Lessons In Love

Chapter 9: Set Up To Fail

"I love you Severus Snape." She moaned softly.

"Ermione!"

"Ermione! Ya silly girl!" Hagrid shook her shoulders, worried about the young witch. He had found her asleep and freezing in the rain, her skin turning pale and her lips almost blue, and he had feared the worst for her, thinking she had been suffering from hypothermia. Hagrid had rushed her to the hospital wing and was now waiting for her to wake up by her bedside.

"Oh leave her be," Madame Pomfrey sighed exasperatedly, "She will wake up soon enough. No need to push her any further."

Hermione squinted and then shut her eyes tightly, trying to get accustomed to where she was. She didn't know why she was so tired… where was she?

"Will she be alright?" she heard McGonagall's worried voice from far away.

"Yes, just a fever… she will be fine in a couple of days."

She could hear Hagrid's heavy breathing and fidgeting as he impatiently waited for Hermione to fully wake up. As she started to stretch out her muscles as best she could, they were very stiff, she heard Hagrid starting to get excited, "She's waking up!"

Footsteps could be heard walking quickly toward her and as Hermione finally opened her eyes, she was faced with a worried McGonagall and a crying Hagrid, "What happened?"

She tried to sit up but Madame Pomfrey pushed her down, "Take it easy, dear. Don't wear yourself out!" she poured a spoonful of an awful looking dark green liquid and presented it in front of Hermione's lips, "Take this, it will help bring down the fever."

Hermione did as she was told and winced with a sour face at the awful tasting draught. She was still somewhat confused… one minute she was in Snape's arms and then next… in the hospital wing? Snape! Hermione bolted up out of her bed with a new found strength and ripped off the covers before Hagrid caught her,

"Blimey, 'Ermione, where do you think yer goin'?" Hagrid wrestled with her to get her back onto the bed.

"Where's Snape?" she demanded, "He was just with me! Where did he go?"

The three staff members looked at each other in confused worry, McGonagall spoke up, "He just recently returned to the castle about a half hour ago. Miss Granger, you have been here for several hours."

Hermione snapped her head around to look at McGonagall, "No he was with me!"

Hagrid tried to cheer her up, wiping his large tears of happiness that Hermione was alright, "I think it might've been just a dream." He sniffed.

Her gaze fell back onto Hagrid, she looked extremely distraught, "No… it wasn't! It was real!" she wrapped her arms around herself, comfortingly.

"Miss Granger…"

Madame Pomfrey put a hand on the headmistress's shoulder and whispered, "Its fever induced paranoia… she won't be behaving normally until she can get a good night's rest."

McGonagall nodded, more comforted as Hermione looked back up at the three as tears welled up in her eyes, "I was with him at the lake…"

"Hagrid found you asleep next to the shore, on the verge of freezing," the Headmistress tried to explain, "You were alone. If Severus was with you, he would not have allowed you to be outside in the first place."

She shook her head, it had been so real… she couldn't just let this go… he had held her in his arms… he even kissed her… Hermione looked up, "He was there. I am not mad! I know what I saw!"

McGonagall frowned at Hermione and sighed, "There is only one way to solve this. Madame Pomfrey, would you go fetch Severus?"

Madame Pomfrey gave one last worried look to the young witch before she turned on her heel and quickly walked out of the room to retrieve the Potions Master. Hermione watched the nurse go before she averted her attention back to the two.