A/N: Okay, finally back for vacation! Have been reading some stories, and while I was reading a good book, this story idea came up. I actually wrote this chapter instead of from-my-head usualness. As always, there comes my dedication, this time a VERY special friend of mine, Becky A. (I know 2 Becky's. Just so they don't get mixed up) BTW: Don't those white strips you put on your nose to clear blackheads HURT!

Disclaimer: Never have owned Harry Potter and truly doubt I ever will…Anyways, on with chapter!

Reviewers:

Abbie: I love it when you review! It makes me feel alive, not dead to the rest of fanfic, which I am!

Malfoy-Amazing-Bouncing-Ferret: I still love the name! How I laughed at that! Thanks so much for the review! Look for your name in dedications in the next few chapters!

Chapter Two: A Miracle Amid Disaster

Hermione walked into Advanced Potions with Harry and Ron silently, a month after the incident on the train. She sat down, and took out her ingredients for the Draught of Living Death. Snape walked into the room and nodded to his students. Hermione began working carefully. Snape watched her carefully. She was working harder than everyone else, but something was wrong. He nervously fingered the vial in his pocket, hoping that she would like his offering of forgiveness. If not, then he'd find a new offering.

She bottled the greenish-transparent liquid and set it on her desk. She began writing on parchment, and soon enough, the bell rang. "Bring your potions to me and Miss Granger, stay after," he said in a cold voice. Hermione looked up, her eyes flashing with fear, but he ignored it. He walked over to her, but she wouldn't look at him. To get her attention, he picked up her parchment, and then by mistake read the words: Harry, Ron, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore:

Then, his curiosity unsatisfied, he read on, noticing Hermione's eyes went round.

Forgive me for not having told you this. Lucius Malfoy is in the castle. He wishes to take me, Harry and Ron back to Malfoy Manor and deal with us there. I am already a hostage. Please understand that if either of the Professors read this, that my leaving tonight was the only way to save Harry and Ron. Farewell.

Hermione

Snape was shocked to see Hermione gone from his line of view. In fact, she was right behind him, holding a knife in her hands. Snape turned around and saw her crying and shaking violently. He wondered what was going on until she dropped the knife, and fell to the floor. He saw her fall and immediately felt contempt.

"You Mudblood! I knew I couldn't trust an insufferable Gryffindor know-it-all. You're less than worthless to me now. I wouldn't stand in the air you would breathe even if they offered me freedom from Voldemort! Go! I want to see you no more until class, and then the fun begins. I'm going to make your life living hell!" he said slowly, his hatred pointed with the sharpest shards of ice. Hermione looked up wearily, and nodded silently, moving her eyes so he couldn't see the tears.

She croaked, "Professor, thank you for giving me a chance to make myself better. I am going to sleep now. Good night, and sweet dreams," and she stood up wearily, almost collapsing against a desk. She managed to get out the door when a hand took her and pulled her against the wall. She made no sound as Lucius Malfoy disappeared with her in his arms.

Snape, however, was gazing intently on the door. She never talked like that, and would never. That's why he respected her. He couldn't understand why-Oh lord. She was under the Impervious! She fought the Impervious for him, and all he gave her was more contempt. He raced to Dumbledore, showed him the letter and then, while he was telling the story of what had happened in the classroom, someone came through the fireplace covered in soot.

Dumbledore stood up to greet this person, but soon was getting Madam Pomfrey. Hermione had collapsed on the floor, her breathing ragged, her clothing ripped and her face covered in cuts and welts. She opened her eyes and saw Snape over her. She opened her mouth and muttered a protest as she tried to get off the floor. She got her elbows up, but collapsed into an arm.

"Professor, please, you must go. He'll come back for me soon," she gasped, but Snape picked her up and carried her to the hospital wing. Hours later, she awoke to a bright, sunny day, a headache, and four pairs of eyes looking at her. "Ron? Harry? Neville? Ginny? What are you doing here?" she said hoarsely, trying to get up. "I have to go, you'll get hurt," she choked out, when they all tried to keep her in.

"We really don't care about Malfoy now. He's in Azkaban, we've found proof he's a Death Eater. And not to mention what he did to you! You need rest, so sleep," Ginny said warmly, holding Harry's hand as the group walked out.

Madam Pomfrey walked in, and wrung her hands. Hermione watched as she nervously asked, "When was your last monthly?" Then Hermione's jaw dropped. No! I can't be…of all things…me, the student, carrying the child of my Professor? Oh, this is the end. While she thought bitterly to herself, Pomfrey was looking at her anxiously.

"Hermione, do you want to keep it? I know you really don't need this child right now, but please, consider the fact that the father might want to know,"

Ha, Professor Snape? Want to know about the child he's never wanted? Yeah, that'll go well, she laughed inside herself. "Madam Pomfrey, can I see Professor Dumbledore?" she asked, already getting up.

Then, Pomfrey's hands were on her. "You battled a very strong Impervious Curse, Lucius Malfoy, and you just found out you're pregnant. There is no way in heaven I am letting you out of this bed. I will call the Headmaster for you,"

Hermione glared at her, and then Madam Pomfrey came back. "He'll be down in an hour. Try and rest, please?" she said, throwing the curtains together. As much as Hermione tried, she couldn't fall asleep. So she took her wand and cast a spell, much to her strength's malcontent to make the walls show her the outside like a window. She saw the lake, and since it was a Friday afternoon, students were roaming about, a few kissing, a couple drawing, a lot just laughing. She spotted Harry making out with Ginny, and Ron looking the other way, gazing at Lavender. Soon enough, they were making out too.

She sighed and saw Draco Malfoy sneering to his friends about his Dark Mark. She shook her head and saw people walking around in a circle, and singing. She smiled when she noticed they were all first years and singing about how wonderful school was. She then took off the spell and went to sleep. When she woke up, it was well after dark, midnight, and she was all alone. She lit her wand and smiled at the sight at the end of her table. There were Chocolate Frogs from Ron, Canary Creams from Harry, a teddy bear that hugged you back from Ginny, and many more. What intrigued her was an envelope, with a rather large bulge in it, accompanied with an emblem of a snake coiled around a blood-red rose on the flap. She opened it carefully and read:

Dear Miss Granger,

Please excuse my awful behavior back there in the classroom. I am sorry, and hope that the moment you are better you will come back down and we can talk, person-to-person, not teacher-to-student, as we so frequently seem to do. I thank you a million times for saving my life and hope that this potion will be of use to you. The original potion I had made for you was given to Minerva the moment I found out your cat was impervious to fleas. Instead, this should help you sleep better, giving you more energy when you wake up. Perfect, since there are no side-effects whatsoever. Thank you again.

Yours Truly,

Severus Snape

She smiled and drank the potion. She sighed deeply as she fell into a dreamless slumber unlike any she'd ever known. Finally, she thought, I can sleep!