The Mentor

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Chapter 18 – Illness

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Although Hermione had been able to decrease some of her work load with suggestions that Severus had made over the course of their tutoring sessions, she found herself increasingly exhausted. There were some days when she did not know how she made it through her afternoon classes.

With winter holidays fast approaching, all of the professors were busier than normal. Those teaching 7th and 5th year classes found things even more hectic as they began to prep these students for the end of year examinations. Hermione had students at both levels, and had been assigning extra credit since the second week of school. While this helped to make the students better prepared for NEWTs and OWLs, it only added to her workload, increasing her fatigue.

One evening, after a particularly long day, Severus was startled by a loud knocking on his door. With a small smirk, he approached to open it, knowing that it was his witch come to visit. There were only two weeks left until the winter break, and he was counting down the time until he and Hermione could spend the time together, alone.

The potion’s master could not help the warm feelings that swept through his body. The time since they had reconciled had been sublime. Although they did not have the same amount of time together, the moments they could steal were passionate and loving. It did not matter if they were curled up on his sofa reading a book together, or wrapped around each other in her bed after a bout of acrobatic love-making. All of their times with each other were precious to him.

They had decided to confide in Minerva about their relationship. While shocked at first, Minerva had realized how well suited they were to each other. She gave them her blessing, followed with a stern lecture about appropriate behaviour around the students with veiled comments about ‘safety’ and ‘protection’.

If he had not come so close to losing Hermione, Severus might have laughed at Minerva’s meaning. However, since that time they had both been fastidious about casting the contraception charm. Although he still longed for the day when she would have his child, he knew that it had to be when she was ready, and not a moment sooner. In fact, Severus had brewed a contraceptive potion for Hermione, but nausea made it unbearable for her to use. At this point, he would do whatever was within his power to keep her with him and happy. If that meant casting the charm five times a day, then so be it.

Still sporting the smirk, Severus opened the door. Instead of the warm embrace and gentle kiss that Hermione normally greeted him with, his witch was standing in the doorway, head grasped in her hands and sobbing as though her heart would break. Startled, Severus lifted her into his arms and settled them both on his favourite chair in front of the fire. Hermione did not say anything. She simply burrowed into his chest and continued to cry.

Completely at a loss, Severus rubbed her back and murmured words of encouragement softly in her ear. Only when it seemed that the worst was over did he try to discern what was wrong.

“What is it sweetheart?” he whispered. “What has you so upset? Did something happen with your last class today?”

She took a couple of deep, gulping breaths before responding in a shaky voice. “No my class went well. All of my classes went well.” She shifted slightly in his lap so that she could wrap an arm around his waist. “I sat at my desk to finish some marking. The pile of parchments is huge. I have tried to get to it during the evenings, but I am so tired that it is all I can do to get ready for bed. When I reached for the top parchment, the entire pile fell across my desk. It was overwhelming”.

As Hermione was speaking, her voice started to shake again. Running his index finger gently down her chin, Severus lifted so that he could look her in the eye. He was not above using legimancy to find out what was wrong if she could not tell him.

“I do not know what is wrong with me!” she hiccupped between sobs. “I have never been so tired. All I want to do is sleep. I cannot concentrate at all. I find myself day dreaming at odd times during the day. Some of my more sensitive students have even asked me if I am well”. She paused for a moment, trying to collect herself before she continued. In a quiet voice she whispered, “I think that I might be failing, and it terrifies me. I have always been the best at everything I have every done, but I do not think that I can do this any more. Oh Severus! What if I am no good at this! Even with all of your help, I am falling behind.” Hermione snuggled into his chest again. “If I was not so tired, I could do this. I know I could!”

Severus was startled. To him, Hermione always seemed supremely confident and incredibly self-assured. It was one of the things that attracted her to him the most. However, to see her now, weak and vulnerable, did not diminish his attraction one iota. If anything, his protective side, long unused, was kicking in. Severus looked at Hermione; really looked at her; through this new lense of concern.

Her face, while still as breathtaking as ever, was quite pale and pinched looking. Hermione had lost some weight, and her cheek bones were more prominent than he ever remembered seeing. There were deep lines of strain and fatigue at the corners of her mouth and eyes. Severus was also somewhat alarmed to see dark circles in the hollows under her amber coloured eyes. Hermione’s lashes were thick with unshed tears, and in that moment Severus was struck with her fragile and ethereal beauty.

The comforting words that Severus was ready to say now seemed empty and condescending. Hermione looked ill and something was clearly wrong with the witch that he loved.

“My love, I think that we need to go to a healer, or at least to see the mediwitch at the infirmary. You are clearly unwell, and we need to find out what is going on”.

Without waiting for Hermione’s response, Severus stood from the chair and abruptly set Hermione. She felt her world tilt, and her vision began to narrow to black. The movement and motion were too much for the fragile witch, and with a failed grasp at her wizard’s robes, Hermione fell to the ground, unconscious.

