A/N: Should I change this to a really low PG-13? I don't think it's really needed. Just want your opinion.

Chapter Five

"The Return"

Snape had managed to worm out of the bright orange pyjamas before anyone could see him wearing them. After consuming a modest breakfast of a piece of toast and orange juice, he was more than ready to head back to Hogwarts to get his things.

He had only been gone a day, but it seemed so much longer.

But no matter. Whatever time it felt like, or was in reality, it still felt incredible to be back in the dungeons, walking along the corridor, running his long fingers along the frozen stone. He loved the dank smell, the dim and flickering light, the utter silence…

But the silence was broken upon his passing of his classroom door. He could hear muffled bits of Hagrid's unusual drawl, punctuated by scattered laughs. Another few seconds of tense silence was followed by an astoundingly loud explosion.

Snape flung the door open in a haste he had previously not known.

"I demand to know what is going on in my classroom!"

Hagrid was bent over a blackened Dennis Creevey's cauldron, repeating over and over again, "Nah, that's a-right, Dennis. No 'arm done…jus' need to find where my molars went…"

Snape stood at the front of the class, enraged that no one seemed to notice he was there.

So he tried again. "Excuse me!"

Hagrid twisted his neck to look at Severus, his bearded face breaking into a warm smile. "Why 'ello, Severus! Didn' espect to be seein' ya for a while."

As if finally realizing who he was, the group of students gasped in unison. A small girl with mousy brown hair exclaimed, "I thought he was dead!"

Snape glared at Hagrid in questioning. "You told them I was dead?"

The half-giant stood upright and took Severus's arm, steering him to the front of the classroom. "Well, ya see, Professor, I though' that it would be easier on them ta tell them that ya we're dead than ta say that you were getting' married off to a stud'nt."

"Tell me, exactly, why you would think this?"

"Well, I was 'fraid that they would 'ave heart attacks from the pure 'orror of it all."

The murderous glare that Hagrid received convinced him that perhaps Severus wasn't in a mood for good humour.

"Hagrid, the only reason I returned was to gather my things for my…holiday. You are…" Severus squeezed his eyes shut. "…honestly, not so incompetent, just please keep my students in line and prevent, not encourage, the explosion of my classroom, please?"

"All righ', Professor," Hagrid said cheerfully, giving Snape a thump on the back that almost sent him flying across the room.

Severus regained his composure and headed toward the door. He turned back around to give Hagrid his last command before leaving. "Just…don't do anything stupid."

"No probl'm, Professor."

As Snape slowly closed the door behind him, he heard the last drawling strains of, "Oops…got some of my 'air in there. It's prob-ly still okay ta drink…"

The door shut with an echoing, metallic click. Snape sighed. His students were out of his hands.

And into the ones of Hagrid.

§

Snape had reached the entrance hall, black suitcase in hand, when two familiar and unusually loud voices piped up behind him.

"Well, I don't know, RON, but I think HERMIONE might be better NOW."

Snape whipped around to see that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were walking past him to the staircase, completely ignoring him.

"See, I don't THINK SO, Harry, because I think that BIG-NOSED GIT…"

"Ron, shut up."

"Oops, sorry, got carried away."

Harry sighed and swept a stray piece of unruly black hair back from his forehead, revealing a glimpse of his famed scar. "Maybe some PEOPLE or SOMEONE should go SEE HER. I think she would ENJOY the COMPANY."

Harry threw a disturbing wink in Severus's direction and disappeared behind the corner at the top of the stairs. Snape glared in disgust after them for several moments before he noticed what they…or at least Harry…was trying to get him to do.

And with prompting from Dumbledore, no doubt.

"No," Severus muttered angrily to himself. "I will not go see her."

But another voice, smooth as honey and deeper than his own, broke out from the back of his mind. The brilliant, oddly pretty Hermione Granger is a few staircases away…

"She's not pretty," Severus grunted.

Yes, she is.

"Shut UP!" Severus peeked around him, surprised by his outburst and hoping that no one had witnessed it. His wish was granted, he was alone.

Come on…

He finally gave in, taking a few steps toward the staircase. "Oh, what the bloody hell. No one will know."

§

Madam Pomfrey's hair was in disarray under her hat, her cheeks glowing red, and she smiled warmly as Severus entered the office.

"I suppose you've come to see your fiancée?" she said quietly, not able to hide her grin.

