It Is the East and She Is the Sun

AN: Sorry it's been so long. Here you go, and thanks to Sunflower for Beta work!! Reviewers: mary: Yeppers he sure is! LOL Hope you like this! Kaite K: Glad you like! Sorry about the wait! slytheringryffindor21: LOL Thanks! Hope you like this. ancientgirl: Yes he is. I kinda like it..... LOL!! Anyway glad you like it! Cristie: Yeah, I'm not planning on it being that long of a story, so it is getting right to the point. pinkyheather: LOL I do that all the time. Good lookin' out and I did fix it. Thanks! TaintedAngel: LOL! I'm a brunette. angel: No hon, thank you. LOL I'm glad you like it! Julie: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! Chapter 3. Through Yonder Window When he returned to the hospital wing she was awake. Whe he saw her eyes were open he cursed the Dark Lord to whatever hell might be awaiting him. He'd wanted to be there when she woke up. He walked slowly into the room and she looked over at him. She was looking better; but still very weak. "Professor?" She whispered, voice husky from disuse. "Miss Granger, are you feeling better?" She nodded. "Yes sir." "Miss Granger, at any time over the summer months did you come into contact with Lucius Malfoy?" "I don't think so.... No! Wait, I saw him at the Leaky Cauldron one day. Why?" "Miss Granger, I was informed tonight that it was Mr. Malfoy who has done this to you. I spoke to him earlier and he asked me if I had cured you yet and he named the poison that was used." "Poison?" Hermione looked confused. "I was poisoned?" "Yes, I am afraid so." She started to cough, and he went to her side and helped her drink some water that Pomfrey had left behind. "Thank you." She leaned back into the pillows and sighed. "Rest now," he told her, and turned to go. "Professor?" "Yes, Miss Granger?" He asked turning his head. "Thank you." He nodded slowly and continued out the door. ~' Hermione knew that Porfessor Snape had cured her, and probably lost a lot of sleep over it; but she had no idea how much time he had spent watching over her. That is, until she recieved a visit from Dumbledore. She was shakily drinking some broth from a mug when he walked in. "Hello MIss Granger. I am so relieved to see you awake and looking so much better." "Professor, you didn't have to come and see me. I'm sure I'll be up and about soon." She carefully set the mug back down on her tray. Striving to keep her hands steady. Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat down next to her bed. "Miss Granger, I would like for you to remain here until Madam Pomfrey is confident that you are well enough recovered." She nodded, giving in because she didn't have the energy required to argue. "There's a girl," he said. "Miss Granger, Severus has explained to me that he found out how you were taken ill." "Yes, Lucius Malfoy. He told me last night." Dumbledore nodded. "I thought he might want to tell you himself." "Why? It's not his fault that Mr. Malfoy did that to me." "No, Miss Granger; but Severus feels accountable. He knew that Malfoy was planning on doing something of the sort; but not to who. He feels he should have kept a closer eye." "I don't blame him. He saved my life." Dumbledore smiled at her. "Yes. Now Miss Granger, I would like to know something. You knew you were sick, yes?" She nodded, "Yes sir I did." "Why did you not come to me, or Poppy or even Severus?" "I went to St. Mungos. By myself, of course. I told the boys I was going shopping so they wouldn't want to tag along. They told me that they couldn't help me. They couldn't find anything wrong with me at all." "But you continued to deteriorate." She nodded, looking at her hands. "I knew it was something bad...." She turned to look at him. "What was it?" "Contabesco." "I've never heard of it." "You wouldn't have, unless you had ministry access or were a potions master. I won't allow the books those sorts of potions are in into the school for this very reason." Hermione nodded. "Well, I knew it was bad, and I didn't think that anyone could help, so I just hid it. I didn't want anyone to be worried about me. I know that the battle is going to be soon and Harry doesn't need anything else to worry about." Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, that is true my dear; but you should have come to me. You are to important to the wizarding world. We must not lose you." "But why?" "Miss Granger, you are the most powerful muggleborn witch I have ever seen pass though this school. One day your powers might exceed my own. We need powerful muggleborns. She nodded. "We're going to lose a lot of people in the battle aren't we?" Her brown eyes were sad. "I can only hope not Miss Granger; but it is likely that we will come out of this war severely depleted. It cannot be estimated how many followers Voldemort has." She nodded. "Have I missed many classes?" She asked, deliberately changing the subject. He chuckled. "Miss Granger I'm sure your grades won't be affected. I can have Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasely gather the assignments you missed if you'd like." "Yes sir, I'd like something to do." "As long as you don't over exert yourself, Miss Granger." Dumbledore warned. "I'd hate to see Severus' reaction if you had a relapse." "Would he be very angry?" She asked. "That and worried. You should have seen him hovering over you. I've never witnessed him so concerned about anything before. Well, not counting the Defense against the Dark Arts position," he added, eyes twinkling. "Really? He was really worried about ME?