The students of Hogwarts continued to keep me on my toes. A consistent stream of students always coming and going. Fortunately, nothing was too much for me to handle or too time consuming to treat. A few students had to spend the night but I remember students having to spend weeks in the Hospital wing.

Winter turned to Spring. The dull, grey rain filled days melted into vibrant, green warmth. I wondered if St. Mungo's was checking in, and if so, what Dumbledore was reporting. I also wondered what the rest of my group was doing there. I wondered if they were covering interesting topics that I wasn't seeing at Hogwarts. Was I missing out? I should send Susan an owl and see what Henry was up to. I hadn't heard from Susan in a while. I now wondered how little Thomas was doing. I should add that to my letter as well. Since the baby was born it seems like Susan is starved for contact. I know she wouldn't trade her boy for anything but she seems to really latch on to conversation of any sort. I couldn't blame her. It's just her and the baby most of the time with Henry working the same hours as I had been. If we did get a chance to go home it was in such a state of exhaustion that we were as useful as sugar quill during an exam. I went to grab some parchment to write to her right away.

I wasn't sure what to fill the letter with, my questions seemed to take up no space at all. I began to write about Hogwarts and what it was like to be Madam Pomfrey. I told her about my first encounter with Severus. I knew she would hate to hear it, but I also told her how the sight of him made my heart pound and resurrected some butterflies.

I also added how I had met one of Sean's friends. A boy with shocking red hair. Sean had brought him to meet me when they came back from Hogsmeade. Sean was most excited to tell me that this boy's home had its own name. He had visited it over the summer. It's called The Burrow and Sean had never seen anything like it and they have real gnomes in the garden. He said our mother misunderstood and bought him a ceramic garden gnome for his birthday thinking that he really liked those. He told me how he went out with Bill (that's his friend's name) and his brothers to catch them and throw them over the fence. He also said that Bill's mom is the best cook. I couldn't be sure but I thought Bill winked at me as they left the Hospital wing. If he did, that boy is going to be trouble but Sean seems to like him.

After my stories I now had about a foot and a half of parchment. I was sure that Susan would devour the letter when it arrived and hopefully she would have time to write back. I tied the letter to the leg of a school owl that had a perch in Madam Pomfrey's office and it took off through the window.

It was now fairly late and I didn't expect any students to be coming in anymore since they were all supposed to be safe in their beds. I changed into my nightgown and put myself to bed. I turned onto my side, no good. I flopped onto my back, nope. I punched the pillow and flung my head back onto it. Butterflies fluttered around my stomach.

"Oh, stop it." I said audibly to them.

They fluttered on anyway.

"He doesn't even like me anymore." I told them.

A part of me was aching for Severus Snape and my brain was very aware that he was close.

With a groan I threw away the covers and put on my slippers and a housecoat. What I needed was a good walk to clear my head. The doors going outside were locked but I could walk around the halls. I wasn't a student anymore and was therefore allowed to wander the halls whenever I wanted.

The school was very different when the halls were deserted. I was only accompanied by the sound of my slippers on the stone floor and the rustle of my clothes. In my wandering I found myself standing outside the door that led down to the dungeon. I could almost hear the clanking of glass vials and the bubbling of his cauldrons. The butterflies had turned into a lump in my throat. I turned away from the door and continued walking down the corridor.

I had lost track of where I was. I heard something clunk behind a door not far away. I stopped walking and listened. There came another crash and a muffled moan. I snuck to the door convinced it was Peeves doing something he wasn't supposed to. I put my hand on the knob, turned it, and flung it wide open.

The sight that greeted me was not of Peeves setting up a prank. The door led to a broom cupboard and standing inside the cupboard was Filch. Wrapped in an embrace so close it was difficult to tell where he ended and she began, was the vulture-like Madam Pince. My mind went blank, I forgot that I could breathe, speak, I stood there frozen staring at the tangle of thankfully clothed bodies. Filch stared at me in the same kind of shock, his face smudged with lipstick.

"STUDENT OUT OF BED!" He finally shouted.

I let out an awkward yell before I slammed the door in their faces and raced down the hall. I skidded around a corner and ran into a solid body. Having completely lost my mind I grabbed their hand and pulled them with me. My fingers laced with theirs, my heart pounding, they came with me easily.

"FLAAAAAARRRGH!" I shouted, which clearly meant 'Filch is coming, likely in a rage, and you'd do well to come with me.'

I pulled this person with me around corners and up stairs and down corridors until my chest was burning. I flew around one last corner and pressed myself against the wall, gasping for air.

"What," my unfortunate companion gasped. "Was that?"

