Hey everyone sorry for the delay. Thanks so much for the reviews I really appreciate them. Flames are good too but I don't appreciate crude responses about cutters and how they are losers. Everyone has faults and cutting is a coping technique. If you feel like the cutters of the world are not worth living then don't bother review.

Sorry just having a long day and some people are really making me mad. I hope you enjoy this lil bit longer chapter!

Chapter 13

"What's taking so long?" Hermione muttered under her breath as she paced back and forth.

It had been well over an hour since she had brought the badly injured, unconscious Potions Master to the Hospital Wing. Her feet tread the same path over and over, brown eyes darting up towards the large doors willing the medi-witch to come out.

Letting out a frustrated sigh Hermione ceased her pacing and leaned her weary body against the wall resting her chin on her chest. As she rested she let her mind wander back to when she found her professor unconscious and bloody on the ground outside not a hundred yards from the entrance.

After she was shooed out, Hermione went directly to Dumbledore's office to inform him that Snape was back and in Madame Pomfrey's care. She remembered all too well the look on the Headmaster's face, a mixture guilt and relief.

At hearing the news Dumbledore went quickly to the hospital wing with Hermione at his heels but had shut the door in her face. All she could do now was wait and hope.

Weariness caught up with Hermione then as she let herself slide down the wall to sit, wrapping her arms around her knees. Fear was steadily creeping into the foreground of her mind when the memory of how fearful Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore looked.

What if Professor Snape didn't make it?

Angrily Hermione shook her head as if to clear that thought from her head. Madame Pomfrey won't let him die.

Trying to occupy her mind Hermione's thoughts drifted to Ron and Harry. Hope they are having a good Christmas She thought.

Another thought came to mind causing to laugh a little. I can see Ron's face now when I tell him I stayed with Snape.

Just as she was starting to think about Harry's reaction the door opened revealing Professor Dumbledore in the doorway looking a lot older then he portrayed. Hermione jumped to her feet and went to him the unasked question in her eyes.

"He is resting." came the simple reply.

Letting go of a breath Hermione didn't realize she was holding she sighed in relief banishing her morbid thoughts instantly.

A small twinkle in his eye Dumbledore held the door open for her to enter. Hermione took a few hesitant steps into the room. The old wizard sensing her hesitation slowly guided the girl down the row of beds before stopping at a curtain

"Go on." He urged gently.

Hermione carefully pulled back the curtain to find the tall dark man lying on the bed. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead and a faint bruise marred his sallow skin. Even in sleep the man looked intimidating. Underneath the hospital garment Hermione could see the bandages wrapped securely around his left shoulder where it looked like was slightly soaking through.

Even with Dumbledore's reassurance Hermione couldn't help but think that he looked bad. A few minutes passed before she noticed it. It was very slight movement but still there. His arm twitched again almost spasmodically.

Leaning forward Hermione took Snape's hand in hers giving it a gentle squeeze. It seemed so strange to her now that this man that lay before her was more then just a professor to her now but a mentor.

In her upturned world back home she couldn't turn to anyone. It felt as if the ground was crumbling underneath her. Here at school though she found that since day one this man had been an anchor. Someone you could depend on being the same. And even stranger was the fact that in the past few days that she spent with this man, Hermione came to realize that Severus Snape was her guardian angel.

Every year she realized Snape had been there to save the day in his discrete way of course. Thinking back she realized this man had saved her or one of her friends from danger without hesitation, but she knew if you addressed him with that fact he would fiercely deny it.

Remembering third year when the moon rose after they climbed out of the Whomping Willow entrance how Snape had shielded the trio with his own body from the transformed Professor Lupin. Hermione also remembered that after Harry had run off after Sirius Black that this man had stayed with them and had gently picked Ron up off the ground, carrying him all the way up to this very room.

Without releasing the older wizard's hand Hermione pulled a nearby chair up beside the bed and sat down folding her legs neatly beneath her. Tremors still coursed through the professor's body causing Hermione to wonder how long they put him under the Cruciatus.

The tremors increased as Severus' body became restless as if he were in the throws of a nightmare. Hermione scooted closer to the bed gently running her thumb over his knuckles. With relief Hermione noted that the touch began to calm the Potions Master greatly. Softly she began to whisper the words of a song she knew hoping that it would calm him further.

