This is my first Harry Potter story! I hope you enjoy it! Here's the disclaimer: J.K. Rowling's mind was the creative one to think of this wonderful series. I take no credit. I'm simply using the characters for entertainment purposes!

The words of the chapter Hermione was studying started to blend into a bunch of rubbish. She wouldn't have been able to tell anyone what the passage was about if they had asked her. For the second time during her studying session at the library today, Hermione rested her head against the table and closed her eyes. Sleep soon overtook her.

A voice caused her to abruptly wake up a half an hour later. It was a voice she wasn't particularly looking forward to hearing.

"Staying up after the students' curfew?" Filch, the caretaker, asked. "Only your second week attending Hogwarts and already in trouble. Come with me."

As a first year, Hermione was obviously scared. She was scared of the tone Filch was using, of what was going to happen in the next few minutes, and what would happen when she was sitting in the headmaster's office about to be punished for breaking a rule. But she hadn't had any idea of what time it was!

Hermione followed Filch out of the library. The usually bright corridors of Hogwarts were dimly lit only by a few lanterns on the walls. It grew darker and darker until they reached a point where it was pitch black.

Hermione's worries increased even more, if that were possible. If she was correct, and even as a first year she most likely was, they were at the dungeons of the castle. This was where Professor Snape held his Potions classes. Filch was going to let Professor Snape determine the consequences of her actions, and it was no doubt that he had purposely brought her to the teacher whom she was pretty sure hated her.

Filch loudly knocked on the door. The sound echoed of the walls and made Hermione tense.

A bit of light was projected into the dark corridor when the door opened. Professor Snape stood in the doorway, first looking at Filch and then at Hermione, who was almost shaking with fear.

"She was sleeping in the library, Professor. She was out after curfew," Filch said. "Make sure she's punished good."

I'm in for it now, Hermione thought.

"That's enough, Argus. She was obviously tired if she was asleep. Clearly, she didn't have a chance to make back to her dormitory," Snape replied.

Hermione stood there in shock. After two weeks of Potions lessons with Professor Snape, she was pretty much positive that he hated her. But now he was sticking up for her when Hermione had thought he would agree with Filch.

With a scowl on his face, as always, Filch turned and left, leaving Hermione standing with her head down in front of the Potions professor.

"Come in, Miss Granger," Snape said, leading Hermione inside the room. Hermione closed the door behind her.

"Sit down," Snape instructed.

Hermione cautiously sat on a couch. She was waiting for Professor Snape to yell at her and give her detention for a month with cauldron cleaning and line writing. She was surprised when he just stood in front of her and crossed his arms.

"Would you care to explain your staying out past curfew?"

Hermione looked down at her hands in her lap. "Umm...I was studying."

"Surely no teacher has assigned you an exam already, Miss Granger. What were you actually doing?"

"Professor, I swear I was studying! I like to know things for classes ahead of time," Hermione admitted.

Snape sighed as he sat in a chair across from Hermione. "And was that worth exhausting yourself to the point where you couldn't take in anymore information?"

Hermione shook her head. "I guess not." When there was no reply, she added, "I'm sorry, Professor."

"Do you know what you are apologizing for, Miss Granger?"

"For studying in the library."

"You will never be in trouble for studying in the library. It's how you did it. You strained yourself to stay up late. Since your first day of classes, how many nights have you stayed up late to study?"

"All of them," Hermione said.

"If you continue to stay up late like you have the past two weeks, you'll-"

Professor Snape stopped talking when Hermione's eyes snapped shut and she fell back against the couch.

"If you stay up late, that'll happen," he muttered as he walked over to Hermione.

The eleven-year-old showed no signs of regaining consciousness at anytime soon, so Snape decided to take her to the hospital wing to see Madam Pomfrey.

Instead of levitating her, Snape carried her since she didn't weigh very much. Looks like when she wakes up, we'll be talking about not skipping meals so she can study, he thought.

Snape lit his wand and brought Hermione to the hospital wing. As always, Madam Pomfrey came quickly to the doors when they opened to reveal her next patient. She hid a smile at the sight of the Potions professor carrying the young girl.

"Put her down right here," Madam Pomfrey directed, gesturing to a bed on her left.

Carefully, Professor Snape placed Hermione on the bed. He could feel Madam Pomfrey's eyes on him.

"What did you do, Severus?" she asked.

"Me? I did nothing! She fainted."

"Why?"

"She hasn't slept properly in two weeks."

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Poor girl. Is she scared of being in the castle?"

Snape smirked. "More like scared of not knowing an answer in class. She stays up late every night to study. She was sleeping in the library."

