Chapter Ten: Administering the Antidote and an Unexpected Visitor

The last day of her stay at Snape's and she was so nervous to go back to Hogwart's She hadn't heard a reply from Harry and began to wonder if the letter even got to him. Dumbledore showed up around midday to make sure that Hermione had some help to give Snape his potion.

"Miss Granger! How delightful to see you. I trust everything's ok?" He said with a wink.

"Wonderful!" she said and absentmindedly rubbed her forearm which still had a huge bruise and numerous cuts on it. She winced with pain. "We should get this potion to Snape then..."

"Of course." Dumbledore conjured a goblet and ladled the potion into it. It was the perfect shade of turquoise that it was supposed to be and Hermione was so proud that she had done it, and for some reason, sad that it meant she had to leave.

Dumbledore and Hermione took the potion up to Snape. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn't expected Snape to look so terrible because when he first caught of sight of Snape he said "Oh my..."

Snape did look awful...he was pale, sweating, shaking, and in pain everywhere, he looked miserable. His hair was a mess and he wasn't clean shaven, he had stubble all over his white cheeks.

"Well we better do this right away Miss Granger. I'll let you do the honors since you worked so hard on this." He said.

Hermione really didn't want to be the one who would administer the potion, but perhaps he had a point.

Hermione sat down on Snape's bed right next to him, and held his head up with her hands.

"Professor? If you can hear me...I'm going to give you your potion now." She felt like she was talking to a brick wall.

She held the goblet up to his lifeless lips, and poured the potion down his throat. He coughed a little up, but most of it went down. She knew that the effect would be immediate, but she hadn't realized how immediate.

Color was pouring back into his face, he stopped shaking, and all the pain vanished from his body instantly. Snape felt a million years younger.

He lifted himself out of bed and looked at Hermione.

"You may leave now." Were the first words out of his completely healed body.

Hermione looked confused, as did Dumbledore.

"Severus, would you not like to thank Miss Granger for her skilled work on saving your life?" He said, forcing a false smile. He was not too happy with Snape.

"No I would not. You may leave Mudblood."

"SEVERUS! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!" shouted Dumbledore. Tears were streaming down Hermione's cheeks now and she ran out of the room. As she went down the stairs, she could hear Dumbledore and Snape shouting at each other.

She packed up all of her things as fast as she could and left his house. She was leaving for good, and she had never hated Snape more.

Back in Snape's house, Dumbledore was so infuriated with Snape that he left and decided to talk to Snape about it back at Hogwart's when they were both more calm.

Snape had his head in his hands, sitting on the edge of his bed. He slumped down and was now laying flat on the floor, staring under his bed. He was so exhausted.

He saw something under his bed...a piece of parchment or something of that sort. He reached it out and opened it.

His mouth opened in awe...

He read the letter twice to make sure he wasn't delirious. Things that struck him as odd were things she said like:And he well kind of gave me what I deserved, I got hit a couple of times and some marks here and there...well it wasn't that bad. He was going to hurt Snape, Harry. I wouldn't let it happen. I deserved what I got. I'm feeling something for Snape, Harry but I don't know what it is. I don't hate him...I think its totally opposite of that. I'm not saying I'm in love with him, but it's a feeling I've never felt before.

He thought it sounded completely unlike Hermione, a brave, courageous Gryffindor to say these things. She deserved what she got, she wouldn't let Drew hurt him, she feels something for him? What was her problem? I beat her and she thinks she deserved it?

For the first time in a long time, Severus Snape felt sorry for someone, and that someone was Hermione. He realized what an awful thing he had done, and he didn't even have a good reason. He kept seeing the image of Hermione's face, wet with tears, trying to hold back the pain of his cruelty.

How could I have done this? What had gotten into me...she was completely innocent. But when I saw her in that idiots arms...something came over me...

He was so confused now. He should not be feeling something for Hermione. No...no...he was not feeling something for her. He would NEVER feel something for her.

He heard a voice inside his head now...someone screaming...it was Hermione. He couldn't keep her face out of his mind. He had caused her so much pain...for no reason.

And for the first time in years...A single shiny tear feel down his cheek and onto the floor.

He folded up the letter and put it in his robes, unknowingly. He would never forget that moment...even though he wanted to.

That very same moment, Hermione was just entering Hogwart's again. She wanted to see Drew but she knew he wouldn't be there. She lugged her trunk up the steps and headed for the giant oak door, and the two most people she wanted to see were waiting for her in the entrance hall. Harry and Ron.