"She is not my fiancée," he replied scathingly, looking around the ward for the bushy-haired girl. "But yes, I have come to see Miss Granger."

"Whatever you say, Severus," she said, the smile fading only slightly. "I moved her into the Long-Term-Care unit. We can see her there."

Snape's heart started beating wildly in the chest, and for the first time he could think, he started tripping over his words in anxiousness. "Long-Term? Why Long-Term? She doesn't need to be in Long-Term. I'm going to…"

"Yes, Yes, I'm well aware what you're up to, Professor. It's just a fact that you need to accept. She won't…get better until you come through."

"I know that, Poppy. Please just…shut up."

Madam Pomfrey's grin faded into a smirk, and she led him through a heavily curtained doorway and a black-wooded door into a darkened room, somewhat tiny compared to the infirmary, and to the opposite wall. An elegant four-poster bed was pushed up against the stone, draped in heavy black velvet, the comforter of black silk stuffed with goose feathers. Hermione's hands were folded delicately over her stomach, her bushy brown hair spread out perfectly underneath her neck and lying nicely over her shoulders. She had the look of a peaceful sleep, her eyes calmly closed, her cheeks rosy and her chest rising and falling with each deep breath.

"Good Merlin, Poppy, she's not dead. Why all the black?"

"Well, it is your favorite colour."

Severus regarded her in confusion. "So?"

She shrugged, her grin again stretching across its place on her face. "I usually try not to presume things or ask too many questions, Severus. It was Dumbledore's suggestion, really. I just thought I would be considerate and offer you a place of your favorite colour for when she wakes up, for the…well, the place to consummate your marriage."

Snape's face turned a deep shade of red. "Excuse me?"

"Severus!" a friendly voice said the from the doorway, floating through the dark room toward them. "I thought I'd see you back soon, knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from Hermione for long." Lupin walked up to stand beside the Potion's Master, gazing down affectionately at the sleeping girl. "I hope you have some clue of where you're going."

Severus sighed, immediately following it with an irritated sniff. "Of course, I do. I'm not hopeless, Remus."

"Yes, I believe Trelawny had to help you out of a bit," Remus said with a roguish smile. "I always thought she would turn out to be useful at least once."

"I think you're getting ahead of yourself, Lupin," Pomfrey said with a wink, taking the werewolf's arm. "You know, Remus, I need some help getting a boggart out of the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I don't suppose you would want to help me?"

"I would be delighted, Madam."

Arm in arm, they walked cheerily out of the dank room, leaving Snape to stare, red-faced, after them.

There was only one way everyone in the entire castle had to be acting like this. The house-elves must have been slipping senility potion into the pumpkin juice or something, this just wasn't normal! Whoever was up to this, Snape knew he was going to wring their necks…

A little sigh distracted Severus from his murderous thoughts, and he looked back at the bed where sleeping Hermione was lying. Her head rocked to the side, and for a quick moment he had the notion that she might wake up. Resolutely, he walked over and cupped her cheek with his palm, whispering "Hermione. Hermione, are you awake?"

The girl didn't react to his touch. Her breathing deepened until it was back to its normal state, and not one of awakening.

She was pretty, honestly. He couldn't help but admit that to himself. Maybe even beautiful. Her beauty wasn't an obvious one; it coupled her quirky looks and her fierce intelligence, throwing in a pure heart for good measure.

Silently, he sat down on the bed beside her and ran his long fingers over the warm skin of her face, tracing her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose. Feeling her forehead, he realized it was pleasantly warm and not feverish at all. He moved his hand to hers, taking it lightly.

He couldn't deny it. There was something there, something he had for her. Something he didn't recognize. And something he wouldn't know until she was awake and he was back to his senses, if that would ever happen.

"You know," he whispered. "I think you would have laughed if you had seen me last night. I was wearing Ron's orange pyjamas. I looked like I was ready to join the American Muggle children in trick-or-treating."

He chuckled a bit, but it quickly faded away.

Overcome with a sense of uneasiness and unknown feelings, he leaned back on the mattress and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, tucking her bushy-haired head underneath his chin. She smelled like peaches, Pomfrey must have been keeping her clean while she slept.

Holding his young fiancée, Snape's eyelids began to drift close. The door was creaking open before he even realized that he had fallen asleep.

"Why, I didn't think I'd see the day come so soon!"

