Excruciating pain tore through every fiber of Snape's body – his arms felt as though they were being shredded with razor blades, his legs were being simultaneously boiled and torn violently from his body, his neck was being repeatedly broken, his head jerking in different unnatural angles, and he was being suffocated by grief, for he would never again see Hermione Granger; there was an unimaginable weight on his chest, slowly collapsing his lungs, cracking his ribs, splinters piercing his heart in slow motion. Had he been able to draw enough breath, he would have cried out in agony, but something extraordinarily heavy was on his chest, hovering over him; he could feel it staring at him, it's loud breaths hot on his face…staring? taking breaths? Snape's eyes snapped open to see that he was, in fact, being crushed by a three-ton elephant made of silver wisps. Snape nearly laughed, remembering that Madam Pomfrey's Patronus was an elephant, but the meaning of its arrival was anything but humorous.

"Alright, alright, can you let me breathe?" Snape coughed feebly. The elephant looked startled, then embarrassed as it got off of the professor.

The Death Eaters stared blankly at the Elephant Patronus and Snape as the two apparently communicated briefly, although much too quietly to be overheard.

Snape nodded solemnly, patted the elephant's trunk, and then turned to face the Death Eaters as Madam Pomfrey's Patronus faded away. Snape cleared his throat, "Albus Dumbledore is alive."

"What?That's not possible," Voldemort hissed angrily.

"I'm afraid it is, My Lord," Snape said.

"But how?"

Taking a breath to keep his voice from shaking, Snape replied, "Polyjuice Potion. It seems Harry Potter did not accompany the Headmaster to the Cliffs of Moher to retrieve the locket. Dumbledore was impersonating Mister Potter. Albus Dumbledore is still very much alive. I apologize, My Lord; I will not fail you again, I swear it."

"I do not give second chances, Severus," Voldemort sneered, "This will be your only chance to redeem yourself. Go. Take care of this."

Snape could have jumped for joy or collapsed into sobs of happiness, but he had time for neither; instead, he rushed out of the house and hurried to the end of the walkway before Disapparating.

The moment his feet touched the ground outside the Hogwarts gate, Snape sprinted toward the Hospital Wing, earning him several stares and baffled looks from students.

Rushing across the stone path, Snape didn't stop to open the door to the infirmary; instead, he tore through it fiercely, flinging it open violently, "Poppy? Poppy, is she awake yet?" he asked as he rushed inside. He stopped abruptly when he saw a very old man with a long beard and blue eyes twinkling behind half-moon spectacles. Approaching slowly, Snape eyed the man, "It can't –"

"Oh, but it can, my dear Severus," Dumbledore spoke, "I have, after all, been called the greatest wizard of the age…"

"That was once," Snape replied, "And the wizard who said it was drunk."

"And The Daily Prophet, as well as Witch Weekly."

Snape grumbled.

"Is it my fault that Rita Skeeter happened to be in the room when it was said?"

Growling in exasperation, Snape shook his head, deciding that he had more important matters to see to than Dumbledore's fame.

"She's not awake yet, Severus, but will be soon," the headmaster said.

His dark eyes flicked to Dumbledore, "What?"

"Miss Granger, she's not yet awake…that is why you're here, isn't it, to be at her side when she does?"

Snape's face was unreadable; he simply stared at Dumbledore.

Chuckling, Dumbledore stood, placed his hand on Snape's shoulder, and began walking toward Hermione's little sectioned area. When the pair reached Hermione's bedside, Dumbledore conjured two chairs and sat in one, motioning for Snape to take the other.

Once they had both sat down, Dumbledore gave a sly, knowing smile, "It seems my suggestion of dancing with Miss Granger at the Celebration at the start of the year is to blame for her current situation; it inadvertently made her a target. I accept the fault for your tumultuous year."

"Fault?" Snape questioned, "Fault? There is no fault for the year. The credit, that you can take. Her current state is my fault, and my fault alone, Albus, but the year, no, the year was an enjoyable one, the best I'd ever had."

Dumbledore gave a slight smile and a soft sigh, "Severus, her current situation is not your fault; it is no one's fault but Voldemort's, who, I assume was not pleased to hear that I am still alive."