"Mione! I cant believe it!" Ron said, wrapping his arms around her. She was a bit taken aback by their enthusiasm.

"Hermione! It's wonderful to see you. It's been bloody dull without you here." He said with a smile. "You can't believe how much we missed you." He said and gave her a embracing hug.

"Harry...I cant believe you're speaking to me!" Hermione said. She had expected Harry to be upset about what she had said in the letter.

"What are you talking about Hermione?" He said giving her a look of bewilderment.

Hermione pulled him aside to whisper to him, because she didn't really want Ron to hear, he tended to be dramatic.

And because Hermione had thought the letter had gotten to him, she said "I'm talking about the letter...about Snape...and how I feel something for him..." she whispered in his ear.

Harry was so shocked that with every word she whispered, it made his spine tingle. This couldn't be true.

"You WHAT?!" Harry shouted loud enough for the entire castle to hear.

"Harry, it was all in my letter!" Hermione said disbelievingly.

"I most certainly did NOT get this letter! What are you talking about? You and Sn—" he said.

"SSSH!" she whispered loudly. "Harry, I sent you a letter about everything that happened, and then talked about..." but she trailed off at the look on Harry's face. He obviously hadn't gotten the letter. "Oh no..." Hermione said. Now that she knew that Harry didn't get the letter, she wished she wouldn't of said anything. "Well I'll be going up to the Dormitory. Good night boys!" Hermione said and began pulling her trunk away. But Harry grabbed her by the shoulder and Ron said, "What IS going on? Nobody ever tells me anything!"

"Nothing is going on Ron. Don't be silly." Hermione answered and tried to walk away again.

"HERMIONE! YOU"RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Harry yelled. "NOW TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"Don't yell at me like that Harry!" she said and she sat down on the stone floor and cried. She wished she hadn't said anything. Harry was being too overprotective now, but it was too late. She had to tell him.

Back at Snape's he was all packed and ready to go. He levitated his trunk down the stairs and a shining piece of glass caught his eye, which made him start to relive everything all over again.

He reached the front door without a breakdown, but before leaving he looked at the letter once more. He read over it at least three more times before he came back to himself. His eyes swelled up and another tear dropped down onto the parchment, smearing the ink. He folded it up and put it in his pocket and disapparated right in front of Hogwart's and he walked the rest of the way.

In the entrance hall, Harry had sat down next to Hermione and was trying to comfort her. She kept trying to spit out what happened but she kept bawling. Her emotions were a teeter totter in her mind. She felt so much for Drew, but she felt something Snape...but she didn't even know what it was. It could have just been a feeling of friendship, but felt like something more because she had loathed him so much before that.

Ron had now joined them...but Hermione tried to push him away.

"Hermione...it's okay. I would never say anything..." He said as he put an arm around her. It sent a warm feeling throughout her body and she decided it would be okay if he stayed.

"Now...Hermione...tell me what's going on between you and Snape." Harry said.

There was a loud bang and a low voice that said...

"Absolutely nothing." It was Severus Snape himself.

Hermione's heart stopped beating at that moment. She couldn't believe it. He had the nerve to interrupt her conversation like it was any of his business. She used to think she deserved it, but she was coming back to her senses now and she was quite aware that she had been beaten for no apparent reason. If Dumbledore ever found out...he would be sacked straightaway. Maybe that was what she needed to do...tell Dumbledore! Then he would be rid of this place...and she would be so much happier here...not to mention Neville's hero!

No....she could never bring herself to be the reason that Snape lost his job. She looked into his cold eyes and for some reason it looked as though he had been crying.

Now Hermione just felt plain awful. Two minutes ago she would have had him fired and now she felt sorry for him again. How was he doing this to her? Nobody had ever had that effect on him before.

She didn't have anymore time to think about it though because Snape was approaching them.

"What do you want?" Ron asked with a mean scowl on his face.

"Since I am fully healed and back to teaching, I have a certain amount of authority here Mr. Weasley and I think it best if you mind your attitude." He snarled at Ron. "I think that will be ten points from Gryffindor, will it not?" Snape asked, being sarcastically polite. He was truly back in business now that he had taken points away from some other hose besides Slytherin.

"What for?!" Harry and Ron both asked simultaneously.

"For being insufferably annoying and shouting your mouth of...weasel..." he said with a grin.

Ron's face turned almost as red as his hair...an amazing feat.

Snape was moving closer to Hermione and was now standing right in front of her.