My eyes focused on a face draped in black hair. My fingers still laced with his. His face was inches from mine. I had pulled him incredibly close after that last turn.

I felt my cheeks turn red. "Filch." I managed to choke out as I caught my breath.

"You're not a student anymore." He said. "You can be in the halls past dark."

"No," I shook my head. "You don't...he was in a closet with...with Madam Pince."

His eyes widened. "He what?" He sounded amused and even in the dark I could see a smile spread across his familiar lips.

I looked into his dark eyes. There was not a trace of hatred in them. They were the warm eyes I remembered. I became very aware of the feel of his hand in mine.

The same thought must have occurred to him. Within the moment he jerked his hand from mine. He looked startled. He smoothed his hands over his robes while making a series of noises before turning on his heel and rushing from the spot without an intelligible word.

I stood in the dark protection of the corner listening as his footsteps echoed until they disappeared. I heard nothing else. I had thought the racket I had made would have drawn the attention of Peeves or at least another professor.

The silence was stifling. I jumped at the feeling of something brushing against my ankles. I looked down to see Mrs. Norris. I decided I had better go before the cat led her master to my hiding spot.

"It was an honest mistake." I told the cat before continuing down the hall.

I was sufficiently lost. In the dark, nothing looked familiar and I couldn't be sure that I had ever been down this hallway in the past. I continued to wander around hoping to see something familiar that would allow me to head in the right way to end up at the Hospital Wing.

I flexed my hand, the one that had not long ago been holding onto Severus Snape. Why had he allowed me to touch him? Why did it seem like he was struggling to issue his usual acid filled words? He didn't seem to fight me as I dragged him on a rushed tour of the castle.

I shook my head as though trying to throw the hope building inside me from my ears. I caught him off guard, nothing more.

I continued walking along hallways and going down stairs until I found a familiar painting that got me turned onto the right way back to the Hospital Wing.

I closed the bedroom door and removed my slippers and housecoat. I laid back in bed but it would prove to be a completely sleepless night.

Exams passed in a blur. Soon the students had free time to spend outside in the heat of the sun and in the cool shade of trees by the lake.

Sean visited a few times, sometimes in the company of Bill Weasley. I was now certain that he winked at me in the past. He was quite flirty for a third year though it sounded as though he was very smart and otherwise well behaved. I imagined if I had been a third year with Bill Weasley I would have liked him.

Dumbledore had stopped by to let me know that I was invited to the end of year feast, provided no students needed intensive care. It was odd to think the end of the year was already here and that I had been here for months and that Madam Pomfrey had not returned. I worried if her family member was worse than she expected.

I opted to wear black robes instead of the St. Mungo's robes I have been wearing since I came. I thought it would draw less attention to me at the staff table.

The chatter was excited as I entered the Great Hall. Students were no doubt discussing summer plans with friends and talking about how their exams went. I looked up at the staff table. There was an empty seat next to Flitwick. I scanned down and saw Severus in conversation with McGonagall. His eyes flicked over to me. He was just checking to see who was walking in but my heart responded with a leap anyways. His eyes followed me so obviously that McGonagall stopped talking to see what had grabbed his attention. I quickened my pace and sat in the spot next to Flitwick who greeted me warmly and expressed his elation that I was a Healer.

"A trainee." I corrected.

"But no doubt you'll be a fully fledged Healer in no time." He smiled. "They would not send you here to take on such a large and delicate task as caring for Hogwarts students if you were not up to the task."

Dumbledore stood up at the table and the Hall became silent.

"There is a time for long end of year speeches." He began, his gleaming eyes resting on the tables full of students. "This, however, is not it."

He sat back down and suddenly the serving dishes were stacked with food.

Flitwick and I continued our conversation through dinner. When desserts replaced the main courses I looked out towards the Gryffindor table, seeing if I could spot Sean.

It was not difficult to find him. He was sitting across from Bill with his flaming red hair. There was a smaller boy sitting next to Bill with the same bright hair. Sean's eyes met mine and he waved at me.

Bill turned around and saw me waving at Sean. A smile spread across his face and he winked at me. My smile towards my brother became a scowl. Bill laughed and turned back to face Sean who was also scowling at him. He opened his mouth to tell him off but suddenly the part of the bench that Bill was sitting on fell into splinters and with a crack Bill fell to the floor.

The Great Hall went as silent as when Dumbledore had stood up. When it was realized what the noise was and everyone had noticed Bill laying on the floor a roar of laughter filled the room. I looked down the staff table, everyone wore a look of surprise. Dumbledore waved his wand and the bench splintered back together and Bill was lifted back to sit on it. The laughter died down.

Unnoticed, Severus, leaned back in his seat, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. His eyes locked intently on Bill Weasley.