"Not at all," Snape agreed, "How did you manage to so convincingly fake your death?"

"I had help," Albus replied, "Namely from Horace Slughorn…and Sirius Black."

"I beg your pardon?"

Dumbledore chuckled, "My, Severus, I daresay I've never seen you look so confused. On the night Harry and I supposedly went to get the locket, it was really myself as Harry, and Sirius Black as me."

"Black is dead," Snape said flatly, "He died last year."

"No, Severus, Sirius fell through the veil in The Department of Mysteries. Much like Marvolo Gaunt's ring, the veil is more of a timestamp for death than an actual cause. Each gives only a year to those who face them. Sirius would have died a week following the Astronomy Tower, but he chose to give up those seven days to help us destroy Voldemort. I will pass over the summer break."

"And how did Slughorn help you?"

"He wanted a vacation; I've been literally in his skin the last few weeks. He arranged his lessons and potions for me, but he's a few day later than we planned, and I do believe I caused an accident earlier in the week; I cannot seem to enchant the chalk not to shake as it writes on the blackboard."

Dumbledore had left not long after his conversation with Snape, who was now sitting alone beside Hermione's bed, watching her anxiously.

Madam Pomfrey stepped to the dark-haired professor, "It's closing in on an hour, isn't it?"

Snape nodded and rubbed his forehead, "By the way, Poppy, was it really necessary to have your Patronus stand on top of me? It's an elephant. An elephant, Poppy, an elephant."

"Sorry, dear, I rarely use a corporeal Patronus, I forget how realistic they can be."

Hermione stirred slightly.

"I'll leave you two alone," the Healer said, dismissing herself.

Snape moved to sit on the edge of Hermione's bed, watching her face in anticipation. She stirred again, her arms stretching at her sides. The girl twisted subtly as her eyelids fluttered. Snape took hold of her hand, swallowing hard. Slowly, very slowly, Hermione's eyes opened; Snape sighed as soon as he saw her chocolate eyes looking up at him.

"Did you enjoy your nap?"

Hermione rubbed her eyes, "What happened?" She sat up slowly, Snape helping with a hand between her shoulder blades. As soon as she was upright, the professor embraced her tightly, squeezing her against himself before kissing her desperately.

The girl gave a weak but warm smile, "What was that for? Wait…am I in the Hospital Wing? Why am I in the Hospital Wing?"

Sighing, Snape explained, "Because I let you become involved. I should never have put you in that situation. You were captured…taken hostage because…because The Dark Lord wanted to use you to get information from me."

Hermione frowned at him as her stomach rumbled loudly, "What time is it?"

"It's around seven o'clock, but, Hermione, you've been in here for nearly a month." Snape frowned for a brief moment before he conjured a large sandwich and crisps for Hermione.

Hermione ate enthusiastically for a moment before slowing down, "A month? No, no way."

"Yes, I'm sorry to say so, but it's been almost a month."

After swallowing a bite of sandwich, Hermione asked, "So, what happened?"

Snape recounted what had occurred, for it seemed her memory of events was inaccessible. Hermione listened in silence, nodding and devouring her food until he had finished.

"Thank you, Severus," she said quietly, "Thank you so much."

Swallowing thickly, Snape spoke again, "Hermione, I never wanted this to happen. My past will always be my past, and it will follow me wherever I go. Anyone close to me is likely to be affected by my mistakes; I've been evading it for so long, but this has shown me I can never escape it, and I believe I must face it alone. To protect you."

"I don't need protecting! Severus, I don't need you to protect me; I just need you," Hermione said.

Snape smiled faintly and stood to unwrap his robes from under his leg.

"Where are you going?"

He sat back down on the edge of her bed, shaking his head in amusement and exasperation, smiling to himself.

"What's so funny?"

Gently taking her hand, Snape said, "Would you believe that I was able to stand up to The Dark Lord because of you?"

"That's preposterous," Hermione said, but when she saw her professor's adoration for her and his sincerity, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Snape looked at his hands for a moment before replying, "For the past several months, He's asked me the same question, told me I needed to decide where my loyalties are. 'Severus, have you decided where your loyalties lie?'"

"What did you say?"

Snape turned his hand over to reveal that he was holding an emerald and diamond encrusted ring, "With you."