Severus hardly slept that night, and this time it wasn't because of the melody, no. It was because he couldn't understand why Granger had walked in the Forbidden Forest, and why he had to be outside that night. Luckily he didn't believe in fate so he didn't have to think about why just he had to take Hermione to hospital wing, and why he had forget his wand. After all he fall asleep, but not before he had promised himself taking at least fifty points from Gryffindor the following day.
ooo
Madam Pomfrey kept talking how irresponsibly Hermione had been, like she didn't realise that herself. It was after all her arm that was hurting. Not Pomfrey's. And also she couldn't stop telling Hermione how Snape had carried her up.
"He isn't very talkative, professor Snape"
"No", sighed Hermione. "No he isn't"
Of course she didn't know if Snape was talkative or not, it wasn't one of her biggest dream to chat whit him.
It was Saturday, just after lunch when Harry and Ron came to the hospital wing for the first time. Ron raised his eyebrows when he saw her.
"So it was here you were", he said.
"Yes, it is", Hermione answered.
"What the heck have you done?" Harry said.
"Oh, just shut up!" Hermione replied.
But in the end she told the boys that she had been out walking in the forest when a centaur had come. In this moment, to Hermiones annoyance, madam Pomfrey decided to interfere the chat.
"And then professor Snape who was out walking carried her up, 'cause she had fainted"
"What!" Harry shouted with the mouth wide open.
"Snape?" Ron said distrustfully.
"I said so to", Hermione murmured to the boys.
When madam Pomfrey decided to leave them alone Ron whispered:
"Carrying and Snape doesn't match at all"
"No", Harry agreed.
Maybe not, Hermione thought, but if it was true, just if it was true, Hermione could believe it after all. She hadn't believe it this morning, but the more she thought about it the more truly it seamed.
ooo
Twenty points had he taken from Gryffindor this morning, thirty more to take. He hidden behind statues and armours to catch some Gryffindors as they said or done anything unsuitable. To his own surprise he had caught more Ravenclaws than Gryffindors. It was chocking how bad the Ravenclaw students' behaviour was when no teacher was watching them. Some fifth years had cast a mean spell to the one year older Luna Lovegood in same house. But he had luckily caught the two beaters in Gryffindors Quidditch team as they screamed in the charm corridor.
After dinner it felt really boring to pad around in the corridors, so he went down to his private laboratory. He had some potions for madam Pomfrey to finish. She needed anti-toxin and sleeping elixir. He had already finished the anti-toxin elixir but it was some ingredients left in the sleeping potion. And he had to stir the pot during half an hour. The arm didn't feel very well after that and he couldn't use magic to stir the pot. The magic made the ladle stir regularly, but he had to follow the elixir's thickness as he stirred. And after he had dropped the sleeping plum in the cauldron he started stirring. And he stirred, and stirred and… yes, etc. He had to concentrate on the potion, he knew that, but he couldn't help he kept thinking about Granger when she was in the forest, he hoped that she lost her Head Girl position. Now the elixir just had to cool. Severus rose up from the chair and went out from the laboratory. As he was waiting he could read a good book. He picked up "On the screen – Exploring the muggle movies" from his desk and went back to the laboratory and opened the part he was reading. It was about Disney and those kid movies. He read some page and then went to the elixir again. It was cold enough to be poured in those crystal bottles. He was used to do this. He took the ladle and poured it up in twenty purple bottles; each bottle big enough for one night dreamless sleep. Why didn't he keep one and drank it himself? Then he could sleep without all those thoughts. The last in the cauldron nearly was a whole bottle. He kept it. He put the purple and green (anti-toxin) bottles in a bag made to carry bottles and started to walk to hospital wing.
"Professor Snape", madam Pomfrey said when he entered hospital wing. "I told miss Granger about when you bring her here"
"Lovely", said Severus irritated and picked the bottles from the bag and handed it over to a table.
"Oh, I see you got the potions", she smiled.
She's smart too, Severus thought sarcastic. He handed up the last two bottles on the table. He turned around to leave, but madam Pomfrey stopped him.
"What?" he said shortly.
"I think there is one thing miss Granger wants to tell you"
On the same bed he had put her earlier she laid. Her brown hair had a beautiful contrast to the white pillow. She looked almost like an angel. Wait, stop a minute, he didn't think that, he absolutely didn't think that. Madam Pomfrey awaked Granger who looked confused at her as she whispered something in her ear. She turned her pale face to Severus.
"Professor Snape", she said.
"Yes", he answered coldly.
"Thank you"
She smiled. Or smiled maybe was the wrong world, because it was more like thankfulness in her face, not a real smile. Why did he notice things like that? He had to leave before he started to hear voices or something.
"Any time", he said and turned his back against them and leaved.
Any time, why had he said "any time"? If she thought he was literally, any time, yeah? He wouldn't run along her side to save her every time she was in danger. It was Potter's speciality. Not his. And why should he care about Granger. Why did he think of her anyway? As an angel, bah! He shut the door with a bang and sank down in the armchair behind his desk. He needed a really good sleep, but how to sleep now. His head was full of thoughts he didn't want to think. He rose up again, and went to his bed in the room next door. He sighed to his reflection in the mirror.
"What's the matter old boy?" it said.
"I am crazy, aren't I?"
ooo
A/N: And I'm crazy too, I cried when I wrote the last. And two of my friends when they read it. I love Severus too much...