A/N: I do not own any of the characters, although I think the plot is mine. Don't sue me – I have nothing to give you! Sorry it's taken so long to update this, but it's the end of term and what with essay deadlines, concerts, meetings and revision I haven't had chance to write much. Roll on the summer. Anyway, this chapter is a little longer than some of the previous ones, so I hope you like it – please review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks to LinZe my fabulous beta!

Chapter 5

Neither Severus nor Minerva slept well, and their charges passed an equally restless night. Severus dragged himself off to teach his classes, but insisted on being with Hermione throughout the night. He would not leave her on her own again. He had promised he would be there, and it was one promise he fully intended to keep. Albus recognised that the only way to prevent Severus from carrying out his bedside vigil would be to tie him down, and as he didn't want to risk the hexes that he was well aware the potions master knew, he decided against this course of action. Severus stayed by her side all night, and the lack of sleep was apparent with the dark circles that appeared under his eyes the next morning at breakfast. However, he would not give in. He would teach today as expected, no matter how tired he was. He couldn't explain why he had needed to be with Hermione so much, but she was so innocent, so young: she shouldn't have to go through what he had been through. She didn't deserve any of this, and he needed to know that she was going to deal with it better than he ever had. He couldn't face the thought of the bright hope in her eyes being dampened by the actions of Lucius Malfoy. Added to that was the fact that she seemed to need him for some reason, goodness only knew why. He would have felt more comfortable had she latched on to Minerva, but it was him she seemed to trust. He stared stonily ahead, and drank another cup of coffee.

Minerva made her way down to the dungeons after lunch. Severus hadn't made it to the great hall, and it was very rare for him to miss a meal. She had taken advantage of her free period to go and check on him. She knew he was taking this harder than anyone else on the staff, especially as it involved Draco, his protégé. She was worried about him, and she knew she wouldn't be able to work if she hadn't made sure he was alright. As she neared the dungeons, it became obvious that there was nothing wrong with his lungs. He was bawling at a student, who, by the sounds of it, had stuffed up spectacularly.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH AN IMBECILE? I AM AWARE THAT YOU ARE ONLY A MERE FIFTEEN YEARS OLD, BUT I HAD HOPED YOU WOULD HAVE LEARNT TO READ BY NOW, EVEN IF YOU ARE IN GRYFFINDOR! HOW MUCH PLAINER DO YOU WANT ME TO MAKE IT? I shouldn't have to baby-sit my OWLs class, but if you are unable to read, maybe you will prove yourselves able to write. I want three feet of parchment from everyone in the class describing in exact detail how to make a wolfsbane potion." The gasps of dismay from the class were audible. He had chosen one of the harder potions, which even Minerva, competent though she was, was not confident she would be able to brew correctly.

"And as for you, Longbottom …" There was a pause, and Severus' voice dropped to a dangerous whisper: Minerva's heart sank. Neville Longbottom's cousin was almost as useless as Neville himself, and the potions master hated him almost as much as he hated Neville.
"I think a nice round …" Minerva opened the door to the classroom before he could decide how many points he would remove.
"I believe we've already lost fifty points today Severus," she said quietly. "I think that's enough, don't you?" He sagged visibly, and told the class to leave. They sensed that this would be an unbelievably good move, and vanished almost immediately.

Severus sank down on the edge of his desk. "Was that unreasonable Minerva?" he asked.
"Maybe you went a little overboard, but these aren't exactly normal circumstances are they?" She sat down next to him on the desk. "I'm worried about you Severus. Come to my rooms for some food. You haven't eaten much for the last few days, and if you're not going to sleep, you ought to eat." He opened his mouth to protest, but she carried on without giving him the chance. "I know you, Severus Snape, and you are not alright. You are not handling this well. I realise you're not going to tell me what's going on in that strange head of yours, and I don't ask you to tell me. Just don't run yourself into the ground. You can't help her if you wear yourself out." She slid off the desk, and slipped her arm through his, guiding him to her rooms.

She pulled the bell, and almost immediately a house elf appeared. "Could you rustle up some lunch for Professor Snape please, Aggy? Maybe some of the lamb and new potatoes we had last night?" Severus smiled, knowing that she hadn't ordered his favourite meal by coincidence.
"Yes, professor. Right away professor. Is there anything else professor?" The little creature was bobbing her head up and down so fast in her eagerness to serve that it almost made him dizzy.
"Thank you, no. That's everything for now." She gestured for Severus to sit as Aggy left the room. He collapsed gratefully into one of the huge squashy chairs in the room. Minerva sank into the other one, and they waited in companionable silence until Aggy returned, struggling under a huge platter of meat, potatoes and vegetables, as well as a tray with a large silver teapot and two cups. Minerva smiled at the elf's anticipation of her wishes. "Thank you Aggy." The elf retreated, and Severus fell on the food hungrily.

"Sorry, Minerva. I didn't realise how hungry I was," he said when he had finished every morsel on the plate.
"Severus you can't keep going like this. You need to sleep you know. Not that I believe for a second that you were that touchy simply because you haven't slept. I don't suppose you want to tell me what happened?"

