AN: I don´t own Harry Potter and don´t make any profit.
Coming back the next evening, Hermione was awaiting her professor sitting up in her bed. Severus looked at her astonished, he hadn´t been expecting that.
"Should we get you something to eat?"
"Yes please."
"Coming right up, Miss!" he winked at her.
Severus started to read, while Hermione ate her yoghurt.
"You should really eat the toast too, I brought you. It won´t do you any harm." She started nibbling at her toast.
"Good girl!" She gave him a small smile.
After reading to her for a while, he was getting tired. Damn when will I ever be fit again. He hated being so weak. He got up, reached over, gently squeezed Hermione´s hand, saying "Good night, Miss Granger!"
"Please call me Hermione."
"Only if you call me Severus." She nodded and smiled. He grinned back at her, turned around and left the room. If it would have been easier for him to move and if he hadn´t been quite the man, he would have skipped back to his room.
They fell in a little routine. Every evening he would read to her, about an hour and she would eat. Every day a little bit more. He even caught her in the morning, passing by her room, eating some toast. A big smile quickly rushed over his face. It was like a big weight had been lifted from him. He didn´t know why, but he started to care for that witch. Maybe because she didn´t wince at his sight, maybe because they had both been wounded in war, maybe because he felt so comfortable while reading the book to her, a book he didn´t even like that much.
Normally he would only come in the evenings, he was reading the Prophet in the mornings trying not to miss out on any news and in the afternoon, she normally had visitors. And he made sure none of them would see them together. He thought it might cause some unnecessary trouble and he didn´t care about that.
Awakening one morning he was quite disturbed by the bright sunlight shining in his bed. But thinking of how pale Hermione still was he had an idea. He went over before just before lunch, passing by the nurse´s room he sneaked a plate of sandwiches from their table, shrinking it to fit under his cloak.
"Do you care for a stroll around the garden?"
"That would be nice!" ,she answered him, leaving him surprised again.
"Come on I help you up, Hermione." It felt a bit weird saying her name but nice at the same time. There was hardly anybody who he would relate to on a first name basis. The other teachers, but that was about it.
"Steady now! Okay hold on to me."
They slowly, slowly made it out into the gardens, looking like the slightest breeze would knock them over.
"That´s pathetic, We´re not really strolling are we? We´re merely limping." Hermione gave a chuckle, which made his heart skip a beat.
"I hate war", she simply said.
"Tell me about it." She raised her eyebrow at this not very appropriate and yet so suitable comment. He guided them to a bench in the sun. Sitting down he got the plate of sandwiches out under his cloak.
"Thought you might fancy a little snack." Her hand hovered over the plate, while making her choice.
"Good choice!" he said, when she went for the Chicken Tikka Sandwich. They ate in silence. After finishing the whole plate, which again surprised him because he didn´t even have half of the sandwiches, they we´re sitting in silence, letting the sun caress their faces.
"Well, I asked the nurses and one of them saw her in the gardens." Ginny said.
"Oh, that´s a good sign, isn´t it Ron?" Harry asked. Ron hardly nodded.
"Come on now, you coward," and with that they almost dragged him to the gardens.
"So would you like to tell me, what brought you to St. Mungos?"
"It´s too soon," Hermione whispered and a single tear was running down her cheek.
"Sorry, I didn´t mean to… " his voice trailed off.
"Please don´t cry Hermione." Gently Severus wiped the tear of her cheek.
"What about telling me, what your favourite place at Hogwarts is?"
"The library." Her answer came instantly.
"Well that´s not a surprise really, it´s one of my favourite places too."
She placed her head on his shoulder , sending a chill through his body. She didn´t seem to notice," I like the smell of the books, I like the quietness, I like all the wisdom stored in there…"
"GET AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND YOU FOUL GIT!" Ron stood in front of them his wand raised, bright red in the face.
Hermione made a slight jump on the bench. And Severus slowly got up.
"WHAT YOU THINK YOU`RE DOING SNAPE?"
"Really you call her your girlfriend. You haven´t been here in two weeks and you call her your girlfriend? And lower your wand, as you well know I´m a bit out of your league really, even without a wand in my hand." Severus spat.
"He is right you know, Ron," Harry mumbled in his ear.
"Sorry Hermione!" and with that Severus stalked out of sight.
"Did he just call her HERMIONE?" By now Ron´s face had a dark shade of scarlet.
"You know Ron, that is her name," Ginny was shaking her in disbelief of her own brother.
