College, a great time if you ignore the classes otherwise it is pure stress. Oh and if you ever see a continuity issue please let me know, when writing a story this long over a period of time you tend to forget little details and have to go back and read certain bits of your own story, or I do anyway. In the chapter where Severus read her mind I had to rewrite a good chunk of it because I forgot that I had made Hermione remember pretty much everything about him in the future. As far as I can tell I catch myself before publishing but if I miss something let me know.

"Damn it Hermione, you need to be ready to throw a shield up at any second," Severus berated as he went to the fallen girl. His pace quickened when she did not respond as she usually would. No come back, no excuse, not even a grunt of pain, just silence. She had gone down clutching her side where the debris collided with her ribs but he ignored the injury temporarily as he saw a bit of blood where her head struck the floor.

"Damn it," Severus cursed as he quickly checked her side which was bruising and he was fairly sure her ribs were cracked if not broken. The med bay they had in the room was not sufficient for this level of injury so Severus quickly yet gingerly scooped Hermione into his arms. He cast a disillusionment charm about them before heading off to the infirmary as quickly as he could. Thankfully the castle was nearly empty so there were no problems navigating the usually crowded hallways or the constantly moving stairs that were already set in the most efficient way to get Severus to his destination.

Poppy Pomfrey was having a slow day of practically nonexistent work when her infirmary doors flew open. Severus removed his charm and placed Hermione on the nearest cot. "She's been hit in the ribs and hit her head when she fell," Severus explained to the bustling nurse.

"I told you two to be careful, what spell did you use?"

"A blasting hex, on the ground," he clarified in response to the nurse's horrified look, "some debris hit her not the spell."

"Still too dangerous, how long has she been out?"

"Since her head hit the ground so maybe a few minutes or so, I'm not sure. I ran down as fast as I could."

"I know you did Mr. Snape, out of everyone I think I trust you the most with Miss Jean's safety," the nurse said off handedly as she cast a diagnostic spell on Hermione's head.

The teen was shocked, trust was something he wasn't used to and so far his only experience with it came from the unconscious girl. "What?"

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "You have been in my infirmary far too often since you were eleven, I believe that gives me some authority to judge your character," she said as she mended the damage to Hermione's ribs. "You are a good kid, Severus, despite what so many seem to believe, yourself included. Yes you are rough around the edges, no doubt about that, but you are good. Besides I'm willing to bet a good amount of money that you have a soft spot for our little time traveler."

"I… I need to take care of her for this stupid mission…"

"Mmhmm, you would not even consider that 'stupid mission' if you did not care about her. Do not try to fool me Mr. Snape, as I said I know you too well. She likes you too you know."

Severus scoffed, "Yeah right, besides that's not really important now is it?"

"I guess not at the moment no, but I am right." Madam Pomfrey continued to work on the girl who was regaining consciousness as Severus sat off to the side. The rumors were bad enough but now Madam Pomfrey, the woman who was almost like a mother to him was pointing out his little crush and teasing his hopes that Hermione could ever return them. If she did would she have run off like she did after the kiss under the mistletoe? It was quick chaste kiss that ended with stammered good nights. Granted he did wonder why she chose to kiss his lips as opposed to his check, the mistletoe in Hogwarts never demanded any more than that and Hermione was certainly aware of that fact. His hopes insisted that meant something but his brain reminded him of how it must have humiliated her to have to kiss her nasty potions professor. Of all the memories she could have retrieved why did it have to be the ones that effectively put him in the friend zone? He was lucky that she allowed that much, anyone else would have run from him in a similar situation.

A thought suddenly came to him, in movies amnesia victims always retrieved their memories after a nasty blow to the head. Did that theory carry on weight? Like most things from Hollywood probably not but maybe…

"Madam Pomfrey, is there any merit in the theory that head injuries can bring back memories?"

"She's have to be lucky and that's if her memory loss was due to physical trauma in the first place. If it was somehow caused by magic then it wouldn't have any effect."

"So whether or not she regains any memories may give us some clues?"

"Maybe but is anything that simple?"

"No," Severus sighed, "definitely not when she's involved."

Their attention was grabbed by a grunt coming from Hermione. "Ugh what happened?"

"One of the many reasons I don't approve of your dueling," Madam Pomfrey said in a strict voice. "You're brain got a bit rattled but your ribs are what I'm worried about, one broken and two cracked. I have a potion that will let you sleep without any risks that normally come with a concussion." The nurse then left the two teens to retrieve said potion.