He found himself in the unusual position of wanting to open up to her. He wanted to tell her just how much he was hurting and have her make it better, like she had done in the past. To his eternal shame, a tear was coursing slowly down his cheek. He tried to brush it away, but another fell, and another, and he couldn't keep up. Minerva put her cup down on the table next her, and strode across the room to him. She sat on the arm of the chair, and pulled him close whilst he sobbed. Such moments of raw emotion were rare from the Slytherin, and she knew that this would be difficult for him. Finally the sobs slowed, and he pulled away, taking a deep breath.

"I think I needed that."
"Talk to me Severus. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." They were almost the exact words he had used to Hermione, and the role reversal almost made him laugh.
"She woke up in the night you know." He wanted her to ask the question, to give him an excuse for telling her all this, but she was resolutely silent, and so he forced himself to go on. "I think it hit her... She was having a nightmare. She was crying and talking … and then I think she woke herself up, and she didn't know where she was. And then …" He took a deep breath, trying to make himself go on; Minerva squeezed his shoulder gently. "Then, she did remember where she was, and she cried Min. And I couldn't help her. She wouldn't let me near her, and nothing I was saying was helping her andhe cried herself to sleep. And I am so bloody useless that I couldn't do anything about it."

"Severus, I don't think anyone could have done any more than you did. And I'm not just saying that because I think it's what you need to hear, so don't start; I haven't got the energy to argue with you. Besides, you said as much the other night with Draco. All we can do is be there. Don't give up on her Severus. Miss Granger is not done yet I can assure you. She is an incredibly strong young woman, and she will no doubt recover from this, but not without our support." She smiled at him, and gave him a quick hug. "Please, please Severus, don't blame yourself for any of this. You are not useless, whatever you may think. Now, I think you should go to bed, as you will doubtless be aware that Hermione has asked if you will be repeating your vigil." He opened his mouth to protest, but she shooed him towards the door. "Go. I don't think it will do the first years any harm to miss potions for once."

She smiled to herself as he retreated down the stairs. He looked as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. She was glad he had talked to her this afternoon. Now at least she had some idea where he was coming from, which was always useful when dealing with Severus. She was startled out of her reverie by a light tap on the door.

"Come in," she called out, wondering who it was. The door opened and the headmaster peered round it.
"There you are my dear. I was wondering what had happened to you when you didn't show up for tea."
"Albus! I'm so sorry, I forgot."
"I saw Severus on the way up here. Did you manage to have that word with him? He looked a bit happier." Minerva briefly recounted her meeting with the Slytherin.
"And now my dear, I feel the only one who needs cheering up is you."
"Oh, Albus, I'm fine. Don't you worry about me."
"But I do Min, you know I do. I don't want the most wonderful woman this side of the moon to have a nervous breakdown on me. Severus isn't the only one looking tired you know." He scooped her up out of her chair, and sat down in it himself, arranging his deputy more comfortably on his knee. He reached for the back of her head, took the pins out of her bun, and watched the black hair snake down her back. She settled into his shoulder as he stroked her hair gently. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and then stared into her soft green eyes. He leant forward and brushed her lips gently with his own.
"I love you, Minerva."

He felt her shift in his lap, and her mouth sought his own. She was hungry for his love. She needed his soft gentle hands to remind her that there were good men in the world, men who could make her feel complete. She needed to forget that men like Malfoy existed, at least for a while, and he was the one man who could take her mind off things. She stood up and with a wave of her wand cleared her desk. Albus stood up and with a flick of his hand, her robes slid gently to the floor, followed by his own.

"Professor Dumbledore, would you be pleased by anything by any small chance?" She had a teasing smile on her face, as her eyes wandered appreciatively over his body.
"Well, yes, it would appear so, although I can't think what. It may have something to do with the fact that my wife is beautiful, but I feel we may need further research into it before I can come to any conclusion." His eyes were twinkling more than usual as he led her over to the clear desk. Her mouth sought for his again, and they both gave up on rational thought. This was not a moment to think, and they revelled in their closeness and intimacy.

When they were both thinking again, and the passion had passed, they were laid on the desk, with their arms and legs entwined, Minerva's head resting on Albus' chest.
"Do you feel better now my dear?" he asked very gently. "I think Severus was not the only one needing therapy."

"I just needed to know that you were the same, that you loved me still. I suppose I just needed to not think about Hermione for a while. Does that sound wrong?" She looked up at him, and once again felt he was seeing straight through her, not that this ever worried her. She liked the fact that he could read her so well; it made her feel at home.
"Minerva, we both know that you can't be there worrying the whole time. Wanting to be with me is not a bad thing, and I don't mind you needing affirmation from me, although next time, a bed or rug would be appreciated. Some of us aren't as young as we were." He smiled gently, and kissed her slowly, enjoying the feeling of her open, questing, hungry mouth. "Your therapy is clearly not complete yet, Mrs. Dumbledore. I think a change of scene is necessary." He led her silently into the bedroom, where the therapy continued long into the night.