I Will Come To You In Your Dreams

Chapter 7

"Hermione!"

A voice was calling to her...a voice so far away. She turned in a circle, robes swirling around her legs, searching desperately for the voice.

"Hello?" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound. "Hello, is someone there?"

"Hermione, help me!"

There was that voice again. She turned in the direction it had come from; right down a dark, tree-lined lane in a thickly wooded forest. She took off down the lane, searching from side to side for the person calling, overhanging branches grabbing and tearing at her hair.

"Where are you!" she called, stopping and tearing her hands through her wild hair.

"Down here!" the voice called, "near the river!"

She looked to her left, down a steep hill to the swirling brown water. She grabbed a handful of her robes and started down the slope, slipping on the muddy ground, nearly tripping all the way down when her foot caught in an unearthed tree root. When she finally reached the bottom she looked up and gasped in shock. A man was lying near the bank; blood soaked right through his tattered robe, black hair sticky with it.

"Severus!" she screamed, rushing over to his side. She kneeled down beside him and gingerly rolled him to his back. His eyes were glazed over with pain and his brow was knotted. "Severus, what happened?"

He reached up to cup her chin and smiled weakly at her.

"Voldemort," he whispered, his voice suddenly leaving him. "He found out about me."

"Oh, God," Hermione sobbed, reaching up to cup the hand holding her chin. She looked down at his body and noticed a horrible, gaping wound in the left side of his chest. The blood drained from her face and a terrible ringing started in her ears. She couldn't save him. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew. He was leaving her.

"You can't save me now, Hermione," he whispered, pulling her head down to his. Their lips met in the lightest kiss, then Hermione felt herself being propelled backward away from him. "I love you!" he called, reaching a hand out to her.

"Severus!" she called, fighting desperately against the force pulling her away. "No! Severus!"

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"Severus!"

Hermione sat up in bed, having woken herself with her own screaming. She panted hard, reaching up to wipe the sweat from her brow, then fell back on the pillows. That was the worst dream yet. She had never dreamed of Severus after a Summoning before, but after the day's conversation with Dumbledore it was the only thing that had run through her mind. She was so scared for him. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair. Why did he have to be put through that kind of pain? She would do anything to keep him from it.

She sat back up, swung out of bed, and padded into the living room. She sat down in a windowseat and gazed out the window down toward his living quarters. She had discovered, after her first week at the school, the she could see the door to his office and the window to his quarters from her living room window, and spent many nights simply gazing down, searching for any sign that he may be looking up at her as well. A dim light was flickering in a window and Hermione knew that he was awake, too. She watched as a shadow passed behind the window, then saw his familiar form exit through the low door in the wall. She pressed a hand to the window, imagining that he was coming to see her. Instead, he hurried down the path and toward the gate to Hogsmeade, where he promptly disappeared. He had disapparated. He was gone.

Her heart started pounding. Had he been summoned? She ran to her bedroom, threw her bathrobe on over her pajamas, slipped her feet into a pair of slippers, then practically flew out of the hospital wing and up to Dumbledore's office.

"Marshmallow creame!" she yelled, then watched as the gargoyle sprang aside at her shout. She didn't wait for the stairs to carry her up, simply ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She pounded on the door to his office. "Albus! Albus are you there?"

The door swung open and she stopped in surprise at Dumbledore sitting placidly at his desk. He motioned her inside, then waved a hand at the door. It slammed shut.

"It's happened, hasn't it?" she whispered, wrapping her arms protectively around her waist. "He's been summoned."

He didn't say a word, simply pressed his lips tightly together and closed his eyes, nodding slightly.

She fell into one of the chairs before his desk and cradled her head in her hands, tears leaking between her fingers. She took a deep breath and looked up at the man sitting behind the desk.

"What do we do?" she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

He looked up at her, eyes drooping with tension and fatigue.

"We wait."