"Stranger than your sympathy
This is my apology
I'm killing myself from the inside out
All my fears have pushed you out

I wish for things that I don't need
All I wanted
And what I chase won't set me free
All I wanted
And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees

Oh yeah everything's all wrong yeah
Everything's all wrong yeah
Where the hell did I think I was

Stranger than your sympathy
I take these things so I don't feel
I'm killing myself form the inside out
Now my head's been filled with doubt

It's hard to lead the life you choose
All I wanted
When all your luck's run out on you
All I wanted
You can't see when all your dreams are coming true

Oh yeah it's easy to forget yeah
You choke on the regrets yeah
Who the hell did I think I was

Stranger than your sympathy
All these thoughts you stole form me
I'm not sure where I belong
Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong

And I wasn't all the things
I tried to make believe I was
And I wouldn't be the one to kneel
Before the dreams I wanted
And all the talk and all the lies
Were all the empty things disguised as me
Yeah stranger than your sympathy stranger than
your sympathy" (This song belongs to Goo Goo Dolls)

Severus found himself coming to his senses. First he felt his hand in another's as the person ran their thumb over his knuckles. At first he thought it was Albus for the old headmaster had done that for him many times after he had returned near death from the callings. But as his senses sharpened he realized the person by his bed was a female but it wasn't that infernal medi-witch that would only leave… Granger!

Keeping his eyes closed Severus quietly listened to the whispered words the Gryffindor was singing softly. He realized that it must be a muggle song because he didn't recognize it.

The girl can sing He thought as the girl beside him went silent, but her ministration to his hand continued.

"Professor, I don't know if you can hear me or not but I wanted to tell…" there was a pause and Severus wondered if she would continue. "I guess I just wanted to tell you that even though you can be a git like everyone says you are but you are the only stable thing in my life right now." The last came out barely above a whisper.

If Severus had been wide awake he would have had a look of shock on his features. How could a golden Gryffindor think of me as stable? He thought.

A groan escaped his lips as he struggled to push away the darkness and wake up. Severus felt Hermione tense feeling her hand squeeze his.

"Professor?" She asked uncertainly but yet Severus noted that her voice sounded very hopeful. "Professor can you hear me?"

Severus groaned again weakly squeezing the girl's hand in return.

Hermione was startled when she heard a groan coming from the professor. She leaned forward asking him if he could hear her. To Hermione's relief Snape groaned once more weakly squeezing her hand as well.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione cried excitement in her voice.

Said nurse came bustling out of her office. "What is it child?" she asked approaching the bed warily.

"Professor Snape is waking up." She said

At those words the medi-witch went into action checking the man's vitals and injuries nodding to herself in approval.

"Poppy is he waking?" An old voice asked from the door.

Both witches turned to the door to find Albus Dumbledore walking towards them. "Yes Albus, Severus is finally waking."

Hermione stepped back allowing the headmaster come to the bedside. She watched in wonder as the elder wizard took Severus' hand in his while the other tenderly brushed a few strands from the sallow face in a very fatherly way.

I bet Professor Dumbledore was more of a father to Snape then Snape sr. ever was Hermione thought as she watched the headmaster caress the side of Snape's face. Just like how daddy did when I was sick She thought sadly.

"Severus my dear boy…" The headmaster was saying. "Its good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

Lost in thought Hermione hadn't even noticed that the Potions master had opened his eyes and was looking around wearily.

"Hermione come" Dumbledore beckoned moving over so she could come up.

Ebony eyes looked up tiredly as she approached the bed. A smile appeared on her face when Snape's signature glare masked his face.

"Miss Granger here found you outside when you were released Severus." Dumbledore informed him. "She has stayed by your side for quite some time now."

Dumbledore patted Snape's hand before stepping back. "I must get back to some business my boy. Feel better." With a twinkle in his eye the headmaster departed.

Hermione was startled once more when she heard Snape snort behind her. "I swear one of these days I'm going to find a way to get that infernal twinkle out of the old coots eyes." He muttered crossing his arms over his chest.

Hermione shook head as she sat back down in the chair she was in earlier.

"Welcome back sir." She smiled.

Snape just glared.

Hey I hope you liked. I'm so busy working for my dad that I barely have time to breathe. I'll try to update ASAP!