Chapter 11

The moment Harry heard the girls start heading down towards the common room he jumped up from his bed and headed out the door. He hadn't slept at all that night so he moved a bit clumsily. Quickly he glanced around the room looking for Hermione and spotted her in front of the fire going over her homework for the next day.

He grabbed Hermione by the arm and pulled her over away from the rest of the kids in the room. "Hermione, I really need your help with something."

The girl looked him up and down noticing that he hadn't slept for awhile and immediately became concerned with why. "What's wrong, Harry? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm fine…There's someone else who needs your help though. I can't explain here. Let's go to the library or something." He said as he made his way towards the door.

"Alright…" She replied chasing after him.

When they arrived at the library Harry headed to a table that was secluded in the back of the room. He didn't want anyone to hear what he was about to tell his friend.

"Ok, here's the deal." The boy said as he pulled her into the seat next to him. "I need you to help me figure out how to….well, how to put someone back together. I know it sounds weird but I can explain what I mean."

Hermione offered a slightly confused look before speaking, "Well, I suppose we would have to figure out what…part of the person is gone?"

"Oh, that's great, but how are we supposed to figure that out? I guess I could just ask him about….." Harry was quickly cut off by the sound of an all too familiar voice behind him that made him freeze.

"Potter, Granger, and what are the two of you discussing this morning. Homework, I hope, Potter could really use your help with his." Snape said as he took a seat on the other side of Harry. Of course, this would look odd to anyone in the library, but it was only the three of them.

"Good morning, Professor Snape, how are you?" Hermione asked is her normal straight A student voice.

"I feel dreadful. Or hasn't, Mr. Potter informed you of that yet?" Snape asked peering over at the boy.

"I…um….I might have mentioned your condition?" The green eyed boy said as a blush crept into his cheeks. "You seem to be doing better today."

"I might look better, but I feel just as bad as ever. However, thank you so very much for your concern." The potions master replied as he laid his head down on the table in front of him. He did still look terrible, but felt a hundred times worse then he looked.

Hermione cleared her throat to remind the two of them that she was still at the table. "I think I'll go get a few books and start looking for something to go on." She said as she stood from her seat.

"No. I'll get them, you ask him what we might need to know." Harry said as he jumped up and went to the nearest shelf of books. He had no idea what he was looking for but didn't want to be the one to ask Snape everything they might need to know either. He placed himself close enough he could hear them and, at the same time, far enough they wouldn't notice him.

"Alright." She called as Harry vanished from her sight. She turned back to the man who looked like he should definitely be in bed resting and thought of how best to ask her questions. "Harry wants me to help you get back the part of you, you lost. Um, in order to do that I guess I need to know what that part is."

The dark haired man lifted his head slightly at the question. "I did what I did out of love so, I suppose, in some way, I lost my heart."

The bushy haired girl went over this in her mind. This was too easy, and she had really hoped for a challenge. No potion, no spell, not magical thing was needed to save Snape. "Harry, come here." She said.

"Um…" Harry started. "I, uh, couldn't find any book that I thought might help us." He concluded as he took his seat once more.

"That's ok, Harry, you don't need anything a book could offer." She looked over the confused face both of the others were now making. "This is simple. Professor, when would you say you feel strongest?"

"Right now, actually." The potions master replied still slightly confused.

"I'm right then. Harry, move a bit closer to him." Harry gave her a quizzical look but did as she had told him.

"I see what you're doing, Granger, but it won't work completely. Just having Potter around isn't enough to get back what I lost." Snape told her.

"I know that, I also know what will. You probably won't like it though." She said as she diverted her eyes towards the far wall.

"I don't know, he might like it." Snape replied laughing to himself.

"Like what? What are you talking about? What do I have to do to help him?" All these questions came out rather quickly and he thought they would not be understandable.

"You would have to share your heart with me, Potter." The potions master answered before Hermione could.

"Like, literally, physically? Is that even possible?" Harry inquired.

"No, not literally. It means you would have to love me, Potter. You would have to share you heart, your soul…." A smile crept onto the older mans face, "Even your body if you desired."

"Would you like me to leave?" Hermione asked to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

"No, I should go back down to my room and rest more. I do have a class to teach tomorrow." After saying this Snape stood from the table and left without even looking back.

"I…We'll have to talk to Professor Dumbledore about all this, won't we?" Harry asked as he stood.

"I think it would be best. If Snape doesn't accept this then he could very well die, Harry." She replied.

"Alright, we'll talk to him tomorrow after classes. I have a few things to think about before we go." Harry said as he took off to find a quiet place to think.