The usual disclaimer applies...

Chapter 26

A Glimmer of Hope

Although they had apparated together to the hospital, Hermione made no effort to talk to Severus before they reached Jessica's hospital room. Her emotions were out of control. She was extremely distressed about Jessica, and she didn't even want to think about the situation with Severus. Inhaling a deep breath, she knocked cautiously on the door.

"Ms. Harris? Jessica? Severus and I are both here."

"Come in," she softly replied.

Hermione pushed the door open and let out a small gasp when she looked at the hospital bed.

"Hello, Hermione, Severus. You know you can't get rid of me that easily." Jessica still was extremely pale, but she was smiling as she spoke in her whispered voice. "It seems that the antibiotics are finally working, and hopefully I'll be free of this place in a week." She had removed the oxygen mask to speak, but put it back on as she watched Hermione and Severus gape at her.

Hermione gave her a huge hug as she spoke, "Oh, Jessica! Please don't scare me like that ever again. I ...I...don't know what to say. You are my best friend, and I thought..." She choked back the tears as she stumbled with the words.

"Yes...I know what you thought," Jessica spoke in almost a whisper. "What all of you probably thought." She looked from her mother, to Severus, and then back to Hermione.

-ooOOoo-

Hemione had stopped chopping and was staring at the bubbling cauldron in front of her. She had a small smile on her face as she thought back to her visit with Jessica. She had beaten the odds and was finally recovering from the pneumonia, and Hermione just had this feeling that one of these potions would work. Fate seemed to be in her favor, at least with Jessica's health. She briefly thought about Severus, and quickly moved past those thoughts. I need to focus on the positive with Jessica, not think about Severus's rejection of me, she solemnly thought.

She tried to refocus back to her chopping when Severus came back to the lab to talk to her. She had managed to avoid talking to him the first few hours they worked in the lab, but now the potion was at a stage where they needed to add more ingredients. She would have to face him now. She was hoping to keep the focus on the potion, and avoid any conversations of a personal nature.

"Hermione, we need to add the coneflower in the next ten minutes. Are you almost finished chopping it?"

"Yes." She tried to reply with as little emotion as possible. She was still hurt after Severus's reaction to her yesterday morning, and she didn't want any confrontations today. She knew he regretted having sex with her, and that it did not need to be discussed any more.

She made the mistake of glancing up at him after she answered him, and noticed the curious expression on his face.

"Hermione, I think we need to-"

"No, we don't. I don't have any regrets, but I know you do. It was a mistake, you have already told me as much. I don't think it is the time or place to discuss it right now. We need to focus on the potion for Jessica." She spoke steadily, but some anger was still present in her voice.

She carried the chopped coneflower toward the cauldron, avoiding looking at him as she placed it on the table.

"Hermione. I care about you. I don't-"

"Severus. Stop. Just stop. I know you care about me, I know we are friends...or at least we were friends. But your reaction after we had sex was explanation enough-"

She couldn't finish before he put down the knife and swiftly walked toward her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and quickly kissed her.

"Dammit, Hermione. Will you listen to me, now? I don't regret it. I care about you, I thoroughly enjoyed our night together. The only thing I regret is that it happened when we were both upset about Jessica. I want to be with you, just not under those circumstances."

"What? What do you mean?" She still was slightly flushed from the kiss, and didn't know exactly what to think at the moment.

"I have had feelings of more than friendship for several weeks. I...I wanted to do this properly. I was going to ask you to dinner, and take things slowly. I probably would have waited until we were done with Jessica's potion so I could focus on us. Then Jessica ended up in the hospital, and things moved quickly. I don't regret that night, I just wished it happened under different circumstances. I didn't want either of us to feel like it was rushed and have regrets later on."

She looked up at him and smiled. "You really want to be involved with me? Really?"

He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Yes...yes I do."

A/N...Finally, some successful communication!

A short chapter...I know. I tried to lengthen it, but it seemed cluttered.

Coneflower is also known as echinacea, which is a common herb used to boost the immune system and fight infection. I thought it would make sense to use it in a healing potion :)