Severus sat, his eyes locked on the fire in front of him instead of the book open on his lap. He was feeling particularly melancholy for some reason or another. Perhaps the spilling of his thoughts to Granger had evoked the feeling in him.

He couldn't be sure.

What he could be sure of was that he'd run away, like a coward. Like the Slytherin he was, only thoughts of self-preservation, only thinking of protecting himself and his emotions. He hadn't even given a second thought to how she would feel until he'd made it to the dungeons and cursed himself.

How was he to woo the witch if he was going to run from her anytime he made even a semblance of progress.

He thought of that little smile on her lips as he spoke, it had taken everything in him not to kiss those lips, to instead only allow his mouth to fall across her forehead.

He'd gone back but by the time he'd gotten there she was gone. He caught sight of her as she slipped into the showers and had waited as long as he'd felt sane before he'd slipped away. Best she not catch him stalking her anyway.

Merlin, what would he have said if she had seen him waiting outside for her?

She'd probably try to acquire some kind of protective order from the ministry.

He heaved a deep sigh and glanced to the dreamless sleep potion on the table beside him.

No use dwelling, he needed to get a bit of sleep and he wasn't going to do it thinking about Granger all night. The hourglass beside the vial caught his eye and he groaned. The pile of black sand was ever growing, grain after grain fell.

Taunting him.

Always taunting him.

He massaged the bridge of his nose, downed his potion, and slipped into his room with hopes for a deep, dreamless sleep.

The effects of the potion had begun to wear off after all. Dreamless sleep was no longer guaranteed as his body built a tolerance to its abilities.

SSHG

A scream of pain reverberated through the Potions Classroom with a shrill fierceness that sent a shiver up and down his spine as black eyes flicked up from his grading to see several students piled around a body writhing in the center.

A cauldron was tipped on its side and the acrid liquid ran out into the floor, the dunderheads he'd seen fit to allow into this advanced class paying little attention to it and more to the girl who writhed on the floor.

It annoyed him but he had little time to think about it as he waved the solution away with his wand and parted the students rather forcefully.

His horror at what he found was hardly contained as he stared at the bundle of robes and brown hair that cried in agony.

Hermione.

Hermione of all people had mucked up a potion and spilled it on herself.

Sneering and snarling he sent all of the other students from the room with a ferocity that told them he was mad about the screw up, not about the actual injury.

They were of the opinion Hermione would be in trouble. In reality Severus' heart was beating a dangerous rhythm in his chest as he tried to still her and calm her enough to evaluate her situation.

When he found the point of origin he could not have been more horrified, even as Hermione's cries calmed and her body stilled under his hands.

Her arm was a mangled lump of flesh and bone. The potion had made quick work of her robe's sleeve and the outer layers of her skin and had begun to eat its way toward her bone. Devouring even the blood left in its wake and moving as fast as he'd ever seen one progress.

He grunted his disgust and smoothed her hair back from her face, he'd seen worse, much, much worse. Of course he had, he'd been a death eater, but he'd never expected to see something so horrid happen to someone he actually cared about.

"Okay love, it's okay, I need you to stay with me okay? I am going to fix you, I swear it but I need you to stay awake, if you go to sleep your body may try to shut down from the shock. Open those lovely eyes." Her eyes flicked open but only for a second before they fell closed once more.

"Hermione, do not do this to me witch, open your eyes." Her eyes shot open again and she questioned whether or not she heard him right.

"What did you just call me?" He tensed, he'd called her by name hadn't he? His face blanched and his eyes locked wall after wall.

She didn't want him to shut down on her, she couldn't focus, her arm was in agony. She groaned.

"How in Merlin's name did you manage to do this to yourself, witch?" Hermione blinked a few times and glanced around, realizing they were alone for the first time and biting her lip as she glanced down at her arm, every second the potion ate away at more and more of her flesh.
"Look at me, not that." He commanded and her eyes shot back up to his.

"I'm not sure." She winced when her fingers twitched.

"I have something for it, but, it will hurt, there is nothing that can be done for that. Are you ready? Every second we waste risks the loss of your arm. Growing back limbs is time consuming and incredibly painful." Hermione winced at the thought and gave a little nod, he smoothed her hair back from her eyes again and Accio'd the vial he needed to him. It zipped through the air and into his hand.

Ah, the joy of being a wizard.

He watched her with dark eyes for a second in intense thought before an idea came to him.

"Do not assault me for this." She gave him an odd, wide eyed look as he unstoppered the vial, poised it over her arm and grabbed the unaffected portion of her wrist with his other hand. He bent near in half and she gave a little gasp when his lips took hers and the potion poured on her damaged arm in the same instant.

She groaned her pain into his lips and he released the arm and the vial lay forgotten on the floor as long, slender fingers came up to tangle in her hair.

A happy sigh escaped her as her arm began to cool from the numbing pain, his lips so soft on hers taking almost all of her focus.

When he released her her eyes flicked open and a little smile curled her lips as she stared up at him.

"Why Professor. I had no idea you felt that way." She giggled and wiggled her fingers in the same instant. His black hair curtained around his face as he stared down at her. He'd expected her to run, to scream, to slap him, instead she only stared up at him with those wide, doe eyes.

It had to be the shock, keeping her from acting in the expected manor, the injury had to be too much.

Hermione bit her lip and blinked up at him from her place on his lap rather sedately.

She wanted to sit up but she didn't want to break the moment, not yet, she didn't want to lose the focus of those intense black eyes and become simply a piece of the background again.

"Thank you." She breathed and he gave a little nod before he helped her up.

She felt lost without his touch on her skin and she shook her head to straighten her thoughts before she scooped up her bag. He hadn't spoken yet and she was getting worried she'd upset him.

She knew he'd only kissed her to distract her from the potions. Still, if it was the only one he granted her she would treasure it forever.

It had been chaste, and she wished it had not, longed for the taste of him to linger.

Never again. He would probably never even so much as look at her again.

"You're welcome, now please, go, and report to me for detention this evening for your complete lack of caution." It was half-hearted, contained none of the bite she was accustomed to from him and she nodded her head. Her back was still to him and he wanted to reach out and grab her. He stopped himself.

She'd only let him do it because of shock. She kept her back to him, he disgusted her, she didn't even want to look upon his face.

It shattered something in him that he hadn't realized was not already broken beyond repair. He breathed a sigh when she slipped from the room and fell back to his desk, sat in his chair and swept his hair back from his face.

If only.