"Herm—Miss Granger, I was wondering if I could have word?" He said. He was going to call her Hermione again...Hermione was starting to shake so Harry helped Hermione off of the ground and Snape led her over to the other side of the entrance hall. Harry and Ron both wanted to follow her, but by the look on Snape's face, they knew they were not welcome.

When they were finally away from prying eyes and ears, Snape turned to Hermione and smiled. He was now putting his hand in the robes of his pocket and pulling out a piece of parchment. Hermione gasped.

It was her letter, no doubt about it.

"Professor..." she began but Snape but his hand on his shoulder. His smile was now fading away.

"Did you write this Miss Granger?" he asked calmly.

She didn't know what to say. The last thing she would admit to is writing a letter that suggested she was having strong feelings for Snape.

Hermione remained silent.

"Did you write this Miss Granger?" he repeated, his lip curling.

She still didn't say anything.

"Miss Granger, I'm going to ask you one more time and then I'm going to show Professor Dumbledore this note. Did you write this Miss Granger?" he was becoming very impatient now and Hermione was very uncomfortable. All she wanted was to go back to her dormitory and curl up in a ball hoping to fall asleep, wake up, and realize that everything was just a dream, and she just simply fell asleep at the party that night before Professor McGonnagall called her away.

"No." was all she could bring her croaky voice to say.

"Don't lie to me Miss Granger. I am skilled in Legilimency and could pry into your mind within seconds." He said.

Hermione was very scared now. She did not want Snape digging around in her mind, and knowing her deepest and darkest thoughts and memories.

"I didn't write that, sir." She lied. She was going to make sure she believed him.

"Funny, why would someone right this letter, someone who knew exactly what happened back at that house, and then sign your name..." he said.

Snape was now staring into the depths of Hermione's eyes and she knew what he was doing. He pulled out his wand and said "Legilimens!"

Hermione fell to her knees and was seeing flashes of memories. She was two years old on her first tricycle, she was starting kindergarten now and on the school bus for the first time. A 6th grader was beating her up when she was 8 years old. She was holding a letter that said she would be going to Hogwart's. She was aboard the Hogwart's express now. After several more flashes, she saw herself writing a letter; the very letter that Snape was holding right now.

She felt the spell being released from her, only because Ron and Harry had jumped on him and forced him to drop his wand.

"How dare you!"

"Completely inappropriate!"

"No authority!"

"She didn't do anything to you!"

Ron and Harry were shouting at Snape with all their might and strength. Snape managed to peel Ron off of him.

"I think that will be another thirty points from Gryffindor. You will both to straight to the Headmaster's office right now and explain to him that you were attacking a teacher!" he shouted. A few third year Hufflepuffs were walking by but kept on moving.

Harry and Ron did not protest because they knew they were in big trouble already. Besides, if they told the truth to Dumbledore then they would be fine.

Hermione was still on the floor and her body was aching. She felt like she was experiencing the worst headache in the world.

"Why did you do that?..." she asked. But she didn't sound angry. She sounded worried and bit scared as well.

"I knew you were not telling the truth Granger, and I have just seen evidence that you were indeed lying to me." He said while extending a hand to help her up. She grabbed his hand and pulled herself up.

"I...." She said but she started to cry.

"Oh, don't start blubbering Granger, I'm not being evil am I?" he asked. He had remembered hearing Hermione call him evil while talking to Drew.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. Her mind drifted back to the moment when she had said that.

"I'm sorry...." She said while wiping a tear away. She had to be strong about this... "That letter was just a joke I was going to send to Harry...He's so overprotective of me I thought it would be funny..." she lied.

"You thought you would tell him that you were.....you were...." He couldn't finish. It just sounded weird to say something like that out loud. But he had to confront her. "That you were feeling something for me?" snape said looking extremely angry now. "I would not find that funny Granger!"

"I'm.... sorry." she said while staring at the stone floor.

"I'm not a dunderhead Miss Granger. I know that this letter is not fake. Why did you write this...Is it true?" He didn't look very angry now...but anxious, like he was about to hear something he was dreading.

"No....its not true." Hermione replied. She didn't know what else to say.

"Of course." He looked annoyed now. "Then it will be all right and show this to the staff and entire student body?" He asked. Snape looked serious...like he would really do something like that.

"NO!" she shouted! "No.... Please..." she pleaded

"And why not?" He said crisply.

"Because...." She started.

"Because what Granger?" He said curiously. He knew he would crack her.

