Working On It...

Another chapter!

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!
As to why she didn\'t tell Snape... you\'ll find that out soon enough; it does make sense, even more sense than her just not feeling up to it!

I hope you enjoy it!

SecretlySnape

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The next morning Snape sat in the great hall pondering his dilemma.
He could tell Dumbledore and McGonagall,... no, he SHOULD tell Dumbledore and McGonagall, but he wanted the girl to be able to tell someone first.
If three teachers swooped down on her, it might make her worse.

He stabbed violently at his bacon with his fork.

Down at the Gryffindor table, Ron glanced nervously at Harry.
\"Snape looks like he\'s in a foul mood.\"

Harry looked up towards the teacher’s table and watched as Snape knocked some of the bacon off his plate. Cursing, he flicked his wand at his robes, cleaning them.

\"Hmm..\" said Harry quietly, \"Wonder what\'s got him so worked up.\"

\"Oh, he\'s probably just annoyed that he\'s not been able to take points from Gryffindor yet this morning.\" said Hermione sarcastically from where her head was buried in the Daily Prophet.

Harry and Ron turned to stare at her, then looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Ron sobered quickly, \"He\'ll probably make up for it soon though; we\'ve got double potions first.\" He looked up at Snape again and sighed dramatically.

Hermione looked up at them, her eyes wide.
\"We\'ve got potions first?\" she asked nervously.

\"Umm, it\'s Tuesday, Hermione... double potions first, same as always,\" responded Harry, frowning.

\"Oh yeah,\" Hermione smiled unconvincingly, \"It\'s Tuesday isn\'t it..\" she trailed off and stared down at her plate of mostly untouched food.
\"I\'m... well I\'ve not been sleeping well, I think I\'m coming down with something. I\'m not feeling too well.\" She jumped up and grabbed her bag.
\"I\'m going to go and see Madam Pomfrey.\"

With that she turned and ran out of the Great Hall.

Ron and Harry looked at each other curiously.
\"What was that all about?\" asked Ron.
Harry shrugged. \"I dunno.\"
\"Ahh, it\'s probably just the stress of being a prefect and all the work she does,\" said Ron with a grin, tucking back into his breakfast.
\"Mmm,\" nodded Harry, though privately he thought it very odd for Hermione to go to the hospital wing so close to a lesson. He wondered if she was going to miss potions.

* * *

Hermione wandered aimlessly through the castle. She definitely wasn\'t going to go to potions, and she knew she\'d need to go to the hospital wing at some point, just so Snape could verify her reason for not being there.
She sighed as her tummy rumbled, making her mind up she headed for the kitchens.

The house elves were happier to see her than they had previously been; she\'d stopped making hats, and dobby had negotiated a peace.

\"Hello Miss Hermione!\" squeaked Dobby as she descended the stairs into the kitchen.

She smiled at him, glad to see her hats had gone somewhere useful, \"Hi, Dobby. I was just wondering if I could get some breakfast.\"

\"Breakfast is still on in the great hall, Miss Hermione.\" said Dobby, assuming she\'d lost track of the time.

\"I,… I know, Dobby, I just don\'t want to be in the great hall right now. I\'m not feeling too well and it\'s just too crowded.\"

Dobby looked at her, his big eyes full of concern.
\"Oh Miss Hermione! I\'ll get you some breakfast, and then you should go to the hospital wing and get better!\"

Hermione smiled gratefully at him, \"I will Dobby, thanks.\"


* * *

Snape looked around as his first class filed into the room.
Boy Wonder and his sidekick sat down, but Hermione wasn\'t with them.

He snorted, causing Neville to nearly fall from his chair.
She hadn\'t dared to come to potions?

\"Twenty points from Gryffindor.\" he stated to the classroom, raising a snigger out of Draco Malfoy.

\"What for?\" demanded Ron loudly.

Snape looked at him and Ron hastily closed his mouth and shrunk in his seat.

\"For not all of your house turning up, Mr Weasley. And another ten for you questioning me.\"

\"But Hermione\'s in the hospital wing! You can\'t dock us points for that!\" exclaimed Harry.

Snape hesitated briefly. If she\'d gone to the hospital wing because of what happened to her... then he recalled seeing her at breakfast, laughing and joking with the boys. No, he was certain she was avoiding him.
\"Well I don\'t see her here in this classroom, Potter,\" he snarled.

Harry opened his mouth to object again, but received a dig in the ribs from Ron.

Snape set them their potion for the day and in the bustle of noise when everyone was setting up, Ron turned to Harry.
\"Just forget it, Harry. You know what\'s he\'s like, and it looks like he\'s in a right bad mood.\"

Harry nodded glumly and stared down at his potions book.