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Severus lay on the hard ground, panting for breath that simply wouldn't come to him. He rolled to his back and forced himself to a sitting position, head pounding dangerously with the effort, then pulled his wand out of his pocket. He spoke several words with a dry, scratchy voice, watched as red sparks flew out of the tip and rocketed across the sky toward the castle, then collapsed back onto the ground.

"Hermione," he whispered, eyes rolling back in his head. He fainted.

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Hermione pulled an oversized Chudley Cannons sweatshirt over her head then gathered her thick hair up into a haphazard ponytail. Dumbledore had convinced her to go back to her rooms to wait for Severus to return after several minutes of her crying and begging him to tell her where he went. So, here she was, showered and dressed at close to three o'clock in the morning. She paced dejectedly around her rooms for close to fifteen minutes before resuming her place at the window, staring out at the stars. She was taking her time picking out constellations when she saw it. A stream of red sparks was arcing across the sky, headed right for her window. She scrambled out of the seat and backed away from the window, then watched in wonderment as the window burst open and the sparks shot right into her rooms. She clutched at her pounding chest as two words formed in front of her; Hogsmeade Gates. She grabbed her wand from the coffee table, then raced out of the rooms and out of the castle as fast as she could down the path, the gates never seeming to get any closer. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the gate loomed closer and she saw a black, crumpled figure lying outside the gates. Severus. She swallowed back a sob, then raced over to his side.

He was lying flat on his back, wand lying beside his outstretched hand, chest rising and falling weakly. He was clearly struggling to breathe. Strands of his hair were flapping weakly in the wind and across his pale, bruised face. A long gash ran from his right eyebrow, all the way down to his jaw, and his left arm was bent at a strange angle.

She covered her mouth with one hand to stifle the sobs welling up inside and simply stared down at him for a moment. Finally, she composed herself enough to stand and conjure a stretcher for him. She held her wand out in front of her and made her way up to the castle, all the time praying for strength to help him, the man she loved.

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After the long journey back to the castle and up to the hospital wing, Hermione allowed herself a moment to regroup. Severus was lying on one of the beds, curtains drawn around him, still dressed in his torn robes. She stared down at him, reaching out one shaking hand to brush the hair away from his face. His brow furrowed slightly at her touch and she yanked her hand back, remembering what Dumbledore had told her. He had probably been subjected to the Cruciatus. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to be strong. With one shake of the head, she frowned in determination, whipped out her wand, and set to work.

The first thing she had to do was remove his clothes. She sighed. 'No time to be squeamish, Herm,' she thought. The clothes whirled off of his prone body, exposing the full extent of his wounds to her trained eye. She gasped. From his chest on down, bruises riddled his body, marring his perfect, smooth white skin. Strong discoloration of the ribs told her why he was having trouble breathing. She touched her wand to the area and watched as the tip pulsed deep blue once, twice, then again.

"Three broken ribs," she muttered, waving her wand over the area and speaking the words to set the breaks. He visibly relaxed as the bones slipped back into place, then took a long, deep breath.

She focused on the gash running from his eyebrow to his jaw next, pouring a cleansing potion on the cut, then a thick, glutinous cream over that. The skin fizzed, then pulled closed, sealing the cut and leaving a light, pink line down his face that would heal with time. Next came his left arm. It was bent at an odd angle between the elbow and the wrist, skin poking up where one of the bones had broken. She performed the same spell on the arm as she had on his ribs, then remembered his most serious injury. The Cruciatus Curse. She ran her wand over his body, searching for signs of the curse. Her wand began to vibrate violently and glowed a violent red. Just as she thought. The Cruciatus had been performed. She murmured soft words of healing as she ran the tip of her wand over his face and neck, down each arm, over his torso, then down each leg. He seemed to deflate when she finally finished and sat back on a chair beside the bed. It was a normal reaction to reversing the Cruciatus. She raked her eyes over his body, trying to decide where to go next when he stirred. She hastily pulled a blanket over his body and watched as his head turned from side to side.

