Heyo!

I'm sorry about any mistake. My native language is Spanish but trying to get better with my English.

I added more content to the fifth chapter so, if you haven't read it, please do so you can understand this one. Let me know what you think of it.

Enjoy the chapter! If you have something to say please leave a comment, but remember to be respectful.

This chapter was read and fixed by the sweet debjunk.

Chapter 6: Help

Hermione woke up with one of the worst headaches, as if an entire Quidditch team had fallen on her head, bludgers included. It took her a few moments to become fully awake and alert to her surroundings. A heavy weight on her chest let out a little meow as her breathing quickened and her heart beat faster.

"Crookshanks..." she whispered, raising a shaky hand to pet him. "Did I decide to take a nap voluntarily? I can't remember how I even ended up here at all."

Her entire body felt numb, like a log floating on a quiet river.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," a familiar voice said from somewhere in the room.

Judging by the darkness, it had to be around seven o'clock PM With a languid wave of his hand, a familiar facial feature lit a candle and Severus Snape's appeared in the darkness, staring at her intently.

"I hope you have rested enough, Miss Granger, and that this serves as a good example of why you should visit your Muggle doctor and tell someone about your condition before it gets worse."

"What happened, Professor? I can't honestly remember anything."

"You were lying face down on the floor, unconscious for a moment."

Snape rubbed his forehead for a moment. "Imagine for a second, Granger, if it had happened in the middle of a busy day at work. It would be quite a surprise, wouldn't it?"

It had to be the reason why her head felt heavy and why she felt queasy, too.

"There was a wound on the back of one of your hands, but fortunately it was just a superficial cut. It should be completely healed by now."

Hermione could barely speak, let alone breathe. Snape was right; something like this could happen at any moment. The effects of her condition were incompatible with any task, especially handling dangerous equipment such as potions or anything that could break and cause a fatal accident.

"I trust that you will do the right thing, Granger, and at least you will go back to your doctor and ask for ways to make the symptoms less excruciating if you understand what I mean."

"Yeah, of course," Hermione replied.

She forgot about Crookshanks being on her chest so pushed herself up with all the strength she could muster, causing her cat to violently jump to the floor and hiss in response to her sudden movements.

"Stupid Know- it- all, you could break everything and cause a horrible accident."

"I won't have this conversation again; I refuse to keep going over it," came his cold reply. "It is a matter of safety for everyone involved, including potential customers."

"Then why, for Merlin's beard, did you accept my help?" Hermione inhaled deeply, trying to regain her composure. still don't understand, in love with me, Granger."

"Then why did you keep avoiding it until I told you about my disease and that...?"

"Because I had the feeling that you would refuse after everything that happened during your school years, Miss Granger."

Hermione weighed the situation as Snape moved to a corner of the room. Why would he choose her and not Draco, for example?

"Why me and not Draco?"

"It may not come as a surprise to you, Granger, but Draco wasn't that good in most of his classes. He wasn't as good as you were, sadly."

She couldn't see what was he doing, only the silhouette of his body thanks to the candle he was still holding.

"You asked why I was still alive even when it was the last thing I wanted after everything that happened during the Battle of Hogwarts. The truth is that I foolishly thought that I was finally free of any master to serve, and that I, for once, had the last word in terms of my own life."

"Is it because you think you're doing me a favor by letting me help you? Is it because you feel sorry for me?"

Tension permeated the air as Snape remained silent while Hermione's labored breathing was the only sound that could be heard in the room. The elephant in the room had finally been revealed.

"Do you think I feel any ounce of pity for you, Granger?" Snape said under his breath.

"What other reason would there be, if not for pity?"

"Simply because your school grades, at least in my class, were good enough to be considered as my apprentice. It would make my job less tedious since I don't have much to teach you, Miss Granger, except for the new recipes so you can brew should I have to leave and go back to Hogwarts for whatever reason."

"Are you obligated to go back by Professor McGonagall or something? I mean, I understand she saved you, but why would you return to the castle if it is the last thing you want to do right now?"

"She did save my life without even considering whether it was what I truly wanted in the first place. So if I must go back to Hogwarts, it will be on my terms and conditions."

"Are you telling me you wanted to work with me even before I knocked on your door that day, Professor?"

"It had been on my mind for a while, yes. But I didn't expect that you were, for reasons I

"Who says otherwise? Rita Skeeter and her book? If Professor McGonagall decided to save your life, it was because she knew after everything that had happened that you deserved at least a second chance," she said, words slipping without any filters.

Finally, turning to face her, Hermione noticed a small flask with ink and a black feather resting atop it. A brand-new piece of parchment lay on a desk beside the only window in the room.

"It is time we settled our terms and conditions, Granger." Severus said abruptly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as Snape tapped the blank parchment twice with his wand.

"We still haven't discussed the contract."

Throwing back the bed covers, Hermione tested her balance by placing both feet on the floor and slowly pushing up until she was standing. The wood beneath her feet felt oddly refreshing as she walked toward where Snape was. She couldn't remember if she had taken her shoes off before fainting or if Snape had taken them off for her placing her in the bed. Her head protested fiercely, but she was determined to know what was on the contract the man had prepared for her to sign. She took the offered parchment and read it carefully.

"All right. I understand the clause of no to any type or form of love. But you can't force me to tell my friends or anyone about my illness!"

"If I can't, then I will have to force you to visit the doctor, Granger. You cannot simply pass out in front of our customers or while holding any potion or anything that could break for that matter."

"You can't force me, let alone put it in a contract!" Hermione repeated, but this time it came out sounding more like a question, even to her ears.

"As your boss, Miss Granger, I can and will. Sign the contract or leave," he said dismissively.

"That's unfair! Why can't I deal with this alone? No one deserves to go through all this pain but me!"

"Then why did you decide to tell me if all you wanted was to deal with it by yourself?" Severus Snape asked crisply.

"I thought that you wouldn't care."

The question had provoked her, so she replied fiercely. "I thought you hated me, and that it wouldn't make any difference."

"That's the problem with Gryffindor; they expect every decision they make to be the best, ignoring other people's opinions. If you want to make me your confidant, then you must pay the price. It's as simple as that."

"How will you ensure that I visit the doctor? Unless you're coming with me, I don't see how…" Realization hit her and her eyes widened. "Right, as if that could ever happen."

Severus Snape curled his lips up in a mocking smile.

"Think about it for today, Granger," Snape said contemptuously.