A/N: Sorry for the cliff hanger last time... Alright, you caught me- I'm not the least bit sorry:) This one's a little shorter, as are the next two, but my chapters will never be less than 2,500 words, I swear; I'm not mean enough to make you wait a whole week for a thousand words.

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything; that's (unfortunately) not about to change anytime soon.

Severus was in the sitting room he usually shared with his apprentice when his house elf appeared, fear in her wide eyes.

"Master Snape!"

He looked at the elf. She was holding something- no, someone. Severus rose instantly and went to take whoever it was from Tinky.

"What happened?"

"Tinky was called and found her this way, Master Snape. She asked Tinky to bring her to you, so Tinky did as she asked."

As he took hold of the person, Tinky's words registered and he froze. There was only one person who would call his house elf.

Hermione.

It was the first time he'd referred to her by her first name, mentally or otherwise, but he couldn't stop himself. Here was his apprentice, his friend, who'd been spending her summer on the streets of her small hometown, beaten and broken in his arms.

Severus quickly dismissed the elf and took Hermione into her room. He rid her of her clothing, staring in horror at what he saw. She was black and blue, and it sounded like she was struggling to breathe.

He ran to his supply of healing potions in his room and brought the whole kit. After some diagnostic spells, he began healing her injuries. First were the ribs; one of them had punctured a lung and she would die if that wasn't addressed sooner rather than later. After that came her head injury; she was bleeding from her right temple. He fixed her nose, and moved down to her center. She had been raped, and he needed to fix what internal damage he could. Severus took his wand and murmured a healing spell. Next came the bruises. He wasn't sure he had enough Bruise Salve, but he managed to cover all of her bruises with the paste.

A warm washcloth was run across her face and the inside of her thighs, wiping away her blood. She looked better, but he knew that this would be hard for her emotionally. She'd lived with her father doing similar things to her, and she'd just had to go through it again.

Severus found some of her pajamas and put them on her before tucking her into bed. He would stay with her tonight.

Hermione was lost in the darkness of semi-consciousness. Her whole body hurt, and she wanted to sleep. She could feel their arrival, and the house elf holding her almost dropped her. She was talking to somebody, but she couldn't focus enough to figure out who it was. Then she was moving. A different set of arms took her, and she knew who it was.

He'd held her enough times for her to know when she was wrapped in the safe embrace of Severus Snape.

He was carrying her somewhere, and the movement made it hurt more to breathe, but that was nothing compared to what she felt as he set her down. The warmth and safety were gone, and she fell unconscious.

Severus watched over her as she slept. She was calm; he knew she had to be exhausted, and she needed the sleep to heal. He had a Draught of Peaceful Sleep ready for her if she needed it, but she'd passed out on her own.

He'd had a quiet summer so far. It had been rather boring without her there, but he was managing. Severus had done a lot of reading over the past couple of weeks, and he'd been happy for the time away from the drivel of students.

As he looked at Hermione- for she was no longer 'Miss Granger' to him, and probably hadn't been for quite some time- he thought about her.

She had always been brilliant, and he'd admired her intelligence since her first year at Hogwarts. At that young age, she'd become friends with Potter and Weasley. She was probably the only reason they were alive today. He'd always questioned her taste in company since then, but she was loyal; it would take a lot for her to turn her back on a friend. He'd watched her grow up. She'd always been mature beyond her years, and there were times when it was hard to remember how young she was. As she'd grown from a girl with bushy hair and big teeth to a young woman with riotous curls and a proportional face, he'd realized how beautiful she was.

Her eyes were big and dark with intelligence. They were warm and comforting, and almost always seemed to sparkle. Freckles crossed the bridge of her nose, and her lips weren't full, but they weren't thin, either.

Looking at her now, he knew. He wanted to run his fingers softly through her thick curls; to kiss those perfect lips; to hold those small hands in his; to embrace her and pull her against his chest. He wanted to be the one who made her laugh and smile. He wanted to be the one to keep her safe. He wanted her to be his, and he wanted to be hers.

Severus Snape was in love with Hermione Granger.

With his epiphany, a small smile spread across his face. He had found someone he could love. Severus, of all people, had found someone he cared deeply about and never wanted to let go.