"Because it's true. Or it was true." She said. Her legs now felt like jelly underneath her and she fell to the floor.

Inside Snape's mind, he was really falling apart. He had only wanted to prove a point to her, but it had gone too far and he was staring at an innocent girl who was crying because of him.

Snape sat down next to her and leaned against the wall. He couldn't unravel himself now; he needed to be strong and stern. He didn't feel anything for this girl, but she obviously did, or had at one time. He had to make sure that she wouldn't continue feeling those things. If he changed his attitude now, she would get suspicious.

"Granger, you can't go around writing these idiotic letters. You don't feel anything for me and you never will. I suggest that you stop being an immature girl with a petty crush and act like an adult. If I hear anything about this again, you will be put in detention and really know the meaning of pain." He said as Hermione had just rubbed her hand over her stomach, which had a scar on it now from a particularly deep cut...caused by him. "Granger, I strongly advise you to forget this ever happened." Snape dropped the piece of parchment in his lap and walked away with a swish of his billowing black robes.

Hermione opened the letter and found herself reading it over and over again. How could she be so stupid as to even think she felt these things? Just because she woke up and they were holding hands, didn't mean anything. The man was on the verge of death and Hermione was trying to save his life and comfort him. She had blown things way out of proportion and now things were a big mess.

She looked a little more closely at the letter and noticed that where it said "Love from Hermione" there was a smudge. It looked like a tear drop had stained it, but it wasn't from Hermione.

Snape... he didn't cry. He is stone cold inside...he would never cry about something like this. He wouldn't cry at all as a matter of fact...his finger must've smudged it...

Hermione heaved herself up and grabbed her trunk. The only thing on her mind was sleep. She needed to rest and try to forget that this had ever happened.

When she reached the Gryffindor Common Room, she found Neville sitting in a chair near the fire, half asleep.

"Neville?" She asked.

He was now stirring in his chair and had obviously not remembered falling asleep there at all.

"Yes...Oh, Hi Hermione!" He said wiping the drool away from his soaked chin. "You're Back!" He said enthusiastically.

"Yes, It's wonderful to see you Neville, how have you been?" she politely asked, she was aching with tiredness, but she didn't want to be rude.

"Great actually. Since Snape's been gone we've had a wonderful teacher who's bloody brilliant! And, treats me like human for that matter..." Neville bared a half smile with this comment. "Hermione..." he said with a shy face... "Could I ask you something?"

"Of course Neville, what is it?" she answered kindly. She was really getting tired now and didn't have time for this, but Neville was a good friend of hers.

"Is he coming back?" Neville asked.

"Who?" Hermione replied, looking confused.

"P-Prof-"

Hermione knew where he was going with this now.

"Yes, Neville. Professor Snape is coming back, but don't worry. You're strong Neville! And I'm sure you're doing great in Potions! It's going to be all right!" she said while giving Neville a comforting pat on the back.

"I'm horrible at Potions Hermione! Even with the nice teacher I managed to melt four cauldrons and start my hair on fire in one day!" He said nervously.

"Oh, Neville! If you ever need help, I'm here ok? But don't kill yourself worrying about it. Snape's actually toned it down a bit..." she lied. He had a one point, but lately...she didn't know anymore.

"Right...well I'm going to get some sleep. Nice to see you Hermione!" he said genuinely.

Hermione didn't answer and just decided to leave her trunk where it was. The house elves would bring it up for her later.

She headed up to her dormitory and fell back onto her bed in one instant. It felt wonderful to be back at school with her friends. Nothing could ruin this for her now...unless another teacher decided to become seriously ill...which she doubted.

Hermione didn't bother to put her pajamas on, she just climbed under the covers and closed the hangings. She adjusted her head on her pillow when she heard the door to her dormitory open...

Someone was inside now, but it wasn't one of her roommates. It was a tall dark figure. She couldn't make out who it was, but she was terrified. She tried to remain as still as possible, but she was sure the figure could hear her heart beating rapidly underneath her chest.

"Hermione?" the figure whispered. It was the voice of a man. She knew that voice.... "Hermione...are you awake?" he said again.

Hermione was now breathing hard and fast and she was trying to pretend she was asleep but it wasn't working. She kept shifting nervously in her bed.

"Hermione...I know you're awake." Said the man.

She wasn't going to answer him...

But the man came and sat down on the edge of her bed and touched her arm.

As soon as he did that, Hermione shot up like a bullet and finally saw who the man was when she opened her eyes.