. However, Now that I know that her walking skills were not harmed by the injuries she is not to leave the room until she is fully recovered, so you no longer have to worry about me sneaking off with her to harm her. I suggest that you take the potions that are at your bed side. The house elves are bringing you breakfast in a few minutes. You shall eat it and then go back to sleep."

With that Hermoine watch him turn his attention to the child in his arms.

"Okay princess, now that you had your fun running around the school and you ate, you have to take your potion too and go back to sleep."

Gently picking up the bear that sat in the chair that he held her in during the course of the night he gave it to her after she swallowed down the potions. With a swift movement, he laid Rose in the bed before stating "sweet dreams princess", kissing her forehead and leaving the room.

Lost and thought and greatly confused by the interesting actions of the man that just left, Hermione was softly shaken out of her stare by Minerva who was standing by her side. "Drink this child, the food has arrived you must be starving, but you have to have the potions before you eat."

Hermione sat there eating in silence not knowing what to make out of what she just saw. Was that really Snape or did he have a nice identical twin. She slowly glanced at her sleeping daughter who was snuggled up with the bear that Severus conjured for her. He was never nice, a person like he was could never change or can they? Yes, when he started teaching again two weeks after he woke up he wasn't exactly nice but he was no longer cruel to the students not even to the Griffindors. Everyone said that it was just because he no longer had to hold the presence that he had to maintain for Voldemort. Now that Voldemort was gone he no longer had to favor his house. But thinking it over, at times during her last year as a student she could actually consider Snape human, like on the rare occasion that he helped Neville with the potions, he needed to brew for Herbology. Her thoughts were then interrupted by the voice of the person sitting next to her.

"It seems that he changed a lot doesn't it?"

"Who?"

"Severus."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's see, while you were a student here he always acted indifferent to everyone. He always made it look like he was trying to get Harry, Ron and you expelled all the time. That worked well with his spy work, it made it look like he was trying to get you three out of the safety of Hogwarts, that's besides the point. I can tell you he really does care for the welfare of all his students; or else he wouldn't have followed you in the shrieking shack while you were in your third year here. I can assure you that he was petrified of that place since Black tricked him into going there when Lupin was transforming into a werewolf. I was even shocked that he followed you guys in the first place. Even though he said that he wanted to get revenge on Black, Dumbledore knew that he was afraid that one of you would get bitten by Remus."

"Were we in that much danger that night?" Hermione laughed at the memory of attacking Snape with Ron and Harry.

Minerva laughed "Severus was on edge for weeks after, and you lot were lucky you didn't hear the speech he gave me on keeping my Griffendors in check. He said that I better invest in a few magical eyes with you lot running lose around the school."

"Come on we weren't that bad"

"Well, Fred and Gorge were worse prank wise, but for real trouble- such as endangering yourselves and others, I think you lot were the most troublesome group that Hogwarts met in centuries."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"I guess it all depends on how you look at it dear."

"I think I'll take it as a compliment."

"Good for you child, I think I would take it as a compliment as well. Dear me, look at the time, we've been here for nearly an hour, I think we did enough talking for today, you need to get some sleep."

"Minerva could you do me a favor?"

"What is it child."

"Could you apologize toProfessor Snape for me? I really didn't mean to come out so harsh against him; I was just so worried I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry about it now Hermione, but I can't be the one to apologize to him, that's something you have to do yourself. You should talk to him you know, he's a lot wiser then he likes to let on, he has loads of life experience as well. Think about it dear, but now, get some rest."

With that Minerva went into the neighboring room to let her sleep.