I didn't get to update last night, and am lucky to do so today! Just as a note, it'll be quite rare for this story to updated on either Fridays or Saturdays!
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Chapter Ten
By Sunday night, Snape was a wreck, as much as he tried to hide it from the student who lay in his bed. He couldn't think straight, his head felt foggy from lack of sleep and his stomach was growling at him for food. Yet he couldn't bring himself to leave the chamber to attend a meal in the Great Hall, didn't want to see the students who were perfectly well and calm. He especially didn't want to see Potter and Weasly. He imagined they were most likely feeling incredibly hate for their potions master right now, providing they knew where they best friend was. Snape knew they would have begged to know where she is, and knowing McGonagall, she would have told them.
So meals were out of question. As was sleep, for Snape's body just would not allow him rest. While he could sit for awhile, sleep seemed impossible. He put it down to the fact that a female was invading his chambers, his own private space. He couldn't help but feel a snarl arise when he thought about this. Yet the snarl vanished when he remembered why she was there.
Miss Granger was in most excruciating pain. When she was awake, she could not move, and as there were boils on her back as well as front, she could not get comfortable. However, as he gently tended to the mess that was her body, he noticed that in last 24 hours, there had been a sure improvement in them. He tried so hard not to wake her as he cleaned her up, not wanting her to feel anymore pain.
No, he told himself. You just don't want to have to deal with that brat of a student. Thinking this, Snape tried very hard to convince himself of such an idea.
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Hermione once again found herself in the blue sky. The first time this had happened after she'd been released from the storm, she had become very frightened, thinking the delusions were starting again. But she soon came to realise that this was just a dream. A dream that visited every time she closed her eyes.
Now she learned that these were dreams, she also found she could touch the ground without pain ripping through her body; she could sit amongst the trees and feel at peace.
During the first dream, Snape had slowly walked up to her, his huge wings folded tightly against his body. He had whispered to her, assured her he wasn't going to hurt her, and the knelt next to her. It had been a shock when he had reached out to her with shy hands, began to gently massage her, run his hands over her. His touch had neither been impersonal, or sexual, more gentle, tender, comforting. She had felt enormous relief wherever he touched her, even when she found his hands running over her breasts and legs.
Sighing in comfort, Hermione had leaned into his hands, wanting his wings to wrap around her. She knew that when he left, the pain would return. And after raising a glass with a light blue liquid in it, and gently asking her to drink a little.
"Thank you." She whispered, turning to look at him. It must have been her dream, she decided, that made his black eyes appear warmer then usual. His hand touched her cheek again, and he left. But this time, she didn't feel alone.
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By one in morning, Monday morning, Snape was becoming furious. He pacing his office, his sitting room, the potions class room, while clenching and unclenching his fists. He had hardly slept since that Gryffindor witch had invaded on his private turf. He was being so childish, but he wanted her gone. He wanted to sleep on his own bed, not the tacky little cot he had transfigured the leather arm chair into. He'd never been good at transfiguration, and now it angered him even more.
He needed to rest, needed his body to shut down if he wasn't going to kill students the next day in classes. It was hard enough to keep his temper in check around bratty students who thought themselves above potions, and believed that foolish wand waving was all they'd need just to strut through life. Having the added strain of not sleeping for almost 72 hours would drive him to hand out detentions left right and centre.
Not that that would be so bad. Other then the fact that he would have to administer them and arrange the punishment.
Realising it was time once again to give Miss Granger her dosage of potions (which he had brewed more of only hours before), he strode back into the bedroom. He had kept the Gryffindor well supplied with sleeping potions, yet, much to his dismay, he could tell she was still dreaming. Much to his dismay, only because he had to listen to her mumble in her sleep. Once or twice he was sure she had been talking to him, yet he didn't dare respond in case she hadn't been.
Despite his way of applying the potion to parts of her body which he wished beyond the mountains he did not have to, he chose to do it himself still, instead of waking the witch. Now as he settled down on the bed and pulled back the sheets, he prepared to do it again. He worked as fast as he could, making sure he properly applied the potion of course. Her boils had settled slightly, sometimes various ones leaking their pus out onto others. Snape had been so careful to clean them up without disturbing the other boils.
Upon finishing his task, Snape set the potions and the cloth he had been using back upon the bedside table. His body was telling him not to move, that he was comfortable. Pulling the blankets up to cover the girl's body, he leaned back for a moment. Intending only to stretch, and then move off the bed and over to his poor excuse for a cot bed.
When he woke, four hours later, he was still on the bed, next to the Miss Granger.
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Feeling the sleeping potion wearing off, Hermione pushed her way out of her dreams and slowly woke up. With a fright, she realised she was not alone on the bed; there was a heavy warmth just to the left of her. Figuring it was just Professor Snape about to give her more potion, she relaxed again, or as much as she could, with a Professor barley centimetres from her.
After a few moments, she realised that the Professor was making no attempt to clean her boils. It was then that she opened her eyes. Snape was laying on the bed, tucked up in a ball, his black hair partially covering his face. His eyes were closed, and his mouth slightly open, one hand tucked under his face. The other was tucked between his legs, which were drawn up near his chest. Hermione nearly giggled, seeing her Professor asleep.
It took barley a moment for the realisation to hit her though. She and the Potions Master were sharing a bed!
As if he were able to feel the shock running through her body, Snape's eyes slowly opened. He blinked in confusion, before sitting up.