"Severus?" she whispered, tentatively reaching out to touch his hair. His eyes flew open and he pulled back violently with a loud hiss. She yanked her hand away and took a step back. He looked around for a few moments before his eyes finally locked with her own. They stayed like that for several moments before recognition sparked within the depths of his eyes.

"Hermione," he croaked, closing his eyes. He reached over and grasped at his left forearm. Hermione's eyes followed his hand. The Dark Mark was gone for now. But it would come back.

She stepped closer to him and gazed down at his face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, willing him to open his eyes and look at her. He did.

"I've been better," he answered, smiling lightly up at her. His face became serious again. "Thank you, Hermione. I wasn't sure if you would get my message."

"I got it," Hermione whispered, reaching a hand out to touch his cheek. He leaned into her caress and sighed, eyes closing involuntarily. She sniffed loudly, tears forming in her eyes. His eyes flew open and he frowned up at her.

"Oh, Hermione," he whispered, reaching up to wipe a tear from her cheek. "Please don't cry." He pulled her down to a sitting position next to him on the bed and grasped one of her hands with his own. "Hermione, I'm okay, please." He pulled her chin around and she opened her eyes, more tears running down her face with the action. "Hermione, I'm okay because of you. You did this." She hiccuped as she sobbed, shoulders shaking involuntarily. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down into a tight embrace, running his hands gently over her back as she cried. "Come, now," he whispered into her hair, "I'm fine."

She pulled back and wiped her face with the back of her arm.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking away from him in embarrassment. "I was just so scared." She glanced back over at him from the corner of her eye. "I was afraid I was going to lose you."

She stood and rushed out of the curtained-off area, leaving Severus to stare after her, his blood pounding in his ears. She couldn't possibly mean what he dared hope she meant. Could she? He leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes, fighting back the pain shooting through his body. He was just slipping off to sleep when he heard the curtains part and soft footsteps approach the bed.

"Drink this," Hermione whispered, holding a beaker of purple potion in front of her. Dreamless Sleep Potion. He held his hands around hers, then tipped the cup to his lips and drank down the potion. She pulled one hand away to sit the cup on the bedside table, then took both of his hands in her own and sat down beside him on the bed. He gazed up at her serenely for a moment, smiled lightly, then slipped off into a deep sleep.

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Severus awoke to the sound of hushed voices coming in through the curtains, two of them belonging to the two people he cared about most in the world. He pulled himself gingerly to a sitting position, gritting his teeth together at the pain in his ribs. He pulled his shirt up and looked down at the angry red mark marring his skin where Hermione had healed the broken ribs. He let the shirt drop back down and leaned his head back against the wall. Just then, the curtains were thrown open and a familiar, white head poked in.

"Severus!"

"Good morning, Albus," he croaked, watching the old wizard amble in and stand beside the bed.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, reaching a hand out to touch Severus' forehead. "I was so worried."

"I know," Snape said, smiling lightly at the Headmaster. "But I'm okay."

"Yes," Dumbledore said, pulling his hand back. "And we have Miss Granger to thank for that." He turned and smiled at someone outside the curtains. "Come in, Hermione. Your patient is awake."

She reached a hand around to pull back the curtain a bit more, then stepped shyly into the closed-off area. She was dressed in a deep red sweater and gray slacks, bringing out the pink of her cheeks and making her look lit up from the inside. She looked beautiful.

"Good morning, Severus," she murmured, stepping over to his side and reaching a hand out to touch his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

He swallowed, willing himself to speak.

"Fine," he whispered, breathing deeply the scent of her. Berries and vanilla again. He had to find out what she washed her hair with. It was magnificent. He glanced over at her and found her staring at him with a questioning expression on her face. "What?" he asked, looking from her to Dumbledore and back again.

Dumbledore smiled at him and covered his mouth to bite back a chuckle.

