The lyrics of the song are not mine, although I wish they were. The song is called The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice, and it is quite possibly the best song ever. Check it out at It's really strange because I chose this song out of my sheer love for it, not really for the lyrics. But I find that they just fit so perfect with the scene. When it says, 'The pupil in denial,' it reminds me of Hermione. How she knows she feels something for Snape but is denying it to herself. Also she was a pupil of his at one time. Also how it repeats 'I can't take my eyes/mind off of you,' Snape just cannot seem to stop looking at and thinking about Hermione. There is more meaning to the song. If you will allow me to elaborate (I guess you kind of have to being as I'm the one writing this.) When Hermione sings, 'Life goes easy on me. Most…of the time,' there is a hidden meaning to that. Hm…is she having some kind of internal struggle of her own. Maybe, you'll just have to read on to find out.

"I-I'm sorry." He said as he placed a hand over his eyes. He had known that in that one fleeting glance he had shown her more about himself than he had ever wanted anyone to know, "I don't know what got into me. I-I don't know…"

"It's okay." She said kneeling down, trying to reconnect the eye contact. She knew his recovery would take much more than just the physical healing, "Professor?" She was trying to get his attention. He looked at her but this time his dark eyes were back behind their mask, "I'm not going anywhere," She was trying to reassure him. What was it that she had said that had caused such an eruption on his part? She had her hand on his left knee, and she patted it gently.

They sat there like that for hours. Hermione still trying to comfort her old potions master, yet still walking on eggshells as to not impede on him. Finally, out of habit she began to hum. Severus found that her voice was not nearly as annoying as he had thought it was. Once again he knew the song and fought against his will to hum along. Soon she began to sing the words softly, almost inaudible at first. She did it quite unintentionally, but was now lost in her own mind. She, for a moment, forgot where she was, what she was doing. It just seemed to come naturally…

"And so it is," She began softly…

"Just…like you said it would be,
Life goes easy on me,
Most…of the time." Her voice rose just a little.

"And so it is…
The shorter story,
No love no glory…
No hero in her sky,
I can't take my eyes off of you…
I can't take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes off of you,
I can't…take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes…" Her voice faded out, and the fear of her stopping made Snape flinch just a little. He wanted her to sing forever. He didn't want her to ever stop. Hermione did not notice his reaction, but still she continued to croon him.

"And so it is,
Just like you said it should be,
We'll both forget the breeze,
Most…of the time.

And so it is…
The colder water…
The blower's daughter,
The pupil in denial,
I can't take my eyes off of you…
I can't take my eyes off of you,
Ican't take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes off of you,
I can't take my eyes…I…I…" This time she did stop. His heart was ripped from him when she became silent. He wished so much for her to continue. Internally he begged for it. He looked down to see why she had stopped only to find her head resting gently against his right thigh. She had fallen to sleep. They had been sitting there for so long and now as Severus looked out his little window he realized just how long. He watched as the purples, and blues, and pinks of the sunset illuminated his dark, cold sitting room. No it wasn't the light from outside that made it seem brighter. It was something in his very room, something so close he could touch it. She was his sun, his light, whether she knew it or not. But no, she would never be his, because just like the sun, if he got too close he would be burned. Burned in a way that could never be healed. Still she slept on peacefully, Severus had no want to move, he didn't want to wake her, and so he stayed there. He brought his hand up and lightly traced a finger around her face, pushing back a curl that had fallen haphazardly into her eyes. Tracing around her eyes, those eyes that he saw staring back at him at every moment of everyday, even in his dreams. Her nose, the most perfect little nose he had ever seen. Her lips, the ones he wished to caress with his own. But that could never happen, would never happen. But he allowed himself to be content for the moment, he was happy here. Happy? Had he ever really been happy? How could such a woman do this to him? Still tracing her face and feeling her soft brown curls he picked up on the song, right where she had left off.

