Chapter 5

The next day, Hermione woke with a major headache. She felt it was all due to that one small excursion to Diagon Alley. Other than the headache, her cough was back that had been gone the day before. She laid in bed looking at the ceiling and wishing she had a pepper-up potion to get her moving. Hermione knew a pepper-up potion would get her going and clean up the rest of her system from being sick for so long.

She had been awake for an hour before she begrudgingly forced herself to get out of bed and headed for the bathroom. The warm shower had seeped into her tired and aching body and had helped to alleviate some the soreness from being sick. It did nothing for her cough or her headache for that matter.

Hermione traipsed back into her room in what clean clothes she had left. Laundry would be on her chore list of to do for the day as well as make an excursion to see about Muggle clothes. She figured that wouldn't hurt her too much and moving around would help more to get her energy back. She placed all her Muggle clothing inside a bag she needed to replace and sat them beside her door for the moment.

She headed down for breakfast. Her land lady was very sweet and made her some tea with honey to help sooth her throat as well as handed her some aspirin for her headache. They chatted for a bit while Hermione ate, it was pleasant. The land lady told her where to find the closest second hand shop for clothes.

Hermione had struggled with the bag to the shop and didn't get half of what she needed. She was rather pleased that she found a tattered copy of 'Daddy-Long-Legs' in the store though. Once back in her room she stored what little she had purchased in her school trunk and then laid back on the bed and read a few chapters of the well-worn and tattered book.

After dinner that night Hermione stared at the empty parchment that was meant for her benefactor. Her headache was back again, it hadn't abated long. Her cough was a little worse as well.

Dear Raven,

My day was miserable. I can't seem to get rid of this headache no matter how much Muggle medicine I take and my cough is back. If you didn't know, I had been very sick two weeks prior. Is there any way you can send me a pepper-up potion? I would go to Diagon Alley to get one, but that would probably end up being a repeat performance of passing out in the Apothecary. Something I wish to not repeat in the future, it was rather embarrassing. I wish to not feel like being made an idiot again.

Under the Weather,

Miss Granger

PS. You never did answer my question. Tall, fat, short, skinny? As far as the hand writing goes, a very elegant script. Brings to mind long, supple, and nimble fingers.

Severus sipped his tea in his favorite chair as the parchment appeared only after Albus had left. He had placed a spell on them so they wouldn't appear when anyone else was around him. He sat the tea down beside his chair and reached out for the parchment and read it. He chuckled when he got to the Apothecary part of the letter. Severus even looked at his fingers and smiled.

He stood up and headed to his potions cupboard and pulled out two pepper-up potions and then grabbed his tea as he made his way to his office inside his quarters. He sat behind his desk and took out parchment, quill, and ink. Leaning back in his chair he took another sip as he thought about what to write.

Miss Granger,

That is a very sad state of affairs for a young woman to be in. It is the summer and you should be enjoying yourself and your surrounds. Your guess on my fingers is correct. May your morrow be better.

Your Benefactor,

Raven

Severus shook his head. He felt that giving her the information on his fingers was enough. He hoped so. She was probably going to drive him insane with that question, but at least maybe he sated her curiosity enough for the day. He took the note along with the two potions and placed them in the box and tapped it with his wand. Hermione had the twin brother to this box. His mother had devised the boxes that he had used during school, because his father hated any type of magic and this had been one way of communicating with his mother that his father had never found out about. Severus sat back and finished his tea.

The next day, Severus sat down to his evening tea alone when the parchment appeared. He pulled it over to him and crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair to start reading. She had written him a lot more than the simple letters she had sent previously.

Dear Raven,

First off, thank you so much for the Pepper-up potion. It did the trick. I felt a lot better today.

"Good." Severus said and then continued reading.

Today was rather busy. Mrs. Bessler, my land lady, has gotten another girl who is boarding as well. She came in this morning right after breakfast. Her name is Regina Malcolm. She has curls I would die for, well maybe not die for, but at least her hair is easier to keep than my own shall we say. Unless I use a bottle of sleek easy on my hair, but it is rather troublesome and why bother if I'm not going anywhere that entails me to do so.

"There is nothing wrong with your hair. It is yours, it makes you unique." Severus stated and then continued with the letter.

I went shopping today for Muggle clothing and shall we say Regina came with me. Half the stuff she wanted me to try on. Ugh. I wouldn't be caught dead in. Her view of what looks good and my view are at polar extremes. I swear, I would have looked like a street hooker selling my natural wears to the 'would be buyer' on the corner.

"Don't you get mixed up with her." Severus said as he shook his head.

Then while we are walking back home, she starts talking to these men who started following us because Regina was showing a little too much flesh. I wanted to kill her, I didn't like the looks of the two men at all. And here Regina is flashing smiles and batting her eyes at them like nothing is wrong. When the man grabbed my arse I froze.

Severus hissed.

I did gain my composure back. And lucky for me it was a good thing, I had already felt my magic stirring and here I am in the middle of a Muggle street with Muggles all around me. Not a good thing. I said a few choice words and punched the man. Let me tell you it felt good. Almost as good as the time I punched another student at school, I won't say his name, but he deserved it as well.

Severus chuckled. "Good for you. Used your head on your shoulders you have."

I grabbed Regina and gave her a good telling off all the way back to Mrs. Bessler's. I ended up helping Mrs. Bessler the rest of the day. She had a lot of cookies to make for her ladies auxiliary meeting this weekend. I'm not sure what Regina did the rest of the day and I could care less. My plan is to avoid her for the time I remain here.

So, long, supple, nimble fingers. That would at least indicate you are not a fat man. So somewhere in the range of skeletally thin and average. Tall or short?

Throws a right hook,

Hermione

Severus chuckled and shook his head. He wasn't answering that question. But he did enjoy the letter, this was a side of Hermione that he was glad to see.