Disclamer: I do wish I owned these characters, for I would be fairly rich. I would also have people harping me everyday for the next book (HBP). Ah, the price to pay for fame...however, I do not own them, but I do enjoy the harping of fans. And admittedly, pleased with the encouragement. R&R encouraged, for it's now the reason I write.

Reason
Chapter 9- Confusion and surprises.

Severus Snape hid himself to one side of the infirmary, flipping through wizarding medical texts and making himself cozy with a book about medicinal potions until Potter and the Weasleys bid their goodbyes and departed. Somehow, he realized, his requests for Potter and Weasley to research the curse had fallen on deaf ears. No matter their intelligence, loyalty, or power, when it came to research and dark curses there was no one better than he and Hermione. However, was he not only stuck there for the night, so was she. He slammed the book shut and a puff of dust nearly made him cough.

Harry hung back when he noticed Snape. His green eyes watching the potions master just a moment before approaching him. "Professor?"

Snape, his leg dangling over the arm of a chair, the book of medicinal potions resting on it, glanced up before returning his eyes to his book and flipping open to a page, "What, Potter?"

Harry sat down in a chair across from Snape and sighed, "I wanted to say thank you."

Snape paused and looked up, "I beg your pardon?"

"Thanks." Harry nodded, "Just thanks for waking Hermione up. We'll do our best to help. And if you need something that Ron and I can help with, just Owl us." Harry held out his hand and Snape stared down at it for a long moment, to the point where Harry didn't think he was going to take it. Eventually he did though and surprised Harry with a firm grip.

When Harry left Snape stared after him, a completely confused look on his face. First the boy sent a letter and asked that he not kiss Hermione. Now he was thanking him? Snape decided finally that Potter must have hit his head too many times in the final battle with Voldemort and went back to his book.

When dinner came, the house elves were wise not to disturb Snape's reading. It wasn't really reading now anyway, as it was perusal of the book and an avoidance to speak to anyone. Inside, his mind weighed his thoughts carefully and the possibilities of the spell even more methodically. He had been bound before, of course, when he was a servant of the Dark Lord Voldemort. A bidding he cringed at even now. At least then, he could walk out of the room Voldemort was in, but he still was bound to obeying orders like a lap dog. Without thought, Snape's right hand went to his left forearm. The mark was gone, but it still left behind the mental impression of it's burn.

"What are you thinking of, Professor?"

Snape's head snapped up and he clenched his right hand before moving it away from his arm, "Nothing." He murmured and closed the book, pulling his attention to Hermione as she walked over to him. He noted that she was in a white robe over the gown that Pomfrey had placed her in after the battle. Her brown hair was clean again and ran down like waves over her shoulders. His eyes softened as it was not entirely too distressing to look upon her.

"Well, I wish I could think about nothing," She sat in the chair across from him. "I'm bored out of my mind."

Snape's lip lifted a little at that, "That's fair. As am I. I'll be happy to be in the library tomorrow, if you're still up for it?"

Hermione nodded, "I've been thinking on it a bit. I hope the texts will answer some of my questions."

"Like what?" He asked, setting the book aside.

"Like, well, why isn't any of this written in the tales? They weren't that naive in the middle ages."

Snape nodded, "All of those stories ended with that phrase. They were blinded fools"

Hermione paused, picking at the threads on her robe, "I'm not completely unhappy." She whispered.

Snape stood, "Well, Miss Granger, I am." He started to walk away.

"What is so wrong with me that you hate me so much!?" Hermione asked suddenly.

Snape didn't turn, "You are an insufferable know-it-all and a troublemaker."

"So are you." She retorted.

Narrowing his eyes, Snape slowly turned, "I try to keep order, while you and your friends constantly disrupt it."

"Is that why you joined Voldemort? To bring order to Wizarding world?" She stood and walked over to him, "I may be a... Mudblood, but I believe there has been more order brought by my presence than yours, professor."

Snape turned away, whipping his robes around him and heading towards a curtained off area. If he couldn't leave the room, well, damnit! He was going to get away from her some how.

"Chicken." Hermione murmured and Snape's control snapped. He turned quickly on his heel and came at her, his wand drawn.

"Miss Granger, I don't care if we are bonded. If by blowing you to Surrey would cause me to follow you in turn, then so be it. At the moment I really don't care. Leave. Me. Alone." He caught the fear in her eyes and was pleased when she didn't retort. "Good." Slowly, he lowered his wand and walked toward the curtained area around a bed, whipping it aside and closing it with the same deliberate gesture. He then sat on the bed and began removing his boots.

He didn't hear Hermione sniffle as he had expected her to. He heard silence mostly, the opening of her curtain next to his and its closing, the springs of the mattress as she sat and laid down on it.

The sun was setting by the time Snape laid down on his own bed. He listened more as he heard Pomfrey making a to-do over Hermione, her politely telling the healer she was okay and then goodnights between the two. Candles magically lit around Snape at around ten when the sun was completely set. After lying there for a while with his thoughts, Snape waved his hands and cast the room into darkness as the candles went out.

"Professor, I'm sure there is a reversal," He heard just as he started to drift asleep.

"Yes, There has to be. Good night, Miss Granger." He turned away and closed his eyes again.

"You know, its okay to call me Hermione. I'm not your student anymore." She permitted.

"That being kind of you, Miss Granger, I think I'll pass." He reached up and rubbed his shoulder, yawning before he heard another question.

"May I call you Severus?"

"Of course not!" He turned over and faced her area of the curtains, "Go to sleep, Miss Granger!"

"I can't!"

Snape frowned, "The curse...?" He asked, sitting up on his elbow.

"No..." she paused and he heard her shift on the bed, "I was asleep for six weeks. What if I go to sleep again and don't wake up?"

"Then..." Snape swallowed, thinking about what he was going to say. I would kiss you again, he thought and shook his head, clearing away the idea. "Wait here." He got up and proceeded to the door.

"No!" came Hermione's panicked voice, "don't leave me!" Snape paused and looked up, seeing Madam Pomfrey's office door closed and the light off he knew he would have to knock to waken her for a draft... and her office was over the threshold of the room he was in, down the hallway. If he crossed the threshold, it would send Hermione into pain and fits again.

He turned and walked back over to her sleeping area, pulled open the curtain and preceded to her bed. She was sitting up, a ghostly white in the moonlight that flooded the hospital. She clung to the sheets, but visibly relaxed when she saw him. "I...I thought you'd were leaving. I'm sorry."

"I almost did," he admitted and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, "I'd forgotten." It was an unsaid apology, for he never forgot things. He took a deep breath and pulled a vial out of his robes, uncorking it and offering it to her, "Drink."

"What is it?" She asked uneasily.

"It is a draft of peaceful dreams. I usually keep a vial with me... of several different potions, of course." He shrugged uneasily, "You never know when one will be needed."

She didn't take it, but swallowed, staring at the small bottle of purple liquid. Slowly, without malice, Snape lifted it to her lips. She obediently opened her mouth and swallowed as he tipped it onto her tongue. "There... Sleep, Hermione. And don't worry about waking in the morning," He caught her as the draft took affect and laid her down on the pillow gently. He lay down next to her and watched her eyelids close with sleep come quickly, "And if necessary, I will kiss you again in the morning."