"Did I say that I love you?
Did I say that I want to,
Be there holding on?
I can't take my mind off of you…
I can't take my mind off of you,
I can't take my mind off of you,
I can't take my mind off of you,
I can't take my mind…off of you,
I can't take my mind…
My mind…
My mind…
Till I find somebody…new." He knew, in that moment, he would never find somebody new. No one, no one, had ever had this kind of effect on him. He had completely opened himself up to her in one brief moment. How could he have been so stupid, she surely was not as dumb as he was? She had seen his inner most fear and terror in that look. You would have had to be blind to miss it. He was not like her, he shielded his emotions, his past, like a treasure. It was actually more like a burden. But her, her emotions shone through her eyes like a beacon. She allowed herself to be vulnerable and open to everyone. He was wise enough to know this kind of action could lead someone to be hurt, but still he envied her for her braveness. His eyes were locked in on her oval shaped face. How could so much beauty radiate from one person, even in sleep? He was no longer annoyed with his constant thoughts of her, actually he had found them to be a much needed respite from his other thoughts, the thoughts that haunted him always, at least before her.

As Severus began to nod off he heard a strange, distant sound. Slowly he came to his senses and began to worry. 'What the hell is that?' He wondered. Hermione as well had come to consciousness. She blinked her eyes open and then, as if realizing something began rummaging through her bag. The place where she had had her head now tingled, and sent a warming sensation throughout Severus' body. He now felt naked and abandoned. Her just being there near him made him feel safe. Now that feeling was gone.

"What is that?" He asked as Hermione pulled a shiny metallic looking contraption from her bag. The object was exerting the strange noise. It was some sort of monophonic song.

"It's a cell phone." Hermione answered as she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. She flipped the thing open and began to talk into it, "Hello?" She said.

"What is a…?" Severus began but was interrupted by Hermione's hand.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, "Where have you been? I've been calling you for weeks." It went on like this for a while, her chatting into the little shiny thing, and Severus sitting there watching her. "Uh-huh," she said, "Sure I'd love to. Okay I'll see you then. Yes-yes I love you too." Love. Love! She close the, whatever it was called, and turned to face Snape. She sighed and then spoke in a cheerful tone to him, "That was Harry. He's been away on some Auror business. He was in Spain for a bit, dealing with some runaway death eaters. He's back though." She stopped suddenly noticing Snape's curiosity towards the object in her hand.

"What is a…cell phone?" He proceeded to ask, this time he was not interrupted.

"Oh, it's a muggle object. Very useful actually," she said also staring at it. "It allows people to contact each other through the use of phone lines. Uh…Do you know what phone lines are?" She asked. Snape reluctantly shook his head no. After she had explained to him fully about what phone lines were, jeez she really didn't skimp out on anything; she then continued to enlighten him on what a cell phone was. She found it quite funny she hadn't ever had to explain this before. Of course Harry knew what a cell phone was, he was raised in the muggle world just as she, "I got one so my family and I could contact one another, oh and Harry, obviously."

"But-but how does it work here?" He asked still bewildered by it all.

"Oh well I had to cast a charm on it. Being as there are no phone lines around for miles, I had to make the signal a bit stronger. And since electronics do not work within the Hogwarts grounds, well I had to do another charm for that too." She answered with an awkward smile.

"It's quite remarkable," he said reaching his hand out. Hermione place the object in his hand and he began to inspect it.

"Yes-yes it is. Muggles aren't as dim-witted as some might wish to believe." She answered neutrally.

"That is not what I meant Miss Granger." He said without looking up, "I meant about the charms you placed on it. Very advanced, but I guess you are…you, and I shouldn't be surprised." She unwittingly blushed. He had never openly praised her before. It was nice to here him say something pleasant for a change. He handed the cell phone back to her. "So what did Mr. Potter want?"

"Oh since he's back in town he wanted to know if I wanted to go get a drink with him." She answered, "I'm just so glad he's safe." At this she wrapped her arms around herself, forming a protection. Not only around her body but her mind. Snape merely nodded. "W-would you like to join us?" She asked hesitantly. She was being cautious, not wanting to cause another outburst like before.

"I don't think so Miss Granger," He said snidely, "But I'm sure you and lover boy will have a good time without me."

"Lover boy? Ha, that's a laugh. What would ever give you that idea?" She asked giggling.

"'I love you,'" he mimicked.

"Oh please Harry is like my brother. It could never be that way between us. Besides it would be too weird." She answered. After a few moments of silence she finally spoke again, Uh well…I, uh, better get going then. Don't want to be late."

"Yes of course. I will see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she answered simply enough as she grabbed her bag and retreated to the door. "Are you sure you don't want to go?" She asked once more.

"I'm sure. Thank you for asking though." He answered.

She smiled at him and said, "Well the offer is still on the table if you change your mind. We will be in Hogsmeade. You shouldn't have any trouble finding us." And with that she smiled and left the room.