Severus gently closed her eyes and pushed himself up. He saw Draco just standing there, watching them. He narrowed his eyes just a bit at him before deciding it wasn't worth it. 

"You have your temporal reader, I have mine," he tapped his temple with his finger, "She's fine." He lied dismissively, though his voice didn't sound as strong as it should have. He took hold of his chair turning it to face away from the lounge and back to the center of the room, motioning for Draco to join him.

"Right..." Draco glanced down once more before moving to take his seat. He glanced around the corner, he could still see her face but the rest of her body was obscured from view with Severus' own. "Does uh...she do that often?" His words were as clumsy as it felt, falling from his lips and even worse of a question. He shifted awkwardly in his chair, unable to stop looking at her. The image of her bloodied and bruised face overlaying the clean if not thin one before him. His mind was so tired, he just wanted to rest.

"It is not, not a recent affliction," his voice was distant as he leaned down to pick a book from the top of the stack. "You are too tired to apparate home." He didn't look at Draco as he pulled open the book. "Rest now." He glared at him over the edge of the book. He was extremely tired of dealing with the both of them at the moment and just wanted some peace.

Draco nodded his head just a little, his body having already slouched heavily into the comfortable chair. His eyes fluttered closed and he was out in moments.

Severus let out a deep grumble as he wondered just where he'd gone wrong to end up saddled with two young adults that sought to nothing more than his provocation.

oOo

Hermione also eventually fell into a light slumber, her breathing had evened out after she watched Snape leave. She had the answers she was searching for and in the midst of forming a plan to help the man who had so selflessly helped her; she found herself drifting between the void again, falling into a dreamless sleep.

Draco was not as lucky, having seen the girl looking at him so fiercely had left him unbalanced. Though his dreams were more a series of sounds than anything solid, it did cause him to stir slightly in the chair. He didn't make any real noises of discomfort as he slept but it his brow was furrowed with his inner struggle.

Severus had diligently ignored them both for at least an hour. He had a headache growing from the stress of it all. He had glanced to Draco noticing his discomfort but as the boy was in no real danger, he let him be. He also checked behind him as well. Hermione too appeared to be asleep again. She was curled up on her side one hand tucked under her head the other curled into her own shirt against her chest.

With both of his burdens sufficiently out for the count, he pushed himself up to finish his tasks. He wondered if he would be able to make a trip to the store during their rest. He lingered over the thought only briefly before deciding not to risk it.

Draco would be well enough left on his own but he wasn't so sure about Granger. She had made progress yes, but not so much that he would trust her care to another. So instead, he worked on unpacking the trunk Draco had brought him. Taking the years old clothes up to his room setting them to rights in the closet. All the while keeping an ear out for any distress.

As he was hanging one of his old cloaks, one that was just slightly too small for him now, a fire having singed a hole at the one side, something fell from the pocket. It tinged against the wood floor with a high pitched sound before rolling away.

His attention garnered, he turned following its path, once it stopped rolling, it fell flat revealing itself to be a ring. It was a simple band, too small for his own hands, he was sure, as he leaned down to retrieve it's shining silver from the floor.

He placed it gently into his palm, it was magically infused, as he touched it he could see a word gently forming against the outer rim. 'Always' it read. His heart clenched painfully, it was, in fact, his ring.

It was too small for his hand now because it had been given to him many, many years ago. The green letters faded out leaving the band clear once more. It was a promise ring. A promise of friendship. To always be there for the other in times of great need.

Severus took a deep breath as he turned it in his palm. He knew it's mate to be long lost, possibly buried, possibly burned or melted away. He hadn't known what she had done with her half of the ring. She had gotten the both of them the during their second year. The night under the stars when they snuck out all night to just enjoy each others company.

He couldn't remember when he'd stopped carrying it with him. He just knew it had been a very long time since he had seen the shining silver. He took a deep breath and closed his hand around it. Lingering on what to do with it. The pain in his chest only made the pulse of pain in his head grow unfavorably large. He pushed it into his current coat's pocket pushing away all thoughts related to its giver.

He came back down having finished with his musings and glanced to the sitting room. Draco was still out cold, but he could see Hermione starting to wake. He passed through into the kitchen pulling out a headache relief potion. The tension in his body rising all the way to his neck making his movements stiff.

"Professor...?" Her voice was heavy with sleep, barely that of a whisper as she called to him. Snape made her wait as he finished the potion, setting the vial in the sink to wash later and turned to acquiescence her request for his presence.

