CHAPTER 4: A Guardian Angel and Lunch

Severus Snape was lost in darkness. He felt no pain, but then he felt nothing else. I must be how a ghost feels, he thought, still devoid of any emotion. Am I dead then?

"Severus, you must hold on," A beautiful voice told him forcefully. But it also sounded as though she was crying. "Please wake up!" Is she crying for me? He wondered. Something nagged at the back of his mind but when he tried to find it, he found himself lost in a sea of fog.

"Please wake up," The voice said again, that time sounding more faint. He tired to follow it but it was no use. All around him fog swirled, as if taunting him for being trapped in his own mind.

* * * * * * * * *

Madame Pomfrey watched Hermione from the other side of the hospital ward. The care, the worry, and –was it love? – astounded the medi-witch. Never since Severus had come to this school had any, save for the headmaster, cared about him in even the remotest of sense. He had always been such a lonely boy, and even now when he was working so hard for the order, coming back almost half-dead from every death eater meeting, people still shunned him and criticized him. Of course, the medi-witch thought wryly, It wouldn't hurt him to have a change in his attitude toward everyone else. Tears made their way down Hermione's face.

"There, there dear," Madame Pomfrey said, patting the girl's shoulder. "He'll be alright."

"I hope so," Hermione sniffed. "There's so much I don't know about him. I don't know if I could bare it if he died with every one hating him." Smiling kindly down upon the young witch, Madame Pomfrey handed the girl a tissue.

"Wipe your eyes," She instructed. "Now, go and get some food." When Hermione started to protest she held up a hand. "He'll still be here when you get back, and I know he wouldn't be happy if you got sick worrying yourself over him. Now go." Smiling weakly, Hermione nodded and got up. Her stomach growled.

"Maybe I am a little hungry," Hermione admitted, laughing a little as she walked off to the kitchens.

* * * * * * * * *

Harry and Ron stared into each other's eyes, both scowling heavily.

"Why did she yell at us?"

"I don't know Ron."

"Why did she stick up for Snape?"

"I don't know Ron."

"Why does she care about Snape?"

"I don't know Ron."

"Do you know anything Harry?"

"I don't know Ron."

"I'm confused."

"Me too, me too."

And so they continued to stare and scowl, contemplating new ways to be more confused.

* * * * * * * * *

Dumbledore watched as Hermione rushed back to the hospital wing, having scarfed down a quick meal. He ran his hand thoughtfully through his long, silvery beard. Truly he was amazed at how fast they were growing together. He had expected it to take all summer at least, if not into the next school year. Which reminded him, he would have to remember to ask Miss Granger is she was interested in becoming the new DADA teacher.

* * * * * * * * *

The fog continued to blow and tease Severus. Slowly, as he willed himself not to go crazy, he felt a tingling sensation throughout his entire body. That tingle turned into an ache and the ache into full-fledged pain. He bit his lower lip to stop from crying out. While the pain was terrible it did mean something good: he wasn't dead and was beginning to wake up. The fog began to lift and the space to lighten and then a picture began to from over his head. Hermione Granger looked down at him worriedly. But as he looked at her closer he realized that she was not really Hermione at all.

"Who?" He croaked, his throat feeling dry, scratchy as if it hadn't been used in years. She smiled a half-smile that made her even more worn and depressed than before. Bringing herself down so that she was standing next to him he saw her eyes were the same dark, dark green as his own, not brown like Hermione's. She was a bit taller than Hermione too, but not quite as tall as him. Beyond that she appeared to be almost an exact duplicate of Hermione, on the outside at least.

"When you wake up," She told Severus, her voice lower than Hermione's and smoother. "I will be there waiting for you beside Hermione. I will explain myself more fully then. Now follow me." He didn't know who she was, nor where she came from, but for some reason Severus found himself trusting her completely. So he followed. They walked for what seemed like hours in the pure white void until suddenly a door appeared.

"Go through it," She instructed, then disappeared. He turned the handle and stepped through.

* * * * * * * * *

Severus's eyes flickered open. It was now late at night. He groaned, his body hurt, badly. Casting his gaze over to the side of the bed he saw Hermione sleeping, she leaned against him and clutched his hand. On her right stood the woman who had brought him back from the darkest corner of his mind.

"You should sleep," She said shortly. He stared at her, wanting to ask who she was, how did she know him, where was she from, why was she here, but as he looked into those deep green eyes he felt himself grow weary and unwillingly fell asleep.

"Sweet dreamsfather." Then she left the hospital wing to go and find Dumbledore; there was much she had to tell him.

* * * * * * * *

Thank you so much for your reviews! Really appreciate it, expecially fleria and Kitty McGonagall! And now I must say that the next chapter will be rated PG-13, but afterwards it should go back to PG. It won't be anything terribly bad, but just so ya know. Keep the reviews coming ~ Remo