But his heart sank as he realized that it was hopeless. There was no way in hell she would ever feel the same way about him. He was… well, he was him. His skin was sallow, his hair lank from standing over a cauldron too long, his nose was hooked and far too big. Severus knew that he wasn't attractive in the least. He was damaged from years of going between two masters. His body was covered in scars, and the Dark Mark was faded on his left forearm. He wasn't good, he wasn't kind. Hermione deserved so much better than him.

As much as that train of thought hurt him, Severus knew he would still do anything for her. She needed him now. He could put his feelings aside and help her; he would help her come back from this. If not for him then for her. None of this should have ever happened to her.

Severus stayed by her side all night and well into the morning. He summoned Tinky for breakfast and tea, refusing to leave her. He found a book she'd been reading on the bedside table and grabbed it, settling himself in the chair with it- it was his book, after all.

It was nearly eleven when she began to stir. She wasn't moving too much- no doubt she was still hurting- but it was enough to alert Severus. He set the book down and watched her carefully, not knowing exactly what he should do. He wanted to comfort her, but he also wanted to avoid frightening her.

Waiting until she opened her eyes, Severus cleared his throat softly. She looked up at him almost immediately.

"Professor Snape?" she asked groggily.

"I'm glad to see you're alright, Hermione. I was… worried."

He looked away quickly, so he missed her blush. You idiot; you just called her by her first name! What are you doing? Be here for her, not for you.

"I think I'm okay. Why am I here?"

"Do you not remember what happened?" Now he was looking at her again. She'd had that head injury; what if there was memory loss?

"It's a little fuzzy, but I think I remember enough. The last thing I can recall is…" She trailed off as tears began to well up in her eyes. Severus understood. The last thing she remembered was being raped.

"You were able to call Tinky, and you asked her to bring you here."

"Oh. That makes sense. Were my injuries bad?" Hermione blushed.

"Two broken ribs, one of which punctured a lung; a head injury; your nose was broken; lots of bruising; and minor vaginal damage," he responded in a clinical tone.

She nodded her understanding, and a lone tear fell down her cheek; Severus longed to wipe it away, but stayed where he was. "So you healed me, then?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," she sighed, her blush deepening.

They sat in silence. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't pleasant. Neither knew what to say, so they just didn't say anything. It was Hermione who broke the silence.

"Professor?"

"Yes," he answered, forcing himself to remain proper, "Miss Granger?"

"First of all, you can call me Hermione, you know. But I was just wondering if… if I could… maybe talk about last night?" She finished with a shuddering breath.

Severus was glad that his earlier slip-up was forgiven, but he set that aside so he could listen.

"Of course. You know you can talk to me about anything, Hermione."

She gave a small smile at the use of her name, but it faded as she gathered her Gryffindor courage so she could tell him what happened.

When she was able to find her voice, she told him everything she could remember. What they looked like, what they did.

He was fighting off anger and rolling nausea by the end of her tale, but he hid it well; Severus was as stoic as ever. She was hiding something, though. He didn't want to push too hard, but there was definitely something that she didn't want him to know.

"Hermione, is that everything?"

She looked up at him, shame in her eyes as she shook her head slowly. He watched her worry her lip with her teeth before sighing.

"I didn't fight back. I just let it happen. All I could think about was him and how fighting made it so much worse and I just gave up. I didn't even try." She was in tears again, and Severus moved from his chair to the edge of the bed. He conjured a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks, taking in what she'd just told him.

"I understand why you reacted that way, Hermione, but I don't understand why you felt as if you couldn't tell me when it was clearly bothering you."

Hermione looked away from him as she answered. "I was afraid that you'd be upset with me."

Severus was still confused. He knew that she cared what he thought of her, both as a student and as a friend, but he couldn't fathom why he'd be upset. Still sitting next to her, he reached over and grabbed her chin gently. "Hermione, look at me."

As he moved her head towards him, she met his eyes. "Why would I be upset with you?" he asked softly.

"Because I didn't try to save myself. I was willing to let whatever happened happen. I gave up. I was weak."