"Yes?" He came to stand just to the side of her chair, her hair had fallen from the braid she had attempted falling in messy waves about her face. She was pale from rest, a bit of color warming her cheeks.

"I don't feel well..." She gently reached out towards him. Her fingers lightly catching in the slack of his trouser leg before moving up, he caught her hand lightly in his own coming a bit closer.

She was exceptionally warm. Her skin had a light shine of sweat over it, he noticed as well that her cheeks were a bit too rosy in color. He pursed his lips and rested the back of his hand against her forehead.

"You seem to have a light fever."

"Mmm..." She mumbled drawing her hand back toward her face, "I think I just need a warm bath..."

She felt him still beside her, her mind foggy with her fever she didn't even truly register what she said. She slowly turned her eyes up, all the tension of the day, their argument, her plan to help him, all of it was gone in that moment of weakness. Right now, the only thing the young woman wanted was to be enveloped in warmth. She didn't care if it came from him, or from the water of a bath. Her heart ached with a loneliness that had started to fill the void.

Severus felt a panic well inside his chest. Surely, after their disagreement about his use of her name that morning, she wasn't considering what she had just eluded to. There was no way she was strong enough to stand, let alone put herself into a bathtub.

His tub wasn't even that easy for himself to get into. He had barely managed the first time he had given her a bath, thankful that the towel he'd wrapped around her made her body stick to the walls otherwise he surely would have drown her. It stood separate from the shower, it was deep and wide. It was easily large enough for two and would undoubtedly swallow her whole if she didn't have a mind to keep herself above the water.

He didn't want to admit it but, he needed help.

"I'll see what I can do." He finally replied. He turned pulling a throw blanket from near the fireplace, where they hung on a rack. "For now, use this." He tucked the blanket around her making sure to keep it nice and tight. He watched her eyes close and let out a soft sighing smile as she nuzzled her face into its soft fabric.

Once he was satisfied she would be able to hold out, he turned on Draco. "Wake up." He was none too gentle with the blond taking hold of his shoulder giving him a nice sharp shake.

Draco snorted awake his eyes wide as he looked to his left and right. "Wha-?"

"Alright messenger boy." He smirked as the boy paled, realizing that he'd been found out. "Time to become useful." He pulled Draco up onto his feet keeping hold of him as he swayed from sleep. Once he was firmly footed he released his shoulder.

"Send for McGonagall, she is to come as soon as she is able." He watched Draco blink slowly and nod. "Tell her time is of the essence." He watched the boy blink dumbly again before his brain clicked.

"Ah, right. Okay uh..." He pointed over his shoulder indicating that he was going to leave, as he stumbled back, he caught sight of Granger, noticing her curled up even tighter clutching the blanket to her frame. Was she shaking? "I'm yep..." He turned as he all but fell through the doorway to the kitchen.

Severus had a full smile on his face as he watched the sleep startled young man work his way into his backyard having left the door wide open in his haste. He shook his head, he was a cruel man. He flicked his hand closing the door firmly. He turned back towards Hermione his smile fading just a bit.

"That was mean." The words held a light tone as she pulled down the blanket she had used to hide her reaction to his unnecessary dramatics. A soft suppressed smile tugging at her lips betraying how she truly felt on the matter.

"I assure you he more than deserved it." His voice drew long and she could easily hear the smile on his face. Severus had many reasons for picking on the boy, one being mostly that he was now completely free to do so, the other was that he couldn't stand this boys weak nature.

Hermione shook her head slightly as she hid her face back into the blanket. She couldn't believe he was joking with her. Even though she didn't completely agree with his sense of humor it was such a change from the normally dour and focused persona he had been showing her.

Severus' eyes lingered over her smiling face. It made his chest feel a bit funny and his shoulders feel not as tense. He managed to pull his eyes away when she hid her face into the blanket and brought his mind back into focus.

He didn't have any potions in stock for a fever, he did have some Muggle aspirin, something he had tried when his headaches had become too severe. It worked well enough but he always felt a bit groggy after taking them. Though he supposed, Granger was muggleborn, it shouldn't affect her the same, she probably grew up on those type of medications and thus had a very low chance of reacting adversely to them.

He thumped upstairs to his medicine cabinet. It was empty aside from the small bottle, he pulled it turning to read the instructions to see just how much to give her.

