The next day was Saturday, for which Hermione was absurdly grateful. She was awakened by a knock on the door and Dobby's voice in the hallway. "Breakfast for you, sirs!"

She felt her husband's eyes following her as she got up and went into the parlor to take the breakfast tray from Dobby. He handed her both the tray and a good-sized sack.

"More bandages and potions for Professor Snape, sir. Headmaster Dumbledore was insistent he stay in bed as long as possible and rest today."

"Thank you, Dobby." Hermione put her hand out to steady the house-elf before he vibrated so hard in his pleasure at being thanked that he fell over. In a lower voice, she added, "Could you do one more thing for me, though? Could you please go down to Professor Snape's study and find me a bottle of awareness potion and a sleeping draught?"

Dobby beamed at her. "I will, sir! I will be fast!"

Hermione closed the door behind him and managed to wrangle both the tray and the bag of bandages back to the bedroom without dropping either. Professor Snape had pushed himself up to be leaning against the headboard. He still looked a little ashen, but his eyes were no longer clouded.

"Breakfast," she said.

"I see." His face was back in that inscrutable mask. Anyone looking at him now would have no idea what had transpired between the two of them of the course of the last twenty-four hours. Although it's possible his feet were paining him again . . .

Hermione tugged the covers off the bed and set the tray on the bed next to her husband. While he picked at the food, she opened the sack of bandages and got to work re-wrapping his feet.

"They don't look as bad this morning, honestly," she said. "How do they feel?"

"Like I stood in a fire," he replied acerbically.

They really weren't as bad as they had been when he first came back. The soles of his feet were still angry and raw, but there was new skin forming under the blisters and the balls of his feet were no longer charred and blackened. Hermione spread the burn-be-gone ointment over his skin as gently as possible and re-wrapped each foot tightly.

Dobby returned just as she finished packing everything back into the sack. He handed her one blue vial and one greasy black one. "Is that what you are wanting, sir?"

"Those are exactly it. Thank you." She glanced back toward the bedroom. "Dobby, one more favor, if you would - could you please . . . could you bring Ron and Harry here? Tell them to bring the map - they'll know what I mean."

Hermione paused a moment to get her expression under control before going back into the bedroom. She hated to lie to her husband . . . not lie, exactly, but . . .

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Potions." She held up the two vials. "Awareness potion for us both, and a sleeping draught for you."

He scowled at her. "I never take those."

"You will today." She climbed up onto the bed next to him and indicated for him to bend his head so she could work the awareness potion into his hair. "Dumbledore says you have to stay in bed all day today, and the best thing for you right now is sleep. And no, grumbling about it isn't going to make me change my mind."

"I don't recall having given you permission to order me around," he snapped.

She held the wrist with the twine marriage bracelet up in his face. "I do," she snapped back. "Take the damn potion, Severus."

He did, eventually, but only after insisting Hermione eat a reasonable breakfast first - during which glared sullenly the whole time - and exacting a promise that she wouldn't do anything stupid while he was asleep. Forced bedrest made him cranky, it seemed. Hermione stood over him and glared right back until he drained the tiny blue vial and settled back down onto the mattress.

"I'm right here," she promised. And she stayed in bed next to him, running her hand over his chest and shoulder, until his breathing slowed and he stopped fighting sleep.

Hermione gave it another five minutes, just to be sure, then jumped up and got dressed. She worked a dollop of awareness potion into her own hair, then washed her hands and brushed her teeth and got herself presentable just in time for Ron and Harry and Dobby to get to the door.

She put her finger to her lips as she let them in. Ron's eyes were wide as he took in the sunny parlor.

"I expected more of a cave, actually," he whispered.

"I rather like it," Hermione found herself explaining, then wondered why she was feeling defensive. "But that's not important - did you bring the Marauder's Map?"

Harry patted the pocket of his robe. "What's going on, Hermione?"

"I want to see whether it shows higglewumps."

The dawning look in Harry's eyes would have been funny if the situation weren't so serious. "I can't believe we didn't think of that, but . . . yes, it might!" He pulled out the map and tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Lines appeared, then resolved into a map of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Snape, and Dobby were all shown clustered together one one end of the castle. Other dots moved around - professors, Mrs. Norris, Peeves -

"Show me the higglewumps," Harry breathed. And two more dots appeared. One was deep in the forest, but the other-

"What's it doing at the main doors?" Ron asked.

"Probably trying to get in," Hermione said. "I was wondering why they weren't inside the castle yet, but it would make sense that Hogwarts itself has even more spells on it than the grounds do. Apparently it will break in eventually, but for now -"

"For now you know where it is," Harry said. "Bravo, Hermione!"

"Yes, well." She turned to Dobby, who was standing behind Harry with wide eyes. "I have one more request for you, Dobby, and I'll understand if you're not able to. But someone needs to keep watch over Professor Snape in case the higglewump does somehow manage to get in. I promised I would be here . . . could you please stay with him? I hope to be back before he wakes up."

Dobby grinned and bowed almost to the floor. "Anything for you, sir!" he warbled. "The truth is -" - he leaned in conspiratorially - "- the truth is Dobby is not wanted in the kitchens, sir!" He rocked back onto his heels and tears welled in his eyes. "Headmaster Dumbledore has asked Dobby to help where he can, sir, and Dobby does, but the house-elves in the kitchen much prefer Dobby help elsewhere."

"In that case," said Ron, "I'm sure they would be happy for you to help us."

"Oh, yes, sir!" Dobby exclaimed. "I will watch Professor Snape, sir!"

"Thank you," Hermione said, and meant it. "Just - let him sleep, and if something happens, make sure he's awake and has his wand. Get Professor McGonagall from across the hall if you can. I don't think it will be a problem, but I don't want to just . . . leave him."

Harry shot her a look. Something in his eyes said he suspected more than she wanted him to. "So where are we going, Hermione? To confront a higglewump?"

She shook her head. "First, to talk to Hagrid."