"No, Hermione, you weren't. I think you were right in your assessment that a fight was what they wanted, and you didn't give in to what they wanted. On top of that, you were reliving what your father did to you. You are a very strong young woman. I know you'll pull through this, I will do what I can to help you. Tell me what you need."

She looked so relieved that his heart broke a little bit for her. His opinion of her mattered more than he'd thought it did.

"Tea would be nice. Will you stay?"

"If you would like." He called Tinky for tea, and the two discussed Potions until Hermione fell asleep a few hours later.

Severus had moved back to his chair sometime that afternoon, but he didn't remember. He could only sit by her and reflect on what had come to pass. She was so important to him. There was no way he was letting her go back to living on the streets, although he was sure that, after this, she would no longer want to.

He was bothered by how willing he was to let her matter to him. Severus was not a man who let people in. He wasn't kind, or sensitive, but he knew that he would do his best for her. It was what she needed

He had a feeling that it would take her time to get over this, and he was worried that it would bring on a new rush of panic attacks. Severus could only hope that this wasn't the case, but if it was, he was desperately hoping that it would be more minor attacks than major. To hear her scream out the way she had all those months ago had been devastating, and that was before he'd begun to care for her. He could only imagine how much worse it would be now that she meant so much to him.

As she slept, he went back to reading the book he'd set aside, and was soon immersed in the thick tome once more.

Severus was so focused that he didn't notice her waking up again. She sat up and carefully stretched before he saw the movement and looked at her.

She threw the covers off and moved to the edge of the bed. "I need to walk; I feel like an invalid."

He couldn't help but smirk at her as she took her time standing up. She wobbled a bit, and Severus rose to assist her if she needed it. She gratefully took his arm.

"Where to?"

Hermione shrugged, so they began walking slowly in no particular direction. They left their quarters, and wandered aimlessly through the castle as they discussed topics at random. The conversation flowed from one thing to another, only to be interrupted by Hermione's growling stomach.

"Can we go to the kitchens?"

He nodded, mentally cursing himself for not asking her if she was hungry earlier. She hadn't eaten all day, and while he wasn't sure how well she ate away from Hogwarts, he was certain that she could take care of herself.

They strolled through the Great Hall and made it to the kitchens. It had become clear in the past fifteen minutes that Hermione was more than capable of walking on her own now; she was just choosing not to. Selfish bastard that he was, he let her.

Upon their entrance in the kitchens, they were greeted by a swarm of house elves. Hermione asked them for what she wanted and requested that it be sent to their rooms, and they set to work, happy to serve.

The walk back was just as slow as the rest of their 'outing,' and their banter continued, echoing through the empty corridors. She'd even managed to make him laugh (not just a chuckle); it was the first time he'd done so in her presence.

By the time they reached their quarters, the food was sitting on the table by the couch, preserved with a Stasis charm. Hermione all but threw herself down on the couch and began eating. It was clear that she was absolutely ravenous, and she had ordered plenty of food. Roast chicken, vegetables, rolls, and pudding. If he wasn't still annoyed at himself, he probably would have found it amusing.

After she'd thoroughly gorged herself, he found himself on the couch with her. They were reading together, and her legs were sprawled across his lap. At first, he'd wanted to protest, but he knew he was very unlikely to deny her anything, so he'd complied without making a fuss.

He checked his watch to find that it was approaching midnight. Severus looked over at his apprentice only to find her asleep. He chuckled to himself as her book slipped to the floor, and he marked her place before setting it on the table. As gently as he could, he scooped her up and carried her off to bed before transfiguring his chair into a twin sized bed for the night; he hadn't slept for almost two days.

It didn't take him long for sleep to find him. The night was quiet, and he was dreaming of Hermione almost immediately.

A/N II: First of all, I just want to thank everybody who has reviewed, followed, favorited, and taken the time to give this story a chance. I really appreciate your encouragement and support, and it definitely makes me feel better about putting myself out there like this- I'm not really the sharing type, but I had this idea that wouldn't go away, so I just went with it. I can't believe it's been six weeks already, but here we are!

As always, any feedback will be appreciated and taken to heart, and I'll see y'all next Wednesday!