Chapter Four
Severus was preparing for his class when the girl appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in a faded set of school robes and her hair was tied back, away from her face.
"Good evening, Professor Snape." Her voice was small, nervous.
He looked up from his work bench. "Should you be down here, Miss Granger?"
"Madam Pomfrey said I could go for a walk. I was getting restless in the hospital wing. I thought you might have some work I could assist with."
He nodded and pointed to the ingredients on the other workbench. "You can cut those daisy roots for me."
She settled behind the bench, cutting the roots and grouping them together. "I spoke with Professor Dumbledore the other day."
Severus lit the fire under his small cauldron and poured some water into it. "I thought you might."
"He told you about my idea." The girl looked up from her work. "Why did you suggest that?"
Severus refused to meet her eyes. "We were discussing what would be best for you. I believe, based on the information we have, sending you back to your parents would be the best course of action."
She nodded. "I think I agree with you." She cut some more roots. "Madam Pomfrey said I could leave at the end of the week. Harry's going to take me home on the train. He's going to help me."
He added a dead caterpillar to the cauldron. "What does Weasley think about this?"
Hermione pushed the cut roots around with her knife. He's not very happy. But, well, he doesn't understand what it's like to live as a Muggle. And he doesn't accept that Muggle professionals might understand mental health better than St Mungos." She half heartedly cut at an already cut root. "I might return, anyway. When I'm all better."
Severus nodded. "I wish you the best of luck, Miss Granger."
"Thank you." She paused, looking at him. "May I keep in touch, Professor?"
He walked over to her, removing the knife from between her fingers. "It would be better if you didn't. Muggles and wizards have little in common, at times. It would be better if you spent your energy on getting better."
She looked away from him and walked towards the door. "Goodbye Professor."
As the door shut, he returned to his preparations. He had no time for silly goodbyes. It would be better if they all just forgot.
That was the way the magical world worked best.