Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns everything you recognize.
No spoilers, this takes place in an AU 7th year.
Chapter 2 of my story, in which Severus does some reading. I hope you won't find it boring, there's little to no action…

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Two

"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you."
Marsha Norman

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'The Book of Dreams?'

Severus snorted in amusement at the obvious irony of Hermione Granger, renowned enemy of Divination and know-it-all facts-lover writing something as ridiculous as a 'book of dreams'.

A malicious gleam past through his eyes as he turned the page and started reading.

'I cannot believe the irony in my writing about dreams' the first line said 'when I indeed cling to the facts of books, to their precision and accuracy.
I feel somewhat ridiculous now for having mocked Divination and those who believe in it (nothing, however, will change my mind about Trelawney!), but what I want to write about is not the future. I will write about myself.'

Severus raised an eyebrow. Miss Granger had never struck him as selfish and he was rather disappointed, he had, of course, hoped this book might contain something more worthwhile. But the girl had proved to be quite…unpredictable in her choice of subject so he might as well find out what she dreamed to do with herself. He smirked and turned his attention back to the book.

'Dreams are something I've never really considered important, I always brushed them off as nothing more than imagination. I suppose I'm like that: whatever I don't understand becomes of no importance to me.'
Severus had to wonder at such a remark; it sounded exactly like something he would have said to criticize her.
'And yet something determined me to start writing down what I dream at night.'
'At night?' Severus thought. So this book was about actual dreams, not a seventeen-year old girl's fantasies and hopes. Once again his interest was captured, for Severus had to admit to himself that he knew very little about dreams.

'I normally practice what I preach, and despite the fact that I always encourage Harry and Ron to ignore the insults and injustice surrounding us, I can never look past being called a Mudblood. It hurts to see how prejudice is so blinding, and I would expect more from those who consider themselves adults.
But I suppose old habits do indeed die hard for those two Slytherin bullies.'

Severus briefly thought she was obviously not practicing what she preached, for House-grudges were indeed prejudiced.

'That day, in September, was no different. Yet again I was labeled Mudblood and yet again I felt my eyes sting.
What an absurd word I'd thought then, Mudblood. Mud had nothing to do with it. The opposite of pure was obviously impure, not mud! Mud is earth mixed with water, two powerful elements of nature, both important to witches and wizards.
I did try to forget that event, but the dream I had the next night could only prove my failure.
That night my dream started with…mud.'

Severus turned the page, curious to see where this was leading to.
'I was standing alone on a sort of field and the ground beneath my feet was red-brown and muddy. I took of my shoes and walked barefoot in the mud, I could actually feel my feet sinking in it.
There were shoe-prints in the mud and as I followed them they led me to a man. He was standing with his back towards me, hands in the pockets of his black suit, and he was singing.
I ran towards him and slipped my hand under his arm as if he was blind and I was guiding him. We both started to run on the path which was dryer now and he was barefoot too.
We kept running for a long while and I felt so happy and neither of us got tired. We jumped over a broken fence and climbed down some stairs sculpted in the earth.
His song was over but we were still running. When we finally stopped, the dream ended as well.'

Severus considered what he had just read. Her memory of the dream was very accurate and it seemed to involve so many senses. He could not recall ever having a similarly realistic dream, but then again he rarely remembered dreaming at all. Still considering that aspect, Severus turned his attention back to the book.

'Ever since that day and that dream I have become quite obsessed with theories about the meaning of dreams, with symbols and interpretation.
I was quite surprised that people (Muggles at least…) have had such a great interest in dreams and their interpretation since ancient times. I remember reading a revealing quotation from the Jewish Talmud, it said: "A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read."

'Jewish proverbs?' This was indeed beginning to interest Severus.

'It was only after I read several books on this newly discovered subject that I started to write this book, and I hope to be able to continue it.
Naturally I've become quite an expert in dream symbols and I must admit that a lot of them make sense so I will try to interpret the meaning of the dream I have just written about.

First of all the mud; apparently to dream that you are walking in it means that you are feeling weighed down by a situation, a problem – in my case prejudices and offenses.
Taking off my shoes suggests that I am leaving restraints behind me. I'm refusing to conform to some idea or attitude.
The fact that I saw an unknown man in my dream actually denotes my masculine aspect, the side of me that is assertive, rational, aggressive, and/or competitive. And the song – hearing it indicates that I am looking at things from a spiritual viewpoint.
As for running…well it may mean that I am actually running from a problem, but running with someone is a sign of festive times.'

Severus was amazed. Not only was everything she had written logical, but it also matched her situation from the previous day she had referred to. It was indeed fascinating; he could easily understand her proclaimed obsession with this.
And all this information she got from books? Muggle books too! 'How extraordinary' Severus thought.

'One might think that this is all so extraordinary…every explanation fits and it's so very reasonable…' Severus' brow lifted reading this line.
'But after so much research I have finally chosen where my beliefs lie: with the ideas of a great theorist. Like him, I have come to believe that dreams are a link to our subconscious and that there are no universally true explanations for elements in dreams.
Dreams are a product of our mind; therefore they must have a personal interpretation.

So I believe that now I can easily explain my dream without consulting any so-called dream dictionaries.
The mud was obviously a symbol and the faceless man stood for all those who think of me and all Muggleborns as filthy. That's why he was blind in my dream; he couldn't see the truth so I guided him and showed him he would not get dirty by joining me.
My subconscious found a way to prove that which I cannot do in reality…

Severus had to re-read that last line, a line which ended her first entry in this book.
Perhaps he had been mistaken about Miss Granger after all. In these few pages she had seemed so…different to him, she had unintentionally proved that she could evaluate, she could choose and explain.

But Severus did not wish to think about it any longer, not now. There would be time later, but for now he simply wanted to read.

Hermione's dream was not made up; I dreamt it exactly as described.
The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends, and stories (Wikipedia).
Information about dream interpretation was taken from: dreammoods. com and their vast dream dictionary.

I hope you liked the chapter...it's quite different from the first.