Author's note
I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe for they all belong to JK Rowling. All I have done was borrow from her, and had a little fun with my ideas.
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Chapter 12
Hermione opened her eyes. She felt like a little odd—perhaps light headed. She tried to think of were she was. The room was mostly white when she moved her eyes to look around. It seemed familiar. She had been to this room before. Then, she felt that there was something soft and warm on her left arm. Turning her head just a bit to see, she knew exactly who the man was.
Suddenly it hit her. Hermione knew where she was, and why she was here. The last distinct memory that came to her was when the bad man—her step father, punched her square on her cheek. Then the voice, she remembered but vaguely. Words of love were spoken from time to time, but were they true? Was it all just a dream again?
She shifted herself to turn on her left side. The pain was bearable, and she could move. She then pulled Severus's hand under her chin, and held onto in tightly with both hands. She held onto his hand like her life depended on it.
"Hermione?" Severus called groggily as he opened his eyes.
It took a while for them to focus. In seconds, he saw the brown cinnamon eyes that melted his heart every time he looked at them. She was awake.
"Good morning Love," he greeted with a smile on his face. He then planted one of his chaste kisses on her brow. "You've been out for about a week. You're in the infirmary." He placed a hand on her and rubbed her arm ever so gently. "How are you feeling?"
Hermione closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply. Even though her body felt weak, the emotions of her fears were what she felt the most. Her physical pain could not compare.
"Poppy!" Severus called the medi-witch as he turned his head to the direction of the office. "She's awake."
"Thank heavens," Poppy said as she came out walking briskly. As soon as she stood next to Severus, she pulled out her wand and placed a hand on Hermione.
Hermione's body stiffened as she felt another touch her. She knew it wasn't Severus. Her eyes opened in horror and looked at Poppy and then at Severus. Her head shook and she started to whimper. Poppy pulled away immediately.
"It's alright Hermione," Severus said as he placed his face inches from hers, so that Hermione could see the trust in his eyes. "Poppy is not going to hurt you."
When Poppy received a nod from Severus, she waved her wand a few times over Hermione's body, not daring to touch her anymore. She knew very well that the child was in shock, and was frightened of her.
"She's fine Severus," Poppy informed him when her examination of her patient was over. "Best we keep her here for a few days. I shall go and floo Albus and Minerva." She walked back to her office.
Hermione then started to sob. Severus pulled her into his arms into a tight embrace after he sat on her bed. He felt her pulling tightly onto his white shirt, needing more comfort, so he shifted her onto his lap.
"Love, I'm here now," he said into her hair. "I'm here now and I'm not leaving you." Never again, he thought to himself. He continued to comfort her as her face was buried into his chest. He could feel her tears soaking through his thin cotton shirt.
Within minutes, the infirmary doors opened. Albus and Minerva walked towards Hermione's caught.
"How are you my dear Hermione?" Minerva asked. "It is so glad to see you awake."
Hermione made a muffled sound, and hugged Severus around his chest all the more. She tried to bury herself even deeper in his chest as she shook her head. Severus shot Minerva and Albus a glare, but it was somewhat soft for he was worried.
"It's alright Hermione," he told her. "Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore are here to see you. They just want to see that you're okay."
"Her lung is stable enough," Poppy informed them as she walked back in. "We'll just have to keep a close eye on her for a few days, and she'll be fine."
Hermione shook her head. Nothing was fine. Her step father came back and had hurt her. Once again, she had faced the greatest fear in her life—him. All she wanted and needed now was Severus and no one else.
"I will be going to Honeydukes Hermione to buy some lemon drops. Would you want anything sweet in particular?" Albus asked. He didn't know what else to say or ask. Maybe Hermione having a little something sweet would cheer her up just a bit, like it would to him.
"Would you like that Hermione? Candy or chocolate?" Severus asked.
Hermione hiccupped twice and tried to catch her breath. It did sound tempting. She hadn't had anything sweet in such a long time. She brought her thumb to her mouth and bit it and remained silent. It wasn't a no.
"Anything will do Albus," Severus answered for her. He understood her.
"Very well then. I'll just get a variety of sorts," he smiled. He offered his arm to Minerva and they both walked out of the infirmary.
"Not too much sweets Severus," Poppy warned him as she walked to her office.
"And I don't see why my Hermione can't have all the sweets that she wants," Severus chuckled to Hermione, and relished the warmth of her body. "Isn't that right my Love? Sweets for my sweet Hermione" he murmured into her hair.
Severus then lay down and propped himself up on the pillows with Hermione still on his lap, curling into his body. He knew perfectly well that she wouldn't let him go and wanted him close. With an arm, he reached for a book on the nightstand.
"Now where were we?" he asked as just looked at the book.
Hermione pointed to the bookmark, indicating that was were he had left off reading.
Hermione's head was cradled in one of Severus's hands, against his chest. She listened to two of the most beautiful sounds that she had ever heard. One was his voice, and the other was his heartbeat. She closed her eyes, and concentrated to those wonderful sounds alone.
"I love you."
Her eyes opened when she realized that it was Severus's voice that said the words of love to her. Maybe it was just a dream like Aphrodite? A dream with nothing to see, and everything to hear. Again, it couldn't be true. Could he love her like she loved him? Was he really her soul mate? When she could feel sleep over take her, she wished that she could have more dreams such as the two. It would be far better than her having her nightmares.
"I love you…"
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