"Shit." He muttered, shaking his head. He stretched, sitting up. Hermione watched him as he shook his head, and his eyes caught sight of her. She looked up at him. "Shit!" He muttered, covering his eyes. "Do you need more sleeping potion?" He asked, glancing sideways at her, as though not wanting to look at her.
"Yes please, Professor." She said quietly. Even though she'd just awoken, she was still so exhausted. The dreams seemed so real, tiring her. And the pain was so terrible. At least she could escape the pain in the dreams. Also, she guessed it would be better to let Snape try to deal with sleeping on the bed, next to her, without having to also deal with her awake.
Her eyes followed the billowing robes of the Potions Master as he left the room to fetch her a sleeping potion. Upon awakening, his face had turned to its usual hardened expression, his face curling up into a sneer. Leaning back into the bed, trying as hard as she could not to aggravate her boils. She thought about the face of the man when he had been asleep. For the fist time in her entire life, she had seen Snape look totally relaxed.
Quickly he returned to the bedroom and came over to the bed. Hermione noticed that he moved to the right side of the bed, and knelt beside her to give her the potion. She couldn't hold the flask in her own hands, as they too had boils on them, one of which had burst during her sleep. How badly she needed a shower, she thought, wrinkling her nose. Snape noticed her doing this and she felt regret race through her when she noticed him pull away from her slightly. He must have thought she was wrinkling her nose at him!
Closing her eyes as she swallowed the potion, she surrendered her self to sleep.
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He couldn't believe what he had just let himself do. He had allowed himself to fall asleep on the same bed as a student. Sure, he was exhausted and the bed was comfortable, but it was still no excuse!
After once again administering the potion to the witch, he had stalked out of his private chambers into the Potions classroom to pace. He let out a snort at the fact that to pace, he usually left the classroom, but now he was being driven into it by a student in his bed. A student who he had just foolishly allowed himself to sleep next to.
It had been a long time since Severus Snape had allowed his body to rest so near another's, a feeling his body had obviously sorely missed.
No! He thought, tempted to drive his hand through a desk. He would not allow himself to feel that way, no matter what. The only thing that could be worse then a physical wanting would be an emotional wanting. He could not allow either, would not allow either. She was nothing but an annoying, smart alec, know-it-all Gryffindor!
She was also his patient, at least until Minerva McGonagall returned from the Ministry of Magic. He would have to keep caring for her. His lip formed its usual curl. A hand swept through his hair, a hand which he watched as it fluttered down before him.
He had four hours until he had to give Miss Granger more potion, and four hours until classes began for the day. Fifth-years Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. His hand clenched at his desk as he sunk into his black chair that sat behind the desk that allowed him a full view of the dungeons. For four more hours he had to try to occupy his mind, and not think of the Gryffindor still sleeping in his bed.
With a groan, he used his wand to call some parchment to his desk so he could begin writing up a very nasty assignment for the sixth-year class he had after lunch. Another school day, with the extra hardship of looking after a witch he... hated.
Leaning his head against the desk, Snape wished it would all just go away.
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Ooo, there is no better feeling then finding lots of wonderful reviews in your inbox of a morning, thank you all who have taken the time to not only read my story, but also submit such wonderful reviews!
First of all, to Velvet Storm, you questions will be answered in the next couple of chapters as Hermione gets better. And yes, Severus is softening up a bit, though it's tough to make such a hard character be soft…but isn't that why we all love him:-D
You're right SlytherinsDarkAngel07, Severus is starting to care for Hermione, much as he doesn't want to admit it! I hope you continue to like this story, happy reading!
Wow, Taste's Like Home, I'm really glad that you're willing to let my little ooc-ness since you think the rest of the story is great! Hope you continue to read and enjoy this story, I was hoping for something a little different… sounds like I'm achieved it! beams
Aw, Kiki, it's great that you're a faithful reader! And rock on the US as well as Australia! Hope you're enjoying your summer… more then I'm enjoying my winter cries at the cold days.
Good to hear that your computer is behaving again not mad mentally unstable. Tell it I'll come and give it a whack if it plays up again, lol.
Welcome to the story, firebanshee, DD2 and Glassdragon2 may you continue to enjoy it, along with this chapter!
NayNay, I don't mind you correctly my mistakes, I'm ever so glad for it in fact! Thank you so much for your help!
And speaking of help, I've really got to thank nastygurl! Thank you sooo much for your kind review, I'm so glad that you think I've come a long way! beams again Yes, Hermione is a little weak atm, but she'll get stronger over the next few chapters. As for editing, I do that, but after I've written a chapter, if I think on it too long, I tend to delete it, rewrite it and then wish I hadn't because it came out worse! Hope this new chapter works for you!
I'm really happy you like reading about the dreams showmethehobbit, they will still be appearing, as in this chapter, though Hermione is fully on the road to recovery.
Lol, considering what we see in the actually HP books, 'Mione and Sevvie, we'll definitely be seeing Snape ooc at times, as he actually cares for someone in these books, not how we usually see him!
xxx-kisses-xxx, here is your update, please keep your wet fish and mashed peas away for another time! And I had the chickenpox three times (I know, it's like impossible, but I did it!), so I know how horrible they are!
JTBJAB, I share your love for Severus, thank you for your review!
And Nattie88, I hope you enjoy this chapter and you like what is indeed to come!