Summary: Hermione brings Severus his breakfast, and we have a chat with Dumbledore

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter...sadly

My first fanfic...lemme know if it sucks!


Precisely thirty minutes later, Dobby appeared with a pop, bearing a tray of food. Hermione glanced up from her book and smiled at the elf, then looking at the clock.

"Great, Dobby. Right on time." Climbing from the sofa, she stretched her arms over her head. Taking the tray from the elf, Hermione headed down the hall. "Thanks, Dobby. You can go now." As he disappeared with another pop, Hermione opened the door to Severus's bedroom. Seeing the man still soundly asleep, she shook her head. Walking to the bed, she set the tray down on the nightstand. Hesitating, the young woman tried to decide how best to wake up the sleeping tiger. Finally, she bent down close to his ear and whispered, "Professor Snape." He sat up so quickly that Hermione didn't have time to react. As she found herself pinned against the floor with the man on top of her, the young woman chastised herself 'you idiot….the man is acting as a Death Eater! Surely, he has to be cautious, even in sleep…'

"Umm…Professor Snape? Can you get off me, please?" Severus's eyes cleared at the sound of Hermione's voice. As he surveyed the scene, he sighed inwardly. All his years as a Death Eater had taken their toll on him. He sneered down at the young woman beneath him to keep her from realizing his inner turmoil.

"Stupid girl. You should have known how I would react if you woke me. I am still playing the roll of a Death Eater, remember?" Hermione glared up at him, and he sneered back. As the man struggled to rise, Hermione remembered his stitches.

"How are your stitches, Professor?" Severus glared down at her, offering his hand to help her up. Hermione stared at the hand, amazed that he would offer to help her up. Severus rolled his eyes and prayed to whatever deities there were for patience. Reaching down, he grasped the young woman's arm and hauled her bodily to her feet.

"They're fine, Miss Granger. Now, if you please, what were you doing waking me up?" Hermione smirked.

"You demanded breakfast, sir. I brought it to you." She said, pointing at the tray still sitting upon the nightstand. Severus followed her hand and looked at the tray's contents with a critical eye. Then glaring back at Hermione, he climbed back on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I won't eat it. It's not what I requested." Hermione rolled her eyes and, unknowingly, also prayed to the deities for patience.

"Sir, you were placed in my care to get better. The meal you demanded would only slow that process." Severus gave her his sternest look.

"Even so, you are still my student and I still give the orders. So, unless I have what I specifically requested, I refuse to eat." Hermione too, crossed her arms. The look she gave him reminded Severus greatly of Minerva.

"You are in my care, Professor. So until you eat what you have, you will not get anything else." Severus smirked and called for Dobby. As the elf appeared with a pop, he opened his mouth to speak. Hermione beat him to it.

"Dobby. Professor Snape is very sick. Headmaster Dumbledore has placed him in my care. Therefore, if he asks for anything, you are to come to me to get approval. Am I clear?" The house elf nodded, looking warily between student and teacher as Severus's face grew murderous.

"Yes missus, very clear." Hermione nodded satisfactorily.

"Very good, you can go now." Dobby nodded and disappeared. As she turned back to her professor, she dodged the empty vial that soared toward her. Watching it crash against the wall and shatter, Hermione smirked. Looking at Severus's face, she almost cringed. She knew now why there were several people afraid of this man. He looked like he could eat glass and not feel a thing. His breathing was rapid, anger just barely controlled.

"Get. Out." He said through his teeth. "And bring me Headmaster Dumbledore immediately" Hermione nodded and turned to leave. As the door shut behind her, she heard another vial break. Walking to the living room, she took a pinch of Floo powder from the small jar by the fire. Tossing it in the fire, she waited until it was emerald green before calling "Headmaster Dumbledore's office." and stepping into the fire. She spun rapidly for a couple minutes before stepping out into the enormous office. The old man sat behind his desk, looking through his half-moon spectacles bemusedly at her.

"Why, Miss Granger, what a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?" Hermione glared at him and helped herself to a seat.

"Headmaster, I can't do this." Dumbledore was vain enough to at least look confused. "I can't put up with him any longer!" Hermione continued. "He's rude, crude, he has no sense of respect for anyone! All I try to do is help and he tears my head off! I just can't do it, Headmaster." Hermione's head dropped in despair. Dumbledore smiled and got up to move around the desk. Crouching in front of her, he put his hand on her head and smiled gently.

"My dear. I would not have put you into this situation if I had not thought you could handle it." As a tear trailed down her cheek, he wiped it away softly with the pad of his thumb. "There is something you have to understand about Professor Snape, my dear. He is always testing people. And he always gets the same results." Hermione looked at him, confused. Dumbledore smiled gently again. "You see, he acts the way he does to see if you will stick with him. And no one ever has. With the exception of me, and the rest of the staff, everyone has always given up on him. Like you, they only thought of him as a rude man, with no respect for other beings. But once you get past the wall, he is really a very caring man. Severus Snape has just been hurt too many times, and doesn't trust easily. So, you see, finding him in the corridor last night and helping him has made me think you, too, can stick with him. All it takes is a little understanding and a lot of stubbornness. And that, I think, you have plenty of." Hermione sighed and wiped her face on her sleeve.

"I just don't think I'm the right person, Headmaster. Maybe someone with a little more experience in the medical field. Those stitches, I'm sure, are not regulation. And I don't know how to treat the after-effects of the Cruciatus. For he is still suffering from it. I can see his hands twitch every now and then." Dumbledore nodded solemnly.

"Yes. If used enough on a person, the Cruciatus can become….Oh, how do I put it? An allergy, if you will. Severus has been put under the curse so many times that now, the effects last longer." Hermione nodded softly.

"Do you know what happened to him last night, Professor?" The Headmaster shook his head, sighing.

"No. I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it yet." Hermione nodded and stood up.

"Well, Professor, I have to get back to him. He demanded to see you at once, so you might want to come as well." Dumbledore nodded.

"Of course, of course, I'll be right behind you." As the young Gryffindor nodded and stepped back into the fire, Dumbledore turned to face the tabby cat coming from under his desk. As the cat morphed into the Transfiguration professor, he smiled. "Well, Minerva?" Minerva McGonagall glared at him.

"I don't think he would appreciate you giving that much information about his personal life away, do you?" Dumbledore laughed.

"No, I don't. But, I had better go see to him." Minerva nodded. As Dumbledore, too, stepped into the flames, she shook her head.

"Oh, Albus. What have you got them into?" Sighing, she left the office.