"There seems to be no problem with her besides the fatigue the lack of sleep has given her. When she wakes up, I'd like to take her temperature to make sure that she isn't sick," Madam Pomfrey explained. "If she wakes up after midnight, I'll have her stay here the rest of the night. If she wakes up before midnight, you'll be taking her with you so you can make sure she sleeps."

"You can't expect me to take care of an eleven-year-old girl, Poppy!"

"You're obviously concerned about her if you of all people brought her to me."

Snape rolled his eyes as he sat in a chair that was beside the bed. "She's...different. She's not like the other students. She actually cares about her work and knows so much more than her peers and yet she's a Muggle-born. I guess it just impresses me how someone who didn't have a magical upbringing has a knowledge that branches so far beyond her classmates."

"I always knew that you had a heart, Severus."

He ignored the comment and instead said, "She hasn't had enough to eat, either. Look at her-she's too thin. I don't know if she's been missing meals or not, but she weighs next to nothing."

"I know she doesn't miss meals," Poppy stated. "I've seen her in the Great Hall."

"Then this will be one interesting conversation when she wakes up," Snape pointed out.

"That it will be." Poppy smiled. "One more thing, Severus. I want her to stay with you for the next couple of weeks. I want you to make sure she eats and sleeps regularly."

"Poppy, I don't have the first idea of taking care of a kid."

"Yes, but you've taught so many and you see them everyday."

Professor Snape shook his head. "I can't believe you're having me do this."

Poppy just smiled.

A few minutes later, Hermione opened her eyes. This isn't where I was talking to Professor Snape, she thought. She looked around and saw a bunch of white beds, Professor Snape, and a woman who was sitting beside her.

"How are you feeling, Miss Granger?" Madam Pomfrey questioned.

"Tired," Hermione answered.

Poppy smiled sadly. "You'll feel like that until you catch up on your sleep. Tonight you'll be staying with Professor Snape, but before you go, I just want to take your temperature."

Warily, Hermione eyed the thermometer in Madam Pomfrey's hand. She didn't know what was more shocking-the fact that she had overworked herself until she had to be taken care of in the hospital wing or the fact that Madam Pomfrey had told her that she'd be staying with Professor Snape tonight.

"Open up," Madam Pomfrey said gently, bringing the thermometer closer to Hermione's mouth.

Hermione shook her head, knowing too well that she was sick. Even though exhaustion had been taking over her lately, she could tell that there was something not quite right about her health in general. She figured the symptoms to belong to a fever, something she'd had many times before. If Madam Pomfrey found out that she had a fever, she Hermione wouldn't be able to attend her classes. The first year didn't want to risk falling behind in any of her subjects.

"It won't hurt, dear, I promise," Madam Pomfrey assured her. Hermione just shook her head again.

With a sigh, Madam Momfrey said, "Severus?"

"Miss Granger, just by your reluctance we know that you are hiding something. I can assure you that Madam Pomfrey will not let you leave until she has taken your temperature," Severus explained.

Hermione still offered no signs of allowing her temperature to be taken.

"There is another way I can take your temperature," Poppy stated.

Hermione's eyes widened and she opened her mouth immediately.

Poppy smiled and placed the thermometer under Hermione's tongue.

After a moment passed, Poppy removed the thermometer from Hermione's mouth. She was clearly dissapointed with the results.

"It's way too high. I almost want to take you to St. Mungo's."

"Please don't, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione begged weakly.

"If it doesn't show any signs of improvement by this time tomorrow, I'm taking you to St. Mungo's. It's really high," Poppy explained.

Hermione nodded once, wincing at how much energy it took just to make the simple movement.

"The less movements make, the less pain you'll feel," Madam Pomfrey said.

This time, Hermione knew not to nod.

"Alright, you can take her with you, Severus."

Once again, Snape lifted Hermione, but it was not without protest. Hermione attempted to wriggle her way out of his arms yet Snape's grip was too strong.

"Stop struggling, Miss Granger. You just heard Madam Pomfrey say that the less movements you make, the less pain you'll be in," Snape scolded.

Hermione stopped struggling.

"Bring her back tomorrow," Poppy said before Snape left the hospital wing.

When they got back to the room where they had been in before Hermione had fainted, Snape walked down a hallway that was attached to the room.

He brought Hermione into a spare bedroom and gently put her on the bed.

"If you need anything, my bedroom is right across the hall. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. You can sleep in tomorrow morning; you won't be attending any of your classes."

Knowing it would do her no good, Hermione didn't argue. "Okay, thank you," Hermione said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Miss Granger." He smiled, which was rare.

She's a handful, Snape thought before exiting the room.

Thank you for reading and please review!