Severus caught Hermione just before she hit the floor. Instead of a violent crash, she landed with a gentle thump. He tapped her cheek brusquely. “Hermione. Hermione! Wake up! I need you to wake up for me sweetness. Please, please, please wake for me!”
After years of spying, Severus prided himself on his ability to think on his feet, and this moment was no exception. Hermione needed medical treatment, and she need it now. With a flurry of black robes, he grabbed his beloved witch, activated the floo and was through to the infirmary.

**********

Hogwart’s new mediwitch, Madam Andrews, was sitting at her desk organizing the seemingly endless list of supplies that her infirmary needed. Between the start of quidditch season and the Care of Magical Creatures class, she was going through supplies like water. Madam Andrews was looking forward to the winter holiday, maybe more than any other. Just as she was getting ready to owl her list to Head Mistress McGonagall, the flames in the fire flared the distinctive emerald green but quickly changed to sapphire blue, indicating an emergency. She was surprised to see Severus rushing through the flames with the Charms professor cradled in his arms.

Assuming her most professional manner, Andrews got to work. “What happened?” She asked. “Was Professor Granger injured?”

“No”, Severus answered. “We were chatting in my chambers, and when we stood up, she fainted”. He brushed past Hogwart’s newest mediwitch to lay Hermione in the emergency cot. “Please Madam Andrews. Tell me what is wrong. Why is she still unconscious?”

Helen Andrews was shocked at the behaviour of the normally stoic man. He held Hermione’s hand tightly within his own, and was talking to her intently. “Wake up my love, please wake up for me. I could not stand it if anything happened to you. Please, please”. Severus fell to his knees beside the cot, still gripping Hermione’s hand, head bowed as though in prayer. In the moment, Helen understood exactly what she was looking at. This was a man in love, terrified that something awful had happened to his beloved.

“Stand aside, please Professor Snape”, Helen instructed. “I have to perform some diagnostic spells and any contact with another magical being will skew the results”.

Very reluctantly, Severus let go of Hermione’s hand. “I am right here sweetness. I am not going anywhere”. He stepped away, watching Madam Andrews; and each motion of her wand; each inflection of the spells she cast.

At various points in the examination, lights of different colours flashed over the body of the unconscious witch. Yellow over her head; soft purple over her chest; and then pulsing blue over her abdomen. All the while, Madam Andrews was making notes with a furiously writing dicto-quill. “Temp normal; blood pressure normal; magical levels elevated; temperature low…hormone levels…” At this she paused, appearing to notice Severus for the first time in several minutes. “You need to leave Professor Snape. The rest of the exam needs to be private”.

“Let me make this easy for you, healer…I am not going anywhere. That is my witch lying on this cot, and I would no more leave her than she would leave me. Continue your examination”.

Helen was shocked. Clearly, these two were seriously involved and had managed to hide it from the entire staff and student body at the school. And now, he had the audacity to tell her what to do, while in her own infirmary. It was not to be born!

“Professor Snape”, Mediwitch Andrews began with authority, “If you do not leave this moment, I will summon the Head Mistress. Not only will she be shocked at the nature of your relationship with Professor Granger, but there will be disciplinary action for your behaviour here tonight!”

“I think not”, Minerva began as she quietly walked into the infirmary. “This man has earned the right to stand exactly where he is right now. He has sacrificed more for the magical world than you will ever know. Proceed with your exam; Hermione will want him here”.

Helen was a little put out by the way that the headmistress flaunted her authority. “Very well”, she said in a tone that would have done Madam Pomfrey proud. “This is highly unusual, but if you insist I will continue”.

“Oh, I do more than insist”, began Minerva “In fact, your position at this school will hinge on your ability to follow my directions on this.” Helen paused, staring at Minerva in shock. “The longer you wait to treat my star pupil and surrogate daughter, the less favourably I look upon our continued position at this school”, she barked in her Scottish brogue.

Madam Andrews responded to the command in Minerva’s tone. She continued her examination, but did mutter a spell that enabled her notes to be made without having to speak them out loud. She wanted to protect her patient's privacy. However, what she did not notice was Severus muttering a counter spell at the same time. Everything that she noted in Hermione’s file was revealed to Severus.

Mediwitch Andrews continued her examination of the patient, unaware that Severus was following her every movement. She noted that Hermione was somewhat underweight. Her blood pressure was a little lower than normal, and her temperature was fluctuating in an unusual manner. What was more surprising were her magic levels. They were almost off the charts, yet clearly, the patient remained unconscious.

Suddenly, one of her tests revealed an unexpected result.

“Oh my!” she exclaimed out loud.

Watching the same results, Severus staggered backward, but recovered quickly and reached for Hermione’s hand again.

“Oh my, indeed”.


Can you guess what might be going on with our heroine??? (I am guessing that the mom's out there might have an idea). I am not being particularly subtle.