Hermione turned to Severus. "I guess I'm not as good at blocking as I thought," she tried to joke.

The Slytheirn went along with it, "You'll have to work on it." Severus walked closer to her cot and kneeled down. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and then there are the pains that can be assumed at this point, not that bad though. I've had worse."

"That doesn't make it any better," Severus said with a frown.

"I know." Hermione reached out her hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Thanks for taking care of me."

Madam Pomfrey came back in then and gave Hermione a rusty colored potion. It tasted metallic and had the same consistence as that 'goop' substance that Hermione remembers from muggle toy aisles. That cheap slime stuff that made anyone that wasn't a little boy squirm and left nasty oil stains on whatever it got stuck to. It was a little too thick to swallow easily but she eventually managed.

"It'll take a bit to kick in. Now I assume you haven't told the Headmaster about this yet? I thought not, Mr. Snape could you please stay here and watch her while I inform the Headmaster?" Severus nodded and the nurse went on her way. Severus pulled his chair up by the cot and watched as Hermione's eyelids became too heavy to keep open.

Soon she was fast asleep and Severus believed it would be a peaceful sleep.

XXXXXXX

At first Hermione just felt that all-consuming heavy darkness that comes with a deep sleep but then her mind went into overdrive. She felt alone, ostracized and outcast. She felt like this would always be the case no matter what she did. Then a rather vivid vision came to her of a troll in the bathroom and two boys, a red head and one with messy black hair and glasses came in. What happened next she did not know because it faded out as the troll lifted its club. Then more visions of peril came. Being petrified by a basilisk, the werewolf incident she already remembered with Severus but this time those boys were with her, dementors, a dead student being drug out of a maze by the black haired boy, a toad like woman who tortured her. Then the peril became far more serious as she remembered receiving each of her scars and every encounter with these people that hated her so. She couldn't identify her attackers but if she saw them she would recognize them.

She remembered and saw all the deaths. She didn't remember these people or how she knew them but she remembered the pain and grief.

Meanwhile Severus noticed her whimpering and watched her begin to thrash in her sleep. He shot up and grabbed her shoulders and tried to wake her. "Come on Hermione wake up. Calm down its just a dream. Damn potion." Hermione began to mumble, most of the words were unintelligible but he could make out 'no', 'stop', and 'help.' He began to shake her a bit harder and spoke a bit louder until it was almost a yell. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey walked in on this scene.

"Mr. Snape what is going on?" the Gryffindor head demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Severus snapped. "She's having a nightmare and I can't wake her." Madam Pomfrey practically ran to her office and came back with some pepper red potion.

"I should have given this to you just in case when I left," the nurse said as she opened the potion under Hermione's nose. The odor was pungent and one whiff of it caused Hermione's eyes to fly open and her body shot up.

Hermione let out a gasp of pain as her sudden movement caused her a good amount of pain in her side. She was crowded by everyone present waiting for her to reveal what happened. Hermione however ignored them and latched onto Severus who was now sitting on her bed.

She buried her face against him where his neck met his shoulder and held his torso in an ironclad grip and sobbed, completely unaware of his discomfort or the looks they were receiving form the adults. They backed off and gave the girl a few moments to collect herself. The sobs subsided but she did not release Severus. He was safety, a lifeline; someone she knew would protect her as best he could. He was strength that she could borrow to ease the pain.

Severus sat there still as could be. He wasn't sure what to do with his arms but eventually decided to put one hand on her back. The other itched to stroke her hair but he chose to place it neutrally by his side instead.

The Headmaster approached the bed once she appeared to have calmed a bit. "Miss Jean…"

"Granger."

"What was that?"

Hermione's voice was small when she repeated herself, "Granger. My name is Hermione Jean Granger."

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a smile and a new twinkle in his eyes, "were you remembering?" Hermione nodded against Severus. "What did you remember?"

"Things I wish I didn't."

"What w…"

"Don't ask," she said in a louder voice, "none of it would be of any use to you."

"Albus I think you should leave, you are not helping. You too Minerva, I'll tell you when you can come back."

"Now Poppy, I have a right to be here. I'm her head of house and practically her guardian."

"She is at least eighteen and under my care," Madam Pomfrey retorted, "now out." Still protesting McGonagall followed the Headmaster out of the infirmary and the nurse turned to the two teens. "Miss Granger, is there anything I can get for you?" Hermione shook her head. "Well I'm not sure what else I can do. With your head injury I can't give you dreamless sleep and the concussion sleep potion would only cause a repeat," the nurse saw Hermione shiver at the thought, "Severus I'll have to ask for your services again. Please stay with her and come get me if I'm needed or if you leave at some point tonight."

