It had been a few days since Severus had told me his story and I still felt a little sorry for him. I wondered what it must be like to have to watch the person you love marry the person you hated the most. I shuddered at the thought, remembering Ron and Lavender.

When it was five to eight, I bade Harry goodnight and headed down to the dungeons.

We didn't have much more to do on the potion. We were really close to having it done and I was really happy, but at the same time, I wondered if that would mean that Severus and I would no long talk like we do now.

I walked into the dungeon classroom and, not seeing him, I went ahead and pulled out the ingredients we would be needing that day. When I saw that it was nearing half past right, I glanced at his private room door, I hesitated before getting up and walking over to .

I knocked lightly, rocking back on my heels, expecting him to open the door at any moment, but nothing happened.

Frowning slightly, I knocked again, louder this time, and still nothing.

Maybe he was talking to Dumbledore about something, I thought.

I had just turned away to go back to the desk to wait for Severus to return when he flung his door open.

I gaped at what I saw.

Severus was holding a very full glass of what I assumed was Firewhiskey and it was sloshing over the rims onto his hand and floor, but he took no notice of it. His black eyes were bloodshot and he was looking at me with unfocused eyes. He was glaring when he answered the door, but when he saw it me, his slack face broke into a wide grin and he pulled me into a tight hug. I felt the Firewhiskey pour down my back and I could smell the rather strong smell of alcohol on his breath and clothes.

"Severus!" I gasped, trying to pull away, but he held fast.

"Hermione!" he crowed loudly, finally pulling away. He swayed drunkenly on the spot. I grabbed his upper arm and guided him back into the room. He was laughing madly as he dropped into his chair.

"Want a glass?" he asked me, raising his own to his lips where he proceeded to take a big gulp.

"Er, no thanks. I like to keep my head on straight," I said dryly as he smirked at me over the rim of his glass.

He drained his glass a few seconds later and stood to get more.

I bolted up out of my seat and snatched the decanter of Firewhiskey out of his reach.

"Hermione!" he cried angrily. "I was gonna drink that!"

"I think you've had enough, Severus," I said sternly. He merely grinned at me.

Sighing, I took the glass out of his hand and, along with the decanter, I set htem away from him and then guided him to his bed where he fell onto it.

As I was pulling off his shoes, he started giggling.

"What's so funny, Severus?" I asked him.

"Hey, Hermione, guess what," he giggled.

"What, Severus?" I asked, annoyed.

When he didn't answer, I looked up at him, confused, and saw him glaring darkly into the roaring fire.

"What, Severus?" I asked again, but in a gentler tone.

"I don't want to do it," he muttered as his head hit the pillows. I pulled the blanket over him and then poured him a glass of water.

"You don't want to do what?"

He shook his head and said, "He wants me to do it, but I don't want to. He never listens to what I want."

"Who?"

Severus was silent again, still glaring, when I turned away from him.

"Hey, Hermione," he called out just as I had reached the door. I turned and gave him an exasperated look.

"What?" I asked him for what seemed like the millionth time tonight.

"Nargles stole my milk," he giggled.

I rolled my eyes.

"Have you been talking to –"

A loud snore cut me off and I saw he had fallen asleep.

I watched him for a moment before I opened the door.

Half way out, I turned back again and then stepped back in with a sigh, shutting the door behind me.

I might as well stay, I thought as I sat down in the chair that I now deemed as my own. He might need me in the morning anyways.

I fell asleep as his snoring became softer.

I woke up slowly, aware of a sharp, painful throb that was drumming a rhythm into my head. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and I wondered if I stuck my foot on the ground would the world stop spinning.

Sitting up, I let out a loud groan and put my head into my hands.

"How are you feeling?" a soft, timid voice asked from across the room.

My head shot up, making my teeth grit in pain at the throb of protest, and I squinted at the terrified Hermione, who was watching me anxiously.

"What did I do last night?" I asked her, my teeth still gritted against the pain in my head.

Hermione shrugged. "I would assume you got completely drunk. You were in a right state when I got here last night."

I groaned and slowly got out of bed.

"What time is it?" I asked her.

"Erm, half past ten," she replied.

I sagged a bit. I missed my first class, which had been double Defense.

"It's okay," Hermione said, almost as if she were reading my mind. "I, er, sent a house-elf to tell Professor Dumbledore you weren't feeling the best."

"You sent a house-elf?" I asked her. I knew that, two years ago, she had been protesting the use of house-elves in Hogwarts, trying to get them freed, so why did she use a house-elf now?

