Erised Revealed

OOPS!!

They walked in silence up to the hospital wing. Hermione didn't want to remind him that she ran into him, and that is why she wasn't talking, but she was curious as to why he was silent.

'Ok, I know he is probably still in shock because of what happened to him, but I figured since he was a spy all that time he would be able to process things a lot faster and hide his surprise.' She thought, then glanced over at Snape. Snape hadn't been thinking. He had been staring at her! Well, maybe he had been thinking something but not what she was thinking he was.

"Why were you running?" He asked.

"I wasn't running. I was hurrying to the Library to work on my divination's homework. I just wanted to get it over with. I hate that class." She stopped talking abruptly.

'Why am I telling him this? He doesn't need to know what classes I hate and which ones I like. He is my hated potions professor.' She thought.

'Then what was that in the mirror?' Another voice in her head asked.

'Oh, No! Go away! I don't need you now. Plus that mirror was wrong. I do NOT want Professor Snape as anything more than a potions professor.' She insisted.

'Sure. If that is what you believe, then maybe you are a stupid child still. Even though you just turned 17 yesterday. I thought that when you turned 17, it means you are more grown up, but I guess I was wrong.' The voice persisted sarcastically.

'No, I am very responsible! Anyway, this has nothing to do with you, so go away.' Hermione said.

'Ok. I am going away. But you should still think on what I said and on what has happened.' The voice said and was quiet again.

Shaking her head, she realized that they had finally reached the hospital wing. Walking through the door, Hermione went to the nurses' office and knocked. Severus had decided to sit on one of the beds and scowl at Hermione. Finally the nurse came out of her office.

"What's the problem, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked looking at Hermione. She glanced at Severus and looked back at Hermione, before her head swiveled back to look closer at Severus.

"Who is this? He looks familiar." She said and walked over to stand by the bed he was occupying. She stared at him for a few more seconds before she gasped and took a step back. "Severus?" Severus nodded with a grimace.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"I don't know, Poppy. I was walking down the hall, when Miss. Granger came barreling down the hall and knocked me over. I guess I was knocked out for a few seconds, when I came to, I was on the floor. I stood up and I noticed Miss. Granger looking at me weird and when I glanced down, I was like this." Severus said and then looked at Hermione. "Miss. Granger, would you please tell up what you saw. Or if you know how this happened, tell us."

Hermione was startled for a second. He had just said please. Then, she realized that he probably thought she had something to do with what happened to him. She raised her hands in the 'I Surrender' pose. "I didn't do anything. I just came from divinations and I was hurrying to get to the library because I wanted to finish my homework as soon as possible. I didn't realize Professor Snape was in the hall because I was so deep in thought I just wasn't paying attention. I knocked into him, he went down, and landed on top of him, I immediately got back up. I noticed that his eyes were kind of glazed. Not really focused on anything. Then, his features started to change. Hair turned jet black, wrinkles went away, and... " She was interrupted by Pomfrey, who had started casting spells on Snape to find out why this happened and how.

"Did you see anything that could have caused this? Maybe..."

Hermione interrupted her. "Nothing was there except us and my bag. No potion bottles, nothing out of the ordinary." the Nurse stopped working for a moment to glance at Hermione.

"How did you know I was going to say potion bottles?"

Hermione froze for a moment. 'I can't tell you I dreamed about this happening. What am I going to tell her. If I don't answer, she is going to think I really did do this.'

"Well, the only thing that I could think that would do this kind of things would be a potion. Even though no one has invented a youth potion. If I had invented one I would not be keeping it a secret."

Madame Pomfrey seemed to accept this answer and turned back to continue with her examination. Hermione released the breath she was holding. Glancing up, she realized Snape had seen her relief. She glance away quickly.

She stayed quiet for the rest of the time Pomfrey was examining Snape.

After that was done, Pomfrey was stumped. "I can't find any reason for this to happen. There are no Potions in effect, no spells, nothing that I can detect. You two need to go up to Albus and see if he has any idea why this happened." She said, and waved them out the door.

As the two walked towards Dumbledore's office, neither spoke for they were both deep in thought about what could be happening and what the reason for it was. Severus was also thinking about Hermione's suspicious behavior in the Hospital Wing.

Eventually, they made it to the gargoyle that protected the Headmasters office and rooms.

"Blood Pops" Snape said. When the statue stepped aside, they both stepped on the rising stairs and waited to reach the top. Snape knocked on the door. After about a minute, they heard the Headmaster call for them to enter.

Opening the door, they spotted Dumbledore sitting at his desk with his hands steepled. His eyes twinkled as he motioned them into the seats in front of his desk. His gaze was on Hermione.

"Miss. Granger. What can I do for you today?" He glanced at Snape and cocked his head to the side in thought. "Do I know you? You look so familiar. My old age is getting to me, I'm afraid."

Snape looked at Dumbledore in wonder for a moment. "You don't recognize me? I have only been teaching here for 17 years now." He said looking at the Headmaster oddly.

The Headmaster assessed Snape again and recognition finally flared in his eyes. "Severus?" Snape nodded. "What happened? How did you..."

Hermione interrupted. "We don't know how it happened. We have already been to the Hospital Wing, but Madame Pomfrey didn't find any spells or potions working on him. She thought that maybe you would have an idea about what has happened."

Dumbledore nodded. "Tell me what happened before this occurred."

Hermione retold the story, with Snape inputting things that he thought were important. After they were done, Dumbledore looked at them intently for a moment before asking. "Miss. Granger, You just turned 17, didn't you?"

Hermione looked confused and said. "Yes, Yesterday. But what does that have to do with anything?" Dumbledore nodded.

"Just as I thought. Well, I have an idea about what happened. You might have read about this before but haven't even thought about it. Or even thought that it could be true for you two." He said, looking at Hermione. "If I remember right, Professor Trelawney was having her students look into the Mirror of Erised today. Tell me. What did you see?"

Hermione swallowed. Hanging her head, which hide her blushing face from view, she said. "Yes, sir. She was having us look in the mirror. I.. I really don't want to tell you.. who I saw, sir."

"I know you don't, but this is very relevant to the situation. Don't worry, dear. No one here is going to judge you."

Hermione slowly raised her head and nodded. Taking a deep breath and carefully avoiding Snape's gaze, which she could feel on her face, she answered his question.

"I saw Professor Snape, Sir."

A/N: I am so happy to be able to get this chapter up. I have been soooo busy with school and life. My cousin just had a baby and my family and I have all been pitching in and helping her take care of the new baby and the 3 year old, while she works.

I hope you all like this chapter.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Here are the questions I am going to leave you with.

How is Severus Snape going to react to this new information?

What made Snape change?

What will Dumbledore do about all of this?