Oh, good Merlin. Snape was resting with a sleeping Hermione and Dumbledore had just chosen that moment to enter the room. Much to Snape's dismay, he sounded like he was on the verge of laughter.

"Well, if I can tear you away from your lover's arms for a week or so…" Why on earth did he have to wink? "…Charlie Weasley is here and requesting your presence so he can get back to work. Can you do that, Severus?"

The Potion's Master jumped up from the bed, smoothing his clothes as his face turned a faint pink. "I am most definitely ready to go, Albus."

"Good. You can use Fawkes to get to Normandy, if you'd like. Apparating at longer distances can be so taxing. If you don't mind?"

Snape nodded, grateful for the turn in conversation. "That would be preferred. Thank you."

Albus turned toward the door and Severus began to follow him, until the Headmaster quickly turned around. "Don't worry, Professor. I'll only tell everyone."

He winked again as he turned back, his deep blue, star-studded robes disappearing behind the black curtains.

§

Hermione breathed deeply, feeling extremely comfortable and warm. She had heard the familiar voice, the soothing baritone whispering to her. She felt the warm fingers tracing the contours of her face, embracing her hand in a sign of obvious affection. She remembered with relish the lean arm tightly wound around her waist, and how she tried to respond to his touch, but her body refused to act in any way but that of one asleep.

His chin had been tucked over her head, cradling her in his embrace.

Good Merlin, the impossible was happening. If Hermione didn't no better, she would think that Snape was falling in love.

Or was already in love.

And so was she.

Wait…did he say he had been wearing Ron's pyjamas?

Hermione would have burst into loud peals of laughter if she could, but instead was drifting back into her sleep, the one that would seem to last for eternity, and, she knew, unless awoken with Snape's kiss.

She knew. She knew the curse. But there was no way she could tell him.

Come on, Severus, she thought, weighing his first name oddly in her mind. Stop being so bloody stubborn.

Ah, what he did for her. Why couldn't he find it in himself for just one simple kiss?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay, fluffiness.

Thanks to: KDarkMaiden (Ok, I suppose a bit more on the humor front. But I'm too modest :)), Electryone (all right, I'll try to find it in my heart (/laziness), to go back and fix it. Could have swarn that I had it right...I love Disney endings, too. Except when the whole story is sad and scarring, like Bambi), SublimeWonder (I honestly would like to see him in bright orange PJs, too, he would probably look hot), Meriadoc / Celithrathien (hm...if you don't mind, could you possible send me an e-mail and point out other spelling errors? I'd like to fix them. Thanks! (it's arbahesray@hotmail.com)), Cassandra22 (I think it would be enjoyed by all, except, perhaps, Ron), DarkShadowFlame (I think Chapter 4 actually was my favorite so far), Evanescence (He's a very complex character, at least I think he starting to admit his feelings for her. Took him bloody long enough...even though it's only been a week. Heh.), larson (maybe he should go back...be adopted by them? Hehe, kidding), Piggie (Yeah, I knew about that and I did keep it in mind. We'll find out how she got out of Hogwarts later, I promise (and if I don't explain, you can kick me in the shins)), Aindel S. Druida (maybe swoon a bit?), AddisonRae (be patient, my friend), Pas Moi (I'm trying! This is so fun to write), Talio (hm...well, Dumbledore's motives are non-existant, except that he loves their pairing and that he's tipping on the edge, if he hasn't already plunged over, the edge of insanity. With Snape and Hermione's interests, we're getting more and more into that), the soul cage (ah, don't shun me, but I'm not the hugest fan of Orlando, even though I do respect him as an actor. But Johnny Depp rocks my socks), Snapecake (I hope not literally, I try to promote safety to my readers :)), kLyn (My goal is to delight!), Romm (I'm thinking he probably didn't concern himself with learning it...or maybe he has a closet obsession with a color that's not dark and depressing?), aPPle-FrrEAk (My muse is currently hitting on me, being the motivation for the fluffy parts of this chapter. He's such a weird little thing), JoeBob1379 (Oh, he will...if he finds out), nightcrawler7082 (she can be right, but only on an incredibly rare occasion), and soul (oooh, she does ;)). You guys are crazy for reviewing so much, but I appreciate it immensely.

Please review!

A cyber-biscuit to whomever can guess what day my birthday is!

Hint: It's in November, and I'm not being incredibly subtle...okay, maybe I am ;) You'll have to look around my account a bit...