She nodded. "Er, well, I used Dobby. And he brought us some food, too. And there's some black coffee here, too."

I nodded and shuffled off to the shower.

Twenty minutes later, my head felt clearer, I could actually see with my eyes, and the throbbing in my head was almost nonexistent.

Rubbing a towel through my wet hair, I went back into my room to find it empty. Hermione left a note saying she would be back later to check on me, but that she had classes she couldn't miss.

I sank onto my bed and, ten minutes later, I dressed in grey sweats and a white t-shirt. Well, if I was taking a sick day, why not take it to its fullest, I thought as I sat on my bed and started to read.

Several hours later, there was a soft knock on the door and Hermione called through the door, "Sir, are you okay?"

I marked my place and said, "Yes, Herimone, I'm fine."

She walked in and I frowned at her. "Why would I not be fine?"

She shrugged. "You looked dreadful this morning, Severus."

"Gee, thanks," I said dryly. She smiled at me and took her seat, watching me carefully.

"Professor Dumbledore is going to come see you later," she told me, fiddling with the strap on her bag.

"Oh?" I asked her. she nodded.

"I don't know when, though, but soon…."

"And what did you tell your sidekicks about what you were doing seeing as I'm sick?" I asked her, amused.

She huffed a breath. "I told them that I still had to do the potion even though you were sick."

I nodded, grinning.

After a few moments, Hermione pulled out her homework and began working while I went back to my book. And then I remembered something.

Looking up, frowning, I said, "Hermione, did you do the potion?"

She gave me a devious look. "Of course. I wasn't going to let you handle any potions in your state, sir."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "My 'state'?"

"You're clearly unwell today," she said in a maddening voice.

"I am not," I said defensively. She gave me a smirk and went back to her homework. "What was that look for?"

"'Nargles stole my milk' huh?" she asked me, grinning broadly.

"What are you-?" And then I remembered. I had been giggling like a mad fool and told her that Nargles stole my milk.

She smiled even wider, if that were possible, and said, "Are you remembering things, sir?"

I groaned. "Dear Merlin, I was a fool last night! I even asked if you wanted Firewhiskey!"

"That you did," Hermione said, laughing openly.

I was about to snap a retort when Dobby suddenly appeared, looking scared.

"Dobby!" Hermoine and I cried at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked the elf.

He turned his attention to her and said, "Dobby has come to tell miss that her Weezy is hurt!"

"My…my Weezy?" she asked, bewildered. "What is-?"

"What happened, Dobby?" I asked him, scrambling out of bed. I knew what he was talking aobut. Hermione's "Weezy" was Weasley. And he was hurt.

"Dobby doesn't know, sir," the tiny elf squeaked. "Professor Dumbledore asked Dobby to find Miss Granger and Dobby did, sir."

Hermione gave a small gasp and suddenly bolted out of my room.

"Thank you, Dobby," I gasped as I struggled to dress in my black robes.

Not ten minutes later, I was racing for the Hospital Wing, where I saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Slughorn, Potter, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione all standing around Weasley's bed. Well, Hermione was actually sitting on the bed.

Dumbledore turned to me and had Slughorn hand me a bottle.

"This was poisoned, Severus," he said, giving me a meaningful look. I sniffed the bottle and smelled Madam Rosemerta's famous Oak Matured Meade, but no hint of a poison.

Frowning, I knew Draco had done this…and not a very good job of it, either. He was getting desperate.

Just as I was about to ask Dumbledore a question, a squeal sounded in the door and girl streaked past me.

"What's wrong with my Won-Won?" she asked, glaring at each of us in turn. Then he eyes came to rest on Hermione, who glared back. "What are you doing here?"

"I happen to be his friend!" Hermione said angrily.

Lavender Brown scoffed. "Don't make me laugh! You two haven't spoken in weeks! Not since we started going out!"

Hermione merely glared and then Weasley started mumbling something.

We all leaned close so we could hear what he was saying, but it wasn't making any sense.

"Er...nee….Er…m…nee…," Weasley mumbled.

I shot a confused look at Dumbledore, who looked just as confused as I felt.

"Er…my…nee…," he mumbled again and both Hermione and Lavender gasped.

Lavender bolted from the Wing while Hermione sat back down next to Ron. She took his hand and Dumbledore ushered us all out of the room.

"Come on," he said quietly. "I think Mr. Weasley is well tended too."

I smiled a tiny smile at him and, together, we went to his office to discuss this new attempt on his life.