A/N: I'm sorry, I know it has been a few days but I've had a really rough week. I also wanted to create some suspense for my first cliff hanger, not to mention coming up with why it happened in the first place ^_^". I'm an impulse writer, I admit it. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! Thank you to all of those who added or reviewed, you were bright spots in an unusually dark week:)

Something More

Chapter 6: What Are Friends For?

He held his breath and waited for her to speak.

"Severus I…" she paused, and bit her lip, almost as though she were worried about his reaction to what she was about to say. He gave her an impatient look, and she finally relented. "It's about the curse."

Here he sat up, suddenly alert, his eyes alight with interest. "Go on."

She sighed, "I had a dream while I was unconscious, or rather, a nightmare." She seemed unwilling to remember, but continued none the less. "It was completely dark; I've never seen anything so dismally black. I remember being cold, so cold that I wondered how I was still alive. I felt like ice."

He opened his mouth to tell her to get to the point, but stopped, anything she remembered could be important later on.

She met his eyes. "It felt like I had been there forever, like I was going to be there forever. But, then, something changed, I felt small spot of warmth here". She touched her eye, and then a light suddenly pierced the darkness, but I still couldn't move."

She bit her lip, "but then something warm touched my face again, and the darkness evaporated…the next thing I saw was you."

It wasn't until she finished speaking that Severus realized he'd been holding his breath. Annoyed, he exhaled. "And what pre tell has that to do with me?" He knew he was being unnecessarily harsh with her, but his mind was busy reeling at the implications of her statement.

She looked up at him, nervous but determined to speak her mind. "It was you wasn't it? Your touch brought me back."

He searched frantically for a way to deny her revelation, any way at all. When he couldn't find one, he became angry. All at once he exploded, "what does it matter?!" Startled, she searched his eyes, currently an intriguing shade of blazing ebony. She refused to be intimidated, and forced herself to sit up.

His anger ebbed somewhat as he realized she was at great risk of over-exerting herself. None the less, the strength of will in her eyes had not dwindled one bit. "Thank you Severus, for saving my life."

Severus blanched; "I did no such thing!" he ground out adamantly. Her mouth quirked, "thank you anyway."

Severus blanched, 'bloody Gryffindor loyalty…thinks she can…thinks I'll…makes me want to touch her again…"

Severus Snape froze. That last thought had been accompanied by the image of Granger as he'd last seen her, cold, colorless, and lifeless, his whole being rebelled against the memory.

The anger went out of him, and he sank into the chair beside her bed. "Granger…Hermione…whatever I may have done was purely accidental. I would hardly call it saving your life."

Hermione's smile became a full-fledged grin. "Some of the most heroic things of our age have been done by accident Severus, just ask Harry."

Severus managed to smirk at that, "I suppose that is true. Regardless, you will not tell anyone else what we discussed here, am I understood?"

Her expression became indignant and he flinched. 'Here it comes'

To his surprise, however, whatever emotion she'd been fighting a moment before was hidden inside her an instant later. She nodded, and Severus knew it was probably her gratitude that kept her silent.

He stood, "I must go now, I need to get started researching the curse attached to that letter, but I will send Draco in my stead, morning classes should be ending soon."

Severus took his leave of her rather quickly. He needed time to process what had just happened, no; make that everything that had happened. For regardless of what he might tell anyone, or even try to convince himself of, Hermione Granger had just done what most considered impossible: She had made a friend of Severus Snape.

Lying in her bed, Hermione recounted the events of the day. Wake up, shower, get dressed, pass out. Not what she had originally planned for the day, granted, but neither was she entirely disappointed. She had seen the look in Severus' eyes when she'd first awakened. She'd seen the relief, the joy, the concern, and she wondered how she had ever thought him emotionless.

She lay back onto her pillows. In spite of the hours of rest she'd already accumulated, Hermione was tired, one of the side-effects of being cursed within an inch of her life no doubt. She probably had a couple of hours before Draco would be free to come see her, and she wouldn't do him any good if she slept through his visit.

Sighing, she allowed her body to relax. In her half-awake state her mind drifted lazily through the spectrum of her thoughts. In her last few moments of coherence she found herself wondering what it would be like to have Severus Snape for a friend, and somewhere between reality and her dreams she realized she already knew.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt someone shake her gently. At first, she resisted the invasive touch, and the voice it accompanied. After a moment, the voice became more insistent, and she grudgingly forced herself awake.

Draco's smiling face was normally a sight for sore eyes, but Hermione couldn't help but be a bit irritated. She made as if to sit up, and he put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Severus said not to let you over-exert yourself."

Hermione glared at him. "I've been doing nothing but resting!" She forced herself to calm down. "I'm sorry, but you know how much it bothers me when people treat me like an infant."

Draco shook his head at her. Of course he knew, none of the healers at St. Mungos would come within ten feet of Granger when she had her wand. They were all fond of their extremities.

He searched her face. "Are you all right, Hermione?"

Her glare softened. "Yes, Draco, I'm fine. It will take a lot more than a bit of dark magic to incapacitate me."

He frowned, for they both knew how true that was. She was so pale, he reached out and touched her face, "you really gave me a scare there Granger", he admitted. She swatted at his hand. "Oh sod off Malfoy", she grinned at him, but it melted into a sincere expression, "I'm sorry."

He laughed, and she looked at him questioningly. "Oh nothing", he shook his head. "You amaze me sometimes. You get knocked out by a curse for the better part of a day and you're the one apologizing."

Hermione laughed softly, it was rather funny when he put it like that. He took her hand, feeling the soft smoothness of her skin. Sometimes he wondered if he and Hermione might be more than friends, if there could ever be more between them. He shook his head to clear it of the thought, and Hermione looked at him oddly, "are you all right?"

He nodded emphatically, "just a cold chill." He lied smoothly.

Hermione nodded, though she didn't quite believe him. "All right", she managed as she yawned.

Draco jumped at the opportunity. "I'll let you rest", he patted her hand, and he was gone before she had the chance to formulate a denial.

She shook her head, did all men act this way or was it just the ones in her life?

Regardless, a feeling of contentment settled over her as she relaxed back into her bed. Her last thought of the day was to be glad she was surrounded by such good friends.

A/N: Okay so I find myself tempted to possibly throw a bit of Dramione in there somewhere. I haven't decided yet, and all opinions are welcome as always! Hope you enjoyed it! -MWMS