Madam Pomfrey didn't see it but Severus felt Hermione tighten her grip when the nurse mentioned him leaving. "I'll take care of her."

"Thank you." The nurse left for her rooms through her office and dimmed the lights for the two teens.

Severus reevaluated his current position with Hermione. She was in a half sitting half laying position that looked a little uncomfortable. So he turned his body so his legs were facing the foot of the bed instead of the head and scooted back so he was leaning against the metallic back board. Hermione's arms were still wrapped around him but now head was lying against his chest, right over his heart specifically. His left arm was now around her and he, out of curiosity and weariness, allowed his right hand to indulge in its earlier desire to stroke her honey brown curls.

His light ministrations seemed to soothe her just a little. They sat there for an unknown amount of time before Hermione spoke.

"I remembered… a lot of things. All of the bad things, or I hope that was all. All of the pain, the death. I've seen people die. I mean I knew I did because I can see thestrals but I didn't remember it."

"You don't have to tell me or anyone else if you don't want to," Severus told her.

"I know but… Oh Severus it was horrible," she began to cry again. "All of it was terrible and I'm going to have to live through it again."

"No you don't Hermione," he said fiercely. "There is still time to back out; you don't have to do anything."

"I do have to live through it and my help may lessen the death toll. If I do nothing then it will all happen just as it did before."

"Not necessarily, the future has already been changed by your presence."

"Severus I'm not going to quit," she said firmly.

"You are so stubborn."

"Pot meet kettle."

Eventually Hermione drifted off to sleep on Severus' chest and he followed her to the state of sleep, arms still around each other and his hand in her hair.

XXXXXXX

They woke up the next morning with stiff muscles. Madam Pomfrey gave them a good scolding about how Hermione's ribs were in no condition to let her sleep in such a position. She declared that the girl had to stay in the infirmary for at least a week or so to fully recover and allowed Severus to come and give her occlumency lessons as long as they were theoretical.

The headmaster and Professor McGonagall came back in the morning. Hermione refused to say anything about her memories and but she did say she wanted to continue to go by Jean.

"Once the pureblood hear my real name they'll know I'm a muggleborn. It'll just be worse besides I don't want to call attention to myself with a name change."

"A reasonable decision and it saves me some paperwork," the Headmaster joked.

Professor McGonagall and the nurse hung around like hawks keeping their eyes on her whenever possible. The Gryffindor head also lectured Severus about being more careful during their dueling sessions.

It was three days after the accident and everyone was in the Great Hall for New Year's Eve. Everyone except Severus and Hermione. Both were seated comfortably on Hermione's cot as they played chess waiting for the countdown.

"The view of the fireworks is best at the astronomy tower," Severus remarked as her took Hermione's knight.

"I don't want to imagine the fit Madam Pomfrey would throw if we go there."

"Neither do I." A comfortable silence fell before Severus spoke again. "After midnight we are fair game, that was the deadline Lucius gave me. The offer can come at any time now."

"I know."

"We can still come up with something else…"

"We already went over this. I'm not backing out you can if you want." Truth be told if he backed she would have to too but she wasn't letting him know that.

"This won't be easy in any sense of the word."

"I never thought it would be. But let's forget about it, until midnight. For now let's just act like everyone else and countdown the new year."

"We have about two minutes left."

"Do you have a New Year's resolution?"

"Not dying seems like a good one."

Hermione laughed without humor, "agreed."

"What about you?"

"Aside from the obvious, no."

"Forty seconds. You know we probably won't be able to see any of the fireworks at all from here."

"Pity, we'll have to find something else to do at midnight."

Severus looked up from the chess board and at the girl in front of him. "What did you have in mind?" She blushed a little but maintained eye contact. Then they heard the crowd in the great hall counting down. Five, four, three, two, one…

Hermione leaned forward over the chess and was met in the middle by Severus with a kiss. Their second kiss, completely different from the first. This one was not quick and chaste. And this one would not end in awkward good nights and fleeing even if Hermione could.

As they parted for breath Severus pushed the chess set out of the way and moved so that he could hold Hermione as he kissed her again and properly tangle his fingers in her hair.

So was that kiss any better? I think so.

If anyone is interested I wrote a little one shot about Severus and Madam Pomfrey, please check it out.

Most importantly, REVIEW!