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Yes my dear. He refused to leave your side. The only time he did was when Ron and Harry were coming and before you woke up when he was summoned." Hermione was beyond stunned at this revalation. She sat and stared at the Headmaster, who was looking quite amused. "You might not want to mention it to him though. I imagine he'd come and flay me alive for telling you." Hermione smilied. "I imagine he would." Dumbledore had to go and take care of some pressing buisiness, and Hermione was left with her thoughts. She was befuddled as to why Severus Snape, greasy git of the dungeons and the crankiest potions master in the world would be worried about her of all people. 'He always makes out like he hates me,' she thought to herself. Her thoughts were disturbed by Madam Pomfrey coming in and checking on her. Crookshanks had been banished once she woke up and she missed him and told the medi-witch so. "Please can Ron and Harry bring him so I can make sure he's being fed properly?" She begged. "I suppose dear," the harried witch caved in. "But he's not staying beyond their visit, and that's my final word!" She said, shaking her finger at her patient. Hermione knew that was as much as she was going to get and thanked the woman for at least allowing her pet to visit her. Madam Pomfrey harumphed and said that she was lucky that she was getting that much. Hermione waited until the woman had gone to start giggling. It felt good to laugh a little. Her spirits were higher than they had been in a long time. Just knowing that Professor Snape actually cared about something other than potions and getting his much desired teaching position, even if it were her he cared about. ~' She was visiting with Ron, Harry and Crookshanks when he appeared in the doorway to her little room in the hospital wing. "Oh, I'm sorry Miss Granger, I didn't realize you had company. I'll come back later." He looked rather embarassed. Before Hermione could reply, Crookshanks leapt off of her bed and ran to Severus, meowing happily. Severus stared down at the cat in shock. He knew the animal had taken a liking to him; but THIS? The cat was rubbing against his legs and purring frantically. Every few seconds he would stop and meow and place his forelegs on Severus' shins, indicating he wanted to be picked up and petted. Hermione, Ron and Harry were watching this with varying degrees of amusement and astonishment. Feeling that he didn't have much of a choice, Severus bent down and picked up the meowing hairball that was currently making mincemeat of his reputation, at least with the three Gryffindors that were staring at him. "Does your cat have a death wish?" Whispered Ron. Hermione started giggling and Severus gave Ron a glare. "I would not harm Miss Granger's pet, Mr. Weasely." Ron looked rather embarassed that he'd been heard and ducked his head, his ears turning the color of his hair. Hermione thought that it was awfully cute to see her pet snuggling up to Professor Snape. He was scratching the cats ears, and looking down at him with an unreadable expression. After giving the cat a good scratching, he walked over to Hermione's bed and handed her the animal. "My cat really seems to like you, sir." She smiled up at him. He gave her the tiniest of smiles back. "Well, I can't vouch for his taste; but I like him too," he whispered back. Straightning, he said, " I'll come back a little later to take your blood." Hermione nodded, and watched him retreat, nearly forgetting that Ron and Harry were still in the room. The boys jolted her out of her thoughts when they both started talking at the same time. "Has Snape gone mad?" Wondered Ron. "How come Crookshanks likes him so much?" Asked Harry. "Ron, Harry, calm down! Crooks likes him beacuse he sat with me while I was ill," Hermione revealed. "We were here every day and we never saw him," Harry said. "Yeah," Ron added vehemantly. Hermione shrugged. "Dumbledore told me the he wouldn't leave unless you two were visiting." "Wow 'Mione, I wonder why he was so worried," Harry was looking a little piqued. She shrugged again. "Dunno. Anyway, have I missed a lot in our classes?" Ron and Harry laughed. "Same old 'Moine, always worried about school!" The rest of thier visit was pleasant, and almost directly after they had left, Professor Snape came back in to take her blood. "Hello, sir," she said shyly. "Hello, Miss Granger." He approached the bed and sat down in one of the chairs that Ron and Harry had so recently vacated. They sat in silence while he took her blood, and Hermione tried to gather up the courage to ask him something very important to her. He was about to get up and leave when she spoke up. "Sir?" "Yes, Miss Granger?" "You sat with me didn't you? While I was sick?" "Yes I did Miss Granger." He wasn't quite meeting her eyes. "Why?" He sighed. "Because I was worried that you would not pull through. I would have felt responsible." "Sir, I don't blame you...." "You may not Miss Granger; but I do," he cut her off. "Well you shouldn't. What Lucius Malfoy does is not your fault." He nodded solemnly, looking at her finally. "You gave me quite a scare, MIss Granger. In the hallway. I'm sure you've been asked this; but why didn't you come to me, or the Headmaster?" "I don't know, sir. They couldn't figure out what was wrong at St. Mungo's, and I didn't want to burden anyone with something that hopeless...." "Miss Granger," His voice was dangerously low. "It was far from hopeless, and if you had come to me at the beginning of the year, you might not be lying in that bed right now. I know that I am not the most pleasant person in the world; but you are free to come to me with any problem that you may have." "Thank you sir," Hermione breathed, "That means a lot to me." He nodded and retreated quickly from her room. Hermione relaxed back into her pillows, gazing after him in deep thought. AN: Okay guys, this might end up being a few chapters longer than I originally planned; but I'm not sure yet. We'll just have to see where it goes. Hope you liked it!