Just as he was coming back down the stairs he felt the wards vibrate. He smirked, she moved quickly when her cubs were in trouble. He tried to wipe the smirk off his face as he came into the kitchen just as Minerva came busting through the back door.

"What's happened?" Her voice was terse her eyes a bit wide as she turned on him.

"She has a fever." He said nonchalantly watching the witch's shoulders fall.

"She has a fever?" She repeated slowly, her eyes narrowing at his incredulous behavior.

"She requests a bath." His tone was light dancing near mirth as he filled a small glass with water.

"Wha-Oh...you...you insufferable man." She growled stomping past him missing the smile that threatened to played across his face.

Snape pushed back the smile that threatened his severe face as he followed after her calmly. He set the glass of water on the side table as Minerva gently leaned over the girl touching the back of her own hand to Hermione's head.

He was just about to offer his possible assistance when a house elf popped in, "A fever reducing potion if you please." She glared at Severus from the corner of her eye as the elf popped out once more. "You sent that boy running as if the hounds of hell were chasing him you know."

Severus couldn't hold back the snort as he decided to take the glass of water for himself, now that she would have a proper treatment for her ailment, he used the glass to hide his smile that had finally broken through.

"He always was a fast runner." He quipped as he sat the glass down. Minerva huffed at him and turned back to the young woman before her.

"As it stands I actually have something for you." She spoke directly to Hermione who opened her eyes slowly. The house elf popped in with the requested potion at that moment, "Thank you Tinie, that will be all." The house elf bowed its head and disappeared once more. Minerva turned her attention back to Hermione fully, "It was recently given to me, I hope it will bring you some comfort. But first, let's see to your fever then bath hmm?" She uncorked the bottle.

Hermione recognized the familiar sound and uncurled her arm opening her hand to take it.

Minerva stood herself up as she watched Hermione take the potion without complaint though her brow furrowed when the girl let out a painful groan. Severus held up his hand at her unspoken question, indicating for her to wait.

The pain rippled through her quickly enough and Hermione let out a soft sigh resting back against the lounge holding out the vial for someone to take.

"Every time?" Minerva questioned softly.

"Every time," Severus confirmed, taking the vial considerately from Hermione's hand.

They sort of sized the other up for a few moments, Hermione could feel the tension between them as they seemed to be having a silent conversation of sorts.

"You can't possibly expect me to carry her can you?" Minerva finally huffed watching the man uncharacteristically roll his eyes at her dramatics.

"Are you ready Miss Granger?" If he were a lesser man, he surely would have stuck out his tongue at the elder woman, though as it was he just gave her a mock tilt of his head.

"Yes, please..." Hermione uncurled her arms from the blanket that was wrapped around her and raised her arms up. Minerva stepped back with a raised brow, watching as Severus so routinely leaned down letting the woman wrap her arms carefully about his shoulders. His arm wrapped around her waist and retrieved her legs easily enough. The movement was smooth, she suspected he had held her quite more than he let on. It was a warming but disconcerting sight to say the least.

He turned, heading directly up. Hermione's head was now resting against his shoulder, her hair tickling the underside of his jaw. She normally didn't rest so high against him but as she'd gained more strength she was clinging tighter to him, pressing her upper body more closely to his own. Was she...smelling him? He tilted his head just a bit, the girl's nose was pressed into his collar and he was as sure as Draco Malfoy was blond that the girl was taking in his scent. He pushed it from his mind as he walked into the bathroom from her room. He paused as he decided where the best place for her would be.

Minerva had followed after him, catching the way Hermione seemed to hide her face into her former potions master's neck, a small smirk coming to her own lips as she watched her cub hide her activities with a forced yawn.

"Place her into the tub Severus, I'm sure I can handle the rest." She said pulling out her wand, she waved it slowly over the tub, making it considerably more shallow and placed a support for the girls back along the inside.

Severus paused as he waited for her to finish before carefully laying Hermione down inside. He felt her hands linger over his shoulders as if she didn't want to let go before taking hold of the sides of the tub as she tried to orient to her new environment.

"Thank you..." She whispered when his ear brushed past her cheek. She felt more than heard his mind gently caress her own. She smiled softly at his response and relaxed lightly into the bathtub. The potion was working slower than usual so she still felt cold, though it could also be that the man didn't believe in heating a room. She shivered involuntarily from the cool porcelain against her skin hearing him grunt at Minerva before exiting the room.

