**Note** YAY! Sappiness! This is the best soppy sentimentality I have to
offer you! (To some it might not seem that bad, but to me..)Well, enjoy!
Ah, the pleasures of a horribly boring summer afternoon! It's such a shame-
I still don't have a driver's license so I can't go anywhere.
Hermione's journey back to consciousness was a slow one, for her body if not for her mind. Someone was staring at her intensely-she could feel eyes moving over her face. A hand desperately gripped her own. Then memories of bad coffee and blinding pain wormed their way into the forefront of her mind, and she knew she must be in recovery. How bad had the damage been? She certainly felt no pain at the moment. Movement from another area of the room alerted her to the presence of yet another pair of eyes. She heard a muffled but discernible voice.
"I'm so sorry Severus." It was unmistakably Dumbledore speaking. "You did everything you could, my friend. Even my powers are not great enough to achieve what you did today. All you can do now is hope." There was a soft sigh next to her, and the hand holding hers shifted gently. There was a click as Dumbledore left and shut the door, and the presence next to her, which could only be Severus, breathed shakily. Was he trying not to cry? She could feel his distress, and struggled to wake up, to get back to him. But another part of her wanted to sink into the darkness, to be forever wrapped up in peaceful, numb oblivion. A strangled half-sob jolted her to consciousness, and she opened her eyes. Snape was sitting next to her, his glassy eyes staring at their entwined hands. His hair hung in his face haphazardly and his skin was unusually pale. His breathing was ragged and he didn't notice her looking at him in his despair. Hermione's heart broke for him, and whatever pieces of it that hadn't belonged to him before were instantly placed in his care. Gently, Hermione squeezed his hand and whispered his name.
His eyes widened and flew to her own, soon followed by his entire astonished face. Shock soon melted into relief, and then tenderness. Hermione had never seen him so vulnerable as he stared at her, watching her as though she were something precious-something loved.
"Oh, God," he breathed, quietly. He half believed that if he did anything she would just disappear. He leaned towards her just to see if she was real, letting one tear spill onto his cheek. Hermione reached to wipe the tear away, and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes almost reverently. When he opened them again, Hermione thought she'd never seen so much passion in one person's gaze. Desperately he pulled her into a crushing embrace, whispering into her hair. "Don't ever do that to me again. I thought I had lost you." He released her gently, and gave her that amazing look again. Then there was a knock on the door, and the Headmaster poked his head in. When he saw Hermione, his eyes widened and he leapt into the room, too, amazingly excited.
"Dear Merlin, Miss Granger! You're alive!" Hermione raised an eyebrow, surprised that she didn't feel ill at all. She was in her own quarters, and Crookshanks had entered behind Dumbledore, looking extremely guilty. Hermione made the appropriate connections and felt the anger rise.
"Crookshanks! This is your fault, isn't it?" Crookshanks cringed. If he had been a dog, his tail would have been between his legs. [It worked, fortunately. I've never seen anyone as concerned-or as powerful-as he is. Sorry, I had to hurt you to help you. It didn't take him long to find his power source once you hit the floor.] Hermione looked angry for a moment and telepathically screamed obscenities at her cat. Finally, she sighed and said, "It's all right, this time. If you ever pull anything like that again, you'll end up on the streets of muggle London. Understand?" Crookshanks nodded, which looked very peculiar because he was a cat. Dumbledore's eyes started to twinkle. "Ah, Gryffindors," he smiled. "So quick to forgive." Severus fixed a death glare on the cat, but then forgot it because Hermione asked what time it was.
"It's two in the morning on Wednesday," he murmured. Hermione started, but he held her down. "I drank that coffee five days ago!" He nodded. "Miss Granger, you had us all worried sick," Dumbledore sighed. "We are very fortunate that Severus here finally found the source of his magic. I've never seen anyone have poison extracted from her very veins before. What worried us was that we couldn't get it from your organs without damaging them, and we weren't sure just how much the poison had spread. You are very lucky." Hermione looked at Severus. "Yes, I suppose I am." Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "Well, I had better owl Harry and Draco. Those boys were worried sick. Besides, it's a bit late-or early--and I haven't slept in a while. You should sleep, too, Severus. You haven't in days." He smiled and stepped into the fireplace, where he disappeared. Hermione realized that she was both exhausted and starving. Severus seemed to be suffering from the same ailments-he was about to collapse. But somehow he still managed to focus on her.
"I'm fine Severus," she laughed. "Just tired." He nodded, and rose to leave, when she stopped him. "Wait. Severus, don't leave. Sleep in here with me." He looked like a train was about to hit him. Hermione laughed. "I don't mean anything inappropriate! Just get into bed! I don't know if you can even make it across the library to your own rooms. Besides. I want you here." Confused but obedient, he moved towards her. She was about to insist that he change into his pajamas, but then she had the sneaking suspicion that he might not wear them. Winking at him and turning away out of decency gave him the hint that he should strip down at least to his trousers. Gingerly he climbed in next to her, and just lay there, tense. Hermione turned to him and made herself comfortable, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest. His breathing hitched again, and Hermione smiled to herself as his heartbeat thundered rapidly in her ears and against her cheek. Finally Severus returned her embrace and rested his head temptingly close to hers. He could smell her hair, and he relaxed as he inhaled the scents of lavender and cherry blossoms. Soon they both slept, cradled in each other's arms.