"I was asking if you felt any pain anywhere," Hermione repeated, raising one delicate eyebrow at him. She put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. "Well?"

"Don't be so testy," he snapped, glaring up at her. "You're the nurse, can't you figure it out?"

"Severus, please," she sighed, dropping her hands to her sides. "I can't help you if you won't help me."

"Oh, all right," he said, turning his head away. "My ribs hurt," he mumbled, almost incoherently.

"Your what hurts?" Hermione asked, eyes glinting with mischief. She loved watching him squirm.

He snapped his eyes up at her and narrowed his eyes.

"My. Ribs. Hurt," he said, enunciating each word clearly, as if he were talking to a child. He could see that she was enjoying this.

"Oh, okay," she said, chuckling lightly. "I'll be right back with something for you."

She turned and strode out of the enclosure, sliding the curtains closed behind her.

Severus glared at the closed curtains until Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly, snapping him out of his sulking. He turned guiltily toward the headmaster and found a huge grin on his face, eyes twinkling madly.

"What's so funny?" Snape asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, Severus," Dumbledore began, a small laugh escaping his throat. "Don't be so cantankerous. She's only trying to help you."

"By making fun of me?" Snape asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Stop taking everything so seriously," Dumbledore said, standing to leave. "A little humor might do you good. Do you know what the muggles say about laugher, Severus?"

"What?"

"Laughter is the best medicine," he answered, tapping the side of his nose. "Very sound advice. I'll come see you later."

With that, he turned in a swirling of maroon robes and swept out of the enclosure.

"Here we go," Hermione announced, slipping in between the curtains. She strode over to him with a large bowl in her hands full of a thick white cream. She sat down on the bed next to him. "Lie back," she instructed, pulling the blankets away from him.

He slid down in the bed and lay back on the pillows. She reached a hand over and began unbuttoning his pajama top, her hands shaking slightly on the first button. She cleared her throat, steadied her hands, and moved down the row of buttons until his chest and stomach were exposed to her, along with the angry red spot on his ribs. She dipped her fingers into the white cream and carefully dabbed it onto the wound.

Severus gasped as the first drop touched his skin, but as Hermione began carefully massaging it in with her soft fingers, he relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy the contact. Her hair was hanging over her eyes and her face was slightly flushed. The pain in his ribs soon dissipated, but she didn't stop there. Soon she was rubbing the cream over all of his exposed skin and he closed his eyes at the wonderful sensations coursing through him. Her soft, warm hands smoothed up his chest, then around and back down the sides, over his stomach and below his belly button. He gasped aloud at that, unable to control the desire beginning to form for her, especially in his groin. His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, startling her back off the bed.

"I think that's enough," he said in a strangely choked voice. "I feel much better now."

"Oh, okay," she stammered, blushing. "Do you need me to do this anywhere else?"

Of course he did, he thought. But you didn't ask your nurse to jerk you off, now, did you?

"No, thank you," he answered, pulling his shirt closed and buttoning it quickly. He pulled the blankets up around him and closed his eyes, willing his erection to go away before he lost control and just bent her over the bed.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked, wiping her hands on a white towel next to the bed. "I can have Jennifer bring you something."

"Who?" he asked, his eyes snapping open.

"Jennifer Wilson," she answered, smiling. "Gryffindor, 6th year, Seeker."

"Oh, right," he said, sneering. "The little tiny girl who knows everything." He chuckled lightly. "She is an exact duplicate of you when you were in my class. Always bobbing up and down in her seat with her hand waving in the air constantly."

Hermione smiled wider and lifted her chin.

"That's why I like her," Hermione said. "She came to me at the beginning of term and asked if she could be my assistant." She shrugged and turned away. "But, if you don't want anything,"

"Black coffee and toast," he said, stopping her in her tracks. "Dry toast, very little butter."

"Black coffee and dry toast?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow. "Typical."

She turned on her heel and swept out of the room, leaving Severus staring after her with a murderous expression on his face.