"Alright dear, let's get you out of those clothes and into some nice warm water." Minerva was just happy in that moment that Hermione was no longer pushing her away as she had when they had first met. She watched the girl nod and slowly reached down to pull off her shirt.

Minerva had to bite the inside of her cheek as she took in the girl's frame. She had suspected it to be bad, but the sight before her, crushed her heart. The large curse lines over her chest, marring her faintly freckled skin, the way her ribs showed when she turned to give her the shirt, the hallow below her stomach where her hip bones extended out. She was starting to get back her woman's figure but it was hardly anything a 12-year-old couldn't out do. The scar on her back appeared to be the worst, the line itself was deep at least 2 cm across but the burn like pattern that radiated out from the line looked to be painful.
Hermione gave no indication to that fact however as she leaned back into the tub to try and wiggle out of her shorts.

Minerva noted the girl was in desperate need of more layers, as she managed to get the shorts halfway down she had to pause to refocus her efforts.

Cautiously, Minerva leaned over the edge, "May I?" She watched for any sign that her help was unwanted. The girl paused before slowly nodding her head and together they managed to get her free of her last layer. "Alright dear, let me know if it's too warm." She leaned over turning on the taps.

Hermione sighed softly as the warm water rose slowly around her, it brought a nice tingle to her toes and fingers and she couldn't help but wiggle them in the water resting her head back against the ledge.

"Do you want to wash your hair?" Minerva asked her voice farther away as she rummaged through Snape's shelves to find some suitable soap and a cloth.

"No, I think it's okay...though if you find a tie, that'd be wonderful." Her voice was soft and gentle as if her mind was preoccupied.

Minerva hummed and looked for that next, finding a small elastic inside the medicine cabinet, it was old but she wagered it would do. If not she could always transfigure one for her. She snapped it onto her wrist for safe keeping and moved back over.

"How have you been feeling?" She asked as she dipped the cloth into the water rubbing the bar of soap into it before pressing it into Hermione's waiting hand.

oOo

Snape moved back downstairs, he hadn't noticed the chill that had come to the house, but it was growing into late September, he needed to be more careful. He sighed through his nose as he set to work on building a fire into the hearth, the room should warm up by her return. He left their connection open, skimming the top of their conversation.

Hermione seemed to be recounting her day to Minerva, he lingered briefly before he decided to tune it out. No doubt he'd get an ear full for the way he'd reacted to the girl's request. He huffed slightly as he placed another log into the growing fire. When would everyone just realize the type of man that he was?

oOo

Minerva listened intently to Hermione as she brushed out her hair for her, she knew the young woman was capable but she also knew how cathartic it felt to have someone else do your hair for you. Being a cat animagus had seen to its benefits quite frequently in her youth.

She had transfigured Severus' poor excuse for a comb into a proper brush and she had to admit that he'd cut her hair rather evenly. It was easy for her to pull back into tight even plaits. Hermione was completely relaxed from her efforts, having washed herself during their previous conversation and had slipped into her observations about the man they had both come to know on a more personal level.

"He's so sad inside..." She whispered. "He's hurting all the time...It's not fair..." She turned her head slightly, "I want to help him...he's done so much for me already..."

"In time, I'm sure you will. You must be patient, it took him a very long time to get to this point, you can't expect a change over night dear." Minerva finished with her hair tying the end tightly, coming back around to look into her forlorn features.

"I don't know how much time I have..."

Minerva's brow furrowed with deep disquietude. "What do you mean?"

Hermione said nothing turning her eyes down and away from the elder witch. She didn't want to tell her about the creature hidden away inside her, eating away at everything she was. Nor about how at every turn she seemed to do nothing more than push the man farther away from her. So there they sat in a somewhat companionable silence.

oOOo

The water was starting to grow cold, Minerva had her finger tips dipped near her feet for just that purpose and was about to raise her wand to reheat the water when Hermione slowly started to sit up.

"I feel much better now..." She did feel as though a small weight had been lifted off her chest. Just simply being able to tell someone about her day made her feel more at ease than she would have ever expected. To tell them about what she had felt when she saw herself inside someone else's memory. The way she had felt inside Severus' mind.

She had recounted their argument to Minerva from her perspective relieved that the witch seemed just as put out as she had been with the way he had responded. She was starting to feel a growing kinship with her. It was in those moments when she felt the light flutter of a page against her conscious but despite her best efforts, it was gone too quickly to capture. The inability to take hold of it as she had earlier that day had demurred her mood. She was starting to feel hungry as well and decided that her relaxation in the bath should come to an end.