Hermione's journey back to consciousness was a slow one, for her body if not for her mind. Someone was staring at her intensely-she could feel eyes moving over her face. A hand desperately gripped her own. Then memories of bad coffee and blinding pain wormed their way into the forefront of her mind, and she knew she must be in recovery. How bad had the damage been? She certainly felt no pain at the moment. Movement from another area of the room alerted her to the presence of yet another pair of eyes. She heard a muffled but discernible voice.
"I'm so sorry Severus." It was unmistakably Dumbledore speaking. "You did everything you could, my friend. Even my powers are not great enough to achieve what you did today. All you can do now is hope." There was a soft sigh next to her, and the hand holding hers shifted gently. There was a click as Dumbledore left and shut the door, and the presence next to her, which could only be Severus, breathed shakily. Was he trying not to cry? She could feel his distress, and struggled to wake up, to get back to him. But another part of her wanted to sink into the darkness, to be forever wrapped up in peaceful, numb oblivion. A strangled half-sob jolted her to consciousness, and she opened her eyes. Snape was sitting next to her, his glassy eyes staring at their entwined hands. His hair hung in his face haphazardly and his skin was unusually pale. His breathing was ragged and he didn't notice her looking at him in his despair. Hermione's heart broke for him, and whatever pieces of it that hadn't belonged to him before were instantly placed in his care. Gently, Hermione squeezed his hand and whispered his name.
His eyes widened and flew to her own, soon followed by his entire astonished face. Shock soon melted into relief, and then tenderness. Hermione had never seen him so vulnerable as he stared at her, watching her as though she were something precious-something loved.
"Oh, God," he breathed, quietly. He half believed that if he did anything she would just disappear. He leaned towards her just to see if she was real, letting one tear spill onto his cheek. Hermione reached to wipe the tear away, and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes almost reverently. When he opened them again, Hermione thought she'd never seen so much passion in one person's gaze. Desperately he pulled her into a crushing embrace, whispering into her hair. "Don't ever do that to me again. I thought I had lost you." He released her gently, and gave her that amazing look again. Then there was a knock on the door, and the Headmaster poked his head in. When he saw Hermione, his eyes widened and he leapt into the room, too, amazingly excited.
"Dear Merlin, Miss Granger! You're alive!" Hermione raised an eyebrow, surprised that she didn't feel ill at all. She was in her own quarters, and Crookshanks had entered behind Dumbledore, looking extremely guilty. Hermione made the appropriate connections and felt the anger rise.
"Crookshanks! This is your fault, isn't it?" Crookshanks cringed. If he had been a dog, his tail would have been between his legs. [It worked, fortunately. I've never seen anyone as concerned-or as powerful-as he is. Sorry, I had to hurt you to help you. It didn't take him long to find his power source once you hit the floor.] Hermione looked angry for a moment and telepathically screamed obscenities at her cat. Finally, she sighed and said, "It's all right, this time. If you ever pull anything like that again, you'll end up on the streets of muggle London. Understand?" Crookshanks nodded, which looked very peculiar because he was a cat. Dumbledore's eyes started to twinkle. "Ah, Gryffindors," he smiled. "So quick to forgive." Severus fixed a death glare on the cat, but then forgot it because Hermione asked what time it was.
"It's two in the morning on Wednesday," he murmured. Hermione started, but he held her down. "I drank that coffee five days ago!" He nodded. "Miss Granger, you had us all worried sick," Dumbledore sighed. "We are very fortunate that Severus here finally found the source of his magic. I've never seen anyone have poison extracted from her very veins before. What worried us was that we couldn't get it from your organs without damaging them, and we weren't sure just how much the poison had spread. You are very lucky." Hermione looked at Severus. "Yes, I suppose I am." Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "Well, I had better owl Harry and Draco. Those boys were worried sick. Besides, it's a bit late-or early--and I haven't slept in a while. You should sleep, too, Severus. You haven't in days." He smiled and stepped into the fireplace, where he disappeared. Hermione realized that she was both exhausted and starving. Severus seemed to be suffering from the same ailments-he was about to collapse. But somehow he still managed to focus on her.
"I'm fine Severus," she laughed. "Just tired." He nodded, and rose to leave, when she stopped him. "Wait. Severus, don't leave. Sleep in here with me." He looked like a train was about to hit him. Hermione laughed. "I don't mean anything inappropriate! Just get into bed! I don't know if you can even make it across the library to your own rooms. Besides. I want you here." Confused but obedient, he moved towards her. She was about to insist that he change into his pajamas, but then she had the sneaking suspicion that he might not wear them. Winking at him and turning away out of decency gave him the hint that he should strip down at least to his trousers. Gingerly he climbed in next to her, and just lay there, tense. Hermione turned to him and made herself comfortable, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest. His breathing hitched again, and Hermione smiled to herself as his heartbeat thundered rapidly in her ears and against her cheek. Finally Severus returned her embrace and rested his head temptingly close to hers. He could smell her hair, and he relaxed as he inhaled the scents of lavender and cherry blossoms. Soon they both slept, cradled in each other's arms.