A Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure

This chappie has 1148 words. Smaller than I like to make them, but honestly, people should be happy with anything since they're not reviewing. How am I to know if you like it or hate it? How do I know I should even bother putting what's in my head down on paper to share with all of you? I'm happy to just have the story in my head. I know the ending. I know who lives, who dies, who loves, who hates, who betrays, who is injured, who is tortured, who rescues people, and how it all happens. You guys don't. the only way to find out is for me to write it out. But you're not reviewing. And that makes me a sad panda.

And sad panda's don't write very well

Or update very quickly.

So even if you just hit that button and say:

hey

OR

That stunk

OR

Great job

OR
I don't like your characters

OR

I don't like HG/DM stories, but I'm reading thisanyway and I still don't like HGDM

Or

Anything

So long as it's something!

End a/n

--

Hermione awoke to a cool hand on her forehead. She shrank back, unsure of whereabouts; she was unable to suppress a small whimper of fear. Her anxiety escalated as she realized she was too weak to even draw her arms up in defense.

"It's okay," a low voice soothed her. A mumbled incantation sent light into the globes hanging from the ceiling and the lamps on her bedside tables.

"Professor Snape," she observed, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her erratic heartbeat calmed seeing the potions master at her side.

"Ms. Granger, how are you feeling?"

"Fine," the young woman replied quickly. She'd had little time of her own to ponder this man's past actions and current loyalties. However, she recognized how much he had sacrificed for the Order.

Snape raised one eyebrow and turned to a table laden with potion vials. "We're going to have to try some different potions until we know exactly what you were hit with. Draco has given me a report that's complete to the best of his ability, but we still don't know which healing inhibitor curse you were hit with. Voldemort can be creative."

Hermione swallowed hard and studied the man in front of her. She felt she could trust him. "Have you heard anything from Draco?"

The potions genius paused and looked up, locking his eyes with hers; his face betrayed nothing of how he felt. "I've only received this report on your time spent at the encampment and some firm instructions to let no more harm come to you. I'm sure Draco is fine. Voldemort would have let me know if there was a problem."

Some of the tension in her shoulders disappeared. "Shouldn't you be at the encampment?" she inquired.

"Voldemort sent me abroad to gather certain ingredients for a new potion. There are two Order members currently doing my work as my medical expertise is needed here." Snape refused to look her in the eye. "I'm not going to sugar coat this, Ms. Granger; your injuries are serious."

"I know," she said, happy to have another with whom she could be frank. "Could you please call me Hermione?" She didn't know what made her ask, but it was something she felt she needed.

Without hesitation, Snape nodded. "I need to apply some healing paste to your wound from the curse Lucius performed on you. May I remove your shirt?"

Hermione nodded, resigned to being at the mercy of another.

A softly whispered spell vanished her shirt and the bandages that had covered her wound. Hermione was relieved to see she still retained her bra. The thing was in bad shape, with tears and dirt across the fabric, but it was something. Snape muttered some jumbled words under his breath and her bra was once again clean with the rips repaired. He unscrewed a jar of greenish blue paste and delicately scooped some out with his fingers. "This will probably hurt as much as last time, if not more," Snape warned before he set to work.

Hermione sucked in a breath as the cool paste was rubbed into her wound. She bit her lip to restrain a yelp and tried to control the pain quaking through her body. Her lip began to bleed, but she was more focused on the pain radiating from her wound that continued through to her limbs. She knew she was going to be sick in a moment if she didn't get control over her pain. As soon as it began it was all over. She opened her eyes and saw white bandaging around her ribcage. Snape was wiping off the excess paste from his hand using a towel while Hermione tried to calm her trembling limbs.

Snape quietly took a wet cloth from beside her bed and lowered himself so he was sitting next to the young woman's shaking body. He used the cloth to gently clean the blood from her mouth and chin where it had run. "You were very brave, Hermione. I'm sorry there's not an easier way to do this." He brushed her hair away from her sweaty face and held his hand to her forehead. "You have a fever," he stated.

Her hand was clutched around his and her breathing had calmed. "Is it infected?" she asked. She felt very weak; she could not get her limbs to stop quivering.

"No. Not right now," Snape told her. "I'd like to keep it that way. I need you to take this potion."

Hermione determinedly tried to raise herself into a sitting position. Her arms were too unstable though and she could not lift herself. She huffed in frustration, scared that she felt so weak. The potions master gently eased her forward and stuck pillows behind her back for support. He brought the vial to her lips and she drank it down in one gulp. Her nausea subsided and her head felt much clearer. "What was that?" she asked, her insatiable curiosity asserting itself.

"A special brew," Snape informed her. "We can discuss its properties in a moment. It's time you ate."

Hermione grew distressed. She was too weak to feed herself. "I'm not hungry," she told Snape, her voice quieter than usual. Her stomach growling revealed her lie just a moment after she spoke.

"Hermione," Snape began carefully. "You won't get better if you don't eat and regain your strength." He left out for the moment that she wouldn't get better period if they didn't figure out a way to counter the healing inhibitor.

After a moment's hesitation, Hermione nodded. Snape took a steaming bowl of soup form the table and slowly began feeding spoonfuls of the thick stew to Hermione. The young witch was uncomfortable, but soon forgot her trepidation as Snape launched in to the properties and ingredients of his special home brewed potion she had imbibed earlier. As she ate, she listened with rapt attention to the complicated potion.

Snape helped Hermione maintain as much dignity as possible while he fed her, pausing every so often to let her sip at her glass of water. Snape's lecture on the potion was interrupted by a commotion at the door.

Draco stood in the doorframe, his Death Eater robes silhouetted from the bright lights in the hallway. In his right arm he clutched a mask.

His anxious eyes met Hermione's calm gaze. "Draco, what is it?" she asked, immediately knowing something had happened.

Draco swallowed quickly and looked down. "They got your mother and father. I could only save one. Hermione, you have to believe me that I only had time to save one of them."

Hermione felt as though she'd just been plunged into an icy river. Her heart dropped and settled somewhere around her stomach while her brain raced. She didn't want to voice the question that was screaming inside of her. Which one did he save?

--

Alright, so I kind of promised that we'd see more Draco in this chapter

Well, here's Draco.

Yes, it is at the very end of the chapter, but that's what you get for not reviewing. I'm being mean. I'll admit it, but most of you are writers and know how FrustratinG it can be when people don't review. And how completely DisrespectfuL it is.

Look, I don't care if you even write "Dear Darla, I hate your stinkin' guts. You make me vomit. You are scum between my toes. Love, Alfalfa."

At least then I'll know you read my rant.

I do love you guys as readers

I wouldn't write and post if I didn't love you guys

So do a sister a favor and review