"Alright let's just see what we've got for you okay? Just wait right here while I find you something much warmer to wear." She pulled the plug in the tub setting a dry towel over the edge to allow Hermione to dry herself as she went on her hunt. She had misjudged her turn and at first and ended up in Severus' rooms. She stood stock still as she took in the almost hospital sterility of the room. There wasn't anything out of place in the sparsely furnished room, nothing of personality cluttered the bedside table aside from a single book. She stepped back feeling as if she had violated something sacred. She swallowed slowly closing the door and turned back the other way opening the door to Hermione's rooms.

She moved over to the dresser opening the top drawer. Typical man, she huffed, just shorts and t-shirts. She opened the drawer below to find it empty and shook her head. She should have guessed a man such as he wouldn't know what to get a woman to wear and pulled out two pairs of shorts and a t-shirt. Her wand worked it's magic over them, transforming one pair of shorts into a smaller more comfortable girl boxer style of underwear, while she elongated and thickened the material of the other pair, turning them into the perfect lounge pants. She worked on the shirt next, making the sleeves three-quarter and the fabric a softer warmer more insulated cotton. She tilted her head as she looked at her work and on a whim, she turned them Gryffindor red just to spite him. Smirking at her work she returned to the bathroom.

Hermione had dried herself by the time Minerva had returned and was sitting up fully her eyes tracking the headmistress' movements.

"Here you are dear, I hope you'll find these better suited to your needs." She offered out the t-shirt first.

Hermione smiled as she felt its softness under her fingers, it was different from her previous shirt and she felt extremely warm as she pulled it over her head.

"This is wonderful." She ran her fingers down over the front feeling something over the center, she furrowed her brows as she tried to discern the pattern.

"It's the Gryffindor lion," Minerva said proudly, though Hermione just tilted her head quizzically.

"You're a Gryffindor Hermione." She handed over the underwear next, "Never forget it." She watched the girl nod slowly still unsure as to exactly what that meant. She supposed that the woman next to her was also a Gryffindor based on the way they both seemed to observe Professor Snape.

"What is Professor Snape?" Hermione asked innocently as they worked on getting her underwear up over her knees.

"A Slytherin." Minerva's tone was a bit deep as she answered. She pulled back allowing Hermione to get them up the rest of the way handing her the sleeping pants next.

Deep down she knew these words to be significantly important but at present, her mind just couldn't care. The feeling of softness encasing her was too distracting. Hermione sighed happily.

Minerva smiled at the girls ability to care somewhat for herself and sent her patronus down to summon Snape. The tabby glided from the room effortlessly,  jumping down the stairs as it headed for its target.

Severus set down his coffee, as the cat came into the kitchen. He supposed his carrier services were required once more. Sighing softly through his nose, he took the final drink of his much beloved black liquid before pushing himself up the stairs. As he rounded the corner of the bath he instantly noticed what Minerva had found for her to wear and sneered at the farce. "Incredulous."

Minerva just smirked haughtily and made her way out past him to meet them down stairs. Severus came over to the tub, the smell of his soap hanging heavily in the air. "Ready Miss Granger?" She nodded her head reaching up for him again. It was a bit more difficult as she was much lower this time, but with her holding her upper body up he managed to get her legs wrapped easily enough around his side.

Hermione rested her head against his shoulder again. As they moved towards the stairs her mind grazed his ever so delicately.

I smell like you... She could feel him tense under her from her words, I like it... She hurried not wanting him to worry, It's nice... She added slowly but the damage had been done. Her words felt so intimate to him, though to her she was simply thinking, her breath puffing lightly against his jaw, moving his hair.

He decided the best course was to simply ignore her observation. He took the steps carefully before rounding into the sitting area. The room felt infinitely better with the fire and Hermione sighed contently as she was laid down on the lounge.

She didn't want to let him go, her hands curling a bit tightly at his shoulders keeping him stooped over for just a moment too long. She felt him resist the hold and quickly released him resting back against the lounge. Minerva had come around pulling a blanket up over her waist to help keep the growing evening chill from her.

Minerva turned his chair to face the lounge again giving him a pointed look to make himself scarce. Deciding not to fight the woman on the issue he turned to make something for them all to eat. Though he was quite sure all he had left at this point were potions ingredients. A poison sounded nice.